Target Canada's Entertaining Essentials for Victoria Day Weekend

Did you know Canada..  Target has you covered for entertaining this long weekend!  Whether heading to the cottage, camping or entertaining at home, see below to ensure all bases are covered for a stress-free and fun-filled family weekend.

Canadians love to entertain outdoors and take advantage of beautiful summer-like weather. Target has everything from Bublé to bistro sets to make entertaining a breeze this season:

• Plastic makes perfect – with kids running around in bare feet, plastic dishes and stemware make entertaining outside stress free. Target’s Threshold collection carries colourful dishes and serving trays to create a beautiful outdoor tabletop.
• Accessorize – gardens and greenery provide a beautiful backdrop for any occasion. Add to the outdoors with seasonal accessories including bright patio rugs, umbrellas and pillows.
• Ambiance – set the mood with outdoor lanterns and low background music (but remember, sound travels!)
• Food - check the grocery aisle for quick and easy appetizers to pop in the oven as guests arrive. Archer Farms’ Spanakopita and Lobster and Cheese bites are crowd pleasers – just make sure you have enough on hand for seconds!

Speaking of food, I made two tasty dishes that will be perfect for entertaining this May 2-4 weekend, whether at the cottage, campground or backyard, these can be enjoyed any time!

CHICKPEA & FETA DIP

What you need:

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup roasted red pepper strips, divided
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• TRISCUIT Crackers

Here’s how:

1. Process chickpeas, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 cup peppers and next 4 ingredients in food processor until smooth.

2. Spoon into serving bowl; top with remaining cheese and peppers.

3. Serve with crackers.

I halved the recipe and made it in my Magic Bullet, SO EASY!

- Serve with TRISCUIT Thin Crisps or Archer Farms Tortilla Chips

- Two kinds of crunch: serve dip with cut-up fresh vegetable dippers in addition to crackers

HONEY GRAHAM CRUNCH SMORES BARS

What you need:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows
• 4 cups Honey Graham Crunch cereal
• 1 1/2 cups Market Pantry miniature marshmallows
• 1 (11.5 oz.) bag milk chocolate chips

Here’s how:

1. Spray 8 or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over LOW heat; add 3 cups miniature marshmallows. Cook and stir until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Add cereal; mix until well coated.

3. Press firmly into prepared pan with the back of a buttered spoon or waxed paper. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows in single layer over top.*

4. Heat chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 1 minute; stir. Heat in additional 10 second increments until completely melted. Spread evenly over top of marshmallows. Let stand until chocolate is set.

- Makes 16 bars

- If desired, toast marshmallows by heating under broiler a few minutes until lightly browned. Then drizzle with chocolate.

- This recipe can easily be doubled and made in a 13x9-inch pan. (You will need to purchase 2 bags of miniature marshmallows.)

- Sprinkle over hot cereal.

- These make a great snack just served plain or mixed with dried fruit.

- Stir slightly crushed cereal into ice cream or frozen yogurt for a crunchy treat.

Both delish!  Even the kiddos liked both dishes and they were fun to serve with these cute napkins and tray from Target.  Enter below for your chance to win a $50 Target giftcard so our lucky winner can buy some entertaining essentials for the start of summer!!!

Giveaway

Recipe Round Up! 05/3

Did you know Canada..
Can you believe it is already May! Where does time go?

May brings nice, warm weather which means good days to BBQ but there are also some rainy days when indoor cooking becomes a must. This is where we will be turning to our crockpots! Check out our Crockpot mini series on Canadian Moms Cook as one of our reviewers, Alison, has shared some great crockpot recipe ideas with us!

We also are very excited to have a new design over at Canadian Moms Cook! We would love to hear your feedback from the reader's standpoint! Bring on the constructive criticism.

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Recipe Round Up


Broccoli and Cheese Soup in the Crockpot


Pizza in the Crockpot


Crockpot Pork Tenderloin


Cinnamon Streusel Loaf


Tips and Tricks: Mess Free Kitchen When Using a Mixer


Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese


2 Ingredient Crab Dip

What have you been cooking up in your kitchen?

I encourage you to head on over to Canadian Mom Cooks where you will find some family tested recipes, food ideas, interesting food products and more.  Co-author Multi-Testing Mommy and I have been sharing some of our food adventures with our families over the past couple of months.

FOLLOW Canadian Moms Cook
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Recipe Round Up! 04/26

Did you know Canada.. I would love for you to check out Canadian Moms Cook for some family tested recipes!  As usual, we've been cooking up a storm in the kitchen!

