If you've been following Food Network Canada's hit reality TV show, Recipe to Riches, you'll no doubt be excited about tonight's episode!  It's the season finale of Recipe to Riches and we've been waiting in anticipation to see who the $250,000 grand prize winner will be!

Each week, we checked in to see who won $25,000 and their recipe made into a President's Choice product.

Who did Canada vote for?

Jacqui and her Peach Bliss cake
Glo and her Luscious Lemon Pudding
Melaney and her Bannock Hazelnut Pie
John and his Chicken Grenades
Rosy and her Kulfi Karma ice cream
Robert and his Slow and Low Pulled Pork
Only a few hours until the grand prize winner is revealed! Who do YOU think will win?

Such a difficult decision, as we loved them all!

Have you been keeping up with all the Recipe to Riches excitement?  We certainly have!  We've been keeping our eyes peeled at all our local grocery stores that carry President's Choice products too!  Voting for our favourite recipe has been torture!

I'm not going to tell you who we're voting for, but I will tell you that the decision has been very difficult.
Jacqui's Rockin' Peach Bliss cheesecake was a hit with Hubby, because he loves cheesecake.
Rob's pulled pork and John's chicken grenades were a hit too, because...well, they're meat!!! My husband and toddler cannot live without meat! My husband is all about the "man food" and meat dishes!  The pulled pork is tender and perfect in a sandwich or in other dishes. The chicken grenades are simply delicious as well.

I hunted all over the place for the chicken grenades and they were sold out in most places. I was so excited to finally get my hands on some! Little One was impressed as well! Little One called her Daddy on my Blackberry and told him, "WE GOT GRENADES!!!"

Yes, we've created a little RtoR monster! She's totally into this right along with us! Love it!
I have to admit that I'm a veggie lover and love Melaney's savoury bannock pie. I still haven't had a chance to purchase the PC brand product, but have made (and blogged about) her original recipe. We love, love, love it!
Little One and I love Glo's Luscious Lemon Pudding.  I love anything lemon-flavoured. I also prefer tart over sweet.  Mmmm! Lemon!

Here's Rob's big display at the Independent store in Sudbury (above photo). Yes, I went to Independent AND the Superstore! Don't you  just love the RtoR displays?  The caricatures are amazing!

Rosy's Kulfi Karma is simply divine!  I've been hearing comments about how some think it's not to their liking and that it tastes too floral.  Honestly, I thought it was the perfect balance of flavours. I shared my kulfi with a friend who had never tasted rosewater before, and she said "Wow! I didn't even know that was rosewater! It has a certain 'lift' to it. Almost citrus-like". She also enjoyed the pistachios mixed in. None of the flavours were overpowering. Everything was subtle and creamy. We certainly loved it.

I hunted throughout all of Sudbury and only the Superstore had the kulfi...and, only one left!  I was SHOCKED! Apparently the kulfi is a hit! Sold out everywhere here!
The kulfi being one of the items we hadn't tried (apart from me recreating the original recipe for the blog), was one I was dying to get my hands on.
I quickly snatched up the last one!  It didn't make it out of the Superstore parking lot in Sudbury, Ontario. My friend, Little One, and I ate it in the car as we watched the first snow fall. Ice cream in the winter! Why not?
I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be an official Recipe to Riches blogger.  I am also thankful for getting to know some of the contestants. Melaney, Melissa (RtoR contestant with the Banana Chocolate Wow Cake), Rosy and I have been Tweeting like long lost friends. Rob, Jacqui, and Glo have also been great with commenting on tweets and FB messages. You are all fabulous!

We are very excited about the Recipe to Riches Grand Finale! Good luck everyone!

Don't forget to vote!

$250,000 will certainly change the life of one lucky (and very deserving) individual!

With the rush of the busy holiday season and shopping for special presents for our loved ones, a break from the hustle and bustle is always a welcomed treat.  After spending the day going from store to store, my friend, toddler, and I decided to stop in at Tim Horton's. It's the perfect reprieve from a busy day! The holiday season is my favourite time of the year, but I have to admit, it can get a little crazy, chaotic, and overstimulating.

I have a confession.  One of my guilty pleasures when out and about is a half French Vanilla/Half Hot Chocolate at Tim Horton's.  I know, it sounds like a really odd request.  If you try it, you'll know why I always order it!
I asked Little One what she wanted.  I thought she was going to ask for a chocolate milk for her treat.
She went straight for the glass display case and picked out a chocolate chunk cookie. Funny, since she doesn't normally like cookies!
My friend ordered a coffee. She doesn't take any sugar in her coffee.  Curious, I asked if the manager if they had any sugar substitutes. He flashed a big, bright smile and said, "Of course!"

