Foxy Originals Holiday Sale

One of my favourite accessory brands, Foxy Originals, is having a holiday sale on December 10, 2013 at the Bata Shoe Museum. I haven't attended one of these sales before so I'm hoping I can make this one. Seems like a very good opportunity to stock up on holiday gifts for your loved ones and a great time to get a special treat for yourself. With prices from $5-$35 how can you go wrong?
Hope to see you there.

Olena Zylak Knits Up a Storm

I have always been in love with hand knit and crocheted items so its no wonder I fell in love with Olena Zylak's collection through my many visits to the One Of A Kind show. Last year I finally bought my first accessory, a twisted loop scarf, and wear it all the time. Needless to say I am ready to add to my collection and there are no shortage of pieces to choose from.

My own loop scarf purchased last year. I wear it everywhere.

 

Zylak has been designing collections since 1997 and uses yarns of luxury fibres to create a highly textured line. She designs the collection herself with all the knitting completed at her studio in Collingwood, Ontario. Original pieces of knitted fabric are handcrafted with a sewing machine and hand sewn when required. Finishing touches are completed by Zylak herself or a contractor. Each item is made with the utmost care and I would say this is obvious when looking at and trying on her pieces.

Some of my favourite pieces from the Fall/Winter collection are:

Spider Web Loop $35

25% kid mohair/45% acrylic/30% nylon

 

 

Spider Web Shawl $80

25% kid mohair/45% acrylic/30% nylon

also shown double stripe pleated toque $70

 

Lace Velour Wedge Capelet $115

60% merino wool/10% kid mohair/15% acrylic/15% nylon

 

The entire collection can be viewed on her website and items can be purchased online. Check the shows tab to see her schedule for appearances at different shows, including One Of A Kind, throughout the season. Items can also be purchases at certain boutique retailers across the country.

 

You can find Olena Zylak at the One of a Kind show in Toronto November 28th - December 8th at booth C12. I know I will be stopping by!

 

Photo credit, Geoff George - Toronto: spider web loop, spider web shawl, lace velour wedge capelet

One Of A Kind Christmas Show 2013

Hard to believe one of the greatest holiday shopping experiences is almost here yet once again. I try to make a point of attending the One Of A Kind show at least once a year. Since I missed the Spring show earlier this year I am trying to make a point of attending the Christmas show, November 28th to December 8th.

For those of you who have never been, the show focuses on independent artisan and crafts people and gives them a venue to sell their wares. I'm always amazed at the creativity and variety of products available at this show. These are definitely not things you are likely to see at your local mall. The Christmas show is larger than the Spring show and judging from the website it looks like many new artisans are making their debut at this show.

For the first time I am going to try to attend the Late Night Out event on December 5th. The show is open later than usual, has free parking after 5pm and from what I hear is pretty lively when the DJ gets started. I'm looking into the Late Night Out package which includes:

For $20, receive:

• One adult admission ticket ($10)
• One Late Night Out Drink Voucher for a beer, white or red wine ($8)
• One reusable shopping bag
• A ClubOne card with ClubLounge access (What is ClubOne, click here for more info)
• Concierge and personal shopper service
• A ballot for a chance enter a special $100 shopping spree
• We've partnered up with Uber, the app that connects you with a driver at the tap of a button, to offer One of a Kind Late Night Out ticket holders their first black car ride free up to $30 to or from the show

In addition to shopping there are workshops available if you want to try your hand at crafting something yourself. There is limited space available for 1 workshop, the rest have sold out. Ticket and show information is available through this link. Buying tickets online before the show starts saves you some money.

For a list of artisans and all relevant show information visit the One of a Kind Show website at www.oneofakindshow.com. Tickets can be purchased online through the website.

To see a list of artisans new to the show click here. A list of all artisans are available on this page just change the selections in the drop down menu.

If you want to know who some favourites of mine are at the One Of A Kind show you can read my previous post One Of A Kind Show - Toronto

2013 One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale
Thursday, November 28 to December 8, 2013

Weekdays & Saturdays 10am–9pm
Sundays 10am–6pm

Late Night Shopping
Thursday, December 5, 2013 10am–11pm

Venue location
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
100 Princes' Blvd., Toronto ON M6K 3C3 Canada

Cooking with USA Rice

Thanks to a good twitter friend of mine I was able to accomplish a long thought about cooking goal: making risotto. Thanks to her and USA rice I finally made this dish earlier this week and I have to say I am pretty proud of myself! The blog project I participated in was specifically for brown rice grown in the USA. Already I've learned something, I had no idea the USA was such a large supplier of rice. Just to put it in perspective for you, USA is one of the largest exporters of rice supplying about 12% of rice that enters world trade. Approximately 50 per cent of the U.S. rice crop is exported to more than 100 countries. In fact over 65% of rice consumed in Canada comes from the USA and Canada produces no rice of its own. Interesting isn't it?
 
