Travel Guide: 24 Hours in Vancouver

Vancouver – I loved the city before I even visited because… VIEWS. I am 100% a city gal, but I loved the idea of being downtown while also being able to see mountains & have access to nature. This Pacific Northwest city is known to be Canada’s culinary and cultural capital (although, I may put Toronto above that haha). Being surrounded by nature’s natural beauty definitely helps too!

With the downtown city livin’, as well as access to the most beautiful mountains, Vancouver is an extremely coveted city to visit. The one thing I was a little nervous about was about Vancouver’s nickname: ‘Raincover’ – haha, since it apparently rains a lot. Fortunately for me, I was able to experience a rain-free vacation during my time in Vancouver (phew), so that obviously meant I had to spend it all outside!

When I told people I was visiting Vancouver, I received many recommendations including visiting North Vancouver or spending a day in Victoria. However, since I only had 4 days here, I decided to stay right in the downtown core of Vancouver and see what it had to offer in full – so here I am. I put together all my favourite things into one concise 24-hour itinerary in Vancouver for y’all. Enjoy!

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All You Need for the Perfect Italy-Inspired Dinner Party

When I think of Italian cuisine, my mind automatically runs to pasta and charcuterie (specifically prosciutto). If you’re the same as me, you’re in for a real treat. Today, I’m sharing two simple recipes that will blow your dinner party guests away. You’ll start them of with a bouquet of the best types of roses – prosciutto roses, might I add – and end off with a classic cacio e pepe. All of this with a glass of wine? I’m sold! Now let’s get into it.

Prosciutto Roses

First things first, let’s talk ingredients. Here I’m using only the best – Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto di San Daniele. Both of these ingredients have a PDO status, which is a European Union certification that stands for Protected Designation of Origin. It’s “designed to protect the names and traditions of high-quality European foods that are made according to traditional methods in a specific geographic region”. AKA… It’s basically a stamp of approval that you’re getting the best!

In order to know what makes Prosciutto di Parma stand out, we’ll have to go back to its history and region. This prosciutto specifically can only be produced from the hind legs of specially selected pigs that are raised in 11 regions of Italy. They’re of only the ‘highest standards’ and are monitored, inspected, and traced. The only producers of Prosciutto di Parma are in Parma (hence the name, obvs) and they pride themselves of having no additives or preservatives – just sea salt, air and time. Similarly, Prosciutto di San Daniele is also completely natural and is actually matured for at least 13 months exclusively in the San Daniele del Friuli area in Northern Italy.

So now, how do you take a perfectly sliced Prosciutto di Parma or Prosciutto di San Daniele and make it become this?

Let me show you ;)

Honestly, it is that simple. You take the prosciutto, fold it in half, twist it, roll it, and ta da! You can also roll it the traditional way, but what’s the fun in that?

In order to keep it’s shape, place a little dollop of cream cheese on a cracker and place your delicate prosciutto rose on top. My fave combo is either prosciutto from San Daniele or Parma, with herbed cream cheese on a sea salt bagel crisp, sprinkled with chopped up chives on top. Just perfection!

With appetizers as cute as these, they’ll be sure to disappear right before your eyes!

Cacio e Pepe with Grana Padano

Next up – my favourite pasta of all time: Cacio e Pepe, made with Grana Padano PDO.

Cacio e pepe is literally stands for ‘cheese and pepper’, and the ingredients are just as simple as that. All you need is peppercorn, cheese, butter, and a pasta. I personally prefer the bucatini – it’s basically a spaghetti with a hole through the center, which is perfect for sopping up more sauce. But let’s talk about the best cheese for this dish.

Typically, people use parmesan in cacio e pepe; but, I prefer Grana Padano. It makes the sauce more creamy and has a particular nutty flavour to it. Again, Grana Padano holds the PDO certification and is well-recognized in Italy. To break it down, ‘grana’ actually means grainy texture and ‘padano’ is the area in northern Italy it’s produced. Grana Padano is generally aged from 9 to over 24 months, where it gets more grainy and rich in flavour as it’s aged longer. It is also naturally lactose-free!

Oka, all this talk about Grana Padano has got me drooling! 

Here’s how you make my favourite Cacio e Pepe with Grana Padano:

Start by boiling your water for your pasta. The key here is to heavily salt your pasta, as you’ll be using some of the starchy, salty pasta water to create your sauce. Once it starts boiling, throw your pasta in.

While your pasta is cooking, crush your peppercorns and melt butter on your pan. Add in your crushed pepper to the melted butter, and watch it bubble. 

