Reports: Several wounded in Toronto mall shooting

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Small Kitchen College ? The 5 Best Cool Foods to Grill

With Memorial Day announcing the beginning of beach days and the official start of summer right around the corner, it?s finally time to dust off the grill for barbecue season. Now admittedly, it?s easy to get stuck in BBQ chicken and grilled steak ruts. But hey, life?s too short. Not you. Not this summer.

Put your game grill face on. Turn up the heat (and the music.) Dance like nobody?s watching.

And show me your grillz?because things are about to get hot in here.

**The 5 Best Cool Foods to Grill**

1. Grilled Cheese. Once upon a time, there was a serious foodie identity crisis. While ?grilled? is clearly part of the grilled cheese?s identity, this childhood standard rarely rings true to its name. It?s like one of those kids who was named Samuel at birth?but never ever, ever actually called Samuel. Though usually destined for a frying pan or griddle, the grilled cheese takes on a whole new dimension when introduced to the BBQ. Since the grilled cheese is all about personal preference, feel free to choose lunchbox sandwich bread with cheddar or American cheese or opt for a sophisticated 9-grain Manchego number. Like a tall, dark handsome man with great cologne, the latter may just make you fall in love. The fact of the matter is that a grilled cheese done on the grill tastes like the invention of Glee?a guilty pleasure that makes you want to jump off the couch and do your own rendition of ?Don?t Stop Believin?.?

2. Star Side Dishes. If summer were a language, there?s no doubt that grilled?corn would be a part of the alphabet. A staple of county fairs far and wide, corn fares well on the grill, especially when sprinkled with a little Old Bay Seasoning or dill. If corn isn?t your style, grilled artichokes make a wonderfully earthy stand in?dapper and warm-hearted as a vegetable can be. Hugged with a salty, garlic EVOO glaze, grilled artichokes are totally capable of stealing the BBQ spotlight. If artichokes are a bit too ?prickly for your lovin?, go hipster-trendy with a grilled Caesar salad. Smokey meets creamy in an ensemble that will wow guests, exalting you to the status of some devilishly attractive celebrity chef. Rumor has it that freshly grilled croutons will even earn you a Golden Globe Grill nod.

3. Skewered Kebabs. Aside from burgers, barbecuing is all about the kebabs. Skewers add a whole new level of sassiness to grilled main courses, making a meal in one fell swoop. Chicken or steak shish kebabs are obvious old favorites, but don?t hesitate to think outside of the lid. Jazz things up a bit and try a fish variation or vegetarian version of kebabbin? this summer. Swordfish and salmon work best for sea lovers, while extra-firm, marinated tofu is a meatless foodie?s paradise. Note to barbecuers: When it comes to kebabs, you?re best off picking sturdy vegetables and proteins to ensure that you don?t end up with a bunch of singed bites all up in your grillz.

4. Summer Fruits. After meats,?vegetables are the most commonly grilled items. From mushrooms to bell peppers and corn to summer squash, vegetables often receive star treatment, while fruits are left on the B-list. Well, dust off your skewers and prepare for a breakout. Tropical with a smidgen of sultriness, grilled pineapple is all sorts of wonderful. Think luau without the expensive plane ticket and hula dancers with hips that honestly don?t lie. (Hint: these fruit skewers make great birthday desserts too, when drizzled with chocolate!) In the event that you?re not feeling the p-apple, try a more sophisticated twist with balsamic-grilled strawberries. Simply place the strawberries on a skewer, brush with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sea salt; and then, grill on low. Don?t forget to make Gwen Stefani proud and go bananas while you wait.

5. Grilled Pizza. Like Brad Pitt, pizzas are best when hot. To achieve such a level of beauty, it is essential that said crust+sauce+cheese masterpieces be cooked in a super hot environment. No, Easy Bake ovens don?t count. But barbecues do! With a perfect crispy crust, ooey gooey mozzarella, and sizzling toppings, grilled pizza is a preview of a nirvana that tops boring grill-ables any day. Did someone say toppings?plural?! Swooooon. Italian sausage and fresh mushrooms make for the ultimate smokin? hot experience, but an Italian hottie holds it own too with traditional thin crust stylin?, a little olive oil, and some fancy schmancy cheese. Call it pizza or perhaps just focaccia that got a Hollywood promotion. Watch out Brad Pitt, grilled pizza is a?comin for ya.

Lexi Cotcamp is a rising sophomore in the Robert E. McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, but she?s not the average business school kid. Lexi considers bonfires,?barbecues, beaches, and best friends to be crucial ingredients for a great summer and plans to test that recipe accordingly.

