This past weekend, I had the opportunity to play tourist in my hometown, Ottawa. I visit this amazing city almost every 6 weeks for the last few years but this particular weekend I got to know Ottawa in a different way!!

I started off the weekend, by attending Nepean High School 90th Anniversary Celebration. I haven’t been thru their doors since 1984 so it was kind of neat just to be inside the building again. Oh the memories!

Sadly not a lot of people were there from my year (sniff…)

On Saturday, my mom and I REALLY played tourist. We boarded a double decker bus  (at the corner of Elgin and Sparks St) that is operated by a company called Lady Dive.  This 75 minute tour (which leaves every hour on the hour) is truly the best way to see the city as you can Hop On and Off at a variety of stops, such as: Museums, Parks, Galleries, the Byward Market, the Parliament Buildings, Rideau Hall and more.

Our tour guide was entertaining and certainly knew his stuff. My mom and I were amazed at what we learned in such a short period of time about important landmarks in our own city! We loved every minute of this double deck bus tour and would certainly recommend it to visitors.

Playing tourist meant that I got the chance to visit the Tulip Festival TWICE over the weekend. I simply could not stop taking pictures. See what I mean?

And more…LOL

For more info:

Lady Dive Tours:  Reservations-  613 524 2221  PS. many tour options are available so please visit their website to learn more.

Tulip Festival – May 3 to 20th,2013  Ottawa/Gatineau

Ottawa Tourism

This past weekend I went to Montreal to visit a good friend and to visit Jean-Talon Market. I had NO other agenda. It also helped that I had a friend do the driving!! (thanks M)

The trip started off with a quick visit to Buster Rhinos in Whitby. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich (as always) but also had the opportunity to try their EPIC BBQ ribs. Why oh why have I never tried these ribs before? Will now be ordering both items. It will not be a discussion!

I have stopped off at Buster Rhinos on almost every trip to Ottawa or Montreal.

When I went to  Jean-Talon Market, I bought the following:

-Lime Basil Macaron: not sure I tasted the basil but was pretty happy with my macaron

-Bourgot:a member of the conch family and not easily found in Toronto

-Quebec Beer: was not easy to select from the massive selection but I did it. LOL. Bought a gluten free beer…go figger.

-Non Homogenized Cream : haven’t tried it yet but something tells me it’s going to be wicked. Can you see the numbers: 45%

I also picked up:

-a few new cheeses: La Tome A rudy, Mont Vully and a few more

-Australian Fingerlime : definitely hard to find this in Toronto

-Almond Croissants from Kouign-Aman :I’ve been here on my last trip but HAD to return to get my dose of these freakin’ amazing croissants.

-Pear and Coriander yogurt: sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Can you tell I like unusual flavour combinations?

The trip continued with yet a few more purchases:

-Cafe In : for a much needed cafe au lait!!

-Sorry can’t remember where the olives were from but they are stuffed with ORANGE PEEL. Never seen this in Toronto either

-Chez Louis: Purchased black garlic on my last trip and went back for another bulb. Can’t wait to roast this bulb and serve it to guests.

As you can tell, I had an amazing time wandering thru Jean-Talon Market. No shortage of goodies here!!

Please note: Also came home with four bagels from St. Viateur and a tub of butter from La Ferme de Patrimonie! Don’t get me started about this butter…it’s that good!

For More Information:

Buster Rhinos Southern BBQ: (for da best bbq) 2001 Thickson Road, Whitby, ON

Koenig Aman Bakery : (for the freakin’ amazing croissants) 322 Mont Royal Est, Montreal Quebec

Jean-Talon Market:

Les Delices De La Mer (for the bourgot)

Le Marche des Saveur  Du Quebec (for local Quebec beer , cheese,and other local goodies)

Fromagerie Hamel; Butter, Cream, Cheese

Chez Louis (for unusual produce)

Brulerie aux Quatre Vents (for the macarons)

Coffee: Cafe In

I thought it would be fun to squeeze in one more trip to Buffalo before it snows. We went on Sunday – just like a working day – we left at 8 a.m and we were home by 5 p.m. It was perfect.

