Take Your Food to Another Level with Sea to Sky Seasonings Salts

Do you get into a routine where everything you make tastes the same?

I certainly do. I tend to rely on the same spices, do the same 10 dishes again and again and fall into the same pattern at mealtime because I'm rushed for time.

I've recently discovered however, that all it takes is a little salt. Not just any salt, of course. I'm talking about Sea to Sky Seasonings Salts.

These Canadian-inspired infused seasonings & salts enhance flavours way beyond simple table salt. The goal of Sea to Sky Seasonings is "to elevate your taste experience to a new level," and they have most certainly reached it.

By  using as many locally grown, ethical and organic ingredients as possible, you get the freshest, most vibrant taste. And you won't find any food colourings or other flavour enhancers here - just natural ingredients that will enliven both your food and your palates.

New flavours are introduced seasonally - I tried some earlier this season such as Vancoucer Coast & Mountains Berry & Honey Salt (try rimming your Margarita glass with this one - heaven), Vancouver Island Seaweed Salt (so good a top of salmon!), Thompson Okanagan Apple Salt, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Garlic Salt (I shook this all over my homemade sweet potato fries), Northern BC Wild Mushroom Salt (so decadent on eggs!) and for the every day, I quickly became addicted to Kootenay Rockies Spring Skiing Salt (so fresh!).

And now I want to try these from Sea to Sky Seasoning core lineup:

Bacon & Tomato Salt - Smokey Oyama bacon, concentrated sundried tomatoes and sea salt all packaged into one delicious ingredient?  Oh my!

Cabernet Sauvignon Salt - This Cab Sav from the Niagara region is sure to intensify your evening's menu.

Cinnamon, Chocolate & Chipotle - How sexy is this combination? Just think of all you can use it on!

Silk Spice - Created by Chef Silke Seiler, this seasoning is fascinating and completely unique. What a fabulous gift for the food lover in your life!

Shop the entire Sea to Sky Seasonings Store and rev up your cooking - naturally!

Obol Keeps Your Cereal From Getting Soggy

I am very sensitive to the texture of food. I don't like that stringy feeling of overcooked shrimp or anything that's mushy (you should see how hard the nectarines I buy are). 

So I can understand the desire to keep your crunchy cereal from turning into pudding. Especially if you eat like puffed wheat, that seems to soften as soon as it hits the milk.

That's why you've got to get yourself the Obol. It keeps everything separate until you're ready to pull it together. And nothing says you've got to use it only for cereal - soup and crackers, chips and dip, it works for so many things! In fact, why don't you send me a tweet or leave a comment here or on my facebook page to what you're going to use yours for?

If you're like most people, you'll be happy with the Obol in CreamWhite. But why not add a splash of colour with the new Lime & Tangerine Obols? Ooh, they're fun. And all are available as of June 1st at Brookstone.

As a restaurant reviewer and food writer, it's important to me that the textures of food be the way they're intended. And my Obol lets me blend the ingredients together at my leisure.

Now that's customized!

Get yourself some Obols now and put an end to soggy cereal once and for all.

Treat Yourself to Berry Allure's Incredible Chocolate Covered Delicacies

Why have a regular chocolate bar when you can indulge in Berry Allure's Chocolate Covered Delicacies by DOTI US, Inc.?

This family-owned company from Poland creates chocolate-covered fruit and nuts. But not just any ol' kind. Nothing ordinary about these.

We're talking the good stuff here, the impressive stuff - Chocolate Covered Gooseberries, Cocoa Dusted Chocolate Covered Strawberries and  Chocolate Covered Blackcurrants, to mention just a few.

Chocolate and fruit has been done before, but not like this. Dark Chocolate Covered Orange Peel is the perfect offering at the end of your dinner party while you serve coffee. And award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier Rikke Gryber's Rowanberry in Dark Chocolate pairs beautifully with wines, cheese and Amarone.

