What to look for in a makeup bag

When it comes to makeup bags, size matters. Brushes, mascara, primer, foundation and all the shades of lipstick your heart desires—it all adds up quickly, so look for a roomy interior and a sturdy zipper. And because spills inevitably happen, a material that’s water-resistant and easy to clean—like nylon, plastic or coated fabric—is best. If, like us, you can’t resist a quilted cotton pouch, look for one with a stain-resistant lining or use it to store tools instead of product.

Another thing to consider? Whether or not you’d like a bag with compartments. If you don’t mind letting your products mingle freely, pouches are great as they tend to take up less space. But if you want everything to have its place, a large case with lots of pockets and compartments is what you’re looking for.

For on-the-go purposes, look for makeup cases that pack easily into a carry-on suitcase to keep your travel beauty bag easily accessible while you’re at the airport.

The best makeup bags to shop in 2024

Silkfly 3-Piece Nylon Makeup Bag Set, $36

A dupe for the ultra-popular customizable Stoney Clover Lane bags, this 3-piece set of nylon pouches is adorned with adorable chenille patches so you always know where everything goes.

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Wandering Nature Makeup Bag, $15

With pockets and elastics to keep everything organized, this large cosmetics case fits a ton of products. We love the makeup brush holder, which features an easy-to-clean plastic flap to protect the bristles.

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Bosidu Hanging Toiletry Bag, $30

If you’re short on vanity space, this chic hanging toiletry bag is a great way to keep your makeup collection on hand. It’s padded to keep products from shattering and it has four handy zipped compartments, plus an exterior pocket that’s just the right size to stash eye patches and sheet masks.

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Monos Metro Cosmetic Case, $125

This sturdy travel makeup bag by Canadian brand Monos is designed to keep everything in its place thanks to its strong elastic loops, making it perfect for breakables like foundation bottles and perfumes. It comes with a tiny pouch for stowing cotton swabs or your favourite pair of earrings.

Thanks to its structured silhouette, it also looks pretty sitting on a bathroom counter.

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Lululemon Go Getter Pouch, $38

This versatile, no-frills pouch is made from water-repellent fabric and has one interior mesh pockets. It holds a surprising amount of stuff, but it’s still small enough to stash in a purse when running errands or commuting.

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Lysande Quilted Makeup Pouch, $17

This charming floral quilted cotton pouch is just roomy enough for the essentials. It’s ideal for smaller makeup collections.

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Bobobox Large Makeup Pouch, $22

Available in five colours, this surprisingly roomy makeup case opens into two sections lined with pockets. The woven design is a stylish touch.

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Aveniee Clear Makeup Bag, $34

Want to see everything you’ve got at a glance? This case features clear windows on both sides. The rectangle shape makes it perfect to store everything from bottles to compacts. It’s also easy to pack when travelling.

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Leatherology Medium Train Case, $200

It’s definitely a splurge, but this leather case has a lot going for it. It’s large enough to fit makeup and skincare bottles of all sizes. There’s also plenty of organizational touches, like elastic loops, a zippered mesh compartment on the lid and four interior pockets.

To make it extra special, personalize it with your initials.

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While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post 9 Cute And Practical Makeup Bags appeared first on Chatelaine.

Shop for your partner or your Galentine—or just make a wishlist for yourself. Either way, these Valentine’s Day gift ideas under $50 tread lightly on the budget and heavy on the heart-you vibes.

Grace & Stella Moisturizing Eye Masks, $26 for 24 pairs

A refreshing way to start the day, these incredibly popular hydrogel eye masks are a great gift for night owls and early birds alike. They boast hyaluronic acid and glycerin to help plump up fine lines. Sea moss powder purportedly lessens the appearance of dark circles.

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Delamu Sushi-Making Kit, $35

Make your next at-home date night way better: This 20-piece sushi-making kit lets you make classic rolls, temaki, nigiri and more. (If you have kids, it’s also a great activity you can later repeat with them.) We love the included beginner’s guide too.

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Remember Love: Words for Tender Times by Cleo Wade, $36

Valentine’s Day isn’t all roses for everyone—if you have a friend who could use a lift, the newest poetry collection from bestselling author Cleo Wade could be the perfect here-for-you present. This one is written for anyone feeling lonely or lost, and offers inspiration for healing, growth and self-love.

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Tishiron Paint-by-Number Kit, $20

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that help us slow down. A beginner-level paint-by-number kit is a perfect way to do that. Choose a piece that complements their aesthetic so it can do double-duty as decor later.

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Suetables Camilla Personalized Chain Bracelet in Gold Vermeil, $45

A little personalization goes a long way. Toronto-based Suetables offers complimentary hand-stamping with this classic chain bracelet. Go with your Valentine’s initial or zodiac sign for a sentimental accessory they’ll wear daily.

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Uniqlo x Marimekko Round Mini Shoulder Bag, $25

The $25 bag that took over the internet strikes again—this time in a limited-edition Marimekko print. Made with recycled polyester, the moon-shaped crossbody is lightweight and perfectly sized to hold all their essentials. A gift they’ll actually use? Check.

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Famarine Water Drop Earrings in Gold, $16

Upgrade their earring game with a pair of sculptural teardrops. Though they may look hefty, they’re designed to be lightweight and comfortable to wear. And with their wallet-friendly price, you can give them to all your Galentines.

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Province Apothecary Lover’s Kit, $44

Give your partner a hint-hint with this duo of all-natural oils from Toronto-based Province Apothecary. Set the mood with the Massage Oil, which is packed with 10 sensual essential oils. Then, switch gears with the unscented and ultra-hydrating Sex Oil. (Pair with one of these best-selling sex toys if you’re feeling adventurous.)

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Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Find Comfort Stop & Soothe Aromatherapy Pen, $27

This pocket-size stress buster from Selena Gomez’s beauty brand is unique—and kind of genius. With a click, it dispenses a fast-absorbing lavender and peppermint gel. Massage it gently into the temples, neck or behind the ears for instant soothing.

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Skwálwen Botanicals Kalkáy Wild Rose Yarrow Bath Salts, $26

What’s better than a dozen roses? The iconic flower sustainably harvested and ground into decadent bath salts. This calming and skin-soothing soak is handmade in small batches by Skwálwen Botanicals. It’s an Indigenous-owned skincare brand rooted in Squamish plant knowledge.

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Simons Maison Retro Flower Glasses, $12 for two

The kitschy-kitchen aesthetic is major for 2024, so get them started with this fun flower-printed pair of glasses. With the delightfully low price tag, you can also throw in their favourite craft beer or kombucha.

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Aesop Resurrection Hand Balm, $41 for 75 mL

Can a hand cream be an it-item for Valentine’s Day? The answer is yes when it’s this Aesop hand cream. This iconic tube of the Aussie brand’s scented balm is a winter staple that makes holding hands even better.

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Love & Lore Piped Sleep Shirt in Blush, $50

There is just something about changing into ultra-soft pajamas. Give the gift of cozy nights with this long-sleeved sleep shirt. It is silky to the touch, but made of eco-friendly rayon. We love the classic white piping and notched lapel for an elevated loungewear look.

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Sézane Gaston Scarf, $45

Made from organic cotton printed with delicate blooms, this 50-cm square scarf will give your Valentine loads of styling potential. It can be tied in different ways around the neck or head, or simply added to a purse strap for extra personality.

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Kanel Salt Collection, $39

There’s never a shortage of chocolates and candies for February 14, but what if your Valentine is Team Salty? Montreal’s Kanel has the answer with this set of four finishing salts. Each hits all our fave flavour notes: truffle, garlic, smoky and spicy.

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While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post 15 Sweet Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas Under $50 appeared first on Chatelaine.

That’s because as we get older, we experience a gradual loss of the eyes’ focusing abilities—a condition known as presbyopia. “Our focusing system starts to change once we get into our 40s,” explains Mahnia Madan, an optometrist based in Vancouver. The muscle that controls the lens inside our eyes begins to lose strength and it becomes harder to see things clearly up close.

“The problem gets worse as the years go by,” adds Melissa Yuen, an optometrist based in Toronto. “Reading glasses give you that magnification that the lens in the eye is no longer able to generate.”

(Photo: iStock)

Reading glasses are offered in a wide range of styles and prices, from drugstore brands that go for a few dollars, to designer specs that cost hundreds. Below, we break down when to get reading glasses, how to pick them out and what kind is best for you. (Plus, some cute options at varying prices!)

How do you know when you need reading glasses?

Generally, people begin to need reading glasses as they enter their 40s. Here are some signs that it’s time to buy a pair.

If you notice things up close are getting blurry, you’re requiring more time and more light when reading, or you have fatigue or headaches after reading for a long period, you may need reading glasses, says Madan. “These are all signs that tell us the focusing system is changing and we might need some more help up close.”

When symptoms like this begin, Yuen and Madan say it’s important to have an eye exam to check if there are other underlying health issues. If you’re having trouble focusing, conditions like dry eyes or macular degeneration—a disorder that causes blurred central vision—could be at play. Aside from assessing your eye health, an optometrist can give you the right measurements for your face and tell you what level of reading glasses to purchase.

Are over-the-counter reading glasses safe?

The reading glasses available at your local drugstore or dollar store are perfectly safe, say Yuen and Madan. They’re just lower quality, and not the most effective.

“The glasses that are over the counter are very simple magnifiers,” says Madan. “They are equal in each eye; one size fits all. They won’t account for where your eyes sit in your head, or what your visual needs are. Whereas when you get prescription eyeglasses, they are made very accurately to suit your exact needs.” While over-the-counter glasses can tide you over initially, Yuen says they can eventually cause eyestrain, because each eye generally requires a unique prescription.

To get the most out of drugstore glasses, have your eyes evaluated first. The doctor can then give you a number—such as +1.00 or +3.50—that indicates what strength-level lenses your eyes need.

If you’re in a pinch, you can also test your vision in-store. To do this, Yuen suggests taking something that you want to read and holding it at a comfortable distance. Then, try on different reading glasses, increasing by +0.25 increments, until it comes into focus. “Just make sure you start off with the lowest prescription,” she says. “Because you don’t want to overcorrect.”

ArtMinds Floral Reading Glasses, 6$

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Over-the-counter specs are a cheaper, accessible alternative to prescription reading glasses. And sometimes, they’re the more suitable choice. If your near-vision tasks are short, like browsing recipes or reading on your laptop for 15 minutes, Madan says drugstore glasses are generally a good fit. If you wear contact lenses and are looking for a crisper image when reading, over-the-counter ready readers are a good option then too, says Yuen.

“But if you’re working on a computer for more than two to three hours a day, that requires specific eyeglasses to make sure that you are seeing well and it’s not having a negative impact on your vision,” Madan explains.

Oscar Wylee Reading Glasses, $169

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How much do prescription glasses cost?

Prescription readers are pricier than over-the-counter brands, but the exact cost will depend on what quality frame/lenses you want, how often you’ll be wearing them and your aesthetic preferences. “It’s a really personal question for everyone,” says Madan. “But I would say on the lower end, something decent quality would be $30 to $40, and an average [higher] quality pair could be $200 to $300.”

Many glasses retailers, such as Canadian companies Kits and Clearly (where Yuen works), offer inexpensive options available for purchase online. When ordering a pair, you can input your prescription and even try on glasses virtually to see if they’re a fit.

Main And Central Reading Glasses, $50 

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How long will a pair of reading glasses last?

Starting in your 40s, the magnifying strength your eyes require goes up every decade until you reach about 60, says Madan. As a general rule, both Yuen and Madan say you should have your eyes reassessed roughly every two years to see if it’s time for a different strength level.

Ray-Ban Reading Glasses, $251

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“Every year the focusing structure [in the eye] loses its flexibility, and you become less and less able to generate power to help you focus up close,” says Yuen. “That’s why the prescription gets higher and higher.”

These changes are natural, and not a result of your eyes’ dependence on glasses. “Reading glasses cannot worsen or make your vision better over time,” Madan explains. “They simply remove the strain that you would feel when you’re trying to focus up close without them.”

How often should you wear reading glasses?

Because they’re meant for up-close tasks, reading glasses shouldn’t be worn all the time. If you want glasses for reading and seeing from a distance, Yuen and Madan suggest opting for progressives, which allow you to see close and far.

Miklos Reading Glasses, $130

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“The top part of the [progressive] lens has your distance vision in it, and the bottom part has your reading glasses,” says Madan. “So it prevents people from having to take their glasses on and off all day.”

Do you need different reading glasses for computer use?

A computer screen tends to sit further away from your eyes than a book, so it usually requires reading glasses with lower strength. If your glasses have low magnifying power, they can work for the computer, says Yuen. But as your strength level increases over time, they won’t be suitable for the screen, and you will need a separate pair of readers. For regular reading and computer use, she recommends computer progressives—which focus on the computer screen and up-close reading only, instead of far distances. These allow you to view your computer at a comfortable distance while maintaining a natural posture, so you don’t have to hunch over the screen to read it.

What about blue light glasses?

Blue light glasses block the excessive blue light emitted from screens that cause alertness. Believed by some to improve sleep and prevent eyestrain, they have risen in popularity over the past few years. But their effectiveness is still up for debate.

“Studies have associated symptoms [of eyestrain and headaches] with the excess blue light emitted by LED screens. So a blue reflect coating was formulated to essentially filter out the extra blue light,” says Yuen, who recommends these to patients who deal with digital eyestrain.

Feiyold Blue-Light Blocking Glasses 2-Pack, $22

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“There still isn’t any great scientific evidence that tells us that blue light really protects us from computer vision syndrome or any harmful light from the computer,” Madan says. However, she notes that some patients prefer the toned-down light when reading on devices. So really, it’s up to personal preference.

When it comes to buying reading glasses, the most important thing is having the right prescription, which is why Yuen and Madan both recommend seeing your eye doctor first.

“Always seek help when you notice these [vision] issues. A lot of people persist for years on their own either by enlarging the font [on their screen], using a magnifying glass or even getting someone else to read for them,” says Yuen. “To get rid of that strain, frustration and burden, it’s important to get your eyes examined.”

While the products in this piece have been independently chosen, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post How Much Do You Really Need To Spend On Reading Glasses? appeared first on Chatelaine.

That’s what I tell Calgary Nose Hill Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner as we end our chat on what it’s like to be a female politician in the face of an increasingly toxic political atmosphere in Canada. The 43-year-old has been a federal politician since 2011. My interview with her about experiencing online threats, hate and abuse is certainly not her first, and she is determined not to be framed as a victim.

“I have had this interview probably 150 times in 12 years. Why aren’t we evaluating solutions after all of that time?” Rempel Garner asks. “It’s not like people haven’t raised them…It’s just that shit doesn’t change.”

She’s right: If anything, the online abuse—from threats of violence to denigrating, sexualized comments—has gotten worse for female politicians over the last few years. While there isn’t a bevy of quantitative data formally tracking the phenomenon in a Canadian context, I spoke to half a dozen current and former female politicians on the record, read through countless accounts of what online abuse looks like and looked through qualitative research on the perceptions of online abuse. The consensus: online spaces are becoming increasingly toxic for female politicians.

Though she’s cut from a very different political cloth than Rempel Garner, Winnipeg Centre NDP MP Leah Gazan similarly implores me to not have this story read like a doom-and-gloom piece. “I just don’t want this article, or these discussions to discourage people from fighting for a better world and joining in,” she says.

I’m cognizant of the conundrum of wanting to be simultaneously honest about what women in the public eye must put up with while also ensuring I’m not actively dissuading other women from pursuing public-facing roles. In late 2020, I resigned as the host of a Toronto talk radio morning show in the face of online hate and threats. As a racialized woman broadcasting her opinions, I had relegated myself to the reality that I would be met with threats and hate. But when I received an email from a listener that threatened my then one-year-old daughter with rape, I made the decision to resign from a job that I loved.

It’s not that online abuse is uniquely reserved for women in the public light—men receive threats and hate, too. But the abuse levelled at women is qualitatively different, often targeting who they are as a person and not just the work they do. Just compare the online toxicity hurled at former minister of the environment and climate change Catherine McKenna to that of her male successors in the role. From calling her climate Barbie to vandalizing her campaign office with the word c**t, the abuse and threats directed at McKenna was almost always gendered; the same cannot be said for her male successors.

“While it’s true that any woman in the spotlight is a mark for online hate, nobody is more public than politicians.”

For Black, Indigenous and other racialized women, that abuse will often hone in on race in addition to their gender. “If you’re a woman…experiencing negativity on social media, that negativity by far and away targets your social identity, in a way that’s not the case for white men,” says Erin Tolley, Canada Research Chair in Gender, Race, and Inclusive Politics and Associate Professor at Carleton University. “It’s not just general negativity about not liking their political position, it’s not liking them because they are women or because they are racialized women.”

Heidi Tworek, director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at the University of British Columbia and a member of the federal government’s expert advisory group on online harms, echoes this sentiment. During the 2019 federal election, Tworek and her colleagues looked at online incivility directed at political candidates on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. She says the difference with the abuse targeting women is that “often the abuse will be directed at them as individuals.” And that misogynistic abuse is often compounded by threats targeting race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.

While it’s true that any woman in the spotlight is a mark for online hate, nobody is more public than politicians. They can’t opt out of having a public profile. Being accountable and available to the public is an integral part of the gig. Politicians can certainly scale back their social media presence or walk away entirely from certain social media platforms—as Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo recently did with X, calling it a “gigantic global sewer”—but that doesn’t get to the root of the issue, providing a band-aid solution at best.

When former prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation, one of her predecessors, Helen Clark, was among the first to note that the level of toxicity Ardern faced on social media was unprecedented. “The pressures on prime ministers are always great,” she said, “but in this era of social media, clickbait and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country.”

With Canada sliding from 56th in the world for gender parity in politics in 2021 to, most recently, 61st, there’s a worry that the increasing online incivility directed at women will only make that ranking worse—especially given the current climate in Ottawa.

In November, former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer posted a picture of two female senators in the style of an old-timey wanted poster. With the senators’ work emails and office phone numbers listed, he encouraged his followers to contact the senators to ask them why they shut down debate on a bill that would see further carbon tax exemptions for farmers. What happened next was entirely predictable: Both senators were inundated with a barrage of calls, emails and social media posts on X, with one of the senators needing to leave her home after a man threatened to come to her house.

***

DESPITE CROSS-PARTY consensus that online abuse is unacceptable, there hasn’t been much progress on the issue in Canada. Political parties and other democratic institutions have at best stood somewhat idly by as the abuse of female politicians—particularly those with intersecting marginalized identities—has gotten perceptibly worse. While the House of Commons passed a formal Code of Conduct on issues of non-criminal sexual harassment of MPs in 2015, there is no official policy that deals with the harassment of MPs online.

Nobody is more acutely aware of the many institutional failures on this front than the former Liberal MP for Whitby, Ont., and author of Can You Hear Me Now? Celina Caesar-Chavannes. For much of her four years in office, Caesar-Chavannes was on the receiving end of a torrent of anti-Black racism and misogyny as the sole Black female MP at the time.

“So 2016 was my year of being tokenized, 2017 was my year of being excluded purposefully, and 2018 was the year that was the most violent. You know, I thought I was going to die in March of 2018. I think it’s the closest I have ever come to actually wanting to kill myself,” she tells me between tears. That month, Caesar-Chavannes told former Conservative MP and current leader of the People’s Party of Canada Maxime Bernier to “check his privilege” after he made a critical comment about a government anti-racism initiative. She was then subjected to a deluge of racist and misogynistic online hate—much of it made worse by how our overwhelmingly white legacy political media covered her for speaking out against anti-Black racism.

“The hate these politicians received was always exacerbated whenever the women garnered more public attention for speaking out on an issue.”

That abuse only persisted through the remainder of her time in office as an Liberal MP. “Instead of waiting for the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd in 2020 to jump on the race bandwagon,…[the Liberals could have taken] what was happening to me [in 2018] seriously enough to have a conversation about race, to have a conversation about how Black women are treated in parliament,” she says.

As a former journalist and talk show host with a national profile, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien tells me the online anti-Black abuse she received as a journalist concerned her family. But she says it prepared her for the kind of hate that would be thrown her way as a politician. “My family was very worried and I thought this was preparation,” she says. “I thought, ‘Listen, what else can they throw at me? I’ve gone through the gamut here.’”

Gazan, Ien and Mississauga Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid also say their own online experiences were shaped by the intersection of racism and misogyny, as the hate and abuse they received tended to factor in both. And much like Caesar-Chavannes, the hate they received was always exacerbated whenever the women garnered more public attention for speaking out on an issue.

***

MUCH OF OUR increasingly toxic political atmosphere can be chalked up to our online ecosystem. As former Conservative MP Lisa Raitt put it, “I think the exact same amount of people are annoyed at politicians as there always were, the difference is they no longer sit at their coffee shop and bitch about us. They now have the ability to confront us through social media.” Raitt adds that online platforms often incentivize people to be toxic toward politicians: “YouTube and TikTok and [Instagram] Reels…they actually encourage this kind of behaviour to get clicks.”

She’s right: The way that social media platforms are fundamentally designed has often led to divisive and potentially harmful content being disseminated at a much higher rate than other types of content. Facebook’s own internal reporting, for example, uncovered that its engagement-based recommendation algorithm effectively prioritizes divisive content. A 2019 investigation by the New York Times also found “YouTube’s search and recommendation system appears to have systematically diverted users to far-right and conspiracy channels in Brazil.” And research conducted by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that TikTok’s algorithm was promoting self-harm and eating disorder content to children.

We also can’t ignore the role disinformation and conspiracy theories play in the dissemination of online threats and hate. When the disinformation or conspiracy theory in question is targeting groups that are already subject to hate, it ends up compounding the hate received. That’s why it’s imperative to stop talking about disinformation and online hate as two separate siloes, Tworek says. “It’s important for us to remember that they’re intertwined because so often we talk about them as if they’re different phenomena,” she says, “but in fact that’s really not how the dynamic works, and that’s especially true for women of colour.”

In 2017, Iqra Khalid learned an abrupt lesson in how disinformation interacts with online hate when she introduced a non-binding motion to condemn Islamophobia and religious discrimination, known as M-103. The motion called on the government to condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination via three main objectives: collecting data on hate crimes for further study, condemning Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination, and having the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage study the issue of eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination.

“I’m one of the very few people in our country who is a younger woman of colour and in a position of power, so I felt like I couldn’t complain,” MP Iqra Khalid says.

Motions are not bills, and as such, they do not have any binding effect. Once debated, a motion does not force Parliament to any specific policy or action. Despite this, the motion became the subject of much heated public debate. That debate came to a head on January 29, 2017, when a man hopped up on disinformation and the racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, shot up a mosque in Quebec City, killing six men while they prayed. Khalid tabled M-103 a year before the mosque shooting, but the motion was only debated on the floor of the House of Commons in the aftermath of the shooting. That debate also coincided with the Conservative Party’s leadership race, prompting many candidates to choose political expediency over principles.

“I would see… other parliamentarians who know for a fact the difference between a motion and a bill who were actively spreading disinformation to raise money for themselves,” Khalid recalls. Correcting the record didn’t help: “As much as I went and tried to explain it, to clarify the facts, the worse the vitriol got.”

Khalid received more than 90,000 hateful emails within the first two months of introducing M-103. She also had police stationed outside of her house after her home address was broadcast on a talk radio show. Later, a member of the Three Percenters—a far-right, anti-government militia group that was recently designated as a terrorist entity in Canada—showed up at her office to intimidate her. In spite of that, Khalid kept her head down and kept working. “I’m one of the very few people in our country who is a younger woman of colour and in a position of power, so I felt like I couldn’t complain,” she says.

More recently, the 2022 Ottawa convoy exemplified how conspiracy theories and disinformation don’t just stay online, and how racialized folks are affected by the far-right activists and hate symbols like swastikas and confederate flags that peppered the protests. As Minister Ien put it to me, “Not everybody understood that it was scarier for some of us, more than others.” Khalid and Gazan agreed. “I had to walk through that every day and it felt unsafe,” Gazan says.

Canada has managed to stave off a lot of the more overt vitriol and corresponding political violence we have seen in other jurisdictions. But it’s unclear how much longer we will be able to do so, as polarizing and populist political communication becomes more commonplace and as conspiracy theories and fringe online movements are welcomed into the mainstream.

***

IF WE KNOW online abuse levelled at women is a problem that needs solving, why aren’t we doing anything about it?

Lisa Raitt tells me she believes everyone in Parliament is “seized with the issue.” Both Tolley and Tworek echo that sentiment, noting that the issue of online abuse is a systemic problem and must be tackled accordingly. This means dealing with the way our online ecosystem is currently structured and incentivized.

