A Gourmand and Hostess' Affair in Toronto: Delicious Food Show

Indulge in delectable delights, learn some tips on entertaining and cooking and meet a few of your favourite Food Network Celebrities and Chefs.
Food Personalities include a few of my personal favourites such as David Rocco, Michael Smith and Chuck Hughes plus many more!

Among the famous faces, there will be an array of exhibitors, booths and shows to help you get your creative juices flowing in the kitchen and home.
There's something fun for everyone at the Delicious Food Show! That includes your little ones too!

Kids will learn how to make pumpkin shaped shortbread cookies, Gluten Free Veggie Rice Wraps and their very own chef’s hat at the Petits Chefs Academy.
Dates:
Friday Oct. 25th 4-5PM, 5:30-6:30PM, 7-8PM
Sat. Oct. 26th 12:30-1:30PM, 2-3PM, 3:30-4:30PM
Sun. Oct. 27th 12:30-1:30PM, 2-3PM, 3:30-4:30PM
*Visit Booth #561 for full workshop schedule and to sign up!

More exciting and must-see special features at this years Delicious Food Show include:

The Food Network’s Celebrity Kitchen presented by The Home Depot Canada will feature a stunning Martha Stewart kitchen with beautiful appliances by GE Café.

On Saturday, the Delicious Food Show orchestrates an epicurean pre-battle, leading up to Mount Sinai’s renowned fundraising event, Chef’s Challenge, in early 2014. Of those raising monies for the hospital’s ultimate culinary showdown, the highest fundraisers-to date are divided into two teams, each headed by a fierce celebrity chef, to compete for unbelievable prizes at the show. Notable culinary stars will judge the competition, examining dishes and selecting an ultimate DFS Mini Chef’s Challenge winner! For more information on how to get involved and to register for the main event in 2014, visit www.chefschallengeforacure.com.

Toronto and Vancouver’s Video Restaurant Guide & Online Lifestyle Magazine, View the Vibe, takes over a 1,000 sq. ft. area replete with lounge seating, wine, cocktails and an HD video wall showcasing the vibe of the city’s best restaurants.  Ten of Toronto’s top restaurants, like burger sensation Holy Chuck and hip pub fare joint Habits GastroPub, join the section to serve up signature bites of bliss for DFS attendees.  A perfect lounge to stop in, enjoy some delicious food, sip on great wine while getting a glimpse at Toronto’s best restaurants.

How amazing does that all sound?

This isn't even half of what the Delicious Food Show has to offer attendees this year.

Ticket Prices: $20/each, Adult | $18/each, Senior 65+ | $10/each, Student (13-17 yrs old) | $15/each, Group Admission (10+ People).

To learn more, visit www.deliciousfoodshow.com.

Make sure to follow along on Twitter @DeliciousShow and Facebook too!

See you there!

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Domestic Comfort with the AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard

The world of air mattresses have come a very long way since the 80's.
I still have visions of losing my breath and taking breaks  in between blowing up meager air mattresses during camping trips and let's not forget the air mattresses you'd be lucky enough to score during sleepovers at friends or family members homes when there wasn't an available bed or couch left. Oh, the joy! (Insert sarcasm)
So you can imagine why my idea of air mattresses, no matter how thick and durable they looked to me, had me rubbing my back in harrowing recollection.

I do a lot of entertaining in my home; and usually have family and friends spending the night -- especially my parents and in-laws. We only have 3 bedrooms in our home -- one master with a Queen, one for Ava with a single bed and the 3rd is basically an office and "storage area" for now with little to no room to fit in a futon.
We've got our couch in the living room and a futon in the finished basement/rec room; however they are still not ideal for a restful nights sleep.

I was introduced to Coleman Canada's line of AeroBed®'s and was instantly attracted to the AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard. The fact that it gave the illusion of a real bed and mattress intrigued me.

Here are the key features of the AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard:

• Headboard and footboard keeps blankets and pillows in place like a regular bed
• Comfortable added pillow top for an extra-soft feel
• Horizontal air channels cradle and support body
• Queen size, double high airbed - fits standard queen size sheets
• Built-in AC pump for fast inflation with control wand
• Whoosh™ Valve for fast deflation and easy storage
• Electric pump included
• Take it anywhere, store it anywhere in the convenient carry bag
• Inflated dimensions: 198 x 52 x 46 cm
• 2 year industry-leading limited pump warranty

Thanksgiving was approaching which I found to be the perfect opportunity to test it out having visitors over and staying the night.
Christmas is just around the corner too so this AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard is going to be such a lifesaver!

All the instructions were easy to read and pretty much fool-proof. Quick and easy - just the way I like it!
The AeroBed® deflated was still quite weighty but it was small enough to fit into a closet afterwards with a bag for storage which is great for convenience.
On the side of the AeroBed® were instructions for inflating and deflating and the built-in AC pump for fast inflation.

It took literally 1 minute and 30 seconds for it to inflate to full size. Wow! That's quick!

Before

After

Aside from it being a bit loud on the ears during inflation, I loved how quick it was to inflate and on top of that you can never over-inflate the AeroBed®! It stops pushing air into it once it's reached its peak.
Fantastic, huh?

