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[Chef Michael Smith Takes Pulse Pledge / Pulse Canada]

By: Shareba Abdul

2016 has been formally declared by the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to be the International Year of Pulses (IYP). 

While this is big news for the Canadian agricultural industry (pulses are Canada’s fifth largest crop), many Canadian consumers may not even know what a pulse is.

The word pulses refers to the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. These are commonly known as beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas.

[Colourful spoonfuls of pulses / Pulse Canada]

Pulses are not ingredients that are widely talked about and you don’t often see them gracing the covers of health magazines, but according to Chef Michael Smith, Canada’s IYP Ambassador, that’s the point.

“Pulses are a very common, bedrock ingredient. This is not about trying to make them trendy,” said Chef Smith, who is known for his cooking shows on Food Network Canada. 

Pulses are integral to cuisines all over the world, but they are not as prominent in North American dishes. In light of this fact, a Pulse Pledge campaign has been launched in conjunction with the International Year of Pulses. This campaign encourages North Americans to add a half-cup of pulses to their diet weekly for a 10-week period.

For those who have never cooked pulses before, that challenge may seem daunting. However, Chef Smith says that the financial and nutritional benefits of adding pulses to your diet are worth the work.

“I think lots of us right now are clearly seeing the rise of food prices and many of us are attributing that partially to the price of meat,” said Chef Smith, who insists that he is not anti-meat and still enjoys a grilled steak from time to time. “Of course, you don’t have to eat meat or fish to get your protein. You can eat grains and legumes, and get your protein that way.” Dried pulses, found in most grocery stores, are the most inexpensive option. However, many people avoid buying them because they assume that they must be soaked overnight before being cooked. While pulses like beans and chickpeas do need to be rehydrated, Chef Smith says that overnight soaking is not your only option.

“You can also easily do the rapid soak method, which basically means put the works in a pot, bring it to a rapid simmer, turn it off and let it sit for a hour,” says Chef Smith. Alternatively, he says canned pulses can be used when you’re short on time. 

“I use [canned] all the time. I don’t soak pulses. Lentils don’t need soaking in the first place; they cook just as quickly as rice. But beans and chickpeas need that soak, so I just go for canned. Really all you have to do is rinse away that slimy stuff and know that what’s staying behind is all the nutrients and flavour.”

Some consumers may avoid cooking lentils at home because they think that their children won’t eat them. Chef Smith, who has three children of his own, says that doesn’t have to be the case. It all depends on your approach.

“The first thing parents have to do is recognize how important this is. [Healthy eating] isn’t optional. If we’re still convincing ourselves that processed food is viable, we’re still making a gigantic, crushing mistake.”

Pulses are surprisingly healthy. Not only are they a low-fat source of protein, but they are also very high in fibre. In fact, half a cup of cooked pulses provides more than one-third of the fibre needed for the entire day.

“The second thing we have to realize is that this isn’t hard. I’m well aware of the challenges of feeding kids, I get it. My kids are no different from any other when it comes to vocalizing what they will and won’t eat, and what they want to eat. It comes down to patience and persistence.”

If you know your kids won’t eat a bowl of stewed lentils or chickpeas, Chef Smith recommends introducing them in a different way.

“One dish that I have tons of success with in my family is the pulse taco recipe,” said Chef Smith. “Kids love tacos! Every time somebody says to me ‘oh, kids don’t like flavour,’ baloney! Kids will eat big flavours; they just have to have fun doing it. Tacos are fun, especially when they get to put it together themselves.” 

