The Sobeys West Tastes of the World Contest

So I’m thinking about Italy…mind wandering, daydreaming, armchair travel – call it what you want, I’m lost in it. More specifically, I’m thinking about the food I would love to enjoy in Italy. Honestly, I would pretty much go anywhere with anyone to eat something interesting or amazing (street meat or lobster mashed potatoes at midnight in NYC, I’m looking at you), but really swoon-worthy...

What I want on my plate in spring…

Anyone else feel like they are craving different foods as the weather warms? I absolutely am. Early in the winter I crave big plates of warmth, lots of comfort foods, and rich flavours. I tolerate heavier foods in November and December as I get used to the cold weather and look forward to holidays. But as spring tempts me, and a more active lifestyle beckons, I need lighter food! Which means more vegetables, more greens...

Winefest in Calgary

Glass in hand, friends at my side…ah, Winefest. Last Friday I was lucky enough to attend the trade and industry tasting in Calgary, and it’s one I won’t miss going forward. I have enjoyed wine for a long time, but it’s been at least ten years since I have attended any kind of a large tasting event or wine festival. Back in the day, I attended the Vancouver Wine Festival a few times (even pouring at a table for one...

What is the Ontario wine chat (#ONWineChat)?

You may have noticed me getting a little excited lately over something called #ONWineChat.  It’s a great project that has come together by way of a random collaboration and shared love of wine…and Twitter. So what is a Calgary girl doing smack in the middle of a Twitter chat that puts a spotlight on Ontario wines? It’s a good question. I have been jokingly calling myself a rabble rouser for the newly...

What healthy lunches are fueling you?

So November has arrived, and I’m hyper aware of the presence of any sniffly nose or cough in my house.  My kids attend two separate schools, and that doubles our chances of them picking up and/or bringing home cold germs and other yucky intruders. But what can we do, beyond reminding them to wash their hands and crossing your fingers they keep their mouth off the water fountain? We can feed them well, we can ensure...

Real Women of Philadelphia & a chance to win ...

If I said I wanted to talk about food, what would you think about?  Would you remember your last great meal or indulgence, or think about a recipe you are dying to try?  Would you assume I was inviting you to join me in something tempting? Or would you perhaps catch yourself and realized you’d forgotten to thaw something for dinner? Would you remember that you need to stop at the store, or how badly you need to make...

How is Canada’s largest beef recall affectin...

*UPDATED October 11 with what is happening at the XL Foods plant now* *UPDATED October 11 with updated list of products* *UPDATED October 8 – what are the global repercussions?* *UPDATED October 8 with updated info on E. coli* *UPDATED October 6 to include new list of recalled foods - see other links below for more info on recall* Steaks on the barbecue?  Anyone? I guess we can be glad Canada’s largest beef...

Who did you forget to look after today?

Today I stopped at Starbucks and ordered a latte. I had an hour or two to run some errands and thought a treat would be nice. Recognizing a mild pang of hunger, I added a package of dry roasted almonds to my order. Out I walked, treat in hand. Or did I? Would you call that a treat? You see, two months ago, I would have ordered a caramel macchiato. Four months ago, I would have ordered a caramel macchiato, with an...

Hunger isn’t a game – here’s how...

Spend enough time online and you’ll notice two things we all spend a lot of time talking about:  kids and food. We talk about parenting, milestones, and we swap cute stories.  Or we swoon over what we like to call food porn - oh, it’s steamy stuff all right. Recipes we’d like to try, photos of outrageous cakes, cupcakes, vast platters of party food. But how often do we slow down and talk about kids and...

Sugar, sugar

Sugar, Oh, honey honey You are my candy girl And you got me wanting you ~ Sugar, Sugar by The Archies If you’ve ever had a little look around this blog, you may have noticed the long running tagline at the top that says “Sweet cravings and salty language”.  If ever I were to be accused of having vices, those two would probably top the list.  (Any of you waving your hands to mention my impatience and my tendency to...