And if that wasn't good enough, just wait until you lie down on it!
With the comfortable added pillow top for an extra-soft feel and horizontal air channels cradling and supporting your body, it truly feels like you're sleeping on your own mattress/bed.
Imaging taking this camping? Bringing the word "glamping" to a whole 'nother level!
Ideally, this is perfect for the guests in your home or even the cottage for extra beds -- even perfect for college students in their dorms! I've slept on one of those sad excuse of a bed in college dorms and this is WAY more comfortable!

We kept AeroBed® inflated and put to good use over the entire Thanksgiving weekend (3 days) and although they guaranteed up to a week before it starts to lose some air and deflate slightly on it's own, I found the corners of the mattress were already losing air after the 3rd day.
Do keep in mind, it was used excessively for those 3 days with an adult and small child sleeping on it.

Overall, I am very impressed with the AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard as an additional "bed" and would have no problems having my guests sleeping on it. They would probably thank me in the morning for such a relaxed nights sleep on the AeroBed®!

If you are looking for a solution for additional space and bedding to sleep in your home or for the cottage, I highly recommend the AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard!

The AeroBed® Sleigh Bed with Pillow Top and Footboard is available at Target; MSRP:$249.99.


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Disclosure: I received full sample for an honest and thorough review of this product; however all opinions expressed are my very own.

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Food, Fun, Fireworks... Canadian Style

oh Canada! This year we celebrated Canada Day at our home with a BANG!
When my family celebrates holidays and special occasions, there is no denying we always do it big.
Go big or go home -- that is definitely my family's motto.

One of the things we tend to "go big" on is the food.
We are a family of foodies and if you leave one of our family parties on an empty stomach, there's something terribly wrong with that.
"Eat! Enjoy! Cheers! More wine?" Words echoed frequently around here.

As I had mentioned before, my home is where gatherings tend to gravitate towards. No complaints as I love entertaining and enjoy being surrounded by family and friends.

Thank goodness this year, our home was graced with our brand new Frigidaire!
Our new fridge came in extremely handy this past Canada Day Long Weekend.

It was so easy to find everything I needed in this jam-packed fridge with the LED lighting and pull-out shelves and most importantly it was able to hold everything we required for a successful Canada Day party!

No food or drink was left out!

The feature that was most helpful (aside from the space), was the Flip-Up and Slide-Under Shelf.
With this awesome feature, we were able to accommodate the tall drinks and awkward-shaped containers easily with just a flip and a slide. I really, really love this!

The biggest issue I had during hosting previous gatherings with my old fridge was the lack of space. Food (and especially leftovers) would spoil easily being left out because I couldn't get it to fit inside the fridge and getting all the drinks in there was near impossible. We'd have to leave them out and just keep them on ice buckets which would have to be filled frequently - what a nuisance!
This fridge was truly a life-saver! I don't know how I survived this long being the party hostess that I am without my Frigidaire.

It left us with nothing to stress or worry about during our Canada Day Party except for one thing...
What do I eat first?

I hope you all enjoyed your Canada Day Long Weekend!

To learn more about Frigidaire and keep in-the-know about sales and news, visit them on Facebook at Frigidaire Canada.
You can also follow the Frigidaire Test Drive Moms along on Twitter at #TestDriveMoms.

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Disclosure: I am part of the Frigidaire Canada Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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Dip, Dip and more Dip

If there's one item on the party menu when entertaining guests that really get the party started (aside from the cocktails, of course!), it's the dip!
Okay, if not for you, it does for me. Ha-ha! I love dip.
Every time I think dip, I think gathering, togetherness. It's comforting & always the center of attention during a movie or family game night, even during Superbowl parties!

I came across this article on Real Simple Magazine which featured 10 different and unique chip dips! 
I thought that I had to share on the blog because a) it's eye candy and b) we could always add to our chip dip recipes right? I made a chart using their chip images (kind of how they laid it out in the magazine). I put the names below as well so you can go to the recipe link listed below the image.

I would LOVE to hear if you have a favorite appetizer dip! Link it up in a comment!

1. Lemon, Pepper, and Pecorino
2 Tomatillo & Avocado
3. Curried Yogurt
4. Pimento Cheese
5. Charred Corn and Tomato Salsa
6. Feta & Sundried Tomato
7. Roasted Garlic and Scallion
8. Red Pepper, Walnut, and Tahini
9. Spinach and White Bean
10. Roasted Eggplant

Credits: realsimple.com, glutenfreeconfessions.com

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Lemonade Watermelon

Nothing is more refreshing in the summer on a sweltering hot day than... lemonade and watermelon! So how about a watermelon lemonade? :) 

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 2 cups diced watermelon
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups ice

-First, mix the water and the lemon juice together. Add in the sugar and stir well until fully dissolved (use luke warm water so sugar dissolves).

-Chop up the watermelon and add along with the ice to the lemonade.

-Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving!

Not only is this drink refreshing, but also very pretty! I love it. It adds a bit of a twist to plain lemonade. Another great recipe to make and impress guests or bring to a picnic/BBQ.

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