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Recap of Sweetery Toronto 2017

Posted on August 21, 2017 by stenoodie

Sweetery Toronto 2017

August 13, 2017: Sweetery Toronto 2017 is the third year that this “all things sweet” food festival was hosted in Toronto. I still remember the first inaugural year that I went when I had a really enjoyable time being led by Vivien with the other foodies to taste nearly all of the vendors at the food festival. Last year’s event was self-guided and not as fun since it didn’t seem like many of the vendors were receptive to the media influencers during the media tasting.

This year, since I arrived on the second day of the Sweetery Toronto event, there was a smaller group of media influencers (since most of the others had participated on the first day). Similar to last year, we were invited to Continue reading →

Posted in Complimentary Adventures, Food | Tagged 215 King St W, @mengbakes, @SweeteryToronto twitter, Camellia Milk Tea, Character Macarons, Cheese n' Honey Cheese Tart, Daan Go Cake Lab, Daan Go Character Macarons, David Pecaut Square, George Brown College Chef School, La Fiesta, Llapingachos, Llapingachos fried potato cakes, Makniku, Makniku macaron burger, Mango Cheese Tart, Peach Citrus White Tea Infusion, Peach Citrus White Tea Infusion samples, S'Mores Ice Cream Wafel, Starbucks Teavana, Sweetery Taste Challenges, Sweetery Toronto 2017, Sweetery Toronto Food Festival, Sweetery Toronto Food Festival 2017, Toronto, Wafel Bar food truck, Wafel Bar Sweetery Toronto menu and prices, Wafel Bites | 1 Comment

The Color Run in Toronto 2017

Posted on August 20, 2017 by stenoodie

The Color Run 2017 located at 555 Rexdale Blvd in Toronto

Yay! A fun run! I haven’t done one since 2013 (Colours of Hope and Ugly Christmas Sweater)!

The Color Run is a 5-kilometre run inspired by the Color Me Rad colour phenomena where coloured powder is thrown into the air or onto the participants as they participate in a 5k race! The run originated from the states (hence the spelling of the word “color”) and is a fun run for non-competitive runners or walkers to take part in something fun during the summer. (The concept is actually loosely based on the Hindu Festival of Colours, also known as Holi. The festive colours used are a sign of winter’s end and spring’s new beginnings.)

Ken signed us up for this race way ahead of time with two other friends so that we Continue reading →

Posted in Fitness | Tagged 555 Rexdale Blvd, @thecolorrun twitter, Bib Coloring Station, Color Run 2017, Color Run 2017 in Toronto, Color Run 2017 race kit, Color Run colour stations, foam station, fun running experiences, Running a 5k, The Color Run, The Color Run Dream, The Color Run in Toronto 2017, Toronto, Unicorn Finisher's Medal, Woodbine Racetrack | 1 Comment

Israeli Food at Cafe Landwer

Posted on August 19, 2017 by stenoodie

Cafe Landwer located at 9340 Bathurst Street, Unit 1 in Maple

May 7, 2017: Thanks to @myfoodnation who hosted a contest back in April of this year, I was able to win a complimentary meal at Cafe Landwer! Cafe Landwer is an Israeli restaurant that began in Israel in 1919 and newly opened in the Greater Toronto Area this year in February 2017.

The winning prize was a meal for two (drinks, entrées, and desserts). I decided to go there for dinner with my mom and after coordinating a date and time with the representative of Cafe Landwer, we were on our way there on a Continue reading →

Posted in Complimentary Adventures, Food | Tagged 9340 Bathurst St #1, 9340 Bathurst Street Unit 1, @CafeLandwer twitter, Cafe Landwer, Cafe Landwer cold drinks, Cafe Landwer reviews, Crispy Cauliflower, food blog, foodie, Free-Range Chicken & Pesto, Health Smoothie, Israeli, Israeli food in Toronto, Israeli restaurants, Kebab Sinia Pan, Landwer's Famous Ice Tea, Legendary Crumbled Cheesecake, Maple, restaurant review, restaurants in Maple, Rozalach, Rozalach with chocolate hazelnut filling, Toronto food blogger | Leave a comment

Dinner at Don Don Izakaya

Posted on August 18, 2017 by stenoodie

Don Don Izakaya located at 130 Dundas St W in Toronto

May 6, 2017: After a brief stint at the Leslieville Food & Drink Festival, we went to Don Don Izakaya for dinner. I had previously been to Don Don Izakaya many years before. In fact, it was one of the very first izakayas I had been to in Toronto. This was my pre-blogging days and even before many other Japanese izakayas had opened up in Toronto. I had dined here with a friend and remembered the visit fondly because the food was quite good!

Don Don Izakaya is located on the second level building at Bay and Dundas in the Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Tagged 130 Dundas St W, 5 Skewers Combo, @dondon_izakaya twitter, Don Don Izakaya, Don Don Izakaya reviews, Don Don Izakaya sake tasting, DONDON Special Black Croquette, food blog, foodie, Gekkeikan Black & Gold, Hakutsuru Junmai, Japanese, Japanese izakayas Toronto, restaurant review, Shiokara, Takara Plum Wine, Teppan Grilled Fatty Pork, Three Seafood Appetizer Set, Torched Mackerel, Toronto, Toronto food blogger | 1 Comment

Recap of Leslieville Food & Drink Festival 2017

Posted on August 17, 2017 by stenoodie

Leslieville Food & Drink Festival 2017 located at 28 Logan Avenue

May 6, 2017: I had been very lucky in the month of April and May this year where I won several contests on Instagram which allowed me to attend a handful of events for free. Yay! 😀

One of the events was this Leslieville Food & Drink Festival held at District 28. When I entered the contest, I really didn’t expect to win (like most people; right?) and when Diana, the Instagrammer who held the contest informed me of the prize, I was happy to attend to see what this food festival was all about.

