Apple Cafe - A Hidden Gem in East York

840 Coxwell Ave, East York, Toronto

Very few places invoke such emotion from me as this building located on 840 Coxwell Ave, in my beloved city of Toronto.

This building used to house the former East York Board of Education between  the late 1980's to 1990's.

It was a building that marked the rise of my teaching career.

Many doctors offices are located in this building.

As I walked the halls, I still remember vividly the various important meetings with senior board officials and the vice principal interview I had in the boardroom on the second floor years ago. I was interviewed by a panel made up of four board members and three superintendents. It was a nerve wrecking experience. I thank God that it was a favourable outcome for me!

the building is ho,me to the South East Toronto Family Health Team

The former Board of Education office is long gone. In its place is the South East Toronto Family Health Team, doctors' offices, the Woodgreen Community Centre Adult Day Program and my favourite, the Apple Cafe.

The Apple Cafe - a hidden gem tucked across from the East York General

The little known cafe is a hidden gem tucked right across from the East General Hospital on Coxwell Ave, East York.













I  passed by this cafe  before but I did not have enough time to stop for a bite. This time the menu caught my eyes.

I always like to try different ethnic food.
I have not had Greek food for a little while.

The Spanakopita, Quiche, Chicken Caesars salad sounded appetizing.

The best portobello mushroom sandwich I have ever tasted!

I  went to the counter and saw  portobello mushroom sandwich on the menu. Everything smelt so good in this cafe so I decided to try a few items.

I really enjoyed the portobello  mushroom sandwich! It tasted so meaty with sliced plump tomatoes and cheese on toasted whole wheat bread.

Spanakopita.- a delicious Greek pastry pie filled with spinach, leeks and feta

Yummy and very healthy!
I love food that I could enjoy without feeling guilty.

Another food I tried was the Spanakopita.

Spanakopita is a Greek pastry like pie filled with spinach, leeks and feta cheese seasoned with various herbs, wrapped in filo pastry shell, topped with sesame seeds and baked to perfectly brown.  The pastry was flaky, crunchy and delicious!  A good size portion too.


Wow! I didn't realize that vegetarian sandwiches could taste this good.

the yummy ham and cheese Quiche was fresh out of the oven!

I was at the Apple Cafe around 10:30a.m. and  the aroma of the delicious food in the oven filled the place.

I waited for a few minutes and the Quiche were fresh out of the oven. The food smelt heavenly!

The salad bar offered a good variety of fresh vegetables and salads.

For $5.75, the Quiche was served with either a bowl of soup or a salad from the salad bar.

I chose a Kale salad and some potatoes from the salad bar.

Everything I tried was very good! The price was reasonable too. I love delicious restaurant dishes in home made style that are healthy, nutritious, tasty, but not too salty.

 I bought some more and took them home to share with my husband. He loved them all.

Apple Cafe - a great place to enjoy breakfast and lunch in East York

 I am glad that I have discovered the Apple Cafe,  a place where you can get yummy nutritious food at very reasonable prices.

A great alternative to fast food.

One can just sit, enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by at the Apple Cafe.

The Apple Cafe is also a sunny and inviting place where people can linger a bit and enjoy a cup of coffee with friends at any time.


R.T.
Apple Cafe
East York
Toronto

How Do You Receive Blessings from God?

Some of my friends and church folks are looking for work. A few people I know no matter how much money they are making, it seems that they would never be able to meet their financial obligations.

Recently, a relative of mime has become anxious because he is experiencing some major change and uncertainty in his life. To encourage people who are experiencing a hard time in their current situation, I always share my personal experience with them.

I have been fortunate all my life as I have rarely been in situations where I did not have enough monetary resources to meet my needs. This was due to the one principle I learned when I was young; I have always lived by that principle all my life.

School closures were common occurrences in the 1970's in Canada

There is one promise I have been claiming all my life since the first day I started teaching.

I graduated from teachers' college during the late 1970's, the worst possible time in the teaching profession and for new teachers looking for work in Canada. Due to declining enrollment at the time,  there was news reported daily about school closures in every region in this country. 



New teachers could hardly find a teaching job except in the cold remote rural areas.

With this promise I learned in Sunday School, I believed (and still believe) that if we are faithful to God, He is faithful, merciful and loving to us. I have been tithing from day one of my working life, and have experienced the abundant blessing that He has given me. 

