Reviews – Page 4

GotyGoty HotWear – Product Review

Product Review time friends. I was sent the GotyGoty Anaconda Pant Hot Capri in size 2XL

Upon first glance, they look like typical athletic yoga pants. But the texture of the material feels more like a scuba suit.

GotyGoty products are made of neoprene – a synthetic rubber that many laptop sleeves and orthopedic braces (wrist, knee, etc.) are made of.

Specifically, these pants are made of 60% neoprene, 15% nylon, 15% polyester, 10% lycra.

The tagline of this brand: “Because You Deserve Happiness” …. Hmmm, anyone else slightly offended here?

Is this box implying that I’m NOT happy now? That happiness is only is achieved from becoming slimmer?

*Smh*

Any-who….I was definitely curious of this product’s claims of losing extra weight up to 5X Faster.

Here’s what came in the box:

The pants
A measuring tape
Postcards and stickers of Ms. Green, GotyGoty’s brand mascot, and
Two reusable bags

This magic fabric helps you sweat more during your workout activities.

It promises to enhance muscle performance and improve circulation and is meant to get you a slimmer physique.

To achieve great results using your GotyGoty product it is advised to wear them every day or at least 5 days a week for few hours even if you are not exercising. You can wear them inside your work cloths. GotyGoty product can really help you stay warm in winter time. To better enjoy your GotyGoty product, stay active, eat fresh & clean, drink less soda and lots of water.

I wore these pants in a variety of different ways as suggested by the website, over the last month. And here’s what happened…

Activity Level: Low

I wore these pants for a few hours during the workday, simply sitting in front of a computer with very little physical activity.

Even with minimal movement that my regular day job provides, the fabric of these pants certainly does makes it easy to sweat …

Activity Level: Medium

I wore these pants to walk to my lindy hop lesson. Approximately a 45min walk at a regular stroll pace, followed by a 60-min dance lesson.

These pants were a very close and super comfortable fit. No worrying about rolling or falling down of the waistband while moving around. And the snug fit keeps all of you held in place. No unnecessary jiggle. Which I definitely appreciate while walking and working out in general 🙂

The hidden inside pocket to stash cash and keys were perfect. And the cellphone side pocket was super convenient for the walk.

At the end of the 1h 45-min of activity …. these pants were a challenge to take off. Because they were super sweaty and sticking to my body.

These pant’s fabric increase your core body temperature which makes it easy to sweat … and I can see why you’d want to maximize your fitness routine by sweating more….

Activity Level: High

I decided to wear my GotyGoty pants for Day 2 of Lindyworks dance workshops. 6-hours of non-stop lindy hop and jazz….(click here to read about it from last year)

Wearing these pants all day was a BIG mistake – I thought I was gonna die. 😮

They were cooking me from the inside out. Regardless of the gallons of water I continued to drink all throughout the day … it seemed like it wasn’t staying in my system.

These pants were dripping with sweat … so much so that I felt trickles from its cuffs roll down into my ankles and socks. And once removed I was totally drained.

Dehydration is no joke!

Product Warning:

You are encouraged to maintain good hydration while wearing your GotyGoty products for a long periods of time.
These products are not to be worn during pregnancy and are not recommended to wear to sleep in – FYI!

Sweat = Burning Calories?

So, all this really leads to the question: IS sweat directly related to the amount of calories burned and weight loss?

Jenny Scott, MM-HR, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS, Education Advisor for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, says:

“No! Sweat is not a gauge of how hard you are working,” Scott says. Our bodies produce sweat as a way to cool down, so if anything, it’s an indicator of how hot your body is. And hotter core temperatures don’t equal more calories burned

Care Instructions and How to Get Yours

Cleaning my GotyGoty pants were easy, as they are machine washable. It’s recommended that they be washed on a gentle cycle, with cold water and with a very soft detergent. Do not machine dry. I’ve been hang drying it to make sure the fabric continues to stay in its best shape.

If you’re looking to get a pair of your own, use code goty50 at check out for 50% off.

Available in 7 sizes( XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL). To find your size, check the size chart by visiting: www.gotygoty.com

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Hogwarts in Toronto?

Recently, there’s been news of a Harry Potter themed bar and restaurant in TORONTO called The Lockhart.

So a bunch of us tried to pay this spot a visit earlier this month.

Which meant…I needed an outfit to pay homage to the series.

I rounded up all the pieces I had with OWLS on it…complete with tee, socks and earrings.

And here’s what I came up with:

**How I Got The Look:** Striped sweater & skirt, *Reitmans* (click here for other looks); Owl-Night-Long tee, *La Vie En Rose;* Owl socks, *Ardene;* Shoes, *Winners*

Sadly, this was the best I could do from my current closet of offerings for a “Harry Potter Look”. 😦

However, click here to find some fabulous Harry-inspired pieces that you might need in your life.

