Canadian Living September 2013

By now you’ve probably noticed this issue of Canadian Living looks a little different. First, we hoped to catch your attention with our new logo, then dazzle you with our four covers (a fun way to showcase all of the inspiring things we’re doing this month). And after you finish reading this note, you’ll find a new section called Our Canada, which is filled with people, happenings and places in our country that we’re excited about right now. Armed with the feedback you’ve been giving us for months (thank you!), we treated ourselves to a “day at the spa,” adding a little polish, some new highlights and an updated wardrobe. We do look a little different, but we’re still that same fun, trustworthy and inspirational friend you’ve relied on for…

I just came from the kitchen after making “Canada’s Best Butter Tarts” (July 2013). OMG! They are the best ever! I work at a psychiatric hospital and bake every Tuesday with my patients. We’ve tried so many butter tart recipes, trying to find the best one. Our search is now over. This recipe has won over everyone on our floor, in the halls, in the offices, in the building.... – Karen Sproul YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME I just finished reading David Eddie’s “Play at Your Own Risk!” (July 2013) and could not agree more with his sentiments. Learning to win and lose are key in both sports and life at any age. My husband and I let our four children win some games and lose some when they were younger.…

OUR TESTED-TILL-PERFECT GUARANTEE means we’ve tested every recipe, using the same grocery store ingredients and household appliances as you do, until we’re sure you’ll get perfect results at home. “My first attempt had caramel-coated diced apples rolled inside, but the buns were a little dry. Doubling the caramel sauce and pouring it into the pan – like a sticky bun – took these buns to where they were meant to be.” – RHEANNA KISH, SENIOR FOOD SPECIALIST “I tried using pectin to help this spread set, but it did its job too well and we ended up with blueberry-flavoured ballistics gel! We tried again using lemon seeds instead of pectin, and had spreadable results.” – IRENE FONG, FOOD SPECIALIST “In the first test, the dough puffed and bubbled up, making it impossibly uneven.…

Canadian Living: You spent five months looking at Earth from the International Space Station. Did that literal change in perspective alter the way you see the world? Chris Hadfield: Being able to patiently see the world really changes your perspective. But also, I got to know other continents almost as much as the one I’m from. I got to know parts of Africa that I’d never heard of before, and the outback in Australia, which is so wildly beautiful, otherworldly beautiful. And to see it over and over and over again – it’s like a friend to me. I’ve looked at the lines on its face. I feel a kinship with everywhere and can’t help but feel a kinship with the people. It’s going to be hard to put me anywhere…

A STUDY BY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS IN CANADA FOUND THAT 70% OF CANADIANS FEEL DISORGANIZED AND ALMOST 20% FEEL THEY CAN’T RELAX AT HOME BECAUSE OF CLUTTER. 75 THAT’S THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF MODULAR CLASSROOMS THAT THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT WILL OPEN IN SEPTEMBER TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF FLOODING GET BACK TO SCHOOL. TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP WITH RELIEF IN ALBERTA, GO TO ALBERTA.CA/HOW-YOU-CAN-HELP.CFM. Cyber School WHAT’S IT LIKE TO GO TO A SCHOOL with no classrooms? Pretty great, according to the approximately 5,000 students who attend. Their Virtual High School (virtualhighschool.com) offers everything a normal school does – teachers, assignments and a government-approved curriculum – without the building. What this means is more flexibility for students to learn at their own pace (assignments have no due dates!) and the convenience…

NO HOME OFFICE? No problem. “A command centre is a beautiful thing,” says Laura Wittmann, author of Clutter Rehab: 101 Tips and Tricks to Become an Organization Junkie and Love It! (Ulysses Press, 2010). The Whitecourt, Alta., mom describes this centre as “somewhere to capture the bits and pieces of life that are happening right now and can’t be filed away just yet. It is not a solution to the permanent filing. Instead, it is a revolving display of miscellaneous documentation, a communication centre for the goings on of life. It’s perfect for things like important telephone numbers, birthday party invitations, receipts for items needing to be returned, school papers and bills to be paid.” Visit Laura’s blog at orgjunkie.com. GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER? APP-SOLUTELY Your smartphone has become a digital Swiss…