This is what happens when you are a foodie and you have a few hours in Montreal to kill before hopping on a plane. You end up at Jean-Talon Market. Trust me, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend time.

Naturally I bought so many goodies that I had to buy a bag!

In case you are wondering “What did I buy? ” a better question might be “what didn’t I buy”.

Here’s a list of what was in the above bag:

1. Bourgot: I know they are ugly but they are my favourite item to buy at Jean-Talon Market. I discovered that they are also called Whelks and are very abundant in the St. Lawrence River and Estuary.

These Whelks are ready-to-eat as they are sold in brine, which gives them a long shelf life as well as a tender and flavourful taste. Sadly I had to throw the brine away at the airport but they still made it through security.

2. Cult Yogurt – I bought two but one was confiscated at security. Go figure. I discovered this yogurt back in May and hope to see it on the shelves in Toronto one day soon. It’s creamy creamy creamy.

3. Olives stuffed with Orange Peel. Love this combo.

4. Nuts: One bag is Lemon/Pepper and the other back is smoked to perfection.

5. Cretons with Dates and Herbs: Not something you see in Toronto which is code for: “I had to buy it”.

6. Candied Orange: I have no idea what I’m going to do with this but I’m sure it will be a lovely garnish for something!

7. Salt with Herbs: I have a feeling I will be sprinkling this product on my eggs, in dressings, on fish etc. For $3.99 I figured it was a good buy!

As always, I adore this market for so many reasons. Hope you get a chance to visit Montreal in the near future and visit this market too!

For more information:

Website: Jean-Talon Market

Address:  7070 Avenue Henri Julien, Montréal, QC H2S 3S3

Happy Shopping!

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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

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I’m not sure what the stats are but I know that many Canadians are lactose intolerant, gluten-free or have a peanut allergy. Myself included. I’ve been lactose free for about 8 years now and I carry around lactose pills with me everywhere (purse, kitchen, car, pockets) so that I can continue to enjoy dairy products (which I love).

Sometimes it can be hard to know where to shop and how to choose products and ingredients that have the quality and flavours you crave. For many Canadians, this means that meal-planning has become predictable, routine and, well, bland.

However, the President’s Choice® team is dedicated to helping all Canadians find freedom in “-free” products, by showing consumers they can explore new and unexpected flavours and embrace culinary trends, no matter their dietary needs.

I’m loving this initiative that President’s Choice® has launched and recently noticed this giant poster at Loblaws.

While grocery shopping, I picked up some PC® SKYR which is lactose free and has more protein in in than traditional greek yogurt. #fact.

Then I went home and made a delicious French Yogurt Cake using the PC® SKYR. Guess what? I can enjoy this cake WITHOUT taking a lactose pill. HOORAY. HOORAY.

Here’s the recipe for French Yogurt Cake (courtesy of BonAppetit)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
2.Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
3. Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend.

ADORE recipes that only requires two bowls.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes.

For more information;

Website: www.PresidentsChoice.ca

Hashtag: #CompromiseFree

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

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It’s that time of year where we all attempt to eat healthier. Including me. I’m really trying hard to eliminate carbs and eat more protein. Therefore this Activia Challenge is perfect for me.

You see on Jan 1st at noon, I treated myself to Poutini’s and I haven’t had a carb since that special treat.

According to a recent survey by Leger and Activia, Canadian women have an overwhelming tendency to make New Year’s resolutions related to their health, including doing more physical activity (88%) and eating a healthier diet (87%).

The bad news? We’re setting ourselves up to fail. More than half (55%) of Canadian women will keep their healthy living resolutions for less than a year (and some for as little as 2 weeks!), with the most common reasons being a lack of motivation, a lack of lifestyle fit and a tendency to make resolutions that are overly ambitious.

Mid-January will mark the turning point for whether or not most Canadians will keep their resolutions. Guess what? It’s mid January and so far so good I’ve been pretty good with my attempt to incorporate less carbs in my life (yay for me).

Here’s my tricks:

-I’m incorporating more yogurt into my day. The Activia Challenge is currently encouraging women to eat 2 Activia yogurts a day for two weeks. (specifically Jan 11 to Jan 21). I’m in. Are you?

-I’m staying away from beer and wine. However Vodka is fine. Hello Martini.

-I’m eating more salads…specifically Kale salad which I find is SO filling.

Professional home economist, cookbook author and Cityline celebrity, Mairlyn Smith has a few suggestions as well. She’s actually serving as an Activia Ambassador! Here’s one of her easy recipes which is an easy way to transform Activia yogurt into a delicious trifle.