For some reason my iPhone self-timer was not cooperating …and my iPhone case kept causing the phone to fall over mid-picture taking.

So here’s a series of ‘oops’, while I tried to showcase my outfit for ya 🙂

It was a perfect night to be sans jacket … so instead I just grabbed this foxy scarf I picked up on sale at Suzy Shier many moons ago, instead…to add some warmth if needed.

And now… for THE LOCKHART!

The below picture is as close as I got to experience Hogwarts in Toronto. The line up was crazy! And after an hour of waiting … we gave up for libations elsewhere.

But I was definitely curious about what I missed … so here’s a bit of research I found for your reading pleasure:

7 Things To Know Before You Go to the Lockhart, the Harry Potter Theme Bar Everyone’s Talking About

After AN HOUR standing in this line…this was as close to The Lockhart we could get. We decided to quit waiting as soon as a few of us felt rain drops on our heads.

THIS was the ridiculous lineup for Lockhart…an entire city block. Guess this city houses way more Harry Potter nerdy fans than we thought 🙂

Unfortunately, we never did get a seat at The Lockhart that night. Nor have we made our way back again.

That’s okay because these Harry Potter-themed shooters from Graphic Nerdity can help fill the void in your very own home. 😉

Enjoy friends!

So, are YOU a Harry Potter fan? Are you gonna visit or have you visited this bar in the city yet? Tell me about it in the comments below!!!

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End of Summer Recap

It happened. Summer is Over. Fall has officially begun!

I dunno about y’all….but I had an excellent summer! Toronto is the greatest! And Summer in the city is just the best!

With all the many street festivals, buskers, concerts, dancing on the pier, movies in the park and ferry trips to the Toronto Island… there’s always tons of fun to be had.

Here is a quickie recap of some of the fun-in-the-sun events I attended, that I didn’t get a chance to blog about:

TVS PinUp Picnic

Toronto Vintage Society did another PinUp Picnic this year … armed with blankets and baskets we sectioned off a corner of Trinity Bellwoods to enjoy an afternoon of simple fun in overcast skies…

The Outfit: Cherry peep-toed wedges, H&M; Wicker purse, Tatyana; Parasol, Damzels … and the dress…

Click here to find out more about my dress.

After picnicking … a few of us were ready to learn how to do The Stroll with Drea from Soda Pop Hop

No vintage picnic is complete without some dancing in the grass. Click here to see what last year’s picnic was like 🙂

A few of us from the Toronto Vintage Society and Friends

Dirty Dancing Quote-a-long

The Bloor Cinema hosted a Quote-a-long movie screening of DIRTY DANCING.

Oh yes…. taking us back to the summer of 1963, via the summer of 1987. Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is resigned to spend her summer at a wholesome family resort in the Catskills, when she unwittingly discovers the wild dance parties the resort staff have after hours.

This quote-along screening was hosted by comedian Steph Tolev, in a karaoke-style where you were encouraged to yell back at the movie screen and boo Robbie-the-Jerk, woot Johnny-the-Dreamboat, and get up and dance like it’s the Time of Our Lives!!!!

Happy to report that EVERYONE knew exactly when to say, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

Toronto Vintage Society’s Tiki Lani Lanai

This was our 3rd Annual Tiki Party … and it was our best turnout ever!

Not quite sure what a Tiki Party is? Click here to find out more Tiki culture. And here to see what it was like last year 🙂

Me among the crowned Tiki Queen of the evening…. and her wife. Aren’t they both just adorbz!
My outfit: I found this floral aqua romper (yup, its a onesie friends) from Forever21+; Hair flower from Fruits of Bali; Sandals from Coach

11913980_10156073514700397_5764666555592141544_o — A few of the ladies of Toronto Vintage Society who helped organized and put this party together 🙂

O.K. Blue Jays!

I’m not a big sports fan – sitting through 9-innings of baseball on the hottest day ever and paying for ridiculously over priced food and booze, isn’t my first choice of spending a sunny afternoon.

Buuuuuuut the Toronto Blue Jays have been killing it this season! And in true bandwagon-fan fashion… I wanted to be apart of the hype!!!

So, we got ourselves nose-bleed tickets to a PACKED Skydome game!

Plus, look at these cutie-pie tees I found us!!! $17 from Winners bebe! Aren’t we the cutest!??!

Clearly our matchy-matchy look helped them WIN the game that day. You’re welcome fellas! 😉

Turns out for a non-sports-fan, I made it to a game last year too. Click here for that.

