Need Mustard? You Must!

One of my clients is SaskMustard, so I've been learning lots about this spice/condiment/ingredient and it's been on my mind more loately. I was fortunate to be the recipient of Epicure's new mustards, but that also means that two lucky readers/followers will be too (keep reading...).

On May 1, Epicure launched four certified organic, gluten-free varieties made with Canadian mustard seed - Sweet & Spicy, Honey Mustard (made with Canadian honey), Pale Ale Whole-Grain and Stout Stoneground. My home province, Saskatchewan, produces about 70% of Canada's mustard and is a world leader in mustards exports (we're not just the 'bread basket' or wheat province; pulses grow here too!). I also love being able to try products with Canadian ingredients and from my colleagues (thanks Epicure and Crystal!).

I of course had to try them all before I could post this giveaway!

We had the Stout Stoneground with cheese, arugula, and spinach on smokies, because I figured I needed to try at least one in a 'hotdog' type of situation.

I tried the Pale Ale Whole-Grain on a pita with leftover chicken and leafy greens.

My daughter and I enjoyed the Sweet & Spicy with tilapia and a side of roasted zucchini and potatoes.

The Honey Mustard was used as a glaze on pork tenderloin, served with mashed potatoes and salad.

There are many ways I plan to continue to try these products - on sandwiches, for vinaigrettes, and if I'm adventurous, perhaps even in baking! They paired really well with proteins and potatoes. I thought it was nice to have different textures and of course the different flavours add a little something different and a little punch.

So...how do you enter?

'Like' the image below on my instagram feed and tag a friend (my husband always says food tastes better when you share). The giveaway ends at 11:59pm MT today (May 26th). I figured since it's National Salad Month, National BBQ Month, and National Hamburger Month, you should enjoy these before May is over!

Two (2) lucky individuals (that's you and your friend), will win four (4) Epicure mustards to enjoy this Spring/Summer.

Best wishes!

Cheers,

Steph

*Disclosure, Epicure provided me with 4 mustards to try and 4 mustards to giveaway. I work with SaskMustard. Opinions are my own.

Hemp Heart Bar - Review

I was chosen by @fitapproach to review Manitboa Harvest's new hemp heart bars. For this review I received an apple cinnamon one and a chocolate one. I already use hemp hearts in some of my own baking, on oatmeal or in smoothies/smoothie bowls. As a Saskatchewan girl, I also love to see a Canadian product become so popular.

As a dietitian, I like the bars' short ingredient list and recognizable ingredients. I don't advocate for bars on a regular basis, but every once in awhile as part of our go-go-go lifestyle, they can help fill a gap (and they're convenient). You do get 2.5g of omega-3s (10g of polyunsaturated fat) and 4g of fibre in the 45g bar - which you don't see in a lot of snack bars these days.

The apple cinnamon variety provides 30% of your daily iron and the chocolate one 35%. The product is also certified vegan, so the 10g of plant-based protein in each bar may help some people meet their daily needs. You are still getting 8-10g of sugar (mostly from organic brown rice syrup and organic coconut pal sugar), but I liked that the bars were't overly sweet tasting. Compared to some bars I have tried, they were also a nice texture, not too chewy or hard. *I also asked my husband for his opinion on the chocolate one and he seemed to think it was pretty good. I am a chocolate fan, but I actually liked the apple cinnamon one a little bit more.

As part of this review, I was also asked to tell you that Manitoba Harvest is running a photo contest. Tag @manitobaharvest #hempheartbar #fuelledbyhemp #sweatpink @fitapproach for a chance to win a box of your favourite flavour of Hemp Heart Bars!

A winner will be chosen each month and it's open to US and Canadian residents!

You can also order from their website and receive 15% off all flavours of the Hemp Heart bars until March 31, 2016 with the discount code hhbarlaunch1015 

Are you a 'bar' person? Do you have a favourite flavour or brand?

Cheers and happy snacking,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com