Staying hydrated is essential for our overall well-being, and infused water is a delightful way to make hydration more enjoyable. By infusing water with flavorful fruits and herbs, we can create refreshing beverages that not only quench our thirst but also provide various health benefits. In this blog, we will explore three easy-to-make infused water recipes using classic combinations of fruits and herbs. To keep these delicious concoctions fresh and readily available, we recommend using a dispenser, which ensures easy pouring and maintains the flavours for longer durations.

1. Classic Strawberry Kiwi Infused Water: Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
• Filtered water

Health Benefits: Strawberries: Packed with antioxidants, strawberries are a rich source of vitamin C, which supports the immune system, promotes healthy skin, and aids in collagen production. They also contain fiber, potassium, and manganese, contributing to heart health and regulating blood sugar levels. Kiwi: Known for its high vitamin C content, kiwi also provides dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin E, and potassium. It supports digestion, boosts immunity, promotes healthy skin, and aids in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.

2. Orange and Blueberry Infused Water with Rosemary: Ingredients:

• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Filtered water

Health Benefits: Oranges: Bursting with vitamin C, oranges strengthen the immune system, promote collagen synthesis, and support heart health. They also contain dietary fiber and various antioxidants that help fight inflammation and protect against chronic diseases. Blueberries: These tiny powerhouses are rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which contribute to their deep blue color. Blueberries support brain health, improve memory, and contain vitamins C and K, manganese, and dietary fiber. Rosemary: Apart from adding a delightful aroma and taste, rosemary contains antioxidants that combat inflammation and promote digestion. It may also improve concentration and memory while reducing stress levels.

3. Tropical Pineapple and Mango Infused Water: Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple slices
• 1 cup mango chunks
• Filtered water

Health Benefits: Pineapple: With its high content of bromelain, an enzyme that aids in digestion, pineapple is a tropical fruit packed with vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidants. It supports a healthy immune system, aids in collagen synthesis, and may have anti-inflammatory properties. Mango: Known as the “king of fruits,” mangoes are not only delicious but also provide vitamin C, vitamin A, and dietary fiber. They support healthy digestion, boost immunity, promote eye health, and may help lower cholesterol levels.

Infused water offers a refreshing twist to plain water while providing additional health benefits from the fruits and herbs used. Stay hydrated, stay healthy!

Shake off that gloomy end-of-summer feeling! The season may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop now. Labour Day weekend is THE time to plan a barbecue! If you’re not travelling or attending an event yourself, this is your opportunity to take advantage of the last warm weekends, and put on a great cookout for friends and family.

Before you get busy in the kitchen, there are a few tips we thought were important to keep in mind while planning your outdoor cookout. With these useful pointers, your outdoor ambiance will be just as pleasant as you plan it to be!

Create a critter-free space:

Protect your friends and family from unwanted guests by setting up bug-repellent candles. They can even double as décor accents if you add the right touch! Find some cute candle holders here.

Break out the outdoor entertainment:

One of the perks of hosting an outdoor event is that the food and fun can all be in one space! Put out a beach ball or set up a table for some games to help bring the party level up a notch. You can check out our tabletop games here.

Keep it cool:

We’ve been saying it, and we’ll say it again—it’s still summer. That means the sun and the heat will (hopefully) be just as strong as ever! Give guests options for cooling off, whether it be sitting under trees or an umbrella, playing in the pool, running through a sprinkler, or enjoying a refreshing drink (you can find some delicious summer cocktail drinks here).

Impress your guests, but don’t blow them away:

Wind can often cause havoc at an outdoor event. You can use decorative accents or vases with flowers to weigh down napkins and tablecloths so they don’t get taken by the wind!

Create a fun vibe → Grill-tastic!:

Don’t shy away from using your grill! Your guests are expecting it, so why not prepare your sides and appetizers on the grill as well? If it’s possible timing-wise, it’ll make life easier!

A  BBQ is a great opportunity to make good on those promises you made for summertime catch-ups and hang-outs. Hosting a gathering everyone will remember is just the thing to end the summer on a high note! A successful barbecue is easy to plan when you have our handy tips, and the help of blogger and recipe developer Anne of @lafille.du3eme! She’s planned not one, but three jaw-droppingly easy and delicious recipes for your Labour Day cookout. You must be wondering: What makes these recipes so hassle-free? Well, they’re all skewers, which makes cooking and serving a breeze! What’s more? These recipes feature a variety of food, which provides a mix of flavours that will satisfy any palate: Spicy Pineapple-Mozarella Skewers, Tex-Mex Veggie Skewers and Potato Duo Skewers.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your epic end-of-summer cookout!