10636707_10207499969207632_2948123069709029813_o — Pre-drinking at Steam Whistle Brewery before the game

Let’s Go To The Ex!

I haven’t been to The Ex since I was a teen. A few dancing friends went down on a Monday night to cash in on the $6 after 5pm deal…..
We tasted weird deep-fried foods … checked out livestock at the farm … rode some rides… lost money trying to win prizes…

In line with the gang for BUMPER CARS at The Ex!

AND got to dance the night away to BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY ….!!! We were “So Money” and we didn’t even know it 😉

Remember that movies Swingers, yup, you get it!

I also visited Ottawa, participated in Rosie-O-Rama, put money on the ponies at Hats & Horseshoes, Rocked a crop top against Oparh’s advice, and saw THE ROOTS in concert for PanAm. 🙂

There it is … Farewell to a fabulous Summer!

I hope you enjoyed yours and filled it with lots of fun in the sun with friends, friends.

Thanks for reading! xo

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August & September: Chef’s Plate

Can you believe we’re at the beginning of September already!? Geez….

And with the end of the month comes another culinary blogpost sharing my mis/adventures in the kitchen 🙂

My main mission for 2015 is a simple one: Getting and Staying Happy. In order to achieve this lofty goal I applied a START-STOP-CONTINUE approach. And so I’ve decided to START cooking more.

Earlier this month, a gf of mine told me about a little service called CHEF’S PLATE – a fab service that has fresh ingredients & delicious recipes delivered weekly to your door!

As much as I love cooking, it can sometimes be overwhelming never really knowing how much of an ingredient to buy and have it go bad in your fridge before you get to use it all up. And if you’re like me, often you fall into a rut of always cooking the same ol’ thing.

Chef’s Pate gets you unique dishes already planned out for you, with zero wasted food!

Here’s how it works…

They create 6 weekly menu options and put all the pieces you need to create them for you..
You pick out how many meals you want delivered: 2, 2-servings meals OR 3, 2-seving meals.
They deliver the exact ingredients you need to your door.
You cook the food and eat the food.

It’s Freakin’ Brilliant!

A recap of my very first order on the last week of August…

My First Order

I used a referral code from a gf …which gave her 2 meals for free….. and it got me 4 meals for FREE!!!!

(Do YOU want 4-free-meals too? Use this Referral Code: #PETITEPLUSMEOW and Click here)

On Monday afternoon, a delivery man came right up to my apt door and delivered a refrigerated box of food:

Inside my box was the exact ingredients to make 3, 2-serving meals. Here’s what I ordered and cooked up my very first week:

MEAL 1: CHARRED AVOCADO AND CUMIN SPICED QUINOA SALAD with kidney beans and red bell peppers

The prep. READ the entire cooking card fully before you being. This way you can get all the pans/knives/bowls ready to roll before you get your hands dirty.

This meal was rated “EASY” …and I have to agree, it was. Took less than 30-mins to get all the pieces prepped and ready. It was perfect for lunchtime, with leftovers for another meal during the week.

Total calories per serving: 725

MEAL 2: PISTACHIO CRUSTED STEAK with smashed fingerling potatoes and dino kale

Now this meal was a bit more difficult than the first. It required both oven and stove, and my slap-chop for chopping up the nuts.

But in the end … look at how beautiful this steak turned out.

THIS was my favourite meal of the week!!!! So delicious! And the leftover portions were just as tasty!

Took just about 30-mins also … and was 730 calories per serving 🙂

The Final Results – pictured perfect, right? Soo good!

MEAL 3: PAN SEARED SNAPPER over THAI BLACK RICE served with steamed broccolini

This last one was a bit more challenging also – but so long as you read and follow the steps as the card says, you’ll be fine!

This was my first time cooking Thai Black Rice. Cooking it in the rich coconut milk added such amazing savoury flavours to the fish and broccolini.

This one was also about 30-mins from prep-to cook-into my mouth and was 830-calories per serving. 🙂

FullSizeRender-14 — The Final Results. Check me out …getting much better at the platting huh, like a REAL Chef 🙂

Curious to see how much do you ACTUALLY save with Chef’s Plate vs. Buying your own groceries?

Me too! Click here to read more.

You can visit my Instagram page and look for the hashtag #PPMeowCooks for more adventures in my kitchen.

I just got THIS week’s refrigerated box delivery with brand new meal ideas within!

Can’t wait to get cooking – stay tuned to my Instagram channel to see how they turn out

So, you think YOU wanna try it? Get your 1st FOUR meals for free by using this link friends! You’re Welcome!!!

