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February 22, 2013

The Magic Rolling Pin

soundslikeknock Restaurants charming, date night, high tea, peterborough, Peterborough restaurants 2 Comments

I can’t believe I almost ended my Peterborough experience without a stop to the Magic Rolling Pin! It’s a place you might easily miss as it’s tucked away a little bit in a residential area… this adorable quaint house turned restaurant is full of warmth and grandmothery (definitely not a word but the only appropriate way to describe this place) charm.

Think doilies, fresh flowers, floral printed couches, fine china, and the sweetest servers ever.

I’m not a huge fan of chicken, crepes (unless I’m in Paris) or fruit in an entrée so I was a little sceptical when our server suggested the grilled chicken crepes but her voice was so trusting that I went ahead and ordered it. And goodness was I ever happy I did. Grilled chicken, carmalized onions, apple and havarti layered inside their homemade crepes, and covered in a rich cream sauce. Every single bite put a smile on my face. On the side, they had a beautifully presented salad drizzled with their homemade poppy seed dressing.
The whole experience reminded me of when I lived with my gramma and would come home after work to the most amazing home cooked meals.

I usually opt out of dessert as I’m much more partial to savoury and salty over sweets. However, the displays of home baked goodness at the front were just too delicious to pass up. I had a raspberry coconut delight which is a tart filled with raspberry jam and coconut custard that was just the right amount of sweet and crumbly. I’m craving another one as I type this now. For only $2/tart, I really regret not ordering a bunch to take home.

The Magic Rolling Pin is also a great place if you just want to meet up with a friend for a spot of tea. Their premium loose leaf tea is served in the sweetest little tea cups.

I absolutely loved loved loved everything about this place and want so badly to go back! Definitely on my list of things to do next time I find myself back in Peterborough.

They have fairly short hours and are usually very busy so make sure you make a reservation as to not be disappointed!

The Magic Rolling Pin

302 King Street,

Peterborough, Ontario
Monday-Friday 11-5

Saturday 10:30-4

P: 705-745-6556

February 1, 2013

Sympathy for the Rebel

soundslikeknock Uncategorized downtown peterborough, edgy fashion, peterborough, pre-loved, second hand, sympathy for the rebel, Thrift store 5 Comments

The exposed brick walls and the wooden crates and shelves gives the shop a rawness that I completely love. And then add in eclectic and edgy decor to really give the place a rock and roll, mod, and just downright edgy atmosphere.

Don’t even get me started on their incredible shoe selection. Cow boy boots and for $20-30 a pair!

I’m always a little conflicted when it comes to fur but I’ve decided that wearing second hand is ok. This incredible fur shawl was only 60 dollars.

I picked up an adorable red hand bag for $6, a pair of vintage ski gloves for $12 and a pair of boots for $18.

If you’re a fan of pre-loved items, and you happen to be taking a stroll down town Peterborough, than a stop into this store is a must!

Sympathy for the Rebel

387 Water St.

Peterborough, ON

705-742-6880

January 31, 2013

My humans are getting married

soundslikeknock Photography bridesmaid, engagement, engagement ring, save the date, wedding invitation 0 Comments

One of my best friends will soon be tying the knot with her Mr. Right. As a bridesmaid, there’s always this tiny fear that your wonderful, level minded friend will somehow turn into a god awful bride-zilla. Thankfully, she’s been very calm and collected… though even if she weren’t, I definitely know better than to say otherwise.

So far, my only bridesmaid duty has been to help her take some engagement photos for her “save the date” invitations. Here’s a sneak peek of some of the shots from the very cold and cloudy day in Toronto.
As adverse to marriage as I am, I’d have a hard time saying ‘no’ to a ring like that!

January 25, 2013

The Sapphire Room

soundslikeknock Restaurants girls night out, lounge, martinis, peterborough, sapphire room 2 Comments

I finally popped by the Sapphire Room in downtown Peterborough and was quite impressed with their atmosphere and decor. Think 50’s glam with a bit of naughty and jazz mixed in. It was fairly quiet on a Thursday night but I’ve heard that Sundays are quite poppin’ with their trivia nights.

I loved the soft glow of the lights and the wall of framed album covers. Such a great decorating idea.

Though I’m more of a beer, or gin and tonic kind of girl, sometimes I like to class it up with martinis.

Their mile long drink list includes some of the more traditional drinks as well as a bunch of their own specialties.

