Archive for May, 2014

May
29


The other day, I received a last minute invite to check out the Grand Opening of Touhenbokus Ramens’ newest location at 2459 Yonge St. I didn’t mind at all, as I live about  2 km’s away and was curious to visit. You see, I was invited to the Grand Opening of their first location (261 Queen St) where I indulged in some ramen – but  this particular invitation was inviting me to sample their tapas and cocktails. I was intrigued to say the least. (ie …no ramen?)

When you enter the restaurant, you immediately notice the “more upscale” decor than their Queen W. location. I really think they did a great job with the space…just the right amount of classy and hipster. (does that make sense)?

yonge - space

I then found out that there’s TWO menus. A lunch menu (with ramen options) and a dinner menu that will be served after 5 pm. (ie tapas and cocktails).

yonge - menu

Indeed I sampled a cocktail that was off-the-chart-amazing.  It’s called the KINGYO (remember this) and it’s made with Shohu, mint, hot peppers and soda. What a unbelievable combination. I would order this again in a heart beat. Talk about refreshing.

yonge - drink

I also sampled the food. Something tells me that I will be returning to try the Godzilla’s Egg! (see above menu)

yonge - food

Hope you get a chance to visit them one day soon. I have no doubt that the neighborhood is going to love this restaurant.

For More Information:

Touhenboku Ramen: 2459 Yonge St. or 261 Queen St. W, Toronto  416 596 8080

Twitter: @TouhenbokuRamen

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May
27


Here’s five reasons why I’m loving Cottage Life.

1. The sunsets are spectacular. Disclosure: I might have taken more photos of the sunset thanI did of my meals. Shocking!!

life - sunset

2. There’s a sauna at the cottage but it’s not your average sauna. It has a wood oven in there – and it takes over an hour to heat up the sauna. Nothing beats a “steamie” followed by a dip into the cool (errr….cold) water. This is a priceless experience.
life - sauna

3. I get to cook without having to go to the grocery store (every 2 seconds)  cause I forgot an ingredient!! This week I whipped up an eggplant dish – even though I forgot some key ingredients. Sometimes it’s great to improvise.

life - cook

4. I also get the chance to create my own “signature” cocktails. This past weekend, I took these 4 ingredients..placed it into my Kitchen Aid Diamond Blender and bingo…da best drink ever. ps I froze the raspberries. I think @cocktaildeeva would be proud. (I think)

life - cocktails

5. I get to read and relax on the dock. Yes – that’s right I get to read. There’s no  internet or TV…which is an invitation for me to get lost in some books! Believe it or not – I just figured out how to download books from the library. This weekend I read: The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion. I actually found  myself laughing out loud a few times, which is a really good sign that I enjoyed the book. Feel free to send me any book suggestions K?

I’m sure I will come up with another 5 reasons why I’m loving Cottage Life. Stay tuned.

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May
23


I subscribe to a blog called  The Yum Yum Factor and while reading thru one of her latest posts, she mentioned a new grocery store called Adonis. Naturally I was intrigued and got into my car and drove out to Victoria Park and Eglinton to check it out. I also went online to read a bit more about Adonis as well. I learned that they are owned by Metro..from Quebec (6 locations)…and they now have two locations in Toronto. The store I visited is only two weeks old. Here’s what you need to know. The store is MASSIVE. Repeat – MASSIVE. adonis - store Soon as you walk in, you notice the impressive fruits and vegetables. adnois - inside Then you start to notice the mediterranean food selection. ie. the selection of different cheeses and the AMAZING prepared food section. I bought a package of 3 of these pies for $5. Not bad eh? adonis - pie There’s even a bakery in the middle of the store that makes FRESH PITA. Now that’s pretty neat. (in my humble opinion) adonis - pie Of course I had to buy these two salads: Fattoush (on the left)  and Tabouleh (on the right). Please note that the prices are very reasonable! adonis - salads

