T’is the season that pumpkins are everywhere!! I’m not complaining as I adore pumpkin pie but didn’t want to go thru the process of making crust. Know what I mean? So I went online (for a change) to see what other options are out there and naturally I was inspired.

I bought a can of Pure Pumpkin and made two recipes with it and still have some left!!

Recipe #1…Pumpkin Pudding (for the original recipe please click on www.myrecipes.com). This recipe is super easy and only required 6 tablespoons of sugar. #loveit.

INGREDIENTS

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I must be living in a cave as I’ve only discovered this eatery this year!! This blog post is not going to be lengthy as I’ve only had ONE thing from Bitondo’s but that one item is indeed very blog worthy.

Bitondo’s Pizzeria is located in Little Italy and is famous for their slices, sandwiches, panzerotti & pies. The space can be described as an ageless eatery with simple decor but that doesn’t seem to bother me as I’m generally inhaling my panzerotti in the car!!

I keep returning and ordering the same thing. (which is generally how I roll, when I find something I like).  Here’s a few words that would adequately describe this panzerotti: heaven, cheesy goodness, perfect and divine.

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I’ve been going to  Las Vegas with my mom for almost 10 years. We typically leave on a Thursday night and return on the red-eye that leaves at midnite on Monday.

We keep going back to Vegas for two reasons: the food and the weather.

The weather did not disappoint. It was certainly above seasonal for this time of year and we were very happy about this!!

My mom and I take our sun very seriously and sat in the sun everyday from 9 to 5. One of my favorite activities to do in the sun is to read and that’s exactly what I did. I managed to download a whole bunch of books for FREE (thanks Tuebel) and got thru the following books:

-Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (which I’ve been trying to finish for a year)

-Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling (perfect pool book).

-The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (just started reading this book)

-The Book of Aron: A Novel by Jim Shepard (which I’ve been trying to finish since August)

-The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simpson (got thru most of it)

Not bad eh?

As for food:

Dinner #1: Lolas: A Louisiana Kitchen

We selected this restaurant as it was featured on  Diners, Drive Ins & Dives. Plus it had shrimp and grits on the menu which is something you never see in Toronto.

Dinner #2: Arawan Thai Bistro & Dessert

This new Thai restaurant opened up only 4 months ago and it was one of our favorite meals. For some reason, Las Vegas has some unbelievable Thai restaurants. (we’ve been to 3 over the years and they are all exceptional)

Dinner #3: Glutton

Another winner!! We ordered four dishes and every one was flavourful and presented beautifully.

Dinner #4: Society Cafe. We selected this restaurant as we were already at the Spa at the Encore and needed a bite to eat before heading to the airport. We scored.

Please note: This trip did NOT involve shopping. That’s right – we didn’t go to one outlet mall or one store.

Nor did this trip involve gambling’ OK – we spent $16 in 4 days on a slot machine. Does that count?

This trip did NOT involve drinking either. OK – there were a few jello shot involved. Hee Hee.

However we did go to the Spa at the Encore and it was seriously a great way to end our trip before heading to the airport.

It was a spectacular space. All 55,000 square feet of it. I took advantage of the waterfall shower, the shower with 12 sprays, the wet sauna, the dry sauna, the relaxation room, the cold plunge and the jacuzzi. Plus I had a massage.

There is a reeason why this spa is listed as one of the best spas to visit while in Las Vegas.

Sadly the trip is over, however I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Vegas in 2016!!

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I think I hosted a brunch three times in six weeks. But thanks to Pinterest I didn’t serve the same thing over and over again. All I did was punch in the word “BRUNCH” and a ton of photos came up which provided just the right amount of inspiration.

The last brunch I made consisted of: Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries, Crustless Quiche, Baked Cinnamon French Toast, Baked Granola Cups, and a cheese platter. Needless to say, no one left hungry!

Plus, one of my guests brought this DELICIOUS baked brie.

Here’s one of the recipes that I found on Pinterest and was an instant hit with my guests:

CHEESECAKE STUFFED STRAWBERRIES (original recipe can be found on www.thegirlwhoateeverything.com)

Ingredients:

A container of strawberries

6 tablespoons of soft cream cheese ( a little goes a long way)

1 tsp of vanilla

1 or 2 graham crackers that I smashed into little crumbs!! (again – a little goes a long way)

Instructions:

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

2. Using a sharp knife, also take off the bottom of the strawberry so it stands up nice and pretty

3. Mix the cream cheese and the vanilla

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

6. Sprinkle the graham cracker on top.

FINAL RESULT

Happy Cooking!!

