Fit Girl Challenge: Day 7

Foodie

So, the tortilla chips won. It was too much for me. I caved and ate more than a handful; fortunately the guide prepares you for this and advises that if you get off track, the whole day isn’t a write off. Basically, you’re already doing great, so allow yourself some slip ups and congratulate yourself for being human.

The food has been delicious and we’ve overcome some serious hurdles, namely a visit to my parents’ house (in wine country), a trip to the theatre, and a baby shower. Phewf! Success. And we spent last night (by we I mean my amazing wife) getting our food ready for today, day 8, week two.

The past few days have seen no end to my enjoyment of Cherry Pie Fridge Oats. Seriously, yummm.

Cherry Fridge Oats, with fresh Ontario cherries.

Cherry Fridge Oats, with fresh Ontario cherries.

The food we’ve enjoyed has had colour, variety and lots of great textures. Here is a sampling of some of the yummy lunches and dinners.

Pizza Party and Tempeh on the side. I'm LOVING this.

Pizza Party and Tempeh on the side. I’m LOVING this. Mini pizzas with cheese, artichoke and olive, spinach, a side of apple and green peppers.

I joined Allia at work, taking our lunch and dinner for a full day of activites: Film screening in the morning (of Mistress America – very funny and well-written). Herbal tea with a friend. (Hi, Katey!)

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We went to browse the books at Indigo/Chapters. Here are some of our faves. There is a lot more time for reading when you don’t have to worry about what’s in your fridge. Now that we spend less time looking in the fridge there is more time a lot of things. wink wink.

At work, Allia got some stuff done while I read a book and drank my water. We ate our delicious lunch on the patio, located on the Much Music Roof.

Downtown Toronto, skyline from the Much Music rooftop garden.

Downtown Toronto, skyline from the Much Music rooftop garden.

Patio picnic.

Patio picnic.

Studio's in Bell's building - E-Talk, The Social and the Marilyn Dennis Show, Breakfast Television - they all film here.

Studios in Bell’s building (the Much Music building) – E-Talk, The Social and the Marilyn Dennis Show, Breakfast Television –  all film here.

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The Marilyn Dennis Set.

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The empty set.

It was easy enough to travel with our pre-prepared food and to enjoy taking time to eat slowly.

We had a similar approach for the time we spent in Niagara on the Lake with my family. We treated it like a restaurant, choosing protein and grains carefully and eating lots of greens. I had one of my two servings of alcohol for the week in the afternoon, sitting by the pool. How can you come to wine country and not partake? (I can think of a few ways, but that’s not very appealing). Then I gave myself a pass and had a second glass at dinner, before we headed to the theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Guide to the Scriptures  at The Shaw Festival http://www.shawfest.com/playbill/the-intelligent-homosexual/story/ . The play, by Tony Kushner, was brilliantly acted and intense. We enjoyed tea at intermission and a stroll in the gardens.

Shaw Festival's IHO (Intelligent Homosexual's Guide...)

Shaw Festival’s IHO (Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide…)

The Shaw is one of Canada's premiere theatre companies and always has a wide variety of beautifully rendered drama.

The Shaw is one of Canada’s premiere theatre companies and always has a wide variety of beautifully rendered drama.

The Shaw gardens are perfect for stretching your legs at intermission.

The Shaw gardens are perfect for stretching your legs at intermission.

This week’s reward was a mani-pedi in a style/colour you don’t usually get. I did my own nails, but chose a shade from my mom’s collection. At the end of week two, we get to treat ourselves to a new workout outfit. I have my eye on Titika’s Dip Crop (which is on sale!), and one of these stylin’ workout tops or bras.

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Dip Crop

Titika Workout Top

Titika Workout Top

Titika Workout Top

Titika Workout Top

Titika Workout Bra

Titika Workout Bra

Titika Workout Bra - not your average sports bra.

Titika Workout Bra – not your average sports bra.

Wish us luck!

Fit Girl Day 3: Definite Cravings and Some Sore Muscles

Foodie

I sidle by the fridge. I peek into the pantry.