I’ve also created a sub-menu on my homepage under REVIEWS on the homepage for you – my readers – to find them easily…and hopefully try a few yourself. 🙂

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Oh, Ottawa!

Oooooo! This summer has been filled with mini travel adventures.

There was an excellent seat sale on Porter.ca … So I decided to spend a little over a week in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city over…

Canada Day Long Weekend!!

Here’s a recap of what I did AND what I wore …when I remembered to take pictures 🙂

Oh, Ottawa…. so many monuments, buildings, pretty views and beavertails to enjoy. For outfit deets in these pics…click here 🙂

Things To Do In Ottawa!

This may have been my first visit to this Big-Little City as an adult. And I have to say it is beautiful in the summer!!!

The first half of the week I stayed with friends right in The Byward Market. Within an area of roughly four blocks, you’ll find museums, cafés, specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, salons and more! Often there are musical buskers performing and so many patios to sample! I did my fair share of sampling a few afternoon pints and bites throughout my week there.

There was one spot that had a fabulous Brunch menu – called Lieutenants Pump Pub. For my food review click here.

Brunches were meant for mimosas, eggs benny, babies and old friends 🙂

And I finally got to wear my flamingo summer frock I picked up from Tatyana Boutique on WQW, Toronto.

It got oh-so many compliments from strangers all throughout the meal and beyond 😀

I found a delightful shop called Workshop Studio & Boutique – who had so many fab unique pieces!! I definitely wanted to support the local handmade loveliness.. ❤

Check out a few trinkets I picked up for myself 🙂 If only the frocks they carried were larger I would have spent a fortune in there. Le sigh… #plussizeplease

Oh Yeah those are flamingo ceramic earrings you’re looking at…and button earrings and pins…the cutest!

I had excellent summer weather the first half of my trip…which meant there needed to be a dedicated Lazy, Hazy, Beach Day!!! 🙂

Mooney’s Bay Park seemed to be a super popular summer destination for swimmers, rowers, and volleyball players.

The beach is located on the east shore of the Rideau River just south of Carleton University. There appeared to be a lots of set-up happening for Dragon Boat Racing when I was there too.

**Outfit deets:** Swim coverup, *Old Navy*; Hat picked up in my travels to Malaysia earlier this year.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, then you know that I’ve been on A BABY TOUR the last few months.

Nearly all of my long-time friends have coupled off, started having babies and often moving far, far away.

Screen Shot 2015-08-19 at 6.19.55 PM — Baby Bonanza of a Summer!

The first half of my trip was spent catching up with a gf AND her adorable little fella ❤

Mornings were spent with Dora the Explorer. The Wiggles. Elmo & friends. Thomas the Tank Engine. Bubble Guppies.

Bubble Guppies…Bubble Bubble Guppies.

Oh yes…that tune was my jam … this song kept playing in my head all week and beyond friends. It’s so freakin’ catchy 🙂

And I was lucky enough to have him as my beach date!!

Look at him in his stylish swimwear and whale-printed matching sun hat ❤

OK…if you haven’t had one of these *PalmBay* frozen cocktails yet this summer…get yourself to a LCBO stat!!!! WARNING: Goes down way too easily **hiccup**

Swing Dancing. You know I needed to checkout the lindy hop scene in this city! There seems to be two big nights of swing dancing weekly in Ottawa:

FRIDAY NIGHT

Every friday the The Ottawa Swing Dance Society (OSDS) holds a Swing dance. Admission is $5 (unless there is a band) and it includes an introductory lesson. Social dancing till 12:30 am. No partner required For more details and events calendar please visit http://www.swingottawa.ca/_home.shtml

SATURDAY NIGHT

Hosted by Swing Dynamite, SNS features two lessons (an introductory lesson and a specialty lesson) and social dancing till 1:00 am. Doors open at 8:15 pm, lessons start at 8:30. Social dancing starts at 9:15 pm. For more info please visit http://www.saturdaynightswing.com/

This is what I wore for Friday night dancing, click here for outfit deets

10989222_10153136190530376_1715304315994143086_o — This is what I wore Saturday night dancing. **Outfit deets**: Dress from Old Navy , Jellyshoes from my Asia trip

Did you know that there are many FREE passes to various Ottawa sites and museums that can be checked out at the local library?

YUP!!! Its true. That’s how me and a gf explored the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum one afternoon.

Want the experience of flight but prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Here is your chance to sit at the controls of an aircraft without taking off! Friendly, knowledgeable Museum staff will assist you in boarding one of three cockpits:

the Tutor (CT-114)
the CF-18
the MIG-21

Don’t ask me which one is which. I have no clue. I just wanted to sit in as many cool planes as they’d let me!

