Have you heard of Ozery Bakery?  Since 1996, the Ozery family has been inventing alternatives to traditional bread products that are made from hearty whole grains, fruits, and seeds.

I’m particular fond of their Morning Rounds which have been a regular part of our breakfast routine and can be found in my daughters lunch box too! They come in a variety of delicious flavours too: Muesli, Cranberry Orange, Apple Cinnamon, Date and Chia, and Multi Grain.

I’ve also been known to prepare myself a little snack which might look like this…

Or like this.

As you can see, I like to snack and these Morning Rounds by Ozery Bakery does the trick.

They are also “just the right size”. Do you know what I mean? Not too small and not too big…just right! Not to mention they freeze well in their reusable bag.

For more information:

Website: www.ozerybakery.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ozerybakery.pitabreak/
Twitter/Instagram: @OzeryBakery

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own

The school year is coming to an end and I swear I’ve finally perfected the “what’s-going-into-the-lunch-box” syndrome.

Here’s the options:

a) FRUIT: This is the easiest part, as there’s always fruit hanging around. (apple, orange, banana, strawberries, blueberries etc). On the occasion, I will mix it up and include a kiwi or starfruit or something exotic.

b) VEGETABLES: Again  – kind of easy as there’s always veggies hanging around in the fridge (cucumber, red pepper, baby carrots)

c) THE MAIN COURSE: Seeing as my kitchen is dairy. I can’t send meat sandwiches to school. So I send: veggie hot dogs wrapped in a  tortilla, tuna sandwiches, smoked salmon/cream cheese on whole wheat bread, pasta in a thermos, rice/veggies in a thermos. For special occasions, I will send party sandwiches (which are always a hit)

d) YOGURT: These drinkable yogurts are bought on a regular basis.

e) SNACKS: Lately I’ve been including Sabra Hummus in the lunchbox. This is a new addition to the lunch box and I’m all too happy to add it in there. No joke – my daughter can tell the difference between Sabra and other brands. Hands down, Sabra is her favourite brand. (specifically the hummus with roasted pine nuts)

True Story: I still remember that my mom put Frito’s in my lunch when I was a kid. I can’t remember what else was in my lunch bag but I remember those small bags of Frito’s.

For more information about Sabra and their wide range of products, , please click here.

Disclosure: I was provided with product, however all opinions are my own

I’ve been making lunches for a while now as I have a daughter who is almost 16 and a son who is 19. I’m not going to do the math (cause I hate math) but I’m pretty sure I’ve made A LOT of lunches over the years.

In a recent survey of 1,000 GTA parents, Longo’s delved into the topic of getting back into the school year routine. Here are a few highlights:

·While 15 percent of parents confess they would rather walk over hot coals than make their kids’ lunches every day, the majority don’t mind the weekday routine.

· This isn’t just about what moms think –Forty-six percent of dads take ownership of school lunches and enjoy the job (81 percent of men enjoy packing lunch vs 76 percent of women).

– One quarter of respondents say they lose their meal-making mojo by the second week of school. That number increases to half by Thanksgiving

For my kids, lunches have always revolved around a sandwich, a fruit, a veggie, 2 snacks and a drink.  Actually the school they attended sent out letters about ideal lunches and snacks!

Here are my 5 tips:

1) Invest in a Thermos. They aren’t cheap but they are SO worth it. I’ve stuffed them with rice/veggies, pasta and soup. It’s a nice alternative to a sandwich and your kids might enjoy something hot too.

2) TALK to your kids about their favorite snacks, favorite veggies and fruit. I’m not kidding but I’m still doing this as it seems to constantly change.  I now pack – sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hummus, a sandwich, sliced apple, and water. However I put money on it, that this list will change in 6 months!!

3) Head to Longo’s to take advantage of their “snack and go” items. I consider this a “treat” but I know that my daughter will enjoy it and it saves me a bit of time too. Longo’s has a fantastic website with all sorts of great information to inspire you to make those 5 lunches each and every week!

4) Mix it up a bit. Here’s what I mean … instead of a sandwich I’ve been wrapping up a veggie hot dog in a whole wheat tortilla!

5. Put a note in your childs lunch box every once in a while. My mom did this for me and I still remember it.

 

6. Check out the Longo’s Recipe Database for some inspirational recipes. This will really help. Trust. Me.

September is truly a crazy month for parents – there’s school supplies to buy, outfits to purchase, forms to fill out and all those orientation meetings etc. If you find you are pressed for time, don’t forget that  Grocery Gateway  might come in handy at this time of year.

For more information:

wwww.longos.com

Twitter: @longosmarkets

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LongosMarkets

Disclosure: I’ve been compensated for this post, however all my opinions are my own.

 

After reading a review of Bar Buca by Amy Pataki in the Toronto Star, I knew that I wanted to visit this restaurant STAT. She gave it 3.5 stars out of 4, so I put Bar Buca on my radar and off I went for lunch. I was a bit nervous that it  was going to be busy so I was cautious and arrived at 11:30 am. It was a good move.

The space has a few shared tables and a bar as well.(capacity 38).  I like watching the ‘action” so I plunked myself onto one of those high backed chairs!

The menu is divided into small bites, cold plates, hot plates, fried, stuffed focaccia and skewers. Love it. It’s perfect for sharing ….and priced between $3 and $14.

So what did I order? Let’s put it to you this way – TASTY STUFF.

Specifically: POLIPO – baby octopus, soppressata, crema de palate. What you really need to know is that it was perfectly prepared.

We also ordered: CARCIOFI CRUDI – raw artichokes, buffalo yogurt, bottarga, senape. In other words: More Perfection

Based on a few reviews, I knew I would be ordering the PORCHETTA SANDWICH (roast tuscan pork, mascarapone, apple mostarda, agliata). What you really need to know about this sandwich is that it is MASSIVE. So glad we split it!

Last but not least – we ordered the BRUSCHETTA which is described as: duck yolk, beech mushroom and truffle. Again – DELICIOUS.

Conclusion: This restaurant offers some well executed dishes in a cool atmosphere with some decent service. Not to mention that the menu appeals to me as it’s certainly not an ordinary menu. Not even close.  I know I will be returning one morning with my macbook… to try their coffee and pastries. I have no doubt that I’m going to be impressed. Most likely I will be making it for dinner one day too. Clearly I’ve become a quick fan of Rob Gentiles’ style. (who is the Executive Chef).

For more information:

Bar Buca 75 Portland St. Toronto 416 599 2822

Hours: Monday to Friday 7 am to 1 am, Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 2 am.

Twitter; @barbucatoronto

I love using recipes but sometimes it’s just fun to look into my fridge/freezer and figure out if I can get creative and create my own recipe!

Specifically I had some pineapple and a piece of salmon….plus a jalapeno.

I decided to bring out my Philips AirFryer to create my meal as I knew it was going to be the fastest way to cook this dish. Not to mention, no odour and minimal cleanup. #winwin

1. First, I cooked the salmon. (see previous post).

2. Then I shmeared (is that a word?) 2 slices of pineapple with the agave, and then sprinkled it with some finely diced jalapeno. Notice the brown specks? That’s grated nutmeg on it.  I also decided to take the other 2 slices of pineapple and shmeared it with Nando’s Piri Piri Sauce.

3. I popped the pineapple slices into the Philips Airfryer and 6 minutes later  (at 200 degrees) it was golden and cooked!!

4.To complete the meal I made some some quinoa with fried onions and some spices from Jaswant’s Kitchen.

Voila. LUNCH.

Disclosure: The Philips Airfryer was provided to me however all opinions are my own.