Financial aggregation services allow consumers to track their personal bank accounts in different financial institutions, as well as brokerage accounts and credit cards, through a single website or application.
To use these services, consumers must provide their user IDs and passwords to the provider so that it can gather financial information from the accounts they want to consolidate.
The concern is that in providing this information, consumers might be breaking their online banking user agreements, which would result in loss of protection against unauthorized transactions.
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Some financial institutions’ user agreements clearly state that users will be responsible for unauthorized transactions if they provide passwords and account information to other parties, including financial aggregators.
Carefully review each financial institution’s online banking user agreement before using such a service to determine potential consequences. It would be best to contact your financial institution if you have questions or concerns.
It is also important to read the financial aggregator’s privacy policy to understand how your personal information will be stored and protected, including passwords and other financial data.
These service providers may be located or store data in foreign jurisdictions that might have security standards different from those of Canadian financial institutions.
It is your responsibility to manage your banking and credit card information and to keep your user IDs and passwords secure.
If your user agreements allow you to use a financial aggregation service, review the service provider’s agreement to understand what rights of access you are granting it to your financial data.
Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.
Reader’s appreciation
Dear TEAM: I first learned to make cabbage rolls as a new immigrant in Winnipeg in 1966.
People were so kind. However, nobody ever showed me a satisfactory method of preparing the cabbage leaves in the way that you set out in your column in the March 10, 2011, edition of the Western Producer.
Thank you so much for your method of preparing cabbage leaves and for your tips on cooking the cabbage rolls. I had given up making them because I became so frustrated with taking the leaves off the head first, and always tearing them a bit. It didn’t seem to be worth the trouble. Now I can return to making a dish we haven’t had in years. That will be a nice surprise for the family.
I cut and pasted your entire column onto a sheet in the small binder where I keep my “Most Used Recipes.” This saves time instead of flipping through cookbooks to find favourites and getting diverted by reading lots of others in the process. Thank you again.
From a grateful reader. – Candy Watson, Riverview, N.B.
Growing quinoa
Dear TEAM: Do you have any information on growing the ancient grain quinoa in Canada and where I could get seeds to plant?
– J. T., Carstairs, Alta.
Dear J.T.:You can grow quinoa in certain areas of Canada, but it requires cool growing temperatures.
Northern Quinoa, at www.quinoa.com, is a Kamsack, Sask., company that contracts with growers. 306-542-3949.
Salt Spring Seeds, at www.saltsspringseedscom, is another contact.250-537-5269.
Lydia’s teriyaki chicken pizza
This is a recipe that my daughter-in-law, Lydia, makes. I love the mixture of flavours.
4 naan bread
2 cooked, skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1 c. teriyaki sauce 250 mL
1/2 c. ripe olives, sliced 125 mL
1/2 c. yellow, green or red pepper, diced 125 mL
1/2 c. fresh spinach, sliced thin 125 mL
1 c. pineapple chunks, drained, reserve the juice 250 mL
1 c. feta cheese 250 mL
1-2 roma tomato, diced
Brush one side of naan bread with a thin layer of teriyaki sauce.
Divide the chicken pieces between the four pieces of bread, add olive slices, peppers, spinach and pineapple chunks and top with feta cheese and tomato pieces.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly and cheese is slightly browned.
Freeze the reserved pineapple juice in an ice cube tray.
Use the pineapple juice cubes when making smoothies or add to fruit juice drinks.
Naan bread is a South Asian oven baked flat bread similar to pita bread. It is usually oblong shaped.
Too easy tortellini soup
This flavourful soup was submitted by one of our readers to the Dinner Rush contest last fall. It makes a simple, quick lunch and contains all four food groups, but the meal can be rounded out with the addition of a crusty whole grain bun or bread.
4 c. chicken broth 1 litre
1/2 700 g package of refrigerated cheese tortellini 350 g
19floz. red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 540 mL
1 19 oz. Italian diced tomatoes, undrained 540 mL
1-2 tsp. dried basil 5–10 mL shredded Parmesan cheese
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in tortellini. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for four minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in beans, tomatoes and basil. Simmer until pasta is tender.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
The rest of the package of tortellini can be frozen for future use.
When I made this recipe, I added salt and pepper to taste and found that fresh grated Parmesan cheese adds to the flavour.
Tomato or vegetable juice or tomato soup could be substituted to accommodate those who don’t like tomato chunks in soup. A can of mixed beans could also be used to replace the kidney beans.
Source: Sheila Swiderski, Invermay, Sask.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