I also bought 3 different types of cheese, fruit and vegetables, and oh yeah, an assortment of baklava. How could I not? adonis - baklava
This grocery store is not your average grocery store and well worth visiting. For more information: Adonis  1. Adonis Mississauga 1240 Eglinton Avenue West, Mississauga, Ontario website.mississauga@adonisgroup.ca (905) 363-0707 2. Adonis Scarborough 20 Ashtonbee Rd (Victoria Park and Eglinton) Scarborough, ON website.scarborough@adonisgroup.ca (416) 642-1515
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May
20


Last week I had the chance to test drive a Hyundai Sante Fe XL and this week I had the chance to test drive a Hyundai Tucson. Can you see how happy I am to be driving a red car! Besides the colour, I seriously enjoyed this car as well. It was great on gas, had a spacious trunk and it was a pleasure to drive. Not too big..Not to small…It was “just the right” size.

road - vicky3

What I really enjoyed the most was the extendable visor. I don’t know why every car doesn’t have this feature!

visor

Naturally I wanted to go on a road trip with my (red) Hyundai Tucson,  so I decided to visit Ottawa to see my parents and to visit the Tulip Festival. What a great decision. I simply could not stop snapping photos of the tulips. Here’s a few of my favorites.

road - tulips

I also had the chance to visit the Canadian Museum of Nature. This museum was one of my favorites as a kid and it’s still one of my favorite museums as an adult. I love the building itself, the layout of the museum and all the exhibits too. Please put this museum on your radar!

road - museumIt was also a treat to stay at the Albert at Bay Suite and Hotel. Not only is it centrally located but it has a FULL KITCHEN and a full LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM. I absolutely love this hotel and have been a fan for decades!

road - hotelAs you can see…Road Trip #2 was a success. Stay tuned for Road Trip #3 and more Hyundai adventures.

For more information:

Hyundai Canada

Canadian Museum of Nature 240 McLeod St 1 613 566 4700

Albert at Bay Suite Hotel 435 Albert St. 1 800 267 6644

Ottawa Tourism

Disclosure; I’m part of a Hyundai Ambassador program, however all my opinions are my own. Please follow my tweets; #HyundaiDriveSquad

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May
15


I love road trips. It doesn’t matter if I’m visiting Elora for the day or a weekend trip to Ottawa.  This year, my first “Spring” road trip was to the cottage, which is a good 3.5 hours north of Toronto. I was all too happy to test drive a Hyundai Sante Fe XL for this road trip. Lucky me…I had the chance to test drive a Hyundai Sante Fe last year so it was kind of cool to be able to compare the two of them. Here’s the blog post from last year.

As you can see, I was pretty happy when I saw the Hyundai Sante Fe XL. The first thing I checked out was the trunk as I knew we would be piling a lot of stuff into it!!

hyundai - vicky

Here’s what the trunk looked like before we headed off to the cottage. Clearly the third road of seats went down to accommodate all the “stuff” we were bringing up north. This car was perfect for this trip!

hyundai - trunk

The car performed beautifully all the way up to the cottage. We enjoyed the smooth ride, the power (um, yes..we did test out the acceleration) and all the bells and whistles.

hyundai - controls

As for the cottage…it was divine to be back up there after a 5 month absence. We enjoyed good food, good wine and the steam bath!

cottage four

We were sad to leave the cottage but very happy to be back in the Hyundai Sante Fe XL for the drive back to Toronto.  This 7 passenger car is a true standout when you want space, style and power.

Please Follow me on twitter (@momwhoruns)  using the hashtag #HyundaiDriveSquad for more driving adventures with Hyundai.

Disclosure: I’m a Hyundai Ambassador however all my opinions are my own.

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May
14


The Good Press opened this week in the heart of Yorkville. I will tell you about their concept in a sec,  but first I want to tell you a GOOD story.

I was chatting with the owner  (Andew) about the different types of “cold press” machines and as he was talking…I was thinking “I know this guy”. When he mentioned the words ” my other location” – I asked him “what other location?” and he said “Sunshine Wholesome Market”. I then said “OMG – I met you 7 years ago when I was a food sales rep with Big Ups”.

good - andrew

What a small world!!

OK now back to the opening of the Good Press!! Here’s more info….

