Sometimes I’ll have a salad or a great kale stir fry and even though I’m full…I will be craving something “extra”. Do you know what I  mean?

Here’s my list of how I satisfy those cravings:

-grab a bowl of cereal (I generally have 6 boxes in my kitchen even though I live in an apartment with my daughter part time). These days Multi-Grain Cheerios + Ancient Grains with 5 Whole Grains has my attention seeing as there’s the bonus of ancient grains (Kamut, Spelt and Wheat).

 

-grab a packet of seaweed

-grab a frozen choc chip cookie from my freezer

-find a piece of chocolate and dip it into peanut butter

However the other day, I was happily clicking my way thru Pinterest and discovered a recipe with Cheerios that only requires 4 ingredients to make. I love these types of recipes …especially in the summer when I rarely turn on the oven.

I grabbed the Cheerios and within no time at all – I had a sweet, crunchy snack to add to my list when Im craving something “extra”.

RECIPE FOR 4 INGREDIENT  CHEERIO SNACK BARS (taken from My Little Celebration)

INGREDIENTS

2-3 cups of Cheerios….try using the new Multi-Grain Cheerios + Ancient Grains

1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Kraft Natural..Crunchy)

1/4 cup sugar (Im going to try and reduce this next time)

1/4 cup honey (I used agave)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, melt the sugar and the honey – over medium heat.

2. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter and continue to stir

3. Add the cheerios

4. I had these cute little pans to put it in….but you could put it in a small loaf pan, a small dish…anything really.

5. Pop it into the fridge for an hour and then cut up into squares!

I have no doubt that I can add these snacks into my freezer so that they are handy!!

Before you start making these amazing snacks, I’d love to talk more about Ancient Grains. I’d love to know….

A) How do you incorporate ancient grains into your lifestyle? (cereal, in your bread, muffins, etc)

B)  What’s your favourite ancient grain? (spelt, whole wheat, kamut,)

Look forward to hearing from you….

PS This is a sponsored post, 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

 

Thought I might share a few things to do on Canada Day.

1) Get up at 9am and take advantage of this $49 deal that’s been offered by HotelTonight!

Here’s more info:  To show their love for Canada, HotelTonight, (a last minute hotel booking app) has announced a special Canada Day promotion for Toronto, Ottaw, and Vancouver. For only $49 – on JULY 1st ONLY.

Participating hotels:

Toronto: Thompson Hotel, Gladstone Hotel, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Pantages Hotel.

Montreal: Hotel Chez Swann, Hotel St-Paul, St. Martin Hotel Particulier.

Ottawa: the Lord Elgin Hotel, among others.

Vancouver:  Hotel Le Soleil, Granville Island Hotel, Moda Hotel.

There are some more details you should know!!

• Rooms are limited to first come, first served and the $49 rate is only applicable for a July 1 stay. 
• $49 deals will go live at 9 a.m. local time in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. 
• Look for deals in each destination marked “CANADA DAY.”
• HotelTonight will have great deals all day, but the $49 rooms and limited. If you see one you like, GRAB IT!

2) Go Strawberry Picking….This is one of my favorite activities and the perfect activity for Canada Day.  My go-to- farm is Whittamores. (8100 Steeles Ave E, Markham). Here’s what I have learned over the years: wear sunscreen, hat, bring water, FLAT containers, and wear black clothes!

3) Visit an outdoor hotel pool – this is such a treat! I recently spent the day at the Sheraton Toronto Outdoor Pool (123 Queen St. W) and when I say “spent the day” …I mean it. I was there from 11 am to 8 pm.  Please note there is a fantastic fitness centre so you can bring your gym cloths and squeeze in a workout in between suntanning!

4) Visit one of the many conservation areas we are lucky to live near…Mountsberg, Crawford Lake, Kelso. My fav this time of year is Kelso because of the beach.

5) Just chill and relax! Nothing wrong with that, right?

Happy Canada Day!

 

Yummy Market is a grocery store that caters to the Eastern European Community. As you know – I’m adventurous when it comes to food so visiting Yummy Market is always a pleasure as there’s a good chance I’m going to try something new!

Their store on Dufferin St looks like this:

The first thing you notice when you walk in is wide varieties of bread (with samples too).

They also carry a huge range of Kefir.

I bought this product – but sadly I haven’t tried it yet. Its still in my fridge. My. Bad. It’s a milk flavoured soda and to be honest…I think I’m a teensy bit afraid to try this.