I was pleasantly surprised by their food menu as they had some unique dishes for reasonable prices. I opted for “Wrapped in Bacon” which was Rumaki, water chestnuts, wrapped in bacon with a chipotle whiskey sauce. The saltiness of the bacon was an interesting mix with the cold water chestnuts. It’s different and had some mixed reviews, although I’d probably order it again. I also ordered the “Cheesy Goodness” which was artichoke, hot pepper vodka cheddar fondue with corn chips. It was a great sharing dish and at 2 items for $12 , you can’t really go wrong.

If I wasn’t leaving Peterborough in a few weeks, I’d definitely come back for a girl’s night or for after dinner drinks.

The Sapphire Room

137 Hunter St W
Peterborough, ON K9H 3R2
705-749-0409

December 22, 2012

DIY Sharpie Mug

soundslikeknock DIY custom mugs, DIY, Gift ideas, Pinterest, Sharpie 14 Comments

With the holidays just around the corner (EEEKKK less than a week until Christmas!!), I’ve spent many hours on pinterest looking up potential gift ideas. In my perfect martha stewart world, I would be giving everyone beautiful gift baskets filled with delicious cookies and hand-made crafts. Unfortunately, of my list of crafts, I only got around to making one of my pins. The Sharpie mug.

My co-worker and I were tossing around ideas about what to get our supervisor when we settled on a coffee themed basket. And of course, a custom mug would add the perfect touch! I had envisioned Ontario with a plane flying over top taking some hi-res orthophotography of the province. And since he loves ‘metadata’ so much, we knew we had to incorporate that into the mug somehow. This is what we came up with.
After getting really excited about our craft project, we decided to look up craft fails to see how others faired with similar projects. DISASTER. I quickly learned that regular sharpies NO NOT WORK! The consensus seems to be that oil-based paints were the way to go so off I went to Michaels to pick up supplies. I picked up these oil-based Sharpie paint markers for $4/each and this white ceramic mug from Walmart for $3.
After doing a few practice drawings, we came to the sad realization that our artistic abilities resembled that of a first graders. How is it that things always look WAY BETTER in your head than they do on paper? We decided to try a less ambitious design. Even then… I’m horrified by our inabilities to draw a nice circle.
Here’s what they looked like before putting them in the oven to bake.
We also included one of his famous quotes on the side.
While I was at it, I also made a mug for my grams. For this mug, I attempted to draw each of the cousins. I’d say it was moderately successful.
The next step was to throw it in the oven to set the paint. Put the mug in and then turn the oven to 350 degrees and once it reaches this temperature, leave it in for another 30 mins. Once your 30 mins is up, leave it in the oven to cool down.

So I can’t say for sure how long the design will last but I gave it a quick rinse under water and the paint seemed to stay on ok.

To complete the gift, we picked up a little basket, a bag of coffee from Natas Cafe, and a box of amazing truffles from the Naked Chocolate. Check out my other post for photos from my visit to the Naked Chocolate.

December 21, 2012

Chasing the Cheese

soundslikeknock Restaurants cheese, local, peterborough 2 Comments

Knock Knock
Who’s There?
Cheese!
Cheese Who?
Cheese a jolly good fellow

You can imagine how many knock knock jokes I’ve heard growing up (because my name sounds like knock)… but this one may actually be the worst.

Owner, Julie Austin, aims to expose people to both great and humble cheeses that they might not otherwise have an opportunity to try at home. They encourage branching out and trying new varieties and let you sample the cheeses before committing to buy. Their passion is evident and it’s clear how much they want to help you find something to make your taste buds smile. I left my first visit with a little brown bag filled with roaring 40s blue – an amazing blue veined creamy cow’s milk from austrailia, Sartori Bellavitano Espresso – a pasteurized cow’s milk soaked in espresso coffee from Wisconsin, USA, and Commanda – I can’t remember what this was exactly other than it was made with ewe’s milk. All 3 were quite distinct but each delicious in their own way. I also picked up some white Stilton Mango Ginger which is a little on the sweeter side and the Shropshire Blue which has a nice earthy taste.

I’ve already gone back to Chasing the Cheese twice this month and I’m sure I’ll be popping by a lot more often. If you’re a cheese lover, or are looking for the perfect gift for your cheese loving friend, then this shop is guaranteed to have what you’re looking for.