Once your pasta is almost half-way ready, take a scoop of your starchy pasta water and pour it into your pan. It should bubble up immediately. Mix everything and it should thicken your butter and pepper concoction a little bit. You can then add in your pasta to the pan. The KEY is to take the pasta directly from the pot to the pan. You want the pasta water – so do not strain the pasta, remember that!

And now… For the main event, add the CHEESE.

It should start to smell absolutely amaaaazzzzeee right about now, if not before. Immediately incorporate the Grana Padano into your ‘butter/pepper/starch water’ sauce, and you’ll see it start to thicken up right away. The sauce will start looking creamy and silky as you continue mixing.

Continue adding in more cheese and pasta water to get your desired thickness of sauce. Once you think you’re good, add a bit more cheese. NOW, it is ready to plate and eat :)

Oh how I love easy recipes that only use a small number of ingredients! I truly believe that if you have quality ingredients, like these PDO certified Italian delicacies, you are good – to – go! I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Enjoy! Xx

5 Bites of Vancouver, B.C.

Visiting Vancouver for the first time obviously meant that I had to explore the city with my stomach! I've heard a lot of amazing things about the scenery (and it was truly stunning), but not too much about the food. So don't worry - I did the hard work for you guys and put together 5 of my favourite bites I took in Vancouver!

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Pasta - Indulge in an Italian Affair

My ultimate fave food of all time... Italian. Small spots with handmade pasta and a limited menu is something I dieeee for. I mean, I still love places on the other end of the spectrum like Olive Garden but please visit Ask for Luigi. They have about 4-5 dishes on their ever-rotating menu, with 1 to 2 specials each day. From 20 minutes before opening, they always have a line up out the door. We arrived 10 minutes before it opened and was lucky to be included in the first seating. I got my hands on the pappardelle of my dreeeams. I mean, watch it in action!

Price Point: ~$100 CAD for two people

The Easiest Orecchiette Sausage and Broccoli

As a huge pasta lover, this combination has constantly been one of my favourites. I think it's about time I make it at home, instead of spending all my money ordering it out at restaurants! The ingredients are pretty simple here: orecchiette, sausage, broccoli (usually broccolini is used, but I couldn't find it in my grocery store), & some other basics.

Let's get to it, shall we?!

1 - Prep your ingredients 
Cut your garlic, wash your broccoli (or broccolini, if you want to go the traditional route), and take the sausage meat out of the casing. Boil your water for the pasta and broccoli. Heat your pan on medium-high and warm up some oil.

2 - Cook it up!
Pots: Once the water has boiled, place your pasta and broccoli in their respective pots. You only want to blanch the broccoli, as you're going to finish it off in the pan later on. Follow instructions for cooking your pasta and cook it to your liking :)
Pan: Once the oil is heated, add in your garlic. Let that cook for about 30 seconds, and then add in your sausage pieces! Make sure it's broken up. Add in some chili flakes and take in all the aromas.

3 - Mixxy Mixxy
After your sausage is 95% cooked, add in the blanched broccoli, some chili flakes, garlic, and a slab of butter. Mix it all up, and then add in the drained pasta. Add as much parmesan as you'd like, and serve it up!!

Literally the easiest thing ever to make! And it tastes absolutely delish :)

Happy cooking!!! Xx

The Ultimate Travel Guide for Sydney, Australia: Everything Important You Need To Know

Australia has been on my bucketlist since forever, but it always seemed out of reach because it is literally so far. When we saw that there was a flight deal for half the normal airfare cost, we jumped on that opportunity immediately! We've been told how expensive Australia is, so we're extremely happy we were able to find this deal.

And, before we knew it, we were off!! When deciding which cities to visit, Sydney was a no-brainer. The largest city in Australia with an unlimited number of things to do and see (let alone eat)? Yes please!

I spent a lot of time researching what to do in Sydney, and was sad to say that I didn't have enough time to do everything here. It's a glorious place to visit with enough of the city life to explore as well as the 'beach town' vibe to experience. There is always something to do and I could've spent a whole week here! But I've put together a guide that highlights some of the important things that I believe would be helpful if you're planning a trip to Sydney. It includes a number of things I experienced personally and some things I wish I skipped. Enjoy!