Chef Michael Smith’s Pulse Tacos

[These delicious tacos are made with lentils and chickpeas instead of ground meat / Pulse Canada ]

Makes 12 tacos, Serves 4 to 6

For the pulse filling:

- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of canola oil

- 2 onions, thinly sliced

- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

- 1 heaping tablespoon (18 mL) of chili powder

- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of ground cumin

- 1 cup (250 mL) of green lentils

- A 19-ounce (540 mL) can of your favourite beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained

- 2 cups (500 mL) of water

- 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of salt

- 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of your favourite hot sauce

For the taco toppings:

- A head of Bibb or iceberg lettuce

- 12 hard taco shells

- A few handfuls of grated cheddar or taco blend cheese

- Your favourite salsa

- A large bunch of fresh cilantro

- 2 limes, cut into wedges

Make the lentil bean filling. Splash the canola oil into a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Sauté until the vegetables soften and the spice flavours brighten, 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the lentils, beans, water and salt. Bring the works to a slow, steady simmer. Cover tightly and continue slowly cooking until the lentils are tender, 35 minutes or so. Stir in the hot sauce.

Assemble the tacos. Fit a full leaf of lettuce into a hard taco shell. This will hold the fillings in when the hard shell inevitably breaks. Fill each taco with a heaping spoonful of the lentil bean filling. Pack with cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges and share!

Take a hike cronuts, you are so 2013.

Milkshakes are set to be the trendy sweet treat of the year, wiith flavours that range from classic to creative.

While these Canadian concoction might not have the shock-appeal of the more extreme Australian creations, don’t let their tame appearance fool you. These milkshakes are packed with creamy delicious flavour.

Nothing is stopping you from enjoying a delicious milkshake in 2016. (Well, maybe lactose intolerance, but we can’t help you there.)

Photo source: http://sans-comical.tumblr.com/post/137141385869

The WORKS: 2001 Shake Odyssey

The hand-scooped shakes from The WORKS simply cannot be contained in a drinking glass. Instead, these decadent treats are whipped up and served in small measuring cups. 

You can order a chocolate shake if you want to, but why would you when you can get this 2001 Shake Odyssey (with caramel, peanut butter, Oreo cookie and whipped cream) instead? The WORKS has several locations across Ontario. (photo: The WORKS)

Boogie Burgers: The Fat Elvis

When you decide to name a milkshake The Fat Elvis, you do so knowing that you’ll have high expectations to live up to. The owners of Boogies Burgers in Calgary, Alta. are doing just that.

Their creamy peanut butter and banana shake (based on Elvis's favorite sandwich) is topped with real bacon bits, just the way they think Elvis would have wanted it. (photo: Boogie Burgers)

Munchee’s Variety Store: Strawberry Cheesecake Shake

If you think that only burger joints and ice cream parlours can make great shakes, think again. 

Munchee’s Variety Store in Hamilton, Ont. offer more than 190 milkshake varieties, including this pretty Strawberry Cheesecake shake. It’s no wonder that owner Leesa Nauss is referred to as the ‘milkshake queen of Hamilton.’ (photo: Chanry Thach)

Soft Peaks Ice Cream: Organic Soft Serve Shakes

Sometimes a milkshake is a milkshake, and sometimes it’s a metaphorical hug for the planet. These dreamy drinks are from an organic soft serve ice cream shop called Soft Peaks Ice Cream, located Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Not only does the shop offer six flavours of milkshakes made with organic milk, but their ingredients and serving utensils are all sourced locally. Oh, and they support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation by donating partial proceeds from their sales. How sweet! (photo: softpeaksicecream/Instagram)

Rose and Sons: Signature Shakes

When a chocolate or vanilla milkshake just isn’t enough, it’s time to visit Rose and Sons restaurant in Toronto, Ontario. 

While their shakes are served in old-school metal cups, the flavours are anything but old. They mix up their vanila soft serve ice cream with high-quality ingredients like wild blueberries, vanilla beans and chocolate from a local chocolatier. You can also mix and match their flavours to create your own signature milky treat. (photo: roseandsonsfood/Facebook)

Monsieur Cremeux: Classic shakes done right

Photo: Thinkstock

“Have you ever tidied madly, only to find that all too soon your home or workspace is cluttered again?”

