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marriott calgary airport in-terminal hotel

January 31, 2017 By Fareen 1 Comment

When Calgary’s new international terminal opened late last year, the new Marriott In-Terminal Hotel also opened. Located between the international and domestic terminals, the hotel boasts 318 guest rooms, Fitness Centre, a swimming pool and Yakima, the hotel restaurant and bar.

Marriott Exterior

The fact that it’s located right in the airport is so convenient, especially for those early morning flights. Last month, when we headed to Cuba, our friends spent the night since our flight was at 6am. Needless to say, we totally wished we had done the same, as we were heading out the door at 3am.

Marriott Looking Out

My family and I were invited to spend the night and check out the hotel for ourselves. We jumped at the chance to have a mini staycation, especially since I had checked out the hotel during the opening and loved everything about it.

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15 minute shrimp curry (video)

January 18, 2017 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Shrimp curry in 15 minutes with items from your pantry? Yes please! Life is busy, so sometimes it’s not always ideal to run to the grocery store to get fresh ingredients to make dinner. Having spices, canned tomatoes and fried onions on hand makes it easy to whip up something quick and delicious. Since shrimp is easy to thaw and quick to cook, it’s a staple in my freezer.

Shrimp Curry

This is a quick way to make a tasty curry. I combine the tomatoes and spices together in a bowl and add the whole mixture to a hot pan. Add in some shrimp and you have a hot meal without calling for take out.

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slow cooker butternut squash soup

January 16, 2017 By Fareen 1 Comment

January is soup month. Which is perfect, because with the cold weather, what better way to warm up than with a bowl of steaming hot soup.

One of our favorite things is butternut squash, roasted with salt and pepper. The flavours are so delicious and I thought they would be perfect as a soup. I tossed everything is the slow cooker, and let the soup cook for a few hours. I was actually surprised to find frozen butternut squash, already cut up, making this soup even easier than it already is.

Butternut Squash Soup

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ginger lemon mint fizz

January 12, 2017 By Fareen 1 Comment

Happy New Year! It’s been so cold in our neck of the woods, so it was nice to escape to the heat in Cuba. We travelled with friends and rang in the New Year with white sand, blue water and warm sunshine.

Although mint was scarce in Cuba, we did find one place on our resort that had some and were able to enjoy mojitos in addition to the many pina coladas we had. Even the little one enjoyed it – lime and mint make a great combination! When we came back, I longed for something refreshing and this Ginger Lemon Mint Fizz did the trick.

Ginger Lemon Mint Fizz

While it’s nice to snuggle up with a warm drink, this sparkling drink makes me dream of summer, and chilling on the patio. The tart lemon with the sweetness and spiciness of the ginger simple syrup is complemented with mint. Club soda finishes off the drink adding the perfect bubbly touch.

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Snowballs

December 20, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Just a few more baking days before Christmas. If you’re looking for something easy to make, these Snowballs are quick and delicious!

snowballs

This is a great recipe not just for Christmas but all year round. My mom makes these all the time and they are great. Small cookie balls dipped in jam and coconut – yes please!

This recipe is super simple and you can use any jam that you like.

Snowballs

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Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour
1 - 2 TB milk
raspberry or strawberry jam
flaked or desiccated coconut

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar until combined.
Add the eggs.
Add the baking powder and flour and mix well.
Add a little bit of milk until the dough comes together.
Make balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Once cooled, dip the cookies first in jam and then in coconut.

https://foodmamma.com/2016/12/snowballs/

Win a $100 gift card to Marlborough Mall!

December 19, 2016 By Fareen 2 Comments

With just a few more shopping days before Christmas, it may not be possible for your online purchases to get here in time. Time to get to the mall for some last minute shopping! It’s always fun to see the decorations and of course, get a visit in with Santa.

Marlborough Mall has something for everyone! From appliances and clothes from Sears on one end to toys and groceries from Walmart on the other, it can be your one stop mall. It’s easy to run into the bank, update your cell phone plan and even grab a pedicure! On my list is some makeup for me, Paw Patrol swag for the 2 year old, Nintendo DS games for the 8 year old and maybe a stop in at the travel agency to book a getaway with hubby.

