Sunday, July 18, 2010

Cote D'or Experience vs. Sensation bar!

I have been trying to located one of the mysterious Cote D'or Experiences chocolate bars for the longest time.
They are very tricky to find as they look exactly like the regular Cote D'or orange bar-same size and thickness too.
Now, you are probably wondering what is the big difference with this bar?
Even the images on the label are the same.
The big difference is the Experiences bar has an orange truffle center, while the Sensations bar is just dark chocolate with bits of candied orange.
Both bars are good, and I made the mistake recently of buying the Sensations bar at the drugstore thinking it was the truffle centre bar.

I have only been able to find this tasty bar at European deli type stores lately.
The Experiences bar is very delicate and tasty because the truffle part is very thin in between what is crunchy dark chocolate with 70% cocoa.

Another way to identify this elusive bar is by the writing at the bottom of the label.
"Orange flavored dark chocolate with a rich orange centre", "Chocolate noir aromatise a l'orange fourre d'une truffe riche a l'orange".

If you get a chance to try this bar, it is amazing.
Also pairs well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A nice dessert presentation would be a scoop of ice cream and one square of this bar as a decoration in the same dish!

Free Milano pizza every Tuesday in Ottawa!

I read about this generous offer in the local paper.
There was an article that stated that Milano pizza would be giving away free pizza in Ottawa when you ordered through the website:
http://pages.just-eat.ca/free-pizza/

Better hurry as there is a limit of 200 pizzas per Tuesday!
If this offer seems too good to be true, Milano Pizza is also donating $1 for each free pizza ordered to the Ottawa food bank through this promotion.

http://www.emcottawasouth.ca/20100715/business/Free+pizza+serves+up+smiles+for+the+Ottawa+Food+Bank

So looks like you better order quite quickly to take advantage of this.

M2 Body Refinish 15% like a pedicure for my feet!

I got this body treatment lotion in my last order from www.skincarerx.com
Not too familar with the M2 brand yet, so went online to read up on some reviews and almost all of them were overwhelmingly positive.
My thoughts were that either this is an overhyped product or it is really great.
After trying the M2 Body Refinish on my feet I was amazed at how well the light cream actually worked.
My feet were no longer rough and my heels were as smooth as if I had just had a pedicure.
Trying the cream on my very dry elbows also had the same result-my elbows were velvty soft!
So, if you have an issues with dry feet,elbows or marks on the skin you want to improve this cream is sure to help.
And if you do not have the funds for pedicures or do not enjoy them- just use the M2 Body Refinish and look just like you had a pedicure!
The M2 brand creams might seem expensive,but considering you only need to use a very small amount every week it is very resonable in price for the results!
All I can say is run out and buy this, it will solve your rough and dry skin issues!


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Haitai Almond Cracker....from Korea!

These crackers were found when I was randomly wandering through the Independent (Loblaws company) grocery store.
The crackers were in a bin near the cracker section and there was a sale price on the bin.
As I had never seen these crackers before and that there was Korean writing on the box, they had to go into my grocery cart.
The crackers I am talking about are called Haitai Almond Cracker.
The box shows that there are 6 individually wrapped packages inside and that there is "almond slice added".
Each package has 6 crackers inside that are the size of the typical soda-type cracker.
Another nice to know fact is that each package has only 103 calories, so these can be eaten almost every day if you like!
Now on to the actual tasting of the Haitai almond crackers...
The crackers are very light just like a soda cracker and the top has some thinly sliced almonds and some sugar on top, along with a tiny bit of salt.
I just had the crackers plain and they were tasty.
The side of the box suggests that these are nice to have with cheese and a glass of wine or for a brunch whith some jam and fruit.
These crackers would be very good to have topped with a cheese like mozzarella and a mild cheddar, a brie could also be very tasty.
I will be getting these crackers again as they are different from what is usually available at the grocery store.
If you've tried any of the Haitai brand crackers, I'd be curious to know your thoughts!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rainbow carrots at the Ottawa Farmer's Market!

On Sunday I had the chance to go to the Ottawa Farmers Market.
There are always some different and interesting vegetables to buy there.
This weekend I happen to luck out on getting some very colourful carrots.
As you can see from the picture there are some yellow carrots, as well as beige, purple and the regular orange ones too!
What was quite surprising was that that these tasted just like the usual carrots you find at the grocery store.
These do add a lot more color to a salad or your dinner plate.
I'm not too sure what vendor I got these from, but several people were selling carrots like these.
The cost for the rainbow carrots was $5.
That might sound like it is expensive, but I did get at least 2 pounds of carrots and these were very sweet and did not need to be peeled to enjoy them.

The Ottawa Farmers Market is located at Lansdowne Park and is open Sundays from 8-3pm and Thursdays 12-7pm.
I have only gone there on Sundays and was told there are more vendors during the weekend.
On Sunday there was also a lot of baked goods and some local restaurants that had dishes available to eat at home.
The website for the Farmer's Market is at:
http://www.ottawafarmersmarket.ca/

Friday, July 2, 2010

Malak Pastry Gelato and Ashta ice creams review! Yum!

I've been passing by this small pastry shop on Bank street for quite some time and finally found the time to stop and try the gelato and baklava that is freshly made in store.
I've sampled and bought at least a dozen kinds of gelato and sorbet and will write about that for this post.
For people who do not like dairy products there is usually a large selection of different sorbet made daily.
There is a pineapple sorbet that is very refreshing and has small bits of pineapple in it. I really noticed that this sorbet is different from what you find at the grocery store as there was real bits of fruit and no artificial colors in this sorbet was a white shade.
Mixed berry sorbet- that one was a dark purple shade and I'm guessing there was raspberry,blueberry and blackberry in it. It was quite sweet,but also nice with all the fruits in it.

