I went on my first all inclusive vacation back in December and had such a great time at El Dorado Maroma that I decided to return in February to Azul Fives. Both are managed by Karisma Hotels and I must admit they do a stellar job at managing these All Inclusive Gourmet vacations.

Here’s what you need to know about Azul Fives!!

480 Rooms

9 Restaurants

5 Pools

6 Bars

1 Spa

But here’s some details….

a) My room was STUNNING and spotless too. I  was in building #18 which just opened in Nov 2015. It was about a 10 minute walk to the beach but was worth the walk. (golf carts were available too). Kudos to the design team!

b) The beach had the right sand, the right amount of rocks, and was actually warm! Bonus – you didn’t have to wake up at 7 am to grab a chair.

c) The food: As you know I’m pretty fussy about my food and once again Gourmet and All Inclusive DOES exist. Restaurants that you could select from included: Thai, Sushi, Mediterranean, French, Italian and more. There was even a natural juice bar! Naturally I went to all of them.

d) The grounds were immaculate and included a grass tennis court, plenty of hammocks, a pool in front of each building, and even monkeys!

e) The Service: Everyone was cheerful and polite. Can’t complain.

One important thing to note is the Azul Fives is a family resort with plenty of supervised activities for the kids. Plus they are well equipped with high chairs/booster seats, toys and more!

Actually there is one last thing I learned: At Azul Fives you can actually own a unit. As an owner, you get all the benefits of the hotel. How cool is that?  There’s also time share options too.

Needless to say, my mom and I had a special vacation and can’t say enough about our trip to Azul Fives.

Bye Bye Karisma Hotels. However I will be back!!

Website: www.karismahotels.com

Twitter: @Azul_Fives

 

 

 

 

I seem to be taking a lot of photos of my “table settings” these days. I will admit, I also take a lot of photos of the food I’m serving too!

There are four elements that I believe are necessary to set a “pretty” table.

a) Flowers

b) Vases – I won’t tell you how many I own or where I store them seeing as I live in a 950 sql condo but let’s just say “I’m creative”. LOL

c) Napkins – again, I won’t tell you how many I own.

d) Placements – see comment above

Here’s a few ideas:

a) A Silver Theme: The inspiration for this table setting came from my from mom who bought me the placemats from Bowring 

a) A green and brown combo: The inspiration for this table setting came from the napkins. Expensive but worth it. The brand is called Paviot and can be found at stores like All the Best Fine Foods and Summerhill Market.

b) An orange/red/brown combo…again the inspiration came from the Paviot Napkins.

c) This was my table setting from Chanuka. ..the inspiration for this table came from the runner which I picked up for $3 at a dollar store. 

e) A red/white theme. …the inspiration for this table came from the placemats that I bought on a trip to Barcelona. They were cheap and easy to pack! Scored.As you can see I love setting my table and I love entertaining.

I have a feeling I will do a blog post about some of my favourite serving dishes too. I have a few. LOL

 

 

I recently hosted a chocolate and cheese fondue party. I usually host wine and cheese parties but seeing as it was held right before Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be a fun to involve some chocolate.

Here’s what was involved:

GUESTS: I invited 10 friends on a Sunday at 1 pm and the table looked like this.

MENU: Four brands of chocolate, party sandwiches, fruit, wine (and more wine), fondue, huge chunks of bread (from Blackbird Baking Co.), a few other snacks.

Let’s take a minute and talk about the chocolate that was served:

1. Green & Blacks. This chocolate company based out of the UK uses only organic ingredients to create great tasting chocolate. In 1994 their Mayan Gold bar became the first chocolate bar to be awarded the Fair-trade Mark by the Fair-trade Foundation in the U.K.

2 Sweets Canada Gourmet Chocolate Bars They are a new E-Tailer in town and sell a line of Premium Chocolate bars with pure Dried Edible Flowers Petals (how cool is that?)… like Rose, Jasmine, Lavender, Sunflower, Safflower, with Bits of Strawberry Matcha tea, Apricot, and Apples. Each bar is packed in the cutest burlap bag.