We hit Target first (of course) and then we hit Wegmans. (of course). Plus we managed a quick quick trip to the Outlet Mall (i.e we were there for less than an hour)

Here’s a few highlights!!

a) Dum Dums: Basically they are lollipops that come in a variety of cool flavors….rootbeer, mystery flavor, cotton candy, mango, watermelon, blue raspberry, strawberry shortcake, banana split etc. After reading their (fun) website, I discovered they are family owned private company that has been making candy since 1906!!

No Joke – we sort thru the bin looking for the “right flavors”. It’s kind of funny!!

b) Chex: I started of buying 1 bag, then 2, then 3 and now I’m up to 4. Sadly the flavor I wanted (chocolate)…WAS ALL SOLD OUT. Can u believe? I was not happy. As you can see, I am now trying a new flavour.

Wish we could find this product here in Canada!!

3. We love the Bauble water bottles so much that we decided to buy the water jug. We needed one. Not sure if you can find these here. Anyone know?

Great design. Great price $9.99

4. M&M Dark Chocolate Mint and Hershey Kisses in Pumpkin: HEAVEN. Kicking myself that I didn’t buy more

Why didn’t I buy more?

I used my Wegmans card with pride and knew that my $100 worth of groceries was money well spent.

I’m already looking forward to my next trip as I bought ONE pair of jeans at Target that I’m loving and of course I’m saying to myself “Why didn’t I buy more”.

Summer is officially over. It’s sad. As much as I like the Spring and the Fall…there is nothing like sunny skies and warm temperatures. Not to mention there is just so much to do in the summer.

When I look back, I made the most of my summer and travelled to the following places:

-Niagara on the Lake, Pillar and Post

-Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

One of My Favorite Places to go for a Weekend.

-Arowhon Pines

Magnificent

-Canada Day in Ottawa

- Visiting Sandbacks Provincial Park

-Camping at Island Spirits

One of those perfect days.

-Montreal

-Buffalo

-Cobourg Beach (twice)

-Glen Kelso Conservation; (sadly I only went once this summer)

I also took advantage of “summer in the city” and went to use the pool at the Sheraton Centre three times!! I seriously can’t complain about Summer 2012.

But now I can start to look forward to all the wonderful things Fall represents:, the leaves changing, visiting Chudleighs, fall clothes, baking apple crisps, and making fall soups.

Here’s to an amazing FALL.

p.s I was suppose to post this on the last day of summer (which was on Friday Sept 21st but silly me…got distracted, for a change)

I’ve decided to write two blog posts about Montreal. The first blog post was “What I ate in Montreal” and now this blog post will be dedicated to “What I Bought in Montreal”. It wasn’t hard for me to whip out my Visa every few minutes while walking thru Jean Talon Market saying “I want this – I want that”.

Here’s a list of what I brought back to Toronto:

a) BLACK GARLIC: I’ve seen dried black garlic sold in packages in grocery stores but have never seen fresh black garlic. Have you? I will be roasting it this week and shmearing it on a toasted baguette. Will get back to what it tastes like. At $120/lb it better be freakin’ awesome. I think this ONE bulb cost a few dollars. P.S. I found the black garlic at Chez Louis, which is a well known fruit/veggie vendor at JTM. (Jean Talon Market)

Nothing beats finding something I have never tried before!!

b) BEER: There’s quite a few beers that are brewed in Quebec that aren’t available at the LCBO. Sad but true. Seeing as I’m all about “flavor”, I selected a few unusual beers: El Lapino, which is a Jalapeno Beer (you can actually see the jalepeno floating around in the bottle), La Carotte Du Lievre which is a Carrot Beer, and Spruce Beer (which isn’t alcholic).

