get your ABCs naturally at bulk barn

Bulk Barn is one of my favorite stores. What is not to like about a place where you can get all sorts of baking supplies, whole grains, organic ingredients and british candy all under one roof with the added benefit of buying in bulk? As I have mentioned before, my trips years ago to the Bulk Barn used to be all about the candy, and the rows of brightly coloured goodies are still mighty tempting, but now I see them in a different light. Most of the stuff is artificially coloured and flavoured, not to mention other yucky things like preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, etc. So, the other day I thought I’d see if I could find any candy that was relatively “natural” which I could use as fun toppings on my cupcakes. Well, the interesting thing was there was a small section of “natural” candies which were made with real fruit juice, but only ONE of the candies had ONLY natural colour and flavour - alphabet gummies. My only problem was after scooping out quite a few, I ended up with not a great variety of letters, much like a frustrating game of scrabble. I will have to go back and take a closer look at the letters in the bin - it would be nice to be able to spell something!

Oh and yes, they taste and feel like real gummy candies. Nice to know I can get something like this close to home rather than making the trek to a large natural foods store…

 

morning lemon - easy peasy green tea lemonade

Another successful copycat beverage - green tea lemonade. The natural foods store around the corner from me is having an awesome sale on Santa Cruz lemonade (regular and raspberry which is highly addictive) $1.99 a bottle - you should check your local natural store!

I brewed up green tea (I like Yogi brand) - 2 tea bags in approx 2 cups just-before-boiling water - and put into an empty lemonade bottle, which filled it up about halfway. I topped it up with lemonade, gave it a good shake and popped it in the fridge. A bit later over ice it was perfect.

 

almo(st) mochaccino

It was big news when Starbucks opened in my neighborhood, which is made up of mostly small independent shops and cafes. Of course it had to open near the end of my pregnancy, when I was desperately craving chocolatey/milky things daily. My husband and I got a bit too used to the 2 minute walk around the corner and also chose to ignore the significant amount of money flying out of our wallets. Well, now that baby is out, we have cut back significantly. A big reason for me besides spending too much is that too much dairy consumption by me noticeably affects my boy - in a spit up way! Not that it is causing him discomfort, but I was getting a bit sick of changing my/his clothes a couple of times a day.

Taking all this into account, I decided I still needed a daily treat (trust me, when you are taking care of a newborn, you need this) but I didn’t want to spend lots of money, and I didn’t want to have dairy or soymilk. So, I decided to invest in a thermo-cup and create my own version of a mochaccino - 1/2 instant coffee, 1/2 chocolate almond milk. Of course it doesn’t taste like a Starbucks mocha, but more money in the bank and less laundry makes it worth it. Besides, I love almond milk, and it does taste pretty dang good.

If you don’t like to have too much dairy and you have never tried almond milk, I highly recommend it. It has a nice consistency - thinner than soy milk but not as thin as rice milk, and it tastes great (not too almondy like you would think). I use the original unsweetened on cereal, have used the vanilla for baking (makes cupcakes extra moist!) and the chocolate is good straight up in a glass.

Stay tuned for another faux Starbucks drink attempt soon - green tea lemonade!

 

product newsflash - naturally coloured candy canes

I have to interrupt the silence of December views to let you know about a great product - naturally coloured and flavoured candy canes made by Pure Fun, who have made an appearance on this blog before. I took a special trip to Whole Foods the other day, and was rewarded when I turned the corner into the salad bar section and saw a huge display of these beauties. I was so excited to try them - they taste great. It’s so nice to know you can eat something fun and sweet this time of year and not worry about the artificial colouring. And the price is not bad - $2.99 for a pack of 12 is definitely worth it to me. So I thought I’d share this photo of cupcakes I made for our neighbours using the candy canes as a topping on peppermint frosting. Unfortunately I did not get to taste one of these lovelies this time around, but have been told they were yummy!

 

morning lemon - sweet sparkles

So, being pregnant, I have a bit of an exaggerated sweet tooth. I try to keep it in check as best I can, but I figure, hey - I may only get this chance once so I might as well indulge a bit! Of course, even though I want something sweet, it doesn’t mean I want something loaded with high fructose corn syrup and artificial additives. At one of my favorite stores down the street Farmer’s Daughter, I often peek at/covet the elegant bottles of french lemonade. So the other day I thought - today’s the day I’m just going to let myself have one. There is good reason why I don’t indulge in these bottles more often, and it has nothing to do with the ingredients - it’s the price. The bottle I picked up was $7.25 (yikes) so if you ever see them anywhere for less than that, you’re getting a deal.

