Happy Lemon is a China-based tea chain that has quickly expanded globally since its opening. The company was founded in 2006. and has branches in over 100 different cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Taipei, Hong Kong, USA and Canada. They are also the freshly handmade bubble tea franchise chain shop floated on the stock exchange market in December 2014.

 I was introduced to the brand early last year at an Instagram meet, and I believe they have opened a few more locations since then. The mascot of Happy Lemon is an easily recognizable one ... literally a large anthropomorphic happy lemon.


Their menu includes a range of drinks such as milk tea, yakult, smoothies, but their most popular one is their rock salted cheese series. The salted cheese series is my favorite, and it's described as "creamy and enriched cheese mixed with rock salt." I have been to Happy Lemon on a few occasions, and most of the time I get the Green Tea with Salted Cheese, which I highly recommend to try.

Earlier last week, I also attended a Yelp Elite Event at the new Vaughan Happy Lemon location. The location was huge and super vibrant in colors (mainly yellow). The space is adorned with several decals showcasing the drinks and the brand. Overall, the experience was nice as two members were on hand that afternoon and the process to redeem the free drink went rather smoothly. Lots of drinks to choose from the menu!

Like many BBT shops, the routine to order is pretty simple:

1) Choose your drink

2) Choose size

3) Choose hot or cold

4) Choose topping

5) Choose sweetness and ice level 

Milk Tea with Pearl Sago and Puff Cream 

Mango Matcha Latte



FLASH GIVEAWAY

I would love for you guys to try the drinks. Therefore, I have teamed up with Happy Lemon to provide 3 FREE drink vouchers (medium drink) to TWO (2) WINNERS. Enter below to win :) The two winners will be contacted on Thursday (June 21) morning, and vouchers will be mailed out ASAP with Fedex Express (next morning delivery).

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Disclaimer: The vouchers provided in this post were complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

As a young professional, my life can get pretty busy and I don't always have time to prepare a healthy meal. So I was open to adding Nutribar to my lifestyle. The  bars are individually packaged, nutritious and filling. They like to call it "nutrition on the go", as the bars do contain a good source of fiber and omega-3 polyunsaturates.

They have a variety of flavors with their Nutribar Original brand. These bars are meant to be meal replacements, and balanced for protein, carbohydrates and fat, and are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, to give you all the nutrients you need in a complete meal. Some flavors include Belgian chocolate, creamy caramel, deep brownie delight, oatmeal raisin and more.

These bars are particularly handy, as I can quickly grab one on the go. It also satisfied my hunger for more than the estimated 5 hours before I crave for a full-portioned meal. 

However, if you're looking to increase your protein intake while delivering a balance of nutrients that you need in a meal. Then I'd recommend the Nutribar High Protein meal replacements, which comes in 6 different flours. Please note that meal replacement products can help you lose weight if you use them consistently and correctly. It's not a for sure method of losing weight.

I was able to try many flavors and the ones I liked best were the Chocolate Fudge, Cranberry Crunch and Chocolate Truffle. See the trend? I liked chocolate flavors a lot. Additionally, each bar contain at least 260 calories, 1.3 gram of protein and 3 g of fibre which helped to subside my hunger during my busy work days. 

GIVEAWAY TIME

Enter to win FIVE cases ($60 worth) of Nutribar Meal Replacement Bars. Contest is open to all Canadian residents (excluding Quebec), and will end on 04/27/2018 (Friday).

No Yolks were created in 1976, and is the world’s first no-cholesterol noodle. The noodles contain no sodium, low in fat, and best of all... no cholesterol. No Yolks are made with Durum wheat semolina, corn flour and egg whites. It is a smarter alternative to regular egg noodles, and very versatile. There are plenty of different recipes that you can make with their noodles.