There is so much to choose from juicy and ripe sour cherries, strawberries, gooseberries, black currants, ginger pieces, chunks of rhubarb and orange peel are "candied and dipped in luscious chocolate. Our carefully selected nuts, be they cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts or brazil nuts, are tenderly roasted before their chocolate bath in order to bring out their amazing aroma, taste and crunchy texture."

Oh my.

And while Berry Allure's Chocolate Covered Delicacies are indeed decadent, they are somewhat healthy as they use good chocolate and they are filled with vitamin packed fruits and nuts.

If you are going to have chocolate, why not have the good stuff?

Shop now.

Hershey's Drops Satisfy Your Chocolate Craving

Doesn't it seem like Easter was forever ago?

You got your chocolate fill then, but now the craving is back - big time. The problem is, it's shorts weather, so you can't binge like you used to.

That's where Hershey's comes in.

Instead of mowing down on an entire chocolate bar, you can satiate your sweet tooth with New Hershey's Drops. 

Because there is no candy shell, there's no mess. Which means you can nibble on them while you're working away at your desk and not have to worry about getting chocolate everywhere for once. The other bonus is that because they are small, you can have as many - or as little - as you like.

Hershey's Drops are available in two flavours - Milk Chocolate and Cookies 'n' Crème.  And with Cookies 'n' Crème coming in at only 200 calories for 14, and Milk Chocolate totaling 210 for 15, you can snack and share these l'il cuties and not feel that you need another sweet all day long.

Much like Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Drops make it possible to have chocolate and be able to fit into your tankini!

Go ahead and get your chocolate on.

Desperate for Vim, Vitality and Vigour? Get It All with EatStrong Snacks!

 

I am desperate need of some extra energy,

I know you feel the same. My to-do list is teetering with items yet to be crossed off, laundry is done but not put away and where did that new basket of dirty clothes come from? That's just the beginning, so I need to ramp things up and eat food that is full of energy to help get me through these frenetic days/weeks/months.

And something quick and easy and that doesn't taste like wallpaper would be great.

After months of searching, I am thrilled to have found EatStrong.

Founder Sophie Pachella created a fresh new line of "honestly healthy snacks." Yep, this is the real deal - good food that fills you up. 

Take the EatStrong Trail Mix, for instance. It is a surefire way to keep low blood sugar crashes at bay and to get you through those tough crunch times where you don't have time to eat, but you've got to have something. Vitamins, minerals, omega-3s and fiber abound in this delightful mix of almonds, cashews, flax seeds, pistachios, sunflower seeds and walnuts. Ooh, it's tasty and filling. Oh, and to keep your sweet tooth at bay, Sophie's popped in some organic cacao chocolate drops, so you won't have to give into the lunch room vending machine anymore. Phew!

And if I need a quick meal or snack on the go, I prefer EatStrong Energy Bars to those supermarket ones that are supposedly "healthy," but you and I both know how laden with fat and sugar they are.

This soft bar of  finely crushed flax, sunflower and hemp seeds is only 230 calories, but it will keep you going for hours on end.  Again, some organic chocolate drops have been added in to satiate you. According to Sophie, this blend of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants will "increase metabolic function, fortify muscles and promote lean body mass."

 

It's practically a workout in a bar. Practically.

Life is sometimes too busy to stop and eat well. At least eat well on the run. 

 

Get EatStrong now.

My New Favourite Party Go-To Dessert is Kari's Malva Pudding

One of the biggest headaches for me when it comes to planning a dinner party is worrying about what to serve for dessert.

As I don't bake too often, I am always wondering what to offer people after the dinner dishes have been cleared. Chocolates seem too mundane and anything like cupcakes or macarons seem overdone. I want to serve something original and exciting, but truthfully, I'm not quite at the level of being able to do it myself.

So I looked to the pros, searching for an exhilarating choice. And I found it all in Kari's Malva Pudding.

These handmade cakes come way of the Mansfeld Family in Aptos California. Most notably by Miss Kari herself.  Using fresh "cage-free eggs from the Glaum chicken ranch just up the road and fresh apricot jam from the local farmer's market with no corn syrup in it," you'll appreciate all the wholesome, natural ingredients as well as the fact that one serving is only 230 calories!

