World’s Largest Egg Hunts

Many local farms open their doors for Easter Weekend to provide a fun, memorable experience for local families. From tea rooms with fresh scones and pie, to amazing play structures, baby animals and wagon rides, local farms are serving up great Easter Memories. One of the big events being hosted by many local farms are huge egg hunts. Some egg hunts take place over a huge area, acres and acres of eggs. Other farms will feature a huge egg hunt that lasts a whole week, catering to thousands of visitors. Maybe it’s simply hunting for Huge eggs. Each farm has a different experience to serve up, but you can be sure it will be fresh, fun, and fantastic! Learn more about Local Farms or find the farm nearest to your readers, on the OFFMA website at www.ontariofarmfresh.com

Find a local farm near you and celebrate Easter in a big way with egg hunts in a back yard across acres and acres!

A Dozen benefits for finding your local farm

You get the freshest food. period.

You can buy groceries without supermarket distractions

You can jump into a strawbed and feel giddy again

You can pet a lamb and gaze into a donkey’s eyes

You can cut out the middle men, and buy direct from the farmer

You can get the freshest berries for your daiquiri recipe

You can learn about the good life and re-connect with the old way

You can get unique gifts

You can see the sky and smell the tree buds

You can have a picnic

You can play

You form friendships with the people that grow food close to your home

The Stop Community Food Centre announces that it has selected two Ontario towns, Perth and Stratford, as the first pilot sites to replicate The Stop’s innovative community food centre model, where food is used to build health, skills, and community. This unique and unprecedented collaboration is the first phase of a process that The Stop hopes will eventually bring the CFC model to every community in the country.

The Stop began life in the 1970s as one of Canada’s first food banks, and has been on the frontlines of confronting hunger ever since. Over the years, in order to confront the root causes of poverty, poor nutrition and social isolation, the non-profit organization has evolved into a thriving, holistic community centre offering a wide range of services and initiatives, including several community gardens and kitchens; after school cooking and gardening programs; a farmers’ market; community advocacy training; a nutritional support program for new and expectant mothers; and a sustainable food systems education centre. On a recent visit to Toronto, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver said of The Stop: “I’ve travelled all around the world, and I’ve never seen anything like The Stop. Every city should have one.”

“The Stop is a grassroots approach to tackling some of the really big problems we have in our food system: diet-related illness, disappearing farmland, deepening poverty,” says Nick Saul, The Stop’s Executive Director. “There’s so much interest in food at the moment, and what good food can do for people and communities. We get calls and visits almost every day from other organizations interested in our approach.” Saul says the pilot process will be geared toward measuring the impact that multifaceted food centres can have on individual and community health to make the case that society needs to invest in more community food centres. “Traditionally, food programs have been run out of basements on a shoestring. We’re going to try to change that, to aim higher and to build a vibrant funding program that brings public and private money together to support these programs at the level they deserve.”

In the fall of 2010, a committee from The Stop, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion’s Healthy Communities Fund and The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, set out to locate other communities who could most effectively adapt The Stop’s model for their own needs. After considering several locations, Perth and Stratford were chosen because of the combination of need and local infrastructure, as well as the strong and diverse set of local partners who share The Stop’s philosophy and are prepared to drive the project forward.

In Perth, The Stop will be partnering with the Perth and District Food Bank, a food bank whose staff and volunteers have decided to re-invent their organization. The food bank has recently purchased a 1960s-era stucco church which, once it is retrofitted with a kitchen and garden, will house their CFC.

“We are excited about the opportunity to work with The Stop to create a version of a community food centre that re-creates the powerful, and exciting programs that we see at The Stop, but that is also relevant to our community,” says Nancy Wildgoose, a local resident who has been one of the driving forces behind the CFC initiative in Perth. Wildgoose envisions dining programs for seniors, healthy cooking programs for young parents and kids living on low incomes, community gardening programs open to the whole community and social enterprise initiatives as some of the options that hold promise for Perth.

In Stratford, the United Way of Perth-Huron is the lead partner and will incubate the project. “Our Food Security Coalition has been working on re-imagining the approach to food security in our community. This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance the range of programs that we can offer and develop other partnerships within the county,” says Ellen Balmain the Executive Director of the United Way of Perth- Huron. “We are thrilled that Stratford was chosen as one of the locations for The Stop’s project.” A location is currently being sought for the new project. Balmain points to the richness of the local food landscape, with the many successful restaurants, chef’s school and Slow Food movement as potentially powerful allies in this project. As with the Town of Perth, the rural environment will present new opportunities to address issues related to local farming and farm families.