 

Don't forget to read about the chance to win an ultimate prize package to Dine with Season 2 Top Chef Canada! And enter to win a $50 Gift Card to Mucho Burrito CAN 4/30 for those nights when you don't feel up to cooking dinner!

  Beefy Nachos   Taco Cups   Blueberry Banana Oat Bread

What have you been cooking up in your kitchen?

I encourage you to head on over to Canadian Mom Cooks where you will find some family tested recipes, food ideas, interesting food products and more.  Co-author Multi-Testing Mommy and I have been sharing some of our food adventures with our families over the past couple of months.

FOLLOW Canadian Moms Cook
Twitter
Pinterest
Facebook

Recipe Round Up! 04/19

Did you know Canada.. I'd love for you to head on over to Canadian Moms Cook for some family tested recipes! And be sure to read about the chance to win an ultimate prize package to Dine with Season 2 Top Chef Canada!

 

 Lemonade Cupcakes

 Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

 Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

 Kids in the Kitchen
Canadian Mom Cooks offers family tested recipes, food ideas, interesting food products and more.  Co-author Multi-Testing Mommy and I have been sharing some of our food adventures with our families over the past couple of months.  I'd love to hear what you've been cooking up as well, share a favourite recipe in the comments!

FOLLOW Canadian Moms Cook
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Pinterest
Facebook

Recipe Round Up! 04/12

Did you know Canada.. it's time for a recipe round up, we haven't done one in awhile, but we've been cooking like crazy over at Canadian Moms Cook. Visit us for some family tested recipes!

We've been cooking up a storm in the kitchen!
 

Homemade English Muffins


Stuffed Peppers


Tip for Grating Cheese


Deviled Eggs


Easy as 1-2-3 Candied Nuts


Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven

What have you been cooking up in your kitchen?

I encourage you to head on over to Canadian Mom Cooks where you will find some family tested recipes, food ideas, interesting food products and more.  Co-author Multi-Testing Mommy and I have been sharing some of our food adventures with our families over the past couple of months.

 Feel free to follow Canadian Moms Cook on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

Kraft Pourables

Did you know Canada..  we have been trying out the new Kraft Pourables - made with real fruits and vegetables, it has been a real treat to experiment with these dressings and they have been fabulous for Mom on the run here for lunch.

Let me share my current go to lunch with you thanks to Kraft Pourables..

I start with fresh baby spinach leaves as my iron is very low after having the baby, then add a hard boiled egg or two (I'm doing the eggs in the oven now, have you seen that? so easy!), sometimes I add a bit of chopped red onion and shredded cheese and then top with one of my yummy Kraft Pourable Dressings.  My current go to favourite is the Garlic Parmesan with Roasted Cauliflower - so good!

I'm not the only one that has been enjoying it either, I recently got one of my boys hooked on salads (go Mom!) and he has been loving the Berry Balsamic!  Don't I feel like a great Mom, having my boy enjoy not only salad, but with using Kraft Pourables, made with fruits and veg, no artificial flavors or colors and have low fat and salt - fabulous!

A great way to liven up your go to salad, Kraft Pourables comes in four fantastic flavours - Berry Balsamic, Roasted Yellow Pepper, Garlic and Lime, Fire Roasted Tomato with Basil and Garlic Parmesan with Roasted Cauliflower - have you tried them yet?

We tried a new dish with #CavendishFromTheFarm

Did you know Canada..  with our new baby on the way NEXT WEEK, I've been sending hubby and the kids to the grocery store, which means instead of wandering around and deciding my menu on the fly I've had to pre-plan everything.  Hubby is a great shopper, but he ONLY gets what's on the list, drives me nuts..haha..  So it's been a challenge to come up with some fun meals without looking around the store first.

Thankfully this past week I became a Cavendish From the Farm blogger, which introduced us to their 3 products - Cavendish From the Farm Wedges, Rustic Reds and Straight Cut potatoes.  Low in saturated fat, prepared with the skin on and are made with 100% canola oil and lightly seasoned with sea salt, they were a perfect addition to meal times.

Hubby had no problem finding the Farm Wedges and Rustic Reds at our local Real Canadian Super Store.

Instead of just a side dish we decided to try a main dish with the Rustic Reds, a potato casserole!

First we added a whole bag of Rustic Reds to a casserole dish.

Drizzled a little bit of olive oil over top and popped them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

While they were heating up I cut up a chicken breast, topped with salt, pepper and garlic powder and cooked it up.

