Directions:
In pan combine ketchup, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, onion, and peppers.
Add pre-cooked chicken & sauté till veggies are cooked. (Approx. 8 minutes.)
Stir in snow peas and pineapple.
Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer.
Add in cashews and let air for 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
Click on image to view full size recipe card.
Well you can tell summer is right around the corner; gas prices have jumped and as I write this, they are calling for rain this long weekend. Another sector of our local economy that’s experienced a major jump in price recently is the cost of renting a home–by as much as 40% in just the last twelve months.
There is no question that Calgary is on another growth spurt with rental rates up by large amounts, energy costs and groceries costs escalating, higher property taxes, and of course home prices moving up again.
My concern is that for a large part of the population, wages are not keeping pace with the inflation that is now running rampant through the local Calgary and Alberta economy. Don’t think there is any real inflation in Calgary? Well, ask anyone who is filling up their gas tank or looking to find new accommodation, and they may beg to differ.
There is nothing wrong with a strong economy of course, as it helps us all; and it’s certainly a better than alternative problem of living with a weak economic environment, but that pesky inflation has a way of chewing through your take-home pay and savings.
I see a very real problem in housing in Calgary developing right before our eyes, and it’s got the potential to cause all kinds of havoc in the housing market. It’s that vicious cycle of first time home ownership. As rental rates rise, it makes it virtually impossible for those renting to save enough for a down payment, and without first time home buyers the housing market starts to fragment.
The whole industry of housing is dependent upon the first time home buyer, at least if you don’t want to live in a city like Portersville portrayed in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Most of us go through the home ownership cycle of first home (which is now more than likely going to be a condo) and then hopefully moving up that property ladder to your dream home.
The housing industry is responding to the needs of first time buyers with condos–and lots of them. As a matter of fact, Calgary for the first time in history is about to cross over the line, with the majority of homes built as multi-family vs. a detached single family home.
Some new condos downtown are less than 500 sq. ft. in space, not really where many folks envision their start of home ownership. But the harsh new reality of purchasing a home in an ever-increasing costly city to live in.
The new reality of living in the City of Calgary is that it’s an expensive place to live, and that with the projected increase of 125,000 new citizens over the next five years, it shows no signs of leveling off or slowing down. Great news for those of us already planted and living in our homes, but for those moving here, be prepared–Calgary just isn’t what it used to be.
14th Annual Parade of Garage Sales & Scavenger Hunt on behalf of the Calgary Food Bank on May 25, 2013 from 9am to 3pm.
Visit www.garagesalewars.ca for more information
Bring your kids and join staff from Community & Neighbourhood Services – South Area Office to learn about programs happening this summer in Calgary’s south.
Meet our great summer staff, get your questions answered and experience some of the fun activities that will be going on all summer!
Thursday, June 20th
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
McKenzie Towne – 225 Prestwick Ave S.E.
Call 3-1-1 for more info.
Show or email this coupon to Dave Larsen, Sales Manager at All Floors Design Centre and receive 10% off your entire purchase.
Tell him Kim & Doug Hayden sent you!
Email: davelarsen@allfloors.ca, Direct: 403.444.5896
105G – 58th Ave S.E. Calgary, AB T2H 0N8
GARAGE SALE WARS NEWS: We are excited to have Shogun Teppanyaki Gill Food Truck join us on May 25th, 2013 for our 14th Annual Parade of Garage Sales in Southeast Calgary. They will be at the Inverness Square Gazebo from 9am to 3pm and will be donating 10% of sales to the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank! 
Shogun Teppanyaki Grill Food Truck
Twitter @shogungrill
Volunteer with the City of Calgary this summer! We are now recruiting youth, ages 12 and up, to volunteer in our Park n’ Play / Stay n’ Play programs – free, outdoor, drop-in programs for 3-5 year olds (Stay n’ Play) and 6 – 12 year olds (Park n’ Play).
They run Monday – Friday for the months of July and August in community playgrounds near you. Volunteers assist trained leaders in implementing games, crafts and more! Come join in the fun while learning valuable skills, building your resume and meeting new people!
For more information on dates and locations in the south, please call Elaine at 587-227-3687 or email Elaine.Zapata@calgary.ca
The deadline for volunteer applications is June 10th, 2013.
Now that spring has arrived and we are heading into the warm summer months, Animal & Bylaw Services wants to remind Calgarians that under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw 23M2006, cats are not permitted to be “at-large.” This means they must remain on their owners’ property at all times.
The easiest way to comply with this part of the bylaw is to keep your cat indoors. This helps to ensure the safety of your pet and to eliminate neighbourhood disputes that may be caused by cats roaming onto neighbouring properties.
Animal & Bylaw Services strongly recommends keeping cats indoors because this leads to longer, healthier and safer lives for cats. Despite popular belief, cats don’t need to roam or hunt. Cats are domestic animals who need humans to care for them. Outdoor dangers for cats include traffic, unfriendly animals such as coyotes, poisons, diseases, dehydration and frostbite in cold weather. Indoor cats live fulfilled and happy lives without ever going outside.
In the event that there is an at-large cat in your neighbourhood, you can borrow a humane cat trap from Animal & Bylaw Services. Trapped cats are brought into the Animal Services Centre and impounded. If the cat has identification, the owners are contacted and all cats are kept for a holding period in the hopes that they will be claimed by their owners. After the holding period, if not claimed, they are put up for adoption. Cats for adoption stay at the Animal Services Centre until they are adopted.
If you do not wish to use a cat trap, you can register a cat concern by contacting 311.
Visit calgary.ca and search “responsible cat ownership”, “cat traps,” “impounded cats” or “adoptable cats” for more information.
Good news! You can baby step your way to mortgage freedom and save thousands of dollars in interest in the process. According to Scotiabank’s Mortgage Landscape Study, almost two-thirds of mortgage holders agree they could pay off their mortgage faster without impacting their lifestyle. How much does it take — only an extra $20 a month.
While many homeowners think in terms of lump-sum payments, which are a great option, there are other ways to save money and pay down that debt. Seventy-nine per cent of mortgage holders have taken at least one of these steps:
Increasing your payment by just $20 a month will have a positive impact because the extra money is applied directly against the mortgage principal. This decreases the amount of interest you will pay over the life of the loan. For example, the average borrower would save almost $2,800 in interest over 25 years and reduce the amortization by 10 months. Imagine if you added $40 or $60 a month.
Interestingly, the poll also showed that 21% of mortgage holders have not taken any steps to pay down their mortgage for the following reasons:
The poll also revealed that 51% of mortgagors have spoken to their mortgage professional about how they can become mortgage-free faster.
It’s easy to forget about your mortgage when you’re making automatic payments. It’s a good idea to keep up-to-date on mortgage options and interest rates .You could potentially save a ton of money by understanding those options.
The freedom that being completely debt-free brings is a dream for many Canadians. If you’re unsure of what your next step should be, it’s advisable to contact your mortgage professional. Together we can review your mortgage, look at your financial picture and devise a mortgage-reduction plan that works for you.
Guy Ward is a Mortgage Broker in Calgary, with TMG (The Mortgage Group Alberta).
Call: 403-667-6775 or visit WWW.GUYTHEMORTGAGEGUY.COM
