Guest Post: Hello from the Great White North!
Hi readers!
I’m Tania and I hail from Toronto, Ontario. So, my post is centered around all things Canadian!
We do have OATS! Quaker Oats, to be exact, though for some reason, the oats in canister form are not readily available everywhere! The first picture includes some of my staple breakfast items that hail from our big grocery store called: Loblaws.
They have a house brand ( literally called no name) that offers great selection for great prices! You will see my favorite creamy Peanut Butter lite in the picture, along with our brand of cinnamon- from Club House seasonings and no name honey. Ocean Spray cranberries are of course American, but i included them because everything pictured went straight into my oatmeal about 15 minutes after the pic was taken!
Next on the list are a few bottles of my fav salad dressings called Renee’s. They are preservative free and have no artificial anything in them, and good on calories and fat grams. No need to show a pic of our lettuce, as the one in my fridge right now hails from California!
The blue bottle is from President’s Choice, this is another house brand from Loblaws, and focuses on healthy products, the line is called Blue Menu.
Moving on to one of my favorites: Cottage Cheese! My favorite brand is Nordica 2%- very, very creamy, and good on the stats too! This can be found at all of our major grocery stores: Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys.
We have one Whole Foods in Toronto in the VERY swanky part of town, and it just opened recently within the past few years. I wish we had more of them, but the prices are outrageously high! I’ve been to Whole Foods in the States, and it is much more reasonable!
My ultimate favorite… bread! These are from a line called Pita Gourmet. They make all natural pita in different flavors, texture, and sizes! This is the high protein version; it tastes light and airy! I usually eat this with goat cheese from Loblaws.
This is a great version of whole wheat pasta from Catelli Foods. We have a lot of variety here, but once you get into the organic versions, they get quite pricey!
Here’s the organic coffee that i pick up is from our major pharmacy: Shoppers Drug Mart. They have a full organic line.
This is a picture of my menu for today. I had two slices of whole wheat and walnut bread with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for breakfast. For lunch, I had the cottage cheese, a cup of soup and a Kashi bar.
And for “dessert”, my Tim Horton’s Apple Cinnamon Tea. Tom Horton’s is our staple coffee place… but of course, I do love Starbucks as well!
Thanks for reading!!
Tania
Posted by: Tina 23 comments
Posted in: guest blogger, products
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
This was great! I love reading about how people live in other parts of the world, or even other parts of the US. This post from Canada was super fun! Thank you Tania and Tina
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Gotta love a Canadian guest post about all things Canadian! Although, to be picky, we don’t actually have Loblaws/Sobeys/Metro grocery stores throughout Canada – at least not in the west!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
So neat to see products I have in my pantry on your blog Tina! Thanks for the post Tania…I’m from Guelph….real close by!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I loooove Tim Horton’s! I first tried it when I went to Quebec with my summer camp years ago, and the memory of their delicious blueberry bagels lives on. When I visit my friend in Ohio each year, I always make her stop at Tim’s so I can get my fix!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Loved this! That looks like wonderful pita bread and I love the quaker oats in a bag!!!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Thanks Tania and Tina! I really enjoyed this!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Yay for Canadians and Canadian products… but for I have a Canadian question: Can ANYONE find pumpkin butter in SW Ontario?? I’m from Guelph and have looked as far as the Oakville Whole Foods…
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I went to camp for forever in Northern Ontario and Timmy’s was a staple of my youth up there (as was special trips to Shopper’s for candy)! I miss Canada.
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Wooooooo I’m from Toronto too (although studying in Waterloo at the moment).
I love browsing the one and only Whole Foods in Yorkville, but it IS damned expensive!! I love the produce section, though, for splurges.
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
[...] and good on calories and fat grams. No need to show a pic of our lettuce, as the one in my … View post Add your [...]
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I grew up in Canada. Totally miss it!!! Thanks for this!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Just a quick question, what type of bread do you use? You mentioned w/your peanut butter sandwich, whole wheat and walnut, which brand is this?
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
YES. Those are my FAVOURITE pitas. I love love love them. Yay for PC and No Name brand! Haha
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
SO COOL! This is excellent esp given that there are a ton of Canadian readers and bloggers out there.
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
your lunch is soup, cottage cheese and a granola bar? um, someone’s on a diet
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I’m all about the No Name! Love that stuff up here in Ottawa
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
M,
For pumpkin butter in Ontario, try checking out any of the natural food stores. In Ottawa, I can get it at the Natural Food Pantry stores, but I don’t think those are in SW Ontario…
Oh! There’s a new store that just opened up off the expressway by Victoria Street in Kitchener. It’s a combination of David’s Gourmet, Fiddleheads (an organic health and food store) and an organic bakery. Check this place out, it’s awesome! It’s bound to have pumpkin butter.
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Adi- I already checked David’s Gourmet- no dice. I am THISCLOSE to paying someone to ship it to me from the States!
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I’m in Montreal and there is no pumpkin butter to be found there either. So, I made my own, from the recipe at Smitten Kitchen, and it’s fabulous. Def try it
on Nov 12th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
[...] President’s Choice is another one of Loblaws’ brands – Tina @ Carrots n Cake had a guest post from Tania today all about [...]
on Nov 13th, 2008 at 11:36 am
M – try calling Fiddleheads, they have lots of cool stuff and might carry it!
on Nov 13th, 2008 at 11:59 am
M – Make your own!!! Super easy: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Butter/Detail.aspx
Adjust the sugar for your desired sweetness, and store in Mason jars. Doesn’t keep forever so may want to cut the recipe in half (use a small can of pumpkin). You can also try freezing it. Sterilizing jars may sound like a pain but it’s really not…google it for helpful tips. Once you start canning – it’s hard to stop
on Nov 14th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Great post fellow Canuck! Friends of ours call Whole Foods: “Whole paycheck Foods”.