Caesar - Canada's Cocktail!

Did you know Canada..  Invented in Calgary, Alberta in 1969 by restaurateur Walter Chell to celebrate the opening of a new Italian restaurant in the city, caesars are Canada's cocktail and I LOVE them!

Check out my recipe over at Canadian Mom's Cook.  What are some of your favourite cocktails?

LCBO Strike

Did you know Canada..  possible BAD news for Ontarians, LCBO workers are looking to strike!  In fact, 95% voted in favour of a strike.   The key issues are said to be increasing part-time wages and upgrades to health and safety standards.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is accountable to the Ministry of Finance in Ontario and regulates alcohol sales in the province.  It's also one of the world's largest single purchasers of beverage alcohol products!

Now they aren't actually going on strike yet, this vote was only if the talks break down.  The contract ended March 31st but talks are still scheduled into May (can anyone say May Two-Four! Oh no!)

The possibility of the strike is also bringing the LCBO's monopoly on liquor sales to the fore front.  The LCBO is able to dictate which products are available for sale in the province.  You'll know of course that local microbreweries, wineries and distilleries sell to the public through their store front location, but  to expand across the province they would have to guarantee minimum volume which leaves most out of luck.

How do you feel about the LCBO's control on available liquor products?

Buy Coffee Canada

Did you know Canada.. there is a fantastic online resource for my fellow coffee lovers - Buy Coffee Canada!

Buy Coffee Canada has a huge range of products from coffee to K-Cups, Chai Tea to syrups and more. I love that we can get these products online at a great price from a Canadian company, we know that unfortunately that is not always the case.

I recently got a chance to try the Torani Sugar Free Syrup in Vanilla and a couple fun Chai packs are that great both hot and cold!

The Torani Syrup has been a huge hit around here, tasty in my coffee and I've been experimenting!

I'm a huge fan of Vanilla Coke, which unfortunately is NOT available in Canada (someone do something about this!!) but just add some Torani Syrup to a normal coke and it is delish!! Also been fantastic in hot chocolate, lattes, and iced coffee!! I love that even though it's a sugar free product there is no strange after taste you can sometimes get and none of the vanilla flavour is lost either.

Don't just think drinks though! This is perfect for adding to cookies, fudge and more.

I am so impressed with the quality of the syrup as well as the taste. It doesn't have that grainy texture I've dealt with from other syrups. Vanilla is far from the only flavour they sell - they have flavours including Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Lime, Raspberry, Peanut Butter (!!) and more! Think of all the creations you could make with those flavours at your finger tips.

Head to Buy Coffee Canada and use code IKNOW54 to save 5% of your next order!!

We are also so excited to share a bottle of Torani Syrup with one of our readers! Enter below for your chance to win any bottle of your choice!!

Giveaway

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Did you know Canada.. Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's a great chance to look into some St. Paddy's Day facts across Canada..

According to the 2006 census by Stats Canada, the Irish are the 4th largest ethnic group with 4,354,155 Canadians with full or partial Irish descent, which is 14% of the population.

It is estimated that about 80% of Newfoundlanders have Irish ancestry on at least one side of their family tree.

Some famous Irish-Canadians include..
Paul Kane - painter
Maureen Forrester - an operatic contralto
Thomas D'Arcy McGee - "Canada's most eloquent Father of Confederation"
Robert Samuel Mc Laughlin - founded the Mc Laughlin Carriage Company
John McDermott - best known for his rendering of the song "Danny Boy", he was born in Scotland but is of Irish decent as well

The 188th Montreal St. Patrick's Day Parade is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, 2012 - this is the oldest St. Patrick's Day Parade in Canada.

Montreal's Griffintown is often described as the Irish gateway to North America. Up to half a million Irish immigrants came through Griffintown from early to mid 19th century in the midst of the industrial revolution and Ireland's devastating famine.

Approximately 5,400 establishments serving green beer in celebration of "St. Paddy's Day". If you're making it at home I've read some beer works better with blue food colouring, mixing with the yellow of the beer to get a nice green colour. Make sure you toast your drinks with the Irish saying "Sláinte!" which means health, the equivalent of saying "Cheers!".

How are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day this year?

Rrrrroll up the Rim!

Did you know Canada.. exciting news!! Roll of the Rim will be starting up again on Monday, February 20th!

I've heard there is a 1 in 6 chance to win with the usual prizes - cars, 3D tvs, camping packages, $100 Timmy cards and millions of food prizes! They will also be bringing back the online game (if you recall, I won a $25 card on the online game last year) and I've heard they may be adding a new way to play through your smart phone!

