Sunday at The Beaches

The Beaches is a community that lies east of Downtown Toronto.  As expected, it's located directly on the lake shore and it is littered with beautiful parks and fantastic brunch spots. In short, it is charming and I am so incredibly privileged to be able to live here.

Today I started my morning with a run, followed by brunch at Bonjour Brioche with my good friend, T.  The use of good quality ingredients showcased that a dish doesn't have to be complex to taste amazing, as long as you start with fresh, local ingredients.  We met an adorable couple waiting in line in front of us and were strongly advised to get the eggs benedict, which may have been one of the best decisions of my life.

 The eggs benedict.  Yes, it's served up on a fresh croissant.

The Croque Madam.  My first time ever tasting brioche.

My new scarf, a birthday present from a very stylish friend. 

After brunch, I wanted to take advantage of the sunny day and went for a long walk with M in the park and along the beach.  Everyone was out, including the most adorable little boy and his mom, who were running along the pond.  You can't see it in the photo, but there were 2 enormous trumpet swans floating in the pond.

 Me and M pause to document the insanely gorgeous day.

The most adorable mother-son pair ever. 

On the walk back to the house, I noticed a group of 8 or so teenagers talking by a brick wall.  It was such a cool moment and I wanted to capture it, but when I asked to take a photo most of them got shy and stepped out of the frame.  Luckily, 3 remained and I managed to get this awesome shot that I think captures the feel of the city perfectly.  When I showed them the photos, they all agreed that it was pretty "sick" (Note: urban dictionary defines sick as being "crazy, cool or insane").  Not bad for an amateur, I say! 

The finished product.

Have a sunshine-filled day!

Sweets for your Sweet

So, remember a little while ago when I told you about the wonderful SOMA Chocolatemaker? Obviously I couldn't stay away and I thought it best to visit with the Little Prince just before Valentine's Day to see what special, limited edition offerings they had.

Inspired by Rodin, no doubt

The first thing I see when I walk amongst their shelves (and shelves) of chocolate is this gorgeous heart sculpture, nestled artistically on a bed of foliage.  Upon closer inspection, I realize the sculpture is made entirely out of dark chocolate and I'm so delighted that I have to take a moment to compose myself.  How could you eat something this beautiful? Oh, I'm sure I could, but I would definitely contemplate it for a few hours prior.

 Naturally heart-shaped Japanese walnuts

I had to get a closer pic of this gem

Now it's on to the showcase, where these adorable little treats immediately catch my eye.  "What are those nuts?", I wonder aloud and am immediately informed by the friendly staff that it is, in fact, a walnut but a special breed from Japan.  Imagine getting handed a little box of those? Not only do you get to hold someone's heart, you get 6 tasty little Japanese ones, too!

After all the chocolate cruising, I was feeling like I needed to indulge.  Given my past history of molten chocolate love, I ended the evening with a shot of salted molten dark chocolate (complements of the Little Prince, I might add. See? Chivalry does live on!).  Although the chocolate is always top quality at SOMA, this treat may have been a little too rich and I made a note to stick with the much loved Hot Chocolate at my future visits, which is diluted with almond milk.

Liquid love

I hope you all enjoy your special day with the one you love, whether it's a partner or yourself. <3

Wishing you lots of love and chocolate!

A Lovely Day to Study....

I had the most amazing morning; M made me a spinach mushroom omelete (I eat eggs now!), I'm wearing my favorite shirt and I'm studying at my favorite cafe.

That colour! The eggs are from an organic, free-range farm just east of the city

I discovered Mylk Uncookies last summer.  What lured me was their fresh made daily almond mylk (I still do not do dairy) and I ended up falling in love with their tea lattes (Earl Grey and Vanilla, Chai etc.)

Today, I ordered their Walnut Green Tea Latte with almond mylk and I'm planning on drinking many lattes throughout the day as I work away.  Have a look at how lovely this cafe is and soon you'll be lured down here too!

