I recently worked at the Restaurants Canada  giving out samples of squeaky cheese curds to a variety of people who work in the Restaurant Industry (chefs, caterers, restaurant owners, etc).

When I took my breaks, I quickly walked thru the show to discover new products and say hello to fellow exhibitors like Lemon Lily, Lorelyns Gourmet Desserts and Walter Craft Caesar.

Here’s a few products that caught my eye. For some reason they are all beverages…which either indicates that I was really thirsty or it’s a growing category!!

1. Pink Lemonade Beer by Farmery Estate Beer! #interesting
   

2. Hatch – Cold Brew Iced Tea. Love the packaging and the combo!

3. This organic Maple Syrup Soda

Plus this beverage caught my eye as well. Especially the blood orange flavour!

I ate and ate and ate for 3 days solid…a little this and a little of that. When I got home there was no need for dinner just a huge need to lie on the couch!! (can you say Netflix and Chill?).

The best part of the show was knowing that Uber Eats would deliver to my booth. All I did was download the app, order what i wanted from the menu (which would come from other exhibitors) and within 20 minutes it was delivered. Oh how I love technology (and food t00).

Already looking forward to the next trade show which will be SIAL – May 2 to 4th.

Seeing as I did a blog post about eating my way thru Toronto, I thought it would only be fair to write a blog post about the variety of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that I’ve discovered in the last few months.

1. SoCIAL Lite

This new drink is right up my alley as it’s the first ever ready-to-drink sparkling vodka cocktail that has no sugar, no sweetener and no artificial ingredients. It’s made with a blend of premium Canadian vodka, soda and 100% Natural Flavours. What’s most impressive, each 355mL can is a mere 80 calories and is gluten-free. Hello Summer!

I love the story behind the drink: Theses entrepreneurs wanted to drink on a Saturday night and still be able to run on Sunday mornings.

2. Root Beer is the latest trend with alcoholic drinks these days and finally I scored these two products at the LCBO on Yonge Street/Summerhill. The brand on the left (Crazy Uncle) disappeared from the fridge before I got a chance to try it, and the brand on the right (Dusty Boots) is Root Beer with Beer and produced by Crazy Beard Brewing Co. right here in Toronto. I tried the Dusty Boots and I liked it…A LOT. Then again I’m a root beer fan so I was pretty sure I was going to like it. Read more about the guys behind Crazy Beard Brewing Co. here!

3. Fresh – This apple glow ginger is beyond refreshing. Had a sample of it at an event and will certainly be buying this in the future.

4. The Iced Aroma or Lemon Mint at Aroma Espresso Bar is another summer time favourite.

Aroma Espresso Bar is also running a cool summer time contest (with Simon & Schuster Canada) where you can win free coffee for a year as well as some great books. Enter soon as the contest closes July 15th … K? Ps the name of the contest is Read, Chill, Repeat – LOVE IT.

6; Smoothies!

This weekend I enjoyed the Wimbledon finals while sipping Smoothies made with Genuine Health Fermented Greek Yogurt Protein +. This Canadian product has no GMO, vegan, soy and gluten free.

I grabbed some Almond Milk Breeze and some berries – added the Fermented Greek Yogurt Proteins+ and before you know it, I had a satisfying Smoothie. I’m also a fan of the Fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ Cherry Almond Vanilla bar. Check out all their products here.

Here’s to Staying Hydrated over the Summer!!

I recently hosted a chocolate and cheese fondue party. I usually host wine and cheese parties but seeing as it was held right before Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be a fun to involve some chocolate.

Here’s what was involved:

GUESTS: I invited 10 friends on a Sunday at 1 pm and the table looked like this.

MENU: Four brands of chocolate, party sandwiches, fruit, wine (and more wine), fondue, huge chunks of bread (from Blackbird Baking Co.), a few other snacks.

Let’s take a minute and talk about the chocolate that was served:

1. Green & Blacks. This chocolate company based out of the UK uses only organic ingredients to create great tasting chocolate. In 1994 their Mayan Gold bar became the first chocolate bar to be awarded the Fair-trade Mark by the Fair-trade Foundation in the U.K.

2 Sweets Canada Gourmet Chocolate Bars They are a new E-Tailer in town and sell a line of Premium Chocolate bars with pure Dried Edible Flowers Petals (how cool is that?)… like Rose, Jasmine, Lavender, Sunflower, Safflower, with Bits of Strawberry Matcha tea, Apricot, and Apples. Each bar is packed in the cutest burlap bag.