For far too long, Big Tech lobbyists are proponents of the idea that large online platforms like Facebook, YouTube and X should be free to self-regulate. Thankfully, this is starting to change. The Canadian government has stated it intends to table online harms legislation that will subject online platforms to act with a duty of care toward Canadians. That means Big Tech companies will have to demonstrate that they have considered the risks of their products, and then demonstrate that there have been steps taken by the platforms to mitigate those risks.

As the federal government moves forward with regulating online harms, it should look to peer jurisdictions such as the U.K. and the E.U. Both have developed an approach to online harms that requires much more transparency from Big Tech in terms of how their algorithms work, as well as tackling the underlying incentives that lead to the amplification of harmful content. This includes mandated transparency reports and risk assessments, as well as algorithmic auditing powers by the regulator in both jurisdictions. Any online harms framework should also aim to bring Canada in line with the rest of the G7 and introduce intermediary liability, clarifying when platforms are liable for harms arising from content posted on their platforms by users.

There’s also plenty of work for political parties to do. As Tworek notes, political parties need to offer training and support when it comes to online abuse—and to do it in an equitable way, since some candidates are likely to deal with more online abuse than others. Tolley also points out that political parties could be smoothing the path for more female candidates by directing more party resources to them, so that female candidates have the option to hire security or even more staff to deal with online abuse.

“When you look at those financial returns you can see that when parties have an opportunity to direct party money to candidates, they tend to direct that money to white men,” Tolley says. According to reporting conducted in 2021 by CBC/Radio-Canada, three out of four candidates who ran in seats that were deemed safe for their party were white men, with white male candidates receiving 10 percent more in funding than other candidates.

Parliament can also amend election spending laws so that female politicians don’t have to choose between getting information out to voters or hiring security. Rempel Garner and her team seriously considered hiring security during the last federal election, but was told that the money spent would count toward her election spending cap.

“Parliamentarians need to be better examples of themselves than their constituents,” says Lisa Raitt.

Rempel Garner also says criminal harassment is often a gateway to physical violence, so the way Canada’s criminal harassment laws are currently structured should be getting a second look from Parliament. “For our criminal harassment laws, I think an area of study could be: are they structured enough to prevent things from happening? Or are they usually used after the fact, after something serious has gone wrong?”

And though it seems obvious, politicians need to start behaving better with one another if we’re to have any hope dialling down the temperature on our already-heated political environment. Raitt puts it bluntly: “Parliamentarians need to be better examples of themselves than their constituents.”

***

ADDING WOMEN TO change politics isn’t just some virtue-signalling hashtag. We need our political class to look like the population it serves.

Women comprise more than half of the Canadian population, yet make up just 30 percent of MPs. “For less diverse decision-making bodies, it’s not that they’re just undesirable in some esoteric sense, it’s that they’re also less effective,” Tolley says. “When you have more diversity in an institution, you get more effective public policy making because you’re taking in a range of perspectives and therefore going to be more responsive to the people that you’re serving.”

Unsurprisingly, having more women around the decision making table can have profound policy outcomes. A literature review conducted in 2020 found that, “in general, data links an increase in female representation with a higher propensity for women legislators to introduce and pass priority bills dealing with women’s issues,”wherein women’s issues are defined as issues that “directly and disproportionately affect women.” Traditionally, this has meant issues such as abortion and childcare, but this could also be reasonably extended to the issue of online harassment.

When Prime Minister Trudeau quipped “because it’s 2015” in response to a question about why he felt the need to put forward a gender-balanced cabinet, it became an instant viral moment. But eight years later, the environment for female politicians in Canada hasn’t gotten better—by some metrics, such as dealing with threats of violence, it has actively gotten worse.

That doesn’t deter Ien, Khalid, Gazan or Rempel Garner. All of them refuse to buckle in the face of online abuse hurled their way and speak of what an honour and a privilege it is to serve their communities.

As someone who opted out of a public facing role in the fire of online hate, I developed what can best be described as a resiliency contact high in speaking to these women. We owe it to them—and to the women we have failed, like Caesar-Chavannes—to make sure things are better for the next wave of female MPs.

Ultimately, the question isn’t one of what can be done—we know what we need to do. Rather, it is: Why aren’t we doing these things? After all, it’s 2023.

The post Why Canadian Politics Is Still Unsafe For Female Politicians appeared first on Chatelaine.

Back in the 1950s, scientists were struck by a curious finding: Poor populations in southern Italy were far healthier than wealthy Americans. To find out why, they embarked on the groundbreaking Seven Countries Study—a decades-long epidemiological project that compared rates of heart disease and stroke with food and lifestyle factors. The diet was identified as a key factor in the low rates of heart disease and longer life expectancy seen in this region. However, the resulting Mediterranean diet is less of an actual “diet” and more of a way of life. Based on the traditional foods of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, it’s full of heart-healthy fats, nuts, fish and seafood, vegetables and fruit, legumes and whole grains. In other words, it’s simple, delicious and good for you, too.

What can you eat?

Research shows that following just two recommendations from the Mediterranean diet can decrease your risk of disease.

• Make olive oil your main source of fat. Use up to 4 tbsp per day. Extra-virgin is highest in antioxidants and is best used as a finishing oil or to dress raw dishes such as salads. Use pure olive oil for cooking, as high heat diminishes the antioxidants.
• Eat at least 2 to 3 servings of fish or seafood per week.
• Have at least 3 servings of nuts and seeds per week.
• Incorporate at least 3 servings of pulses (beans, peas and lentils) per week.
• Eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit a day.
• Choose whole grains—such as brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa, buckwheat groats, whole grain bread and bread products—over refined grains.
• Eat moderate amounts of dairy, like cheese and yogurt.
• Limit meat, including beef, pork and lamb to no more than 2 servings per week, and processed meat to no more than 1 serving or less per week. Choose chicken, turkey and eggs more often.
• Limit butter, margarine and cream to no more than 1 tbsp total per day.
• Enjoy up to 2 servings of sweets and baked goods a week.
• Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages including pop, juice (even 100 per cent fruit juice), lemonade, iced tea, energy drinks and vitamin water.

How can it help your health?

This is one of the most rigorously studied diets out there, and there’s a mountain of evidence to support it. While most famous for its significant impact on cholesterol levels and heart health, the Mediterranean Diet is also shown to be protective against a host of conditions from diabetes to mental illness, cancer and cognitive decline.

For instance, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Dyslipidemia Guidelines issued in 2016 reports the Mediterranean Diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease events by 28 to 30 percent. Results from the PREDIMED study showed it reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 52 percent. A systematic review and meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal showed a 13 percent reduction in risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and 6 percent lower rates of or death caused by cancer.

Certain foods emphasized in the Mediterranean Diet, like extra-virgin olive oil, have significant health benefits on their own, but it’s impossible to separate these elements out from the overall diet. Ultimately, it’s the combination of foods and their interactions with each other that make the magic happen.

What’s the catch?

The Mediterranean Diet goes beyond what to eat and offers a holistic philosophy on how to live for optimal health and longevity. In Mediterranean cultures, sharing meals with others is seen as incredibly important for social, mental and overall well-being. People take time out of their day to make eating with family, friends, neighbours or coworkers a priority. Cooking is an integral part of the culture, so meals are prepared from whole ingredients and processed foods are uncommon. They eat small portions of high-quality food that is fresh, seasonal and available locally. Perhaps most importantly, the Mediterranean way of life is founded on daily physical activity. But it’s not about time logged in the gym; it’s about incorporating movement into daily routines. Ride your bike to work. Take the stairs. Go for a short mid-morning walk. Take a five-minute stretch break. Do errands on foot. Plant a garden. Centre social events around physical activity. Bottom line: work at least 30 minutes of physical activity into every day for optimal health.

Research shows again and again that fad diets fail. Any improvements to health are typically short-lived because the diets themselves are restrictive and unsustainable long-term. The Mediterranean Diet is one of the few eating plans that is supported by science and shown to be sustainable over time. It’s sensible and nutritionally balanced, not eliminating whole food groups or macronutrients. No foods are off-limits, offering flexibility and making it easy to individualize. It focuses on healthy foods to incorporate more of rather than emphasizing rules around those to restrict. And while many diets make eating socially almost impossible, the Mediterranean Diet is founded on the cultural and social aspects of enjoying the pleasures of the table.

Emily Kichler is a registered dietitian based in Toronto.

The post Everything You Need To Know About The Mediterranean Diet appeared first on Chatelaine.

Check out our picks from the collection ahead of its launch on January 4.

Check out the new Uniqlo x Marimekko collection

(Photo: Courtesy of Uniqlo)

Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag, $25

Affordable, sleek and incredibly roomy, Uniqlo’s bestselling moon bag now comes in Kivet, one of Marimekko’s most iconic patterns. Choose from beige, light grey and dark grey to match the rest of the collection.

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Uniqlo Heattech Turtleneck, $30

This stylish Heattech turtleneck features Marimekko’s Kissapöllö, a sophisticated brushstroke design.

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Uniqlo Heattech Patterned Socks, $10

Paired with loafers or sneakers, these graphic socks add a touch of whimsy. They’re made from Heattech fabric for extra warmth.

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Uniqlo Long-Sleeve Fleece Jacket, $60

Available four pattern and colour iterations, we predict that this cozy fleece is going to fly off the shelves. It hits mid-hips for a flattering length. Pair it with the matching turtleneck, skirt or socks.

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Uniqlo Fleece Midi Skirt, $50

You can count on this A-line fleece skirt to keep you warm on snowy days. Make it a set with the coordinating fleece (above), or mix prints for an eye-catching ‘fit.

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Uniqlo Heattech Turtleneck, $30

This cream-coloured Heattech turtleneck is a great layering piece. Pair it with the matching fleece midi skirt (below) for a très chic après-ski look.

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Uniqlo Fleece Midi Skirt, $50

Inspired by snow, this neutral colour is perfect for minimalists. Slip it on over Heattech tights for extra warmth.

Shop Now

While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post Your Fave Uniqlo Basics Just Got A Kicky Makeover appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Capricorn

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

If you don’t lead with your heart, you will end up unintentionally investing in your fears this week. Do your best to tap into your own energies instead of looking outside of yourself for the “right” or wrong“ answers. This is a vulnerable process, but it will help you to get aligned with your own wisdom and to engage with your fears and hopes from a more abundant place. It’s time to take heart, Capricorn.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Aquarius

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

This week is going to require adaptability, which is not completely easy (as you know!). Instead of trying to change people and situations around you, now is the time to make adjustments within yourself. Whether you need to change your attitudes, behaviours, expectations or approach, you will make more progress and feel better equipped to deal with what comes your way if you cultivate change from the inside out, Aquarius.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Pisces

Feb. 19-March 20

This week is all about boundaries, Pisces. The things that you’re likely to find yourself struggling with are best regarded as invitations for more self-awareness and embodiment. Do your best to identify your own energetic and psychological needs and limits so that you can communicate them clearly to others. Most importantly, this will help you tend to yourself.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Aries

March 21-April 19

This week may find you wrestling with anxiety and restless thinking. Don’t be in such a rush to ease your stress that you skip exploring what’s actually happening with you. Do your best to be curious and open as you strive to make sense of what you’re scared of and why. The best thing for you to do is lead with your heart, but in order to do this, you need to quiet the chatter of your head.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Taurus

April 20-May 20

This week may trigger you, Taurus. Take a pause. The best way to navigate your life right now is by allowing things to come to you. Allow others to show you who they are and what they’re capable of. Allow opportunities to take shape. And allow your own clarity to crystallize in its own time. If you push yourself or your situations too hard, you’re likely to encounter more struggle than progress.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Gemini

May 21-June 21

It’s really hard to know when and whether to trust your intuition, and the more pressed you are to figure it out, the more elusive your voice can be. Embrace the law of reversed effort this week, Twin Star, and don’t try so hard. Allow things—including your own clarity—to develop at their own pace instead of fighting to create a certainty that you just don’t have yet. The best way to do this is by nurturing your present moment instead of fixating on what comes next.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Cancer

June 22-July 22

You’re no stranger to worry, but this week you may find yourself particularly stressed. Don’t allow yourself to succumb to scarcity-based thinking or to fixate on things that are out of your control. This is a time to remember your own agency and ability to make choices. From there, all you need to do is make the best possible choice at that specific moment. Nothing is written in stone. Invest in building progress one step at a time.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Leo

July 23-Aug. 22

Choose your battles wisely this week. Though the truth is, you’re most likely to be struggling against yourself. The choices that you make all have their consequences, and even if you have mixed emotions about them, it doesn’t mean that you’re on the wrong path. Give yourself the space to have whatever feelings you have without losing track of your intentions and plans. You’re just about ready to make some serious moves.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Virgo

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Don’t hesitate to put yourself out there, Virgo. There are so many things that you are obliged to do and so many things that you want to do. This week, give yourself the gift of prioritizing the things that bring you joy. Allow your heart to lead you even if your head has a lot to say about it. Show up for your present with respect for the past and the willingness to dream of a better future.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Libra

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

In order to step into the life you want, you must be willing to release your attachment to the things that are holding you back from it. This is a good time for taking risks and putting yourself out there, especially in efforts to cultivate more love and agency in your life. Just make sure that you don’t take on too much all at once; pace yourself as you enter into the adventure that is your New Year.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Scorpio

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

The decisions you make now will have a meaningful impact on your relationships, so it is wise to not only consider what you want but also how it will impact the people around you. This doesn’t mean that you have to compromise yourself, Scorpio. It just means that you should remember that you need others, and they need you. Your task this week is to navigate that knowledge with a whole heart.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Sagittarius

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

This week’s astrology is a bit unnerving, and you may find yourself struggling with some anxiety. The best course of action is to focus on cultivating alignment. If you act in ways that reflect what’s true for you at your core, you can’t really make a mistake. Don’t allow perfection to be the enemy of progress as you determine what’s best for you at this time and in your specific situation.

The post Your Weekly Horoscope: January 3-9, 2024 appeared first on Chatelaine.

Our creative director, Sun Ngo, is our resident plant expert; these are just a few of the many plants she cares for at her home. Ngo’s picks for tough, survive-the-Canadian-winter plants include snake plants, monstera deliciosa and succulents. (Photo: Sun Ngo)

If you’re a stellar plant parent in summer but often struggle to keep your plants alive and well during the winter months, then you might need to adjust your plant care routine.

“The biggest mistake I see is not changing up your care routine during the winter,” says Miah Mills, manager of customer care at Toronto’s Urban Gardener. “When the heating kicks on, our houses get really dry, and in Canada, it gets dark really early so we lose a lot of light quality. So as the conditions of our homes change, the needs of our plants also change.”

With a few simple steps, you can help your plants not only survive the winter, but thrive, too. Read on for how to best care for your indoor houseplants this winter.

Pick hardy plants

Taking the time to learn about a plant before buying it can go a long way, because some plants do better than others in colder and drier climates. “Plants that do the best [in winter] are ones that tend to thrive on neglect,” Mills says. “Plants that have really thick fleshy leaves that don’t transpire or lose a lot of water do really well too, because they just keep calm and carry on.”

In contrast, plants with thin and delicate leaves are likely to require more maintenance come winter. “The thinner the leaf, the more humidity that the plant needs to survive,” says Ashley Esakin, a soil scientist and the creator of the Gardening in Canada blog and podcast. But how can you tell if the leaves are thick enough? “If the plant leaf feels like it’s going to snap when you pinch it, then that’s a thick leaf,” she said.

If you want to buy a plant that will do well year-round—and especially in winter—Mills and Esakin suggest snake plants, ZZ plants, pothos, philodendrons, cacti and succulents.

Put a humidifier, like this one from Levoit, in the same room as your plants to provide consistent humidity all day. (Photo: Levoit)

Control the humidity

If the air quality in your home is especially dry, or if your plants have thin, delicate leaves, you may need to increase the humidity level. “Nine times out of 10 if a plant is struggling it’s because it doesn’t get enough humidity,” Mills says, noting that misting your plants will only provide temporary relief, but isn’t a lasting solution.

One option is investing in a humidifier, which you should put in the same room as your plants to provide consistent humidity all day long. “There are a lot of really fantastic smart humidifiers out there that you can pre-set to a specific percentage, and then they will switch off once it reaches that, or kick back on once it drops below that,” Mills says. “A hot tip is to get [a humidifier] that fills from the top, so that you don’t have to lug it to your bath or sink to fill it up.”

There are also a few other tricks you can employ at home to naturally increase humidity. Moving your plants away from drafty windows and into rooms with higher humidity levels—like your kitchen or bathroom—can help, or you can place your plants in groups of three or four. “When a plant transpires it creates its own little humidity biome, so grouping your plants together is another way to increase humidity,” Mills says.

Airplants (at left and middle) and gasteria (far right) are tough, hardy plants. (Photo: Sun Ngo)

Get a grow light (or lightbulb)

When it comes to winter plant care, the amount of light your plants receive can make just as big a difference as the amount of humidity. “I think people underestimate how much light a plant really needs to thrive,” Esakin says. “Houseplants need somewhere around 12 to 18 hours of light per day, so if we’re dealing with shorter daytimes in the winter, window light is simply not enough.”

Esakin recommends supplementing natural night with a grow light, which is an electric light bulb that imitates the spectrum of light from the sun. “It doesn’t have to be fancy—you can just switch out your regular lightbulbs in your house for grow lights [because] they just look like regular light bulbs,” she says. If you’re new to grow lights, look for them at your local plant, garden or home store. Esakin recommends General Electric full-spectrum LED grow lightbulbs, which look like regular lightbulbs and cost $20 per bulb.

One of the benefits of grow lights is that you don’t have to move your plants around come winter. “You can still have them spaced out around your home and enjoy them as decor,” notes Mills.

A moisture metre—like this Uniroi one—will help you more accurately gauge the moisture in soil so you can avoid over- or underwatering.

Be mindful of how you water

Rather than watering your plants on a regular schedule, Mills recommends watering by touch. “Your plant may be using less water because its metabolism has slowed down [due to] cooler temperatures or less light. Stick your finger in the soil to see if there’s still water in there first and then you don’t run the risk of overwatering your plant.”

On the other hand, you don’t want to underwater your plants either. “We want to keep the soil moisture above 20 percent, so you should still feel a little bit of moisture when you actually go to test that soil and that is a sign that it’s time to water. You never want to let it get to the point where it feels bone dry—that’s when it’s gone too far,” Esakin says, noting that cacti and succulents are the one exception for dry soil being okay.

If you’re not familiar with watering by touch, Esakin suggests getting a plant sensor—also known as a moisture metre—so that you can more accurately measure the level of moisture in the soil before you water, which will help prevent both under- and overwatering. Look for plant sensors at your local plant, garden or home store.

 

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A post shared by BIOS Nutrients • Organic Plant Fertilizers & Pesticides (@biosnutrients)

Fertilize—but gently

A plant’s metabolism naturally slows down in winter, which means you should adjust how you’re fertilizing accordingly. “As long as your plant is still growing, it’s safe to fertilize, but you just want to use something really gentle,” Mills says. He recommends using an organic fertilizer like one from Canadian brand BIOS, which makes natural plant fertilizers. You can also use worm castings, which are available at most plant and garden stores. “Sprinkle a tablespoon of [worm castings] onto the soil surface once a month. It’s water soluble so it will dissolve when the plant gets watered and it goes into the soil to give the plant a boost.”

Using a gentle fertilizer is important because if you over-fertilize in winter, you could end up burning your plants. “If your plant has less light and cooler temperatures, those biological processes are happening a lot slower, so you want the plant to be able to use up all the fertilizer that you give it,” Mills says. “Whereas in summer, if your plant is vigorously growing, then it’s using up the fertilizer as quickly as you give it. So that’s why using a more gentle amount is better—you don’t want to burn it by doing too much.” If all you have on hand is a synthetic or chemical fertilizer, Mills says to just dilute it to one-quarter to one-half of the regular strength.

Terracotta pots allow plants to breathe, and are a great pick if you tend to overwater. (Photo: Sun Ngo)

Use a terracotta pot

If you tend to overwater your plants, Esakin recommends using terracotta pots over plastic or ceramic ones. “Terracotta is porous and allows for a lot of air flow, which is important because that’s going to ensure that the plant itself is going to be able to keep its roots nice and dry,” she says, noting that a terracotta pot will allow the plant to drain more equally overall. “With ceramic and plastic pots, the roots tend to be a little bit wetter, and they don’t allow for as much air transfer to take place.”

Be patient!

Mills notes that learning how to take care of your plants well can be a process and offers a word of encouragement: “Anyone who’s good at plants has killed their fair share of plants. So just because you killed one plant, doesn’t mean you’re bad at plants. It just might mean that you chose the wrong plant or that you didn’t get the conditions right, so learn a little bit more, ask questions and try again.”

10 hard-to-kill house plants

• • • Snake plant
    • Whale fin plant
    • Rubber plant
    • Monstera deliciosa
    • Succulents (such asgasteria)
    • Fiddle-leaf fig
    • Spider plant
    • Air plant
    • Chinese evergreen (aglaonema)
    • Ponytail palm

While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post Winter Houseplant Care: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Photograph: Getty Images)

Last summer, I was walking the dog around my neighbourhood. It was one of those sweltering, 38-degree days in downtown Toronto, a day to swathe yourself in linen and hope no one notices the rivulets of sweat streaming down the back of your legs.

At the park, flesh was on full display. Everywhere I looked, there were young women lounging and laughing, unbothered by the heat. Some were sunbathing in string bikinis; some were playing softball; some were sprawled on picnic blankets, swigging beer from tall cans.

What struck me most, though, was their ease. Jiggling thighs, boobs spilling out of bra tops, clingy short shorts—in their many-sized body shapes, these young women seemed to move so comfortably through the world. Cellulite, big butts, belly rolls? The more cropped the top, the better! Body positivity was writ large across the grass, and suddenly I was hit with a wave of envy.

At 50, I’m still mercilessly self-critical, still struggling against the voice in my head that tells me I’d be way hotter if only I lost a few pounds. I want what those young women at the park have. But why is body positivity so hard to find for women my age?

Body positivity for midlife women: Where are my over-40 ladies?

As someone whose sense of confidence was shaped (badly) by the fatphobic  beauty standards of the 1980s and ’90s, I’m thrilled that the body positivity movement has grown so much over the past several years. Led by a critical mass of activists, social media influencers, creatives and changemakers, the current BoPo movement seems to have finally driven brands towards greater size inclusivity and representation.

But as much as I love to see the ongoing success of body positivity icons like Precious Lee, Ashley Graham, Enam Asiama, Nadia Aboulhosn and Barbie Ferreira, I can’t help but wonder where my over-40 ladies are at. I decide to reach out to a couple of wise, size-aware friends to see if I’m alone in this observation. Apparently not.

“I think some clothing lines are getting better at taking pictures of models of varying sizes, but they’re all very young and tight,” remarks my pal Amanda, an occupational therapist and plus-size dancer. “I’ve never seen an older plus-size model in any realm—not in the media, not on television, not in the movies. I don’t know if [businesses] realize what a big market we are!”

I email Anastasia, an elementary school teacher I’ve known since we were teens, to ask if she’s noticed, too.

“For the first 40 years of my life, I failed to see anyone who looked remotely like me in ads or print media—no one was short, no one was dark brown, no one had huge boobs,” she writes back. “It would be absurd for me to add ‘over 50’ to that list. I don’t expect to see my personal body package reflected in the media anytime soon.”

It seems that inclusivity has its limits. Even fashion brands that are built on the notion that they’re for everyone rarely include middle-aged women in their campaigns—and when they do, they’re generally conventionally beautiful, rail-thin and white.

“My impression is that the media is better at representing women of different sizes than including imagery of older women,” says Samantha Brennan, dean of the College of Arts at the University of Guelph, as well as a professor of philosophy. She’s also the co-founder of the feminist fitness blog Fit is a Feminist Issue and co-author of Fit at Mid-life: A Feminist Fitness Journey. “Ditto women of a range of races and ethnicities…but [it] rarely puts these things together.”

I reach out to Louise Green, the Vancouver-based fitness professional and powerhouse behind Big Fit Girl and the Size Inclusive Training Academy, an online program that trains, certifies and supports fitness professionals of all weights, shapes and sizes. I ask if she thinks brands are ready to embrace middle-aged women in all our size diversity. She’s skeptical.

