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President's Choice

Make it Tonight: 5 President’s Choice Faves

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Earlier this year, I had the unique opportunity to receive a guided tour of Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens by Chef Mark Russell, Executive Chef, and Nema McGlynn, In-Store Dietitian. The purpose of the tour was to identify food superstars and ways to make new and exciting choices – and, I happened to receive some insider tips straight from the culinary geniuses!

Today, I’d love to share how I’ve incorporated some of their suggestions into family favourites, in addition to letting you know about some of the hottest NEW items in the President’s Choice Insider’s Report. So without further ado, here are my Top 5 President’s Choice Faves for Summer 2013!

1. PC BLACK LABEL HATCHO MISO MARINADE

A game changer? You bet it is. Made with an authentic combination of black miso, sake and toasted sesame, use this rich, Japanese-inspired marinade to add a bold, sweet-salty hit to a wide array of beef, pork, chicken and seafood dishes. It’s now my go-to enhancer when making Malaysian Chicken Wings: Mix 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, ground black pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon dried basil – and a generous dash of the Hatcho Miso Marinade. Toss mixture with 12-15 chicken wings and deep fry or bake, as you prefer. Salty, sticky and with just the right amount of savoury-sweetness, the marinade lends a “je ne sais quoi” to all Asian dishes and stir frys.

2. PC SEAFOOD SEASONING RUB

ONE step to perfectly seasoned seafood. Yes, just one step. Simply grab your favourite fish (we love salmon or rainbow trout), sprinkle on the seasoning rub, and bake. Et voila! No guesswork, no messy cleanup, and no excuse not to try it. It imparts a smoky, Cajun-inspired flavour with plenty of kick for spice enthusiasts. Also delicious with shrimp, grilled lobster tails and even chicken. On the side: PC Organics New Potatoes tossed with olive oil, dried rosemary and PC MEMORIES OF Sicilia Coarse Sea Salt.

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Recipe to Riches!

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If you’re a fan of Food Network Canada and President’s Choice (and really, who isn’t?) chances are that you caught Recipe to Riches last season… or have seen one of the winning concoctions at your local grocery store.

(Side note: Robert Luft’s Slow and Low Pulled Pork has a permanent spot in my freezer.)

As the show was a runaway hit, they’re back – the New Season premieres October 17th at 9:00pm EST on Food Network Canada! This time around, they’ve got 21 fresh new faces (and unique recipes) to put to the test of a lifetime.

So what’s the deal with the show? Here’s the Coles Notes version: 21 finalists were chosen among thousands of hopefuls to compete in seven different food categories ranging from Savoury Snacks to Entrées to Cookies and Squares. Each category winner will receive a $25,000 cash prize and earn the prestige of having their recipe developed into a President’s Choice product – made available in select Loblaw banner stores across the country just days after their episode airs.

Then, after all category winners have been determined, viewers will have the opportunity to vote online for the best of the best and, during the exciting finale, witness who will take home the $250,000 grand prize.

Now normally I don’t get this excited over a cooking contest, but this time around, I have a special connection to the show: my cousin is a finalist in the Cakes, Puddings and Pies category!

Cherilynn will be submitting her delicious Classic Battenburg Cake. Battenberg cake is a light sponge cake that is covered in marzipan and, when cut in cross section, displays a distinctive two-by-two check pattern alternately coloured pink and yellow. It was originally invented in 1884 by the chefs of the British Royal household to celebrate the marriage of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Louis of Battenberg.

(And now I’m really, really hungry.)

You can catch Cherilynn’s episode tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 17th) at 9:00pm EST on Food Network Canada. We’ll be cheering for you Cheri!

Serious Snacking Alert + PC #Giveaway

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NOTE: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

What can I say about President’s Choice that I haven’t already said? Yes, I love the brand, yada, yada, yada. No, you’ll never catch me shopping at a grocery store that doesn’t carry PC products, yada, yada, yada.

I know and you know – and I know that you know – I am obsessed with President’s Choice.

But what is it that keeps me coming back for more? Simply put, I am constantly amazed by their innovative products, delicious recipes and affordable luxuries. Frequently, I find myself shunning popular brand-name items in favour of PC’s offerings, and, coming from someone who was raised to only buy the highest quality, that says a lot about my confidence in the company.

