TORONTO, Part One! Food, Snacks, & 'Lolotinis'

I landed in Toronto, Ontario at 7:30pm on Monday, July 5th. Greeted by my fabulous Auntie, she shared stories of her trip to the airport to pick me up (blackouts, no running subway, & a cab driver that tried to make her get out of the airporter on the freeway). We laughed & talked all the way to her apartment. She is seriously one of the funniest people I know & tells the best stories.
First, I have to give you a little background. My dad's sister, my Auntie was a very close person to me growing up. As a baby, I could not pronounce 'Laurel' (her name), & so I said 'Lolo.' She has been Auntie Lolo to everyone ever since.
While she was hanging out with me & my parents when I was still in diapers, Bugs Bunny came on TV. The abominable snowman picked up Bugs Bunny & said, "Oh, goody, my very own bunny! I'm gonna love him & hug him & squeeze him & pet him & feed him everyday & call him George." True to her spontaneous & quirky personality, my Auntie picked me up & said, "Oh, goody, my very own niece! I'm gonna love her & hug her & squeeze her & pet her & feed her everyday & call her George!" And so, I have been 'George' to close family members ever since :) 'Lolo' now calls me 'Georgie.'
Though we both lived in Edmonton, Alberta for many years, she ended up moving to Toronto, & I moved with my family to Vancouver Island. Emotionally, though, we are still very close.

Back at her adorable little apartment, I met her two companion kitties, Moby & Macy. With a great view in a quiet and trendy neighbourhood, I felt right at home in their place.
Since I started my blog, Lolo has been following it, trying to keep healthy by following the tips & recipes I share. She told me that she had managed to stay completely raw for the 5 days before my arrival, & intended to eat just like I do while I was visiting. Awesome!! :D
Sipping on 'Lolotinis' (recipe below), we shared incredibly delicious snacks, & dined on amazing vegan dishes which were delivered by The Magic Oven. We shared Green Tea infused Organic Tofu Fingers, Baked & Served w/ Spicy Tandoori Sauce, as well as Flavanoid Lovers: Spinach, eggplant, zucchini, hemp seeds, roasted peppers, & brown rice penne garnished with vegan soy cheese in a tomato sauce. O.M.G. There are no words for how amazing these were. We marveled every bite.

Because Lolo had prepared her kitchen with many vegan & raw treats, I had a lot of sampling to do when I got there :) I had, hands down, one of THE BEST cookies I have ever had in my life!! Obvs it was vegan, but gluten-free as well: allow me to introduce you to...the flourless cashew cookie!! Creamy & 'buttery,' it tasted waaaaay better than any peanut butter cookie I've ever had, vegan or not! I have also since tried the Double Chocolate flavour, which was soft, chocolate-y, & incredible. I also have the Chocolate Chip flavour, ready to be tasted whenever I'm ready to eat it :)
We also dug into the kale chips she picked up: Chipotle Ranch & Cheesy flavour. Ohhh emmm geeee!! Didn't know it was possible to have raw vegan ranch chips. If you're having any doubts, shut up & buy a bag. They're friggin' amazing. Special shout-out to those raw crackers pictured, too. The texture, as well as after-taste? WOW!

The 'Lolotinis' were an incredible creation, made obviously by my loving Auntie Lolo :) She knew we would be drinking (hehe, everyday...), but wanted to create lighter drinks. I don't drink diet anything (down with aspartame!), so I'm so glad she came up with something healthy, light, & refreshing...that still got us hilariously snapped! Enjoy, foodies!

Ingredients:
1 oz citrus vodka (we used Smirnoff)
2 oz Perrier sparkling citrus water (club soda works, too!)
1 oz organic orange juice
lemon, lime, or orange slices to jazz it up ;)

Directions:
1) Pour first three ingredients into a martini shaker w/ ice & shake.
2) Strain into a martini glass.
3) Garnish w/ citrus slices & serve!!

Georgie & Lolo, xo