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Shoppers Drug Mart launched their first enhanced food section at 2748 East Hastings Street in Vancouver close to PNE. I have a Shoppers Drug Mart close to my house and it is handy having to pick up last minute items before going home or heading out to a friends place. Not all neighbourhoods are in close proximity to large grocery stores, so they are carefully rolling this concept out to areas where it makes sense. They officially launched on April 22 and was welcomed by the neighbourhood. They will also be opening this concept at 11800 Cambie Road in Richmond as well. Perhaps more to come in BC and other provinces.

We were invited to see a sneak peek of the new renovations and get a better understanding of the new changes that customers would enjoy. Pharmacists at these stores were also provided nutrition training and health information to better help customers and patients to find better options for their diets. A cool concept.

Enhanced Food Section

All Shoppers Drug Marts have a few aisles of food items, but with the new concept, they’ve added more variety with over 750 new fresh items.

Produce

You’ll be able to find popular produce for any last minute ingredients for creating your dinners at home. As they are a Loblaws company, you can trust they are getting their produce from trusted suppliers.

Specialty cheeses and deli meats are available as well from the larger brands and their President’s Choice offerings too. That last minute charcuterie plate can be put together here. It’s a small section but they have a good selection.

Common items like bread is here too. Surprisingly it’s very handy especially during Summer BBQs when you are short a few buns. You can now run over here to get a loaf.

They have a dairy section too.

On the Go Meals

You can also find a selection of locally prepped easy meals, sandwiches, cut fruit and other items. You can also find T&T products like baked goods and sushi that is delivered daily.

A few other Shoppers locations will have this added Grab & Go area for added convenience in Vancouver:

  • 30120 West Broadway
  • 3303 Main Street
  • 1202 West Pender Street
  • 370 East Broadway
  • 1780 West Broadway
  • 586 Granville Street
  • 1006 Homer Street

Other locations will remain the same.

We also found more variety of Asian cooking ingredients, which is helpful given the demographic of the neighbourhood.

Instead of driving further to go to T&T, they have a few staple items here.

Frozen and Packaged Goods

There is a lot more frozen items in the store since they are able to put freezers along the walls. I was also surprised by the amount of aisles in the food section, it looked like it was about half of the store.

Final Thoughts

It’s definitely an added convenience for those in the neighbourhood who are looking for last minute grocery items. I’ve been in that situation many times before too. They obviously don’t have a full selection like a grocery store, but I was impressed with what they had. Since they are a division of Loblaws, the selection of President’s Choice products is plenty at great prices.

If you’re living in the neighbourhood or just passing by and need a last minute ingredient, you can find it here at the Shoppers Drug Mart located close to PNE.

Website:
https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/

Address:
2748 East Hastings Street

Today is Earth Day (April 22) and one important thing we can’t forget is that our planet should be celebrated, honoured and protected every day. Two-thirds of our planet is covered by oceans and are home to some of the most incredible creatures on Earth.

They also play a critical role in regulating our climate and feeding the world. Taking care of our oceans can be as simple as thinking more critically about where our seafood comes from and how to buy it more responsibly. As consumers, we make a choice by having our purchasing dollars make a stance in what we believe in. 

Ocean Brands makes that choice easier for Canadians with their Gold Seal sockeye salmon and Oceans Pole & Line tuna.  These products proudly carry the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, demonstrating they are from a sustainably managed fishery. 

MSC is an international non-profit that works with scientists, fisheries, seafood producers and brands around the world to advance sustainable fishing and to safeguard the health of our oceans. This council was created to address and reverse the problem of unsustainable fishing.

The blue MSC label on products guarantees they meet the most credible standard in the world. Seafood with the label can be found at retailers and restaurants across Canada from Loblaws to even McDonalds for their Fish-o-Filet.

Tuna Salad Appetizers

One of the easiest things to make at home is a tuna salad appetizer for guests. Simple 2 bites for any occasion.

  • 1 can Flaked Light Tuna
  • 13 crackers
  • 3 tablespoon Mayo
  • 1 tablespoon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoons Cayanne pepper
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • Pinch of Italian seasoning on top (optional)

You can always incorporate other ingredients into it like onions and celery for added crunch. It’s a very flexible item to create. You can even turn it into a sandwich if you wanted to for lunch.

Gold Seal Sockeye Salmon

Pole & Line Flaked Light Tuna in Water

Pole & Line Chunk Light Tuna in Water

If you’re looking for fresh seafood, you can spot this logo or the Ocean Wise logo, a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. They also work directly with local restaurants, markets, food services and suppliers to ensure that they have the most current scientific information and help them make ocean-friendly buying decisions.

Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) are blooming all over the world and they are just so beautiful. They don’t last very long, but they are Spring’s snow. Some love it and some hate them. Just don’t park your car under a cherry blossom tree or else you’ll be having a bad time. When the cherry blossoms bloom, it’s really pretty and photographers flock from all over to capture it’s natural beauty. In the early 1930s the mayors of both Kobe and Yokohama presented Vancouver’s Park Board with 500 Japanese cherry trees for planting at the Japanese cenotaph in Stanley Park honouring Japanese Canadians who served in WWI. Currently, the City of Vancouver has over 130,000 cherry blossom trees and continues to grow.

I wanted to take the beautiful inspiration of Cherry Blossoms and create some easy healthy breakfast items using Almond Breeze. Almond Breeze is an almond beverage used as a substitute for milk and soy. I really like the sweetened original flavour.

Berry Banana Smoothie

An easy item to make is a berry banana smoothie. To get the natural pink colour, I used berries. I find that Strawberries, Raspberries and Pomegranates work best. Cherries are good too but it ends up giving it a darker colour. Take all the ingredients and throw it into a blender. Very easy and you can’t screw up.

  • Half Banana
  • Handful of berries (strawberries and raspberries)
  • 2 cups of Almond Breeze

Red Berries Chia Pudding

For a quick breakfast on the go, chia pudding is very simple and easy to make. You can prepare it the day before or in the morning if you have time. I like to keep my ingredients simple, so here is a 3-ingredient chia pudding.

  • 2 table spoon of chia seeds
  • 3/4 cup of Almond Breeze
  • handful of berries (cherries, pomegranates, raspberry and strawberry)

Blend the berries and Almond Breeze in a hand blender. In a mason jar, mix the chia seeds and berry almond mixture. Easy and can be done in 5 minutes or less. You can change up the berries in your chia pudding too. I used frozen berries as it was on sale in the store and it keeps for much longer than fresh fruit.

Green Tea Milk Spreads are so popular on Instagram, so I got my hand on 2 different green tea spreads:

  • O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread
  • Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread


I got my mother in law to bring me some of the O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread all the way from South Korea and I found the Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread at my local grocery store – T&T. These are so much cooler than Nutella.

They are most common on toast, cookies, or you can even make your own fondue by adding in a bit of milk.

O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread

This is the one product that kept popping up on my Instagram feed. It was a great spoonful of this. I love it best on ice cream or waffles. It reminded me of condensed milk or white chocolate with green tea.

Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread

This was very similar to the O’sulloc Green Tea Milk Spread, but with bits of almond throughout. It was like a Ferrero Rocher with green tea. It was so good licking this off a spoon. This cost $9.99 at the grocery store, which is a bit much, but green tea is expensive.

Of the two green tea spreads I’ve tried, the Feliz Green Tea Almond Milk Spread wins because of the added almond bits. It gives the spread great texture. If you love crunchy peanut butter, it has that similar mouth feel. Both are products for South Korea and have similar ingredients inside. The only major difference are the almonds.

I bought 10 different coconut waters to see how they would compare to the real thing. I made a visit to 2 different grocery stores to get a wide variety of coconut water brands. There was definitely a lot, so I made sure to get at least 10. Originally I wanted to get 5, but 10 ended up in my basket.

I tried 10 different coconut waters so you don’t have to make any mistakes. All of the drinks were chilled and cool before consuming, which is the best way to drink coconut water.

#10 Tropico 100% Young Coconut Water

Tastes like chemicals. No. No. No.

#9 Grace Coconut Water with Pulp

Weird sweet finish yet somewhat citrusy. No.

#8 Frozen Young Coconut Juice

Needs to thaw before drinking. Very sweet but it does have large chunks of coconut meat.

#7 CoCos Pure

Meh.

#6 Vita Coco

The only one that had coconuts from brazil and also has Vitamin C. It had a weird tang to the aftertaste.

#5 Chaokoh Brand Coconut Water with Pulp

My childhood favourite but it is a bit sweeter than the rest. Nostalgia.

#4 Coco Libre

The only one that is from concentrate, but it is organic. It was alright as well.

#3 Blue Monkey

Good and tolerable.

#2 Thirsty Buddha

Very good but still missing more natural sweetness.

#1 Taste Nirvana

Hands down the best one, but not a 100% replacement for a real coconut.

