Traditional New Year’s Food
The New Year is often a time for many to start anew and leave the past in the past. Of course, everyone looks forward to a great year ahead and what better way to do this than by enjoying traditional New Year’s food to increase your good fortune. Tradition differs in every culture but there are some that are quite similar from one to another. Discover all the New Year’s food traditions right here so you can include them when preparing your meal for this holiday. There is certainly nothing wrong with guaranteeing good fortune with food for the New Year.
Green Vegetables
Cooked green vegetables such as cabbage, chard, kale, and collards are consumed during New Year’s Eve in many different cultures. This is for the reason that these vegetables look similar to folded money and are the same color of money as well, which many believe will bring in good economic fortune for the coming year. The more greens consumed, the more fortune will be received. This is also a tradition done here in the Southern part of the United States where New Year’s food traditions include consuming collards.
Legumes
An assortment of legumes that include peas, lentils, and beans are also believed to bring in financial fortune when consumed on New Year’s Eve. This is also included in the Southern New Year’s food traditions where a classic Southern dish known as Hoppin’ John is served that contains cowpeas or black-eyed peas.
Fish
Most people in Asia, Europe and North America also consume fish during the New Year. Some believe that since fish swim forward, they are a symbol of moving forward into the New Year. Others also believe that fish are a symbol of abundance as they swim in schools.
Pork
Pork is another one of the traditional New Year’s food to include during this holiday dinner. Many believe that a pig’s fatty content symbolizes wealth and prosperity in the coming year. Serve your favorite pork dishes to enjoy this fortune.
Fruits
Fruits from oranges and grapes are also considered lucky when consumed during the New Year’s celebration. Having a selection of these fruits on your dinner table will certainly help bring more luck for the New Year.
Round cakes
Let’s not forget dessert, the most important part of any meal! Cakes and other treats are served all around the world on New Year’s Eve and throughout the holiday season. It is up to you to serve whatever you wish from yummy cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, pies, and other sweet treats. This is the easiest step to fulfill amongst the New Year’s food traditions, as you simply need to order and buy cheesecake online and have it delivered right to your home.
Now that you know many of the New Year’s food traditions that bring good fortune, don’t forget to include them in your New Year’s Eve dinner. Doing everything you can to have good fortune for the New Year will definitely make you feel more secure and optimistic for the days to come.
Which City Really Does Have The Most Restaurants Per Capita
Travel to most city websites around the net and you’ll be surprised by how many purport to have more restaurants per capita than anywhere else. This is claimed by San Francisco; Madison, Wisconsin; Washington DC; and Shreveport, Louisiana. At least Canadian cities stake the same claim.
So which cities do have a legitimate claim to the title of “Most Restaurants Per Capita?” The National Restaurant Association (NRA) does publish a list of restaurants per capita per state. According to the Association, California has by far the most restaurants with a staggering 87,225 dining establishments. New York State comes in at a paltry 58,027. The top five is rounded out by Texas (53,631), Florida (41,901) Pennsylvania (31,466).
In terms of per capita per state, Washington DC tops the list according to NRA. The US capital region boosts some 0.4 restaurants per 100 people. Second is, surprisingly, Montana at .354 restaurants per 100 people. Rounding out the NRA’s top five are Rhode Island (0.304 per 100) Vermont (.303 per 100) New York (.301 per 100). If you are a little hungry you might want avoid the three states with the fewest restaurants Mississippi, Kentucky and Utah.
In terms of North American cities, it is a little harder to ascertain who can claim the title of city with most restaurants per capita.
Here are ten cities with more than 100,000 people that have made the claim. But who has the real claim? Who offers the cuisine searcher or just plain hungry shopper the most choice? Who can claim the title of The Restaurant City.
The city of San Francisco is a city of 744,230 people and claims to have 2,662 restaurants within the city boundaries. There is no doubt that the standard of restaurants in the city of the bay is exceptional. If you just include San Francisco properly your density is 279 people per restaurant. But because costs of housing the number of people living in the city proper has declined while the number of businesses including restaurants, San Francisco is a distorted number. If you count the metro area, the number of restaurants climbs to 4,300 restaurants (we won’t include hundreds more in the nearby wine country of Napa and Sonoma). If you consider the metro area population of 7,168,176 and divide by 4,300 you get a per capita density of 1,667 people per restaurant.
