How-to

I spend a lot of time talking about creating recipes here on Shelly’s Friday Favourites, but I’ve discovered recently that some of the most delicious things in life don’t have to involve cooking at all. In fact, they don’t have to involve eating either.

Laptops are the ideal travelling devices. They make it possible for us to stay connected, be productive, and keep entertained. Here are some tips for travelling with a laptop and making the most out of your investment.

Families today are extremely busy. Both parents usually work, and then have to fit their kids’ many extracurricular activities, such as swimming, art, tennis, soccer, hockey, and playdates, into what’s left of the day. In this hectic environment, eating dinner as a family is enough of a challenge, let alone preparing the meal with your kids. But getting them involved in making their favourite dishes is worth the effort. This might be hard at first if your kids are doing homework (or just pretending they are), playing on their phones, or sitting in front of the TV. Convincing them that cooking is cool is a good first step. Once they start, they’ll love it, and the key is to make it fun.

Summer is the perfect time to revive your kitchen with a new coat of paint, new appliances or some colourful accessories.  Read on for tips on how you can revive your kitchen this summer.

Teaching your kids to cook at a young age has its perks, from getting their help in the kitchen for dinner duties to knowing they will be knowledgeable to eat smart as they get older. Furthermore, it’s a perfect opportunity to bond with your children and learn about their day. You never know, by the time they become teenagers, they could be preparing dinner every night before you even get home from work or while you chill out on the couch. A parent can only dream, right?

Cast iron cookware has been around for centuries. Long before the electric stove was invented in the early 1900s, most meals were prepared using cast iron skillets, pots and griddles, and an open flame. A lot has changed since then, but the appeal of cast iron remains the same. Said to be the best cookware ever invented, the key to its longevity lies in its care. Follow these simple rules and your cast iron cookware will last for generations to come.

My wife was away at a conference last week and as she FaceTimed us to show the kids the view from her hotel room and then each evening to check in on their day at school, it really hit home how much we can make use of technology to keep in touch with our distant loved ones. And it’s not just when travelling or special occasions. When I think about it, the computers in our home have become the hub of interaction with distant relatives and friends. This connection has gone far beyond what a telephone ever offered, and by taking advantage of those capabilities a PC can help to make long distance relationships feel like personally interacting with someone on a daily basis.

I’ll admit it: I’ve kind of scoffed at no-bake desserts in the past. It almost seems as though if you can’t put it in the oven, it’s not really dessert. But as I’ve discovered, some desserts don’t have to be labour intensive and time consuming to be really, really good. My kid’s all time favourite dessert actually takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, and I’d be proud to serve it to my foodie friends.  

It’s date night, and I want to stay in for a romantic evening. There are many things I can do to prepare and create an elegant nightlife vibe such as serving great tasting cocktails presented in stylish glassware. I’m a firm believer that drinks should be served in elegant glassware just to help set the mood right. With the right recipe and perfect presentation, I’ll be able to show off my ever-improving bartending skills, plus we will both have fun tasking some new delicious creations.

Home automation is starting to take off in the mainstream, mostly thanks to low-cost alternatives to custom systems; while there’s still a market for the integrated home automation system, for many consumers there’s a choice between entry level and midrange “network” products and “non-network” products. What does that mean and which type of product is right for you? Read on to find out.