That’s the question that Japanese organizational consultant Marie Kondo asks at the beginning of her best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It’s a common problem that many books and magazines have tried to solve in the past, but no one ever seems to have a perfect answer. Kondo says that’s because we’ve been approaching tidying the wrong way. 

“People are tidying their homes in the wrong order,” said Kondo, via a translator. “I recommend you to tidy by a given order, which is to start with clothing, then books, documents, small items and in the end sentimental items from your loved ones.” 

Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Image courtsey of Sunmark Publishing ​Inc.

Kondo’s tidying up technique, nicknamed The KonMari Method, has become popular all over the world. Since her book launched in 2010, it has been republished in various editions and has sold over 4.8 million copies in more than five languages. 

The premise of her technique is simple: in order to create a positive home environment you should only keep the things that make you happy.  

“I ask people to hold their possessions one by one in their hand, then ask themselves a question: does it spark joy?” said Kondo. “When you feel it spark joy in your heart, please keep that item. If not, it's time to say goodbye.” Of course, many practical items, such as snow shovels or toasters, should be kept even though they may not spark joy. For these items, Kondo recommends that we learn to appreciate them for helping us through our day. Eventually, she says, you will start to see how they can add joy to your life as well.

In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Kondo claims that all of her private consulting clients have been able to keep their homes tidy after completing her course. To get similar results in your own home, try following these tips from the book.

Start by discarding

Bags of items to donate and shredded paper. Photo: Shareba Abdul

Kondo says that the first step to permanently tidying your home is to get rid of everything that doesn’t spark joy or have a purpose. In fact, she doesn’t want you to even think about putting things away until you have gone through he process of discarding what you don’t need or want. 

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that you should throw everything in the garbage though. Gently used items can be given to friend, donated to charity or sold.

Tidy by category, not location

Makeup brushes collected from multiple rooms in the house. Photo: Shareba Abdul

“Please do not tidy room by room, or place by place,” says Kondo. While most people clean one room at a time, Kondo insists that this is a mistake. 

Instead, she recommends that you collect one category of items (like clothes) from every room in the house and go through them all at once. Doing so not only helps you discover duplicate items that you might have, but it also means that you won’t have to deal with those items again.

Leave the emotional stuff for later

Old postcards and letters. Photo: Shareba Abdul

“Photographs and letters not only have a high sentimental value, but also are one of a kind,” said Kondo in her book. She explains that the combination of emotional value and rarity makes these items extremely difficult to part with. In order to keep up a good momentum in your tidying process, be sure to sort through these kinds of items last.

Give a fixed position to your possessions

Organized office supplies on a desk. Photo: Shareba Abdul

Once you have decided on what you’re going to keep, its time to figure out where to put them.

“Please give a fixed position to your possessions, and after finish using an item, please return it to its original position,” says Kondo. When everything has a designated spot, you’re less likely to find your home becoming cluttered again. 

Utilize your space efficiently

A sock drawer before and after using Kondo’s folding method. Photo: Shareba Abdul

If you find that you still don’t have enough space to store everything you’re keeping, chances are you’re not using your space effectively. For clothing, Kondo strongly recommends folding most items into “a simple smooth rectangle” and storing them standing up in the drawer to save space. Anything that cannot be folded should be hung in your closet. Kondo also uses the standing up technique to store a variety of other items, such as office supplies, in drawers.

Avoid the storage trap

Storage bins aren’t always the best choice. Photo: Shareba Abdul

Perhaps one of the most controversial points in the book is Kondo’s criticism of storage experts. In her book she claims, “storage experts are hoarders” and warns “storage methods do not solve the problem of how to get rid of clutter.”

Before you hide your things away in a storage container, consider why you’re putting it away. Are these items things that you seldom use? Do you need to keep them? If the answer is yes, opt for a clear container so you don’t forget about what you put away.

