(Updated Feb 2023, back by popular demand!)
Last year, my family and I made an effort to eat less meat. We started with “Meatless Mondays” and now we are aiming for “Meat-free Fridays” too. I wanted to come up with something that was still tasty and fun, yet packed with goodness. So after some brainstorming, I concocted my Greek-inspired Crispy Lentil, Spinach and Feta Fritters.
Who doesn’t love a loaf of rustic, fresh baked bread? I sure do! A carb lover to the core, I am usually the first one at the table to rip up the loaf in the bread basket and lather on some butter, olive tapenade or take a dip in some olive oil and balsamic vinegar or even better, homemade soup.
During December, I often find myself craving Christmas flavours. Gingerbread, shortbread, sugar cookies and pumpkin pie – you name it! When it is cold and snowy outside, there is nothing better than sitting down to a Netflix series with a slice of Christmas on my plate! Since the beginning of the pandemic, however, I have been consciously trying to curb my comfort eating. Easier said than done during the holidays, right? In an effort to eat cleaner, I have also been trying to reduce the fat and sugar content in many of my traditional Christmas baking recipes, while attempting to not compromise taste. It is actually easier than you think!
We are less than a month away from Christmas! Where did November go? As the days get darker and colder, I find myself searching for ways to keep warm and awake, especially with the high amount of on-line shopping I am doing this holiday season! I like to browse while sipping on one of my favourite holiday-inspired hot drinks: Peppermint Mocha! Peppermint is such a Christmas flavour – combine that with coffee and one of my other favourite flavours, chocolate (of course!) and you have my favourite holiday caffeinated beverage.
It’s that time of the year – holiday baking season! By this point, you may have your Christmas tree and Christmas lights up, eagerly anticipating the holidays. In my house, I like to add to the Christmas sensory experience with some holiday baking and my Maple Gingerbread Oatmeal cups contain some of my favourite holiday flavours like maple and gingerbread. They literally fill my house with the smell of Christmas!
Unprecedented. Unpredictable. Uncertain. Unusual. Unheard of.
Unfortunately for many regions across Ontario, Covid-19 has officially crashed the Halloween party! In a media presentation last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Williams made it official – traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is not recommended for the regions of Toronto, York, Peel and Ottawa.
Fall is upon us! And you know what that means – pumpkin spice season!
Have you ever been at a play date or at the park and someone has mentioned a new product to you? What started innocently as an informal chat between parents becomes somewhat of a sales pitch: “Oh, you should try this!” or “I know someone who can help with that!” Finding out about new products and services on the playground is something I never envisioned as a first-time parent, but it seems that this new and direct way to generate income on the side has become hugely popular. Although you may not have experienced a sales pitch like this yourself, chances are, you know someone who has. Perhaps on a Facebook or Instagram post you’ve seen an old high school acquaintance or distant cousin posting about amazing business opportunities selling essential oils or fake eyelashes, natural skin care products, make up and more. It seems particularly popular with those of the female persuasion. So what is this new retail phenomenon taking stay-at-home moms by storm anyways? Welcome to multilevel marketing!
I was browsing the aisles of a store pre-Black Friday when I spotted the mountain of Instant Pots on sale. Taking full advantage of my rare ‘kid-free’ time, I wandered over to investigate further. A long-time skeptic of food trends and fad diets, I cautiously examined the Instant Pot. I started to think, “would I actually use this?” and “do I have the storage space?” It was, after all, significantly reduced in price. A follower of many food blogs, I have noticed how pressure cooking and the Instant Pot particularly has been gaining notoriety over the past year or so. I was definitely curious and decided to take the plunge right then and there, adding the Instant Pot to my cart rather unexpectedly. Why not jump on the band wagon of this pressure cooking renaissance?