Category: Food & Drink

What: The holiday season is finally upon us and is notoriously known as a time to treat yourself. Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn is the perfect base for creating fun and festive snacks, when you’re hosting or just as a treat for yourself. Here’s a holiday recipe made with kernel corn to resemble holiday ornaments when decorated with festive coloured sugar and candy for the ornament tops!!

Holiday Kernel Popcorn Balls

Holiday Kernel Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:
PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 bag (82g) Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Buttery Microwave Popcorn 

4 cups (1L) miniature marshmallows, divided 

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, divided 

15 drops green food coloring 
Coarse colored sugar and candy canes or gum drops, optional

Directions:
 Spray large bowl, rubber spatula and piece of waxed paper with cooking spray; set aside. Pop kernel corn according to package directions. Remove all un-popped kernels and place half of popped corn (about 8 cups/2L) in bowl. Place 2 cups (500 mL) marshmallows and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter in microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH 45 seconds or until marshmallows melt and mixture blends when stirred. Stir in food coloring. Pour marshmallow mixture over popped corn in bowl. Toss with greased rubber spatula to coat. Divide mixture and shape into 6 balls. Place on waxed paper. Decorate with coarse sugar and candy canes or gum drops, if desired. Repeat above steps with remaining popped corn, marshmallows and butter to make uncolored popcorn balls. Decorate with sugar and candy, if desired.

About: Orville Redenbacher’s line-up of microwavable popcorn includes the following flavours and pack-sizes:
-Extra Buttery – Available in 3, 6, 10 & 24-pack formats
-Buttery – Available in 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 24-pack formats
-New Simply Salted – Available in a 6-pack format
-Select White – Available in a 6-pack format
-Sweet & Salty – Available in a 6-pack format
-Light Buttery – Available in 6, 10 & 24-pack formats
-Smart Pop! (94% FAT FREE) – Available in 3, 6, 8 & 10-pack formats

Bonus: Canadians can also feel good choosing Orville Redenbacher Original Gourmet Popping kernels and Ready-to-Eat popcorn which are 100% whole grain, high in fibre, gluten-free, and made with no artificial colours or flavours.

Cost: Orville Redenbacher Simply Salted microwave popcorn is available nationwide at all major grocery retailers, drug stores and discount retailers. The suggested retail prices are as follows: 3-pack size ($3.49); 4-pack size, mini bags ($3.49); 6-pack size ($4.49); 8-pack size, mini bags ($4.49); 10-pack size ($6.99); 24-pack size ($11.99).

For more info and recipe ideas visit www.orville.ca. Share your love of popcorn with other Canadians on social media and follow Orville on Facebook and Instagram @OrvilleCanada.

What: Exciting news is splashing into the milk aisle! Canada’s dairy leader, Saputo Canada, has officially launched a new product innovation, JOYYA ultrafiltered milk. With 75% more protein and 25% less sugar, JOYYA is more than milk, it’s ultra milk.

About: JOYYA is fresh Canadian milk that is passed through a series of specialized filters; this separates the milk components to concentrate the nutrients such as protein and calcium, while reducing the lactose (the naturally occurring sugar in milk). Contains no artificial flavours or colours and is hormone and additive free.

Bonus: JOYYA also offers extended freshness than regular milk. When unopened and refrigerated, it stays fresh for up to 120 days from the production date. Once opened, it is recommended that it be enjoyed within 14 days. Packaged in a special 1-litre PET ergonomic bottle for easy pouring, long lasting freshness and portability.

Where: Available in a 1-litre format in the following varieties – Skim Milk (0% M.F.), Partly Skimmed Milk (2% M.F.), Whole Milk (3.25% M.F.) and Chocolate Dairy beverage. The retail price is $3.99/1L unit and can be found at Canada’s community grocers and independent specialty stores.

Milk Mania Fun Facts!!
To understand Canadians’ milk consumption habits and preferences, Saputo commissioned a nation-wide survey with Maru/Blue.

-Despite the rise of milk-alternative trends and a very cluttered “dairy” aisle, the survey discovered Canadians are still fiercely dedicated to milk, revealing that 87% of Canadians still drink or cook with milk regularly and 40% consume it daily.
-43% of Canadians choose milk for its protein with 27% wishing milk had more protein
-The biggest reason for trying milk alternatives was curiosity but over a quarter of Canadians were seeking an added source of protein, even though most common plant-based milk alternatives have less than 3g of protein per 250ml serving
-While more than half of Canadians have tried milk alternatives in the last five years, 75% came back to regular milk
-Canadians are very loyal to dairy farmers, 91% of people surveyed want to purchase milk produce on Canadian farms
-Canadians love milk in many ways: half of milk drinkers enjoy it by the glass, 72% consume it with cereal and just over half add it to coffee or tea

For more info visit  #FeeltheJoyya @joyya.ca www.joyya.ca

What: Halo Top Creamery is debuting its first ever seasonal flavour, Pumpkin Pie, for Canadian fans to enjoy. The new flavour delivers the perfect pumpkin spice-infused taste complete with pie crust pieces and will be available for a limited time beginning in September to mid-November.