The gelato I tried on my last visit was Banana gelato!
I did not buy this as I already had 2 small containers of gelato to bring home,but sampling this in the store the banana taste was very light and refreshing almost.
The banana gelato was a light beige shade and it seems there was a lot of real fruit in that too.

Now onto my gelato purchases!
Ashta "gelato" this is a type of Arabic custard like cream that is seasoned with rosewater and has either pistachios or roasted almonds in the mixture.
As well Ashta ice cream is thickened with a kind of tree gum that comes from Balsam (found this out speaking to the older man that works there).
This ice cream is very different from what the other places in Ottawa are making and I really recommend that people in that area of Bank st make a trip just to try this treat!
The Ashta ice cream was also nice after a dinner that was very spicy and really cools off your mouth too.
If you are having a dinner party, some of the ice creams from here would surely be a hit.
You can get a small cup for around $3 and other than that the ice creams are sold by the weight and I'd say a 250ml container is around $6
(The picture above,the one with the white ice cream, that one is the Ashta "gelato")..


The next two flavors I bought were Dark Chocolate and the lighter one in this container is Cappucino.
The Cappuccino gelato was quite light in texture and had a rich coffee flavor.
Usually at the grocery store the coffee ice creams there are always quite weak in flavor.
I did not always see this flavor there, so I guess the flavors change weekly.
The darker ice cream in this container was Dark Chocolate gelato.
The ice cream has a much thicker texture similar to the Ashta ice cream. It was also sort of "chewy" for an ice cream,and that made it very different to eat.
Now onto the taste...I found this ice cream to be extremely rich and full of dark chocolate flavor.
Almost like a frozen dark chocolate.
I had a few "chocolate experts" sample the Dark Chocolate ice cream (someone called "Monsieur Chocolat" from out of town) and this chocolate expert thought the ice cream was as rich as a 70% cocoa chocolate bar.
I'd have to say that this would have to be one of the richest chocolate ice creams I have eaten.
For people who do not like such rich chocolate ice creams, there is also a Milk Chocolate version (that I have not tried yet).
I've also been to their Carling Ave store and they did not seem to have any ice cream a few months ago-not sure if that has changed or not as I do not frequent that area often.
The website for Malak Pastry can be found at:
http://www.malakpastry.com/ice_creame.html

Malak Pastry is located at:
1216 Bank St, Ottawa (in the Sunnyside area near Riverdale ave and across from the Subway restaurant).
tel: (613)526-2002

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Colorescience Genie Colore review In My Pink Cadilac!

I just bought the Colorescience Genie Colore eye color a few weeks ago and have been using this a few times a week and liking the results so far.
Genie Colore is a mineral eye makeup and you can make it as dramatic or subtle as you wish.
The bottle is really cute, and what is great is that the applicator is like the liquid eye liners and has a tip to help you apply this without any extra brushes.
The colore In My Pink Cadilac is actually a much lighter pink that in the pictures and it makes a great tool to "wake up your eyes" if you had a long day.
The staying power of this eye powder is good do and it did not fade all day.
Another good thing is that the amount you get is 4x more than Bare Minerals brand.
BM brand you usually get .5 of a gram, while Genie Colore you get a whole 2 grams.
Genie Colore also has a lot of fun shades,while BM has a more "natural" look.

If you get this from SkincareRx they often have sales on this line as well!
I'm going to try more of this line in the future and also find the sunscreen powders by Colorescience are great!

Colorescience Genie Sparkle Colore - In My Pink Cadillac

Nisim F.A.S.T. Shampoo and Conditioner review.

I recently was able to try 2 samples of this shampoo and have liked them enough to write up a review on the F.A.S.T. line of products.
The shampoo and conditioner contain amino acids and vitamins that strengthen your hair and are supposed to help your hair grow longer.
I found the shampoo foamed up well and left my hair feeling very clean and refreshed.
The conditioner left my hair very soft and in good condition. It was nice that the conditioner did not weigh down my curly hair.
Overall I liked the F.A.S.T. shampoo and conditioner (and have not tried any of their other items yet).
I only had enough of the product to use for 2 days, so did not see a big difference in my hair. If it helps Nisim has a money back guarantee on everything they sell!


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Derma Pro Gel Tox like it so far!

I recently received a few sample of Derma Pro Gel Tox.
The Derma Pro packet claims it is a muscle relaxer and wrinkle reducer, safe for all skin types.
It is a gel based formula and I found it absorbed well into the skin and made my skin look plumper.
There is also no smell to this gel and I was able to use this in the eye area too.
Another good thing is that there is no fragrance, it is not likely to bother people (like me) who have very sensitive skin types.
Gel Tox also contains Sodium Hyalronate (hyalronic acid) that helps keep moisture in the skin and makes lines appear to be diminished.
So far I've liked using this product and think it would be good for all skin types.
The price for Derma Pro Gel Tox is $62.80 for a 30ml bottle. That sounds ok for the type of product that it is and not too excessive of a price.
You can find Derma Pro products for sale at:
http://dermapro.com/gel_tox.html


I also have sample of the Derma Pro Pineapple scrub and Ion mask and will be reviewing those later this week!