My goal for the last few weeks of summer is to spend more time outdoors. This hopefully means more trips to farmer’s markets, dining al fresco, swimming in lakes, iced tea on patios, and long late night walks. It’s been an intense, but satisfying, couple of months working like crazy on my summer book recipes and I’m hoping to wrap them up within the next week or two. It’s time to get outside and give my pale skin a kick of vitamin D before it’s too late.
This past weekend I fulfilled many of these goals. On Friday, Eric and I checked out West Elm – my very first time stepping foot in this store. I didn’t even realize we had a West Elm in Canada! Major oversight.
I hear they have gorgeous furniture, but I don’t remember seeing anything except the dish section.
I fell in love with this owl mug the size of my head.
I’ve been delighting Eric with “morning owl” jokes ever since.
Unfortunately, he hates morning owls.
Coincidentally, West Elm just happens to be in the area of Fresh restaurant (on Crawford). I ordered the Macro Greens bowl with tofu and my fav Liver Flush beet juice. Eric had his go-to veggie burger & fries and a strawberry, peach, mango smoothie. We enjoyed a great meal on the patio.
(I selected the Green dressing to go with it, but I think a bowl so simple needs a dressing more substantial – like a thick tahini dressing. I will probably try that next time.)
We kicked off Saturday morning with a trip to St. Jacob’s Farmer’s market. I used to go here a lot when I was younger and my family lived in Cambridge. It’s been at least 15 years since I’d last been and Eric had never been before, so we figured it was time to go! It was rammed with people all trying to stay cool in the sweltering sun.
If you aren’t familiar with St. Jacob’s market – it’s massive with an antique market, outdoor markets, flea markets and more.
It’s amazing to see the market through my 29 year old eyes versus my 12 year old eyes. I surely didn’t appreciate its beauty fully back then.
I left with a basket of beets, strawberries, plums, and an armful of green and yellow zucchini.
Early Saturday evening, Ange came over and we celebrated her birthday at Paradiso restaurant here in Oakville. I had my favourite Portobello steak dish which never disappoints! We also dined on the patio…it was such a great evening.
On Sunday, I recipe tested until 2ish and then Eric and I headed to visit Steve and Joanne at their new house in Toronto. They live walking distance to the beach now – check it out!
On the walk back to their place, we popped into a vegan bakery called Tori’s Bakeshop. I bought this sundried tomato, basil, and olive scone for us to share on the drive home. It was good even though I’m not a big olive fan – fresh and fluffy, with a strong bite.
Sketchie also recharged his batteries this weekend in a new hiding spot – tucked in behind a bunch of artwork. It took us a good 10 minutes to find this little guy!
I swear he’s rolling his eyes at me.
It’s hard to believe Labour Day long weekend is almost here (and our 4th wedding anniversary this Friday!). We’re off to my in laws place on Saturday to soak up every last bit of sunshine before taking the boat and dock out of the water for another year. Bittersweet!
Coming up, another how-to post – stay tuned…
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{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t believe you haven’t been to West Elm with all of the awesome dishes you have! Did ya spend a lot of money like I do when I go? ;-) So jealous of that farmers market. I would be in heaven!
Perhaps Sketchie is trying to tell you his inner Picaso wants to come out. You should totally put some non-toxic paint on his paws and let him “paint” you a pic on canvas!
It sounds like we have some perfect weather in store for you to get in all your last minute summer activities!! St. Jacobs is a place I haven’t been to in years. I must change that because the farmers market looks fantastic!
I love posts like this and a glimpse into what your corner of the world looks like – all that produce is gorgeous and how cool are those roses!
And yes, keep me out of West Elm. Ahem. It’s my #1 store for my furniture and home decor. Well, tied with Anthro :)
Wow!! I’m shocked that it was your first time to West Elm!!! I will drive into TO from Hamilton just to go there!! I didn’t realize there was a fresh restaurant close by, I will have to check it out next time!!!
