Tasty Breakfast Spot

I finally tried Tutti Frutti (Breakfast and Lunch) for the first time yesterday, and I have to say I was mightily impressed. Granted, I was a tad hungover due to a few too many drinks from Wednesday comedy night-but that's beside the point. Anyways, generally the day after drinking I'm much pickier because my taste buds are dulled so it speaks well that I very much enjoyed this brunch chain.

I didn't know much about this place, as every time I've heard "Tutti Frutti" mentioned by others they were referring to the frozen yogurt places that were the recent craze. This is not the same, and from what I understand these two franchises have no connection to each other, besides sharing the same name.

From the very beginning I had a fantastic experience. The service was prompt and efficient, the menus were nicely designed, and the selection was great. I ordered an Ice Capp, of which there was a multitude of flavours to choose from (Hazelnut, White Chocolate, Irish Cream, Coconut, etc.) and  Ham Eggs Benedict, which is my typical favourite breakfast food.

The atmosphere itself was great and everyone was extremely pleasant. Even the other customers seemed quite happy and it was welcoming for all ages. 

I have to say the Ice Capp was particularly delicious. I ordered a coconut one and it was the perfect blend of coffee and ice with a subtle taste of coconut. It cost around $5 so it was on the pricier side, compared to say Tim Horton's, but way better. (And I find Timmy's Ice Cappuccinos to be pretty good!) It was worth paying a similarly Starbucks price for the superior quality of it, in my opinion.

One thing I would've liked to change though was the fact that no one mentioned how incredibly large the portion sizes are. It would've been good to know before we started adding things and all that. Once the food came I was like holy crap-I am totally going to need a to-go box, which kind of sucks because let's face it-breakfast type food does not taste particularly good as leftovers.

Otherwise I was quite content, the food was great, the price was fair especially considering the portions, and practically everything came with a mound of fruit: hence the name. Actually, it really reminded me of a better Cora's, which is a common breakfast spot I used to go to often. In all honesty, it is hard to make a breakfast place stand out because eggs and sausages get repetitive, and to make them memorable isn't the easiest thing to do. The taste was awesome, I devoured my eggs benny and tried some of my friend's crepe and they were stellar. The hollandaise sauce for my bennies won me over, it can be difficult to get the correct consistency and taste and they didn't skimp on it either, so it it was perfect.

Woman's Best Friend?

My kitty friend <3

The intriguing thing about cats is that you don't instinctively love them on sight the way many people do with dogs. They're distinctly different in the sense that you have to grow to appreciate cats, and learn how to love them.

I've always been a dog person myself, growing up I'd had a couple dogs, but I have never owned a cat until I became an adult. Now, I love all animals, but the thing about dogs is that well-trained dogs instinctively love you back, and they crave your attention in a way that invokes affection naturally. Dogs are what you make them into, and they're naturally social animals in the sense that their instincts drive them to seek your approval, and like a loveable child, it's hard to resist them.

Cats on the other hand, don't naturally respect people, and often don't even seem to really like us. They couldn't care less about our approval, and totally lack the desire to please us. This does not warm the heart in quite the same way that dogs do. And yet, there's something about them that have made them one of the most popular pets in the world, their relationship with humans tracing back thousands of years. 

Difference between Dogs vs. Cats

Cats are creatures with minds of their own. They aren't as interactive as dogs and are not nearly as active. Most of us can't hook up a cat to a leash and take them around for a walk-they'd hate it and end up being dragged. A lot of people have had bad experiences with them and that fosters dislike even years later, and many have allergies to them and their litter.

So what's so great about cats? Well for starters, everyone knows they're lower maintenance as they require less attention and care, and are notorious for being clean pets. That's a given. But what makes people, especially women specifically, actually love them?

Miss Mia

 It's really not until you get a cat of your own, and see how they are firsthand, day-to-day that you come to respect them. That's the key, really, I may still like dogs more and find them better in certain things-but I respect cats on a different level. They're intelligence, agility and curiosity is fascinating. The funny things they do every day and their ability to keep themselves entertained is admirable. Their personalities are hilarious and with cats when you earn their love that's something hard-won. They don't love everyone, most people they won't even like, but if you can gain their love and affection that's a far greater challenge overcome. You know you deserved it and there's something to be said for that.

Come to the International Cat Festival next weekend- I'll be there!

Bookworm

I've heard that the average person is admirable to read more than 10 books a year. What?! This boggled my mind, and even when I did my research I've heard it ranged around 6-16 a year. That's depressing to me. I consider that easily done in a month, even though we all have busy lives. Hell, Oprah is one of the busiest people imaginable and she's an avid reader. And I'm not stupid-I knew that the amount I read was more than what is considered normal because let's be real-reading is a dying hobby, but I didn't know it was that low.

By this point most people are probably thinking-uh, did I even read a book last year? Or for fun-ever?! Haha, don't get me wrong; I get it. A lot of people find it boring as hell and would rather do almost anything else with their spare time. I feel that way about myself about sports and watching tv for the most part, so I know that feeling only too well. 

I get social media addicts for sure; I mean news and gossip is interesting-there's variety for whatever you like, and it's interactive. That makes sense to me, and I understand why Millennials or Generation Y are far more heavily reliant upon technology than any generation preceding it. (Just wait for Generation Z though-they're already blowing us out of the water guys) Technology is winning out over a good old-fashioned book. Even when many do read nowadays, people are using Kobos and Kindles and other e-reader tools instead of good old paperback novels that still have that satisfying page-smell.

Growing up, I got bullied and teased for reading so much, although more so for thoroughly enjoying it I think than anything. I got used to hiding it, and being embarrassed as a youth. Which I find highly ironic because nowadays people think it's so great when they find out how much I read. Then again, once my age group hit University and College age things definitely changed. Now being smart is considered cool. How times have changed! 