“I think brands ‘doing’ inclusivity are still playing it pretty safe,” Green says. “We’re still looking at the hourglass size 14 or 18 woman. We’re not looking at the woman who is a size 26 or 30—that would be erring on the side of dangerous for the brand’s culture. The same thing goes for age. What if we had someone who was, like, 57, a person of colour, 285 pounds? Brands just wouldn’t take the risk.”

Another wrinkle: pro-aging, still fatphobic

Perhaps it’s no surprise that “inclusive” brands targeted at a younger demographic don’t represent midlife women in a way that feels…well, inclusive. But as I comb the internet, I make another discovery: many influencers who claim to embrace aging are also deeply invested in diet culture.

Suzie Grant, the British dietitian behind @alternativeageing on Instagram, espouses “positive ageing” while blogging about the meal replacement smoothie that helped eliminate her “middle-aged spread.” Women’s hormonal health specialist Dr. Aviva Romm mixes her ‘Yasss, menopausal queen!’ refrain with a restrictive “hormone intelligence” diet plan that promises increased energy, better sleep, a hotter sex life and—you guessed it—a lither body.

“At this time of life, that message is [always] there,” says Green. “‘How to get rid of stubborn belly fat! Your body is not performing or looking the way it should!’”

The net effect of all this weight-loss messaging (wrapped in age-positive packaging) is to heighten our insecurities at a time when hormones are shifting, bodies are changing, and many of us feel extremely vulnerable. There’s also the fact that at midlife, when new health concerns may come to the fore, we’re more susceptible to the message that our bodies are problematic and need fixing. I have no objection to aiming for a healthier lifestyle and habits—hell, I’d like my sore, middle-aged bod to feel better, too—but I’m annoyed that losing weight is presented as a cure-all.

“It’s hard because of the cultural obsession with menopausal weight gain and the fear that our aging bodies will render us invisible, unacceptable and unattractive,” says Tracy Isaacs, a professor of philosophy at Western University and the co-creator, with Brennan, of Fit is a Feminist Issue and Fit at Mid-life. “When we’re surrounded by messaging that reinforces the idea that we need to do something about it, it requires great strength to maintain an alternative attitude.”

Isaacs points out that a few middle-aged celebs are having a moment: Nicole Kidman with her biceps and Miu Miu micromini on the cover of Vanity Fair, Jennifer Aniston in Allure in the teensiest of Chanel bikinis, Gwyneth Paltrow on Instagram, wearing nothing but gold body paint to celebrate her 50th birthday, Jennifer Lopez in…well, just about every outfit she rocks. But this kind of celebration is a double-edged sword.

“Celebrating women in their 50s by focusing on their ability to still conform to the youthful, feminine aesthetic ideal of thin, lean bodies that look good naked or in bikinis—it’s as though aging well means doing everything we can NOT to age, or to appear as if we aren’t aging,” Isaacs says.

Inspiration, subversion, and DIY happiness

So what’s a middle-aged, body-ambivalent, desperately-seeking-inspiration babe to do?

For Brennan and Isaacs, the secret is to focus not on how the body looks, but on how it can be used to support a happy, active life.

“I’m focused on the long haul, being able to stay active as long as I can,” says Brennan. “Physical activity like hiking and biking is a great source of joy in my life, and I want to make sure it’s part of my life for as long as possible.”

Isaacs mentions body neutrality, an approach that aims for acceptance rather than all positivity, all the time.

“If I can be neutral and not negative towards my body as it is today, then I feel as if I’ve freed myself from oppressive expectations,” she says. “I’m focused on functional fitness, maintaining strength, endurance and flexibility enough to do what I enjoy, like travel and photography. And I’m still open to trying new things.”

Then I discover Michelle Osbourne, a 48-year-old Quebec City-based activist, social entrepreneur and creator of butt-shaking, smile-inducing Instagram Reels and TikToks. Like me, Osbourne noticed the lack of representation of body positive middle-aged women online. Unlike me, she did something about it.

“Representation of bigger middle-aged women in media is almost non-existent, even less so for someone queer like me,” she points out. “I’ve titled myself ‘CEO of Giving Zero Fux’ and through my platform and content, I encourage others to do the same.”

Osbourne is a fan of body neutrality, too.

“I feel a lot more at peace with my body now that I’m not thinking of it as a decorative piece for people to judge and/or admire,” she says. “At this stage of my life, my focus is on feeling good and having fun in this package that I’ve been given.”

Giving zero fucks, feeling good and having fun might be my new midlife rallying cry—which brings me back to my local park.

In October, I was out for a morning walk when I noticed a woman, probably early 60s, dancing beside the baseball diamond. She was intently focused on a laptop balanced on the bleachers, and she was lunging, shimmying, and waving her hands in the air. She wore leggings and a thick fleece headband. She was not terribly coordinated. It was a glorious sight.

As I walked on, I had a revelation. This woman was probably not on social media, and it didn’t matter. She was all about wild solo dance moves in the early fall sunshine, the rhythm of tinny salsa music, the leaves just starting to change colour. Maybe midlife inspiration had been there all along. I just needed to find it.

The post Where’s The Body Positivity Movement For Midlife Women? appeared first on Chatelaine.

Right now tart citrus is at its zenith. Everywhere you look there are cara cara or blood oranges, juicy lemons, grapefruit, tart green limes and more in abundance. Take advantage of this cheerful cornucopia of fruit before it’s gone with these sunshine-filled lemon recipes and more.

If you’re on Apple News, tap the below image and scroll to see the recipes and links.

Gallery

26 zesty citrus recipes

Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Lemon meringue trifle

Looking for a great make-ahead desert? This lemon meringue trifle recipe improves over time as the ladyfingers soak in the limoncello and lemon juice. Get our lemon meringue trifle recipe.

How to make a classic lemon loaf

The post 19 Colourful Orange, Grapefruit and Lemon Recipes appeared first on Chatelaine.

Cannabis edibles and I are dating again—and I think it’s love. After a handful of pre-legalization experiences which were always an extremely unpredictable split between an evening of giggly fun or a completely nauseous, seemingly neverending dark night of the soul, now I can just reach for a precisely dosed gummy and know exactly what I’m getting, how much of it I want to take and how long it will likely last. It’s a long way from crossing your fingers as you bit into a space cookie made by a hippie in 2002.

Canada legalized edibles sold by licensed retailers in October 2019, and while the category encompasses things like teas, chocolate, dissolvable powders, cookies and, my new favourite, cold fizzy drinks, a lot of people who are new to edibles like to start with gummies—sometimes called “soft chews” if you’re fancy. Black-market gummies from the olden days usually tasted weedy and were often way too strong, but now experienced confectioners are getting in on the act and it’s a whole new world of juicy goodness. A lot of people like gummies because they’re discreet, easy to transport and don’t involve smoking or vaping to get a buzz.

With the help of Lindsay Lebel, the former manager of learning at Ontario indie cannabis chain Superette, I’ve put together a little Gummies 101 for people who are interested in trying them but get overwhelmed by the selection, or are worried they’re going to end up rocking in the corner of their bedroom listening to Portishead on repeat like that one terrible time in 1994 (just a random example!). Our product picks are below, but first, some basics…

What kind do I want?

The two most readily available types of cannabinoids in Canada are THC, which is gets you high, and CBD, which doesn’t—but is popular for its relaxing and anti-inflammatory properties. You can find THC-only gummies, “balanced” formulations that have both CBD and THC, and CBD-only ones, too.

“The THC-dominant ones are going to bring the high and produce that euphoric feeling,” says Lebel, “The balanced gummies are going to be more of a therapeutic experience with less of a high and the CBD ones will chill you out and help your body relax.”

Let’s talk about dose, baby

You’ve probably heard the phrase “start low and go slow” when it comes to edibles, but what does that even mean? Weed in Canada is sold in individual packages with a maximum total dose of 10 mg of THC and no limit on the amount of CBD. The THC might be in a single high-dose gummy or be spread out among several pieces. For most users, especially newer ones, 10 mg of THC is a lot. If you haven’t used cannabis in years—or ever—I would definitely not suggest going all in with the full 10 mg off the jump. While The Cannabis Act actually prohibits brands from telling consumers how much to take, if you’re using products with THC in them Lebel recommends starting out with 1 to 3 mg. “That’s a good starting dose where you can gauge how your body and mind feel,” she says.

The packaging will say how much THC and/or CBD is contained “per unit,” which means how many milligrams of weed is in each gummy. You’ll also sometimes see another figure, listed in grams, on the in-store displays or when you’re purchasing gummies online (it’s not generally on the packaging itself) which refers to the actual size of the gummy. So, for example, in the below screenshot from the Ontario Cannabis Store, you can see the total amount of THC in the package (10.00 mg) on the left, the number of candies in the package and how big they are in the green button (4 gummies that weigh 4.3 g each) and the amount of THC in each gummy is down below in the product description (2.5 mg).

Because edibles take longer to kick in (up to four hours, though more typically within two) than a few puffs on a joint and the effects last longer (anywhere from four to 12 hours), a classic rookie mistake is thinking that nothing is happening and then taking more too soon. Patience, sis—trust. And, honestly, if it’s your first time, you may want to wait until the next session before upping your dosage.

How much THC you want to imbibe totally depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for. While personally I reserve the full 10-mg situation for special occasions where I have a lot of time and not much responsibility, 2.0 to 2.5 mg is perfect for giving me the two-cocktails-giggles and I’m all about the micro-dosing (1 to 1.5 mg) for improving my mood or tamping down aches and pains while still remaining completely functional during the day. (And a reminder: absolutely no driving or operating heavy machinery on any amount of THC, of course! And be sure to store all your edibles securely and out of reach of children and pets—lockboxes are great.)

Okay, so what should I buy?

Finally! The fun part! Here are some starter suggestions from Lebel and me for gummies you can try. The good news is that you get a lot of bang for your buck—most packages of gummies are under $10—so it’s easy to sample a bunch of different brands without breaking the bank.

Dynathrive CBD Apple Cider Vinegar Soft Chews

For sleep

Dynathrive CBD Soft Chews

When women message me about cannabis, they almost always want to know about using it for sleep, and some are hesitant about using THC. So, for a CBD-only relaxation experience I like this mega-pack of 30 10-mg soft chews. At first I was hesitant about the relatively large commitment and price tag of buying 30 gummies, at once as opposed to the more standard one to five piece packages, but if it’s something you take every night, like I do, those smaller packages run out pretty quickly. If I’m home in the evening I usually pop one or two 10mg gummies two-three hours before bedtime just so I can do as my 10-year-old is always telling me to and “Chill!” It doesn’t knock me out cold or anything, but it helps me wind down. I think of it as a sleep vitamin.

30 pieces, 10 mg CBD each, The Ontario Cannabis Store

San Rafael ’71 Blaspberry Soft Chews

San Rafael ’71 Blaspberry Soft Chews

These lower-dose THC chews are Lebel’s personal favourite for sleep. “I give these to my Grandma,” she says. “We keep them beside our beds at all times!” These tangy berry chews have a very slight weed taste. My hot tip about using THC for sleep is that it works better—for me, anyways—if I take it within an hour of bedtime so it hits its full strength while I’m (hopefully) already asleep and helps keep me there. If I start too early in the evening I just get too high and way too interested in reorganizing my cookbooks.

4 pieces, 2.5mg THC each, The Ontario Cannabis Store

For candy lovers

SOURZ by Spinach – Peach Orange 1:1

These are probably some of the tastiest gummies I’ve had, which is actually kind of dangerous because if I keep reaching back into that bag just because they’re so yummy I’m in trouble. There is absolutely no weed taste, and they’re slightly bigger than your typical soft chew too, so, as Lebel says: “You get a little more candy to your cannabis.”

5 pieces, 2 mg THC/2 mg CBD each, The Ontario Cannabis Store

Wana Quick Orchard Peach Soft Chews

For a short-but-sweet trip

Wana Quick Gummies

One of the complaints people have about edibles is it takes too damn long to feel their effects and then those effects, in turn, are too lasting. Wana has solved this with a new water-soluble technology that means this gummy acts more like a great, big glass of wine—easy in, easy out (or, in official terms, “quick onset and offset”).

“These are a really cool entryway to gummies without that potential eight-hour commitment,” says Lebel.

You’ll start to feel buzzed within about 15 minutes and will have probably wrapped up your little vacation in around four hours.
2 pieces, 5.0 mg THC each, Northern Helm

Wana Strawberry Lemonade 1:1 Sour Gummies

For a balanced experience

Strawberry Lemonade 1:1 Sour Gummies by Wana

Gummies that are made with both THC and CBD are called balanced formulas, because the CBD theoretically counterbalances the more psychoactive aspects of the THC for a smoother, less “high” experience (I haven’t personally noticed a huge difference, but that could just be me!). Starting out with a balanced gummy is a popular choice for beginner users, especially ones who are nervous about THC. A 1:1 ratio means there are equal parts of each cannabinoid, but you’ll also see gummies listed as “balanced” that are THC-dominant but still have at least some CBD.

2 pieces, 5.0 mg of THC and 5.0mg of CBD each, OCS

If you’re vegan and/or avoiding added sugar

Jublee Fruit Bites

Okay, these are more like adult versions of fruit leather than gummy gummies. But they’re sizable and far less sweet than the standard edible. Our favourite was the Apple and Matcha.

2 pieces; 5 mg THC in each and 10 mg CBD; OCS and other retailers across Canada.

Fly North Key Lime Pie

For when you’re ready to go big

Fly North Key Lime Pie Soft Chew

If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain, this delicious 10 mg gummy is a juicy way to escape to a tropical paradise in your mind.

1 piece, 10 mg THC, Ontario Cannabis Store

Click here to read our guide to making your own weed gummies.

Originally published in 2021, updated in 2023.

The post A Beginner’s Guide To Weed Gummies appeared first on Chatelaine.

Find your holiday brunch recipe inspiration in the gallery below:

Gallery

18 Holiday Brunch Recipes

Eggs In Cheddar Scones

Flaky buttermilk scones with soft eggs and sharp cheddar are a match made in brunch heaven. Kitchen tip: The whites should be slightly jiggly when removed from the oven, as the eggs will continue to cook in the hot scones. Get our eggs in cheddar scones recipe.

 
 
 
 

How to make classic crepes

The post 26 Perfect Holiday Brunch Recipes appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

In January it truly feels like we’re handed a reset button. This month will ignite fresh motivation for a new beginning. Forge ahead with as much pragmatism and kindness as you can muster and use this month’s astrological weather to craft a road map towards greater confidence and skills. Then, with self-kindness as your guide, follow it with renewed determination and purpose. Dates to note are:

• • January 1: Mercury stations direct at 22° Sagittarius
  • January 4: Mars enters Capricorn
  • January 11: New Moon at 20° Capricorn
  • January 13: Mercury re-enters Capricorn
  • January 20: Sun and Pluto enter Aquarius
  • January 23: Venus enters Capricorn
  • January 25: Full Moon at 5° Leo
  • January 26: Uranus stations direct at 19° Taurus

I highly recommend that you primarily read the horoscopes for your rising sign. If you don’t know your rising sign, you can read for your sun sign (born during the day) and/or moon sign (born at night). Read it all if you like, and take what resonates. To determine these placements, enter your birth date, location and precise birth time into an astrology app or online. For more guidance on how all of these play together, visit charmastrology.com.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Capricorn

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Reconnect with yourself by acknowledging past hurdles as stepping stones, not dead weights. Engage in practices that nourish your spirit—movement, arts, meditation—anything that feels like a conversation with your core sense of self. Use them to reflect, then release the weight of what was. Remember, you’ve bounced back before, and use that sense of hope to propel you forward.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Aquarius

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

This month, confront past shadows head-on. Welcome the discomfort—it’s the threshold to healing. Let your wounds breathe and remember they’re not your identity. The year’s start carries an intimidating, exhilarating energy that gives you a sense of second chances. Accepting who you are today allows you the space to dive into the unknown with courage. You’re not rebuilding—you’re evolving. Build more trust in yourself.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Pisces

Feb. 19-March 20

As you invest time in healing past hurts, notice how your hopes and dreams start to shift and take on new shapes. It’s a natural change as your heart makes space for new beginnings. As your aspirations refine, they will become more authentic. Let this metamorphosis give you a new frame to write your story. Your past doesn’t have to wholly define you—it’s the canvas for painting a resolute and inspiring future.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Aries

March 21-April 19

This month marks a genuine new beginning. Moreover, fresh connections are emerging to bolster you on this uncharted journey. Embrace this transformative phase with open arms—it’s your time to shine. And remember, you do not need to have all the information to take action. Allow your friendships and budding connections to support and guide you towards a bright future.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Taurus

April 20-May 20

As the new year begins, you’re infused with that first-day-of-school energy. Use it to look at the world through a fresh lens and propel your pursuit of new life goals. Lean into this youthful enthusiasm as it fuels your journey ahead. Let this perspective shift nurture your ambition, paving the way for accomplishments that align with the vibrant, maturing version of yourself you’re becoming.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Gemini

May 21-June 21

This month may seem calm on the surface, yet within, a dynamic tension brews. It’s a time to confront loss, to heal, and to shower yourself with the love you need and deserve. Your internal storm will help birth new ground and newfound power. Usher out hopelessness because through grieving, recovery, and self-compassion, you’re forging a stronger foundation for your path forward.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Cancer

June 22-July 22

This month, you’re in taskmaster mode in your relationships. No more avoiding critical issues that lead to stagnation and resentment. It’s a call to action, confronting conflicts head-on and engaging in crucial conversations. By month’s end, the goal is closeness—an intimacy forged through openness and honesty. Be more proactive for the sake of developing deeper connections. Face challenges together and watch your bonds reach new levels of strength.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Leo

July 23-Aug. 22

January signals a time for both literal and metaphorical decluttering and project management. Streamline your responsibilities—work smarter, not needlessly harder. In your relationships, as with everything else, change is inevitable. So focus your energies on organizing chaos, paving the way for transformative shifts. Navigate this period with purpose and intention—it will help you discover newfound clarity and depth within yourself and your connections.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Virgo

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

The start of the year will see you filled with vibrant energy, infusing more play and pleasure into life. Engage in creative outlets to prevent work burnout—they’ll be a vital part of your healing journey. Embrace the joy of a creative practice that helps you restore and replenish. Remember that the point is to get creative, not about being good at whatever you choose to do. By integrating fun and passion into your routine, you’re nurturing your well-being and fostering a sustainable, fulfilling approach to life.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Libra

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

It’s a time for homebound activities! Revamp your physical space, nurturing your relationships with family and folks you share your home with. Renew your ancestral veneration through dedicated work. Whether sprucing up your living environment, repairing and strengthening family ties, or honouring your lineage, dive in. This period offers a chance for both tangible and emotional replenishment, fostering a harmonious, supportive environment that echoes the reverence for your roots.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Scorpio

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Reconnect with the people in your local communities; rediscover old friends, get in touch with your cousins, and revisit childhood haunts. Rekindle the magic of familiar places and reanimate your daily commute. Incorporate these small joys to infuse your everyday life with a sense of delight and breathe new life into your daily routines.

Illustration: Sacha Stephan

Sagittarius

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Gain control of your finances and material resources by improving your financial literacy. Knowledge is power. Explore areas of money management that previously eluded your understanding. Consider seeking professional guidance to assist your decision-making. By expanding your financial knowledge and leveraging expert support, you’re equipping yourself to make informed, confident choices. This journey towards financial empowerment sets the stage for a more secure and fulfilling future.

The post Your Horoscope For January 2024 appeared first on Chatelaine.

It’s the day after I’ve found out my friend Jeff has suddenly died, and I need to look at his face. But I can’t find my favourite photo of us, the one from my wedding almost 10 years ago, where I’m reaching out to hug him as he’s arriving and he looks so happy. Did I imagine it? I can see it so clearly—the tilt of my head, his smile. I hadn’t seen that smile for a long time.

I interviewed Rory, who is a fashion designer, for FASHION magazine. We also used to be part of the swing dancing(!) scene but really became friends when we started going to the same gym. (Photo, courtesy Leah Rumack)

At one point in my life, Jeff was one of my best friends. We went dancing until the early morning, we scoured late-night parties looking for lovers, we smoked copious amounts of weed. We were together so often people often mistook us for a couple. But on one of those nights out with Jeff, I did find a lover, who in short order became my husband and the father of my child. My life and Jeff’s diverged dramatically.

By the time I got the call that he’d died alone at his kitchen table—heart attack? Stroke? His friends never found out—I hadn’t seen him in at least five years. So I feel both like a faker and a ghoul as I search high and low for this picture of us to add to the collage people are putting together for his memorial. Do I have the right to be sad when we haven’t been in touch for so long? Why am I suddenly missing him when I don’t even have his phone number anymore?

But as I’m maniacally flipping through albums looking for that one photo but finding so many others—Jeff in my old apartment in a Halloween costume, Jeff at my birthday party where I’m wearing a sailor outfit (why?!), Jeff smoking at a music festival in Detroit—I notice something. There are pages upon pages of pictures of my friends, and then an innocent first shot of a future husband marks the beginning of an end.

After the weddings and the baby showers, all of which seemed to happen in one dizzying five-year period of obvious groupthink/biological-clock panic, my friends disappear from the pages. There’s just photo after photo of my husband and son, with some of my niece and nephews thrown in for good measure.

I have known Susan, Theresa, Mary and Heather for decades. Photo, courtesy Leah Rumack.

My friends didn’t vanish from my life the moment I had a kid, so why did they evaporate from my photo albums? In our actual lives we’d all aged, had more children, been fired, had marital troubles, suffered miscarriages, gotten divorced, had health crises, bought houses, lost parents and eaten many, many tipsy dinners together.

But in my photos we were all frozen in time in our mid-thirties. I don’t have any recent photos of my old friends, and none at all of the now-close friends I’d made since my kid’s birth. I’m not sure exactly what happened.

Part of it is probably just this stage of life—we still see each other, but most of my friends are also parents, which means we definitely see each other less. Did it start to feel silly to document yet another lunch date when you’ve just taken 76 stop-motion photos of your six-month-old eating solids for the first time (adorable!). Was it because as we’ve aged someone—often me—will always cringe, hide or protest as soon as a camera comes out? “Not today,” my friend moans. “We don’t look good today.”

I make it my mission to fix this. I want pictures of my friends, and I want pictures of us together.

I met Stephanie at The Women’s Centre at York University in the 1990s. We always skipped psychology class together. I got a B. (Photo, courtesy Leah Rumack)

Conveniently, this decision coincides with my birthday, which means I have a month of birthday-related gatherings (See? I still have friends!) where I can kick-start stealing everyone’s souls for celluloid. I want to honour the fact that these awesome bitches (and a few gents) are still my ride or die, and that we’ll probably be Golden Girl-ing it up together in 30 years.

I want proof that we’re in each other’s lives. And I need to stop treating The Pretty Years Where We Had Dinner Clubs as the only important ones. My last date with one of my besties may have been at an indoor kids playground where we both idly wondered if we were actually in hell, but those memories are worth holding on to, too. And I’m sure, given the genesis of my sudden fixation, that there’s some small part of me that’s afraid I’ll die, or that they will (I had one friend repeatedly duck my paparrazi attempts because she thought I was tempting fate).

But you know what? Things happen, people do die, and my friends are my family, too. They deserve a spot next to the hilariously crappy homemade Mother’s Day cards and sunny family vacation pics in my albums.

There’s one more picture of Jeff I can’t find, though I search high and low for it. In it, Jeff and I, and a few other friends are taking a ridiculous group selfie. Somehow, through years of phone upgrades, it’s still digitally attached to one of those friends as her contact image, so every time she calls me, I see Jeff’s face, laughing.

I won’t ever change it, even if I knew how.

Originally published December 2018; updated December 2023.

The post After My Friend Died, I’m On A Mission To Take More Photos appeared first on Chatelaine.

It was a hot day in July when I first came across a packet of custard powder at a baking supply store in Singapore. The year was 2020, and COVID lockdowns made me hellbent on recreating desserts from around the world to pass the time. My flavour of the month was Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding, which required what was then a six-dollar box of Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding for one recipe. Six bucks plus taxes, I felt, was a price too steep for an ingredient I can only use once. What if I mess up on the first try? I was ambitious and a tad stir-crazy, but I was practical. I bought a 500g-bag of custard powder for half the price, simmered some of it with the milk, sugar and vanilla extract from my pantry for 2 minutes, and never looked at a box of Jell-O again.

Fast forward three years to Canada, where I learned that custard powder is the key to a velvety filling for delicious Nanaimo bars. I also learned that sometimes, a tin of custard (usually Bird’s Custard Powder) can gather dust in the pantry until it’s time for the next batch of, well, Nanaimo bars. But there are so many other ways to use it.