Out of a class of 52 graduates in my year, only two teachers were able to find a teaching job in Toronto. While many could only get jobs in remote areas and the freezing cold northern Canadian region, I was one of the two new graduates who secured a full time teaching position in Toronto!

Because I honoured God with my tithing and believed in His mighty power, in return, God honoured me with a permanent teaching job in a very desirable city in which to live and teach. 

Throughout my life, I live by the tithing principle. 

I have the luxury of not worrying about where to find a good paying job in my entire life! 







God has opened  numerous doors for me; I have been offered many opportunities to share my expertise and make a very decent living since the 1970's. 

I took early retirement in 2009.  I am living on a pension but our living standard has not been affected. God blesses me with extra income through other interesting projects which I enjoy doing thoroughly.

I hope this precious promise will encourage those who are still searching and looking for things in their lives. Nothing is impossible with God on our side. 

The principle I live by and the promise I claim is from the book of Malachi 3:10  " Let your tenths come into the store-house so that there may be food in my house, and put me to the test by doing so, says the Lord of armies, and see if I do not make the windows of heaven open and send down such a blessing on you that there is no room for it." R.T. Toronto Canada Picture credit - Google Images

Justin Trudeau, Our Canadian Prime Minister Visited Trump in WashintonToday.

I choose to write about pleasant things in my blog because I feel there are too many negative reports by the media as there are a lot of tragedies and violence happening everyday in this world. I am a news junkie and I want to know what's happening in Canada and abroad. However, in the past few months, I had to turn off the TV while watching the news report at night. I simply could not stomach the tragic and horrific images of refugees dying trying to land in Europe on dingy boats.

Justin Trudeau - Prime Minister of Canada

However, I decided to write something related to politics today.  Justin Trudeau - Our Prime Minister  visited Trump in Washington today.

The two leaders met today in Washington.

Though Prime Minister Trudeau spent less than a day in Washington, with only twenty minutes in a private talk together with the U.S. president without the presence of aids, it was big news today in Canada.

Prime Minister Trudeau;s first visit with the U.S. president.

 Trump has said repeatedly that he would rip up NAFTA - the North America Fair Trade Agreement.  He also talked about cancelling the work visas for non Americans even though Canadians and Americans have been enjoying free flow of goods and trades including employment opportunities between these two countries for years.

Our two countries have enjoyed excellent trade relationships for years

No wonder Canadians are paying attention to what Trump is saying about the changes he wants to make in NAFTA.

 Currently, there are two billions dollars of trade flowing across our border everyday!

There are also large numbers of Canadians working in various professional jobs in the U.S. particularly in the high tech sector. By the same token, there are also numerous Americans working in Canada.

A good first meeting between Canada & U.S.

Canadians, myself included, could breathe a sign of relief  tonight as we watched the news and learned that the first meeting between the two leaders went well without any incidents.

First impressions are important! Canada can now look forward to a good working relationship with our neighbour, also our closest ally!

R.T.
Toronto
Canada
Credit - Picture source - CTV Evening news

What Do Kids Say About those New Year Red Envelopes?

The women in our extended family posted for a New Year picture with Mom 

Some of the cousins in their cute New Year outfits

Mom and some of her great grandchildren 

                                                                                                                                                           

  We had our big fat family New Year luncheon a couple of weeks ago. The kids came, almost everyone dressed in their Chinese New Year outfits.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

  This is a time very much like our Christmas time in North America. Kids are happy, looking forward to wearing the new year outfit, attending the family dinners, seeing their relative and cousins again.

Kids start receiving red envelopes when they are still babies

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

  The best part during Lunar New Year as children, is getting the red packets which married couples give out to all the kids and single people.

Both dad & daughter dressed in Chinese New Year Outfits

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 





    I remember it well when I was a kid; it was so exciting to receive red packets from the adults.

We used to have a competition among us to see who got the most red packets.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 
             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Henry and grandpa

                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 In the Chinese tradition, children start receiving these red envelopes as young as an infant.



This year, we have two newborns in our family, Henry and Theodore receiving their New Year red envelopes for the first time.

Theo came in a rooster outfit for his first Chinese New Year

                                                                   


 Though still in their infancy, babies could sense that when families get together to celebrate Chinese New Year, it is a very special and joyous time.

Here Theodore received his first red envelope at the New Year luncheon a few weeks ago.

"OK," He thought," This is cool, my first red envelope!"

Theo displayed his delight & excitement by kicking his feet; he was ready to jump off!

