Hey Meatball

I really like single dish food places. The latest on this scene is a meatball sliders vendor called Hey Meatball. Out of all the vendors, I was most excited to try this at the Conscious Food event at Fort York. I used the tickets to purchase a juicy, savory mini meatball sub. A perfect snack, I say.

'Les Coquettes': Where the beef is at.

Whenever I’m feeling a little hot and bothered, whenever I begin craving something that will appeal to my senses, I step into the world of Les Coquettes, a Toronto based burlesque troupe that never fails to satisfy.

As our master of ceremonies, the feisty and sexy La Minouche welcomes us, I know that for the next few hours I will be transported to a modern day version of a Cabaret, complete with music, humour and…drop dead gorgeous women (and men!) performing classy stripteases, taking off just enough to leave something lovely to the imagination. And in true cabaret form, we are encouraged to drink, be merry and leave all our inhibitions at the door. Amen. Being illegally young In the 80’s, I was unable to fully enjoy the joys of spandex body suits and big hair. That’s okay because Les Coquettes 80’s themed show ‘Where’s the Beef?!’ taught me everything I need to know about the 80’s. Here’s a glimpse of what I learnt:
Georgie Gates introduced me to a much sexier version of Paula Abdul’s ‘Straight Up’. I do want to love you forever, Georgie.

We’ve all heard ‘Black Velvet’ playing at that little bar over too many beers. But never have I heard someone sing it really well while stripping out of a sexy leather outfit….featuring Dante’s Inferno. And this is my favorite thing about Les Coquettes: They are extremely talented. By which I mean, they are able to strip, sing, dance all at the same time. With tons of charm and humour. And then some:
Yes, talented. Even in the air. Charlotte Webber’s lyra hoop performance and Billie Black’s aerial silks send tingles through me every time I see them. The combination of sensuality and acrobatics reaffirms my faith in all things beautiful. And I always enjoy glancing around the room to see everyone’s faces in complete awe.

Dew Lily does Prince. Dew Lily is definitely the cherry on every pie.
I loved the Ninja Turtles as a little girl. Now I love them more.

…Remember those aerobic videos we couldn’t take our eyes off of and we didn’t quite know why?
My education with Les Coquettes has lead me to believe that the ‘80’s was sexy without being raunchy. Kind of like the troupe themselves. To me, Les Coquettes is a refreshing expression of sexuality that is not just pleasing to the eye but is also intelligent, curious and artistic. This is why I suggest you go see their Halloween show coming up.
Get to know them at http://www.lescoquettes.com/

And lastly, I leave you to ponder:

Sweet dreams darlings,

Ish

Derek Grasshopper Madison

Derek was the coolest guy on Kensington Market. He was selling old school records and playing them on a fully functional Fischer Price record player. He's got a great collection featuring Madonna and more. I was working with Linna on a photo project, and he let us shoot with his stuff. More on Derek here.You can email him at protectionrecords@gmail.com if you need any records, or covers.

delicious Taste of the Danforth

The Taste of the Danforth this past weekend is another part of my summer tradition. I love the streets filled with people and incredible smells. It was hot like crazy but so worth it. I had a gyro for the first time (better late than never) and it was juicy, savory, and so far from the shawarmas I usually get. Here are some photos from the event (warning: this is vegetarian unfriendly.):

I wanted whatever she was eating.

A close up of the roasting quail. If you look at it long enough, they start to look like frogs:

As the sign says: quails are $3 each.

 

 

 

the new TTC trains!

I finally rode in one of the new TTC trains (this confirmed they actually existed! I was beginning to think this was one of Rob Ford's ploy against the citizens.). I stepped inside, and thought "Whoa, I'm in the 21st century." It was great. The walls weren't yellowing, it was clean, the chairs were stain free, no smells, and the AC was strong. Win.

There are cool maps that light up and tell you which station you're at, and new signs that tell you which side to exit on:

And then there are ads inside the new train advertising ... the new train:

This is some good stuff for the city. Perhaps we can get new lines in less than 20 years.

