• Tetley Tea Cold Infusions Strawberry & Watermelon

    Review | Tetley Tea Cold Infusions

    August 13, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m reviewing the Tetley Tea Cold Infusions which are “flavoured herbal tea water enhancers.”

    Tetley Cold Infusions herbal infusers are specially created to be brewed in cold water. Simply drop in your water bottle (or glass or pitcher), shake or stir and go. No mess – no fuss – just great tasting water!

    There are 3 flavours available:

    • Strawberry & Watermelon
      • Ingredients: Hibiscus, Sweet Blackberry Leaves, Natural Flavours, Strawberries
    • Raspberry & Cranberry
      • Ingredients: Hibiscus, Natural Flavours, Raspberries, Cranberries
    • Mint, Lemon & Cucumber
      • Ingredients: White Hibiscus, Peppermint Leaves, Apples, Natural Flavours, Roasted Chicory Root, Cucumber

    It’s great that there’s no sugar added and they’re caffeine-free. It’s definitely more convenient to infuse it in cold water. You don’t have to do the extra steps of boiling water. It’s great if you’re going out for the day and you can just throw it into your cold water.

    I was sent two: Strawberry & Watermelon and Raspberry & Cranberry teas. The raspberry & cranberry had a bit of a medicinal taste that I wasn’t fond of, so I preferred the strawberry & watermelon. I think the mint, lemon & cucumber one would be refreshing, but that’s easier to make by yourself and you can control the amount of each ingredient.

    I will start by saying that I’m not a huge fan of strawberry-flavoured teas. I’m a bit particular when it comes to fruity teas. I prefer mint and green teas. From Tetley, I like the Lychee Pear Green Tea and the Super Herbal Sunshine Tea – Lemon & Orange with Vitamin D.

    I tried adding club soda to the teas to add some fizz, but it didn’t really do much. Actually, the fizziness overpowered it. So, I tried something else. I made it into a slushie by blending the tea with frozen strawberries and ice. I also added a splash of club soda (I think it was too much club soda the first time). It’s similar to a strawberry daiquiri. For those who are of legal age, you can add a bit of rum to make it more like a daiquiri.

    RATING: 2.5/5

    Honestly, I didn’t love the flavours I tried, but I would consider trying the mint, lemon & cucumber one and any others they come up with in the future.

    Have you tried the Tetley Tea Cold Infusions?

    Love,

    *Products were sent complimentary from Topbox Circle to review.

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  • digital beauty illustration

    July/August 2020 Faves

    August 31, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m sharing some non-beauty things I’ve been enjoying. 

    CONTENT CREATION

    Procreate App on the iPad – I’ve started drawing digital beauty illustrations on my iPad. It’s been really fun and people seem to enjoy them because it’s different from my other content. It is an app that you have to pay for, but it’s worth it for me.

    botvidsson on Youtube – I’ve been watching this Swedish photographer’s videos to learn product photography tips and tricks. 

    FOOD

    Potato & Prosciutto Flatbread – This was really good. I liked the little kick of dijon mustard. Instead of prosciutto, I used bacon.

    Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms – This was also really good (with cheese and bacon again).

    Strawberry Banana smoothies – I’ve also been making smoothies lately. I don’t really use measurements, but I throw in frozen strawberries, bananas (can be frozen too) and oat milk. Super simple and it tastes good.

    WORKOUT

    I’ve still been working out to Pamela Reif‘s videos, but I’ve also been doing Chloe Ting‘s workouts too.

    Love,

    *None of the links are affiliate links.

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  • chef's plate review

    Review | Chef’s Plate Meal Kit Delivery

    July 22, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m reviewing Chef’s Plate. This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Chef’s Plate. I’ve always wanted to try a meal delivery service. There are a few options in Canada, I went with Chef’s Plate.

    *Descriptions in italics are taken from the Chef’s Plate website.

    To start, you select the meal type:

    • Meat & Vegetables – our widest selection of recipes in one meal plan
    • Vegetarian – Delicious vegetarian recipes packed with fresh produce, whole grains and plant-based protein
    • Family Friendly – exciting recipes the whole family will enjoy

    Then you select the number of people (2 or 4 people) and number of meals for the week (2, 3 or 4 meals). 

    I chose Meat & Vegetables, 4 people and 3 meals per week. We tried 6 meals total because I wanted to try at least 1 thing from each: vegetarian, fish, beef, pork and chicken. I decided not to try any pastas or burgers. 

    Both boxes were delivered before 10am. There’s no delivery email or anything. So, you just have to be on the lookout on the day of your delivery. Similar to UberEats, it’s delivered by a third party. It’s not delivered in a Chef’s Plate delivery van.

    The meals are packed in a box with an insulated liner and non-toxic ice packs. There’s instructions on how to dispose the gel once the ice packs thaw. Inside the box, each recipe comes in a brown bag with the ingredients. The meat is packed separately under the bags to ensure that the meats stay cold during transit.

    The first box was a bit soggy – the outside of the box. I don’t know if they package up the items the night before or the morning of delivery. It’s possible the box got soggy while on the delivery route.