Winnipeg is a city on the edge of the Canadian prairies that boasts a broad cross section of immigrant communities all of whom have their local ethnic cuisines. If you want French toast for breakfast, perogies and sauerkraut for lunch , and Vietnamese imperial rolls for dinner then this is the place to come. This city regularly claims to have more restaurants per capita than any other city. Some websites claim the city has 900 restaurants but in reality there are just 478. With a population of 619,544 Winnipeg can claim only one restaurant per 1,296 snow-bound Canadian.
Victoria. This city on Vancouver Island and capital city of British Columbia, Canada regularly makes the claim that it has the “second highest number of restaurants per capita,” which is perhaps clever psychology as the city has never indicted which is top. With a population of 335,000 the city claims to have 265 Italian, French, Greek, East Indian, Vegetarian, German, Dutch, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai eateries. That means Victoria has a restaurant per 1,264 people. But with its spectacular location halfway between Vancouver and Seattle, you’d hardly care if its claim is a little off.
In New York City no one cooks at home and by the time you’ve heard of a restaurant it has probably closed. Restaurants open and close with alarming alacrity in the Big Apple. On average, the city of New York can claim 6,650 dining places from the chic Lespinasse to the greasiest corner diner — the most restaurants in any one place on the continent. Yet with 8,168,338 people, New York can only claim to have 1, 228 people per restaurant. It might seem that every second building in New York is a restaurant but they have to cater to a lot of vertically housed residents. That explains why it is hard to find a table some nights.
The one Canadian city that can make a great claim to have the most restaurants per capita is Montreal in the province of Quebec. With just over 5,000 restaurants in the metro island area, is appears there are at least one restaurant on every street corner. With its diverse immigrant population and French majority, the city has every type of cuisine available from Lebanese to continental French to native Canadian. Some 3,720,000 Quebecois live in the metro area making Montreal the second largest French speaking city in the world. Giving it a restaurant per capita number of 744.
When you leave Austin you enter Texas so the saying goes. This funky city in central Texas has 1,088 eating places to enhance its reputation as Music City USA. That list includes 128 establishments in or around the University of Texas alone. Austin’s burgeoning population is currently 690, 252 making their people to restaurant ratio 634.
Louisville, home to the Kentucky Derby, is a small city of just over half a million people. Pap John’s Pizza and Yum Brands, the parent company of A&W, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, both make Louisville their corporate home so it is not surprising that that this city on the Ohio River has 1,089 restaurants. That makes for 510 people per restaurant.
Madison owns the rights to the title of “city with the most restaurants per capita” and the capital makes the claim throughout its literature. However, pining down the actual number of restaurants is pretty hard. The best list available points to 437 restaurants that caters to 221,551 people in the Wisconsin city. But that makes for only 506 people for each restaurant. Good for only third on this list.
Wichita, Kansas is not usually a city that leaps to mind when one thinks of cuisine. But with an ethnically diverse work force, the largest city in Kansas has a reputation for cultural diversity and is located in the breadbasket of America. The 739 restaurants in town have only to cater to 360, 715 people. That translates into 488 people per restaurant, good for second on our list.
Dallas. This Lone Star State city has a population of 1,250,950 and a selection of restaurants that add up to 2,666. While the city is known for its BBQ and steak houses there is a surprising mix of great eateries from chic to basic. That means every restaurant, fast food place and steak house in Texas’ third largest city can boast an potential pool of just 469 people. Making this city the winner of the title “City With The Most Restaurants per Capita.”
Can I Drink Costa Rica Water?
If you go to this beautiful country in Central America, one of the most important questions is whether the water there is safe to drink. Rest assured, Costa Rica water is of very good quality and is therefore safe to drink. Like in North America though, you will find plenty of bottled water.
The main problem people wonder about if they can use the water to clean their teeth or if the water served in glasses in restaurants is safe to drink. Ice cubes are also an issue as they are, of course, made from the local water.
I travelled around this tropical jewel last year. Everyone assured me that the water was safe to drink and so I did and had absolutely no ill effects. This is good to know as even in places like China, where you are not advised to drink the water, sometimes the bottled water sold is, in fact tap water.
Not only the drinking water is of good quality. The oceans and lakes in Costa Rica are clean and pristine, which is not the case in many areas of the world. Costa Ricans pride themselves on how eco friendly their country is and you will be able to swim in beautifully clear waters of the Pacific or the Caribbean as well as the many lakes.