Invented by English chemist Alfred Bird in 1837 (yes, the Bird of Bird’s custard!), custard powder was created as a convenient way to make the U.K.’s most beloved dessert condiment: custard sauce. It’s often poured over sticky toffee pudding, or a warm apple crumble. Using precooked cornstarch instead of eggs as a thickening agent extended the product’s shelf life, and made it easier to incorporate “custard” into various recipes.

Photo, Roberto Caruso.

If you have a tin of your own aging in the kitchen right now, consider this your sign to dust it off (though custard powder can last for up to three years unopened, once opened it’s a good idea to use it up in six months or so). My two-year long dessert odyssey taught me a few things about custard powder. Here are four quick and easy ways to use it.

Custard Pancakes

Take your breakfast game to the next level by incorporating 1 ½ tbsp of custard powder for every cup of flour into your pancake batter. The pancakes will have extra notes of a creamy custard flavour. The powder’s starch will also give your pancakes a more “yellow” hue—but a lighter and fluffier crumb.

Custard-Infused Hot Chocolate

Think chocolate silk pie in liquid form, but less sweet. Whisk a teaspoon of custard powder for every cup of (cold) milk you’ll use in your hot chocolate. Once the powder has dissolved in the milk, simmer on low heat; stirring every so often to avoid any lumps. When the mixture is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon, add in your chopped chocolate or cocoa powder and mix until smooth. The result? A creamy and silky hot cocoa, perfect for a cozy night indoors.

Custard-Infused Whipped Cream

Upgrade your desserts by adding 3 tsp of custard powder to every cup of cream next time you make whipped cream. (Remember to add the powder before whipping the cream, or you’ll end up with a grainy bowl of whipped cream.) Whether topping a pie, cake, or a bowl of fresh berries, custard-infused whipped cream adds a layer of richness to any sweet treat. The starch in the custard powder gives the cream more stability, which means it stays firm for a longer time. It’s a cream with a more luxurious mouth-feel, like an eggless vanilla crème diplomate.

Custard Cornbread

Here’s a recipe I made at random, and I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of the usual amount of all-purpose flour in your Classic Cornbread recipe, swap ¼ cup of the flour for ¼ cup of custard powder. The result is a fluffier cake with a vibrant yellow colour and a rich, buttery taste reminiscent of cream corn.

Other Chatelaine Recipes With Custard Powder

Cake design by Brooke Cowitz, Produced by Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari, Food Styling by Michelle Lucas Larving

No Bake Raspberry Trifle

Bust out your best novelty glassware: This no-bake trifle recipe from the 1990s remains unchanged and as delicious as ever. Get the No Bake Raspberry Trifle recipe here.

Produced by Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.

Holiday Nanaimo Bars

What makes this Canadian dessert standard a holiday knockout? Toasting the walnuts for extra oomph, adding a little salt to balance the sweetness and cutting it into sleek diamond shapes. These cute little bars appear here exactly as they did in our December 1995 issue.Get the Holiday Nanaimo Bars recipe here.

Custard and Strawberry Tarts

Savour the blend of creamy custard and fresh berries in these easy strawberry tarts. Whether you eat them right away or make them ahead, these zesty tarts are the perfect irresistible treat for any occasion. Get the Custard and Strawberry Tarts recipe here.

The post What To Do With Leftover Custard Powder appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Photo: Getty Images)

In 2008, Toronto social worker Barbara Michalik was working at a long-term care facility on Sherbourne Street when she met Gordon Sharp. At six-foot-four, Sharp had a demanding presence. But he was also a quiet defender of another resident, a woman he’d known outside of the facility’s walls whom he’d join for afternoon tea. The two had a special bond, Michalik recalls—so much so that staff would tease that the pair should eventually marry. They jokingly suggested a wedding at the home, a celebration for all of the residents with cake and flowers; they’d even hire a priest.

One day, Sharp approached Michalik. “He told me he didn’t want to marry her,” she remembers. Michalik agreed to drop the joke. But something else was bothering him. Sharp gripped Michalik’s shoulder. “He said, ‘Barb, I don’t want to marry her because I’m gay,” she says. “Don’t tell anyone.”

It was the first time Michalik was faced with the prospect that LGBTQ2S+ seniors might not feel safe in their own homes—and the first time she realized they might feel so afraid that they would return to the closet in their final years.

But that’s a reality more and more LGBTQ2S+ people face as they age. It might be born out of a fear of discrimination from caregivers, a distrust of workers in long-term care facilities or, in some cases, memory loss that returns them to a time before they were even out. A 2018 focus group of LGBTQ2S+ seniors published in the Canadian Journal on Aging found that fear of being forced to retreat to the closet was a pressing concern: “They expressed a fear that this freedom [to be open about one’s identity] would end if they needed to be institutionalized,” the study reads.

That fear is complicated by the kind of unique care that LGBTQ2S+ seniors often need as they get older. This care requires sensitivity from providers, who need to manage the fears many queer seniors hold that they’ll be judged or shamed for their identities. Over the years, research has shown that some LGBTQ2S+ seniors actively avoid long-term care and treatment out of that fear; one 2014 study out of Australia even found that some trans seniors would prefer to take their own lives than enter a long-term care facility.

Conservative estimates suggest there are as many as 65,000 LGBTQ2S+ people aged 65 and older in Canada. That number will only continue to grow alongside the country’s aging population. But long-term care facilities have yet to reckon with the way they can perpetuate harm and stigmatize LGBTQ2S+ people. Most affected by this are some of the queer and trans communities’ early fighters—survivors of the AIDS crisis, bathhouse raids where LGBTQ2S+ people were beaten and arrested, and Canada’s Gay Purge that saw sexual minorities fired and outed for their identities. Today’s LGBTQ2S+ seniors spent decades fighting for equality and justice, and still, the fight persists as they grow older and more vulnerable. Without more inclusive education among health care providers and a radical overhaul to the way long-term care homes operate, older queer and trans people will continue to suffer—and in many cases, they will retreat back into the closet out of fear.

***

leZlie lee kam has faced this discrimination firsthand. In 2007, at age 53, the Toronto community organizer, who identifies as gender mysterious, landed in a Toronto rehab hospital after a coma left her unable to walk or talk. When she did regain her voice, she told nurses she was a proud dyke. That’s when she found herself sitting in soiled diapers for hours at a time, waiting helplessly to be changed.

It’s why lee kam, now 70, has spent decades fighting on the frontlines for the people she calls “rainbow seniors.” Among her top priorities: improving long-term care. lee kam holds a seat on Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee, and in 2017, she called on Toronto’s 10 publicly funded long-term care homes to make LGBTQ2S+ inclusivity training mandatory. There were promises, then delays. When the pandemic swept through long-term care homes across the province, priorities shifted to crisis control to try to keep residents COVID-free.

Then, in 2022, she heard a horrific story about a gay man in his 80s who lived in one of Toronto’s municipally funded long-term care homes. When some personal support workers and nurses in the home found out about his identity, they started to treat the man differently. He was often last to receive his weekly showers; sometimes, they’d leave him for hours to sit in his own urine and feces, citing their religious beliefs as an excuse not to care for him. For the sake of his safety, he retreated back into the closet.

The man was so guarded about his story that lee kam only heard it secondhand, when a friend relayed his experience during a workshop she hosted for queer seniors. Though she didn’t know the man, lee kam believed him. She had seen firsthand what being out in a health care institution could look like.

“We are hiding when we go into long-term care homes. We are hiding when we go into any care facility,” lee kam says. “But people don’t believe these things are happening.”

The first step in addressing a problem is to acknowledge it exists. This, lee kam says, has been one of the greatest hurdles she’s faced in raising awareness about the mistreatment of LGBTQ2S+ seniors in care. Among many advocacy groups in Toronto, she says, the emphasis has been on queer youth—the rights they’re granted in schools, the safeguards they need to come out to family, the resources to prepare them for a safe and healthy queer life ahead of them. “But we all get older,” she says. The lack of programming and services for rainbow seniors in their own communities, combined with a lack of education among straight and cisgender health care providers, is where the invisibility begins.

“When we look at each other, we don’t see sexual orientation or attraction. It’s invisible” says Martin Krajcik, a Toronto equity, diversity and inclusion trainer and consultant whose work centres on LGBTQ2S+ seniors. “So the problem is that people in our communities go into long-term care facilities, if they look around and no one is mentioning LGBTQ2S+ communities, they’ll stay silent.”

Uncloaking that invisibility starts in small gestures. “The first thing is competence on the side of the provider, understanding the unique needs that queer and trans seniors have,” says Adam Benn, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at VHA Home Healthcare, a home-care organization that operates in Toronto. That might be as simple as asking a long-term care home resident what their pronouns are, or recognizing that they may rely on chosen family members and not biological ones. Education, each expert interviewed for this story says, is key.

But when the kind of inclusive care necessary for LGBTQ2S+ seniors can’t be provided, some opt not to disclose their identities at all. It’s at this point, Benn says, that seniors in long-term care might say: “I’m fearful that I’m in a place where the providers don’t have the skills necessary to provide care for me. I’m putting myself back in the closet.”

How that might look varies from case to case, Krajcik says—from refusing to talk about life before long-term care and stowing away personal belongings like photos, to referring to a partner visiting as a “friend” or opting not to have visitors at all. “But that’s a dangerous place to be, because you need to create an entirely new story about yourself,” Krajcik says.

That invisibility can exist two-fold for LGBTQ2S+ seniors living with dementia, a condition that could affect more than a million Canadians by 2030. Some people with dementia may forget they’re queer or trans as memories of a life out of the closet slowly disappear. Krajcik has seen this in long-term care facilities; a trans person, for instance, might ask to be referred to by their deadname, or a gay person may return to the closet because they can’t remember a life in which they disclosed their identity.

But for other LGBTQ2S+ people living with dementia, it’s more complicated. Maggie Perquin saw this with her wife of 16 years, Ruth Martin. It began in 2013, when Martin was 72 and couldn’t remember where things were in the London, Ontario, home they had shared for years. Four years later, Martin began falling uncontrollably—a telltale sign of vascular dementia, which affects not just memory but the vessels in the brain and reduces muscular function.

In 2018, Martin received her official diagnosis. But when Perquin began seeking support groups for couples living with dementia, she noticed they were often the only same-sex couple in the room. “I wondered, ‘Why are Ruth and I the only couple if there are 2,800 other couples [being supported] here?’”

Perquin says there’s a certain shame that comes alongside a dementia diagnosis, one that for many LGBTQ2S+ people can mirror the unique stigma that queer and trans seniors experienced in their youth when coming out. That trauma, she says, can make LGBTQ2S+ seniors wary of disclosing a new identity—with dementia. “They’ve already been vilified once in their lives,” Perquin says. “They’re not about to do that again.”

To find community among other LGBTQ2S+ families dealing with dementia diagnoses, Perquin and Martin launched a queer support group in January 2020. The group eventually disbanded when the pandemic hit, but Perquin has been writing grants in hopes of securing funding to restart another caregiving group for LGBTQ2S+ people affected by dementia. And though Martin died this April, Perquin remains passionate about demystifying dementia: “I just want [queer] people to know they’re not alone.”

***

Two years ago, lee kam wound up at the very place she had been educating LGBTQ2S+ organizers about for decades: a long-term care home. She had fallen down the stairs and broken her ankle, and she needed two months of care before she could transition into a program at a rehab hospital. While most personal support workers at the long-term care home were kind to her, one pointed out the rainbow paraphernalia lee kam had in her room and suggested she couldn’t take care of her, citing religious beliefs.

Facing that discrimination reinvigorated lee kam’s desire to fight. And it’s in that fight that changes have been made. In 2022, lee kam penned a letter to Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee about the man in his 80s who was deathly afraid to come out at his long-term care home. Though a toolkit to train all staff on LGBTQ2S+ inclusive practices in the city’s 10 publicly funded long-term care homes had been developed in 2017, lee kam had learned there was no enforcement or accountability to ensure its best practices had been implemented, nor was training made mandatory. “Please remember that one day, if you are lucky, you too will be a 2SLGBTQI+ senior, and I would like for us to all enjoy safe and comfortable lives,” lee kam wrote in her letter.

The committee agreed: Training needed to be mandatory. A motion on the matter passed. It’s a major win, but lee kam acknowledges that the work is far from done. Privately owned and operated long-term care homes, which make up the majority of long-term care facilities in Canada, are not required to educate their staff about LGBTQ2S+ seniors and the care they need to thrive. Continued education will be needed to create the kinds of dignified, accepting spaces LGBTQ2S+ seniors should live in during their final years. “We are all going to get to the end of the rainbow at some point in our lives,” lee kam says.

When the six-foot-four man at her home disclosed his identity, Michalik had a similar reckoning. In 2009, Michalik spearheaded training for personal support workers and staff at the Sherbourne Street home where she worked on LGBTQ2S+ inclusivity—“everything from the acronym to the life stories of those who survived the AIDS crisis,” she says. Michalik then worked to create partnerships with the Senior Pride Network, Casey House, and other LGBTQ2S+ organizations in the city. Today, she’s the executive director of academic, community partnerships and programming for the Rekai Centres, a non-profit organization that runs two long-term care facilities in downtown Toronto, with a focus on LGBTQ2S+ seniors and their safety in long-term care.

But educating workers to make residents feel safer, Michalik found, was not enough. In 2018, Rekai commissioned global market research giant Ipsos Canada to find out what rainbow seniors wanted from long-term care homes. Overwhelmingly, LGBTQ2S+ respondents called for a dedicated unit, a place where no one would feel ashamed to be out and proud, a safe haven of sorts. That space meant going beyond allyship and competent care. It meant creating a community.

Michalik and her team at Rekai got to work. In 2022, they unveiled North America’s first Rainbow Wing, a dedicated 25-bed unit for rainbow seniors at the organization’s Wellesley Central Place home. There, technicolour rainbow doors welcome visitors and pride flags adorn the halls. Activities include drag nights and Pride parties.

lee kam, who has worked alongside Michalik at Rekai since 2015, says the Rainbow Wing is a great initiative. But with only 25 beds, just a small percentage of LGBTQ2S+ seniors will benefit from its programming and care. That’s why, lee kam says, training and education at every long-term care home is so crucial. “Every space we enter should be rainbow positive,” she says.

Michalik is on the front lines of that education, talking with long-term care providers across the province about the work she’s done at Rekai, and how other homes might emulate some of their inclusive practices. Still, in training seminars Michalik says she’s often told homes don’t have any LGBTQ2S+ residents. “They’re just not telling you,” she says. “You’re not giving them the opportunity to disclose or identify.”

In 2025, a second Rainbow Wing is slated to open at Cherry Place, also in downtown Toronto. But Michalik says any long-term care facility can start becoming an LGBTQ2S+-affirming space with far less. “Those identifying tools—that little nook or cranny, the little resource board with LGBTQ2S+ information—that’s all you need to do to get started,” she says. “You don’t need 25 beds.”

That’s because the real magic of the Rainbow Wing is not in its bright decor or queer-themed activities. It’s in the mundanity of being able to grow old in a place that accepts you as yourself: the ability for residents to have long-term partners and chosen family show up without question, to talk openly about their pasts, to share parts of who they are without fear.

This story was originally published as “Recloseted at 80” at The Local. It has been republished here with permission.

The post Why Some LGBTQ2S+ Seniors Return To The Closet As They Age appeared first on Chatelaine.

But does oil of oregano really work?

Most claims around oregano oil are based on research into its key component, carvacrol. And most of that research has been done in the lab, where yes, carvacrol has been found to kill bacteria and viruses—even cancer cells. But so do many other substances. Salt will kill bacteria in a petri dish too, but that doesn’t make eating french fries an effective way to treat a cold. “The fact that you can take oil of oregano and [that carvacrol] has killed some bacteria or viruses in a petri dish has very little meaning for humans,” says Joe Schwarcz, a professor of chemistry at McGill University. “The human body is not one big test tube.” We just don’t know how much oil of oregano is absorbed into the bloodstream after ingestion, or how much is required to see benefits—if there are any. As a result, it’s impossible to recommend a specific potency, brand or dosage.

For that reason, using oil of oregano topically, on conditions like acne, seems more likely to work than ingesting it—but we don’t have evidence that topical application is effective, either.  “Everything is hearsay and anecdotal—to have solid information, you need randomized controlled trials,” says Schwarcz.

One study on oregano oil in human beings had subjects with intestinal parasites take 200 mg of oil of oregano three times a day for six weeks, and it found that the oil was effective at getting rid of the parasites. But that study was very small—with only 14 patients—and didn’t have a control group.

Is there any harm in taking oil of oregano for, say, a cold?

While taking a few drops or oil of oregano under your tongue when your throat starts to feel scratchy seems safe, there are a few warnings: Some people are allergic to it, it can upset your stomach, and if you’re using it on your skin, it can cause a rash. Women who are breastfeeding or pregnant shouldn’t use oil of oregano orally, since studies in mice suggest it might raise the risk of miscarriage. (Using oregano as an herb in your cooking is fine.)

The bigger risk is putting off necessary medical care—using oil of oregano instead of seeing a doctor can be dangerous if you truly need an antibiotic or other treatment. One company in B.C. got in trouble in 2012 for promoting its oil as a natural alternative to the whooping cough vaccine. And the death of seven-year-old Ryan Lovett in 2013 in Calgary is a tragic example of placing too much faith in an unproven natural remedy: His parents were trying to treat his strep infection with oil of oregano, among other things, when he died, while traditional antibiotics would have almost certainly cured him.

“It’s one thing to tell people okay, if you have the sniffles or a cough, go ahead and try it. It’s another if you’re talking about a more serious disease, like the flu,” says Schwarcz. “People may be self-diagnosing, and it can steer them down the wrong path. The danger in all of this business is that it might distract people from remedies that actually work.”

The post Can Oil Of Oregano Actually Prevent Colds? appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Capricorn

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

As you move through meaningful emotional terrain, you’re likely to touch into some tender spots. Do your best to prioritize the truth over your immediate comfort, Capricorn. We enter into Capricorn season this week, and it is an excellent time to get grounded and present with both the beginnings and the endings that are activated in your life. Show up for both with an open heart, even when it’s painful.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Aquarius

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

If you’re not only open to things changing but you’re also open to being an active participant in the exploration of what’s possible, then things will go much more smoothly for you, Aquarius. Remember that no Aquarius is an island—you need others to help you co-create your vision for the future, whether that’s in your relationships, at work, or in the world. Make sure to include others in your plans, no matter what stage of development they’re at this week.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Pisces

Feb. 19-March 20

While your ruling planet, Neptune, kicks up anxiety for us all this week, you are likely to be feeling particularly sensitive. Do your best to identify and maintain healthy boundaries in your self-talk and with the people you let in your life. What have you taken on that is not yours? The more clear you are about where you begin and end, the more effective you can be in your own life now and moving forward, Pisces.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Aries

March 21-April 19

Change is neither good nor bad—it is an inevitable part of living. As we come closer to the end of the year, this is a very powerful time to consider how you have allowed the things that you love to change you, Aries. You are at a place where you need to redirect your attention, and it will take true bravery to point yourself in the direction of what you love the very most rather than what has the most momentum—but it is totally worth it.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Taurus

April 20-May 20

Letting go of the past is hard, but it’s often what you need in order to step into your future unencumbered. This week you may find yourself wrestling with your attachments to the way things once were or how you wish them to be. Instead of bullying yourself or others or doubling down and digging in your heels, explore the possibilities. When you can’t have definitive answers, it’s valuable to explore the pathways before you, Taurus.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Gemini

May 21-June 21

When you take a leap of faith, you must open wide your hands and your heart, Twin Star. This isn’t the time for you to be attached to the way things were or to look for evidence of how they will be. Instead, be brave and willing to do and perceive things differently. It’s normal to feel anxiety when you are stepping into the unknown, but you shouldn’t let it slow you down or stop you this week.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Cancer

June 22-July 22

With a full moon in your sign on December 26th, this is bound to be a really emotional week for you. The question to be asking yourself is, “what do I want to let go of and what has already left me?” This isn’t the time to seek to control, contain, or direct your life. Instead, do your best to get present with where things are at so that you can position yourself in the most emotionally honest and healthy way in deference to that.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Leo

July 23-Aug. 22

This week, it is wise for you to be as methodical, thoughtful, and intentional as you can be. You’re likely to feel like you’re running out of time or that you need to power through, but if you push yourself too far too fast, you may feel burnt out with still too much on your plate. Align yourself with the things that you value, Leo. This week, bring your attention and prioritize your energy around people and things that mean the most to you.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Virgo

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

You’re likely to be dealing with a fair amount of anxiety this week, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not a sign that things are terribly wrong. It’s a sign that you’re burnt out. Do your best to reconnect with yourself, and cultivate your resiliency. This may mean you need to talk to a therapist or a bestie, or you may need to take more naps or drink more water. Don’t invest your precious energy in believing the worst or obsessing on the things that stress you out the most.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Libra

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

It’s time to let go, Libra. It’s not that there’s a rush or that you need to defend yourself against something. It’s simply time. Prioritize slowing down and tuning in to your emotions this week. Get and remain present with where you’re at. You may need to clear the decks in order to properly access your truest emotions. This will empower you to tend to your needs instead of indulging your defenses and knee-jerk reactions.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Scorpio

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or frustrated this week, you’re in good company. Emotions are running high, and Mercury is in its full retrograde swing. The key is to get present and grounded so that you can best show up for and address whatever is going on with you, Scorpio. If you allow yourself to react without proper consideration, you’re unlikely to improve your situation.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Sagittarius

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

You have so much to be grateful for, Sagittarius, but that doesn’t mean that everything is where you would like it to be in your life and your circumstances. Now is the time to be the change that you want to see in your life. You don’t need to wait for everything to be ready before you make the internal adjustments that you need. Prioritize self-care as a foundation to showing up for the people and situations you care about.

The post Your Weekly Horoscope: December 20-26, 2023 appeared first on Chatelaine.

Gallery

Easy holiday cookies

Photo, Erik Putz.

Holiday Brownie Cookies

Fudgy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and dipped into (yes more) chocolate, these cookies are holiday perfection. Get our holiday brownie cookie recipe here.

The post 36 Quick And Easy Last-Minute Holiday Cookies appeared first on Chatelaine.

My mother had died two years earlier, on November 22. When it happened, she was out buying twinkle lights—well, more twinkle lights. Despite my Clark Griswold jokes, she was never satisfied that her front porch had quite enough bling. “I don’t feel well,” she told the nearest store clerk, a box of lights in her hand. Within an hour, she was gone—the victim of a burst aortic aneurysm. Through my fog of grief and shock, it wasn’t lost on me that the circumstances of her death were poetic; she died doing what she loved.

My mom was never happier than during the Christmas season, which, as far as she was concerned, started the day after Halloween. A self-appointed Mrs. Claus, she delighted in decking not just the halls, but the walls, mantels, bookshelves and bathroom vanities with Santa figurines, miniature nativity scenes from around the world, crafty wreaths with cats painted on them… I called it her “Christmas clutter.” And though I rolled my eyes, I secretly loved every trinket and tchotchke.

“Don’t give me a hard time!” she’d say, undaunted, while hanging the felt stockings she’d made for me, herself and my dad, who passed away when I was 24.

We had spent every holiday on our own, together, for the previous 16 years, baking, wrapping and re-watching favourite movies. She was my reason for the season; without her, I didn’t know how I’d survive it.

That first year of solo Christmas, I spent a lot of time in bed, leaving only on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day for dutiful social appearances to prove I was okay, like everyone so desperately wanted me to be. I even decorated a little bit, figuring I couldn’t be the sad spinster-orphan with no Christmas decorations, could I? Mom wouldn’t like that. So I put a boxwood wreath on the door and some ornaments in a bowl. The truth was, I felt like a used Advent calendar: cheery on the outside, empty on the inside. At our extended family gathering on Boxing Day, an unexpected rage flared up when I met a cousin’s new girlfriend. Why are you here when my mom isn’t? Everything seemed wrong, a hideous and personal affront. When I got home, I cried into my mother’s pink velour housecoat and prayed for January’s fresh start.

Year 2, I overcorrected by going full-on festive. Surely offering to host my uncle, aunts and cousins would blur the sharp edges of my grief and loneliness. I put up a tree! Hung four wreaths with ribbons! Baked a spiral-cut bourbon-glazed ham! And then, on the day itself, a blizzard made driving impossible. Only four out of 14 family members made it. I ate a lot of ham in the weeks that followed while trying to swallow the feeling that I’d somehow failed Mom.

