Help in choosing toys
Are you looking for some help in selecting toys for your children that are practical, durable and fun? The Canadian Toy Testing Council publishes The Toy Report yearly to assist parents, grandparents and child-care pro-viders in selecting children’s toys.
The council assesses toys on the basis of design, function, durability and most importantly, play value. It finds out how the toys meet the needs and expectations of children by putting them in the toy box. Children test toys in their own homes for a period of six to 12 weeks. Information is gathered from the home testing families and analyzed by the council to arrive at a rating and an age recommendation. The information is also shared with the toy manufacturers to help them understand the expectations of children and their parents and to keep these in mind when they design other toys.
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Over 1,800 toys covering a variety of themes and ages are tested. It is the council’s philosophy to encourage adults to select toys that will guide and enhance a child’s development and ability, while simultaneously providing great play value.
The Toy Report is divided into age chapters that are divided into theme sub-chapters, that may include: Active play; arts and crafts; developmental toys; bath, sand and water play; computer software; construction toys; dolls, houses and accessories; educational toys; games; imaginative play; listening, playing and viewing; ride-on toys and wagons; science and discovery; wheel toys; and winter play. Each toy listed has an overall rating, suggested age range, a retail price range, brief description and commentary explaining the principal strengths and weaknesses of the toy.
In the 1996 report five toys have been given the award of excellence – all educational ones manufactured by Educational Insights including a computer word quiz game, and math and geography safari computer games with lesson books or cards. The best bets for each age group are listed, such as Mattel’s Starlight Lullaby Pooh, which is a cuddly toy and music box for those under 12 months of age.
Three stars is the top rating. The no-star level is for toys that display major deficiencies in function, play value or durability.
A $30 membership supports the work of the Canadian Toy Testing Council and provides you with The Toy Report, an exclusive listing of the new three-star toys before they are published and a semi-annual newsletter with information on the latest toys, newest fads and creative ideas for children. You can contact The Canadian Toy Testing Council, 22 Hamilton Ave. N., Ottawa, Ont., K1Y 1B6. Copies of The Toy Report are also available at many magazine stands.
Cake mix cookies lost
Dear TEAM: Help! I’ve lost an interesting and invaluable recipe called cake mix cookies. The recipe calls for a cake mix, 510 gram size and only a couple of other ingredients. Maybe you or your readers are familiar with it? – M.M., Ituna, Sask.
Dear M.M.: When you mention a cake mix cookie the first one I think of is one called Oreo cookies. Use two cake mixes and then a cream cheese icing for a filling to make it into a sandwich cookie.
Oreo cookies
1 Devil’s Food cake mix 1
1 Swiss Chocolate 1
cake mix
4 eggs 4
2Ú3 cup oil 150 mL
Mix all together, roll into small balls. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 10 minutes, they burn easily. The cookies will flatten themselves as they cook. Let cool and put icing between two cookies. You could also use a spreadable cream cheese mixture. Note: Roll into small balls and space well.
Icing:
4 ounces cream 115 g
cheese
2 cups icing sugar 500 mL
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
This recipe is from the D’Arcy, Sask., Elementary School Cook Book 1992-93.
Cranberry square
Dear TEAM: I am looking for a recipe for a cranberry sort of square. It has a shortbread type of bottom layer, the centre is a cake batter with cranberries and poppy seed and the icing is lemony if my memory serves me right. It was tasty and not overly sweet like most squares. – L.T., Taber, Alta.
Dear L.T.: We did a search through Emmie’s files and did not find this exact recipe but the following is a cranberry slice I have made that I find quite nice. A half cup (125 mL) of poppy seeds could be added to the egg mixture to resemble your recipe request.
Lemon cranberry bars
Base:
1Ú2 cups flour 375 mL
1Ú2 cup icing sugar 125 mL
3Ú4 cup cold 175 mL
margarine or butter
In a medium bowl combine flour and icing sugar, cut in margarine until crumbly. I often mix this in my food processor, just until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch (3.5 L) baking pan. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Cranberry layer:
1 14 oz. can 398 mL
cranberry sauce, jelled
Put into a saucepan and melt, or microwave one to two minutes to melt. Spread onto the baked hot base.
Cake layer:
11Ú2 cups sugar 375 mL
3 tablespoons flour 45 mL
1 teaspoon baking 5 mL
powder
4 eggs 4
1Ú2 cup lemon juice 125 mL
In a small bowl combine sugar, flour and baking powder. Add eggs and lemon juice and mix well (Add 1Ú2 cup (125 mL) poppy seeds to this mixture.)
Pour lemon mixture over the cranberry layer. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and mixture is set. Cool and spread with lemon glaze or sprinkle with additional icing sugar. Cut into bars.
Lemon glaze
1Ú2 cup icing sugar 125 mL
1 tablespoon melted 15 mL
margarine or butter
1 tablespoon lemon 15 mL
juice
Blend until smooth.
Pattern for doily
Dear TEAM: I am searching for the pattern instructions of a Double Wedding Ring doily. It measures about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter with seven double rings joined in a circle. From the inside edge you crochet to the centre. An edging is added around the outer edge. I am 80 years old and it would be nice if I could make it for a friend while I am still able. – M.B., Taber, Alta.
Could anyone help with this request?
Using raw aloe vera
Dear TEAM: I have a question about an aloe vera plant. Could a person keep the juices of an overgrown aloe plant? I always have extra branches that fall over and I just compost these, but would it be possible to bottle the juice or even mix it with hand cream, etc.? How would it keep? Would it go stale? Would it need sterilizing? – M.C., Manning, Alta.
Dear M.C.: Aloe is like any other plant material and so should be handled the same as a tender vegetable. Extra leaves could be frozen by placing in a plastic bag or container and then freezing. Juice or pulp could be squeezed from the frozen leaves the way you would from a fresh leaf. Extra leaves, pulp or juice could be stored for four or five days in the fridge. Cold process extraction of the juice is recommended for commercial use to retain the active ingredients, so you would not want to blanch the leaves or to sterilize the juice. If you mix the juice with a hand lotion, only make small quantities and keep it refrigerated.
