Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids Tour + Avocado Mousse and Fresh Smoothie Recipe!

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On Tuesday I went on a tour of Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Pottery Barn Kids on Bloor Street West in Toronto to see what new and exciting things they have in store right now. Everyone on the tour had a great time, and I wanted to share with you some great recipes we tried, and what we found in-store!

First up we started at Williams-Sonoma where our Culinary Specialist Jennifer showed us how to whip up some amazing treats!
 

 
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We tried out a very healthy smoothie called a Ginger Berry Pom. I have experimented with smoothies in the past (some great, some not-so-great!), but I had never added pomegranate or ginger to a smoothie. The result was a nice fresh kick at the end of a sip. Here is the recipe:

 

 

Ginger Berry Pom

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Juice Solution – Erin Quon & Briana Stockton
Ingredients:
2 tangerines, peeled and seeded
2 red apples, cored
2 cups pomegranate seeds
2 cups raspberries (fresh when in season, frozen when not)
1 inch piece organic young ginger 1 tbsp. honey

Method:
Blend ingredients in blender and serve immediately.
 
 

Jennifer also showed us how to make a delicious chocolate mousse using avocado. I really love avocado, but with chocolate? I was skeptical. The mousse turned out amazing, and it’s a really simple recipe.

 

 

The Chocolate Rocket

Adapted from The 52 New Foods Challenge – Jennifer Tyler Lee
Ingredients:
2 medium Hass avocados
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup skim milk 1 tsp. almond extract Maple syrup to taste (minimum 1 tbsp.)
Pinch of salt
Whipped cream and macerated strawberries

Method:
Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a spoon, remove the flesh and place in food processor or blender fitted with the metal blade.
Add the cocoa powder, sugar, milk, extract, maple syrup and salt and process for 2 minutes, or until smooth and no chunks of avocado remain.
Chill for 10 minutes before serving with whipped cream and macerated strawberries.

 

 

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I had never heard of macerated strawberries before, but they were delicious. Basically it’s a great way to get as much flavour and taste out of your strawberries as possible.

 

 

Macerated Strawberries

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh strawberries, trimmed
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Zest of half a lemon
Sugar to taste (minimum 1 tsp.)

Method:
Slice trimmed strawberries into a large bowl and add lemon juice, zest and sugar to taste.
Toss and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, or 30 minutes for more juice.

 

 

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These strawberries we so tasty, and I could see myself eating a bowl with or without the mousse.

Jennifer even taught us how to make our own whipped cream which I had never made before!

 

 

Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
½ pint 35% whipping cream
½ tsp. Tahitian vanilla extract
½ tsp. sugar

Method:
Whip cream in stand mixer on high with whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
Reduce speed and add vanilla and sugar just until combined. Serve immediately.

 

 

Overall these were very easy recipes to try, and the presentation of all of them were lovely as well. They are a must-try for sure!

We also sampled a cake made using Williams-Sonoma Red Velvet Bundt Cake Mix, and cookies made using Williams-Sonoma Red Velvet Cookie Mix. I love the cake and cookie mixes from Williams-Sonoma. They are so easy to put together, and they taste like you baked something from scratch. I use their mixes when I want to impress friends with my amazing baking skills (after hiding the boxed-evidence in my garbage).
 

 

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Our next stop was to Pottery Barn next door where we learned about some of this season’s trends.

One of the more popular purchases at this time of the year at Pottery Barn are their decorative baskets. They are a functional way of decorating since they double as storage. Pottery Barn has many different styles and textures to choose from, and for some of us with small spaces it’s a great way store something in a pretty way.

 

 

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Next up we learned the anatomy of a bed. Have you ever bought a bedding set from a store, and then once you got it home it looked nothing like the display you saw when you purchased it? It’s probably because you didn’t buy enough pieces. It’s all about layering. To create this perfect look you would start with a fitted and flat sheet, then a quilt. Next up two plain euro-shams in solid colors. Then you would need your patterned shams to start the layering process.

This bed has two duvets – one would likely be your actual plain duvet, with a patterned duvet on top to match your patterned shams.