Chasing the Cheese

372 Water Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9H 3L6
(705) 775-0525

December 20, 2012

Naked Chocolate

soundslikeknock Restaurants chocolate, handmade, peterborough 6 Comments

Is there really anything better than chocolate? My co-worker and I were on the hunt for items to include in our gift basket for my supervisor when she suggested we fill up the mug with some chocolates from Naked Chocolate on George st in Peterborough. I’ve heard mumblings of this magical place but haven’t had a chance to visit until today. As you enter the shop, you are literally engulfed in chocolate aroma. As I looked around, all I could think about was how my chocolate loving friend Sam would have a field day in here. Even Willy Wonka himself would have been impressed.

Chocolatier Warren Eley beautiful hand-crafts all the artisan chocolates and fine confections. You can see the artistry that goes into all of the beautiful sweets in the shop. I kid you not, the truffles were actually glistening and some even sparkled!

Although we had planned to just buy a few items to fill up the mug, we couldn’t resist buying box full of truffles and some butter crunch toffee.

They have pre-packaged boxes but it was surprisingly fun to pick out each individual piece. They have everything from the traditional milk chocolates, to more exotic and unique flavours that incorporate balsamic, chilis, and curries.

Sadly, I didn’t buy any chocolate for myself so I can’t comment on how delicious everything is but I can say that I’ve heard nothing but good reviews. I’ll definitely be stopping by in the new year for one of these chocolate covered strawberries and a box of macarons.

Naked Chocolate

300 George St. N

Peterborough

705-755-6253

December 14, 2012

Reggie’s Grill House

soundslikeknock Restaurants, Uncategorized east city, peterborough, You gotta eat here 0 Comments

Last Sunday, as I was working away, I looked up at the tv to see an amazing burger on the food network’s “You Gotta Eat Here“. And then all of a sudden, I heard him say “Peterborough”. WHAT!?!?! PETERBOROUGH ONTARIO?!? How have I not heard of this place?!? Clearly if John Catucci was telling me that I had to eat there… who am I to disobey? So the following weekend, I had no choice but to head to Reggie’s Hot Grill in East City.

The bf opted for Jerk chicken. And although I’ve never been a huge fan of jerk spice, the moist, melt in your mouth chicken breast had me going in for a second bite. Ok… maybe also a third when he wasn’t looking. His side of fresh cut onion rings were crispy, delicious with a mild spice seasoning.

My Bayou blue burger was definitely a guilty indulgence. The oozzing blue cheese chipotle sauce was extremely rich and flavourful and the bacon was cooked just the way I like it. Cooked but not overly crispy. The blue cheese chipotle sauce dripped all over my plate which led to the delicious discovery of how good my french fries tasted covered in the sauce.

Though I can’t see myself eating here all the time, I will be heading back to satisfy my next burger craving.

Reggie’s Hot Grill

89 Hunter Street East,

Peterborough, ON

K9H1G4

December 7, 2012

La Petit Bar

soundslikeknock Restaurants chasing the cheese, local cuisine, peterborough 6 Comments

My week isn’t quite complete without a visit to Le Petite Bar on Water st in Peterborough. Although it’s only 7 months old, this cozy little restaurant has made quite an impression with its made in-house charcuteries, cheeses from the neighbouring shop (Chasing the Cheese), and home made mustards and desserts. It’s a very intimate setting with only 7 tables and a few bar stools, so be prepared to stand if you pop by on a Friday or Saturday night.

I’ve started coming here every Thursday after work with colleagues and have been slowly making my way through their meat and cheese options. With a frequently changing list of options, I’ve rarely had the same thing twice.

Along with your chosen cheeses and meats, you also have dills, olives, apples, dashes of their amazing house mustards, arugula, and sometimes chutneys or honey.

I’ve had so many of their meats and cheese and I’ve never once been disappointed by my choice. Their servers are happy to help you pick out pairings that go well together. I personally have a soft spot for their creamy rich pates and flavourful blue cheeses.

I had the pleasure of speaking with many of their staff and it was quickly evident how passionate they all are and how much they all genuinely love being a part of Le petit bar. Jamie, the mastermind behind the food is given creative license and from my experience, he’s been hitting it right on target. Billy and Sarie are my usual servers and they’re both knowledgeable about the food and attentive without being over bearing.

Their beer list is somewhat limited, though I do like the fact that they only carry microbrews. I usually grab a bottle of the Mad Tom IPA which is flavourful and fragrant and pairs well with most of their meats. They have one tap and it pours Kings Pilsner. It’s fairly hoppy with a bitter finish. Not my favourite beer until one of the servers (Billy) introduced me to what he calls the “Billy Torpedo”. The simple mixture of the King’s with a splash of ruby red grape fruit juice completely changes how the beer finishes. If you’re hoping for a larger variaty of beer, their neighbour, St Veronus might be more up your ally. But I’ll write about them in a later post. My colleague Catherine is a major fan of their creative cocktails. Their crisp and refreshing Thyme for Collins is a crowd pleaser. But for these cold winter days, Catherine always starts her meal off with some Apple Cinnamon Hot Toddy. YUM! This image below is their “Real Housewife”.