For more information on The Stop Community Centre or on how you can volunteer/donate visit – http://www.thestop.org/home

The Daily Bread Food Bank is gearing up for the Spring Drive!

Whether you are new to Daily Bread Food Bank or a long-time friend,
They’re glad to have your partnership and support.

Thank you for your generous past support of feeding hungry people in our communities.

With the Spring Drive on from April 1st to April 26th, 2011, now is the time to start planning your food and fund drive.

Why wait? Register your food and fund drive today!

Thank you for your continued support!

Discover how delicious food can help deliver Optimum Fitness!

Eat, learn and have fun at this Hands-On Cooking Class

Learn about:
o What to eat before Race Day
o Recovery Drinks
o Protein
o Hydration
o Nutrition

Date: Saturday April 9th from 11:30-3

Prices: Now Accepting PayPal payments!!!
$119 before March 15 Register Early and Save!!
$129 After March 15-April 9th

Register now at:
mc@marycatherineanderson.com

Class Instructors:

MARYCATHERNE ANDERSON BA
MaryCatherine has been developing recipes and preparing nutritious and delicious meals for clients for 7 years.
She is excited to combine sports nutrition with amazing recipes for this Food for Fitness class. Cooking instructor at
Nella Cucina and the Big Carrot Member of Canfitpro, Certifed in Vegetarian Cuisine.

KAREN SOPER BSc., CNP
Karen has been practicing holistic nutrition since she graduated from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in June 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Science
degree and is a Certifed Nutritional Practitioner CNP. She teaches a Nutrition and Wellness Certifcation for Canadian
Fitness Professionals, and provides nutrition workshops for elementary students through her own Gorganic-Wellness Education program.

Karen trains on three core pillars – nutrition, physical fitness, and wellness. Bringing those components together, and taking a holistic approach she teaches
how to achieve balance, variety and moderation in all of life’s aspects.

Nella Cucina
876 Bathurst Street
(Just north of Bloor)
Toronto, ON M5R 3G3

For more information please email:  mc@marycatherineanderson.com

On-line debit transactions welcome. Cash, Certifed Cheque or Money Orders can be delivered to the Front Cash Desk at Nella Cucina 876 Bathurst Street,
Attention: Mary Catherine Anderson.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED.

In the event that the class is cancelled, full refundswill be issued.

The 18th anniversary of Chipotle’s focus on using high quality ingredients will be celebrated over the next four months by wrapping its burritos in gold.

Chipotle estimates that it will wrap as many as 35 million burritos in gold foil during that period.

Stay tuned to the Chipotle as they launch their new in house news paper The Gold Burrito Digest, and a new menu panel featuring a text short code (text GOLD to 888222) that allows customers to learn more about Food With Integrity using their mobile phones.

Visit the Chipotle website for more information

Chipotle Mexican Grill — CLICK HERE

Sweet Escapes join the Paintlounge on March 9th @7pm for a night of edible art fun!

For the first time in Paintlounge history,create a masterpiece that you can not only take home – but eat it too! You’re not limited to roses, sparkles and swirls so let your imagination free!

Website: www.paintlounge.ca

Date: Wednesday March 9, 2011

Event Time: 7:00pm to 9:30pm

Details: Your admission of $25 includes:

* all materials, including 6 unadorned cupcakes
(flavours: double chocolate, red velvet, vanilla), additional cupcakes will be available for purchase including samples to try
* packaging to transport your masterpieces home safely
* $10 off voucher for any painting session at Paintlounge (our studio will be open for painting that evening)

Jenn, the mastermind behind Sweet Escapes, will teach you skills that you can do at home, using simple cake decorating tools. Flip through our ‘inspiration book’ for ideas or let your imagination do the work!  It will be a great night to meet other cake-decorating enthusiasts and new friends.

The Paintlounge will  also have a number of local artists on-site who will be trying their hand with this new medium, it will definitely be fun to watch! At the end of the workshop, you’ll take home a box of your own delicious creations!

If you would like to book your spot in advance, email us at info@paintlounge.ca

Second Harvest has officially launched their 13^th annual Lunch Money Day campaign. Taking place on Thursday, February 17^th. Lunch Money Day encourages Torontonians to donate the equivalent of what they would usually spend on lunch to Second Harvest. Every $5 donation enables Second Harvest to provide enough fresh food for 10 nutritious meals to feed the city’s hungry.