About: To celebrate the first day of fall, September 22, the company is offering fans a chance to get their hands on this brand new flavour or any other Halo Top flavours for FREE! Check back here on September 22 at 12:01 am (EDT) to print out a coupon and to redeem a FREE pint (473 ml container). There are 10,000 coupons available for print – so get yours while they last!

Bonus: Each serving of Halo Top has 80-100 calories and only 6-8 grams of sugar. You can enjoy this premium treat without any of the guilt.

Where: The coupon is only redeemable on September 22 at select stores nationwide. Check the store locator at halotop.ca. Visit halotop.ca or join the conversation at Facebook  Instagram and Twitter.

Summer is the season of patios, simple meals and outdoor cooking. This season, Master Chef Canada’s Julie Miguel has partnered with Maple Leaf foods to create simple family-favourite recipes to inspire summer entertaining. From hot dogs to ham and everyone’s breakfast favourite, bacon, all of these recipes have been made with real simple ingredients you can feel good about feeding to the whole gang. Here’s our favourite recipe pick!

Big Batch Ham, Cheese and Vegetable Pancakes (Makes 25 pancakes)

Ingredients:
3 cups Maple Leaf Smoked Black Forest Ham, chopped into 1⁄4-inch cubes
1 small cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 5-6 cups)
4 medium carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 2 cups)
1 bunch asparagus, sliced into thin rounds (about 4 cups)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
24 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cheddar cheese, finely shredded
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil, for frying

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ham, cabbage, carrots, asparagus and scallions. Add in flour and toss to coat evenly the vegetables. In a separate bowl, add eggs, cheddar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the cabbage mixture. Stir to combine and evenly coat the vegetables. Heat a large, heavy frying pan to high heat. Add canola oil and let the pan continue to warm up. Pour mixture, 1⁄2 cup at a time, into the pan, making sure they do not overlap in the pan. Using a spatula, slightly flatten pancakes so they spread out slightly. Cook until the edges turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Continue cooking pancakes in batches, removing any stray crispy vegetable or egg pieces. Refresh the oil every few batches to avoid getting burnt bits in your pancakes. Remember to allow the oil to heat before adding in your next batch. Store in a sealed container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Serve pancakes hot, warm or even cold – they taste great any way you serve them!

TIPS

-Because of the big batch, you might find it easiest to do the mixing with clean hands versus a wooden spoon or spatula.

-Depending on the size of your frying pan, you can make the pancakes in batches of 3 to 4 at a time.
-You can reheat the pancakes in a toaster oven, microwave or frying pan until warm.

Maple Leaf Foods is removing all artificial preservatives, flavours, colours and sweeteners from its products as the company advances its commitment to be a leader in sustainable protein. The change is grounded in Maple Leaf’s largest ever consumer research project which showed that Canadian consumers are increasingly interested in their food and its production, seeking responsible food options that they can feel good about.

For more info and recipes visit www.mapleleaf.ca  @MapleLeafFoods @Julie_Miguel_

Yogurt, Mixed Berries and Dark Chocolate Parfait. Recipe courtesy of Lisa Canning

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, it’s time to remind mom about the importance in taking a well-deserved time out. From decadent and nutritious snack ideas, to taking a moment for mom, Green & Black’s has partnered with Canadian moms and celebrated foodies. Here’s our favourite foodie recipe courtesy of Lisa Canning – full-time designer, lifestyle expert and mom of six!

Yogurt, Mixed Berries and Dark Chocolate Parfait
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 cups (500mL) vanilla Greek yogurt, divided
1 cup (250mL) roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped and divided
1 cup (250mL) granola, optional, divided
3 cups (750mL) mixed berries, divided
100 grams (1 bar) Green and Black’s 70% Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 mint leaves for garnish (optional)
4 glass jars with tight sealing lids

Directions: Spoon 1/4 cup (60mL) yogurt into each of 4 glass jars. Top each with 2 Tbsp (30mL) walnuts, 2 Tbsp (30mL) granola and 1/4 cup (60mL) berries. Repeat to make another layer using remaining ingredients or until jar is approximately 3/4 full. Sprinkle 25 grams (1/3 bar) chocolate to cover the surface. Top with more mixed berries and a mint leaf for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

For more info visit www.greenandblacks.co.uk @greenandblacks @lisa_canning