Honestly though, I wish I knew more people that enjoyed reading like I do. It's hard to find fellow book-lovers out there and reading isn't exactly easy to do with other people either. It's not like you can read a book together with someone like you can watch tv or movies (ugh) together; it's totally different. I admit it can be frustrating when my peers talk about some show or another and I'm lucky if I've heard of it at all. I should join a book club.

Getting a job at a bookstore was probably one of the smartest things I've done this year. Being surrounded by like minded people is great. Already I've come across so many potential new reads and learned so much, it's fascinating. Like, did you know that the most commonly stolen book is in actuality the bible? How's that for irony!

Little bites of Heaven..

I've gone to Yann Haute Patisserie multiple times now, and every time I've traversed to Calgary and been able to stop by this little bakery I haven't been disappointed. First off, it's conveniently located in a nice area of Calgary that's pleasant to walk around in. The first time I'd tried it here was because a friend of mind had heard about the bakery and wanted to try it out, so I tagged along. If you'd never heard of it before, and perhaps was strolling by to visit a local coffee shop in the area, the first thing you'd notice would be an adorable butter-yellow house. That alone was intriguing to me; it was amusing that a cute house had been turned into a business. However, be warned, this is not the type of place to go to if you're on a diet!

 

The first thing I noticed when I went inside was an array of rainbow colours. Those would be the macarons, or macaroons as I tend to call them. Over the last few years I've heard both of those names used interchangeably by people, but I believe the correct term is actually macaron, because macaroons are in actuality those cheap little clusters of chocolate you get from the candy section in a grocery store. Macaroon, macaron-really, who cares though-they're amazing!

Inside the bakery it's a bit small and crowded so even 2 small groups of people will easily make it feel very packed in there. The people that work there are always kind and friendly and there's always been at least a few other customers inside when I've gone. The assortment of macarons take up most of the baked good offering area, however while there are other tasty treats offered at Yann Haute as well as macarons, I've honestly never tried them myself yet. The macarons always draw me in immediately and those are the bulk of what is offered and what the bakery is justly famous for. The other desserts look tasty and I'm sure are quite delicious but I came for the macarons.

Now if you've ever had macarons before you would know exactly what you're looking at. Essentially these little bites of heaven that look like miniature colorful burgers are originally French desserts, kept chilled but best eaten at room temperature, meringue-based with a type of filling such as buttercream or ganache. I've been to a few different places that sell these, but thus far Yann Haute Patisserie is by far one of the best. 

The taste is amazing, when you bite into any of their macarons it is extremely fresh with a slight firm flakiness to the exterior but incredibly soft with that melt-in-your-mouth quality at the centre. The flavours I tried tasted just like they should, even a special one that I bravely ate was tequila and lime, and I felt like I had taken an actual shot of alcohol as I consumed it. 

 I generally get a box of at least a dozen or more. The amount of variety available can be a bit overwhelming, as they have all the typical macaron flavours you generally see such as chocolate, lemon, or pistachio, as well as exotic types like carrot cake, nanaimo bar, and PBJ. A box of 12-which still didn't enable me to try all the potential flavours available that day-cost a bit less than $25, and although on the slightly pricier side at about $1.95/macaron, it was well worth it in my opinion. I always tend to bring a box of these back for my family or loved one as they make great little gifts!

Things that irritate me on the regular, annoy me often, or simply otherwise piss me off.

My thoughts of the day:

1. Texting- I hate it so much; why can't people just call you anymore, or wait until they see you in person? Like jeez, I don't mind the odd text especially if we're busy, but honestly it should be a last resort. What especially annoys me is when people are like "why didn't you text me back"- because I forgot or I just don't want too. Get over it and next time just call me. Or people expect to text every day, honestly I have a life and I'm busy. I don't need to know what you're doing every waking moment, and I don't really care. What happened to real communication? Misunderstanding is far too common when it comes to texting. On top of that we like to complain that younger generations are so reliant upon technology- uhm hello? Hypocrites. 
2. People that are absolutely obsessed with low fat, diet, or organic crap. I honestly don't care what you eat, but don't try to push your weird food habits on me. That's for you, do you see me trying to push a cake in your face? Sure, you want to be healthy, great that's your right, but if I want to get fat, that's my right too. In my opinion we're all going to die eventually anyways so what's the point in over obsessing? I'm bad enough at over thinking every tiny detail in life anyways without the added stress. So let's agree to disagree.
3. Cuddling. Yeah, I'm a woman and to many people this seems odd to dislike. But seriously, who likes being all sticky and plastered to someone?! Not me. It's uncomfortable, and I dislike being smothered. Especially when I'm trying to sleep it's just annoying. Like seriously- go away. Unless I'm cold fine, but really that's what blankets and heat is for. Even my cat, yes she's adorable and fluffy but I can only hold her so long before I'm like, okay I've had enough, I need my space. I like my breathing room.
4. People that can't handle the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts- I get it. But personally I would rather someone hurt me with the truth than soothe me with a lie. Frankly, I can't stand liars. Who likes people that are full of bs really? I'm going to treat you how you treat me or at least how I would like you to be towards me. And I want straight up, blunt honesty. Sugarcoating, being coy, and all that is a waste of time. Just be real, and tell it to me like it is. Honestly, sometimes after I'm in situations where I have to hold it in and watch what I say it's such a relief to be around people where I can be myself and not hide what I think all the time. People that encourage and appreciate that forward quality in others are such a relief to be around, like drinking a big glass of water after a hot, thirsty day.