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The other night, my boyfriend and I went went out for dinner followed by dessert. As always, I’m always open to checking out new restaurants so we went to TWO new places that have been on my radar.

For dinner, we decided to go to Baju BBQ seeing as my BF really enjoys BBQ and I was craving some protein too!

This restaurant is owned Deli king Zane Caplansky and the kitchen is run by Jason Rees. I’ve tasted Jasons’ BBQ before so I knew that the food was going to be beyond-good. I was right.

We ordered the Meat Tornado which features: 2 rib bones, 2 brisket slices, 2 chicken thighs, pork belly, pulled pork, 2 wings, plus your choice of 1 side! It was perfect for sharing.

The meal consisted of a lot of these phrases:

“hmmm…this is delicious have you tried it yet”.

“hmmm….no no this is delicious! Have you tried it yet?”

“hmmm..what’s your favorite meat that was on this platter”.

This $35 dish satisfied both of us in a big way. In fact, we had to take home some leftovers cause we were TOO full to finish it.

Every piece of meat was tender, juicy and I could also add a lot of other adjectives that used when describing BBQ meat that’s cooked properly.

Jason Rees sure does know what he is doing when it comes to BBQ!!

Then we continued to Sweet Jesus . I heard about this new soft serve place thru facebook as many of my food blogger friends have been posting photos over the last few weeks!

I asked the cashier what’s the most popular item on the menu and he replied the PBC. This is described as: Peanut Butter Sauce, Crumbled Toasted Salted Peanuts, Chocolate Soft Serve. Naturally that’s what I ordered.

Their soft serve specialty menu appeals to me in a huge way – soft serve with a unique combo of toppings, sauces and flavours.

For example: Cinnamon Crunch – Crumbled cinnamon toast crunch, cream cheese frosting, vanilla soft serve.

See what I mean? There’s 10 unique soft serve specialty items on the menu and one sounds better than the other. There’s also 5 soft serve menu items without all the fancy toppings!! Plus there’s Paletas, coffee and tea from Lemon Lily!

I haven’t enjoyed a serving of ice cream in several years, however I popped two lactose free pills and devoured the whole thing!

True Story: Barely had to eat breakfast or lunch the following day!

For more information:

Baju BBQ: Upstairs @ The Monarch Tavern, 12 Clinton St, Toronto

Hours: Tue-Wed: 12:00 pm-10:00 pm, Thu-Sat: 12:00 pm-11:30 pm

Twitter: @BajuBBQ

Sweet Jesus: 106 John St, Toronto

Hours: Sun – Mon: 7am – 10pm, Tues – Sat: 7am – 11pm

Twitter: @SweetJesus4Life

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I’ve been a fan of Real Sports since it opened. In fact many years ago I organized a small tweet up at Real Sports, to watch the final of the Australian Open.

It’s a pleasure to watch the most exciting moments of  a game on their 39-foot HD Big Screen and 199 HD TVs.

Plus you can sip from over 50 beer selections or select from one of their 126 draughts on tap. To sum it all up – there’s 25,000 square feet of incredible atmosphere.

This month, they have introduced a new menu. I found out that they developed a menu that pairs well with beer and I think this is a fabulous strategy!! Not to mention that they made the menu a bit smaller so that they can focus on quality and consistency vs. quantity! Again, a great strategy.

Here are 3 dishes that I would certainly order again:

1. #Litterally Popcorn Chicken – Popcorn dusted fried chicken bites in a sweet, hot chili sauce.

(oops can’t find a photo cause I guess I was too busy eating this dish)

2. Buffalo Cauliflower – Fried Southern Style with Buffalo Sauce, Coleslaw and Blue Cheese. True story….a blogger sitting beside me thought this was a chicken dish. That’s how good it was.

3. Hawaii 5-0 Pork Chop – Double cut pork chop served on bacon fried rice with pineapple blue cheese salsa.

For more information:

Www.RealSports.ca

Address: 15 York St, Toronto (Maple Leaf Square)

Phone: 416 815- REAL

Twitter: @RealSports

Instagram: @Real_Sports

Disclosure: My meal was complimentary however all opinions are my own.

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Did you know that PC© mobile recently rebranded, with a new focus on the theme of “Nice Call”. This makes me smile seeing as we have all had those “bad calls” but prefer NICE CALLS. It makes all the difference in the world.

Notice My Smile?

PC mobile features simple plans with strong offerings in a straightforward system that allows you to earn points with your purchase. This sign reinforces this message! I’m especially fond of the phrase…”Earn PC Points”.

