Mom's Rhubarb Slush

This is a recipe my mom put together by combining a bunch of recipes she found online and making her own version.  It's a really good recipe for a hot day by the pool, and it has a lot of different fruity flavours all happening at the same time so it's sure to become a summer favourite.

Ingredients:

16 Cups of cubed rhubarb

10 cups of water

1 large strawberry Jello packet

1 can of frozen pink lemonade concentrate

1 can of frozen berry juice concentrate

1 Bottle of Club Soda

1-2 cups of sugar

*Optional - Peach Schnapps)

Directions:

1. Cook rhubarb in the water until it is soft and mushy.

2. Use stick blender to blend rhubarb until it is fully pureed.

3. Add strawberry jello powder, sugar, pink lemonade juice concentrate, and berry juice concentrate.

4. *Optional - Add booze, 6 cups is recommended*

5. Put container in the freezer.

6. Stir up frozen mixture, and when ready to serve, scoop into glasses and top up with club soda and stir.

Aaron's Easy Horchata

Horchata is a creamy vanilla and cinammon flavoured rice based drink with middle eastern origins, that was adopted by the Spanish and then brought to Central and South America where it evolved into the delicious drink we have today.  Here's an easy recipe for horchata that I came up with after some experimenting and some help from Google.  It's very simple to make and it's also very easy to customize to be dairy free.  It can also be turned into a boozy drink fairly easily, but it really doesn't need it (spicy rye or spiced rum works best). 

Ingredients:

3 cups of water

1 cup of white rice

2 cups of milk

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

2/3 cup of sugar

Steps:

1. Boil water

2. Add boiling water to rice in a bowl

3. Let rice soak at room temperature overnight

4. Put rice and water in the blender and blend until fully blended (it'll look like milk)  *If you don't have a blender, you can instead strain out the rice, but the horchata will ended up thinner and more watery, so you may want to add cream or condensed milk.

5. *Optional* Strain through a coffee filter (it'll be chalky if you don't strain it)

5. Add milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and stir.

6. Chill.  Serve.  Enjoy.

***Variation:

Blend with ice to make a horchata slushie.

Tax Reporting of Your Principal Residence

If you have sold your principal residence you must report this sale on your income tax return. Contrary to the advice you may receive from family and friends otherwise, you must comply with the CRA’s requirements for reporting the sale of your primary residence. This was not always the case and as such you may be informed by a relative or friend that they did not have to report the sale of their primary residence when they sold. This can be entirely true if they sold their primary residence prior to January 1, 2016.

The CRA however does allow the principal residence exemption if you report the sale and designate the principal residence on your income tax return. The consequences of a failure to do so could be that you may not be allowed to claim the exemption. There may be allowance to go back and amend your income tax return if this was missed, however penalties may apply.

All questions regarding the reporting requirements should be directed to your tax adviser. You may also obtain additional information from the Canada Revenue Agency by telephone at 1-800-959-8281 (from Canada and the United States) or through their website https://www.canada.ca/en.html.  

When purchasing a home, the majority of buyers will be obtaining a mortgage to finance their purchase. Together with a number of other documents which will be sent to the buyer’s lawyer will be a lengthy set of Standard Charge Mortgage Terms to be provided and explained by the lawyer to the buyer.

While focus for the buyer will be on the exciting moments like obtaining their key and moving day, it is important for anyone obtaining a mortgage to understand what they are signing and receiving. For the moment, let’s talk about Standard Charge Mortgage Terms (SCMT). While this 25-30-page document seems daunting, and the likelihood of anyone other than lawyers or mortgage professionals reading them seems intensely optimistic, it is important for this document to be explained.

Standard Charge Mortgage Terms is a legal document from the lender of the mortgage, which outlines all of the terms and conditions regarding a mortgage loan in relation to real estate. Simply put, it covers what the borrower is agreeing to in obtaining their mortgage financing as well as the lender’s agreement to follow these terms.

Inside SCMT are definitions, coverage of the mortgage and the mortgage amount and applicable interest, what kind of interest is being applied and how it is to be paid, rules for repayment of the mortgage including prepayment terms such as penalties and fees, provisions on the default of the borrower (if they stop paying the mortgage or breach the terms of the mortgage), and promises and agreements between the borrower and lender. SCMT terms will include all of these matters and more, including also but not limited to, a registration number for the SCMT registered at the Manitoba Land Titles Office.

SCMT are provided in nearly all mortgage matters in relation to real estate and are typically required to be provided to the borrower. Before financing can be completed and mortgage funds release to complete a purchase, the lender will typically require confirmation in writing that the SCMT have been provided and explained to a borrower by a lawyer.

While complex and admittedly, likely boring to a home buyer it is important that a buyer understand their SCMT and basically… all the reasons and ways that it is very sound legal advice to: pay your mortgage payments, pay on time, and do not violate any of the terms of the SCMT and mortgage agreements.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is presented for informational purposes only. The content does not constitute legal advice or solicitation and does not create a solicitor client relationship. The views expressed are solely the authors’ and should not be attributed to any other party. The authors make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to via this article. The authors are not able to provide free legal advice. If you are seeking advice on specific matters, please contact Brendan Mahatoo. Please be aware that any unsolicited information sent to the author(s) cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

While care is taken to ensure the accuracy for the purposes stated, before relying upon these articles, you should seek and be guided by legal advice based on your specific circumstances. We would be pleased to provide you with our assistance on any of the issues raised in these articles.