Though grief was a continual hum in my ear all year long, I could hush it. Push it down. As the anniversary of her death approached, it started screaming and wouldn’t shut up until January 1. You’re alone. You’ll always be alone. She’s gone. No one loves you! Christmas, for me, has always been about coziness, warmth and time together—and I was lucky to have that for as long as I did. But I couldn’t get to grateful. Not when I had that soundtrack in my head, not when White Christmas, our favourite movie, seemed to be on every time I turned on the TV.

By year 3, I needed a new plan. I couldn’t cancel the holiday altogether, nor could I recreate my mother’s magic. So I went rogue, breaking tradition and booking a plane ticket. Running away was a revelation. It was as though grief didn’t have a passport and had to stay home. Strolling the streets of Paris on the days leading up to Christmas, I felt lighter and more optimistic. I didn’t dwell on the past but stayed present, fuelled by fresh croissants and coffee in the Luxembourg Gardens as a grey, woolly sky hung overhead. When a holiday memory rose to the surface, I could let it linger without feeling my chest clench.

By the time Christmas Eve arrived, I felt that old familiar flicker of excitement. It didn’t hurt that the hotel bar was cozy and candlelit, or that the handsome bartender—a bit of a Right Bank Romeo—offered us unlimited bar snacks and sneaky top-ups on our drinks. My friends and I got tipsy and laughed right through to one minute after midnight on the 25th, greeting it with a toast.

In that moment, I understood something powerful: Grief never lifts completely, but it does peel up at the corners and allow you to crawl out from under its weight every now and again. If I could figure out how to make my own traditions, this whole holiday thing might not be so bad. Here’s what got me through.

Play Santa for yourself

Stockings were always my favourite part of the holidays; without Mom to fill mine, I started doing it myself. The trick is to buy through the year and wrap immediately—yes, you have to wrap everything so you have time to forget. When you finally open the gifts, you’re legitimately surprised by the box of colourful pencils with uplifting sayings on them. Not everything has to fit into a physical stocking, either. Some of my favourite self-Santa gifts have been a mini food processor, a winter coat and The Most of Nora Ephron. Don’t overthink. If you like it, it’s for the stocking. A friend who’s also alone comes over for dinner and we open them together. I love seeing what she bought and vice versa. There’s no need to return yet another garlic peeler or box of scented soaps—we adore everything “Santa” gave us.

Have people over

For most of us of a certain age, friends are family—a family we’re always happy to see, anyway. So light the candles, turn up the music and have a pot of something bubbling on the stove. Keep it simple—you don’t need the extra stress of trying to be Julia Child. Chili and garlic bread work perfectly. Ask others to bring the appetizer and dessert.

Plan a viewing binge

What I learned after year 1 is that I didn’t have to accept every invitation from every well-meaning friend and family member. It turns out I like playing hermit. Find a binge-worthy show, top your coffee table with snacks and get to it. In year 2, I watched a season’s worth of Downton Abbey. The scuffling of boots going up the stairs, the swishing of taffeta skirts and Mrs. Patmore’s clanging copper pots made for a soothing, ASMR-like experience. Plus, there’s something luxurious and holiday-like about melting into a really good story, especially when it’s someone else’s. And if something in an episode makes you cry, so be it. Christmas catharsis is bound to happen at some point—embrace the release.

Put a new twist on old memories

Rather than trying to relive the Christmas of my childhood, I’m better served by putting my own spin on nostalgia. I’ve kept all of Mom’s decorations but most stay in storage. Last year, I put out one of her Christmas caroller figurines and incorporated it into a vignette of other pieces I’ve picked up over the years. It’s just a whisper of the past to make me smile.

Get outta town

Though travel prices tend to soar higher than Santa’s sleigh, the escape is worth every penny. Being in another place keeps you from wallowing in your own memories. Skip your usual routine and revel in the pleasure—and liberation—of opting out of the holiday grind. When friends complain about in-laws’ visits and the bank account–crushing debt of gifts for all, I nod and commiserate, trying to hide my secret smile as I dream of quiet cafés and beach loungers.

This is my eighth Christmas without my mom. Though my new traditions have helped, I may break one of them and stay home this year. It’s about time I twisted some twinkle lights around my front porch—lots of them. I think we’d both like that.

Originally published November 2019. Updated December 2023.

The post How I Managed To Have A Not-So-Blue Christmas appeared first on Chatelaine.

“In Canada, you spend six to nine months of the year in your coats so it’s the one thing people will see you wear most often,” says Tyler Franch, fashion director at Hudson’s Bay in Toronto. “Prioritize a great coat within your shopping budget and it will serve you well.”

In other words, it makes sense to spend a bit more to score a quality piece. After all, as Franch explains, a quality wool coat should last a lifetime, while you can expect a good-quality parka to last three to five years.

Need more convincing to pay for quality? Run the numbers.

For example, say you shell out $553 for an Italian recycled wool peacoat from Everlane. (And that’s assuming you pay full price—Everlane has been having more and more sales lately.) It’s a classic coat with slim lines that’s guaranteed to keep you warm. As your new piece of go-to piece of outerwear, you could don it 150 times between November and April. That’s less than $4 per wear for the first year. Not bad, right?

Now let’s assume you’ll own the coat for five years. The cost-per-wear now? A measly 74 cents.

While $553 might seem like a large chunk of what the average Canadian family spends on clothing per year–$2,303, according to Statistics Canada–if you choose wisely, you won’t be shopping for a winter coat every year. So, how much should you spend on a winter coat?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when rummaging through racks or perusing online sales.

What should you look for in a quality coat?

There are some telltale signs that the jacket you’re considering is a quality garment, not a piece of throwaway fashion, says Franch. For everyday coats, look for dual zippers that can be opened in opposite directions (they give you more comfort when you sit), as well as a removable hood that allows you to clean the coat without ruining the trim, if there is one. Pockets should be easily accessible and deep enough so that keys and phones don’t tumble out every time you sit down.

Plan to walk at night? Look for a casual jacket with reflective tape that makes you visible to vehicles. And consider the coat’s percentage of down stuffing—the higher the percentage, the warmer the coat. For a cruelty-free option, synthetic blends made from recycled materials have come a long way and are often just as warm as down.

For dressier coats, wool, cashmere and alpaca are both luxurious and warm, but don’t forget to read labels closely. “Be mindful of coats advertised as wool when they have only a small amount of wool blended with synthetics,” cautions Franch, nothing that a blend won’t offer as much warmth.

Buy a classic jacket that won’t go out of style

A timeless cut or shape will seem fresh longer when compared to a trend-forward coat that quickly goes out of style. For a style you’ll want to wear for years to come, opt for an iconic peacoat or boiled wool topcoat that hits just above the knee.

There’s still a place for inexpensive finds from time to time, explains Franch.“Inexpensive options are also a great way to test out a new trend before investing,” he says. Not sure you want to invest in a puffer? Franch loves packable down puffers which can be found for less than $80, like Uniqlo’s ultra-light compact down jacket.

Shop the sales

While winter jackets start lining the racks as early as July, you’ll most likely be paying full price for those new arrivals. Instead, decide in advance what kind of coat you’re looking for and keep an eye for your desired style in December, when stores need to start clearing space for spring clothing. That’s when you’ll see those prices drop.

“It’s important to know that great fashion gets noticed and sells out early,” says Franch. If there’s a classic, well-crafted coat you know you’ll wear for years, you might want to run your own cost-per-wear calculations and buy it anyway.

“A great coat should last, so it’s important to take that into consideration when determining the threshold for the price.”

Durable winter coats we love

The North Face Women’s Metropolis Insulated Parka, $400

One of our editors wore a North Face parka for years and years; this slim-fit one is available in both standard and plus sizes and gets raves for its warmth *and* style. We also love the subtler-than-usual logo, removable hood and high collar that make it a good coat for multiple personal styles.

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Everlane The Italian ReWool Long Peacoat, $553

Everlane is our digital deputy editor’s go-to for durable clothing that won’t go out of style. We also love Everlane for its commitment to sustainability—this jacket is made of recycled wool, which the company says lowers its raw material carbon emissions by 90 percent compared to virgin wool.

Its heathered black colour is both classic (and not to sound like *a mom,* but it won’t show the dirt) and a bit more flattering than straight-up black.

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Frank And Oak The Capital Parka, $449

A good friend of Chatelaine has had this coat for a few years now and says it’s “very, very warm.” It’s quite stylish and roomy enough to fit several layers underneath. It’s filled with Primaloft—a less expensive, synthetic alternative to down that does a better job at keeping you warm in wet conditions—and has a toasty fleece lining in the hood and pockets (of which there are plenty).

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Simons Cocoon-Hood Stretch Puffer, $219

Inject a bit of colour into dreary winter days with this sleek, lightweight, well-priced parka from Simons. The large hood promises a hit of style that will also protect you from inclement weather.

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Columbia Pike Lake Long Puffer Jacket, $250

On a freezing day when you wish you stayed in bed, long puffer coats like this one are the next best thing. This Columbia option, available at Penningtons, is especially well-priced.

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Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket, $80

This won’t be warm enough for heavy-duty winter weather, but it’s great for warmer days. We also love wearing this under a wool coat to add warmth or alone for outdoor winter running.

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Babaton The Slouch Coat, $398

Our style and beauty editor owns and loves this coat, which is the perfect blend of classic and modern fit with a loose, just-shrugged-this-on cool-girl appeal. Double-breasted coats like this will never go out of style, and navy is an excellent, flattering hue. A vegan chamois interlining makes this Canadian-winter friendly, too.

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Secondhand

The good news about coats is that because their style is relatively classic, you can find lightly used versions at a wallet-friendly price (and buying used is also planet-friendly) at places like Poshmark and Value Village.

While the products in this piece have been independently chosen, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post How Much Should You *Really* Spend On A Winter Coat? appeared first on Chatelaine.

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Andrea McCrindle.

Elote Chowder

“Years of living in Mexico City left me with a profound appreciation for elotes and esquites—street corn and a corn-based dish with kernels and melted cheese. This chowder is inspired by those flavours. It’s perfect for dinner and a great way to use up the bounty of corn season,” Diala Canelo says. Get our elote chowder recipe here.

Mini Egg Shortbread Cookies

“In an average year Cake & Loaf Bakery goes through more than seven hundred pounds of chocolate candy mini eggs. That’s equivalent to the weight of two full-grown gorillas. Just when we think people are sick of mini eggs, they request more! One customer request led to the creation of these mouth-watering cookies. Because they stay delicious for weeks, they also make a great take-home gift for your guests. Just make sure to bake them thoroughly and that they are dry all the way to the centre if you need them to last; they tend to hang on to moisture in their centres. They are beautiful gems to add to your platters or charcuterie spreads for a little extra colour and an unexpected treat to balance out a cheese tray or other savoury spread,” say Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham. Get their mini egg shortbread cookies recipe here.

Photography by Rachelle Beatty.

Jillian Harris’s Piña Colada Sheet-Pan Pancakes

“Many years ago, we made a family trip to Hawaii, grandparents and all. Our memory banks are still filled with giggles as we rolled with Granny in the waves, sang Ukrainian songs, strolled along the streets of Honolulu, snorkelled in Hanauma Bay, and enjoyed endless meals together, laughing so hard we would all cry the whole time. It was, and remains, our happy place. One bite of these piña colada pancakes takes us back to those blissful stress-free days together where the only thing that mattered was which one of us was going to wear Grandma’s epic sparkly shirt that day. You can make these as individual pancakes if you don’t mind the extra work, but this easier sheet-pan version makes our busy hearts happy,” Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer say. Get Jillian Harris’s Piña Colada Sheet-Pan Pancakes recipe.

Produced by Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Prop Styling by Catherine Doherty, Food Styling by Eshun Mott.

Nonna Maria’s Lasagna Bolognese

Every Christmas, Chantal Braganza’s nonna-in-law would make an exceptional (and exceptionally labour-intensive) lasagna bolognese. Having made it herself for a few years now—and made it her own—she can confirm that it is absolutely worth the work. Don’t do pork? Switch to lean beef. Want more mozzarella content? Be her guest! But do not break Nonna’s two rules: no oven-ready dry noodles (though packaged fresh pasta is great) and no ricotta, ever. Get the Nonna Maria’s lasagna bolognese recipe here.

Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.

Extra-Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe from food scientist Jennifer Pallian uses extra brown sugar and has a higher sugar-to-butter ratio. There’s also no need to chill the dough before you bake, which—yay!—means faster cookies. Get our Extra-Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.

Really Good Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe, from food scientist Jennifer Pallian, uses the typical butter, sugar and flour ratios. The secret to mastering it is in the technique. Get our classic chocolate chip cookies recipe here.

Produced by Chantal Braganza and Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Andrea McCrindle

Tourtière Stuffing

The classic French-Canadian meat pie was reimagined in 1981 as a Thanksgiving side, and we’re all for it. This stuffing is cooked mostly on the stovetop, freeing up your oven for other baked dishes. Simplify your prep by toasting the bread the day before and storing in a covered container at room temperature until ready to use. Get our tourtiere stuffing recipe here.

(Photograph: Lyndsay Sung. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.) Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher.

Cozy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cake

This is a very comforting, warming cake that’s simple to put together. Slice yourself a square for the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or a healthy-ish lunchbox treat. Get Lyndsay Sung’s vegan pumpkin pie cake recipe here.

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong,Food Styling by Ashley Denton, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Roasted Eggplant and Lentil Meatballs

Unabashedly inspired by eggplant parmesan, these meatless meatballs—made with smoky roasted eggplant and protein-rich lentils—are also gluten-free. Try them for dinner over garlic bread or grilled sourdough and a salad of bitter greens. Get our roasted eggplant and lentil meatballs recipe here.

Produced by Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.

Spiced Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

“I love marinating with yogurt because the added dairy proteins and sugars help facilitate the Maillard browning and caramelization reactions, which lend tons of extra flavour,” Jennifer Pallian writes. Get our spiced yogurt-marinated chicken recipe here.

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Andrea McCrindle.

Dragon Fruit Grater Cake

Chef Suzanne Barr reimagined sweet and earthy grater cake with dragon fruit, which offers a rich violet colour and naturally sweet flavour. Get our dragon fruit grater cake recipe here.

Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Lindsay Guscott, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Hamburguesa con Queso Nachos

These nachos are topped with seasoned ground beef, queso and dill pickle and are inspired by cheeseburgers that recipe developer Lindsay Guscott has eaten in Mexico. Get our hamburguesa con queso nachos recipe here.

Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Christine Hanlon.

Shrimp Aguachile with Cucumber-Watermelon Salad

“Aguachile couldn’t be a more straightforward name for this coastal Mexican dish: it translates to “chili water” and is a spicier cousin of citrus ceviche. This version isn’t strictly traditional—aguachile is usually served in a nearly raw, less-cured state—but it’s a great option if you don’t have access to ultra-high-quality freshly caught shrimp,” Chantal Braganza writes. Get our shrimp aguachile with cucumber watermelon salad recipe here.

Produced by Sun Ngo, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.

Blue Barachois Cocktail

It’s time to bring back the Blue Lagoon, a guilty-pleasure drink that was invented half a century ago in Paris at the iconic Harry’s New York Bar. This version has a significantly more complex flavour than the classic, thanks to the addition of ginger juice, coconut milk and Italian lemonade. We’ve also given it a Canadian nod: “Les barachois” is a term for the coastal lagoons of Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Get our blue barachois cocktail recipe here.

Photography, Christie Vuong. Produced by Aimee Nishitoba. Food Stylist, Michelle Lucas Larving. Prop Stylist, Madeleine Johari.

Mini Egg Skillet Cookie

Baked in one pan, this candy-egg-dotted skillet treat is sure to be an Easter hit. Get our mini egg skillet cookie recipe here.

Cake design by Julia Gallay, Produced by Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari, Food Styling by Michelle Lucas Larving.

Decadent Nanaimo Cake

The beloved bar becomes a sheet cake! We take the recipe—first published in the 1980s—up a notch with decadent adornment. Get our decadent nanaimo cake recipe here.

Chocolate Mini-Egg Scones

We love a scone, and if we had our way, every gathering would feature one! At the bakery we have created hundreds of scone variations over the years, but we rarely do a chocolate base. Cocoa powder can tend to dry out baked goods, and it took us some testing to get the right balance to make this scone super chocolatey but still moist. Mini eggs provide an extra-crunchy exterior and a sweeter flavour than in traditional scones. These scones are almost cake-like in texture. We like them served simply with butter or whipped cream. This recipe is for full-size scones, but if you are serving them alongside other foods, try them at half-size. For sixteen mini scones, reduce the baking time to 15 to 17 minutes. — Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham, Cake & Loaf bakery in Hamilton, Ont. Get their chocolate mini-egg scones recipe here.

Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photography by Carmen Cheung, Food Styling by Michelle Rabin, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Simple Vinaigrette

This easy vinaigrette recipe is infinitely customizable to suit your flavour preferences—and absolutely delicious as it is. Whisking the salt fully into the vinegar first ensures that it dissolves completely for perfect seasoning in every drop. Get our simple vinaigrette recipe here.

Cake design by Camilla Wynne, Produced by Chantal Braganza and Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari, Food Styling by Michelle Lucas Larving

Buttercream Icing

With just five ingredients, this foolproof buttercream icing is versatile and easy to make. Get our buttercream icing recipe here.

Produced by Sun Ngo, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Nicole Billark.

Pineapple-Soy-Marinated Beef Short Ribs

Look for the 1⁄4-in.-thin-cut flanken-style beef short ribs for the most delicious fall-off-the-bone ribs. The 1⁄2-in.-thick ones will work in a pinch, but the marinade won’t permeate the meat as thoroughly. The marinade’s sweet-spicy-umami combination makes it irresistible. Get our pineapple-soy-marinated beef short ribs here.

Roasted Squash And Quinoa Salad

This is one of my favourite salads to eat, and it’s absolutely perfect on its own as a meal. Nutrition-wise, quinoa covers your protein, and many of the ingredients are seasonless, so you can enjoy it year-round. Get our roasted squash and quinoa salad recipe here.

Produced by Colleen Nicholson, Photography by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by EshunMott, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari

Nargesi-e Esfanaj

In this Iranian/Persian dish, the eggs can be scrambled directly into the spinach or poached on top for those who love a runny yolk moment. Some recipes add mint or parsley to the wilted greens and saffron in addition to or in place of the turmeric. Feel free to do the same if you have them on hand. Get our Nargesi-e Esfanaj recipe here.

Produced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Bars

This festive cheesecake for a crowd has all the flavours of the classic holiday candy and is sweetened almost entirely with white chocolate. If you can get hold of peppermint oil, it will give an even more vibrant mint taste. Get our peppermint bark cheesecake bars recipe here.

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Andrea McCrindle.

Banana Pudding

This ridiculously delicious dessert is the perfect marriage of from-scratch and store bought components. After chilling, the cookies become soft enough to scoop, but still have a bit of bite. Get our banana pudding recipe here.

Yeasted Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Attempting to recreate your favourite Elena pizza at home? Making a batch of this Neapolitan pizza dough shared by Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray and Marley Sniatowsky in their debut cookbook, Salad Pizza Wine, is the first step. Get their yeasted neapolitan pizza dough recipe here.

Recipe by Diala Canelo, Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Produced by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Lindsay Guscott, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Farro, Kale, Apple And Sweet Potato Salad

Farro is a highly versatile grain, and for all the right reasons: You can use it in soups and risotto, and in hearty bowls and grain salads. This recipe packs a lot of flavour and texture, despite how simple it is to make. Enjoy on its own or with grilled tofu, shrimp or fish on the side. Get our farro, kale, apple and sweet potato salad recipe here.

Photography by Dominique Lafond. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.

Dany Pizza

“If you grew up or partied in Montreal any time between 1998 and 2014, there’s a good chance you ended up eating a slice at Pizza Dany on de la Montagne. Being able to make our version of Dany’s famous spinach pizza is our way to still indulge and reminisce about those years now that our partying days are behind us,” Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray and Marley Sniatowsky of Elena write. Get the Dany pizza recipe here.

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong,Food Styling by Ashley Denton, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Steamed Five-Spice Pork Meatballs

There is a deep and storied tradition of meatballs as dim sum. Arguably the most famous of the bunch are lion’s head, notable for their springy texture, which is achieved by vigorously beating the ground meat against the side of the bowl. The technique takes some time to master, so consider this recipe an entry-level foray inspired by the classic, with water chestnuts for texture and the requisite seasoning of five-spice powder and tangerine zest. Look for coarsely ground fatty pork or ask your butcher for a custom mix with 20 to 30 percent fat. Get our steamed five spice pork meatballs recipe here.

Photo courtesy of Gabby Peyton.

Three-Cheese Cod au Gratin with Italian Breadcrumb Crust

This is food writer Gabby Peyton’s version of Newfoundland and Labrador’s classic cod au gratin. Using Italian breadcrumbs adds more seasoning to the crispy topper and Gruyère is an ideal cheese choice: it melts well into the sauce and adds a nutty flavour that doesn’t overwhelm the delicate fish. Most restaurants in Newfoundland and Labrador serve this as a main dish with a roll or crusty bread, but it is also served on top of potatoes or rice. Get her three cheese cod au gratin with Italian breadcrumb crust recipe here.

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photography by Christie Vuong,Food Styling by Ashley Denton, Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.

Simple Sausage Skewers

“This versatile recipe comes together in minutes. I like toasting my own spices, but you can sub in a store-bought mix, such as garam masala, shawarma seasoning or ras el hanout. Stuff the sizzling kebabs into pitas with roasted veg; serve alongside dal, naan and kachumber; tuck into lettuce wraps; or make mini versions for cocktail hour,” Tara O’Brady says. Get our simple sausage skewers recipe here. 

The post Our 30 Most Popular New Recipes of 2023  appeared first on Chatelaine.

Illustration: iStock

But when I went to university, my food budget was tight: $50 a week. And I couldn’t cook, apart from pasta with canned tomato sauce and a little invention I called “beans with olives and raisins.” I ate a lot of pizza, cereal and toast.

Perhaps predictably, in my second year, a routine blood test turned up a nutrient deficiency: I lacked vitamin B12. The doctor told me I had to start eating meat regularly, even though I could hardly afford it.

I’d been feeling weak and tired, and was having difficulty concentrating, but I assumed it was because of my course load. To get more B12, I started taking a daily vitamin; I also started incorporating ground beef into some meals and using nutritional yeast as a seasoning.

Nutrient deficiencies like the one I had are surprisingly common. According to a 2012 Health Canada study, up to 35 percent of adult Canadians consumed inadequate amounts of vitamin B12 and vitamin C. Nearly 47 percent of women over 19 had calcium deficiencies—that figure rose to 87 percent in women over 71. And more than 90 percent of adults lacked vitamin D in their diet. (Earlier this year, to help combat this deficiency, Health Canada raised the allowable amount of vitamin D fortification in cow’s milk, goat’s milk and margarine.) 

Unfortunately, food insecurity is worsening thanks to soaring inflation. According to a 2022 Statistics Canada report, the price of food rose almost 10 percent between April 2021 and April 2022, and 43 percent of those surveyed reported that food was the area in which they were most affected by rising prices. “When you’re on a budget, you walk into a supermarket, and everything looks so costly,” says Montreal-based clinical dietitian Linda Cadloff-Richman. “It’s almost unattainable.”

How many people in Canada are food insecure?

Food insecurity manifests in different ways, from worrying if you’ll run out of food before you have money to buy more, to needing to skip meals, to going hungry all day.

According to 2021 data analysed by Proof, a research institute run out of the University of Toronto, food insecurity affects approximately 13 to 20 percent of households across Canada; that means about one in six Canadian households are food insecure. The rates among Black Canadians, racialized immigrants and Indigenous people are even worse than that average, with 30 percent of off-reserve Indigenous households facing food insecurity. In addition, about 38 percent of single-mother-led households are food insecure.

Data from Proof also shows that 63 percent of households that rely on social assistance are food insecure, as are 39 percent of households that rely on unemployment insurance. Rates of food insecurity are highest among those earning less than $30,000 a year.

Will donating more to food banks fix the problem?

Food charity—such as food banks and soup kitchens—seem like an obvious fix for food insecurity. But Valerie Tarasuk, a professor at University of Toronto’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and principal investigator for Proof, says research shows that people who use food charity are no less food insecure than people who don’t.

Instead, food security organizations—like Food Secure Canada, Food Banks Canada, Community Food Centres and the Association of Public Health Agencies—agree that the long-term solution to food insecurity will actually be found through policy interventions, like raising the minimum wage. 

