Before I go camping, I had two things to accomplish:

1.Visit Hale Coffee (33 Campbell Ave) to help them celebrate their opening and to grab a free coffee which they are offering all day on July 16th. I’m in love with their space and their coffee these days.

2. Blog about the Honda Indy which is taking place this weekend July 15-17) at Exhibition Place. I went for my first time last year and I was mesmerized by the whole scene. ..the cars, the complexity of every part, the massive tires, the speed, the “team work” that is involved etc.

I had the chance to walk around and get pretty close to these cars, the parts, and even a famous driver race driver (Josef Winegarten)

Here’s a few photos to inspire you to go!!

Have a great weekend.

PS next weekend is the Rogers Cup (July 23-31). This will be quite the tournament for Milos Raonic  where he will surely receive a warm homecoming from his Canadian fans. Murray is set to return to Rogers Cup as well, as defending champion.

Next weekend is also the Toronto Festival of Beer! (July 22-24) Oh my…so much going on and so little time!

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About a year ago, I bought the condo that I had been renting. As soon as my signature was dry, I lifted the carpets that were 14 yrs old and put in hardwood floors.

A year later, I knew that the 14 yr old kitchen had to be gutted. This meant:

-new counters, new sink/faucet, new appliances, new cabinets, and a backsplash.

See what I mean? This kitchen HAD to go.

I then packed up 26 boxes of STUFF. (specifically serving dishes and small appliances). These boxes overtook my bedroom and it wasn’t pretty but I knew it would be worth it.

The renovations started on Feb 10th when I went away on vacation. When I returned, I realized I would be making meals out of my bathroom for the next 4 weeks. It wasn’t a fun period. Trust me.

I selected all the appliances from Sears and I can’t say enough about their service. They got my business as they were the only store that answered my call. (I’m a huge fan of customer service).

My kitchen is now complete and I’m beyond happy with the new look. What a huge difference!

Of course my new kitchen needed a new appliance!! See that coffee machine in the corner of the photo? I’m now the proud owner of a Breville Barista Express Espresso. Stay tuned for a blog post K? In the meantime, please click on this link so you learn more about The Breville Cafe Quality campaign and their commitment to ensuring we all have a good cup of quality coffee in the morning!

Here’s to my renovations that are now complete and celebrating with an excellent cup of coffee!

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This is my definition of “The Perfect Saturday”:

a) 10:15 am – ATTEND A RESTAURANT SALE

Sadly I never ate at Splendido but now I own a piece of history! I got there 15 minutes after it opened so stuff I would have wanted was already taken however I did manage to walk away with some goodies. To be exact 6 chairs and some serving dishes. #SCORED

11:00 ENJOYED MY FIRST TURKISH BREAKFAST – ISTANBUL’S TULIP (1560 Yonge St)

Had no idea that I could enjoy a Turkish Meal at Yonge and St. Clair!!

12:30 CHECKED OUT A CUTE COFFEE SHOP – THE STRONG ONE (68 Wales Avenue – Kensington Market)

This adorable spot in Kensington Market won me over with their cute atmosphere and goodies made from scratch.

1:30 pm CHECKED OUT A NEW ECLAIR PATISSERIE – NUGATEAU  (717 Queen St. West)

This stunning eclair cafe is the first of it’s kind in Toronto. There was no shortage of interesting flavours to catch my attention. I had a lovely chat with one of the owners who clearly thought of all the details when opening this cafe. Last year I had a croissant party, and this year I’m thinking of having an eclair party. What do you think?

3:00 Return home to cook a bit (my favourite hobby)  and rest.

The only thing that was missing from making this day even more perfect, was a trip to the Farmers Market. Next time.

Hope you had a fabulous Saturday as well.

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I must have a super power for sourcing new products. Recently I attended the The Restaurants Canada Show  and   I consistently found new products with no effort at all.  Note:  I have a feeling this has something to do with the fact that I was once a food sales rep.

So here’s what I found at the show which featured over 1,000 exhibitors. Yes – I was there for HOURS. I shmoozed, sampled, and walked up and down aisles from noon to 4 pm. I can tell you one thing:  I did not need to eat lunch or dinner!!

1. NUBA…this is a naturally handcrafted hibiscus brewed tea. I think this beverage would be amazing in a cocktail  (Hey CocktailDeeva are you reading this?)

2. Natrel is launching a line of butter. What took them so long? This will be the only dairy cooperative to offer a butter with salt. Look out for it on shelves starting in May 2015.