    I think the brown bag packaging needs some work. I know things get jostled along the way, but packets of things can gets squished under the weight of the veggies. The ingredients come in packets, plastic tubs and containers. There was a small soy sauce explosion for one of the recipes, but otherwise everything was fine. The vegetables were all very fresh and were not bruised from the trip. I feel like there’s a lot of plastic packaging. I don’t know how it could be improved upon though since anything other than plastic would be too expensive.

    Some things to note:

    • 15 minute meals took longer than 15 minutes
      • Even with 2 people prepping, it takes a while to prep the ingredients and cook them. Some took 30 minutes. So be mindful of that. If you have 2 or 3 people working together, it might be faster.
    • The recipes are very simple, but they do use a lot of spices (garlic, chili, black pepper). I have a sensitive stomach so I had to cut back on some of the spices.

    Below, I’ve provided a description of each recipe (from the Chef’s Plate website), the category (quick meal, vegetarian, etc.), a rating (out of 5 stars), and a little blurb on what I thought of each one.

    chef's plate box review

    Sweet Potato Sushi Bowl with Sriracha Aioli

    Vegetarian – 35 minutes

    We’re deconstructing sweet potato sushi rolls into a colourful and craveable bowl – complete with an obligatory sriracha mayo drizzle. Edamame, crunchy cabbage, and buttery avocado mimic the flavours of the Japanese favourite.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    You could add meat/fish to this if you’re a meat eater. I found it filling enough with the avocado and sweet potatoes. This recipe uses sticky rice and I actually really liked it. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but it wasn’t overly sticky. It’s not as healthy to use sticky rice though, so I would replace it with regular rice.

    Pork Souvlaki Bowl with Greek Feta Sauce and Spinach Orzo

    15 minutes

    Escape to Athens with our hurried-up version of street-cart pork souvlaki! Orzo gets lots of love with Greek-style fixings, hit with chunky tomato-pepper salsa and a generous dollop of Greek feta sauce.

    Rating: 2 out of 5.

    I was excited for this because I enjoy souvlaki, but I found the pork a bit too… porky. I also thought that the dill sauce was a bit too dill-y lol. I would’ve preferred a tzatziki sauce instead of dill. I did like the greek yogurt texture, I would just replace the feta sauce spice mix for a homemade tzatziki recipe.

    Filipino Chicken Adobo with a Maple-Soy Glaze

    15 minutes

    Filipino adobo is famous for its signature soy-garlic sauce that makes anything it touches taste delicious. This recipe is no different, with glazed chicken tenders served over a warm bowl of rice with broccoli and crispy shallots sprinkled over top.

    Rating: 2 out of 5.

    I was a bit disappointed with this one. This came with an Adobo spice mix that has cornstarch, garlic powder, ginger powder, and cracked black pepper. I get stomach aches from eating too much black pepper, so I sifted the mix to get rid of some of it. It just tasted like a regular stir fry with sauce, but I did like the addition of crispy shallots as a topping.

    chef's plate box review

    Grilled Mediterranean Salmon with Asparagus and Freekeh

    BBQ, 40 minutes

    Let’s dine alfresco tonight, with grilled salmon and summer veggies inspired by fresh and vibrant flavours of the Mediterranean coast. A dill yogurt sauce pairs deliciously with lemony marinated salmon, served on top of a bed of warm freekeh.

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

    Instead of freekeh, they sent couscous. This recipe is very similar to a dill salmon recipe that my mom makes. I think I prefer my mom’s since this uses a cold greek yogurt sauce. I like grilled vegetables and this recipe calls for a spice mix using basil terragon and garlic powder. I think I could’ve used less of it or gone without it.

    Italian Sausage & Mozzarella Calzone with a Spinach and Feta Salad

    35 minutes

    Get in the ‘zone’ wth these fresh-baked handhelds, boasting a spiced Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese interior. For an enlightened side, dive into a zingy spinach salad with tomatoes and feta.

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    I really liked this calzone recipe and would definitely make it again. The sausage wasn’t too spicy and even the parts where the pizza dough was a bit thicker was still good. I definitely need to practise working with pizza dough though.

    Steak and Swiss Cheese Melts with Roasted Garlic Aioli and Baby Greens

    15 minutes

    Taking cues from the Philly classic, seasoned steak is loaded onto a roll and blanketed with melty swiss cheese. The best part about making it from home? Elevating the sandwich with roasted garlic aioli and a fresh green salad.

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    This was a good recipe as well, but I think it could be improved by using thinly sliced steak. These strips were a bit thick. With better quality steak, I’m sure this recipe could be even better. 

    Ranking the meals from favourite to least favourite:

    1. Sweet Potato Sushi Bowl
    2. Italian Sausage & Mozzarella Calzone
    3. Grilled Mediterranean Salmon
    4. Steak and Cheese Melts
    5. Filipino Chicken Adobo
    6. Pork Souvlaki Bowl

    Final thoughts:

    It’s a nice service if you don’t have time to go grocery shopping. It can be quite expensive if you don’t use the coupon codes, so make sure to find one online. There’s probably one to get a discount off your first box.

    I would definitely make the recipes again, but I would just tweak them a bit. After reading these reviews, it’s apparent that I’m not big on using too many spices. I feel like they give you an excess of spice mix. I think I just wouldn’t use 100% of what’s provided.

    When you go to the “On the Menu” page, they have the weekly recipes. If you see a recipe you like, you can click on it and it will show you the ingredients and steps to make the recipes.

