Saturday Night BBQ ft. Licks Nature Burgers - July 27th, 2013

Tonight, we headed over my uncle's place for a late night BBQ. As I've mentioned in a previous food blog, my family adores their meat however, the Lick's Nature Burger is the one veggie burger that they all seem to LOVE - as much as their actual meat burgers! The Lick's Nature Burgers come in the following packaging:

Click here to see if your local retailer sells these amazing burgers (can also be purchased at Licks stores)!

Here is a photo of our food on the BBQ. Here we have 2 Nature Burgers and some golden delicious apples which we'll be eating for dessert! Throwing the apples on the BBQ really brings out the sweetness. This is a healthy yet delicious dessert that's bound to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Finally, here are some photos of the final product:

This my burger and I decided to top it with everything: ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, tomatoes and onions! I figure if I'm going to treat myself to a burger, I want it to be a darn good burger! 

Here is the finished BBQ apple. Typically, my uncle would throw a dollop of ice-cream in the middle and then finish off with some whip cream however since I'm on this health kick, I opted for the plain ol' apple. Still super sweet and super delicious! 

Have you tried the Licks burgers before? Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

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Marilyn Monroe Cafe - July 18th, 2013

Today one of my good friends and I decided to head over to the Marilyn Monroe Cafe. To be honest, I was planning on meeting up at the typical coffee spot (i.e. Williams or Starbucks) however, she suggested we check it out and I thought why not. Let me just say that I am so glad that we decided to go because this place is absolutely adorable! Don't believe me? Well, I took some pictures to prove just how exquisite this cafe really is (because I knew that words simply would not do it any justice):

Outside Marilyn Monroe Cafe - there is a cute wrap around patio!

The front counter and display at Marilyn Monroe Cafe - so many cute desserts!

The seating situation on the main level of Marilyn Monroe Cafe. The have some really comfortable booths with cushions and pillows as well as some stand-alone tables. I appreciated the fact that they had electrical outlets so you could bring your laptop to the cafe and get some work done! 

Stairs leading to the upper level of the cafe (pictures below).

Upper level of Marilyn Monroe Cafe - nice, large sofa, individual tables and a great view of the counter from above.

I ordered a double chocolate cupcake and an iced white tea sweet pomegranate (they freshly brew your tea as soon as you order!)

Since this cafe seemed so posh, I was under the impression that prices were going to be ridiculously high however they were very reasonable and a whole lot cheaper than the cult-favourite Starbucks. Marilyn Monroe Cafe also seemed to provide a LOT more variety in both beverages and food! Below are some images from their menu:

Overall, I am extremely impressed by this little establishment. Not only were the drinks and food great, but the staff was so kind and friendly. If it were closer to where I lived, it would definitely become my new go-to coffee spot!

Location:

350 Lakeshore Road East

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

L6J 1J6

Phone Number:

(905) 844-5800

Hours of Operation:

Sunday 7 am-10 pm

Monday 6 am-10 pm

Tuesday 6 am-10 pm

Wednesday 6 am-10 pm

Thursday 6 am-10 pm

Friday 6 am-11 pm

Saturday 7 am-11 pm

What do you think of Marilyn Monroe Cafe? Let me know in the comments below!

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Healthy Sunday Family Dinner - July 14th, 2013

This was an impromptu dinner. I wasn't expecting anyone to come over on Sunday night but seeing as no one had any plans, we all decided to get together at my place! Given I only had about an hour and 1/2 before everyone arrived, I had to whip up something super fast. As many of you may not know, I am a vegetarian and therefore everything I make is vegetarian. If you're coming to my place and I'm cooking, you probably won't be getting any meat option (unless I decide to buy a take-out meat dish which I HATE doing because I figure that if someone is coming over to my place, I really ought to spend some time and effort into making a nice nutritious meal). 

Since this was a last minute get-together and it was quite late into the evening (around 7-8 PM), I opted to make some healthier and lighter dishes (plus I'm on this health-kick right now and I want everyone to get in on it). So this is what I made:

Oven-roasted sweet potatoes, garden salad, garlic bread and peppers & paneer

Since most of my family is NOT vegetarian, I was expecting a few moans and groans about the 100% vegetarian dinner however, it was a HUGE success. My uncle even went as far to say that this had been the best vegetarian meal he has ever had and that even though it was super healthy and light, he still found it filling. He also mentioned that if he ate like this every day, he wouldn't need to exercise anymore (I do not recommend this but you get what he meant). 

Had this dinner been earlier in the evening, I would have also created some sort of pasta option but since we were all going to head off to bed soon after, it didn't make sense to eat a load of unnecessary carbs. 

With everything said and done, I feel pretty content with my performance for the night. After all, if these dishes were able impress a group of diehard meat-eaters, who wouldn't feel great :)

MaquillaGINA

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Richtree Natural Markets Restaurant - July 13th, 2013

I always pass by Richtree Natural Markets Restaurants (click on the hyperlink to visit their webpage) and I never bother to order anything spectacular. I usually get the regular penne pasta with marinara sauce (something I could easily make at home). This time, my friends and I decided to hit up the crêpe/waffle bar. I never thought of Richtree as much of a dessert place but I can safely say that their desserts are INFINITELY better than their real food (in fact, I could probably make the food better at home so it's always somewhat of a disappointment eating there). Here are some images of the masterpieces:

Mixed berries waffles with French vanilla icecream, whipping cream and chocolate sauce with a side of berry lemonade (add $2.49).

Mixed berries crêpes with  plain vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. 

There is actual a crêpe/waffle artisan that makes the scrumptiousness right on the spot. If you've never seen anyone make a crêpe before (not so much the waffle because that goes straight into a waffle maker so it isn't as fun to watch), I think it's worth stopping by and taking in the experience.

The only downside to this whole situation was the ridiculous price! Granted you get a HUGE portion but the total came to around $15 with taxes. I think that's a little pricey for a bistro type restaurant. Here's the total breakdown: about $9 for crêpes or waffles with mixed berries (I think if you get a singular fruit like banana or mango, it's a $1 cheaper), about $3 for 1 scoop ice-cream and an additional $1 for whipping cream (chocolate sauce is free of charge). 

To be perfectly honest, we were going to hit up a stand alone crêpe place which would have been 1/2 the price and just as delicious however, it was no where to be found (guess it went out of business - sigh). However, we decided Richtree was worth the splurge as you don't eat these things every day and what's better than to enjoy some high-fat, high calorie and high in deliciousness crêpes/waffles with some of your dearest friends! 

PS - Here's a little secret (that I feel most people already may know). If you hit up Richtree a half-hour before closing time, all of their packaged food goes on sale for 50% off. This excludes the crepes and drinks (as these are not packaged goods) however, most of their baked items like muffins, quiches, cookies and cakes are all 50% off including their pastas and sandwiches.

Let me know, what is your perfect crêpe or waffle combination? 

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