SMAK

A couple of months ago when I was walking down Burrard Street, I was offered a free SMAK sample.  At first I was so confused...what is a SMAK?  But, seeing as though I could never rationalize turning down free food, I took the sample.  I can't remember what it was, but I remember it was very yummy and actually enticed me to check them out online.  What I discovered intrigued me.  A healthy fast-food restaurant right around the corner from my office.  I figured it was definitely worth a try for lunch...which led to the yummy pictures below!

My Mango SMAK box: a mango nori wrap (red cabbage, rice vermicelli, almond, edamame, herbs, spinach and carrot), mango, half an avocado, spinach, seeds mix, kelp noodle and pickle mix, beansprout salad and Thai dressing.  This meal was full of variety in terms of flavour, colour and texture.  I loved it!  The only thing I wish is that there was a bit more of it.  I was not hungry at the end of the meal, but I wasn't fully satisfied either.  Granted, I eat more than the average person.  So, I'd say this is a great option for a light lunch, but if you're hungry maybe opt for a large hot bowl and small salad (that seemed to be what the majority of people were ordering).  I was also very impressed by the fact that every ounce of packaging that you see above was fully compostable.  ($11.85)

My view during lunch.  Sitting at a picnic table underneath a tree...nice touch SMAK!

The X that marks the spot.

http://smakfastfood.com/

@smakfood

Snackbox

I was recently the lucky recipient of a subscription to Snackbox!  If you're anything like me, you're probably asking yourself what is Snackbox?  Think of a wine-of-the-month club but for healthy snacks.  Each month, Snackbox mails its subscribers a box full of yummy treats to eat to their heart's content.  The greatest part is that the snacks are health conscious.  So, they give you some great ideas of alternatives to substitute for those treats that call your name as you make your way down the chip and junk food aisle.  For me, it was just the funnest (yes, I still insist that that is a word) experience ever to have a mystery box of food delivered to me via mail!  It was such a riot opening it up and discovering what was inside.  So, if you're looking for a neat way to discover some new snacks or looking for a great gift for the foodie in your life, definitely look into a Snackbox subscription. 

Things to note: (1) Subscriptions range from $39.95 + tax/month for a one-month subscription (including shipping) to $30.95 + tax/month for a six month subscription (including shipping).  However, there is currently a special coupon code that will help you save some money (details below).  (2)  As the box is delivered during business hours, it may be easier to use your work address as your shipping address.  The box wouldn't come close to fitting in an apartment-size mailbox.  (3) Snackbox offers a 100% money back guarantee and you can upgrade, downgrade, pause or cancel your subscription at any time.  No entrapment here folks! (4) All products are all-natural and gluten-free.  (5) You can find additional info here https://getsnackbox.com/ or @GetSnackbox and (6) The snacks in the box should last you about 3 weeks to a month if you work them into your regular snacking routine.

Coupon Code: For first-time customers Snackbox is offering $15 off your first Snackbox!  Simply enter the coupon code "LOVEOFFOOD" when checking out.  This coupon code will expire on October 31, 2013.

The official arrival of my Snackbox!  I had it delivered to the office, so each and every one of my co-workers can vouch for how excited I was to open this puppy up...so much anticipation!  I especially liked the big red Snackbox stamp. 

The official unveiling!

 

My plunder!  It took every ounce of will-power I had to not start munching right that second.  I was very impressed with the number of different snacks and the sizes.  We're not talking one-bite taste tests folks!

I also really liked the info guide that came in the box.  It gave you some background info on the product itself, details on where you could buy it, how much it cost and how to get in touch with the company if you so desired.  Anyone who knows me well knows I'm a big fan of organization and this thoroughly impressed me. 

 

Now on to the best part...the snacks!

 

Snack 1: King Island 100% Pure Coconut Water.  Sorry folks, I forgot to take a photo of this one.  To be honest, coconut water just doesn't float my boat.  I know it's really good for you, but the flavour and I just don't get along.  So, I used this coconut water in my smoothie and it worked hunky dorey.  That being said, I have no doubt that you coconut water lovers out there would love it! 

http://well.ca/products/king-island-100-pure-coconut-water_54550.html

 

Snack 2: Lundberg Rice Chips.  These were lovely!  I enjoyed them plain as an afternoon snack but they'd also rock with some hummus.  I'll definitely keep these in mind as a cracker or chip substitute the next time I'm at the grocery store.

http://www.lundberg.com/Products/Rice_Chips.aspx

@lundbergfarms

 

 

