Loulou's views

Anyone who knows me can attest I'm not a huge fan of cooking, as much as I enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. However, I'm lucky to have a husband, parents, and in-laws who can cook amazingly well. Despite the fact that I don't love getting dirty in the kitchen, I'm great at making a few meals my children (thankfully!) love, and most of those meals are Italian. I was so excited to be invited to Toronto this week along with several other bloggers to indulge in an authentic taste of Italy, and meet and learn from Italian Chef Massimo Bruno. We took part, as well—preparing some pretty simple recipes that I know will be a huge hit at home. Best of all? The meals we learned to cook involve only a few key ingredients, so prep time is simple, and takes almost no time at all to actually cook... and serve. (Which is perfect when you're heading home late from work and the children are starving). We sampled delicious Italian cheese and appetizers, drank wine, and got ou...

The holiday season was a wonderful time spent with family and friends, and overindulging on delicious foods and baked goods. Now that the holidays are over, and with routine finally back in our lives,  it's time to start eating healthy again. And thank goodness for that, because with an upcoming trip to Miami, there's no better time than now to get back to eating healthy, well-balanced meals. As much as I love getting back into my normal routine, I don't love meal planning (thinking of something different for my family to eat every day can be challenging) or the prep work in the kitchen. I recently had the chance to experience HelloFresh Canada , and my entire family loved it. HelloFresh Canada now delivers healthy, delicious, and convenient meal kits to your front door, so all the hard work—thinking of what you want to make for dinner, and then shopping for the right ingredients—is already taken care of for you. HelloFresh Canada takes care of meal planning, shopp...

In case you didn't know, Lansdowne Park (in the Glebe) is the place to be in Ottawa. Lansdowne's got it all: TD Place, where you can catch a Redblacks or Fury game, an awesome park for children, heritage buildings, shopping, and many fine restaurants and bars. Hanging out at Lansdowne Park is especially fun in the summertime, with all the busy patios, but it's great year-round, too, whether you're enjoying breakfast with the family or a girls night out after a football game. When I received an invitation from Jack Astor's Lansdowne to come in with my husband and a group of friends so they could treat us to their delicious new menu, I said yes right away. Obviously! I love the service at Jack Astor's, (shout out to our awesome server, Courtney!) and the fun atmosphere. Jack Astor's in the Glebe has the traditional "Elvis booth" they have in each of their locations, and they have some great display cases featuring very cool antique artifacts ...