Back again this summer, Walk & Talk With Elected Officials will meet on four Monday evenings. All walks will be from 6:00 – 7:15 PM at Leary Field in Waltham (Bacon St., across from Plympton Elementary School).
DATES FOR 2010:
Monday, July 12
Monday, July 26
Monday, August 9
Monday, August 23
What concerns you most about Waltham today? What would make Waltham a better place for you to live in? Join local elected officials and community members to discuss these and other topics. Elected officials participating include City Council and School Committee members.
Bring your water bottle, look for the folks with the orange bandanas, and start walking and talking!
Join the Friends of Stonehurst, Healthy Waltham, the Waltham Land Trust, and the City of Waltham for Waltham Walks at Stonehurst, an afternoon of fun family activities on Saturday, July 17, 2010!
This free event will be held from noon – 4:00 pm, rain or shine, and all are welcome. A flyer for this event can be found here: Waltham Walks Flyer.
Explore the forests, fields, rocks and hills of Stonehurst, the surrounding Storer Conservation Lands, and the new Western Greenway. You may opt to go questing and try out one of Stonehurst’s new self-guided treasure hunts: the Quest of Giants, the Quest of Ruins, or the Quest of Nooks and Crannies. “Yoga Energizers” led by TriYoga Boston. Other kids’ activities led by Healthy Waltham and the Waltham YMCA. Guided and self-guided tours (see schedule of guided tours below).
Bring water bottles and a picnic lunch. Healthy snacks provided by Hannaford Supermarkets. Sturdy shoes recommended. Free transportation is available on the Waltham City Trolley.
Guided Tour Schedule
• 12:30 pm –Western Greenway walk, led by David Kehs, Director of the Waltham Land Trust
• 2:00 pm – Walk to ruins in the woods, led by Stonehurst
• 3:00 pm – Tour of the house, led by Stonehurst
Stonehurst is located at 100 Robert Treat Paine Drive, off Beaver Street near Forest Street. At the Stonehurst sign, follow the driveway up the hill to the parking lot. Parking is also available at the High School. To reach Stonehurst from the High School, walk along the Bull Run trail.
The vegetable of the month for March 2010 is: Legumes!
Legumes are among the most versatile and nutritious foods available, and are often inexpensive as well. Typically good sources of protein as well as high in fiber and low in fat, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat. Common legumes are peas, snap beans, shell beans, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, split peas, lentils, navy beans and pinto beans.
Lentil soup is a good basic soup and at only $1.59 a bag, lentils are very inexpensive. In fact, this lentil soup recipe can be made for about $6 or less and makes 10 servings.
Lentil Soup
4 slices of bacon, diced (optional) or 1 tablespoons olive oil 3 carrots, peeled and diced3 celery sticks, diced 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups water2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed if necessaryhalf a 28-oz can of tomatoes, with juice (freeze the rest for next time) 1 teaspoon dried thyme1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon ground black pepper1 teaspoon salt a few red pepper flakes (optional)
In a large pot, heat the bacon until browned, about 5 minutes. If bacon is very fatty, pour out all but about 1 tablespoons of oil; or use about 1 tablespoons olive oil instead of the bacon. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Add water, lentils, tomatoes and thyme and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper.
The vegetable of the month for February 2010 is: Cabbage Family vegetables!
Cruciferous vegetables (members of the cabbage family) are one of the dominant food crops worldwide. They are high in vitamin C, soluble fiber, and contain nutrients with anti-cancer properties. Examples include Chinese cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cauliflower, bok choy, and nappa cabbage.
This recipe for Asian cole slaw is from a kids’ activity at the Waltham Boys and Girls Club.
Asian Cole Slaw
1/2 cup or more Nappa cabbage, sliced thin1/4 cup or more bean sprouts1 cucumber, thinly slicedshredded or grated carrot (optional)grated sunchoke, kohlrabi (optional) Dressing:1/4 cup soy sauce1/4 cup rice vinegar2 tablespoons minced or pureed garlic and ginger2 tablespoons sugar or honey1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oiloptional:2 tablespoons chopped Thai basilminced chili pepper
Combine vegetables and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or chopped peanuts, if desired.
ANNOUNCING…. Special screenings of selected episodes from this award-winning documentary series at the Waltham Public Library
“UNNATURAL CAUSES…is inequality making us sick?” investigates findings that are shaking up our conventional understanding of health. There’s much more to our well-being than genes, behaviors and medical care. The social, economic and physical environments in which we are born, live and work profoundly affect our health. Broadcast by PBS, this series tackles the root causes of our alarming socio-economic and racial inequities in health.