3. M & M’s has introducted a chocolate bar. How sweet!

4. Primo has started to make Tomato Juice as well. I love how there’s a Canadian Flag on the packaging!

5. This stunning line of mustards, distributed by the Hungry Artisan. I’m a sucker for great packaging and mustards. In fact I once wrote a blog post called “how many mustards are in your fridge?”. LOL

6. Station Cold Brew Coffee Co: This is a smooth, fresh and easy way to customize, cold brewed coffee without compromising quality or flavour. Adore that this is a local company!

7. Ninettes …this delicious ice cream is low in carbs (yay) and so flavourful. On a side note: they were featured on Dragons Den!

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

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Well I’ve been to Ottawa a few times since the Fall and of course with each visit there’s some new discoveries! Here we go…

a) Equator Coffee (412 Churchill)  just opened last week so it was the ideal place to meet my Ottawa Food Blogger friend.   I have no doubt that the neighborhood is going to embrace this coffee shop even though there’s no shortage of coffee shops in the area! (which I found out from my other Ottawa Food Blogger Friend). In my opinion..the more the merrier.

b) The Bacon Factory Burger Emporium: (154 O’Connor) Well any restaurant that has the word “bacon” in it – has my full attention. My mom and I happily split the burger that had the most amount of bacon in it. Hee Hee. PS this restaurant could have been a bar as it was full of guys. (see photo on far right)

c) Red Door Provisions: (117 Beechwood) Oh what a quaint place. My mom ordered the scones which were light and fluffy and I HAD to order the pickled sriracha egg. I’m a total sucker for something different.

d) Ace Mercado: (121 Clarence) This new tequila bar that recently opened in the Byward Market is super cool.  The branding of this restaurant/bar is genius. You can tell that a lot of thought went into opening this restaurant.  If you are looking for a cool space to have a drink or for dinner, then this is your place.

d) Grounded Kitchen & Coffeehouse:  (100 Gloucester) Discovered them on Twitter (big surprise) and was happy to receive my first coffee on the house because I followed them on Twitter. I love when a restaurant “gets” social media.

e) Holland’s Cakes and Shakes:  (100 Armstrong) Can you say “Red Licorice Milkshake?”. OMG.  Their sandwiches and pastries looked delicious but as always there’s only so much I can eat!! Will have to return one day soon.

As always I love visiting Ottawa. I can’t wait to visit again and find out what else has opened up!

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I’ve been patiently waiting for the Istanbul Cafe and Espresso Bar to open for almost a year. This new coffee shop is located at 175 Eglinton Ave East between Mount Pleasant and Yonge St.

Recently I noticed via Twitter that it opened and I quickly grabbed a friend to check it out. Yes..that’s the way I roll.

Upon entering we were ooohing and ahhing over the attention to detail. Everything from the lights to the fireplace is STUNNING.

Take a peek at how they serve Turkish coffee. I’m a sucker for presentation so I ordered it!!

This new coffee shop has already had a warm welcome from the neighbourhood and I’m sure it will get even more popular when their liquor licence kicks in.

On a side note: they do serve sandwiches, mediterranean treats and muffins that you would see in typical coffee shops.  However, I really hope that they serve more mediterranean food in the future.

For more information:

Istanbul Cafe and Espresso Bar: 174 Eglinton Ave East, Toronto 416 480 0303

Hours: Weekdays 7 am to 10 pm, Saturday 8 am to 10 pm, Sunday 9 am to 10 pm

PS Liquor licence  is pending….stay tuned for (much) longer hours

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I’ve been a fan of Aroma Espresso Bar, since they opened their first Canadian location in 2007. They now have 25 locations in Toronto and 150 locations world wide!

I must admit I keep returning to Aroma for these two reasons: I love the mug that my coffee is served in, and I love the piece of chocolate that comes with my coffee. I know it sounds shallow but it’s the truth!

I’m also fond of the food that they serve. I probably like this dish the best. It’s called Shakshuka. Described as: Two sunny-side up eggs, on top of a rich warm tomato and pepper sauce. Served with Tahini and your choice of freshly baked bread. Can you say “YUM”? 

Their sandwiches are ALL  divine. In my humble opinion, their sandwiches are all fabulous due to the BREAD. There is something about their bread that sets it apart from others!

When I’m not inhaling shakshuka or a sandwich..I’ve been known to order a salad too. Always fresh and always tasty!

Now that the cooler temperatures have arrived, I know I will be enjoying Aromas’ satisfying soups as well.