    As someone who hates talking on the phone, I liked that it was easy to cancel this service without having to call or chat with anyone online. You just click the button to cancel and it’s done! I’ve tried the GoodFood smoothie box and I had to chat with a person online to cancel the service.

    Have you tried a meal kit delivery service? Which is your favourite?

    Love,

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  • Black-owned Brands

    Black-owned brands

    July 13, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    I’ve started a page to share Black-owned brands (bookmark the page because I will be updating the page instead of this blog post as I find more brands). The brands are listed alphabetically. At the bottom, I’ve also included other categories like apparel, accessories, home, etc. I hope to add more international brands. Right now, they are mostly American with some from Canada and the UK.

    **There are no affiliate/ambassador links below. I am not affiliated with any of the brands.**

    **Any AdSense generated from this page will go towards purchases from Black-owned brands to review on this blog.**

    A

    B

    C

    D

    E

    F

    G

    H

    I

    J

    K

    L

    M

    N

    O

    P

    Q

    R

    S

    T

    U

    V

    W

    #

    Non-beauty brands

    Clothing & Shoes

    Accessories

    Baby

    Home/Miscellaneous

    Cakes

    Love,

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  • March/April 2020 Faves

    March/April 2020 Faves

    April 24, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m sharing non-beauty favourites since I haven’t bought makeup in a while. I did just make a Sephora skincare/hair order so hopefully I have some new favourites for you in the next couple months as I test them out.

    Food

    Gordon Ramsay’s Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon on Croissants

    Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Dijon Mustard Aioli

    Workout

    Pamela Reif No Equipment Workout Videos – My sister recently shared some workout videos that she’s been following and I’ve been working out to them. I’m starting out slowly because it’s been a while since I exercised. I like that she doesn’t talk and it gets straight into the workout. She has some warm up dancing videos to get you started.

    Entertainment

    I had a video chat with my cousins and we played some games which were fun.

    On Twitter, I’ve been following various accounts that make me smile. The Shedd Aquarium has been fun to follow because they post videos of their penguins exploring other parts of the aquarium. I think any stories in the news that have animals cheer you up. Also, cute stories with grandparents and/or kids cheer me up too.

    What have you been loving lately?

    Love,

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  • December 2018 Faves

    December 28, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    I can’t believe it’s time for my monthly faves again! ANNND, it’s the last one of the year!

    I could’ve sworn that I chose the @narsissist Soft Matte Complete Concealer as a previous feature friday…I checked and I haven’t, so here we are! I am in loooove with this concealer. It blends beautifully into the skin. I haven’t used it as an under eye concealer because the shade I have is a bit too dark to use it as one. I use it as a spot concealer (I have the shade Custard). I’ve been using it for a while now and I’ve barely made a dent in it.

    I’m really loving this EcoTools shading brush. It’s the perfect brush for applying the base shadow. It’s super soft and blends beautifully. I also like how the handle is tapered which makes it nice and easy to hold. 

    Foaming face washes are my fave. I love this The Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash. As it says on the bottle, it’s very gentle on sensitive skin. I use it every day and I got it in September which means it lasts about 3 months. Although, sometimes I have used more than 1 pump, so I could probably stretch it to 4 next time. It is a bit pricey, so I suggest waiting for a sale if you plan to pick this up.

    I know Kat von D is controversial at the moment and people are boycotting the brand because of her personal choice to not vaccinate her child. I also know that so many people love this palette that I decided to put aside whatever conflicting views I may have with her own personal views and try the Shade + Light Contour Palette.

    While I haven’t had the chance to try all of the shades, I love the shade sombre for my contour (true taupe contour). It’s the perfect one for my skin tone. The others look a bit dark, but I can use those as eyeshadow or maybe use them for when I just take Instagram selfies so that you can actually see the contour in pictures. I would definitely consider buying the shade sombre when I finish this one or maybe I can find a dupe from another brand.

    I made these brown sugar cookies for Christmas and they are so yummy. Especially when you use them after they’ve cooled down enough to make ice cream sandwiches. I just used vanilla ice cream because we had some for apple pie, but since the cookies are plain, you could use any ice cream!

    Love,

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  • My Favourite Teas

    June 20, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    I wanted to share some of my favourite teas with you. I have green, fruity, herbal, rooibos and black teas on my faves list. They’re mostly caffeine-free or low caffeine and good either hot or cold. For all of them, you just need water and if you want, you can add a sweetener.

    Check out my post on how to make milk tea with grass jelly!

    JC titles for blog(1).png

    ORGANIC DETOX by DAVID’S TEA – This one is nice to drink in the morning to help detox.

    Green Tea – Low Caffeine

    Restart and restore with our detoxifying green tea. A blend of sencha, rooibos, ginger, ginkgo and juniper berries, our mega popular Organic Detox will help cleanse your system thanks to its powerful antioxidants. You’ll love its citrusy lemongrass punch and smooth herbal notes. Now all you have to do is find a reason to detox!

    Organic: Rooibos (Fair Trade Certified), sencha green tea, lemongrass, ginger, juniper berries, ginkgo. With natural lemon flavouring.

    ORGANIC COLD 911 by DAVID’S TEA – This one tastes and smells quite strong and I only put it on the list because it’s good if you feel a cold coming. I don’t like the taste of it, but the peppermint helps soothe the throat.