No Yolks are the #1 selling noodle in Canada, and available in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit every recipe including: Extra Broad, Broad, Medium, Fine and Dumpling. Over the weekend, we made seafood pasta using a package of Extra Broad Noodles, and it was enough for two people. The pasta is 1/2" wide, and make a great alternative in dishes that ordinarily would call for pappardelle or fettuccine.



A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive culinary speed dating event at the CN Tower. The event features CN Tower Executive Chef John Morris, and 10 up-and-coming chefs from George Brown Chef School. Media guests and bloggers had the opportunity to sample each chefs’ creations, rate the dishes, and the three top scorers took home a $2,000 scholarship prize for courses at George Brown Chef School, courtesy of event sponsor No Yolks® noodles.

The event commenced with a cooking demo of a romantic Valentine’s Day dish by CN Tower Executive Chef John Morris. He unveiled practical cooking tips for preparing easy, delicious meals in under 30 minutes.

 
 
 

 Chef Akhil Hajare - Tomato and Maple Glazed Pasta


 Chef Kshitiz Sethi - Royal Rose Pudding



  Chef Janikka Murray - Mushroom and Bacon Stroganoff

 Chef Stephen Rooke - Egg Noodle Sashimi Pizza


 Chef Will Thorne-Morris - Fine Noodle Fideo


 Chef Walker Freeman - Wine Noodles with Pesto, Pancetta, Mascarpone, and Parmesan Crisp


 Chef Meshal Mustafa - Alfredo Fritter with Garlic Chicken


 Chef Tamara Saslove - Waffle Kugel with Caramelized Onion & Apple


Chef Lucas Hum - Eggless Bacon Carbonara

 Good luck!

Enter to win TWO (2) cases ($60 worth) of No Yolks. Contest is open to all Canadian residents (excluding Quebec), and will end on 02/20/2018 (Tuesday).

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This Victoria Day long weekend, come join me at the Cabana Pool Bar for the first ever Lobster Clam Jam (Toronto).



Lobster Clam Jam is a highly acclaimed outdoor food festival. It's not just for seafood lovers, but also an affordable, family-oriented culinary showcase offering guests the opportunity to experience the creations of a variety of renowned local chefs and restaurants. Guests will have the opportunity to experience a wide selection of meat, fowl, game, fish (and of course, lobster and shellfish) dishes, while enjoying the nice weather. It is also for a good cause as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to SickKids Foundation.

“The Lobster Clam Jam festival has been overwhelmingly successful the past four years in Montreal,” says Billy Alfonso. “We intend to duplicate this success in Toronto, working with the best local chefs, restaurant brands, and food and drink partners, while partnering with INK Entertainment, Canada’s leading entertainment company, at Cabana Pool Bar.”

The Lobster Clam Jam event launched in Montreal, Quebec in 2013, and will be making their Toronto debut this upcoming Victoria Day long weekend. Come join the fun =) There will be delicious food by talented chefs, and creative and delicious cocktails by marquee mixologists.

EVENT DETAILS

WHEN: Saturday May 20 and Sunday May 21, 2017
WHERE: Cabana Pool Bar at 11 Polson Street, Toronto ON
DATE/TIME: Saturday (May 20) & Sunday (May 21) from 12:00 pm. to 9:00 pm
WEBSITE: http://www.lobsterclamjam.com/toronto/ 

Buy Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.ca/LOBSTER-CLAM-JAM-tickets/artist/2342913?tm_link=seo_bc_name

PRICE

Admission: $25

Currency: 

We have introduced our own Lobster Clam Jam currency called CLAMS.
A CLAM is a branded Lobster Clam Jam token (coin)
Each CLAM is valued at $3 CAN (Including Taxes)
Restaurants will collect CLAMS (Tokens*) in exchange for FOOD.
*TOKENS are available for purchase on site.

There will be over 20 restaurants, a Mojito Bar, a Beer Bar, a Wine Bar, a Coffee Bar and Dessert stations on site!