BONUS: A real young coconut from Thailand

The best! Nothing compares…but it’s really hard to open. You’ll need a hefty knife.

I know I didn’t cover all the different coconut water brands in the market, but I tried my best in one sitting to drink 11 coconut waters. We had a good batch of coconut waters and a few terrible ones. Taste is very subjective , but Taste Nirvana was by far the best.

I’ve heard of SPUD for a long time now, a local online grocery store for Metro Vancouver with fresh, local, and organic grocery options. My fridge was empty leading up the the weekend and I saw a great deal to purchase their weekly staples box filled with goodies for $39.99 and free delivery. It contains over $65 worth of their customer’s favourite weekly staples.

[information]$20 off your first order of $50 or more. Coupon code: “CRVAN-CHADIF“.

  • Must be first time customer, one new customer per household.

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Since we are a 2 person household, this would last us longer than a week with what came in the box, plus we don’t always eat dinner everyday at home.

Delivery

They did Sunday delivery to my city, so it was nice to have it arrive on the weekend. You don’t have to be home to receive the package, but I was home anyways. They knock to check if you are home, but if you’re not, they can leave it at the front door, back door or whatever your instructions are.

The Package

My first order came in a large box, but you can also have them deliver it in plastic bins in order to be less wasteful.

Everything was inside and it was insulated with ice packs and dry ice to keep everything cool until you are ready to open it.

Unboxing the Produce

Inside the box, there was:

  • Apples, Gala (local organic) – 4 Medium Apples
  • Bananas (organic) – 6 Bananas
  • Broccoli (organic) – 1 Bunch (~1.5lbs)
  • Carrots, Bunched (organic) – 1 Bunch
  • Cucumbers, Long English Cukes
  • Lettuce, Romaine (organic) – 1 Head
  • Organic 2% Milk – 2 L jug
  • Organic Eggs – Large – 1 dozen
  • Organic Valencia Orange Juice – 1.75L
  • Pears, Danjou (organic) – 2 Medium Pears
  • Unmedicated Free Run Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts –  350 – 600g
  • Wild Onion & Yogurt Potato Chips – 150g

The produce was fresh, in good shape and tasted good. As they are organic, these fruits don’t come cheap. The apples and pears were a fair medium size as well.

There are still stickers on it so it’s easy to identify them. Some fruit is local and some is imported like the organic bananas since bananas aren’t local to the West Coast of Canada.

All the items were perfect staples for the fridge. Beautiful carrots with the tops still intact. You can cook with them or make vegetable stock.

The organic and omega-3 rich eggs were great and I usually get organic free range eggs anyways and they taste a lot more amazing than regular eggs. Something I can’t go back on because we eat so many eggs.

Avalon Organic 2% Milk and Happy Planet Organic Valencia Orange were 2 drinks that came with the package. Very tasty local products, but the orange juice taste pretty tart to me.

One item that I really value the most is quality of meat. The chicken breast that arrived from MapleHill Farms are raised without antibiotics, not fed animal by-products and grain and vegetable fed.

Final Thoughts

This was a good start to seeing the quality of the produce from SPUD. I loved the service and although it is pricier, you know you are getting good quality items from them.

The Weekly Staples Box would be an awesome item for any busy mom to keep the fridge stocked with the essentials.

http://www.spud.ca/

Smartfood Popcorn has introduced a new flavour into the mix – Gouda & Chive. There are 5 other existing flavours, but the other popular ones are White Cheddar and Jalapeno Cheddar. Check out my past review on the other flavours.

We like to keep our popcorn close to the couch so it’s in easy reaching distance of the couch for movie nights or a regular evening with Netflix.

This new cheesy treat brings together the creamy flavour of Gouda and Chives into the world of popcorn.

Upon the first few handfuls, the gouda really stand out and then the chives hits you subtly. The popc.orn still has the same consistency as the other popcorn

It’s a nice addition to the line, but I still really love White Cheddar since I’ve eaten it for so many years that it’s just nostalgic to have it. What do you think of the new Gouda and Chive flavour?

Website: http://www.smartfoodpopcorn.ca/products/smartfood%C2%AE-gouda-chive

Every season, Presidents Choice introduces new items as part of their PC Insiders Collection. As the rain and snow drag on, we are longing to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. While we wait for spring to arrive, many of us are looking for ways to bring the sunny days into our lives as early as possible. With the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, why not bring some new flavours into our lives with food.

Here are a few of the items I tried as part of the Spring 2017 PC Insiders Collection with some recipes too.