    Herbal Tea – Caffeine-Free

    Bad colds require badass interventions. And this soothing herbal tea has definitely got what it takes. It has a throat-calming base of peppermint, with a sweet hint of apple and some potent little juniper berries. And with its super-comforting aroma of eucalyptus and orange, even inhaling the steam feels good. Hey, we can’t guarantee miracle results, but at least we can guarantee it tastes great.

    Organic: Peppermint, apple, juniper berries. With natural eucalyptus and orange flavouring.

    FOREVER NUTS by DAVID’S TEA – I love this tea during the winter because the apple and cinnamon flavours pair nicely with some yummy sugar cookies.

    Herbal Tea – Caffeine-Free

    You’ll go nuts for this herbal tea. With its crunchy almond slices, sweet apple bits and cinnamon bark, this tempting caffeine-free infusion turns a crazy shade of pink when steeped. Why? Because of its hint of earthy beetroot. Deliciously nutty, decidedly addictive, it’s one of our all-time bestselling blends.

    Apple, almonds, cinnamon, beetroot, artificial flavouring.

    ORGANIC CREAM OF EARL GREY by DAVID’S TEA – This one is nice and creamy, no milk needed.

    Black Tea – Medium Caffeine

    Lovers of Earl Grey tea adore this creamy alternative to the original breakfast blend. You’ll recognize the same high-quality black tea, the same citrus burst of bergamot oil, the same beautiful grey-blue petals. However this version adds a touch of vanilla, and the result is an unexpectedly rich, creamy taste experience. Try it on its own or as a satisfying tea latte.

    Organic: Black tea, marigolds. With cornflowers and natural flavouring.

    MARRAKESH MINT TEA by MIGHTY LEAF – I love mint teas and this is the brand I usually get at restaurants. For an equally good, but less expensive mint tea, there’s the Moroccan-style Mint Green Tea by President’s Choice.

    Green Tea – Low Caffeine

    Marrakesh Mint, China Gunpowder blended with refreshing peppermint, will whisk you away to cascading waterfalls deep in the mountains of Morocco. Host friends and family with this lively green tea brightened with peppermint cultivated on a mountain in Tiznit.

    Green Tea, Peppermint

    GREEN TEA TROPICAL by MIGHTY LEAF – I picked this up in a variety pack with the Mighty Leaf Mint Tea and thought it’d be nice to try other teas since I like the mint one. I’m glad I did because I love this one. Although, I try not to drink it every day because of the pineapple (you know that feeling in your throat when you eat too much pineapple and it gets a little scratchy?)

    Green Tea – Low Caffeine

    Green Tea Tropical boasts smooth green tea leaves that harmoniously blend with sweet tropical fruits to create a sensation as uplifting as a breeze of the isle of Papenoo. A healthy and refreshing blend, Green Tea Tropical makes ideal introduction to green tea.

    Flower Petals, Green Tea, Natural Flavours, Natural Tropical Flavours, Pineapple

    PEACHES AND CREAM by SLOANE FINE TEA MERCHANTS – This pairs very nicely with some biscotti or some macarons. It’s not overly sweet, but has a fruity and creamy taste. This is the tea pictured above with the cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory (Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake and Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake). The two cheesecakes are very decadent and the two slices were enough to split between three people after dinner.

    White Tea

    A Bai Mu Dan white tea is delicately blended with the succulence of “water honey peaches” and finished with a hint of vanilla for a truly creamy finish.

    BLUEBERRY BLAST by DOLLAR TEA CLUB

    Rooibos Tea – Caffeine-Free

    This blend packs a burst of blueberries that will bring you back for more.

    Rooibos, blueberries, white apple pieces, natural coconut chips, flavoring, mallow flowers, pink rose flower petals.

    PERIODICALLY PAIN-LESS by DOLLAR TEA CLUB – This tea has a lot of claims to help a lot of different symptoms. I don’t know about all of the other symptoms, but it does seem to help during that time of the month. I don’t know if it’s a placebo effect or something, but I actually do feel better after drinking this when I’m feeling crampy.

    Herbal Tea – Low Caffeine

    The ingredients in this tea have been known to help alleviate symptoms of bloating, cramping, accelerate weight loss and provide dietary supplements. It helps decrease and eliminate symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, other gastro-intestinal distresses, provide relief for constipation, relieve nausea, boost the immune system, act as an anti-septic and an anti-inflammatory aid. A healthy and periodically painless solution for everyone at the time of need.

    **These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

    Anise seed, cinnamon pieces, limetree petals, melissa, green mate, liquorice root, heather petals, ginger pieces, cloves, cardamom, natural flavouring.

    PASSION HERBAL TEA by TAZO – I used to get Iced Passion Tea Lemonades from Starbucks every now and then, it’s been a while, but it’s still a fave and it’s so easy to make at home too.

    Herbal Tea – Caffeine-Free

    An exuberant herbal infusion of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips & passion fruit flavors.

    Hibiscus flowers, natural tropical flavors, citric acid, licorice root, orange peel, cinnamon, rose hips, lemongrass, fruit juice extract (color)

    GENMAICHA (GREEN TEA WITH ROASTED RICE) by UJINOTSUYU – They also have Genmaicha at David’s Tea, but it’s cheaper and tastes better if you get the packaged loose leaf from an Asian supermarket.