I’m having a really hard time staying away from the half finished bag of chia seed tortilla chips on top of the fridge. The meal plan is satisfying, yes, but my snack habit is hard to break. I had a delicious breakfast of cherry parfait oatmeal. Definitely not tired of that, yet.

Lunch is looming, but so is my desire to eat. I can feel some soreness from yesterday’s hike and glute-focused targeted toning exercises. Drink more water. Ask if you’re hungry or… bored.

I’ve been keeping busy, going through my KonMari purging, very systematically. It happens every year once summer starts. I want to get all my projects done, and I’m super motivated, but part of me also wants to sit on my butt binge-watching Netflix. Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right?

Our pizza party dinner of veggie-pizza was super yummy. Tonight, we have soft corn tortillas with grilled veggies and chicken, black beans, avocado, etc.

To busy myself I’m heading to the gym; off to sell all our old purses, or donate them; planning a clothing swap; re-hanging pictures on the walls; filling holes and touching up paint. Maybe I’ll clean all the baseboards…

Maybe I’ll take up my friend’s offer to go tubing down the Credit River. Wink. Summer is here.

Support Local. Move Your Body And Eat Well, Too.

Foodie

I started this morning started off by drinking a huge glass of water. Usually, time is of the essence, so I’m moving towards leaving the house rather than waking up my system lovingly.

Today my wife convinced me to partake of her morning routine – a 40 minute Yoga session. Right here in our living room. Usually she starts her days this way, then makes her way to work, while I caffeinate myself into my usual peppy self and go straight to a day on my feet, non-stop.

What a lovely way to wake-up. The yoga, I mean. I used to do this all the time (my summer routine). I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

Also on our summer-is-almost-here list: a visit to Cristan Farms – a local farm that has a roadside stand. They sell all the produce straight from the fields and only have what is in season. Summer is here, officially, almost-officially.

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Cristan Farms on Winston Churchill Boulevard.

I’m not one to get excited over an onion, but seriously, their white onions are worth blogging about. And it’s definitely worth getting excited about food that was grown a meter from where you buy it, and being able to put money in the hands of local farmers directly.

Happy Summer!

Handmade Market 2015

Art

Two weeks after wintery flurries, the temperature hit 31 degrees Celsius – just in time for a gorgeous weekend at 13th Street Winery for the 2015 Handmade Market. The outdoor Spring market had a sprawling maze of vendors, artisans and edibles that wove its way around the grounds of the winery, with a welcome breeze and live guitar and acoustic performances.

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Delicious fries and sandwiches at one of the food trucks, Dobro Jesti.

Tide and Vine.

Tide and Vine: Oysters

This is what happens when you ask my mum to take a photo. Wink wink, Mum!

This is what happens when you ask my mum to take a photo. Wink wink, Mum!

Allia and I deciding where to start.

Allia and me, deciding where to start.

Magnolias were spilling their blossoms.

Magnolia blossoms; everywhere.

Fruit trees and magnolias were in bloom. And the warm weather brought out diverse DIY lovers, both local and visiting, to enjoy some incredible summer scenes.

Enjoying the mood and music on the lawn of 13th Street.

Enjoying the mood and music on the lawn of 13th Street.

Avella's Pizza

Avella’s Pizza

The inside of the winery was also open for tastings.

The inside of the winery was also open for tastings.

TO DO: Park your car in between the rows of grape vines and stroll through the tents, perusing the hand-crafted clothing, soaps, decor, home items and quirky local designers. Or eat your way from one side of the market to the other starting with the handmade margherita pizzas, on to garlic and rosemary basted handcut fries, and finish with a cone of carrot cake ice cream. Seriously. I couldn’t eat it fast enough, and our chatty group was silenced – in a race to eat it before the sun melted this refreshing scoop of heaven.

Hometown Ice Cream.

Hometown Ice Cream.

Always a favourite, the talented Breanne Morrow’s White Feather Designs were on display. Though her designs can be found in some Toronto boutiques, her work is always a must-see in person. Admittedly, I’m partial to her jewelery, since it was Bre who hand-crafted our engagement rings.

