Skip the Line at Vij's with To Go Options

Vij’s packaged meals are an easy way to entertain at home with little fuss. Pick up a couple of curries, cook some basmati rice in half coconut milk/half water and serve a green salad topped with mangos and fresh mint. One of my favs is the Raw Sugar, Garlic & Garam Masala Beef Curry. $10.50 for a package that serves two. Sure beats standing in line for a table.

To sweeten the deal, Edible BC in Granville Island is holding their annual January Winter Sale with everything at their retail store marked down 15-25%! The sale will run from January 25th - 31st. Some of the fabulous products that you will find on sale include Vij’s gourmet take-out meals. Yummy made easy!

www.edible-britishcolumbia.com/store/retail-store

www.vijsrangoli.ca/market/index.html

Evite is so 2008

Who doesn’t love receiving mail? No, I don’t mean those pesky credit card bills but the kind of envelope that you know contains an invitation for some fabulous party. For 2009, let’s say goodbye to those electronic invitations and hello to VistaPrint. I have been a huge fan of this site for over three years now with its product selection, flexibility and price point. Where else can you custom design one hundred glossy postcard-style invitations for less than $30?

Order from them once and you will receive all kinds of freebies by email from T-shirts to personalized note cards.

So for all of you who have friends getting married, baby showers to throw, milestone birthdays to host, check out VistaPrint for your invitation needs.

www.vistaprint.ca

An Award-Winning Cheese Pleaser

The holidays are over and our pocketbooks are bare. January is the month to hunker down and enjoy some time at home and there is nothing I like more then a nice glass of wine, an assortment of cheeses and a few friends to share it with.

If you are off your local deli to pick up some supplies for the weekend, you will not regret picking up some La Sauvagine. La Sauvagine is a washed-rind cheese from La Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf in Saint-Raymond de Portneuf, Quebec. This award-winning cheese is smooth like butter with a rustic taste. Bring it to room temperature and it will maintain its shape and melt in your mouth. I stumbled upon it completely by accident and now pitch it to fellow shoppers at the cheese counter.

Available at Urban Fare.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a fantastic holiday season and rung in the new year in style. If you were lucky, your stocking was full of all sorts of items to help you entertain all year round.

One such item I was pleased to receive was the Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop and Stack. This kitchen tool cuts cylinder shape blocks of ice cream that can be stacked on a cone or used for creative dessert presentation. Just think how fabulous you could make a scoop of coffee ice cream look adorned with three chocolate covered espresso beans on a small white plate. Simple, delicious and so easy.

Available in green and pink, it's dishwasher safe and can be found under $20 at most kitchen shops.