    Genmaicha is a mixture of green tea with roasted rice. It has less caffeine and tastes less astringent. This aromatic blended tea brings together the refreshing lightness, sweetness and the distinctive taste of roasted rice.

    JC titles for blog.png

    Top Row: Peaches & Cream, Genmaicha, Periodically Pain-less, Green Tea Tropical, Blueberry Blast
    Bottom: Organic Detox, Forever Nuts, Marrakesh Mint, Organic Cold 911, Passion, Organic Cream of Earl Grey

    What are your fave teas?

    Love,

    jen

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  • mamie clafoutis montreal

    Montréal Eats | Part 2

    April 16, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Here is Part 2 of Montréal Eats! Click here for Part 1!

    Let me start by saying that I’m sure there are tons of bakeries that have even better almond croissants, but we tried out three bakeries and these are my thoughts on them.

    I got the idea to do a blog post on the almond croissants on the second last day. So, my rating of them is based on how good they taste after travelling on a bus for 6 hours and eating them the day after. I wish I had thought of the blog post earlier, then I could have tried them all fresh. I did get to try a pistachio croissant (Mamie Clafoutis) and an almond croissant (Première Moisson) while we were there and both were amazing.

    Mamie Clafoutis

    On our first morning, we went to Mamie Clafoutis to get breakfast. I had a pistachio croissant and a tea. It was delicious, but also very rich and filling. It probably would’ve been better to share one between two of us. I got full after eating 2/3 and instead of bringing the rest home (which I should’ve done), I decided to finish it (which I regretted a bit later). It was to die for and I would definitely get it again despite feeling a bit sick for an hour after.

    Première Moisson

    On our next morning, we decided to grab something quick. I got the almond croissant and it was delicious. I was able to finish it without feeling sick and it didn’t make me too full. According to KN and BM, the focaccia was also really delicious.

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann

    KN wanted to go here to get a ‘kouign amann’ (butter cake) and butter croissants. I decided to get the almond croissant, but according to KN, the butter croissants and cake were amazing. It is their specialty after all, so I should’ve gotten one, but I already had several croissants and a dozen bagels to bring home.

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann

    Mamie Clafoutis’ almond croissant had the most icing sugar out of the three. The pistachio croissant also has icing sugar. Because of this, I think it’s the sweetest almond croissant of the three. The filling was different than the other two- it had something dark in it, which made me think that they used real, crushed almonds in their filling.

    Both the almond and pistachio croissant were delicious, but I would say it’s the best to get when you’re having a coffee and sitting down to chat.

    JENCAT’S RATING: Best afternoon snack with coffee or tea

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann(1)

    Première Moisson is a chain of artisanal bakeries, but I think this was the best almond croissant to eat for breakfast. It wasn’t too sweet and they have more locations so you can easily hit one up on your way to work.

    JENCAT’S RATING: Best breakfast croissant and most accessible in terms of locationsPâtisserie Au Kouign Amann(2)

    Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann is best known for their butter cakes, so I think it would be best to stick with what they’re known for. This almond croissant was the flattest and therefore the densest almond croissant of the three. KN assured me though that the butter croissants and cake were amazing and flaky.

    RATING: Cheapest for an almond croissant, but probably best to get the butter ones

    Overall, I think my favourite was the Première Moisson almond croissant which is kind of ridiculous since it’s a chain of bakeries. The filling was good and it was also the most buttery of the three, but not overly buttery. Also, I think it travelled the best and tasted the best when lightly toasted. I would definitely do anything to find a good pistachio croissant in Toronto like Mamie’s though.

    What are some good bakeries you’ve tried? (Doesn’t have to be in Montréal, but don’t forget to mention the city when you name one!)

    Love,

    jen

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  • Montréal Eats | Part 1

    April 15, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    After years of talking about taking a trip together, my friends and I finally went on a long weekend trip..to Montréal. I’ll admit, it wasn’t very far considering we were originally brainstorming cities like Chicago, New York and even Amsterdam at one point? Eventually, we’ll travel some place we’ll need our passports. It’s weird to think that we’ve been friends for so long, yet we’ve never had a girls weekend away- the most time we’ve spent together was a week at band camp in middle school and that barely counts because we would be with our other cabin mates and then off to lessons with our teachers.

    Like any place we would travel, our main focus was food: poutine, croissants, Montréal bagels, etc.

    We got Fairmount bagels and they were really good (and we just got sesame and poppy seed).

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    For brunch, we went to Restaurant L’avenue, it was pretty good. It reminded me of Fran’s Restaurant. Everyone gets a fruit skewer which I thought was nice. I got the Fruity Breakfast which was bacon, eggs, potatoes, fruit bowl, french toast and maple syrup and a baguette. KN and BM both got Eggs Benedict (pictured is the Coin Coin Bénédictine/Eggs Benedict with Duck).

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    For dinner on one of the days, we went to LOV, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant. We got the Kale mac’n’cheese as a starter and I decided to get a salad for dinner (again, to counteract all the carbs). I got the Greens Salad- mesclun, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sumac vinaigrette and I decided to add avocado. Even though it didn’t look like a lot, it was actually quite filling with the avocado. Sorry about the pictures being dark- it was dimly lit and I didn’t want to ruin the mood of the couple sitting beside us by using my camera’s flash.

    IMG_20180327_133308_028

    We went to La Banquise and got the Classic Poutine. It was huge! Instead of each of us getting the smaller size, we split the larger one. I think you have to get one with meat on it, but we wanted to try the classic to compare it to other poutines. To my surprise, it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it’d be. If I ever go back, I’ll get some type of meat on it.

    Click here for Part 2 featuring croissants!

    Where are your fave spots to eat in Montréal?

    Love,

    jen

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  • scaddabush italian kitchen & bar

    Review | Lunch & Dinner at Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar

    March 20, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Ever since I went to Scaddabush for my birthday a few years back, I have been raving about the fresh mozzarella! This weekend, we finally went back so my family could try it. I’ve been to two of the downtown Toronto locations: Yonge & Gerrard and Front & Simcoe. They have six other locations: Oakville, Scarborough, Vaughan, Square One, Sherway Gardens and Richmond Hill. I went to the Yonge & Gerrard one for my birthday and we went at about 10:30 and it was super busy still. For Front & Simcoe, we had a reservation at 6 and it was obviously super busy especially since we went on a Saturday which was also St. Patrick’s Day.

    DINNER

    20160930 peach mango bellini

    Peach Mango Bellini – Sparkling wine, peach schnapps, Cassis, mango purée

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    Fresh Mozzarella (Naked) – Extra-virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomato jam, sea salt, focaccia crostini

    Fresh Mozzarella (Prosciutto) – Fig jam, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, focaccia crostini

    Straight Up Meatball (stuffed) – Our signature meatball with focaccia crostini, three-cheese sauce, poor man’s Parmesan, Sunday sauce, fresh basil

    yum

    Mario Pizza – Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, baby arugula

    Zucca Ravioli (social) – Butternut squash ravioli, Grana Padano, hazelnut butter cream sauce, fried sage, poor man’s Parmesan

    Fettuccine Capri (large) – Shrimp, scallops, PEI mussels, squid, roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, orange gremolata

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    Zeppole – Deep fried sweet dough, dusted with citrus sugar, served with chocolate hazelnut sauce for dipping

    Favourites: fresh mozzarella (naked & prosciutto), straight-up meatball (stuffed)

    The mozzarella is only available after 5pm each day. So, if you want to try it, you have to go at dinner time, not lunch. Both the naked and the prosciutto are great options.

    I feel like their best dishes are the appetizers and the pastas. Especially since the mozzarella is made fresh and so is the pasta. I think we all got full on the appetizers before the pasta even came and I think we could’ve skipped dessert. For me, I would prefer to get appetizers instead of the desserts.

    The pizza tasted like other flatbread pizzas I’ve had. It was good, but it was your typical flatbread pizza. Maybe one of the other ones with more toppings is better.

    The zucca ravioli was good, but quite sweet. We probably could’ve ordered a large instead of the social. We brought the leftovers home and I ate it the next day by frying it up with a runny egg, it was delicious.

    My dad ordered the fettucine capri. Although I like seafood, I don’t love seafood pasta, but it was good, especially the pasta itself.

    My sister and brother-in-law shared one of the new features: Chocolate Bomba- Sponge cake, mascarpone panna cotta, Nutella mousse, chocolate ganache, toasted hazelnuts, strawberries, citrus sugar. My sister said it was good, but very rich, so I think it could’ve been split between three people or maybe if we hadn’t ordered so many appetizers. I didn’t really like the zeppole because it had a bit too much of an egg taste for my liking.

    Next time I go, I might try the chicken parmesan or get the spaghetti and meatball.

    LUNCH

    I’ve since been back for lunch and here are my thoughts on the new dishes I tried. We went right when they opened and five of us shared one appetizer and three dishes ( sandwich, pasta and pizza).

    Italian Burger – Hand-pressed Certified Angus Beef ground chuck, fresh mozzarella, arugula, bruschetta, balsamic reduction, basil pesto aioli, focaccia bun

    Shrimp Spaghetti – lemon wine cream, garlic butter, roasted garlic, fresh basil, fried capers, piccante sauce, spicy poor man’s Parmesan

    Smoked Bacon & Egg Pizza – Double-smoked bacon, Berkshire sausage, Alfredo sauce, fried russet potatoes, caramelized onions, chilies, chives, two freshly cracked eggs

    I loved the burger and the spaghetti was really good as well. I would order both again. The burger patty sort of tasted like the meatball, but it had a nice char on it and the focaccia bun was nice and soft (but not at all mushy). The pizza was pretty good too, but I probably wouldn’t order again. Although it was interesting having potatoes on my pizza. I would get potatoes on my pizza again. Since I shared the pizza with friends, I don’t think everything was on the two slices I ate. I didn’t have any chilies or caramelized onions.

    Have you tried the fresh mozzarella at Scaddabush?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Popcorn with Seaweed Seasoning

    February 21, 2018

    IMG_20160414_222512.jpgHi Everyone!

    Recently tried making plain popcorn with Japanese Nori Komi Furikake (aka seaweed seasoning). I had seen it before on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try. It was pretty good, although I think the popcorn needs to be lightly buttered so that the seasoning can stick on the popcorn and not fall to the bottom of the bowl. Give it a try if you want something healthy and has a bit of sweet and salty!