**Outfit Deets:** Dress, *Forever21+;* Seafoam/Lepoard Scarf, *Winners;* Sandals, *Birkenstocks;* Purse, *Aldo*

We chose to explore the Museum’s amazing collection at our own pace and moved from aircraft and exhibitions as throughly as we wanted. Which meant we had plenty of time for cheesy tourist photo ops like the below shot 😉

You really do need an entire day there.

So maybe the below plane was in a roped off section … but I managed to sweet talk one of the volunteers to let us into the area 😉

I really, really, really wanted to sit in this wee plane.

Learn how an ejection seat can save a pilot’s life. Listen as the Museum’s enthusiastic guides describe the ups and downs of ejecting from a fighter jet.

Then, sit in an authentic ejection seat and learn how pilots use this essential piece of equipment. Like I did below 🙂It was pretty cool discovering Canada’s contributions to aviation from the days of early aviation to the jet age and on into space exploration.

I highly recommend visiting this museum if you get a chance!

Niner-niner. Charlie. Foxtrot. Bravo. Pew! Pew! Pew!

No “Irene vacation” is complete without a day-o-SHOPPING!!! 😉

With the Canadian Dollar doing so poorly these days, I’ve been avoiding my cross-boarder shopping trips.

But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ottawa has an outlet mall: Tanger Outlet

Now…the shops selection was decent, but there weren’t too many “deal-deals”, if you know what I mean.

But I did find a few gems that followed me home:

Fringed purse, with option cross-body strap was from *Aldo* for $20!!! BONUS: They shipped it to my home in Toronto for FREE!

These crisp white loafers with gold piping detail were from *Naturalizer,* for only $20!!!

CANADA DAY-o-Fun!

Oh man! As a proud Canadian…I was super excited to be spending Canada Day in my Nation’s Capital!!!! The crowds and crowds of people dressed in all kinds of patriotic get-ups ALL DAY LONG. The concerts on Parliment Hill. The close up fireworks! It really is something to see and be apart of ❤ ❤ ❤

Naturally, that meant there was outfit planning to be done…and here’s what I put together for my Canada Day look:

**Outfit deets:** T-shirt, *Old Navy*; Headbands and Moose Earrings, *Ardene*

Now….it should be noted that the below look lasted exactly 22-mins 😦

As soon as we got out of the car, picked up our Starbucks and began heading for Parliament Hill —- it began to POUR!!! Raining cats and dogs, and squirrels and raccoons and the like. It was madness.

We did our best to get ourselves back and hid under a giant patio umbrella, until my gf’s hubs could turn the car around and pick us up again. #wettshirtcontest

Did you know that on Canada Day, entry to museums are free? Thank goodness for that…cuz we needed somewhere to spend the day drying off so we could be ready for the evening fireworks!

So, our day was spent in the Canadian War Museum

Three proud patriotic, rained-on Canadians, ready to explore the War Museum on Canada Day

There was a special exhibition called: Gladiators and the Colosseum – Death and Glory.

What would you have seen at the gladiatorial games, nearly 2,000 years ago? Maybe you would have seen an emperor, a helmet, or a crocodile?

You can see it all in this special exhibition, complete with a guidebook to help you find all the stops along the way and collect the stamps to discover what you would have seen at these ancient games.

For dinner, we stopped for a proper Canadian dinner: POUTINE from Smoke’s Poutinerie

I splurged with the Prime Beef Deluxe Poutine …mmmmm

As dusk approached, we made our way to Parliament Hill, to be amongst the crowds …

We even got to watch a few musical performances Canada Day Concert on the Hill. Pretty good sightless, considering 🙂

And last but not least, there were fireworks and impromptu group singing of O’Canada ❤

11707484_10153021699059072_9058024047120018315_n — Happy Birthday Canada!! 148 Years Young!

Are you following me on INSTAGRAM? If so, you’ve likely seen a few more pics and video clips as I took them during my trip.

Search for the hashtag: PPMeowTravels to see more of my adventures there. Thanks for following and reading 🙂

What a pretty view…even with overcast skies. The Ottawa river’s Gatineau shore

If you’re planning a summer city getaway, hope you’ll check out this beautiful city!

Thanks for reading and re-living my trip with me!

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Rosie Rally!

A few of us caught wind that on August 15th folks were gathering at the Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Marina Park (Richmond, California) to try and set a NEW Guinness World Record for “The Largest Gathering of People Dressed as a Rosie the Riveter”!

The current record was set last year when 776 Rosie and Rosie lookalikes gathered at the Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI.

This year, they hoped to round-up 1000 Rosies!!!

