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Earlier this month, our family participated in GLAD’s Fresh Food Challenge. The folks at GLAD sent us a few things to get us started like freezer bags, clingwrap and zipper bags.

It was astonishing to find out the statistics about food waste in Canada:

The typical Canadian household spends $5,572 per year on grocery food items, including $465 per year on fresh fruit and vegetables
On average, 13% of all food is thrown out, resulting in $725 worth of food items ending up in the garbage. This is the equivalent of two months’ worth of groceries.
The average Canadian wastes over $175 per year on produce spoilage.

To keep us on track to avoid throwing out food, it was important to keep track of leftovers. If things could be frozen, they were placed into freezer bags, labelled and put in the freezer. For example, when I made Shepard’s Pie, I had made too much meat.  The extra meat was bagged and frozen right away and is ready and waiting for another quick dinner.

Cookies were packed in the freezer bags, keeping them fresh for school lunches. Items like meat and lamb were wrapped in press and seal and then placed in freezer bags. This kept them from getting freezer burn and less likely to be tossed out.

These little tips can be used all the time to ensure food stays fresh and there is less waste:

Disclaimer – GLAD sent me products to help with the challenge as well as compensation. All opinions are my own.

One of my favourite events that I attended this summer was one involving
Canada Beef, Karisma Hotels in Mexico and Jackson Family Wines. It
was a fabulous event in the garden of Rouge Restaurant learning about this partnership, highlighting Canadian beef in Mexico and enhancing beef and wine pairing knowledge.

Launched in January 2014, Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ inaugural Canadian Beef Culinary Series, by Karisma, invites guests to relish the taste of Canada’s top culinary talent and best cuts of prime beef while enjoying a Gourmet Inclusive® vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico that is as delicious as it is unforgettable. 

We were spoiled with delicious creations by the talented chefs Michael
Allemeier and Paul Rogalski.

The dishes were stunning to look at and
even better in my belly. Here’s a look at what we tried:

Beef Tataki with Vegetable Yuzu Salad

Oxtail broth, Roasted Garlic and Bone Marrow Pearls  

Top Sirloin with Watermelon, Feta and Lime

Smoked Brisket Sticky Buns

Manhattan Strip with tortilla Fried Avocado

Beef Cheek Arancini, Blue Cheese Cream  

The evening included a seminar by Jackson Family Wines and how different wines paired with different beef.

The best part of the night was a giveaway – a week’s stay at Karisma
Hotels in the Mayan Riviera, enjoying their gourmet inclusive experience. I was ecstatic
when I won!! We are so looking forward to a relaxing getaway and
delicious food. Less than two months away and the countdown has begun!