A short ingredient list - that’s what I love. Especially in these lemonades (I got the classic “french” style which is clear, but there is also a more lemony one, and pink, plus a few other interesting drinks in their product line) when all you’re looking at is carbonated water, beet sugar (as opposed to cane sugar) citric acid, and lemon aroma (which I’m assuming is from some sort of herb - maybe lemon balm?) The pink lemonade is coloured with elderberry concentrate - nice. As it clearly states on the bottle “contains no juice” - so it’s not a nutritional drink, it’s a treat. But a treat you can feel pretty good about instead of having a soda. I’m sure they would make a great mixer for alcoholic drinks at parties as well - I’ll have to get back to you about that sometime next year…

 

have you been to Bulk Barn lately?

I remember a time when I used to go to Bulk Barn to buy sour gummis and chocolate almonds. I also remember that the store was kind of grungy and seemed uncool. Maybe you have similar memories, and haven’t been there in ages. Well, I’m here to tell you that my recent visits have been quite different (except for the chocolate almonds :)).

It seems to me that somehow over the years Bulk Barn has cleaned up and changed its image a bit. I frequent the one at Shopper’s World Danforth (Vic Park/Danforth) and it is very tidy and has good staff. I also noticed a new one opened up recently at 2422 Kingston Road (sorry don’t know the major cross street!) and it also looks sparkly and inviting. Aside from the fact that they don’t seem as grungy anymore, the real treat is the products that I never realized they had. Pretty much anything you need to keep your natural/healthy pantry stocked is there - we’re talking oats, flax seeds (buy the whole seeds, and grind yourself to ensure freshness), organic quinoa, brown rice, unbleached flour, organic cane sugar, multigrain pasta, etc. They also have a nice line of herbal supplements, gluten-free mixes, as well as soy and rice milks. For bakers, there is wide range of supplies, including tons of frosting tips, and cardboard cake boxes. Basically, if you need something, Bulk Barn is a good place to look.

Buying bulk dry goods is a great way to cut down on excess packaging, and usually save yourself some money. Also, I hate it when I am baking something and I only need a bit of say, brown sugar, and a grocery store forces me to buy a whole bag which will inevitably end up getting hard as a rock in my cupboard. I say, thank you Bulk Barn for giving me a choice.

What is your favorite indulgence at Bulk Barn? Come on, I told you about my chocolate almonds…

 

morning lemon - a drop of pure fun

The other day, someone told me that when they were young, one of their favorite candies was a lemon drop. I can understand the appeal. Read this definition from wikipedia, and tell me it’s not intriguing:
“A lemon drop is a sugary, lemon-flavored candy that is typically colored yellow and often shaped like a miniature lemon.”

I think it’s the miniature lemon part that I am most drawn too. They’re so cute! But unfortunately, when I looked up the ingredients, I saw some of my most dreaded foes, synthetic food dyes like yellow #5,6, etc. These food dyes are bad news - they have been implicated in allergies, ADHD, and have been shown to be potentially carcinogenic. It is a shame that so many products available in North America today still use these dyes, when many European countries have banned them. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I have been experimenting with herbs to colour food, and guess what - other people are catching on to the idea.

I recently found these hard candies at Whole Foods Market which are made with natural ingredients, and coloured with HERBS. One of the flavours is lemon, and although not shaped like a mini-lemon, they look like little lemon slices.

And guess what - they taste good! Of course, they are candies, meaning once in a while indulgences, or maybe not at all depending on your situation. It is nice to know that for those who can indulge but still want to feel ok about what they are eating, the choices are increasing. It’s an exciting time in food history, when we are truly going back to basics, with a modern twist.

 

coupon book giveaway, changes coming

Very soon there will be some major changes to my blog. I can’t wait for you all to see them! Things have been very busy around here, what with working at the trade shows, writing for Torontoist, and general nutritionist duties! Thought you might like this pic of me at the Green Living Show working for The Healthy Shopper again (I’m on the left!)

This time I got to talk to a lot of people about Nut Thins, a nut/rice cracker made by Blue Diamond which is gluten-free. I knew that there were a lot of people suffering with celiac disease, which is when the body cannot digest the proteins in wheat, rye, and barley resulting in a lot of suffering and big changes in lifestyle, but did not realize just how many until I encountered it first hand at the show. It seemed like about 1 in 10 people came by and said “I have celiac disease” or “My brother has celiac disease” or “Our friend has celiac disease.” They were all happy to find another tasty and convenient product that they could actually eat. It felt great to be able to hear their stories and answer their questions. One of my favorite blogs is Gluten-Free Girl, written by Shauna James, who has celiac disease and has finished her first cookbook. Her writing is extremely personal and poignant - I am sure her book is going to be a huge success, and there are obviously plenty of people ready and waiting for more gluten-free recipes. I am planning on doing a story on this subject for Torontoist - stay tuned!

