As the temperatures start to drop, I immediately start to cook. I have this “thing” for cooking in bulk and freezing it. I love the convenience of coming home and simply having to grab something from the freezer and heating up a hearty meal in just a few minutes.

This is what’s been happening in my kitchen lately.

Homemade lasagna plus an abundance of Mac and Cheese!

Can you see a trend? As we all step into the fall, I  seem to be eating more comfort foods than in any other season. I’m not only worried about my waistline but I’m worried about my digestive health too.

I must admit, I really do eat more fruit in the summer and miss them during the cooler Canadian months.  Because let’s be honest, buying fruit frozen just isn’t the same and my tummy seems to feel the impact. Anyone else feel this way?

This fall, to combat the cooler weather eating blues, I’m trying my best to get back into my normal routine and get back in control (i.e. getting back to the gym) so I can start my days off on the right foot with a happy tummy

My new goals include:

 Eating Smarter and Exercise • limit low-fibre foods i.e. cheese, processed foods, ice cream (sugar and fat!); drink lots of water and exercise at least 30 min a day.

 Get Relief •  Sometimes changing your lifestyle habits aren’t enough, so I’m not afraid to seek help when I need it. i.e. Dulcolax® Laxative tablets for gentle, predictable overnight relief ; I might even bring this subject up to my doctor or pharmacist!

Right now, you can find a high-value offer from Dulcolax® available at major retailers across the country (English Canada only). It’s available in-store now until the end of October. When you buy Dulcolax® at your local pharmacy it’s easy to pick-up a $5.00 off rebate coupon and mail-in for redemption – it’s an offer you won’t want to miss! (Applies to Dulcolax® and Dulcolax® for Women Laxative tablets).

My main goal is to #takecontrol and #ownthethrone (don’t you just love that hashtag?) – according to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, poor digestive health can affect your mood, energy, concentration and ability to fight sickness. So join me, and make your tummy’s health a priority!!

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

As much as I love to discover new restaurants, I must admit that I really like to eat at home and I also love to entertain.

I swear I have been been sharing my food with friends, since I lived in a dorm at Tel Aviv University. Here’s some photos I dug up for proof.

I continued to have people over on a consistent basis throughout the next few decades.

Food unites people. It encourages good conversation, sharing and laughter, and it facilitates a communal experience. No matter where you are from, Real Canadian Superstore® has all the foods that will make you feel at home. I adore this store for many many reasons!!

Please take a peek at this heart-warming video which showcases how Real Canadian Superstore® has committed to uniting people through all of their favourite tastes of home. They believe that family is the secret ingredient to any special meal, so Real Canadian Superstore® brought food and family together for three deserving colleagues.

I really try to entertain at least every month. Lately I’ve been having fun serving brunch. It’s less stressful than serving a dinner and a bit more relaxed.

Last year, I hosted a ton of wine and cheese parties.

I encourage you to entertain as well. It’s not as hard as it looks and it really does bring people together.

Happy Entertaining.

Yes – it’s that time of year where there’s an insane amount of food events. I went to the Toronto Food and Wine show on Friday, took a rest on Saturday and went to two food shows on Sunday. (Toronto Garlic Festival and the Canadian Health Food Association Trade Show).

Todays blog post is going to be dedicated to the CHFA Trade Show as I want to share with you some of the trends I noticed. I walked around the show for almost 3 hours but needed more in order to walk thru the 800 exhibitors that are at this show.

Naturally I picked up some samples to take home plus I sampled plenty while I was walking thru the show. No need for breakfast or lunch.

1. DRINKS – I spotted: cold pressed watermelon , blueberry juice, water infused with a variety of flavours and fruit, and more. This category seems to be exploding!!

2. TUMERIC – There was tumeric tea and a tumeric drink that caught my eye. Something tells me that we are going to see more and more products that contain this spice.

3. PUFFED QUINOA  – I’m guessing that this is going to be the new “granola”. I can see myself sprinkling this on top of my yogurt with fruit or integrating it into fruit crisp recipes.

4. BARS – Cricket bars, and sprouted bars and more!! I actually first got introduced to Cricket Bars on a trip to San Francisco last year so I’m delighted to see that they are now in Canada.

5. COCONUT – Not exactly a new trend but it’s certainly continuing to grow. I sampled the Wasabi Coconut Chips and can’t wait to try them in a salad or crushed on top of a piece of salmon.

 

Hopefully you will see many of these products in local health food stores, and even in the health section of major grocery stores in the near future.

For more information:

Please visit the Canadian Health Food Association Website: www.chfa.ca

It’s that time of year where the Jewish Community is entertaining. Conversations go like this:

Me: Will you be entertaining over the holidays?

Friend:  Having 1o guests for dinner on Sunday night and on Monday night, 16 guests are coming over. For lunch we got invited to X house on Monday and X house on Tuesday.

Me: I’m off to Ottawa. I won’t be cooking a lot but will be bringing in kasha and bow ties for my parents and some challah buns for my friend.