Since risotto was my goal I went in search of a recipe for it using brown rice on allrecipes.com. I have only ever cooked rice on the stove and this recipe used that method as well even though there are several ways you can cook rice. From prep time to cook time the whole process took about 2 1/2 hours. Below is the recipe I used and I have listed the modifications I made.

 Getting ready to start. All my ingredients in place.

Rice added, let the stirring begin!

 An hour and a bit later the risotto is looking pretty good.

 

Ta da! The finished product with lots of left overs. It was so good!

 

Here are some other interesting facts about USA rice that you may not know:

• Rice is grown in six U.S. states: Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Mississippi, Texas and Missouri. Together, Arkansas, California and Louisiana account for about 80 per cent of U.S. rice acreage and production.
• Rice has been produced in the U.S. for more than 300 years.
• There are approximately 30 rice mills in the U.S.
• The U.S. produces over 40 commercial varieties of rice each year in paddy, brown, white, parboiled and precooked forms.
• There are thousands of rice varieties. At the International Rice Research Institute Genetic Resources Centre in the Philippines, 80,000 rice samples are in cold storage. 
• Rice is grown on every continent except Antarctica.
• One seed of rice yields more than 3,000 grains. It is the highest yielding cereal grain and can grow in many kinds of environment and soils.
• Winter-flooded rice fields provide important habitat for migratory waterfowl and other species. Across the U.S., hundreds of thousands of rice acres are being enhanced annually to provide habitat for these birds.

For more information on rice and how to cook with it, watch this video featuring culinary expert Rose Reisman.

 

NUTRITIONAL OVERVIEW

Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends six to eight servings of grain products per day for adults. At least half of those servings should be whole grain products. One cup (250 mL) of rice provides two servings of grain products. The Canadian diet should consist of between 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbohydrates, including cereal, breads, other grain products, fruits and vegetables.

BROWN RICE

Low in fat and sodium-free.  Contains 115 calories per cooked half-cup (125 mL) serving.

Long Grain Brown

A source of:
· Thiamine, Niacin,Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Zinc

A good source of:

· Magnesium

Medium Grain Brown

A source of

· Fibre, Thiamine,  Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper

 

A good source of:

 

· Magnesium

 

Brown Rice Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 6 servings

• 1 quart vegetable broth, or as needed
• 5 cups water, or as needed
• 1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups short-grain brown rice
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup green peas, thawed if frozen
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring vegetable broth and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add asparagus, reduce heat to low, and simmer until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water; let chill for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cover saucepan and keep broth mixture at a near-simmer on low heat.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring gently, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Pour 1 cup of the hot broth mixture into the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is almost absorbed. Adjust heat if necessary to maintain a simmer. Repeat, using 1/2 cup liquid at a time, until rice is just beginning to become tender, about 25 minutes.
4. Stir in diced carrots. Continue adding broth and stirring rice mixture until carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes more. Mix in zucchini; if broth mixture gets low, add hot water as needed. Cook and stir, adding broth, until rice is tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Mix in drained asparagus and peas and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes, Add Parmesan and butter, stirring until butter melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour in an additional 1/2 cup hot broth to the finished risotto for a softer consistency, if desired.

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

*I used different vegetables than what was listed in this recipe. I used the asparagus and zucchini and added mushrooms. When I make this again I will add the zucchini and mushrooms when the rice is more tender. I found the recipe adds them too early. The rice wasn't as tender as I wanted it to be and still required a lot of stirring so the zucchini was getting a bit soggy by the time I was ready to take it off the burner. I used less water than the recipe indicated and didn't use up the entire broth mixture. For the cooking times given I found mine were longer. I may up the heat next time and see if that makes a difference.

Link to recipe

More Shopping In London

As follow up to my previous post on shopping in London, here are some other stores that may be of interest to you if you're heading over to the UK.

Desigual

Prior to visiting London, I had never heard of this brand before. One day while I was on my "Hop On Hop Off" bus tour, we were riding down Regent Street and passed a store that caught my eye right away. It had the most colourful funky prints I had ever seen. A few hours later I was off the bus and found the Desigual store which started my love and obsession for this brand.
Thomas Mayer from Switzerland is the brain child that started this wonderful and fabulous brand in 1984. His goal was to make clothes that let people dress in a different way and generated positive feelings. I fell in love with this brand as soon as I walked into that store and can tell you every time I wear a piece of their clothing I get asked about it. Unfortunately they don't have stores in Canada but their brand is sold at numerous retailers here. You can do a search on their store find web page.
If you are desperate to visit a store (like me) so you can shop the whole collection, you can visit stores in Las Vegas and New York City. Its a good reason to plan a trip :) Who wants to start the petition for them to open a store in Canada?
Desigual has 200 stores in over 72 countries. If you are travelling and see one, check it out. I've already turned a few friends into owners of Desigual clothing.