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Nancy Reagan endorses Romney's bid for president (The Arizona Republic)

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Stay Safe in the Summer Sun - Healthy Home Magazine

Welcome to Day 21 of our 21-day Virtual Healthy Child Party: Stay Safe in the Summer Sun!

We?re excited you want to participate and can?t wait for all the great conversations and questions today and in the days to come!

To participate in today?s Virtual Healthy Child Party and Giveaway, please check out our review of Dolphin Organics new Natural Sunscreen, and answer the question that follows in the comments section below.

The summer sun is shining, families everywhere are hitting parks, pools, oceans, amusement parks and all things outdoors. While it is important to protect our families? skin from the damaging rays from the sun all year around, it is especially important when they are spending many hours each day in the sun. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG.org),?Seeking shade, avoiding the sun during peak hours and wearing sun-protective clothing, including hats and sunglasses go a long way to minimize exposure to harmful rays.? And of course, sunscreens are also an important part of full-sun protection routine.

EWG?s top recommendations to help consumers find safe and effective sunscreens include:

• Check out EWG?s online 2012 Sunscreen Guide to more than 1,800 products (you?ll notice DO Naturals is on the ?Best Sunscreens? list!)
• ?Choose those with active ingredients zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or 3 percent avobenzone.
• Avoid oxybenzone and vitamin A (retinyl palmitate).
• Use creams or lotions, not sunscreen sprays or powders.
• Buy sunscreens without bug spray. Apply bug repellant separately if needed.

Healthy Home Magazine is comfortable recommending products which rate in the 0-2 range?for low toxicity in the Environmental Working Group?s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. As you learned on Virtual Healthy Child Party Day 14 (Go Non-Toxic at Bathtime), Dolphin Organics? full line of bath products rate 0-1 for lowest toxicity. DO Naturals? bran new Sunscreen product rates a 2? as it contains Titanium Dioxide and >100nm Zinc Oxide, both of which also rate a 2. Learn more about these ratings here.

Why the shift to ?Naturals? branding for the new sunscreen product? Says co-founder Ayo Hart, ?We did not want to mislead our consumers by introducing our sunscreen under our Dolphin Organics brand because while it is 100% natural, non-chemical and non-invasive; it is not at least 70% organic because of the inclusion of the natural active ingredients titanium and zinc oxide so we launched our new line DO Naturals?. DO Naturals? first product, their brand new SPF 32 mineral sunscreen, is receiving rave reviews for its effective yet gentle formula. Created not only to comply with the new FDA Regulations, but more importantly with the health of families at the forefront of their thoughts, DO Naturals? Mineral Sunscreen provides broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) protection. Like their flagship non-toxic baby bath products, the sunscreen is based in certified organic aloe, not water. Active ingredients are Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, and inactive ingredients are 100% natural. It is gentle enough for babies and children, but enjoyed by the whole family.

What?s so special about Dolphin Organics?? As parents of twin girls, the co-founders wanted to use only natural and organic products for their family. They found that most big brands contain artificial ingredients, and that many products whose labels claim to be natural and organic also contain artificial and potentially harmful ingredients. So they decided that the best way to get the products that they wanted was to make their own. With some help from their team of Dolphin Moms?, the result is Dolphin Organics? and DO Naturals? personal care products, made only with natural and organic ingredients. Nothing man-made. Nothing artificial ? not even the preservatives. Their label is clear and honest, and shows you exactly what they put in there.

I had the opportunity to try DO Naturals? Sunscreen on my own family. Here are a few of my favorite things about it:

• Easy to apply ? not chalky like many natural/mineral sunscreens we?ve tried
• Didn?t run or streak with sweat (I used it while running 4 miles to train for our upcoming Go Green Get Fit Challenge!)
• No fragrance and gentle enough for my daughter?s sensitive skin
• Based in certified organic aloe, not water
• Free of parabens, sulfates and other harsh chemicals and
• No nano particles
• Manufactured in the USA
• Certified cruelty-free and vegan by PETA
• Packaging made with Post Consumer Recycled material
• 100% of profits on this new product will be donated to Healthy Child Healthy World thru June 30th!

As a thank you for participating in our Virtual Healthy Child Party, one lucky reader will win a DO Naturals? Sunscreen and cute bucket hat (Approximate Retail Value ~$25.00) plus a gift bag filled with safer product samples and coupons from Healthy Child Healthy World?s Trusted Partner Community (worth min. $25.00 in products and savings), for a total retail value of $50.00!