Harissa Pacific White Shrimp

This product had a bunch of frozen Pacific White Shrimp and a packet of Harissa sauce. I used this in the Harissa Shrimp Tagine with Herbed Couscous recipe for dinner. It’s quick to prepare and incorporate into any dish.

Harissa Shrimp Tagine with Herbed Couscous

I tried recreating a recipe from Presidents Choice, but since I couldn’t find all the ingredients, I made some slight changes.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg (340 g) Couscous
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL)  PC New World EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1  onion, thinly sliced
  • 3  cloves garlic, minced
  • 1  each sweet red and yellow pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL)  each salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (250 mL)  drained canned chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 pkg (480 g)  PC Pacific White Shrimp With A Lightly Spicy Harissa Sauce, thawed and shrimp patted dry
  • 1/4 cup (50 mL)  chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) Green Olives stuffed with pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup (50 mL)  sliced natural (skin-on) almonds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup (50 mL)  chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. Cook couscous according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add red and yellow peppers, salt and black pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
  1. Reduce heat to medium. Add chickpeas; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook, stirring often, until pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add contents of sauce packet and 1/4 cup water; cook, stirring, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; sprinkle with 2 tbsp cilantro.
  2. Add olives, almonds, parsley and remaining 2 tbsp cilantro to couscous; stir to combine. Serve with shrimp mixture.

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PC Melt in the Middle Sustainably Sourced Cod Fish Cakes

The box comes with 2 pieces, so M and I had this for dinner. Good for households of 2 people or you can buy more. These cakes are golden-baked cod and potato cakes with a creamy lemon dill sauce centre. Don’t forget to buy a lemon to squeeze all over these.

Cod and Dill Fish Cakes with Spring Pea Salad

I made small changes to another PC recipe by adding some baby kale to the mix.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg (290 g)  frozen  PC Melt in the Middle Sustainably Sourced Cod Fish Cakes
  • 1 pkg Baby Kale
  • 1 pkg pea shoots
  • 1 cup (250 mL)  sugar snap peas
  • 2/3 cup (150 mL)  frozen PC Petits Pois Small Sweet Peas
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL)  PC New World EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp (10 mL)  grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL)  fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL)  salt
  • Pinch (0.5 mL)  freshly ground black pepper
  • 2  radishes, thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place frozen fish cakes on baking sheet. Bake 30 to 32 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before serving.
  2. Meanwhile, bring small saucepan of water to a boil. Add snap peas and sweet peas; bring to a simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until chilled; set aside.
  3. Whisk together oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add snap peas, sweet peas, radishes and baby kale, pea shoots; toss gently to coat. Serve with fish cakes.

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Soft-Baked Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies weren’t as soft as I had imagined, but they still had a great taste. The mini milk chocolate-covered peanut butter cups and chopped roasted peanuts gave it a great texture. I love peanut butter, so I naturally enjoy these cookies.

You can also serve these with milk or turn them into an ice cream sandwich.

PC Matcha Green Tea Cheesecake with a Coconut and Cookie Crumb Crust

It starts with a crumb crust of vanilla cookie with toasted coconut flakes layered with rich, velvety vanilla cheesecake and topped with a final layer of smooth, subtle matcha-infused cheesecake. It would have been nice if there was more matcha in this dessert.

Final Thoughts

A few great items in the collection, but I forgot to take a photo of their Chorizo Mac and Cheese, which was so indulgent. A classic favourite comfort food with tender pasta shells tossed in a smooth and creamy jalapeño cheddar sauce along with crumbled chorizo sausage, diced tomatoes, garlic and spices. I took it to work and gobbled it up.

I took my time trying each item, found some things I loved and some not so much. If you’re ever at grocery store selling President’s Choice products, check these out.

Websitehttp://www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/whats-new.html

Thirsty Buddha has come up with their new Sparkling Coconut Water. It’s an alternative to carbonated beverages with electrolytes and lots of potassium.

If you like sparkling water and coconut water, it’s both in one can.

It’s comes in 3 flavours:

  • All-Natural
  • Pineapple
  • Watermelon

We tried all 3 flavours and I liked All-Natural the best for drinking straight up. It’s best when it’s ice cold. You can even try making some cocktails with it. I put together 2 simple cocktails with these drinks.

Sparkling Coconut Water, Lime and Rum

I chose to use a white rum to keep the colour clean. 4 ingredients and super easy to make. You don’t need a long list of fancy ingredients to have a good cocktail.