Raspberry Trifle (serves 4)

Ingredients:
• 4 lady finger cookies
• 1 cup (250 mL) frozen local raspberries, thawed
• 4 – 100 g 0% fat Greek Activia Vanilla yogurt

Directions
You’ll need four 1 cup/250 mL glass desert bowls or parfait dishes

1. Mash the thawed raspberries with a fork, set aside.
2. Break the lady finger in half and place in the bottom of each of the four bowls.
3. Spoon 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the mashed raspberries over top.
4. Open 1-100 g container of the Activia yogurt and spoon over top of the raspberries. Repeat with all four of the desserts. Place in the fridge. To soften the lady finger the dessert needs to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Each serving includes 127 Calories, 0.5 g Total Fat, 0 g Saturated Fat, 0 Trans Fat, 9.1 g Protein

I hope you join me in this Activia Challenge!

To follow along on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, please use the hashtag #ActiviaChallenge

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

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Did you know that there’s dairy products where the cows are grass fed? Well, Rolling Meadow Dairy are proud to offer premium quality products made with Canadian Grass Fed Milk. They allow their cows to graze on pasture as long as the Canadian weather will allow. 

My kitchen has been “dairy” for over 2 decades so I really thought I was an ideal candidate to try their products. Sadly the butter was out of stock but I will be looking out for it on my next run to the grocery store.

It was natural for me to enjoy Rolling Meadow yogurt for breakfast along with a homemade strawberry/rhubarb jam.

I enjoyed it so much that later that night I decided to serve waffles for dinner, with a dollop of yogurt and homemade blueberry jam. (recipe to follow)

Then for an after dinner snack, I decided to make a Strawberry Milkshake (using the strawberries I had picked from Whittamore’s Farm).

In my opinion, the Rolling Meadow Yogurt and Milk tastes different than other brands, however I say that in a good way not in a bad way.

In the event you are wondering what’s the benefit of eating Grass Fed products? Here’s your answer: The primary benefit is that the ratio of  Omega 6 to Omega 3 is significantly improved (up to 300%) vs. non-grass fed milk. One could say it’s a healthier product in addition and that it makes it more digestible for some consumer who have had challenges with milk digestibility in the past. (um..like me, who has been suffering from lactose intolerance for 5 years now)

For those who are interested how to make the jam, here’s a not so precise recipe.

1. Take some strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or even a combo of rhubarb and strawberries….and place it in a pot with a bit of water.

2. Add a bit of sugar (a bit).

3. Let it boil and after a few minutes, you have some  homemade jam.

Perhaps one day I will actually use my measuring cups and measuring spoons!!

For More Information:

Website: www.rollingmeadow.com. On a side note: I think there website is so well designed with fantastic content. Please take a peek.

Store Locator: Click here

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

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Last week, I woke up on Saturday and decided it would be a great day to head to Buffalo. Just like that. I swear I crossed the border around noon and was home by 6 pm!! You see….I only visit two stores: Target and Wegmans.

Here’s what I bought at Wegmans.

a)  Blue Hill Beet Yogurt! I probably should have bought all three flavours (sweet potato and carrot) but it was kind of pricey so I only bought one.

When I got home I tried it and decided that it would be great it if I paired it with something. So I took out a piece of salmon and bingo – I had myself a pretty beautiful lookin’ dinner.

b) CHIA POD: Again….I only bought one and now Im kicking myself. I picked up the banana flavour and it is BEYOND DELICIOUS. The banana flavour is INTENSE. I also noticed that ingredients: chia, coconut milk and banana.   Talk about a pure product.

c) BOILED PEANUTS: I brought back these peanuts from a trip to Detroit a few years ago and was thrilled to see that Wegmans was carrying them in Buffalo. Sadly I keep serving them to guests and no one else likes it besides me!!

I bought a few more goodies (naturally) but only wanted to share a few items with you!

On a different note: I want to give a shout out to the store manager, Jim. He approached my friend and I to let us know that there was a “suspicious” person following us in the store. JIm assured us that the security staff were on alert and just wanted to give us a heads up and make sure that our purses were secure etc. When we ready to head to the car in the parking lot, we had TWO escorts with us. Thank you Jim and his amazing security staff for ensuring that my friend and I had a safe shopping experience.

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I’m a sucker for new product. I don’t know how this happened to me but it’s hard for me to pass new products on the shelf. Take for example..this product: Gaylea Coconut Whipped Cream. Did I need it? NO. Did I buy it? YES. I have to admit that the words “Lactose Free” really appealed to me as well as the three letter word “NEW”. LOL. Please don’t judge me!

