Things I Love About Autumn

It's the last day of September and October has loads going on with the last vestiges of summer finally saying adieu, farewell, catch you next year. Officially it's 85 days left until Christmas!
I know, that soon. Good time to start shopping early, catching some sales, and having no stress this Christmas, if you are so inclined.
I am continuing with my healthy routine, walking early in the day, and will soon begin my autumn cleanse, which I actually look forward to. There will be juice recipes that I will post along with some cleanse info but that will be later because there's a whole, Ode to Fall thing starting this October 2nd, that will have fall dedicated recipes and the like.
With all that happening, it got me thinking about this time of the year, why I feel so happy and alive in it, and I realized I wanted to do a post on the things I love about autumn, so here goes.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN:

1) Food is full of the best spices and people want it there, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, allspice. You bring smiles to my heart and delight to my nose.

2) Pumpkins get their due,even if it is only for a short time. The world would be a much sadder place if we didn't have pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattés, pumpkin scones, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin tarts, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin ice cream, and my fav- pumpkin smoothies. Well, maybe the pie is my actual favourite but the smoothie comes a close second .


3) The colours, nothing else needs to be said, just look outside and appreciate.


4) Hot beverages become a good thing and everybody wants in. Hot cider, hot tea, hot specialty coffees, hot cocoa. Even better when shared or had in your jammie's by a roaring fireplace; outside on a park bench is nice too.


5)That wonderful smell as the leaves mulch up, those bursts of fresh air, and how pleasant it is for my nose to feel a slight nip.

6) Family holiday's begin again and along with it all the blessings of enjoying good food, baking delicious desserts, laughing and teasing around the dinner table, and holding hands in a moment of prayer when we are thankful for all that is good and gifted in our lives.


7) All the fun decorations that are out, some are spooky, some are a bit gross, but some are so beautiful. It's so amazing to watch people get creative and go all out.


8) The bookstore and quiet moments when I can still sit outside and read while the occasional squirrel flits by with a cherished nut, and I can be dressed in my fall gear, cozy and satisfied whilst sipping my soy chai latte.

9) My last, most treasured thing about fall is how romantic, lovey dovey, ooey gooey, and completely smitten Poppa Bear and Mama Bear get. This time of the year is filled with such good memories for us and we tell our love stories over and over again when we talk. Sometimes it's because we miss one another so much, then there's those times when it's a fun way to melt away the miles that separate us and we laugh and laugh at our silly greatest hits. Other times it's to remind us of how far we have come, how much we mean to one another, and that we are so blessed by God to have this depth of love & feeling. It's all so lovely and it's the reason closest to my heart for always.

Things I Don't Understand About Québec

It seems that listicles are a blog thing now so I have decided to explore them. This one is not all nice, warm and fuzzy as some of the others will be. And please do not get me wrong, I really love Montréal, I am a French Québecor by birth, have lived here all my life, and there is much I adore about my home. I just needed to get this stuff off my chest. Not to worry, there will be a happy follow up to this post.

THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT QUÉBEC:

1-How easy it is for Francophones to dismiss, treat rudely, speak in a condescending manner to, completely ignore, and basically make Anglophones feel like crap you can't wait to scrape off your shoe. Behavior, I would like to add, they would never tolerate being directed at them. Also, if you are an Anglophone, apparently no amount of job or life experience could possibly qualify you for jack in this province, and don't forget to smile and swallow the turd cupcake of rudeness you are handed every time you are reminded in the meanest fashion, of said fact.

2-How separatists think that separation from the rest of Canada is even viable?  Has this been really thought through,seriously people? Let's touch on some things that need to be addressed.

What happens to the huge sums of money QC receives annually from the Federal government, (ie. Canada) that it NEEDS, or else would collapse into financial ruin without?

What currency would be used? Would a new special Qc dollar be created & who besides Qc would place any value on it?

What happens to those pesky Canadian passports? Gotta give those back because you're not Canadian, unless you need that privilege when in a war torn country, and there is no such thing as a QC consulate; is there?
Hmmm, still not a Canadian?

