This is 32

I celebrated my 32nd birthday on April 8th and I've gotta say, I still feel very similar to how I did last year on my birthday. 

I celebrated my special day with some of my very favourite people and lots of great food. It was a Friday, so I started the day with a workout and then had a great day at work. We finished early and I had a beautiful walk in the sunshine and a manicure.

In the evening, Jessie, Lindsay and Corbin joined me for a spectacular dinner at Tori's After Hours. I've been to Tori's Bake Shop before (which is an all vegan bakery in the beaches with a really great selection of gluten free options). I had wanted to check out the After Hours for awhile, and my birthday seemed like the perfect excuse to do so!

The food was AMAZING. From gnocchi in a cheese sauce that I wanted to slurp up with a straw, to an incredible cheese plate with delectable gluten free crackers, amazing vegetables and a chocolate chip cake to top it all off - I couldn't have asked for a better menu. The kitchen even sent out a bonus mushroom pate appetizer because we were wearing birthday hats.

If you're in Toronto, I highly suggest checking it out - especially if you're with a small group! It's a great opportunity to order a bunch of dishes and sample the menu.

Corbin and I continued the festivities the next day with a delicious brunch at Harvest Kitchen followed by cupcakes at Almond Butterfly. 

Oh gosh, so good!

Corbin was leaving for Europe for a month a couple days later, so it was extra nice to have some quality time together. It was another beautiful, sunny day so we enjoyed the sunshine together and got to have a really nice meal! Harvest Kitchen is a great option for vegetarians and omnivores alike with lots of gluten free options. And Almond Butterfly just has the best gluten free cupcakes in Toronto - hands down. That weekend they had chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cupcakes that both Corbin and I devoured. 

I had a wonderful weekend and couldn't have asked for better company or more delicious food!! It was exactly what I hoped for and I felt very spoiled by all the love. 

In honour of my birthday, I started to make a list of all that I've learned in 32 years and it developed into a manifesto of sorts.

Those are the ideas I plan to live by as I head into this new year of my life! 32, let's do this.

Thank you to everyone who sent birthday messages and wishes -- I truly appreciate it!! xo

Vegan Eats in Ottawa

Two weeks ago, Corbin and I took a little road trip to Ottawa! I really wanted to visit because my best friend Mel is moving across the world this week, and I wanted to give her a hug before she left. Some sweet friends of Corbin's also just moved to Ottawa, so the whole thing seemed like a great excuse for an adventure!

We spent a lot of time visiting and catching up with our friends, and planned a couple fun meals out to enjoy some highly recommended vegan restaurants. On the Saturday night we headed to Zen Kitchen with my friend Laura for dinner.

Zen Kitchen is a gourmet vegan restaurant that recently reopened after undergoing a change in owners. I started drooling over their vegan and gluten free friendly menu for about 24 hours before we actually arrived - everything sounded so good!

We decided on the black bean cakes and crispy mushroom appetizer to start.

The black bean cakes had good flavor, but were a bit dry. They came with a really tasty side of corn chips, salsa, guacamole and cashew sour cream which we really enjoyed. The crispy mushrooms were a hit! The dipping sauces made them even better. I wish I could eat these all the time.

For our mains, Laura had the Caesar salad (complete with polenta croutons and tofu), Corbin had the Royal Zen Burger and I got the lemon scented gnocchi. While everyone's meals looked, smelled and tasted delicious, I won the dinner round. The gnocchi was sublime. From the well cooked veggies, to the mushroom-leek cream sauce, I was in heaven. I loved every bite, especially since gnocchi isn't something I get to eat very often!

The dessert menu looked awesome, but the peanut butter and chocolate pie had caught my eye when I was perusing the menu on the drive up to Ottawa. All 3 of us decided to get it and we were not disappointed. It was absolutely delicious!! Unlike many peanut butter and chocolate desserts, this one was more peanut butter than chocolate, which I really liked. It had a great gluten free crust and was topped with coconut cream. I want to go back just so I can eat this pie again!



Overall it was a really lovely meal. The service was great and they were very diligent about my gluten intolerance, which I really appreciated! Definitely a fancier dinner out that we would normally do, but certainly nice as a treat with amazing company.

We had plans for brunch with Mel and her partner on Sunday morning and she suggested we go to Cafe My House.



I understand that they recently moved to a new location on Wellington Street West and I loved everything about the decor. It was so cute inside! Since it was a nice weekend, we scored a sweet table on the back patio for our brunch.

This was another menu I had been checking out in advance, though I still found it difficult to choose because everything sounded amazing! I started with the Cacao Latte, which was really good, though a little sweet for me.


I decided on the Chipotle BLT mostly because it had a waffle bun. Holy wow.

It was AWESOME. Also, gigantic. But so good. I loved every bite.