PC ketchup. PC chicken wings. Even PC lawn chairs! If they make it, I’ll buy it.

(Though I may draw the line at PC condoms. Dear Mr. Weston: Please do not make PC condoms; I don’t want to be confronted with having to make that choice.)

Anyhoo, if you’ve got a serious snacking addiction like moi, you may want to stop reading here. Because I’m absolutely certain of one thing: You will LOVE all of the following products in a mildly obsessive manner. Even though I received the goodies as part of a press drop two weeks ago, I’ve already replaced most of them at our last grocery run. (The Honey Chipotle Almonds I’ve replaced twice. My hips just sighed in defeat.)

Snack on, friends, snack on! And… read on for an amazing giveaway!

Decadent Chocolate Chip Bars: All the goodness of your fave PC cookie – in bar form – and peanut free! Plus, they’re perfectly portioned for little hands and tummies. I must admit I didn’t bother reading the package and just tore into these, thinking they were granola bars and hence, acceptable for breakfast. It was on the third morning that I realized I was actually eating a dessert bar. #oops #mybad

On the bright side: Best “granola” bar ever!…

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WOW Your Way Through the Holidays with PC

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I suppose I could really expedite this post by saying “Eat This”. Perhaps… “It’s Scrumptious and Sinfully Good”.

Or, “It’s Made by President’s Choice”. Yes, I think that would convey the message quite effectively.

It’s pretty obvious that I don’t have to sell you on the fact that I LOVE PRESIDENT’S CHOICE. Anyone who’s ever read my reviews on PC products will attest that I may even be obsessed…

Of course, as soon as I hear the words “Holiday Insider’s Report”, I generally break out the stretchy pants.

My good friends at President’s Choice normally treat me to a sampling of their holiday goodies, and this year was no different. (Thank God. I mean really, If I’m ever taken off their press list I’d have seriously problems. For real. Does PC make anti-depressants?)

Anyhoo, always the innovator, PC kicked things up a notch this season and sent over a mini Christmas pantry full of holiday treats -…

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Weekend Yum Yums

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My husband calls me “Snacks“. Terribly romantic, isn’t he?

Alas, I do have a habit of raiding the pantry a *few* times per day, usually late at night in what I call the “Screw-It-I’ll-Start-My-Diet-Tomorrow” free for all. And it hasn’t helped that lately a ton of delicious goodies have made their way to my doorstep for review – ahem, would you turn away a bin full of President’s Choice treats?

(I don’t think so.)

So I figured I’d do a quick post on my favourite snacks of late – if I can make just one person’s snack time more enjoyable, my work here is done!

PC Banana Bread Little Penguin Soft Cookies
Described as “delectable soft cookies, shaped like fun little penguins that kids will love! Peanut-free and individually wrapped, they’re great for school snacks and lunches”… you’d think that I would have offered one or two to my little guys. Not on your life. These are like handy little banana bread loaves – and are SO DAMN delish! They have a slightly firmer texture to hold their adorable little shape and to classify them as a “cookie”, but just one bite and you will brew a cup of strong coffee, grab your fave celebrity trash rag and proceed to have the perfect 3pm break.


PC Pulled Pork Cooking Sauce
While this technically isn’t a snack it does create a delicious meal that can morph into snack’ems in the blink of an eye (think pulled pork quesadillas, pulled pork sliders, pulled pork blinis…). Now since I don’t actually eat pork I used chicken instead and was mighty pleased with the results. Here’s what I did: grabbed leftover baked chicken breasts, shred ’em up and tossed them in a pot on the stove. Added about half a jar of the sauce and heated through on medium-low (about 10 minutes). Then dropped the whole works on toasted baguette and divvied up in 2.5-inch portions. Hells ya.

popchips

I had heard rumours about a revolutionary snack through some of my favourite blogs (healthy! delicious! no bad stuff! and more…) so when popchips dangled the proverbial carrot chip my way, you just know I had to try them out too. Thanks to a little popping technology, these all-natural chips are seasoned to perfection and come in a variety of flavours (sour cream & onion and original being our fave). And with only 100 calories and 3g of fat per single serving, this is a snack you NEED to have on you to ward off junk food cravings. They’re so yummy! The best part: NO MSG! That’s right, I challenge you to find another seasoned snack that is void of that nasty little flavour enhancer (I remember one sad day when I discovered even those popular rice chips – touted as a “healthy alternative”- contained buckets of the stuff). LOVE popchips.