Removed the potatoes from the oven, added about 1/4C of hot sauce to the potatoes, mixed well, added the cooked chicken, shredded cheese and a bit of green onion.

Popped it back in the oven for another 20 minutes and served, so good!  Even the kids, MY KIDS, loved it!!

Later this week we are thinking about making poutine with the Farm Wedges.

2 great ways to change up our dinners, easy to plan ahead even when you are off grocery duty and the kids loved them!!  I can think of so many more ways to change up a potato casserole with the rustic reds, the wedges and straight cuts are great side dishes on their own or easy to dress up.

Best of all - they are Canadian!!  Harvested exclusively from the rich red soil of PEI, they carefully select only the most delicious, premium potatoes for the Cavendish From the Farm line up.  The kids already heard my stories about our family vacations to PEI in my youth, such a beautiful place, I hope I can bring my own kids there some day.

Disclosure – I am participating in the From the Farm blog tour by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Cavendish. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Impressive Holiday Gifts are a Snap with Kellogg’s Rice Krispies

Did you know Canada..  we had some fun this weekend decorating some Kellogg’s Rice Krispies for the Holidays.  This Holiday season Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal teams up with Lisa Sanguedolce, a top Canadian cake decorator to create a dazzling gift idea on a tiny budget! Lisa’s signature Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal Holiday Ornament is new for Holiday 2012 and puts a fancy twist on everyone’s favourite – the classic Rice Krispies square!

This project requires just a few ingredients, a little bit of time, and a dash of love!  Don't get nervous from the picture (I was!) it actually went really smoothly and we had a ton of fun!

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Holiday Ornament Instructions

For an impressive holiday gift idea this season, try making the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Holiday Ornament. It’s a great way to spend quality time with kids, and because it’s no-bake, it’s a snap to make. A thoughtful gift for friends, teachers, baby sitters or anyone on your list!

What You’ll Need
·         6 cups (1.5 litre) Kellogg’s* Rice Krispies *  cereal
·         250g (1 pkg) Marshmallows
·         1/4cup (50ml) Butter or Margarine
·         2ml (1/2 tsp) Vanilla extract
·         Red licorice string
·         Red and white fondant and silver dragees, available at cake decorating supply shops, crafting or grocery stores
·         Ruler, bamboo skewer, pizza cutter, rolling pin and paint brush
·         Wrapping: cello bags, ribbon, and mini decorative bulbs – available at local crafting stores

Make the Rice Krispies Base
1.    In a large microwave safe bowl, heat margarine and marshmallows at HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes or do it on the stove

2.    Stir in vanilla. Stir in Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal until well coated. Allow mixture to cool slightly; form into shape

Shape the Ornament
1.    Form Kellogg’s  Rice Krispies cereal mixture into half balls, leaving space in the centre
2.    Poke a small hole in a piece of fondant with bamboo skewer and thread with your red licorice to make the loop for hanging
3.    Place the loop inside the ball and add more Kellogg’s Rice Krispies mixture to close the ball around the licorice so the loop sticks out; add more mixture as needed and mold with hands into ball shape

Decorate!

1.    Roll fondant into a sheet using a rolling pin
2.    With a ruler and pizza cutter, cut fondant into long strips; place onto ornament working your way around, cutting  any excess
3.    Use a very small cookie cutter decorating tool to cut out fun shapes from the fondant
4.    Dip the paint brush in some water and brush onto the fondant; sprinkle on silver dragees  
5.    Once complete; package the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies ornament in a cellophane bag, add the ribbon and the mini decorative bulbs for the perfect holiday gift!

We made one for Santa for our Elf on the Shelf to take back to the North Pole with him. :-)  We will be making these for friends and neighbours as well, what a beautiful gift!  The kids really enjoyed this project and it honestly was not hard to do at all, now I have great ideas for future Kellogg’s Rice Krispies projects!

Recipe Round Up - 10/05

Did you know Canada.. we got the latest recipe posts over at Canadian Moms Cook to share...

Butter Tart Squares
Sugar Cookies with Butter Icing
Pork Stir Fry

And, although this one was posted quite a while ago, it continues to be a reader favourite! Check it out:
Taco Pasta Bake

I encourage you to head on over to Canadian Mom Cooks where you will find some family tested recipes, food ideas, interesting food products and more.  Co-author Multi-Testing Mommy and I have been sharing some of our food adventures with our families over the past couple of months.