    It’s also really good on McDonald’s fries (they use seaweed seasoning in Asian countries) and not bad on tostitos chips.

    Love,

    jen

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  • Recipe | Short Rib Grilled Cheese Recipe

    February 21, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    I recently went to Nordstrom Bar Verde for lunch and I got the short rib grilled cheese. It was really good, so I wanted to duplicate it at home. So, here’s the menu listing on the Bar Verde menu:

    SHORT RIB GRILLED CHEESE- blackberry jam, sharp white cheddar cheese, rustic bread.

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    • Braised Short Ribs
    • Blackberry Jam
    • Canadian Sharp Cheddar Cheese
    • French/Italian Crusty Bread

    M made braised short ribs using our Instant Pot and they were delicious. She looked at several different recipes: some called for red wine and Worcestershire sauce, while others called for ketchup and brown sugar. So, search on Google and find a recipe that you would like (it’s probably best to use one that doesn’t have too many spices like thyme and rosemary because they might change the taste of the grilled cheese). M used beef stock, ketchup and brown sugar in our short ribs.

    We couldn’t find any blackberry jam except for Smuckers. So, if you can find a better quality jam, I think it would taste even yummier, but it was still delicious with Smuckers.

    I used the stove to make the grilled cheese, but you can use a panini press instead. I put some butter in the pan and lightly toasted the bread. I put the sharp white cheddar onto each slice of bread so that it could melt before closing the sandwich. Then, I spread the blackberry jam on one side of the sandwich and piled the short ribs on top. I put the other piece of bread on top and then flattened the sandwich down with a spatula. Heat until the bread is crispy or however you like your grilled cheese. Serve while it’s hot and gooey. Bon Appetit!

    What variations of grilled cheese do you like?

    Love,

    jen

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  • How to Make Milk Tea with Grass Jelly

    June 20, 2017

    Hi Everyone!20170620_130927.jpg

    I don’t know about you, but I love bubble tea: slushies, green tea, black tea and milk teas. A while ago, I tried making my own milk tea with grass jelly using Red Rose Orange Pekoe tea, but it didn’t have the right taste in my opinion. So I tried making milk tea with grass jelly using Dollar Tea Club’s Assam Organic Black Tea. I used carnation milk, but you can use soy milk, almond milk or any other milk of your choosing. I think almond milk would give it a nice nutty flavour, like the drink they offer at Chatime.

    There’s no real recipe, it depends if you like your tea stronger or more milk, but here’s what I put in mine:

    Bring water to a boil and steep the black tea for at least 5 minutes (either add more than usual or steep it for a bit longer than usual so that it’s stronger). Add some brown sugar, I put a teaspoon, you can add more or less depending on how sweet you like it.

    Once steeped, you can add ice to the tea, but I prefer to put my mug into an ice bath so that I don’t water down the tea more than I need to. If you’re going to do an ice bath, get a shallow bowl and put your mug of black tea into it. Then, carefully pour cold water and ice into the bowl. Let the tea sit until it’s cooled down. Add your carnation milk to the black tea (if you like your tea weak, add more). I had a 500mL mug of black tea, so I put about 1/4 cup (give or take) of carnation milk.

    I poured my tea into a mason jar and chilled it overnight. If you add ice to your tea, you can drink it right away. For the grass jelly, open a can of grass jelly and rinse it with cold water. I put the grass jelly into a glass container so I could rinse it more easily and cut it up. Spoon out the grass jelly into a cup and pour the milk tea into the glass and VOILA!  (To save myself from having to wash a cup, I just carefully spooned out the grass jelly into the mason jar cup that already had my milk tea in it). You’ve made milk tea!

    Love,

    jen

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  • Taco Fest Toronto 2017

    June 18, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    I hope you’re having a nice weekend and Happy Father’s Day! Yesterday, I went to Taco Fest Toronto (located at Ontario Place) with my friends.  Here are my thoughts on going to food festivals and the food:

    Food Festivals

    First of all, I think food festivals are a nice thing to try with friends, but it’s quite expensive because you have to pay to get in ($10 for a ticket). You choose a 2-hour window when you have to enter, and you can stay as long as you want once you’re in. Once you leave, you can’t go back in. You pay for food and drink tickets once you’ve passed security and check-in. Plus, if you add the subway and streetcar rides to get there and back, that’s another $6 (if you’re using tokens, $6.50 for cash). So, you’ve already paid almost $20 just to get in the festival and to make it worth it, you buy a few strips of tickets to try at least 3 or 4 tacos and a drink. I paid $30 for 15 tickets and most of the tacos that appealed to me were obviously the tacos that were worth 3 or 4 tickets (so I got a booze popsicle, 4 tacos and a bottle of water for 15 tickets). The one good thing about food festivals is that the vendors are all in one spot so you can try them all and know which ones you would go visit their restaurant or food truck.

    It was a fun experience with delicious food, but I probably wouldn’t go to another food fest. I think you could easily have a mini food fest with your friends by finding restaurants that are in close proximity and sharing a meal from several restaurants.