The top and shoes purchased in Desigual London store, starting a new obsession for me

Dune

How can you go to the UK and not buy shoes? I highly recommend Dune. Sold at its own branded stores as well as department stores, the brand describes itself as "Stylish and fashionable designs that blend beautiful materials and detail with in-house design to create the distinctive Dune signature, season after season."
Visit a store while in the UK and take home a nice souvenir for yourself. 
The brand is also available in department stores like Selfridges, John Lewis, and Topshop.

Both pairs of Dune shoes I bought at Selfridges in London

My Flat In London

This one I didn't find out about until I got back from the UK and was having dinner with one of my vendors. She admitted it was her guilty pleasure and frequented this brand when on business trips in the UK. Designed by Jan Haedrich, the collection is inspired by her travels abroad, the line "embodies the spirit of the light-hearted sophisticate. It's a ladylike cocktail mixed in a modern martini shaker, the perfect combination of feminine charm and ultimate modern luxury"
See website for US and Canada store locations that carry the brand.

Fortnum & Mason

I had read a lot about this store before I left for the UK. Apparently it supplies the Queen and Buckingham Palace with stapes. Not sure if that is true or not but after trying some of their tea and shortbread cookies I wouldn't blame palace people for wanting to keep their items on hand. Selling delectable treats such as shortbread cookies, jam and tea, this brand has long been known for quality products. Stopping in at their store on Piccadilly is as much a tourist to do as well as a great place to pick up the most delicious shortbread cookies you will ever have among many other things. I have also developed a liking to their strawberry tea which I have been trying to get replenished. If anyone is going to the UK anytime soon, I have a shopping list for you.

A few of the things I bought at Fortnum & Mason

Cath Kidston

While I was at St. Pancras station trying to figure out where to catch the train to Paris, this store caught my eye. Not my usual style, Cath Kidston prints and patterns seemed a bit country to me, I was still captivated by the colours, styles and prints that were on display. As a sales person described it to me, "it is very English" and I kind of understand what she meant. I didn't buy anything but this store and its unusual products have been on my mind since coming home.
The story of Cath Kidston and the rise of her designs, starting with her first print "Rose Bouquet" inspired by wallpaper she had seen in Wales, is a very inspiring story. Described as modern vintage the Cath Kidston collection now includes a wide variety of prints and products sold all over the world.
Next time I am in the UK, this store is getting another visit and maybe even a purchase!

Selfridges

After having read several stories about Selfridges in my retail courses I was thrilled to finally be able to see the store in person. I went to the Oxford Street store but there are a few locations in London. I was impressed at the brands, appearance of the store and the customer service. First place I hit was the shoe department where I bought 2 pairs on Dune shoes. For anyone retail person who thinks the department store model is dead, they should take a look at Selfridges. There was a lot of help available while I was trying on shoes and making up my mind what to do. Imagine that, customer service in a department store. After I made my decision, I put the shoes on hold so I could walk around the rest of the store not weighed down by bags. I could have spent hours in the women's clothing section (but I didn't). I did buy a beautiful lace skirt from H & M section and crocheted sweater from Selfrides girl brand. After that I wandered through the food emporium which was a special treat. I discovered the Pinkberry frozen yogurt place and gave their seasonal flavour, Watermelon, a try which I highly recommend.
This is a must for any UK shopping you may be doing. Even just walking around the store is an experience. I'll be back.

Selfridges store in London

Lace skirt from H & M collection at Selfridges

Hass It Up

Its not very often I get the opportunity to write about food so when I was asked if I wanted to be a part of a project featuring avocados I happily said yes. I was provided a list of recipes, most of which had pretty simple ingredients, a card to purchase ingredients including the star: Hass avocados from Mexico and it was off to the kitchen for me.

The recipe I chose was Avocado Banana Mini Loaves. I have to admit I would not have thought to combine Avocados and Bananas. Since banana bread is one of my favourite things to eat this was the recipe I settled on. The recipe was fairly easy to make, one of the other reasons I chose it, and the results were fantastic! I had to change the mini loaves to muffins since I don't own a mini loaf pan. Even with this minor adjustment the recipe turned out extremely well. I now have 12 delicious avocado banana muffins for snacks or for breakfast.

Below is the finished result. I look forward to making these again. Its not often I get a chance to make things from scratch. I got some requests for the recipe so I am including it below along with the nutritional information. If you decide to try it let me know how it turns out. You can also tweet me @Notashopaholic and use the hash tag #LuvMexAvocado.