It's your life

Ish, my blog partner, and I have a running joke that she has a god-given golden spoon for good luck. It's the only explanation for dodging the proverbial bullet by being 15 seconds late from getting into trouble all the time. I'll let her tell you her stories, but I got her a cool present from It's Your Life to commemorate this. The present to be reveiled later.

While I was there, I took a closer look at the store, and really wanted to share it! Nicole, who moved her whole life from Vancouver to Toronto to create more of her beautiful jewelry, has lovely pieces for a casual jewelry enthusiast. She's got chairs, crowns, keys, flowers, spoons, guns, blades, and everything under the sun dangling on chains, hooks, and more.

One of my favorites

Jen.

Intermission: a non for profit for theatre

Emily, one of my good friends, has started a non for profit organization. She has worked, acted, directed a number of plays throughout university, and as a recent grad of UofT, she recently created Intermission.

Intermission offers free plays and workshops for youth (14-25 yrs old). I was at one of her recruiting events during a free outdoor theatre event at High Park. The Canadian Stage, an outdoor wooden stage was hosting 'a 'dream in high park: a winter's tale'. The area was shaded by trees and the audience sat on tiered grass steps to watch the Shakespearean production. Toronto is so awesome in the summer.

Intermission is pretty cool - who can say no to free plays and community involvement. She already has a roster of plays lined up, and an amazing team to help run the program. They are super friendly and organized.

And she's looking for volunteers, and new members to join! And more people to give away free buttons to!

Emily

If you know any one who is interested, please pass along the message for free plays. Honestly, there is no catch. There are only the logistics and timing of the Intermission program to note. Check out her Facebook group page and blog.

Jen.

Urban Herbivore

I've experimented with a few vegan options in the past week, and I have to say, it's surprisingly good. As one who is new to the vegan food scene, it's been a bit difficult to find really good options, aside from maybe the tofu at asian fast food takeout, or a salad. In a quest to live up to the Tony Horton/p90x standards (a workout routine) of whole grains and lean protein, I've been on the hunt for plant material.

At Urban Herbivore, I found a variety of sandwich and 'bowl' options,  my favorite being the BBQ Tofu sandwich. It's incredibly savory, so it doesn't taste "too healthy" (you know that grassy taste?), and you feel satisfied, and light after. I love sitting on their patio on a nice summer day shaded by trees in Kensington. It's also excellent for people watching.

Oh, and they offer freshly squeezed juices. Which is my new addiction to replace my old caffeine addiction. Just saying, it's pretty delicious.

Jen

64 Oxford Street at Spadina and College

from 9am until sunset

A ride in an eco cab

Eco cabs are  bicycle driven rickshaws that have popped up downtown, usually with some kind of corporate logo on the side. Jon and I went from Lululemon on Queen West to Yonge and Dundas in 7 minutes. This is technically a ride 'around a block', but I really liked that you can just park your butt and have someone else drive you when its so hot outside. It cost $2.

This post officially documents that I am incredibly lazy. I blame the heat.

Almost too much sunshine in Toronto,

Jen. 

Vacation at Dearhurst - four hours from Toronto

I visited Dearhurst resort in the Muskoka area. The first thing I noticed was "The air doesn't have a smell."

At Dearhurst, for the first time in my life, I completely understood the cottage scene . As someone who is not native to Canada, it used to baffle me why people would purchase an expensive home four hours away from the city and only use it for two months of the year, but I have a new found appreciation for the maple leaves, and beaver/bear/lake symbols of Canada. Canada's natural treasures really are amazing, and to have a home in this area is really a treat. 

The weather was perfect every day.

 Then I ate some breakfast at the Eclipse restaurant patio, which had a view of the mountains... but I think my attention was on the food.

We went to check out the lake.The sky is so blue, it's unreal. Then try the kayak, canoe, or stand up paddle. Then do my favorite thing, which was scale the inflatable mountains in the Splashzone water park.

 Made friends with ducks, the pigeons of the North. They were everywhere.

Grabbed lunch, and went for a hike.

On the way, we (Jon and myself) saw a lot of these, which I thought were just fabled icons of the far North:

 

We eventually made it to the top after 15 minutes.

And came down from the top and chilled in the evening.

I'd like to go back soon. This was one of my favorite vacations.

Love, 

Jen.