My guests also sampled their chocolate bars made with finest European chocolate added with Cashew, Ginger or Banana -Caramel and touch of Sea salt. I’m a flavour junkie so Sweets Canada really appealed to me.

Feel fee to head over to their website to learn more about gourmet chocolate bars from Sweets Canada.

3. Dufflet/Steam Whistle: I purchased this adorable tin while visiting the Steam Whistle Brewery. I just couldn’t resist the combination of beer/chocolate.

4. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar with Caramel and Black Sea Salt: Every time I go to Trader Joe’s I seem to buy another chocolate bar! Adored the combo of the caramel and the sea salt.

Conclusion: The party was a huge success and as always, I look forward to hosting more parties in the future.

Disclosure: I was compensated and/or given product however all opinions are my own.

I’ve been a fan of Real Sports since it opened. In fact many years ago I organized a small tweet up at Real Sports, to watch the final of the Australian Open.

It’s a pleasure to watch the most exciting moments of  a game on their 39-foot HD Big Screen and 199 HD TVs.

Plus you can sip from over 50 beer selections or select from one of their 126 draughts on tap. To sum it all up – there’s 25,000 square feet of incredible atmosphere.

This month, they have introduced a new menu. I found out that they developed a menu that pairs well with beer and I think this is a fabulous strategy!! Not to mention that they made the menu a bit smaller so that they can focus on quality and consistency vs. quantity! Again, a great strategy.

Here are 3 dishes that I would certainly order again:

1. #Litterally Popcorn Chicken – Popcorn dusted fried chicken bites in a sweet, hot chili sauce.

(oops can’t find a photo cause I guess I was too busy eating this dish)

2. Buffalo Cauliflower – Fried Southern Style with Buffalo Sauce, Coleslaw and Blue Cheese. True story….a blogger sitting beside me thought this was a chicken dish. That’s how good it was.

3. Hawaii 5-0 Pork Chop – Double cut pork chop served on bacon fried rice with pineapple blue cheese salsa.

 

For more information:

Www.RealSports.ca

Address: 15 York St, Toronto (Maple Leaf Square)

Phone: 416 815- REAL

Twitter: @RealSports

Instagram: @Real_Sports

Disclosure: My meal was complimentary however all opinions are my own.

I’ve just returned from an incredible stay in Erieau, Ontario.  This charming small city, is home to great sport fishing, a fantastic beach and lively community. I don’t know about you but I had no idea Erieau existed and I’m so glad that it’s now on my radar. 

For some reason I’ve been driving north on the 401 or east along the 401 but never west. Silly me!! It’s so close to Toronto and there’s way less traffic.

The highlight of the trip was a fishing trip with J&P Charters. I’ve never been on a chartered fishing trip but it’s always been on my bucket list. Lake Erie is known for it’s Walleye and Rainbow Trout and that’s exactly what we caught.

I couldn’t have been happier with this experience. Not to mention that the weather and the water conditions were perfect too.

J&P Fishing Charters has everything you need..a) a well equipped boat b) state of the art technology c) and 26 years of experience. What more could you ask for? Not to mention, Captain Paul will clean the fish so you can take it home! (Which we did).

One great thing about this experience is you don’t have to have any experience to go out on a fishing charter. While on the boat, I decided to leave the reeling up to the experts (Captain Paul and his son Tyler) however they are more than happy to assist you and give you the guidance you need to reel in your catch!! The choice is yours.

With the help of Tyler, my boyfriend reeled in the biggest catch of the day (about an 8 pound Walleye ) and Tyler was very helpful and walked him thru the entire process of  reeling it in.

We got off the boat at 6:30 pm and by 8:30 pm we were perched at Molly and OJ’s restaurant eating our catch of the day cooked up by the chef.  Does not get any fresher! Our dinner included soup, salad, dessert and the fresh fish that we had just caught, all for $15 per person. INCREDIBLE.!

After dinner, we relaxed at the Bayside Brewing Company.  Yes – Erieau has a microbrewery and it’s right across from the marina!! Of course I had a flight of beer. They had a chocolate mint beer that was most interesting and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

We stayed at Molly & OJ’s Lakeside Cabin Rentals, in a very clean and well equipped cabin (ie fridge, cutlery, and microwave) that was located just steps away from their private beach. There were bicycles, paddle boards and a kayak too but I was content to just go for a swim and relax.

This stunning private beach was just steps away!

For breakfast we went to The Galley Grill and Pub and we certainly enjoyed a unique breakfast that included eggs over easy, fried potatoes and cheese and several pieces of fried perch. 