Not a bad line up:

My Taste Buds Will be Happy. (I think)

c) ETHIOPIAN BEBERE: Bought this spice at a popular store in JTM that called Olives & Epices. Not sure why I selected this spice but looks like I will be bringing out my mortar and pestle soon. All I know is that this 150 g pot is going to last me for years!! Infact there is an expiry date on it: 2016/08/07. HA.

This is going to bring my salmon to another level.

d) BEURRE DE PATRIMONIE: Discovered this butter a few years ago, and now I can’t seem to visit Montreal without buying a tub or two. Ingredients: cream and sea salt (with no preserving agents). This is as pure as it get. I hear all their products are awesome but sadly haven’t had a chance to try their yogurts or their milk. One day..One day.

As you can tell, my trip to Jean Talon Market was a success!!

Jean Talon Market, 7070 Avenue Henri Julien, Montreal, Quebec 514 247 1588 (opened 7 days a week)

My last visit to  Montreal was THREE  years which meant that I was long over due for a trip. Sadly I was only there for 24 hours but I certainly did use that time wisely!!

Naturally I connected with a Montreal Food Blogger (via twitter of course) called Will Travel For Food, who graciously sent me her list of favorites.

Here’s a few places that made my tummy happy:

1. St. Viateur Bagels; Nothing beats breaking a no carb diet with a hot, fresh Montreal bagel. No need to explain, right? I inhaled one before I even had the chance to put my seatbelt on.

Worth the drive to Montreal

2. Patati Patata: Breaking a no carb diet with poutine was a great idea too!! I’m smart eh?

Not my favorite Poutine but I ate it all!!

3. Depanneur Le Pick Up: This was my favorite discovery! What a gem of a place. It was perfect – the food, the vibe and the service.

Ordered the grilled haloumi sandwich. Perfect.

But they are really famous for this sandwich:

Pulled Pork

5. Patisserie Kouign Amann: The highlight of the weekend was my visit to this bakery. I actually met Will Eat For Food at this bakery and after chatting away over a coffee and a croissant, she suggested that I buy their Kougin Aman. I did (like a good food blogger). It was heaven. I asked her “what is it”…She replied “Pastry. Butter. Sugar. Repeat”. Wish I could find this in Toronto!! Please google “best croissant in Montreal” and guess what will pop up? Plus if you google Kouign Amann you will get a better definition of this pastry.

A Specialty in Brittany

Next blog post will be: What I Bought in Montreal. Stay tuned.

Kougin Aman: 322 Aveue Du Mont-Royal Est (514) 845 8813

Depanneur Le Pick Up: 7032 Waverly 514 271 8011 (I walked there from Jean Talon Market)

Patati Patata: 4177 Blvd Saint-Laurent 514 844 0216

St. Viateur Bagels: 263 Rue Saint Viateur 514 276 8044

Collingwood is one of my favorite places to visit.  Here’s a few reasons why:

1.  The Westin Trillium House: For the last 10 years, I have preferred to stay at a Westin Hotel.  Probably because of their Heavenly Bed! Infact  I was given a Heavenly Bed as a gift about 8 years ago. ( the mattress and the box spring). Besides the Heavenly Bed…I’m also a huge fan of their customer service, the over all feel of each property and those little “things” that make a difference. Remind me to share with you the collection of ducks I have from another Westin hotel.

I’m always guaranteed a great nites sleep at a Westin.

2.  The Plunge Aquatic Centre: Perfect for the inner kid in me that I got to unleash.

Me. Jane.

3  The Apple Pie Trail: For a Foodie like me, this activity is ideal!  We visited a few bakeries on Monday morning in Meaford and Thornbury! Not a bad way to spend your morning.

Having fun while visiting Grandma Lambe’s bakery in Meaford!!

4.  Blue Mountain Activity Central; We loved the friendly staff (ie Barb) who set us up on bikes so we could bike along the Georgian Trail with the intention of getting to the beach. This was a great idea and way more fun than taking the car.