What gorgeous photos! I grew up in Oakville and I loved Paradiso before I went vegan, haven’t tried them since; good to know they gave you a good vegan meal. Thanks for sharing. The other week, my family and I had a wonderful vegan meal at Alhambra in Bronte. The vegetarian tajine was absolutely amazing.
Tori’s Bakeshop is only my must-try list! I hear there are vegan croissants there! :)
I totally missed the croissants!
Thanks for the tip about Alhambra, I’ll have to check it out.
Oh my gosh. Those flowers made me catch my breath!!
Nice goal to spend more time outside — I’ve been trying to do the same while weather permits!
Your farmers market puts our to SHAME! I would be there every weekend if it were close by =) I’m dying for that scone though- was it really as big as it looked in the picture? I also have a West Elm close by but have never been in but I’m sold on the idea of checking it out tomorrow after seeing that owl mug!
Gorgeous photos! Love seeing all that yummy local farmers market food!
You’re absolutely right – I definitely don’t remember the St. Jacobs market looking so inviting when I was a teenager! My parents still live in Cambridge but I moved away 13 years ago…and haven’t been back to the market since. Will put it on my list for next summer’s visit for sure.
Angela you live in such beautiful place! The market looks lovely, and seems like you have lots of healthy options all around :)
Those roses in the first photo are incredible!
I’ve never heard of West Elm but it looks like a mix of Anthropologie + IKEA. In other words – I would become totally obsessed and lose all of my money there like some Vegas casino :/
Oh you were shopping in my hood! I live right beside West Elm so it’s great that I can always find odds and ends in the sale section! I NEED to go to that Farmer’s Market it looks even better than Brickworks!!
ps. I went to The Ex for lunch yesterday and there were at least 3 vegan places in the food building to balance out all the insane bacon concoctions. Progress!
Really? That’s fantastic!! All I heard about on the news was the deep fried stuff…good to know there are options :)
There’s nothing worse than looking for a cat who doesn’t want to be found, only to have him roll his eyes (or laugh) at you. Sketchie is so beautiful!
What beautiful photos! I had never heard of a savory scone before – must try that. Also, the grill marks on those tomatoes!
St Jacob’s is great!
I often go there on Sat. mornings.
It’s a great place for food and for people watching.
Your cat is so darn gorgeous!!
All the food at the market looked divine especially the cherries in large amounts! The steak with the huge mushroom looked really yummy too.
Glad you enjoyed the weekend with your hubby!!
Happy Early Anniversary Ange (and Eric!!!!!) Congratulations on another year. It looks like you’re doing a fabulous job on the ‘get outside more often’ goal. Your photos are making me think another trip to St Jacob’s is in order soon. It’s only like 5 minutes from my house so I don’t know why I don’t go more often! I’m also going to have to make a trip to West Elm… I’ve got spoon envy! ;)
I have two of those owl mugs from West Elm too!! I love them :-) Only I had to order them online because I’m not lucky enough to have a store near me….I would be in trouble if I did lol. Gorgeous photos in this post as well!
wow! what a beautiful market!!
Your pictures at the market are gorgeous!
I’ve dreamed of going to Fresh restaurant since I bought their cookbook what feels like eons ago. With our recent move to Montreal, I will definitely, most certainly be making my way over to check it out.
Looks like you accomplished your goal to enjoy the outdoors, and took some fabulous photos along the way. Those are the best days – camera in hand, scone in pocket, enjoying the streets of your favorite city… fun!
Those roses are so cool!
Beautiful pictures. :)
If you ever have a chance, though I know you live a little far, you should try and go to the market on Tuesday or Thursday. It’s so much more quiet and you really get a chance to talk to the farmers about their veggies and learn more about where they’re coming from.
I hope you’re able to go back soon! It’s such a nice market over the summer!
I am totally jealous of all this patio-sittin’ going on. :)
I love st Jacobs market. I go there at least once a week…..I live down the street! As great as it is though you do have to be careful who you buy from as there are quite a few vendors who do not sell local produce. That drives me nuts because it kinda defeats the purpose of a farmers market…to support local farmers! If I wanted to buy produce from California I would go to the local grocery store where I could get it cheaper. I love looking at all the yummy food tho and coming home with arm loads of it! And where did you get the flowers? They’re really cool.