I also bought some pickles. I adore pickles and love them even more when they aren’t in a jar!

There’s no shortage of a feta cheese, meats, candy and more! I promise you that visiting this store will be a (tasty) adventure.

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

For more information:

Yummy Market:  

North York Location: 4400 Dufferin Street, North York, ON  Phone: (416) 665-0040

Store Hours: 9 am to 9 pm daily

Maple Location:1390 Major Mackenzie Dr. W. Maple, ON  Phone: (905) 417-4117

Store Hours:
Monday – Sat. 8 am – 10 pm
Sunday 8 am – 8 pm

I don’t know about you but I never seem to carry cash anymore. This drives my mom crazy – however I keep telling her “why do I need cash? I have an Interac card and almost everyone accepts Interac”. Truth be told, the only time I take out cash is for my manicures.

A while ago I received an Interac Flash card – (it has a little ” Wave” symbol on the front of the card) and this enables me to just flash my card at the point-of-sale reader. I adore the convenience and use use my Interac Flash card for all those small purchases – even a coffee.

In fact I remember the day when Tim Hortons started to accept Interac. I was so happy about this news – that I even blogged about it. (click here to read that blog post)

Last week I was invited to an event that was hosted by a wonderful team at Interac and learned a thing or two (or three) that I would like to share with you about  Intertac Flash – specifically about the safety of this technology.

•  Interac Flash has all the security features of Interac Debit, plus added security features – like spending limits – to protect you from theft or fraud. Some of the security features include:
• Each Interac Flash transaction is unique and cannot be copied
•  Interac Flash leverages EMV-based secure chip processing instead of magnetic stripe technology to protect against electronic pick-pocketin
•   PIN authentication is required when your spending limits are reached (this resets the limits)

I’m a huge believer in technology and have embraced Interac e-transfers, Interac Flash and online banking…as much as I can. It makes my life SO much easier and more convenient.

The hashtag below is truly the way I live now…I’m paying in a flash with my Interac Flash for coffee, for froyo, and more!!

I might have been apprehensive about paying for a coffee on my Interac debit card a few years ago – but no longer have those feelings. I truly believe that it’s perfectly acceptable these days. Dont’ you?

PS this blog post is sponsored however all my opinions are my own.

 

Here’s a few events that are on my radar:

a) The Niagara Integrated Film Festival (Thursday June 19 to Sunday 22, 2014). This is a great chance to see some wonderful films AND drink wine! Not a bad combo at all. There’s a wide range of films (Canadian, Animated, Documentaries and more) and you will be watching these movies in a truly unique setting. Please visit their website for more info www.niagarafilmfest.com. 

 

b) Restaurantacular on Wed. June 25th from 4 – 9 pm. This is a great way to eat your way thru Mount Pleasant! There will be a variety of food from local restaurants that will only set you back a loonie or two or three!! LOVE IT. For more information please visit: www.mountpleasantvillage.ca

c) Night It Up 2014 Night Market takes place this year on Friday July 11th to July 13th. I’ve gone for the last two years and always find something that I’ve never tried before. For more information please check out their website www.nightitup.com

d) Summerlicious will be taking place July 4- 20th and I’m sure I will be checking out a restaurant or two. I’ve already make plans to visit Pukka for a $15 lunch with a bunch of friends. What great value. For more information – please visit their website www.toronto.ca

Take a peek at how many festivals are going on…there’s no way one can be bored during the summer.

PS many thanks to my friend @sackman66 for sending me this list!

Have a wonderful summer everyone!

I’ve just returned from the Stop’s Night Market and I’m oh so happy and oh so full. I kept hearing the same remarks over and over again from food vendors and participants – “this is my favourite event of the year”. They are so right!!

The Stop really does put on a well organized and very-tasty event!! Line ups are minimal, food portions are generous, the venue is central, and the atmosphere rocks. There is a reason why this event sells out in minutes.

When you arrive, they give you the coolest plate. Thumbs up to whoever thought of this idea. Here’s a photo of @Abbeyskitchen (on the right) and I …with our cool plates.

Then the fun started as I ate my way thu the Stop’s Night Market. 

There’s no shortage of tasty food at this event….

Special mention to a few vendors:

a) Neal Brothers – who served chicken that was coated in their new line of potato chips. I can’t wait to try this with fish or tofu! (stay tuned).