Preparing all my ingredients. 

Avocados mashed and ready to be puréed. 

The finished product, ta da!

Below are some fun facts about Mexico and avocados. There are many health and nutritional benefits to eating avocados. I  know I have tried to include at least a few servings of avocados in my daily meals. Spreading some on a sandwich or chopped up in a salad there are many ways to add this delicious healthy food into your diet.

Fun Facts

• Mexico is the only region (globally) where avocados bloom four times a year, due to its unique climate and varying elevations
• Mexico is responsible for approximately half of the world’s total avocado production
• Avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals and more potassium than a banana
• Their healthy fats (mono and polyunsaturated “good fats” that help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol) help the body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients from the foods paired with avocados
• Avocados are a great substitute for butter and make for a healthier ingredient in many baking recipes
• One half of a medium avocado supplies at least 10 per cent of the recommended daily value of potassium, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6 and fibre

For more information on Avocados from Mexico, please visit www.missavacado.ca

Avocado Banana Bread

 

A perfect breakfast on the go or great addition to your lunch box, this nutrient-filled banana bread, made with wholesome whole wheat, high-fibre avocados and potassium-rich bananas, is a satisfying treat you can feel good about feeding the whole family.

2 cups	whole wheat flour	500 mL
1 tbsp	baking powder	15 mL
½ tsp	sea salt	2 mL
2	avocados from Mexico, pureed	2
2	bananas, mashed	2
¾ cup	honey	175 mL
1 tsp	vanilla extract	5 mL

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine avocado, banana, honey and vanilla. Fold dry mixture into the avocado-banana mixture. Once combined, spoon into greased mini loaf pans, spreading evenly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean.

Let cool, then run a knife along the edges and invert to release.

Yield: Makes 8 mini loaves

Tip: Will keep fresh covered in a container for up to 5 days.

Nutritional Information: Per Serving (1 mini loaf): about 308 cal, 6 g pro, 8 g total fat (1 g sat fat), 59 g carb, 8 g fibre, 0 mg chol, 249 mg sodium. %RDI: iron 10%, calcium 2%, vit A 0%, vit C 15%.

Source: www.missavacado.com

Shopping in London: Portobello Market

Before leaving Toronto I did a lot of reading and research on what London had to offer in terms of shopping. Knowing I would be by myself the week I was in London, the last thing I wanted to do was end up alone in a dodgy area. I also had the benefit of having a lot of Twitter followers who are quite familiar with London. Between their recommendations and the tour books I read I had a rough wish list of places to visit before I even left home.

 

One of the places that was at the top of my list was Portobello Market in Notting Hill. Not usually one for flea markets, the write ups and recommendations from people made me feel like this was a must see. I was told I had to go on a Saturday as that is when clothing is the main attraction. So off I went. Figuring out of my own what tube station to get off at (Notting Hill Gate) and then following the crowd to the entrance of the market I was pleasantly surprised to see the wide variety of wares for sale. Booth after booth of clothes, accessories, antiques, food and art, even if I wasn't interested in shopping the atmosphere and variety of products would have made it worth the trip.
I didn't have anything in particular in mind to buy, I really didn't know what I would find when I got there. I found I got caught up in the atmosphere though and pretty soon I was trying on dresses over my clothes, trying to judge the look and fit through some tiny mirror someone held up for me and turning over 13 pounds for a nice dress I have yet to wear but hope to this summer.

My finds at Portobello Market, 1 dress, 2 scarves, 2 pairs of earrings. Total spent: 24 pounds

It felt like this street went on forever and even though it was late afternoon, the crowds were still out in full force. I walked the entire street to have a look at everything being offered and then on my way back to where I started picked up a few more items. I bought 2 scarves, one for 6 pounds and another for 2 pounds, and 2 pairs of earrings that were 2 pounds each. I could have bought a lot more but it was only my first day of shopping and I wanted to save some money for later in the week.

 

In addition to Portobello Market, the retail shops in the area were also open and they had some cool things as well. I was drawn to a Kurt Geiger store with all their shiny shoes on display as well as the Allsaints Spitalfields store where the walls of antique sewing machines on display made for some very cool decorating.

 

 

All in all I loved my afternoon in Portobello Market. If you get a chance to go leave lots of time for the market itself, you don't want to rush through it and then take some time to visit the regular retailers in the area. I also walked around taking pictures of Notting Hill. The homes were so stunning!
Here is my favourite one, I loved the colourful townhouses:

Chances are if I find myself back in London I will definitely be back at Portobello.

Portobello Market is also known for great antique shopping. If that is something you are interested in its worth a visit. Here is a website for more information:
http://www.portobellomarket.org/