For example, in places like Arenal which is where an active volcano presides over the area you will find many hot springs. In fact here you can also enjoy thermal hot springs where you can relax in warm to hot water in the open air. This makes for a great holiday and some hot springs have multiple pools of various temperatures and they are surrounded by vibrant countryside, the rainforest and of course beautiful flowering plants and colorful birds and even monkeys, if you are lucky. In the area of Arenal alone, there are at least eleven hot springs, including some which are part of a hotel.
This country is famous for its beauty and it’s eco friendliness, which is why such emphasis is put on the quality of the water there, whether it is water out of the tap, or water to bathe in. Costa Rica water is to enjoy, from the fresh water you drink as well as lake water, to the salt water of the oceans.
Some Useful Tips on Cooking Chicken Feet Dishes
Although eating chicken feet is an acquired taste, those who love to eat chicken feet will swear by it. It is a delicacy in its own right. Chicken feet can be cooked in many ways. The chicken feet is rich in cartilage, hence it is known among old folks that it is good for their joins. In this article , I am going to talk about some easy tips to prepare chicken feet dishes.
I prefer to use chicken feet to boil soups or stews. I use them to boil nutritious such as black bean soup, lotus root soup, peanut soup and old cucumber soup. They can be used to boil in various type of soups such as herbal soup, black bean soup, lotus soup and old cucumber soup. For the stews, you can refer to my Chicken Feet stew with Chinese Mushroom. Some people prefer to use fried chicken feet for stews, that is tasty too. You can easily enhance the flavour with clove and star anise, and cinnamon stick. Chicken feet can be used to cook curry too.
Basically, there are two types of chicken feet. The white feather chicken feet that we consume almost daily, is easily available in the markets. The other type is “Kampong chicken” (Kampong is the Malaysian dialect for village) which is often found in rural village areas have feet which is firmer and tougher. Why is it firmer? Because the free range chickens run around a lot and thus its meat contain less fat. Of course, you can find “kampong chicken” in any supermarket nowadays, and not only in the “kampong”. This is best to use in boiling soups as mentioned in the above.
If you are not used to cleaning chicken feet, it can be quite tricky. These are some steps to prepare the chicken feet for cooking. First, you have to cut off the claws and trim of the harden unwanted spot normally seen beneath the feet. Then, rub the chicken feet with salt to clean it thoroughly. Rinse it. Finally, scald the chicken feet in hot boil water for 5 minutes. Then the chicken feet is ready to be cooked in any way you want.
For more simple and delicious chicken feet recipes, and handy cooking tips, please visit http://www.simplecookingideas.com
Veterans Day Menu Ideas for a Celebration to Honor Our Veterans
Veterans Day celebrates the men and women who enlisted to protect our country. There are many different traditions surrounding menus for Veterans Day. Below you’ll find a few ideas to get your celebration underway:
Crab puffs, dip, chicken for a main dish, barbequed meals, and sandwiches are apart of a typical menu throughout the day. Simple, delicious food that is reasonably easy to prepare is definitely the order of the day.
For crab puffs you will need 1 quart of oil, 1 pound of crab meat, 1 package of cream cheese, 2 teaspoons of garlic salt, and 2 16 ounces packages of won ton wrappers. Heat the oil for frying, then in a bowl mix the crabmeat, cream cheese, and garlic salt together. Place the mixture in the wonton wrappers being careful not to over fill them. Then fry them for 2 to 3 minutes.
A dessert recipe you can prepare the night before (and save time) is a simple trifle. Purchase a plain sponge cake, two flavors of Jell-o crystals, tinned fruit of your choice, custard and cream from the grocery store. Prior to making the trifle, prepare the Jell-o, cut the sponge cake into small squares and whip the cream. Place the cake in the bottom of a serving bowl, topped by the fruit, custard, Jell-o (cut into pieces and mixed together) and finally the whipped cream.
Our veterans have served their life in protecting our country and people. Veterans Day allows us to honor everyone who has served and provide wonderful dishes for friends and family to celebrate those that are enlisted today. However you end up celebrating, it’s important to keep the significance of the day in mind and reflect about the things that really matter in life.
