I love cider and our liquor stores seem to have slightly different ones at other locations. This Tempt 9 cider is made in Denmark and has strawberry preserves and key lime juice. It is so sweet and refreshing that it drinks much like Kool-aid (so keep it away from the children).
I was lucky enough to be selected by Influenster for their Keurig Vox Box. This included a Keurig K200 system and some Van Houtte Specialty coffee.
I unboxed the thing on Youtube.
What’s different about this system compared to my older machine was that it included a water filter as well as a cleaning ball. These are cool new additions to those that don’t have Brita filters and were previously clueless on how to clean the machine.
I like that this system was compact because the (removeable) water tank was at the back. This is a Keurig 2.0 system, so there was an electronic display. I found the electronic part a bit unnecessary as it mostly just bossed you around with directions like “LIFT LID” “ADD WATER”.
Since I own a machine, I do have cups, but many aren’t suitable for the 2.0 system. You can tell what is suitable because they have a white rim for DRM. I decided to try the Van Houtte Specialty coffees on the new machine.
There’s two steps to making a vanilla latte or a cappuccino. The first is a package of white powder that is added to the cup before you put it in the machine. The second is the K-Cup. I assume the first is what makes it nice and frothy! It definitely delivered on it’s frothy goodness, almost like one you could get in a local café, but made conveniently at home!
My first impressions of this machine was that it is compact for small counters and comes with more accessories than older ones. Whether or not it is worth limiting my selection of K-Cups (if I replaced my older machine) remains to be decided. That’s the biggest hurdle with this machine for me. I love the Keurig system otherwise.
I have a terrible habit of drinking too many coffees in one day. I average 2-3, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and occasionally one in the evening if I know I am heading out for a long night.
The one in the morning I make at home but the others are often store bought at Timmies or some other coffee place. This can be up to $2-5 depending on where I get it from and what I get. Often I’m in it for the sugar, other times I need the placebo of drinking it to feel more awake.
I decided to consciously cut of coffee from my day. I can’t cut it entirely, though I did once for an entire month. Even a cup will make a difference in my budget as well as lower my sugar intake.
The only times I will take that second cup is when it involves some social obligations. I never believe in inconveniencing other people just because of something I am doing. So yes, I will still meet people over coffee (because tea is even more of a waste of money).
Think of how much difference even 3 days a week can make on your budget. That’s minimum $6 pocketed, $24 by the end of the month. That’s an extra vinyl, concert ticket or money that can be donated to charity. I can do a lot with a few extra dollars.
Market 707 located at Dundas & Bathurst is full of pop-up shops in what used to be shipping containers. It’s a great place for local entrepreneurs to have a store front for an affordable price in the city. There are clothing shops, a barbershop, nail salon, jewellery and of course food. Besides my friend’s stand at Petit Nuage I hadn’t had any of the food until recently.
This indulgent dish is from Filipino stand Kanto, which specializes in a street take on tradition foods. I ordered the Sisig fries which was Offal meat that has been boiled, then grilled and chopped into fine pieces. It was marinated in lemon, vinegar and spices. The dish was topped with Lechon Kawali (pork belly) and garlic lemon aioli on a bed of crispy fries. I loved the crispy pork pieces and the fries were super crunchy.
My friend showed me her regular order at Cookie Martinez called the Patacon Pisao, a classic Latin American dish from the Colombian coast. Patacon starts by warming unripened green plantain to flatten, then fried until crispy. Hers had beef, avocado and a delicious sauce.
I also wanted to try the shrimp ceviche from Cookie Martinez. It was served with plantain chips was a bit of a weird (mostly inefficient) receptacle for ceviche. The ceviche itself was very fresh and flavourful.
To wash it down I had an iced matcha from Petit Nuage, the best in the city (Disclaimer: I know her personally but it really is the best in the city)!
Now that Autumn is approaching, pumpkin things are hitting the shelves again. I found this gigantic bottle of Great Lakes Brewery Pumpkin ale at my local LCBO for $4.95, a great deal for a limited edition thing.
It has hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and all spice, and of course a generous amount of pumpkin, all the flavours that make you think of Fall. This is definitely in my top list of pumpkin flavoured things!
I splurged on a bottle of $7.95 pear cider I never tried before from County Cider Company located in Prince Edward County. It’s more expensive than most o the ciders on the shelf and I wanted to see if I would even appreciate the difference.
It’s a small batch cider inspired by travels to Domfront area of Normandy. In this area they use pears from 200 year old trees to create cider. County Ciders also use handpicked fruit (though not from far away I think).
The cider was sweet and smooth. It went down super easy but at the same time there is an alcohol content of 6.5% so you definitely feel something after finishing a bottle!
Pommies Farmhouse Cider comes from Calendon, Ontario. It’s a dry cider that has a light colour of white wine. It’s tart and slightly weird. I thought it was okay, but not my preferred cider taste. I prefer my ciders with a bit more punch.
I’m continuing my journey to try beers with cool casings and so I bought Underdogs Brewhouse’s All or Nothing Hopfenweise. It has assertive hops but a sweet, citrus-like flavour. This one went down easy but wasn’t shy on the flavour!
I love our selection of local beers, especially when they have crazy designs like this Crazy Beard Wild Apple Ale brewed in Ottawa, Ontario.
Despite having apples, Crazy Beard is not a cider, it is a malt barely ale. The sweet apple taste does make it resemble a cider and it goes down super easy. The art might be a bit crazy but it’s super delicious!
Not too long ago I tried my first halo-halo. My sister’s boyfriend is Filipino and I’m always open to food from other cultures! Halo-halo literally means “mixed together” and that’s kind of the basic concept of this dessert drink. This particular one had taro ice cream, shaved ice, evaporated milk, cereal, jello, coconut and more.
I’m interested to know what other interesting drinks there are out there in other cultures. I’ve had mango lassis, Persian doogh’s but I’d love to drink/eat my way through other eclectic drinks. What do you recommend?
Tiana Feng 