As I mentioned on Twitter, having a roll up the rim cup in my hand screams SPRING TIME to me, how about you??

Are you looking forward to rrrrrrolling up the rim? I know I am!!

Can't go wrong with MORE Coffee

Did you know Canada.. Canadian favourite, Tim Hortons, will be updating their cup sizes this coming Monday.

We've mentioned this before, and after testing in a few markets the new cup sizes are coming to Timmys across the nation! Sizes now go from extra small to a new extra large 24oz cup!

So if you usually order a large that is the new medium and so on to make room for this super sized cup.

Will the new 24oz extra large be your new cup size? It might be mine! ;-) I just hope it stays warm long enough!

Bungee Lunch

Did you know Canada.. with the school year just started how many are already struggling with lunches?? What to send? How much? Nothing fits in the darn lunch bag!!

Well, we have found the solution in Bungee Lunch by greenCAPP!! Perfect as our first introduction in our Holiday Gift Guide, this would be perfect for any school age child in your life!!

Bungee Lunch is an expandable lunch bag, made of a durable cotton bag and a reusable BPA-free plastic shell. I love that the bag expands to hold as many food containers as you need to pack a complete and nutritious lunch for your family.

Available in a range of awesome colours and designs these will be a big hit with kids of any age!

We have been using our Bungee Lunchbag for lunch trips in the car, taking snacks after hockey practice and lunches! I absolutely love that it can expand to fit food containers, drink containers and more. Never again will we have to use baggies because I couldn't fit separate containers in the lunch bag, and if my kiddos are anything like yours, we all know they do not like food touching!!

I've found this perfect for kids with balanced day lunches as they need their lunches split up, have 2 drinks, separated snacks, etc.. this means less confusion for the kids and easier on Mom!

Another fabulous feature is the lid that fits snuggly into the top panel of the lunch bag. Its four rounded extended corners allow it to stay firmly attached to that portion of the lunch bag. This allows the lunch bag to expand if necessary. The hard liner also helps protect food from being crushed, easy to clean to can be removed and used as a tray.

Just in time for the Holidays we also have a chance for two of our lucky readers to win a Bungee Lunch!!  Giveaway has ended, congrats to our winners!

The Real McCoy

Did you know Canada.. William "Bill" Frederick McCoy was as an American sea captain and, more interestingly, a rum runner smuggler during the Prohibition in the United States.

McCoy worked "rum row", mostly bringing in rum from the Caribbean but then turned to high quality Canadian whiskey which he was famous for delivering. McCoy's legend grew with his quality liquor and fair-dealing brought about the phrase: "it's the real McCoy".

Today Canadian whiskey continues to be of the highest quality in the world and known for it's distinctive taste - it's still the real McCoy!

Canadian Invention: Caesar (Cocktail)

Did you know Canada.. It was Calgary bartender Walter Chell, that created the Casear cocktail in 1969.

He experimented for three months, eventually settling on a mixture of hand-mashed clams, tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Tossing in a celery stick for a garnish, Chell called the drink a Bloody Caesar. Chell said his inspiration came from Italy.

It quickly became a popular mixed drink, but remains virtually unknown outside Canada. Surprisingly the Mott's company was independently developing Clamato (a mixture of clam and tomato juices) at the same time the Caesar was invented. Eventually they hired Chell to consult and promote the product and now Motts claims that the Caesar is the most popular mixed drink in Canada, estimating that over 350 million Caesars are consumed every year.

Whether using is as the so called hangover cure or just enjoying a drink I'm sure we've all enjoyed a Casesar or two.

Why not mix some up for Canada Day weekend to celebrate a Canadian made drink!!

Source: Wikipedia, famouscanadians.net, clamato.com

Giveaway! Libre Tea

Winner:  Congratulations to our winner Sheryl!!  She is going to LOVE this Libre Tea glass.  Thanks again all, for joining us in this giveaway.

Update: Giveaway is now closed - thank you everyone for commenting - this is my absolute favourite tea glass I have ever had!  If you didn't win and you're a big tea drinker - trust me - get one or put it on the Christmas list, you won't regret it!! The winner is being contacted now.

Did you know Canada.. I have the found the most terrific tea glass made by Canadian Company Libre Tea!

As I've mentioned before I'm a huge loose leaf tea fan, I've ordered tea from all over the Internet - but one thing I was really lacking - a perfect glass to steep the tea. I've been through MANY tea glasses, strainers, tea pots with strainers, and more and have never found one that wasn't a struggle to clean or a mess to remove the strainer or quickly lost a seal.