The rules for dressing like Rosie:

IMG_8536-1 — **How I Got The Look:** headscarf and earrings from Ardene; jeans from *Old Navy*; denim shirt from *Reitmans;* mens red socks, *Forever21;* boots from *Aldo*

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Since we couldn’t be in California for the event, a few of us from the Toronto Vintage Society wanted to be there in spirit and rounded up the troops for a perfect photo opportunity in front of the fab colourful 3D Toronto sign at City Hall.

And here are OUR results:

HEY, wanna dress up in heavy jeans, coveralls, socks and boots … and do up your hair in vintage style on a Saturday afternoon, for a photo-op?

Duh!! Yah WE do!?!

You know you’ve found your tribe when you’re doing THIS on the hottest day of summer 😉

Now, we weren’t so hardcore about sticking to the ‘outfit rules’ as our friends in CA looking to break world records.

But I think we looked pretty spectacular none-the-less 😀

Since we were all out and about anyways, we adventured via TTC for some shopping…

Rosie the Riveters invade Rosie the Rebel…. And then cooled off with some desserts at The Bean and Baker Malt Shop…
OMG!!! This deliciousness that I’m guzzling below is called THE PINK LADY MILKSHAKE! Go and get yourself one immediately. It will not disappoint! ❤

There are tons more fun snaps – check them out on my Instagram channel –> and follow me 🙂

Meanwhile in California ….

Yup! They did it! They broke the world record for the most Rosie’s gathered in a rally!!!

1084 Rosies were counted for the Guinness World Record!!!

Congratulations friends!!! Happy Day! ❤

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military.

Still curious? Click here to read more on the iconic Rosie the Riveter and her importance.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post. 🙂

Photo Thanks to Erin, Joy and Liz – thanks for all the sharing and capturing of the fun!

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July: Kale Medley

My main mission for 2015 is a simple one: Getting and Staying Happy. In order to achieve this lofty goal I applied a START-STOP-CONTINUE approach. And so I’ve decided to START cooking more – using recipes I’ve never tried before and sharing my culinary mis/adventures on the blog once a month.

PS: I realize I've spelt KALE wrong here...forgive me friends. I (can't find original pic to alter text now) — PS: I realize I’ve spelt KALE wrong here…forgive me friends. (I can’t find original pic to alter text now.)

July’s recipe: Kale Medley

I’ve only recently began cooking with kale over the last few month, having heard about all of its many health and nutritional benefits. Kale, I find, is quite bitter on its own as salad, so often I eat it stir-fried, steamed or sautéed.

I have heard it is tasty baked, added to a stew or blended into a smoothie…but I personally haven’t tried any of these myself.

Summer has kept me super busy so far … but I have found myself cooking more often. If you’re following me on Instagram then you know most of my adventures in the kitchen usually begin without a plan, but rather a desperate need to use up the last of the contents in my fridge before they spoil or before I’m leaving on a trip somewhere.

So here’s a quick and tasty way to sauté your veggies into a Kale Medley.

Ingredients

One bunch kale
2 cloves garlic, crushed (you can never have too much garlic, but that’s just me)
Olive oil
2 tomatoes
Lemon juice (half a lemon) or white wine vinegar (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Chili flakes
+ Whatever veggies you want

STEPS:

Wash the kale thoroughly, and pat dry.
Slice or chop kale roughly, into bite-sized pieces.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and lightly brown crushed garlic. Watch it closely!
Dice your tomatoes and add to pan. This will create a tasty base coat to the kale leaves.
When garlic is lightly brown, quickly add kale.

STEP 6: Stir and toss until kale is coated with tomatoes, chill flakes and add other veggies and let the kale steam and slightly soften. Check the kale after about 3 minutes. It should be soft, still bright green, and NOT soggy. OPTIONAL: When it’s softened, and just before serving, add your lemon juice (or vinegar). Taste and season with salt and pepper and serve.

OPTIONAL: I added instant cooked rice directly to the pan and leftover cold cuts to make this an easy one-pan-dinner to yield leftovers for the next day.

Now, I’ve recently read a few articles speaking about “The Darker Side of Kale” … as there have been some findings that eating this veggie raw isn’t good for you. Cooking it seems to help eliminate some of the concerns. Still, it’s probably best not to go overboard with kale and to simply integrate it into an overall healthful diet full of other fruits and vegetables.

Have you tried cooking with kale? Will you? Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below.

Want other PPMeow recipes? You can visit my Instagram page and look for the hashtag #PPMeowCooks for more adventures in my kitchen.

I’ve also created a sub-menu on my homepage under REVIEWS on the homepage for you – my readers – to find them easily…and hopefully try a few yourself. 🙂

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Hats & Horseshoes

Looking for something different to do on a gorgeous summer day?

