I haven’t done a Friday Faves post in awhile! Truth be told, when I woke up this morning and noticed #NationalCookieDay trending, that was all I could think about. So made sense to share with you my three related faves.
Make Your OwnI love this recipeI found on The Girls on Bloor‘s blog for mint chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches! If I hadn’t made cupcakes last night I’d be in the kitchen right now baking this. Pinned it for later.
Bobbette & Belle – 1121 Queen Street East I’m pretty sure you wont leave here with just a cookie! I had their gingerbread cookies and they’re SO good.
Let’s first get my confession out of the way before we start. I had never tried persimmons before and this was my first time! I always wondered what they tasted like but never saw them being sold in singles, only by the case. (Update: Singles sold in Chinatown or Harvest Wagon) Persimmons are sweet and sort of taste like cantaloupes, peaches or mangoes. The ones I bought are ready to eat as soon as you purchase them. Even better, they’re seedless, pit-less and you don’t have to peel the skin off! Persimon® are available November through January, if they last! I called 3 Sobeys and a Foodland. They were all sold out (End of November), so they are clearly high in demand. At the end I found a box at Metro! Yay!
This particular brand Persimon ®, are ripe and ready to eat, while other brands you may have to wait for them to turn soft and ripen. They’re grown exclusively in the Ribera del Xúquer valley near Valencia, Spain.
Roast Chicken with Persimmons and Olives with Persimon®
1 Whole Chicken (3-1/2 pounds) cut into 8 pieces and breasts halved crosswise (I used two large chicken breasts with no skin to feed two people. But you can get with skin and use a whole chicken for serving 6) 1 tbsp (15 ml) Paprika (I used a paprika/lime mix, see below images)
1 tsp (5 ml) Salt
1/4 tsp (1 ml) Pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) Chopped Parsley
1 Persimon®, topped and cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) wedges (I used 1 and a half and ate the other half while it baked!) 🙂 1 fennel bulb topped and cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) wedges (I didn’t use fennel bulb. But it’s a great option) 1/2 cup (125 ml) Cracked green olives, pitted and halved
1 tbsp (15 ml) Olive Oil Salt and Pepper for seasoning
Method
Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C)
Line a rimmed baking pan/sheet with parchment paper. I love this parchment paper because it’s strong compared to some other brands I’ve used.
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the paprika, salt, pepper and half of the parsley; toss to coat. Place the chicken in the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
I love the smell of fresh cut parsley
[Tweet “#DidYouKnow a Persimon® with freckles=extra sweetness? #PersimonSays”]
Place the Persimon® wedges, olives and remaining parsley in a separate bowl. Add olive oil, season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
After the 20 minute mark turn the chicken pieces over. Add the Persimon®, olives, parsley mix to the bake sheet and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through. Bake until the chicken is cooked through. You can serve this with rice, salad or even on its own. You can also use persimmons in pretty much anything! Whatever you would add fruit too. I have some persimmons left, maybe I’ll make something sweet with it!
Voila! Your classic baked chicken recipe with a touch of Mediterranean flair. Yum 🙂
Toronto has an ample amount of cafés and coffee shops. But what sets others out from the rest? What do you look for in your next study or remote working place? Most importantly they’ve got to have really good drinks and desserts. So what draws you in? Interior, the food, free WiFi perhaps?
At first when you walk in you can see that it’s a small place with minimal seating. You get that feeling that you’re in a bakery. All their delicious baked goods to the left and straight ahead pizza! There are stairs to the second floor where you’ll find a big table with more seats. I didn’t try the gelato, but they have that too!
And then there was this yummy drink and cake! Ok, so Sud Forno so far has the best Nutella drink in Toronto. It’s funny and sad at the same time that Canada’s first ever Nutella cafe that opened up here in Toronto doesn’t have a hot drink figured out but there are places in our city where you can get such a drink.
Portland Variety also has a Nutella drink however their steamer machine when I went wasn’t working so I’ll have to check that one out another day.
I’m on the hunt for the BEST nutella drink in Toronto. Do you know of any places that I should check out?
I was invited to a VIP dinner in October to celebrate the launch of Givenchys’ newest perfume: Live Irresistible! I love this scent and the bottle is simply gorgeous! 😍 I have some of the other Givenchy perfumes like hot couture. So the shape and size of the bottle I’m familiar with.
Held at the Arcadian Lofts downtown, our awesome host was Dave Lackie. I live tweeted the event, so those of you who follow me on Twitter or snapchat got to see exactly how beautiful the dinner was. This was also a great opportunity to meet other bloggers like Maria from best day blogger. She also vlogged about the event, watch here.