                                                                           
 As more relatives arrived, Theo was given more red envelopes.

He appeared to know that he was getting something good in these red packets.

So excited was Theo that he kept kicking his two little feet saying" I don't want to be sitting here. I want to get out and go to all my aunties and uncles to get the red envelopes myself!!!"

                  

These two cousins met at the New Year luncheon.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
Over at the other side of the restaurant, these two older cousins met and they had a conversation also about the red envelopes.

 Lu: " Hi, Cousin Harper, how are you?  I like Chinese New Year. Do you?  Look at all the red envelopes I got!",

Lu waving and showing off what's in his hand.

Harp: "Hi, Cousin Lu, I am fine? And you?  Do u like my Chinese dress?  Yes, I  love Chinese New Year. I got a few of those red envelopes in my hand too!"

Harp was holding on tightly what were in her hand.



















Lu:

"Ya, I like your dress.  BTW, I think if we stay still for the pictures, great grandma and my parents may give me a bonus red packet."


Harp : "You really think so? That'll be cool!."











Harp:

"Lu, Come closer. I want to tell u something. I am getting a lot of red envelopes this year. I plan to spend it all on princess dresses! Please don't tell my mom and dad."














Waving the red envelopes in his hand, Lu proudly declared:

 "Nope, no clothes for me. I' ll spend it all on candies.  Look, how many red envelopes I've got in my hand!"

Harp turned to Lu "Yea! You think you got a lot?  No way! I have got way more than you!"

Harp protested and waved the red envelopes in her hand.
















Lu was shocked! To which he replied:

"Really? Really? Harp? You got way more red packets than me? Come on, what's your secret?"

Harp:

" I am not just cute, you know. I am smart too!"

Lu:" Come on, Harp, I will give you a million dollars.  Please tell me! Tell me. I want to know!"

Harp:" Nope, I am not telling ya. Lu. That's my family's ancient secret!"

And the very deep conversation about red pockets continued!



R.T.
Love all these kids in our family! They are so darn cute!!!

A Princess Theme Birthday Party for Our Three Year Old Niece

   I love parties, any parties, especially birthday parties!

I love it even more when we can just go to a party without doing all the preparations for it.

Some of the gifts guests brought to the party for the birthday girl.

I was glad that we could make it back from our holiday in time for our grandniece's three years old birthday party!

H. in her red outfit for the family's Lunar New Year celebration  

Harper is a very special girl and her parents organized a fun and unique party to help celebrate their daughter's birthday!

The theme of the birthday party was Princess!

The theme of the party was Princess. In the e-invitation guests received, guests attending the party were encouraged to wear their favourite princess or carton costumes.

For the birthday party, Harper's parents prepared games, books and the party surprise bags all of which were in the princess theme.

Kids having a lot of fun with the balloons at the party.

There was a little princess at the party!

Some kids did dress up and they looked so cute in their costumes!


I wish I had a princess costume as I would have liked to dress like one myself for the day.

Harper had a lot of little friends who came and celebrated her birthday with her.

The kids had a lot of fun playing and the adults had fun watching them play.

A beautiful princess birthday cake for the birthday girl

Harper and her Dad admiring the  beautiful princess birthday cake.

There was a lot of excitement when the birthday cake was brought in to the party room - a gorgeous birthday cake topped with the three most famous princesses - Snow White, Cinderella and Bella sitting on benches in a garden setting with colorful flowers and greenery.


Harper loved it!

She could not take her eyes off  this beautiful cake!

( I simply could not get a picture of her looking at the camera.)

We got to the party an hour early thinking that we could lend a hand to the busy parents who must have a lot to do on their hands.

But there was not much we could do as some of Michelle's out of town family members had already arrived the night before; they stayed overnight and helped with the preparation for the party.  How about that!

(Hey, you guys are always welcome to our party!)

A princess in her resplendent dress arrived at the party!

The highlight of the birthday party
was when a princess in her resplendent dress arrived at the party to greet the kids!










All the children were excited and mesmerized!

What a great pleasant surprise it was for the birthday girl and the other little guests!












Since we had another function to attend that evening, we left the party early and missed this exciting part of the event.










Thank you to Harper's parents and the other parents for sharing these pictures of the princess at the party.

Happy Birthday, Harper! You are a very special girl!





Love from your aunt, uncle & family!

R.T.
Toronto
Ontario

Sources of princess pictures - A. Tsang and another parent at the party