Showing posts with label Reviewed by Nancy Snipper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviewed by Nancy Snipper. Show all posts

Lakshmi Health Store, San Miguel de Allende



Your one-stop health home

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

Lackshmi is the Indian God of body and health. This remarkable store is aptly named, for it contains a myriad of organic products to promote your well-being from the inside out.
 Silvia Carranza who owns this unique one-stop “hospital of health”, cares about your needs, and most importantly, guides you to the right products – all natural and notably effective. I took the collagen/botox cream along with an anti-inflammation under-the-eye gel. The cream for my body worked like a tonic for dry skin; I also snagged that one.
But Lakshmi also provides a full gamut of hands-on therapies: Reiki, massage biomagnetitism – to name a few, plus there is a homeopathic doctor you can consult with along with a nutritionist. This unique place offers so many health assets, aside from pills, herbs and organic edibles. There is even at-home night care service. How wonderful is that?!
 The address is: Canal 67. Phone 150-0037.



La Floret





The Flower Shop with the Loveliest Flowers and Owner

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

When I moved to Verdun, something drew me into La Floret. As soon as I walked in, a splendid array of flowers greeted my senses, and along with this, the winning sweet smile of the store’s owner, Antonia. No hard sell with her; she just oozes sublime gentleness and humility.
Antonia has a Greek background, and as we all know, the Greeks are known for their generosity and hospitality. Every time I need a flower boost and a chance to feel happy by chatting with her, I always go to la Floret.
I end up walking out with my favourite flower: Casablanca lilies, and her prices are a steal.
Antonia donated heaps of bouquets and arrangements to the launch of my poetry/short story book, Beyond the Dream, Epic Solitude (see SMR Culture Plus). I honestly think it was her spirit of giving and the floral arrangements she made for the event helped get my book off the ground and into dream land.
Immerse yourself in the calming atmosphere of La Floret, meet Antonia and take time to smell the flowers. I am sure, you will not walk out of there empty handed.
She can handle any occasion: weddings, graduation, birthdays and more.


The address is: 5117 Rue de Verdun, QC, H4G
Call (514) 270-0088


MMM… Muthins!





Eating my favourite muffin and feeling thin

by Nancy Snipper

The other day I was at the Monkland Street Fair in Montreal where a ton of activities were going on, including tastings of new products.

I indulged myself, but there was one foodie that I can’t forget: Muthins

Ali (left) and Nancy (right) at the Monkland Street Fair


It’s a muffin that is so tasty and yet is only 90 calories. Everything inside is natural too. Of course, it is. That’s because the recipe goes back to 1985, and Ali Beloff, who has just started the company told me her mom is a nutritionist, and her inspiration to get these wonderful 100% all-natural bran muffins into everyone’s diet. There are seven different kinds and each one is as tasty as the next. I loved the lemon poppy seed one and the raisin. I can hardly wait to go back and purchase the other fruit flavours. Nothing was dry in texture!


I was so curious about this MUthin magnificent muffin, I asked Ali to tell me all about this muffin and why it is so different than those other health ones. Here’s what she said:
“What makes MUthins different than all the other healthy "muffin men”? Well first off, we’re muffin women, but more importantly, ours don’t taste like saw dust – they’re actually quite moist! Our secret recipe is a derivative of our mother’s, Leslie Beloff  – a certified nutritionist – thus adding an element of authenticity to everything that we do. 

Lesley (left), Ali (right)
  
Our flavours include: carrot, raisin, banana, chocolate-chip, lemon-poppy seed, apple-cinnamon and blueberry! With a MUthin in hand, you know you’re snacking the healthy way. Our mission is to help our community attain and maintain healthier lifestyles, one MUthin at a time”.

The MUthin Muffin story – a real girlie one
I asked her how it got started. Here is her “big MUthin reveal.

“Growing up in the Beloff household, the promotion of health, nutrition and the appreciation for local, fresh whole foods was always at the forefront”. Ali said that all of these essential values were instilled by founders, Chelsea and Ali’s mother, Leslie Beloff – the original MUthin women.
 
“Studying nutrition at McGill in her early 20’s and graduating as a certified nutritionist, our mom recognized the high need and empty gap in the Montreal food market for healthy snacking. Starting in 1985, she began her very own health muffin company with a line of ground-breaking 56-calorie muffins.” 


In 2011, Chelsea and Ali, along with a best friend, Jennifer, revamped their mother’s recipe – adding a few more calories with a whole-lot more flavor.
And thus, the MUthin was born! 
Keeping her mother’s values dear to her heart, Ali grabbed the steering wheel in the MUthins kitchen in 2015, with an everlasting urge to innovate with new MUthin flavours, shapes and derivatives to accommodate her community’s wants and needs.
Muthins is currently distributing to local health food stores, grocery stores, gyms, cafés, fitness centers, business offices and homes all across Montreal and the greater Quebec area. 



Visit: www.muthins.ca. You can order your favorite muffin off the website. They come in a six-pack or are individually wrapped for on-the-go gals.
Wholesalers welcome!




