Festival of Lights: Pictures & Thank You!

A HUGE thank you to Angela Matich and her crew of volunteers for putting together Nov. 29th’s wonderful Festival of Lights. Thanks too to the approximately 1000 (!) of you who came out to East Lynn Park to help celebrate the season and light up the park Danforth East-style! The amazing turnout blew our estimates out of the water, so the hundreds of loots bags (courtesty of Art CaveKids Fun TownOaks & AcornsPegasus Studio & Silly Goose Kids–be sure to check out Silly Goose’s author event with Helaine Becker this Sunday at 10:30. Free cider!) went mighty quickly. So did the 300 cups of delicious hot chocolate donated  by Melanie’s Bistro and the yummy treats provided by Celena’s Bakery. Next year we’ll have more supplies on hand so no one goes empty-handed.

Thank you to the Pegasus Studio Dancers, the East End Music Project Choir for entertaining us, and to Show Pro for the sound equipment. The Zero Gravity Circus Fire Artist and LED Hula Hooper lit up the night spectacularly.

A big special thanks to our key sponsors who made this event happen: Sugarmoon (Catch their open house tomorrow, Dec. 10, 11-8pm!) and Corinne McCabe – Bosley Real Estate Broker.

Here are some beautiful shots of the festivities courtesy of local shutterbug Bruce Reeve and DECA’s Sheri Hebdon so you can relive the fun or see what you missed (and mark your calendars for next year!).

Zero Gravity Circus Fire Artist wowing the crowds.
Zero Gravity Circus Fire Artist wowing the crowds.
Pegasus Dancers kick the party off.
Pegasus Dancers kick things off.
Crowds gather to sing along with the East End Music Project.
Crowds gather to sing along with the East End Music Project.
Organizer Angela Matich handing out free treats.
Organizer Angela Matich handing out free treats.
Zero Gravity Circus' LED Hula Hooper lit up the night.
Zero Gravity Circus’ LED Hula Hooper lit up the night.
Fire artistry at its finest.
Fire artistry at its finest.
Hooray for Hula Hoops!
Hooray for Hula Hoops!

 

A Danforth East Mother’s Day

Forget all those department store flyers that you get in the mail this week, Danforth East has your Mother’s Day needs covered.  Whether she’s partial to the traditional gifts, prefers the gift of time or the gift of silence, there is something local for everyone.

  • Picnic in the Park: Put the little ones in the wagon with a large blanket, soccer balls and sunscreen and head down to Better Bulk (2044 Danforth Ave.).  You can get some organic cookies, fruit and juice boxes, and some chocolate covered espresso beans might not hurt either. You also need to check out the fridge by the cash counter where there is a selection of fancy cheese that is a true hidden gem of the neighbourhood!  Next, swing by Royal Beef (1968 Danforth Ave.) for some of their house-made-all-natural-nitrite-free sliced roast beef, some havarti cheese (can there ever be too much cheese?), kaiser buns, garlic stuffed olives and some of that delicious chocolate stuff they have on the top of the deli counter.  (Bring extra freezer packs because you’re unlikely to leave without some meat for dinner too.) Pack it all up the cooler bag and roll the gang over to East Lynn Park for an afternoon of slides, swings, sandwiches and snacks. And if you were to drink wine out of a water bottle while you’re there, who would know?  Not that we would ever suggest such a thing.
  • BackYard Oasis:  Clean off the outdoor furniture and freshen up the back yard with some bright outdoor pillows from the Pillow Shoppe (1434 Danforth Ave).  Conveniently, they have a buy 2 get 1 free promotion going on right now.  Make sure to set out a icy cool pitcher of lemonade and some fresh fruit prepared in a bowl and some snacks from Plank Road Market (1716 Danforth Ave.) DECA fun fact: Plank Road Market was our first business revitalization project.
  • Green Thumb: If she views gardening as a relaxing and enjoyable activity and not a taxing chore, then have the kids tell her she’s loved by spending the day gardening together.  You could pick up a flat of flowers from one of many local garden shops and wrap up some Gardener’s Hand Repair Lotion available at Len (698 Coxwell Ave.).  And if she’s in need of gardening gloves, tools or gardening pots you’d better stop by Home Hardware (2154 Danforth Ave.).
  • The Simple Snooze Button: For many mothers an extra hour of sleep is literally a dream come true.  So when the little ones start making noise on Sunday morning let mom sleep in.  Take the kids out.  It does not matter where, just not within earshot.  Don’t return home until 11:00 a.m. and don’t dare walk in the door without a latte from Seb’s Cappuccino (1928 Danforth Ave. ) and a croissant from Celena’s Bakery (2036 Danforth Ave.).
  • Traditional Day: Treat her to a lovely brunch at Melanie’s Bistro (1870 Danforth Ave.).  I recommend the eggs florentine.  There you can present her with a gift card for some pampering – like a simple mani or pedi from Metro Nails (1985 Danforth Ave.) or services from SUGARMOON (1509 Danforth Ave.), who happen to have a Mother’s Day promotion on now too.  Melanie’s is also a lovely spot for dinner, and they also rock the late-night dessert as well.