My guests also sampled their chocolate bars made with finest European chocolate added with Cashew, Ginger or Banana -Caramel and touch of Sea salt. I’m a flavour junkie so Sweets Canada really appealed to me.

Feel fee to head over to their website to learn more about gourmet chocolate bars from Sweets Canada.

3. Dufflet/Steam Whistle: I purchased this adorable tin while visiting the Steam Whistle Brewery. I just couldn’t resist the combination of beer/chocolate.

4. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar with Caramel and Black Sea Salt: Every time I go to Trader Joe’s I seem to buy another chocolate bar! Adored the combo of the caramel and the sea salt.

Conclusion: The party was a huge success and as always, I look forward to hosting more parties in the future.

Disclosure: I was compensated and/or given product however all opinions are my own.

I adore mini desserts these days and my guests appreciate them too.

I also love combining chocolate with fruit!!

So when I was introduced to Second Cup Coffee Co.’s New Hot Chocolate Cookie, all I could think of is how divine it would be to incorporate this cookie into a particular dessert that I’ve made before.

The previous dessert called for “graham cracker crumbs” and to be honest, it’s not something I have in my pantry all the time. (er…never). However I know that every day I pass a Second Cup and can easily pick up their new Hot Chocolate Cookie.

I won’t keep you waiting for the recipe much longer. Here you go!

STUFFED STRAWBERY CHEESECAKES BITES

Ingredients:

12 strawberries

1/3 cup of soft cream cheese ( a little goes a long way)

1 tsp of vanilla

1/2 of a Second Cup Coffee Co’s Hot Chocolate Cookie

Instructions:

1. Using a sharp knife, dig a cavity into the top of the strawberry

2. Using the same knife, also take the bottom off so the strawberry stands up nice and pretty

3. Mix the cream cheese and vanilla with a fork

4. Break up half of a Second Cup Coffee Co’s Hot Chocolate Cookie (feel free to just eat the remaining half.  Yum!)

4. Carefully spoon the cream cheese mixture into the cavity of the strawberry.

5. Sprinkle the top of the strawberries with the crushed up pieces of the Hot Chocolate Cookie!

6. Serve or refrigerate till ready to serve.

FINAL RESULT

I hope you get a chance to head to Second Cup and try this Hot Chocolate Cookie one day soon. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Second Cup is super interested to know what you think of their new favourite cookie, so Taste It and Rate It for a chance to WIN 1 of 5 $50 Second Cup gift cards! Click on their Facebook page to learn more about #TasteItandRateIt

But before I finish this blog post I want share with you details about a FREE skating event that Second Cup is hosting, with the help of one of this country’s iconic figure skaters, Elvis Stojko. The skating party will take place on Saturday Feb 20th and begins at 10:00 a.m. at Harbourfront Centre’s Natrel Rink and will feature free skate rentals*, free on-site skating lessons for beginners**, FREE Second Cup Coffee Co. Hot Chocolate* and FREE samples of the new, delicious Second Cup Coffee Co. Hot Chocolate Cookie*.

Please click here to find out more details about this fun event.

P.S. Everyone is welcome!!

For more information:

Website: www.secondcup.com

Twitter and Instagram: @secondcupcanda

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

Hashtag: #TasteItRateIt or #SCCookie

Disclosure: I’ve been compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own.

 

True story:

I was online searching for a new dessert recipe to try and came across a recipe called:  “Lemon Magic Cake”.

I got all excited and starting grabbing the ingredients out of my fridge and pantry.

BUT I  then realized:

-I didn’t have any lemons

-I couldn’ find my whisk attachment for the KitchenAid

-I didn’t read the recipe properly and kept the egg whites but threw out the yolks when I actually needed the egg yolks

-the recipe required an 8×8 pan and I didn’t own one. (can you believe this?)

TOTAL FAIL. REPEAT…. TOTAL FAIL

I was so determined to make something new and returned to the internet in search of a new recipe to try. I came across a recipe for Date Squares which for some reason I’ve never made before.  I checked to see if I had ALL the ingredients and indeed I had everything. (sigh of relief). I even ran out to the dollar store to buy an 8×8 pan.

