The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PARENTING Thursday, February 23, 2012 The Independent & Free Press Special pullout section 8 Pages Tired of icy sidewalks, slush puddles and cold, wet rain or snow? Are you looking for a place to exercise in a warm, safe environment? The Dufferin Rural Heritage Community Centre, Prospect Park in Acton is the place to be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon. The centre is open for unsupervised exercise and play for all ages such as moms and kids, walkers, runners and pole walkers and more. Admission is $2 adults (it goes to the Acton Agricultural Society). Children free. For details call 519-853-9989. Dufferin Centre Watching the Oscars is great place can be a family affair It's Oscar weekend! I'm not to exercise sure how many of you actually Lori Gysel watch or follow the Academy Awards, but this is a longstanding tradition in my family. When Gerry was young, she used to watch it with her mom and see all the beautiful stars in their fabulous tuxedos and long flowing gowns glide along the red carpet. Now, Gerry and I watch the show together. Most of the men are still dapper in their tuxes, but mom and I are sure there is some kind of memo that goes out to all the women, telling them what is hot and what is not to wear, as it seems that so many of them are dressed the same. We miss the years when Cher was there-- as she always made a wonderful entrance in some fantastic and wild outfit! Anyhow, mom and I make a night of it. Although the show itself doesn't start until around 7 p.m., much like the Super Bowl, there are hours of pre-show entertainment, so we usually start our little party around 4 or 5 p.m. After all, we don't want to miss anything-- especially if they do a segment on what is being served at some of the parties afterwards because we love to hear about the food! We usually set up shop at mom's house-- Dad gets the front room and mom and I get & Gerry Kentner the cozy den. We usually go with a yummy cheese fondue, a bottle of wine and something sweet for dessert. We get all the food made and laid out in front of us before show time, because once it starts you don't want to get up. And, we get into our pyjamas before show time too-- comfort is king! Then, once the show is all over, I fall asleep on the pull-out bed, then head home in the morning. Anyhow, if you are thinking of cheese fondue for your Oscar party-- a couple of suggestions: some people like a cheese (old cheddar) and beer fondue, but I prefer the original white wine with gruyere and emmenthal. If you want to try the cheddar and beer version, use the recipe from today and sub beer where it says wine, sub cheddar where it says emmenthal and gruyere, skip the nutmeg and sub more beer where it says kirsch or brandy. A fondue does not have many ingredients, so don't cheap out on the ones you buy. Make sure you buy some good dry wine-- after all, you only need a bit in the pot, you can drink the rest! And be sure to get some good cheese. Spend the money-- you'll be happy you did! Crusty bread for dipping as well as some ripe pears and crisp apples are our favorite. Have fun and keep cooking! Send questions and comments to whatscooking@theifp.ca Cheese Fondue (probably should serve four, but usually two of us eat it all!) All ages can submit to PhotoArt 2012 Halton Hills Camera Club is accepting images for its annual PhotoArt 2012 competition at the Georgetown Market Place (near The Independent & Free Press office), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 24-25, and from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 26. Photographers can enter in four age groups: 17 years and older, 13-16 years, 9-12 years and 8 years or younger. Info/entry forms and rules go to www.hhcc.ca Ingredients · 1 clove garlic · 1 cup dry white wine · 2 cups grated emmenthal cheese · 2 cups grated gruyere cheese · 1 tbsp cornstarch · 2 tbsp kirsch or brandy · pinch nutmeg · pinch freshly ground black pepper · baguette, ripe pear, crisp apple to dip Method 1. Smash garlic clove, then rub around on inside of small pot. 2. Add wine to pot and bring to a simmer. 3. Slowly add both cheeses, stirring constantly, until cheeses have melted. Bring back to a boil. 4. Mix cornstarch with either kirsch or brandy. Add to cheese mixture, stirring constantly until mixture becomes smooth. 5. Add nutmeg, pepper. 6. Serve with chunks of baguette, sliced apple and pear. Last Chance! Ends Feb. 29.12 10 customized weekly private lessons & a FREE instrument