Q: When should you cancel your homeowner’s insurance policy after your property has sold?

A: When you have all of your funds in your bank account.

Maintaining your insurance on your property until you have your full balance of funds protects you in the event of something happening to the property before your funds are in.

As your lawyer I am to protect your legal rights, I advise strongly to maintain your insurance. You have an insurable interest in the property until your funds are in your account. The hope would be that if something happened to the property before you receive your funds that the buyer would make a claim to their insurance and you would receive your funds thereafter. However, if for whatever reason the buyer is unable to do this, imagine if their mortgage lender pulled their funding and left the buyer without funds to provide to the seller. In this instance as your interest in the property is maintained and your insurance as well, you can make a claim to your insurer and be compensated.

Relying solely on the buyer’s insurance is not a risk worth taking when the stakes are so high. It is my strong recommendation to be overly cautious when protecting one of your most valuable assets And so, to put it simply, do not take the risk of relying on others for your protection, rely on your own insurance and know that you can sleep easy with your funds protected. One month of a premium to your insurer is worth protecting the potential losses and legal issues should something happen before you have your sale proceeds in your account.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is presented for informational purposes only. The content does not constitute legal advice or solicitation and does not create a solicitor client relationship. The views expressed are solely the authors’ and should not be attributed to any other party. The authors make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to via this article. The authors are not able to provide free legal advice. If you are seeking advice on specific matters, please contact Brendan Mahatoo. Please be aware that any unsolicited information sent to the author(s) cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

While care is taken to ensure the accuracy for the purposes stated, before relying upon these articles, you should seek and be guided by legal advice based on your specific circumstances. We would be pleased to provide you with our assistance on any of the issues raised in these articles.

What if I am unavailable to sign the documents in relation to the sale or purchase of a property?

A Power of Attorney may be what you need.

Author: Brendan Mahatoo

“I have just listed my property for sale and I need to relocate right away, how will I be able to sign documents when the sale is complete?”

“I have just purchased a property in Manitoba and I need to go back to my former Province/State right away, how can I sign the legal documents to complete the purchase?”

A great way to address your absence can be to create a Power of Attorney with your lawyer, appointing someone you trust to sign on your behalf. Moving is stressful as it is, finding a lawyer in another Province/State to witness your signatures, corresponding with your Manitoba lawyer, and sending documents back and forth can cause delays. To preempt issues such as delays, stress, missed possession dates, why not appoint a confidant of choice to sign on your behalf?  

Typically, in my practice if a client reaches out to me prior to their home being sold or their purchase being ready to sign, advising they will be out of the Province within the immediate future, I have suggested the Power of Attorney option. In my office on an expedient basis I can have a Power of Attorney completed for your signing prior to your departure. Once a Power of Attorney is completed it can be held on your instruction for use only in relation to signing documents pertaining to the sale or purchase of your property. It will be up to you as to whether the Power of Attorney will be destroyed or forwarded to you once the transaction is complete.

Author:

Brendan Mahatoo is an associate at Levene Tadman Golub Law Corporation. He completed his Juris Doctor (J.D.), Law at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Law. He practices primarily in the areas of Real Estate (Residential and Commercial), Wills & Estates, and Business Law. He is most passionate about real estate, having dreamed of being a real estate lawyer since the age of five. Brendan’s client-focused approach has led to a growing and exciting law practice where his clients are served by the highest and most cost-effective services available. Originally from Kenora, Ontario, Brendan has always maintained a small-town community approach.

Brendan frequently presents on various topics relating to real estate law and is an avid volunteer in his neighborhood.

I hunted down some recipes for Valentine’s Day. Apologies if the versions I suggested don’t work for any unique dietary restrictions you might have.  I found 3 recipes for breakfast, lunch, supper, and dessert, and I made sure that the varied in difficulty, so that no matter your skill level, you should be able to make something you are proud of.

Breakfast:

Easy:  Oatmeal - I recommend adding finely cubed apple, almond slivers, dried cranberries, a little vanilla extract, and a dash of maple syrup or brown sugar.

https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/basic-oatmeal-recipe

Medium:  Pancakes - I recommend adding a spoon of cinnamon and a pinch or two of nutmeg and swapping out the sugar with real maple syrup.  Adding some finely cubed green apple or thin banana slices and chocolate chips is another great option.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21014/good-old-fashioned-pancakes/