What happens to Anglophones who have worked and lived here for generations, contributed to this society, paid taxes and their dues, but are not perfectly bilingual? I guess shove them off in boats down the St Lawrence River and wish them all the best, while reclaiming their foolish Anglophone homes and property?

What about the natives who actually own this land and have the only right to claim it as their own and could understandably want to separate? It's not like the government has separated them from the rest of society, placed them on reservations, taken away their culture, waged genocide on them, and refused to respect treaties that were signed right?
Oh, wait...

What happens to the French separatists who say that the time for natives to take back possession of their land has passed? What do they do when the British show up and say the same thing to them, perhaps with painful reminders that they were defeated & were given the privilege of keeping their language and many traditions; which is historically uncommon for conquered people?

3-Why do we treat animals so badly? How is it that puppy mills are so prolific here, and that Quebec still has the worst reputation for them?

4-When did pork, poutine, and all things fried become part of "classy" Québec cuisine?

5-Why are there so many bad employers who get away with such horrid behavior? And when the regulatory board takes them to court; why aren't those douche bags forced to pay thousands in fines to the person they screwed over, back to the courts for the tax payer dollars that were wasted, and back to the government for man hours paid out, for crap they had to pay up anyways but chose to be a douche about cuz they could be?

6-What's with landlords trying to pass off craptacular, 18/19-take it easy, decrepit, tenement housing, as $1000+ "posh" apartments?Do we pay extra for the lovely cockroaches, rats, and mold or bed bugs?

7-How is it the STM cannot fix an escalator within less than 2-4 years, that doesn't keep breaking down? Anybody else would be fired after at least 6 months of this, wouldn't they be?

8-Crazy driver's who should never have been allowed to get behind the wheel of any vehicle, still have a valid license & don't get tickets for obvious traffic violations?

9-The nosebleed scam that passes for the driver's lessons/license certification in this province ($700-$1000+), which takes forever to get(over a year yah newb), looks forward to deliberately failing you to get more money you don't have, and still puts crap drivers on the road?

10-Salaries that are so low, you cannot survive, let alone live? Sure, we love being poor to the point of feeling suicidal.

11-Bosses expecting you to supply your own "nice, expensive" wardrobe, to said underpaid/will work you to death, cause injury, or mental instability, job? Sure thing boss, let me open the door to your Lexus as I distract you long enough to be able to steal a can of tuna for food for the next 2 weeks til my next joke of a pay.

12-Sidewalk sales with garbage nobody ever wanted or prices that are not really a sale, but they mingled it with other filler stuff at reduced prices, hoping you didn't notice.

13-You scumbags who still litter, wtf is wrong with you immature, lazy, disgusting animals? Actually, I apologize to any animals because they are clearly able to be cleaner and more responsible than you turds. I suppose having clean air, drinkable water, healthy soil, and a planet to live on is just not important to you? It's not like our planet is dying or anything. Whatever climate change disasters headed our way, that the scientific community has agreed upon, can't possibly be your responsibility now can it?

14-Is recycling really all that hard? I mean, it's not like it's new right? Been here since, what, 1980's? So exhausting walking 2 extra steps to the bin...

15-Wanting to attract tourist's to this place and making sure they know how hated they are, but only once you hear them speak any language other than Francaise? Asti tabarnak, those annoying people who spend money and contribute to local businesses, salaries and our economy! What were they thinking?

16-Pretending that racism is no longer a thing but making sure to insult a person by insisting that you don't see colour, while singling them out for your indignant wrath at any slight that baffles all the other's who are not of the colour you insist you don't see. 

17-Language laws & enforcers so out of control that pasta gate is actually known outside of this province; you know they are laughing AT us, not with us? Thank God they don't know about the citation for that pet shop who had a bird greeting people in English.That would be really awkward. Pretty polly want a croustilles or a craquelins?