Each pudding is spongy, light and moist and is like no other dessert I've ever had.  Slightly caramelly, it has a dulce de leche, creme brulee kind of feel, mixed with moist, fresh-from-the-oven cake. You serve it warm with custard, fruit or a complete showstopper - ice cream.

The pudding is is hand-poured and packaged and frozen fresh. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to:

- defrost

- heat up and serve in an instant

- store (up to 4 days at room temperature, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks)

- pass off as your own, if you want to (I never would, but I won't judge you if you do)

I am stunned that something that was shipped to me frozen can taste so out-of-the-oven fresh and homemade!

Be sure to get both Kari's Malva Pudding and the Chocolate Pudding because if you share these with your dinner guests, they are going to go like lightning.  

Of course, you could keep Kari's Malva Pudding all to yourself. But something tells me as much as you'll want to covet it for yourself, you won't be able to resist sharing it with friends and family!

The New Line of 100% Organic Spice Blends from Teeny Tiny Spice Co. of Vermont ROCKS MY WORLD!

Do you ever feel like all of your food tastes the same?

I do. Despite changing up the menu every night, I think because I tend to buy the same ingredients again and again, my cooking tends to feel very familiar.

Sure, getting a new cookbook helps, but I feel like it never really changes.

One of the most revolutionary ingredients I've ever come across is the new line of 12 100% Organic Spice Blends from the Teeny Tiny Spice Co. from Vermont.

They are like nothing I've ever cooked with or eaten before (and remember, I eat for a living!).

Owners Thora and Ed Pomicter (pictured above) "always had a passion for global cuisine, but were often challenged by ethnic recipes that required so many different spices that it was nearly impossible for them to keep their pantry adequately stocked. To resolve this, and help other home cooks add the flavor of various world cuisines to everyday meals with ease, they created Teeny Tiny Spice Co. of Vermont." 

Thank goodness for Thora and Ed's ingenuity, because these spice blends truly bring the world right into your very kitchen. You get the flavours of Northwest and Southwest India, North and East Africa and places that you might not normally be able to replicate easily at home.

I live in a very metropolitan urban center and I have to say, I've never seen anything like these before. Nothing that is this authentic, that's certified organic, that's made in small batches, that is so flavourful, so easy to use and very affordable! Ed says, "We provide spices already combined in proportions to give you just the right flavor profile to create dishes with the essential flavors of North and South, East and West."

And let's be honest - when's the last time you made Ethiopian, Persian or African for dinner?

I am so grateful for having found these spectacular blends. I mean, Chocolate Chili? With it's cocoa nibs, juniper berries, organic Vermont maple sugar and Himalayan pink salt, you can see why Teeny Tiny's spices far and away beat my ol' standard chili recipe any day! And I'm in love with the British Curry mix - it's become my new favourite comfort food dish - and so easy to prepare.

Choose from so many exciting selections - British Curry; Citrus Pepper; Ethiopian Berberé; Garam Masala; Montréal Seasoning; Penang Curry; Perfection Spice Rub; Persian Adwiya; Ras el Hanout; Shepherd Herb Mix and Vindaloo. I love the range of this line - you can simply put some rub on some pork chops or chicken if you don't feel like doing too much or if you feel up to a few simple steps, create a Thai Style Penang Curry or Ras el Hanout Tangine.

Each spice blend covers you for at least four to eight "full recipes" depending on the blend and how heartily you use it. Each tin of spices tells you the heat level as well as how to use it, so you don't have to start from scratch every time - just get your veg, grains and/or protein, add your spice blend and away you go. To a brand new, healthy way of eating!

I recommend getting One of Everything. Or at least the Herb & Spice Collection or Heat Collection. Because these are going to be your culinary best friends for life.

p.s.- True story. I was going to make a Shepherd's Pie one night and I thought the Shepherd Herb Mixour cat Cosmo would really give it new life and zest. But had grabbed it from the low spice shelf it was on in the kitchen and apparently, it was better than catnip, as he was playing with it, tossing it around like a football. It happened every night for a week, until I went and put it on a slightly higher shelf. I'll keep you posted...

