Gold medal dip

I've been consumed by the Olympics lately, which explains my vanishing blogger act. I'm so proud of our Canadian athletes, and moved to tears when I see the celebration that erupts after years of intense training, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance and faith.

Of course, these qualities are written all over their bodies. Spandex has never looked so hot! Lean, mean, chiseled machines that more closely resemble superheroes than humans. It almost makes you want to hit the gym for a rigorous Tommy Europe-esque workout.

Or, you could become an armchair olympian, sporting a remote control, soft cozy blanket, bellowing cheer and a bag of chips. And do I have a dip for you!

Have you ever been to McCully's Hill Farm in St. Marys? It's a charming little spot with year-round activities and the sweetest farm shop and retail store carrying fresh, local and wholesome foods. It specializes in maple products, natural meats, homemade baking and preserves, and garden-fresh produce such as sweet corn, pumpkins and other seasonal vegetables.

Last time I was at McCully's, I picked up a basket full of goodies, including a jar of Maple Onion Chive Dip. Okay, I know it sounds like an odd combination, but trust me - this stuff is fantastic. And natural. And free of MSG! Just mix a tablespoon of the spices with a cup of sour cream or plain yoghourt and presto: you've got a gold medal dip.

That totally owns the podium.

Now back to the games...

Fidoodling around

Thursday P'lovers series

If you're looking for unique, organic, non-toxic toys to warm a little one's heart, don't fidoodle around - head straight over to P'lovers in Stratford to find these endearing Fidoodle toys, made in a small Toronto design studio.

Inspired by storytelling, imagination and creative play, Fidoodle products are built to intrigue children and adults. Designs are based on adaptations of classic fairytales, myths and made-up stories.

Inventor, Jen Bulthuis, builds Fidoodle products from natural materials, including birch from well-managed forests, sheep wool, organic cotton, non-toxic ink and some recycled fabrics.

In addition to the animal dreamers (see photo), Fidoodle also makes mobiles, pillows, limited edition puppet puzzles, wooden blocks, wood panels and t-shirts.

Four other Toronto retailers carry Fidoodle products, including the Art Gallery of Ontario Shop. See website for locations near you.

English breakfast with a local twist

Alicia Silverstone's new book, The Kind Diet, is loaded with so many amazing recipes, incorporating foods I knew were good for me, but didn't know what to do with. Like kale.

Don't let the title put you off - it's not about 'dieting' (we used to use that four-letter word to describe what we ate). It's about being kind to yourself, the earth and the environment. Sound better? After making a handful of these recipes over the last couple weeks, my body is already thanking me. When I eat these foods I feel luminous from the inside out.

This morning I made her vegan English breakfast. While it wasn't your traditional bangers and mash, it was extraordinarily tasty, filling and healthy. It was also so pretty on the plate, I was tempted to call up Queen E to join me.

I used as many local ingredients as I could find - farmers' markets and locavore shops like The Gentle Rain, Pfennings Organic and Organic Oasis are great starting points.

To ensure a hot meal at the end, you'll need to dance between dishes. Neil Diamond helped with this one - he pairs beautifully with a Sunday morning.

Here's how I brought together a regal breakfast for two:

- Slice a medium tomato length-wise, top with a bit of butter (or Earth Balance butter if you want to go vegan), salt and pepper and I pushed a little fresh basil through the holes of the tomato. Put in a glass baking dish and broil for about 5-6 minutes. Top with more fresh basil.
- Saute about 8 button mushrooms (halved) in a little butter and minced garlic for about 6 or so minutes. Finish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Warm a can of baked beans in a saucepan.
- Steam some fresh kale leaves (I used curly kale and removed the main artery) for about 4 minutes
- Toast four slices of fresh, preferably whole grain, bread and top with butter or Earth Balance.

The assembly: Put two slices of buttered toast on each plate. Top one with mushrooms and then kale, and the other with the baked beans. The baked tomato graced the side of each plate, as did some leftover kale and mushrooms.