Learn to appreciate your things

Storing your possessions with care helps to create a tidy home. Photo: Shareba Abdul

One of the tasks that Kondo gives to her clients is to appreciate their belongings. Although her method may seem a bit strange (i.e. she recommends verbally thanking your clothes for keeping you warm), the concept is easy to grasp. When we learn to appreciate the things we have, we take better care of them. Consider treating your laundry, books and office supplies with the same respect that you give to your expensive electronic devices. While these tips can be easy to follow, don’t get frustrated if you find that it’s taking you a long time to get tidied up. Kondo says that the length of time you’ll need to get completely tidy will depend on your individual situation.

The countdown to Christmas is on, which means it’s time to buy your annual advent calendar. While those cheap calendars filled with waxy chocolate do have a certain nostalgic charm, they aren’t the only option out there. Here’s a look at seven non-chocolate advent calendars that are so much better. 

David’s Tea 24 Days of Tea: This is for the serious tea lover! Each day brings a new tea for you to brew, sip and enjoy. This popular advent calendar is already sold out online, but can still be found in some stores. $39, davidstea.com

The Face Shop 2015 Beauty Advent Calendar: Unlike most advent calendars, this one has full-size products instead of miniatures. Any beauty lover would appreciate opening 24 of The Face Shop’s Korean beauty products. $69 on sale (regular $100) thefaceshop-america.com

Squish 24 Days of Gummies: Don’t want to miss out on your daily hit of sugar? This calendar features 24 fresh gummy candies in flavours like black cherry and mulled wine. $29, squishcandies.com

H&M Advent Calendar: If you’re looking for a calendar for a teen-aged girl, this is what you need. This calendar has 24 windows containing fashion accessories in different sizes, made from metal, plastic and glass. $39.99, hm.com/ca

Lush 12 Days of Christmas: Here’s another advent calendar cult favourite! The annual calendar from Lush contains 12 bath and beauty products including fizzing bath bombs, bubble bars, and the Love And Light Hand cream. $99.95, lush.ca

Yankee Candle Countdown Calendar: Need a reason to relax this holiday season? Take a moment to recharge while you enjoy a scented tea light candle from this set. Each calendar includes a total of 24 assorted candles. $24.99, yankeecandle.com

An Ipsy Glam Bag. Photo courtesy of Petite Pear Style

Subscription boxes have became a hot trend in the beauty industry over the past few years, and new subscription services seem to be popping up every few months. Even Sephora, the giant cosmetic retail chain, has hopped on the beauty box bandwagon with the launch of its own subscription called Play! by Sephora, which launched in the United States earlier this year.

What is the appeal of these subscriptions, though? There was a time when samples were something you received for free in magazines, or as a gift with purchase, yet now hundreds of thousands of women are paying for samples to be delivered to their door. Can these boxes really be worth the expense?

Free makeup samples from Sephora. Photo Credit: Shareba Abdul

“For me, it was ok,” said Lesley, a blogger who has reviewed over 100 beauty boxes on her blog Petite Pear Style. “I used to calculate the value of each box, and the value was always more than what you paid. So even though some boxes were just samples, they were deluxe samples of expensive products, so for me it was worth the money.”

That ratio of product value versus amount paid is one of the biggest selling points for these subscription services.

“Our Glam Bags come with four to five products for $10 dollars [USD] a month, and our average value is around $53 per bag,” said Jenny Lin, a representative from Ipsy, one of the leading beauty subscription services in the United States.  

Photo courtesy of Ipsy

It seems impossible for Ipsy to make a profit when they’re giving their customers monthly deliveries that are worth five times what they’re paying. Yet the company is doing extraordinarily well. Ipsy currently ships Glam Bags to over 1.5 million subscribers monthly in the United States and Canada, and is making $150 million in annual sales, according to the company’s internal sales figures.  

"I co-founded Ipsy in 2011 because I envisioned a vibrant community where women could be inspired to express their unique beauty,” said Ipsy co-founder Michelle Phan in a prepared statement.

Phan, a well-known YouTube celebrity, credits the success of her company to Ipsy's online community, which has a focus on education and supports other content creators. However, others credit the success to her incredible social media reach. Phan has over 8 million fans following her YouTube channel alone. 