Healthy Cooking by the CIA is a Home Cook's Dream!

I bet that if I had a look at your cookbook shelf right now, there would be a lot of titles that you use only once in awhile and one or two that you rely on almost daily.

Add Healthy Cooking by The Culinary Institute of America to your list of must-have cookbooks.

This awesome tome has over 235 recipes to choose from, keeping weeknight dinners from being the same old, same old. And speaking of weeknight dinners, I know that the last thing you want to do as soon as you get in the door is work on making an elaborate meal when you're so tired and worn out from the day and incredibly hungry to boot. That's why you're going to love this book - the recipes are fantastic, but the ingredients and steps are super short, allowing you to get a great meal on the table in no time!

Getting pointers from the pros of The Culinary Institute of America is like having a personal cooking lesson, right in your own home! I love the idea of creating soup samplers (p.21), the helpful advice on shaping and baking pizza (p. 62) and the different between sauteing, braising and stewing (p. 159).

The recipes are based on the new USDA food guide pyramid and the latest dietary guidelines, doctor recommendations and research, but they are anything but boring. They take recipes you're familiar with and give it a modern twist, making it new and exciting to both create and consume. I mean just imagine this dinner:

Beet-Fennel-Ginger Soup

Lobster and Jalapeno Pizzas

Papadzules with Roasted Tomato Salsa 

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Chocolate Polenta Pudding Cake
Almond-Anise Biscotti

I'm telling you, these recipes are fantastic. And whether you're a novice or a pro, you'll find dishes that will excite you!

Buy your copy now and add some excitement to mealtime.

The Book You Need This Holiday? Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

Today is National Cookie Day.

To celebrate, I've got the cookie book to beat all cookie books - Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich.

Just in time too. The holidays have arrived and the cookie exchanges have begun. Home cooks are scouring through their cookbook collections to find the perfect recipe to make their cookies stand out.

I think you'll find everything you need right here.

See, Alice believes that we should look beyond the recipe on the bag of chocolate chips:

"What if cookies reflected our modern culinary sensibility  - our spirit of adventure and passion for flavors and even our dietary concerns - without losing their universal friendly appeal? What if cookies were hip (but not too hip)? And why not celebrate the physical and sensual appeal of cooking by grouping them by texture?"

Alice took a good hard look at her own cookie recipes to see if they held up to the test of time. She writes:

"I tuned up cookie classics like snicker doodles, sugar cookies, coconut macaroons, even brownies, with a shower of grated cinnamon stick or nutmeg, or with fragrant sugars spiked with cardamom, garam masala, chili powder, or star anise."

Because the recipes are organized by texture, you can really make what you're in the mood for. However, if you're looking for something other than texture, go to the Smart Search section. You can look for your cookies there.

And as you know, I'm no baker, so I was a little worried about this - would it be above my head? Would I be the worse cookie maker known to man?

Of course I worried over nothing. First of all, Alice gives us pages and pages of helpful hints and directions (apparently, I have been measuring flour wrong all of this time). Also, there are a range of different levels here so I can feel comfortable making Goldies, Fruit and Nut Bars, Flaky Chocolate Triangles and Peanut Butter Cookies. And I can work my way up to Cocoa Tuiles, Chunky Hazelnut Meringues, Pecan Tassies and French Macarons.

This is why this makes a fantastic holiday gift: Everyone will be able to create delicious, memorable cookies, thanks to Alice Medrich.

Buy copies now and get your shopping list over and done with!

The Emile Henry Lightweight Flame-Top Stewpot Is a Cook's Dream!

Cooking is one of my joys in life and how I relax, but thanks to carpal tunnel, it can be tough.