I also LOVE that with the Libre Glass ’n Poly Large model you can steep your tea 2 ways - either add the tea in with the water and drink with the filter on OR for tea that should only be steeped for a certain amount of time put the tea in the filter, pour the hot water over it and with the lid you can flip the glass over, steep, then remove - LOVE IT!!

Another fantastic thing that is important to me is that the outside of the glass never gets hot - as a person who aaaalways orders a double cup at Timmys I do not like hot cups, so this is a huge plus for me.

Libre Tea products are for health conscious, eco-friendly tea drinkers who want to enjoy tea moments on the go or at home. Any of their sizes would make fantastic gifts for Dad this Father's Day, a new Graduate or any tea lover in your life.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will be able to try a Libre Tea Glass for themselves as they will win a 14oz Libre Tea Large. The Libre glass ’n poly large is the ‘big gulp’ of tea with a 420 mL capacity.

Mandatory Entry - one mandatory entry per person
Tell us your favourite time of day for a cup of tea in the comments.

Optional Entries - 1 comment per each optional entry
- Follow @libretea on Twitter
- Like Libre Tea on Facebook
- Follow Did you know Canada on GFC
- Follow @diduknowcanada on Twitter
- Like Did you know Canada on Facebook
- Tweet this giveaway (link to your tweet in comment, can be done 2x a day during giveaway)
Example Tweet..

#Canada are you a tea drinker? Enter to #win a Libre Tea Large! Ends 06/27 @diduknowcanada http://bit.ly/lRaoZK

Giveaway open to our Canadian readers closing June 27 at 9:00pm EST. You must leave an email address so I have a way to contact you in the event that you win. Winners must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen in their place.

Disclosure: We received a free Libre Tea Large to try and we use it everyday! - our opinions are our own.

Taste Tea Cup

Did you know Canada.. I have found the one of the coolest Canadian places to order tea online: Taste Tea Cup!

Taste Tea Cup carries a variety of loose-leaf teas and drinkable herbs. Their teas & herbs are of the highest quality and they only sell tea that comes from ethical growers who produce these premium teas in a responsible manner.

I am a big tea drinker and have ordered loose leaf tea from all over the Internet - trust me, there is a big difference between quality loose leaf tea and some of the lesser ones.  I was lucky enough to try some samples of Taste Tea Cup's tea and this is quality tea - and in the COOLEST flavours!

With flavoured tea like Grand marnier, Caramel cherry cheesecake, Ontario Icewine, Tutti Fruiti and a variety of black, green, white, and chai there is something for EVERYONE.  My current favourite is the Mocha Rocha!

A note from their website that is great information and something I hadn't even thought about is..
Do the planet a favour – serve loose leaf tea! Loose tea has a much smaller environmental footprint than teabags. Teabags require paper or nylon mesh, a staple, a paper or plastic tag & glue. Although per bag the material may seem insignificant, multiplied by billions annually, the additional energy consumption required to make them all makes loose leaf tea a much friendlier option! - So true!!

Taste Tea Cup also offers fantastic brewing instructions for all of their teas, something I found very helpful - I certainly learned a few things reading through this page.

The owner, Canadian Davina Simms, really knows her tea and if you are a tea lover like me I highly recommend trying one (or more) of her fantastic blends!

Giveaway! Kicking Horse Coffee

Winner: Congratulations to our winner Erin - we thank everyone again for joining such a fantastic giveaway for a perfect Canadian product!

Update: Giveaway is now closed - thank you everyone for commenting - I just loooove this coffee and I know you will too! The winner is being contacted now.

Did you know Canada.. it was my Mom that first introduced me to Canadian Company Kicking Horse Coffee and the huge quality difference of using freshly ground beans.

The history of Kicking Horse Coffee is a fantastic read. Kicking Horse Coffee was one of the first 10 companies in Canada to sign on with TransFair Canada in 1998 and in 2003 Kicking Horse Coffee went 100% organic, only purchasing and roasting 100% Certified Organic coffee beans. Then is 2007 they become dedicated to 100% Organic Fair Trade. Kicking Horse Coffee continues to be Canada's #1 selling Organic Fair Trade and I know why!

I was very happy to try a can of Kicking Horse Coffee - Kick Ass - a dark coffee that is just heavenly. When I hear dark coffee that's usually something I shy away from because I don't like coffee that's tooooo strong but this is just perfect and smells amazing. About 10 minutes after I got it I was already grinding the beans and getting it on to brew with fresh, filtered water and it was a PERFECT cup of coffee.  Even my husband, you usually shrugs at coffee and would grab something else is loving this - we have converted him!!!

