Today’s blog is brought to you by Karen Humphrey. Karen is the author of two very well known Canadian food blogs “Notes from the Cookie Jar” and “Chasing Tomatoes”.

I watch my Twitter stream flit by, messages scrolling almost faster than I can keep up. A friend of mine on Vancouver Island is having a coffee. Another in Toronto is baking with her children. Yet another writes about a book she is reading. Many of these women I have met through social media in the last two years, and they all have become what I would call friends.

Those who don’t understand social media don’t quite ‘get’ places like Twitter. “It seems so weird to have people following you, why would they do that? It’s creepy! Why would anyone want to know about my day? Who cares?” To some it’s unchartered territory, to which they are missing the point.   

The point is easy, really. It’s about being social and if you are a business, it can benefit you in ways you can’t even imagine, if you do it correctly. Let me tell you a story.

Years ago, I was loyal to a particular snack product. This chocolate treat was something I had eaten since my childhood, and was practically tradition to have in the house, include in my baking, and to send to friends. I had been loyal to this product for well over 30 years. Unfortunately, the product’s recipe was changed, which changed the taste. As a consumer, I took advantage of social media and the internet to voice my displeasure to the company, hoping that I would have some response or explanation in return. I knew that they wouldn’t change the product back just for me, but that’s something that social media gives us-a vehicle to give immediate feedback. I hated the new product, and I voiced it loudly because I admit, I felt somewhat betrayed that something from my childhood was now ruined.

The company completely ignored me. However, someone else was listening.

The competition.

Immediately, they responded to my tweets in the absence of a response from the company. It started with friendly chat, and somehow, they craftily let me know that they had the same product, a better product, that I may want to try, which I did. However, it doesn’t end there. The same company chatted with me occasionally, commented when I posted photos of things I had baked with their product, and got to know me as their customer. The result?  Now when I think of their product, I think of the conversations I’ve had with them, the friendly chats about cookies and chocolate, and I am now far more loyal to their brand than I ever was to the original one. They took the time to get to know me, to help solve my problem, and I no longer saw them as a faceless company but instead a friendly voice willing to help.

Businesses may not realize this but when they befriend a blogger who loves their products and feels a connection to their company, we can, and we do share. It’s a tricky balance because like all relationships, the give and take must be mutual and bloggers want to be treated with respect as professionals. I will say, however that when I really love a company, and a product, I will talk about it online and off, include links in posts that I write  and in general, recommend it to anyone who will listen. That kind of advertising can’t be bought; rather it’s one that comes only by the genuine relationships you build through social media. There are businesses who do this particularly well, and who I adore working with for that very reason. Social media relationships can lead to business partnerships, opportunities, and PR for companies as well as bloggers which are mutually beneficial. The trick is, I think, reaching outside of ourselves and not thinking only about what we can gain for ourselves through business relationships, but considering the people we are working with and their needs as well. 

When you can nail just the right combination of business and relationships, the rewards are beyond anything you can imagine.

Today’s blog is brought to you by Karen Humphrey. Karen is the author of two very well known Canadian food blogs “Notes from the Cookie Jar” and “Chasing Tomatoes”.

Rays of sun broke through grey clouds as the plane’s wings tipped upon our decent into Toronto, and my heart skipped a beat. After years of reading about conferences and then months of planning my trips to Blissdom Canada, this time it was really happening.

Back in 2010 I was invited to my first blogging and social media conference as a speaker. For me it was shocking, really. I had never expected that my venture into social media would be the introduction to a community of people across the country. At first, I was terrified. What if nobody spoke to me? What if I found myself alone in a corner? It’s easy to be yourself online, in words rather than face to face - you can shut the computer off, you can think and re-word responses, you can carefully calculate what you are going to say. Real life is completely different, and suddenly all these people I had talked to were going to be right there in front of me.

I had gone to Blissdom Canada with no expectations, and there I was, hyperventilating in my hotel room, terrified that I was going to mess up before I took a deep breath and dove in, feet first.