  • 1.5 oz white rum
  • 1/4 squeezed lime
  • 4 oz sparkling coconut water
  • ice

Mix this all together and you have a very simple and delicious cocktail.

Pineapple, Sparkling Coconut Water, Lime and Vodka

Adding a nice fruity punch to your cocktails, the pineapple flavoured sparkling coconut water is a good simple drink as well. The pineapple sparkling coconut water pours clear, so adding a bit of pineapple juice adds flavour and colour.

  • 1.5 oz white rum
  • 1/4 squeezed lime
  • 1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 4 oz sparkling coconut water
  • ice

I love to add tons of ice to my drinks to keep it cool. As the weather is getting slightly warmer, you gotta have some fruity cocktails.

Drinking it straight from the can or cocktail, it’s a good option to have sparkling coconut rather than pop as its a healthy spin to it without the empty calories. You can find the Thirsty Buddha Sparkling Coconut Water at most major grocery stores.

Website: https://www.buddhabrandscompany.com/

Limited Edition Firework Oreo is coming to a grocery store near you. I was at the Grocery & Specialty Food West Convention and stumbled upon this new product. The rep confirmed that they are shipping to grocery stores quite soon just in time for Canada Day.

That means Canadians will expect to see these in grocery stores quite soon. They come in the standard 303 g packs. I’m sure if they will be in US stores as well.

The Oreo still uses the same ingredients but with the added popping candy embedded in the frosting. When you bite into them, you can start hearing the candy popping in your mouth. It is like my 2 favourite treats came together to make something amazing.

McDonald Sauces are coming to a grocery store near you. They are working with Heinz/Kraft to make this product available to all Canadians. Probably Americans too. I was at the Grocery & Specialty Food West Convention and stumbled upon this new product. I wasn’t able to try this product, but the rep did confirm that it tastes very identical to what they have in their sandwiches. I would have taken one, but it was locked inside a display case.

It sounded like these will be hitting shelves very soon and I am giddy with excitement. I can finally stop asking for an extra side of sauce to go with my fries. It will make all BBQs amazing this Summer.

There was a limited release of 10,000 bottles of Big Mac sauce that was given out in the United States, but perhaps that was a sneak peek at what would be coming soon. When these get released, I will be making sure I stock up on each flavour.

Jif Peanut Butter launches in Canada on March 6th! Coincidentally, it is also National Peanut Butter Lovers Day too. Great timing.

Along with the peanut butter jars, they also are introducing on-the-go sized products. A great idea to make peanut butter and their chocolate flavoured spread portable. They sent me a few items to give it a try.

I made myself a peanut butter, chocolate and banana sandwich for a snack.

Peanut butter on one side and then chocolate on the other side. It’s actually been a while since I’ve had peanut butter, but it sure brought me back memories of being a kid.

It was surprisingly good. I should make these sandwiches more often as a snack. Peanut butter is a pretty versatile product especially in banking. Perhaps peanut butter cookies should be my next creation.

Websitehttp://www.jif.com/

I was at HanNam Supermarket on North Road and these Soy Chicken Sauce Chip from Orion caught my eye. Orion is one of the largest food producer in South Korea and their most popular snack is Choco Pie.

It is on a ruffled chip. When I started sniffing these chips, it made me salivate. It was a little salty and a little sweet. The favour was like a sweet soy sauce with a hint of smokey BBQ.

Once I started eating these chips, I couldn’t stop. It is so addictive. Even my friend that bought the same chips as me loved these as well.

I would definitely buy these again. If you see them in stores, pick these up.

Dairyland celebrates 100 years and they have changes their packaging for a limited time. The design is a throwback to their early days. In 1917, Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association began it’s first operations.

Two years later in 1919, they began the Dairyland Home Service delivery by horse and carriage. Even though I wasn’t alive then, it’s nice to know they have been operating for such a long time. I’ve grown up with their products since I was young. I remember as a kid, their milk would be sold in bags rather than the cartons we see today.

Waking up in the morning, it was necessary to have a hot cup of milk or a bowl of cereal before heading off to school.

To celebrate their 100 years, they are holding a few contests on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dairyland.ca

Doritos Canada has come out with the limited edition Guacamole chips. I love guacamole, so I was excited to see how they would take the essence of guacamole and transform it into chip form.

The chips have a slight green on colour with the yellow chip underneath shining through. Upon first bite, it had hints of lime and reminded me of a ranch flavour. It really didn’t taste like guacamole at all.