The contest on Instagram informed me that I had won “two pairs (2) of VIP tickets (early admission + 5 tasting tickets)” to the Leslieville Food & Drink Festival. I was excited about this because not only Continue reading →

Posted in Complimentary Adventures, Food | Tagged 28 Logan Avenue, @leslievillefest twitter, Beaches Brewing Company, event recap, food blog, foodie, Leaf + Bone Toronto, Leslieville Food & Drink Festival, Leslieville Food & Drink Festival 2017, Leslieville Food & Drink Festival 2017 vendors, Nemo's Butcher Shop, Rorschach Brewing Co., Toronto events, Toronto food bloggers | 1 Comment

Media Tasting at Silo 13 [Defunct]

Posted on August 17, 2017 by stenoodie

Silo 13 previously located at 4750 Yonge St, Unit 107 in Toronto

This is what happens when I have a long backlog and don’t end up getting around to blogging about the restaurant/company I was invited to until months later — they closed down even before the blog post went up. XD

May 6, 2017: I was invited to the media tasting at Silo 13, a Freestyle Cereal Cafe, newly opened in North York at Sheppard and Yonge in May 2017. The event was hosted by Jojoinstameets. The concept of the cereal cafe was relatively new to Toronto as I had only seen and heard of New York having such a cafe. (Or I believe Toronto may have had a temporary pop-up cereal bar but Silo 13 was the first standing dedicated cafe to Continue reading →

Posted in Complimentary Adventures | Tagged #jojoinstameets, 4750 Yonge St, 4750 Yonge St Unit 107, Canadian flag cereal bowl, cereal bar, cereal cafe, cereal cafe closed down Toronto, cereal lovers, cereal restaurant, Coconut Infusions, customized cereal bowl, food blog, foodie, Freestyle Cereal Cafe, globally sourced cereal with locally sourced toppings, North York, restaurant where you only eat cereal, Silo 13, Silo 13 cereal bar, Silo 13 cereal selection, Silo 13 exotic cereals, Silo 13 menu and prices, Toronto, Toronto food blogger | 1 Comment

This should become a reporting standard

Posted on August 16, 2017 by stenoodie

I didn’t take a photo of the screen but you can see on my table the two TV screens, one against another one

There were two witnesses in today’s steno job. The parties had requested a split monitor with HDMI cable capabilities and also a large screen with a projector. It was the first time I had a job with a tech request like that. It turned out to be the best request ever! Now I wish every job is like this. Basically any time that they had a document that they were referring to, the assistant pulled up the document right on to the projector screen so that everybody in the room could see it. The parties also had their own copies in hard copy form or electronic copy on their laptops so the Continue reading →

Posted in Steno | Tagged court reporting, large projector screen helpful for court reporters, steno | Leave a comment

Weekly Photo Challenge: Ooh, Shiny!

Posted on August 16, 2017 by stenoodie

Distracted by this little family

Earlier this year, we had a robin bird select our house entrance for her nest. I couldn’t help but be distracted during the first couple of days after the babies were born because I would constantly peek around the corner to wait for her to come back and watch her feed her babies. I was extremely starstruck with the robin babies themselves too. How can you not be distracted when there are some beautiful aerial birds like these right outside your Continue reading →

Posted in Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged bird nest with babies, distracted, mother robin, nest, Ooh Shiny!, postaday, weekly photo challenge | 2 Comments

Recap of Brewers Plate 2017

Posted on August 15, 2017 by stenoodie

Brewers Plate 2017 held on at Corus Quay Building at 25 Dockside Drive in Toronto

May 4, 2017: Brewers Plate is a rock and roll themed event that celebrates local restaurants, chefs, and brewers by offering an unlimited food and beer sampling experience while raising money for a great cause — War Child Canada. War Child Canada helps children in war-affected communities reclaim their childhood through access to education, opportunity, and justice. War Child takes an active role in raising public awareness around the impact of war on communities and the shared responsibility to act. You can visit warchild.ca to learn more.

Brewers Plate 2017 was held on May 4, 2017 at the Corus Quay Continue reading →

Posted in Complimentary Adventures, Food | Tagged #RockThePlate, 25 Dockside Drive, @brewersplateTO twitter, Brewers Plate, Brewers Plate 2017, Brewers Plate 2017 event, Brewers Plate 2017 pictures, Brewers Plate event at Corus Quay Building, Brewers Plate glasses, Caramel Almond & Sea Salt KIND granola bars, Cheese Boutique, Corus Quay Building, Corus Quay green wall, food blog, foodie, Hunter's Terrine from Globe Bistro, Ian D'Sa of Billy Talent, Le Dolci, Ted's World Famous BBQ, Toronto events, Toronto food bloggers, unlimited food and drinks event, Vanilla Sea Salt Artisanal Dark Chocolate from Chocosol, War Child Canada partnership, Whipped Goat Cheese Cheesecake, Whipped Goat Cheese Cheesecake from Heirloom Toronto | 1 Comment

Private Dinner Tasting at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

Posted on August 14, 2017 by stenoodie

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ located at 81 Church St in Toronto

I had the pleasure to dine in at the Toronto location of Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ last Friday with my boo. According to Wikipedia, Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ (牛角 gyū kaku, “bull’s horn”) is a chain of Japanese yakiniku restaurants specializing in Japanese barbecue.

They have over 600 locations all over the world and yet this was my first time encountering the restaurant chain. (I actually passed by the one in Flushing, New York when we were there in April too.) Other than having Japanese BBQ in Japan, I have actually never had Japanese BBQ in Continue reading →