I'm very honoured to be the cover story for the new magazine Balance My Life.  Take a sneak peek at the cover and don't forget to get your copy starting Nov 6th!

http://www.balancemylife.ca/contactalias/balance-the-magazine.html

Learn How To Turn Tweets, Fans & Followers into Growth, Sales & Success!  Join me on Nov 9th at a BitNet breakfast where I'll explain how I've Turned Tweets, Fans & Followers into Growth, Sales & Success! 
http://www.bitnet.ca/events/details/13

Summer Seasoning

Read what Julia Aitken of The Toronto Star has to say about perfecting your cooking skills in beautiful cottage country - we're not all about burgers and dogs!

Don't start your summer off with lighting your bbq on fire like I did one year (that's another blog post!) - get your BBQ ready to do the lion share of the cooking.  Read my tips for a safe season at WonderMoms!

Escape to the Islands with my review of Palm Bay Coolers at the always outstanding Balance My Life (and a few coolers now and then can do that!!).

Nothing can replace teaching your children about a proper diet and exposing them to a wide variety of healthy fresh food but starting their day off right with all the essential vitamins and minerals that their growing bodies need can help ease the everyday concern about what goes into their bodies.  My whole family (husband, 5 year old son and 9 year old son) take 2oz of Vemma and Vemma Next Children's each morning.  The kids ask for it each morning and has become as much a part of their morning routine as brushing their teeth!

No preservatives, no artificial colours and no artificial flavours, all the essential vitamins and minerals along with antioxidant powerhouse mangosteen, aloe vera and organic green tea make it a winning formula for my family.  And if that wasn't enough, for every case of Vemma Next that is sold, one case is donated to children in need in the country that it was purchased in - now that's dedication to children's health!

Contact me to find out more or visit http://www.nadinehughes.vemma.com/ to see the complete Vemma line. 

Last week I stumbled across a radio interview with Neil Pasricha, the author of the new book, "The Book of Awesome". The book is a result of his fantastic website, http://www.1000awesomethings.com/ , which he created at a low period in his life when he wanted to be reminded of the small things that made him smile. Things like,

 

• The cool side of a pillow
• Opening and sniffing a pack of tennis balls
• The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk
• Dancing when you're home alone
• Popping bubble wrap
• Laughing so hard you start crying
• And 994 other awesome things

While I listened to Neil speak about what made him smile, I found myself nodding and smiling too. That great feeling was contagious as I pictured my favourite simple food things. I started to compile a list and was grinning the whole time. Go ahead and try thinking of your own awesome things, the sillier the better, and I dare you not to start smiling like the proverbial Cheshire cat! In the meantime, here are some of my awesome favourites: 

 

• The smell of fresh basil
• The crusty top of melted cheese
• The taste of the first ripe tomato in my garden
• A frosty glass from the freezer  
• The granular icy part of a Lola  
• The cork popping on a champagne bottle
• The way the bubbles from the above champagne feel on my tongue
• Eating summer cherries and spitting the pits as far as I can
• My first coffee of the day

Have an awesome day! 

FOOD STYLING
Date: Tuesday April 20th

Time: 7:00 pm
Location: The Cookbook Store
850 Yonge Street at Yorkville Avenue
Tickets: $20.00 Please call to register




Ever wonder how those glorious photos are styled in your favourite cookbooks? Want to be taken behind the scenes in a food stylist's day? Then let two of Toronto's most talented stylists show you tricks of their trade and tell their hilarious stories of working as a food stylist. Sandra Watson has worked on Food Network shows as well as with many renowned local and international authors. Ettie Shuken works with corporate clients as well as magazines. This dynamic duo brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from all facets of the food world for those looking to spruce up their food presentation skills or those just curious about the world of food styling.

Pre-registration is required. Please call the store to register. 416-920-2665

Celebrate Earth Day's 40th anniversary with the Town of Oakville (and me)!

April 22, 2010

6-9 p.m. (my workshop starts at 7 p.m.)

Town Hall, South Atrium

1225 Trafalgar Road

There's no better way to celebrate Earth Day in Oakville than by learning how to live greener every day! There's something for everyone:

• Workshop on cooking local food with Nadine Hughes of The Cook's Companion
• Earth Day cake cutting with Mayor Rob Burton
• Hands-on demos of energy-efficient technology and green gardening
• Town hybrids, Smart Car and state-of-the-art street sweeper
• ... plus raffle prizes and free giveaways of great green products!

 Child minding is available on site, so bring the whole family!

Raisins are a nice way to add a serving of fruit to your diet. From breakfast to dinner, and everything in between, you can find recipes that include raisins. For example, this free Fruit & Sunshine Recipes book has some nice raisin recipes that you can incorporate into any meal plan.  In my family raisins are added to cereal, pancakes, banana bread, couscous, carrot salad or alone as a snack.  They're versatile and easy to pack on the go as well.  I remember giving them to my toddler one by one ever so slowly on plane rides for the take off and descent to help him chew, swallow and keep his ears clear.  Now there's a marketing angle for Sunshine!


Want more than the 17 recipes that are included in the above book? Sun-Maid has been sharing their raisin and dried fruit recipes with families since 1912, almost 100 years. In celebration, they have created a collection of 34 free recipe books that span (to date) from 1915 to 2007.

Head over to Holiday with Matthew Mead to find out how you can win the opportunity to have your blog or online shop mentioned in the magazine. Holiday with Matthew Mead ( http://www.holidaywithmatthewmead.com/ ) is a "book-azine" celebrating and offering inspiration for the Christmas holiday season. To be released in October 2010, Holiday is offered via online orders only - in limited quantities - and will not be sold on newsstands. But, by simply following the BUY HOLIDAY MAGAZINE link below their banner, you can reserve your own copy of this beautiful magazine, with guaranteed delivery of the magazine straight to your mailbox! Holiday with Matthew Mead is144 pages of holiday inspiration with well-known and admired designers, bloggers and top-notch features, printed on beautiful paper and not drowning in ads!


Now, head on over for your chance to win!

This should be a great evening.  Please join me and Dare To Dream!

InsideHalton Article: Business Excellence Awards announce 40 nominations

InsideHalton Article: Business Excellence Awards announce 40 nominations

Great to be amongst so many awesome entrepeneurs. Best of luck to everyone!

CTS Television: Online Video Player

Check out my segment on yummy no back Chocolate desserts on Real Life. I'm the first segment after the intro (about the 3 min mark). Enjoy! CTS Television: Online Video Player

CTS Television: Online Video Player

Great kids Valentine's Day crafts from The Groove Mamma.

CTS Television: Online Video Player