How-to

The physiological need for shelter nowadays extends to the idea of the roof over our heads that keeps us safe and comfortable. In Canada, from coast to coast, those needs swing wildly between regions and seasons; the one thing that keeps us comfortable are the heating and air conditioning systems installed in our homes. Controlling these systems used to be a dance of setting the right temperature. That changed with programmable thermostats, and then again with the invention of the Smart Thermostat. It’s a revolution in home control and it’s my opinion that, barring a few cases, almost everyone should have one. Want to know why? Read on.

Low-fat, no-fat, healthy fat, too much fat, trans fat-free? “What do you mean?” as my fellow Canadian, Justin Bieber, would say. I conclude my four part series on special diet with low fat cooking or ways to limit the fat intake. 

It’s no surprise people can’t seem to squeeze in their recommended daily fruit & vegetable intakes – busy lives mean dinner on the go, and dinner on the go doesn’t often include one vegetable let alone three. And no, in most circles, french fries are not considered a serving of vegetables.

Smartphones are some of the easiest items to resell or pass down to friends or family. Even if they are no longer the latest, greatest models, they are still functional for calling, messaging and running apps. Here’s how to prepare for the turnover.

When making your New Year’s Resolutions (let’s face it people: whether you say the word ‘resolution’ or not, it still is), there are things to keep in mind when making them. Here is a list of tips to help you keep that New Year’s Resolution to become more active.

People took more than one trillion photos in 2015 and most of them used smarpthones. Mobile devices have always offered convenience with buit in cameras, but now they have great quality including features like HDR, RAW photo shooting and even Ultra HD and 4K video shooting. The big question is what to do with all these photos and videos.

 You can prepare delicious side salads to go with any vegan BBQ. Or you can serve a hearty salad as a meal, by loading it up with lots of different proteins (just not meat, chicken, or fish) and other ingredients such as quinoa and rice.

Emergencies can happen at any time. Some emergencies are more serious than others, but all emergencies have one thing in common—they all call for action! Whether it’s an earthquake (like this week in Vancouver), a major snowstorm, a physical injury, a broken down vehicle, or an untimely power outage, there’s no reason in the world why you can’t be prepared for it. So, when you’re making your 2016 new year’s resolutions, why not resolve to be prepared for anything? 

I love heat and sunshine, but I still think summer desserts are one of the best parts of summer. Because we’re celebrating my daughter’s elementary school graduation this weekend, I’ve been in the kitchen with kids and up to my elbows in summer desserts. Here’s what’s been chilling out in my kitchen this week. 

Where I grew up, we didn’t have ‘food trends.’ Everything we ate was simple, basic, and comfortable – from roast beef and mashed potatoes to chili and mashed potatoes. If we were going to spice things up, maybe we’d have spaghetti or pizza.   So imagine my surprise when the person who did all of the cooking during my formative years, the woman who actually served me lasagna and mashed potatoes (I’m not joking), called me up and started talking to me about quinoa. And she wasn’t just calling for a definition of what quinoa is either – she was talking about her long list of personal quinoa salad recipes. I almost dropped the phone in shock. After all, quinoa doesn’t include ground beef or mashed potatoes in the ingredient list, so this was quite a detour.