It’s been almost 3 weeks since Christmas, and I still feel exhausted. The Holidays feel like a blur. There were a lot of family gatherings, road trips and a bunch of colds and flu, but the entire overwhelming season was worth it for the memorable and magical moments.
My kids are now 1, 3 and 5 years old, so it’s been a busy, but truly amazing year. Every new experience was special for each child in a different way, and I was the lucky mother that was able to share it with them. Kids have a way of appreciating the “little” things, and reminding us that we can choose to see the magic in our daily lives.
We kicked off the Holiday season with a visit to Santa’s Log Cabin at the Toronto Eaton Centre. We went with our friends and their two young daughters and enjoyed a full afternoon downtown. It was the perfect time to see the Christmas decorations downtown and to check out Sorelle and Co., a new allergy-friendly bakery located in the Sak’s Food Hall in the lower level of the downtown Toronto Sak’s Fifth Avenue.
Sorelle and Co., a new allergy-friendly bakery located in the Sak’s Food Hall.
Sorelle and Co. defines their food as delicious, sophisticated, and worry-free. All items are gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, nut-free and made with worry-free wholesome, non-GMO, and preservative-free ingredients. My son is allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and chicken, and rarely has a chance to eat food prepared at restaurants, which is why I was so excited when I found out that a new Sorelle and Co. location opened in downtown Toronto.
All items are gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, nut-free and made with worry-free wholesome, non-GMO, and preservative-free ingredients.
Everything they had on display was beautiful. We had hoped to have some of their savory items for lunch that day, but they only sell sweets at this location. We purchased a variety of cupcakes, brownies, cookies and bars that were all delicious. I have to admit that I went a little overboard, because I wanted to try everything, so we had enough cupcakes and bars to last our family for another few days. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all of the baked goods stayed moist, soft and delicious, even 2 days after purchasing them.
The only disappointing part of our experience at Sorelle and Co. is that for proprietary purposes they do not publish their ingredient lists. While I can respect their need to protect their brand, I am also an allergy-mom that needs to know each and every ingredient that goes into my child’s mouth. My personal opinion is that for an establishment to consider themselves truly “allergy-friendly” they need to be transparent about their ingredients. Sorelle and Co. compensates for this by having well trained and knowledgeable staff that are more than happy to discuss their products, so take the time to ask questions and tell them about your dietary needs.
The truly magical moment came 2 weeks later. The same friends that we saw Santa with invited us to their daughter’s 6th birthday party, and as usual, we brought food and treats for our son with food allergies. Before the cake came out, my friend approached me and told me that they went to Sorelle and Co. earlier that day and bought my son an allergy-friendly cupcake. It was the first time that someone had ever provided an allergy-friendly option for my child, and it nearly brought me to tears. I was touched at the effort and the caring that our friends showed, and I am thankful that companies like Sorelle and Co. provide allergy-friendly options for consumers.
