The CNE has arrived and my stretch pants are ready! ! This year there’s another incredible line up of food at the CNE. and I was all too happy to snap a few photos and taste a few items as well.

Here’s just a few examples of what you can expect to indulge in!

1. Bacon Nation has created a Canada 150 inspired ALL Canadian Red Hot Burger. (Location: Food Building)
2. The King of Curds will be serving deep fried cheese curds sprinkled with icing sugar and served with pure Canadian Maple Syrup. YUM. YUM and more YUM.  (Location: Midway)
3. This photo says it all (location: Food Building)
4. Tim Hortons as always,introduced some tasty Canadian-themed treats.
5. Yatai (a sister project of Kanpai snack bar) has created this pretty epic fried chicken burger that’s in between fried ramen (instead of a bun) along with two kinds of kewpie mayo. Loved it and you will too!6. Pizza Nova has introduced a Pizza made with Carbone Dough.  Basically this is their traditional dough infused with activated charcoal and I regret not tasting it!!7. The Lisa Marie food truck will be serving an enormous double lobster patty burger. Seriously this burger was bigger than my hand. 
6. You can also find this deep fried goodness at this years CNE.

Seriously there’s no end to interesting food at the CNE: Deep Fried Chicken Feet, Cricket Cones, Peanut Butter Sriracha Bites, Spaghetti Donut Balls, and more!

There’s also the Midway and I couldn’t resist playing one of my all time favourite games….

Not to mention that this years’ CNE features OH Canada! Aerial Acrobatics & Ice Skating Show with internationally renowned skater Elvis Stojko. There’s two free performances every day (2 and 5 pm).

Details that you should know about the CNE 2017:

-The CNE opens from Aug 18 to Sept 4, 2017

-Gates are open daily from 10 am to 10 pm (rides and midway stay open until midnight)

-Labour Day Monday: Gates close at 5 pm. Buildings close at 7 pm, rides and ground open till 9 pm.

-General admission $19 (14 to 64 years)

-Children (5 to 13 years) $16 Children under 5: Free

-CNE Family Pass (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children) $59

Specials:

-Opening Day Special $10 (Friday Aug 18 only)

-Kids Toonie Mondays

-$8 after 5 pm on Monday Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays

To learn more about the CNE and about special offers and discounts please visit www.theex.com or call the CNE info line at 416 263 3330

The CNE Media preview is one of my favourite events of the year. Especially the food. That doesn’t come as a surprise to you, right?  Indeed I cheated on my low carb diet. I just had too!!

Here’s just a few items that you will find at the CNE this year!!

1.) The Big Pickle Dog – Sadly I didn’t get to try it but I will as I’m planning a second visit to the CNE. #onevisitisntenough

2.) The Chocolate Diablo – Vanilla soft serve coated in cookie crumble, cocoa puffs and wasabi peas with a sriracha caramel drizzle. I loved it. Something about the crunchy and sweet and savoury combo, really appeals to me!!

3) The Cartoon Dog – No doubt there was a trend this year to sprinkle cereal on many different items! Trust me – I’m ok with it.

4) Blueberry Pie Milkshake: I didn’t try it but it sure did look pretty!

5) Deep Fried Butter tart: This was decadent AND brilliant too!

6) Try to imagine a traditional cheesesteak between a chocolate eclair, topped with bacon, whipped cream and chocolate icing.  Yes – this exists. Talk about creativity!! P.S  this can be found at Philthy Philly’s in the Food Building). 7) Tim Hortons Froot O’s Donut: Bring it on!!

8) Canadian Bacon Taco – this was probably my favourite. NO CARBS and freaking delicious. Way to go Bacon Nation!! 

9) Deep Fried Peanut Butter Cups: What can I say? I like anything deep fried and anything that involves a Peanut Butter Cup.

10. Chimney Stax is offering a frozen yogurt dessert in one of their famous rotisserie-baked breads. See…. not everything I eat was fried!!
By the way,even though food captures my attention, I have to admit these giant prizes captures my attention too.

For more information:

CNE – Aug 18th to Sept 5th, Exhibition Place, Toronto

Website: http://theex.com

Hours: http://theex.com/main/hours

Tickets: http://theex.com/main/guest-info/tickets/ticket-prices

I generally don’t include photos of myself in blog posts, but this photo truly reflects how I was feeling at the CNE media preview. I just couldn’t stop smiling. Please continue reading so you can find out why I was smiling!!

The food served at the CNE is creative, fun, tasty, and memorable!! There is a reason why more than a million people flock to the CNE every year. Here’s what caught my attention at this year’s CNE media preview.

