Welcome back after this past wonderful long weekend! Hopefully everyone got to enjoy some time off in the beautiful weather and warm sun with family, friends, and a variety of delicious food and drinks. It’s back to reality today, but with the warm weather here to stay, there’s a long, beautiful summer ahead of us with lots of warm weekends and fun to be had.

Today, we’re focusing on summer beverages. There’s nothing better than sitting in the sun, relaxing at the cottage, or laying on the beach with a cold, refreshing drink in your hand. And nothing says summer more than lemonade! We’ve put together three great lemonade drink recipes that you can whip together in just minutes – and they’re sure to refresh you all summer long. Plus, they incorporate Santa Cruz Organic Lemonades – which are on sale now at Goodness Me! for 2 for $4. Pick up some bottles and experiment. What will be your favourite?

Raspberry Lemonade Spritzer

Raspberry Lemonade Spritzer
1 cup Santa Cruz Lemonade
1 cup Santa Cruz Raspberry Lemonade
1.5 cups sparkling water or gingerale*
1/2 cup Santa Cruz Raspberry Spritzer
couple sprigs mint leaves, crushed
frozen organic raspberries
*OPTION: use champagne or sparkling wine instead of sparkling water for the perfect entertaining drink!

Crush the mint leaves and put into the bottom of your jug. Add the lemonades and sparkling water and chill. Add frozen raspberries just before serving.

Peach Mango Punch
1 cup Santa Cruz Peach Lemonade
1 cup Santa Cruz Mango Lemonade
1.5 cups sparkling water or gingerale*
fresh organic peach and/or mango slices
fresh mint
*OPTION: use champagne or sparkling wine instead of sparkling water for the perfect entertaining drink!
Optional: 1/2 cup vodka or rum

Combine the liquids into a serving jug. Chill. Add fresh mango or peach slices before serving. Garnish with fresh sprigs of mint. Enjoy!

Classic Lively Lemonade

Classic Lively Lemonade
1 cup Santa Cruz Lemonade
1 cup Santa Cruz Limeade
1/2 cup Santa Cruz Lemon Lime Spritzer
1/2 cup Santa Cruz Gingerale Spritzer
1 cup sparkling water*
fresh basil leaves
slices of organic lemon
frozen organic raspberries
*OPTION: use champagne or sparkling wine instead of sparkling water for the perfect entertaining drink!
Optional: 1/2 cup gin, vodka, whiskey, or rum

Combine the liquids into a serving jug. Chill. Add organic lemon slices and frozen raspberries just before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

Enjoy these delicious summer bevvies in the weeks to come, or concoct your own! Santa Cruz has a line of delicious organic lemonades including regular, limeade, raspberry, cherry, peach, and mango. Mix some up and find your favourite combo.

The days are getting longer and the sun’s getting hotter. And with the first long weekend of the spring and summer season starting tomorrow, there’s no better time to roll up your sleeves, dust off your barbecue, and grill up some goodness!

This weekend, our Burlington and Waterdown Goodness Me! locations have our all natural t-bone steaks on sale. You can come in and save $3.49/lb on these flavourful and juicy steaks, and throw them on the BBQ this weekend. Our Goodness Me! beef is all natural, antibiotic and hormone free, and from a local Ontario farm, meaning you don’t have to worry about where your meat is coming from, or where it’s been! Or maybe you already have some steaks ready to go in your fridge or freezer. Either way, we’ve got the perfect long weekend marinade to make the most delicious sizzling steaks.

This marinade has the perfect mix of herbs, spices, sweet, and tangy for just the right flavour. Try it out this weekend and let us know what you think!

T-Bone Steak Marinade

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup BRAGG All-Purpose Liquid Soy Seasoning
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. organic lemon juice
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. Cape Herb & Spice Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 Goodness Me! T-bone steaks

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag. Mix well. Add the steaks and seal the bag. Refrigerate the steaks overnight in the bag and turn as often as possible to ensure the marinade coats evenly. Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill steaks over high-heat for 5 minutes on each side or to your liking. Enjoy!

Happy long weekend!

It’s almost that time of month again… time for our monthly Goodness Me! event to give back to our loyal customers, educate and inform on the hottest health topics, offer samples for some of your favourite products, and enjoy the goodness that the warm weather brings. This month, our Waterdown location at 74 Hamilton St. N. will be having their Health Festival on Saturday May 25th. This is an all day event and will be packed with activities from start to finish – and there’s bound to be something for you!

