Why Buy Local

The Reward 
From May 1^st to May 5^th 2013, Egg Farmers of Canada will be rewarding Canadian moms who in many cases do the hard graft of grocery-buying and preparing meals for their families.  Visitors to the Egg Farmers of Canada Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/eggs) during this period will be able to claim a discount voucher for eggs, and get ideas for treating their moms to the perfect Mother’s Day brunch – both the recipe, and how to prepare it.

Here's a great recipe/video for you! 






What percentage of your groceries are locally produced?
Disclosure - This is not a sponsored post. This is just a topic I am passionate about.

For many parents, finding ways to help their children who suffer from eczema can be a challenge. Eczema can vary from persistent skin conditions of dryness and recurring rashes to the more severe blistering, cracking, crusting, or flaking.

It's not pleasant -  no matter what your age is.

I was surprised at the number of infants and young children that are affected by eczema, and that eczema is most common in infants and young children. I was even more surprised at what can trigger outbreaks in some. One of my good friends and her little ones all have eczema and it is not a pleasant thing to have to live with.

My own Little One has extremely sensitive skin, just like her Daddy. We have to be extremely careful with which soaps and detergents we use for her. Environmental irritants, stress, fragrances, and chemicals cause her to react. This said, her skin condition pales in comparison to what her friends with eczema endure.

As you may know, La Roche-Posay is always looking to improve the life of those with sensitive skin. In 2012, La Roche-Posay organized the “100 families” – a program to follow families with children suffering from eczema and to provide them with the education necessary to better manage their eczema, as well as free Lipikar products. The Lipikar product line is designed for dry and eczema-prone skin and is especially adapted for children and infants. Once again, La Roche-Posay Canada wants to put children at the heart of their contest on their Facebook page.


This spring, thanks to their “Itch-Free Day” contest, La Roche-Posay is strengthening their social media presence to better the lives of those with sensitive skin. The principle is simple: ask children suffering from dry skin and eczema to draw what an itch free day looks like!

La Roche-Posay Facebook fans will vote for their favorite drawing and a jury will then select the winning drawing among the top 10. The artist will win a selection of La Roche-Posay products and will see his or her drawing on a limited edition Lipikar Baume AP container, released in October 2013.

Disclosure - This is a sponsored post, however all the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Gentle Yoga for beginners at the Tekhummah hall starting March 27th for 5 weeks from 7pm-8pm. Instructor, Nathalie Gara-Boivin will help you calm your mind, build strength and flexibility. No experience required for all ages! 

If you have been reading my blog, you may recognize Nathalie from my Manitoulin Spotlight on the Auberge Inn.

To register for Nathalie's yoga class, contact her at (705) 377-4392.

Renowned Fitness and Nutrition Expert Harley Pasternak will be in store at Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens on March 19^th to chat with fans to launch his new book, The Body Reset Diet.  

Times like these are when I wish I were still living in Toronto! I'm a Harley Pasternak fan! Have you checked out his website? I was going to upload a video of Harley on The Chew, ! 

Wish I could make it, but Manitoulin Island is a 6 hour drive from Toronto!  If you attend, please tell Harley I say hello!

Made with the perfect blend of natural ingredients, including whole grain oat clusters and sun-ripened blueberries, this cereal has a lot to love. Not only does it taste great, but each 1 cup serving of Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters & Flakes offers 45 percent of the daily amount of fibre shown to help lower cholesterol – just in time for Heart Health Month . With 6 grams of protein per cup, the cereal is free of trans fats, low in saturated fat and has no artificial flavours or colours.

Since Heart Health is something on our minds these days, especially with a family history of heart issues, high cholesterol, and other health issues, I've been focusing on heath and exercise. I've also been making a conscious effort to make sure my family eats well and that we get our recommended fibre intake.

Kashi gave us the opportunity to try their Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters & Flakes cereal.

You know how we're always told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? We all  know this, but do we all remember to have a good breakfast every morning? I try, but usually my mornings are so rushed with trying to get Little One washed up, dressed, fed, and out the door so we can trek all the way to her bus stop. I often occasionally forget to eat something for my own breakfast. When I get in I grab an apple or a yogurt...if I remember.

I don't know how I have time to make oatmeal (with steel cut oats) for Little One, but not enough time to have anything myself. Now that we are trying Kashi's new cereal, Little One and I both have a bowl of cereal together.

I have to say that I loved it because I know that fibre is shown to help lower cholesterol, but Little One loved it for the taste! Everyone in the family is happy with Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters & Flakes.