18-Way too many single mother's and student's living below the poverty line. I guess that eating, paying bills, rent, being able to afford medical needs, emergencies, proper clothes for every season, books, and all that nonsense is still a ridiculous expectation? I know let's give more taxpayer dollars to the corrupt losers who are either psychopaths or sociopaths, so a little thing like guilt won't overshadow their obscene spending habits.

19-Reasonable accommodation for others, at the expense of our own traditions; that others who came here were supposed to assimilate to? Is a Christmas tree so painfully offensive that one cannot possibly acclimatize to its decorated piney boughs? Oh! The horror!


20-What's with the women dying their hair an obnoxious shade of orange rust or that majorly blonde they go to such lengths to achieve while making sure to leave the roots showing?

21-When did we get so good at ignoring all the homeless people on the street and wearing a face of utter disdain at the mere mention of helping them out, and recognizing that many of them have serious mental health or addiction issues and were failed by budget cuts to a system that was already struggling? Don't get me started on the underage runaways on the streets who have suffered abuse and had to deal with more garbage at the hands of an uncaring, bureaucracy that passes for child "care" social services.

Did I miss any? Let me know in your comments down below, if this offended you, don't worry; there's plenty more where that came from.

Adventures in Vermont and Ice-Cream!

Bon matin world!
I am up and at em' super early today, as I prepare for work to continue to be ready for the business launch, (yup back to the grind already) I thought I would post a bit about my last few days.
I needed to get away, my friend has a place in the country that I run to when I have pushed too much, have depleted my reserves, have become a wretched person to be around, and need to put life back in perspective. If you were to ask Poppa Bear, he would tell you that an impatient, nasty, sailor mouthed, worst parts of an introvert, person took over his Mama Bear, for the last 2 weeks. I am so sorry babe, I love you to bits!
I struggle with needing to rest, it feels like the opposite of what I can and should be doing, I need movement, action, directed energy that is always making a way towards an outcome. This is in conflict with my introverted needs, which try as I might, cannot be denied.
Poppa Bear is an extrovert, he gains his energy from being with others and comes more alive from interaction. I become overwhelmed, drained, depleted, and a complete mess with too much stimulation. I like people, doing dinner parties, get together's, and having fun times; just on a very small scale and not too often. I am also sleepy by 9:30pm and become really cranky if I can't get to bed within an hour of my first yawn. This is not new, I have been like this since childhood, need my full 8 hours sleep, need quiet alone, me time, and I will never be a night owl. Both my son and my man are able to stay up at night, however my son is not a morning person and would love to throttle my cheery, bright, early, go-get em neck. Hehheh, payback I say for many sleepless nights.
Mornings are my thing, and I was thrilled to find that Pb wakes up happy and pleasant. What a keeper!
The last two weeks however, were definitely not showcasing my good side. I was waking up cranky and exhausted, emotionally fragile, and too stressed to do more than cuss or babble incoherent thoughts. Yup, a puddle of emotional goo would be a fair description.
So, as I was not fit to be around others, I made my get away. My friend picked me up and I proceeded to decompress. This was me on my first morning when I realized that God has been trying to get in touch with me and I have been too frazzled to hear.

I quickly fell into the rhythm of not having a rhythm but only after the first day of jitters, antsy, let's move, we have to do, (don't we?) went away. City life feels like a cork waiting and building up, ready to explode at any second, it' so, be at the ever watchful & ready.
In stark contrast country life is, we'll get there when we get there, no real plans but we could do this or not, tea is good, come sit on the porch and breathe, eat if you want, wake up later, sleep as much as you need, and let's not rush hunny. Of course there is plenty of work for those who live there and have farms, especially, if they have a farm. Right now is a very busy time of year as harvest is almost here. However, the pace is slower, the entertainment simplified, and the urgency that manifests as perpetual tension, just doesn't bother with you.
This is what passed as entertainment most early evenings on the back porch:

That's Jazz playing the, try to bite the stream of water game.