Starting bright and early at 10:00am, we have Janet Jacks kicking off the day with a free class titled 5 Secrets to Increase Your Energy & Reduce Your Waistline. This is an interesting and fun topic, especially heading into the summer season. Come hear our founder speak from experience and give you some tried and true tips. After this exciting class, Dr. Carly Wendler, ND, will be leading a hot topic class on Gluten & Dairy Free Eating Made Simple from 1:00pm-2:30pm. She’ll teach you the whys and hows of living gluten and dairy free in an easy-to-understand, practical way. Finally, Janet Jacks will be closing off the day with another free class from 4:00pm-5:30pm titled Create the You, You Want to Be! This fresh class will lead you through the world of fad diets and help choose the tips and tools that work for you to live a healthier lifestyle. You can sign up for any or all of these free classes by clicking on the titles above or visiting our class calendar here and choosing the class you’d like to attend – but don’t delay, because space is limited!

Besides these amazing classes, our day is going to be filled with live demos of all your favourite products, giving you the opportunity to try new things, re-introduce yourself to some items you may have forgotten, or pick up a few key products that will get you on track for summer. We’ll have special in-store deals on a number of items as well, for one day only.

When you get hungry for lunch or dinner, we’ve got you covered. To celebrate the warm weather we’ve now (finally) been experiencing, we’ll have our grill fired up and ready to go from 11:30am-6pm. Come grab an organic or natural burger, sausage, or vegetarian option and enjoy your meal in the sunshine. There’s no better way to kick off the summer than with a healthy, delicious BBQ meal. Plus, we’ll have gluten free options as well!

Finally, the prizes. Just by showing up, you’ll have the chance to enter and win a variety of gift baskets, product giveaways, door prizes, and much more. Some of our prizes will be given away throughout the day in-store (and all you have to do is be there!), while others will be draws held after the event. Either way, come on in and get ready to win.

Be sure to drop by our location at 74 Hamilton St. N., Waterdown, on Saturday May 25th for all the fun. Whether you’re attending a free class, craving a freshly grilled lunch or dinner, would like to try dozens of samples, want to take advantage of one-day sales, or are feeling lucky enough to win a prize or giveaway, you’re going to want to be there. Don’t miss out! We’ll see you there!

Do you ever find yourself coming home from a busy day, looking into the fridge, and thinking… what on earth am I going to make for dinner?! We’ve all been there. With the increasingly busy pace of today’s world, it can sometimes get too busy or too hectic to even think about concocting something delicious and healthy for a meal. However, if you have time to watch your favourite TV show at night, or call your best friend to talk about your day, you have time to whip together something that will feed your body what it needs! And with the right cookbook, it’s even easier. Enter 500 of the Healthiest Recipes & Health Tips You’ll Ever Need… and no, that’s not an exaggeration!

500 of the Healthiest Recipes & Health Tips You'll Ever Need

In 500 of the Healthiest Recipes & Health Tips You’ll Ever Need, health writer Hazel Courteney and naturopath Stephen Langley provide a wealth of information on the nutritional components and health benefits of food, as well as recipes incorporating these foods.  The authors touch on a variety of health issues and foods that help treat and prevent these issues, making it a practical and approachable book.

Each chapter begins with an explanation of the health issue dealt with, recommendations for foods and supplements that are beneficial for the condition and suggested lifestyle changes.  The recipes are accompanied by a “Food as Medicine” section explaining why certain foods are helpful, as well as a “Health Tips” section that focuses on simple ways to promote health and restoration, such as deep breathing to reduce stress or eating coriander to help remove metal toxins from the body.

The recipes are healthy, tasty, quick, and simple. There are photographs of each dish, making this a very enjoyable book to use.  Recipes include Overnight Oatmeal and omelets for breakfast, smoothies and juices, soups and salads, and dinner recipes such as Honey Glazed Salmon with Asparagus or Steak with Caramelized Onions and Squash.  Also included are vegetarian main dishes, desserts and treats.

Whether you’re always running out the door, or cooking for a family, or looking for some new recipes to spice up your meal times, this is the book for you. It provides a wealth of information, beautiful photos, and unique food combinations that will leave you and your guests wanting more – and with this many recipes, more is what you’ll get. Check out 500 of the Healthiest Recipes and Health Tips You’ll Ever Need at any Goodness Me! location today and get it on sale for only $24.99 – it might just be the best purchase you make this summer!

