How-to

I’ve been experimenting with brain food lately, and found a recipe that takes all of those nutrients and combines them into one delicious energy bar. Although they’re chock full of healthy ingredients, they taste almost like a chocolate bar. The local coffee shop sells them and calls them ‘Brain Bites,’ but I just call them delicious.   I whipped up a batch of these little gems today – check out the recipe and my photos for the steps to make them.

The amazing thing about summer vegetables is that you can make a new side dish for dinner every single night. Some of them are so good you may just opt out of a main course and stick to your sides.

The reason summer salads are called ‘summer salads’ is because they’re chock full of fresh-from-the-garden vegetables. But if you haven’t tried mixing things up and adding a few chunks of fruit, you’re really missing out on a mind-blowing meal.

This past week our country turned 147 years old, and although it’s a relative youngster in terms of countries, (after all, our neighbor to the south is ripe, old 238 today) I think it’s established itself very well. When you think of Canada you think of polite people, wide, open spaces, 4 very definite seasons of weather, and last but not least, hockey.   But let’s not forget that we’re also a culture based on a wide variety of delicious dishes too, and because of those definite weather cycles, there are some uniquely Canadian recipes that are only really available to be made in the summer.

Soccer fans across Canada are gearing up for a month-long competition/party as the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off today, with host country Brazil going up against Croatia. If you haven’t seen the cars sporting the window-mounted flags already, high-fived a co-worker wearing the appropriate team jersey, or heard the siren call of the vuvuzela, you soon will. And no, Canada will not be playing (last I checked, we were ranked 100th in the world by FIFA), but our neighbours to the South — ranked 13th— will be there. The problem with the FIFA World Cup is that many of the matches are played during inconvenient times. When you’re at work, for example. You only get so many sick days, so how do you maximize your soccer fix without jeopardizing your career or giving up on things like grocery shopping in favour of being glued to your TV? Look no further than your mobile device.

BBQ chicken is one of those dishes that’s perfect for every occasion. From backyard BBQs to company picnics, served hot or cold, BBQ chicken makes a great addition to any menu. It’s also the best main course you can make ahead, because it stores for an entire week of sandwiches, wraps, and salads too.  

Living small doesn’t have to mean living with stress, because decorating small living spaces just requires a bit of imagination and some specific home pieces to maximize what you’ve got. It’s actually fun to live small because it forces you to be creative, and that’s where home décor magic can really begin.

Good Chinese food or Chinese takeout can be hard to come by. So what to do when you get a craving for Chinese food but you don’t know where to order from? You can jump online and hit up Yelp or other review sites, looking for a recommendation. Or, you can do what I finally started to do – make it yourself. Creating Chinese food at home isn’t hard at all, and if you have the right tools it’s a fast, easy way to get your Chinese food fix. Here are a few of my favourite make-at-home Chinese food recipes:

When I think of the BBQ, I think of burger recipes. Most people stick to the basic hamburger, done up in a bun with mustard, relish, ketchup and maybe a pickle or two, but this year it might just be time to branch out a bit and explore your burger options. With so many different hamburger recipes to choose from, you could make a new version of the classic every night of the week.