B) This Saigon Sub by Hey Meatball – there was so much flavour in here that it wasn’t funny

C) The Mustard Spatzle by WhippoorWill Restaurant and Tavern was freakin’ unbelievable. I love the creativity of this dish – I mean, it’s not every day that you see small bits of pretzels in your food! #texture #complex

Congratulations once again to The Stop for organizing such a fantastic fundraiser.

For more information about The Stop please visit their website so you can read more about the important work that they do.

 

My lovely neighbor clipped out an article for me the other day from the Toronto Star and left it on my door step. I scrolled through the article and then noticed a recipe that caught my eye, called Indian Slaw. As always, Star Tested recipes are usually winners and this one was no exception.

The recipe was also a great way for me to incorporate peanuts into my diet as I’m always looking for additonal sources of protein. There’s more great news about peanuts too:

A serving of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts contains no sodium or cholesterol and is:
• a source of fibre, potassium, zinc, iron, thiamin, vitamin B6, phosphorus and selenium
• a good source of folate
• an excellent source of magnesium, vitamin E and niacin

This is great news for momwhoruns!!

Ok back to the recipe! Here ya go….

RECIPE: INDIAN SLAW (from Indian Cooking Unfolded by Raghavan Iyer)

1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts

14 oz coleslaw mix or 1 lb green cabbage shredded (I used a cabbage)

1 to 2 serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno (I used jalapeno)

1/4 of a large red pepper, cut in thin strips

1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut (I used Co-Conut Bacon from YamChops)

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Juice from 1 lime

1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tablespoons oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp tumeric

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mini food processor or spice grinder, pulse nuts to a consistency of coarse bread crumbs (of course, I did not do this step and kept my peanuts whole). Infact, I used fresh peanuts and unshelled them – one by one. Here’s proof!

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine coleslaw or cabbage, peanuts, chilies, red pepper, coconut, cilantro, lime juice and salt.

3. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium high until shimmering. Add mustard seeds. Cover skillet. Cook until seeds stop popping – about 10 to 20 seconds. Remove from heat. Add tumeric. Stir. Pour over coleslaw mixture.

4. Toss slaw thoroughly until well coated.

MY DINNER LOOKED LIKE THIS! 

The other day I got a tweet from @TheCulturedPearl that said: Hey @momwhoruns I’ve found a new #coffice @TherollingpinTO.  I immediately clicked on the twitter username so I could learn more. Their profile said “Sweet Treats, 3429 Yonge St, Toronto, www.therollingpin.ca.“. I didn’t need more info..LOL…I knew that I would be visiting (sooner than later) as it’s close to where I live.  Before I knew it, I found myself dropping by on Sunday morning as soon as they opened (10 am). The outside of this charming bakery looks like this. The inside of this charming bakery looks like this. Now let’s talk about those SWEET TREATS. There’s an assortment of donuts, macarons, pies, cakes and more. Naturally everything is made in house. I decided to try the banana cream pie. However the donut I really would like to try is the “Elvis” which is described as “a delicious peanut butter topping with crisp bacon, bananas and chocolate drizzle”. Other donuts that might interest you – Tiramisu, Boston Cream, Cannoli, Maple Bacon, Blueberry Cheesecake and more!! I’m also going to return so my waistline can try this! Hope you get a chance to visit one day soon. ps a huge shout out to @theculturedpearl for introducing me (and my waistline) to The Rolling Pin!

For more information: The Rolling Pin: 3429 Yonge St, Toronto 416 691 4554

Twitter: @therollingpinTO

Instagram: therollingpinto

email: hello@therollingpin.ca

Ps closed on Mondays!!

Last week, I attended the launch of the TELUS House Toronto Rooftop Community Garden. I went to the event, as these days I’m in awe of anything related to gardening. Would you believe….I’m presently living in an apartment WITHOUT a balcony. Don’t get me started.

I absolutely adore their philosophy: “Because the environment matters to YOU and you matter to US”.

To build this garden was not an easy project. They had to take into consideration – the shade, the wind, finding the right soil mixture and many other factors. The garden will feature many varieties of vegetables and fruit too. What’s kind of neat, is that the produce will be sold to the employees and the proceeds will go back into the community. Plus the produce itself will be donated back to those in need.

They thought of everything – including a watering team!!

I couldn’t help but notice that they are growing watermelon. To be honest, I’m already looking forward to attending their Harvest Party to see what grew!

After many years of planning – TELUS now has a 5th floor space that is truly admirable. You should be applauded for your commitment to the environment and to to the community.

Congratulations and Happy Gardening!!