    The Tacos

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    Sav

    There were 24 vendors at the Taco Fest (2 popsicle/slushie drink stands, 2 dessert stands, 1 corn on the cob stand and the rest were taco vendors). Amongst the three of us, we tried 12 different vendors. The servings were pretty good (especially the Mexican Poutine, they sold out at around 5pm, I don’t know if they restocked for the evening crowd). Despite the good portions, it was still quite expensive to pay the equivalent of about $4-6 for one taco.

    What I tried:

    Avocado Tempura Taco from The Food Dudes

    Avocado Tempura Taco from The Food Dudes – creamy poblano sauce, grilled corn salsa, pickled cabbage, hot sauce, cilantro (I asked for no hot sauce because I can’t handle too spicy. I’m sure the hot sauce gives it extra flavour, but it was delicious even without it) 

    Watermelon Margarita Boozy Pop from Chill Pops

    Fish Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove

    Fish Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove – fish, roja, creamy coleslaw, pico de gallo, and sour cream on a corn tortilla shell

    Beef Short Ribs Taco from Playa Cabana

    Beef Short Ribs Taco from Playa Cabana – Ontario beef shortrib braised in ancho chiles wrapped in fresh corn tortillas. Served with pico de gallo, guac and homemade crema

    Carolina Fried Chicken Taco (rated #1 in 2016) from Fidel Gastro’s – Carolina BBQ sauce, corn and tomato salsa, fried chicken

    I can honestly say that I would get all four tacos again. It’s hard to choose a fave but I think I liked the beef short ribs the best (I love my beef/steak). The battered fish from Buster’s Sea Cove was good, but there wasn’t a lot of toppings. The fried chicken from Fidel Gastro’s was yummy and the Avocado Tempura taco would be a good vegetarian choice.

    My friends tried other things:

    Bulgogi Ground Beef Taco from The Food Dudes

    Bulgogi Ground Beef Taco from The Food Dudes- FD cheese sauce, kimchi spicy slaw, cilantro, mint, scallions, taro crisps

    Mexican Poutine from Heirloom

    Mexican Poutine from Heirloom– crispy potato, local cheese curds, pickled jalapeno, chipotle and lime aioli and cilantro

    Lobster Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove

    Lobster Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove – chunks of lobster claw and tail, coleslaw, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, and roja on a corn tortilla shell

    Tuna Sashimi Taco from Frida Restaurant & Bar

    Tuna Sashimi Taco from Frida Restaurant & Bar – fresh raw tuna, pineapple, and white cabbage with chipotle mayo

    Shrimp Ceviche Taco from Little Fin

    Shrimp Ceviche Taco from Little Fin – citrus-y Wild Northern Pink Shrimp, avocado, tomato, and srirach a-lime aioli

    Banh Mi Chorizo Taco from Los Vietnamita

    Banh Mi Chorizo Taco from Los Vietnamita – spicy chorizo sausage sauteed with green peas and spices, served in a soft flaky taco shell layered with lettuce, cucumbers, scallion verde, pico de gallo, and pickled carrots and daikon- spiked in-between with our famous ancho chipotle sauce

    Pollo (Chicken) Taco from Taco.TO (not pictured, forgot to take a pic)- homemade corn tortilla filled with shredded chicken topped with fresh vegetables, salsa and homemade taco sauce. Garnish: cilantro and lim

    Yummy Mango Lassi from Kathi Roll Express- mango and yogurt smoothie

    Mango Lime Ice Pop from The Pop Stand

    Both of my friends liked the lobster roll and would get it again. A favourite was the Bulgogi Ground Beef Taco from The Food Dudes. Both of them have gone to a few food fests: Brunch Fest and Mac & Cheese Fest. They both liked the taco fest.

    We didn’t get any of the desserts (they had funnel cake and ice cream) or corn on the cob because you can get those at any fair .

    Where do you get your tacos and what are your faves?

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

    Love,

    jen

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  • Make Your Own Trail Mix

    June 13, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    I’m trying to eat a little healthier when it comes to snacks and the Nature Box trail mix was one of my faves, but it’s too expensive so I thought I’d make my own trail mix!

    It’s so simple once you know what you like. I really liked the yogurt covered apricots on the Probiotic mix from Nature Box and still have yet to find a bulk store that sells yogurt covered fruit that I like. A lot of the yogurt-covered fruit out there is coated with a candy coating, I don’t like this because it tastes more preserved than just yogurt-covered. Also, I’m sure there’s more sugar in the coated kind. So, I’ve found an alternative until I can find ones that I like: Yupik yogurt chips! I bought a 1kg bag from Amazon.ca, you can order from Yupik, but I thought it would arrive faster if I went through Amazon. Yupik also offers Greek yogurt chips (which are a little more expensive).

    So, here’s what I put in my trail mix:

    • Yupik yogurt chips
    • roasted, unsalted almonds
    • roasted, unsalted cashews
    • roasted, salted cashews
    • roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
    • Craisins original dried cranberries

    I poured all of the ingredients in a bag and shook it up. I didn’t use specific measurements, just eyeballed what I thought was a good ratio. Since the sunflower seeds and the yogurt chips are smaller, you’ll have to put more of them in. I also found that they both settled to the bottom of the bag, so make sure you shake it up before pouring some out. I didn’t want to put only salted cashews so I did half and half just to add some saltiness to the sweet yogurt chips.

    What do you put in your trail mix?

    Love,

    jen

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