Croque ta Vie… a Gratonic Goodie!


              


Gluten and dairy-free health treats

reviewed by Nancy Snipper

Forget about the power bars and all those commercially attractively packaged foods that tell you no fat and really low in carbs. Who knows where the truth lies. Well, it lies in this sensational new snack product: Croque ta Vie.

What a great snack this foodie find is. The product is energizing and best of all, it’s gluten and dairy-free – created by a mother inspired by her children to create a fine foodie munchie that is 100% healthy.
They come in bars and bite-size bits.
Made by marathon runner, Sophie Pelletier-Roy in her Mirabel “kitchen”, Croque ta Vie makes granola bars and cereals from natural and organic ingredients with 10-12g of protein. They come in seven great flavours, including apple, chocolate, ginger, and more!

Enpowering and energizing for all ages. Gratonic is putting pure health in a delicious way into your body. I know, I couldn’t get enough of them when I tasted them at the press conference for Festival de Nouveau Cinema in Montreal.

You can go to croquetavie.com or on Facebook to see more information about the product.



Techniques Auto Verdun Inc.

The Garage with heart and a whole lot more! 

 by Nancy Snipper




Techniques Auto Verdun Inc.

In this day and age, it’s so difficult to find a garage that can fix your car from head to toe, and make you feel happy – even lucky that you nailed the best car doctor in town.   I’m talking about a very special garage: Techniques Auto Verdun Inc in Montreal, Quebec.
APA approved and owned by the Trinidadian-Canadian Dickson family of East-Indian descent, the garage is stocked with men whose smiles are as genuine and warm as the level of excellence of the work they do. These fellows have been repairing cars and doing superb body work for ten years, and they love what they do. They have two class-one mechanics working in the garage – a rarity to find such high qualifications these days. A team of family members work darn hard to get it right with your car and they always succeed. Their resident mechanic, veteran Claude Laneuville whom everyone calls the “yoda master" of mechanics has been with the garage for 40 years; he stayed on when the Dicksons bought it.

One stop shopping  that is so convenient
You’re never just a number at Techniques Auto Verdun. As Alan, the manager said, “We care so much about cars, as much we care about their owners – and that’s a lot”. In fact, when I brought my car in to fix the rust on both sides of the car at each door bottom, Alan was so committed into   getting rid of it. Karim – his body man – works on the aesthetics of cars, and this guy is amazing. Alan called me over to show me the job Karim did on my Hyundai, Elantra. I couldn’t believe it Wow!
What I loved was watching their enthusiasm and pride that made me know they strive for perfection to get an immaculate end result. They were as excited as I was. And boy, they produce results!
On the interior of the driver’s door, Karin had taken the panel off working to the bone sanding to ensure all rust was completely gone – rust that one can’t see unless that indoor panel is removed.

These guys are my car heroes!  
Can you believe it, but Alan actually walked over to my street where my car was parked before he even started the job - just to take a look. Now that’s a first. He spoke to me about why it was rusting and how to stop it further and possible options.
Being a single woman, I’ve been taken by poor workmanship and gouged where inflated costs to get my car fixed backed me into a corner to concede.
That didn’t happen with me here. I was astounded by their respect and reassurance. I could see they really stand by their word and workmanship.

 They’re honest and their integrity was obvious
They went the extra mile and then some. They even fixed the lopsided gas tank cover and touched up all the small areas that marked my car that was now approaching 10 years of age.  With their passion and incomparable expertise, they turned my car into a spanking slick-looking white car. No wonder, they are experts on high-end cars, such as jaguars and crème de la crème collector models, and though mine is a mere “commoner”, it didn’t matter to them. They took so much care in making it look like a high-end beauty. Plus it was ready in two days!!!
The price was so reasonable, especially since I know how expensive body work can run. I wanted to stay and chat, even hug them, for they truly rescued me. I knew where I would be heading in the event of any future car calamity.
“Thank you, Alan, Karim and the gang of great guys at Techniques Auto Verdun!”




Here is the garage’s address: 640 avenue Gordon, Verdun, QC H4G 2R9.
The phone number is (514) 751-2525.
Their email is: groupexotika@hotmail.com

Our Vets Have Been Voided!


by Nancy Snipper

In Canada’s fields the souls now fall
of those who risked their lives for all.
And now these vets are left behind
with other heroes of great heart and mind.
No gathering place to call their own,
All they get is to suffer alone.
Can’t be with others to share those times
Where bravery and fear were their only life-line.
To war they went, now home they die
Not by the enemy but by the Harper cry.
So cold of heart, so bleak of mind
A leader whose only care
is to kill their pride.
It’s so unfair.
Is this the way to thank them all?
Bleed them dry and take their dough
Oh Steven Harper, you reap what you sow.

“Oh Canada, our home and native land,
True patriot love”  
(in a song, but not for man!!)





{Written in response to Canada’s closing veteran offices}
{Écrit en réponse au  fermeture des bureaux vétéran par le Canada}