Estimated Budget for a Vacation To Australia

As I am sure you have heard, the cost of visiting/living in Australia is high, as Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Of course, people's expectations of how 'much' things cost is relative to the individual, but I thought it would be interesting to total up how much money was spent on my two week trip to Australia. I knew this trip was going to be expensive to begin with, but as an accountant, I would have loved to see an estimated figure haha. So here is that! This can also be used as an estimated budget for how much a couple would need to budget for a trip to Australia. :)

A couple things to note:
• I went for 2 weeks.
• I visited three cities.
• I got an amazing flight deal from my hometown in Toronto, Canada.
• I stayed in hotels - albeit not luxury hotels, but I didn't stay in Airbnbs or hostels.
• I opted for 3 organized day tours.
• I drink and eat a lot haha.
• I'm low key scared to total up how much we spent.

Penguin Paradise in Melbourne, Australia

PENGUINS!!

You can see penguins in Australia! Did you know that?! I didn't until after I started planning my trip to Melbourne, Australia. The penguins that are native to Australia are called the Little Penguins. They can only be found in southern Australia or New Zealand. And yes, as their name gives it away, they are the smallest penguins in allllll the land and it is so easy to see them if you are visiting Melbourne! All you need is a sunset, a warm sweater, and patience (if you go in April like I did). I hope I'm able to convince you from this post that you MUST go see these Little Penguins when you go to Melbourne!

5 Bites of Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, pronounced 'mel-bern', is the capital of Victoria, and is one of the most populated cities in Australia. It's known to being the 'culture' or 'artistic' city of Australia, as it does have many art galleries and exhibition buildings. Melbourne is also home to the Melbourne Cricket Ground - the 10th largest stadium in the world & largest in Australia. But besides all the cool things Melbourne has, food is definitely a priority. What I didn't realize about Melbourne is that there are little pockets of towns within this big city. Our favourites were the downtown CBD core, Carlton, and Fitroy - so without further adieu, here are 5 bites of Melbourne featuring some of my fave spots!

Everything You Need to Know About EMS Training (Electrical Muscle Stimulation)

Did you know that in a normal workout, you only utilize approximately 30% of your muscle's capacity? What if I told you there was a way to work ~90% of your muscle's capacity, burn ~1,000 calories, sweat a little & still feel accomplished and amazing in just 20 minutes?

"Whhhaaaaatttttt?!", you must be thinking. Yes, you read that right. It sounds like cheating, but you are not! I'm not saying that you don't work hard during regular workouts (because hell ya you do)!! But if you can work harder for a short period of time, feel just as accomplished, & work even more of your muscles...
I 👏am 👏here 👏for 👏it.

Let me introduce you to EMS Training, 

available at GoGo Muscle Training located here in Yorkville, Toronto.

How To Survive a Long 20+ Hour Flight

Being on an airplane is so much fun! The food is delicious, and I can’t believe we get unlimited water and coffee. I find the rumbling, constant hum of the engine and stale oxygen to be veryyy soothing. I just love that everyone smells like they haven’t showered in a week. And personally, my favourite thing to do is sleep in a cramped space, while watching movies for 20 hours straight. Please insert the biggest eye roll ever LOL.

Jokes aside, flying has always been very exciting for me – I’ve never been one to be scared or dread the travel portion of going on vacation. And I’ve done my fair share of flying, especially long haul flights to Europe and Asia (6 to 15 hours!). Two years ago, I ‘up-ed’ that and flew to Dubai. That flight was 18 hours, but I was fortunate to be in business class and was pampered by the airline, thankfully.

However, this time was different. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I recently visited Australia – that’s a 22-hour flight guys!! 22 HOURS. 😶 Yes, that’s basically an entire day in the airplane breathing in stale air. Am I going to need to prepare for this? Definitely. Am I going to share how I survived this long flight? Yes & you’re welcome.

I’ve learned a number of things from that long flight to Dubai, which I’ve applied to all my flights since then. But today, I’ve partnered with Secret to share my ultimate guide on how to survive a long flight – including tips on what gadgets to bring and what products you need to ensure you feel & smell good.

Travel Guide: 24 Hours in Sydney, Australia

As the largest city in Australia, Sydney has a never-ending number of things to do, see, eat, and explore – from the stunning coastal walks and beaches to the busy hustle in the central business district. With all the options available, here is a condensed timeline of the ultimate guide of how to spend your time in Sydney, if you only have 1 day in this beauty city. Looking for a most detailed travel guide? Wait for my 3 Day Itinerary travel guide for Sydney that is coming soon!