I figured including fish in every meal was the right thing to do since Erieau is known for its fresh catch.

If you are considering a trip to Ontario’s Southwest for a fresh foodie adventure, check out oswculinary.com. You can also enter to win a Dream Foodie Escape Contest. 

Sadly we didn’t have time to go to Rondeau Provincial Park but I’m already thinking about going camping there next year.

In fact, on our entire drive back to Toronto (which was not a nightmare, unlike some other routes), I couldn’t stop thinking about this unique trip.

For more information:

Molly & OJ’s: 875 Mariners Rd, Erieau, ON (519) 676 8812

Bayside Brewery and Pub: 970 Ross Lane, Erieau ON (519) 676 1888

J & P Charters:  (519) 745-1992  or  cell: (519) 897 1042

Galley Grill Pub: 1005 Vilder Ave, Erieau, ON  (519) 676 4469

Huge thanks to the Ontario’s Southwest for helping set up this amazing experience.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this trip however all opinions are my own.

It’s been a busy weekend and I promised myself that I would do NOTHING this weekend. No restaurant reservations, no parties to go to, no entertaining – just me and the couch.

Well it kind of worked out that way. LOL.

On Friday night I googled “what to do in Toronto this weekend”. Dangerous thing to do for someone who wanted to do NOTHING. Guess what I saw? This flyer.

Immediately I knew that my plans had changed,  and now I would be heading out to Archibald’s Winery in Bowmanville. Guess what? I have no regrets.

It was the perfect sized event with just the right amount of food, beer and cider vendors.

There was incredible food – which made my taste buds happy and my wallet happy too! Most items were $2 to $3 dollars – how could I say no?

And of course there was cider and beer! I was delighted to see Shiny Apple Cider participating as I recently got introduced to this new cider that is made from 100% Ontario Apples and that’s gluten free and vegan too.

Archibald’s Winery put on a well organized event and I truly hope there’s a 2nd annual Bacon and Cider Festival next year.

For more information:

Website: www.archibaldswinery.com

Twitter: @archibaldswinery

I recently went to Great Wolf Lodge with my mom and my daughter.  Instead of a “Girls Night Out” it was a “Girls Night Getaway”. ..which included spa treatments, CASUAL CLOTHING and tasty food.

Before we went away, I gave my mom strict instructions not to bring anything fancy as Great Wolf Lodge is all about comfort and convenience. This is the perfect get away where you don’t have to worry about bringing “the right” clothing (some people even go to breakfast in pyjamas).

I also loved the convenience of getting a wrist band.  It acted as my room key.  How convenient is that?    #LOVEIT.

We started off the getaway with a spa treatment. This was certainly a treat!

Take a peek at this little girl who allowed me to take a photo of her getting a spa pedicure!

Then we SLID into summer and took advantage of the water park, which is a whopping 100,000 square feet. Note: your admission ticket to the water park is included in your hotel fee. #morevalue

As for food: I can spot a fresh buffet a mile away and this buffet was indeed fresh and super tasty. Our personable (and funny) waiter Paul H. ensured that we also had a great laugh or two.

Great Wolf Lodge goes out of their way to accommodate guests with allergies or specific food requirements. When my daughter mentioned that she preferred a salad without cheese, they were quick to say “not a problem, we can make you one”.

Did I mention that I ordered a local beer to go along with my meal? Not only could I drink it with my meal but I was able to walk around with it too. #funfact

Great Wolf Lodge raises the bar to provide guests with a safe and exceptional vacation with plenty of value. As a mom (and a former life guard), I thought these t-shirts sent out a great message that Great Wolf Lodge takes safety seriously!

In the event that you are seeking a summer get away, Mom Who Runs would like to offer you a discount at Great Wolf Lodge of 20% off the best available rate. Please use this code when booking: MWRFUN

• Offer valid for stay dates between June 14, 2015 to July 24, 2015
• Booking cut-off date to make reservations is June 28, 2015
• Blackout dates may be added as availability decreases.

I have no doubt that you will have an exceptional vacation!!

For more information:

Website: www.greatwolflodge.com

Address: 3950 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 7M8
Phone: (905) 354-4888

Twitter: @GreatWolfLodge

Instagram: @GreatWolfLodge

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreatWolfLodge

Disclosure: My trip to Great Wolf Lodge was complimentary however all opinions are my own.