The flowers were at the market – didnt buy any!
I know what you mean about the farmer’s markets. I find all of them are like that around here.
Those cherries look amazing! They’ve been so good lately.. def their season :)
I went to Toronto for the first time last month and stopped by Fresh because you post about it so often – it.is.amazing. I wish we had one in Boston!
I love the look on Sketchie’s face! He looks so concerned and worried!
The other day my fiance made me the most amazing dinner, shepherds pie and pull apart biscuits. I couldn’t believe how great it was!!! He sent me the recipes to print at work and they were YOURS!! So amazingly delicious. New staple in our house. Thank you!!
I feel like I must be living under a rock because I’ve never heard of West Elm before! I adore that owl mug you got though.
Also my parents used to drag me to St. Jacob’s when I was younger too! I remember I used to get so cranky because I thought it was so boring. Oh how the times have changed!
I absolutely LOVE that owl mug! I loved it so much that I’ve already looked it up and I’m planning on buying it! Do you happen to know how many fluid ounces it holds? It lists dimensions on the website but doesn’t tell me how much tea I can fit into it! If you know, that would be great!
Lovely pictures Angela! It looks like you guys had a really fun weekend :) I really need to get outside and enjoy the summer weather more too. I feel there isn’t as big of a rush for me though because I live in Los Angeles and this weather will last until October lol, but still thaks for the reminder to take breaks from work and enjoy nature. Oh and happy almost anniversary!! 4 years is awesome :)!
Thanks Catherine! :) Enjoy your time outdoors.
Those roses are cool. Happy Anniversary!
What an amazing-looking market! It’s definitely making me hungry…
Sounds like a wonderful few days! I’m jealous of all the vegan restaurants you seem to have by you… here there are only a couple, and only one raw/vegan that I know of (and almost an hour away!). Such a disappointment in my otherwise very eclectic town.
Congrats on the 4 year anniversary coming up!
I’ve never been to St. Jacobs market!! I honestly want to check out a bigger and better market than the one in my hometown (yes, it’s cozy, but so small haha). Those cherries caught my eye!!
I bought some zucchinis this past weekend too, but I have yet to use them!! Mine are confused – most are yellow AND green. I appreciate a good colour-challenged zucchini though ;)
I can’t believe summer is almost over, too. I really don’t want it to end!
Wow!
I can’t believe the pics you posted. They look so perfect and surreal.
I wish I lived in that market!
Hi Angela,
I just wanted to tell you that I just came across your blog on Monday and I have hardly been able to pry myself away since then. I have read everything and have compiled a grocery list based off your recipes. You are brilliant! I am not a vegan but I always am looking for healthy recipes and ways to make food look, taste, and be healthy for myself and my family.
We just moved from Phoenix, AZ to Broken Arrow, OK.I have 3 boys ages 8, 5, & 3. I made them your pancakes today and yum they were soooo good! Everyone loved them. Anyway I could type for hours. I homeschool my boys and we just started last week for the school year and this week we haven’t done one full day of school yet because I have been totally distracted with changing the way we eat. We need it desperately! I can’t wait to try the Green Monster,,,and everything else! Ok I must get off the computer the picture of the roses are amazing! Also I was wondering if you had a recipe for the Hawaiian Stir Fry with Coconut rice? I found it on the Kid friendly page.
Thanks for all you do! You are an inspiration!
Amber Chambers
Thank you so much Amber! That means the world to me. :) It sounds like you are well on your way to making some great changes!
As for the recipe, you can find it here: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/07/09/grilled-tofu-with-pineapple-salsa-and-coconut-rice/ enjoy!