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The Only Keto Salad You Need: Salmon Zucchini Spinach Salad

This simple 15 minute recipe for the perfect keto salad is honestly the only one you need. Not only is it high fat, high protein, and low carb, it's friggen' delicious. Let me introduce you to my Salmon Zucchini Spinach Salad. And yes, the only ingredients you need are exactly that - salmon, zucchini, and spinach. Did I also mention that this is a one pan recipe?! :)

As I transitioned into the keto diet a couple months ago, the one thing that I found hard was making a high fat meal that didn't include a fat bomb or excessive amounts of heavy cream or cheese. I got this recipe idea from always going to a local restaurant and ordering this exact meal. The ingredients were so simple. Why couldn't  I just make it at home?! So, here I am :)

Here are your list of ingredients you'll need:

• 1 fillet of salmon
• organic spinach
• 1 small zucchini
• a wedge of lemon
• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp of olive oil / avocado oil
• various spices for your salmon
• a pan

And now for the instructions:

Prep - 3 Minutes

1. Place your spinach into a bowl. As you're going to be eating it raw, it's always a good idea to get organic spinach!
2. Wash and cut your zucchini into thick slices, and then again into quarters.
3. Pat down your salmon with paper towel, to get all the excess moisture off. Season the fillet liberally with any spice that you prefer. I chose salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Cooking - 10 minutes

1. Heat your pan on a medium-high heat, and put in your tbsp of butter.
2. Once it starts to bubble up a little & is hot enough, place your salmon in skin-side down. This is very important, as it'll help crisp up your salmon skin and make it a lot easier to flip. It also makes the salmon skin super yummy and crispy.
3. Leave the salmon there for 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. Once you see the sides of it turning white and moving up to the half-way point of your fillet, leave it for 1 more minute and then carefully flip.
4. Once you flip your salmon, be sure to press down on all sides to make sure it touches the pan.
5. Add your zucchinis to the other side of the pan. Season it with whatever you want! I used salt & pepper only.
6. Leave the salmon and zucchini on the pan for another 3 minutes. TIP: Don't move the food around in the pan, as that actually cools down the food and it'll take longer to cook / won't be as crispy on the outside.

Dressing - 1 minute

1. Squeeze your wedge of lemon into a bowl.
2. Add the 1 tbsp of avocado oil and mix. You might need more/less oil depending on how juicy your lemon is.

Final Step - Plate

350 cal, 33.5g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 22g fat

& Viola - there you have it! A quick and easy recipe for a keto meal that is bound to make your tummy happy. Another way to make it an even higher fat meal is to add half an avocado. I usually eat it with half an avocado, but unfortunately my avocados weren't nice to me this week. It's always a toss up on whether I'll be able to eat an avocado or not - you know how it is haha! Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe and try it out at home! Enjoy :)

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How to Avoid the Keto Flu

“The first week of keto is the WORST” is what a couple people messaged me after I announced on Instagram that I was starting the ketogenic diet. I had no idea what they meant at first and thought they were just referring to how it’d be hard for me to stop eating so many carbs haha. But only later did I realize they were talking about the “keto flu”.

The “keto flu” is something that you cannot completely avoid – just from the way our body works! However, there are a couple remedies that I personally found to help significantly.

5 Things to do with your BFF in South Walton

Last summer, I visited Northwest Florida with Krystle & we had a BLAST. One of our favourite stops was South Walton, which is made up of 18.5 miles of beach & 16 cute beachside neighborhoods. I'm here today to share 5 more memories we had with you, and tell you why it's the best spot to visit with your BFF!

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1. Roam around Seaside

Kick off your trip by starting in the cutest South Walton neighborhood. The houses are beautiful & the people are the most friendly! And of course, don't forget to walk out to the beach as well. Seaside was designed so that you were able to walk to the beach within 5 minutes, no matter where you were!

2. Have an ice cream eating contest

There is no better way to beat the heat than with ice cream!

3. Bike around town and explore the neighborhoods

This area was made for walking or biking around. 

I highly recommend renting a bike and just explore the neighborhoods on wheels!

4. Say 'cheese' with a grilled cheese

I'm sorry, but it should be a rule to say yes to a grilled cheese sandwich. Especially if it's gourmet & served to you from Airstream Row!

5. Stay at a luxury resort and have a day by the pool.

The beach is amazing and all, but when you stay at a resort with the most beautiful pool, you have to dedicate some time there!

Enjoy! xo

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Related Northwest Florida Blog Posts:

• 3 Reasons Why You Should Visit South Walton on Highway 30A

• 15 Photos That Will Make You Want To Visit Northwest Florida

• The Ultimate Guide to Pensacola, Florida