The Good Press offers a range of healthy options featuring: • Antioxidant-rich açai bowls • 8 oz. and 16 oz. selection of cold press juices • House-made nut milks

• Smoothies • Energy-boosting shots • Wraps and salads • Entry-level cleanses.

When I snapped a photo of these vegetables, I discovered from their friendly staff that these veggies are ORGANIC.

good - vegetable

They also sell juice (in glass bottles) that have the cutest names with interesting flavour combinations. Ya gotta love it …i.e Pear Me the Details.

good - lineup

The menu is quite extensive – and takes up a good chunk of their wall. There is truly something for everyone!

good - menu

Hope you get a chance to visit them one day soon!

For more information:

The Good Press 87 Yorkville Avenue Toronto

Hours: Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Twitter and Instagram: @goodpressjuice

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegoodpressjuice.ca

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May
12


After reading a review of Bar Buca by Amy Pataki in the Toronto Star, I knew that I wanted to visit this restaurant STAT. She gave it 3.5 stars out of 4, so I put Bar Buca on my radar and off I went for lunch. I was a bit nervous that it  was going to be busy so I was cautious and arrived at 11:30 am. It was a good move.

The space has a few shared tables and a bar as well.(capacity 38).  I like watching the ‘action” so I plunked myself onto one of those high backed chairs!

barbuca - bar

The menu is divided into small bites, cold plates, hot plates, fried, stuffed focaccia and skewers. Love it. It’s perfect for sharing ….and priced between $3 and $14.

20140508_115125

So what did I order? Let’s put it to you this way – TASTY STUFF.

Specifically: POLIPO – baby octopus, soppressata, crema de palate. What you really need to know is that it was perfectly prepared.

carbon - octopus

We also ordered: CARCIOFI CRUDI – raw artichokes, buffalo yogurt, bottarga, senape. In other words: More Perfection

carbon - artichokes

Based on a few reviews, I knew I would be ordering the PORCHETTA SANDWICH (roast tuscan pork, mascarapone, apple mostarda, agliata). What you really need to know about this sandwich is that it is MASSIVE. So glad we split it!

carbon - sandwich

Last but not least – we ordered the BRUSCHETTA which is described as: duck yolk, beech mushroom and truffle. Again – DELICIOUS.

carbon - appetizerConclusion: This restaurant offers some well executed dishes in a cool atmosphere with some decent service. Not to mention that the menu appeals to me as it’s certainly not an ordinary menu. Not even close.  I know I will be returning one morning with my macbook… to try their coffee and pastries. I have no doubt that I’m going to be impressed. Most likely I will be making it for dinner one day too. Clearly I’ve become a quick fan of Rob Gentiles’ style. (who is the Executive Chef).

For more information:

Bar Buca 75 Portland St. Toronto 416 599 2822

Hours: Monday to Friday 7 am to 1 am, Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 2 am.

Twitter; @barbucatoronto

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May
08


I recently was involved in a conversation where we discussed “what food would you feel funny about, if you didn’t eat it every day”?. I have to admit there are days where I don’t eat any fruit but there’s hardly a day that goes by without me eating vegetables. Here’s a few of my favorite QUICK and SIMPLE veggies dishes.

1. Roasted Brussel Sprouts: Wash, trim, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper …stick them on a tray in a 425 oven for 15 minutes. VOILA.

veggies - brussel

2. Kale with Red Pepper, Onions and Goat Cheese: Stir fry the onions, add some red pepper and then the chopped (washed) Kale. Add some goat cheese for some creamy-ness. SO SO good for you.

veggies - kale

3. Stir Fried Veggies; No need to explain. Right? LOL

veggies - stir fry

4. Roasted Root Veggies: Try Cookstown Greens…it’s worth the $$. Promise. Wash the veggies, stick them on a tray, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake in a 425 oven for 30 minutes. YUM.

veggies - cookstown

5. I’m perfectly happy with a salad too!

veggies - salad

What’s your favourite vegetable? Do share…

Next blog post…will be all about FRUIT. Stay tuned.

