GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING May 26, 2010

Men and women both have a need for speed, but what is it about cars that turns their particular crank?

Come back with me to 1982. Imagine a plucky 17-year-old high school girl with keys to a 1974 Cutlass Supreme, blue with a white top. She knew the guys in shops class were busy customizing and super-tuning their Chevy Camaros and Dodge Chargers. She also knew they had a weekend tradition of heading out of town and pitting their rides against each other on a quarter-mile strip of Whiskey Road. The prize was pizza.

Read the full story, originally published May 22, 2010 in the Winnipeg Free Press here.

A CAMPING WE WILL GO May 18, 2010

We’re gearing up for a family camping trip this weekend. I’m struggling with the idea of letting our 12-year old son bring his iTouch along and perhaps a portable DVD player. I have to be careful with what kind of law I lay down. If he can’t bring his iTouch, can I bring my iPad to read on?

If you decide that camping will be electronics-inclusive, you need to get this tent, the Coleman Elite Sundome 6. It has a USB port inside that lets you charge a variety of electronic devices. That will come in mighty handy if it’s pouring rain and I want to watch the final episode of Everest: Beyond the Limit on my iPad.

The tent also has an LED lighting system inside. Brilliant! If you’ve ever tried to find your shoes in the dark for a midnight trip to the outhouse, you know how wonderful a light inside a tent will be.

Here are the specs on this beauty.

• 12’ x 10’ tent with 72” centre height
• Sleeps 6
• Hinged door for easy entry
• LED lighting system with lighted control switch
• USB port for charging most electronic devices
• Self rolling windows: a spring coils up to roll the fabric so the
camper doesn’t have to roll the windows manually

Available from Coleman at Canadian Tire for $249.99

KETTLE CHARCOAL GRILL May 10, 2010

Oh I do love a charcoal grill. I picked up a barrel-style unit at a garage sale last year for $20. It makes me expand my culinary horizons by attempting to replicate the marinated and grilled young onions, with greens, that are served at taco stands all over Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I also smoked a pork shoulder in it last fall. Charcoal is my teacher, because it teaches patience and that’s exactly what I need to learn.

I was in Superstore last week and saw these kettle-style charcoal grills in person. They have a personality of their own—amazingly cute!

They make a great hostess gift or the perfect addition for a weekend camping trip.  Available in four bright colours: blue, red, white and yellow. For $29.99, how can you go wrong?

At Superstore.