When he passed us the sweetener, I asked if that was the only one they offered.  He replied, "Yes. This is the only one we have to offer our customers."  I then asked why and he quickly responded with, "That's the brand we get from our supplier. It's the only one we have."

I asked if they would consider carrying Equal Low Calories Sweetener in the future and he said, "Well, I think it's a HQ thing. We only serve what we are given. All our products are ordered through our supplier, and this is what they carry." He also said that no one has ever asked him about getting in alternatives before. He said he doesn't know why they carry one brand and not the other, but that the only reason he could think of was because that is what the suppliers have chosen.

Fair enough. He was so patient and very good at answering all my questions. I even filled out a comment card, asking about the possibility for including Equal  as another option for customers.
Two thumbs up for the Tim Horton's on Notre Dame St. in Sudbury, Ontario!  The one minor thing that I would suggest would be to have a few different options for sugar substitutes available for customers. Other than that, it was a perfect little break from a very busy day!

This is actually the second time I've participated in an #EqualCanada #CBias opportunity, and this is the second time I have been unsuccessful in finding a location/venue that offers Equal. I find myself on the constant lookout whenever I'm out now. I keep checking to see whether coffee shops or restaurants carry different options. I am determined to find a spot that offers Equal. I've even got my husband and friends in on the challenge whenever they're out for coffee!
For more information on Equal, check out their website and join in the conversation on Twitter @EqualCanada and Equal Canada on Facebook!

Disclosure - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. I have also been compensated for participating in this #CBias #EqualCanada opportunity.

One of the things I find most difficult about having as little one is the fact that she grow so quickly.  Clothing and shoes don't last long because she outgrows them in no time!  Kids' clothing and kids' shoes are quite costly...especially if you have to get a bigger size in a few months!  Little One has been lucky to be the smallest out of all her friends. She always gets everyone's hand-me-downs!

Bibirays.ca has the perfect solution to the problem of having to buy new clothes all the time because your kids outgrow them so quickly. Their clothing has snaps to make it last! Everything is 3 sizes in 1 and it's all made with 100% organic cotton.

I was given the opportunity to review one of the items on the Bibirays.ca website. I let Little One choose, since ultimately, she would be the one to wear the Bibiray's item. She chose the Knots Dress in Red.
Like all of the clothing items on the website, the Knots Dress grows with your child. One size will fit up to 3 sizes and will last for many seasons. Adjustable knots at the shoulders and snaps in between the bottom layers make it easy to change the length and fit of the dress.

My 3 year old is in love with her dress and refuses to take it off. Sadly, we're on day 2 of her not wanting to remove it! She says "it's so comfy" and she loves the colours and patterns. What she loves most is the big, deep pocket that she can store her treasures in. She's been lugging around her "pet" (a stuffed hamster named Nibbles) in there and telling people that "Nibbles is in a baby carrier".
The dress is very versatile and can be worn as is, with a top underneath, with tights, leggings, one of Bibiray's peasant tops...the possibilities are endless.

I think it's pure genius to create kids' clothing that lasts a few years and sizes...especially when that item of clothing happens to be your child's favourite.

FYI: Little One dressed herself. Don't mind the mixed patterns (striped leggings)! She's got her own sense of style, which I sometimes don't quite understand. The photo below is of Little One's reaction when I asked her if she could change out of her Bibiray's Knot Dress. She has been wearing it for the past two days.

Bibirays.ca has organic cotton kids' wear for boys and girls.


WIN IT!
Clothing that lasts, is organic, and that grows with your child = great!  Oh, don't just take our word for it.  Bibirays.ca is generously giving one lucky reader of mine a Bibiray's Knot Dress of their own! The winner gets to choose colour and size.

To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Make sure you leave a comment in the comments section here, letting me know either A) Why you like Bibiray's or B) Why you like organics. If you are having difficulty viewing the Rafflecopter form, please refresh and it should load.

* Ends December 27, 2011. Open to Canadian residents only.*

Disclosure - To facilitate this review, I was given a Knots Dress in Red by Bibiray's. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Now that we have a little one, photo gifts have been one of our favourite gift items.  We give framed photos, photobooks, and personalized photo calendars to loved ones for special occasions.  With the holidays mere weeks away, why not take a look at Posterjack.ca's website for some great gift ideas?