Dinner party night was proceeded by a gang of goat's making their way back to the barn:

                    And this was the peaceful scene outside my window just before the sun set:

Yup, totally different from the stress that had been eating away at my soul for the last month.
It turned out that on Monday we had to pick someone up at the airport in the evening, out in Vermont; so we decided to go earlier and get our tourist on. I have never been to Vermont before so I was a happy camper, this was me before we left.You can't tell but I was super excited and giddy for the day to begin.

I was super psyched because I have always wanted to go to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream tour at their factory. One more thing off the bucket list! Check it out.

Tickets were $4-American money only or its credit cards. The tour was 30 minutes and was actually fun. Too many cow jokes and silly puns but you have got to decide to just go with it.


                                                  They sure do like their cows!



                                            My girl found the biggest chocolate bar ever!


We got yummy tasters, the flavour of the day was cookies and cream but we're both gluten free. Our tour guide, whom we thought was super silly and a bit annoying, accommodated our allergies. We realized by the end of the tour that he was wonderful at his job, very patient, knew his stuff, and was quite funny. When we informed him of our allergies he kindly offered up a delightful blueberry and raspberry sorbet.This was seriously the best sorbet I have ever had and that is saying something! It was a great flavour, no seeds (if you were wondering), bright in your mouth and best of all it was not too sweet. I often find that sorbet is so sugary that I eat a bite and say, buh-bye. This had us craving  more over the last week we've been home, sooooooo deelish!



B&J are big on saving the environment and have loads of cool stuff they are doing. You can check out their climate change initiatives at benjerry.com/climate.
http://www.benjerry.com/values/issues-we-care-about/climate-justice

At the end of our tour was the cute gift shop section and the area where they sold their ice-cream cakes, ice-cream related goods & gear.

I so want this shirt, I have a t-shirt love affair and have pulled PB into it. We now give cute, dorkie, or plain old awesome t-shirt's as surprise gifts for special occasions, I saw this and said, you will be mine. However, I made sure to bring little money, as not to be reckless, so I said au revoir, I will see you later. This shirt will be mine though.

This was our drive to the airport, I was happy because we honestly got a beautiful day for our adventure. Not a great pic but you get the idea. Champlain Lake was gorgeous and I want to go back when the season's colours are in full effect.

Unfortunately, not all was fun & games.
For supper we wanted gluten-free and I knew Domino's in Montreal was a good gluten-free alternative. We found a Domino's in Vermont and ordered 2 separate pizza's, different flavs because I don't eat pork or green peppers. All was delicious going down, however, 4 hours later when we arrived home I started to feel really bad. I mean really really awful, like, am I going to need to go to the hospital bad. Worst stomach pains ever and severe nausea was the "mild" warning I got. Thus began the food food poisoning incident of September 2015, which I am sad to say has totally turned me off pizza. Not that I was a huge pizza fan to begin with, it's really a rare choice of treat food for me, but now it's on the endangered species food list because the sicky experience was too horrible. Don't worry, I shall spare you the details, all I have to say is, DO NOT EAT Domino's pizza in Vermont! The shop and staff were super friendly though. Yes, I am a "Cup is half full" kinda person.

I will end this adventure post on a happy note because we seriously had a great day and I refuse to let the end of the evening ruin all that.

Before we left Ben & Jerry's we decided to taste their short stay, for the fall season, limited edition flavour. It was Maple Walnut and dang!!!!! Was it ever scrumptious. I also tried some hazlnut chocolate, almost like frozen decadent Nutella, slather it all over my body, ice-cream which was heavenly; but I knew it was too rich for my bird tummy. My friend can eat normal adult-sized portions, I learned a long time ago that a child size cup with one scoop is hard for me to finish. I decided to order the child cup and laughed off the servers surprise. I wish my butt and thighs were reflective of the much smaller amounts of food I actually eat compared to others but it's just not so.  Back to the Maple Walnut ice-cream. Boy was it good, I was glad I ate it on an empty stomach with loads of digestive enzymes, and I seriously think you need to try this flavour if you can. 