Helping you end the summer with a bang,

I consider myself a passionate person. I have a passion for life, for everything it brings and the experiences it provides. I grew up surrounded by people who have a passion for cooking. Inevitably, this has influenced how I decided live my life. I obtained a technical diploma in dietetics at Cegep de Saint-Hyacinthe. Afterwards, I started working as a technician at the Montreal General Hospital in Food Service Management. I learnt that there is a strong relationship between health and nutrition and enjoyed the chance to apply the knowledge I gained in my education to the real world. Although I loved nutrition, hospital environment was not for me. I decided to make a career change and I worked as a supervisor at Starbucks. I enjoyed being in a leadership position and wanted to study in a field that would help develop my leadership skills. I completed studies in Industrial Relations at Université de Montréal, which opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship—something I found incredibly interesting and appealing.

My interest in entrepreneurship gave birth to new dreams and ambitions: my blogger identity and brand (thegirlfromthe3rdfloor), my culinary blog, and the goal of one day opening my own café-boutique.  I work hard every day to accomplish my dreams and I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. The path to where you want to be can be challenging, but if you listen to your heart, you will achieve your goal.

Follow Anne on Facebook, Instagram and on her blog: www.thegirlfromthe3rdfloor.com

Though it may be August, summer is far from over. The sun is still beaming and opportunities for outdoor dining are still at their peak! The cooler evenings might mean you need an extra sweater or blanket to throw over your shoulders, but it just gives us all the more reason to snuggle up closer with our loved-ones and friends! The chance for a picnic is still well within your grasp, and luckily, we’re here to help you plan and make sure you have everything you need for a romantic evening dinning outside or a perfect daytime adventure with the kids.

If you missed it, our blog post What to Take on a Picnic: Tips and Easy Recipes had tons of great picnic pointers for packing, transporting and making your menu, but we thought we could give you even more ideas because we think picnics are one of the best things about summer! Why not venture out for more than one? In fact, there are so many outdoor sporting events, concerts, fairs and festivals all summer long that there are probably more opportunities for picnics than you could possibly take advantage of!  So, this week we have more recipes for you to take on your picnic and (can you believe it?!) another cute way for you to transport your essential outdoor dining tools. We partnered up with Gabrielle Pellerin, the blogger and recipe developer behind A Simple Thyme, to plan a second picnic meal packed to perfection in our Trident Picnic Basket. It doesn’t get more convenient than this 22 piece basket which is complete with all of your picnic essentials: a setting for 4 that includes plates, wine glasses, forks, knives, spoons and even a wine bottle opener! With the Trident Picnic Basket, outdoor dining is a breeze!

So let’s get down to business. It’s not a great picnic without an absolutely scrumptious menu to bite into while you’re enjoying the lovely outdoors. With Gabrielle’s help, we’ve got two more mouth-watering recipes for you to prepare for your adventurous dining experience. The first is a fully-loaded smoked salmon sandwich with a parsley-caper pesto. Made with two types of cheese (goat cheese and cream cheese), cucumbers, sprouts, onions and lettuce packed between two slices of country bread, this sandwich is guaranteed to please. As for our second recipe, it will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth in a cute country-style kind of way. Even better than regular pie (because it fits in the palm of your hand) our blueberry hand pie recipe is just what you need to finish off your picnic! Just add in some crudités and crunchy chips to snack on in-between these two delights and you’ll be absolutely set for a delicious al fresco meal.

Make the most of the glorious summer days ahead and get planning your next picnic!

Helping you make the most of outdoor dining,

While studying restaurant management at the well known ITHQ, Gabrielle found her true passion for cooking. When she posted a few innocent photos of her creations on Instagram, the community quickly welcomed her and she now has over 11 thousand followers. This recognition drove her to explore and create more than she had before. In addition to finding photos of her delicious recipes on her Instagram, she now shares her recipes on her culinary blog, A Simple Thyme.

Gabrielle does it all, from simple recipes to creating the ultimate comfort food meal, and it is always guaranteed to make your mouth water. If you want to see more, make sure to visit her blog and follow her Facebook and Instagram pages to never miss a recipe again!

Nothing is more refreshing than a delicious and fruity ice pop on a hot day. However, the store-bought versions of these frozen delights can be loaded with sugar and lack nutrients, like protein. They really don’t live up to their healthy potential, and as a result, we end up being hungry and craving another snack soon after.