What I found was inspiration from fellow writers, friendships, and a community that I am proud to be part of. Blissdom allows bloggers to teach each other how to hone our craft, support each other, and spend time with each other offline. I can’t even begin to say how valuable it is; there’s something about having met someone personally that solidifies a working relationship with them. There’s also something incredibly inspiring to be with people who actually understand you. They know what it’s like to try to flesh out an article at 1 am, or get your Twitter jokes. You know who you can chat with when you’ve had a bad day, who will encourage you to keep going, and that if you need help, will be there for you. We are all in this together, after all. 

his year, I went back to Blissdom Canada with a wonderful sponsorship from Chicken Farmers of Canada and instead of being terrified, it felt like I was going home to see friends. While I didn’t speak, having the chance to mentor and talk to new bloggers as a Food blogging Tribe leader was an amazing opportunity to give back to the community for the inspiration and support I have received over and over again.

Conferences may be once a year, but the memories and the connections stay with you far beyond the two days you are there. I find that the inspiration and friendships carry me through even the tough times throughout the year when I begin to stumble. Last week, I wandered through a store looking for a gift for a dear friend who is sick, my eyes filling with tears. What do you buy a friend who has cancer?  The strains of Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” from Blissdom’s video began to play, and it was as though the universe was reminding me that things would be okay. 

Keep calm, and carry on. We’ve got your back.

It’s been a busy year for us at CFC and now it’s time for a break so that we can start fresh in the New Year!

We’ll be back with plenty of great blogs and we’ll be keeping you posted with new tidbits of information and contests via Facebook and Twitter.  We’ll also be adding many more scrumptious chicken recipes to our web site so don’t forget to come back and visit us at www.chicken.ca.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON!

All kids enjoy eating with their hands, especially when it comes to chicken drumsticks. So this holiday season, why not cook up a big batch of chicken drumsticks that the kids can enjoy for lunch, dinner or for a quick snack? It’ll save you some time to get all your other Christmas preparations in order!

Roasted Chicken Drumsticks and Vegetables with Juniper Berries

These drumsticks are perfect to enjoy over the holiday season. The scent of juniper berries will have your house smelling like Christmas.

Devilish Good Drumsticks

These crispy drumsticks will be a hit with the kids. These would be perfect served with some baked potato fries.

Don’t forget to enjoy a few of these drums before the kids eat them all; you will need the extra energy to finish-up any last minute Christmas shopping.

Enjoy!

It’s Boxing Day and you’re going to need a lot of energy to hit-up all those sales which means you’ll need a big hearty breakfast to keep you going! Eating protein, like eggs and chicken, for breakfast is a great way to fuel-up and keep you feeling satisfied.

If you’ve never tried chicken for breakfast then you’re missing out! It’s not only high in protein but low in fat making it the perfect breakfast meat. So try using chicken instead of your usual breakfast meat, you won’t regret it.

Here are some tasty chicken breakfast recipes to try before you hit the shopping mall.

Chicken and Cheese Breakfast Muffins

If you absolutely can’t wait to hit the shops, then try making these healthy breakfast muffins that can be eaten on the run.

Baked Eggs and Chicken Sausage with Potatoes

This breakfast dish uses delicious chicken sausages which can be purchased at a butcher shop or at your local grocery store. The potatoes in this dish also make it perfect to serve for brunch!

Ground Chicken Hash Patties with Poached Eggs

You’ll more than likely have left over mashed potatoes from Christmas dinner so why not use them up by making these tasty patties?

Happy shopping!

Most of us like to keep our Christmas Eve traditions, but there’s nothing wrong with switching it up a little.  Although we all enjoy a good cookie from time to time, Santa Claus consumes more than his fair share of cookies in one night.  No wonder he’s so jolly! 

So this Christmas Eve, forget the traditional cookies and milk and consider some healthier food options for Santa. You do want him to fit down your chimney after all.

So what are some healthy and easy alternatives?

Fruits such as apples and oranges are a good alternative especially for a sweet tooth like Santa.  Carrots and celery sticks and whole wheat crackers with peanut butter are healthy and nutritious.