These events are FREE and all are welcome. All screenings will be held in the Lecture Hall of the Waltham Public Library, 735 Main Street. Each screening will be facilitated by a member of the Regional Center for Healthy Communities (Metrowest) and include an audience participation group discussion. Healthy snacks will be provided.
DATES
Feb 25-In Sickness and in Wealth: How does the distribution of power, wealth and resources shape opportunities for health?
March 18-Becoming American: Latino immigrants arrive healthy, so why don’t they stay that way?
April 15-Place Matters: Why is your street address such a strong predictor of your health?
TIMES
5:30pm – Doors Open, Refreshments
6:00pm – Introduction by Facilitator
6:15pm – Begin Video, followed by discussion, finish by 8:00pm
RSVP
Please RSVP by sending email to info@healthy-waltham.org so we have numbers for snacks and seating. Childcare will be available on a first come first served basis for children age 5 and up; if you need childcare, please call Francisca at 617-208-1562 to confirm space for your children.
This special event is sponsored by Listen and Learn, a Mount Auburn Hospital collaboration with Healthy Waltham, WATCH, Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center, Power Program and Waltham Family School. Funding from the BCBS Foundation of MA.
Over 250 people came out on a cold but sunny January day to the 2nd Annual Day of Play at the South Middle School on Moody Street. This event brought together young and old to enjoy a variety of activities emphasizing healthy and playful lifestyles. Special thanks to Hannaford Supermarkets which provided fresh fruit snacks, and also provided the yogurt and fruit used for the kids’ parfait-making at the Healthy Waltham table!
Check out a video of the event courtesy of Chris Wangler and the Waltham Community Access Channel (WCAC-TV):
The Waltham Day of Play was spearheaded by the Waltham Recreation Department. Other participating organizations included: City of Waltham, Waltham YMCA, Healthy Waltham, Waltham Partnership for Youth, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Waltham Children’s Hospital, Waltham Public Schools, Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham Land Trust, Greater Waltham ARC, Hannaford’s Supermarket.
The Vegetable of the Month for January 2010 is: Root Vegetables!
What are root vegetables? Root vegetables are underground plant parts that we grow for food. These under-appreciated vegetables are in fact nutritious additions to a variety of soups and stews, loaded with carbohydrates and dietary fiber, high in vitamins and minerals, yet often low in cost and easy to store.
Common root vegetables include carrots, beets, parsnip, turnip, rutabaga, radish, jicama and celeriac.
Here is a Healthy Waltham vegetable soup recipe featuring root vegetables and other favorites.
Curried Waltham Butternut Squash Soup
2 onions3 cloves garlic1 sweet potato3 carrots4 large potatoes2 apples1 small butternut squash3-4 parsnips4 cups chicken or vegetable stockolive oil or butter2 tablespoons curry paste, or 1-2 teaspoons curry powder, or to tastesalt & pepper to taste Saute onions and garlic in olive oil or butter. Add the rest and simmer until soft, then puree in blender or food processor & reheat gently. If mixture is too thick, may be diluted with more broth, apple cider (for a sweeter flavor) or water. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
The Vegetable of the Month for December 2009 is: Corn!
Corn, also called “maize,” is one of the most popular cereals and a staple food of many peoples and cultures across the globe. Corn is a good source of folate and vitamin B1, as well as vitamin C and B6. It also contains fiber, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin and potassium. Corn can be served in many ways, either on or off the cob, from salads and side vegetables to tortillas and tamales. Cornmeal can also be made into cornbreads and porridges.
Here is a recipe modeled after the corn chowder served this month in the Waltham Public Schools cafeterias:
McDevitt Middle School garden began in the summer of 2007 with a modest effort:
With free soil amendments donated by Agway in Waltham, we dug up a small patch and planted beans, tomatoes and marigolds with the summer program students. In the fall, we had a tiny harvest and collected marigold seeds with the afterschool EcoTeam.
The next spring, we planted raspberry canes in this location, and a seedless Concord grape vine. That summer, the EcoTeam built McDevitt’s first raised bed. They wrote about this in their website.
This fall, the original McDevitt garden was a flourishing raspberry patch with a grape vine beginning to cover the fence:
