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.

 

I’ve been a member of CAA for decades. I can’t imagine driving a car without being a member. CAA has come to my rescue many times. So many times that I can’t even count. In fact just last week I had a flat tire on the 401 while driving to Ottawa and CAA came to my rescue in no time at all.

 Recently I was invited to a CAA Road Test Revival event where we re-learned a few important driving skills. WOW….what a great reminder. We were reminded that driving is a skill that really does require practice!

For example – the benefits of reverse park driving. ps congratulations to @BigDaddyKreativ who rocked this exercise!

 We also reviewed how to parallel park (um ..always a favourite!!)

Here’s some benefits of being a CAA member!

-CAA drivers education

-24/7 road side assistance (this is #1 for me)

-CAA insurance

Would also like to share with you some details about the Tear-up-the-Tuition contest!

• Contest period: September 15 to November 30, 2014

• Students registered for the CAA How to Drive Course at any ADSN location can enter the Tear-up-the-Tuition Contest by visiting caasco.com/learndrivewin

• Contest Prizes include:
  • 2 x Grand Prize of CAA How to Drive Course tuition reimbursement
  • 2 x $200 Apple Store® gift cards
  • 3 x choice of $75 CAA Rewards Partner gift card
  • 39 x Cineplex Great Escape Packages

For more information, please visit their website.

Twitter: @CAASCO

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

Disclosure; I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own

I entertain a lot! But I really really enjoy it. I’m passionate about all aspects of entertaining….planning the menu, buying the flowers, setting the table, and cooking too! The only part I don’t enjoy is cleaning up and I’m quite sure that I will never enjoy that part!

Entertaining can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be! Here are some tips for Holiday Entertaining.

a) Try and not buy prepared foods. In fact, try and make everything from scratch. Trust me it will taste better AND it will be cheaper. I even make my own pita crisps!

b) Prepare a menu with vegetables that are in SEASON. This will really reduce the cost of your meal.

c) When I shop at No Frills, I’m confident that my grocery bill is going to be lower than shopping at competitors. Not to mention I can use my PC  points to help offset the costs of my meal! Im positively thrilled that PC Plus is now available at No Friils. It’s so easy to earn points toward dollars off your grocery bill and that’s right up my alley!!

c) Develop a menu where you get a lot of bang for your buck. For example, this apple crisp recipe or these two ingredient desserts.

d) My rule of thumb: soup/salad….one main course with three side dishes, and dessert.

I would like to end this blog post with a personal story: No Frills comes to my rescue EVERY year around Passover. I save up all my points for that one holiday where my grocery bill is going to be triple what it usually is. I received this “tip” from a friend years ago and have been following her advise every since.  (Thanks D.K)

For more information about the PC Plus Program, please click here.

Twitter Hashtag: #PCPlus

Disclosure: I am a blogger who is participating in a PC Plus No Frills program and have received compensation for my participation. However all opinions are my own. 

I’m a pretty decisive person however when it comes to  selecting paint, I really need help. Thankfully …Susan who is a fellow blogger and CIL’s resident colour and design expert is also my friend! She was all too happy to come over to my apartment to help me select two colours so I could “perk” up my bathrooms.

Indeed the colours she selected, were exactly what I was looking for.

My bathroom is now ALIVE with colour. Please excuse the poor photo – I’m use to take photos of my food and not my walls!

I was SO happy with the colour that I decided to paint my kitchen red too.

The second bathroom is the perfect colour of grey which matches the tile beautifully. Now all I have to do is find some colourful hand towels to really make the bathroom complete. One step at a time, right?

Who knew that two tins of CIL Paints could transform my mood so much? I really had fun redecorating and would like to thank CIL Paints for inspiring me. Now I know why CIL is Canada’s favourite brand of decorative paints and has been sold by leading Canadian Retailers and Dealers for over 85 years!