Down below are the directions to the factory and I have provided the link to the Ben & Jerry site so you can get all the info you need. Apparently, they will be resurrecting some flavours from their flavour graveyard-I know, how fun! This means we need to go back but only for Halloween because ice cream is a moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips kind-of pleasure. You gotta go and bring the youngin's, they will love it. Best part? For all of you gluten-free eaters, they have a list at the ice-cream counter, all you need do is ask for it and voila!


Hope you liked this post, feel free to leave your comments and let me know if you have ever been to B&J's, also flavour recommendations would be welcome. 
Ben & Jerry's site link:
http://www.benjerry.com/?keyword=%2Bben%20%2Bjerry%27s&gclid=CjwKEAjwp56wBRDThOSZ3vqGzmESJABjNaj91UuMBT7b1wvZNHWqhDcjvvnWwRGUIcMtf02ga20swhoClvDw_wcB

Sheltered in the Lord, Psalm 91

Psalm 91New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Bible Gateway. Com

I have been organizing and preparing for the opportunity to open my gluten free business, this has meant going through the heaps of recipes that have been lying around. I came across a note from many years ago from a very special lady who was an integral part of the journey I was on, to make peace with and find strength to overcome some daunting obstacles in my life. This was actually not about faith, nor did the subject come up, and I thought God was not part of the conversation or work that was being done. I was wrong about that.
I stumbled across this paper that had other information on it from her and noticed this hastily written addition to it. I was, quite frankly, amazed at it being there and that I had been so blind to it. When I saw it yesterday I was humbled, felt very foolish, but more importantly, very loved. It said, to help you with the fear, read psalm 91.
That's when the realization hit me and it was a profound moment.
God has always been reaching out to me and has been there for me, even when I was not ready for Him to be.
Do you know what a wonderful gift that is? How bolstering to the spirit?
So often there is such a heavy sadness in our heart's, an unyielding sense of loneliness and a surety that our struggle is in a wasteland without support. We rail and yell out, "Where are you God?"
We are convinced that He has abandoned us, that we are alone, and that we are not loved or even worthy of being loved.
The enemy is very good at grinding us down, weighing us down with lies, guilt, distracting us from what is glaringly obvious, and pushing his agenda of fear. We isolate instead of reaching out to God and then we begin to doubt that we are loved or have ever been loved.
This is a falsehood from the lying soul of the enemy, it is he who seeks to devour our soul's and destroy us, he is the one who has no love, and it's sad. Leave his emptiness behind, digging through garbage will never net pearl's.
The truth is God loves us with the most tender and soothing love, He wants us to come to Him and is constantly reaching out to us; if only we would hear, listen, not be distracted to the point of shutting out. I am truly grateful and blessed, God has been here all along, he is here right now, and always. And I want to say, it's okay to believe that and let go so those feelings of surety can feel good and bring joy.
Last night I asked my Poppa Bear if there was anything he needed more of from me. His answer?
"I need you to rest in our Father & know that we love you for ever & ever."
I needed to know this, to see these words, I needed God's grace and will for my life so badly, I have been praying for it so much, and these words came in an unexpected place and time. I was filled with so much tenderness and felt bestowed with the best feelings... Acceptance and unconditional love.
It was a breathe of fresh air into my being.
I love how connected we all are with one another, the way that God uses the best parts of us so that we may be what He needs us to be; for Him, for ourselves and for others. Jesus showed us that the way to the father was through Him, I am convinced that God is our dwelling place for all times. If you are struggling, I am praying for you to open your heart, mind, and feelings, to all that God has for you. He loves with a capacity that we could never understand when measured by earthly standards, and that is the gift. Earthly measurements fall short because they were meant to. When we have exhausted earthly ways for treating and coping with our heavy burdens, that's where we can find God waiting on merciful, heavenly wings, loving us in a steadfast way, bringing rest to our weary soul's.




God bless you and yours, in Jesus name, selah.