Why not spend the day betting on the ponies at the track! 🙂

The Queen’s Plate is Canada’s oldest thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. The race takes place each summer, in June or July, at Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, ON.

For more history on the Queen’s Plate, click here.

Moi…en route to my first Hat’s & Horseshoes Event

Never placed a bet before? Not to worry, they had guests covered! Everyone got a $2 betting voucher with entrance and the Betting Impact team will be roaming the Hats & Horseshoes Party to teach you the Basics of Betting.

Sadly, I’m not very lucky and didn’t win on any of the horses I selected. Le sigh…

I did get a kick outta some of the horse names – my fave was Conquest Boogaloo. She’s she pretty?

One of the most compelling parts of attending this event was the excuse to wear a giant hat!

I decided to do my best “country club” look with my tiered floral maxi (Old Navy), platform black sandals (Coach) and beige sunhat with gold hardware & ribbon detail (Necessities).

Miss Jacquie, founder of the *Toronto Vintage Society*, and moi walking the red carpet at the 156th Anniversary of the Queens Plate. Isn’t her hat divine! ❤

Turns out our penchant for any excuse to wear large hats was a something many of us had in common 🙂 Ran into a few more Toronto Vintage Society gals at the event …dressed in lovely vintage summer frocks and purses, naturally.

It was an extremely hot day. There was very minimal shady covered spots at the track, and I was thankful to be wearing a sunhat. It was only while I was watching the gorgeous horses parading around close up that I started to wonder about their treatment. 😦

If you’re curious, click here to read more about the racetrack safety protocols followed by The Woodbine Racetrack.

Refined ladies eating hotdogs in the grass ... Classy! — Refined ladies eating hotdogs in the grass … Classy!

The only clip still on my phone ready for uploading to this post: Bag-pippers marching along doing what they do best.

Once we had enough wandering around the grassy grounds among the food trucks and beverage tents, and had our fill eyeing all the well-dressed men and women and their giant hats …

We headed to our $18 seats for a break. It was Race Time!

I tried filming at the track. But it seems I’ve since deleted the vid clip of the excitement from my phone.

Not to worry…it’s documented here on my Instagram channel – are you following me friends? Start following me here.

Wearing my FREE Queen’s Plate Lapel Pin proudly … eating popcorn and cheering for our horses in our $18 dollar seats 🙂

I have to say, the best part of this event was the photo ops …. men in uniforms…**swoon**

What’s better than a man in a uniform? TWO men in uniforms!!

Hope you’ve been enjoying your summer friends. Stay tuned for more of my summer adventure recaps – complete with what I wore and what I did. xo

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June: Yo’Berries

Alright friends — if you’re following me on Instagram then you know most of my adventures in the kitchen usually begin without a plan, but rather a desperate need to use up the last of the contents in my fridge before they spoil or before I’m leaving on a trip somewhere.

Well, it was this need that yielded this month’s easy peasy recipe that i’m fondly calling Yo’Berries! Get it –> yogurt covered berries… Yo’Berries. I’m hilarious 😉

With summer finally here…here’s an easy, creamy, icy, sweet treat that isn’t bad for you 🙂

June’s recipe: Yo’Berries

Ingredients:

– 1 (6oz) Container of fresh blueberries

– 1 (6oz) container non-fat vanilla yogurt. NOTE: Greek yogurt could totally work too.

STEP 1: Start by washing your blueberries and mini ice-cube trays. (Alternatively you could lining a small baking sheet with wax paper.)

STEP 2: Place 1 to 2 blueberries into each cube, and cover with a dollop of yogurt. Continue this until all blueberries are coated. (Alternative: using a toothpick, dip each blueberry into the yogurt and swirl until the blueberry is nicely coated with yogurt. Place on baking sheet.)

STEP 3: Place ice-cube trays into freezer, and let freeze for at least 1-hour.

STEP 4: After about an hour, your Yo’Berries can be put in a ziplock baggie and stored in the freezer. Take out what you need for tasty creamy icy treat and enjoy your guilt-free snack! 🙂

What do you think of this recipe? Do you think you’d give it a try yourself? How would you improve or change it for the better? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below.

Want other PPMeow recipes? You can visit my Instagram page and look for the hashtag #PPMeowCooks for more adventures in my kitchen.

I’ve created a sub-menu on my homepage under REVIEWS on the homepage for you – my readers – to find them easily…and hopefully try a few yourself. 🙂

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Bean and Baker Malt Shop

The wait it over friends.

TOMORROW – Tuesday June 2nd – Toronto’s Bean and Baker Malt Shop OFFICIALLY open their doors for business!!

