I love the cute kids in bunny and pirate costumes who come to my door October 31. They remind me that, despite the silly spendfest Halloween has become, it’s still a celebration for children. Halloween now ranks second only to Christmas in sales, followed by back-to-school spending, according to the Retail Council of Canada. I
Those little orange boxes at Halloween
Recipe Swap: Thai Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes, and Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Many jobs to tackle by merged rural municipalities post election
Staffing committees, redrawing jurisdictional boundaries — even how much a councillor is paid are all on the table
Municipal leaders who start serving on the newly amalgamated councils in Manitoba this week have their work cut out for them — from deciding which planning districts they’ll be part of to connecting with a public dispersed across wider territory. One of their big jobs ahead will be just staying in touch with ratepayers, predicts
Bitter foods aren’t bad. Just misunderstood
Recipe Swap: Rutabaga Apple Casserole, Turnip Carrot Puff, Turnips with Orange, and Hearty Rutabaga and Sausage Soup
I used to hate turnip and rutabaga. They tasted bitter. But I like them now. What changed? Part of it is how I cook them. Older taste buds make a difference too. Canadian cookbook author Jennifer McLagan has just released a new cookbook called Bitter — A Taste of The World’s Most Dangerous Flavour, With
Cooking from scratch means calling the farmer first
Home economics teacher emphasizes local food purchasing for her classroom
Few school kids come home from school to say they learned how to debone a chicken or cook dried beans. But high school students in Lauren Sawchuk’s home economics class at Sisler High School in Winnipeg can. “We are basically doing everything from scratch,” says Sawchuk, who teaches extra cooking classes each week so students
It’s time for baking bread: Buns, rolls, pull-aparts
Recipe Swap: Apple Cinnamon Rolls, Sour Cream Rolls, and English Bath Buns
On cold late-fall days, I remember coming home from school to a kitchen warm and fragrant with fresh-baked buns. Usually the scent of floor cleaner lingered with it; Mom always washed the floor after baking. Like many housekeepers of the mid-1960s, she’d ceased making bread, partly because of the chore it was, but more likely
‘Disappointing’ show of interest among women in Manitoba municipal elections
AMM tasked itself with trying to encourage more women to run after 2009 report
Even if every female candidate running for office this month is elected in the upcoming October 22 municipal elections, women will remain a tiny minority of the leadership in local governments across Manitoba. About 17 per cent, or 267 of the 1,507 candidates hoping for a seat around town, village and RM council tables this
Walking: the “superfood of exercise”
Recipe Swap: Mashed Potato Casserole , Baked Potato Nachos , and Fast and Fit Clam Chowder
Walking is good for us. That was the news on the radio the other day. “Walking is the superfood of exercise,” the commentator said. The only thing new here is the catchy turn of phrase. Hundreds of studies and reports tout the benefits of walking. One that garnered a lot of interest looked at the
Heritage school building turns 100
Brant-Argyle School, the only school of the consolidation era that's continuously operated as a school, celebrates a century
School started here on October 5, 1914 and it never stopped. A hundred years later, Brant-Argyle School, a handsome two-storey heritage building of yesteryear, still bustles with students filling its four classrooms each day — right after they hang up their outerwear in what they still call “the cloakrooms.” Last weekend hundreds of families, supporters, and
The crunch has come
Recipe Swap: Yummy Apple Breakfast Cookies, Potato and Apple Salad with Cream Dressing, Apple and Onion Sausage, and Sweet Potato, Apple and Parsnip Purée
Talk about slow food. First we planted that apple tree (a Millstream purchased from our local nursery). Then we watched it grow. It was definitely worth the wait. This fall that tree has produced a huge load of wonderful apples, so many we are wondering what to do with them all. The apples are crisp
Take your farmers’ markets inside
Recipe Swap: Buttercup Squash Bread and Moussaka
We’re in a state of limbo in September, as we feel sorry to see summer go, and possibly a bit anxious about approaching winter. But there’s still so much to love about this beautiful month. It’s the very best time of year to visit farmers’ markets. Vendors’ harvests are peaking and markets of all sizes
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
