Cheap things to do with kids for the Christmas break

So, you’ve already maxed out your credit cards buying gifts and goodies for potlucks and holiday gatherings. And, you’ve also booked the last of your vacation days for the year. Now, the kids are off. Oh, and so are you! What can you do without spending more than what you have budgeted for?!

To be honest, I would like to just chill over the holidays and finish that book I am reading! So, let’s add "not-so-tiring" to "budget-friendly" to the list of activities your family can do over the holiday break :)

1. Catch a movie. There are a lot of new movies out this season. There are actually 3 I would want to see! Movie houses are open on Christmas day and New Year’s as well (when most everything is closed!)

2. Free ice-skating. Skate for free at the Natrel rink at Harbourfront. Or check out your Community Centre for skating schedules—it’s either free on some days or kids pay under $5! I don’t actually skate but the kids do. Let’s see those months of skating classes pay off!

3. Drive around neighborhoods to check out some holiday lights. Niagara has a Festival of Lights and so does Downsview Park. Niagara is free (but quite a drive) and Downsview park charges per vehicle. I believe you can also walk through for a different fee. I have personally not seen the Trail of Lights at Downsview, but the Niagara one is nice.

4. And if all else fails (ie, you are stuck at home due to a snowstorm)--Games at home. Let the kids enjoy the gifts they got for Christmas. We got a few new boardgames and videogames (and am so excited for the kids to get their gifts!!!). Give the kids a chance to play with the toys they got and have some quality time playing Wii or Monopoly!

5. Oh wait, speaking of snowstorm…empty plastic containers + snow = snow forts for more snow play! And you can actually just do this outside your house! Hot chocolate with marshmallows after being in the cold makes the afternoon just perfect. Whatever you end up doing, low cost or not (catching a show, going away), I hope that your holiday will be filled with family get-togethers, love and laughter, and prayers and thanksgiving. Have a very Merry Christmas!

Stir fry and more at Genghis Khan

Memories of many meals and gatherings at Mongolian Grill at Makati Cinema got hubby and me excited for this excursion to Genghis Khan at mid-town Toronto.

We arrived just as the restaurant opened and were surprised at the big spread. Seating capacity looked to be over 200! We realized later on that the place does get packed.

It was the girls’ first experience with Mongolian grill so I guided them along in choosing their meat, veggies, noodles and sauce. Chicken, pork, beef and lamb were available. These were sliced thinly and frozen in rolls. There was also squid, shrimp, clams and kani (imitation crab). They had the usual mix of veggies, and for carbs, there were egg noodles, rice noodles and udon. The sauces were pretty varied, too! Apart from the usual Mongolian and Teriyaki, there was Satay, Kung Pao, Korean and Curry. You can also mix your own sauce. The girls were delighted with this newfound independence of being able to choose what they can put in their bowls. I had to manage the quantities they put in, though, as I knew well enough what they can consume.

We then waited as the chefs got the grill heated. It was a large circular grill where the chefs cook the items from each bowl. They use some water and giant chopsticks to cook. Once done, the food is transferred over to a different bowl. 

Apart from this all-you-can-eat stir fry, there is also a buffet of salads, appetizers and other dishes already cooked. There were steamed dumplings (siomai), pork buns (siopao), kung pao fish, chicken wings, almond-crusted fish, and many more.

But the highlight of the meal for the girls was the dessert section. They had the usual pastries and ice cream with toppings. They also had a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and strawberries for dipping. But what got the girls really excited was the snow-cone. After you get your shaved ice, you have all sorts of syrup to choose from—strawberry, raspberry, lime…yum, yum, and yum! These snow cones were a sure hit with my girls! It was a hit with me as well, after I got over my brain freeze.

We were pretty stuffed at the end of this meal. At about $15 (weekend and holiday lunch), it was good value. Kids get 40% off, too. DD#1 is already looking forward to our next trip here and has declared it her new favourite restaurant!

Noodles and dumplings at Myungdong Kalkuksu Noodles and Shabu Shabu

One cold evening, after our second attempt to dine at Myungdong Kalkuksu Noodles and Shabu Shabu (already a mouthful even before eating!) in Thornhill, we managed to get some seats to try some of their specialties. The place is almost always packed with line ups at the entrance so our first attempt landed us in another restaurant nearby. This time, we were not too hungry and there were only two parties ahead of us so we decided to wait it out. I don’t know what it is about Korean, but it is turning out to be one of my favourite cuisines. I’m sure you are not surprised.

