As you know I recently traveled to Toronto, Canada. It was a short trip as I went for my friends wedding. I really wish had another day or two as I couldn't do everything I had intended but still had a great time! My favorite part about Toronto was how nice everyone was. Every single person we passed always said hello. I definitely would love to visit again. Here's a short recap of my trip :)

DAY 1

 

What I Wore:

 Tunic: Poplook // Slides: Windsor // Scarf: Hijab Vault

Where I Went: 

We first went downtown to visit the Ripley's Aquarium and the CN Tower. The Aquarium is perfect for kids and Safa really enjoyed this. We opted not to see the CN Tower but was a wonderful view from the outside. 

For dinner we drove to Mississauga to a new steakhouse called BlackStone Steakhouse & Grill. Let me tell how amazing this place was. The food, ambiance and customer service was impeccable. The chef himself thanked us for coming and was so sweet. Definitely recommend to eat here!!

DAY 2

Where I went:  

We visited the Toronto Zoo for the kids. It was huge and definitely would take a whole day to complete. We went for a couple of hours and did about half of it. If you have kids, I highly recommend it! Definitely bring snacks and food for the day. There are many picnic areas to sit and relax during the day. 

I surprisingly didn't take many pictures that day. I wore a long tunic from Zara and sneakers. I kept it casual and comfy as we walked around a lot!

DAY 3

Okay, brace yourselves. This day we did a LOT and obviously ate a LOT. I really would never get fit if I lived here!! 

What I Wore:

Black Top: Poplook // Pants: Zara // Jean Jacket: Target // Scarf: Hijab Loft

Where I Went: 

Kensington Market: Wow. That's all I have to say! There is so much to eat here and see. It had an eclectic vibe and cute vintage stores on every corner. Blue Banana Market is the perfect store for unique gifts to bring home .

Wafels & More: For breakfast, we fulfilled our sweet tooth a little early. Loved this cute place!

Burgernator: For lunch, we checked out the famous Burgernator. It was halal and service was fast. I opted for the chicken burger which was good but not the best I've had. Everyone loved their beef burgers and said it was totally worth it. I think we were so hungry we didn't even take any pictures, lol. There's also Top Gun Burgers and Dirty Bird (also halal) that everyone really enjoyed. 

Graffiti Alley: As you walk away from Kensington Market on Spadina, you get to Graffiti Alley. These alleyways were vibrant and filled with a amazing art. On the way we also walked through China Town. 

Here's the best crew ever! These are some of my amazing college friends that all travelled for our friends wedding. College memories continue on <3

Some other fun food places we had:

 

FIKA: Iced Coffee // Moo Frites: Kimchi Fries // Peace Treats: DREAM Milkshake

Organic Press: My friend got a watermelon smoothie that was so refreshing on a hot day. 

Other Places: I wish I had more time and I definitely would of checked out the Toronto Islands, the Harbor Front and the Distillery District. I was most upset about not seeing the Distillery District which is perfect for photo ops. Next time, iA. 

Hope you enjoyed, 

with love

sania<3

Story behind this cake.... I made this for my sister in law Zakiyya's Birthday. It reminded me of her previous Birthday when we all waited in line for Starbucks to open. Boy!!! What a long queue... But it was worth it... Memories were definitely made!

Poor confused Starbucks teller...He thought he was experiencing a severe case of dejavu...  What can you expect when all the men in our house are named Muhammad...He served one coffee after another to each Muhammad in our family...LOLL...   I wish I had the video, the way he handled it though... Left us in stitches... By then everyone in Starbucks were singing Happy Birthday to Zakiyya... And seeing smiles on everyone's face especially Zakiyyas, was priceless!

So ofcourse I felt inspired and wanted to try to recreate a cake after the coffee we enjoyed with my own twist...

Starbucks Salted caramel crunchie Chocolate cake

1 and 3/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder 

1 and 1/2tsp baking soda

3/4tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or 1tblsp vinegar in 1 cup milk) 

115g butter melted

1 tblsp vanilla essence 

1 cup hot coffee (2tsp instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water) 

Fresh cream 500ml 

Crunchie chocolate x2 or more if you like 

1 slab wholenut chocolate 

Almonds roasted or other nuts... 

Grease either 3 round cake tins or 2.... But should have little left over... As this recipe is for 3...

Preheat oven to 175deg

In large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla essence... Beat till smooth... About 3mins.

Then add hot coffee and mix with spatula. Batter will be runny.. Pour into tins and bake for 35mins..

Heat a tin of nestle caramel treat on stove top on low heat and add half or 1 teaspoon salt(taste as you go)  and mix well till smooth.. Till salt dissolved.. 

Whip 500 ml fresh cream with 6 tablespoons sugar and half teaspoon vanilla essence. 

Now add the melted caramel sauce to one layer and top with chopped Cadbury crunchie, roasted nuts, and Cadbury wholenut chocolate... Top with Cream.  Add your next cake layer and then coat the entire cake with fresh cream.. 

Heat the caramel slightly... Just till warm..mix and pour slowly on the top of the cake.. Use a skewer stick to make swirls with caramel and fresh cream...It's ok if it drips over the cake.. You can do it as you like...  And then top with chopped crunchie, wholenut chocolate and nuts.. 

Try other topping options like popping candy, snaxells choc Stix, caramel or other gourmet popcorns, peanut brittle(break into uneven shards and top the cake with the standing shards) toffee or caramel sweets... Fillings can be jam and fresh cream, or First Choice Velvet chocolate flavoured dairy dessert that's new and comes in a box... Should be in the custard section of your local grocer. 

Zakiyya loved the cake! We all did, so I'm sure you will too!  

By the way, Zakiyya makes Couture cakes and bakes, so if you'd love to see her creations, or have her make your special bake, follow her on instagram... Click here.. Couture Cakes and Confections by Z

Pic courtesy of Starbucks

Ramadaan is just a few days away. I cannot believe it! It will also pass by so quickly, so do your very best to make as much ibaadah as possible with a clean and sincere heart,  and may Allah accept our ibaadah, zakaah, sadqah and our fasts.. Make the most of it! It's a gift and it's freedom from the fire... What more can we ask.. InshaAllah ameen... All the very best... And lots of love and duas from me, as always!

Next up will be more on the HFWSA.... And I get cooking with aniseeds??