But beauty subscription companies don’t need a celebrity behind their brand in order to be successful.

Another leading beauty box in the United States, called Glossybox, has created a cult following through their packaging.

The iconic pink Glossybox and the October France-themed box. Photo Credit: Shareba Abdul

“We have 12 boxes that go out throughout the year, and you either receive an iconic pink box or sometimes we have a specially designed box,” said Alla Chulak, Business Development Manager for Glossybox. Unlike many other beauty box subscriptions, Glossybox sends these specially designed boxes to all of their customers at no additional cost. For example, the October Glossybox was a special French-themed box designed by renounced illustrator Jamie Lee Reardin (a former Torontonian) and filled with products made in France.

The company also offers other limited edition boxes that can be purchased for an additional cost, like their upcoming holiday boxes.

Glossybox subscriptions cost $21 USD per month, plus an additional $5 USD to ship them to Canada. While the total cost is a bit higher than other boxes (especially with the current conversion rates), the company aims to provide “at least triple the value from month to month.”

If the thought of purchasing products listed in American dollars is not appealing to you, you still have some good options.

One of the leading beauty box subscriptions in Canada, called Topbox, recently purchased another popular subscription service called Luxe Box. Even though the same company now owns both services, they are continuing to run as separate entities.

“Topbox is a service that helps women discover new beauty products and whatever is new and hot in the industry,” said Brian Lau, CEO of the Toronto-based company. “Luxe Box has the same ultimate mission, but each one caters to a slightly different person.”

A Topbox. Photo Credit: Shareba Abdul 

According to Lau, Topbox satisfies die-hard beauty fans because the subscription arrives monthly. Like Glossybox, the company will occasionally send specially themed boxes to their customers at no extra cost. These boxes (actually, cardboard tubes) cost $12 CDN per month, and the value of the products can range from $20 to $80.

Meanwhile, he says the Luxe Box subscription is better suited to the “casual beauty enthusiasts” who still love beauty products, but don’t want to receive it every month. This quarterly subscription box costs $26 CDN per month, and the value of the products generally range from $60 to over $100.

A Luxe Box. Photo Credit: Shareba Abdul

While the branding of the boxes is completely different, they do sometimes feature the same products. For example, you could receive a high-end product like Ciaté London nail polish in either box, but there’s no way of telling what you’re going to get before you receive the box.

“We try to be very clear with everyone who signs up that the four samples you’re getting is a surprise,” said Lau. “That’s part of the fun of the box, you’re gonna love it sometimes and sometimes it’s not going to be the greatest set of products you’ve ever seen.”

The element of surprise is definitely part of the fun, but it also means that customers are taking a risk. Every subscription box that offers a “surprise” collection of products is a gamble. While the products are likely to be of good quality and in good condition, it might not always be something you like. 

“I liked the surprise aspect, it was exciting to see what was inside the boxes,” said Lesley. “But I’ve tossed a bunch of stuff because I just couldn’t use it, or it didn’t suit me. So yes, you’re getting good product value… but then if you’re not using it are you really getting any value from it?”

Lesley speaks from experience, having been a former beauty box enthusiast. At one point, she found herself “subscribed to 6 or 7 boxes” which each had their own unique selling point.

“I wanted to try them all,” she said.

A Topbox. Photo courtesy of Petite Pear Style

However, after a while she began to see the ill effects of her subscriptions in both her home and her bank account.

“It got to be too much,” said Lesley. “If you’re getting seven boxes a month, and a lot of those contained full size products, you can’t use it all. There’s only so much shampoo you can use, or eye shadow, or whatever.”

Lesley says that she didn’t initially realize how much money she spending on the boxes either. At first, she was subscribing to a few boxes monthly, but then decided to start purchasing annual subscriptions because of the perks.

“Companies would offer a lower cost, or they would give you a freebie for pre-purchasing,” she said.