Advanced:  Eggs Benedict - This one is really tricky to do properly.  I have found that the vinegar in the poaching water isn’t necessary, and don’t be worried if your water is boiling.  If you boil it, just make sure you take the pot off the element before you put the eggs in.  Before you put the eggs in, get the water spinning pretty fast.  If you use a chop stick to spin the water, you can keep spinning it softly after putting the egg in, and the eggs will better keep it's shape.  Be really careful not to pop the eggs.  A spaghetti scooper is the best tool for scooping the poached eggs out of the water, but make sure not to pop them.  This recipe technically uses cheater hollandaise sauce because the double boiler method of making the sauce is very tricky to do just right.  A trick for keeping the sauce at a good temperature longer is to put it into an insulated tumbler/thermos.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018626-eggs-benedict

Lunch:

Easy:  Mac & Cheese – I like to add paprika and white pepper to this one, along with a bit of mustard powder and some garlic powder.  The roasted red pepper and garlic blend from Costco is great for this.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/11679/homemade-mac-and-cheese/

Medium: Creamy Potato Soup – Once again, I like to add paprika, white pepper, a little bit of mustard powder, and some garlic powder.  Bacon makes a huge difference, even just adding one piece to the whole pot completely tranfsforms the flavour.

https://www.cookingclassy.com/creamy-potato-soup/

Advanced: Vietnamese Vermicelli Bowl – They have a great BBQ pork at Youngs that can be added to this recipe.  Grilled chicken is another great option, and if you have the time, making some spring rolls takes it to the next level.  I love to add lots of peanuts to mine.  Oyster sauce is also a good addition.  Here’s the recipe for spring rolls https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/245343/authentic-vietnamese-spring-rolls-nem-ran-hay-cha-gio/

Here’s the recipe for the vermicelli bowl. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/223529/vermicelli-noodle-bowl/

Supper:

Easy:  Chicken Parmesan with Alfredo - This one’s actually pretty simple, I don’t have any tweaks or suggestions.

Here’s the link for the chicken parm, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/223042/chicken-parmesan/

Here’s the link for the alfredo, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22831/alfredo-sauce/

Medium: Home Made Pizza – This is a great one to make with someone. I like to add a little bit of liquid smoke to the sauce along with some Italian seasoning and some roasted red pepper and garlic.  Don’t worry too much about getting fancy with the cheese, pizza mozzarella is all that is really needed.  I like to bake the crust separately before putting the toppings on to make sure it cooks evenly and so I don’t get a soggy crust.  Cooking on a pizza stone or directly on the rack works the best in my experience, but be careful not to drop the pizza.  As a tip, Piazza De Nardi has some of the best tasting pepperoni for pizza inWinnipeg.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_pizza/

Advanced:  New York Steak w/ Peppercorn Sauce & Snow Crab Legs and Twice Baked Potato –

Don’t worry too much if you aren’t able to find a New York Strip steak, but Tenderloin Meats, Miller Meats, and most other butcher shops should have them available.  The crab legs on the other hand can be a bit of trouble to track down at a reasonable price. Sometimes Sobeys has them in the freezer section that are pre-split which is very convenient.  The potatoes take the longest to cook, so you’ll want to start them first.  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24332/ultimate-twice-baked-potatoes/

To cook the crab legs, steaming them for about 14 minutes seems to work very well.  Using the tines of a fork to lever the shell open is an easy way to get the meat out without having to get special tools.  Be careful not to stab yourself.

For cooking the steak, you’re on your own, people get way too fired up about different methods off cooking.  All I’m going to say is that I like to put some salt on my steak, rest it for a while, rinse it off, and then dry it very thoroughly with paper towel.  I like to brown it using butter in a pan, and then I let it finish in the oven.  For the peppercorn sauce, here’s a good, simple recipe.  I like to add garlic powder to this one.  https://www.recipetineats.com/peppercorn-sauce/

Dessert:

Easy: No Bake Cheesecake – My baba used to make cheese cake like this.  She used to add a little bit of pineapple to the cream cheese if she was using strawberry pie filling.  My favorite was always the blueberry pie filling though.  Make sure you do a really good job compressing the crust, if it’s not compressed enough it can fall apart.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/49066/the-best-unbaked-cherry-cheesecake-ever/

Medium: Red Velvet Cupcakes – These ones are pretty straightforward to make.  I use a Ziplock freezer bag with the corner cut off to pipe the frosting on, although it’s not necessarily the prettiest way of doing it.  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/212429/red-velvet-cupcakes/

Advanced: White Chocolate Raspberry Trifle – This is a recipe that one of my Aunt’s makes from time to time that is absolutely delicious, but it’s also a bit of work and can end up turning out poorly if the raspberries are too wet. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/raspberry-white-chocolate-and-almond-trifle-233432

 If you are going to use premade ladyfinger cookies, this recipe isn’t too tough to pull off.  Here’s a recipe for the cookies though if you want to make them yourself. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10434/ladyfingers/

If you are going to roast the almonds yourself, be careful not to overcook them, it can happen very easily.  350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 minutes spread on a cookie sheet.

I hope these recipes helped you.  I tried to pick ones that would be appropriate for all different levels of cook so that even if you aren’t the most experienced chef, you’ll still be able to make your loved one smile.  And don’t worry if you don’t have someone to share them with… after all, that means you don’t have to share with anyone! :D