 Just like their almond mylk, it's all made fresh daily!

Retro feel, with a colour scheme inspired by Tiffany's

The raw treats! 

Enjoy your day!

Type Bookstore On Queen West

There is a little row of shops on Queen West, right across from Trinity Bellwoods park in Toronto.  They are all so charming and homegrown that I would often think up excuses to go hang out there on lazy Sunday afternoons in the summer.

How delighted was I to discover this artistic video about Type, the bookstore?  Watch it and feel the charm of this place ooze over you.

Have a creative and inspiring day!

Sweet Treat: An Adventure in Cupcakes

The Art of Cupcakes

This past Wednesday, M and I had to get our passports renewed.  What could have been an incredibly mundane chore turned into an adventure that will live on forever in this blog. You see, as we were strolling down the street to get to the intimidating government building, we happened to pass Prairie Girl Bakery.

I had heard legends about this place: how the owner had been a lawyer in Saskatchewan who one day gave it all up to bake cupcakes.  And not just any cupcakes, the ones your grandma would be proud to serve.  That means absolutely zero artificial anything.  No wonder these little cakes are touted as being the best in Toronto!

Replenishing the stock

M and I stood there, with our mouthes gapped open in awe, outside the window for at least 3 minutes before we had the courage to step inside.  How could a place so cheerful and warm be located here, amongst endless government documents and cranky people?  Once inside the shop, we were met by rows and rows of beautifully iced cupcakes and the delicious smell of someone baking more in the back.
  

The menu

Because the cupcakes are so non-artificial (think eggs, butter and milk), this unfortunately meant I couldn't enjoy one but watching M indulge was enough-- I swear, M smiled for 3 hours after finishing that cupcake!

 The Black Forrest Cupcake

M is ridiculously happy

The staff was friendly, the place was lovely and we have now found the perfect place to get birthday cupcakes for our friends.

Praire Girl Bakery

Unit 106, 18 King Street East

Toronto, Ontario

Give me SOMA that: SOMA Chocolatemaker Rocks!

In Denmark, there is a special word to describe nearly everything cozy.  Hygge (pronounced "hoogga", if we try saying it while forming our mouth to say "ee" instead of "oo") originally meant "well-being" but it has since been used to describe anything comfortable and warm, from something literal like physically sitting by the fire to something more abstract, like a state of mind.  As you know, J was recently in Denmark and she taught me this lovely word when she was describing her new, oversized wool coat:

Very hygge, no?  

Keeping with the hygge theme, on Friday evening M took me somewhere special.  It started out as a little walk around the block but we got closer and closer to King Street West and soon we were peering into the most adorable little chocolate shop I've ever encountered.  SOMA Chocolatemaker just opened their King West location, and I couldn't be more thrilled!  We sat for hours on the bench, letting the glorious smell of fresh chocolate waft over us as we sipped our Mayan Hot Chocolates and shared silly secrets in hushed tones.  Totally hygge!

Mayan Hot Chocolate (veganize by asking for soymilk)

The hot chocolate here is the real deal, being made from a shot of molten dark chocolate that is then mixed with the milk and fresh spices (powder? puh-leez!).  Honestly the best hot chocolate I have had in my life (and I grew up in the mountains where hot chocolate is something of a staple).

But aren't they also a chocolate maker, you ask? SOMA has the most interesting flavour combinations I had ever heard of (8 year old balsamic vinegar, douglas fir, 'Pop rocks'--to name a few) but I have to go all Johnny Depp in Chocolat and claim that I'll take the hot chocolate any day.  

 Les chocolats

Close up of the various gems.  Quit drooling all over your keyboard.

Whether you go alone or with someone special, SOMA Chocolatemaker is a fantastically cozy place that you want to visit at least once, in the name of hygge.

SOMA Chocolatemaker

443 King Street West

Toronto, Ontario

(416) 599-7662