5. The Gondola Ride: Nothing beats a quick ride up Blue Mountain so that we could enjoy a picnic lunch and a small hike.

A gorgeous spot to enjoy our picnic!

6. Ridge Runner: My BF had so much fun on this ride that he did it twice!!

7.  Maple Syrup: Everytime I visit Collingwood I have to stop at this store to enjoy this treat. It reminds me of my childhood and always brings back great memories.

Who else loves this treat?

8. The fact that we didn’t have to use our car to go anywhere….all our needs were met right in the Village. Sweet.

9.  I also love the fact that Blue Mountain is a 4 season resort and can be enjoyed in ANY season. I’ve visited during the Spring, Summer, and Winter but have yet to go there during the Fall. Hmm…something for me to put on my to-do list!!

10. Collingwood is small enough but has all the right amenities. This means, that there is plenty to do if the weather is less than perfect…bowling, movie theatres, shopping etc.

10. Georgian Bay: the beach that we went to was absolutely stunning, with clear warm water! I was a happy camper. Speaking of camping, we stopped by the Craigleith Provincial Park to get some info about camping there in 2013. Nothing like planning ahead, right?

Stunning day at the beach!!

Clearly I think Collingwood is an ideal vacation spot.  I really hope you get to visit soon. You won’t regret it.

This is going to be a fun blog post as the theme will be a He Said/She Said perspective of our pedicures that we had at the Pillar and Post. I copied this idea from a wonderful food blog that I have been following that also has a he said/she said perspective called: Tips Are Included.

I think now would be a good time to ask you to please welcome my first guest blogger, Matt, as he shares with you his experience having his first spa pedicure at the Pillar and Post.

HE SAID:

My First Spa Experience (But Second Pedicure)

With little frame of reference, I have to say it was a great experience! Having my hot tired feet declawed, smoothed massaged and painted (clear – though I was offered a colour) was a great way to spend an hour on a lazy Sunday. Following a morning splash in  the Pillar and Post’s outside pool  - in the rain – and a half hour lying on a lounger when the sun returned, set me up for the guilty pleasure (for blokes anyway!) of a pedicure.

Never Been in One of These Robes Before!!

The seat had a built in massage ‘thing’, that I had never experienced before!  After a while, I turned it off and let the expert do her thing on my feet….. it was amazing. I’ll go back for sure!

SHE SAID:

I was delighted to enjoy a quick get away to Niagara on the Lake to  visit some relatives. Every year that I visit, I end up booking an appointment at the Pillar and Post as I’m in love with their outdoor pool. Just so you know, its the ONLY hotel property with an outdoor pool in Niagara on the Lake. This year, I was going to share the experience of the Pillar and Post with Matt, who had never been to a spa before. This was really going to be a special few hours!!

Sadly, the weather  was kinda crappy that day but that’s ok…we still enjoyed the pool WHILE IT WAS RAINING. I mean it……it was peaceful to be out there while it rained. We didn’t mind at ALL.

Look carefully and you can see the rain drops in the pool!!

After a dip in the pool, it was mandatory  to visit  the outdoor hot springs. I totally love this oasis that they have created. Not your average hot tub – that’s for sure.

Then we chilled in the “quiet room” as we waited for our matching pedicure session. It was interesting to note that there were lots of other couples relaxing in white robes as well. It was clear we weren’t the only couple enjoying a spa day!!

Finally it was our turn for our matching pedicure appointments. I was introduced to a new line of vegan friendly polish called “sparitual” and was given an extremely professional and thorough pedicure. No complaints at all.

FINAL RESULT: VERY HAPPY FEET.

As for the service at the Pillar and Post: I have to say that everyone we encountered was friendly and courteous. Special mention to their front desk manager, Shane Howard and Ludmila at the 100 Fountain Spa, who went out of their way for me. Plus the guy at the pool who brought us towels and even hid them under a lounge chair so they would be dry!

We will certainly be returning to the Pillar and Post again!! It was great to hang out with my boyfriend in a spa and enjoy a few hours of pure relaxation and pampering.