How improving social safety nets will improve food security

Enhanced social supports are a proven way to improve food security. On the provincial level, Quebec has the lowest rate of food insecurity in Canada—in part because its provincial income supports are more generous than those of other provinces. “[Quebec] has a cascade of income support for low-income households and everything they’re doing is indexed to inflation,” says Tarasuk. 

Policy interventions proposed by food aid and policy organizations like Proof include increasing the minimum wage and the Canada Worker’s Benefit for low-income workers; ensuring that welfare, disability and unemployment benefits are adequate; and increasing the Canada Pension Plan retirement pension. Affordable childcare is an important part of the social safety net, as is the Canada Child Benefit, which Tarasuk says is a great policy tool for reducing food insecurity for single parent-led families. Housing policy to create more low-income housing and reduce rental costs is another part of the solution, as renters make up the majority (54 percent) of food-insecure households.

Thankfully, several of these policy interventions are being pursued by the federal government in its recent Affordability Plan. At the moment, federal Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Canada Child Benefit are indexed to inflation. GST/HST refundable tax credits for those in low- and middle-income brackets will be doubled for the next six months. The government is also increasing the Canada Worker’s Benefit, as well as Old Age Security for those over 75. The plan outlines policies to make rent and childcare more affordable too, but the effects of those laws may be slower to reach wallets.

How does food insecurity affect us physically and emotionally?

“People, especially women in food-insecure situations, are way more likely to experience mental health problems,” says Tarasuk. “It’s the stigma, the shame and the isolation associated with not being able to participate in society in the way that other people do. I think that’s very, very hard on people.” Having to depend on social assistance is, in most provinces, “basically a sentence to food insecurity.”

She also emphasizes that severe food insecurity is especially dangerous: “Somebody who is not eating because they don’t have money for food—that person is in very bad shape. And when we look at them from a health perspective, we can see that they’re more likely to have been diagnosed with chronic diseases.”

“They’re in a crisis situation—their body is depleted, they’re stressed out of their mind, they don’t have the money, they may need to go to a doctor’s appointment but may not be able to afford transit,” Tarasuk says. “There are many ways in which food insecurity is beating them down.”

Cheaper alternatives to look for in the food aisle

Protein, calcium, vitamin D and iron are some of the most common deficiencies Cadloff-Richman sees in her clients. She suggests swapping in less expensive foods to reach recommended daily intakes. Eggs, for example, are a source of protein, vitamin D and iron. Canned sardines have calcium and iron. Canned tuna, almonds and walnuts are alternative sources of protein, while legumes like beans, peanuts and peas are vegetarian sources of iron.

Legumes can be used to complement whole grains as together, the two provide the amino acids necessary for the body to synthesize proteins. This combination—think beans on toast, rice and beans or tofu and rice—is a cornerstone of vegetarian diets. 

How to get nutrients on a tight budget

Cadloff-Richman has some additional shopping, storing and cooking suggestions to maintain a healthy diet while keeping grocery costs down.

• Consult paper or digital grocery store flyers to compare prices before you shop. (Chatelaine likes Flipp, which easily lets you compare flyers and coupons from stores near you.)
• Before you go shopping, check your fridge and pantry to see what you already have.
• Plan your meals for the week ahead before you shop, and avoid recipes that call for one-time-use ingredients.
• The outer walls of the supermarket are usually where you find less processed food. Less healthy and more expensive processed items are usually found in the inside aisles.
• Scan each aisle up and down. The foods that stores place at eye level tend to be the ones that are most expensive.
• Cook in batches so that you can freeze leftovers; most cooked meals—when frozen in resealable containers—are good for three or four months.
• Most slow cooker meals are efficient and economical. As well, the slow cooking process does a great job of tenderizing cheaper cuts of meats.
• Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, and hit up the freezer aisle for more affordable out-of-season produce. (Chatelaine also loves food waste apps like Too Good To Go, which alert users to heavily discounted surplus produce and other perishables from local cafés, restaurants and grocery stores.)

November 28, 2022: This article was updated to remove an incorrect reference related to food insecurity and CERB.

The post What Canada Needs To Do To End Food Insecurity appeared first on Chatelaine.

“Knowledge is power, and you want to get ahead of this.” (Photo: Courtesy Peloton)

If you’ve ever taken one of Peloton instructor Leanne Hainsby’s spin classes, you know that the 36-year-old is pure effervescence on a bike. (This is a woman who envisions Oz’s Yellow Brick Road during climbs, while the rest of us are swearing under our breath.) So it was especially shocking when the beloved London-based instructor revealed in January 2023 that she had been battling breast cancer for the past five months.

“Two days before my best friend’s funeral, I found a lump in my breast,” she wrote on Instagram. Already dealing with unimaginable tragedy, Hainsby was diagnosed with early triple-positive breast cancer in August 2022 after initially being told the lump was a hormonal cyst. (“I knew it wasn’t a cyst,” she says.)

In the months that followed, she underwent IVF, chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and radiotherapy. She continued to teach three to four Peloton classes a week—“teaching was a sparkly hour in the day,” says Hainsby—only taking three weeks off to recover from the lumpectomy.

By the time she decided to share her cancer diagnosis with the world, she knew that her cancer treatment thus far had worked and that she was about to move on to radiotherapy. And so, on January 27, she made her post, put her phone down and left the house she shares with her fiancé, fellow Peloton instructor Ben Alldis. Their destination? Dopamine Land, an interactive art experience billed as entering “a world of happiness.”

Hainsby is a big believer in energy—the energy she puts out into the world, and the energy she receives back—and she knew she needed to shore herself up for the shock her fans would experience upon reading her post.

“I had already processed my diagnosis, and so had my loved ones,” she says. “But sharing it with the world meant that many people would be starting out at step one, so to speak, and I had to be strong for that.”

Unsurprisingly, Hainsby received a groundswell of support—and also heard from many people who were undergoing treatment themselves. “By sharing my story, I knew that I might inspire and motivate someone who might find themselves in the same situation,” she says.

Nearly one year later, Hainsby—who received the all-clear in April 2023 at her three-month post-treatment scan—talks to Chatelaine about going public with her diagnosis, giving up alcohol and the importance of knowing your body.

What was the first thought that went through your head after you posted about your diagnosis?

That I didn’t have to hide anymore. I didn’t have to look like someone who is healthy when I’m going through cancer. [While fans were shocked to learn she had cancer, Hainsby—who lost half of her hair during treatment—later wrote on Instagram that “to me, the change in myself was so obvious.”]

From the outside, it seems like you are a relentlessly positive person. How did you stay in this headspace during the past year and a half?

I think it’s important to be honest and say that I didn’t always feel positive. I had days where I would be amazed that I made it from my bed to the sofa. [She has credited her Peloton classes with giving her focus and sparkle in an “otherwise incredibly tough time.”]

People often don’t know the best way to support a friend with cancer. What was meaningful to you while you were going through treatment?

My mom and Ben really did their homework on the terminology and my treatment plan. To have people in your corner to take on the practical side of things; helping you break it down and being with you at the appointments if you’re unable to take anything more in—it feels less scary.

Also, one of my friends gave me a brightly coloured blanket that I took to chemo treatments and to the hospital. It felt like a hug from them.

Ultimately, just keep being the friend that you are. When you think it’s over, it isn’t over. Keep checking. Even when someone is moving forward, cancer never really goes away.

You’re such a joyful person online and during your classes. Did the way you experience joy change after your diagnosis?

My relationship to everything changed! I think that I used to find a lot of what I thought was joy by going out and drinking with my friends and staying out too late.

Now, I’ve stopped drinking, and I’m focussed on reducing the stress on my body. I think my lifestyle is a lot calmer.

I had about a month between being diagnosed and starting chemotherapy treatment, and I did a round of IVF. After IVF and before chemo, we got our puppy [a black-and-white cocker spaniel named Jags]. And now when I think of joy, I think of her. Going for walks with her, laying on the sofa with her. I look at her and think, I’m so grateful for you.

Hainsby with her cocker spaniel Jags. (Photo: Courtesy Peloton)

Tell me more about why you decided to stop drinking.

I had toyed with the idea before. I wouldn’t say that I drank a lot, but I would definitely have a couple of glasses of prosecco to avoid any anxiety at events, or when I was celebrating with my friends we’d have Champagne.

I stopped drinking when I went into treatment, and then I felt so great, I thought, “Actually I’m going to do six months.” Then six months turned into a year.

I love the benefits. I have better sleep and I feel less anxious. In actual fact, one of the reasons I drank was because I thought it would stop me from feeling anxious, but I feel more confident now turning up to things and not drinking.

I feel like I have better connections with people. The positives of not drinking outweigh the negatives.

Was it hard to tell people that you were now alcohol-free?

One thing that I found really helpful was having a closed reply. I would say, I don’t drink anymore. As opposed to, I’m not drinking tonight.

It also helps to have a really strong reason why you’re not drinking. My reason why is that we really want to have a family, and I want to be as health conscious as possible.

In my friend group there’s maybe half of us who don’t drink and half that do, so it hasn’t changed much. That initial first month is tough. But you’ll find other ways to let loose.

Many people, myself included, view alcohol as a treat. How do you treat yourself these days?

After I stopped drinking, I needed to re-figure out what my treat looked like. And I realized feeling healthy is my treat, because I know what it’s like not to feel good.

Ben and I recently treated ourselves to an infrared sauna and ice bath. It’s a way for us to connect and feel good that replaces having a glass of wine together. But to be honest, we’re not using the ice bath as much as we thought we would [laughs].

What is one thing you’d like all women to know about breast health?

It’s so important to know what feels right and wrong with your body.

I work closely with CoppaFeel [a U.K.-based breast cancer awareness charity] and their mantra is “Feel it on the first.” On the first day of every month, go through your check. Doing this monthly allows you to get to know your body, and get to know what you’re checking for. If you don’t understand your body, it’s really hard to advocate for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of knowing what you’re checking for. Knowledge is power, and you want to get ahead of this.

The post Peloton’s Leanne Hainsby Is Spreading Joy—And Awareness appeared first on Chatelaine.

Joleen Mitton, photographed wearing a thrifted Nunavut-made coat, one-of-a-kind moccasins by Jamie Gentry and earrings by Copper Canoe Woman. (Photo: Alana Paterson)

Mitton, who is Cree, is also well acquainted with the thrill of thrifting; one of her favourite second-hand finds is the Nunavut-made fur-trimmed coat seen here, which she paired with intricately beaded moccasins by artist Jamie Gentry and statement earrings by Copper Canoe Woman. Supporting Indigenous makers and artists is something she does unconsciously—and consciously—through her clothes and accessories. “I take a bit of my culture with me every day.”

Here, Mitton shares her approach to fashion and how she incorporates her culture into her everyday style.

How would you describe your personal style? How did it change over time?

When I was young, I was an athlete; you would have found me in sweats and a hoodie. It’s something that I want to incorporate as I get older, because I’m still an athlete. But when I started modelling as a teenager, I realized I loved big ball gowns and dresses. I love to be able to show up in a way that ignites my femininity.

My mom used to really love clothes. I feel like she did a lot of her therapy through shopping. Watching my mom shop as a little kid influenced me—she’d try on these leather mini skirts with cute matching leather jackets. It was a time of leather and big shoulder pads. I got to see this beautiful Indigenous woman wearing all these really cool clothes. So that translated over to my own personal style.

Now my style is a little bit fancy, a little bit East Vancouver, where I grew up. I’m influenced by hip hop and streetwear. I am kind of sporty, I am kind of bougie—on any given day, I can be any of those things.

Fashion lends itself to this play where you get to figure out who you are and push the boundaries with colour and fabrics and styles.

Here, Mitton is wearing a bomber jacket by designer John Goodwin, custom jeans and sneakers and earrings by Copper Canoe Woman. (Photo: Alana Paterson)

What’s the key to being confident in your own style?

You got to know who you are first. I think the big thing is not being afraid of looking weird; I feel like people are afraid to go outside of their comfort zone.

When you’re not yourself, you’re not your best self. So just realizing what it is you actually like and trying not to be like everybody else is really important.

What’s your inspiration when getting dressed in the morning?

It really depends on where I’m going. If I’m going to the office and I’m going to meet with people, I want them to know who I am. Big earrings, something colorful but still professional, and then maybe some ripped jeans to bring a little bit of who I am as a person into my work life, which is really important to me.

I tend to go towards organic materials so that my skin can breathe. I’m dressing for myself more so than anybody else now. If I’m listening to a certain type of music when I’m getting ready, that also kind of directs my mood and what I’m going to wear.

Do you have a signature piece?

Accessories are huge for me as an Indigenous person, and my earrings game is strong. I match them to my shirt or my pants or my shoes. I like to match things. Thrifting is a big part of who I am as a person. If I can remake something I found and then pair it with a beautiful pair of earrings by an Indigenous designer, I’m winning the day. I get to be myself.

Comfort is key as well and I tend to gravitate towards Converse or sneakers. I also got like five pairs of Dr. Martens—I love a chunky shoe or boot. I love anything camo so a good boot aesthetic is really important to me.

You love thrifting. How do you find the good stuff?

You will rarely find me in a store. And if you do, it will always be a thrift shop. I don’t want to contribute to this mass environmental issue.

I like digging—it’s just about being patient. Thrifters know the adrenaline rush of finding something cool. It’s like “Wow, this is something my Auntie would have worn.” I have a ton of stuff in my collection from the ’50s and ’60s.

I thrifted my white parka [worn in the first photo in this post] in Vancouver. It’s from Nunavut and I’m pretty sure it’s 75 years old. Luckily, I work in Indigenous fashion, so I know to care for it and treat it with respect. When you wear it you can definitely feel like the weight of the people who made it and the joy they experienced making it. It’s a beautiful jacket.

Mitton is wearing a one-of-a-kind Sho Sho Esquiro coat gifted to her by the designer and a pair of jeans she reworked with patches from old T-shirts. (Photo: Alana Paterson)

How do you incorporate Indigenous culture into your wardrobe?

I take a bit of my culture with me every day—that’s something I do consciously and unconsciously. I want to represent my community. The more I feel like myself, the more Indigenous those accents come out and that’s who I am as a person.

In the winter, I get a lot of boots from Manitobah Mukluks, an Indigenous company, so I have some really beautiful waterproof boots that are easy to wear. But the moccasins I’m wearing in the photos are by Jamie Gentry. They are one-of-a-kind and so beautiful, they have a life of their own.

I wear a lot of bomber jackets that have Indigenous motifs and symbols. I try to keep it as Salish as possible because this is the territory that I’m on. A lot of fur, too—it’s a way of life for Indigenous people and rocking it in the winter feels traditional, it feels like being closer to our ancestors.

I also have a coat by Sho Sho Esquiro that’s really special [worn in the third photo in this post]. Her style is very similar to mine. It’s wool, salmon skin and fur. Every piece of it is well thought out, it’s tailored really. When I wear it, it feels very much me. It’s a gift from Sho Sho. It’s part of our culture to be gifted things and borrowing things and lending things. This jacket feels like something ancient but something new at the same time.

I reworked the pants [in the same photo] myself. I had all these T-shirts that I loved from all the different events I volunteered at. I patched the pants with them. One of the patches is a bunch of different reservations in Canada. Another patch is from the Friendship Centre I went to as a kid—it’s where I grew up, it’s somewhere that molded me and got me involved with community. If you’re an Indigenous person and you go to a Friendship Centre, no matter where you go in Canada, it’s where community resides and it’s a safe space for Indigenous people. That’s why those patches are so cool and so important to me.

The post We Love Joleen Mitton’s One-Of-A-Kind Thrifted Style appeared first on Chatelaine.

Rigatoni Alla Vodka

Once you’ve learned the secret to making this easy classic pasta sauce, you’ll never go back to plain old marinara. The vodka enhances the sauce and its texture without adding too much flavour, meaning the tomatoes and cream can shine even brighter. Get this rigatoni alla vodka recipe.

Cream of Celery and Celeriac Soup

Celery has such a delicate, underrated flavour, while celeriac is far too often overlooked. Together, they go from zero to hero in this luscious soup, which is also fantastic served chilled—like a vichyssoise—in the summer. Get this cream of celery soup recipe.

Roasted Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce

A chef friend taught me this sauce, a three-ingredient marvel that’s fabulous on fish but also great on chicken and vegetables. Serve roasted salmon and sauce with a simple green salad and rice for a meal that’s worthy of a dinner party—or a Tuesday night. Get this roasted salmon recipe.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

One of my favourite desserts growing up in the ’80s was chocolate-pudding pie, which was made from a pudding package and topped with artificial whipped cream from a tub. It was good. But this is better. Thankfully, it still hits all those nostalgia high notes. (Note: This is made in the French chocolate-mousse tradition, so it contains raw eggs.) Get this chocolate mousse pie recipe.

The post 4 Easy—Yet Decadent—Recipes With A Touch Of Cream appeared first on Chatelaine.

Photo: iStock

Nothing says dessert like a velvety spoonful of whipped cream over a sweet little treat. Whether it’s a topping for festive peppermint cheesecake bars, classic coconut cream pie; or complementing the warm sweetness of five-spice roasted apples, whipped cream has you covered. It’s a versatile treat that pairs well with a range of desserts and drinks—coffee, hot chocolate, pumpkin spice latte, and our favourite cream liqueurs—or even as a decadent treat on its own. It’s also incredibly easy to make at home with basic kitchen tools.

Photo, Erik Putz.

How to prep for whipped cream

Before you start whipping, place your bowl, whisk, blender, or mason jar in the refrigerator for at least 15-30 minutes before starting. Cold utensils and ingredients help the cream whip up faster and hold its structure better.

What type of cream should you use?

Choose heavy cream or whipping cream with a high fat content (at least 36%). Higher fat content contributes to a more stable whipped cream. Avoid using low-fat creams like table cream, half-and half, or cooking cream. (Trust me, they will not whip.)

Here are four easy ways to make whipped cream at home.

1. How to make whipped cream by hand

The classic and time-tested method of whisking cream by hand is not as hard as it sounds. From cake batter and bread dough to creams and meringues, manual mixing is a method preferred by many chefs, bakers and pâtissiers because it allows them better control over the amount of air that’s incorporated into a mixture and prevent overwhipping, which results in grainy, separated cream.

To start, lay a damp kitchen towel on your counter, place a chilled mixing bowl on top, pour a cup of cold cream and 2 tbsp of powdered sugar into the bowl, and begin whisking vigorously.

It’s best to use taller bowls (think a KitchenAid-style mixing bowl) to prevent cream from splattering. If your mixing bowl is on the shorter side, slightly tip it at an angle, hold tightly with one hand or flush against your torso (wearing an apron is a must for this task) then whisk the cream at the bottom of the bowl. Tilting the bowl gives the liquid less space to move around, which quickens the process and lessens the whisking required. It may take a bit of effort but soon you’ll see soft peaks forming. This method requires patience–between 7 to 10 minutes–and a bit of muscle power, but the result is a rich and velvety whipped cream made with love.

2. How to make whipped cream with a blender

If you have a blender, making whipped cream is a breeze. Blenders are one of the best tools for a batch of perfectly fluffy cream to go with your pies and home-cafe drinks. The secret is in its thin, sharp blades that create smaller air bubbles when “whipping”, which makes for a firmer cream with less prep time.

To make whipped cream in a blender, pour 1 cup of chilled heavy cream and 2-3 tbsp of powdered sugar into an 8-cup blender (Tip: You can double this recipe if you need to cover a whole cake. We suggest working in batches to avoid whipped cream on your kitchen ceiling). Pulse the mixture on a low setting, gradually increasing the speed as the cream thickens. Keep a close eye on the consistency, stopping as soon as soft peaks form. (If you go too far, you’ll get butter.)

3. How to make whipped cream with a food processor

Another kitchen appliance that can come to your rescue is the food processor. It’s the same principle behind the blender method but arguably easier to keep an eye on. Depending on the size of your food processor, you can half or double the recipe of 1 cup whipping cream with 2-3 tbsps of powdered sugar.

Using the basic blade, add the cold heavy cream and sweetener to the processor bowl. Pulse in short bursts until the cream thickens and soft peaks form. Just be careful not to overmix; again, we want whipped cream, not butter!

4. How to make whipped cream with a mason jar

This method requires the least amount of kitchen tools for easy clean up. All you need is cream, powdered sugar, a mason jar, and a little dancing.

To start, pour the chilled heavy cream and sweetener into a clean mason jar, ensuring there’s enough room for the cream to double in size. Seal the jar tightly and shake vigorously for several minutes. The rolling motion distributes air into the cream, gradually transforming it into a luscious whipped texture. The mason jar method is not only fun but also allows you to control the level of whip to your liking.

Other pro whipped cream-making tips

Stabilizers

Consider adding a stabilizer to help the whipped cream maintain its structure. “Stable” whipped cream takes a longer time to melt and stays fluffy for a longer time at room temperature. Some options include:

• Powdered Sugar: Unlike table sugar, powdered sugar has a fine texture that dissolves into cream for a smooth and airy texture. It also contains corn starch which helps the cream hold its shape. Add 1-2 tbsp to the cream before whipping.
• Gelatine: Dissolve a small amount of unflavoured gelatine in cold water, then heat it gently—in a saucepan or in the microwave—just until it’s liquid. Let it cool slightly before incorporating it into the whipped cream.
• Cream of Tartar: Add a pinch of cream of tartar while whipping the cream. It helps stabilize the structure of the whipped cream.

Sweeten Wisely

Add sugar gradually while whipping the cream. Incorporating sugar too quickly can destabilize the whipped cream.

Avoid Over-Whipping

Stop whipping as soon as stiff peaks form. Over-whipping can lead to the separation of fats in the cream and result in a grainy texture.

How To Store Whipped Cream

Store whipped cream in the refrigerator until ready to use. For best results, try to serve freshly whipped cream immediately. You can keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

The post How To Make Whipped Cream At Home Without A Mixer appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Photo: iStock)

After the lavish holiday parties and family dinners of December—and the drinking that’s endemic to these events—many people use the new year as a reset on their relationship with alcohol. Dry January is a month-long challenge where people voluntarily stop drinking after the excessive consumption of December. Like other New Year’s resolutions and habit change-ups, Dry January represents a re-commitment to health. And we know that drinking less, or abstaining altogether, is good for our health. In Canada, newly released guidelines stipulate that more than two standard drinks a week can lead to alcohol-related risks like cancer, heart disease and stroke while the World Health Organization warns that no level of alcohol consumption is good for us.

But can taking a month off from drinking really make a tangible improvement to your health? We spoke to the experts to find out.

How does Dry January affect your body?

Most people who stop consuming alcohol will likely feel some symptoms of withdrawal—which can range from mild (like fatigue and irritability) to severe (fever, hallucination, even seizures)—for a short period of time. Severity depends on how much you drink; other common symptoms include nausea, anxiety, muscle aches and increased heart rate.

Luckily, positive effects kick in quickly. For those who struggle with PTSD, anxiety and depression, not drinking can improve mental health, says Dr. Dominique Morisano, a clinical psychologist and adjunct professor at the University of Toronto and University of Ottawa. Cognition and concentration will also improve, and you might feel more clear-headed, she says.

Your sleeping patterns will also likely change. “If you’re drinking in the evening and you’re getting up to pee a lot, it disrupts your sleep,” says Launette Rieb, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. “Alcohol sedates you and pushes you to sleep, but during the withdrawal stage at night, it’s activating so it’ll wake you up or make you dream more,” which decreases sleep quality. Drinking can also cause sleep apnea and snoring because alcohol slows your breathing, causes nasal congestion and relaxes the muscles of your throat (which leads to snoring). Fortunately, Rieb says that “even a month off from drinking can really reduce your risk of sleep apnea snoring and having restless sleep.”

Other physical benefits of Dry January include not having as much gas from gastritis (which happens when your stomach lining becomes inflamed and can be caused by excessive drinking) and less acid reflux.

Will I really start seeing the benefits after just one month of not drinking?

You won’t get all the benefits of going sober after just one month—for example Rieb says that your liver won’t return to its normal enzyme levels for about three months if you’re a heavy drinker. But abstaining for just one month can still do a lot of good. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that regular drinkers that abstain for a month saw improved insulin resistance, blood pressure and a lower risk of developing cancer.

Is going cold turkey once December ends really the best option? What about tapering?

Those who are light to moderate drinkers (which means drinking six or fewer drinks a week) can usually do a challenge like Dry January without tapering, since any negative withdrawal symptoms will be short-lived. But, both Rieb and Morisano recommend that heavier drinkers, especially those with an alcohol dependency, taper off slowly to avoid any severe withdrawal symptoms like seizures. This might look like decreasing the amount of drinks consumed daily until reaching zero. Or, committing to drinking just three nights a week instead of five, then drinking just two nights a week, then one and finally none.