Feel free to follow Canadian Moms Cook on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

Fun dinner time with #VHExcitement

Did you know Canada..  we received a fun package from VH with a few sauces to perk up dinner time, a fun toy for the boys and a really cool Creating Kirigami book!

With our VH sauces we got Korean BBQ sauce, Soya sauce and Butter Chicken sauce, perfect for making so many dishes.  I am a big fan of VH Sauces, like their Plum and Sweet and Sour dipping sauces, Soya, Teriyaki cooking sauce and more.  I have also introduced many friends and family to their Hoisin stir-fry sauce, it's a huge favourite around here.

 This was the first time trying their Korean BBQ sauce, I thought it would be very spicy; it is a little spicy, but more in a tangy way, I love it!

Along with the fantastic package, VH sent along a couple recipes, we used their Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps recipe as a starter to make BBQ Pork Tenderloin (by the way, I have never bbq'd pork tenderloin, I always put it in the oven, you MUST try it on the bbq, amazing!!).  We didn't wrap in lettuce, as the kids are not big on "salad" as they call it, instead we enjoyed it with mashed potatoes and corn.

We sliced the tenderloin into 4 pieces, piercing the strips all over with a fork, placed in a freezer bag and added this marinade:

1C VH Korean BBQ Sauce
2T VH Soya Sauce
2T lime juice

Marinate for at least one hour, up to 24.

Use Pam Grilling Spray (hubby's new fav tool for the bbq by the way) on the cold grill, (make sure the kids have something to play with like the fun mini OgoSport disks we received) heat to medium-high and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.  You can also baste the meat with more VH Korean BBQ while grilling.

From here you can slice the meat and serve in a lettuce wrap with cooked rice, grated carrot, green onion and thinly sliced cucumber; or serve with any side dish of your choice.

Thanks so much to VH for introducing us to one of our new favourite sauces, I'm dreaming of so many ways to use it now!  Visit the VH Facebook page for more meal ideas and great tips for adding excitement to your dinner time!

We are also passing the #VHExcitement to another Canadian blogger, stay tuned to Maple Leaf Mommy for more fun dinner ideas!!  Maple Leaf Mommy is a great Canadian resource for product info, giveaways, and I love reading about her family life as her G-Girls keep her on her toes. ;-)

We also have a treat for our readers!  Enter below for your chance to win a grocery gift card and VH sauces (ARV approximately $25).  Good luck Canada!!

Giveaway

Harvest from Home

Did you know Canada..   from June through October, Metro stores have Ontarians covered with their annual Harvest from Home program!  During Harvest from Home, Metro purchases food from more than 100 farms across Ontario, providing its customers with a wide variety of the freshest most delicious produce.  Proudly supporting local farmers and the economy, Metro brings a new meaning to eating close to home!

This is AWESOME!  We've talked many times about the importance of supporting your local farmers, hitting up the farmers markets, and now you can make one trip to the grocery store and know you are indeed supporting Ontario's farmers and eating fresh food.  To celebrate we've cooked up one of metro's fantastic recipes, picking up all our fresh ingredients at our local Metro.

My little helper and I tried out the Lemon Blueberry California Walnut Bread, which the kids loved, I loved, Gramma loved, it's delicious!  Fresh blueberries and lemons make all the difference too.


Recipe ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) chopped California walnuts
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. (10 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) baking soda
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup (175 mL) buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) canola oil
1 cup (250 mL) fresh blueberries
3 Tbsp. (45 mL) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) fresh lemon juice

Preparation
In dry skillet, toast walnuts over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. In medium bowl, combine sugar, lemon zest, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and oil. Whisk just to combine.

Make a well in centre of dry ingredients. Add liquid ingredients and mix gently just to combine; do not over-mix. Gently fold in walnuts and blueberries. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan. Bake at 350F (180C) for 55 to 60 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on rack for 20 minutes; remove from pan, cool to room temperature.

Combine 3 Tbsp. sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat then cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Brush glaze over cake while still warm.

See how it went for us..

Good thing I picked up extra blueberries as my little helped was eating them all!

We got all our ingredients together..

stirred everything up..

ended up with some yummy smelling batter..

drooled over it as it came out of the oven..

and finished it off with a tasty, lemon glaze..

it looks amazing..

and as you can see, everyone thought it tasted pretty darn good too..

Be sure to check out Metro's website for more fresh tasting recipes!

We are SO EXCITED to share this recipe with one of our readers too!!  One lucky reader will win a basket full of the dry goods to make this recipe, plus a Metro giftcard to pick up the fresh ingredients.  Open to Ontario Only.

Giveaway