Yahoo! Canada Answers Blog

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I always enjoy a great meal, but in the summer time it seems like food gets even better. Maybe it’s because you can finally eat outside again, but it’s more likely because of the new options.

Freshly picked vegetables are finally starting to appear in markets. Bite into a fresh strawberry and you will never want to go back to the imported grocery store variety. Fresh fruits and berries make for some tasty smoothies and desserts. If you are really daring, you can try more exotic fruits such as a jackfruit, dragonfruit or rambutan.

The nicer weather also means the smell of barbeque is in the air. No one wants to heat their house cooking up a storm, so steaks and chicken and fish can all be grilled or smoked outside. Don’t forget to bring your fresh veggies outside as well. Most vegetables can all be done to perfection on the BBQ — just think of kabobs and baked potatoes and corn on the cob.

If, like me, you don’t have the luxury of an outdoor grill, you can still make loads of summerlicious meals without baking for hours. Salads are the most obvious choice, but don’t sigh at the thought of boring garden veggies. Spice things up by adding whatever you have handy in the fridge, such as cheeses, or combining different varieties of fruits and vegetables. Making your own dressings is a lot easier than it sound and changes your whole meal in seconds. Add your leftovers to create taco salads, chicken salads or steak salad. Make your own creation and share it on Answers with those who are in a food rut.

Greasy, comfort foods are great sometimes, but take advantage of all this freshness while you can. Explore locals fruit and vegetable markets that make the possibilities at dinnertime endless.

What’s your favourite summer food or recipe?

Stephanie

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So much of our lives are spent worrying about what is going on in other countries through news of elections, wars and stocks. But on July 1^st, all my thoughts are going to be red and white for a day.

On Canada Day, we can all celebrate what brings us together instead of worrying about our heritage, language and religion. We all love Canada and that should be good enough. We can show off all those crazy stereotypes that make us one of the best countries in the world.

No matter how much we complain about our cold winters and short summers, this is a pretty amazing country to live in. I’ve decided that I want to try to spend Canada Day watching the fireworks in a different city each year, so that I will be able to see more of this country.

Because our country is so multicultural, it can sometime be hard to define who we are. Whether you think of poutine, beer or hockey, there is definitely something connecting us all that make us proud of our country.

Join us in celebrating our Canadian culture by telling our Yahoo! Canada Editors what being a Canadian means to you.

Happy Canada Day!
Stephanie

Flickr photo by Dmitry Kichenko

Honestly, I am not much of a summer person. I like it that it is sunny and the days are longer, sure. But I don’t do well in the heat and humidity. That said, a LOT of people are summer people and I am glad for that. People become so much happier at the mere mention of the word.

Whether you love it or hate it, summer is officially here. It’s time to strip yourself of warm layers of clothing and squish your toes in the sand or lay in a park under a tree. I have to admit, there is so much more to do in the summer because we Canadians don’t have to worry about frostbite any longer! We can finally put those patios, boats and cottages to use.

While I might not love the intense heat, there are still a lot of things I would love to get done before we get hit with extreme cold alerts again. I hope I get a chance to go camping or at least to spend the afternoon on a beach somewhere, relaxing with a book and a Frisbee. I really want to get out of my city and see a place that I haven’t been to before.

I would also like to explore my own hometown while it is nice out. Photography is one of my hobbies, so getting out with a camera on a warm day to find little niches and areas that I usually ignore would be great fun. I could feel like a tourist at home for a day.

If it gets too hot, there is always my favourite retreat from the heat, the movie theatre. With blockbusters like The Dark Knight and The Pineapple Express coming out in the middle of summer, I can enjoy their AC with a big bag of popcorn.

So enjoy the sun, while I suffer without air conditioning! What’s your favourite / least favourite thing about summer?

Stephanie

Flickr photo by Eszter

We’ve been so busy, we almost forgot it’s our birthday! Two years ago in June, curious Canadians found a place to get all their questions answered, and we have definitely come a long way since our humble beginnings. As I write this, we have nearly 650,000 closed questions on Yahoo! Canada Answers — hopefully we can get to a million before our next b-day. So keep on voting!

We have made some great friends on our top contributors board over the past two years. Our number 1 contributor in Canada, bgee2001ca, has over 6,000 Best Answers and can help you get up to date on anything you need to know aboutnews and current events. The rest of our TC’s are experts in everything from dogs to cooking to video games. Their expertise is what has made Yahoo! Canada Answers such a great place to be. I love knowing I can get useful info about everything from buying a new computer to caring for my kitten quickly here.

We’ve also made some great friends in our celebrity Askers. We’ve been proud to work with some awesome well-known Canadian faces over the past year, including The Hour host George Stroumboulopoulos, music historian Alan Cross, Kids in the Hall alum Scott Thompson and Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page.

Although Yahoo! Canada Answers is in its “terrible twos” now, we promise not to throw tantrums — although we may need the odd nap or time-out from time to time, in order to make improvements and implement new features that we hope you’ll enjoy. Stay tuned!

Thank you to all our Askers and Answerers for being with us over the past two years!

Flickr photo by Goldring

It seems to me that fathers get the short end of the stick around this time of year. No one gets all fussy over what to buy their dad for Father’s Day or where to find Father’s Day brunch on the 15th of June.

Mom may have birthed you, but we cannot forget to honour the man in our life who is there to guide us, protect us and teach us right from wrong. Father’s Day is a great time to get a little more creative with your presents for Dad.

