Pizza-Making Kids' Style

At the Canada Day celebration this year held at the Mississauga Celebration Square, we were graciously given the opportunity to sign up our kids for a pizza-making workshop. Due to my deep-seated fear that my child would turn out to be an undomesticated goddess like me, maybe partly because I never participated in any food-making workshop or courses when I was young, I didn't even hesitate to sign her up.

 

My child seems to enjoy making food, or playing with food, however you wanna see it. This is definitely a plus. The child in me was envious. Their pizza-making antics sure looked fun! Here are some photos at the workshop:

 

All the kids being so quiet and attentive

 

Dough being tested using the nose
 

Pressing and shaping the dough
 

Flattening the pizza



Getting ready for an epic toss....

 

Stomping the dough back into shape

 

And then finally, crumpling...

 

Voila! A certified pizza maker has just left the building!

 

Canada Day 2014 Celebration



my little Canucks in the making



We totally skipped this event on our first year in Canada, but this year was definitely the year not to be missed.

 

After one whole year of living in Canada, we are finally ready to call it our home. Not that there was any real doubt that we would change our minds, but during our early settling days after landing, we needed some assurance that this was indeed the right move for us. As any immigrant will tell you, it's not an easy road, one fraught with incredible elation at times and despairing anxiety at other times.

 

Yet here we are, 18 months down the line.

 

Every community celebrates Canada Day in their own way. In Mississauga, the funfair was held at the Mississauga Celebration Square. There were kiddie rides, shows, performances, food stalls, activities for both young and old. Local artists graced the stage and the night was concluded with fireworks atop the Mississauga Town Centre building and the crowd singing "O Canada".

 

It was the simplest of celebrations, held with the greatest of Canadian pride. How could anyone not be moved by it all? We're not yet Canadians on paper but in my heart, I know we are there.

 

Fireworks atop the Mississauga Civic Centre



Writer's Workshop: My Little Cupcake's Cupcakes

2.) Write a blog post inspired by the word: cupcakes

As you all know (well, probably not, but I'll tell you anyway), I am one of the most undomesticated goddess here on earth. Cooking and me don't play well together ever since I can remember. I sometimes fear it could be genetics and that my kids might one day catch this from me.

Thinking somehow I could deviate my kids from this path of being "undomesticated-ness", I decided it would be a good idea to enrol my youngest for baking classes this summer. Nothing too hectic, just a week's worth of icing sugar, egg, flour and milk. See how it goes. She started the class this week and by the end of the fourth day (today), all she can say is that she loves it.

Here are samples of her work:

First attempt

Frozen-themed cupcakes

Animal-themed cupcakes

Cookies

 

The baking classes are held at (the aptly named shop called) Bakersville. They offer kids the chance to be a baker's helper with mixing and stirring and icing. They make 4 cupcakes or cookies a day. The kids do their own designs on their cupcakes.

Bakersville

Secretly, I think my child just loves designing the cupcakes more than the actual baking. Oh but well, I suppose, as long as she's enjoying herself with baking, there's a good chance she might turn out a little differently from me when it comes to kitchen duties.

And so I end this post, munching on a little cupcake that was especially decorated for me. I am grateful but will eternally be wondering why my child designed a hippo at the thought of me.

Canada's Wonderland

Instagrammed by jamie250196



Summer vacations in Canada normally signal the start of the "happening" season. Of course, it does not mean that nothing happens in winter, it's just that there's more to do when summertime comes around.

If you've got family and you love amusement parks, like us, no visit to Canada is complete without a trip to Canada's Wonderland, a premier amusement park situated in Vaughan, Ontario.

Even before summer starts, promotions to get annual passes already did the rounds. It is a good idea (and cheaper too) to buy passes with a group of friends if you are going to visit more than once. The tickets are valid for summer, everyday from June to August and every weekend and holidays from September to October.

 

This is the second year that we have been to Canada's Wonderland. It's funny because I only noticed now that I never blogged about our first visit, which is kinda weird for me, since I (think I) always chronicle new places and experiences that we, as a family, get to do.

 

Anyway, Canada's Wonderland definitely has everything that a kid, big or small, would want. Rides, ranging from adrenaline-filled to fear-challenging, can be found at the park. Family rides, thrill rides, kiddie rides....are available to become the ride of your life.

 

The Leviathan



Now, not everyone is keen to be riding rides all day. So they've also got Splash Works at the place. Splash Works is a water park complete with long and twisty slides.

 

Splash Works



Of course, the park has the usual prize booths, caricature and henna tattoo artists, concession stands, movie theatre floating around. I probably just made it sound like the place is normal but I can assure you that when everything mentioned above are all put together, Canada's Wonderland is not your average amusement park.

 

So if you're feeling up to the adventure, maybe dropping at a height of 306 feet at an 80 degree angle, this is the place to be. The Leviathan is just waiting for you.

 

For more information about prices and attractions, visit their website.

 



The Castle in the City



Casa Loma - view from the parking lot



I've always been fascinated with castles ever since my chance visit to Windsor Castle in the UK. So when the opportunity for a trip to Casa Loma sprung up (meaning I was getting the admission fee at a discounted price), I grabbed it with both hands.

 

Casa Loma was the former estate of financier, Sir Henry Pellatt and his wife, Lady Mary Pellatt. Sir Henry Pellatt had always been the romantic and built the medieval castle because of his love for fine art and architecture. Casa Loma, meaning "House on the Hill", was the grandest residence in Toronto, which took 3 years to complete (1911 - 1914).

 

Unfortunately, the Pellatt family fell into hard times (remember, these were Great Depression times) and had to abandon the castle in 1923 due to financial difficulties.

Casa Loma oak room

The grounds showcased magnificent landscaping and the castle was astounding. You'd never guess that such a castle was hiding in the middle of Toronto. Casa Loma is now a museum and hospitality venue. The castle still housed some antique household furniture and pieces and touring the castle really gives you that "step back in time" experience.

One thing that sticks to my mind was one of the first rooms we saw in the castle. It was an office which was dubbed the round room. It was a room that was a perfect circle. The walls and doors in the room were not flat at all. They were curved to accommodate the roundness.

The perfect circle room

There is also a 800-foot underground tunnel from the Castle that takes you to a hunting lodge and stables on the other side. The hunting lodge had vintage cars on display.
 

The stable and hunting lodge - viewed from a castle tower

vintage car at Casa Loma

Since the castle really is a great backdrop, it has been used in many movie scenes. Most notable are X-Men, The Vow, The Tuxedo, Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

Fancy yourself roaming a fairytale castle on the weekend? Then Casa Loma is your place.

Casa Loma conservatory

For more details, check out the Casa Loma website.