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sriracha-infused menu items at pizza 73…and a giveaway!

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Pizza is one of my favourite things. Carbs, cheese, sauce and an endless variety of toppings – what’s not to love? Usually when have pizza at home, you can be sure that the bottle of Sriracha is served alongside, adding just the perfect amount of heat.

Pizza 73 now has Sriracha-infused menu items, combining the delicious pizza with the spicy sauce. They sent us their new items to try and we loved them!

The Sriracha Chicken Pizza uses their
new Sriracha Honey Garlic Sauce as the base and is topped with
pineapple, chicken and fresh green peppers. Q couldn’t get enough of their chicken wings which were tossed in the same sauce. I thought they would be too spicy for him but that didn’t stop him from devouring them. They also have a new dipping sauce, the Sriracha Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce which was perfect with their curly fries.

Want to win a $50 gift card to try out their new items for yourself? Leave a comment, either here, on Facebook, on Twitter or on Instagram, and let me know what you like on your pizza. Contest closes on Monday, July 11th at 11:59pm MST. Two winners will be chosen.  Good luck!

breakfast at disney’s aulani (honolulu)

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This past February, I finally made it to Hawaii! I didn’t need a gift
for my birthday in March, just a trip with my family. We went to
Honolulu with both sets of parents and had a wonderful time. Although we
didn’t spend our ten days at Aulani, Disney’s resort in Hawaii, we did
manage to go there for breakfast.

After
taking a Disney cruise, we have become fans of  all things Disney so we
were very excited for our morning at the Character Breakfast.

The
Disney Character Breakfast takes place at Makahiki, the restaurant
located on the first floor. Our first stop was a picture with the top
mouse himself, Mickey. He took the time to shake hands with the kids and
give out hugs. We were also given enough time to take pictures with him
as a large group as well as smaller groups. The line wasn’t huge and
this one-on-one was a pleasant surprise.

Makahiki
is all about buffet dining and there was so much variety for breakfast.
They had a little kids station which was stocked with Mickey waffles
(!), scrambled eggs and tater tots.  Breakfast also included an omelet
station, smoked salmon, various meats and cheeses, loads of fruit, eggs,
pastries and dessert. There is definitely something for everyone!

We
had visits from Goofy and Minnie who took the time to come by and take
pictures. Aunty entertained with her ukelele and got the kids to
participate in a little performance around the restaurant.  It was such a
memorable day!

If
you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary, be sure to let them know
when making a reservation. In true Disney style, they really do make
you feel special.

in and around calgary

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There’s been a lot going on the last couple months in Calgary. From restaurant openings, new menus and celebrations, it’s been busy! Here’s what’s been happening!

PZA Parlour
This new restaurant is located in the SW, taking over the space that was once home to Red Robin. The decor is great and the restaurant features a planter wall and even a Vespa.

I came for a bloggers dinner and we were treated to an amazing meal!

From crispy calamari to cheesy pizza to the best doughnuts topped with Nutella!

Thomsons Restaurant Summer Menu
I was invited to check out Thomsons new summer menu. We tried their Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese as well as their signature dishes like their Steak Bites made with Alberta Beef. I also loved their nachos, especially with their lime sour cream.

They have quite a list of cocktails to enjoy as well. Perfect for enjoying on their patio.

Second Cup Reimagined
Second Cup Coffee Co. unveiled its first-ever cafe of the future in Calgary. With a completely new look, you would never guess that this was a Second Cup!

Some of the items that stood out were:
The Slow Bar which features the Steampunk – a coffee brewing system that is uses technology to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

A Wireless Charging Station

Community Wall Mural

The new concept store in Calgary is located in the Braeside Shopping Centre.


Veg-In YYC

Veg-In YYC is a new vegetarian cafe open in Downtown Calgary. From sandwiches to burgers, these meals are made using the freshest ingredients. These vegan and vegetarian dishes have an east indian influence. Don’t forget to get your chai or lassi!

Good Earth Coffee House

Good Earth Coffee House opened its first location on 11th Street in Calgary 25 years ago! Since then, its grown to over 45 locations nationwide.  Congrats on your anniversary!

grilled stone fruit salad

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It’s looking like its going to be another fantastic week. Days that are hot, the kitchen is the last place I want to be. We happily throw things on the bbq, while hanging around on the deck. We tend to eat a little lighter when it’s hot and salads become main meals, using whatever is in season.

Grilling stone fruits like nectarines and plums and then adding them to greens makes a delicious salad, definitely not boring. The fruit takes minutes to cook and really brings out the flavour of the fruit.  Olive oil and balsamic are all that’s needed to dress the salad. We also can’t forget the cheese, the perfect finishing touch.

Grill the fruit by cutting it in half, rubbing it with a little oil and placing it on the bbq. After a couple of minutes, remove from the heat and place on top of your favourite greens, like arugula. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper and top with a sprinkling of feta. This is great as-is or made heartier with some chicken or beef.

cheesy puff pastry sticks

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Puff pastry is one of those versatile things that are great to have in the freezer.  It’s perfect for desserts or main courses and great for making a range of appetizers.