Annual subscriptions are paid in one initial lump sum payment, which meant that Lesley was no longer seeing monthly withdrawals in her bank account for those subscriptions.  

“It was kind of like, ‘oh I’m not really paying for those boxes anymore, so I can subscribe to another one’ and it didn’t seem like much,” she explained.

An abundance of product and financial burden weren’t the only issues that Lesley encountered with subscription boxes. She was subscribed to Glymm when the now-defunct company declared bankruptcy, forcing their customers to file disputes with their credit card companies to get refunds.

It’s been two years since Lesley has subscribed to a beauty box. Although she still enjoys reading about the subscriptions, she hasn’t felt tempted to re-subscribe.

(Credit: Paint Nite)

If you’ve got a Facebook account, chances are you’ve seen photos of your friends holding up works of art that they’ve painted. Since Paint Nite launched in Canada, in June 2013, people across the country have been discovering the joy of painting with a drink in hand. 

These unique guided painting sessions offer adults the rare opportunity to paint without fear of judgment. The events are held in restaurants and bars, and the atmosphere is more like a party than an art class. Even if you have no painting skills whatsoever, you can still attend a Paint Nite session.

“It’s a no-experience-required event,” said Manda Brownrigg, a Paint Nite licensee who is also an artist and instructor. “Our paintings are chosen on what somebody who’s never picked up a paint brush can do in two hours, that they’re really going to impress themselves with.”

(Credit: Paint Nite)

Each Paint Nite session is instructed by a local artist, like Brownrigg, who guides the group through the steps involved in recreating a painting. The sample paintings are usually impressive, and can be intimidating at first, but by the end of the session everyone leaves with a beautiful piece of art.

The popularity of Paint Nite appears to be part of a growing movement to promote adult creativity – a trend that can have a very positive affect on our mental wellbeing.

“I think adult colouring books, art therapy, and paint nights are all tying into this bigger picture that art can be for anyone,” said Kim Abramowitz, an Art Therapist from Toronto who has run painting sessions for her clients. She says that anyone can benefit from engaging in art, as long as they are interested in being creative and expressing themselves.

Abramowitz also says that you don’t have to consume alcohol in order to enjoy a painting session, although it can help create a social atmosphere.

Regardless of whether you choose to consume alcohol or not (apparently about 30% of Paint Nite customers opt not to), the fun and relaxed atmosphere is usually enough to make customers lower their inhibitions and create a really good painting.

Brownrigg says that the experience is usually so positive, that at the end of most sessions people are excited to sign up for another one.

“I mean, it’s not like an art class where you’re committed all the time,” said Brownrigg. “You get to come, and you don’t have to buy your own supplies, and someone else cleans up for you. [Customers] discover that they can make something and they want to do it again!”

Courtney Osgood,
 Manager of Paint Nite’s Global Public Relations, says that it’s not uncommon for people to come out two or three times, although some people visit the events even more frequently.

“I’ve actually met a couple that attended 28 Paint Nite events together,” said Osgood. “I asked them why they keep coming back, and they said because it’s fun and they follow one of the local artists here in Boston.”

Some customers become so attached to an instructor that they will attend every session that they conduct. Other customers end up attending multiple sessions because they want to come with different people.

“The first time I went I just took my mom and she loved it,” said Natalie Land, an elementary school teacher from Ontario. “The second time I went with about ten of my friends so it was a huge group thing, and the third time I went with my family again.”

Natalie Land and her family show off their Paint Nite masterpieces (Courtesy of Natalie Land)

Land says that while the party atmosphere is fun, she really enjoys the painting aspect of the events.

“It’s different,” she explained. “You don’t get that opportunity to sit down and paint a picture as an adult. So, I really enjoy them.”

What’s another great thing about Paint Nite? You can always buy admission tickets on sale.

“I used Groupons every time, so it was twenty-five bucks per person,” said Land. “Even when you go, they give you a code for half off next time, so I don’t think anybody pays full price.”