I highly recommend Kicking Horse Coffee, there is a HUGE difference between a cheaper can of coffee and fresh, quality organic fair trade beans.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a can of Kicking Horse Coffee and a KHC bag.

Mandatory Entry - one mandatory entry per person
Visit the Kicking Horse Coffee online store and let us know your favourite product.

Optional Entries - 1 comment per each optional entry
- Follow @kcknghrsecoffee on Twitter
- Like Kicking Horse Coffee on Facebook
- Follow Did you know Canada on GFC
- Follow @diduknowcanada on Twitter
- Like Did you know Canada on Facebook
- Tweet this giveaway (link to your tweet in comment, can be done 2x a day during giveaway)
Example Tweet..

Who loves coffee?? Enter to #win a Kicking Horse Coffee Prize Pack!! Ends June 16 @diduknowcanada http://bit.ly/kJxcs1


Giveaway open to our Canadian readers closing June 16 at 9:00pm EST. You must leave an email address so I have a way to contact you in the event that you win. Winners must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen in their place.

Disclosure: As mentioned we received a can of Kicking Horse Coffee to try, we have purchased them in the past and will continue to do so - our opinions are our own.

How do you like your tea?

Did you know Canada.. I was surprised to read 97% of tea in Canada is consumed hot while in the United States, 85% of tea is served iced.

I know many people that drink a lot of iced tea but, as we know, in Canada iced tea refers to sweetened iced tea, usually flavoured with lemon. In most provinces, unsweetened iced tea is almost unheard of. This tea is made at home from drink powder or obtained in cans or bottles.  Water, sugar and flavourings may exceed tea in terms of quantity in these drinks.

Personally I only like unsweetened iced tea - though I know of no where in Canada that serves in that way. I have to admit it's one of my favourite things to order in a restaurant when we visit the States.

I also make iced tea at home, usually only in the summer months but like most Canadians I usually drink my tea hot, I actually have one every morning.

So Canada - how do you like your tea?

Source: Wikipedia

BYOW then THTR

Did you know Canada.. BYOW stands for Bring Your Own Wine - something you can do in many restaurants in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and Quebec. THTR stands for Take Home The Rest - allowing a consumer to take home the rest of an open wine bottle IF the bottle can be properly resealed (recorked).

BYOW is said to be a key element in improving choice for consumers and businesses. Your server must be the one to open the wine and most if not all restaurants charge a corkage fee to open that wine - usual anywhere from $5 - $25. Some restaurants use a higher corkage fee to deter consumers from bringing their own wine and ordering off the wine list instead.

If you plan on taking advantage of a restaurant offering BYOW there are a few things to remember..

• - Don't bring homemade or fortified wines
• - If the restaurant employs a sommelier (wine steward) it is often considered appropriate and respectful to offer him a sip
• - Call ahead as some restaurants that offer BYOW may require you to bring your own cork screw and glasses if you want to use the service
• - Another reason to call ahead is that some restaurants will not allow a wine to be brought in that is already on their wine list

Have you ever "BYOW"??

 Source: bringmywine.ca, Ministry of Government Services, AGCO

How are you getting your 2-4 home?

Did you know Canada.. many of us probably know it is illegal in Canada to have an open bottle of alcohol in your vehicle.

But did you know in most provinces you can not have that unopened bottle within reach of the driver - and it should be in the trunk of the vehicle.

Have you ever stuck a bottle of booze in the back seat or a case of beer?

Icewine

Did you know Canada.. Canada is one of the largest producers of Icewine in the world.

Icewine is a unique dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. It is said a frozen grape creates just one drop of Icewine. With ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards.

About 75% of the ice wine in Canada comes from Ontario. Niagara holds an Icewine Festival every year - the next one is January 13-29, 2012 and will be the 17th annual Niagara Icewine Festival. Inniskillin Wines is considered the most widely known Canadian icewine producer as the first Canadian winery to win a major international award, the Grand Prix d’Honneur at 1991 Vinexpo in France.

To create Icewine the grape must freeze below −8 °C (by law in Canada) while still on the vine. The grape must be pressed while it is still frozen so pickers often must work at night or very early in the morning to accomplish this task.

Icewine is a major export product for Canadian wineries. Much of the wine exported overseas is in the form of icewine.

Source: icewinefestival.com, Ontario Wine Society, Ontario Grapes

Are we the top drinkers?

Did you know Canada.. we don't even come close on per capita beer consumption.

1. Czech Republic
2. Ireland
3. Germany
.
.
.
21. Canada

21!  Can you believe it?

Source: Wikipedia