Can Dry January help quit, or reduce, drinking long-term?

Yes! The new year is a natural point to be reflective about your habits. “It gives you a real opportunity to start to renegotiate your relationship [with alcohol], with needing a substance in your life for entertainment or ease or anxiety reduction,” says Morisano. Dry January gives you the opportunity to start to “come to terms with some of the, let’s say, skeletons in your closet you’ve been trying to avoid.”

Four tips for a successful Dry January

• Don’t replace alcohol with another substance, like cannabis edibles. “It just reinforces the pattern of chemically coping, instead of building healthier habits,” says Rieb.
• Ask some friends to join you. People often drink during social situations, and being the only sober person in the room can make it even harder to stay on track. Doing Dry January as a group can provide you with a supportive network and make it easier to socialize without feeling the pressure to drink. Rieb also recommends planning social events where drinking is unlikely—like going skating or seeing a movie at a theatre that doesn’t serve alcohol.
• Keep a daily journal to track your mood. Morisano says that positive change can be hard to notice, but documenting your improved mood, sleep, concentration or any other effects you experience can help you see the effect that sobriety is having. Plus, it makes it easier to track patterns: when are you craving a drink the most? What sorts of situations trigger the cravings? Identifying these patterns can help develop a healthier relationship to alcohol.
• Consider whether you need more support. If you’re struggling a lot with Dry January, says Morisano, “maybe it’s time to work on [your relationship with alcohol] with a therapist.”

The post Does Dry January Actually Do Anything? appeared first on Chatelaine.

These holiday appetizer recipes don’t require a lot of last-minute preparation. So, pour yourself a cocktail (or mocktail), turn on the tunes and join us in enjoying the small things this season.

Gallery

Cocktail party snack recipes

Photo, Erik Putz. Food Styling, Dara Sutin. Prop Styling, Madeline Johari.

Puff Pastry Pesto Straws

Puff pastry, pesto, pecorino cheese and pepper — that's it! Packed with flavour, texture and festive colour, this (mostly) store-bought appetizer is one of the easiest holiday appetizers. Get our puff pastry pesto straws recipe.

How to dress up your cocktails (and make them pretty fancy-looking)

The post 30 Easy, Make-Ahead Holiday Appetizer Recipes appeared first on Chatelaine.

The post The Holiday Hosting Essentials Checklist We All Need appeared first on Chatelaine.

There’s no denying that a heavy-duty winter coat is an investment, but it’s one that will be with you for years to come. While a coat that’s manufactured in Canada—by brands like Canada Goose, Mackage and Wuxly to name a few—most likely ring in at somewhere between $1,000 and $1,400. But there are plenty of more affordable, designed in Canada (but manufactured elsewhere) coats to be found, including from retailers like Joe Fresh, Roots and Aritzia.

Shop our pick of stylish Canadian winter coats that will keep you warm through the ups and downs of winter—no matter your budget.

The best Canadian coats for winter to shop this season

Roots Down Short Puffer Jacket, $200

Adorned with a limited-edition floral pattern by Heather Cooper—the designer of Roots’ iconic beaver logo—this cropped parka is stylish and incredibly warm. It’s filled with responsibly sourced duck down, has a removable hood and an array of practical pockets.

We love the oversized silhouette that lends it a casual, off-duty look that’s perfect for snow days.

Shop Now

Lululemon Insulated Long Blanket Wrap, $398

Bigger is sometimes better, and that’s definitely the case with this coat. It’s oversized and cozy, which is perfect if you want to feel like you’re wrapped in a blanket. The belt cinches at the waist for a more defined silhouette, but it’s also removable if you’d rather fully commit to the pillowy look.

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Twik Big Baffle Puffer, $195

Want to get over the winter blues with minimal effort? A cobalt winter jacket is the way to go. This matte option features deep front pockets to keep essentials safe as well as an adjustable hood. It hits just over the knees for a versatile silhouette that works for any occasion.

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Joe Fresh Women+ Jacket with PrimaLoft, $129

Perfect for minimalists, this all-black coat is as timeless as they come. It’s filled with synthetic insulation for a lightweight feel, and comes in sizes XS to 3X.

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Dynamite Lustre Puff Cinched Waist Puffer Jacket, $150

With a drawstring at the waist, this puffer elegantly avoids the standard-issue marshmallow look. The fabric has a lovely pearlescent sheen and is water- and wind-resistant to boot.

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Canada Goose Marlow Jacket, $1,350

If you’re looking for a neutral that’s neither black nor beige, give navy a shot. The classic hue brings this chic down-filled parka to life, giving the casual style a luxurious twist. We love the wrap hood and the perfect hip length, too.

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Soia & Kyo Bomber Puffer, $395

Ideal for West Coast living or transitional weather, this bomber-inspired puffer is designed to keep you warm up to -5C. It’s available in four colours, including spruce green and sunshine yellow.

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Lolë Cherry Claudia Light Puffer Jacket, $209

This vibrant cherry-coloured puffer is an easy way to bring much-needed joy to dreary winter days. The cut is fitted for a timeless look and the coat is designed for temperatures up to -20C.

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Mackage Lenzi 2-in-1 Down Coat, $1,390

Proportions are everything in this puffy work of art by Mackage. The fit is customized via a set of drawstrings at the waist and cuffs, and the wrap hood can be removed. It also comes in light grey and black, but we’re partial to this zesty and energizing sorbet hue.

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Frank and Oak The Hygge Puffer Coat, $449

Named after the Danish word for coziness, the Hygge parka lives up to its name. It’s made from breathable fabric and features fleece-lined pockets for extra warmth. The best part? It’s got just the right amount of bulk to keep you warm up to -25C without impeding movement.

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Nobis Forma 2-in-1 Long Quilted Jacket, $1,495

There are countless ways of wearing this customizable parka. Thanks to a handy zipper, you can transform the full-length coat into a bomber. The fuzzy collar and pockets are also removable for a more streamlined look. Oh, and did we mention you can even wear the bottom as a snow skirt (think: snow pants, but chic) to keep you legs warm throughout winter. Now, that’s what we call getting your money’s worth.

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Arc’teryx Thorium Jacket, $550

This lightweight goose-down coat with a nylon shell is all about movement and breathability. The classic fit is timeless, but if you’re looking for something a little different, may we recommend this gorgeous lavender hue?

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Wuxly Palais Parka, $1,195

This parka is made in Toronto from synthetic insulation. The A-line silhouette and belted waist make it a flattering option, and it comes in several colours, including burgundy and khaki green.

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Aritzia The Super Puff Shorty, $250

Made from soft cord material and filled with responsibly sourced goose down, this cropped puffer is a trendy take on the brand’s bestselling Super Puff parka.

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Rudsak Dalya Quilted Puffer Trench, $995

Can’t decide between a classic wool coat or a trendy puffer? This winter trench blends the two styles for a look that’s both cute and practical. It comes with a removable inner collar so it can be adapted to all temperatures.

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While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post 15 Canadian Winter Coats To Keep You Warm appeared first on Chatelaine.

What to look for in shampoo for curly hair

Curly hair is typically dry thanks to its composition. This is in part because nourishing oils that are naturally found on the scalp have more of a challenging route to travel over the twists and turns of each curly strand. Because of this, the scalp can get dry, irrated and flaky. If that’s the case, a dandruff shampoo is a good way to tackle flakes at the source.

Dryness can make curly hair prone to breakage, but this hair type is also inherently delicate. At each bend, the cuticle structure is weaker—making it predisposed to breakage. A shampoo that’s sulfate-free is a good bet for curly hair.

While some hair types can benefit from sulfates (shampoos for oily hair tend to rely on them), these harsh cleansing agents can strip skin and hair of natural oils. A sulfate-free shampoo uses gentle surfactants to remove dirt, debris and build-up without wiping out all traces of those much-needed oils.

What curly hair needs instead is hydrating ingredients. Botanical butters and oils—shea, mango, coconut and avocado—can help nourish dry curls and lock in moisture to boost softness, definition and shine. And if your curls are susceptible to fragility from chemical treatments, like colouring, a bond-repair treatment can provide additional structural reinforcement.

With formulas suited to every need, here’s our guide to the best shampoos for curly hair.

The best shampoos for curly hair to shop now

Best curly hair shampoo overall

AG Care Curl Revive Curl Hydrating Shampoo, $25

This bestseller—which is made in B.C.—hits the sweet spot between gentle cleansing and hydration for soft, healthy-looking and defined curls. Key ingredients include coconut oil, plant-derived peptides and an exclusive complex of rice amino acids and tomato extract.

If you get hooked on the formula like we did, it also comes in a 1-L refill pouch.

Shop Now

Best drugstore curly hair shampoo

Pantene PRO-V Curl Perfection Shampoo, $7

If more for less is your beauty M.O., this hefty 530-mL bottle will make your heart skip a beat. Buoyed by an upscale scent of wild berries, fresh florals and creamy vanilla, this potent blend of nutrients converts dry, frizzy curls into ones that are hydrated and defined.

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Best luxury curly hair shampoo

Kérastase Curl Manifesto Bain Hydrator Douceur Shampoo, $55

Designed to treat all types of curl patterns, from soft curls to tight coils, this luxurious shampoo gently removes dirt, pollution, scalp build-up and residue from hair products to leave hair refreshed. Key ingredients—including ceramides to help to reinforce damaged hair and nutrient-rich manuka honey—strengthen and hydrate, giving curls a noticeable uptick in definition and radiance.

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Best curly hair shampoo for fine hair

Noughty Haircare Wave Hello Curl Defining Shampoo, $14

If you have fine hair and want bouncier, shinier curls, this silicone-free shampoo will put you on the right path. Made with sea kelp, chlorella extract and avocado oil, this formula intensely nourishes the hair cuticle. Each ingredient is rich in replenishing vitamins and antioxidants that help to protect delicate strands, but never feels heavy.

The 100 percent vegan formula has won fans by improving suppleness, smoothness and shine without weighing hair down.

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Best curly hair shampoo for damaged hair

Amika The Kure Bond Repair Shampoo, $39

From daily detangling to heat styling and chemical treatments, there’s a handful of stressors that can contribute to damaged curls. Send in this bond-repair shampoo to the rescue! It uses bonding technology to target breakage-prone spots and contains strengthening vegan amino acids.

Sea buckthorn oil as well as mango and shea butters repair and reduce future breakage so you live in a constant stream of good hair days.

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Best curly hair shampoo for frizz

SheaMoisture Papaya and Neroli Frizz Control Shampoo, $17

For smooth curls, look no further. In this formula, nourishing papaya, soothing neroli, vitamin-rich elderflower and reparative shea butter join forces to gently cleanse while providing frizz reduction with staying power. Ideal for frizzy, dry or weakened curls, this moisturizing yet lightweight shampoo is also colour-safe and sulfate-free.

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Best clarifying curly hair shampoo

L’Oréal Professionnel Curl Expression Anti-Buildup Cleansing Jelly Shampoo, $37

If you’re prone to an oily scalp or style your hair with strong-hold gels, rich creams or heavy balms, frequent deep cleansings are a must. Not only will it help your leave-in treatments perform better, but it will also boost scalp health.

Intended for use every other week and co-developed by an international roster of curl experts, this sulfate-free purifying shampoo eliminates product build-up and impurities while thoroughly moisturizing.

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Best customizable curly hair shampoo

Function of Beauty Pro Bond Repair Custom Shampoo for Curly Hair, $32

More shine, less frizz and brassy tones, begone! Yes, your curls can have it all with this customizable haircare system. Pick the shampoo that matches your hair type, then choose up to three concentrates ($6 each) and mix them into the bottle yourself to create your own unique blend.

The concentrate capsules have every hair goal covered, from frizz reduction to colour care to hydration and scalp health.

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Best natural curly hair shampoo

Holy Curls Shampoo, $45

Powered by plant-based ingredients, this natural, nourishing shampoo gently cleanses without stripping curls. The blend contains baobab seed oil, which is rich in omega fatty acids, cupuaçu butter to helps to smooth and lock in moisture and shine-boosting aloe vera leaf juice.

The spa-like scent—an essential oil mix of sweet orange, bergamot and ginger—is heavenly, too.

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Best dry shampoo for curly hair

Ouidad Clean Sweep Dry Shampoo, $34

This dry shampoo knows what a curl wants. It contains a balance of oil- and sweat-absorbing ultra-fine silky powders along with emollient ingredients like rosehip seed and mongongo oils to leave curls refreshed and conditioned. Better still, the invisible formula bestows slight volume with zero white cast on dark hair.

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While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post 10 Curly Hair Shampoos For Every Concern appeared first on Chatelaine.

The Shellfish

Beer Clams

The Most Succulent Shrimp Cocktail

Beer Clams

Littleneck clams shine after a quick beer bath and a squeeze of lemon. Drizzle them with drawn butter or hot sauce. Get this clams recipe.

The Most Succulent Shrimp Cocktail

Court bouillon—an aromatic broth made from white wine, lemon juice and shrimp shells—is key to this recipe’s flavourful and tender shrimp. Get this shrimp cocktail recipe.

Easy Boiled Lobster

Spanish Mussels

Easy Boiled Lobster

To add a bit of luxury to your tower, include lobster. Here, we make it simple to cook at home. If you’re not ready to dive into making fresh lobster yet, most supermarkets with a seafood counter will cook the lobster for you. Get this boiled lobster recipe.

Spanish Mussels

Reminiscent of European tinned mussels, these paprika-spiced beauties can be made up to 2 days ahead. Get this mussels recipe.

The Raw Bar

Once you’ve mastered the easy-to-learn art of shucking them, oysters are a delightful addition to any seafood feast.

How do I tell if they’re fresh? Separate any oysters with open shells. Tap the shell on the counter: If the oyster snaps closed, it’s alive and can be used; if it doesn’t, it should be discarded.

How long do oysters last? Live oysters are best consumed within 2 days of purchase; however, they have a 5-day shelf life when stored properly in a cold refrigerator.

What do I serve them with? Anything you like! A squeeze of lemon, a grating of horseradish, even a splash of gin. We also have three delicious and easy mignonette sauce recipes that can be made in advance and stored in the fridge: a classic vinegar mignonette, a ponzu-ish mignonette, and a chimichurri mignonette.

Buckwheat Blinis

Made with a mix of buckwheat and all-purpose flours, these blinis can be prepared several days in advance. Get this blini recipe.

The Sauces

Butter

Drawn butter is a classic dipping option for cooked lobster, crab legs, or shrimp. We have a simple method for making it in advance, and some fun recipes to spice it up just before serving.

Classic Drawn Butter

Garlic Cajun Butter

Brown Butter Caper Sauce

Cocktail Sauce

Inspired by the classic cocktail, this cocktail sauce recipe makes a great dip for lettuce cups topped with shrimp or oysters. Hint: short on time and ingredients? Sriracha stirred into store-bought cocktail sauce has similar flavour and is ready in seconds.

The Game Plan

The low-stress approach to this high-impact spread? Start early and take your time.

Three Days Before

• Buy all ingredients except seafood.
• Buy ice, pound ice (to make crushed ice) and store in freezer bags.
  Make Caesar-Style Cocktail Sauce.

Two Days Before

• Buy all seafood and follow refrigeration and preparation tips. Ask your fishmonger for decorative seaweed, if desired.
• Make Spanish Mussels.
• Arrange oysters, if using, on a baking sheet, cupped-side up, covered with a damp kitchen towel in the refrigerator.
• Make Buckwheat Blinis and store in an airtight container.
• Make The Most Succulent Shrimp Cocktail.

One Day Before

• Make drawn butters of choice.
• Make Easy Boiled Lobster; crack open and reserve meat, claws and head for display.
• Prepare crab legs, if serving.
• Make mignonettes of choice.
• Shuck oysters and leave on shell. Place in an airtight container in the coldest spot in the refrigerator or change temperature to coldest setting, if possible.

Two Hours Before

• Make Beer Clams.
• Arrange serving bowls for shells, small plates and serving platter for blinis (and blini toppings) to allow guests to build their own, if desired.
• Break up crushed ice (if clumped together) for display tower and arrange seaweed.

One Hour Before

• Arrange oysters on a platter with crushed ice and refrigerate.
• Build the tower and keep refrigerated on ice.

Prawn Prep 101

While they’re optional, prawns look impressive on a seafood tower. To prepare them (up to 1 day ahead), cut along back of prawn with kitchen shears to expose vein; remove vein with a paring knife. Toss prawns with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Heat a greased grill pan over medium-high; add prawns in batches and cook, turning until shells are bright red and flesh is cooked, 4 to 5 min. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and let cool.

King Crab Legs

Frozen king crab legs are already cooked and just require a quick reheat. Thaw in fridge overnight. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add crab and return to a simmer for 6 min. Remove crab, let cool and chill for up to 2 days. Pat dry before serving.

The post How To Build An Epic Seafood Tower appeared first on Chatelaine.

]]> https://chatelaine.com/food/six-essential-tips-for-cooking-with-but-not-sticking-to-stainless-steel/ https://chatelaine.com/food/six-essential-tips-for-cooking-with-but-not-sticking-to-stainless-steel/#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.chatelaine.com/recipes/in-the-kitchen/six-essential-tips-for-cooking-with-but-not-sticking-to-stainless-steel/ Why food sticks and how to avoid it when cooking with stainless steel pots and pans.

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Stainless steel pans can go from stove-top to oven! Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Let’s face it, all home cooks have experienced the frustration of having our food get stuck to a stainless steel pan. The luxury and availability of non-stick pans has allowed us to cook almost worry-free. But, there are times when a stainless steel pan is a necessity. For me, it’s a must when I’m building a sauce and want to accumulate flavours, or when I want to brown or develop colour, and sometimes I just prefer using a pan that isn’t coated with a non-stick treatment.

Here are a few quick tips for cooking efficiently with stainless steel.

Why does food stick?

The main culprit is heat—either too much or too little. When oil is added to a hot stainless steel pan, it acts as a protective barrier between the food and the pan. Although the cooking surface of your pan looks perfectly smooth, there are actually many microscopic hills and divots that the oil fills. When food is added to the pan, a reaction occurs between the hot oil and the natural moisture in food. This reaction causes a steam-like effect, essentially lifting the food away from the pan, and preventing it from sticking.

If your pan is too cold when you add food to it, you will not hear that sizzle. No sizzle means the food has not lifted away from the pan and will stick. If your heat is too high, food has a tendency to burn, and burnt food will also stick to the pan. This burnt flavour will also transmit to the rest of your food.

(Photo, Roberto Caruso.)

Tips for cooking with stainless steel

The reality is that stainless steel is not a great heat conductor. Therefore, a  stainless steel pan needs to be properly prepared in order to get the best results.

Heat your stainless steel pan well

Place your empty pan on a burner over medium heat. Let the pan heat up for 2 to 3 minutes at this temperature. It’s up to you if you want to add the oil while the pan is warming up, or add the oil once the pan is hot. I prefer to get my pan good and hot first, and then I add the oil. (Sometimes, when adding cold oil to a cold pan, the oil heats up faster than the pan—this gives the illusion of a hot pan, but really all the heat is in the oil.)

Do the “tss” test

To test if your pan is ready, drop a very small morsel of food or a single drop of water into the pan. If you hear the “tss” sound,  your pan is ready. It’s always a good idea to start your pan at medium heat, and make adjustments from there.

Dry food is best

Water combats the heat by bringing the temperature of the oil down. If you are cooking with vegetables that have recently been washed, make sure they are good and dry. Also, pat down meat with a paper towel to remove any surface moisture.

Cold food is a no-no

As water combats heat, so does cold food. Adding cold food to a pan works against the heat you have established. Meat and vegetables should be brought down to—or at least close to—room temperature before cooking in stainless steel.

Some foods just stick

I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to make an omelette in a stainless steel pan, but it has never come off cleanly. Some foods—eggs in particular (and proteins in general)—have a tendency to stick. Choose your battles. For me, that means cooking eggs in a non-stick pan.

Clean and care for your pan

While the pan is still warm, wipe out any residual oil or crumbly bits with a paper towel (mind the heat and use tongs if necessary). Return the pan to medium heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 cup of hot water to deglaze. Use a wooden spoon to scrape away any stubborn bits. Discard the water. Wipe again with a paper towel and then clean in hot soapy water. I personally don’t consider stainless steel to be dishwasher safe—dishwasher detergent can be very harsh and may leave a residue.

Two stainless steel skillets we love

Made In 12-In. Stainless Clad Frying Pan, $220

This direct-to-consumer kitchenware brand has consistently outscored bigger brands on quality, heat responsiveness and pan shape. The gentle, angular slope of the sides offer extra surface area for cooking—and the 12-in. pan, while pricey, can handle almost any type of job, from a large-format risotto to a bacon-and-egg breakfast for four.

Shop Now

All Clad 12-In. Stainless Steel Skillet, $185

All Clad’s reputation for long-lasting durability is well-earned; if properly cared for, this professional-grade stainless-steel skillet will last for decades. This brand also often goes on sale at major retailers, so keep an eye out for deals.

Shop Now

Here are a few recipes that suit cooking with a stainless steel pan:
Seared Pork Chops with Creamy Mushrooms
Hong Kong Chicken Curry
Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Bulgur
Spicy Thai Fish

Originally published March 23, 2012.

The post 6 Essential Tips For Non-Stick Cooking With Stainless Steel Pots And Pans appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Photo: Erik Putz)

Now, Chapman says, “You can pick up a kit for free at a drugstore and get the training [on how to administer it] from the pharmacist,” a process that takes, at most, 20 minutes.

By knocking the opioids in a person’s system off the brain receptors where they’re having their effect, naloxone (often known by its brand name, Narcan) reverses overdoses in just a few minutes. And because of the sheer number of overdose deaths that are happening across the country—approximately 20 people die due to opioids each day, a rate that’s risen sharply during the pandemic—Chapman sees this training as crucial. “It’s something we should all be doing.”

“The people in the community who need naloxone are non-medical professionals. If we tied it to medical professionals only, we would see an increase in overdose deaths,” says Christy Sutherland, medical director of the PHS Community Services Society in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

A 2020 study found that, in B.C., more than 40,000 kits were used to reverse an overdose between 2012 and 2018, after a concerted provincial effort to get naloxone into the hands of not just those at risk of an overdose but also friends and family likely to witness an overdose, as well as the wider population. Sutherland says she’s lost count of how many overdoses she herself has reversed on the streets outside her clinic; more than 100, probably, over the past few years.

The process of using naloxone is fairly simple: Every kit includes gloves, a protective plastic barrier for mouth-to-mouth breathing and the drug itself, either as an injectable (via a syringe inserted into a muscle) or, more commonly, as a nasal inhaler.

To determine whether someone is experiencing an overdose, first try to wake them by shouting and pinching the webbing between their thumb and finger.

Chapman points out that people who are unresponsive are not able to consent to having the drug administered to them. And while naloxone isn’t harmful to someone who isn’t experiencing an overdose, you certainly don’t just go up to a stranger and stick it in their nose or arm. “Whenever I’ve encountered somebody on the street, I’ve said several times, ‘You’ve got to wake up because I’m going to give you naloxone.’ And if they don’t wake up, they need naloxone,” she says.

Once administered, the drug continues to work for 20 to 90 minutes. But opioids can remain in the body for longer than that—and that’s why, even after you’ve stepped in to give someone naloxone, it’s still important to dial 911 and bring in the professionals.

For Health Canada’s province-by-province guide to where to get a free naloxone kit, click here. 

The post Why You Should Carry Naloxone appeared first on Chatelaine.

Finding the best shampoos for oily hair is a simple way to make your wash-and-rinse routine really go the distance—and it can even let you go an extra day or two before lathering up again.

What to look for in a shampoo for oily hair

What makes shampoos to wash oily hair unique is that they provide a deeper clean to remove dirt, oil and grime while also ensuring the hair and scalp aren’t left stripped and dry. The best one for you depends on your hair type and budget.

While ultra-moisturizing ingredients are great for curly hair shampoos, these heavy formulas can leave oily strands feeling limp and lacklustre. Instead, opt for a lightweight formula that isn’t too rich, but still provides hydration. Many people love sulfate-free shampoos, but sulfates are excellent for cutting through an abundance of oil on the scalp and hair.

The Best Shampoos For Oily Hair To Shop Now

Best oily hair shampoo overall

Vichy Dercos Oil Control Shampoo, $23

The best way to tackle any hair concern is at the scalp, and this shampoo works at the roots to minimize oil production. Formulated with an anti-sebum complex which contains four surfactants to help delay the onset of oiliness, this shampoo leaves the scalp feeling purified and the hair feeling soft and more manageable.

