Portland is the new Disneyland

I used to think Disneyland was truly the happiest place on earth. I was haunted with dreams of the sugary sweetness that hung in the air like morning dew, the hopeful music drifting through the crowds, and the pastel scenery. I was so completely infatuated with Disneyland as a child, I somehow convinced my parents to take me not once, but 13 times. I never thought I'd find another place that made me feel at home like Disneyland did.

And then I went to Portland. 

The streets were filled with bikes, the stores filled with tax-free finds like records, vintage clothing, and rare books. We stayed in the Ace Hotel, a pleasantly pretentious spot complete with Pendleton blankets on frame-less beds, record players in each room (accompanied by a well balanced vinyl collection) and murals by local artists everywhere and anywhere. It was a sort of hipster haven, and we made ourselves right at home among the mason-jarred cacti and vintage photobooth. The glory of Portland didn't really sink in however, until I asked the hotel concierge where to find tasty vegan food and was met with the reply, "Well in Portland almost every restaurant has vegan options." I had died and gone to heaven. It was just like my Portlandia-laced dreams; and it got better. 

The city itself is a labyrinth of galleries, independent shops, and tiny food carts peddling every international food imaginable. The main portion is split into two by a river flanked by parks, and joined by a number of bridges that each seem to have their own distinct personalities. We wandered from early morning to late night, determined to see everything this dreamy city had to offer. With a little help from Abi at Vanilla and Lace, we found great coffee at Stumptown, a vegan strip mall, and gorgeous little streets like Mississippi Avenue that would've otherwise gone unnoticed. Here's the best of what I saw:

An amazing stuffed mushroom loaf on fluffy mashed potato with greens and salted caramel ice cream from Portobello, a well-loved vegan Italian spot. We also tried walnut cheese stuffed sweet peppers. 

One of the four shops in the vegan strip mall, Sweet Pea Bakery offers $10 all you can eat Sunday Brunch. When I visited, the special was biscuits and gravy; it was probably the best breakfast I've ever had.

This may look like your average alfredo, but look a little closer and you may be able to see its brilliance. It's a vegan raw pasta dish with zucchini noodles, tomato, broccoli, greens, and cashew cream alfredo sauce. All for under $10 at Prasad, a tiny restaurant located inside a massive yoga studio. 

Probably the highlight of my visit: a plethora of vegan donuts from Vodoo Donuts, which is probably the busiest and most awesome donut place ever. They also offer vegan cream-filled "cock and balls" donuts... I'm sure you don't need a photo to get the picture. 

Overall, Portland was like visiting a grown up, vegan fairy tale. The people were as friendly as huge stuffed characters, and although there was no castle, I found the same giddy feeling in Portland that I had once felt walking into Disneyland as a child; I'm already dreaming of going back.

Xox

Between Shoe and I

You Scream, I Scream... What? Vegan Ice Cream!

As we slide into the last month of summer, the joys of sun and heat have faded, and I think it's safe to say we're all looking forward to the first breeze of fall. One summer splendor I can never get enough of however is ice cream; there's something so lovely about a creamy, just-blended milkshake or a freshly scooped cone that I never cease to crave. Sadly, being vegan, the options for such luxuries are almost always limited to fruit gelato, and even then there's no guarantee it's actually dairy free. Every summer I get into the habit of sacrificing my veganism for a cone or two... but the sacrificing has come to an end!

The extremely delicious Sadie's Diner has opened a tiny new sister spot in Kensington market... and oh my, is it ever sweet!

With popsicles, every variation of ice cream bar, floats, milkshakes, smoothies, Tofutti ice cream cones, and home made ice cream on the way, Sadie's Ice Cream Bar is a little patch of heaven for the overheating vegan. Pop in and see for yourself at 146 Baldwin Avenue in Kensington Market.

I'm sure I'll see you there!

Between Shoe and I

Can it

When the temperature rises in Toronto, fashion rules melt faster than ice cubes; now is the time when our least favorite pants loose half their length at the mercy of dull scissors, and bathing suit tops become a perfectly acceptable daily option, even in the heart of downtown. With all this heat, the cozy layers and thick knits of fall have been far from my mind. Instead, I've been focusing on something, well, a little more... what's the right word?

I'm somehow turning into a housewife.

The reality of this strange personality development became all too clear when I noticed the only things on my birthday list this year were wine glasses, a floral armchair, and a swiffer wet jet. I'm nesting. And so it only makes sense that a few weeks ago, on one of the hottest days of the year, my best friend and I chose not to go out to the beach or the park, but to stay inside slaving over multiple boiling, spewing pots.

That's right. We canned.

After eight hours of work, four trips to the store, and numerous excruciating burns, we had zesty salsa, sweet corn relish, and my personal favorite, strawberry jam.

In case you're feeling like you too need a little housewife time in your life, here's our foolproof recipe for a little bit of canned sweetness that will last right through the next three seasons, unlike your new Chanel sandals.

You'll Need:

4 cups of sugar (we used plain white sugar)
4 cups mashed strawberry (aka. 2 pounds)
1/4 cup of lemon juice

*This will make about two small jars of jam. If you want to make more (which, let's face it, you do) multiply the recipe accordingly, always keeping equal parts sugar and berries.

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the three ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir constantly until the texture thickens and begins to resemble jelly (this can take a LONG time so be patient and wary of boiling blobs of strawberry landing on your feet). Transfer the jam to sterile jars (all pieces of the jar must be boiled for a minute immediately before) and leave about half an inch of space at the top. Put on the lid tightly and submerge your jars in a hot water bath for about 25 minutes to seal them, and tada! Instant housewife!

At some point the temperature will become reasonable and we can all start dreaming of our favorite scarves, but until then, happy canning!

xox
Between Shoe and I

Quasi Quebecois?

I've fallen victim to sporadic posting lately as a result of my insane schedule; now juggling school, work, my internship at WORN and working as managing editor at a new print magazine launching next month (more info coming soon!), I've gotten in a little bit over my head to say the least.  

Enough with excuses: Please forgive me for this extremely outdated long-lost Montreal post and stay tuned for my coverage this week of Toronto's LG Fashion Week!

Although I spent most of my time in Montreal with locals embarrassing myself trying to speak French, there were moments when Erika and I branched off and got a little bit too touristy.  The result was an unreasonable number of desserts, gigantic platters of poutine, fresh bagels and a ride on a terrifying ice slide where we were surrounded by giddy children.  

Although I did feel a bit stereotypical eating a maple syrup snow-pop and strolling the streets of Old Montreal with a camera around my neck, I made some of my favorite memories seeing Montreal tourist style... minus the smoked meat. 

Between Shoe and I