Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Food: New Dip!

I've come to the point where I'm too lazy to go walk over to the grocery store to buy groceries for the next two days that I'm still at university. I have exams for the rest of the month and I don't start till a little later on, so I thought it's probably best to just go home.

I had a whole bag of carrots sitting in my fridge for the last three weeks and it really had to go. So, I made a dip one afternoon last week...and I made it again the next day...and the day after...and today.

I think this dip is very particular and will only appeal to some people. But, I think it's pretty tasty and the fact that it can go with so many different foods, it makes it even better.

This recipe is usually eyeballed, but you'll try to get 1:1 part with the main ingredients and a pinch of any of the spices you desire. But, here's a recipe that will get you started and adjust accordingly to your needs.


Cheesy Carrot Dip

1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of shredded cheese
1/4 cup of sour cream
1 tbsp of olive oil
pinch of ground pepper
pinch of ground cayenne pepper 
pinch of garlic powder

1. Mix the shredded carrots, shredded cheese, and sour cream together. You'll notice it's a little clumpy after this step.
2. Add the olive oil. This is what will smooth the whole mixture together. You'll see the change in consistency right away after you mix it all together.
3. Add your spices. 
4. Give it a good mix and you got yourself a good dip.

I used this as a "sauce" for my chicken finger wrap using lettuce. I used this to dip my chicken fingers. And as the photo below shows, I used it as a topping for my perogies . 


I'm pretty happy with this and it's helping me use up my carrots!

I hope you all enjoy this mini recipe. Let me know in the comments below if you tried this recipe and if you did any variation to change it up to your style!

<3

Susan

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Beauty: OOAK and LOVEFRESH



I have never attended any trade shows before, so when Stacey, the owner of LOVEFRESH, sent me a ticket to the One of a Kind Show in the mail - I was soooooo excited.

I took the train back to Toronto last Friday and coincidently, one of my best friends was also in the city for the day. Got her to come along and now we're both HOOKED to going to these shows.

One of a Kind Show is a show that happens twice a year in downtown Toronto - usually during the spring and before Christmas time. It has all independent, more or less, local businesses. You are truly getting items that you don't see in your everyday mall. This year, they introduced a mini ETSY section in the middle of the whole show.

TONS and tons of food samples around - shortbread cookies, chocolate, olive oil dips, baked goods, nuts, and soups; it's probably worth your ticket value.

I was very excited to see the whole LOVEFRESH line in a booth. I usually get my products from the Ten Spot and they only carry a small number of products. In fact, Stacey actually produces the Ten Spot's own line, GET NAILED, body products as well. Perfect to know that the products are all the same quality.

But, since I was at the show, I had to stock up on more goods. She had a deal of buy 3, get 1 free. So, Shannon and I decided to split it.


I got a new body scent that I never seen in stores - the Pomegranate. The power duo of the sugar body scrub and the body butter.


The sugar scrub is so gentle on your skin that it's perfect for the new changing weather as Spring kicks in. The body butter is extremely rich in good oils. It may feel greasy after applying, so I wouldn't recommend using this cream when you are in a rush to get changed and to run out the door. Perfect cream for night moisturizing and days that you can sit around in shorts and tank top to let it all soak in!


A perfect new duo that I'm so excited to be using in my bathroom soon!

I want to give Stacey and LOVEFRESH another big thank you for the ticket that opened my eyes to more local brands and my new love to go to more shows in the future!

<3

Susan

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Tea: Tazo Organic Chai


When I first got into tea, I loved Tazo Tea - I went to Starbucks often, just to get Tazo tea. I used to love buying the huge tin sets from there, because of the huge triangle tea bag packaging. But, once I started really getting into tea, I got drawn into all the other brands around. From those in your supermarket aisle to the independent tea store to even online tea e-commence sites.

Over the past few years, I realized that Tazo started to expand and sell their tea bags in every supermarket. I used to love the Awake tea, but after a few cups this past two years...they changed it, it taste different and not in a good way. I started to step away from Tazo Tea.

I was at my local Shoppers Drug Mart the other day getting milk when the packaging of Tazo caught my eye. They changed it! And of course, that sucked me in reading the ingredients of the Chai Tea. A big KUDOS to Tazo Tea for not adding any artificial flavouring or natural flavouring in their Organic Chai Tea. So...the box ended up in my basket. 

Made myself a cup right when I got home and I must say, it is one of the best chai teas I've had. With a tiny slash of milk and some honey, it's a perfect blend. 

Some chai may be very heavy on spices and makes the tea very distinguishable in that way - which, I'm not a huge fan of. This chai tea has a perfect balance of the spices and tea leaves that makes it a very enjoyable drink.

So, this is my cup of tea today!

<3

Susan

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Life: March Favourites

March went by very quickly - I was swamped with papers, presentation, and group projects. Spent most of my days in the library and at my desk, I really don't have too many favourites this month. 

ALSO, I have this very annoying cough for the last week that doesn't seem to be getting better or worse...and the doctor said "you can't do anything about it, just let it be." Cool, I sound like a broken train for however long this cough decides to stay.

Sooo, back to my 3 favourites in March:

1. Consonant Skin Perfecting Body Scrub (Tangerine) - This scrub is probably one of the best body scrubs I have ever used for the cold season. A mix of salt and sugar with rich thick oils, it leaves my skin feeling moisturized after I step out of the shower. I hope they never discontinue this scrub in the future...I mean, what will my skin do when it's feeling like a sahara desert?

2. Avocados - As a broke university student...avocados are pricey. But, they've been on sale for 4 for $5 throughout this month at my grocery store, so I've been having them throughout March. Perfect to mash up to become a dip/spread, great for sandwiches, and great to just eat on its own as a snack. I hope my supermarket never raises the price on avocados - if they don't, my life will be complete.

3. Better Food Choices - Just as I stated on my New Years Resolutions, I've been pretty good at making this slow transition with my eating habits. Joyous Health and Megan Telpner has been a great source to help kick start my change! 



I hope y'all have a great April start - winter is finally winding down and the weather is warming up!

<3

Susan