We checked out what other tables were having and decided we weren’t up to cooking (shabu shabu) so we opted for dumplings and noodle soup. Some of the servers understood English but it was limited, so pictures on the menu did help a lot. Instead of the usual ban chan with kimchi and beansprouts, they served the most delicious kimchi I’ve ever had-- in a pot. It was sweet and spicy and had me reaching for my tissue with sniffles. I loved it!

We ordered handmade noodles prepared in a few ways. I shared with DD#2 the regular Myungdong Mandoogok soup while Grandma had this same one with mixed dumpling and rice cake.

Hubby shared with DD#1 noodles with hot spice. He claims it is the spiciest soup he has ever had in his life—and we both have had some very spicy Thai food in Bangkok!

Needless to say, DD#1 could not finish her meal and opted to eat more of the other dish we ordered—the Myungdong king-sized dumpling. The dumplings came in a steamer container. They were about the size of a small fist and were packed with meat and leek. They were perfect with the sweet-sour soy sauce mix. Don’t ask me how many I had! If you haven’t tried Korean-style dumplings, this is a great place to try it out!

These were so yummy I only remembered to take a pic when there was only one left!!!

Prices were reasonable, with cost for each person below $10 (more if you will opt for the shabu-shabu). It was a very hearty meal, wonderful comfort food for a cold day. And, as the days are just going to get colder, you can be quite sure we will be back!

If you build it, they will come—Barrio Fiesta and how a seemingly lack of marketing effort makes me still try a restaurant out

Passing by Steeles Ave one time, I saw that the awning of Barrio Fiesta was put up. Really?  THE Barrio Fiesta?  Here?  Really? Hmmnn… same font and logo, it does say “Original,” so maybe it is the one! I haven’t heard folks talk about this much in forums or even in Facebook so I assumed their strategy was—we will build it and they will come. And those who come will spread the word. Well, we did come and here I am spreading the word! So I guess it works, somehow. When we passed by the area again, and I saw the sign “Now Open,” Hubby had to detour so that we can go check it out!

Hubby was quite unsure. This might be a soft opening, the line ups must be long, service will be slow! But I had to be the optimist that day so I said, no, not a lot of people know about it yet and slow service can be tolerated as we were not too hungry.

There was no line up when we got there but we did have to wait a bit for a couple of tables to be cleared before we were seated. The menu was the usual Barrio Fiesta fare minus anything with pork. Apparently, the Franchise owners cannot have pork in the menu for religious reasons. So much for Crispy pata! Oh well.

Service was not bad at all! It wasn’t lightning fast but the food came promptly. Not at all like the 1 hour wait times right across at Max’s these days!  Overall, the food was good, but the servings were small (not for the usual portions for Filipino-style family sharing). Most of what we ordered was good for only two; thus, making it a bit on the pricey side (each dish costs about $13-18). We started with Bouillabaisse soup, my mom’s fave and authentic to the Barrio Fiesta specialty that I remember. Hubby has never tried their version, much less DD#1 and they both loved it! But at $13.99 for a small pot, it was like fine dining. The creamy soup was good and there was a decent amount of shrimp. However, the mussels were not plump nor were they appetizing.

The crispy adobo (a specialty Filipino chicken dish) flakes were indeed crispy but lacked flavor. It does not taste of adobo at all. I would not recommend anyone to order this. But if you still end up ordering this dish, let me know if it is good. Am hoping they'll improve on this because Hubby and I love adobo flakes!

The palabok (rice noodles with sauce) was really good, though, and packed with seafood. The sauce was rich and it had tinapa (salty fish) flakes.

The crispy tadyang ng baka (beef ribs) was also good, especially with vinegar and soy sauce.



We no longer went for dessert but they had pandan and halo halo, among others. We would come back to try the other dishes, but I can see that eating there can be a treat. It is no Toonie Tuesday or Value meal. But we are just too happy that these dishes are becoming more and more accessible. And there is so much more to try! Happy Fiesta!

