Hey! Hope you are all staying warm as the weather randomly decided to go ice cold on us over the course of one day! And of course, this happened during my short weekend stay at my extended fam’s house in Toronto. However, we pushed through the coldness, and they took me around their neighborhood just outside of downtown and gave me an amazing food/life experience of a couple days in their lives.

We share a love for food; so they took me on a partial food/local tour to a few different places which I absolutely loved! First was one of the best ice cream parlors (Ed’s) I have probably ever tried (fresh mint and Tanzanian dark chocolate is a duo that I will always cherish). Also wanted to mention that the local restaurants have set up some amazing patios: some with Muskoka chairs, others in complete isolation bubbles, and where we ended up, was Julie’s Bistro patio with plants and fairy lights where the vibe was low-key and pretty. Now, let’s talk about food. Not only was the food freshly made, but the superfood salad that I ordered hit all the boxes. And Experience 10/10.

In the morning, Sweet Bliss Bakery had fresh (and made that morning) scones and cinnamon buns with local ingredients that were still warm and soft when I tried them and to pair it with my usual soy latte, YUM. We traveled to the Distillery District and St. Lawrence Market where the vendors were so cool with all their farm-fresh products and they did an amazing job with all the social distancing. I finally got to try an iced soy latte from Balzac’s that I mentioned on my Instagram and the whole theme of the café along with the fresh ground espresso was so unreal and unique, I was mindblown.

 The last stop was the boardwalk by the water and the walk was so beautiful with all the fall colored trees and the smiling and chatty people that filled the space.

Now, I have been to Toronto before but have not experienced it from my Toronto family’s perspective which made me love the city even more (shoutout Quinton and Brady; and of course your parents)! This also sparked my future goal to have the chance to live in the city and be immersed in such a different lifestyle!

Have an amazing week! Stay Kind, and Warm:)