One more thing: in the event you want to know what colours I used:

CIL’s Amazing (04YR 11/537)

CIL’s Tulle White (50BG 72/006)

If you want help selecting a CIL paint colour too, feel free to mail your questions to askanexpert@cil.ca. Also, you can get up to 20% off CIL Paints by visiting www.stoppaintparalysis.com. I just LOVE the name of this website link. BRILLIANT!

Happy Painting!

For more information:

Website: www.cil.ca 

Twitter: @CILpaints

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cilpaints

Disclosure: CIL Paints provided me with the paint, however all opinions are my own

 

 

Oh how I love food shows. Today I attended Grocery Innovations  in search of new product that will be hitting the grocery shelves.  I have to admit..I don’t mind receiving samples either! Can you tell?

This year, I discovered the following new products:

a) Olympic has introduced CHIA Balkan Style Yogurt that is Probiotic with 100% natural ingredients. It’s also Lactose free, Gluten free and Gelatin free. I think..scratch that.…I know that this product is going to be HUGELY successful.

b) Crisco has introduced ONE CUPS STICKS. YAY. For those of you who are occasional bakers – this is BRILLIANT. I swear I have 2 sticks of Crisco in my cupboard that have been there way too long. Now I won’t have that problem anymore.

C) SILK has introduced a Creamy Cashew Milk. Seeing as I’m lactose free – all these varieties appeal to me.

I wondered thru the show for hours (no joke) and will be blogging about other products that intrigued me, so stay tuned.

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

 

 

There are some people who have 3 complete meals and never snack and there’s other people who have 3 meals and snack throughout the day.  I fit into the latter category.

So when I’m shopping at No Frills, I’m always on the hunt for ingredients for my meals AND my snacks. Not sure if you know this but PC Plus is now available at No Frills (hooray).

In the event you are wondering what’s PC Plus..…here’s your answer: It rewards customers with points toward dollars off your grocery bill. I don’t know about you…but I ALWAYS want to save money on my grocery bills. ALWAYS.

I now have the PC Plus app so it’s super easy for me to see weekly offers and to continue to save money. A Win Win if you ask me!

Here’s what I usually find myself snacking on: 

1. PC GREEK YOGOURT: I usually add some berries (raspberries, blueberries or blackberries) and before you know it …I’ve got myself a nice healthy snack that fills me up. Note: When those berries are out of season, I will use frozen berries.

2. SLICED TOMATOES:  One tomato goes along way. Sometimes I add some avocado on top and other times I add cheese. The end result is a healthy snack that looks oh-so-pretty! (don’t you think?)

3. SOUP: I know it seems weird but I adore soup and often find myself having a bowl in the middle of the day. It fills me up and it’s not expensive to make at all. Last week I noticed that canned tomatoes were on sale.  Naturally I ran home and made some soup: 1 tin of tomatoes, added 1/2 a boiled potato, a bit of fried onion and whizzed it up in my beloved Blendtec with some water. I had 4 cups of soup for less than $1.50 TOTAL.

4. Popcorn: To be perfectly honest…I want to snack on chips but it’s really not healthy for you. ARGHH. However popcorn isn’t a bad option. Therefore popcorn (air popped) has become a great alternative that in my opinion is “cheap and cheerful”.

None of the above snacks hurt my bank account and are pretty healthy…wouldn’t you agree?

I really wish I was one of those people that didn’t snack as much but I do. I try to be mindful to make sure that I’m not snacking cause I’m bored but that’s a whole separate blog post!!

The good news: No Frills and PC Plus…. helps me find the right snacks at the right prices! YAY PC Plus points…I love collecting them and love redeeming them too!

Hope you get a chance to sign up for PC plus soon. It’s easy and rewarding…what more could you ask for?

For more information:

Website: www.pcplus.ca

Twitter; #PCPlus

Disclosure: I am a blogger who is participating in a PC Plus No Frills program and have received compensation for my participation. However all opinions are my own.

 

I was pretty lucky this summer and had the opportunity to spend 10 days in this beautiful city.