To meet their $330,000 target, Second Harvest is looking for companies, schools and individuals to sign up and get involved by running their own Lunch Money Day campaign. Campaigns are  fun, easy and can take place in the office, school or home.

Here are some fun ways to raise money and help feed those in need:

• Hold a bake sale
• Host a dress down day and have participants make a donation for the opportunity to wear casual clothes
• Host a sponsored lunch, i.e. pizza party, potluck, and have participants make a donation to partake in the meal
• Sell Lunch Money Day raffle tickets
• Host a Wii Tournament with a set entrance fee

All participants are encouraged to create their own Lunch Money Day fundraising page at
lunchmoneyday.com so employees and students can watch their donations grow.

Take action and fight hunger in Toronto. Sign up your company or school today at
lunchmoneyday.com or call Alex Tindale at 416.408.2594.

About Second Harvest
Second Harvest is a charitable organization that takes a common-sense approach to hunger. For
the past 25 years, we have been picking up donated, perishable food, which would otherwise go
to waste, and delivering it to more than 200 social service agencies in Toronto. Independent
research group Charity Intelligence Canada has endorsed Second Harvest for its efficiency,
conscientious administration, and high return to the community for every dollar donated. In
addition, MoneySense magazine recently awarded an “A” grade to Second Harvest, naming it
one of the most responsible charitable groups in Canada.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a campaign spokesperson, please
contact:

Tonia Krauser
Director of Communications, Second Harvest
416.625.6774
toniak@secondharvest.ca

Quaker^® and Olympic Champion Alexandre Bilodeau

Invite Canadians To Join Them To

Make Breakfast Amazing

Quaker to Donate Up to Two Million Bowls of Oatmeal to Help Feed Canadians In Need

PepsiCo Foods Canada’s Quaker brand is on a mission to take its belief in the power of a nutritious breakfast to new heights this year, by motivating Canadians to start their day with Quaker oatmeal, and to help those in need to do the same. Today, the Quaker brand will unveil an exciting new initiative with Olympic Champion Alexandre Bilodeau called Unlock Amazing, which aspires to provide two million bowls of oatmeal¹ this year to help feed the more than 860,000 Canadians helped by food banks each month.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Quaker Canada and Bilodeau are asking Canadians to join them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/quakercanada where visitors can help Unlock Amazing by making a donation through creating a virtual breakfast bowl. If 25,000 consumers create a bowl, the Quaker brand will double their planned 2011 donation of one million bowls of oatmeal to two million bowls.

“The Quaker brand is very excited about this project, and to be working with Alexandre Bilodeau. Alexandre knows how important it is to start the day off right, and he knows a nutritious breakfast is key to unlocking his winning spirit to be a remarkable example for us all,” says Kathryn Matheson, Vice President, Marketing Quaker Foods and PepsiCo Foods Innovation at PepsiCo Foods Canada. “The Quaker brand wants to help Canadians feel inspired by Alexandre to begin the day with a breakfast that can help them unlock their own amazing potential, and to do something simple and fun that will result in giving a wholesome breakfast to others in need.”

Unlock Amazing for Food Banks Canada

Canadians can visit the Quaker brand Facebook page to create their own customized bowl of virtual oatmeal alongside Bilodeau at www.facebook.com/quakercanada. To participate, Canadians simply build a virtual bowl of oatmeal, and then add it to the Tower of Bowls. If the number of bowls made on Facebook increases to 25,000, the company will donate an additional one million bowls of oatmeal. Those who participate can also enter for a chance to win prizes to share with their amazing friends and family, including a chance to enjoy a ski vacation with Bilodeau.

“I feel privileged to be part of the Quaker brand’s efforts to ensure breakfast is accessible to Canadians who are helped by food banks,” says Bilodeau. “It’s an amazing opportunity to inspire Canadians to create healthier lifestyle habits, and to help give a helping hand to those in need.“

Helping To Reduce Hunger in Canada

There is an increasing need for support of food banks in Canada. Over the last two years, food bank use in Canada has risen by 28 per cent, an unprecedented rate of growth. In March 2010, more than 860,000 people relied on the assistance of a food bank in order to have enough to eat – 38 per cent were children and youth.² This is the highest level of food bank use on record.

Food Banks Canada Executive Director Katharine Schmidt says people who rely on their services need nutritious breakfast choices like Quaker oatmeal, and programs like this go a long way to help meet the increased demand.