Dad may not be all mushy like Mom, but that doesn’t mean he loves you any less. Let’s make sure he gets the recognition he deserves. As I look for a picture of dads to go with this blog, I realize that the word “Dad” has some very strong themes, no matter where you are in the world. Dads are strong and brave. They are also fun and a little silly at times. They can inspire us and push us to do thing even if they don’t say anything. They show us their love all the time, even if it’s not in a hugs-and-kisses way.

So let’s get Dad something he will actually use or appreciate. Why not get outside and throw a ball around like you used to when you were younger? Or get him something for all those barbeques he makes during the summer. Add to his collection of books or antiques. Just make sure he gets the appreciation he deserves, because sometimes Dads in general can get a bad rep.

Here at Yahoo! Canada Answers, we are helping you remember how great your Dad is by asking, What’s the best advice your father gave you?

Stephanie

Flickr photo by Daniel Rodrigues Gomes

Today is another day devoted to going green and saving the earth. This time, it is the United Nations’ change their way of thinking.

As part of World Environment Day, Yahoo! Canada Answers is pleased to have journalist Alan Weisman, author of the international best-seller The World Without Us, ask a question. The World Without Us is a fascinating vision of what would happen to the earth if humans suddenly disappeared. Alan’s question focuses on another aspect of human extinction, namely the knowledge that any species that outstrips its resources will become extinct. Humans have certainly stretched our own resource base, with alarming consequences for the planet. Alan asks how can we best bring humanity into balance with the rest of nature, as opposed to in mortal combat with it?
The UN is focusing World Environment Day on reducing greenhouse gases. That is a task that is mainly in the hands of big business, but each person must do his or her part. Talking about saving energy and green products may not seem to accomplish much, but if you could get your whole neighbourhood talking, imagine the possibilities.
Businesses sometimes need an extra push to go green, because doing things the old-fashioned way is easier. If we all refuse to buy things that have lots of packaging, though, it may force these companies to think about the extra waste they are creating.
If public transit and bike paths in your community are in shambles, take your complaint to city hall. With the price of gas rising every day, an efficient transit system can help the whole city. Bike paths will not only save you cash, but give you that work-out you have been meaning to do since New Year’s.
We know it’s not feasible for everyone to install solar panels at your house, but unplugging things isn’t so hard. If we all change our ways and shape up, maybe “green” and “environmentally-friendly” will no longer be buzzwords kept aside for specific days, but just something we all are in our everyday lives.
Stephanie

Flickr photo by kaibara87

I don’t know about you, but now that the weather is nicer it’s hard for me to get through a day of work without looking out the window at the happy people sunbathing. Knowing I am stuck inside makes the afternoon drag on and my energy level drop.

So how can I get that necessary afternoon boost? First, I think I should probably start off with a better breakfast. Although my bagel and cream cheese tastes good, switching to something healthier will keep my energy up longer. The same probably goes for my afternoon snack. I know that the sweets only give me a temporary sugar high, so switching to something healthy will give me a longer-lasting boost. Bringing my own snacks will also keep me from spending unnecessary money at the vending machine.

I know a lot of people who turn to energy drinks when they need a pick-me-up, but I don’t really like the taste. I am definitely a coffee addict, though. I need my afternoon brew to get me through the day. I feel horrible, though, that I depend on the caffeine to keep me awake some days.

It seems so easy when you read people’s suggestions. Eat well and get up and do some exercise, and the afternoon will be a breeze, but it sure doesn’t feel that way sometimes. Here’s to all of us feeling a little more energetic on those long summer workdays!

Stephanie

Flickr photo by illryion

After years of pondering, I finally found the courage to get my first tattoo. Tattoos are always popular topics on Answers. It seems people of all ages are interested in getting a little permanent artwork added to their bodies.

Now that it is done, I am glad I waited until I was older. I am sure I would have had something cute as a teenager, but probably regretted it later. I think everyone’s biggest fear when they start thinking about it is the pain. I am not the toughest person, but I found it okay. It is definitely hard to describe, but was worth every second.

My biggest concern now is the care. It’s easy to get a tattoo, but harder to make sure it is safe and stays vibrant. New tattoos are sensitive, so you have to be careful what you put on them. There is so much concern about what you can put on them and how much. Summer is almost here, so I need to know about getting my body art in the sun and whether I can put sunscreen on it yet. Something like touch ups on your art is also an important piece some don’t initially think about.

I want the colours on my arms to look as bright years as they do today, so it’s important for me to not only read what the tattoo artist gave me but check and double-check with people who have experience.

Stephanie

Flickr photo by mape_s

The day to honour the lady who raised you and taught your right from wrong is just around the corner. Hopefully you have already closed up all of your questions about what is the perfect gift and are all ready for Mother’s Day.

We on the Yahoo! Canada Answers Team want to honour you moms who spend what little free time you have researching things for your kids here with us. We see the way you really care and go the extra mile for answers and opinions, even when you don’t have to.

I was a teen not so long ago, so I know that I was a jerk sometimes. Now, through the moms who fill up the Parenting and Family categories, I see the stress and worry every mother goes through. It seems that Moms on Answers don’t only want to help their own kids, but have an urge to spread their knowledge and support to everyone.

If you are not a Mom yet, but spending time with yours today make sure to treat her extra special. Try not to take the easy route and just buy flowers. You can find a good present … even last minute that will mean something to her. Think about what she likes. Whether it’s cooking, gardening, knitting or the theatre, there are lots of gems hiding for procrastinating buyers.

People always say it’s the thought that counts for presents, and I think on Mother’s Day more than ever that is true. Mom doesn’t want you to go broke for an extravagant gift, so take some time to think about her as much as she does about you.

Stephanie