Exploring Cultures

I believe in the strength of Canada’s wide open spaces and welcoming hearts.

This country, that is our new home, offers all enough room to explore its culture, and allows global citizens the time to put down roots and tend to them. I love exploring various cultures that come together here along with local Canadian-produced food, nostalgic Indian food, and everything else in between.

Good Food Healthy Planet Book

From Food Writer and Climate Advocate comes this Simple-to-follow Cookbook.

Introducing

Good Food, Healthy Planet

Your Kitchen Companion to Simple, Practical, Sustainable Cooking  

Meet Frances – Language Activist and Latina Mama

When we move homes we take with us only what we can carry. A few important possessions, our experiences and our memories. Many of my memories are around food, that's how much I love it. What we cook, and how we cook, the ingredients we use, all these are influenced by our heritage and our story. Meet Frances, language activist and Latina mama extraordinaire. She is raising awareness of her Hispanic heritage and language and transforming hearts and voices, one step at a time. Frances (on the right) along with her Mom. Photo courtesy: Photographer Alleyah Watson-Wilder I first met...
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Meet Vandana Jain – Canada’s Fusion Baker Extraordinaire

Food is the most portable form of history. What we eat, how we cook our food and even the ingredients we use are all influenced by our experiences and our story. Meet Regina's Vandana Jain, finalist of CBC Television's The Great Canadian Baking Show who has united people over their common love of food. Our love for her food, in particular.  Vandana Jain - photo credit Trevor Hopkins Vandana Jain is an MBA and CFO of Saskatchewan Science Centre. She is also a star baker and food blogger at VandanaBakes.com. Early this year you may have spotted her battling for top...
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Karma is going to get you: this and other illusions of being in control

Life is spinning out of control. We feel we are behind the steering wheel and focused, but the tunnel is long, and daylight is still far away. Every refresh of our newsfeed is forcing us to react in ways that seemed impossible till recently. Imagine our kids at school, making new friends, learning, and how much more difficult it must be for them.  That's where Karma for kids comes in.  What is Karma? Karma is the Sanskrit word for "intentional action." It is an ancient Hindu and Buddhist principle that is as valid in 2018 as it was thousands of years ago....
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What is your favourite food memory?

Memories around the dinner table I can never remember what I did yesterday, but my lunch time memories from when I was achild, those are with me forever. For starters, the meal was always late in the afternoon to make sure we all made it in time to sit down together at the dining table.  My mom would rush home after her long day as a teacher, and make sure lunch was on the table. My brother and I would wash up after school and grab a seat. My dad, a career military man would schedule a break between office...
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Weekend Getaway: Top 11 Things to do in Ottawa

Since we moved to Toronto a few years ago we have travelled around with the kids and taken a number of road trips to explore the area. Every time we make a plan to get away from the city though, the kids ask, "Can we go via Ottawa." Here are just a few reasons why we end up there often. Edited to Add:  "11 Things To See and Do In Ottawa." Not 10. This post started off with 10 top things to see and do in Ottawa. What I left out of this list was one of our favourite sights from our...
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Weekend Trip from Toronto: Relaxing at the Viamede Resort

Over the years my family has taken more trips with the kids than we can count. We have moved from India to Canada and places in between, and find the best way to get comfortable in a new city is to get away from it. Road trips, in particular, are a great way to explore the area. Recently, we were invited to experience the Viamede Resort just outside of Toronto. It was a memorable and enjoyable weekend. Read why here. The last few months have been quite hard on my family. The sudden sickness and subsequent death of a loved one,...
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Laurel vs. Yanny: The World Is Divided Once Again

The internet is divided once again. There is an audio clip that has gone viral around the world and nobody can seem to agree on it. Some people hear one word and others hear something else entirely. So my question to you is this - are you on Team Yanny or Team Laurel? Laurel vs. Yanny This morning was crazy like all others. Perhaps a little more so because my oldest needed to be in school 15 minutes before the bell. 15 mins doesn't sound like much when you think about it but count the minutes in early morning rush and...
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7 Tips to Survive and Thrive on a Family Road Trip

Recently Puneeta and her husband set off on a family road trip. 5 cities, 9 days, 7 people. Non-stop fun, comfortable hotels and glorious sights, but boy, were they glad to be home! Here's what they learnt from their family road trip. 7 Family Road Trip Tips Last summer my husband and I took the kids and a few friends on a multi-kid, all-family road trip from Toronto. While we have done tons of road travel when we lived in Calgary, road trips from Toronto are still new to us. 5 cities, 3 hotels, 9 days, 7 people. Whew! Over the...
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3 Tips for Diwali Celebration Canada-style

Diwali, the festival of lights, is an important festival for people around the world.  Friends and family get together over lights, fireworks and delicious food.  Diwali celebration lasts 5 days and is usually between October and November. Badi (big) Diwali falls on a no-moon night, and people of South Asian heritage around the world decorate their homes, wear new clothes and cook festive dishes to celebrate. Earthen lamps, tapers and strings of lights brighten up homes to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of luck and prosperity.  Fireworks light up the night sky. For many people, this festival symbolizes the victory of...
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Erasing the conflict

Raising kids that will change the world takes work and support. The Girl Guides of Canada survey reveals all. With Thanksgiving behind us, and Diwali and Christmas to look forward to, it is officially festival season. For Hindus around the world, this season usually starts with Durga Puja and offering prayers to the warrior goddess, Durga. One of the main Hindu deities, Durga symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Her story is that of a protective goddess who is willing to unleash her anger against injustice and use her power of destruction to empower the world. She's the demon-slaying role model...
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