Panawagan: How we can help rebuild the Philippines from Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

 


Super Typhoon Haiyan headed for the Philippines, Handout photo by NOAA/AFP/Getty images

 Last Friday, November 8, the strongest storm to ever make landfall caused widespread damage in the Philippines, particularly in the area of Samar and Leyte in the Visayas. Thousands have died, thousands are missing and thousands of typhoon survivors are now desperate for help. Haiyan (local name, Yolanda) has left so much devastation, wiping out houses, schools, and hospitals along its path. It has been a week since the storm hit and the roads continue to be blocked with debris and casualties. Communication and electricity are still down. As the Philippines is an archipelago, relief goods cannot get to the survivors fast enough. Most have no home to return to and have gone days without food or water. Some of those affected were those already left homeless from an earthquake barely a month ago.
 




Tacloban City after the storm, photo by Dennis Sabangan, epa

  

The best way to help is to donate to experienced humanitarian organizations. My aim here is to inform as many people as possible on the major organizations deploying relief efforts.  This is the fastest and most efficient way we can get help to the typhoon victims.

Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.ca/donate/donate-online/donate-to-the-typhoon-haiyan-fund

Unicef:

http://www.unicef.org/index.php

Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

World Vision:

http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?funnel=dn&item=2639566&go=item&section=10339&

Habitat for Humanity:

 http://www.give2habitat.org/philippines/ReBuildPhilippines

#ReBuildPH

Global Medic:

http://www.globalmedic.ca/

The Canadian government will match every dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities.

For a full list of registered Canadian charities, click here

I hope the people find it in their hearts to give a little something to help. The Philippines may be at the other side of the world but the need is real and immediate.

Brazilian and Australian: rodizio and wine at Touro

While hubby and I were looking for a place to have a nice steak one date night, we chanced upon Touro in Richmond Hill. We haven’t had rodizio for a while now, so we figured we should give this Brazilian steakhouse a try. And, I also saw Rio with the kids on TV a few days ago, so I guess all signs pointed to Brazil!

We were having early dinner so we were seated fairly quickly despite not having reservations. It was the same concept as Rodeo where you would flip your card into the green side if you wanted your servers to keep serving you meat via table side service. Red was for pause or stop.

The appetizers of puffed parmesan, fried banana fritters and yam were quite good. They definitely whet our appetite.

But when we headed to the buffet area for the appetizers, I would have to say that I was quite unimpressed. Rodeo wins hands down for this. Rodeo had super tasty shrimp and mussels (which we ate too much of!) and the variety of salads was wider. In Touro, there were quite a lot of fillers-- mashed potatoes, potato salad, breads. There were also blah cold cuts, cold seafood salad (not so tasty), and broccoli soup. But we did not come here for the appetizers, we came for meat, so I was willing to overlook that part—a little.

That night, they served 12 cuts of meat. Among those we had were: Picanha,Top Sirloin, Prime Rib, Chicken breast Wrapped in Bacon, Lamb Leg, and parmesan-covered Meat Ball. We skipped on the sausages, pork loin and chicken wings (yes, hard to believe, but I did skip this! I had to ensure I had enough space for the other cuts, you know!). The meat was well-cooked (medium rare to medium) and nicely seasoned. The chimichurri sauce, however, was not that great. I have a better bottled chimichurri at home! Hubby and I especially loved the Picanha (a cut of beef popular in Brazil, known here as rump cap). After the first round, this was the only cut we were requesting for! Don’t ask me how many times we asked the server to bring this back. By the third or fourth time, the other servers carrying other meats were already skipping us.

Then, they started serving the roasted pineapple. This was really divine. Why do I keep forgetting to attempt this at home! The pineapple perfectly complemented the meats and was good to have in between as well, not just dessert. I think this made it easier for us to eat more since it provided a nice break from meat.

We were happy to find out that on that particular night, they had Wine Night! So, after dinner, we headed over to the lounge for some wine tasting. What a perfect way to make the evening more memorable for us! They featured Australian wine and had an expert come over to us to explain the different wines. They had tasting notes and food pairings as well! We started off with the Moscato paired with roasted pineapple. This turned out to be our favourite as we were coming from dinner and it was a wonderful cap. We then moved on to some Pinot Noir paired with chicken sausage. The third and last wine we tasted was the Shiraz paired with lamb. We learned quite a few things and made a mental note to get some Moscato for the house.