7 All Natural Thyroid Boosters to Help Your Thyroid and Your Weight
Since one of the functions of your thyroid is controlling metabolism, there seems to be a big connection between the increased rate of thyroid problems in America and the increase in weight control problems. The following natural thyroid boosters are ideas that have been shown to help boost thyroid function, and hence help increase metabolism and make it easier for you to lose weight as well as maintain a normal weight.
Thyroid Booster #1: Reduce Iodine Blockers in the Diet
Besides eating iodine-rich foods, it is important to reduce your intake of goitrogens (iodine blockers) like peanuts and soy. All raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, turnips, kale, and cauliflower are also goitrogens. Make sure and cook them before eating them in significant amounts.
Soy products are probably the worst goitrogen offenders, first of all because cooking does not destroy the anti-thyroid substances in them. Second of all, studies show they are in 70% or more of all foods on our grocery shelves in the form of soy oil, vegetable oil, texturized vegetable protein, soy flour, soy protein isolate, etc. We have been told for quite a while now that soy is good for us, so you may find it hard to believe that soy can actually promote weight gain by interfering with thyroid function. However, there are many studies to back up this claim, so we highly recommend that you follow this suggestion to avoid all soy products, except small amounts of fermented soy like natural soy sauce, tempeh and miso.
Thyroid Booster #2: Reduce Refined Foods and Vegetable Oils
Refined grains and sugars, as well as being bad for you in many other ways, put too much stress on the thyroid and can interfere with good thyroid function. In addition, vegetable oils have been proven to fatten up animals, but also cause them thyroid and other problems, including cancer. So if you want to have a healthy thyroid, reduce your consumption of all vegetable oils — this includes canola, corn, and soy. This also means not eating out or eating packaged foods very much, as restaurants and packaged foods often contain some of these oils.
Thyroid Booster #3: Add Natural Sources of Iodine to Your Diet
Some natural sources of iodine that seem to be well used by the body include unrefined sea salts, kelp, bladderwrack and other seaweeds, eggs, butter, and most sea-foods, especially cold-water deep-sea fish. Fish sauce is also a rich source of iodine if properly prepared, and is often used in Thai cuisine. It may also be useful to supply extra iodine in your diet by taking kelp or bladderwrack extracts or another herbal formula that contains seaweeds as well as other herbs that can be helpful for nourishing the thyroid gland.
Thyroid Booster #4: Add Minerals and Vitamins that Support Thyroid Function
Zinc, chromium, selenium and manganese are all minerals that have been shown to support the thyroid. You can add more minerals to your diet in a natural form that will help support your thyroid gland by using a whole food based greens supplement and/or coral calcium which contains trace minerals like zinc and selenium.
One of the most beneficial vitamins for the thyroid gland is vitamin A, although B, C and E vitamins complexes are also important. Those with hypothyroid often have problems converting beta-carotene to vitamin A, so it is important that you get some real vitamin A. Never take synthetic vitamin A, as studies have shown it to be toxic at higher levels.
Many, if not most of the vitamins you find in the stores today are isolated nutrients that come from synthetic sources. This is generally because these vitamins cost less to manufacture than vitamins from living food sources. However, vitamin supplements that are synthetic do not provide all the co-factors necessary for your body to fully utilize that supplement. So, these products may bring much needed nutrients to your body in the short term, but over the long term will likely cause other problems in your body. Although they are difficult to find, it’s worth it for your health to seek out only 100 percent whole food supplements and super foods.
Thyroid Booster # 5: Get More Exercise, Especially Rebounding
Exercise is also good for your thyroid — any kind. A rebounder can be especially helpful, but all exercise will stimulate the thyroid gland secretion and will help increase the sensitivity of your cells to the thyroid hormones. If you are too tired to get much exercise, you might want to think about adding coconut oil to your diet or perhaps some good super foods to help boost your energy levels so that you feel like exercising.
Thyroid Booster #6: Add Virgin Coconut Oil To Your Diet
Coconut oil, because of its metabolism-stimulating properties, seems to be an excellent thyroid system builder. If you have problems with your thyroid, you want to be sure to include coconut oil in your diet. Remember how we told you that animals got fatter when eating vegetable oils? Well, these same farmers then tried giving their animals coconut oil to see if that would fatten them up without the same problems their animals experienced on vegetable oils. Guess what? It made the animals more active and more lean instead! So add coconut oil to your diet today!