Pillar and Post, 48 John St. West, Niagara on the Lake, 1 888 669 5566

I went to Arowhon Pines last year for my first time and was thrilled to be able to return. I love this property for these reasons:

a) Peace and Quiet: you will not hear powerboats or ski doos. The only thing you will hear will be the loons on the water and the birds. Sorry – no photos. The loons weren’t cooperative and kept diving underwater.

b) The Scenery: you can’t beat the scenery that comes with being in the heart of Algonquin Park.

Seriously…..this is the view from my bed.

Stunning.

d) The Food:  Everything at this resort is made in house. Everything. Each meal is outstanding not to mention the outstanding service. Plus you are dining in this spectacular structure. It truly is an experience.

I didn’t take a picture of the bread as I went there the first week I went carb free!!

d) Nature: This particular visit, we had the chance to see not just moose…but a fox and a HUGE turtle (on land and in the water). These encounters make the visit even more special.

A HUGE Turtle

e) Their Commitment to Local Food:  They are so committed to using local suppliers that they are holding their  2nd Annual 100 mile Challenge Summer BBQ on Monday Aug 6th from 12 p.m to 3 p.m. All food served will be grown within 100 miles of the resort. Tickets are limited and are $32 p.p. Click here for more information about this amazing event.

f) The Service and The Staff: Everyone is friendly, personable and professional. From the grounds keeper to the front desk staff! This property understands the word: hospitality!!

To find out more about this spectacular Ontario resort (which is only 3 hours North of Toronto) ..please call: 1 866 633 5661

Just returned from a whirlwind trip to Ottawa. Nothing quite beats spending Canada Day in Ottawa. Naturally I started off celebrating Canada Day at the Ottawa Farmers Market. (now located at Brewer Park and not at Landsdowne Park). The trip  to the market was highlighted by the fact that I saw Toronto Foodies: @AS_Toronto and A Food Gypsy there!

3 Toronto Foodies with Michael Sutherland (from Michaels Dolce)

We all seemed to bump into each other infront of Michaels Dolces Booth. After hugs, photos and introductions I had the chance to wander thru the market to discover Brewgels. What a awesome concept (in my humble opinion). I ended up my visit to the market by bumping into FoodiePrints. How perfect.

Can you read the list? Oatmeal Stout, Strawberry Fruli, Coffee Porter…

Notice the dark color of these bagels..due to the infusion of porter, stouts and more!!

ps Sorry didn’t taste the bagels as I’m still on this carb free diet! (argghhh)

On our way back downtown, we stopped into Bridgeheads’ new Roastery, which just opened this past week. (thanks Twitter for the update!!). I am so glad that we stopped here to see this 15,000 sqf space that now houses their head office, a coffee shop, and training centre. Congratulations Bridgehead!!

134 Anderson Street

What a great space for a tweet up!!

After enjoying our coffee it was time to walk by the Parliament buildings. No shortage of proud Canadians. Downtown was mobbed and it was GREAT to be there.

The perfect place to be on Canada Day

Then we went to the Byward Market to walk around and watch the soccer game at Smoque Shack.(129 York St).  The air condioning, great staff, amazing deep fried pickles and the beer – made it a welcome stop for us to get out of the sun and rest our feet for a bit.

On the stroll back to my parents condo we stumbled across this vendor on Sparks St. I just HAD to try it. I have never seen this “new way” of serving potatoes before, have you?

due to the carb free diet – I only had ONE potato slice. I swear.

At 10 p.m, we stood behind the Supreme Court building to watch the spectacular fireworks. Not a bad way to end a great day!! Hope you had a meaningful Canada Day as well.

PS. One more thing: I really meant to try two new restaurants: Brothers Beer Bistro (366 Dalhousie) and Big Rig BrewPub (2750A Iris St). Sadly didn’t have enough time, but these two restaurants will be on my radar for my next visit. Tweet Up anyone?