Canada is turning 148 tomorrow and we should celebrate our Native land! Whether you are heading out to one of the parades or events across the city (Mel Lastman Square, Harbour Front Centre, Ribfest @ Centennial Park, Queen’s Park) or simply planning to stay nearby home – these delicious, easy and ready-to-serve picnic style snacks will come in handy when the hunger starts to set in.

Nothing speaks more Canadian than peameal!  A peameal bacon sandwich will last in the cooler bag for your outing.  Go to your local butcher and order some sliced peameal. Pile it on to of a fresh Kaiser with assorted mustards (prepared, dijon, grainy).  Delish!

A salad is a must-have in the cooler bag BUT instead of your traditional potato salad (which can weigh the bag down) or a green salad (which can get wilty in the head) the perfect traveling salad is our Quinoa and lentil salad, crisp celery, dried cranberries, lemon herb dressing. The celery adds the crunch and the cranberries add the punch!

Cheese! Adding a mini selection of cheeses to any bag is always a plus in our books. Canadian dairy farmers have created countless choices for us, from soft or semi-soft, to firm, to blue, to hard – we have it all. Go into your local grocer and head over to the gourmet cheeses, pick up an Oka, Gouda, Goat and Benedictin Blue, add some perserves, marmalades, almonds, french stick and crisps – viola! A meal in itself!

For dessert, keep it Canadian and hit up an ice-cream shop and order some Kawartha Dairy ice cream. Wishing you all a safe and Happy Canada Day!