In no time at all, I made a delicious desert. Trust me, I will make it again.

Here’s the recipe for Date Squares (taken from www.JoCooks.com)

For Filling
3 cups dates, pitted
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

For Crust
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp cinnamon
1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

1. In a medium saucepan add the water and the dates and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until there’s no water left. Add the vanilla extract to the dates and mix well. Let mixture cool.

2. Add the date mixture to a food processor and pulse until it turns into a paste. Set aside.

3. In a food processor add the remaining dry ingredients and the butter cut into small pieces and pulse until the butter is well incorporated into the mixture and crumbles.

4. Spread ⅔ of the crumb mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.

5.  Add the date mixture and spread it with a spatula. Add the remaining crumb mixture as the last layer and pat it using a spatula, do not press down too hard.

6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown then let cool completely. Place in the fridge for a couple more hours then take it out and cut into squares.

FINAL PRODUCT.

Happy Baking!

The Cantina by Campbell’s is a pop-up restaurant that recently opened at 501 Queen West and will be serving delicious soups created by Rock Lobster Food Co’s Chef Matt Dean Pettit.

There will be four delicious soups designed by Chef Matt Dean Pettit, and trust me all four were DEE-LICIOUS. I wish I could tell you my favourite soup but I loved all four of them equally. I sampled: spicy vegetarian ramen, roasted beer can cream of chicken, creamy tomato black bean taco soup and a thai chicken & rice khao so (curry). Recipes for all four soups can be found here.

The Cantina by Campbell’s will offer complimentary walk-in lunch and dinnertime soup tasting options. Fact: lately I’ve become a fan of these broths due to the rising cost of celery, parsnips, carrots and other veggies that I usually put in my vegetable stock.

I’ve also become a fan of the Campbell’s Soup Kits as they provide a head start to homemade soup. As you know, I lead a pretty busy life so I don’t mind a little help once in a while and these kits will certainly come in handy!

 

Campbell’s has truly provided customers with a unique experience and something tells me The Cantina By Campbell’s will be a hit. P.S. This pop up restaurant is FREE.

For more information:

Where:  Cantina By Campbell’s – 501 Queen St. West
When: Tuesday, February 2nd – Sunday, February 21st

Hours: Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Twitter; @CampbellsCanada

Hashtag: #WeAllSoupTO

Super Bowl is around the corner and this means that there will be lots of Super Bowl parties to watch the game AND to eat food. In fact, I have a feeling that the food is equally as important as the game. Wouldn’t you agree?

Last week, I went to an event to get a sneak preview of  Chef Matt Deans Pettits recipes which celebrates NFL Canada and Super Bowl 50. It was held at Rock Lobster Food Co. and the event rocked (no pun intended) to the point that it inspired me to throw a Super Bowl party too!

I’ve got everything I need (thanks NFL Canada)! To be specific, I’ve go the Super Bowl table cloth, forks, Super Bowl napkins  & paper plates, and even a fantastic NFL cutting board that’s shaped like a football. I can’t wait to set the table.

I even have the perfect shirt to greet my guests as well as an official NFL football as a centre piece!!

As for the food…I know that dips are always a crowd pleaser and it goes well with beer. LOL  Not to mention I love the serving dish that its’ served in. #socute.

Here’s the recipe for a West Coast Crab Dip (created by Chef Matt Dean Pettit from Rock Lobster Food Co.). Seeing as the Super Bowl is being played on the west coast, there’s no better time to serve this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 live Dungeness crabs

1 medium Spanish Onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno, roasted and seeded and finely diced

1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

1 fresh lemon, juiced and zested

1 cup cream cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp paprika

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chiffonade

kosher salt to taste

1 large sourdough bread loaf

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, bring salt water to a boil over high heat. Add the crabs and boil for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the crabs from the water and place them in an ice bath or the fridge to cool completely. Carefully remove all the meat from the crabs. Place the crab meat in the fridge until needed.

In a pan, sweat the onions and jalapeños over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Remove the mixture from the pan and allow to cool.