Chopping and tossing can really wreak havoc on my hands, but it's about the tools too. I've never had any ceramic cookware - what I deem essential in any cook's kitchen - because they are all way too heavy. I have spent the last 2 decades trying to find cookware that can go both on top of the stove and inside the oven and that I can actually lift. Each season, I truck on out to the kitchen supply stores, lifting various pots and brands, hoping for something can manage. Until now, I have been using 2 pots to cook one dish - a pot on the stove and then a pot in the oven.

That is, until I discovered Emile Henry's Flame-Top Stewpot.

It is a full 30% lighter than all cast iron, which makes it perfect for me or those with arthritis (46 million folks suffer from arthritis and related conditions) and other ailments.

Made from Burgundy Clay, it feels solid, but never unwieldy. And because it's easy to handle - lug handles are easy to grip, even if you're wearing BBQ/oven mitts - I use it all the time! Even with your ingredients filled up inside, it is still manageable to get from oven to tabletop with ease.

Ahhh.

You can make everything in it from soup to cornbread and even use it on the grill ("Unlike metal cookware, the flame-top pot can sit on a very hot open flame, empty, for an extended period of time and it won’t crack, discolor or break.").

As you may know, I love comfort dishes, such as One Pot Dinners. And this is the perfect dish for them. In addition to the clay offering a gentle, even cook, the raised dots on the lid's interior allow the juices to stay in with the food, so you get an exceptional roast, casserole, etc with tender, moist meat.

And just look at how much food I was able to get into the pot (pictured below) - there's 4 chicken legs in here, plus vegetables, wine and stock!

Other than how beautifully it cooks everything, I am thrilled with how easy it is to clean. It's naturally non-stick, so you don't have to scrub it, just simply wipe with soap and water. Or go ahead and throw it in the dishwasher, if you like.

You can use the Flame-Top on gas, electric, halogen, barbeque grills and in the microwave. And here's your holiday saving grace - you can take it from the freezer or fridge right into the oven! 

[Play celebratory angelic choral music here]

I had no idea such an amazing product existed. I can now live like regular folks, cooking up a storm, thanks to Emile Henry's Flame-Top Collection.

Shop it now.

Yumnuts Naturals - A Healthy Snack Addiction

My fella and I like to snack when we hunker down to watch TV on DVD or a movie. 

I like to stock our "snack box" (a basket leftover from a Christmas present years ago) with healthy stuff that will satisfy our cravings: crackers, dried fruit and lots and lots of varieties of nuts.

One of our favourite recent finds are Yumnuts.

I like that they're not roasted in oil or are loaded artificial ingredients like those other kinds.  You won't find any cholesterol, preservatives, trans fats or gluten in these beauties. And you don't need very many to satisfy you because they are the jumbo variety, so you get a wallop of protein with each and every one.

It's nice to have a change from plain cashews, which are fine, but awfully boring don't you think? Yumnuts come in a variety of fun flavours - Honey, Toasted Coconut, Chocolate, Sea Salt, Chili Lime and Spicy Cajun. The two we tried - Chocolate and Honey - were gone in just two days. 'Nuff said.

Get yourself a whole bunch of Yumnuts and have a healthy snack that tastes like it's shouldn't be!

Need a Gift for the Foodie in Your Life? Eat Me: The Journal From Chronicle Books is Perfect!

Do you take pictures of what you're cooking and/or eating and then post them?

Do you flip through cooking magazines and cookbooks looking for new ideas for dinner?

Is your idea of a fun night out going out to restaurant?

Do you consider shopping for ingredients fun?

Or do you know someone that does?

Then you'll want to get your hands on the incredibly awesome Eat Me: The Journal from Chronicle Books.

Answer questions about your favourite childhood foods, take note of memorable meals, record family recipes, write down your own faves and explore your guilty pleasures in these fun and colourful easy-to-fill-out boxes.

Of course one of my favourite - and most used sections is the Restaurant Diary pages. I love the detail here:

- Date

- Dining Companions

- Restaurant Name

- Cuisine

- Address and Phone 

- Hours and Closed on (Brilliant feature!)

