Photo Credit: Twitter - @sobeys
Seasonal bakeries have become something of a rarity these days, I'm not sure why. There's something about them that I inherently trust, though. Maybe it has to do with the fact that if you're seasonal, you're considered better (well, I consider you better) than whatever's offered 365 days out of the year at other, more convenient establishments. But convenience isn't necessarily what I'm after. Fresh is what I'm after. And this bakery is all ABOUT that.
I've only gone twice (thank you Greg & Katie for introducing me!), but both times have been magical. I mean, look at this pie selection. And the individual tarts will blow your face off.
And in the autumn, they even have bales of hay! HAY! Where the hell else can you buy a bale of hay for under $10? Nowhere - I've looked. Home Depot laughs in your face if you ask them that question.
In any case, if you find yourself near the Devil's Punch Bowl in Hamilton, you have to stop in here. They're open seven days a week from 9am - 5pm, from April 1st to December 24th. Get the hell over there.
It's sort of insane how many waterfalls exist in Hamilton, Ontario (often callously referred to as the armpit of Ontario) - and it's even more insane that I'm only seeing this one for the first time at 30 years old.
Here is it! Albion Falls!
Kind of gorgeous, right? And there are more! I didn't go to those, but I intend to as the years go on. One waterfall a day is all I can handle at this point in my life.
Few tips?
Who the hell knew a place like this could be found only 40 minutes from Square One? Just nuts. Go!
Happy Canada Day!
I'm feeling a little annoyed that I'm not in Mississauga celebrating Canada Day with the rest of you, but I'll get over it. What will I do instead? Sit and pine over these items below.
1. Salted Caramel Timbits. Have you tried these yet? They're relatively new and amazing.
Photo Credit: Tim Hortons
2. The poutine at Royal Burger on Lakeshore.
3. All forms of Coffee Crisps (especially Coffee Crisp Latte, Coffee Crisp McFlurries, Coffee Crisp Hot Chocolate, Coffee Crisp cake, IT NEVER ENDS).
Photo Credit & Recipe: Huffington Post
4. Any fish and chips that uses halibut and not cod.
Photo Credit: Phenu
5. Trinidadian doubles near any of the West Indian places near T.L. Kennedy.
Photo Credit: Serious Eats
6. The garlic cheese loaf at Swiss Chalet (it sucks if you get it for delivery or take out, but it’s amazing when you eat it at the restaurant).
Photo Credit: WaiWai Flickr
7. The caesar salad at Canyon Creek is especially 'cause they use way too much garlic when they make the dressing and I cannot get enough of it.
Photo Credit: Joey Eats
8. Parmesan Chicken Bowties at Jack Astor’s.
Photo Credit: Cindy Nguyen
9. Mind Over Matcha at Booster Juice - (I stand by this statement, Magowans!)
Photo Credit: Booster Juice
Photo Credit: Insauga.com
Tomorrow I turn 30.
I know, I know - how could this youthful, ageless beauty be turning a fully functioning adult age? Beats me, but it's happening. And I think I'm kind of pumped about it. Why, you ask? 'Cause these past 29 years have been some of the most fortunate ones that any human could have asked for. Really. And I want to list some of the greatest things that I've experienced thus far.
(If you judge me for making this list and/or being proud of it, then I think you might be missing my point here. In which case, skip the list altogether and proceed to the final two paragraphs.)
Highlights Of The Past 29 Years
If this post seems boastful, I sincerely don't mean it to. I'm so proud of what's happened thus far - and don't think that I don't know for a goddam minute how lucky I am. Everything on this list was possible because of my family and friends. I know how fortunate I am. So what reason is there not to be excited about whatever happens after 30?
If you're to take anything away from this post, I hope that you start to compile your own list, at whatever age you currently are. The bullet points won't all come to you at once, but they'll trickle in over weeks and you'll slowly start to see how fortunate you are in your own life, if you don't already know. It's important to look back on these things and realize we're all immensely lucky in more ways than we realize, I think.
Have you heard of this place? It's a few hours outside of Toronto and completely worth the trek. It's ridiculous that it only costs $50 to spend the day here.
There are outdoor heated pools, a cold plunge pool, relaxation rooms, a sauna and a eucalyptus steam room that you can venture into throughout the day. I've only gone during the day (it's best to show up as soon as they open since you might get wait-listed if you show up mid-day), but I can only imagine how gorgeous this place would be at night.
One tip? They have a man who walks around and tells you to quiet down if you're too noisy so keep that in mind. (He says it in a really nice way, though, so it's not too embarrassing.)
They offer massages that you can book in advance as well. I opted not to have one since, well, massages are awful and last way too long (why can't I just pay, like, $10 for a five minute massage? That's all anyone needs.), but I've heard the ones here are pretty good.
That photo above was taken at the end of the day - can you tell how relaxed I am? No? Well, I think I always look relaxed so it's hard to gauge the varying relaxed-like features, so let me assure you that I was.
You should definitely check it out the next time you're near Blue Mountain. Thanks for introducing me to this place, Marla!
If you’re in Ontario and you give any kind of a shit about ice skating - THIS RINK LOOKS INSANE.
I've been going to this farm for twenty years and I doubt I'll ever stop.
In recent years, they've added on a lot of things so there's an admission of $14 per person on weekends and $7 per person on weekdays, which isn't that crazy considering the farm's closed most of the colder months.
And there's an area where you can build your own scarecrow. And I don't know what kind of hay they use here, but I built one with my dad about fifteen years ago, so let's just say that it definitely holds up over time.
But the main reason to go here? These pumpkin donuts.
Even thought 100% of the people who I let have a bite of this said, "This doesn't taste like pumpkin" - I still maintain that it DOES. Also, it's one of the best donuts I've had. Maybe 'cause they make it at the farm? Maybe all the sugar on it? I don't know, I'm not a scientist. EAT THIS DONUT! They're seventy-five bloody cents, so I recommend getting a dozen.
This is the only place to be come October. Take your family!
You can find more details here.
I will happily endorse almost anything that encourages more Coffee Crisp consumption in our everyday lives. I think you should know that by now. I'm not telling you to eat one of these every day or even one a week - but once in awhile? C'mon. It's not a big deal. And this particular treat IS FANTASTIC if you, obviously, like Coffee Crisp. I'm not sure if they're available in all of Canada, but they're definitely in Ontario at the moment so get on that.
I can't tell you how delicious this stuff is. Obviously I went for the Coffee Crisp first, which was amazing. But then the After Eight one happened and my head exploded. So I'll assume I'll be too dead to write about how good the Rolo one turns out to be.
You can buy this variety pack at most grocery stores in Ontario - I found it at the Metro near my parent's house in Mississauga. SO GOOD.