Well, it looks like the warm weather is finally here (knock on wood)! With sunny skies, temperatures in the mid teens and twenties, and the end of April, we can safely say spring is well underway. (Of course, if it starts snowing tomorrow, don’t blame me.) With the arrival of this fresh season comes a number of new things, including fresh produce such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Now is the perfect time to start using these fresh, sweet berries in new recipes – and I’ve got the perfect one to share with you!

Our Creamy Berry & Lemon Parfait recipe below is the perfect light spring dessert. It combines cool whipping cream and cream cheese with fresh, sweet, tart berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Plus, the addition of zesty lemon takes this parfait to a whole new level. So whether you’re looking for a quick and easy spring and summer dessert recipe, a nice treat for that special lady in your life this Mother’s Day (not that far away!), or simply a nice afternoon pick-me-up, this is just the thing. Try it out – and try not to eat the whole batch yourself!

Creamy Berry & Lemon Parfaits

Creamy Berry & Lemon Parfait

1 cup each organic strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
250g cream cheese, softened
500mL organic whipping cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
juice of 1 organic lemon
rind of 1 organic lemon, grated
sprig of mint

Wash berries and slice strawberries. Combine berries. Dry well and set aside. Whip cream until stiff peaks form, adding maple syrup just at the end. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese. Add in lemon juice and rind and stir to combine well. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Place a dollop of cream mixture into a parfait or martini glass. Add a layer of fruit mixture. Top with a generous layer of cream mixture. End with fruit. Top with a sprig of mint. Let refrigerate a couple of hours before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe by: Sandy Pomeroy, Goodness Me! Cooking Instructor

If you’re like half the people I know right now, you’re involved in some kind of juicing program. Or, you’ve added juices to your diet every now and then for the fresh taste, health benefits, and all around feel-good feeling you get when you drink juices. If you haven’t ever tried juicing, or even if you’ve been juicing for years, I’ve got just the thing for you: The Juicing Bible.

The Juicing Bible

Written by Pat Crocker, a culinary herbalist  and professional home economist, The Juicing Bible (second edition) is a newly revised and expanded book that provides the essential guide for anyone looking to explore (or delve deeper into) the wide-ranging nutritional and health benefits of juicing. This amazing book carries an astonishing 350 recipes, including fruit and vegetable juices, tonics, cleansers, digestives, teas, roughies, smoothies, milk and coffee substitutes, and even frozen treats. So no matter what you’re into, this book promises to have recipes for you! It shows how raw fresh juices, blended drinks, and homemade frozen treats are easy, delicious, and help you get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables – all at once. With vibrant illustrations and photos throughout the book, you’ll be drooling to make your next colourful juice in no time.

But this fresh book brings you more than just a multitude of recipes and beautiful images to keep you juicing for months to come. It also includes information on 7 major body systems, including their importance to your health, potential problems that can develop, and diet and lifestyle changes that will keep each system working as well as it can. You’ll also get details on 80 common health concerns, as well as recommendations on natural foods and juicing combinations that can help treat each condition. Suffer from headaches or migraines? There’s a natural juice aid that might help you! Stressed out or exhausted? Let juicing help get you back on your track to wellness. Whatever ails you, juicing with the right ingredients can help your body realign itself and nourish itself back to true health.

So, whether you’re a seasoned juicer or are just starting to wonder about the many benefits it can bring, this book is an essential addition to your bookshelf. It will help wade you through the world of juicing, give you ideas for delicious combinations, treats, and power-packed juices, and will keep you from getting bored with your juicer. You could make a different recipe for almost an entire year without repeating one – what other cookbook can offer you that?! Come in to any Goodness Me! location today to talk to us about The Juicing Bible or juicing in general. Plus, this amazing book is on sale now for $23.95. Grab your veggies and get juicing!

Spring is well on its way, meaning summer isn’t far behind. The season of warm weather, hot sun, vacationing, and – don’t cringe – swimsuits. If the idea of getting into your bikini or swim trunks this year sends you running for the hills, don’t fret! Because this coming Saturday, April 20th, we have a seminar that’s going to wade through nutrition and exercise fact and fiction. Celebrity Personal Trainer Bruce Krahn will show you the keys to Spring Vitality and Wellness – and guarantees you’ll get answers to your health and fitness questions!

