Archive for August, 2015

Aug
30


It’s been a busy weekend and I promised myself that I would do NOTHING this weekend. No restaurant reservations, no parties to go to, no entertaining – just me and the couch.

Well it kind of worked out that way. LOL.

On Friday night I googled “what to do in Toronto this weekend”. Dangerous thing to do for someone who wanted to do NOTHING. Guess what I saw? This flyer.

bacon - flyerImmediately I knew that my plans had changed,  and now I would be heading out to Archibald’s Winery in Bowmanville. Guess what? I have no regrets.

It was the perfect sized event with just the right amount of food, beer and cider vendors.

There was incredible food – which made my taste buds happy and my wallet happy too! Most items were $2 to $3 dollars – how could I say no?bacon - food

And of course there was cider and beer! I was delighted to see Shiny Apple Cider participating as I recently got introduced to this new cider that is made from 100% Ontario Apples and that’s gluten free and vegan too.

bacon - beerArchibald’s Winery put on a well organized event and I truly hope there’s a 2nd annual Bacon and Cider Festival next year.

For more information:

Website: www.archibaldswinery.com

Twitter: @archibaldswinery

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Aug
24


I was tired of my standard salmon recipes, so I did some research on the internet and found a new recipe that appealed to me. I love how easy it is to find a new recipe these days. Long gone are the days where I use to sit at the kitchen table sifting thru 6 cookbooks. (or more)

The recipe only included a few ingredients and sure enough..I had most of them in my fridge and pantry.

salmon - ingredients

Here’s the official recipe for Garlic Panko Salmon (from www.primaverakitchen.comI used half of the recipe (errr..the ingredients) and then used my own method. Keep reading!!

Ingredients
  • For the Salmon
  • 518g salmon fillets (I bought a big slab of salmon from Costco)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of Dijon
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • For the Garlic Panko
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced, depending on how garlicky you like it
  • ¾ cup panko crumbs
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped (I used more…lots more)
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions (according to momwhoruns!)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  2. Spread the dijon mustard and honey onto the salmon.

salmon - fish

3. In my Cuisinart Food Processor – I whizzed up the parsley, lemon, garlic and panko bread crumbs.

cuisinart

4. Spread this mixture over the salmon

salmon - final5. Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of your salmon)

6. Serve Warm!

Happy Cooking.

 

 

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Aug
20


I generally don’t include photos of myself in blog posts, but this photo truly reflects how I was feeling at the CNE media preview. I just couldn’t stop smiling. Please continue reading so you can find out why I was smiling!!

ex - vicky

The food served at the CNE is creative, fun, tasty, and memorable!! There is a reason why more than a million people flock to the CNE every year. Here’s what caught my attention at this year’s CNE media preview.

1. Tim Hortons served a Honey Dijon Ham  Pretzel Donut Sandwich that was simply too good for words. I had one bite – then two bites – and then I had to force myself to put it down. I’m still thinking about this sandwich as I write about it as I wanted to eat the ENTIRE thing.ex - tim sandwich

2. Tim Hortons also served  two Timbits (cotton candy and cola) as well as a Tim Horton Poutine. It’s described as a sweet “poutine” made out of Timbits  and decked out in delicious decadent dessert toppings. I had the Timbits (I’m a huge fan) but will have to return for the poutine!!

ex - tim part 23. Fran’s Restaurant Deep Fried Rice Pudding. This item really stood out as it was the perfect combo of crunchy and creamy. I wish this was on their menu all year long!!  (are you listening Fran’s Restaurant?).

ex - deep fried rice

4. This Frosted Flake Battered Chicken on a Stick  (from Iron Skillet Sirloin Tips) also caught my attention. There was something about mixing sweet with savoury, plus a bit crunchy – that really appealed to me. It was truly Grreaaaaat. (Tony the Tiger would approve. I’m sure of it).

ex - chicken

6. Bacon Wrapped Grilled Cheese from Bacon Nation: 6 strips of bacon weaved around a grilled cheese sandwich. Need I say more? I will happily run a few more kilometres so I could consume one of these sandwiches!

ex - bacon

I hope this blog post has inspired you to head the CNE for some imaginative offerings!!

For more information:

Website: www.theex.com

Dates: Aug 21, 2015 to Sept 7, 2015,

Location: Exhibition Place, Toronto

Twitter: @LetsGoToTheEx

Instagram: @LetsGoToTheEx

 

 

 

 

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Aug
16


I’ve just returned from a weekend in Mont -Tremblant. I hadn’t been there in over 2 decades so I was ready for a weekend of great food and some R & R as well. (um, mission accomplished!)

Let’s address the ‘eating’ portion of the weekend first! Highlights of my weekend included two meals that consisted of a pogo and poutine (from Patate Ben -Venu and La Roulotte).  I also had escargot for dinner one night along with pate and a duck confit salad (Restaurant Des Petites Ventres). I swear I will be eating a lot of egg whites and kale salad this week to make up for my unhealthy diet over the weekend!

tremblant - foodThe relaxing portion of my trip included a trip to Scandinave Spa  for a massage and to take advantage of their water therapy. What a treat. Unlike other spas that I’ve been to – this one was the quietest as they really do enforce a “no talking” policy.

tremblant - spaRelaxation to me, also means spending a bit of time touring the area! Take a peek at this stunning scenery.

tremblant - tour

There was one part of the weekend that wasn’t so relaxing, as we woke up at 6 a.m, to watch the athletes commence the swim portion of the Mont -Tremblant IRONMAN. It was incredible to see 2500 bikes parked in the coral, the swim, and watch the first elite athlete get out of the water and run towards his bike. This race includes a: 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run and these athletes are in top physical shape to get thru this challenge!

montreal - ironman Sadly there was not enough time to participate in the many activities that Mont -Tremblant has to offer …ie zip lining, going to the top of the mountain, the luge, mountain biking and more.