- Delivery & Delivery Free

- Overall Star Rating circle 1-5

- Price Range circle $ - $$$$

- Must-Order Items

- What to Avoid

- Comments

There are fun sections to fill out: food books that you're reading, dining disasters, rated cheap eats, a desserts section (oh my!), a cookbook wish list (you can photocopy the pages and give out to friends and family at holiday gift-giving time), food websites and blogs to follow, tracking your wine, favourite cocktail recipes and a kitchen wish list.

The lists of suggestions are fantastic too - 50 Cocktails Not be Be Missed, Checklist of the 100 foods you must try before you die, The top 10 pieces of cookware every kitchen needs and The top 10 tools every kitchen needs.

The fun modern-retro cover has a plastic cover, so whether you're reviewing a new resto or trying out a new recipe, you can keep it clean with a simple wipe.

There are few "foodie" gifts out there that I think food-lovers and cooks will actually use.

This is most definitely one of the one that will have food stains and wine rings on its pages.

But it now.

Celebrate With Quady's Incredible Essensia Dessert Wine

Being a restaurant reviewer, I have had the luxury of being able to eat way beyond my means.

I have also been able to compare the good with the bad, the mediocre with the sublime.

Though I am in no way a sommelier or wine afficiendo, I have learned through many a tasting how to identify a well-crafted dessert wine.

A bad dessert wine is bracing, acidic and achingly sweet.

A great dessert wine is warm and slightly sweet.  Quady Winery has been making wine since 1975 and their Essensia (2007 World Wine Championship) is one of the best I've ever had.

I like the unexpected aroma of orange blossom and apricots. Made with 100% Orange Muscat grape from California, it is fruity, but subtle.  There is no sickly sweetness or stickiness that I've found with lesser wines, and the finish is just as exquisite as when it first reached your taste buds.

Aged in 3 months in French Oak, there is a richness that I haven't experienced before in dessert wine. So pair it with chocolate, fruit, dessert or serve it on its own after dinner.

If I could choose only one dessert wine, I would choose Essensia.

And with Thanksgiving,Christmas coming up and all of the dinners and gathering in between, don't you want a wine you can absolutely count on?

Update Your Kitchen With The 55 Knives ECookbook

While I cherish my beloved cookbooks, I have noticed that I am going online to check out recipes more and more.

There are a number of blogs that I have come to count on for fab go-to recipes and I love discovering new ones when I've got a particular ingredient in mind.

And now that ebooks, ebook readers and the iPad are the new digital future of books, itmakes sense to have something we can tote with us, and into the kitchen.

The 55 Knives Ecookbook includes the writing and recipes of 55 fantastic food bloggers (I aspire to make it into a future edition).  

Each person got their own chapter in which to offer their own recipe(s), as well as write lovingly about prepping, cooking and of course, eating!

I have loved The Bitten Word for a long time and I contributed to the inventive site, The Perfect Pantry (where I still love to go and check out how people are housing their spices and canned goods), two of the blogs included in the collection.

But what I have enjoyed is discovering new voices and recipes,  like Melody Fury's (GourmetFury.com) Edamame Pesto Orzo. While not a complicated recipe, I think the combination of ingredients is phenomenal and think this dish will be folded into my regular rotation.  

And who can resist Cupcake Project's (CupcakeProject.com) Sweet Potato Casserole Cupcakes? What a great dessert for the fall and especially for our upcoming Thanksgiving!

I totally appreciate the simplicity of good life {eats} (goodlifeeats.com) Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Brownies due to my lack of baking ability.

And my next dinner party will be treated to The Duo Dishes (duodishes.com) Sweet Apple & Bacon Puffs with Pomegranate Glaze. Doesn't your mouth ooze with saliva just reading it? And thankfully, it sounds fancy, but is simple to prepare, which is exactly the types of dishes you want for a party.

Look, I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. 

It's a damn fine collection and it's so affordable.

Get 55 Knives and get to know the people behind the blogs and the food that moves them.

Fuel Up the Healthy Way with Larabar

Like many of you, I strive to eat a balanced diet every day.