Here's the thing: I have only in recent years been very conscious of my health. With health issues on both sides of  my family. Now that I'm getting older, I'm much more aware of the importance of staying healthy. I worry about heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. There are many contributors: age, genetics, stress, level of activity, diet, etc. The reality of poor health and the idea of dealing with mortality are very present...and it is scary.  If family members can become ill, so can I.

Now that I have a family of my own , I'm very conscious of what I feed myself and my family. We eat fresh, healthy, homemade food every day. We eat lots of vegetables and I make sure that we have a balanced diet, and I make sure that Hubby and I stick to proper portion sizes.

Even though we are very active and work outdoors every day, it's still not enough. I used to fill my evenings with yoga, walking, Zumba, and cardio with resistance training. Things got super busy with life, the farm, the kid, and I've only kept the daily walking as the only constant exercise. The cardio and resistance training happen maybe once or twice a week if I'm lucky.

As a Kellogger, we receive lots of great Kelloggs products. I perused the website and saw that there's My Special K Challenge section. Lose 6 pounds in 2 weeks. I am going to begin this week and will let you know how I fare.

My Special K is a great resource that helps keep me on track and motivates me at the same time. I can check out how I'm doing and track my progress. There are many tips to help achieve success. I can set my goal, make a plan, and put it into action.


I like the Special K Red Berries cereal. I can start off my day with a bowl of that!

Disclosure - As a member of the Kelloggers Network, we received a variety of Kellogg's products, plus some branded items.  This is a personal blog. All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own

Just recently, my friend, @SoberJulie told me about the Zerona treatment she was trying out.  I was very curious, as I had never heard of it before!

I checked out the Zerona website and was surprised to see this:


For so many of us removing unwanted fat and trying to lose inches from our bodies has become a source of endless frustration. Perhaps you've spent hours exercising, targeting different areas of your body and yet aren't seeing the results you desire.

Zerona Canada is a company who knows exactly how you're feeling, they've developed a new non-invasive body sculpting procedure designed to remove fat and contour the body without invasive surgery. Sounds like the magical answer doesn't it? Zerona Canada's cold laser treatments are approved by the FDA and Health Canada and provide a much less invasive than other choices such as lyposuction.

Zerona doesn't eliminate the fat cells.

The treatment actually zap the cells with cold laser which creates a hole or pore in the fat cell. The pores allow the junk from within the fat cell to be eliminated and flushed out of the body. Essentially Zerona essentially detoxifies and flattens the fat cells. Zerona Canada was kind enough to allow Julie from SoberJulie.com to tour 2 of their facilities and undergo one treatment to be able to share her impressions with you all. Julie felt the offices were clean, welcoming and staffed by friendly, certified representatives. She was told in advance to ensure she was well hydrated and that she would be dressed only in her bra and underwear for the treatment. Julie was measured from multiple locations over her body, weighed and an analysis was performed of her hydration, fat percentage and other factors. Julie was told to lie down and get comfy, for a blissful 40 minutes she lay under the laser in a quiet room. The experience was relaxing and comfortable.

Julie Lost 6 Inches With My First Zerona Treatment

Following treatment Julie was measured in exactly the same locations which the lady had marked on her body. She had lost 6 inches over my body, 2 of which were from the largest part of her abdomen! The results speak for themselves, Zerona worked for Julie and now she is pleased to be sharing the news with you all! If you'd like to connect with Zerona you can find them on Facebook or Twitter and they have many reviews available to you on their website and blogs.

Twitter Party Alert!

When: Monday, February 4th, 2013 – 9pm ET  
Where: On Twitter using the hashtag #RapidInchLoss  
Who: @ZeronaCanada, @SoberJulie (host), @SimplyStacienet, @MommyMatter, @ThisLilPiglet, @ChancesMommy, @MommyKatandKids  
Why: Let's talk about rapid inch loss, you know you want answers!  
Prizes: Open to residents of Canada.

RSVP: Provide your Twitter profile name and url in the link below. 

As a Mom, my most important job is making sure my child is healthy and happy.  Something that has been very important to me from the beginning of Little One's existence has been feeding her nutritious foods.  From day one, I knew I wanted her to eat lots of veggies and fruits, foods like Quinoa, etc.

A few years ago, when Little One was starting to eat solid foods, I somehow crossed paths (online) with Kia Robertson and her amazing Today I Ate a Rainbow kit!

When Little One was old enough to understand that she needed to "eat a rainbow" every meal, we tried the kit.  She was (and still is) so excited to chart which colours of the rainbow she's eaten from and she reminds everyone to do the same.