Enter to win 1 of 5 pairs of tickets to next week's Lobster Clam Jam (Toronto) at Cabana Pool Bar. Contest is open to all Toronto and GTA residents, and will end on 05/18/2017 (Thursday) at midnight.


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IMPORTANT: Tickets include complimentary entry ($25.00 admission per person) only, but no actual food coins. You can purchase the food coins on-site. Winners can only redeem for one day. 

The event will feature delicious creations from well-known restaurants from Toronto and
Montreal such as Patria, Weslodge, Oliver & Bonacini, Jae Anthony of Seasoned Dreams, Blowfish, Notre Dame Gourmet, Queue de Cheval Steakhouse and Raw Bar, Buster’s Sea Cove, The Food Dudes, Bac Ky Pho, Buonanotte, Boehmer, Calii Love and Cherry Street Barbeque, plus many more. Guests will be treated to a culinary experience by each restaurant along with a freshly shucked oyster station. The Festival will also feature their very own signature whole or half lobsters. Mixologists will offer signature flavoured Mojitos, Bloody Caesars as well as a wide assortment of beer, wine and other libations.

Disclaimer: Tickets are courtesy of INK Entertainment

Mac and Cheese is one of the most comfort food items that I can think of. Earlier this month, I was sent a care package courtesy of Italpasta. It contained 2 packages of Italpasta Macaroni and Cheese (white cheddar), and a pair of cozy socks. The box also contained two recipe cards with detailed instructions on how to make Mac & Cheese Stuffed Sliders and Mac & Cheese Pizza (recipes below). I have bought pastas from Italpasta before, but I didn't know that they also made Mac & Cheese. 

A little background on Italpasta - it was founded by Joseph Vitale in 1989. They have since grown to become a premium manufacturer of pasta in Canada, and the #1 retail pasta brand in Ontario. 

Mac & Cheese Stuffed Sliders

Ingredients:

1 box (200 g) Italpasta Prepared Macaroni and Cheese-Original

1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef

1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh or dried bread crumbs

1/4 cup (60 mL) cooked chopped onions

1 egg

1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard

1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise

1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

1 tsp (5 mL) adobo sauce

1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice

1) Cook Macaroni and Cheese according to package directions. Spread into 8-inch (2 L) glass baking dish and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes or until cool. 

2) In large bowl, mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, onions, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; form into 12 patties. 

3) Press indent into each patty. Scoop 1 tbsp (15 mL) cooled macaroni and cheese and press into centre of each patty. Bring up ground beef to enclose completely. 

4) Heat grill to medium heat; grease grates well. Grill sliders for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until well grill-marked and internal temperature of beef reaches 160°F (71°C).

Mac and Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

1 box (200g) Italpasta Macaroni & Cheese – original
1 lb (500g) pizza dough
1 tbsp (15ml) cornmeal
3/4 cup (175ml) pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups (375ml) shredded mozzarella cheese
4 strips cooked bacon, chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) pepperoni slices

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 425°F (220°C). Cooked Italpasta Macaroni & Cheese according to package directions. Set aside.

2) Grease pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 1-4inch (35 cm) round; transfer dough to prepared pan. Spread evenly with sauce, leaving 1 inch (2.5cm) border around edge. Scattered cooked macaroni & cheese over top. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, bacon and pepperoni.

3) Bake in lower third of oven for 18 and 20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbly. Service immediately.

The newly launched product is made with 100% Canadian wheat and real Canadian cheddar. Additionally, there aren't any artificial flavors. The products can be found at your local grocery stores like Wal-Mart, Metro, Longo's etc ... It comes in a variety of three flavors; Original, Extra creamy and White Cheddar. 

I opted for a bowl of regular mac & cheese, and followed the instructions as exactly instructed on the box. It was creamy, and comforting! 

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I am giving away an Italpasta Mac & Cheese Care Package below. Enter to win a package containing 2 packages of mac and cheese, socks, blanket and a cheese plush.