I had people coming over and needed something to add to the charcuterie board. I was hoping for bread sticks but didn’t have any. I did have puff pastry though so cheese sticks sounded perfect. I had recently found Nigella seeds which added a burst of flavour with every bite. These taste great, and even more so when they are warm.

Cheesy Puff Pastry Sticks

1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup shredded cheddar / marble cheese
2 tsp nigella seeds

Roll out the puff pastry. Sprinkle the cheese on the pastry and fold it in half. Roll it out again so that the cheese gets incorporated into the dough. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the pastry and run the rolling pin over it so that the seeds get embedded into the dough. Cut strips and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, giving them a little twist. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

knafi

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Hope all the moms out there had a great Mother’s Day. I got spoiled by my boys with cards and bath bombs and even made it to the movies!

We had our moms over for lunch on Sunday, celebrating how awesome they are. We had spinach salad, dhokra, barbecued chicken and oven-fried cassava. There was also plenty for dessert – fruit, a bundt and knafi.

I tried Knafi at my aunt’s house a couple years ago and loved it! Shredded phyllo enveloping a sweet ricotta mixture – it was so good, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I finally got the recipe for this Lebanese treat last week and thought it was perfect to try out for Mother’s Day. I was surprised at how easy this dessert was. In fact, Q did all the work. The crunchy phyllo, the warm cheese – it was heaven!

Knafi 

2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
1 lb shredded phyllo
3/4 cup melted butter

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the ricotta with the sugar. Place the shredded phyllo in a large bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix until the pastry is coated with the butter.

Spread half the pastry on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ pan. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the phyllo. Cover the cheese layer with the remaining phyllo.

Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. In the meantime, make the syrup (see below). Remove from the oven and pour cold syrup over top. Serve warm.

Syrup: Combine the sugar and water and stir until dissolved. Boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and boil for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

trunch at pampa

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Looking for something a little different than the traditional Mother’s Day lunch? How about Trunch? Available at Pampa Brazilian Restaurant, Trunch is the perfect blend of brunch, lunch and tea.

I was invited to Pampa to check out what they were cooking up. This is no ordinary brunch!

Pampa has an amazing salad bar featuring fruit and charcuterie platters, fresh house breads with jams and cheeses along with 40 salads, dressings and sauces. I loved the beef carpaccio and the fresh mint dressing was amazing. I may have used that with my meat.

They also have some hot selections like french toast, brazilian crepes and eggs. Meat is carved tableside, and you can enjoy a limitless amount. For Trunch, you can enjoy Pampa sausage, leg of lamb, chicken, marinated pork loin, barbecued pork belly and my favourite, Picanha or the rumpstake. Your delicious meal will be followed by freshly brewed House Apple tea.

This is a unique experience to celebrate with the people you love. My 7 year old loved everything about Pampa, enjoying every juicy bite of meat and even eating some vegetables.

Trunch is offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning with a special Mother’s Day Trunch on May 7th and 8th, which will include a surprise gift for each mom. Pampa is also offering a Victoria Day Trunch on Sunday, May 22nd and on Monday, May 23rd, which will feature a unique cheese bread-making demonstration at noon. Don’t worry dads, a special Father’s Day Trunch will be served on Sunday, June 19th.  Adults can enjoy Trunch for $29.50 per guest while children aged 12 and under can dine for only $15.95 per child. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (587) 354-3441.

Cheers to all the fabulous mothers! 

win with terra foods!

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One of my favourite places to shop in Calgary is the Italian Centre Shop. It’s a great place to pick up some bread, some great sauces, thinly sliced beef salami and of course mouth watering pastries. Terra Foods has graciously offered some amazing products, most of which are available at the Italian Centre Shop. This prize package consists of:

Rao’s Tomato Basil Sauce
Rao’s Artichoke Sauce (new and exclusive to Italian Centre Shop)
Rao’s Pizza Sauce (one of Italian Centre Shop’s best sellers — perfect with the homemade dough in our coolers!)
Rao’s Lemon Cooking Sauce 
Brickstone Fine Foods Cheese Pleasers — Peppery Mission Fig, Cherry & Calvados, Maple Walnut, Apple Pecan and Jalapeno Apricot…These are condiments to accompany cheese — non GMO, from Montreal 
Hint Water — 6 flavours (3 flat/3 fizzy) — no additives, no sugar, gluten-free, all natural. 

Rao’s products are gluten-free, with no preservatives or additives. I had their Artichoke Sauce the other night and it was delicious!

Leave a comment and let me know your favourite things to pick up from the market. Increase your chances of winning by sharing on social media. Good luck!

Pick up from Calgary is required, so please only enter if you will be able to pick up the prize. A winner will be chosen by random draw and will need to answer a skill testing question. Once the winner is contacted, they have 24 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

win with canada beef!