I was so impressed with Kia and her Eating a Rainbow movement, that I couldn't help but spread the Eating a Rainbow love.  It really is a "movement", as Kia's goal is to help parents get children excited about eating their fruits and vegetables.  Her dedication to helping families eat healthy is amazing and inspiring.
Since "meeting" Kia online a few years ago, she's become a great friend.  I love all the wealth of advice she has to offer about feeding kids healthy food and getting them interested in making healthy food choices.
Because I believe so much in what Kia is doing for kids all over the country, I wanted to help spread the word.  Here's my interview with Kia:

...that Canada is in the midst of a fibre deficit!  Did you know that? The average fibre intake is only half of what it ought to be. Women aged 19 to 50 should consume about 25 g of fibre a day, and men aged 19 to 50 should take in 38 g a day.

This is going to sound really dorky, but in our household, we take fibre very seriously. In fact, it's my husband who makes sure that we all get a healthy dose of fibre each day. He's always going on about how there's a direct correlation between fibre and overall health. He does his research and he's a smart man. Our friends go to him for everything from questions about plant life, ecosystems, history, trivia, health, first aid, to conspiracy theories. Yes, I affectionately nicknamed him "Textbook". The guy is a walking encyclopedia! If he tells me to eat fibre and explains the countless health benefits of fibre, then by all means, I'm going to be getting my fibre in me.

Again, we don't have any picky eaters in our household, but we have friends who do.  A few years ago, my friend GadgetGirl gave me a great cookbook called The Sneaky Chef. Missy Lapine, the author of the cookbook sneaks in wholesome veggies into her meals. They're disguised so well that kids who "hate" veggies actually get their servings of veg because they don't even know they're in there!

Though I've never had to hide veggies in my meals for  my family (my 3.5 year old LOVES veggies), I have been known to do it when we have guests with kids who will not eat vegetables. For example, in my spaghetti sauce, I throw in LOADS of vegetables. They're cut so small, that kids don't even know they're in there! I add onions, carrots, tomatoes, two different kinds of squash, mushrooms, garlic, elery, and other veg.

Kellogg's All-Bran has partnered up with Missy Lapine. She shares some easy, delicious, fibre packed recipes. Get the fibre you need and eat the food you love!

Try this for dinner


CRISPY COCONUT SESAME CHICKEN WITH SOY LIME DIPPING SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1. In food processor, combine cereal, ½ cup (125 mL) coconut, garlic powder, ginger and pepper - processing with pulse action to fine consistency. Drizzle in oil, using pulsing action to combine. Stir in 1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame seeds. Place mixture into shallow dish or onto plate. 

2. In medium bowl, beat ¼ cup (50 mL) mayonnaise and 2 tbsp (25 mL) lime juice to combine well. 

3. Cut each chicken breast into 2 pieces of similar size and thickness (slant cut for equal thickness). Using tongs, dip chicken pieces into mayonnaise mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat with cereal mixture, pressing gently. Place coated chicken in a single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Discard remaining mayonnaise mixture and remaining cereal mixture (if preparing Satay-Style Dipping Sauce below, reserve 1/4 cup/50 mL cereal mixture). 

4. Bake coated chicken in 400°F (200°C) oven until food thermometer reads (170°F/ 77°C) at centre of chicken pieces - about 25 minutes. Serve with Soy Lime Dipping Sauce*.

*Soy Lime Dipping Sauce: In small bowl, combine the remaining mayonnaise, lime juice and sesame seeds with the soy sauce and sugar. Divide into 6 portions.

Tip: Another great dipping sauce alternative is our Satay-Style Dipping Sauce. In small saucepan, combine ½ cup (125 mL) water, 2 tbsp (25 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp (25 mL) peanut butter and 1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice. Add reserved cereal mixture. Stir and heat to a boil. Simmer, for 5 minutes, stirring often. 



OR this for dessert!


BLUEBERRY PEACH CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1. In food processor, process cereal, flour, 50 ml (1/4 cup) of the brown sugar and margarine just until moistened and crumbly. Set aside for topping.

2. In small bowl, mix remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon rind and cinnamon. Stir into berries. Spread mixture evenly in 2 L (8-cup) shallow baking dish. Top with sliced peaches. Sprinkle evenly with reserved topping.

3. Bake at 180°C (350°F) 30 minutes or until topping is browned and fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.


The above recipes are from the allbran.ca website.

