So, here we are, university students with a limited budget. As a result, buying bags of candy from the supermarket might not even be plausible if you have your yearly craving for Halloween candy and are low on cash. Not to mention the fact that you can’t trick or treat without people asking awkward questions. Well, there is a way where you can still dress up, possibly (even probably) get some free candy and do something to help the less fortunate in your local community. So here is what you do:

1. Find a wagon, a lot of big cardboard boxes and get your Halloween costumes out of the closet.

2. Prepare little flyers saying that you will be coming around the neighbourhood to collect non-perishable food items for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Distribute them to your neighbours. (Live in residence? Make a non-residence friend!)

3. Go trick-or-treating for non-perishables on Halloween. A lot of the time, or at least in my experience, neighbours will reward your kind act with candy. Or at least, they offer you candy while you wait for them awkwardly to get you canned foods.

4. Once you’ve trick-or-treated to your heart’s content, drive your donations to the Daily Bread Food Bank!

Have fun trick-or-treating!

Picture from here.

Earthcycle, also known as Environment Week, is coming up at U of T from September 21st to 26th. With over 25 things to see and do — all incorporating the theme of climate change and the environment — you might get overwhelmed with what you want to check out. Here are some of blogUT’s event picks for Earthcycle.

Workshops and Tours

Container Gardening Workshop
Thursday Sept. 24 from 1pm – 3pm @ International Student Centre Veranda

Learn about city gardening – grow your own food

Trinity College Green Roof Tour & Lunch
Wednesday Sept. 23 from 12pm – 2 pm @ St. Hilda’s College Residence

Students from Trinity College, the first University of Toronto signatory to the Presidents’ Climate Change Initiative, will provide a tour of their green roof and free lunch to visitors.

Food

Hot Yam vegan lunch
Thursday Sept. 24 from 12pm – 2 pm @ International Student Centre, Baldwin Room

A $4 vegan lunch by the Hot Yam! — a healthy environmental alternative to fast food and animal products.
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In its 25th year, the Vegetarian Food Fair isn’t just for those who’ve gone meatless. With over a hundred exhibitors to visit, anyone who is a budding vegetarian, environmentally-conscious, interested in healthy living, or just looking to try new foods will discover something interesting.

Whether you are a vegetarian or meat-lover, you will want to try some of the faux-meat dishes offered at one of the many food booths. As a seasoned vegetarian, I was particularly pleased with the veggie drumsticks from King’s Cafe. If imitation meat is not your style, you can also find a few meat dishes here and there.
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Photo from thebagelhouse.ca

If you’re looking for some fantastic bagels then The Bagel House is the place to go. I had ordered a simple roast turkey sliced sandwich with plain bagel and boy did it hit the spot.

I’ve had many bagels in my life so I know when I encounter a good one. Bagel House sure offers some great authentic Montreal-style bagels. The gentleman who worked there, Jeet, was kind, knowledgeable about bagels (since he makes them himself) and very generous, offering few free samples.

I have yet to experience New York bagels, which I heard are the best, but I’m sure these Authentic Montreal Wood Oven bagels (as the website says) are in a league of their own. They’re chewy, dense and very tasty. You would probably say they are the best if you tried them yourself.

On my second installment introducing farmer’s markets around Toronto, I’d like to introduce the little one on Borden, one block west of Brunswick (where Future’s Bakery is) since it’s really close to campus. In want of something healthier than the stuff they serve at residence? Drop by this market every Wednesday for some fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, honey, cheese and meat. Although the market is relatively small compared to Brick Works and the famous St. Lawrence Farmer’s Market, it’s still a lovely source of food from the Ontario greenbelt. (Not to mention the organizers like handing out free samples pretty often!) So here is the information you need if you ever want to visit:

MyMarket Bloor-Borden

Where?

The farmer’s market can be found in the parking lot on the corner of Bloor and Borden, 1 block west of Brunswick Avenue where Future’s Bakery is. It is between the intersections of Bloor and Bathurst (its closest intersection) and Bloor and Spadina.

When?

Every Wednesday from 3PM to 7PM, rain or shine from June 3rd to October 28.

Is there anything to do there?

• Sample food
• Buy food if you want
• Do something fun on or off campus

Just as a sidenote…

Ontario peaches, at this moment, are absolutely lovely at this time of year. They’re sweet and slightly tart and full of colour, just as peaches should be.

I didn’t take too many pictures but I really like this one:

Tomatoes of all sorts of shapes and colours!

Pictures by Jess.

I went to the Taste of the Danforth on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately it was raining when I got there so there was a lot umbrella clashing and mugginess in addition to the crowdedness that always comes with street festivals.

What I was looking forward to — loukoumades! They are deep fried balls of dough soaked in honey.

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There is only less than a month left before the beginning of the new school year. Here is what you must do to make the most of it before you are cooped up in your room studying while there’s a blizzard outside:

a) spend lots of time outside
b) wear sandals with shorts on every possible occasion
c) eat lots of frozen desserts
d) attend some of these events below

Taste of the Danforth
I hear there are free samples, and beer (but not free).
When: Aug 7 – 9
Cost: Free
Where: Along the Danforth, of course
Website: tasteofthedanforth.com

Toronto Festival of Beer
For those beer connoisseurs.
When: Aug 7 – 9
Cost: $45 – $50
Where: Exhibition Place
Website: beerfestival.ca

Outdoor screening of Gladiator
This movie won 5 Oscars, apparently.
When: Aug 11 @ 8:30pm
Cost: Free
Where: Yonge-Dundas Square
Website: ydsquare.ca

Toronto After Dark Film Festival
An awesome film festival of horror and sci-fi movies. Check out my reviews from last year: Home Movie and Let the Right One In. The latter is actually being remade in English!
When: Aug 14 – 21
Cost: $10 – $15
Where: Bloor Cinema
Website: torontoafterdark.com

Outdoor screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Arrrrr (pirate sound)…. Bring a blanket and some snacks.
When: Aug 18 @ 8:30pm
Cost: Free
Where: Yonge-Dundas Square
Website: ydsquare.ca

The CNE
I discovered that watching people play games is as fun as playing them yourself, with the added bonus of not losing tons of money.
When: Aug 21 – Sep 7
Cost: $15 for General Admission (but $1.75 on opening day!)
Where: Exhibition Place
Website: theex.com

Buskerfest
Street performance at its best, plus the money they raise goes to Epilepsy Toronto.
When: Aug 27 – 30
Cost: Donate what you can
Where: St. Lawrence Market
Website: torontobuskerfest.com