Here’s a few reasons why you should consider a PC mobile:

Protection: PC mobile customers don’t suffer bill shock, as they can take control of their monthly bill with Voice & Data stacks, with the option to limit charges. #loveit

Support: PC mobile offers personalized support so that customers get the most of their mobile needs

Rewards: PC mobile allows PC points to be redeemed for both groceries AND a new device. What a great idea, don’t you think?

So let’s talk about those nice calls for a second.

I know that I’ve had really nice calls with some customer service agents. The customer service agent was friendly, had a upbeat tone, and listened patiently to my questions or concerns.

True Story: A few months ago I was in the market to buy a new washer and dryer. I called 5 retailers and left messages. Only ONE retailer took the time to call me back. Guess what? They got my business. Not to mention the Sales Rep acknowledged he was busy and gave me his cell number so I could text him.

We all make nice and bad calls on a daily basis and choosing PC mobile as a mobile phone carrier is just one nice call you can make.

Also, my experience at my local PC Mobile booth was fantastic. They helped answer my questions and provided me with a great customer service experience.

Hope you get a chance to drop by a PC Mobile booth in the near future.

Anyone else experience a Nice Call? Do share…..

For more information:

www.pcmobile.ca

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I’ve now been to Her Majesty’s Pleasure for two events and I feel I must share this unique concept with you.

Her Majesty’s Pleasure™ is a beautiful mix of sensory experiences in the heart of King West Village; There’s an enchanting café, juice-bar, retail boutique and lounge bar with wellness and spa services. Go see them and socialize over drinks, manicures, pedicures, blowouts or just great coffee, desserts and tunes.

As always, I like hanging around the bar AND the food!!

I also hung out and got my make up done and my hair blown out. I must say, I did NOT walk into the event looking like this AT ALL!

What’s also cool about this space is that they have been Voted Best Salon Design and Top 10 Global Interior Design by Azure Magazine, with interiors by renowned design firm +tongtong.

If you are looking for a unique space for a birthday party, or a corporate event, this space would be IDEAL.

For more information:

www.hermajestyspleasure.ca

Address: 556 King St W, Toronto, ON
Phone: (416) 546-4991

Twitter: @HMP_Toronto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HMPbeautybar/timeline/

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Meal planning is a challenge! I admit that often when I’m running on a treadmill, I’m thinking about what I will be serving for dinner or making for lunch.

In particular I find breakfast can be challenging. Mostly cause I’m always running late!!

In fact, according to a recent survey from the Loblaws and President’s Choice® teams, 68 per cent of Canadian parents have less than 10 minutes to make their child’s breakfast on a weekday.

So here’s a suggestion, make this treat THE NIGHT before. Just like you might make lunches the night before too.

With just a few ingredients I discovered a fabulous breakfast idea:

Baked Granola Cups (taken from www.chocolatecoveredkate.com)

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup PC® applesauce or mashed banana (I used both)
• 1/4 cup agave or honey
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
• yogurt

Instructions

Final Result!!

Then take out your favorite yogurt, add some fruit and bingo – you have yourself a tasty and pretty healthy breakfast.  Seeing as I’m always late there’s a good chance I will be eating this in the car! As you can see from this stat, I’m one of the 28%!!

• Twenty-eight per cent even said that they eat on the go (stop at fast food restaurant, ate the meal in the car, etc.) to ensure their children have a proper meal.

If you are looking for more great recipe ideas, please click here.  Loblaws and President’s Choice have put together  some delicious and nutritious recipes Canadian parents can cook in the time they actually have.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, however all opinions are my own

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Great news, Reese Spreads are now available in Canada!!

Based on the iconic Reese Peanut Butter Cup, new Reese Spreads deliver the one-of-a-kind combination of chocolate and peanut butter taste to any food. Whether you spoon it or spread it, these delicious spreads can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.

From the simple pairing of Reese Spreads on an apple, banana, or a pretzel, to taking your dessert recipes to the next level, the snacking opportunities are endless.

 I don’t know about you, but the combination of Peanut Butter and Chocolate has always been one of my favourites.

Here are 5 ways how you can enjoy Reeses Spreads:

a) Simply spread it on a waffle!

b) Dip Pretzels into Reese Spreads.

c) Dip a spoon into the jar. (no fancy recipe required)

d)  Freeze a bit of Reese’s Spreads and then crumble it onto ice cream!!

5. Use Reese Spreads on a slice of apple.

As you can see from the photos, I had a lot of fun using Reese Spreads in a variety of snacks.

What’s your favorite snack using Reese Spreads? For more amazing recipe ideas, please click here  or head to their facebook page.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post, however all opinions are my own.

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