For those of you who haven't heard about Posterjack.ca, it is an online company that transforms Canadians' digital photos into big, bold, vibrant artwork. Posterjack.ca has a wide variety of products from posters to
canvases, peel n' sticks and metal prints!
 Here are but a few Personalized Holiday Gift ideas from Posterjack.ca:

• What Mom and Dad wouldn't love a Gallery Framed Family Portrait?


•How about a blow up a picture of your favourite vacation spot on Canvas for your partner?
•Impress your teen or college kid with a cool Metal or Acrylic Print for their pad
•Stuff your kids’ stockings with fun Peel N’ Stick Posters featuring your favourite family photo memories
•Got a shutterbug in your family? A Posterjack.ca gift certificate will help them show off
their art in style!




The ideas are endless!







*To ensure you receive your holiday order in time, Posterjack.ca recommends placing your order by
December 14th.

We wish you all a happy and memorable holiday season.  

"When a child is ill, the day-to-day joys of the holiday season take a backseat to the rigours of treatment and hospitalization.  Many parents simply do not have the means to celebrate the holidays because they have to reduce their work hours, or leave the workforce entirely to care for an ailing child, says Trevor Dicaire, Starlight Director of Development.

Even on the worst of days, I am reminded of how fortunate and blessed we are. Though our child was in the hospital for the first 70 days of her life, we were able to take home a healthy preemie. We were at the hospital during the holidays and one of the things that touched me the most was the staff in the NICU decorating the NICU and all of the babies' stations and isolettes.  Each baby received a stocking filled with goodies, which made being at the hospital during the holidays a little easier.

I am forever thankful for the kindness of those who donated so that the staff could do something special for all the sick babies and their parents. This is probably why the Starlight Foundation is important to us as well. Though we weren't with the Starlight Foundation, it's still a cause I feel strongly about because of all the work they do for improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries.

I'm certain you are familiar with the work of the Starlight Foundation.  They've touched the lives of some of our friends' kids. For this I am thankful for.

Starlight Foundation works hard to support seriously ill children and their families right from diagnosis, through the entire course of medical treatment, and beyond.  Their mission is to bring fun, joy, and giggles where they are needed the most. One of our special angel friends was able to visit his friend Mickey Mouse at Disney World in his last days with his Mommy and Daddy.  That is a special gift - to bring joy to a very sick child.

Until the 9th of December, you can share in the spirit of the holiday season by making a donation to the Annual Starlight Toy Drive.  Spread the holiday cheer and smiles by donating as little as $20 to sponsor a holiday stocking for a Starlight child.

Donations can be made online.

For more information about the Starlight Foundation and what they do, please visit their website.

No one ever tells you the ins and outs of parenting.  Sure, some people offer a few pearls of wisdom here and there, but no one really ever tells you the reality of it all and how difficult and unpredictable things can be when you have a little one.

I am always amazed at parents who seemingly parent so naturally. It's as though nothing bothers them. They never stumble, slip, or fall. I am secretly envious of parents who have it "together". Seriously? You don't have moments where you feel you need to lock yourself in the bathroom and cry? Oh, wait. Did I say that out loud?

Then there are the not so serious moments of parenting slip ups. Though they may not be detrimental to my child's well-being, they're still the mistakes that in hindsight make you think, "Why did you possibly think that was a good idea?!"

Case in point:
Getting into the Holiday spirit, I wanted to get Little One excited about Christmas too. She loves hearing about Baby Jesus in the manger and the star of Bethlehem. She just turned 3 the other week and is more interested in that than in jolly 'ol Saint Nick (which is totally fine with us). This said, she has expressed an interest in the festive holiday with all the music and decorations. She loves the lights and sparkly everything.

"Mama, I yuuuuv Chrimass!"

"Oh, that's good! I'm so  happy to hear you love Christmas!"

I took her to see Santa Claus at the mall and the poor kid cried bloody murder. The tears! It was heartbreaking!

"I don't want him! I don't want him! Mommy, I don't like Santa!!!!", she screamed through her tears. "I don't want him! He's bad! He's a bad guy!!!!"