Snack 3: EnerC.  Essentially a packet of powder that you mix with water and drink in order to get your daily dose of vitamins, electrolytes and anti-oxidants.  I was pleasantly surprised by how yummy EnerC tasted (the orange flavour is pictured here) and the effervescence added a little oomph to the drink.  Definitely an easy and yummy way to get your daily vitamins.

www.tryenerc.com

@TryEnerc 

 

Snack 4: Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps.  Growing up in the Okanagan, I've had my fair share of home-made apple chips, banana chips, dried apricots...my Great Aunt kicked some serious butt with that dehydrator of hers!  So, I was pretty pumped to see the All Natural Fruit Crisps and dove right in.  It took me a little bit by surprise at first because these apple chips are freeze dried rather than dehydrated, so they have a totally different texture.  It makes the apple slice puffy and airy, but still with that same apple flavour.  It was very interesting.  Each bag contains the equivalent of 1.5 Fuji apples and was a yummy light snack.  Similar to dried fruit, it wouldn't be substantial on its own, but a nice treat and a heck of a lot more healthy than a bag of chips.

www.brothersallnatural.ca

@BAN_News

Snack 5: Rocket Oatmeal.  This was hands-down my favourite item in the Snackbox.  Oatmeal, raisins and just the right amount of sugar/cinnamon made for a deliciously warm and easy breakfast!  All I had to do was shake the container, add boiling water, put the lid back on, let it hang out for 4 minutes, and then eat to my heart's content.  I will definitely grab some of these for my next road or camping trip.  They'd also make kick butt snacks.
http://rocket-foods.com/
@RocketFoodsInc

 

Snack 6: Mya's Crunch.  This chocolatey goodness is delightful and a nice change from the normal box of chocolates.  Imagine crunchy rice puffs, dried cranberries and dried orange peel covered in dark chocolate...heaven!  You get flavour without sweetness and that lovely dark chocolate kick all packed into one.  Definitely worth giving a try the next time you're having a chocolate craving.

http://www.myascrunch.com/

@Myascrunch

 

 

Snack 7: Alive and Radiant Foods Kale Krunch.  Imagine kale chips smothered in chocolate.  Personally I'm more a fan of the salty and cheesy kale chips than the kale mixed with chocolate, but then again I am more of a salty person than a sweet person.

http://shop.kaiafoods.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1814

 

Snack 8: Hippie Foods Granola.  This was unlike any granola I've ever had...mainly because they use seeds and fruit instead of oats.  A very interesting idea, gluten-free, organic and non-GMO.  Personally I found the Seeds & Fruit flavour a bit sweet to eat a whole bowl of it in the morning, but I think it would be great mixed in with other cereals, or eaten as a snack while hiking/riding.

http://hippiefoods.com/products/hippie-granola/

@LeftCoastFoods

Snack 9: Surf Sweets Watermelon Candy Rings.  I'm not going to lie, when I read that these treats were made from 100% organic juice, I was a little skeptical and didn't think they'd taste like proper candy.  Definitely a poor assumption.  They tasted like any other candy and for those of you who ate Bonkers watermelon candy as a kid, the Surf Sweets flavour is almost bang on.  Definitely a good option when you're in the mood for some gummy candy. 

www.surfsweets.com

@SurfSweets

Snack 10: Harvest Snaps: Snapea Crisps.  These were interesting.  Imagine a snap pea dried out and lightly salted...almost like a snap pea chip.  Personally, picking snap peas and eating them in the garden was a favourite childhood pastime of mine...so I'm a bit partial to the fresh variety.  However, I'm sure this is a much more healthy alternative to chips. 

http://harvestsnaps.com/

@HarvestSnaps

 

Snack 11: True to Nature Bar.  This bar was delicious!  Less heavy and sweet than the average granola bar, but it still satisfied that granola bar craving.  Not to mention that they're gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and vegan for those of you out there with food allergies or preferences.  I could definitely see myself picking these up in the future.  (fyi, they are available at Choices, Costco, London Drugs, MEC, Save-on Foods, Shoppers, Walmart and Whole Foods).

 

 

https://getsnackbox.com/

@GetSnackbox

The Grand Bay Café

One of the best kept restaurant secrets in Kelowna is the Grand Bay Café located in the Delta Grand Okanagan.  The restaurant is quiet and calm, the service is good, they have a patio right on the lagoons, the food is good quality and solid sizes, the prices are very reasonable and, rumour has it, that they even have a $15 burger and beer special on Rockets home game nights in the winter!  So, if you're looking for a relaxed lunch on a patio in downtown Kelowna or an inexpensive pre-game burger and beer, make your way to the Grand Bay Café.