Disclosure - I am a member of the Kelloggers Network, however I am posting this blog post because I think the information about fibre is an important one to share. I have not been asked to post, nor have I been compensated for this post. This is my personal blog. All the thoughts and opinions shared on this blog are honest and my own.

Yes, you read correctly.  I did say Avocado and Cucumber Ice Cream!  I know it sounds like an odd combination, but it's actually very delicious and refreshing!

I'm laughing right now, because friends who already think I cook "weird" food will not believe that we had avocado and cucumber ice cream for dessert tonight! 

The recipe came to me by total fluke.  I hosted a dinner party last week and we had left over cucumber and avocado that were left over on the serving platter.  Right after the guests left, I put the cucumber and avocado in a container and stuck them in the freezer.  I don't know why I did that.  I never freeze cucumber or avocado.  I usually use them in a salad or in another dish immediately after, so they don't go to waste.

I was cleaning out the freezer today and saw the container of frozen avocado and cucumber.  What to do with frozen avocado and cucumber? Make ice cream!

INGREDIENTS
2 avocados, sliced (frozen)
1/2 a cucumber, sliced and peeled (frozen)
1 to 2 cups milk

• In my blender, I added all ingredients and pureed them.  Because the avocado and cucumber were frozen, I didn't need to add any ice to make the ice cream in the blender.  If you're using fresh, then you'd have to use ice to make it thick.
• You can add sugar if you want to sweeten it.  Most people like their desserts on the sweet side. A natural sweetener would work well, like .  I didn't want to add sugar and found the ice cream tasted delicious and refreshing as it was.  If you want, I suppose instead of milk, you could also add coconut milk.
• You can serve as soon as you've made the ice cream or you can put it in a container and put it in the freezer for a while so it could firm up.

I know it sounds like a rather unusual treat, but have an open mind and give it a try.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  Not all ice cream flavours have to be overly saccharine, sugar laden, or of the chocolate, strawberry, or Rocky Road variety :)

My 3 year old daughter just loves this treat!  I'm glad, as it reminds me of desserts I've tried while abroad.  When you're traveling in hot countries, it's nice to have a cool, refreshing, light treat. Good news: Even my farmer husband loves it! I was quite surprised! He says it tastes like cantaloupe and didn't expect the flavour to be so tasty!


Message/Lesson/Moral of the story: TRY things first, before you pass judgment! You may find yourself pleasantly surprised!

Eating healthy is on everyone's minds these days.  Whether it's trying to maintain a healthy weight or just wanting to make sure we eat foods that are healthy for us, we are all striving to eat well so we can live well.
In our home, we love our raw veggies and our fruits.  We also love our steel cut oats and Quinoa.  Because Hubby's a beef farmer, he cannot live without meat.  Lean meats, that is!  We get a good balance of all food groups here.

We make a conscious effort to choose wisely when it comes to what we put into our bodies.  This is why I was excited when I was asked to review some of President's Choice Blue Menu items!
We received: Blue Menu vegetarian chili, Tangerine-Guava-Pink Peppercorn salad dressing, Omega-3 granola, Fibre Plus bran flakes, Pad Thai sauce, Berry Blend fruit snacks, PC Organics Quinoa and Almond Beverage, as well as PC Green dishwasher detergent. We were also given a reusable PC Green shopping bag and the Insider's Report.

Loblaws Companies Ltd./President's Choice brand have items that are part of the in-store Live Life Well platform.  It encourages Canadians to eat and shop healthy with a number of different avenues (ex: pharmacy offerings, etc).

 I was pleasantly surprised to read that Loblaws Companies Ltd. and the Canadian Diabetes Association are offering a year-long national in-store program.  Were you aware of this?

“Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions among the Canadian population.  Many people with prediabetes or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes may actually display no symptoms.  It is critical that we all act now as diabetes is not only costing our healthcare system, but is costing Canadians their life,” said Michael Cloutier, president and CEO, Canadian Diabetes Association.  “Our campaign sponsors and distinctive collaboration with Loblaw will help Canadians get checked for type 2 diabetes and provide educational resources to help them manage the disease.” (Source: Canadian Diabetes Association)

I loved President's Choice brand before, but love it even more now! I love that they offer healthier options and that they are made available to the public at very reasonable prices.

I don't know about you, but I find myself checking (and double checking!) the ingredients and nutritional facts on everything!

For breakfast today, we had this:
Blue Menu Omega-3 almond vanilla granola mixed with Blue Menu Fibre Plus Bran Flakes and some PC Organics original unsweetened fortified almond beverage.  I had an apple to finish off the meal. Absolutely delicious start to our day!