We all know the basic tools and tips to lose weight: eat more vegetables, go for more walks, start your morning with a smoothie. But what about those extra pounds or that hard-to-lose fat that just won’t budge? We all have areas that we’d like to improve, and the surprising news is that both men and women have stubborn fat deposits in different areas of their bodies – meaning you can exercise til you drop, but sometimes, that fat just won’t move – until now!

Bruce will give you the keys you need to finally lose those pounds that are clinging on for dear life. He’ll discuss the role of important foods, weight-changing hormones, hunger, and calorie-intake in our weight loss battle. He’ll also take you through an exercise component, teaching you exactly how to structure your workout (for any level!) so you can get the most fat loss out of your workout. After all, if you’re putting the effort in to be physically active, you might as well get the most bang for your buck!

Finally, he’ll take you through exercise and nutrition fact and fiction. There are many generally accepted beliefs (even by experts!) that have actually recently been disproven. These nutrition and exercise myths include information on burning fat, what yoga really does for your body, the proper meal frequency, and the amount of protein that should be deemed healthy. Bruce will take you through these fictitious areas and show you the truths: the scientifically-proven facts that should replace these falsified commonly held beliefs.

Imagine losing that fat that won’t budge, or those few pounds that refuse to let go, just by changing a few key things in your lifestyle. The secret is right in front of you: let Bruce give you the answers you need! To sign up for this dynamic free seminar, call the Upper Gage Goodness Me! at 905-388-8400, or visit the registration page here. Remember: swimsuit season is right around the corner… make this the best summer of your life!

The sun is shining, the days are getting longer, and we’re (hopefully) seeing the last of the cold winter days. Spring is upon us, which means it’s time to Spring into Health – and we’re going to help you! On Saturday April 13th, our Upper Gage location is going to be hosting an event aimed at helping you reinvigorate your health goals and get back on track with your journey this year. Whether that means healthier eating, experimenting with new products, losing weight, detoxing your body, or just getting a small refresher on the basics of health, this event is the place for you.

We’ve got two amazing free classes lined up for April 13th. The first is being led by Janet Jacks, founder of Goodness Me!, from 10:00am-11:30. The topic is something that every person can benefit from: 5 Secrets to Increase Your Energy & Reduce Your Waistline… just in time for the warmer weather! Everyone can use a little more energy, and as bathing suit season comes upon us, losing those few winter pounds is never a bad thing. Come learn from the expert as Janet takes you through some tried and true methods that are more effective, permanent, and easy than any “magic pill” for weight loss. Plus, in the afternoon, Naturopathic Doctor Angela Hunt will teach you how to Spring Clean Your Body! By supporting your liver, you can lost weight, gain more radiant skin, and even reduce your seasonal allergy symptoms – all by cleansing the toxins from your body. Learn more by joining Angela for her free class! Sign up for both classes by visiting our calender here – but don’t wait too long, space is limited!

We also have an exciting schedule of live demos happening all day long. Right from 9am, you can come try some of our favourite products and learn what they can do to help you on your path to healing. From healthy snacks like kombucha, apple chips, granola bars, and gluten free, vegan baked goods, to health-generating supplements like fish oils, vitamin D, greens, and proteins, there’s something for everyone. Plus, our eatery will be sampling some of their customer favourite dishes, and some of our newer items as well. Get a taste for how delicious healthy food can really be. Walk the store, try out all the products, and let us know what your favourite is!

The fun doesn’t end there! We’ll also have a bunch of high-value prizes ready for you to win, and all you have to do is show up and enter your name! We’ll even be raffling off an iPad, which is something to excite just about anyone. Plus, we’ll be organizing spontaneous giveaways throughout the day for lucky customers to win. Will yours be one of the lucky names we draw? Come find out!

So as we enter longer days and warmer weather, come join the fun at 1000 Upper Gage Ave. in Hamilton. Our Spring Into Health event will be going on all day, so you have numerous opportunities to help us celebrate and walk away with something to make your days brighter. We’ll see you there!

We have just the treat for you this Easter weekend. If you haven’t already got a dessert or sweet treat planned, or just simply need a pick-me-up or fun hostess gift to bring to a dinner, look no further. Just in time for Easter, our Goodness Me! bakery has created Easter Cake Pops and Hot Cross Buns.