Appetizers and dinner was catered by O&B, so you can imagine the food was delicious! The fragrance is now available at The Bay or Shoppers Drug Mart.
Givenchy Live Irresistible
Spray too much perfume? Alcohol or witch hazel dabbed on the wrist will remove excess fragrance. — dave lackie (@davelackie) November 9, 2015
The Scent: Top notes: pineapple and rose petal Heart notes: roses and pepper Base notes: amber and musk A live Twitter feed was fitting for a dinner with so many social media influencers in one room! It was definitely challenging to network and then live tweet the event but I think I managed to find a balance. Patrick Reynolds from Cityline was at the dinner interviewing guests and in the above picture, Dave Lackie. Decor had touches of rose and pink!
An evening of innovative food infused with Tyrrells chips, live tweeting, games and meeting with bloggers.
There’s some new chip flavours in town! Sweet Potato & Smoked Chili (my fave), Beetroot, Parsnip & Potato with Sea Salt & Sweet Potato, Carrot with Sea Salt.
[Tweet “Tyrrells chips are all natural, home grown & hand cooked! #Foodie”]
I’ve never been to the RASA restaurant before this event so it was nice to scope it out. Located at 196 Robert St it’s a small dark space in the same neighborhood where I went to high school.(Harbord) On the menu were appetizers infused with Tyrrells chips. YUM. These appetizers are great easy ideas next time you’re entertaining people at home.
Exhibit A: Fish & Chips – Deep fried Halibut, tartar, crispy capers, served with Tyrrells Sweet Potato, Carrot with Sea Salt chips.
Exhibit B: Lamb Neck – with hummus, feta tabbouleh, pickled jicama and tzatziki, served on top Tyrrells Beetroot, Parsnip & Potato Sea Salt chips
Exhibit C: Tuna Tartare – Yellowfin Tun, yuzu chili aioli, apple slaw and ponzu glaze served on top of a Tyrrells Beetroot, Parsnip & Potato Sea Salt chip
Other apps include: Mini Muffins, Steak Sliders,Truffle Arancini & The Chopped Salad.
Getting caught up in the digital world is so easy. Making online friends (followers) is easy, but being in the present and meeting your online friends in the flesh is important but not as easy. At least not for me since I have the habit of getting so caught up with capturing the event for the blog, live tweeting, snapchatting etc. On that note It was refreshing to stop and acknowledge these lovely bloggers at the event: M Fab, @dee_sik & a familiar face @zamlos!
To conclude the evening here’s my OOTN (outfit of the night)
If you’ve ever lived in a smaller place, be it an apartment, condo or just a one bedroom shared home, you’ll know the value of space. Sometimes you don’t have room for a full oven, dishwasher or microwave. So getting products that have multiple functions and that benefit your standard of living becomes high on your priority list.
Which brings me to the Panasonic Cyclonic. This microwave isn’t like your traditional one. It use’s Panasonic’s Inverter® Technology, which delivers spinning waves of power in a circular pattern. Like a cyclone. Other microwaves usually deliver energy in a straight line. This new cyclonic energy is a game changer! It ensures food is cooked evenly, no matter what size or shape!
I had the pleasure of being invited to the Panasonic Cyclonic Launch hosted by Abbey’s Kitchen.
Abbeys Kitchen Blogger
At the launch Abbey demonstrated how to make 5 healthy easy recipes in the cyclonic microwave. Recipes that you would’ve never guessed were made in a matter of minutes! You can view the special recipes here.
I imagine this microwave will make dinner preparation a whole lot easier for the working class who don’t have enough time. Goodbye last minute fast food stops!
My favourite was the Tropical Fruit Crisp. Delicious, healthy and made in 4 minutes!
Some other pretty awesome features are you’re able to keep your food warm as you finish doing whatever it is that you need to do before you set the table. No more cold food or the hassle of rewarming! There is also a button called the Genius Sensor that has up to 20 meal presets.
Technology has come a long way! The Panasonic Cyclonic has changed the definition of a “microwave dinner” forever.
Note: This Friday Faves is dedicated to faves around the web.
Fave food story
I’ve been seeing this story pop on different sites all week! (Esquire, Cosmo) As it is I’ve been craving Chipotle for so long and I haven’t fulfilled that craving yet. Probably because the closest Chipotle near my home is about 10km away. Not that far, but far enough for me to contemplate whether to go or not.Hmph. Anyways, this guy-Andrew Hawryluk, ate Chipotle for 153 days and had nothing but great stuff to say about the results of doing that.