Though I always opt for cheese and meats over sweets, we decided to splurge one day and also get their dessert board. I was so excited about it that I completely forgot to take a picture! It had candied oranges dipped in chocolate, chocolate meringue on top of whipped cream, lavender shortbread cookies, decadent mini brownies, and a little bowl of berries and pomegranate. Everything came in a pair so it was perfect for two of us to share. I’m not partial to sweets but I do find myself day dreaming of that dessert board.

Their delicious meats, cozy atmosphere, and steller service keeps me coming back! If you ever find yourself in downtown Peterborough, make sure you make a pit stop here!

Le Petit Bar

399 Water Street

Peterborough, Ontario

December 3, 2012

Volunteering at Santa Claus Fund – Toronto Star

soundslikeknock Activities christmas, holidays, santa claus fund, toronto, Toronto star, volunteering 2 Comments

100% of your donation goes to purchasing the contents of the gift box

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to take for granted how fortunate some of us are. Volunteering to deliver presents for the Santa Claus fund gave me the opportunity to slow down and remember the importance of giving and helping others. I remember the joy of getting a brand new toy on Christmas day and to be able to give that to a child who may not otherwise receive a gift was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.

The Santa Claus Fund organized by the Toronto Star aims to give a little bit of holiday cheer to underprivileged children. One point that I wanted to emphasize is that when you donate, 100% of the donation goes to purchasing the contents of the gift box (this includes a warm sweater, socks, mittens, hats, books, toys and candies). The Toronto Star generously covers all administrative costs.

Santa sets up distribution centers all over the GTA and volunteer elves assemble to help distribute. We headed to the firehall nice and early at 8:30am last Saturday to pick up the gift boxes. To make delivery a little easier, the presents are sorted by neighbourhoods. We quickly filled up the car with as many presents as we could. We ended up fitting about 20 presents into the car so that meant we had about 14 houses to visit (some families has multiple presents because they had multiple kids). It was a wonderful experience and I’d highly encourage participating or donating to the cause. I know I will definitely be signing up again next year!

If you’re interested in participating, here are a few things that I learned from my experience.

1. Write down the addresses of the homes BEFORE putting the presents into the car and make sure you put similar streets together. This will help you map out an efficient route and not have you doubling back to a neighbourhood because a box was hidden at the back of your trunk.

2. Dress warm and wear comfortable shoes. Since you select gifts in the same neighbourhood, they will often by separated by a block or two. Be prepared to walk a lot and wait outside of people’s houses. Since you will be carrying the presents, make sure you wear gloves. I unfortunately learned how quickly your fingers can get really cold.

3. Don’t get discouraged by the number of families that aren’t home. Many parents work shifts and may be at work or are sleeping. Many also have weekend jobs or may just be out running errands. Out of our 14 houses, we had about 6 that were undeliverable. These presents are returned back to the distribution centre where the families can go pick it up themselves or someone else might try to redeliver at a later date.

4. Make sure you aren’t in a rush. Packing up the car, visiting 14 houses, and returning back to the distribution centre took about 3 hours.

5. I opted to deliver to mostly houses but if you have young children with you (I highly encouraged teaching young ones the act of giving and helping others), it might be easier to pick recipients in the same apartment building. This will allow you to visit many families houses in a shorter period of time. You will also end up staying a little bit warmer.

6. Having a cell phone really helped as many of the presents also listed a contact number for the family. Some families may not open the door for a stranger, or you might not know the buzzer code to get into the apartment building. I found that it helped to give them a call to let them know that you were either waiting in the lobby, or that you were on your way.

7. Never judge a book by the cover. You may think that from looking at the outside of someone’s home, or from the neighbourhood that they live in, that they may not need any assistance but you never really know someone’s situation. Remember, you didn’t volunteer to judge. Santa picked them for a reason.

You can visit the Santa Claus Fund page on the Toronto Star if you would like some more information about this wonderful initiative.

UPDATE

My blog post was featured in the Toronto Star!

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About soundslikeknock

Posts by soundslikeknock:

Reggie’s Hot Grill

Le Petit Bar

*UPDATE*

UPDATE