White Feather Designs by Breanne Morrow

White Feather Designs by Breanne Morrow: enamel coated brass necklaces with tassels (bottom right) and bracelets (center).

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Earrings, necklaces and rings.

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3D Cut geometric necklaces.

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Necklaces in sterling silver.

Her line has continued to evolve over the years, and whether you find her on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/WFDJewellery  or her online store http://wfdjewellery.com/, her labour-of-love jewels, her livelihood and passion, are both versatile and unique; every time I wear one it’s always a conversation starter.

A new favourite at the show was the work from the design duo at Studio 50 studio50.ca whose concrete, glass and steel designs were so striking and innovative. I can as easily picture these artsy, tough, yet beautiful pieces in my boho kitchen as on the counter in my brother’s sleek, modern Toronto condo. They are seriously some of the most original, cool pieces I have seen, and if money allows, I’ll be buying us some of our own next time we deserve a present (we being my wife and me).

Studio 50 knife blocks, and small round-bottomed science beakers that can be used to serve hot or cold liquids.

Studio 50 knife blocks, and small round-bottomed science beakers that can be used to serve hot or cold liquids.

Sangria, salad dressing, sake, tea, scotch or ... pretty much anything that would look cooler in a round bottom flask.

Sangria, salad dressing, sake, tea, scotch or … pretty much anything that would look cooler in a round bottom flask.

Knife blocks with skewers and ... some instructions to keep you on track.

Knife blocks with skewers and … some product notes to keep you on track.

Their entire line is all handmade and unique. I love the stratified concrete bases.

Their entire line is all handmade and unique. I love the stratified concrete bases.

Not only were the designs beautiful, the artists were truly lovely and happy to chat about their process and passion. Located in Paris, Ontario, one of these beautiful items from Studio 50 is on my list of things I must get for myself one day soon.

The annual craft market is just one of the great ways to support local artists and get outside. Enjoy Spring and stay tuned for more warm-weather indulgence.

Body Blitz and L’Unita

Foodie, Indulge

It’s always a good time with Lindsay; now a globe-trotting sommelier, she and I have been friends since high school. We had a summer ritual of weekly visits to Body Blitz https://bodyblitzspa.com/ where, for $300, you could have an unlimited pass for the summer months to visit as often as you want. For us, this meant Wednesday spa visits to soak in the epsom salt and Dead Sea salt pools, cold plunge, eucalyptus steam room and sauna. We always followed this up with wine tasting, her day job/my pass time.

Body Blitz West Location

Body Blitz West Location

Yesterday we cashed in on a blog interview that I did for Body Blitz. (see article here: http://blog.bodyblitzspa.com/2014/09/in-waters-with-alison-carson.html)

As a thank you for the interview I got to try an incredibly luxurious sweet ginger + milk body glow. The treatment included a citrus-mint body wash,  ginger body scrub,  warm milk with sweet orange oil and almond treatment, and massage to finish, working in a warm grape seed body oil. It was an hour of heaven.

Ginger and Milk Body Scrub

Ginger and Milk Body Scrub

After you get past the part where you realize you haven’t been ‘washed’ like this since you were a baby, and the fact that the plastic apron worn by the spa attendant is vaguely reminiscent of Dexter in body-disposal-mode, it is so amazing to be under a heat lamp having a sweet, soft-spoken angel pamper you for sixty minutes.

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Dexter

Spartacus

Spartacus: Pampered and Luxurious, without the problematic power dynamics and violence

At one point I found myself imagining that this must be what ancient rich housewives must have felt like (without the slavery, obviously), but that if every person on Earth received this treatment we could probably solve every global conflict known to man. It was that good. I was blissed-out and elated for the rest of the day.

I joked with my wife about how delicious I smelled; “smell me!”

She told me I smelled like a white person, then smiled and said, “Vanilla.”

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Day turns into night as we move on to a late dinner. We started with some bubbly, then shared an Amarone.

Huge thanks to the wonderful staff for a beautiful night of delicious flavours! L’Unita’s website: http://lunita.ca/

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L’Unita at night.

We carried on our food theme as we headed to L’Unita, a decadent Italian restaurant at Avenue and Davenport (Toronto, Ontario) with beautiful ambiance and some of the best service in the city.