Everyone else enjoyed their meals and I would certainly love to go back there to try the dinner menu sometime.

Over dinner the night before, Laura had mentioned a vegan bakery where she had enjoyed the most amazing cupcake and we decided to check it out! Auntie Loo's Treats is Ottawa's first 100% vegan bakery. They have an amazing selection of cupcakes, donuts, squares and buns with a small selection of gluten free items. We had a great visit to the shop and scored some treats for the ride home.

We spent the afternoon in the sunshine at a Provincial Park and I got to give Mel all sorts of hugs. It's been awhile since we've lived in the same city, but this move is going to be a HUGE change and because she's my best friend I want the best for her. I'm so glad we were able to sneak in a visit and have some lovely time together before she left. Love that girl!

The vegan scene in Ottawa is up and coming and it's neat to try out some new places each time I visit. It was an incredible weekend with some wonderful people and some really delicious food!

BFF reunion in Ottawa

In August my dear friend Mel (aka Melanie, or Melly as only I can refer to her as) packed up her bags and moved to Ottawa to do her Masters. We've been great at keeping in touch through iMessaging and regular Skype dates, but I was definitely missing her presence in my life. This past weekend I hopped on a Porter flight and headed to Ottawa for a visit! 

I'm so thankful for Porter and it's ridiculously often sales and hospitality. While my flight was a bit late, I was happy and cozy in the Porter lounge complete with tea, snacks and wifi.

When Mel picked me up at the airport, I couldn't help but be reminded of when she found me in an airport in Hannover, Germany during our European adventures. Finding Mel in the Ottawa airport was a heck of a lot easier thanks to its smaller size, affinity for the English language and the popularity of iPhones. I didn't cry when we found one another (like I did in Germany), but it was pretty amazing to give one of my best friends a huge hug after five months apart!

Melly and her boyfriend were amazing hosts and did a wonderful job at feeding me! Some of the highlights included "bachelor slop", incredible steel cut oats with carrot juice, walnuts & raisins and a delicious lentil dahl.

We also visited a couple of sweet Ashley-friendly restaurants in Mel's hood including The Table and Simply Raw. The Table is another pay-by-weight place similar to The Green Door that I visited during the summer. I think the gluten free vegan butter tart was my favourite part of the meal.

I was extra excited to go to Simply Raw, despite the chilly temperatures and neverending snowfall. Laura met Mel and I for lunchy and the three of us caught up over sweet potato ginger soup, yogi tea and raw chocolate cherry cheezecake.

I had a lovely conversation with Simply Raw's owner Natasha Kryssa about my favourite restaurants in Toronto and New York as well as the premise of raw food. She was incredibly kind and I loved the cafe. I can't wait to go back and try more and definitely have another slice of cheezecake. It was pretty divine.

We didn't have any crazy plans for the weekend outside of some exploration, catching up and seeing Les Miserables. I think we succeeded in our objectives with some good food, late night wine, a lot of laughter and reminiscing of the fun we've had together along with quite a few cat pictures thrown in for good measure...

Because Lego is pretty much the cutest thing I've seen in 2013. I couldn't get enough of him!

The snowy view from Mel's balcony

I felt calmer this weekend than I have in awhile, likely because it was the most vacation-esque thing I've experienced of late and aided by the presence of such a good friend. I'm so proud of Mel for kicking ass at school, but it's definitely been tough without her in my city. Thankfully Ottawa is only a short ways away and both of us are making a concerted effort to stay connected.

Love that girl.
And her sweet boyfriend.
And adorable cat.

I had a really lovely weekend with one of my very favourite people. Ottawa was good to me once again and I'm looking forward to returning again soon.

My love for brunch and Sun in Bloom

Brunch is quite possibly one of my favourite meals of the day. Usually later in the day, with a good mix of sweet or savory options, brunch often feels more luxurious than its earlier and later counterparts. In Toronto we're lucky to have a great selection of veg friendly brunch options (including Lady Marmalade, Live and Grapefruit Moon), but when I'm in New York, brunch feels extra special because I can go to Sun in Bloom.

Sun in Bloom is the kinda place that I wish was around the corner from me, and if I lived in New York, it likely would be (Park Slope is pretty neat). It feels warm, welcoming and cozy, without feeling too small. I adore the giant windows where the sunshine beams in, the exposed brick and its large wooden tables complete with fresh blooms. The gluten free vegan fare is innovative and delicious, with many options for people with all types of dietary restrictions and palates.

The very first time I experienced Sun in Bloom was in June, when I was in New York for the Jonathan Reid Gealt workshop series. The restaurant came highly recommended, so I trekked from Spanish Harlem to Brooklyn on a Sunday morning before class to finally experience it. 