But truthfully, my schedule has been all over the place lately and so eating 3 solid home-cooked meals a day isn't working out so much.

Realistically, I am on the go a lot and so either I skip eating something until I get home (ooh, bad food writer!) or I stop and get something I don't want or isn't good for me (like a bowl of manufactured soup) or a sandwich (which I really only eat because you can consume it while walking - the worst kind of eating, no?!).

I want to eat better, but it's hard when you don't know when the next time you'll have a break in the day.

That's why my new go-to snack is LÄRABARS.

While they are not a meal replacement, these nutritious - and delicious - bars are a healthy snack that gets me through the day.

This blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices is made from 100% whole food, so you don't have to worry about added sweeteners, fillers, supplements or flavours. The ingredients are all things that you know and can pronounce, and the bars are no only good for you, but they are gluten, dairy and soy free, as well as non-GMO, vegan and kosher.

And here's the best part - loading your body with vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, good carbs and healthy fats is actually really tasty, thanks to LÄRABAR's awesome ingredient combinations and flavours!

You don't have to consume energy bars that taste like sawdust or wet kleenex anymore, and you don't have to feel guilty about having Key Lime Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Lemon Bar or one of their new flavours such as Chocolate Chip Brownie.

Each bar contains less than 8 ingredients, so you can power up healthily whether you're running for your flight or trying to power through your to-do list.

LÄRABARs were made for you and I.

No guilt, just goodness.

Ahh, that's better.

Order a whack of 'em now and get on with your day.

Tennessee T-Cakes - The Ultimate Southern Confection

I love the South. Especially the food.

It's hard to come by in these here parts, so when I find something authentic, I cling to it.

I had never heard of Tennessee T-Cakes before. What a story! Click here to read about the legend.

Now Frances Barkley, T-Cakes Founder, is keeping the tradition alive, using natural ingredients such as malted barley flour, folic acid, butter, whole eggs, pure cane sugar and pure vanilla. There are no preservatives, so they have a shelf life of approximately 3 weeks and at least 6 months in the freezer.

These powder-dusted treats (not quite a cake or a muffin) are incredibly addictive and like nothing else you've ever had before.

Tenneessee T-Cakes come in beautiful boxes or tins. Either way, I recommend getting at least one of each flavour - Original, Key Lime, Lemon, Chocolate Truffle, Raspberry or the Assorted box.

Once you have one, you're going to want a bunch more.

The Potluck Survival Guide Comes to the Rescue

Cherie Kimmons' PotluckSurvival Guide: Care & Feeding of the Athletic Supporter is a most unusual cookbook indeed.

First of all, it's a collection of recipes to feed a hungry bunch, whether it's the church choir or your son's baseball team.

Secondly, the recipes are accessible, often relying on a box of cake mix or canned soup. In other words, they are made for real people with schedules that have us running off out feet but who still want to put a good dinner on the table.

Thirdly, the recipes don't contain 25 ingredients so that you have to constantly shop or spend money. You can whip up tasty meals with whole chapters dedicated to appetizers, breakfast, entrees, soups and sandwiches, side dishes, salads and desserts.

And lastly, the book is printed in orange and purple ink, which makes it fun and colourful, unlike your usual straight-ahead, boring cookbooks.

So toss together a quick meal tonight.

How about Healthy Taco Soup, Chicken Pot Pie, Mediterranean Couscous Salad and Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies?

Order your copy now.

Put Pork on Yer Fork with Bacon Hot Sauce!

I think it's safe to say that bacon has taken over the food world.

And I have to say that as an extreme meat eater, this couldn't please me more!

So when I heard about Bacon Hot Sauce, I was pretty excited. I mean, now you can have bacon with your eggs without having to cook up bacon and deal with all that greasy mess. You can add a bacony heat to your homemade chili, meatloaf, potatoes, wings, whatever you've got goin' on in the kitchen.

It's got a smokiness that you won't get from bacon alone, and what's remarkable is not only that a little goes a long way, but there isn't actually any bacon in it, so vegetarians can enjoy the bacon flavours without compromising their values.