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Grilled Octopus on a bed of greens, with fingerling potatoes and sausage.

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Warm olives with herbs and lemon zest

Mozarella Burrata with beets

Mozarella Burrata with beets

Classic Caesar Salad

Classic Caesar Salad

Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza

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Evidence of a decadent meal

On to desserts, made in-house by their pastry chef.

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Caramel sugared donuts

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Bufala Panna Cotta with blood orange and mint

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Chocolate olive oil cake with gelato

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Very happy ladies. I sincerely hope you have a chance to visit L’Unita: Buon appetito!

Peller Estates and Two Sisters

Foodie, Indulge

We love visiting my parents in Niagara-on-the-lake. It’s like having our own personal bed and breakfast. This week we went to Chicks and Chocolate (a pairing event offered at Peller Estates) to sample wines and chocolate, as well as their neighbouring winery, Two Sisters.

We started in the upper tasting room with four glasses and four intriguing chocolates.

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A flight of wine and chocolate

We began with the sparkling Ice Cuvée Rosé, a Champagne-style wine infused with icewine, to cleanse our palates.

Paired with a chocolate from Madagascar.

Paired with a chocolate from Madagascar.

Then we moved on to one of my favourites, the 2012 Sur Lie Chardonnay: a huge, buttery Chardonnay that reminds me of oatmeal raisin cookies. We paired it with a milk chocolate, and learned about listening to the break of the chocolate, smelling the fresh cut edge, feeling the back of the chocolate and pressing it to the roof of our mouth.

Wines one and two.

Wines one and two.

Chocolate number two.

Chocolate number two.

There are worse ways to spend an afternoon. Our hour took us through all four of the pairings. Next, the merlot: a ripe, fruit forward wine, paired with the third chocolate.

Santa Domingo, 70%.

Santa Domingo, 70%.

A tasting table set for the event.

A tasting table set for the event.

The final taste.

The final taste.

We concluded our tasting with an incredible Cab Franc Icewine, as José guided us through the proper tasting methods.

It’s always good to get a refresher. Despite working at Peller a number of years ago, I love learning new things and trying wines; the best advice: you are never wrong. No one else can tell you what you smell or taste.

As we left Peller, we decided to stop in at Two Sisters, a winery I had never visited before. The imposing facade certainly seems to have something to do with the high price-point for their wines. Each detail of the interior was equally well-chosen for visual impact.

Two Sisters Winery

Two Sisters Winery

The grand entrance

The grand entrance

Tasting room and store

Tasting room and store

The bar

The bar

Tasting tables

Tasting tables

All told, this is a lovely way to spend the day; I hope one day you get a chance to try Niagara’s unique wines, influenced by our cold climate and escarpment, and to experience the hospitality of our sweet, chilly in Spring, but wholly welcoming peninsula.

Wine. Love. Wine.

Wine. Love. Wine.

St. Patrick’s Day without Beer and Clovers

Foodie, Indulge, Love
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Allia enjoying Peller 2012 Sur Lie Chardonnay

I have Irish ancestry. I love beer and I love any reason to celebrate; this year, however, family and friends took St.Patrick’s Day in a new direction. We decided to cross the ocean, but instead of Ireland, we ended up in Paris. At Paris Crepes, specifically: a delicious, French themed restaurant-café in Niagara Falls.

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Mussels Mariniere with Frites and fresh baguette

Cheers to a meal of French onion soup, mussels 4 ways (for March Mussel Madness) curried, provencale, mariniere or blue cheese, free corkage when you bring your own wine and crepes, both savoury and sweet.  Although we saw people running by the glass front window of the café, shamrocked and in onesies, I think this is a tradition that deserves some consideration. Cheers to friends, family and a twist on green beer that will leave your taste buds green with envy!

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Images from Paris, including Le Chat Noir and Moulin Rouge

Paris Crepes Café

Paris Crepes Café

Homemade Sweet Crepes

Homemade Sweet Crepes

With our server, Star, we celebrated St. Pat's with a twist

With our server, Star, we celebrated St. Pat’s with a twist