In a bowl, combine the onion and jalapeño mixture with the Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, cream cheese, rocotta cheese, sour cream and paprika. Mix to combine ingredients thoroughly. Check to make sure that no chunks exist!

Fold in the parsley and the lemon zest. Season to taste with salt.

Hollow out the inside of a bread loaf in the shape of a football. Cube the removed bread pieces. Spoon the cold dip into the bread hole and decorate with pretzel sticks to that it looks like a football!

Serve with the bread cubes to dip into the mixture.

ENJOY THE GAME!! (and the food). LOL

For more information:

Website: Rock Lobster Food Co. (538 Queen St. W. or 110 Ossington)

Website: The Great Lobster Cookbook

 

Recipe for Change is an event that supports FoodShareTO’s innovative school food programs that excite the next generation of healthy eaters, growers, and sharers. Clearly this is something that interests me!

It’s a PARTY you don’t want to miss. With 30 chefs reflecting Toronto’s diverse food scene, 2 craft brewers, and 4 wineries, February 25th, 2016 will be the most deliciously fun night of the year!

There’s a few reasons I like this event so much.

1. You will meet friendly chefs!

2. There’s something for everyone. i.e lots of vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options.

3. The environment!

The event takes place at the St. Lawrence Market South Building, 130 Esplanade, Toronto on Thursday February 25th from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Of course, I will be there and I hope that will be there too. I promise you that you won’t leave hungry plus you will be supporting an important cause!

Online tickets for the public are available here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/recipe-for-change-2016-presented-by-tangerine-tickets-19712906835?aff=estw

Hashtag: #RFC16

Twitter: @FoodShareTO

Here’s a list of typical errands that I face every week:

-grocery shopping

-car pool

-pick up something from the drug store

-dry cleaning

-appointments (doctors, dentist, hair, etc).

If you asked me “what errand do I simply hate doing?” my answer would be DRY CLEANING. I’m generally in denial so the dry cleaning piles up at the bottom of the hamper.

I hate the whole process:

-dropping it off

-standing there while the clerk counts everything and then waiting for the itemized receipt

-keeping my receipt in a SAFE place

-and then returning to pick it up (which sometimes happens a month after I drop off the dry cleaning).

This is one errand I try to do about 3 times a year – and that’s being generous! However there’s a new service out there that has changed my mind, called Simply Laundry. They are an Eco-Friendly On Demand Dry Cleaning and Laundry service with free pick up and delivery. Sweet.

How was does it work?

STEP 1: I created a profile which was super easy as their website is very user friendly!

STEP 2: For my 1st order I placed my dirty clothes and left it with my concierge (oh the perks of living in a condo). If you live in a house or an apartment building, then you would schedule a time for the driver to pickup from your doorstep.

STEP 3: My clean clothes were dropped off in a reusable eco-friendly bag within 48 hours!

I love the companies tag line: Save Time, Enjoy Life.

I’m a big believer in that!!

Please note that you can save on your fIrst order by using this coupon code “#Mom10″to receive $10 off.  I really hope that you check out this service too. I know I’m not the only one who hates going to the dry cleaners or doing laundry!

For more information:

Website: http://www.simply-laundry.ca

Twitter: @Simply_Laundry

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyLaundry.CA/

Disclosure: A voucher was provided me to me however all my opinions are my own

I’ve just returned from the Interior Design Show and as always I’ve got many photos to share with you. So I won’t bore you any further details. Let’s just get down to business.

Seriously, everywhere you look there’s something that will capture your attention.

I was in awe of this wall covering made from wood. So much texture. So much warmth.

These tiles are pretty incredible. Don’t you think?

This light fixture is a statement. Absolutely love it.

This shelf totally captured my attention. I just wish I had a wall for it! #condo problems

I hope you get a chance to visit the Interior Design Show too. You won’t be bored. Promise.

For more information:

Website: www.interiordesignshow.com

Dates: Saturday Jan 23 – 10 am to 7 pm: Sunday Jan 24 – 10 am to 6 pm

Location: Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front St. West, Toronto, Ontario

Tickets: $19 online, $22 at the door

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook: IDSToronto