But if you want to do something extra special for Santa then these kid-friendly oven-baked chicken nuggets with sweet potato fries will keep Santa’s energy level at a peak. Yes, they are kid-friendly which will be a perfect choice for Santa.  We all know that he’s a big kid at heart.

And of course, don’t forget the reindeer; they need their energy charged for the long trek ahead.

There are countless ways to prepare chicken and it probably won’t come as a surprise that my favourite way is to either grill on the BBQ or roast in the oven.  By seasoning with a little salt, black pepper, and olive oil and/or butter, you can produce a wonderfully crispy golden brown skin. Truth be told, I have often enjoyed how effortless cooking a chicken can really be. You can leave a chicken for hours in a low temperature oven or on a grill’s indirect heat. In addition to rendering fork-tender results, this slow cook method will allow you to spend more time doing family activities or even preparing sides to serve with your roast. 

Be patient because once you get comfortable and familiar with how to best prepare chicken you’ll get really good at understanding the different ways to improve its overall flavour.  For example I’ve prepared a custom recipe for the Chicken Farmers of Canada website that includes placing truffles under the skin.  Adding interesting ingredients such as the one above will help how your chicken turns out.

The versatility of chicken makes for endless possibilities when it comes to creating delicious meals. For example, meat loaf is a timeless classic but an equally appealing and lighter option is a chicken version. See how easy it is to impress your family and friends by making subtle changes to recipes and with a bit of creativity everyday meals will taste better. I will often use a loaf recipe to make my burgers by adjusting the shape and cook time. It’s really that simple.

Most of us can appreciate the ease of the one-pot nature of stews. I usually prep all my vegetables and chicken in the initial phases of cooking then layer my flavour profile by introducing ingredients of a more spirited nature, such as chicken stock and 35 % cream. Allowing your one-pot creation to simmer for a few hours will produce something spectacular and nutritious. Chicken is quite forgiving so I’d recommend experimenting and being as creative as you wish. 

Rob Rainford

While we can’t have all of our friends and family together on Christmas day, we can definitely find time before Christmas to have a celebration with our friends. So why not host a Christmas party this year?

Hosting a Christmas party doesn’t have to consist of a complicated sit down dinner. In fact, appetizers, finger foods and cheese trays are a very popular choice and give people the option to chose a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Try placing a variety of cheeses on a tray with some fresh grapes, crackers, sliced baguette, a smooth pâté, like this one, and a fig jam. A tray of fresh crudités and dip should also be available.

A big batch of meatballs can easily be prepared in a slow cooker and are also a very popular choice.

Save yourself some time by buying your desserts, like pastries, cookies and squares, at your local grocery store unless you have a traditional family recipe that you want to show off to your guests.

A Christmas potluck party is also a festive way to celebrate the holiday season! Choose a theme for the party, for example, make the theme Christmas Around the World and have everyone bring their family favourite Christmas recipe. Or how about a Christmas Chicken themed party including chicken meatballs, chicken wings and other chicken goodies like the ones in these recipes?

Chili Cranberry Fusion Meatballs in a Slow Cooker

Chicken and Brie Crostini

Mini Walnut Spinach and Chicken Quiches

Chicken Insalata Caprese Party Picks

Chicken and Vegetable Pakoras with Yogurt Mint Chutney

Two Way Wings

Whether you chose to host a cocktail party or a pot luck, be sure to provide a wide variety of beverage options. Water, soda, juice, coffee and tea should be available to guests who don’t drink alcohol or to those who are driving. Of course, any Christmas party will have a variety of alcoholic beverages, including eggnog!

The best advice I can give you is to keep the menu simple, jazz up your house with glitzy Christmas decorations and festive music, and just have a great time!

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably already counting down the days to Christmas and already trying to figure out what to serve for Christmas dinner.