A friend got me drinking almond milk about a year ago. Before that, we rarely had anything with nuts in the house because of our nieces' nut allergies.  They're not over often anymore, and Hubby loves nuts of all kinds.  Little One isn't allergic to nuts, so we re-introduced them into the house. Prior to that, I drank soy and rice milk.  Hubby and Little One drink 2% milk.  They keep the dairy farmers in business with the amount of milk they drink!

I really enjoyed the PC Organics Almond Beverage.  It had a sweet, slightly nutty flavour, and was light (leaving me without that heavy feeling I get when I drink milk).  I also like that the boxes for the Blue Menu cereal have the "Source of Omega-3", "High Fibre", "Very High Fibre", and "Low Sodium" written on them.

Hubby and Little One LOVE their cereal, so I'm glad that if they're going to eat cereal, it's this kind.  Little One has never been introduced to sugary cereal or any of the ones with artificial colouring.

Stay tuned for more of our #PresidentsChoice #BlueMenu posts!  They've got healthy, nutritious, delicious items for everyone in the family!
Disclosure - I received PC Brand Blue Menu and PC Organics items to help spread the word about the Loblaws Companies Ltd. in-store Live Life Well program. All the opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

When it comes to administering vitamins or meds to my child, I check the labels carefully, do my research online, ask her doctor beforehand.

When I discovered IronKids, I was really excited because I really liked what I read. The ingredients were ones I was happy with. I really like to know exactly what I'm giving to my child. Plus, the best part was that she absolutely loves her IronKids gummy vitamins! In fact, she is the one who tells us every morning, "MOM!!! You need to give me my vitamins!"
Little One loves the IronKids Omega 3's vitamins. She calls them her "Nemo vitamins" because they're shaped in the form of little fish! The flavours are ones that she likes. In case you're wondering, yes, I've tried them and they're good! I always try things before I give them to my child.

Just like the Adult Essentials vitamins, these are really tasty. I've never been as excited to take vitamins! Now that I have my Adult Essentials, I actually want to take my vitamins! The same goes for Little One with her IronKids Gummies!

One of the even greater things about IronKids Gummies is that they are dairy/gluten/nut-free! How great is that?!

GIVEAWAY TIME!
Would you like to win some IronKids Gummy Vitamins of your own?
The Prize:
A cash prize of $100 CAD paid through paypal AND $100 worth of IronKids products. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Act fast! This is a flash giveaway! The giveaway is only open for 5 days! Open to residents of Canada and the U.S.

Hubby: So, you mean we wasted over $1000 on getting a new water purifying system installed in the house?

Me: No. We didn't waste money. You drink the tap water. I trust our tap water. I do! I know it's perfectly good for us to drink! I just feel even better if it's filtered even more.

Hubby wasn't too happy when I came home from the Superstore with a PC universal water filter system/jug and a pack of 5 filters. I had been on him about getting a new water filtration system in our house with UV filter, etc, etc, etc. We ended up getting the works done last year. Living on a farm, I wanted to spare no costs when it came to our drinking water. I was so happy and felt so secure in knowing that our drinking water was absolutely, positively safe to drink.

Then I bought a PC universal water filter system and filters! They were on sale and I had been wanting to get a [insert name of popular drinking water filtration pitchers] for a long time. A pack of 5 filters for $7.84 (on special) was a much greater deal than the "other" leading brand. I went with the PC brand. The price was much better and I love and trust PC products.

I do realize this whole thing with our drinking water is a bit excessive and is entirely psychological on my part, but I cannot help it. Hey, and if this makes me drink more water, then that's a good thing! Right? Yes, I have noticed that I've been drinking A LOT more water since I purchased it. I've been drinking more than a pitcher of water a day!

Maybe because she sees me drinking (and loving) the water from the new pitcher, Little One has been drinking more water too.
It looks so pretty too, no? Check out those sleek contours! It's aesthetically appealing, right?

Because I am a President's Choice fan, check out just one of my tea shelves in my "tea pantry"!

Among my favourites are the PC Chocolatey Mint Black Tea, PC Chai Tea, PC Green Tea, PC Rooibos Tea, PC Mulled Apple Herbal Tea, and PC Organics Jasmine Herbal Tea.

See? I told you I was addicted!

President's Choice really is worth switching supermarkets for!

Disclosure - This is not a paid/sponsored post. This time I'm just sharing how much a absolutely LOVE President's Choice products! All the opinions on this blog are  honest and my own.