Finally a color on top, in this case a blue pillow, matched with the same color on the bottom of the bed which ended up being a throw pillow. Voila – the perfect Pottery Barn Bed!

 

 

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At Pottery Barn Kids it was all about layering again. Did you know that there are in-store designers to help you with your purchases? They are the people who can help you make sure the bedding you purchase in-store will look amazing when you get it home. It’s hard to know what you need to buy and not buy, especially when you are on a budget. Don’t be afraid to ask for expert help, because it’s available!

We took a look at the Monogram department in-store which was neat to see since I have taken advantage of this option with Pottery Barn Kids before. This is the only store in Ontario with a monogram machine, and if you bring your item into this store it can be ready in as little as 20 minutes! They only monogram Pottery Barn Kids products that they have in-store or online (just in case an error is made so they can replace it).

 

 

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This season there are lots of new superhero-themed items at Pottery Barn Kids, including new bedding styles and décor.

 

 
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The kid’s Valentine’s Day items were absolutely adorable! Their table settings for Valentine’s Day and for Easter were all about layering – just like making the perfect bed.

 

 

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Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn are right next door to each other on Bloor Street, with Pottery Barn Kids just at the top of the stairs of Pottery Barn. There is no way you can just visit one of these three stores. I’m so happy that they are open for business on the Bloor Street strip. It’s like a trifecta of awesomeness that draws you in. I had a great time shopping around!

For more information on Williams-Sonoma vist www.williams-sonoma.ca
For more information on Pottery Barn visit www.potterybarn.ca
For more information on Pottery Barn Kids visit www.potterybarnkids.ca

 

 

Pottery Barn Kids Nursery Style Event

Pottery Barn Kids

One of my favourite places to shop when I was planning for my baby’s arrival was Pottery Barn Kids. I spent hours going through their website ordering blankets, towels, decor and toys. I love buying gifts for friends with babies on the way from there as well to get my fix of cute baby gear! Lucky for me their toddler lines are just as adorable, so my addiction continues with no end in sight.

Pottery Barn Kids

Pottery Barn Kids has teamed up with Jennifer Flores of Rambling Renovators to host their popular Nursery Style Event on Saturday, May 3rd, 4pm – 6pm at their Bloor Street store.

Rambling Renovators

Design Specialists will be available to provide one-on-one assistance and offer design ideas & how-to tips for nursery and registry essentials.

Guests will enjoy:
· 10% OFF purchases (excluding furniture)
· A chance to win an UPPAbaby VISTA stroller
· Samples from luxury skincare line, Noodle & Boo

You need to RSVP to this event! Call the Bloor Street store (Toronto Pottery Barn Kids, 100 Bloor Street West) at (416) 961-2276 to get your name on the list!

Join in the conversation at:
· Facebook.com/potterybarnkids
· Twitter/Instagram: @potterybarnkids, #pbknurserystyle
· Blog.buildingblocks.com

Photos courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids

Where to Shop – Pottery Barn Customer Appreciation Event + Smashcakes & Closets Shopping Event

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Saturday November 2nd Pottery Barn Kids is having a Customer Appreciation Event from 5:00pm – 9:00pm.  They are offering refreshments, and 15% off in store merchandise.  You must RSVP to attend by November 1st .
Yorkdale Location – 3401 Dufferin Street, Toronto
416-785-7375
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Smashcakes & Closets is being put on by Fashion-Forward.com.  The event is Sunday November 17th from 11:00am – 3:00pm at 70 Peter Street, Toronto.  Fashion-Forward is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell clothing by meeting up locally with buyers and sellers.
This event will have sellers connected with Fashion-Forward who will will be offering up their brand name and designer items for sale.  They will have free Starbucks for the first 40 shoppers, and lots of prizes and giveaways.
Smashcake will be selling their desserts in their pop-up bakery, and there will be demos on how to buy and sell with Fashion-Forward, make up touch ups, jewelry and cosmetics for sale through vendors, and polish changes with Vain Polish for $5.
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www.fashion-forward.com
www.smashcake.ca
Photo #1 courtesy www.potterybarnkids.com; Photo #2 Courtesy of Fashion-Forward; Photo #3 Courtesy of  www.smashcake.com