I come from generations of ferocious volunteers – my father, who worked a full day running a textile business, would come home, eat, and gallop off to a committee meeting two or three times a week, a pattern which persisted for 40 years. In sharp contrast, I don’t like to leave the house except for shopping and parties, and these days I try to wriggle out of even those activities. This, of course, is very wrong and I am going to change. Robert Putnam, the Harvard sociologist who publishe...

I’m not the best environmentalist in the house – I admit it. Sometimes, if the compost bin is full, I put the onion skins in the trash instead of taking the compost outside and emptying it. But then again, I sometimes justify it by thinking that putting things in the compost bin is only the tiniest fragment of the environmental job. It’s easy for everyone else to claim the environmental high ground, even though they don’t ever take the full bin out to the composter and empty out the ...

As temperatures dropped with the arrival of winter, thoughts turned to warmer climates, beaches, tropical fruit, and golden tans. Oh, to break free of heavy coats and winter slush! If you haven’t decided on a winter getaway, consider Bali. Yes, Bali – the magical Indonesian island that has enchanted mystics, 17th century explorers, surfer hippies, artists, and contemporary authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame. My first childhood memories are of Bali. I remembe...

You’re back at work after a hectic end of year. You’re settling back into the swing of things and catching up with the build-up of work left over from the holidays when, all of a sudden, your boss announces you’re due to take those two weeks of vacation you’ve accumulated. And soon! Normally, the prospect of a vacation seldom puts a frown on anyone’s face, but quite frankly, who has the time (or will) to plan a proper getaway? Let’s just say that after picking a destination, arran...

Here’s a dirty little secret. I hate cooking. Don’t even get me started on baking. I like the idea of both just fine – it’s the actual doing of same where I unspool like a cheap suit. Recipes baffle me. They’re full of numbers and measurements and sequences of events that my head hurts just looking at them. And they always (ALWAYS!) leave out some crucial tidbit, no doubt assuming the cook in question has a fundamental grasp of food preparation. I stare dumbly at the list of ingred...

When my editor came to me and asked if I could write about green wine for this issue, I cringed. It can’t be getting close to St. Patrick ’s Day yet, and while I certainly enjoy a couple of pints of green beer once a year, who would want to turn their wine green? Or was I perhaps supposed to write about Gruner Veltliner, the spritzy Austrian white that’s also known as Gru-Vee, making it a fun, trendy wine to take to parties these days? Obviously the intent was for me to look at wines th...

I have to admit that I am a Neanderthal when it comes to the digital world. But I am proud to say that I finally bought groceries online through Grocery Gateway. And not only did I save time, it was a great experience. Before Grocery Gateway, I liked to read labels and get a feel for the size and texture of my choices. Given that appearance, smell, and touch are impossible to convey online, I wasn’t sure I could trust a stranger to pick my fruits and vegetables. I changed my mind,...

Rose Reisman is one of this country’s most highly-esteemed, leading authorities on wellness and healthy living. She is a savvy entrepreneur and registered nutritionist who is an author, teacher, consultant, and TV and radio personality. I had the great pleasure of meeting with Rose at Glow, a restaurant in Don Mills she co-owns with Peter Higley. As we order, Rose tells me about the restaurant’s philosophy of fresh, flavourful, locally-sourced, lower-fat foods that “glow” with ...