Fave recipe
The way I love my tea, London fog. Now I can have my cookies like that too. Thanks to this recipe I found on the web:
Got a suitcase full of these chips😍 this week! As you know I love BBQ (see twitter profile) and when I saw their new flavour, BBQ.. You can imagine the excitement soaring through me! Yes, food can have that effect on me.These chips are made from the finest, carefully selected potato varieties in the county of Herefordshire England. Classy chipping. They also have no artificial ingredients, gluten free and vegan friendly.
Craving some Tyrrells? (Loblaws, Wal Mart etc has them)
Craving something SOUR? Try this DIY sour candy popsicle recipe:
You’ll need:
Simply Lemonade (Pink) Popsicle moulds Sour candy
Pour in Simply Lemonade into popsicle moulds and add your favourite sour candy. Freeze and enjoy!
This is a great easy recipe to do with children or when you’re in a rush looking for a yummy frozen dessert. I love sour popsicles, but if you’re looking for a healthy alternative try switching up the juice with Simply Berry (no preservatives or added colours) and add some berries.
On a hot summer day you want to make a quick dessert to enjoy outside. Here it is:
You need:
Berries Whipped Cream Cake (Preferably Vanilla or Sponge) Simply Berry juice
Add cake, berries and then as much juice as you like. I added around 4-5 tablespoons of juice. The cake soaks up the flavour, making this a cool dessert. Top with whipped cream and a rolled wafer cookie!
a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch.
When brunch comes to mind, I usually envision a cute restaurant, possibly parisian themed with a whole list of items to choose from. When I go for a brunch I like to eat healthy but also enjoy a dessert. Most restaurants know people like me will want this and offer separate options for healthy and dessert items. Makes sense. However, if I’m making my own brunch at home, it’s a whole other ball game. This is why for one of my brunch items I’ve chosen to do a French toast roll with Nutella and strawberries.
When hosting a brunch at home, here are some tips on what you’ll want to do:
Invite your guests
Create your menu well in advance so you have time to gather or check what items you’ll need
Put together a juice station (prep the night before for certain mixes like Sangria’s)
Match number of guests to tableware. If I had a quarter for every time I mis-counted how many people were coming, I’d be a billionaire! Make sure you have your choice of cutlery, serving plates, bow tie charms (see image below) for identifying your guests’ drinks etc.
If planning to use decor or a theme, keep it simple with matching tableware or paper balls/medallions for your walls
Below I’ve put together a simple brunch with a touch of love. Rolled french toast, oat cups, Simply Simple Sangria (my own delicious recipe) and a side of fruit and heart shaped cheese.
Simply Simple Sangria
My favourite thing about Sangria’s is the colourful combination of fruit. Not only does it taste amazing, but it looks pretty too! Most Sangria recipes call for slices of lemon, however I chose to add my favourite lemonade by Simply Orange instead and their new Simply Orange with coconut water.
Ingredients
1 apple cored and cut into chunks
1/2 cup Strawberries sliced
Orange slices (optional)
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup Blackberries
Clementine, peeled into pieces
1/2 cup Simply Orange Lemonade
1/3 cup Simply Orange Lemonade with Raspberry
1/3 cup Simply Orange Coconut Water
In a large pitcher combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for as many hours as possible, preferably overnight.
Note: The longer the fruit stay steeped in your juice mix, the fruits will enhance the flavour of the juice and soak it up as well.
Rolled French Toast
Ingredients
Whole wheat bread
Nutella
Eggs
Cinnamon
Powder sugar
Strawberries
Directions
Mix eggs and cinnamon in a flat deep bowl.
I didn’t mention how many slices of bread, eggs or cinnamon you’ll need because that would differ based on how many guests you’re making this for. Now take one slice of bread and flatten the edges with your fingers. Spread Nutella and place strawberries on one end of the Nutella side. Roll the bread. Place bread into the egg mix. Make sure it’s all covered. Place it in a buttered pan on low-medium heat. Turn rolled bread to each side until it is golden brown. Place in plate and finish with powdered sugar on top.
Oat Cups
Ingredients
Rolled or Quick Oats
1/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon (as desired)
Yogurt
Fruit of choice for garnish or taste
This recipe makes 6 muffin cups. Butter the cups and set aside.
Mix together the honey, banana and vanilla.
In a separate bowl mix together the oats, cinnamon and salt. Combine both mixes together.
Press the mixture into the cups.
Refrigerate for an hour or more so that they’re not crumbling. You want the mixture to stick to the walls of the muffin cups. Preheat oven to 330F and bake for 15 mins. Once baked, let the cups cool down for a bit before removing them from the muffin tray or molds. Once removed, add yogurt and garnish.
I haven’t done a Friday Faves post in awhile! Truth be told, when I woke up this morning and noticed #NationalCookieDay trending, that was all I could think about. So made sense to share with you my three related faves.
Decor had touches of rose and pink! 