It was absolutely worth the trip. While everything on the menu looked incredible, I opted for the 'staff favorite' BLT, complete with avocado and shitake bacon. Wrapped in a collard leaf, with no meat in sight, it was definitely different than the traditional incarnation of the sandwich, but still amazing, especially when paired with yummy greens and parsnip hash. 

With a banana cupcake to go? Holy awesometown. It didn't even make it to class with me, I definitely ate it on the subway, because I'm classy like that.

After raving about Sun in Bloom to everyone who would listen, I knew that I had to bring friends there on my next visit to NYC. Enter: Rebecca!

In addition to being another redheaded, singing lass, Rebecca is also gluten free and vegetarian, which made Sun in Bloom the perfect place for her too. On my second visit, I tried the gluten free brunch tart filled with shitake bacon, butternut squash and caramelized onions

Just fantastic. Seriously. 

The gluten free crust was delicious and flaky, and the highlight ingredients of the tart were generously distributed amid the dish. Once again, the greens and parsnips were a yummy touch and I left brunch a very happy girl. It was great to be able to introduce Rebecca to such a magical place and it was a lot of fun to catch up with her in a whole other city. 

And of course I had to get a strawberry shortcake cupcake for later.
Probably one of the best gluten free vegan cupcakes I've ever had.
I kid you not. 

It's been a couple of months since I've been in New York and as I write this I'm longing for the buzz of the city. Sun in Bloom has become a familiar, comfortable place, and I can't wait to get back. 

Where do you like to go for brunch? Any fav spots in New York?

Off the Market, In the Market - Adventures in Ottawa

The last time I was in Ottawa, I was 15. We were on a school trip for the 9th grade and I have memories of going to a whole lot of museums, getting my ears pierced at the Rideau Centre, visiting the Hard Rock Cafe and having one of our teachers advising me to "not go to bed angry" after she found out my boyfriend and I were fighting. When I found out that my sweet friend Laura would be celebrating her upcoming wedding with a bachelorette in Ottawa, I knew I was bound to make new (and better) memories and give Ottawa another chance.

Laura is one of my oldest friends. We actually met when I lived in Belleville for a year and we attended the same school for the sixth grade. Through letters, then emails, then social media we have remained friends we I moved back to Toronto and I am so very thankful for that! I can't believe it's been almost 17 years since we met. 

I scored a great deal with one of the Porter sales and found myself in Ottawa in under an hour. Laura picked me up at the airport and we enjoyed a sweet afternoon of catching up over a delicious picnic lunch. 

Kale salad with falafels, cherry tomatoes & cherries

I took a bit of a nap before we spent some time getting ready for a night on the town. Laura had prepped a great playlist of Backstreet Boys, N SYNC and the Spice Girls. It was reminiscent of our teenage years and put us both in an exceptionally good mood.

I knew the details of the party, but it was all a big surprise for Laura. We arrived at The Upkeep Shoppe to get our nails done, enjoy some awesome treats, play silly games involving underwear and of course, sip pink champagne! 

the bride to be!

pretty pretty nails

Laura took the underwear guessing game very seriously. I brought these ones - pink & fruity!

Kristy with the cupcakes and Ashley-friendly brownies

The gals at the salon took amazing care of us and Laura's friend Kristy did an awesome job of organizing and hosting. Feeling pampered and giddy, we were off to "the market" for some dancing fun. It was a really great evening filled with silly dares, awesometown music, using our hashtag #offthemarketinthemarket and sightings of 8 other bachelor/bachelorette parties. It was fantastic to spend time with some of the other gals who will be at the wedding - we're definitely going to have a very fun night in September!

Kristy & Laura - we somehow managed to acquire feather boas

Laura and I spent the next day suitably recovering with movies (Lilo & Stitch and Love Actually) and snacks, only leaving the house to face the world for a yummy dinner at The Green Door restaurant. The website says they are Ottawa's oldest and best known vegetarian restaurant, and I was happily surprised by their gluten free and dairy free options.

Many veggies, tempeh, rice & various salads - so delicious!

My dessert plate! Berry goodness, rice pudding & pecan cookie - all gluten free & vegan

Laura's rockin' chocolate cake

It was an awesome meal and a great way to cap off a super fun weekend with Laura. We had a lot of fun talking about the wedding and the shenanigans of the prior evening. It was sad to say goodbye, but it will be amazing to see her again so soon at the wedding!

I had a lovely Monday wandering around Ottawa, checking out the Van Gogh exhibit at the National Gallery (and trying not to cause trouble) and having lunch with some awesome friends who were also in town. I spent a bit of time reading my book and tweeting in the Porter lounge before enjoying a glass of red on our 45 minute flight home.

Monday afternoon wine = win

It was such an honour to be a part of Laura's bachelorette - there's now less than a month until the wedding! Ottawa, it was fun. I look forward to the next time!