It’s interesting to note, that everyone time I give a friend an option to meet at Aroma or another coffee shop, they always choose Aroma as they want to eat. I never disagree.

It’s also interesting to note that Aroma was one of the first restaurants who were “twitter” friendly back in 2010. #impressed.

For more information:

Website: www.aroma.ca

Twitter: @aromaespressobar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AromaCanada

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 A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of walking thru Kensington Market with a fellow foodie from Ottawa. Here’s a recap of where we went.

a) Fika: (28 Kensington) We started off our tour with a cup of coffee at this charming coffee shop.

b) St. Andrew Poultry (17 St. Andrew Street). This place has been on my radar since the summer and I’m so happy that I finally checked it out. I managed to inhale a chicken shawarma (in a box without the bread) and will definitely return to inhale some more of this goodness. For me to say this is huge as I rarely eat chicken. I also bought the “spice crunch” which I’m throwing into everything I make….salads, soups, etc.

c) Blackbird Baking Co. (172 Baldwin). Again, I’ve been meaning to check this place out since the summer! Sadly I didn’t buy anything as I’m trying not to eat a lot of bread but I really (really) wanted to. Seriously, I’ve heard nothing but excellent comments about the quality of their bread.

d) Sanagan’s Meat Locker (176 Baldwin). I was too fully from the chicken shawarma but I was lucky enough to return the next day to enjoy one of their sandwiches. #yum. I don’t buy meat but if I did I would be buying it from this place!

e) Jimmy’s Coffee: It was so beautiful out that we decided to end our tour with a cup of coffee. We wanted to enjoy it on their backyard patio but everyone else had the same idea!!

We met for close to two hours and I enjoyed every minute of playing tour guide! Kensington Market is really a fantastic unique part of Toronto that is often forgotten by people who live in Toronto. Hope you get a chance to visit soon.

 

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Recently I attended the launch of the new Flat White at Second Cup. It was a great excuse to wear white ….AND I love my morning coffee. Kudos to the publicists for encouraging guests to wear white and for having the event at 10 am.!

See how happy I am?

 The new Flat White features more espresso and less steamed milk. I was a fan after my first sip! I could taste the bold flavour and loved the creaminess of the the micro foam.

It’s bold with without being bitter and velvety without using an excess of milk. Of course, I paired it with a beautiful butter tart. …I just couldn’t resist. I now live across the street from Second Cup and know that I will be ordering the Flat White on a regular basis. Sadly the butter tart will only be a treat – once in a while!!

PS Look out for this unique Flat White Piaggio truck this weekend at Second Cup at 355 Danforth Avenue on Saturday Sept 20 from 1 to 8 pm and on Sunday Sept 21 from 1 to 8 pm

For more information:

Second Cup – www.secondcup.com

Twitter: @secondcup

Join the Conversation: #flatwhite  or #espressoloversrejoice

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I don’t know about you but I never seem to carry cash anymore. This drives my mom crazy – however I keep telling her “why do I need cash? I have an Interac card and almost everyone accepts Interac”. Truth be told, the only time I take out cash is for my manicures.

A while ago I received an Interac Flash card – (it has a little ” Wave” symbol on the front of the card) and this enables me to just flash my card at the point-of-sale reader. I adore the convenience and use use my Interac Flash card for all those small purchases – even a coffee.

In fact I remember the day when Tim Hortons started to accept Interac. I was so happy about this news – that I even blogged about it. (click here to read that blog post)

Last week I was invited to an event that was hosted by a wonderful team at Interac and learned a thing or two (or three) that I would like to share with you about  Intertac Flash – specifically about the safety of this technology.

•  Interac Flash has all the security features of Interac Debit, plus added security features – like spending limits – to protect you from theft or fraud. Some of the security features include:
• Each Interac Flash transaction is unique and cannot be copied
•  Interac Flash leverages EMV-based secure chip processing instead of magnetic stripe technology to protect against electronic pick-pocketin
•   PIN authentication is required when your spending limits are reached (this resets the limits)

I’m a huge believer in technology and have embraced Interac e-transfers, Interac Flash and online banking…as much as I can. It makes my life SO much easier and more convenient.

The hashtag below is truly the way I live now…I’m paying in a flash with my Interac Flash for coffee, for froyo, and more!!

I might have been apprehensive about paying for a coffee on my Interac debit card a few years ago – but no longer have those feelings. I truly believe that it’s perfectly acceptable these days. Dont’ you?

PS this blog post is sponsored however all my opinions are my own.

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