Pure Leaf Canada - #tweakyourtea

It seems like everyone I have been talking to lately have been raving about this brand of beverage that they all have been loving. If you haven't heard this yet from your friends or family, the drink so many people have now been converted to is called Pure Leaf. If you have not been exposed to this drink yet, today is your lucky day because thankfully I have had the opportunity to try this delicious drink and am here to share with you the new Pure Leaf Unsweetened Tea launching right here in Canada!

Pure Leaf is brewed from real tea leaves picked at their freshest to deliver a genuine tea experience. The unsweetened portfolio (Green Tea, Black Tea, Lemon) has 0 sugar, 0 artificial sweeteners, 0 calories, which means 0 compromises! The best thing about these drinks is that they are so versatile and can be used and mixed in so many different ways with an endless amount of personalized flavour combinations. Below are 3 of my original variations of these drinks using a combination of different fruits to maximize its flavour potential. Each variation uses one of the three Pure Leaf Unsweetened flavours, and I've standardized each drink by adding some mint and a lime/lemon to spruce it up. Add some ice cubes in it to make it extra cold and refreshing.

Very Berry with Unsweetened Pure Leaf Lemon Tea.

Strawberries + Blackberries mixed with Unsweetened Pure Leaf Lemon Tea

The Tropics with Unsweetened Pure Leaf Black Tea.

Mangoes + Pineapples mixed with Unsweetened Pure Leaf Black Tea

Kiwi Razz with Unsweetened Pure Leaf Green Tea

Kiwis + Raspberries mixed with Unsweetened Pure Leaf Green Tea

No matter the flavour and combination of your favourite elements, Pure Leaf is the perfect beverage to go with lunch, brunch, dinner, cocktails, get-togethers, post workout re-hydration; well just about any occasion you can think of! As summer is quickly approaching, don't forget to grab yourself a few bottles of these Pure Leaf Unsweetened Teas, the drink with zero compromises without sacrificing any flavours. How will you #tweakyourtea? Cheers!

Five Great Perks of Having a Foodie Friend

Last month, we talked about the “Five Troubling Signs You Are Eating Out with a Food Blogger”. This time I decided to cut our foodie friends some slack. So, let’s talk about five reasons we love having them around!

1. New Places to Eat

When you are friends with a foodie, you will almost never eat at the same place twice. The only exception is if the restaurant in question happens to be a personal favourite. Every eating experience will be sure to delight your taste buds…well mostly. One thing is for sure, it’s never a dull day when you go out to eat with your foodie friend.

2. Foodie Perks

If your foodie friend’s Instagram account has made it big, chances are they get invited to some pretty cool events. So what happens when they need a plus one? That’s right! It’s you! You get to tag along and have the experience of a lifetime. I’m talking mixers, phone launches and even private dinners with chefs. Cool by association anyone? You bet I milk those experiences!

3. Instagram Michelangelo

After having been around your foodie friend for a while, you suddenly realize one day that you are slowly morphing into them. You find yourself constantly searching for new places to eat, worrying about lighting, arranging table settings and dare I say it…taking pictures before you eat! That’s right, you too will become an Instagram Michelangelo.

4. Leftovers

Okay, let’s be real, who doesn’t love leftovers? I’m not talking about your grandma’s five-day-old meatloaf. I’m talking about fresh cupcakes, pizza, chocolate – the good stuff. When companies send your foodie friends items in bulk, it’s inevitable they won’t be able to finish everything. So, are you really going to say no to a dozen cupcakes at 10:00 at night? That’s what I thought!

5. Foodie Gifts

I love receiving presents, especially if they happen to be food. Don’t confuse these with leftovers. When your foodie friend gives you leftovers, you love them for it but you know you only got the food so they wouldn’t have to waste all that goodness. Things are different when your foodie friend gives you food as a present. This tells you that they thought about you, appreciated your support, and knows nothing makes you happier than food. My foodie friend gave me cookies last Christmas. What did yours give you?

Five Troubling Signs You Are Eating Out With A Food Blogger

I love to eat. So, you might assume that having a food blogger as a great friend is perfect for me. Think again!

Here are FIVE troubling signs you are eating out with a food blogger.

1. Choosing a place to eat requires meticulous research.

When eating out with a food blogger friend, one cannot simply walk into any old restaurant. No. One is required to scan all menus, either online or in person before making an informed choice. Once said choice has been made, be prepared for your foodie friend to change their mind and have you consider a new diner that has recently opened.

WARNING: Always check to see if a restaurant requires reservations! Otherwise, one will find themselves freezing their asses off while one’s food blogger friend begins the search for a new place to eat.

2. Finding seats becomes a perilous mission because lighting matters.

As any good friend of a foodie knows, the camera eats first. Always. Therefore, when choosing seats one needs to be strategic. The lighting must be on point. Otherwise, what will happen to the quality of the Instagram pictures?

3. The menu. Enough said.  

When ordering food from a menu, your food blogger friend will require you to choose items that are both aesthetically appealing as well as delicious. While you sweat profusely at the daunting task at hand, your food blogger friend is busy inquiring the waiter/waitress regarding the nuances of each dish so much so you can’t help but wonder if you are watching a live taping of Master Chef. By the time you finish placing your orders, you never want to see another menu for as long as you live.

4. Never expect to eat your food while it’s still warm.

As soon as the food arrives, your food blogger friend instantly leaps into action. The table must be a clean canvas. You are promptly instructed to remove your cellphone, wallet, hand etc. from the immediate vicinity. You might even be asked to sink down in your seat because your head is casting a shadow over the table. Sinful! While your foodie friend channels their inner Picasso as they accessorize their pictures with salt and pepper packets, you channel your inner Buddha as you resist the temptation to snatch your food and stuff it down your throat.

5. Be prepared for the modeling job you never knew you wanted.

WARNING: If your food blogger friend asks you to accompany them to a bakery or any place where a sit-down option is not available, run. RUN!

At times, you will be required to become a makeshift table for any over the counter purchases. You will be instructed to hold a box of scrumptious desserts at various angles while your foodie friend snaps several pictures, hoping at least one will be satisfactory to post. Although for a second you are content with your fame when your hand appears on your food friend’s Instagram post, your self-esteem soon takes a hit when you bitterly realize the likes are all for the chocolate eclair. Crushed, you wonder if it was even worth it to moisture your hand beforehand.

I’m sure those of you who have ever eaten out with a food blogger can empathize with my sentiments above; however, I am also certain that none of us would ever change the experience for anything.