Have Been Super Sick

Good morning lovelies, I am just doing a quick check in for those of you who do read the blog-which I really do appreciate btw. I have been away and would have been blogging up a storm all about my adventures and posting pics with some recipes but my last day away we ate out. It was a gluten free item but I became violently ill from food poisoning. As this takes a while to recover from, lying in bed, reading when my head allows, and resting while embracing the B. R. A. T. diet (bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast) have been all I can do. I will be making an effort to get some blogging done this weekend and a whole slew of new posts will be coming. Thanks for stopping by, God bless you and here's to your health!

First Day of Fall!

It has finally arrived, my most favourite and beloved season of all. L'automne, comment je t'adore! How can you not be enthralled by how gorgeous everything is?

This is when I feel so alive, most grateful for the blessings and chances to experience these wonderful days. I am in complete awe at the beauty that surrounds.
I believe that fall is God's most glorious masterpiece when it comes to nature.

This is the time for hoodies, sleeping with open windows, hot cocoa, apple picking, leaves changing, crisp, fresh, smell in the air, and the full bounty of the harvest.


I created my own: Fall To Enjoy List, just for the fun of it. You should try making yourself one so you remember to make time for you.

I will also add, have a lovely hot cup of tea while staring out the window, on a rainy day, as I curl up with a good book. That's where my smiles live sometimes.


Apple picking is the one I cannot wait to do, seems silly but I missed out on this childhood moment because I sprained my ankle the day before my class was to go; and the chance never presented itself again. Now it's going to happen, God willing, and I am thrilled!
Apple pies, crumble, and sauce, here I come!Along with some brilliant fall recipes to post!
I was thinking of posting fall recipes every day for a week, as my ode to this season. I will see, there are some classics and some fun flavours to play with, along with a new idea or two.
It's so lovely to be able to sleep with the window open, the cool air smells delicious, and the tip of my nose is just slightly chilled. I can't get enough of this time of the year, I wish there was a place where I could live that was fall for 10 months, 1 month of winter and a split month of spring and summer. Poppa Bear likes summer best, not me. He enjoyed October together though, it's much warmer where he is, I found it difficult to adjust because when I left Montreal it was quite chilly. Poppa Bear calls his Mama Bear a polar bear, yup, I don't mind it at all.
Bring on the vibrant and uplifting beauty of autumn with hot tea, books, cozy blankets, pumpkin pies, fireplaces, loads of snuggling, and crunchy leaves changing away.





             It's my little slice of heaven here on earth, thank the Lord for fall. How I love it!

Baked 2 Go Bakery & Bread Review

Good day lovelies, we recently made an excursion to Baked 2 Go Bakery or Boulangerie de Pointe on St. Laurent street in Montreal on the Plateau. My mother has become a big fan of their white bread which we had gotten in a shop somewhere else a while back. She ran out of bread, so we decided to take a trip and I figured it was a perfect opportunity for a review. Slam!
Upon arrival we were thrilled to have found parking right in front, they are in between Rachelle and Mount -Royal street which can be difficult for parking, if you are familiar with Montreal, I need not say more.
We walked inside and I immediately went into snap happy mode, I had called before to ask if this was okay, as I was doing a blog write-up; plus we reserved 2 breads which they were kind enough to offer to slice. I have to come clean, this was not my first time at this shop, I had gone before on my own but was in a bit of a rush so I didn't have much time to look around. It was an in & out burger kinda moment. Upon arriving this time, we took in the place, quaint, serene, and very clean, were my first thoughts. It could be seen as a bit cool because of the clean and modern lines but the wood, orange/ browns, and white colours, along with the layout and posters, lend this shop a comfortable relaxed atmosphere.
Look down below:


                                        
                                         

                                        
Baked2Go began in 2013 with a concept from four family members who applied food science, a deep grasp of the nutritionally conscious, and a heartfelt desire to create gluten-free items that gave options to those with gluten related illnesses and multiple allergies. It looks more like a laboratory in the back, less like traditional bakeries I have worked in, and they wear lab coats when baking. They take cross contamination very seriously in this shop which is great for people like us who cannot take chances with our health. Re-living the gluten response nightmare is not wanted or necessary.
What I like about this "advanced" bakery, as they call it, is the attention to detail. They have everything clearly labelled, not just gluten-free but also soy-free, corn-free, vegan, etc. It's brilliant because gluten sufferers often have multiple response triggers and may still be unable to partake in gluten-free treats because other allergens are present. Look at the different offerings, there were Madeleine's, submarine/baguette breads, loaves, cookies, mini cakes, muffins and more!


