HRM Parent Blog

On June 6th of this year, a very rare event will occur in our skies at sunset: the planet Venus will meander through its orbit along a path that takes it between the Sun and the Earth, making it visible during the day as a dark spot on the bright disc of the Sun. This isn't an eclipse (scheduled by the way for May 20th); this is something very rare, and a bit different - a transit.

Planets all orbit around the Sun at different rates, so every now and then, they line up. When the Moon crosses between us and the Sun, it blocks it out briefly, but planets are farther away and much smaller, so they appear as little dark spots crossing the bright disk. From our perspective, Venus transits the Sun twice (in two events eight years apart) every hundred or so years. The last one was in 2004, and the next two will be in December of 2117 and 2125, respectively. Hopefully that gives you a sense of how rare this is!

We cannot, of course, look directly at the Sun. Building a Solar viewer is very easy though - you only need two pieces of stiff poster board (or similar), some aluminum foil and a pin. By covering one piece of board with aluminum foil and poking a pinhole in it, the image of the Sun can be shone on the second piece. Simply place your pinhole board between the plain board and the Sun, and you can focus an image by moving the pinhole board closer and farther from the projection surface (plain board).

It is also possible to use binoculars or a telescope to project an image onto a page or piece of board, but these need to be covered or aimed away from the Sun frequently (at least every minute or so) to avoid damaging their lenses (from overheating!). Never look directly at the Sun without specially-made Sun viewing filters, especially through binoculars, a telescope or a camera.

If you're looking for another rare opportunity you've got to check out the Discovery Centre's upcoming new exhibit - Be the Dinosaur. This exhibit, the first time in Canada, will give you the opportunity to become a T-Rex or Triceratops through a sophisticated but super-cool video simulation that puts you right in the middle of a dinosaur world. Rare indeed!

 

For more great things to discover - visit the Discovery Centre on Barrington Street in Halifax, check out their website  or join them on facebook. 

These mini-meatloaf and potato cupcakes are just as much fun to make as they are to eat!  

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs ground turkey or beef

1 egg beaten

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup bread crumbs

1 small onion diced

3 tbsp ketchup

¼ tsp dry mustard

salt and pepper

Cooking spray

4-5 potatoes

¼ cup milk or cream

Butter

 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg, rolled oats, bread crumbs, diced onion, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper.  Mix until combined.

3. Lightly grease muffin pans with spray or butter

4. Fill muffin cups with turkey mixture and press slightly to flatten

5.  Bake for approx. 20-25 mins or until brown and slightly shrunken on the sides

6. While turkey is cooking, peel, chop and boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender

7.  Drain potatoes and add milk and 1-2 tbps of butter.  Mash until well blended and smooth.

8.  To prepare the cupcake place the turkey muffin on a plate and top with a scoop of mashed potato

9. Use your imagination for the “sprinkles” on top: chopped chives, grated cheese, coarse black pepper, shredded carrots…we used Roasted Maple Flax Seeds from Omega Crunch (a great local company)– so yummy!

 

Our kids giggled their way through eating these – hope it makes your dinner a little less stressful too! 

In just a couple of years since it was introduced by the federal government, the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) has become a very popular personal savings vehicle. And with good reason: Who doesn't like the idea of tax-free savings growth? In fact, the TFSA has been called the most important savings option since the 1950's launch of Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs). If you haven't already hopped on board the TFSA savings wagon, you may be asking yourself these questions: Is a TFSA really that good? Should I have one? Will it work for me? Good questions - here are the answers.

How a TFSA works
Every Canadian over the age of 18 is eligible to save up to $5,000 a year in a TFSA and the investments held within the TFSA grows on a tax-free basis. TFSA withdrawals can be made at any time for any reason - and the withdrawn money is tax-free.

The value of the TFSA eligible investments is increased by making the most of all available contribution room. For example, you can contribute $5,000 a year plus the total of withdrawals made in the previous year. \And all the contribution room you don't use right away accumulates year after year so you can fill it any time you choose. It's important to know that contributions to investments held in a TFSA do not affect RRSP contribution room.

TFSAs provide investment flexibility. TFSA-eligible investments are the same as those available for investments held within RRSPs, including mutual funds and money market funds, Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs), publicly traded securities, and government and corporate bonds.