For your chance to win this and the other giveaways throughout our Healthy Child Party Event, don?t forget to:

Answer our Healthy Child Party Day 21 Question of the Day:

What tips do you have for keeping families safe and healthy in the hot summer sun?

Please leave your response in the comments at the end of the article.And feel free to ask any questions you may have and/or respond to others? questions/responses. This party is all about generating communication and building awareness!

While only your first comment at the bottom of this post will be counted as an entry for the giveaway, we invite you to engage with each other, respond, invite your friends, share via social media, etc.

Here are some great ways to stay connected to Healthy Home Magazine, Healthy Child Healthy World and Dolphin Organics:

Facebook:

• Like Healthy Home Magazine on Facebook
• Like Healthy Child Healthy World on Facebook
• Like Our Go Green Get Fit Challenge on Facebook
• Like Dolphin Organics on Facebook

Twitter:

Related Articles:

Note: Please be sure to read the full rules and giveaway eligibility in our Virtual Healthy Child Party Event Kickoff. Entries for all 21 days of giveaways for this event must be received by May 31, 2012 at 11:59pm PST to be eligible to win. All winners will be selected via Random.org and notified via email by June 4, 2012. Healthy Home Magazine and/or Sponsor will ship product directly to winner within 30 days.

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Buying Real Estate? Follow These Great Tips | ExpertsArticles.com

If you are looking for a new home and you have children, make sure to pick a home in a good school district. As nice as a home may seem, it is not worth living in a school district where your child will not get as good of an education as a neighboring district.

Before you buy a vacation home, research the area. If the area has a lot of interesting things that you like to do, it will be a worthwhile purchase. However purchasing a vacation home in a location just because it is cheap or available will not be worth it because you will not enjoy it as much as buying property that is surrounded by the things you love to do.

When making an offer to purchase a home, consider offering more ?bottom line? money but ask the buyer to pay some of your fees or add in an insurance contract. This is because your offer sounds higher to the seller so they will be more likely to accept it; however, you still save money.

When you apply for a home, loan you must be absolutely truthful with potential lenders. The financial information you give to them has a lot more to do with structuring your payments than it does with setting your interest rate. Falsifying your information is far more likely to get you an unaffordable payment schedule than save you money on interest.

If you are considering making an offer on a home, speak to the owner and ask how much the taxes are on the property. Also find out whether those fees have changed at all in the past several years. This will give you a better picture of how much the home will cost you over time.

Seek the know-how of a licensed real estate professional before you invest. You can obtain a huge amount of real estate knowledge from someone who has been in the market for a while. You may want to hire them for consultation, or you may want to give them a bigger role.

When buying a home, either to rent out or to live in, make sure to consider the quality of the local schools. Even if you don?t have school-aged children, a home in a bad school district is much harder to sell. Rental units in bad school districts are also generally less profitable.

If you plan on taking out a mortgage to pay for your home as most real estate buyers do, make sure you aren?t biting off more than you can chew. As a general rule, don?t buy a home that costs more than five times what you make in one year at your job.

Information about how much other homes have sold for is available though a realtor and should be considered when figuring out an amount to offer a seller. You should also consider the money that you will have to spend to make any repairs or modifications to the home. Factor these numbers in when considering how much you are comfortable spending on a particular home.

As previously stated in this article, buying real estate can be stressful. However, by utilizing some of ideas contained in the tips above, you could save a lot of money and time when buying a property. Moreover, the tips have hopefully increased your knowledge of the real estate market as a whole.

To see more about Jazz Residences, or Shell Residences, take a look at my website or contact me at my email.

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How Allstate Helped Create a National Network Against Domestic ...

Recently I interviewed the Vice President of Public Social Responsibility at?Allstate, Vicky Dinges (pictured below). We talked about?why domestic violence is a cornerstone of the?Allstate Foundation and how this issue is a reflection of Allstate's core mission.

BCLC: Why is domestic violence an important issue to Allstate?

Vicky Dinges: For the Good Hands people, addressing domestic violence reflects the core mission of Allstate: to protect people from life?s uncertainties and prepare them for the future. Since 1952, The Allstate Foundation has offered a helping hand to some of our nation?s most vulnerable individuals, families, and communities.

Research shows that lack of financial knowledge and resources is one of the biggest reasons domestic violence survivors remain in abusive relationships.

Our decision to focus on domestic violence in 2005 resulted from significant research on compelling social issues for a property insurance and financial services company. Research consistently shows that lack of financial knowledge and resources is one of the biggest reasons domestic violence survivors remain in or return to abusive relationships. As the corporate foundation of a financial services company, we knew we could make a difference by providing financial empowerment services to survivors of abuse. In addition, our Foundation?s trustees wanted to tackle a social issue few others had the courage to address.