We had service which was ok and the appetizer buffet, as I mentioned, was forgettable. Overall, the wine was lovely, interiors were beautiful, and the meat and pineapple were delicious. We set out to have a nice dinner but it was this Wine Night which made the dinner special.

Am still having Korean…at a Chinese mall this time: Axia Resto-Bar-Café

We headed over to Pacific Mall, all set to have some dimsum, one Sunday. When we got there, though, Golden Regency was closed!!! We didn’t feel like getting lunch at the food court, nor did we want to put our coats back on and cross over to the other complex. So, we decided to give Axia Resto-Bar-Café (Korean-Japanese resto) a try. 

There were a few Bento boxes available and I debated for a bit whether to get grilled squid or Beef Bulgogi. To make it simple, I ordered both! J Hubby got some seafood soup and we ordered fried Beef Ramen for the girls. Grandma had some of her favourite-- Shrimp Tempura.

Our ban chan (Korean appetizers) of kimchi, beansprout, and even sweet potato noodles was served along with the miso soup included with our meals.

Soon after, my very yummy grilled squid arrived! It was well cooked, not gummy or rubbery. Hints of char mingled with barbecue sauce wrapped the squid. Yum! I can definitely see myself craving this again. It could also very well be a meal in itself along with some rice. Then, my Bento box came with the same type of appetizers.

The Beef Bulgogi was well marinated and cooked medium. It was delicious! As I was eating two dishes along with appetizers, I had to bring home more than half of my Beef Bulgogi. It was one left-over I was excited to eat. 

Hubby liked his seafood soup, which had a decent serving of shrimps, mussels, and kani (artificial crab).

The girls found the Ramen a bit on the spicy side and opted to swap with Grandma’s Tempura which was also nicely cooked—not oily at all! 

Prices came out to be about $10-15 per person (they have Bento box lunch specials during weekdays for about $7). It was a good discovery and something we will definitely go back to when we are in Pacific Mall-- especially if the dimsum place is still closed (or if I want even MORE Korean!).

If you are ever in Whitby…Mexican brunch at Los Cabos

We were in Whitby many weeks back and we decided to check out Los Cabos for their Mexican brunch. The place was cozy and filled with fun Mexican décor. They had a steady stream of locals dining as well.

Their brunch selection had the usual pancakes, bacon and sausage. The Mexican twist comes in their Eggchiladas (their version of a Mexican omelet) and cooked-as-you-order/all-you-can-eat quesadillas. It was okay. Well, for $7.00 per person, how can you lose?

We got some pulled pork quesadilla and it was good, especially with sour cream and salsa.

Our meal was ok, but not fantastic. I will still head to Burrito Boyz to get my Mexican fix. Their dinner menu did look more interesting—flautas, ceviche, tostadas, among others. However, I don’t know if we will ever be in Whitby for dinner. They have quite a few events posted and they have a patio (for next summer!). So, if you do happen to be there, check this place out and let me know how different evenings are over here. Hasta luego!

Heritage homes, robots and crazy cookies in a place called Port Hope

Along the shores of Lake Ontario, a lovely community beckoned us to stay for the day. We arrived at Port Hope a couple of hours before noon and had some time to explore the area before finding a place to eat. We went to their Information centre downtown and got some ideas on what to do for the day in this picturesque city.

First we checked out the Ganaraska River that runs through the heart of town, to catch a glimpse of the last of the salmon run. I saw some huge salmon jumping along the ladders of the river. Not quite the salmon run folks would’ve seen a week earlier, but it was pretty cool, nonetheless. This river empties into Lake Ontario and is known for year-round fishing. Rainbow Trout also make the run upstream during Spring. I think we will attempt another trip then to try to catch this! 

After watching the many folks who were fly-fishing, we decided to head off for lunch and some dessert. We ate at one of the popular local spots, Jim’s Pizzeria and Spaghetti house and had some, well, pizza and spaghetti . We clearly knew what their specialty was, so why complicate things? We ordered Jim’s combination (pepperoni, mushroom, green, peppers, onion, and bacon) and DD#2 got some Hawaiian (they had a buy 1 medium, get another free promo! Sweet! Or should I say, savoury!).