Whether you enjoy turkey, ham or chicken for Christmas dinner, it’s all a matter of personal choice. I like to switch-up my Christmas menu every year and this year, I am definitely going to try Rob Rainford’s Christmas truffle chicken recipe. I’ll be serving it with a traditional French Canadian tourtière, mashed potatoes, delicious stuffing and either a salad or roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts.

Is chicken on your Christmas menu this year? If so, check out these awesome roasted chicken recipes. Most of them also come with a great stuffing recipe. Enjoy!

Christmas Truffle Chicken

Christmas Foie Gras Chicken

Roasted Chicken with Cranberry Rice Pilaf

Whole Roasted Chicken with Sage Butter and Maple Walnut Stuffing

Roast Chicken with Brown Lentil and Winter Squash Stuffing

Roast Chicken with Wild Rice Stuffing

Roast Chicken with Outside Stuffing

Weekdays are hectic! Between work, the long commute home and preparing dinner, it is often tempting to stop and pick up fast food on the way home. But if you take a little time to organize yourself for the week ahead, then dinner should be quick and easy to prepare.

Stop at your local grocery store with a list of grocery items that will make getting dinner on the table a cinch! Look for items like:

Prepared salads – these are so handy! Pick your favourite salad and top it with cooked chicken or canned tuna.

Grated cheese – the work has been done for you! All you have to do is open the bag and sprinkle.

Tortilla wraps – these are great for sandwiches and for quesadillas. Here’s a simple recipe for quesadillas that you and your kids will love!

Eggs – a healthy omelet, like this one, is not only good for breakfast but can be enjoyed at dinner. Get creative by using any leftover vegetables you may have handy.

Whole wheat pizza crust – can be topped with your favourite tomato sauce or pesto sauce and then topped with chicken, pepperoni, a few chopped vegetables and some grated cheese.

Rotisserie chicken – Buy one or two depending on how many people you need to feed. They are great served with a healthy salad and the leftovers make great sandwiches. I always stop and buy a rotisserie chicken. The breast meat is great as a topping on a pizza like this one or in my recipe for Chicken Pesto Pizza My Way.

Chicken Pesto Pizza My Way

• 1 diced cooked chicken breast
• 1 store bought pizza shell
• Jarred pesto – enough to cover the entire surface of the pizza shell
• 3 – 4 Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
• Low-fat grated mozzarella cheese – as little or as much as you like
• 1 tsp. herbes de Provence

1. Remove any excess oil from the sundried tomatoes by pressing them between paper towels, then cut them into this slices.
2. Spread the pesto onto the pizza crust and top with chicken and sundried tomatoes
3. Top with grated cheese and sprinkle with the herbes de Provence.
4. Bake pizza according to the directions on the packaging of the pizza shell.

Done! How easy was that?

If you’re the outdoorsy type, then you probably enjoy exploring the great outdoors all year-round, even on those bone-chilling winter days. There’s something tranquil and soothing about taking a long hike or snow shoeing through a beautiful winter wonderland scene, but there are always dangers when braving the great outdoors including hypothermia and frostbite. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself so here are a few tips.

Bundle up - Make sure to wear the appropriate clothing and always carry a sturdy back pack, that way you can bring extra layers or take off layers in case the temperature rises or drops.

Bring liquids - You lose as much water exercising in the cold so make sure you bring enough water to keep properly hydrated. A large thermos is also a must to keep hot liquids or foods, such as soups and chilis, from getting cold. You should also have some snacks handy, like roasted pumpkin seeds or granola, or why not mix the two together?

Bring a friend - Accidents happen, so if you’re exploring the great outdoors, you should always bring someone with you. You many need more than their shoulder to lean on.

Here are my top www.chicken.ca food picks for a winter wonderland adventure.

Big Batch Chicken Lentil Bean Rice Soup

Here’s a hearty protein-packed soup that you can make ahead of time and freeze in batches. Thaw a serving or two the night before. All you have to do the next day is heat it up and plop it in your thermos!

Chicken Chili Blanco

This chili may be milder than the traditional version but it still bursting with flavour!

Chicken “Faux” Soup

If you like Pho, then you’ll love this much easier-to-make version that will bring you the ultimate comfort and warmth on a cold winter day.