Shop Now

Best drugstore oily hair shampoo

Renpure Tea Tree & Rosemary Refresh & Rebalance Shampoo, $12

With its refreshing and purifying combo of tea tree and rosemary, this sulfate-free, plant-based shampoo will have you leaving your shower feeling energized and invigorated. It’s formulated to gently cleanse and rebalance the hair while offering up soothing benefits for a dry or irritated scalp. Plus, you get a salon-sized bottle for just $12 (!!!).

Shop Now

Best luxury oily hair shampoo

Oribe Serene Scalp Oil Control Shampoo, $71

If you’re looking to treat your tresses to a little pampering, this is the shampoo for you. Infused with a blend of green marine algae and a sugar-derived prebiotic, this formula regulates and reduces oil production, balances and supports a healthy scalp microbiome.

These benefits work together to extend time between washes without leaving product buildup.

Shop Now

Best oily hair shampoo for fine hair

Authentic Beauty Concept Amplify Cleanser, $35

Hair that’s naturally thin tends to get greasier faster, which in turn makes strands look limp and dull. Made with green tea leaf extract—a potent antioxidant—this shampoo is ultra-lightweight and gives hair a volume-boosting lift to create the appearance of maximum fullness. 

Shop Now

Best oily hair shampoo for curls

DesignMe Bounce.Me Curl Shampoo, $28

Packed with nourishing ingredients like argan, buriti and kukui nut seed oils, this shampoo is formulated specifically for kinks and curls. It hydrates, de-frizzes and gently cleanses without stripping away the all-important natural oils that help define curls and boost shine.

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Best oily hair shampoo for damaged hair

K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo, $52

Damaged hair tends to be crunchy at the ends, but you can still suffer from an oily scalp. This bond-repair shampoo helps to restore strength to a dry, damaged mane while removing product build-up and sebum. It’s formulated with salicylic acid to help whisk away oil and contains the brand’s signature blend of peptides to act as a protective shield.

Shop Now

Best oily hair shampoo for colour-treated hair

Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo, $49

Hair that’s been dyed requires a lot of TLC to ensure that gorgeous colour doesn’t go down the drain with each wash. Pureology specializes in care for colour-treated strands, so you know your hair is in good hands. This formula strikes the perfect balance between being gentle enough not to strip away your colour while still removing excess oil and build-up from the hair.

Shop Now

Best balancing oily hair shampoo

Klorane Oil-Absorbing Shampoo, $16

Organic white nettle is renowned for its sebum-regulating properties, and it’s the star ingredient in this oil-absorbing shampoo. The formula works as a gentle astringent to purify the scalp without compromising its delicate balance.

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Best clarifying oily hair shampoo

Nexxus Clean & Pure Nourishing Detox Shampoo, $13

Clarifying shampoos are often believed to be drying and colour-stripping, but that’s not always the case. Crafted without parabens, silicones or dyes, this gentle formula gives hair a deep clean while locking in moisture. It’s enriched with elastin protein and marine minerals to leave hair soft, shiny and clean.

Shop Now

Best exfoliating oily hair shampoo

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo, $57

A 2-in-1 scrub and shampoo combo, this award-winning treatment benefits both an oily and dry scalp thanks to its unique formula. Its ingredient list contains binchōtan charcoal (a Japanese white charcoal) which detoxifies and unclogs build-up from hair follicles, while coconut and tea tree oils moisturize and soothe the scalp.

Shop Now

Best shine-boosting oily hair shampoo

AG Hair Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate Free Shampoo, $28

Want shiny strands without the grease? This made-in-Canada bestseller cares for the scalp while removing product build-up and ensuring a balanced pH. It leaves strands smooth and glossy, with zero hint of oil.

Shop Now

Best eco-friendly oily hair shampoo

Attitude Leaves Bar Detox Shampoo, $12

If you’re looking for a planet-friendly wash day option, switching to solid shampoo bars is an easy way to make your beauty routine greener. These plastic-free options now come in a variety of formulas to tackle every concern, including oily hair.

This one by Quebec-based Attitude is formulated with grease-busting ingredients, like yellow clay to sop up oil and jojoba extract to repair damage.

Shop Now

While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post 12 Oily Hair Shampoos For Squeaky Clean Tresses appeared first on Chatelaine.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Sagittarius

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

While it’s important that things move forward in your relationships, if they move too quickly, you may end up getting prematurely enmeshed in an unhealthy way. While you may be feeling enthusiastic (which is fantastic!), the best thing you can do this week is adopt a more sustainable pace in all things—especially with your personal connections. This will help you to better understand your own motivations and those of the people around you.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Capricorn

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

You have a tendency to think about worst-case scenarios, so when you actually get hopeful, it’s a special thing. Be brave enough to explore what you really want, Capricorn. Other people may tell you what is or isn’t possible, but this week, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you give yourself the opportunity to experience enthusiasm and desire for something that is life-affirming. Allow yourself the gift of being motivated by the best possible potential.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Aquarius

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

When you allow your realism to descend into pessimism, you’re not being smarter, you’re only working harder. While it’s wise to get clear and honest with yourself about the very real problems that you’re facing, it’s equally important to be able to explore possibilities—not just probabilities. Well-informed optimism will help you get where you want to go, Aquarius. Be brave enough to imagine and explore potential.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Pisces

Feb. 19-March 20

Your ruling planet is mashing up with the Sun over the weekend, and this transit is another reminder to look at your attachments and boundaries. If you can be clear with yourself about what is true to you, it will be easier to make compromises when and if needed so that you stay on the right path even if others disagree with your vision. Sometimes you need to defer to your own instincts, regardless of what others say, Pisces.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Aries

March 21-April 19

How have you been prioritizing things in your life, Aries? This week, you will have the opportunity to choose joy—or not. When you find yourself turning away from happiness, do your best to examine your motivations, and whenever you can, choose people, situations, and dynamics that make you feel excited to be alive. Behave in life-affirming ways, but also work to foster self-awareness about who and what you choose—and why you make those choices.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Taurus

April 20-May 20

As annoying as this may be, you are not meant to have the answers. Things are still developing, and your anxieties may drive you to push yourself or others to come to an answer or be certain about things before you actually are. As vulnerable and challenging as it may feel, allow matters to develop in their own time. If you push too hard, all you will get is resistance this week, Taurus.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Gemini

May 21-June 21

Have you been investing in your relationships? This week, new people may come into your life, or you may simply be reconnecting with people already in it. In either case, it’s important that you show up. You have the opportunity to become more aware of your relationship patterns and the ways that you regularly engage with others. You may see more clearly how these do and don’t work for you. Treat others as you wish to be treated, Twin Star.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Cancer

June 22-July 22

If you allow your anxieties and insecurities to drive you, you’ll run the risk of betraying yourself. Don’t give away your power, Moonchild. This may look like assuming the worst, acting out of a scarcity-based view of the world, or putting other people’s thoughts and feelings above your own without proper discretion. Do your best to stay present with your emotions—even the hard ones to bear—this week.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Leo

July 23-Aug. 22

If your motivation is to try to control how other people feel or act, you are going to be pretty frustrated in life. All that you can truly manage in this life is your own choices. This includes who you choose to engage with and how much you decide to trust them. Focus on keeping your own side of the street tidy this week, and allow other people to reveal themselves to you in their own way and time, Leo.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Virgo

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

It’s really hard to find a healthy balance between prioritizing your needs around your own responsibilities and self care with the ways in which you need to show up for others. Allow yourself to explore the themes of balance this week as you investigate where you’re overdoing it and the motivations behind that behaviour—as well as where you’re phoning it in, Virgo.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Libra

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

You are undergoing challenging changes, and it’s likely to have you feeling pretty overwhelmed this week. Sometimes you need to close the door firmly behind you before you can fully appreciate what’s in front of you. Let go of the past, including the habits and dynamics that have held you back. Sit with the emotions that emerge. The only way to the other side is by going through it, Libra.

(Illustration: Sacha Stephan)

Scorpio

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

This is a really important week for meaningful reflection on the things that matter most to you, Scorpio. This may be vulnerable or just something that requires a bit of privacy and space. You may be feeling ready to make some important decisions, but if you act before exploring all of your options, you won’t be doing yourself any favours. Your heart has the answers—do your best to listen to it.

The post Your Weekly Horoscope: December 13-19, 2023 appeared first on Chatelaine.

While the photo was no work of art, the comments came in fast and furious. “Beautiful!” “Looks like you’re having an awesome time.” “Have an amazing trip!!!!” Suddenly, an ocean away from home, I was not so lonely.

Alone on the beach, the writer wanted to preserve a memory and decided to flip the camera to herself.

Sharing selfies has become a way to centre myself in my story, to fully own and embody what it means to be a woman living in this time in her late 40s. A way to document my growth, my heartaches, my experiences and my joy, from feeling like a stranger to myself when my marriage ended to standing on my own two feet, building a career, raising kids and learning how to love again.

While selfies are often scoffed at rather than seen as a meaningful form of self-expression, sharing photos of ourselves is part of the way social media gives a platform to those left out of mainstream stories until now. They allow marginalized people to take up space and change the narrative of who gets to be in the spotlight. Selfies also put you as the director and star of your story, with the subject also being the photographer, and deciding what to snap and share, rather than allowing someone else to decide for you.

Why midlife women should embrace the selfie

As our physical selves change with age, many midlife women may hesitate to take and share a selfie, feeling uncomfortable in front of the camera. But the power of having complete control of your image means you get to play with portraiture on your own terms. At 40, Toronto area vlogger and influencer Tina Singh thinks there’s no better time to start. “Being 40 or older—it’s one of the greatest times to do this,” says Singh. “I have a thicker skin because of all the things I’ve been through.” An occupational therapist and mom of three boys, Singh started her social channels after realizing she was so busy that she wasn’t documenting the life of her children.

Embracing your full self as you are via a selfie can be a very powerful thing, but first we have to acknowledge the scary parts. “What is the thing that you’re afraid of seeing in a photograph?” asks Winnipeg-based body image educator and photographer Teri Hofford. “Are you afraid of seeing your rolls, wrinkles, cellulite or your double chin? Everyone has something.”

In her online self-portraiture class, Beyond the Body, she starts by encouraging her students to take photos of the thing they’re most afraid to see. “Because once you see it, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m still alive. I’m still here. I’m still loved by the people that care about and appreciate me. That one split second that my rolls or my cellulite or my wrinkles were in that photo does not take away from who I am as a person.’”

Singh says that being raised in a South Asian household and culture, honest expression of feelings and sharing wasn’t always encouraged. So she tries to show real life as it is, messiness and all. “If I’m having a rough day, I do share it. I’ve shared struggles with weight gain during the pandemic. I think that when you share authentically, you’re able to connect with people on a deeper level.”

How to take the perfect selfie

From a technical perspective, lighting makes all the difference when taking good selfies. “Natural light is your best friend,” says Singh, mentioning the times of day with bright, warm light of golden hour, right before sunset, which typically makes everyone look good. “There’s 5 p.m. and then there’s early morning, like 7 a.m.”

Hofford agrees, suggesting that any sort of flat light that shines evenly on the face is best for selfies. “Find a window and stand in front of it,” she says. If overhead lighting like pot lights is unavoidable, Hofford suggests turning your face up toward the light. “Look for the light to make sure there are no shadows hiding around.” Hofford also encourages experimentation with lighting, like playing with backlighting, or getting creative with lamps, spotlights or flashlights.

@chatelaine Want to take holiday selfies like a pro? Here’s how. #selfietips #portraitphotography #iphonetricks #selfiepose #selfiehacks #selfieideas ♬ original sound – Chatelaine

But what about feeling at ease when snapping that shot on your own? Some selfie aficionados record a video of themselves, allowing them time to get settled in front of the camera and pose continuously. Then, they screenshot their favourite moments once they’re done. “Personally I like to use the 10-second timer,” says Hofford. She also recommends different apps, like CLOS, which uses artificial intelligence to snap a photo anytime you move or shift your pose.

As for angles, Hofford wants you to explore without self-judgement. “The word ‘flattering’ is usually synonymous with ‘slimness,’” she explains, “So instead I encourage folks to challenge themselves to try different angles to achieve different feelings that go beyond the beauty standard.”

Here are her tips on posing for a great shot:

• Look square to the camera, or head-on, to appear more confident and self assured.
• An upwards angle can make you look more cocky (in a good way), powerful, dominating and strong.
• A downward angle will create more of a submissive, soft, sensual feel.
• Make dynamic images by creating asymmetry while posing. For example, one shoulder higher or forward more than the other or one hand on waist and one hand overhead.
• Look for triangles and curves to make the shot more aesthetically appealing: think pointed toes, bent elbows or knees, soft wrists, relaxed fingers.

To filter, or not to filter?

When it comes to filters, Hofford recommends avoiding them if you can, because it’s important to get comfortable with how you actually look. For Singh, it depends on the filter. “Certain filters are really problematic for me. [But] there’s such a wide range of filters. There are filters that just add a little glow and filters that change your face completely, so it’s a matter of what you’re comfortable with. I’m never going to tell a woman that she shouldn’t filter her pictures if that’s how she feels comfortable. But I think we all should be working to get to a place, myself included, where we can post a picture without a filter, right?”

Both Hofford and Singh say it’s more about how you feel when taking the photo. “One of my tips for getting good photos is to be in the moment with what you’re doing, where there’s an authentic feeling behind it,” recommends Singh. “I think those lead to the best pictures.”

“Shift your expectations of what your body owes you, what photography owes you and what emotions should look like in photographs,” says Hofford, who recommends taking a photo when you’re feeling sexy, and not judging it based on the version of sexy we’ve been sold. “Did you feel sexy when the photo was taken? Then that is what a sexy photo looks like for you.”

Selfies tell stories and preserve memories

Singh says much like wanting to document her kids growing up, she’s also documenting her own life journey and that’s important. “It’s not really about how you look, it’s about the moment.”

“I think especially for women that are in that middle age gap, upwards of 40… They haven’t existed in photos unless there were other people present,” says Hofford. “Part of the problem is that they don’t know that they can be alone in the photograph. And that is okay.” She jokes that most people will have pictures of dead people on their walls before hanging a photo of themselves. “Have at least one photo where you’re just full body, feeling confident.”

For me, as a writer of personal stories, posting selfies has become a new storytelling medium. Looking back at our faces and seeing our life stories told through increasing wrinkles, dark spots, scowls or smiles can be profoundly transformative. I wish someone had told me long ago that so much of life is simply experimentation and that creativity could be found anywhere.

From documenting new adventures and cute outfits to capturing how I was feeling or who I was on a particular day, selfies remind me that I’m making progress. A way to reflect me back to myself and see myself differently in the process. As though I’m saying, “Hey, you’re getting older. Get used to it. Find what’s beautiful here.”

The post Hey, Midlife Women—Life Is Short. Take That Selfie. Here’s How appeared first on Chatelaine.

McAllister’s Calgary-based residential cleaning business is nearly six years old, and she’s quickly amassed an online #cleaningarmy of fans that spans Canada and the U.S. Much of that growth came when we all suddenly found ourselves locked down at home with little to do and a newfound appreciation for bleach. McAllister’s deep-cleaning tutorials and tips offer a way to keep busy (or, at the very least, soothed by the seeming ease with which she can transform the crustiest sink or grungiest floor).

(Photo: Courtesy of Sarah McAllister)

Best of all, her hacks actually work, as proven by her followers who regularly share their own transformations. And you don’t need pricey professional supplies—so, if your local store is sold out of powdered Tide, you can blame McAllister (more on that in a second).

We asked McAllister for her very best cleaning hacks (spoiler alert: I tried them out and I’m completely hooked.) From how to tackle the (surprising) filthiest spot in most homes to her trick for way easier toilet-cleaning, she spilled all of her not-so-dirty secrets.

 

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1. Powdered Tide is your best friend

Of all the cleaning products that McAllister has tried, she keeps returning to the same thing both her mom and grandmother swore by: a box of classic Tide Powder Laundry Detergent. “It works great on floors, walls, baseboards, even bathtubs—you can scrub it into a paste and it takes soap scum off,” she explains. “It’s so versatile; it’s really just magic.” There’s no need for fancy cleaning tools in her books.

The combination of surfactants (the sudsy stuff that helps release dirt), enzymes (proteins that break down stains) and the gritty texture make for a powerful cleaner for almost any hard surface (and of course, your laundry itself). Whether you’re scrubbing out the inside of your fridge or mopping your hardwood, McAllister recommends filling your kitchen sink or a bucket with hot water and adding one teaspoon of powdered Tide.

 

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2. Get over your bleach aversion

If you want to kick your Tide and hot water up a notch, mix in McAllister’s other trusty staple: bleach. She concedes that many of her followers feel uneasy using bleach but swears by it for disinfecting areas that get especially germy: bathrooms, doorknobs, garbage cans. “After you use it once, you’ll say, ‘Okay, this isn’t so bad,’” she promises.

McAllister dilutes the bleach with her trademark recipe (do not mix bleach with anything else, she urges—bleach can form a dangerous gas if mixed with other products, particularly those containing ammonia):

• 1 gallon of hot water
• 1 teaspoon of Tide Powder Laundry Detergent
• 1/3 cup of liquid bleach

Wear old clothes, rubber gloves and open the windows as you work.

 

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3. Don’t forget the (ironic) dirtiest spot in your house

“Laundry machines are generally the worst,” says McAllister. “It’s always the places that we put things to get clean that we don’t think about cleaning.” She adds that the always-wet environment sets the stage for bacteria, mold and bad smells. It takes a little more than a quick clean to get rid of those.

Most people with front-loading washing machines are unaware that there’s a filter they’re supposed to clean monthly, says McAllister. “The filter usually has about $40 in change, baby socks, slime and mould.” Google your serial number for specifics, but typically, there’s a small trap door on the front of the washer (or if you have a top loader, there’s likely a filter in the agitator that you can access). Inside, you’ll find a black hose that you can unplug over a large bowl to drain the (stinky!) water. Then, unscrew the filter and wash it with bleach and water—skip the Tide here so things don’t get foamy. Once you’re done, put everything back very tightly to avoid leaks.

McAllister also recommends scrubbing the seals of your machine with straight bleach, running an empty cycle on hot and always leaving the door ajar between loads. “When there’s no air circulating and it doesn’t dry out, that’s when you have that smell.”

 

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4. Vacuum (the outside of) your toilet

“If you go crazy spraying the back, top and u-bend of the toilet, you spray down hair and dust, which turns it into mud and creates way more work for yourself,” says McAllister. Instead, she goes in first with a horsehair brush attachment (like this one, look up your vaccum’s model to find one that fits) on her vacuum to suck everything up—all dry parts of her toilet, as well as her bathtub, baseboards, counters—so that she then just has to disinfect and remove stains afterwards.

She’s tested the method and found that it saves about 30 minutes of bathroom-cleaning each time. “It blows people’s minds,” she says. As for the vacuum brush itself, just dunk it in water and bleach afterwards then pop it on a vent to air dry.

 

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5. Start laundry stripping

Got time to kill at home? Tackle a deeply satisfying task with McAllister’s laundry stripping technique—one of her most-viral hacks ever. “When you think about how your shower and faucets get water spots and calcium and mineral buildup, that also happens with your clothing,” says McAllister, adding that fabric softener and laundry detergent are also culprits for residue.

It all translates to a loss of softness and absorbency. “I like to strip high-performance fabrics like towels, bedding and workout clothes,” says McAllister. “Workout clothes are always the grossest.” She warns against stripping anything with a decal though, as it may come off. (For more tips on washing workout gear, look up our handy guide.)

First, you’ll need to fill your bathtub about halfway with the hottest water you can and the items you want to strip. Then, mix in McAllister’s laundry-stripping recipe, which she shared from her book The Cleaning Army Handbook: Laundry Guide.

• 2 cups of Tide Powder Laundry Detergent
• 1/4 cup Borax Laundry Detergent and Booster
• 1/4 cup washing soda (try Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda)
• 1/4 cup Calgon Liquid Water Softener (this can be hard to find in Canada, but McAllister says you can skip it and still get great results)

Let it soak for four hours, stirring every hour, and brace yourself for murky water. Once you’re done, use a bucket to move everything over to your washing machine and run a full cycle (without adding detergent) to rinse it all away.

While the products in this piece have been independently chosen, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Originally published in 2021, updated in 2023.

The post 5 Cleaning Tips From The Company That’s All Over Instagram appeared first on Chatelaine.

We tested hundreds of formulas to find the best red lipsticks on the market. Then, with the help of makeup artist (and scarlet-lip enthusiast) Jasmine Merinsky, we narrowed down the range to reds that look good on every single skin tone. The result? Ten iconic red lipsticks worth adding to your collection.

(Photo: Christie Vuong. Produced by Andréanne Dion and Sun Ngo. Prop styling, Tricia Hall.)

The best red lipsticks to shop now

Best overall red lipstick

M.A.C Cosmetics Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipstick in Lady Bug, $33

This satin formula is infused with moisturizing olive oil and earns top marks thanks to its A+ colour payoff, ease of application and all-day comfort. There’s plenty of red hues to choose from in this range, but we’re obsessed with Lady Bug, a dark red with a perfectly balanced undertone.

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Best drugstore red lipstick

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Reds of Worth in Prosperous Red, $11

Creamy and pigmented, this red gives pricier options a run for their money. It contains argan oil and vitamin E to moisturize lips throughout the day. It comes in six deeply vibrant red hues, but brick reds—like the shade Prosperous Red—look good on everyone, notes Merinsky.

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@chatelaine Five perfect reds worth splurging on #redlipstick #lipstickswatch #lipsticktryon #makeuproutine ♬ Work It – Missy Elliott

Best luxury red lipstick

Guerlain Rouge G Satin Refillable Lipstick in 214, $44 (refill) and $48 (case)

This lipstick’s satin sheen is impressive, but what sold us is its mirrored, refillable case, which comes in a variety of prints and finishes. The beauty of this customizable lipstick is that you can keep different shades and formulas on deck and swap them out as needed.

Lipstick refill

Refillable case

Best transfer-proof red lipstick

Dior Rouge Dior Forever in 999 Forever Dior, $61

Looking for a modern matte lipstick? This weightless, warm red glides on easily and stands up to coffee cups, snacks and face masks without smearing. Despite its impressive staying power, it feels incredibly creamy and comfortable on the lips.

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Best hydrating red lipstick

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in 444 Gabrielle, $46

This classic, slightly shimmery red is the perfect hydrating lipstick for those looking for high colour payoff. It’s infused with a cocktail of nourishing mimosa, jojoba and sunflower waxes, which keeps lips from feeling dry and smoothes them out.

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Best matte red lipstick

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 in Red Hot Susan, $46

“If you want your lipstick to look bold, it [should] have a bit of orange in it,” says Merinsky. This surprisingly hydrating matte lipstick contains a hint of orange pigment that’s flattering on all skin tones.

The matte finish is perfect for those who typically favour satin lippies as it still has plenty of dimension and won’t dry out your pout. Pair with a matching lip liner for a look that stays put all day.

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Best high-shine red lipstick

Maybelline SuperStay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipstick in Red Hot, $13

This longwear liquid lipstick—a shinier, party-read take on the brand’s popular SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick—features a touch of orange for a flattering hue. The formula is outstanding, giving lips a beautiful mirror-like shine that’s guaranteed to turn heads. Plus, we love the easy-to-use applicator that allows you to draw on the colour without smudges.

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Best liquid red lipstick

Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment in Dragon Girl, $41

Featuring an ink-like, fluid texture and a fine-tipped wand for precise application, this vivid, cool-toned red dries quickly into a budge-proof matte finish.

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Best sheer red lipstick

Burt’s Bees Gloss & Glow in Eat, Drink and Be Cherry, $10

If you’re unsure about wearing red lipstick, try this drugstore gem. The lightweight texture and sheer finish make this rosy-red lip colour—which is packed with mango butter and coconut oil—incredibly comfortable to wear and easy to reapply on the go.

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Best red lip treatment

U Beauty The Plasma Lip Compound Treatment in Shanghai, $92

This Lunar New Year-inspired lip treatment is the perfect red for winter. The balm-like texture is incredibly pigmented and opaque, and the treatment features powerhouse ingredients like peptides, ceramides, shea butter and beeswax. It also had exfoliating AHAs, PHAs and salicylic acid to take care of chapped lips.

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While the products in this piece have been independently chosen by our editors, this article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

The post 10 Red Lipsticks That Look Good On Everyone appeared first on Chatelaine.