I was also intrigued by the  new IOGO Moment yogurt! This new product is creamy, creamy, creamy. No need for dessert after a meal. Seriously.

c) This package of lentils  (from Trader Joe’s) which is conveniently PREPARED for you is nothing but brilliant. I chopped up some orange pepper, some onion and then sprinkled some feta on top of it. A perfect side dish with some salmon. Don’t you think? ps huge thanks to my cousin for introducing me to this product.

d) Pringles are also hanging out in my kitchen. They have a clever campaign going on at the moment: To Dip or Not to Dip. Plus the NEW Pringles are now made of hearty corn, instead of potato and the thicker cut tortilla chip makes it easier than ever to dive into a bowl of your favorite dip. Follow the discussion re: To Dip or Not to Dip on facebook or Twitter #PringlesDipBate

What’s hanging out in your kitchen? Do share…..

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Oh how I love food shows. Today I attended Grocery Innovations  in search of new product that will be hitting the grocery shelves.  I have to admit..I don’t mind receiving samples either! Can you tell?

This year, I discovered the following new products:

a) Olympic has introduced CHIA Balkan Style Yogurt that is Probiotic with 100% natural ingredients. It’s also Lactose free, Gluten free and Gelatin free. I think..scratch that.…I know that this product is going to be HUGELY successful.

b) Crisco has introduced ONE CUPS STICKS. YAY. For those of you who are occasional bakers – this is BRILLIANT. I swear I have 2 sticks of Crisco in my cupboard that have been there way too long. Now I won’t have that problem anymore.

C) SILK has introduced a Creamy Cashew Milk. Seeing as I’m lactose free – all these varieties appeal to me.

I wondered thru the show for hours (no joke) and will be blogging about other products that intrigued me, so stay tuned.

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

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I’ve been on a no carb diet since early June, and needless to say I’m a bit bored of my breakfast options:

• Kale Smoothies
• Egg Whites
• Yogurt with berries (Iogo ….sugar free….is my brand of choice this days which has ZERO carbs. YES…ZERO)
• Almonds and a coffee

Then I received the Milk Calendar and said to myself “Vicky – you need to find a new breakfast option. It’s time”. Not to mention, I wanted to include more milk into my diet.

I discovered these Mini Crustless Quiches from a website called Smells Like Brownies. It’s exactly what I needed/wanted.

They are so so easy to make as you only need FOUR ingredients: ….eggs, milk, spinach, and grated cheese. Could life not get any simpler?

Here’s the recipe:

Crustless Mini Quiches

inspired by Laura Rees
makes 12

Ingredients:
½ head broccoli, cut into stems and florets (I didn’t have any broccoli in my fridge and the recipe came out fine)
⅔ cup spinach leaves, roughly chopped (I used frozen spinach that was thawed and drained)
⅔ cup shredded sharp cheddar
6 eggs
1½ cups milk
salt and black pepper

***my two cents: throw in some fresh thyme, or parsley. I really think this recipe needs some fresh herbs to give it more “oomph”.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a regular muffin tin with cooking spray.
Blanche the broccoli, then drain very thoroughly. Layer the broccoli, chopped spinach, and cheese into the muffin cups. Cups should be nearly full with veggies and cheese.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and seasonings until smooth and slightly frothy. Pour over the vegetables, filling the muffin cups about ¾ full.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the tops are slightly puffed and golden.

Happy Breakfast!!

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I will admit it, I own too many kitchen appliances. I need another one like another navel. BUT…the bright colors WERE CALLING MY NAME (Cuisinart knows how to get my attention) and I just had to have one when I saw this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker at Costco for $49.99.

Purple or Green!!

I was reading so many tweets last year from @kalofagas last summer about his ice cream making adventures that I’m almost ready to blame him!!  But I won’t. He truly inspired me and as a result I’m now making FRESH ICE CREAM.  A huge thank you to to @kalofagas for his inspirational tweets.

Here’s how easy it is:

RECIPE FOR FRESH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (taken from the manual)

2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup whole milk – well chilled

2 cups heavy cream – well chilled

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

STEP ONE:

Combine the strawberies, with 1/2 cup of sugar and the lemon juice. Let sit for about two hours. Strain the berries, reserving the juices. Mash or pureee the strawberries (I used a blender for this step).

STEP TWO:

Use a mixer and on low speed, combine the milk and the remaining sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 -2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, reserved juice, mashed strawberries and vanilla.

Pretty Easy...

STEP THREE:

Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of  the Cuisinart – and press a button.

Twenty five minutes later…. I have unbelievable creamy fresh strawberry ice cream.

Not bad eh?

Hope you visit your local Costco soon – so you too can buy a Cuisinart Classic Frozen Yogurt – Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker.

I can’t wait to experiment with flavors: Coffee, Ginger, Rhubarb, Lemon, Watermelon,….It’s going to be a delicious summer!

PS Can someone now inspire me to use the Cuisinart Yogurt Machine that has been sitting in my basement (in a box) for the last year?

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