See? There are so many options to spoil and spend time with mom this weekend.  Let’s be clear, if you can’t choose between these great options, it is possible to do all of these if you really want to hit it out of the park!   We have so many wonderful businesses, so if you need more ideas please scroll through our posts.  Feel free to leave a comment if you have other thoughts.

Lotion from Len
Lotion from Len
Pillows from the Pillow Shoppe
Pillows from the Pillow Shoppe
SUGARMOON promotion
SUGARMOON promotion  

Danforth Gem – Celena’s Bakery

By Gillian Grace

So fresh-pastry-starved was Danforth East, that I suspect we would have been grateful for any bakery. But Celena’s, which is having its grand opening this weekend, is not just any bakery — it’s a really good one. A worthy croissant can be hard to find in Toronto, but theirs is rich and buttery; the chocolate croissant (available only on weekends) is the decadent, Parisian ideal.

As any specs-wearing customer can attest, everything is made fresh daily, in house (to arrive on a Saturday morning is to experience temporary, albeit fragrant, blindness as your glasses fog up from the baking). An open plan kitchen lets you see the fresh loafs as they’re brought out from the oven. The interior is laid out for perfect sunny morning lolling, with lots of space for strollers and a wheelchair-accessible washroom.

It’s run by husband-and-wife team Celena and Richard, who met at the culinary management program at George Brown. Running a bakery of her own has been Celena’s dream since she was 16, and, when the couple started to get serious about their business plan, friends urged them to open in the neighbourhood. The two spent four months gut-renovating a former framing store, and soft-opened February 6th. Most mornings, they’re in the store kneading and mixing by 4:45 a.m.

So far, the whole wheat bread (baked in a tin to lend it the shape and height of a traditional sandwich loaf) is one of their more popular items, as is a roasted garlic sourdough (try it for an extra-tangy grilled cheese). Celena and Richard make all their own preserves, which they use to make the filling for their Danishes. Also much adored are their scones, which come in three kinds, blueberry-chocolate, strawberry and cheese. Place a special order for birthday cakes and larger numbers of cupcakes; individual cupcakes and smaller gâteaux are up for grabs in the fridge.

Up next? Celena’s is hoping to introduce meat and chicken pot pies, joining other savoury offerings such as a daily soup and pizza, as well as espresso, lattes and cappuccinos.

The Nosh News

Read All About It

I became a ‘facebook friend’ of the True Brew Cafe (2116 Danforth)  and it’s really torture because every day I get an update of what’s in the oven and it always sounds delicious.  This was the latest one…

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing! Pecan cinnamon buns! Oatmeal chocolate chip bars! Vegetarian French Canadian Pea Soup today (contains no French Canadians). Grilled classic tuna salad sandwich or Grilled hummus, tomato and spinach sandwich.

I’m also a ‘friend’ of Relish Bar and Grill.  They don’t provide the daily dose of temptation, but they do provide updates about what’s happening.

Celena’s Bakery Grand Opening

Celena’s Bakery will be hosting the ‘official’ grand opening next weekend (March 13/14).  It’s at 2036 Danforth and it’s fabulous.  There will be lots of free samples to try so if you haven’t been, you  might want to drop by.  If you have been, you might want to drop by!

Carter’s Ice Cream …

…is back as of Easter Weekend (Good Friday is March 30th).  You know what that means?  Spring!

Did Someone Say Pastries?

You’ve been waiting for it…Celena’s Bakery is set to open this Saturday.  If you, like me, have been peering inside the window for the last few months, you’ve seen a great deal of construction going on inside.  This new bakery and cafe is at 2036 Danforth, just west of Woodbine on the north side (where Ciraco’s framing shop used to be).  The website says they will be serving hand-made pastries, breads, cookies, cakes, loaves, sweet and savoury pies, soups, preserves and, of course, coffee.  I note the website also asks that we bear with them as they refine their hours, amounts, service and menu.  Can’t wait to drop in!

Free Checkup For Moms-To-Be

Have you heard that old line that women lose a tooth for each baby they carry?  As if being pregnant wasn’t hard enough, you also need to remember to take extra special care of your teeth.  On Saturday, February 13th, Impressions, The Dental Hygiene Spa is offering oral assessments, education and advice to pregnant women free of charge.  It’s part of Gift From The Heart – a day for dental hygienists across Ontario to educate people about how oral health affects overall health – free of charge.

Oh – and Impressions is an absolutely lovely place.  Georgia and Natalie and delightful and we are fortunate to have this unique spa-like dental hygiene office right here in our neighbourhood.  Here is a link to the Danforth Gem that I wrote about Impressions back in 2008.

P.S. I’m going to post a summary of last night’s big hole meeting soon.