1. Tim Hortons served a Honey Dijon Ham  Pretzel Donut Sandwich that was simply too good for words. I had one bite – then two bites – and then I had to force myself to put it down. I’m still thinking about this sandwich as I write about it as I wanted to eat the ENTIRE thing.

2. Tim Hortons also served  two Timbits (cotton candy and cola) as well as a Tim Horton Poutine. It’s described as a sweet “poutine” made out of Timbits  and decked out in delicious decadent dessert toppings. I had the Timbits (I’m a huge fan) but will have to return for the poutine!!

3. Fran’s Restaurant Deep Fried Rice Pudding. This item really stood out as it was the perfect combo of crunchy and creamy. I wish this was on their menu all year long!!  (are you listening Fran’s Restaurant?).

4. This Frosted Flake Battered Chicken on a Stick  (from Iron Skillet Sirloin Tips) also caught my attention. There was something about mixing sweet with savoury, plus a bit crunchy – that really appealed to me. It was truly Grreaaaaat. (Tony the Tiger would approve. I’m sure of it).

6. Bacon Wrapped Grilled Cheese from Bacon Nation: 6 strips of bacon weaved around a grilled cheese sandwich. Need I say more? I will happily run a few more kilometres so I could consume one of these sandwiches!

I hope this blog post has inspired you to head the CNE for some imaginative offerings!!

For more information:

Website: www.theex.com

Dates: Aug 21, 2015 to Sept 7, 2015,

Location: Exhibition Place, Toronto

Twitter: @LetsGoToTheEx

Instagram: @LetsGoToTheEx

 

 

 

 

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.

 

I’m not sure how many events I have attended this year but let’s just say I go to A LOT of events. I’m not complaining. Infact, I’m grateful to the many people who have reached out to me over the last few years. Here’s a recap of some of my fav events of 2013.

1. Back in April I was invited to a pretty exclusive event at Tim Hortons. The event introduced their thick cut hickory smoked bacon and included a sensory expert who discussed the physiology  of taste. We also had the opportunity to taste dozens of delicious (um, really delicious) items that included bacon. I was in heaven. Period.

2. I LOVED the Poutine Festival that was put on by Joylister.  I mean it – LOVED. Can’t wait to attend their Grilled Cheese Event in 2014.

3. The White Cashmere Collection Fashion Show was also pretty spectacular. It’s not everyday that I go to a fashion show like this one. The show feature 20 top Canadian designers that created stunning garments and accessories crafted entirely with pure, soft and luxurious Cashmere Bathroom Tissue.

4. Seeing as I take a TON of photos, I was delighted to have been invited to the HP Original You event. This printer is meant for me. Now I can print photos directly from my iPhone in the comfort of my own home. Not to mention, create postcards, cards and MORE!

 

5. The bloggers event at Summer Fresh was informative and tasty too. We toured the plant (which was fascinating) and had the chance to try some of their newly launched products.  What a well done event in many respects. They thought of everything.

6. Metro launched their Metro App at TIFF and guess who was invited? Not only was I treated to a screening but I also had the chance to attend a terrific party on the ROOFTOP of the Thompson Hotel. What a treat.

7. The Montreal Tourism event which included  Schwartz’ssmoked meat…was nothing but brilliant. I really need to visit this spectacular city more often.

8. The Food Media Day at NKPR IT Lounge during TIFF was so much FUN.  This event included tasty treats from: Barilla Pasta,  Mideastro Restaurant, Cold Stone Creamery, SKYY Vodka, BottleGreen and AQUAHYDRATE.

 

9. Meeting Jessica Alba was pretty cool too. I was super impressed to learn about her commitment to the environmental and her product line called Honest.

10. THE BEST EVENT OF 2013: Receiving an invite to attend Media Day for the International Air Show AND getting the opportunity to FLY in one of the planes. #FREAKIN’COOL

2013 was a great year for momwhoruns and I have a feeling 2014 will be another amazing year.

Happy New Years! Wishing everyone a spectacular 2014.

Vicky …..otherwise known as momwhoruns

 

Canada day is quickly approaching and this means that my brain is thinking about “Canadian Foods“. It’s a problem. I wish that I didn’t think about food as much as I do but we can talk about that problem another time!!

Here’s a few food items that I identify with as being “Canadian”. I won’t be googling about the history of each item (although I’m sure it would be interesting)…just going to share a few photos with you. Is that ok?

#1 on my list: Beavertails: Have been eating beavertails since the 70’s.

Item #2: The Buttertart

My favorite treat but I will only have a buter tart if it’s a GREAT one. Not just a mediocre one. (I’m fussy that way). I love the buttertarts from Flaky Tart ( 711 Mt Pleasant) or from Marty’s World Famous Cafe. (5 Manitoba St. Bracebridge)

Item #3 Tim Hortons: I had one Tim Bit and a medium sized coffee every day for years.