Make a date out of it and grab some dinner at one of their many restaurants. Newly opened Brown’s Socialhouse and the Old Spaghetti Factory are some delicious options. I especially loved the Bam Bam Shrimp at the Old Spaghetti Factory and the Biltmore Pizza with shrimp and pesto from Brown’s.

Enter to win a $100 gift card from Marlborough Mall! See the ways to enter below. Contest closes on December 22nd at 11:59PM MST. The winner will have 24 hours to respond. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Baked French Toast…in a Mug

December 14, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Do dishes taste better in individual portions? I had baked french toast on my mind and was happy to test out this theory when I received four Meal Mugs from CorningWare.

These CorningWare Meal Mugs were perfect for individual servings of this baked french toast. Imagine these on Christmas morning, each member of the family with their own mug of deliciousness. Make them the night before and let them sit in the fridge. Pop them in a pre-heated oven in the morning and you have a warm, tasty breakfast. Top them with your faves – whipping cream, maple syrup, icing sugar, fruit, nuts – the options are endless. The baked french toast can also be made in the microwave, you just won’t get the toasty bits on top, but is just as tasty (see the mug in the bottom right above)!

These mugs are great! They are made of durable stoneware material whose non-porous surface does not absorb food odours, flavours or stains. The mugs are dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer and microwave safe and if you pre-heat the oven, you can stick them in there too! Their vented lids, which are patented, allow the steam to escape and are BPA-free and can be used in the microwave and the dishwasher. These are perfect for soups, and stews and on some days, large cups of much needed coffee.

You can find these mugs at the following retailers: Amazon.ca, Walmart Canada, Loblaws, Home Outfitters, London Drug and www.shopworldkitchen.com.

Twitter Party!

Make sure you participate in the #MealMug Twitter Party for your chance to win your own mugs. You can RSVP here for the December 15th event taking place at 7-8pm MST.

Baked French Toast…in a Mug

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Ingredients

1 loaf of French bread
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Cut the bread into cubes.
Combine the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl.
Add the bread cubes until everything is coated.
Divide the bread into 4 Meal Mugs and place in the fridge overnight.
When ready to bake, place the mugs in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
For the microwave - microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes.

https://foodmamma.com/2016/12/baked-french-toast-mug/

Popeyes Chicken is coming to Calgary….win!

December 13, 2016 By Fareen 14 Comments

Hey, have you heard? Popeyes Chicken is coming to Calgary! Opening on December 19 in Forest Lawn, Alberta is the first province to open restaurants as part of the Western expansion. There are over 100 stores in Canada with it’s new Edmonton location, which opened last month, being the latest.

At Popeyes, they take the time to marinate their chicken for 12 hours creating a well-seasoned tender and juicy chicken which is hand-battered and served up fresh every 15 minutes for a crispy crust. Their chicken can be ordered mild or spicy, so something to please everyone.

Popeyes has a culinary heritage unique to Louisiana with authentic Cajun and Creole recipes handed down from a 300 year old fusion of cooking styles, spices and ingredients.

I have heard so many great things about Popeyes and can’t wait to check it out! Want to win a gift certificate so you can check it out too? See the ways to enter below. Multiple winners will be chosen.

Contest closes on December 21st at 11:59MST. Winners will have 24 hours to respond. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get a jar, Give a Meal with Famoso’s Campania Tomato Sauce

December 12, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

At this time of year, it’s always great to see different ways to make a difference. Famoso has a great campaign for the holidays where it’s not only easy to give, it’s delicious.

Famoso and Mealshare have joined forces and for every jar sold of their Campania Tomato Sauce, Mealshare will provide a meal to someone in need.

The tomatoes are hand-picked from Naples and hand-milled and the sauce is perfect for creating a delicious recipe at home. From soup to mussels, the Campania Tomato Sauce will make a great addition to any meal.

By the way, Famoso has some new flavours for fall. I absolutely fell in love with their Korean Beef pizza. Make sure you give it a try when you head to Famoso for a jar of Campania.