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Kicking Off BBQ Season with 3 Easy, Family Friendly Recipes

Victoria Day weekend seems to be the unofficial start of BBQ season for Canadians across the country. There’s nothing better than setting up the patio, uncovering the grill and inviting a few friends over for a cookout. With this in mind, we’ve got three recipes for you to add to your repertoire for the months ahead—all easy, tasty and customizable for kids.

Street-Style Grilled Corn on the Cob
If you’ve never grilled corn, you’re missing out. These cobs are finished with feta, lime and chili powder for extra kick.

Veggie-Packed Beef Burgers
This is an easy way to get some extra veg into the kids. These burgers are so good no one will notice the zucchini, pepper and sweet potato grated into the patties.

Charred Cauliflower Pitas with Halloumi
This recipe is done in the oven traditionally, but you can easily swap broiling for grilling. Halloumi cheese is the best on the BBQ.

Did Your Friendships Change After Having Kids?

Funny because it’s true, no? In our experience, the best friends are the ones who don’t take offence when you abruptly hang up because someone is colouring on the wall or just spilled an entire carton of milk. This wasn’t always the case—pre-kids, friends usually expected you to call them back, answer texts promptly, make plans—so we just wondered: Did you notice a shift in your friendships after your kids came along?

🗳CAST YOUR VOTE

The results of last week’s poll:
Are you looking forward to the end of the school year?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Absolutely. I love the slower summer months. (45.6%)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ There's really no difference—school and camp require the same amount of effort. (16.2%)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Somewhere in between—the summer is fun but also chaotic. (25%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Other (13.2%)

I Hate When My Kids Have Sleepovers. Is This a Bad Thing?

Listen, we get it. Kids post-sleepover are often overtired, over-stimulated and over-sugared, leaving them cranky and emotional. And if you hosted the sleepover? Forget it. You’re navigating your grumpy child while also trying to clean up after the festivities.

So, yes, you can hate sleepovers.

But, to play devil’s advocate, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t allow them. Experts say that sleepovers help to foster independence and teach kids how to adapt when they are out of routine. This flexibility is an important life skill. You’re also bolstering their confidence and resilience, by sending the message that you trust them to be away from home on their own. So, maybe it’s worth the general next-day grumpiness?

Plus, don’t forget—a sleepover away from home means a night of free child care for you.

We asked two parents to face off on the topic of sleepovers. Check out the debate at the button below.