brunch Archives - Womens Post

Living April 28, 2018

When ghosting leads to gratitude

I met Jake at his restaurant. He owned my favorite brunch place that I’d go to all the time (they made a duck confit hash that was to die for). Whenever I came in for breakfast, he’d step out from behind the counter to take my order personally. I liked him right away — and not just because he supplied me with two of my favorite things: bacon and coffee.

Tall with a neatly trimmed beard and intense dark eyes, Jake was cute in a sexy lumberjack kind of way. He seemed to like me too. When he opened another restaurant right next to my house and I found myself looking for any excuse to go in to see him, I knew I had to ask him out. He said yes.

Along with sizzling chemistry, Jake and I shared a passion for good food and collecting vinyl. The conversation was great and the sex was even better. We dated for four months, until one day when he stopped returning my texts and disappeared off the face of the earth.

(Well, that’s not entirely accurate. Jake still owned a restaurant next to my house. If there’s a prize given out for the most awkward ghosting, he would surely win.)

Jake re-emerged 79 days later to apologize (his excuse: he was in a “weird place”). He asked me out for dinner. When I agreed to meet up with him to talk, he ghosted again. Go figure.

While I’d like to say I never saw this coming, the signs were there from the beginning. Jake was unable to make plans more than twelve hours in advance (“the restaurant business is so unpredictable,” he’d tell me) and often I’d wait up to 24 hours for a reply to a text. It made me feel off-balance, like I never knew where I stood with him. Last but not least, he was petrified of commitment. Even a passing mention of marriage gave him a look of utter terror.

When Jake ghosted, I was confused and hurt. It was months before I felt ready to date again. Eventually though, those feelings gave way to something else: gratitude. Although I lost my favorite brunch place, Jake did me a favor. Thanks to him, I know the warning signs to look out for in the future. By breaking up with me in an immature manner, Jake cleared the path for better, more suitable people to walk into my life.

Living May 5, 2016

Five affordable Mother’s Day events in Toronto

Are you wondering what to do with your mom on Mother’s Day? Want to spoil her rotten, but sadly don’t quite have the funds to do it? Look no further! Here are some options that mom will love and won’t break the bank.

Mother’s day is coming up this weekend on May 8 and it is a great opportunity to show your mom how much you care. Sadly, many of the options available cost anywhere from $50 to $150! A $75 lunch can seem steep and a bit of a money grabber, don’t you think? I know I’d prefer attending an event with my mom that is enjoyable and reasonably priced.

A mother’s day chocolate tour is a delicious option. The event runs from 1:30 to 4 p.m and costs $40 for adults. One of the chocolate tours happening in the city is at SOMA Chocolatemaker (443 King St. W.). The tour includes treating mom to a sampling of chocolates and a guided tour on the history of chocolate making. Yum! There are also chocolate tours in Kensington Market and Trinity Bellwoods.

For more nature-loving moms, Scenic Caves Nature Adventures (260/280 Scenic Caves Rd. Blue Mountains) is offering free park admission with a paid child admission ($20.57), which includes cave exploration, the suspension bridge, and mini-golf. Moms and family members also receive $30 off the exo-adventure tour if they want to explore for the day. Having a picnic at a park or embarking on a hike is also a way to get outdoors and celebrate moms who love the outdoors.

The Mother’s Day Brunch Cruise is a fancier option for mothers and kids, but it is reasonably priced. It is $48.95 for adults and $24.95 for kids. Included is a boat cruise on Lake Ontario beginning at Queen’s Quay Terminal (207 Queen’s Quay W.) The cruise also offers a buffet brunch and cocktails for two hours along the harbourfront beginning at 11:30 a.m.

If you are looking for something a little more risqué to do with mom (assuming you are of legal age), try a burlesque show featuring the Glam Gals of GCB at The Libertine (1307 Dundas St. W.) with Chai French toast, scones, and cocktails. The cost of the event is $15, not including food or drinks, and begins at 12:30 p.m on Mother’s Day. Mothers will also receive a rose upon entry, which is an elegant touch to a bold and sexy Mother’s Day event.

If you are looking for a more traditional activity, there are several brunches in Toronto for mother’s day and many of them are over-priced. I found a few reasonably priced brunches that look appealing, including the Bluegrass brunch at The Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Ave.) for $18 per adult and $7 per child, which begins at 10 a.m. Mildred’s Temple Kitchen (85 Hanna Ave.) provides a classic brunch on a prix-fixe menu, including pancakes, poached eggs, mimosas and Caesars for $27.50, beginning at 11a.m. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W.) also has a great mother’s day brunch starting at 9 a.m for $36 for adults and includes their famous blueberry scones, and banana pancakes at a prix-fixe.

Whether you are looking for a tasty tour, an outdoor adventure, a day on the lake, a burlesque show or a traditional brunch, Toronto has everything to offer for a great Mother’s Day. So get out there and celebrate your mom and enjoy yourself this coming weekend.

Where are you taking your mom on Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.

Recipe July 23, 2015

RECIPE: Blueberry Surprise Casserole

Try this warm-from-the-oven casserole at family brunch this weekend! Cream cheese is the secret ingredient in this recipe, which gets a generous topping of blueberry or maple syrup. Yum!

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Chill: 2 hrs
Bake: 25 mins

Ingredients

12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
2 8 – ounce package cream cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup
Blueberry-flavored, maple, or maple-flavored syrup

Directions

Place half of the bread cubes over the bottom of a well-buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish (3-quart rectangular). Sprinkle cream cheese and blueberries over bread cubes. Arrange remaining bread cubes over blueberries.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with a rotary beater; beat in milk and the 1/2 cup syrup. Carefully pour egg mixture over the bread mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
Bake, covered, in a 375 degrees F oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, and topping is puffed and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with blueberry-flavored or maple syrup. Makes 8 servings.

Note* To dry bread slices: Arrange bread in a single layer on a wire rack; cover loosely and let stand overnight. Or cut bread with 1/2-inch cubes; spread in a large baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 300 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry, stirring twice; cool.

Comment below and let us know how it went!

Repost from: http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/fruit/blueberry-surprise-french-toast-casserole

Recipe May 13, 2015

Review: Strawberry & Nutella French Toast

Nothing gets me excited like Nutella does. So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest , I knew I had to try it with my roommate. Although you may find it to be a bit heavy for a traditional french toast brunch, these ‘churro-like’ rolls are the perfect dessert for fellow sweet tooths. In other words, you must try these Strawberry Nutella French Toast Roll Ups.

Ingredients

8 Slices of Whole Wheat or White Sliced Bread

1 1/2 tbsp of Nutella or as desired

1/4 cup of strawberries, diced

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 large egg

1 1/2 tbsp milk

Preparation

1. Whisk egg and milk together, put aside

2. Mix cinnamon and sugar together on flat plate, put aside

3. Begin by removing the crusts and flattening the sliced bread out with a rolling pin

4. Spread desired amount of Nutella on each slice and place one side with 5-6 pieces of diced strawberries

5. Roll the bread up tightly and secure it with egg mixture

6. Dip each roll in the egg mixture and place in a pan with melted butter to fry

7. Once golden brown, remove each roll and dip them in cinnamon mixture

8. Garnish roll with chocolate syrup and strawberries and serve

Beware: It’s hard to have ‘just one’ Roll Up.