The statistics are compelling:

• Every hour, nearly 150 women are abused by a partner.
• An average of three women die each day due to domestic violence.
• Domestic violence affects 1 in 4 women during their lives.
• Nearly 75 percent of Americans know someone who has been abused.

We knew we could make a difference by providing financial empowerment to survivors of abuse.

Most victims of domestic violence are mothers, sisters, daughters, neighbors and friends. They often have families with young children who must witness violence at times and in ways no child should have to endure. ?Economic abuse? is frequently the weapon of choice used against domestic violence victims. Abusers will often use tactics that derail their victim?s ability to find or keep work, control the victim?s earnings, or ruin the victim?s credit ? all leading to women often having to make the tough choice between staying in an abusive relationship or facing homelessness and poverty.

We knew that as a company committed to helping people fulfill their hopes and dreams, Allstate had the unique ability to help break the cycle of domestic violence. Every day, Allstate agency owners and personal financial representatives use their knowledge and skills to help families manage their finances and prepare for the future. We knew we could use that expertise to help domestic violence survivors break free and stay free from violence. We felt Allstate has credibility as an expert in financial services with a safe and family-friendly brand identity that would make survivors comfortable.

Allstate had the unique ability to help break the cycle of domestic violence.

BCLC: Since the inception of the domestic violence program at the Foundation, what are some significant findings and milestones of the program?

Dinges: One of our first findings was that we couldn?t do this important work alone. Although we had done a lot of research about domestic violence, it would be arrogant to think we knew everything. Fortunately, we developed a partnership early on with the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Since 2005, NNEDV has been our primary national partner. NNEDV team members have served as trusted colleagues, counselors and even critics at times (which is important and very helpful).

With NNEDV, we developed and distributed The Allstate Foundation Moving Ahead through Financial Management curriculum, which is one of the only national, comprehensive resources tailored to help teach domestic violence survivors about tasks ranging from opening a bank account to fixing credit, buying a home and even estate planning. The curriculum is also available at the Click to Empower website.

We asked the Rutgers University School of Social Work to study the effectiveness of the curriculum as a strategy to empower survivors and change lives. While the research is ongoing, preliminary results indicate that survivors using the curriculum reported a significant increase in economic self-sufficiency: 94 percent of participants were no longer living with their abusive partner, and 86 percent were still using the Moving Ahead resources after six months. We?re confident that results of the longitudinal survey, expected in 2014, will significantly affect the type of services offered to survivors.

With NNEDV, we developed one of the only national, comprehensive resources to teach domestic violence survivors about opening a bank account, fixing credit, buying a home and even estate planning.

Originally, we were so focused on providing financial empowerment services for domestic violence survivors that we didn?t realize many domestic violence service providers (known as advocates) weren?t necessarily equipped to teach financial education. So, The Allstate Foundation has hosted seven annual symposiums to teach advocates how to educate survivors about life-saving financial skills.

In 2009, working with social-impact measurement experts, we developed a comprehensive way to measure key aspects of our work, including annual figures on the following: how many survivors we informed, engaged and empowered to take action; agency owners, personal financial representatives and employees involved in our programs; opinion leaders reached with information about public policy issues affecting survivors; media outreach results; and other key performance metrics. The figures we collect each year help us document our impact and inform future strategies and tactics.

Last year, our Allstate Against Abuse Team grew to 200 members. AAAT is a growing network of Allstate agency owners, personal financial representatives and employees who have volunteered to address domestic violence in their communities. Many teach financial empowerment workshops. Some serve on governing boards for domestic violence organizations; others simply share messages tied to our program on their personal and professional social networks. We?ve learned that our Allstate colleagues have a lot of passion for serving their community. Their commitment to the issue is truly inspirational.

Last year, our Allstate Against Abuse Team grew to 200 members.

BCLC: What are some of the challenges you face?

Dinges: In the last 40 years, the domestic violence prevention movement focused on crisis intervention to achieve safety for survivors. Of course, crisis intervention is critical to ensure the short-term safety of a survivor, but it doesn?t always provide a long-term escape from violence. In a way, through our focus on financial empowerment of survivors, The Allstate Foundation introduced a new service delivery model, which can be very challenging.

Also challenging is the fact that domestic violence is often considered a ?private? issue that people don?t want to discuss or don?t know how to discuss. They often don?t know that talking about it could save the life of someone they love. That?s why one of our goals has been to increase public awareness about domestic violence.

