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Your Budding Artist: Age 1-3 Years

You may not know this but children develop art in a series of stages.  Early Childhood Education has broken those stages down to 3 stages ranging from 1 year of age to 5 years. It is important to remember that when we discuss any type of developmental milestones, we are looking at a “range of …

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Setting the Mood with Wax

Okay, right now you are probably thinking about something other than candles.  Perhaps you are thinking of wax figures filling a room to set the mood but if that is what you have in mind I have to ask, are you setting up a Halloween mood? All joking aside, candles, which is the wax I …

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Creamy Roasted Garlic and Greens Dip

Whether you’re serving flatbread, sliced veggies or your favourite crackers, it’s always a challenge figuring out the perfect dip to accompany them. Try this rich and flavourful appetizer recipe below. “Roasting garlic mellows the sharpness and enhances its natural sweetness, giving this rich dip an addictive caramelized flavour”, shares Tom Filippou, executive chef for President’s …

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Tea Time: A Brief History of Tea

Like beer and wine, tea is an ancient beverage. Yet in some countries that are strongly associated with it, such as Great Britain, it was introduced only recently on the historical time scale. No one knows with certainty who first had the odd idea of taking leaves from the Camilla Sinensis plant and adding them …

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30 Day Declutter Your Home Challenge

The New Year is a wonderful time to start fresh by decluttering your home. We are in our homes now more than ever, which makes creating tidy, beautiful living spaces more important than ever. Make your home your sanctuary. Here is a printable declutter checklist to help you get started; I keep mine on the …

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Holiday Dessert Recipes from Around the Globe

What better time than the winter holiday season to indulge your craving for a superb dessert? There are hundreds to choose from, but these international Christmas recipes can add a taste of something unique to your holiday festivities. Yuletide Gingerbread For a traditional American treat, bake some gingerbread. Ingredients: 2 eggs 1/4 cup molasses 1/2 …

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Pork Medallions with Sage and Port

Yule impress with port wine-infused pork medallions Give your guests the gift of great food this holiday season with the delicious, nutritious, and festive combination of pork tenderloin and port wine. Port adds elegant flavour, depth, and richness to holiday meals. It easily stands up to the heat of cooking and combines well with a …

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Hasselback Potatoes Stuffed with Cheddar and Bacon

Elevate the regular old baked potato with this impressive side dish for your guests. Stuffed with cheddar and bacon, these potatoes are not only delicious but a showstopper as well fanning out delightfully as they bake. “The trick here is in using wooden spoons (or chopsticks) as guides while cutting almost-but-not-all-the-way-through,” says Chef Tom Filippou, …

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Alpen Salami Panini with Tomato-Chili Jam

Charcuterie meats for perfect party paninis Serve these tantalizing crusty bread sandwiches to your holiday guests. Alpen Salami Panini with Tomato-Chili Jam Ingredients (Panini) 3 Italian crusty buns 1 pkg. 175g Piller’s Charcuterie Alpen Salami or Cervelat Salami 350 ml (1 ½ cups) baby arugula 125 g (4 oz.) Oka cheese, sliced 75 ml (½ …

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Easy Sugar Cookie Cut-outs

Bake classic sugar cookies for your cookie swap A favourite holiday activity for many of us is baking, but between gift shopping and get-togethers, it’s hard to find the time. In fact, a recent survey by Becel found that one in two Canadians want to bake more during the holidays, and 77 percent would spontaneously …

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