“Food banks have been providing food and other assistance to more than 700,000 people each month for the better part of a decade and continue to be a critical emergency food source for Canadians in need,” said Schmidt. This reality makes what the Quaker brand is doing even more relevant, because it’s programs like this that go a long way to providing much needed support required to address hunger in Canada.”

In addition to helping those in need, Bilodeau says he hopes to encourage the one in five Canadians who say they are too rushed, or that there is no time for breakfast³, to make the time to enjoy a nutritious bowl of Quaker oatmeal that can set the tone to the day.

“I’ve been eating Quaker oatmeal since I was a kid,” says Bilodeau. “I believe that if you approach your morning the right way, it has a direct and positive impact on how your whole day plays out. For me, breakfast is really key to that.”

Why Oatmeal Can Be An Amazing Start To The Day

When we think about Quaker oats, words like wholesome, nourishing and good for you come to mind, and for good reason. Not only do they taste great and fit easily into your everyday diet, but they can also do so much more. Oats are a good source of fibre, consisting of both soluble and insoluble fibre. Research supports the link between the consumption of oatmeal and the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels. Health Canada recently confirmed the beneficial role oat fibre can play in reducing cholesterol, approving the claim ‘oat fibre helps reduce cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease. 1 packet (33-46g) of Quaker Instant Oatmeal supplies 30 to 40 per cent of the daily amount of the fibres shown to help reduce cholesterol.’ ⁴

Research Says Nutrition Is #1 At Breakfast

When deciding what to eat for breakfast, Canadians rank nutrition first, over taste and convenience, according to The NDP Group’s study on national eating trends in Canada (for the 12 months ending March 2009):

A recent Ipsos Reid survey³ found:

-                       Fifty-five per cent of Canadians have breakfast every day; 45 per cent do not

-                       Boomers are the most likely to do so

-                       French Canadians are more likely to eat breakfast regularly than their English counterparts

-                       Two-thirds of Canadians who don’t eat breakfast say they’re just not hungry in the morning

-                       Twenty-nine per cent only consume liquids

-                       One in five say they’re too rushed or don’t have time

ALEXANDRE BILODEAU’S MORNING OATMEAL RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 serving (30 g) One Minute Quaker Oats

or Quaker 100 per cent Whole Grain Oats in Packets

2 tablespoons Plain or vanilla yogurt

3 teaspoons Fresh of frozen berries

(place frozen berries in the refrigerator overnight to defrost)

METHOD

Make oatmeal as per package directions
Top with your favorite yogurt and berries.
Enjoy!

As part of the popular Food For Change Dinner Series, the Stop’s acclaimed chef Chris Brown (former Executive Chef of Perigee Restaurant) presents an intimate dining experience in support of one of many “fight for hunger” campaigns and make a change.

One Thursday each month, Chef Brown will prepare a great five course meal featuring local, sustainable food, savoured in the greenhouse of the Stop’s fabulous Green Barn at Christie and St. Clair.

Come out to support a good cause and experience some delicious fine food prepared by a world class chef.

If you want to see what it’s like in a professional kitchen join the kitchen crew and help prepare the feast.

This month, Chris is joined in the kitchen by Chef Bertrand Alepee (formely of Amuse Bouche) and pastry chef extraordinaire Steven Song (formerly of Senses).

The meal is $75, with wine pairing $120, kitchen crew $100

——

Menu — January 20, 2011

(Menu subject to change without notice)

Celery root velouté with Ontario stilton mousse, red cabbage chutney and toasted walnuts
(Chris Brown)

East coast haddock with glazed crosnes, broccoli rabe and horseradish emulsion sauce
(Chris Brown)

Roasted veal sweetbreads with seared scallops over a root vegetable puree and sautéed black trumpet mushrooms
(Bertrand Alépée)

Hunter elk plate: Lightly seared Ontario elk with spiced spatzle, pine jus and wood fire-roasted chestnuts
(Bertrand Alépée)

Ode to street sweets. A trio of a mini Boston cream doughnut, a vanilla éclair and a espresso mousse
(Steven Song)

For more information about The Stop click here to visit their site.

Quiznos 2011 Pro Bowl in Honolulu contest is here.  Win $1000 spending money along with your FREE tickets to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

ALl you have to do is fill out the contest entry form at Quiznos.ca

Click here to find the Quiznos contest page – HERE

And it looks something like this: