In My World

Sleeman Breweries is a Japanese-owned Canadian brewery founded by John Warren Sleeman in 1988 in Guelph, Ontario. The company is the third-largest brewing company in Canada. Along with its own Sleeman brands, the company produces under licence the Stroh's family of brands, Maclays Ale and Sapporo Premium beers for sale in Canada. The company's parent Sapporo owns 4.2 per cent of Ontario's primary beer retailer The Beer Store. The company is the re-establishment of a line of brewing companies owned by the Sleeman family dating back to the 1830s. The original Sleeman Breweries was established in the 1850s and operated until it lost its licence due to smuggling and tax evasion, for 50 years, in 1933. John W. Sleeman re-established the brewery in the 1980s using the original company recipes. In 2006, Sleeman Breweries was purchased by Sapporo Brewery for CA$400 million. John W. Sleeman remained as CEO until 2010 when he relinquished that role and was made Chairman of the compan...

A May West is a round dessert cake with creme filling. It was created in Canada, and continues to be particularly popular in the province of Quebec. It is currently made by Vachon Inc., a division of Canada Bread. It was originally called a "Mae West", after the eponymous movie star, but the spelling was changed in the 1980s. The cake was invented by René Brousseau, patissier at Vaillancourt Inc., a Quebec City bakery. As of 1932, May West cakes were made by Stuart Ltd, run by the wealthy Montreal-based Allard family; they were bought out in 1979 by their longtime competitor, Vachon Inc. Vachon continued to market them under the Stuart brand, before retiring the Stuart brand and rebranding the line to reflect a consolidated Vachon lineup. The original creme filling was custard, but was replaced by a shortening-based vanilla creme close in taste and texture to the filling found in Twinkies.

Jos Louis is a Canadian confection consisting of two chocolate cake rounds with a cream filling within a milk chocolate shell, made by Vachon Inc. It resembles a chocolate version of the May West dessert. It was created in 1932 and named after two of the Vachon sons, Joseph and Louis.

Whippet cookies have been a fun, family favourite for over 90 years. A delicious indulgence, these cookies are a unique combination of chewy marshmallow atop a soft cookie base covered in rich, decadent chocolate. Whether you crush them, twist them, split them or bend them, you can always feel good about treating yourself. Whippet cookies are made better with real chocolate, no artificial flavours and they’re peanut free. For more information  https://www.darefoods.com/brand/whippet/

What is a lumberjack breakfast? In order of essentiality, it is  flapjacks, bacon and/or sausage, eggs, potatoes, and toast . It may also have French toast or pancakes, ham, baked beans, and/or biscuits. It is based on the reality of the strenuous physical work of 19th and 20th century loggers.

Despite Americans' boundless love for putting ketchup on everything, Lay's only markets and sells their tangy tomato-y potato chips in Canada. While the concept has spread out into the U.S., it hasn't caught on in the same way it has in Canada, where ketchup chips have become a national tradition in their own right. Part of the beauty of Lay’s ketchup chips is that they don’t really taste like ketchup, but they perfectly capture the vinegary umami of the condiment. They were first conceived in the 1980s when Hostess rolled out a series of grape-, orange-, and cherry-flavored potato chips that, to no one’s surprise, were an astounding failure. The chip team went back to the drawing board and focused all their efforts into the underappreciated tomato, and ketchup chips were born. Every since, they have remained integrally woven into our patriotic Canadian snack fabric. (https://www.saveur.com/canada-best-snacks-candy/)  

Eating this starchy snack has been likened to eating extra crispy miniature French fries cooked over a pile of hickory wood. They're smoky, crisp, and addictive.

I have tried Canadian Club a couple or three times in my life.  I am not a fan of Canadian Club or any whiskey except as a marinade for steaks.  Here's what the LCBO has to say about it: Canadian Club Whisky 750 mL bottle | LCBO#: 42 $28.45 The legend of Canadian Club began in 1858 and grew to become one of the world's most iconic whiskies. Pouring a medium gold you will find aromas of roasted almond, vanilla and pepper; with spicy vanilla, cornflakes and a faint nutty flavour on a medium weight palate with a long finish. Although Canadian Club was invented in the US, it was, and still is, made at the Hiram Distillery in Windsor, Ontario thanks to Prohibition.  If you are interested in the history of this Canadian whiskey you should check out  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Club .   Canadian Club Sweet Old Fashioned Cocktail recipe This is a twist on the traditional old fashioned 2 shots Canadian Club Whisky 2 slices Orange 1 ...

This isn't the first time I've mentioned Boston Pizza on this blog.  The first time was here . The very best time we ever had at Boston Pizza was when I booked the whole front section of the restaurant for my dear hubby's birthday, ate delicious meals, laughed a lot, and watched the Christmas Parade through the big front windows.

One of my very favourite junk foods, I have been known to eat all of the Ringolos from bags of Party Mix if no one is watching . . . LOL.  

Who doesn't love dill pickle chips? Dill pickle is another unique chip flavour you will only find in Canada.   Maltodextrin, a common ingredient in dill pickle-flavored chips, is a powder derived from starch that has porous qualities and can absorb flavors such as vinegar. This gives dill pickle chips that mouth-puckering addictive quality that salt and vinegar chips have.

According to the find-a-cafe on Second Cup's website there are no Second Cup Cafes near me. But I'm sure I've seen this sign before. Toronto, maybe? So, chances are I've never been in one. I just read their company policies and I have to say I'm very impressed by their business model which includes concern about how thier coffee is grown and that farmers are paid fairly for their work. They also care about the planet -- After all, They want to make sure there’s plenty of coffee for future generations to enjoy. If you've enjoyed a cup of coffee from Second Cup please leave a comment with your opinion.

Spruce beer is a beverage flavored with the buds, needles, or essence of spruce trees. Spruce beer can refer to either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. A number of flavors are associated with spruce-flavored beverages, ranging from floral, citrus, and fruity, to cola-like flavors to resinous and piney. This diversity in flavor likely comes from the choice of spruce species, the season in which the needles are harvested, and the manner of preparation. Using evergreen needles to create beverages originated with the Indigenous peoples of North America who used the drink as a cure for scurvy during the winter months when fresh fruits were not available, as the fresh shoots of many spruces and pines are a natural source of vitamin C. It may also have been brewed in Scandinavia prior to European contact with the Americas, but most French and British explorers were ignorant of its use as a treatment for scurvy when they arrived in North America. The First Nations people were probably fir...

I guess the name of this delicious beverage is all the proof one needs ~ Canada Dry Ginger Ale is a Canadian invention. "In 1890, Chemist John J. McLaughlin of Toronto, started to manufacture soda water, which he sold to drugstores in siphons as a mixer for fruit juices and flavoured extracts. "14 years and hundreds of experiments later, McLaughlin finally perfected the formula for his Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale. He also developed mass bottling techniques and served Canada Dry wherever people gathered. In 1923, P. D. Saylor and Associates purchased the entire company from the McLaughlin family and formed the public corporation, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Inc. "The perfect mixer to mask the taste of home brew during Prohibition, Ginger Ale became a roaring success during the '20s and saw the high price of 35 cents for a 355ml bottle. During the '30s Canada Dry introduced both Club Soda and Tonic Water. In the '50s and '60s, Canada Dry was the first of the ma...

Timbits were first introduced by the popular Tim Hortons restaurant chain in Canada in 1976. Since then, the timbits have been gathering hearts and rallying communities. Timbits are one of Tim Hortons' signature specialties and a trademark of the Tim Hortons restaurant chain. No good road trip starts without a box of timbits and a tea or coffee.

I remember Bridge Mix as being a great treat when I was young. I did not know it originated in Canada. That is pretty cool . . . and the candy is rather delicious. First introduced to candy lovers in 1935, this iconic Canadian candy has continued to be loved by fans around the world. The mixture includes an assortment of milk and dark chocolate coated raisins, peanuts, jujubes, malt, fruits, nougat, licorice and Macadamia nuts. ~  https://candyfunhouse.ca/products/lowney-bridge-mixture-candy

Made proudly in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Shreddies is a Canadian tradition that has been passed down through generations. The 100% whole grain squares that we know today as Shreddies were actually introduced in 1939, but some people may be surprised to know that they weren’t originally called “Shreddies”. In fact, the cereal Canadians have come to love was originally called “Cubs” and only changed to “Shreddies” in 1941. Amid growing popularity, the Niagara Falls plant initiated a building expansion to allow for a second Shreddies production line in 1977. Today, Shreddies is available in Original, Banana Bread, and Honey flavour varieties.   From  https://www.postconsumerbrands.ca/brand/shreddies/ I love Shreddies.  They are great served with cold milk . . . but even better served with hot milk especially this time of year.

YIELD:8 SERVINGS OR MORE prep time: 10 MINUTES cook time: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES Newfoundland Figgy Duff has nothing to do with figs; raisins were once referred to as figs here & are always added to this traditional steamed pudding. Ingredients 2 cups flour ½ cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/3 cup melted butter ¾ cup milk 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup raisins Instructions Sift together the flour sugar and baking powder. Add the raisins and toss well. Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla. Mix all together with a wooden spoon just until a soft dough is formed. Put dough into a pudding steamer or a wet heavy cotton pudding bag, tying the bag with a piece of butcher string but leaving about an inch of slack at the top to allow the pudding to expand. Boil for approximately 1 1/2 hours. This is most often done in the pot with the boiled root vegetables, cabbage and salt beef included in a Jiggs Dinner but can be done in a pot on its own as well. https://www.rockr...

I've eaten bumbleberry pie several times but never made one. That may change since I've learned the trick of cutting pies into servings and then freezing them. Otherwise I HAVE TO eat the whole pie . . . LOL. This recipe sounds promising.  Let me know if you try it. Yield: 2 - 9 inch pies Bumbleberry Pie II Ingredients 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups shortening ¾ cup cold water 1 egg 1 tablespoon vinegar 4 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped 2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries 2 cups fresh blueberries 2 cups fresh raspberries 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cups white sugar ⅔ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons tapioca 1 egg yolk, beaten 2 tablespoons water Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Step 2 In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk together 3/4 cup water, egg, and vinegar. Stir into flour until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough into 4 ...

  According to Wikipedia, fish and brewis (pronounced "brews") is a traditional Newfoundland meal consisting of cod and hard bread or hard tack.  The recipe may vary from community to community or even household to household, but the primary ingredients are always the same. The typical recipe calls for salt fish that is soaked in water overnight to reduce the salt content of the fish, and the hard bread is also soaked in water overnight. The next day, the fish and hard bread are boiled separately until tender, and then both are served together. The traditional meal is served with scrunchions, salted pork fat which has been cut into small pieces and fried. Both the rendered fat and the liquid fat are then drizzled over the fish and brewis.