When I first read this recipe, I was dubious about the kale because I thought it would be tart and strong, especially in the morning. Yet it tasted wonderfully mellow and buttery with the mushrooms and toast. Kale is loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium, so you can't go wrong.

Who knew it would make a Holly Holy Dream of a breakfast?

Hand-me-up mittens

Thursday P'lovers series

If I wasn't allergic to wool, I'd be all over these beautiful mittens, made by Toronto designer, James B. Fowler of James Fowler Texti'll.

They're made from 100% recycled wool and cashmere sweaters, proving that green can be absolutely luxurious! You can find them at P'lovers in Stratford or at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

They're bright, warm and easy on the environment. James Fowler Texti'll also creates recycled wool and silk scarves and a new line of cozy recycled wool slippers.

A wonderful gift idea - maybe even for Valentine's Day?

A pizza pie that's amore!

Spelt pizza dough: it sounds far too healthy and tasteless, doesn't it? But not the case with the Grainharvest artisanal variety made on Lexington Avenue in Waterloo.

On Friday I constructed the most beautiful pizza pie - I mean one of those enormous gooey things you see in the window of a gourmet pizzeria. I know I sound boastful but hands down, I am the most baking challenged individual you know. Even though I found a tub of pre-made, no-brainer stuff at Pfenning's Organic and More in St. Agatha, I was still dubious. You would be too if you saw the "baked," ahem, "goods" that emerged from my oven in days gone by.

But Grainharvest Breadhouse made my job easy. I simply floured my work surface, rolled out the dough and carefully transferred it to a pizza stone. I turned in the edges, coated it with olive oil, tomato sauce and sauteed vegetables (I even sprinkled chopped Extreme Beans and what a delicious zing!) and an obscene amount of cheese, naturally, and baked on 425 for about 18-20 minutes. It was my weekend masterpiece - I just wish I took a moment to consider a photograph before diving in.

The bread was the show stopper; you can taste the quality baked right into the dough. Grainharvest says the key to artisan baking is using wholesome ingredients free of additives and preservatives, and slow fermentation, which gives enzymes enough time to break down complex carbohydrates therefore making the bread easier to digest. It creates lactic acid, contributing to better digestibility and unique flavour, and acetic acid, which acts as a natural preservative.

Grainharvest uses local ingredients such as Ontario eggs. Its spelt and kamut flour come from Saugeen, Ontario and the rice flour is from Scotland, Ontario.

There are few people I know who don't like pizza. Instead of buying the pre-made packaged stuff at the grocery store, often loaded with synthetic fillers to make it through the long truck ride, try something fresh, local and wholesome like Grainharvest. You too can transform into an artisanal breadmaking god or goddess in the time it takes to order delivery.

Mighty mushroom risotto

Holy shiitake - I made the most delicious mushroom risotto yesterday, using three varieties of local mushrooms: white buttons, shiitake and portabello.

I found the white buttons - Essex Kent brand from Kingsville - at Zehrs. The Gentle Rain in Stratford supplies the other two: organic shiitakes from Weth Farms in Goderich and portabellos from Windmill Farms in Whitby.

It was steamy, creamy, delicate yet hearty and doused with green peas and a sprig of fresh parsley. I takes a little longer to make but this delectable slow food dish is absolutely divine and worth every minute you invest. I usually set aside 45 minutes of uninterrupted time to make it (you need to constantly stir the rice). Prepare your ingredients ahead so you just have to drop them into the pan, pour yourself a big ol' glass of wine and sink into the loveliness of the process. Here's how I make it:

- Heat 4 C reduced sodium chicken broth in a saucepan over med-low heat
- In a larger saucepan over med-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and with a wooden spoon, saute a minced shallot and as much garlic as you like until translucent (about 2 mins)
- Add 1 C aborio rice and stir until coated (about 1 min)
- Add 1/3 C dry white wine and stir until absorbed
- Ladle 1/2 C hot chicken stock into the mixture, stirring continuously. Once absorbed, add more hot stock until you're almost out (this will take around 15-18 minutes or so)
- Toward the end of the broth, add as many chopped mushrooms (I remove the stems from the shiitakes and portabellos) and frozen peas as you'd like to the large saucepan
- Continue stirring and adding broth
- When broth is all used up, the rice should be still firm to the tooth and the peas cooked through. Remove from heat, stir in 1/3 C freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (or more!), cracked pepper and freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!

If you still aren't sold on making this for yourself and the ones you love, here are some additional facts about mushrooms. For more than 6,000 years, the Chinese have used shiitake mushrooms medicinally. Shiitakes have lentinan, an active compound that powers up the immune system and strengthens its ability to fight infection and disease. Against influenza and other viruses, lentinan has been shown to be even more effective than prescription drugs; it even improves the immune status of individuals with HIV and cancer.

Shiitakes are also good for your heart, being chalk full of eritadenine, which lowers cholesterol levels and L-ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. Portabellos and criminis have the most L-ergothioneine, followed by white buttons. White buttons contain up to 5 mg per three ounce serving-12 times as much as wheat germ and 4 times more than chicken liver. And more good news, L-ergothioneine is not destroyed when mushrooms are cooked.

Good for you, good for the local economy, good for the planet and crazy delicious. Does it seriously get any better than this?

Tashodi me happy

Thursday P'lovers series

Self-care is important. It's often what slips through the cracks when we're busy taking care of everyone else. As a new mother, there are times when I feel like I'm frantically paddling upstream in a sponge canoe just to make it through the day. I attest to leaving the house like I never once would - grey roots exploding like lightening, teeth barely brushed, face splashed and streaked with whatever moisturizer's in arm's reach (yes, diaper cream has found its way to my t-zone). It ain't always pretty, but it's my new frazzled reality.

Despite often feeling like I need a quick fix, my vices are few: I don't smoke, drugs are limited to a rare sip of Pepto Bismol (I'm not sure if you've noticed but I do enjoy food), shopping doesn't give me the thrill it once did, and drinking? Well, I enjoy a glass of wine as much as the next girl but it usually hits me faster than I can finish a story and believe me, my friends have validated this theory.

So instead of buying cigarettes, expensive over-the-counter remedies or retail bargains that aren't usually bargains anyway, I choose to vote green with my green and treat myself to something good for both me and the planet. It may cost $22.95 a jar but it's worth it. I'm worth it. And no, I'm not talking about hair colour (while my roots could surely use it).

I am talking about Toronto-based, Canadian-made Tashodi body scrubs, which come in the most exquisite tea and lemon, green coffee, pure lavender and ocean mineral varieties. Used in a steamy hot bath, these aromatic eco-friendly crystals exfoliate all your worries away, helping you get back to you. My suggested pairing: Tashodi SLS-free foam wash, a chilled glass of good pinot grigio and a dusted-off tiara.

Tashodi offers a range of bath and body care products that also include body bars, soaks and baby products. You can find them at P'lovers in Stratford, as well as a number of eco-conscious retailers across the country.

Tashodi is committed to offering paraben-free products that are transfair, certified organic, genuinely natural and otherwise green. Its founder, Natacha Rey, began her career studying Chinese and homeopathic medicine, as well as aromatherapy and reflexology. After five years of study, Natacha practiced in a medical clinic where she had a hard time keeping up with the demand for the skin care products she hand-blended for her patients. Soon after Tashodi was born.

Everything about Tashodi products makes you feel good, right down to the plant-fiber packaging and promotional material, both biodegratable and recyclable. And feeling good leads to doing good, which is really what it's all about, isn't it?

Put your best (exfoliated) foot forward and treat yourself to some Tashodi.