With the last 2 flavours Doritos launched – Ketchup and Guacamole, I definitely prefer Ketchup over Guacamole.

Overall, if you are a Guacamole lover, these chips won’t hit the spot. I would rather make Guacamole from real avocados, then get some plain chips to dunk into it.

If you’re still curious about the Doritos Guacamole chips, we picked up these chip at Save on Foods, but I’m sure you can find this at any major grocery store.

Websitehttp://www.doritos.ca/

Les Cocottes is a new Canadian subscription box for delicious French treats right at your door step. This is based in Vancouver, BC and founded by two French ex-pats -Margaux and Lorena. They carefully curate each box with 5-7 of the best French products the duo can find that fits the theme of that particular box.

Whether you have a sweet tooth or you crave savoury treats, their boxes are curated to please everyone. I received a box a few months ago to give it a try.

Inside the Box

Inside are 7 handpicked items to share with friends and family. This particular box had:

  • Foie Gras from Edouard Artzner
  • gingerbread crisps from Edouard Artzner
  • 2 chutneys from Ducs de Gascogne (onion and fig)
  • Fleur de Sel from Le Paludier
  • Prince Vladimir tea from Kusmi Tea
  • Chocolate truffles from Truffettes de France

It comes with 4 recipes to recreate a French Christmas dinner as it was their December box, but you can also create your own super fancy charcuterie board with these items. A French Christmas is just an opportunity to gather around the table with loved ones. Everything in the box is a product from France.

All of these items were very delicious and made me sad when I finished it off since I didn’t know when is the next time I would be able to repurchase the items I love.

We started off by boiling some tea and when that was ready, we put a charcuterie board together with the chutney, foise gras, crisps, and the salt. Then to end it all, we devoured the cocoa truffles.

Final Thoughts

Check out their next box as it will bring you back to life in France. Also, don’t forget to grab your favourite items to pair with the items inside the box. Most importantly, wine.

Website: http://www.lescocottesbox.co/

Yves Veggie Cuisine can be found at most grocery stores in Canada. It’s a line of delicious and nutritious plant-based snacks and meal options. These are healthy and convenient meal options for vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters. As a meat-eater, I wanted to see how these 3 items tasted. Could I be swayed to like these meatless options?

I tried the Kale & Quinoa Bites, Falafel Balls, and their Original Veggie Ground Rounds. They are very versatile and can be added to any recipe.

Kale & Quinoa Bites

I tried the Kale and Quinoa Bites with a side of salad and some tzatziki. I was very surprised by the taste, perhaps because of the spices they use in it. I used the Kale and Quinoa Bites as a replacement for my usual protein of chicken or salmon. I ate the whole plate for lunch and I felt great.

Falafel Balls

What better way to eat falafel balls than in a wrap. At first, the balls were quite dense and dry, so you would need some sauce to balance it out. I added some hummus and guacamole in the wraps for added moisture.

Original Veggie Ground Round

I tried using this to make quesadillas for dinner. I heated up the veggie ground rounds in a hot pan, added some onion, garlic, mushrooms and sautéed it until it was ready to put between 2 corn tortillas. Then into the oven it went to get crisp. It turned out so awesome as my husband didn’t even realize it wasn’t ground beef or pork.

I liked using this product since it doesn’t have as much fat and oil compared to ground meat.

 Final Thoughts

After trying all 3 products, I enjoyed the Kale & Quinoa bites as a quick item to heat up for a side for a meal. The Original Veggie Ground Round was super awesome for cooking.

If you’re looking a change, these are good options as they contain sources of protein, iron and fiber, have no added preservatives, and are low in fat. You can find these Yves product at major grocery stores in Canada.

Website: http://www.yvesveggie.com/en/

Laphroaig, the world’s number one selling Islay single malt and at the end of 2016, they launched Laphroaig Select in Canada. Laphroaig makes excellent Scotch and we always keep a bottle of 10 Year Old in our liquor cabinet.

The liquid inside of Laphroaig Select is hand picked by Laphroaig’s Master Distiller, John Campbell, from the finest casks comprising the Laphroaig portfolio – Quarter Cask, PX Cask, Triple Wood and Ten Year Old – creating a subtle blend of peat, oak and sweetness. The bottles come in 750 mL bottle.

When you drink this, it has a deep smoky taste with a gentle sweetness. As it finishes, it is dry with smoke and spice.

Laphroaig Select is a good introduction to Laphroaig’s line of Scotch.

Website:
http://www.laphroaig.com/