And for those of your watching your waistlines, you'd be please to know that a serving size (1 teaspoon) has 0 calories, 0g fat and 0g carbohydrates.

I have put it on my pasta, roast chicken, grilled vegetables and pretty much anything I make or bring home, and it always adds that extra oomph to my food that I crave.

I was thinking it would even be great on dark chocolate and in a Bloody Caesar!

If you love bacon as much as I do, you'll want to get yourself some Bacon Hot Sauce. While you're at it, get some for your friends as well.

After all, it's much too good to keep to yourself.

That's Hungarian's in My Kitchen! Brings Old World Comfort to Your Modern Kitchen

I am all for modern fare when I go out to eat. I'll savour Octopus Carpaccio, Bison Tenderloin and Stuffed Rabbit Saddle all night long. But when I'm at home, I tend to favour comfort food dishes. Things made with simple ingredients and a lot of heart.

That's Hungarian's in My Kitchen! by Linda Foster Radke is a great place to start, because even if you've never cooked Hungarian food before, you'll soon realize how easy it is, thanks to Linda's recipes and layout.

The book offers simple 125 Hungarian American Kosher recipes that require few ingredients (that you no doubt already have in that pantry of yours) and a short paragraph of directions. The simplicity of it doesn't take away from the beauty of it, but certainly makes it easy to get a hang of the recipes quickly.

Many of the recipes originated in Hungary (so you're getting the real deal here) so that Beef Goulash is going to taste like the old country back home and the Chicken and Dumplings will soon become one of your go-to dishes because of the rave reviews you'll receive from the table.

You're going to want to try Sweet and Sour Herring and Apple Pecan Pancakes (your mouth's watering just reading this, isn't it?) because they are simply like nothing you've had before and what about Carrol Tzimmes? It's a sweet stew made with carrots, sweet potato and beef brisket or pot roast. That'll be a nice change from the plain ol' roast you've been doing all these years!

It doesn't get much better than Potato Latkes, Apple Strudel and European Kolacky (cookies made with cream cheese), but then keep going on in the cookbook - desserts abound like you wouldn't believe. And they all sound so good that you'll no doubt want to try making each and every one.

Linda has created the kind of cookbook I think suits everyone from novice to grand chef - great recipes that require little fuss and result in cries for seconds and probably thirds.

Isn't that what you want from your cookbooks?

Get your copy of That's Hungarian's in My Kitchen now.

With Mother's Day Approaching, You'd Better Get Your Amella Caramels Now!

You want to get your Mom something spectacular this year, don't you?

There's no better place to start than Amella Caramels, the World's First Cocoa Butter Caramels!

These cake-inspired treat are not only completely divine, they are 100% natural and made without preservatives. Using only pure cocoa butter and other amazing ingredients such as artisan cocoa, fresh carrots, pecans, passion fruit and tart cherries. The pure cocoa butter gives these caramels a unique, light texture that you wouldn't normally associate with thick, chewy caramel.

And though Amella Caramels are certainly sweet, the recipe contains less sugar than many caramels on the market. This is a nice bonus for those watching their sugar intake and yet still wanting to enjoy sweets.

And there's no doubt you'll find something that both you and Mom can enjoy. What a way to have your cake and eat it too!

- Carrot Cake Cocoa Butter Caramels are like mini carrot cakes enveloped in creamy white chocolate.

- Passion Fruit Cocoa Butter Caramels deliver an exotic fruit explosion with each and every bite. Surrounded by milk chocolate, it is a complete and utter surprise.

- Black Forest Cocoa Butter Caramels remind me so much of my Mom. She used to by this incredibly light Black Forest Cake at a German butcher's near our house when I was small. I want her to have these for sure - a blend of Amarelle cherries, 70% dark chocolate and Tahitian vanilla will bring back those memories and make new ones.

- Get all 3 flavours in the Amella Caramel Collection.

It's going to be the best - and most delicious - Mother's Day ever, thanks to Amella Caramels!