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May
06


Fact: I haven’t been eating in too many restaurants these days as I’ve morphed into a film junkie!! Thanks to the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, I’ve seen 5 movies in 4 days!

Here’s what I’ve seen.

SHTISEL:  This is an award winning Israeli TV series that follows four generations of an Ultra Orthodox family and their tight knit community in Jerusalem. I liked episodes 1-3 so much that I returned to watch episodes 4-6 a few days later.

shtisel

This TV series will be showing again this weekend.

Friday May 9th Episodes 1-4 will be playing at 1:00 pm at Empress Walk Theatres

Friday May 11th Episodes 3-6 will be playing at 1 pm at Empress Walk Theatres.

Trust me. You will be drawn into this series!!

RUSSIAN DISCO: This is the Canadian Premiere for this film . What’s it about? Basically it’s a story about three friends who move from Russia to Berlin. I was entertained and enjoyed the dynamics of these three friends.

This film will be playing again on:

Wednesday May 7th at 845 pm at the Bloor Cinema

24 DAYS: This powerful film is based on a true story about the kidnapping of Ilan Halimi in a Paris suburb. It was an intense movie that has left an impact on me…even days later.

IN HIDING: A thriller that is set during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The acting was superb and the story line definitely captured my attention.

TJFF - in hiding

There’s plenty more films that will be showing over the next few days!!

Please take a peek at the their website for a complete list.

TJFF - guide

PS …in the event you can’t make it to the festival, please visit Videoflicks  (1701 Avenue Road) as they have a wide selection of  Israeli films and TV shows.

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May
05


Mother’s Day is around the corner!! If you haven’t bought a gift yet, here’ a few ideas.

1. FOR THE MOM WHO…….Who Loves To Be Pampered.

A getaway to Ste. Anne’s Spa is the answer! Please take a peek at their amazing website which now offers auctions (which I think is a really cool idea). I’ve never been there for an overnight however a day trip certainly does the trick for me!!

gifts - st annes

2. FOR THE MOM…Who Loves Yoga

Buy her the B Mat. Why? Because  its exceptionally grippy texture, its eco-friendly and its durable. Not to mention it’s NEW, NEW, NEW…it recently launched in February 2014!!

yes..thats momwhoruns trying to be momwhodoesyoga!

yes..thats momwhoruns trying to be momwhodoesyoga!

3. FOR THE MOM…Who Runs!!

The Samsung Gear Fit is the perfect gift.

Oh what a treat for someone who loves technology and running. I’m now the proud owner of this watch and can’t wait to get off the dreadmill and use it. I’ve already signed up for a one on one lesson with Telus to learn every possible feature about this watch.

gift - watch

4. FOR THE MOM…Who Has Everything

Head to the AGO Gift Store. I swear you will find SOMETHING. This store really does carry unique (and beautiful) products.

5. FOR THE MOM….Who Loves to Entertain.

I promise you will find something for her at Loblaws!. Once again,  President’s Choice has a STUNNING SPRING line! ps I’ve already bought the napkins (on the left) for my paper napkin collection. Yes – that’s right – I have a paper napkin. (yes..I’m normal)

gift - dishes

6. FOR THE MOM…Who Loves Tea

Consider buying Tea from Lemon Lily which offers a beautiful range of organic teas!

gifts - lemon

7. FOR THE MOM….Who LOVES Handmade Creations.

Head over to ETSY.  Seriously.

8.FOR THE MOM…Who Loves to Read.

I would suggest buying her a Kobo. I’ve been a proud owner of a Kobo since 2010 and can’t say enough about their customer service.

gifts - kobo

9. FOR THE MOM…Who’s FOODIE

OMG..this is a hard one for me to answer!! In fact I don’t know where to start. A cookbook? a certificate to her favorite restaurant? a cheese box from Taste of Cheese? a cooking class? 18 kg gold chocolate bar from Baroness Chocolates? a food crawl to all her favorite spots? a fresh truffle?
grandbaroness

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day!!

Disclosure: A variety of these companies provided me with product, however all opinions are my own.

 

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