Bear Paws Cereal & Fruit
Yet another snack designed for kids (made with real fruit, whole grains, a source of iron, no artificial flavours and peanut free!) that I have officially hijacked. BUT, in this instance, I did take a moment to share Bear Paws with the boys and they LOVE them too! Think cereal bars without the overload of sugary filling; in just a few bites you’ll get your quota of sweet, satisfying goodness that just happen to be good for you too. I’m partial to the Raspberry flavour but the kids are drawn to Apple. A bonus: they’re shaped like bear paws, of course!

REESE’S Minis
Bite-sized and unwrapped REESE’S Minis. They’re perfectly tiny. And perfectly scrumptious. Did I mention they’re the perfect “reward” size? Yup. Go on and grab a handful. You’ve been a very good girl.

Orville Redenbacher Power Crunch Bars
As popcorn is a staple in my home, we’re always looking for new ways to change things up. In fact, just recently we started popping kernels the old fashioned way – on the stove top – because our microwave bought the farm and we’ve discovered we don’t actually need to replace it… 6 months and counting!

(If you do have a microwave and are looking for a healthy, convenient snack, I recommend Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop! Gourmet microwave popcorn. Each serving is low in calories, a good source of fibre and has no trans-fat – plus it’s not laden with funky preservatives!)

I received this recipe for Power Crunch Bars and just had to share:

INGREDIENTS

1 mini bag (31 g each) Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop 100 Calorie Buttery Flavour Microwave Popcorn
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 Cup dried cranberries
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Cup margarine or butter, softened
3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
(1/2 sec spray) PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 15×10-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

Prepare popcorn according to package directions. Remove any unpopped kernels; set aside.

Combine brown sugar and margarine in large bowl, using electric mixer on high speed. Add water and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture and blend well. Turn mixer on low speed; add cranberries.

Cover hands with plastic gloves or sandwich size plastic bags; spray with cooking spray. Mix popcorn into dough. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool before cutting into 24 bars. Store in tightly sealed container. Makes 24 bars.

That’s all folks! My weekend round up of Yum Yums that will have you snacking with finesse! xo

Holiday Entertaining with President’s Choice!

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This past weekend, we rounded up the kids bright and early and hit Superstore at 8:00am on Sunday morning to shop for our annual Christmas fest. How wonderful it is to grocery shop when the store is mostly empty! I was in such a good mood, and I can only attribute it to the fact that I wasn’t bumping carts every 30 seconds. BLISS!

This year (as always) tons of goodies making it to our cart were items from the President’s Choice Insiders Report. PC, how I love thee! We were fortunate to receive several of their yummiest holiday treats for review, and trust me – they’re all exceptionally delicious! For example, we enjoyed:

PC Chocolate Fruit Fancies

Tickle your fancy! The Chocolate Fruit Fancies are a treat for mouths and eyes. They look like a smooth hard candy – complete with irresistible swirls of bright colours – but you won’t believe that they’re actually made with refined white or milk chocolate ganache. Each treat is filled with a real fruit purée (blueberry is absolutely TO DIE FOR) and I promise, you won’t be able to stop at one. I definitely recommend these little fancies for gift giving – at just $8 for a box of 25, they’re both indulgent and affordable. You’ll love them!

PC The World’s Best Jumbo Cashews
These cashews are – ahem – JUMBO, and they’re delicious. Roasted and lightly salted, I’ve already purchased two more jars to place on the appetizer table at Christmas dinner. The dry roasted jumbo cashews are from Brazil – specially selected for their remarkable size, rich sweetness and delicious crunch. They are a must for nut-lovers, and will be the star of the show if you’d like to combine them with other nuts for a snack mix.

PC Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection
Whether you need a gift for the teacher, the hostess, or you’d like to treat yourself this Christmas (and what’s wrong with that?), look no further than the Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection. It’s imported from Belgium and includes a deluxe assortment of six decadent flavours of premium quality chocolate (a generous 30 pieces in total). After indulging in just two of these premium chocolates, I sent the hubby out to pick up 5 more boxes for gift giving. They’re THAT good. Plus, at just $14 per box, the price is pretty impressive, too.