The signs are very clear, all is well labelled and often things are individually wrapped. V-E-R-Y cross contamination conscientious indeed. They also make an effort to have higher protein in their items, cool for those looking for higher protein options. They also make a concerted effort to keep it locally grown when using ingredients, whenever possible.

Their fridge was well stocked with one of my favourite Kombucha lines, Rise. I was happy when I saw that they had my maple blueberry-yum! There's coconut water, if you prefer, you can have specialty hot coffee and tea.

I do want to say that the first time I went to this bakery, I found the service was much better, however, the young lady serving us this last time may have been a bit frazzled because of the pics and questions. In all fairness, she was nice. I was just a bit surprised that she didn't make an effort to give more information since she knew I was doing a blog review; as I stated earlier, I think she may have been frazzled.
I tried the bagels, which were nice. They get a crispness on the outside when toasted. Not exactly the chewy bagel consistency but still a good substitute. Everything was so well laid out, it was such a pleasant shopping experience because of the various signs and different goods.


Time to move on to what so many people specifically go to this place for, the butter croissant's. Truth?
Nope and nope.
Sorry Baked2Go, I am not trying to be mean, I am just keeping it real.
Do not expect that light, flaky, fluffy, buttery croissant. You will be sorely disappointed.
I was so looking forward to these, I was over the moon at the thought that I had found the croissant nirvana I had missed. Honestly, these things were a huge let down. I wasn't the only one who tasted them, I had bought these on my previous visit and had shared them with another gluten-free diner, we were both sad after the first bite. These things reminded us of a thick, layered, pie crust dough reminiscent of a Rugelach cookie without the tasty cinnamon or fruit additions. They were heavy, man, were they heavy! Like a brick in your stomach heavy, very greasy, dense, and I will not be spending the high price for one of these little guys again. The only thing they got right on these were the shape. I know there are people who will be happy to have these and the chocolate croissants flavour, which is fine, but I am speaking as a trained Chef who specializes in gluten-free. This was not what was promised and I can not recommend them. However, there are some awesome things below that I highly recommend and feel Baked2Go has outshone the competition on, so read on.


This bread is divine! It is a wonder in the gluten-free landscape! Remember when you used to be able to eat a piece of bread that didn't need to be toasted? Or could be eaten with just butter? Or that was squishy goodness when slathered with PB & J? This is the one to make your heart sing and your pleasure sensors walk down memory lane and do a dance of joy. Yup, that good. Look at the foldability, the fluffy yum, plus it holds up under heavy toppings and absorbs perfectly. No mush, no heaviness, no bad mouth feel, and best of all-no crumble!!!!!
It freezes well, it toasts perfectly and is reasonably priced. Only draw back? Has cornstarch. However, there is a vegan whole-grain version that I prefer and that one was corn-free! So go get em'.

The baguette was a slightly weaker version of the regular loaf bread, it's okay but not as good as Louise Sans Gluten. If you want a different roll for sandwiches, hoagies, or subs, this will be fine. It doesn't have the French Baguette crunch with chewy that we French natives are familiar with.

By far the coolest thing, decoration wise, was this dude by the cash! My inner geek was thrilled and giggled when I saw Darth Vader holding business cards in the corner by the cash.
This is Baked2Go's addy, you can check out their website which I am linking as well. I would suggest you make it a stop on your gluten-free travels in Montreal, it's worth it.
Baked2Go
4255 Boul St-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1Z4
www.baked2go.com