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Test

2010-08-17T22:09:43Z

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Celebrating mothers

2010-05-07T20:07:53Z

The history behind Mother's Day is as delightful as it is delicious. Cinda shares a little bit of the history and a recipe for the occasion.

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Orange Apricot Spice Cake

¾ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup golden rum or whisky
1½ cups flour
½ cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon and ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup orange juice
Grated zest of 1 orange

Combine the apricots with the rum in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Set aside for 30 minutes to soak.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment.

Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and spices.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, then add the eggs and beat until thick, about 5-7 minutes. Stir some of the flour mixture into the batter, then add half the orange juice. Repeat, stirring until the mixture is well blended. Fold in the orange zest and reserved marinated apricots.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan (the pan should not be more than ¾ full) and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, about 50-60 minutes.

Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then loosen around the edges with a sharp knife and release from the pan. Place the cake on another rack to completely cool. Dust with icing sugar or drizzle with a glaze made with equal parts of orange juice and icing sugar. Serves 8-10.

Half the Sky

2010-05-06T20:38:07Z

Pulitzer prize winning journalist Sheryl WuDunn of the New York Times talks about her new book Half the Sky, Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. She wrote the book with her husband fellow Pulitzer winner Nicholas D. Kristof. She explains the theme of empowerment which runs through the book is a good fit with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter fundraising event where she's speaking.

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Alberta Readers' Choice Award

2010-05-06T18:33:10Z

The Edmonton Public Library and the Book Publishers Association of Alberta want you to help select the inaugural winner of the Alberta Readers' Choice Award. You get to read five great books from Alberta publishers, and your vote helps one author win ten thousand dollars.

Cast your vote

Lessons from the oil spill

2010-05-04T20:39:32Z

The people trying to reign in the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico got a little help from the weather. But their work is far from over. Mike Miller of Safety Boss talks about the clean up strategy. And Satya Das, the author of Green Oil, then considers what lessons Alberta can learn from this, and whether the environment trumps the almighty dollar when it comes to energy development.

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Shooting blanks?

2010-04-30T20:02:54Z

Ruth takes aim at the new Paul Gross western "Gunless" but she's not too impressed. She was taken, however, with her conversation with Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame, as they discussed the release of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus on DVD.

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Talk about sex

2010-04-28T19:57:22Z

Julie Freedman Smith of Parenting Power explains how best to discuss sex education with our children.

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RSS to the rescue

2010-04-27T20:16:35Z

A simple orange button can organize the myriad online sources you turn to with a single click.

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Big Juno weekend

2010-04-16T20:06:07Z

Music fans will enjoy some big international stars who also happen to be Canadian at this weekend's Juno Awards.

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Extraordinary grilled cheese

2010-04-15T20:12:17Z

Foodies everywhere are transforming boring grilled cheese sandwiches into sensational delights.

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Grilled Welsh Rarebit

Use any kind of cheddar, Gruyere, or other sharp, melting cheese in your rarebit. Chop or shred the cheese, and flavour the creamy sauce with a bit of dry mustard and Worcestershire, then pour it over a thick piece of toasted wholegrain bread and toast under the broiler. Serve with tomato chutney or sweet pickles, for a quick lunch or breakfast.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup pale ale, hard apple cider or milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (like Keen's)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ pound or about 2 cups, grated sharp cheese (cheddar or a combo of cheddar, Gruyere, Lancashire, Friulano, etc.)
2-4 thick slices whole grain bread, toasted
Smoky paprika or cayenne
1 green onion, chopped

Preheat the broiler.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook together, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the ale, cider or milk to make a thick sauce and cook until bubbly. Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire, then the cheese, mixing to melt.

Place the toast on a baking sheet. Top each piece of toast with a thick layer of cheese sauce and sprinkle lightly with paprika or cayenne. Slide it under the preheated broiler, and broil for a minute, just until cheese begins to brown on top. Watch carefully. Sprinkle with chopped green onion and serve. Serves 2-4.

Shining up the Apple

2010-04-13T20:18:01Z

Apple has announced some new software to deal with some of the shortcomings of its most popular gadgets.

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DJ Kelly

2010-04-01T21:53:05Z

Alternating Tuesdays at 12:20 p.m.

DJ Kelly is our Wildrose tech guy. He's a Calgary arts administrator and blogger, with a keen interest in the latest technology toys and trends. www.djkelly.ca

Ruth Myles

2010-04-01T21:52:12Z

Alternating Fridays at 12:20 p.m.

Ruth Myles is our pop culture guru. She's a senior editor, reviewing tv, dvd's and movies for Swerve Magazine, which you can see in the Calgary Herald on Fridays.

Gail Bell & Julie Freedman Smith

2010-04-01T21:50:12Z

Alternating Wednesdays at 12:20 p.m.

Our parenting experts are Gail Bell and Julie Freedman Smith with Parenting Power. They present parenting workshops through their own company at various corporations, community organizations, churches and schools, and workplace-based parenting training through Lifespeak Inc.

They're the co-authors of three parenting handbooks including, Parenting with a Plan™, Finding and Choosing the Right Preschool, and Finding and Choosing the Right School. The next four in the series will include, Sibling Rivalry, Sleep - Remember When?, There's a Bully in our Neighbourhood - What to do, and What to Know, What to Expect (Ages and Stages).

Cinda Chavich and Mary Bailey

2010-04-01T21:42:17Z

Thursdays at 12:20 p.m.

Mary Bailey is the publisher of the Edmonton bi-monthly magazine City Palate - the flavour of Edmonton's food scene and the co-author of The Food Lover's Trail Guide to Alberta Volumes 1 and 2, published by Touchwood Editions. She's also a certified sommelier.

Cinda Chavich is an award-winning writer, and author of The Girl Can't Cook and The Guy Can't Cook, published by Whitecap. Her website is www.tastereport.com.