I’ll also give TWO THUMBS UP to PC 100% Hawaiian Fine Grind Coffee, PC Shortbread Cookie Mix, and PC Rich and Creamy Eggnog!

This past weekend, the following items literally flew into our cart:

PC Chocolate Hazelnut Rolled Wafers
I have a weakness for rolled wafers, and considering I’ve progressed so well with my weight loss, was hesitant to succumb to temptation. But, it IS Christmas, and I think a few wafers are well deserved! “Crisp toasted wafers with a rich, creamy chocolate hazelnut flavoured filling; enjoy them with desserts, ice cream or coffee.” Mmm… Chocolate Hazelnut… I can’t wait to crack open this tin. The wafers are also available in Dark Chocolate, which I believe was made to pair with a nice cappuccino :)

PC Club Pack Cracker Collection
A must for our holiday cheese tray – and for delectable spreads! There are six varieties included; all crisp, flavourful and perfect for snacking.

PC Cranberry Lime Cocktail
Doesn’t this sound yummy? Can’t wait to add it to our festive punches and martinis.

Um, do I really need to explain why this item came home with us? It’s the classic Red Velvet Cheesecake, reinvented. “This sinfully rich layer cake starts with a delectable chocolate cookie crumb crust topped with creamy cheesecake surrounded by moist, vibrant-red “velvety” cake, perfectly frosted with cream cheese icing – a truly grand dessert.” Yes please.

If your local grocery store does not stock President’s Choice, may I so boldly suggest you switch supermarkets. It’s going to be a PC fest chez Lena’s this year!

Lena Loves… PC’s Ice Cream Shop CLOSED

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Damn you, Galen Weston, and your stacked roster of President’s Choice commercials – always tantalizing me with more goodies that my hips will love and my jeans will hate.

So I’m just over a week postpartum and happen to be watching TV at an ungodly hour while Reid-a-Roonie is feeding (sleeping?)… and I see my nemesis, Galen Weston, once again doling out delicious promises on which I just know he’ll deliver. This time? PC’s new ice cream flavours – fashioned after ones you’d find in a parlour! Including…

Rainbow
Root Beer Float
Caramel Toffee Crunch
Marshmallow Chocolate Swirl
Sprinkle Party Cake
Cotton Candy

Bubble Gum

…. and much more, including my all time fave, TIGER TAIL!!!

Geez Louise, I’m supposed to be working off the pregnancy weight, not drooling over ice cream! Needless to say, I woke up Mike and told him under no circumstances is he allowed to purchase the ice cream until I’ve dropped at least 20 pounds.

(In the morning, I refined that number to 10 pounds, as every one should be rewarded for good work. By midday, we had agreed that 5 pounds was an accomplishment in itself; and perhaps we could talk then.)

EDIT: As you read this, I’m eating the ice cream. I’ll start my diet tomorrow :)

Oh, YUM! Just as I remember it – creamy orange ice cream with a thick ripple of black licorice. Perhaps the best combination known to man… I can’t believe it took so long for someone to offer this flavour in a grocery store! Gotta hand it to PC!

The new flavours come in pint sized containers that are perfect for sharing (or consuming yourself if you’re nursing a broken heart). Using only quality ingredients, you’ll be sure to find an old (or new) favourite. Baskin who?

Now you know how much I love to share goodies, so one lucky reader* will win a $100 PC Gift Card to purchase a summer’s supply of ice cream! To enter, simply jump online and find your favourite flavour, then leave a comment here to let us know why you love it! I’ll draw for a winner on Sunday. Good luck everybody!

*This contest is open to Canadian residents only.

Lena Loves… President’s Choice CLOSED

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***THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!***

Okay, so it’s pretty obvious that I didn’t have to preface this post with “Lena Loves.” Anyone who’s ever read my reviews on PC products will attest that I love President’s Choice. I may even be obsessed.