Owners Liezel and Brennan Anderson, a husband and wife team, invite you into their mom n’ pop style establishment for an experience that is nostalgic as it is charming.

Team Bean and Baker decided to move the Grand Opening to early June, when the massive demand during their soft opening week SOLD OUT of their entire supply of ice cream without making it through an entire business day. 🙂

Clearly, a good sign of things to come … Torontonians know what they want. And they want what Bean and Baker Malt Shop’s got!

DSCN0866 — Me with the delightful owners Liezel and Brennan Anderson, of Bean and Baker Malt Shop and the lovely leggy Liz, of *The Vintage Inn Blog*.

I was lucky enough to be invited to an exclusive blogger sneak-peek event last week, along with friend and fellow blogger Liz, from The Vintage Inn.

So here’s the inside scoop on what you can expect from this lovely little gem-of-a-spot in a great neighbourhood of Toronto.

DSCN0796 — How thrilled was I to finally have a reason to wear my pink felt poodle skirt?! Yippee!!!

The 16-seat establishment is charming and decorated in a retro 1950’s style. Customers can sit inside or grab-and-go.

Also, there are rumours that a few picnic benches may pop-up over the summer too. 😉

It features an open-concept kitchen and Soda Jerks behind the counter complete with a bowtie and a smile, as they provide good, honest food and drinks with top-notch quality ingredients.

DSCN0837 — The smiling Soda Jerks and open-style kitchen

Being a blogger definitely has its perks 😉

We were offered a sampling of all the amazing treats which included savouries like Wisey’s mini mince beef & cheese pies, veggie savoury pie and the veggie quiche.

Then came sweets! ❤

There was the warm cherry pie pocket, dark chocolate eclair, and the old school PB&J pie.

And last, but certainly not least, the Hello Dolly Square – O.M.G. so good!

The menu also features premium coffee, ice cream, floats and milkshakes.

Screen Shot 2015-06-01 at 3.37.37 PM

Ice Cream Sundaes made anyway you like and with any kind of Ed’s Ice Cream.

It was this evening that I discovered the Burnt Marshmallow flavour. And let me tell ya folks, it is life changing! I have no idea how I’ve gotten through 30+ years of living without knowledge of this ice cream flavour …

Viva la Burnt Marshmallow! Mmmmmmmmm!

Is it just me, or is anybody wondering what the heck ‘malt’ actually is?

Well…according to wiseGeek:

The term malt comes from the malted milk that made the shops famous. Brothers James and William Horlick invented malted milk in the 1880s. The concoction is a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and whole milk that is dried to a powder form. It was originally invented for use with infants and invalids to be an easy source of nutrition, something akin to powdered baby formulaor milk. The taste found popularity in soda shops, and even greater popularity when mixed with ice cream.

Here they are – Malt Shakes made with whatever ice cream your little heart desires! These were in mini form for the blogger event – yours will come in the traditional size 😉

Screen Shot 2015-06-01 at 3.37.21 PM

One of the coolest things about Bean and Baker is their handmade sodas made by authentic Soda Jerks, with flavours ranging from Root ‘n Cola, Gramp’s Ginger, Real Orange, and Hibiscus.

Ever wonder what those long swirly spoons were for? Watch the video below and wonder no more friends 🙂

Thank you to everyone at Bean and Baker for making this event so delicious and so much fun!

If you’d like to read the Bean and Baker Malt Shop official news release and The Vintage Inn’s review, click here.

DSCN0812 — Mmmmmmm…..House-crafted Soda….delicious!

“10 Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of 2015” This retro malt shop is slated to open this spring at 326 Harbord St., the address formerly occupied by the Bickford Flexitarian (and before that Linuxcaffe). The shop to be stocked with old school soda fountains, ice cream, baked goods and confections. – Blogto.com

What a cool, fun addition to the TO vintage landscape!!! You got to get to there!!! 😀

Bean and Baker Malt Shop is located at: 326 Harbord St, in Toronto

Hours of operation are Tuesday – Saturday: 11 am 9 pm, Sunday: 11 am 7 pm, Monday Closed.

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Photo credit: Liz of The Vintage Inn

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TVS PinUp Picnic

Dirty Dancing Quote-a-long

Toronto Vintage Society’s Tiki Lani Lanai

O.K. Blue Jays!

Let’s Go To The Ex!

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Here’s how it works…

My First Order

MEAL 1: CHARRED AVOCADO AND CUMIN SPICED QUINOA SALAD with kidney beans and red bell peppers

MEAL 2: PISTACHIO CRUSTED STEAK with smashed fingerling potatoes and dino kale

MEAL 3: PAN SEARED SNAPPER over THAI BLACK RICE served with steamed broccolini

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