I drove into Ottawa on Saturday at 7 pm and left on Monday at 8 am. This means that I had a lot to do in a short period of time. Guess what? Mission Accomplished. I checked out 4 new places. Here’s what I discovered:

a) Bread by Us…this new bakery is only 6 months old and is already a hit in the neighbourhood.  I had a lovely chat with the owners and enjoyed my coffee with a white chocolate strawberry scone . Next time, I really need to buy a loaf of bread.  Kind of kicking myself that I walked away empty handed.

b) La Trappe a Fromage: I have NO idea why I’ve never been to this store before. It’s only a 15 min drive from downtown Ottawa and WELL WORTH THE DRIVE. There’s a massive variety of Quebec beer and a massive variety of Quebec cheese too. This is now going to be a store that I’m going to visit on a more regular basis.

c) Beyond the Pale Brewing Company:  I drove by this place in the morning but it was closed and then returned in the afternoon. I’m so glad that I did. What a discovery. I had 3 samples and then chose one to bring back to Toronto. This little brewery is soon to be expanding as there’s a HUGE demand for their beer. Very happy for them.

c) Salt.…this restaurant only opened 2 weeks ago! I’m not sure what I should write about first…the space or the food. Both are outstanding. In fact I can’t think of a restaurant in Ottawa that has paid this much attention to the space! The owners wanted to create a restaurant that is open late at night (i.e the kitchen is open till 2am) and where live music is played. As for the food – everything is made in house (the jam, the mustard, etc) and both dishes that we had were well executed and plated to perfection.

For more information

Bread By Us: 1065 Wellington St. W, Ottawa (613) 422 5300 Twitter: @BreadByUs

Beyond the Pale Brewing Company: 5 Hamilton Ave. N, Ottawa, (613) 695 2991 Twitter: @BeyondThePale

La Trappe a Fromage: several locations…I went to 114 Blvd Saint-Raymond, Gatineau Quebec

Salt 345 Preston St. Ottawa  (613) 695 5755. Twitter: @SaltOttawa

 

I’ve been anticipating the Grilled Cheese Fest since it was first announced back in December. Finally the day arrived and I made sure to be at Roy Thompson Hall at precisely 5 pm as they were letting in media before the event started. I try to take advantage of this opportunity so I can snap up some decent photos and talk to vendors about what they are serving etc.

Before I go any further – I want to say that I was there from 5 pm to 7 pm. During that time…..I sampled some cheesy goodness, enjoyed some soup and drank a craft beer or two!!  I also made sure to take lactose pills on a regular basis!!

I’m not quite sure how many lactose pills I took but I wasn’t going to a little lactose intolerance get in my way!!

The evening promised a variety of unique grilled cheese sandwiches, complemented with homemade soup and craft beer – and they delivered! My favourite grilled sandwich was the General Kim from Cut the Cheese.  (2901A Dundas St. W). The sandwich was described as: Kimchi, sweet soy pork, lotus chips, cilantro, fontina cheese on a light rye bread.

My favourite soup was from Cheesewerks. (56 Bathurst St)

I really did enjoy the event (again, I was there between 5 and 7 pm). However I then discovered thru a blogger friend that many guests did not get a chance to enjoy the event, as they had oversold the event by 700 tickets.  I really felt bad when I read this. This isn’t exactly how an event should be run but I’m sure Joylister learned a thing or two. Just like they learned a thing or two after they ran the Poutine Festival.

For more information:

www.joylister.com

Twitter: @Joylister

Instagram: Joylister

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoylisterFUN

I’ve just walked in from a FoodShare event that’s called Recipe for Change. It took place at the St. Lawrence Market (North Building) and is an event that features Toronto’s Top Culinary Talent while supporting good food education.

The venue was the perfect size and well spaced out. Guests had the opportunity to even sit down at a table and not just stand up and eat their food! Whoever did the floor plan did a great job.

As for the food: There was a variety of everything and no shortage of food OR drink. To be exact: 30 Chefs, 20 VQA wines and 6 local beers.  What was noticeable, was the amount of vegetarian and vegan options. To sum it up – I’m STUFFED.

I ate…I ate….I ate….I ate…

I ate some more….(in particular those oysters from Hooked. I was embarrassed how many I ate!!)

There was also an impressive Silent Auction that took place. I was super interested in the Women’s Deluxe Cruiser and should have placed a bid. Arghh – now I’m kicking myself. (Lesson.Learned).

Please keep this event on your radar for next year!! You will be supporting a great cause at the same time as enjoying a super well organized event.

Congratulations to the entire team at FoodShare!!

For more information: Please check out this website – www.foodshare.net

Twitter: @foodshare