You’ll find us a few times a month, stocking up on a few of our favorite things from the Italian Centre shop, getting the kids excited about cooking, about trying something new – and so I wanted to share a few of our favorite discoveries when it comes to shopping there.
Italian Soda Syrup
Add this one to ‘bubble water’ as the kids call it and you can make Italian Soda at home for special occasions. Their current favorite? The watermelon. It’s a fantastic addition to playdates, and can be made in ‘fancy glasses, with a small slice of watermelon placed on the side of the glass. Bonus? The bottle lasts forever.
Ready Made Pizza Dough
Head over to Spinelli’s Bar Italia if you’re getting ready for pizza night. You can get a batch of pizza dough, enough to make a regular sized pizza for only $1.49. You could stick them in the freezer for next time, since they’re packaged individually when you order them at the counter or grab them on the way home to save yourself some time for some easy dinner!
Pizza Toppings
Stop by the deli and ask for some recomendations for some yummy pizza toppings. This is a surefire way to try something new, and compared to buying it at the local traditional store closest to us, it’s actually less expensive. There’s a fantastic selection of meats – and don’t forget about the fresh basil.
Fancy Lady Lemonade
Bubbly lemonade at under four bucks, popping like champagne – if you want to add a bit of excitement to pre-dinner festivities, this nailed it. The kids like the pink lemonade, the blood orange lemonade and the traditional lemonade. On our list to try next time is the lavender lemonade. My favorite part? The girls call it ‘fancy lady lemonade’.
Pizzelle Waffle Cookies
A favorite lunch snack, you can top these with marshmallows, make icebox cake or slather them with whipped cream and sprinkles for a delicious dessert. At just under four dollars, they’re one of our favorite staples to have in the pantry and you can usually find both flavours in there.
Cookie Butter and Caramel Sauce
Both delicious, you’re going to want to try these for sundaes, waffles, toast and more. It’s worth the delicious splurge if you’ve got a special brunch coming up. Since the cookie butter is nut free, it’s a delicious alternative to peanut butter for school sandwiches.
Bicycle Pasta, Colored Pasta
Making dinner fun is one of the things around here that I’m passionate about. Finding unique pasta shapes, and pasta colors, is easy when you walk through the pasta aisle at the Italian Centre Shop. Our kids favorite is the bicycle pasta, the giant striped pasta and the tiny letters that make homemade chicken soup a little more appealing.
Tiramisu
You can order a cake in advance, and there are lots of options to choose from, but our favorite is the Tiramisu. It’s been my birthday cake of choice for the past few years and it’s delicious. You can order it ready to pick-up and enjoy the delicious (and well priced) cake.
Dips
The yummy dips are a favorite of the kids to dip everything from breadsticks to vegetables, crackers and fingers. Their top pick? The mediterranean dip. It’s really, really good and you have to give it a try the next time you’re thinking about going shopping for something delicious.