The President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie turns 25!

I pass these PC cookies every single time I go to the grocery store and it really takes every ounce of will power to not pick up a bag. Mostly because they are so tasty and really don't last long in our house!

Well, the good folks at PC sent me this magnificent mega cookie tin and all my will power faded... fast!

I enjoyed The Decadent Cookies with my morning, afternoon & evening teas and coffees, as an on the go snack & even when entertaining guests... and now they are gone!

Even Sienna wanted in on the action!

Happy 25th birthday to my beloved Presidents Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie... We LOVE you!!!

2 Point Weight Watchers Pumpkin Muffins.

Why is eating healthy so much harder with a baby?!

I have had a serious sweet tooth since baby girl was about 2 months old and although I do indulge I try my best not to do it 24/7!

In my search to find healthier solutions to curb my sweet tooth I found this recipe which Ive slightly modified. They are only 2 point on weight watchers and even less if you make mini muffins!

Ingredients
1 box spice cake mix. I used Betty Crocker White Cake Mix because I couldn't find spice.
2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1 cup water
A pinch of cinnamon

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowel
Mix really well so there are no lumps (this is where an electric mixer comes in handy)
Spoon into muffin try (regular or mini)
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30mins or until toothpick comes out clear.

This recipe says it makes 24 regular muffins but I've always gotten more. I freeze them and then pop them in the toaster oven when I feel like a snack or something sweet.

Enjoy!

Because Who Wouldn't Want To Smell Like Cookies?! Cookie Recipe

Its still freezing outside so you know what that means? We bake!

Cookies are always a favourite in my house and Demeter Fragrances has come out with a delicious recipe for all cookie lovers to try inspired by their new yummy fragrances that launched this March.

Demeter’s Secret Recipe... Vanilla Cookie Dough, with Dark Chocolate

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine (softened) 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp. agave, honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of oat flour or (1/2 cup ground oats) 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well combined. Add egg, syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add the all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt and stir until combined; add chocolate chips and stir until blended.
Drop spoonfuls of dough on a sprayed cookie sheet and push down slightly on each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 20-24 cookies.
Enjoy!

This scent smells so much like the cookies I baked but is calorie free! The scent goes on strong but within a few minutes settles down to a sweet scent that lingers for hours.

Demeter Fragrances are available for purchase on their website and at select Loblaws/ Real Canadian Superstores ($15 CDN - 30ml Spray)

A Starbucks Drink That's Zero Calories and Only 50 Cents?!

Today I treated myself to a guilt free old favorite from Starbucks.

A venti hot water with sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup. Zero calories and only .53 cents!

Guilt free for my diet and wallet! Plus it's a great way to up your water intake!

Next time you pop by Starbucks order it I promise you won't be sorry. ;)

Enjoying My Mojito The Pregnant Way...

I was in Walmart today picking up a few things when I spotted this...

Crystal Light Mojito Mocktail Drink Mix!

I was never a big drinker before I got pregnant but would sometimes get sucked in by the yummy tastes of Mojito's, Margarita's & Martini's. Since becoming pregnant I obviously cant have the alcoholic versions and even the virgin versions contain so much sugar I've been avoiding them.

Well my fellow preggos & friends cutting back on sugar here is our solution! The Mojito flavour tastes amazing, still lemony but you can taste the mint which I love. Im addicted!

Thank you Crystal Light! Thank you for giving us these amazing new flavours and allowing this pregnant lady to still enjoy a Mojito or 3 guilt free :)

Werther’s Share Your Reaction Contest! Enter today to win BIG!

Werther's Original just introduced their Caramel Chocolates collection yum yum! With 4 delicious flavours (Milk, Caramel, CaraMelts & Dark-Cream) I put them to the test to see reaction they would get.

To celebrate they are hosting a "Share your reaction" contest in which you can win some fab prizes ;)

There is ONE Grand Prize available to be won that includes the following:

- One Sony 8GB bloggie™ Touch Full HD camcorder

- One Sony 16GB Full HD Camcorder with Projector

- One 16GB Sony Tablet

- One Sony VAIO® S Series Notebook

- One Sony BRAVIA® TV

There will be SIXTEEN (16) Weekly Prizes available to be won, each consisting of two Sony 8GB bloggie™ Touch Full HD camcorders.

How can you enter to win?

Well, pick up a bag of the new Caramel Chocolates and record your reaction to your first bite ;) Visit www.werthersshareyourreaction.ca for more details and dont forget to share YOUR reaction to qualify.