Thyroid Booster #7: Stop Using Fluoride in Your Water and Toothpaste
According to Cherie Calboun in “The Coconut Diet”, a growing body of evidence suggests that fluoride may interfere with proper functioning of the thyroid. This means that if your water is fluoridated, it may be extremely helpful for you to buy a water filter that filters out fluoride. If you’re not sure, check with your water supplier — about 50 percent of America’s tap water is fluoridated today. You also want to avoid fluoride toothpastes, since some of it inevitably will be ingested.
Although none of these suggestions should take the place of your consulting a health care practitioner, many have found that by incorporating them into their lifestyles, their thyroid symptoms got better and it became easier to lose weight.
Copyright 2008 Karen Pijuan. This article may be copied only in its entirety and only if all links, including those in the resource box or the about-the-author section, remain intact.
Catchy Business Names
Thinking up a catchy business name can seem like an impossibility when you’ve spent hours putting pen to paper and asked just about everyone you can think of for ideas.
However, to get the ultimate catchy business name, it can be a matter of doing some very simple research. The internet is a great place to start. You can go onto certain websites and type in the nature of your business and the search will throw up related words.
A dictionary is also a brilliant source of information. When you search for a specific word, very often the description will send you to another related word and then another. I’ll bet there are words and terms in the dictionary that you hadn’t even thought of!
Newspapers and magazines especially can give you great ideas for a catchy business name. Specialist magazines that are dedicated to the type of business you are in are going to be full of great ideas.
There are many different thoughts on how you should name a business. Some will recommend that you choose a name that is theme or name related, whereas others seem to think that an ‘all purpose’ business name is the way to go. Personally, I think there are many different factors that should be considered.
Is your business relating to just one topic or product? If this is the case, then a more specific name should be used. This usually indicates that you are in a small niche, so a catchy business name that is theme related will work best.
For example; Pizza hut sells pizzas. People know that when they go there, they are going for pizza. A catchy name for a thai restaurant could be ‘Beau Thai‘- and how about ‘On 4 Wheels’ for a driving school?
If your business relates to multiple topics that are in the same category, then a name that covers all the products is going to work best. For example; Google and Yahoo are known all over the globe. Their business covers thousands of different topics, so the name they chose was a generic one, but their business names mean absolutely nothing. In fact it’s gobble-de-gook. But the names are catchy and people remember them.
Be bold, be humorous. People have always got a smile when they hear a comical catchy business name, and if it has caught their attention, they will remember you and more than likely check you out over the competition!
Phuket Shopping
Phuket has plenty to offer its visitors including some outstanding shopping venues. Phuket is well known for its beautiful white sandy beaches and exiting nightlife however during the last decade a large number of world class shopping venues have opened in Phuket.
When people think about going shopping in Phuket they will often think about counterfeit software, DVD movies and fake brand name clothing. If this is the type of goods that you want to purchase during your holiday on Phuket then there are plenty of small stores where you can find these types of products.
If however you would like to purchase high quality products and designer clothing then there are a number of world class Phuket shopping malls where you can go buy these items.
Travelers planning a trip to Phuket and who would like to do some shopping during their holiday should definitely plan a visit to some of the outstanding Phuket shopping venues listed down below.
Jungceylon Shopping Mall
The Jungceylon shopping mall is the newest shopping mall on Phuket and is located in the Patong beach resort area. There are hundreds of stores at this mall as well as plenty of restaurants and other types of entertainment venues. If you feel like catching a movie then you should definitely check out the multi screen movie theatre which is located on the top floor.
Phuket Central Festival
The Phuket Central Festival mall is located along the bypass road of Phuket and is home to some of the finest shops and boutiques found anywhere on the island. If you plan to do some shopping in Phuket then be sure to visit the excellent Central department store which is located inside of this large and modern shopping mall. The Phuket Central Festival mall is also home to a multi screen cinema and there are plenty of food and beverage outlets from which shoppers can choose.
Big C Mall
The Big C mall in Phuket is where most of the local Thai residents seem to enjoy doing their shopping. The main retailer at this Phuket shopping mall is the Thai Big C department store however there are also a number of other restaurants and stores at this shopping venue. The Big C mall is located close by to the Phuket Central Festival shopping mall and is as well located along the Phuket Bypass road.
Ocean Plaza Patong
Another popular shopping destination in Patong is the Ocean Plaza mall. There are dozens of small boutiques which together form the Ocean department store. There is also an excellent supermarket located in the basement of this Phuket shopping mall. If you enjoy bowling then be sure to visit the modern bowling alley which is located on the top floor of the Ocean Plaza mall in Patong.
