Last week I was invited to hang out at Second Cup on King and learn about how to make the perfect Flat White. The flat white is a fav in Australia and New Zealand, something I’m very familiar with!  When I lived in Australia, each morning I’d ride my bike over to the Le Paris Go cafe in Bondi Beach and get a flat white to start my day. I’m so glad it’s made it’s way to Canada! Nicole from She Does the City, me, Wendy from Hip Urban Girl, Nicole from Dainty Girl The girls and I sat down at the coffee bar with Second Cup’s in-house coffee expert and curator Pat Russell, Senior Product Developer. Pat has been with Second Cup since 1996, so he REALLY knows his stuff. A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Sep 8, 2015 at 6:55am PDT The flat white is known for its smooth texture which highlights the true taste of the espresso, without any bitterness or excess of milk. It features a double shot of Second Cup’s rich Espresso Forte, velvety steamed milk, and a thin layer of micro-foam. I prefer a flat white over a latte because it has less milk.  (I had a lactose allergy growing up so I try to do have too much milk these days.) If you’re not a milk drinker, you can request your flat white be made with almond or soy milk for a bit of added sweetness and nutty flavour.  Another thing to note is the Flat White is only available in one size – an 8oz/250 ml cup – this is to preserve the proper ratio of espresso to milk. How a Flat White is Different than Other Coffee Drinks I invite you to switch up your coffee routine and try a Second Cup Flat White…

If you’re new here or you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’ll be well aware just how much I love to cottage. I like spending weekends in Muskoka, on the dock, on the boat, tanning, floating, or cooking up a big feast for our guests. I’ve partnered with Shoppers Drug Mart to share a few of my cottage weekend essentials. One of the neat things about this post, my next post about The Perfect Summer Road Trip and working with Shoppers Drug Mart is, I’m truly an expert in their products. I used to work at Shoppers in my hometown! I spent the better part of evenings and weekends behind the cosmetics counter during college. Ok, now onto a few items to make.. THE PERFECT COTTAGE WEEKEND: President’s Choice S’mores Bites: No cottage weekend is complete without S’mores. Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF 45 – This is a great sunscreen. Dove Revive Dry Spray Antiperspirant: Quick spray after SPF/bug spray and you’re ready to roll. Off! Deep Woods Dry Insect Repellant – Cottage ESSENTIAL. Life Brand Allergy Caplets – Being in the woods can be a wonderful thing, unless you get allergies. St. Ives Naturally Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion:  Swim and sun can dry out our skin. A long day in the sun can be really draining, it’s hard work being cottage fabulous! It’s really important to make sure you stay hydrated, drink lots of water, and ALWAYS wear sunscreen. Even if it’s not sunny! I like this Neutrogena product because it’s dry and not greasy. I keep this Dove antiperspirant in the shared bathroom because aside from smelling nice, the spray means any of our guests can have a little spritz should they need it. Wink, wink. I recommend wearing this bug spray with deet in the daytime, not just at night.…

Love beer? Love food? Love summer? Love rock n’roll? Who doesn’t!? The Brewers Plate is a local sustainable feast celebrating TO’s breweries, chefs, farmers, and food artisans. It takes place May 13th, 2015 at Corus Quay. So, put May 13 in your calendar (Wednesday next week) and go buy a  Brewers Plate ticket right NOW. It’s a one-of-a-kind evening of unique food and beer pairings from 20 Top Toronto Chefs and 20 Top Ontario Brewers. Once you get a ticket ($95) you can eat/drink as much as you can handle (responsibly of course tho).  Last year’s event was sold out. Text this post to your BFF, BF, parent, or a pal you’ve not seen in a while and say ‘wanna go to 🍻🍛??” For tickets, click HERE. 🎫 To see what chefs are coming, click HERE. 🍔🍢🍤 To see the line up of brewers, click HERE. 🍻 🍻 The theme is ROCK N’ ROLL and I suggest pairing your fav band t-shirt with jeans, maybe a blazer? Thinking I might bust out this Iron Maiden shirt in some type of stylish summery fashion. Kinda like this but no tights. To make it even BETTER, the night supports a great cause, Friends Of The Greenbelt Foundation.  Check out all the sponsors and more about the event at brewersplatetoronto.org. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS THERE! 💛☀️ CASIE WIN 2 TICKETS TO BREWERS PLATE NEXT WEEK! a Rafflecopter giveaway