Gluten Free Cake Pops

Our cake pops are available in decadent chocolate or smooth vanilla, and are covered in a sweet icing and Easter-pink drizzle. Made completely with gluten free ingredients, our Easter Cake Pops are moist, delicious, and perfectly sized for just the right amount of sweetness. They’re the perfect one-bite treat for friends, family, kids, and loved ones, and are priced at just $1.99 a pop so you can bring home a bunch for everyone to enjoy. Just try not to eat them all yourself, first… don’t say we didn’t warn you! You can pick a bunch up at any Goodness Me! location until April 1st.

Hot cross buns are perfect for a treat at breakfast, a lazy afternoon snack with tea, or a sweet dessert after a delicious Easter dinner. This year, leave the baking to us! Our homemade Hot Cross Buns are made fresh with spelt flour, raw cane sugar, raisins, and just the right amount of seasonings like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Topped with a delicious line of icing, these buns are perfect for sharing! Pick up a pack of 2 at any Goodness Me! location for just $2.99 and bite into some homemade healthy goodness this Easter weekend.

With these delicious treats on hand, you can’t go wrong this Easter weekend. Whether you need a gift for a hostess, a treat for your family, or a relaxing moment to yourself, we’ve got the perfect baked goods for you. And don’t forget about our muffins, cookies, brownies, lemon squares, and gluten free cupcakes made fresh and available everyday: they’re the perfect end to any day.

Happy Easter!

Easter is a time that reminds us of new life, warm weather, and all the seasonal perks that come with Spring. It’s also one of the most chocolate-filled holidays of the year! Chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies, chocolate bars, chocolate desserts – it’s a chocoholic’s dream come true. But it’s definitely not a dream come true for our blood sugar levels, skin health, mood, or waistline to enjoy that much sugar-filled chocolate. So, how can you indulge in Easter fun without creating a disaster zone with your diet, cravings, and blood sugar?

Instead of having an Easter egg hunt with dozens of small chocolates, have a smaller hunt with less goodies! Hide small individual squares of Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate, or make a batch of Nut Butter Surprises or Snicker Snackers, package them in large plastic eggs, and hide those for your kids to hunt for. At the end of the hunt, have a grand prize of a Cocoa Camino Fair Trade Chocolate Bunny, or a couple of TCHO Organic Fair Trade Chocolate bars (on sale at all Goodness Me! stores). TCHO bars come in a variety of unique flavours and use the highest quality ingredients. And for a gift for your friend, sibling, parent, or loved one, choose organic, Fair Trade, dark chocolate: it’s the premium choice for ultimate taste and that instant sweet-tooth gratification – without the blood sugar swings!

If you’re having or joining an Easter dinner this weekend, keep the foods on the lighter side! Cover the majority of your plate with fresh, seasonal, organic produce dishes and salads, and enjoy a piece of lean organic meat as well. Stay away from lots of heavy carbs and gluten-filled dishes like potatoes or breads, and try not to have that third or fourth helping. You can enjoy your dinner without having to switch into sweatpants! And remember to drink a glass of water about 15 minutes prior to your meal to help satiate your hunger, and fill you up.

Lastly, Easter dessert. Like I said, it’s a chocolate holiday! So, I’m going to give you a couple options here. First, our tried and true Molten Chocolate Cakes for the chocolate lovers in your household. These delights are so easy to make, and are, hands-down, the best chocolate dessert you’ll have! And for those of you who don’t have a chocolate tooth, or for a fun Easter treat to make with the kids, try our Coconut Bird’s Nests recipe! Made with crispy rice cereal, almond butter, and shredded coconut, these treats are sure to be one of the healthier (and fun!) things you enjoy this Easter weekend.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

1 1/2 cups organic dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup Fair Trade Cocoa Camino cocoa powder
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sucanat

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 8 muffin cups or ramekins. Melt chocolate and butter together in top of double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder. Beat the egg whites until stiff and add in sucanat. Fold this mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fill ramekins 2/3 full. Bake about 10 minutes (until top is cracked and cake is still runny in the middle). Serve warm with whipping cream. Enjoy!

Coconut Bird’s Nests

Coconut Bird's Nests

3 cups crispy brown rice cereal
1 cup smooth almond butter
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar

Place almond butter, coconut sugar and agave nectar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal and coconut. Let cool for about 15 minutes and form into 2′ balls. Take each ball and form into a bird’s nest by gently pushing in the middle being careful that the edges don’t flatten. Refrigerate a couple hours and fill with chocolate covered almonds or jelly beans.

Both recipes by: Sandy Pomeroy, Goodness Me! Cooking Instructor