The recipe we’ve got for you this week is the snack that every ice pop should be. Brought to you in collaboration with blogger, recipe developer and food photographer Jojo Boisvert—also known as jojodanslefrigo— this treat is loaded with real fruit, protein and even fiber! It’s basically version 2.0 of what you find in grocery stores, with a creamy mouth-watering fruity flavour and healthy ingredients perfect to cool you off and give you energy.

With the Lolly Ice Pop Set, making a healthy version of this sweet summer classic is a no-brainer! It’s easy, economical and allows you to be creative. Plus, you can make your ice pops with the fruits you already have on hand! Let Jojo show you how to beat the summer heat with her healthy recipe bursting with exotic flavours that adults and kids will love. That’s right, a healthy dessert-on-a-stick, need we say more?

So don’t delay, make this frozen favourite for the next time you want to nibble on something cool and sweet!

Here to help you take your summertime refreshments to the next level,

#jojodanslefrigo

From behind a desk as an administrative assistant to a dietary technician in the kitchen, my new profession let’s me test, invent and share recipes.

My website, jojo dans le frigo, is for all the foodies of the world. You’ll find ideas for simple recipes, nutritional guidance, as well as articles related diet. My primary goal in relation to my occupation is to prove to you that health and pleasure go hand-in-hand. I am convinced that eating healthy is a form of self-respect and self-care. Cooking nurtures the soul and I hope to pass on this passion to you through my website.

Happy exploring! I hope it inspires you to cook a little bit more each day.

Whether you are picturing this summertime classic as an extraordinary event for a big group of friends and family, or if you just want to make lunchtime a bit more thrilling for you and the kids at the park, there are some essential tips you can follow to make sure your outdoor meal is a success!

This week, we put together a small list of Picnic Pointers that will come in handy for any outdoor meal you are planning; big or small, in the backyard or on your mountain hike. But that’s not all! In collaboration with recipe developer and blogger Unsweetened Caroline, we suggest two easy recipes to take with you for your open-air dining event: an easy-to-toss-together Asparagus Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Lemon Vinaigrette, and deliciously sweet Sugar-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Thumbprint Cookies!

With Unsweetened Caroline’s delectable recipes and our great tips, eating outdoors will be a sure way to up your everyday fun level over the summer months!

Pointers:

1. Picnics should be a breeze!
   Don’t stress over planning them& just take it easy. The great thing about picnics is that they are informal and simple.
2. Be Prepared:
   Accessories like corkscrews and napkins are easy to forget and don’t grow on trees! Create an organized checklist of all the necessary items you’ll need!
3. Travel and Transport:
   Make sure you have a sturdy, cool, and spill-proof way to transport your food. A backpack might be necessary depending on how far you have to travel, but if your destination is close by, something whimsical like our Biscayne Picnic Basket could be just right! Better yet, it comes fully loaded with a service for 4, including a wine cork!
4. Avoid Fragile Food:
   Leave the frosted cakes at home. Cookies are an easy dessert that won’t fall apart and that don’t require any assembly at your destination. Plus, it will satisfy your sweet tooth just the same!
5. Feature Fresh Finger Food:
   Dishes that are easily served and consumed, perhaps by only using a fork or nothing at all, and that will hold up in the heat (try to avoid mayo) are perfect picnic choices. A fruit platter, for instance, is easy to share, a crowd pleaser and will keep foodies feeling refreshed!
6. Dismiss Dining Conventions:
   Drop the formalities and forget the fancy dinnerware. No need to plan separate courses, so let guests enjoy as they please! Lightweight reusable melamine dishes are the best way to go for dinnerware and are a good choice for the environment!
7. The Forecast is a Factor:
   Whether it be hot or cold, sunny or cloudy, the weather is a factor. Bring sunscreen or an extra cozy throw to cuddle up in–just in case! Place food that needs to stay cool in the shade and don’t forget about other outdoor necessities like bug spray or bug repellent candles!

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Here to help you prep a meal that is useful for a hike, convenient to take to an outdoor sports game, or to set the mood on a grassy hill at sunset,

Caroline is the photographer, writer and recipe developer behind Unsweetened Caroline, a food blog that features healthy, sugar-free recipes. In addition to being sugar-free, most of her recipes are vegetarian and can be made allergy-friendly. She created Unsweetened Caroline when recovering from a sugar addiction, in hopes of inspiring others. When she’s not cooking, she’s either hiking, practicing yoga or dreaming about new recipes.

Caroline is a soon-to-be dietitian living in Saint John, New Brunswick. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or on her blog for more recipes!