I sat down with my BFF Reem to get her Werther's Original "Reaction"!
(filmed on the iphone which is why its just a tiny little video sorry)

 

Want a bag of your very own Werther's treats?

 If you are interested in share your own reaction by uploading a video of yourself tasting these caramel chocolates, Wether’s will send 10 Faces By Farah readers a sample of this product to try.

Be one of the first 10 Canadian readers to email me at FacesByFarah(at)gmail(dot)com and you could be snacking on these treats very very soon ;)

Contest ends May 31st 2012.

Homemade Granola Bars - Fast, Easy & Healthy!

Earlier I saw a post on Facebook from my old personal trainer extraordinaire Shandel about some yummy homemade granola bars she had made and I wanted to test them out for myself. I changed a few things and came up with my own version since the store bought ones tend to have a lot of preservatives in them.

Easy Homemade Granola Bars Done My Way!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds

1 cup Quaker quick oats

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/2 cup raisins (or cranberry)

1 cup All Bran cereal

1 cup white honey

1 cup all natural peanut butter

2tbsp Agave Nectar

Directions:

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together. In a sauce pan add honey & peanut butter together on LOW heat until melted. Remove from heat, fold in dry ingredients and Agave Nectar, mix well until everything is coated.

Spread mixture over pan or baking sheet lined in parchment paper making sure to keep it packed tight and spread even. Place in fridge for 1-2 hours to cool. Once cool cut into bars and enjoy!

Store cut bars in air tight container.

(before I placed it into the fridge)

These were so easy to make and cost pennies! I got most ingredients at Bulk Barn and only bought what I needed. This recipe yielded about 12 (store brand sized bars) and 18-20 (just enough for a snack size bars) which is what I prefer. 

They are super healthy, full of fibre and will keep you full for hours!

Enjoy!

Baking a Cake With a Surprise Ingredient......Diet Coke!

I came across a recipe or rather a bizarre idea to bake a cake with Diet Soda so you know I just had to try it for myself!

Soda Cake Recipe
1 Box Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist French Vanilla)
355ml Diet Sprite (I used Diet Coke because its what I had)

In a bowl pour the Diet Soda into the cake mix and mix really well. 

Pour into a greased cake pan.

bake as per the instructions on the box. Simple and easy!

It was so super easy but I did notice that it took a bit longer to bake than the box said (just make sure to keep checking it) and it was a bit crumbly so I may play around with the recipe a bit. I tested it on a few people and they seemed to enjoy it.

Feel free to add frosting, cool whip or nuts to this recipe. It's apparently fat free and therefore a very guilt free way to enjoy cake!

I wonder what else you can cook or bake with diet soda?!

My McCafe Visit In Search Of Equal! #cbias #equalcanada

My quest for Equal Sweetener has lead me to my local new McCafe McDonalds. It opened a few months ago and although I have visited the drive-thur Ive never actually been inside until today.

The hubby and I had a ton of xmas shopping to tackle today but before we took on the crowds (or lack there of at my local mall) we stopped at @McD_Canada for breakfast. As we entered we met a friendly man who gave us some coupons that were expiring that day - how sweet.

The lobby was decorated with a xmas tree and garland and it was seriously the most high-tech McDonalds I have ever seen. There were signs mentioning free WI-FI and tv screens everywhere with the news or the McCafe menu.

I had an egg McMuffin (no meat) and a McCafe Latte with sugar free vanilla syrup while the hubs had 3 hash browns, 2 breakfast burritos & a hot chocolate because he says he is a "growing boy".... oh and we also got free cinnamon bites with the coupon which we had only a bite of since it was so early.

I asked the cashier for Equal Sweetener she informed me that they didn't carry it but offered only 1 substitute instead... All the more reason for me to fill out the comment card online via their website info found on my receipt along with a chance to win $1000 of course ;)

 I have been a huge sweetener user for years but in the last few months Ive started slowing down my consumption of it but I wish restaurants would offer more selection in the way of sweeteners.

So the quest for Equal continues, until the next adventure......

For more information on Equal Sweeteners please check out Equal Canada on Facebook & their Twitter page @EqualCanada


This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias however all opinions are my own.

Easy Chocolate Candy Cane Bark Recipe

Easy Chocolate Candy Cane Bark

Ingredients:
1 box semi-sweet Bakers chocolate
1 bag whit chocolate chips 
1-2 tsp vegetable oil
4-5 candy canes, crushed

Melt the dark chocolate with half-1 tsp of vegetable oil in the microwave or on the stove in a double boiler. Once melted spread a thin layer on tin foil in a baking pan or sheet (I used a tin foil disposable baking dish with a sheet of tin foil on top).  Refrigerate until cooled (about 20-30 mins).  


Melt the white chocolate chips the same way and spread on top of the dark chocolate.  While still warm, sprinkle with crushed candy canes and place back in fridge.  

Once hardened, lift tin foil and slowly peel away. It should release easily then break or cut into pieces and enjoy!

These can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

On a Mission To Find a Coffee Shop That Provides #EqualCanada Sweeteners!

Remember my fabulous coffee date with a little princess last week? Well I was given the task again by the lovely folks at Collective Bias #Cbias to go on a mission to see if any local restaurant or coffee shop of my choice offered Equal #EqualCanada.

I chose Timothy's Cafe at our local mall for my coffee/catch up date with my girl Amelia. Well actually if you want the truth, my future husband had his bachelor party yesterday and was um... well hung over. His hangover food craving? EDO JAPAN! The only place to get Edo Japan near us was the mall as so I was sent of 2 missions., 1 for Equal and 1 for Edo lol.

I dont normally go to Timothy's as I generally think Tim Hortons when I was tea or coffee but this mission to find a place that serves Equal had me wanting to try something different. I looked around and found the area where they stocked all their sugars and sweeteners and noticed yet again that little blue Equal package was mission.

We placed our order, green teas with a shot of ginger in it (very refreshing) and then Amelia asked the girl serving us if they had any Equal available... the answer was (as suspected) nope...

They had all kinds of coffee and teas but no Equal Sweeteners... At this point I was told I wasn't allowed to take pictures so that kinda put a damper on the mission and we left.

And so the quest continues....

CHEERS!

For more information on Equal Canada visit:
Facebook
Twitter
Web

* This Shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias but views expressed are my own.

I Never Say No To Coffee!

I know a great opportunity when I get one so when Collective Bias  #CBias and Equal Canada #EqualCanada asked if I wanted to go on a coffee date to Tim Hortans I simply couldn't refuse!

Naturally I asked my BFF and her adorable 10 month old who I lovingly call Fuzz to join me at our local stand alone Tim Hortans.

Our purpose for going that afternoon was to find out if indeed Tim Hortans offered its customers Equal Sweetener as an option. I was actually curious about this because I always take my coffee with two milks and one sweetener but I never normally ask what brand of sweetener they used.

We waltzed in and placed our order. 1 double double for my bff, 1 two milk one sweetener for moi, 1 cheese biscuit for Fuzz and 1 chicken wrap on whole wheat to split. I then asked if they had Equal Sweetener and got an apologetic "no sorry" I asked if any other locations provided it and he wasn't sure but gave me extra packs of the other brands stuff. I was surprised to see the lack of options since Equal is usually offered everywhere.

Guess Fuzz wasnt too happy about this news...

Before I left I wanted to fill out my comment card I had to go through almost the entire staff to locate them and I finally did only to find out no one knew where I was supposed to drop it off LOL. Ah well I tried! 

I so needed this Friday catch up session, see one of my fav lil princesses, man I need a coffee because wedding planning is all I think about these days - break! 

*This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias  #cbias however all of the opinions are my own.*

Coleslaw Poppyseed Summer Salad Recipe

In the last few months with the wedding coming up, Ive had to come up with some creative ways to eat healthy and still keeping my taste buds happy. Here is one of my favorite summer salads I created that has made its way into my regular lunch rotation.

Here's what you will need to create this salad:

• Dole Colourful or Classic Coleslaw Salad
• Imitation Flaked Crab Meat
• Walnut pieces
• Dried Cranberries

Top it off with RENÉE'S® POPPY SEED ½ FAT DRESSING

It tastes amazing, is filling and makes eating healthy less boring ;)

Try it and let me know what you think!

Metro's "Irresistibles" Frozen Yogurt Mini Bars A Summer MUST!

These are the best thing since sliced bread so I just has to share!

I'll admit the ONLY reason I tried these and swayed from my normal Nestle Skinny Cow bars is because they looked like the Haagen Daz bars and they were cheaper at $4.99 for 6 bars. 

I wasn't expecting them to be delicious but I have to say these are so yummy and at 90 calories a bar this is one treat I don't feel guilty about!

Irresistibles is a METRO Grocery store (here in Canada) private brand so its only available there as far as I know so if you have one close by stock up you won't be sorry ;)