I guess this means, that we will just have to return to Mont-Tremblant!!

 

 

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Aug
09


As you know, I kind of keep my eye out for new restaurants, coffee shops and other interesting places! It’s just the way I roll.

Here’s two concepts that I recently discovered:

1. SQUISH Candies

This is a gourmet candy store (err, artisanal candy store) that just opened it’s first Ontario Store on the concourse level of the Bay (176 Yonge St). They have a roster of 100 different gummies, with flavour profiles to match any mood. Not to mention that these gummies are vegan, non GMO, organic, dairy free, and have no artificial flavour or colours!

new - squish (flavour)

I had the good fortune to chat with the lovely founder (Sarah Segal) who launched this idea in Montreal in 2014.

new - squish (owner)

Sarah was the chief tea developer and head of product development for David’s Tea and it’s evident that SQUISH is going to have the same “marketing genius” that David’s Tea has.

new - squish (packaging)

2. MAMAN – Toronto:

Maman, is a New York City bakery and cafe that recently opened a second location at First Canadian Place on the Mezzanine Level (100 King St W). One of the owners is originally from Toronto so it made perfect sense to bring the concept back to her hometown.

This is what the bakery looks like on the outside (plus there’s a magnificent patio).

new - maman (front)

On the inside, there’s communal harvest tables and a very “European” feel to the space. What’s great about this bakery is that they also serve pretty awesome cocktails!! I like how they are mixing it up a bit and you can drop by for a coffee, breakfast, lunch, a cocktail or from cinq-a- sept. (5 to 7 pm).

new - maman

Hours of operation are Monday to Wednesday from 7am to 7pm, and Thursday and Friday from 7am to 9pm for breakfast, lunch and cinq-á-sept. The café and bakery will be closed on weekends.

For more information:

SQUISH Candy: The Bay (176 Yonge St) – Concourse Level. Twitter: @SquishCandy, Instagram: @SquishCanady, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squishcandy

Maman Toronto: First Canadian Place (100 King St. W)  – Mezzanine Level, Twitter: @MamanToronto, Instagram: @_MamanToronto_; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mamantoronto

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Aug
05


A few years ago, I discovered Fluevog while walking thru the Distillery District.  I was instantly a fan. I knew that one day I would own a pair and guess what? This past week, I not only bought one pair but two pairs!!

fluevog - bag

I found out thru Social Media that they were opening up a new store at 686 Queen St and that there would be some additional savings over the weekend.  I’m all about savings so I put it in my calendar to drop by the new store.

Here’s what was in that gigantic Fluevog bag!! Note: If I were super savvy I would do a YouTube Unboxing Video. In the meantime, here’s some photos…LOL

fluevog - boots

I’m in love with the colour, the laces, and the entire design of the boot!

Seeing as I found a boot, I had to find a pair of shoes to purchase too. Don’t you love how I rationalize my shopping purchases?

fluevog - shoes

I love the heel, the colour and basically everything about this shoe.

Here’s more about the Fluevog story: John Fluevog is an independent designer and retailer of forward thinking footwear, since 1970. There are Fluevog stores in Chicago, Boston, New York, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Denver, Washington, San Francisco…and the list goes on!!

Not only am I a fan of his shoes but I adore his marketing too:

fluevog - marketing

Happy Shopping!!

For more information:

Www.fluevog.com

Twitter; @fluevog

Instagram: @fluevog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fluevog

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Aug
03


Long weekends are the perfect time to host a brunch. I started off with a trip to Evergreen Brick Works Farmers’ Market which provided inspiration to go home and start cooking.

For example: I bought a package of this…which I had never seen before and found out that it was totally edible and a member of the legume family!

brunch - clover

Here’s what I managed to make in slightly over 2 hours:

1. Chopped Egg: Not only did I add a little cream cheese, but I added a touch of Kozlik’s Horseradish mustard to it. Plus..I decorated the plate with the above mentioned flowers.

brunch - egg

2. Chopped Tuna. Here’s my little secret…add a touch of cream cheese when you mix up the tuna and the mayo together.

brunch - tuna

3. Salad: I bought a package of organic salad mix with edible flowers and threw it in the bowl with some more cut up romaine. How pretty is this?

brunch - salad

4. Beet Borsht shooters: These shooters certainly were a conversation starter when guests arrived.

brunch - shooters

5. Asparagus Tart: SO. EASY. TO. MAKE. Click here for the recipe.

brunch - tart

6. Blueberry Cobbler; Um…my guests really liked it. Can you tell? Click here for the recipe.

brunch - cobbler

7. Mint Pea Salad: Always a summer hit however I forgot to take a photo. Can you believe?

8. Avocado Corn Salad: I added a small amount of jalapeno and this made all the difference. Click here for the recipe.

brunch - avocado

9. Roasted Tomato/Roasted Garlic with St. Albert Twisted Cheese on Pumpernickel Rounds

brunch - appetizersAt the buffet, there were bagels, a small cheese tray, banana muffins and a cucumber salad too but I’m too tired to post anymore photos. Plus I don’t want to bore you!! However, here’s what the buffet looked like.

brunch - is served

Can’t wait to entertain again!!

Happy Cooking.

 

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