So let’s talk about those challah buns. You see, I saw a link for 20 Rosh Hashanah Inspired Dinner Ideas by www.shiksaguide.com.   I shared it on Facebook and asked my friend in Ottawa if I should make #16 and bring it her house for lunch. She replied: Yes Please.

So I assembled the ingredients: (P.S. for the complete recipe please click here).

-small frozen Challahs (available at No Frills at Bathurst/Wilson).

– 1/2 cup of Craisins

– 1/2 cup of PC  Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

-Zest from one orange.

Then I had fun breaking the challahs apart and stuffing them with the combo of chocolate chips, orange zest and Craisins, and the forming them into little knots. The last step was a quick egg wash. Then they went into a preheated oven at  325 F for 20 minutes.

From those six small frozen challahs, I got 12 small DELICIOUS stuffed buns. They were almost like a dessert bun. Next time, I think I’m going to stuff with them with apples and cinnamon. Seriously, one could get very creative with this recipe!!

I also bought 16 honey sticks for each guest. I took this idea also from facebook as I follow these four fabulous sisters who have a blog called Dinner Table HQ. When I read their latest blog post about Rosh Hashana and the Dinner Table, I said “wow I like that idea” and went out and bought some honey sticks at Wychwood Farmers Market.

To all my Jewish Friends……wishing you all the best for a sweet New Year.

 

 

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.

Summer is over but that doesn’t mean that there’s any shortage of events to go to! Here’s a list of some of events that are on my radar.   in my calendar and they should be in your calendar too!

1. TIFF. September 10 – 20, 2015

Even if you don’t go to a movie, head downtown and hang out near any of the venues or even a hotel lobby to see how Toronto explodes during this festival.

Did you know that the Toronto International Film Festival® invites audiences to step outside the theatre for a Festival Street initiative?  From September 10 to 13, King Street West between Peter and University Streets will be closed to vehicular traffic and transformed into a pedestrian paradise free for all to enjoy.

2. The Toronto Garlic Festival.  Sunday September 20, Wychwood Barns

I’ve been going to this festival for years and always delighted to see how creative the vendors can get. Please note the new location (which I think is great news by the way).

3. Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. September 18 – 20, Nathan Phillips Square.

Never been to this event but it’s now in my calendar.

4. Toronto Food and Wine , September 18 – 20, Evergreen Brickworks

Sample, sip and savour your way through the festival, get up close and personal with your favourite celebrity chefs and culinary professionals, experience once in a lifetime dining experiences, relax in the exclusive VIP lounge, enjoy book signings, attend exciting trade seminars, and much more.

5. Soupalicious, Sunday September 27th at Wychwood Barns from noon to 3:30 pm. I absolutely adore this event as it’s well organized, supports a great initiative, and features dozens of great restaurants that serve tasty, tasty soups. Just make sure to buy your tickets in advance and show up early!!

September is going to be a busy month. (but in a good way).

Hope to bump into you at one of the above mentioned events.

Cheers!!

 

 

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.

 

Recently I had family visiting from abroad (London and Israel to be exact). They had no interest in visiting attractions or museums and basically just wanted to walk around. I was pretty happy with that objective. LOL

So here’s where I took them:

a) Breakfast at Fika in Kensington Market. (78 Kensington Ave)

I knew they would like the space and the food and I was correct.

b) I thought I was a great tour guide as I introduced my visitors to a unique store,  Cocktail Emporium.  (20 Kensington Ave).  For some reason I’ve never been to this place (my bad). We loved milling around the store – someone has truly curated an amazing assortment of  “all things associated with Cocktails”.

c) We then proceeded to Queen St. West so that I could take them to the new Fluevog store. (686 Queen St. W) Um…three pairs of shoes were purchased, which means that it was a hit. Their cool bank vault made an ideal backdrop for a photo.

d) Then it was time for lunch. I decided that Gusto 101 would be the perfect place and indeed everyone enjoyed their meal. However the shining star was their Sangria. One word to describe it:  PERFECT. Something tells me I will be returning for another pitcher, in the near future.

d) Actually there was one attraction that we all attended; the Andy Warhol Revisited Pop Up Exhibit that’s now taking place at 77 Bloor St. W. This exhibit will only be in Toronto till Dec 31 and it’s worth checking out. Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for youth and students.

I had a fantastic time hanging out with my family and enjoyed my role as “tour guide”. Curious to know where you would take visitors if they mentioned to you that they weren’t interested in museums or attractions!! Please do share.

 

 

 

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 was tired of my standard salmon recipes, so I did some research on the internet and found a new recipe that appealed to me. I love how easy it is to find a new recipe these days. Long gone are the days where I use to sit at the kitchen table sifting thru 6 cookbooks. (or more)

The recipe only included a few ingredients and sure enough..I had most of them in my fridge and pantry.

Here’s the official recipe for Garlic Panko Salmon (from www.primaverakitchen.com. I used half of the recipe (errr..the ingredients) and then used my own method. Keep reading!!

3. In my Cuisinart Food Processor – I whizzed up the parsley, lemon, garlic and panko bread crumbs.

4. Spread this mixture over the salmon

5. Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of your salmon)

6. Serve Warm!

Happy Cooking.