I have saved the best news for last. The Healthy Shopper coupon book is now available in natural food stores, containing over $110.00 in savings on amazing natural and organic products!
The only problem is, they can be hard to find, they get grabbed fast leaving none for you, and if you order one online, you have to pay shipping. I will send one of these hot little numbers to the first THREE people (living in Canada) to comment with the top three questions they would ask a nutritionist. The coupons are good across Canada, so if you are outside of Ontario, you still qualify!

Now, go outside, soak up some vitamin D, and enjoy your weekend!

 

welcome LARABAR fans!

Good morning to LARABAR fans, regular readers, and anyone who has stumbled across my blog today. You may be here because I am LARABAR’s new fan of the day! I am extremely proud to have been profiled by such an amazing company. If you are someone who has not tried a LARABAR, I suggest you read a bit about their story, and then try one! If you have had other “natural” snack and sports bars, there is really no comparison in my opininon.

I wanted to share my favorite LARABAR flavour with you - I suppose it is no real surprise that it is lemon. Another one of my favorites is cinnamon roll, and of course chocolate coconut. The new key lime pie flavour is also to die for. If anyone has tried the pistachio, I would love to hear your comments, as I have not tried it yet.

Why don’t you leave me a comment and tell me your favorite LARABAR flavour?

I hope you have a great day, and I look forward to more LARABAR adventures.

 

a follow up to my guest piece on suite 101…

What a glorious morning - because the sky is so blue, the sun is so warm, and my guest piece about spring detoxing on suite101.com is up! Check it out here.

A big THANK YOU to Mary Luz, writer at suite101.com who I met through the Women’s Culinary Network. She writes for the food trends section, and has a lot of really interesting articles to peruse.

Now, there was a mention in the article of some great “detox” dishes: kale salad, beet salad, etc. You could make these at home, many recipes are available on the internet, or if you are out and about and need to grab a bite, these dishes can be found at Camros Organic Eatery on Hayden Street, just south of Yonge and Bloor in downtown Toronto. If you know me, I am sure you have heard me rave about this place - organic, healthy, tasty food, in a warm, enviting, eco-friendly place, run by an amazing family. I am collaborating with them on some interesting projects - stay tuned for more exciting news!

For those who are looking to buy some more natural wholesome foods, a great place to start is your local health food store, a nearby farmer’s market or even a Loblaws, which should have a natural and organic food section. (Also, several other big grocery chains like Dominion, Sobeys and Longos are bringing in more alternatives all the time.) Please watch out for the natural/organic product coupon book The Healthy Shopper which should be available in health food stores in April. For first time buyers, this is a great way to try something new, and save a few bucks.

Finally, I thought I would give you all a little crash course in label -reading: “natural” vs “organic”. I recently read through a great food magazine published by Wegman’s a big grocery chain in the US which is focused on wellness and high quality foods. They had a little piece describing “natural” and “organic” which I think makes it crystal clear:

“Natural Foods contain no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or additives, and are minimally processed. All organic foods are natural, but not all natural foods are organic. Natural foods can be grown by conventional methods. There is currently no government-approved definition of “natural” foods, except for meat.” (I am not sure about the meat thing in Canada.)

“Organic Foods are grown in greater harmony with nature, without using synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones. To be sure an item is the real thing, look for the USDA label - foods with this designation are certified to have been grown and processed according to the USDA Organic Standards, with inspections to verify organic authenticity.”

(from Menu, winter 2007, pg. 88 published by Wegmans)

So, now you know the difference but what do you buy? The best choice is always whatever works for you. Organic foods can be expensive, and organic does not always = healthy. Depending on your dietary needs, you have to take protein, carbohydrate, fat, sodium and sugar levels into account, no matter if the product is “natural” or “organic”. The easiest choice is to pick up items from your local farmer’s market from a vendor you trust.

If you are interested in a nutritional program due to a diagnosed condition, to effectively lose weight, or to prevent future health issues, please visit my website lemonholistic.com.

Now go outside and enjoy this glorious Friday!

If you have any comments about the spring detox article, Camros Organic Eatery, The Healthy Shopper book, or “natural” vs “organic”, I would love to hear from you!