How to Fight a Cold – Heal Faster and Feel Better
Each year, millions fight the common cold. This annoying virus has a range of symptoms which often restrict sleeping patterns and work schedules. It often lasts from 7-10 days and by the second day individuals are looking for quick and easy cures to feel better faster.
The top 5 key supplements that can decrease the magnitude of the cold:
1. Zinc- tablets and lozenges are key from the onset. Zicam is also effective.
2. Vitamin C- Ester C is a key ingredient to help you body fight the virus. Take vitamin c every 3-4 hours. Emergen-C packs are great.
3.Echinacea/Goldenseal-bolsters body’s ability to fight the virus.
4. Slippery Elm & Marshmallow- helps sooth a sore throat and cough.
5. Oscillococcinum-homeopathic medicine.
Lots of rest and liquids are essential for your body to fight a cold. Eat homemade chicken soup- not from a can. Your local thai or chinese restaurant often have the best chicken stock and soup that will help you feel better. Avoid sweets, coffee and dairy products. Drink herbal teas or make your own ginger tea with lemon and honey. Ginger is highly effective in decreasing mucus and phlem.
The best thing for a cold is a salt water gargle and the utilization of a netti pot or a nasal flush/rrigation. “People with chronic sinus conditions should use a nasal douche daily (netti pot), as it promotes drainage of the sinuses and speeds healing of inflamed tissues.” Andrew Weil, M.D.
A healthy attitude also helps fight a cold: think and believe in the wellness of your body and the strength of your cells and they will work in your favor.
Top Ten Things to Do in Calgary This Winter
When winter’s winds blow it isn’t all that tempting to go out and explore a city, but in Calgary there is so much to do that it becomes difficult to stay indoors!
Of course not all of the city’s top ten activities take place in the great and snowy outdoors, but they are all the more enjoyable because of the seasonal conditions. From January through March all of Calgary is bursting at the seams with great activities, and among the most preferred are:
1. Fireside dining – you don’t have to stay at home to enjoy a cozy meal beside the fire. There are many restaurants in Calgary that serve hearty fare in spaces gently lit and warmed by large fireplaces. Some have scenic views and park settings, while others are set on the areas lakes or rivers. Try such restaurants as the Q Haute, The Ranche, Newport Grill and River Café.
2. Salsa Dancing – there are literally dozens of dancing classes and schools in the city focusing on the highly active ballroom dance style known as salsa. It is a great way to really stay fit during the long winter months.
3. Get out on the ice – Calgary has some great skating rinks, including the Olympic Plaza and Westside Recreation Center, as well as several others. A few, such as the Westside, are indoors and also offer full fitness facilities including a track and aquatic center.
4. Museum, museums, museums! – feel like taking in a museum? Calgary has galleries and museums galore as well as the fantastic Glenbow Museum and the ever popular Telus World of Science where visitors can become human “batteries”.
5. Slip sliding away – what is winter without the thrill of sledding? Calgary has dozens of great sliding and tobogganing hills, and most offer good parking and free runs. Check out Edworthy Park, Confederation Park, Deerfoot Athletic Park, Rundle Dry Pond, Canyon Meadows, Stanley Park, Elliston Park and the Fish Creek Escarpment.
6. The National Pastime – hockey is definitely one of Canada’s dominant sports and the Pengrowth Saddledome is the official home of the Calgary Flames Hockey Club. The award winning team has an enormous fan following, but tickets can usually be found for upcoming games.
7. Skiing – Alberta is chock full of world class skiing, with some less than three hours from Calgary. There is also the Canada Olympic Park for skiing and snowboarding as well.
8. Festivals – the winter months are not shy on festivals, and some of the city’s favorite events take place between January and March. There is the Calgary Fringe Festival, the $100 Film Festival, the Calgary Winter Festival and Zoolights among many others.
9. Cocoon – why not take in an on demand video or hop out for a quick video rental, order up some take-away food and nestle down in the warmth and coziness of the sofa or, even better, the bed.
10. Pretend that winter is gone – Calgary has two large greenhouses that make it easy to forget that winter is even occurring. The Calgary Zoo Botanical Garden and the Devonian Gardens are excellent cold weather escapes!