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It’s no secret that we all love beef around here. Canada Beef has graciously donated a $50 gift card to Tim Horton’s to celebrate six years of Food Mamma. Canada Beef is a great resource educating consumers on all things beef. They have an impressive Centre of Excellence based in Calgary which features a consumer demo and test kitchen, a commercial kitchen as well as a beef fabrication room.  They also have an amazing app, the Roundup App, which is free and helps you in determining what cut to buy, how to cook it and what to cook.

Want to win a $50 gift card for Tim Horton’s and check out some of their great beef offerings. (My favourite is the steak and cheese panini!) Leave a comment stating your favourite cut of beef. Increase your chances of winning by sharing on social media. Good luck!

Contest open to residents of Canada. A winner will be chosen by random draw and will need to answer a skill testing question. Once the winner is contacted, they have 24 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

celebrating with cake – food mamma is six!

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I love March. It’s the start of Spring, my birthday month as well as the anniversary of my blog.

I am excited to be celebrating six years of Food Mamma!  Q was only one when I started the blog. Things sure have changed. Z is turning two next month and I am so lucky to have both my boys happy to help in the kitchen. It’s always fun to create fun and tasty treats with my loves and be able to document it through my blog. I am also grateful for the friends and connections I have made.

We will be celebrating with some great giveaways from some of my amazing partners. Stay tuned to win with Cactus Club, Canada Beef, Cococo Chocolatiers, Edo Japan, Robert Rose and Terra Foods.

Of course we can’t have a celebration without cake. Here is a round up of some fabulous cakes, thanks to some fellow food bloggers. Now to decide which one to make….

Super Chocolatey Coca Cola Cake from Merry About Town
http://merryabouttown.com/super-chocolatey-coca-cola-cake/

Better Than Nutella Cheesecake from The Taste Space
https://tastespace.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/better-than-nutella-cheesecake-almost-raw-chocolate-hazelnut-cheesecake/

Japanese Cheesecake from Tiny Sweet Tooth
http://tinysweettooth.com/2016/02/28/japanese-cheesecake/

Blueberry Crumb Cake from Dish ‘N’ The Kitchen
https://dishnthekitchen.wordpress.com/2015/07/11/blueberry-crumb-cake-cool-summer-days-are-meant-for-baking/

Vanilla Caramel Cake from Crumb Kitchen
http://crumbkitchen.com/2016/02/29/vanilla-caramel-cake/

Raisin Filled Spice Cake from Jo and Sue
http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2015/09/raisin-filled-spice-cake.html

Salted Dark Chocolate Tart from Kitchen Uncorked
http://kitchenuncorked.com/2015/05/29/salted-dark-chocolate-tart/

Easy Cake Pops from Bake for Granted
http://www.bakeforgranted.com/easy-cake-pops/

Triple Layer Chocolate Ganache Cake from Julia’s Cuisine
http://www.juliascuisine.com/home/triple-layer-chocolate-ganache-cake

Dean and Heather’s Cake from Nutmeg Disrupted
http://nutmegdisrupted.com/sweet-2/dean-and-heathers-cake/

Champagne and Vanilla Bean Cake from My Kitchen Love
http://www.mykitchenlove.com/pop-like-cork/

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Drip Cake from I Say Nomato
http://isaynomato.com/chocolate-and-peanut-butter-drip-cake/

Buttermilk Clove Cake with Brown Sugar Fudge Frosting from Bridget’s Green Kitchen
http://www.bridgetsgreenkitchen.com/2015/12/buttermilk-clove-cake-with-fudge-frosting.html

Savarin Framboise from Beth Dunham
http://bethdunham.ca/updatesnews/2013/7/6/savarin-framboise

Paleo Curry Carrot Cake from The Primal Desire
http://theprimaldesire.com/paleo-curry-carrot-cake/

Lime and Coconut Cake from A Virtual Vegan
http://avirtualvegan.com/lime-coconut-cake/

Rum and Eggnog Tres Leches from The Yum Yum Factor
http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.ca/2012/01/rum-and-eggnog-tres-leches-cake.html

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf Cake from Vegan Lovelie
http://veganlovlie.com/2015/11/vegan-chocolate-pumpkin-loaf-cake-recipe.html

Apple and Orange Vegan Loaf Cake from Vegan Lovelie
http://veganlovlie.com/2015/10/apple-and-orange-vegan-loaf-cake.html

Brownie Cake from Bakers Beans
http://www.bakersbeans.ca/brownie-cake/

Chocolate Curry Coconut Cake from My Dish is Bomb
http://mydishisbomb.com/chocolate-curry-coconut-cake/

Chic Choc Chocolate Cream Cake from She Loves Biscotti
http://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/chic-choc-chocolate-cream-cake/

Boozy Orange Chocolate Naked Cake from Eye Candy Popper
http://www.eyecandypopper.com/boozy-orange-chocolate-naked-cake/

Almond Bundt Cake from Ilona’s Passion
http://ilonaspassion.com/almond-bundt-cake/