Item #4: Maple Syrup

Item #5; Ice Wine (sorry no photo)

Items #6: Poutine. Poutini’s (1112 Queen St. West)  just celebrated their third birthday and it was very very hard for me not to go that day. (due to this carb free diet). The minute I decide to splurge..I will be going directly to Poutinis for their teeny weeny version (the best idea ev-uh).

I know I missing a few: Saskatoon berries, and a few other items. You can help me out by leaving a comment (hint).

Have a wonderful Canada Day. I will be in Ottawa walking thru the downtown core and catching the fireworks. Can’t wait.

I use to go to a nutrionist who told  me that it was ok to have ONE Timbit. How could I argue? Therefore I have been enjoying ONE Timbit for probably ten years now. I dont have a Timbit every day but I’m sure I have a Timbit 3 times a week

I usually order a sour cream glazed Timbit at my local drive thru but if I’m at a larger  Tim Hortons location, I will order the cinnamon or those powdered icing sugared Timbits.  A week ago, I noticed that Tim Hortons has introduced two new flavors. Naturally I had to try them. I am positively over the moon with the banana flavor. I tweeted about it and I received a tweet that it tastes just like a deep fried banana. Personally, I think it takes like a banana muffin. I’m crossing my fingers that that this flavor will be around to for a long long time.

The other flavor that was introduced was blueberry: Sorry – but it pales in comparison to the banana.

Congratulations to Tim Hortons on introducing a great new flavor to your Timbit line up. Now only if I could win a roll up and

win! PS. Special thanks to my DD, who helped me style the photo. It was her idea to put the banana in the photo!!

I have a coffee every day? Do you? I have a coffee card for Tim Hortons, Second Cup and Starbucks and I use them regularly. I love independent coffee shops too. Some of my favortites include: Manic, Sam James, Ezras Pound, Jimmys and Dark Horse Espresso Bar.

Coffee is my chance:

-sit down for a minute and read a book or a newspaper

-to meet a friend and catch up

Unlike the photo to the left…I just have a normal black coffee!! No special lattes.

I seriously think about what it would be like NOT to have a coffee every day. Not sure I could do it. Could you? Lately I have been grating ginger into boiling water and I am completely enjoying it. However I still have this NEED to have a coffee.

I’m known sometimes as the “friend who delivers coffee” as I often drop off coffee to friends who cant get out of the house cause they are sick, or their kids are sick, or they are in mourning over a loss, or just had a baby etc.  It’s a small act of kindness but  I love knowing this small gesture makes a difference in their day.

So as I write this..I’m wondering when Tim Hortons is starting their Roll up and Win campaign. I’m already looking forward to it.  Wonder if this year, I might win a bit more often. Wishful thinking. I know.

If you ever want to do a “coffee crawl”…here’s the information for those independent coffee shops listed above:

Manic Coffee…426 College

Sam James Coffee Bar...297 Harbord St.

Dark Horse Espresso…215 Spadina or 682 Queen East (thanks @climbguy)

Ezras Pound…238 Dupont St. or 913 Dundas St. West

Jimmy’s Coffee…107 Portland St.

Aroma...500 Bloor West, Promenade Shopping Centre, Yonge/Eglinton and more…

Tell me about your coffee habits. Are you loyal to one chain? do you have a coffee a day? do you only make coffee at home? do you ever go to independent coffee stores?

I decided to wake up with a Tim Hortons coffee before my body pump class. Sure enough, I REALLY WOKE UP when I saw this sign:  We  accept Interact/Debit Now. Thanks.

HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

I immediately got out my iPhone and tweeted: Great News: Tim Hortons now accepting Interac and Debit cards. Within an hour – there were 10 replies: “thats the best news” “what took them so long” “Ive been complaining about  that for years” “I don’t have to read the Sunday paper anymore” “finally, for real, would have been helpful in uni”, “for real?” etc etc etc.

There were only two comments that this might slow down the lines. But generally everyone was THRILLED.

Later in the day, I returned to take a photo of the sign and asked to speak to the owner. The nephew of the owner returned my call,  and told me that at the moment the six stores they operate/own, now have these signs but in about 2 weeks, 90 percent of the stores will be converted too.

The location of those six stores: Bathurst/Drewry, Promenade Food Court, Wilson Heights/Shepherd, Yonge/John St, Yonge/Steeles, Bathurst and Finch!

However a friend told me that the Tim Hortons at Victoria Square in Richmond Hill also accepted Interac.

Bottom Line: go visit your local Tim Hortons!!

Enjoy this new service. I know I will.