Pizza at Jim's Pizzeria, Port Hope

The pizza was made to order. It was fresh so we didn’t mind the little bit of wait. The crust was thin and the sauce was delicious. Truly, wonderful pizza! I got some spaghetti and meat sauce. It was delicious—nothing fancy, but a good, hearty meal.

After our nice lunch, we checked out some shops. They had a lot of quaint stores selling home stuff and quite a few antique shops. We just browsed around and worked up our appetite for some dessert. We headed over to Dreamer’s to try some of their famous crazy cookies. They boasted a sign outside of how many crazy cookies have been sold. We would have been damned if we weren’t one of the over 100,000 folks who have tried this!

At $2.00 each, we thought, this had better be good. But it wasn’t good. It was great! Chocolate, caramel and pecans brought a mouthful of cookie heaven! Yum!

Dreamer's Crazy Cookie

Then it was time for some coffee. We went over to Atomic Roasters coffeeshop for some home-roasted, bold coffee.

The girls had raspberry sorbet which the very pleasant owner happily gave out. We also bought a box of 10 ($2 per piece!) artsy gourmet chocolates to sample all sorts of fancy flavours-- from chili-infused to maple syrup filled ones. They were just too pretty to eat.

Chocolates at Atomic Roasters

After all that eating, we decided to drive down to the beach. We relaxed at one of the benches while the girls frolicked along the waters and played in the sand. From this main beach, we could already see the Scarborough Bluffs. Nice.

Before heading home, we went on the self-guided driving tour recommended by the Information centre. We stopped at about 30 restored century homes and buildings along the well-preserved main streets from the 19th century. A short commentary for each stop was provided with the driving guide. Knowing the history made the short drive-bys all the more interesting.

Heritage homes at Port Hope

Did I say we only did the driving tour before heading home? I lied. Hubby would not hesitate to say that I’m quite notorious for side trips. So, needless to say, I convinced him into stopping by Primitive designs to look at some very interesting things for the house. Two giant robots guarded its entrance and also served as a beacon for anyone who might miss this shop.

Merchandise from around the world was available for quite reasonable prices. It was hard to just walk away from there without a purchase. So, I didn’t give myself a hard time anymore and got a little something :) The trip was now complete.

Dutch treat: The Netherlands Bazaar 2013

Last Saturday, my mom and I went to check out the Netherlands bazaar at the Thornhill Community Centre. We didn’t quite know what to expect, but it was a bazaar so it didn’t take much to convince us to go.

We arrived about an hour after the bazaar opened. Parking was awful but we lucked out on a spot. When we went inside, we were surprised to see so many goodies!

There were booths selling flowers (no tulip blooms, only bulbs during this season), knick knacks and souvenirs from Holland (as one would expect). There were also many booths selling cheese, sausage, candies (mostly licorice), pastries and other yummy delights! Mother and I didn’t quite know where to start!

We ended up getting a few goodies to try—almond pastries, Dutch cookies, Boterkoek (Dutch Buttercake), a wedge of Gouda cheese, sausage and an assortment of wafers. Yum!

Then, we headed to the lunch section where they served the meals. We ordered a very hearty pea soup, warm and juicy sausage and some very delicious kroketten (Dutch croquettes). Made of veal mixed in roux, the croquettes were light and creamy inside. These were fried with a crunchy breading and were perfect to dip in some Dijon mustard.

We ate these in one of the many tables nearby while listening to some folk music played with an accordion.

The bazaar also featured an art gallery, book and record sale, and a White Elephant sale (like a garage sale or mini flea market). Then we also went upstairs (the bazaar was spread out over several sections and floors of the community centre) to look at the craft and play area for kids. Fun local games were set up along with some face painting and balloon twisting.

Back downstairs, while others lined up for herring and mackerel (served with onions or packed to take home) at the mini fish market, we lined up to get some freshly-made mini crepes (Dutch baby pancakes or poffertjes).

They were so airy and delightful with a light dusting of powdered sugar. They were so easy to eat with the mini-fork provided. Flag toothpick or none, this was a true Dutch treat!  

 

Apparently this bazaar, with proceeds going to charity, runs only every two years. Am glad we got to go to this one. We will make sure to go back in 2015!