We?ve conducted several campaigns designed to get people talking about domestic violence both online and off. Through traditional and social media, the Foundation has engaged millions of people in open conversations about domestic violence and financial abuse while providing grants and resources to organizations working directly with survivors as part of the programs.

In 2011, we launched a successful campaign around PurplePurse.com? a website that looks like an online fashion magazine, but is actually a great resource with tips and tools to start talking about domestic violence. With tweet-up events at nine YWCAs across the country, more than 1,000 bloggers and reporters talking about the issue with their readers, and a sustained campaign on Facebook and Twitter, millions of people were exposed to this important conversation in just one month.

In 2011, we launched a website that looks like an online fashion magazine but is actually a great resource with tips and tools to start talking about domestic violence.

While we?re proud of our Purple Purse program, we know it is important to work with others to raise awareness of domestic violence. One particularly powerful new program the Foundation helps fund is NO MORE, the first collaborative effort by several national funders and virtually every major domestic violence and sexual assault organization in the nation, all working together toward a futurein which there is no more domestic violence or sexual assault. Like the peace sign, the yellow ?support our troops? ribbon, the red AIDS ribbon or the pink breast cancer ribbon, the goal is to use a new symbol to help spark a national dialogue and move the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault higher on the public?s agenda.

BCLC: What has the impact of your program been in local communities?

Dinges: We?ve been told that the work of the Foundation over the last seven years has been game-changing, and that the domestic violence service network in America is stronger today because of our leadership.

Since our program began in 2005, we?ve invested about $30 million in national, state and local domestic violence organizations and activities that have affected communities in many ways. Our funding has helped more than 100,000 survivors take steps toward financial independence through services like financial education, matched savings programs, job training and microenterprise services. The Allstate Foundation has trained more than 3,000 advocates in 900 local programs in 33 states, so even more survivors can be financially empowered in the future.

We?ve been told that the domestic violence service network in America is stronger today because of our leadership.

Most importantly, the Foundation is changing the conversation about domestic violence and the nature of services provided to survivors. In the past, talk about domestic violence has focused on healing physical cuts and bruises. Today, the focus is on providing services that help one of our nation?s most vulnerable populations ? abused women, often with children ? achieve their hopes and dreams through financial empowerment.

One of these survivors is Kay, a mother of two who felt trapped in an abusive relationship surrounded by violence and substance abuse. After attending one of the Foundation?s domestic violence programs, she gained the strength to take charge of her life. By learning financial literacy skills like budgeting and investing, she was able to save up to enter a nursing program, get a job at a nursing facility and leave the toxic relationship. Today, Kay and her daughters are living happily in a three-bedroom home with a large backyard, far away from their abusive past. Kay tells her story in many Foundation-led meetings and summits, empowering other women to break free from violence and lead a safe and fulfilling life.?

* * *

Hear from the Award Finalists

In 2011, Allstate and NNEDV were named finalists in the annual Corporate Citizenship Awards in the category of Best Partnership. This is their interview on-site at the awards celebration at Washington, D.C.'s Newseum.

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Bingo-Gaming Gone Global ~ Just Like June

Have I mentioned how much my son loves online games? Maybe only once, twice, or a thousand times. He saved his Christmas and Birthday money to purchase membership to a couple of online game sites. Sometimes when I hear barking I look outside to find what has upset the neighbor?s dog. It usually turns out to be my son?s guard dog on his game. That?s usually the time I decide to boot him outside!

Online gaming has become serious business around the world. According to the NPD group 62% of all gamers play games online . PC and Mac users averaged about six hours of game time per week. If this were my son and he were allowed to do so, he would spend six hours a day playing online games. I suppose this could be considered our fault he loves online games so much. When he was younger, we loved to spend family game night on the computer playing Sorry or Oregon Trail. My son especially loved the Oregon Trail game because something always managed to happen to his sister when he was in charge of the wagon. She usually drowned, got snake bit or disappeared. He never bothered to send a search party to look for her.

Because I hadn?t been able to play online games in a while, I didn?t realize how many games were available. There?s simulation games,where I can find my own sheep, goat or dog, puzzle games to stimulate my brain, games in every genre imaginable, and even online Bingo games. If I have a free minute between chasing the kids and pets, running errands or chores, I can click onto The Bingo Palace to try my hand at one of their Bingo games. I didn?t know there were so many types of bingo available.

For anyone interested in trying online Bingo, The Bingo Palace has a $5 sign up bonus going on now as well as deposit bonuses of up to 300 percent. There's even a chat group for Bingo fans and daily specials. Free games are available for us casual gamers. I wonder if I will hit the jackpot?

Do you have a favorite online game?

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