What is it about this brand that makes me want to get a part-time job at Loblaws? (I hear store employees get a cool 10% off their groceries.) I am constantly amazed by their innovative products, delicious recipes and affordable luxuries. In fact, I normally find myself shunning more popular brand-name items in favour of PC’s offerings. And, coming from someone who was raised to only buy the highest quality, that says a lot about my confidence in the company.

PC ketchup. PC baby food. Even PC lawn chairs! If they make it, I’ll buy it.

The President’s Choice concept was developed by a talented group of food-inspired people who knew back in the mid-80s that Canadians deserved better quality food choices for their hard-earned dollars. The premise was simple: develop unique or superior products that offered better value to our shoppers. The idea may have been simple, but few could have anticipated how Canadian consumers would come to embrace the President’s Choice brand to make it one of Canada’s best-known trademarks.

Did you know that today there are over 3,500 PC products, with the most famous being The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie? (It’s okay. But my favourite PC product will always be the Double Chocolate Crunch Cereal – thanks to chinwhat for introducing it to me.)

So it’s no surprise that I was super excited when Hill & Knowlton, PC’s PR firm, sent me some decadent and delicious goodies from their 2009 Holiday Insider to try out.

I received (click to enlarge photo):

PC Pad Thai Cooking Sauce
PC Seven Grain Original Snack Crackers
PC Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Bites
PC Whole Wheat Hazelnut Cantuccini Mini Biscotti
PC Gigandes Beans in Vinaigrette

Plus a coolio PC USB and an Insider’s Report. I could hardly wait to sample them all – and to be honest, I actually finished the Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Bites quicker than you can say “220 calories and 13g of fat for 7 pieces.” Wooorth it!

Here’s the lowdown:

Beside being incredibly rich and sweet, the Gingerbread Bites are also perfectly portioned for popping in your mouth any time of the day. A must for white chocolate lovers.

The Seven Grain Crackers were a perfect accompaniment to cheese, spreads, or for simple munching. Though they have a tougher, crunchier consistency than I first assumed, Ryder loves teething on them and always points to them for his afternoon snack.

The Mini Biscotti is a MUST for mid day cappuccinos. Not-too-sweet and loaded with hazelnuts, I am enjoying one as I type. CRUNCH, crunch, crunch. Mmmm.

Now the Gigandes beans were a new product for me – I had never heard of that bean variety and wondered what those gigantic pods would taste like. The verdict: tangy, earthy and smooth – perfect for adding to spreads or dips (or fishing out of the jar and sampling with your fingers as I did).

Finally, I can only describe the Pad Thai cooking sauce one way: legit. When combined with the proper ingredients, it really, really tastes like authentic Pad Thai. The jar comes with cooking instructions, and we followed them to a T. After stir frying veggies and shrimp, we simply added the sauce, PC rice stick noodles, cilantro and chopped peanuts. And after one bite, both Mike and I swore off take-out Pad Thai for good.

All these products can be found in the 2009 Holiday Insider’s Report, which you can now read online! It’s 32 pages chock full of entertaining tips, meal ideas, recipes, and of course, new and exciting PC products. They have over 100 new items you can choose from, including the sensational “Must Try” products that will make this season the most enjoyable and affordable one yet!

So with just one week to go until Christmas, take a look at the Insider’s Report, and be sure to stock up on some sweet, savoury and sensible (Blue Menu) goodies today!

Christmas never tasted so good!

One lucky Listen to Lena! reader will win a President’s Choice Gift Card, valued at $150! To enter, simply:

1) Tell us what your favourite PC product is – including why you love it

-or-
2) Take a look at the 2009 Insider’s Report, and tell us which product(s) you’d like to try this year!

I’ll draw for a winner next Thursday morning – Christmas Eve. And while we won’t be able to send you the gift card in time for Turkey & Mistletoe, I’m certain it’ll be in your hands by New Years Eve – just in time for you to load up on all those party poppers! Thanks to President’s Choice and Hill & Knowlton, and good luck everybody!

Canadian residents only, please.

President’s Choice products are available at Loblaws, Loblaw Great Food, Zehrs, Zehrs Great Food, Fortinos, Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaw Superstore, valu-mart, Your Independent Grocer, Atlantic Superstore, Maxi, Maxi & Cie, no frills, Provigo, Extra Foods and more. Product pricing and availability may vary by banner and region. For more information, visit http://www.pc.ca/.