Do you have an outdoor winter activity tip or recipe you’d like to share with us? Please let us know in the comments.

Discussing how to use chicken to substitute for other meats, or to add to vegetarian dishes, etc

Chicken is an easy substitute for any beef, veal or pork recipe. The obvious one is using ground chicken in place of ground beef much like my ultimate Grilled Chicken Calzone recipe. A great start to perfecting seamless substitutions and give you the consistency you are looking for, is to select protein ingredients as they tend to absorb new flavours more easily and in less time. Ground chicken can be used in just about any recipe that calls for ground meat and because it is a lean meat, it’s an easy and obvious answer and often the reason why folks pick chicken over beef or veal.

I’m often asked to demonstrate exactly how to substitute chicken in everyday recipes and this is indeed as simple as it sounds. One of the ways I love to use chicken is with my Bolognese Sauce, a classic Italian dish rich with an embarrassingly flavouful tomato sauce. It was while I was in school that I learned how to cleverly swap out beef for chicken and how in certain dishes it surprisingly makes little difference especially when we’re talking about ground chicken. Next time you’re at the butcher or supermarket, go over to the poultry section and then try ground chicken in your favourite sauce served with your favourite freshly cooked al dente pasta.

It isn’t uncommon to find people using imitation meat to stuff chickens for recipes such as Chicken Ballontine or Galantine rather than using the real thing. Let me give you the skinny on these perceived more difficult dishes to prepare. Simply double up on the chicken quotient and add this to butterflied chicken breasts or a deboned chicken legs and thighs. Another example is preparing Beef Bourguignon, the traditional French stew made popular by Julia Child, with chicken legs and thighs. The reason I’m suggesting this is because dark meat lends itself to longer cooking times with little casualty of drying out. I have also tried this with breast meat but cook for less than half the time.

Braising is a moist cooking method and is a great technique for tenderizing tough secondary cuts of meat. I like to keep my braising liquid light in flavor so I reach for chicken stock whether I’m cooking lamb shanks, pork shoulder or roaster. By using a liquid such as chicken stock and a few flavour builders, you can add moisture and flavor to chicken. Coq au Vin is a perfect example that this method really works.

There are so many options to substitute chicken in recipes. My advice for those looking for new ideas and alternatives is to experiment with combinations and don’t be afraid to be creative. Talk the chicken talk and walk the chicken walk.  Get cooking.

Rob Rainford

It’s that time of year! The office Christmas parties and holiday gatherings are being planned and between you and your spouse, that means a lot of celebrating!

So here’s some advice. Before the celebrations begin, try eating a healthy diet leading up to those days, that way you won’t feel so guilty when you indulge in a cup of eggnog or a chocolate truffle. I’m not saying you should eat healthy now so you can enjoy a whole box of chocolates, or several helpings of eggnog! Everything in MODERATION.

This is also a good time to start and exercise routine. A 20 – 30 minute walk everyday is all you need but if exercise is something you haven’t done in a long time, breaking a walk up into two 15 minute walks per day may be a better option.

Healthy meals are easy to prepare when you have tasty recipe suggestions and here are just a few to help you out.

Skillet Chicken with Balsamic Greens – 330 calories per serving

This dish is packed full of flavour and iron rich greens and raisins. It’s the perfect healthy meal to get you on track!

Easy Chicken Stuffed Peppers – 240 calories per serving

These stuffed peppers are simple to assemble and freeze well so you can enjoy them for lunch or dinner.

Polenta Chicken Bake – 180 calories per serving

This recipe is loaded with healthy vegetables, lean ground chicken and paired with creamy polenta. It may taste like it’s rich but it only contains 180 calories per serving.

Smoked Paprika and Orange Chicken over Wilted Spinach – 340 calories per serving

The smoky and sweet flavour combination in this dish, paired with iron rich spinach make the perfect satisfying meal.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, especially while you are exercising and if you feel a snack attack coming on; grab some celery or carrot sticks to keep your appetite in check.