Housemade hummus with assorted breads.  I couldn't believe the amount of hummus that arrived on the table for only $5!  Amazing!

My Grandma's Caesar salad: chock full of bacon and cheesey goodness.  A nice Caesar according to my Grandma who ate every last bit!  ($12)

The front side of my Apple Cobb Salad: chicken, prunes, aged cheddar, tomatoes and fresh greens with grated apple.

 

The back side of my Apple Cobb Salad: roasted nuts, dried apples, bacon and more fresh greens.  This was a lovely salad.  It wasn't quite as apple focused as I was expecting, but it was super fresh and had delicious flavours!  ($14)

 

Our view during lunch.  Not too shabby.

Now that's what I call one heck of a special coffee!!!  Coffee, Bailey's, Frangelico and whipped cream...what more could a girl want?  ($9)

Me and my fabulous lunching partner, Grandma!

 

https://www.deltahotels.com/Hotels/Delta-Grand-Okanagan-Resort-Conference-Centre/Restaurants-Dining/The-Grand-Bay-Cafe

 @DeltaGrandHotel

A DRY Soda Extravaganza!

While on a trip to the US of A this summer, one of my favourite ladies discovered DRY Soda.  DRY Soda is an all natural soda with only 4 ingredients in it, and with a fraction of the calories and sugar of a traditional pop.  Only 55 to 70 calories for a 355mL bottle!  The best part?  DRY provides details on the flavour profile of each soda flavour (9 in total) and provides free recipes on their website to match with the sodas! 

Being a food lover like my self, this lovely lady decided to pick up a bottle of each of the sodas (7 at that point in time) and have a soda and food pairing luncheon.  Since I'm the luckiest duck of the lucky ducks, I was invited to the luncheon and the meal blew me away!  I showed up expecting a potluck and was treated to a gourmet experience.  So much fun!  For further details on the sodas and the scrumptious recipes we discovered, please see below.  (Note: Dry Soda is now available at Urban Fare in Canada)  To the lovely lady organizer, thanks for a fabulous lunch...and to the rest of you who were there, your company wasn't too shabby either!  Thanks for the fun ladies.

The spread!  Talk about going all out.  I've never enjoyed being in a board room so much in my life!

 

The guests of honour!  DRY Soda's Lavendar, Vanilla Bean, Wild Lime, Cucumber, Juniper Berry, Blood Orange and Rhubarb.  My favourites were definitely the Rhubarb, Vanilla Bean, Orange and Juniper Berry.  DRY Soda has also added Apple and Ginger as new flavours since my friend's trip to the US of A.

 

These sodas were lovely.  Just the right amount of flavour, a little sweetness and no salt.  They reminded me a lot of the Clearly Canadian flavoured waters that existed about 15 years ago...I wonder what happened to those?  Anyways, in my opinion, DRY sodas are the perfect drink when you want something other than water, but don't want to break the calorie bank and break into a pop or alcoholic beverage.  Unfortunately they're not available in BC yet, but you can stock up on them in Washington very easily.

  

There was no messing around at this shin dig...the meal started off with the Scottish Rhubarb Sparkler, which was to die for!  Let me tell you, there was a lot of gin in this puppy, but you sure didn't taste it.  Interesting fact: a bodum works very well as a cocktail shaker if you're ever in a pinch. 

http://www.drysoda.com/cocktail-recipes-rhubarb.php#rhubarb9

http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-rhubarb.php

  

A traditional Peruvian Ceviche served with Tostadas and paired with the Blood Orange DRY Soda.  This ceviche was hands down the best ceviche that has ever crossed my lips.  If my belly had allowed it, I would have eaten this entire dish myself!  The Blood Orange DRY soda also paired very nicely with this dish.

http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-blood-orange.php 

DRY Soda's Greek Orzo Salad and Simple Roasted Red Potatoes paired with the Cucumber DRY Soda and Juniper Berry DRY Soda, respectively.  The flavour profiles of the sodas went very nicely with the dishes, and the dishes themselves were amazing!  I'm definitely going to add these to my cooking repertoire.

http://www.drysoda.com/chef-recipes-greek-orzo-salad.php
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-cucumber.php
 

http://www.drysoda.com/chef-recipes-red-potatoes.php
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-juniper-berry.php

Chicken to go with the Greek Orzo Salad for some protein, and chips and salsa to pair with the Wild Lime DRY Soda.

http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-wild-lime.php

 

Lunch, Round 1!  Seriously a delicious meal.  I can't wait to make these recipes again.