I’m so excited to try Fresh! :) My boyfriend and I leave early tomorrow morning from Ohio heading towards Toronto for a long weekend! Neither one of us have been to Canada and are super excited. We’re also seeing Niagra Falls from the Canadian side. Seriously, cannot wait! :)
Farmer’s markets are great! I didn’t start going to them until my mom took me to my first one a couple of years ago. It almost makes me feel like I picked the produce myself. Sketchie cracks me up! You ought to do a post from his point of view one day….I’d LMAO!
Wow, I JUST finished eating the macro greens with tofu steak for dinner, it’s one of my go-to at Fresh; next time try it with the Powerhouse dressing…
My husband’s family lives in Cambridge and I’ve never been to St. Jacob, I’m totally requesting a trip to the market next time we head to Cambridge on a Saturday!
I love the picture of sketchie!
Also: juuust curious, what do you and Eric (or other people reading this!) consider a good amount to spend on a meal out per person? I just got married and we are eating out at veggie places and I’m just curious what other people consider a good amount! if that’s too personal you may ignore me <333
I think it really depends on the restaurant – the food, quality, consistency, service, atmosphere, etc.
Dannng I don’t think we have markets that awesome over where I live!! Look at that beautiful produce~I seriously think that veggies and fruits are some of the most beautiful things to photograph–of course, after people/nature :P And I love it when cats sit like that, haha!
I love the owl mug!! I don’t know why, real owls creep me out, but any sort of owl design I find adorable!
Beautiful pictures from the farmer’s market! Thanks for sharing.
Hi! This is my first time commenting – I’ve been reading your blog for awhile – not only are you an amazing photographer, great writer, and talented chef, but I’ve long loved the Canadian content! Most of the healthy living blogs I read are written by Americans, which is cool, but I always get Trader Joes-envy haha…I love seeing your photos of President’s Choice ingredients or brands I recognize from Sobeys or Loblaws! Anyways, once I saw this post I knew I had to comment – I’m also from Cambridge and I go to the St Jacob’s farmer’s market a lot. I love it! I had no idea you used to live in Cambridge. What a small world! Anyways, this comment is getting very long but I just wanted to say hi and thanks for such a cool vegan and Canadian blog!
Hey Katie! Yes, small world indeed! Thank you so much for your comment – I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoy the blog. Thats all I could ask for! I can also relate to you TJ’s envy… :) take care
Great pic of Sketchie.
Both eats and places look wonderful! Hope you had a great weekend :)
Great photos! And it’s so cool that you went to St Jacobs, I live in K/W and go there quite often for local fruits and veggies! It’s the best! :) Love your blog by the way!
Thank you Abby! Maybe we will run into each other sometime ;)
The fresh fruits and vegetables looks delicious. Being pregnant anything fresh looks delicious. We have a couple small farmers markets around my home but this looks like heaven! Oh, and the olive, sun dried tomato and basil scone looks amazing! By the way, I love the kitty. So adorable! Thanks for sharing!
Angela, were those roses cut roses standing in a planter of water? Or were they a rose plant? The container made them look like a rose plant, but that seems impossible.
Beautiful work. Thank you! Keep sharing!
I think they were standing in a planter of water :) But it’s a bit foggy now! hah
Yah, since doing my own research online subsequently, I’m sure they were standing in water. They are beautiful!
hello!
I recently discovered your blog and love it!! Have been toying with the idea of starting my own. But what really had me excited was St. Jacobs Market, im at student at Waterloo and dream of going!! I also saw Oakville which is my hometown! Too funny!
Small world! :)
While researching roasting pumpkin seeds, I came across your blog about visiting Vancouver. Beautiful night photos, even though they are tone mapped. Back in the ’70’s, I lived next to Stanley Park in Vancouver and the “Beaches” area in Toronto. Both areas were at the forefront of “alternate” restaurants and food stores. Now living in southern California. Not a vegan, but everyone can’t be perfect:)
If you come to London, try Tibits Vegan restaurant. Come check it out here; http://www.collatedstyle.com/home/review-of-tibits-vegan-restaurant-in-london
x
Hi, Does anyone knows if there is any vegan ready to eat food at St. Jacob’s market?? Would like to take the kids there and spent a day there.