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EDITOR'S PICK

Meals made easy

by Tamara McKee

Parents make their own choices for their kids when it comes to nutrition but here are some new options, exclusive to Sobey's, IGA and Pricechopper stores, which are sure to put a smile on their faces.
These days many kids' foods are laced with high glucose fructose (corn syrup). High sugar and high sodium are linked to many childhood diseases.

These are three favourites:

1. Breekie Bites - Whole wheat, cinnamon mini waffles
2. Alpha Bites - Alphabet mashed potato letters
3. Fruit Pic Mix - Dried fruit mix in raisin, berry, apple

It's nice to read the ingredient list and not see any artificial flavours, chemicals or preservatives.

Disney and Sobey's have combined forces to make meals easier and healthier for kids. The new Compliments Junior line includes more than 100 new products, of which 75 per cent bear the Health Check symbol. As with anything, check the ingredients.

posted 12.10.07

Enjoy some doggone family fun this month

BY Heather M. O'Connor

Husky pup

Guess where you'll find one of the best dog sled racing events in Canada. If you said British Columbia, think east. If you guessed the Yukon, head south. You didn't think of Durham Region, eh?

Billed as an all bark, no frostbite event, the Cannington Dog Sled Races and Winter Carnival promises to be jam-packed with family fun. Where else can you watch four-, six- and eight-dog teams racing for a $10,000 purse? Or sample a bison burger? Or experience a little genuine Métis culture?

In just four short years, the dog sled races have built a loyal following. Seventy competitors and over 3300 spectators will converge on the small town for the three-day event, held February 22nd to 24th. It kicks off in downtown Cannington Friday night, when artists start chipping and carving the blocks of ice lining Cambridge Street. By the next day, their ice sculptures will be ready for judging.

Saturday opens with a pancake breakfast at Legion Hall but the real action starts at 10 a.m. when the first dog sledders mush their way through the course. Teams leave MacLeod Park every few minutes.

At the nearby kids' play area, llamas, emus and other cute and cuddly animals get up-close and personal with visitors at the exotic petting zoo. For kids whose taste leans toward the conventional, the husky puppy corral gives them a chance to shake paws with some young sled dogs. The play area is also the headquarters for the family treasure hunt.

The day offers other attractions, too. Adventurous souls will want to try the toilet seat toss - yup, just how it sounds - or the grapefruit-slinging challenge, where the weapon is a giant slingshot and the ammunition is yellow and juicy. Or the Bigfoot challenge, where trios of participants on a single pair of skis race the other teams to the finish line.

From noon to two, Cameron Street attracts all the attention. Buy your lunch from the street vendors, do some shopping, tour downtown on a horsedrawn wagon, and take in live music from the bandstand. At two o'clock, be listening. The historic town hall bell, which hasn't sounded in a decade, will ring to announce the resumption of Saturday's racing. Music and entertainment continue into the evening. The races and other events continue Sunday.

"We're honoured to be hosting the Oshawa Métis Council who will be taking us back in time with their authentic native foods, full-dress ceremonial walks and traditional smudging ceremonies," says Ben Deith, chair of the race committee and president of the Cannington Business Association.

"Mark it on your calendar now; this is a three-day weekend of excitement that's guaranteed to get the whole family mushing," he says. "If you've never tried a bison burger while listening to the huskies howl, this is one experience you won't want to miss."

You'll find Cannington on Durham Road 12, five kilometres east of Hwy. 12. Adult admission is $8 at the gate; children 13 and under are just $2 each. For more information, visit www.mycannington.com or call toll-free 1-877-246-1266.

29.02.08