And just when I thought lunch was over, out came the homemade Panna Cotta!  I'm not going to lie, I normally steer clear of ordering Panna Cotta because it's not my favourite dish in the world, but this panna cotta was amazing!  It was all I could do to stop myself from licking the dish clean.  Not to mention that this dessert paired amazingly with the Vanilla Bean DRY Soda!  The two just lit each other up. 

 http://www.drysoda.com/chef-recipes-panna-cotta.php
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-vanilla-bean.php

And last, but not least, our second dessert!  Lemon Cream and Cherry Caramel chocolates from Purdy's.  The Lemon Cream chocolate paired very nicely with the Lavender DRY Soda, and the Cherry Caramel tasted so good I can't remember what it was paired with!

http://www.purdys.com/Chocolate-Legend.aspx
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-lavender.php

http://www.drysoda.com/

@DRYSoda

Homemade Pesto

Ladies and gents, I have officially made homemade pesto for the first time!   I know, I know...probably a little behind the times, but better late than never.  I used Jamie Oliver's pesto recipe from Jamie's Italy as a guideline and it was scrumptious!  I've included my version of it below:

Ingredients

• 1 handful of pine nuts (approximately 1/2 of a cup)
• Basil leaves off a large basil plant
• Olive oil

Place your pine nuts on a tray and pop them in the toaster oven (or oven) and broil at approximately 400F for a minute.  The pine nuts should be warm but not toasted.  Place the pine nuts in your food processor and pulse until relatively smooth.  Add the basil leaves and pulse until well mixed and smooth.  Remove to a bowl and add in olive until the pesto is the desired consistency.  Mix with cooked pasta and enjoy!

My first ever batch of pesto!

Dinner!  Spaghetti with pesto sauce, salmon with Mediterranean salsa and grilled peppers. 

http://www.jamieoliver.com/books-and-media/

@jamieoliver

Hapa Izakaya

I was getting together with a friend for a much needed catch up when we discovered the wait for a patio table at Local was far too long for our belly's hunger level.  So, we decided to pop across the street to Hapa Izakaya where we got a patio table in the sun instantaneously!  They may not have caesars in boots, but they definitely have yummy modern Japanese food and just as good tasting beer/wine.  Definitely led to a great meal and an even better visit!

 

Kinoko Ishi-Yaki: rice, mixed mushrooms, iwanori, served in a hot stone bowl.  Hapa Izakaya's rice dishes are one of my favourite things to order on their menu.  Not only are they yummy, but they're so much fun!  They come in a sizzling hot bowl, the server mixes them right in front of you, pushes all the rice to the edges and then you wait until the rice is just the right amount of crunchiness before eating it.  Entertainment and good eats all in one!  ($9.99)

Spicy Tuna Roll: Ahi tuna, Japanese mayo, cucumber, spices and topped with fried onion chips.  This was heavenly!  Unlike any spicy tuna roll I've ever had, but I sure am glad we ordered it.  ($8.49) 

Bintoro: lightly seared Albacore tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce.  This sashimi literally melted in your mouth.  It was fantastic!  The other fabulous part?  The brown chips are fried cloves of garlic...a dream come true!  ($9.99)

Hapa Bagna Cauda - assorted vegetables with eggplant dipping sauce.  Nothing out of the box here, but a good source of veggies.  ($5.99)

Three massive scoops of ice cream (two green tea and one raspberry) with yummy goodies on top for a very reasonable price (approximately $5.99).  The perfect end to a yummy meal and great visit!

http://hapaizakaya.com/menus/kitsilano-fresh-sheet/

Twitter: @HapaIzakaya

Magic Beans

I love going back to the Okanagan to see all of the friends and family that I spend far too much time away from, but there also tends to be an added bonus: everyone sends you home with a tonne of produce!  This last trip I cleaned up.  Peaches from my friend's Grandma's peach tree (amazing), a jar of homemade pickles (can't wait for a special occasion to open those puppies up), a 20lb box of peaches from the Orchard up the street from my sister (frozen peaches...here I come!), and fresh tomatoes, beans and an eggplant from my friend's garden (they may have been for my parents but I totally stole them!). 

The beans from my friend's garden were a mixture of green and purple.  They were gorgeous.  The night I got home I decided to steam some up to go with dinner.  I popped them in the steamer, let them cook for a couple of  minutes and then lifted the lid and low and behold they were all green!!!  I couldn't believe it.  I actually did a second batch just to see if it would happen again and it did.  It was so much fun!  So, if you have kids or are like me and are a big kid at heart, grab some of these the next time you see them...they'll provide you with some serious meal entertainment.

Before.

After.