6 Year Anniversary

Today Bill and I are celebrating our 6-year anniversary! Where the heck did the time go?

I have definitely found an incredible man to share my life with.

He had one of our photos 3d-laser engraved.

It even lights up in the dark too. 

Happy Anniversary, I love you! 

Windsor Restaurant Review: The Spice Of Life At House Of India

All photos by Melissa Arditti

Indian cuisine is characterized by the widespread usage of a variety of delicious spices such as cumin, cardamom, ginger, garlic, coriander, red chili peppers, and many more. The word spices, or masala as it is called in Hindi, is often referred to as the heartbeat of an Indian kitchen.

Entering House of India, located at 325 Ouellette Avenue, you’re whisked into an aroma of flavours. The actual restaurant does need some sprucing up, with some of the paint chipped on the walls and scratches on the furniture, but there are some traditional Indian paintings and while you are eating, you can tune into the TV with Bollywood style music videos to keep you entertained. (*Note the décor has changed now, this photo was taken in 2014)

The menu is filled with many options and also caters to vegetarians. If you are not familiar with an entree, the waitress is happy to explain exactly what you’ll be getting, right down to the spices used. Another plus is that they are very accommodating with the spice levels, so you can be adventurous or ask for a milder version.

The 1 to 10 scale works wonderfully, but I will say that even at a level 1 I was starting to sweat. However, it’s a good feeling because all these spices have well-known health and healing properties. For example ginger is often used for nausea. The knowledge has been used for thousands of years in India and has circulated throughout North America.

As an appetizer we had the vegetable samosa. It was quite tasty. Very light and crispy, but it definitely had a kick. The sweet sauce on the side was a nice touch for dipping.

If there was one entree that I would recommend, it would be the tandoori chicken with basmati rice. Cooked in a clay oven, the meat was so tender and, combined with the spices, your mouth was in for a real treat. This was just a half order, by the way.

Another fantastic dish was the lamb korma. Dip with traditional naan or paratha bread and oh you’re going to be satisfied. It had a stew-like consistency, so a great excuse to scoop it all up. The blend of richness and creaminess with coconut and raisins was perfect.

For dessert, gulab jamun would be a great choice to cool off your body after enduring the spices, as it is milk-based and will take away the heat. It is soaked with rose flavoured sugar syrup.

The prices are very reasonable and the portions are huge, so I was able to have leftovers. My home now has a wonderful aroma that reminds me of this dinner.

So, next time you’re in downtown Windsor, add a little spice to your life and visit House of India

*Updated: No longer in business. :(

Snack Review: Valuing The Good Taste Of Nature

I think we are truly blessed as a society to be able to have the luxury of choice. It can be a double-edge sword, however, because of the overwhelming amount of choice that we are faced with every single day, especially when it comes to snack foods.

You can find just about any flavour out there, but sometimes you are sacrificing taste for something healthy. Or you’re just delving into a sea of sugar that will satisfy your immediate craving, but leave your waistline unhappy and your energy levels depleted.

I recently came across a snack bar by a Canadian company called Taste of Nature, whose facility is in Markham. Going to their website, I noticed the usual participation in the Non-GMO Project, gluten-free (this lifestyle choice can come with its own risks for those who are not celiac, as many gluten-free products contain loads of sugar in comparison to gluten ones; watch those labels), being vegan and kosher, as most organic companies are nowadays.

However, what really made me stop was the variety of choices that fit with the Glycemic Index. This is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose.

Informing consumers about what number each product is on the GI scale was the most impressive. So kudos to Taste of Nature for creating a snack that is low in sodium, sugar, and high in the areas that we should be consuming more of like fibre, protein, omega 3’s, and other important vitamins and minerals.

The one problem I have, though, with a lot of so-called healthy foods is that they taste awful. They may be packed with a great deal of health benefits, but there has to be a balance for me. I think I found it with Taste of Nature.

As you can see, they have so many flavours. It’s hard to actually say which one is my favourite because they all have very distinct tastes, but I have quite a liking for the California Almond Valley. It has a nice blend of raisins, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds, agave syrup, and a hint of rosemary extract.

Photo by: Melissa Arditti

I don’t get a weird aftertaste which I have experienced with other bars. The texture is perfectly chewy so it’s not a struggle to bite into. And it’s portioned well so you’re not overindulging, but reaping the nutritional benefits, too.

Some bars are a little sweeter than others, like the Louisiana Pecan Parade, but I can honestly say that any of the bars are a great post-workout snack, super for kids’ lunches, or a good alternative from hitting the fast food joint or coffee shop for a donut.

Another plus is many of their green business practices which include recycling food waste to farms for use as animal feed and priding themselves on reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible.

I will also applaud them for excellent customer service since I initially contacted them regarding their Taste of Nature Snacks that Care promotion, which wasn't working online. For my inconvenience, they sent me out a care package as a “token of our thanks for being so patient with us as we worked to get the contest fixed.”

Photo by: Melissa Arditti

Founded on the basic principle to, “work together as a family to create a food company that makes a simple, great tasting product that would give back to the world more than it took,” Taste of Nature has surely succeeded.

For more information, you can visit their website: Taste of Nature