No photo with Santa this year, I suppose.
When I think of it, I can't really blame her. I teach her to never go with strangers, yet I plunk her onto the lap of a strange man in a red suit with a huge beard and a bunch of elves standing beside him? Yeah. Totally unrealistic expectations. What was I thinking? Well, I guess I wasn't thinking.

Then, I wanted to share something special from my childhood. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, it's been a long lived tradition for me to watch all the Christmas classics on TV. This year, now that she just turned 3, I wanted to watch Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, etc.

I bought her a collection of Christmas classics on DVD.

"I want the reindeer one!"

When we got to the scene where Rudolph and the dentist elf meet the Abominable Snowman, Little One started screaming.

"I don't like him! Turn it off! I'm scared! I'm scared! I don't like monsters!!"

I tried to explain that he wasn't really a bad monster and that in the end, he helps the elves decorate the Christmas tree. She wasn't having any of that. To be honest, I totally forgot about the "monster" scene. Actually, I didn't really think she'd be scared of him.

We haven't even watched The Grinch or Frosty, and she has already decided she HATES all Christmas DVDs and will not watch them.

She is totally uninterested. What fun.

The Recipe to Riches  Entrées episode was a really nerve-wracking one. All three recipes sounded delicious! I  have to say that my husband was confident that the pulled pork sandwich recipe was going to win. We had a friendly bet going on (as we do each week for Recipe to Riches). He was rooting for the pulled pork. I can't say I don't blame him. It's such a "manly man meal"! BBQ meat and a dish  you can eat with your  hands while chatting with friends on the deck? Oh, yeah!

As an official Recipe to Riches blogger, I had the amazing opportunity to recreate the winning Entrée recipe.
I have to tell you that I'm one of those people who needs to get everything sorted and organized before I start cooking. I mean really sorted. Like lining up all ingredients, prepping and putting things in a particular fashion before I get started.
For Rob's pulled pork (Hubby really liked the name Bobby's Bodacious BBQ Buns), I first collected all my ingredients.
 I lined everything up. Yes, my friends think I've got issues...particularly a Watkins and PC brand obsession. I looooove PC products!
 Is it just me, or is this not beautiful?
All the colours and fragrances of the spices were just beautiful! In a bowl, I mixed the paprika, brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, freshly ground pepper, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, and ground cumin.

Now, that's a lot of flavour right there!

I then rubbed the spice mixture all over the bone-in pork shoulder picnic roast. I reserved 2 Tbsp of the spice mixture to add to the sauce. I put the pork in a metal pan and tightly wrapped it in foil. Into a 325 degree oven it went!
I initially wanted to cook it for 6 hours, but ended up taking it out at 5 hours. The house smelled amazing! My toddler kept asking, "Is it suppertime yet? I'm hungry!"

Sorry, kid. You get a glass of milk and honey on toast for a snack while Mommy is cooking :)
 Once the pork was cooked to perfection, I unwrapped it, pulled the pork off the bone, and I began shredding the pork with two forks.
 The meat was so tender, so juicy, and it just fell off the bone.
While the meat was cooking, I did two other things. I made the coleslaw and sauce. For the coleslaw, I made the slaw with the cabbage and other ingredients in the food processor. You can also buy ready-made slaw and add ready-made coleslaw dressing. If you're like me and have a mother-in-law who is a farmer, you'll want to make your coleslaw from scratch. It's actually easier and faster to make than you think. Plus, seasoned farmers' wives would frown upon buying coleslaw when it's something very commonplace in rural areas. Hey, if you're in a pinch and don't have time, just buy the mix! I won't tell! ;)
For the sauce, I combined ketchup, apple cider vinegar, cola, maple syrup, and the reserved spice mixture. I boiled the sauce mixture in a pot on medium heat for about 25 minutes.

 Pour half of the sauce mixture over pork and combine. Use the other half to put on the sandwiches. "The secret is in the sauce!" Ha! Ha! I don't know why I've always wanted to say that.

The Assembly:
Slice bun in half, slather sauce on top and bottom (cut ends) of bun, top with pork, mound coleslaw on top of pork, place top bun lid. This recipe makes 8 servings.

Recipe to Riches airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm on Food Network, and Saturdays at 8pm on Global TV.  The Entrees episode was the last one before the big competition. Next week is the Recipe to Riches marathon! 

Find them on Facebook and on Twitter to join in on the fun!


Disclosure: As an official Recipe to Riches blogger, I  have been compensated for recreating the winning recipe and writing a review post. All opinions on this blog are honest and my own.