Life is hectic. Temper tantrums, overdue reports, and rush hour traffic … oh, rush hour traffic, how we loathe you. Okay, so the whole “life is hectic” line is a bit of an understatement – life is mind-boggling mad. That is why you have to take some time out at the end of the day to unwind and relax, to spend some time with “ME.” The Upper Canada Soap staff is composed of amazing multi-tasking women who have crazy schedules, but they all have hobbies or tasks that they do to relax. Therefore,  we wanted to show you how the Marketing Ladies at Upper Canada Soap unwind and ultimately, stay sane. 1. Exercise Have you seen What Women Want? You know the line where Helen Hunt describes running as just you and the pavement? Well, it’s true. Running is something that our Marketing Director, Chantelle, uses to clear her mind. She also uses it to prepare for the day, because she does it in the morning. Editor’s Note: How she wakes up at 5:45AM everyday and straps on the runners is beyond us. Exercise is essential to a healthy life style and is a great de-stresor. 2. TV and Movies Our Brand Manager, Adriana, loves to unwind in front of the TV. She makes her husband watch General Hospital with her every night and he hates it – but we think it’s adorable! Our Graphic Designer, Jenny, is  more of a movie gal and spends her time watching rom-coms .
…read more

In celebration of our new KITCHEN by Upper Canada Soap collection, we’ve decided to provide you with a delicious and fresh recipe that encompasses the ingredients in our Poached Fig and Pear line.  Like Sonny and Cher, Miss. Piggy and Kermit the Frog, there is no better “pear” than Fig and Pear. Therefore, here is our favourite Fresh Pear and Fig Mixed Green Salad recipe. The best thing about this recipe (aside from its fresh, robust flavours) is that it takes little to no time to prepare, which is great for the busy Mom or Career Woman. Oh, did we say that it’s extremely healthy, as well? Bon Appetit!   Ingredients 4 cups salad mix, store bought 1 bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced 6 fresh figs (green or purple), sliced in 1/2 4 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola 4 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows Directions Place a pile of greens on each salad plate. Arrange the fruits on top and sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Lightly drizzle with vinaigrette. Lemon Vinaigrette: 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon lemon extract 2 tablespoons lemon curd 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoo Dijon mustard Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Recipe courtesy Paula Deen.

Every year, I arrive at my friend’s Christmas party with either a fruit platter or a bottle of wine. It’s not that I’m in love with fruit or wine – it’s because I don’t think that I have time to bake a delicious holiday treat for my pals. However, my amazing colleague, Lynda, has provided us with three ho-ho-wholly-these-are-delicious recipes!   Chocolate Maccaroons           Put in saucepan:         1/2 cup butter or margarine     1 cup white sugar       1/2 cup milk                     Gently boil above for 1 minute while stirring.   Remove from heat.         Add:           6 tablespoons cocoa       1/2 tsp vanilla       3  cups quick oats       1 cup unsweetened coconut                 Mix well. Drop from spoon on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Cool, further shape into balls if desired.     Keep in cool place in sealed container.     9/13 Pan Shortbread           1 LB  butter           1 cup icing sugar         4.5 – 5 cups all purpose flour                       Blend until dough clumps in your hand. Press into 9×13 baking pan.    Poke /mark with fork, and sprinkle lightly with fruit sugar.     Bake at 350 for
…read more

Thanks to Toronto’s Fresh City Farms, we’re able to share this delicious and healthy quick 30-minute recipe! Between the soba, broccoli, and black beans, you’ve got your carbs, veggies, and protein covered. Feel free to add in any other vegetables you’ve got – kale, carrots, red peppers – just reduce the broccoli and mushrooms slightly so that there’s enough of this delicious sauce to coat the noodles. If you’ve still got some daikon radish lying about, then slice it up into ¼ inch thick rounds or half-moons and add them at the very last minute.   Ingredients: 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 red onions, thinly sliced 1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or 1 tbsp white vinegar with 1 tsp sugar) 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 head broccoli, rinsed 1½ cups cooked or 1 can (14 oz) black beans 1 cup vegetable stock or water ¼ cup tahini ¼ cup finely chopped coriander 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice 8 oz soba noodles Optional garnishes: cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, cashews, lime wedges Directions: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and onions for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in mushrooms, vinegar, cumin, ½ tsp of the salt, and pepper; cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Fill bottom of a steamer pot with two inches of water. While waiting for the water to come to a boil,
…read more

Courtesy of the amazing, local, organic Fresh City Farms, we have a delicious and healthy dish to try this weekend. This versatile pilaf would work perfectly as a side dish to chicken or fish, but it’s equally delicious as the main dish, when used as a stuffing. Try it this week as a stuffing in your squash or green peppers!     Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken or vegetable broth 1/3 cup chopped oven-dried tomatoes** 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed, diced 3 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only) 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 3 cups freshly cooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 1 cup uncooked) 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Optional: ½ cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Three options for use and preparation: If using squash, trim stem off and cut squash in half. Scoop out the pulp and seeds and brush the cut side with olive oil. Bake, cut side down, for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over and let cool slightly while you prepare stuffing. If using green peppers, then cut the top off the pepper, stem included, so that you can stuff and replace the top as a lid. Set aside. If using as a side dish, then prepare an 8×8 baking dish by greasing lightly with olive oil. Bring broth and tomatoes just to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat; let
…read more