I stayed at the lovely Hotel Place D’Armes.  This charming hotel is brilliantly located in Old Montreal and just steps away from Notre-Dame Basilica.

The hotel featured high ceilings, spacious rooms and a great team at their concierge desk! Not to mention a fantastic bar and a roof top patio!

 

Highlights of my trip included:

a) Jean Talon Market. I simply adore this market! A trip to Montreal would not be complete without it.

b) The Hop-on-Hop-Off Double Decker bus tour throughout Montreal, that is offered by Greyline. This is the best way to see a city and I’ve now done these tours in Ottawa, Barcelona and Montreal.

c) I spent hours wandering thru the The Botanical Garden. It’s truly magical. Then I visited the The Planetarium  and the Olympic Stadium. Sadly I didn’t go to the Biodome as I’d been a few years ago but regret not returning as they are all grouped together. Give yourself a whole day or break up these three attractions into two days!

 

d) Discovered a beach in the port of  Old Montreal – which was the perfect place to relax after a long day of touring.

e) A trip to Simons Department store. Believe it or not – had never been to this store even though I’ve been visiting Montreal on a yearly basis since 1990.

HAPPY TRAVELLING

For more information:

Greyline Bus Tours: Click here for more information

Montreal Tourism Office: Click here for special promotions, tourism info, etc.

Planetarium, Botanical Gardens and The Biodome: click here for more information

Hotel Places D’Armes 55, rue Saint-Jacques West, Old Montreal (Quebec). Tel: 514.842.1887

Simons: 977 St. Catherine Oeust, Montreal, Quebec  514 282 1840

 

I was determined to attend the Toronto Garlic Festival despite the POURING RAIN.

Upon arrival I realized that the rain wasn’t stopping garlic fans from attending as the three parking lots were almost full and it was only 10 am!!

However, the rain stopped and the sunshine came out which meant I could focus on these garlicky treats!!

a) GARLIC COFEE – yes, that’s right…Garlic Coffee. Described as: Warm Garlic Infused Spiced Coffee with Maple Cream and Pumpkin Vanilla Dust. Thank you Incredible Spice for creating this unique cup of java.

b) GARLIC Lollipop – oh how I love these creations that mix sweet and savoury.

c) BLACK GARLIC BUTTER TARTS – this had my name all over it as butter tarts are one of my weaknesses! Kudos to the good people at Smoked and Cracked. I really hope this will be a regular feature on their menu

d) FRENCH GARLIC APPLE TOAST with Creme Fraiche from Magic Oven. – oh what a combo of flavours. ps did you know that Magic Oven is soon opening on Eglinton Ave W.?

Of course I came home with some garlic from Soup Stone Farms and put it to good use…immediately. Please remind me, never to buy garlic from the grocery store again! What a difference.

Congratulations once again to the Toronto Garlic Festival for putting on another well organized and tasty event.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

This isn’t going to be a typical blog entry!! However I have permission from my friend Kevin that I can blog about it. You see….I can’t believe I have a friend whose favourite drink is MANISCHEWITZ  CONCORD (on ice).

He was recently in Toronto visiting with his lovely family. His parents threw a party for the occasion and  I noticed there were TWO bottles of Manischewitz amongst the wine/scotch/and beer. I was so surprised to see this brand that I said something to Mrs. D….and she replied: “Oh that’s Kevins favorite drink…he requested for me to buy two bottles”.

Seriously…. this just blew me away.

Please meet Kevin who could be the poster boy for this SWEET…SWEET (err…off the scales SWEET) wine.

Most Jewish people (including myself) have a long history with this brand but it’s not something we drink socially…except for Kevin!

A few years ago, I found out that this particular brand is one of ten listed products that you will find in EVERY SINGLE LCBO store. I asked the sales rep: “Who is drinking this brand?” and he replied that it’s widely used in PUNCH, due to its’ high sugar content. Too funny.

Anyway…cheers to my friend Kevin!