How a TFSA works for you
A TFSA is a worthwhile investment option for almost every income earning or retired Canadian because it works so well for both short- and long-term financial goals like these:

- Providing an immediate source of emergency funds.

- Saving for just about anything - from a new car or cottage to a dream vacation.

- Saving for the down payment on a new home or even starting a business.

- Reducing taxes on your non-registered investments.

- Adding to your retirement savings. By the way, TFSA withdrawals don't affect eligibility for such income-tested benefits as Old Age Security (OAS).

- Splitting income with your spouse to minimize taxes.

To explore these and the many other ways a TFSA can work for you, and to make sure you'll always get the most from all the elements in your financial plan, talk to your professional advisor.

 

Call us to find out more about how the team at Investors Group - Halifax can help you prosper now… and over time.  (902) 423-8294.  www.investorsgrouphalifax.com 

Getting frustrated with meal ideas?  No time to prepare a dinner after a long day?  Take the pressure off and have Breakfast for Dinner.  That’s right – scramble some eggs, throw some whole grain bagels in the toaster, grab a few slices of ham or turkey bacon and get those tummies filled.   It’s a family favorite in our household – not only does it gets dinner on the table in a hurry but the kids always think it’s hilarious to have breakfast in the evening!

Eggs not your thing?  Try serving these yummy, oat filled blueberry pancakes instead. 

 

Ingredients: 

1 cup flour

1½ cups rolled oats

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tbsp honey

1½ cup milk

frozen blueberries (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Mix wet ingredients together in a separate smaller bowl.  Add wet mixture to dry and mix well.  Stir in berries (optional).

Drop batter by spoonful (to make desired size) on hot greased griddle or frying pan. Once bubbles start to form in batter flip pancakes and cook on other side until golden.

Serve with maple syrup or a dollop of your favorite yogurt for dipping!

Eating healthy on a budget can be tough.  Fresh, whole food often costs more than its processed counterpart.  That said, we all know the role great food plays in keeping our families' healthy, and with good planning we really can eat great-quality food and keep the grocery bill reasonable.  Here are a few of my favourite tips for keeping healthy eating affordable, one step at a time:

 

Before You Shop:

- Plan, plan, plan: I cannot underscore enough the importance of this one. It will take a half hour but save you at least three in extra grocery trips and prep time.  Do a meal plan for the week the day before you grocery shop.  Go through the recipes/meals you plan on making and include any new ingredients on your grocery list.  Include snacks for the week and school lunch ingredients in your plan and food list.  It's also a great idea to have the ingredients for one healthy "fast food" meal on hand (like scrambled eggs or whole grain pasta and sauce) for the inevitable unplanned dinner "rush job".  All of this detail the key to affordable whole food. 

- Don't waste: Before you do your meal plan, check your freezer and pantry:  Do you have any meals or meats that need to be used?  Incorporate them into this week's plan to save money & reduce waste!

 

 

 

At The Store:

- Look "high and low", literally, when you are at the grocery store. The most expensive items are almost always placed at eye level, with bargains on the lower and upper shelves.

- Stick to your list: This is crucial. Did you know that 7 out of every 10 purchases are spontaneous?  Avoid that trap by knowing exactly what you need.  

 

Back at home:

- Bake with your kids: Not only do you control the ingredients and freshness of the foods, it's often much cheaper than buying pre-made treats, and it provides quality time to "talk food"!

- Cook a large-batch meal every weekend and freeze half, or use leftovers for lunches through the week.

- Plan and cook with seasonal produce in mind: It's often cheaper and fresher than imported produce, and it's a great way to support local farmers.

- Eat vegetarian a couple of meals a week, and use the money you save to splurge on better quality, grass-fed meat.  Shop for meat at your local market or butcher!

- Freeze, freeze, freeze: Not only can this let you take advantage of bulk deals and sales on healthy items, it can make your life much easier! Did you know you can freeze brown rice, cooked beans, hummus, pesto, and leftover fresh herbs (puree with a little olive oil before freezing)?

Good luck, fellow penny pinchers!  Try it for a couple of weeks and you will
be amazed at how much money you can save with a little planning!

 

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.