St. Clair Ave West is now home to yet another fabulous restaurant. I’m not kidding I can count about 6 restaurants on this street that I adore

Ji opened about a month ago and is brought to you by the same owners as Pukka. Ji is described as an Indian Gastropub which means there’s a great cocktail list (Chutney Mary, Chai Flip, Tamarind Margarita  etc) as well as shareable plates/mains and desserts. This sign says it all!

Not only am I fan of the food, but I think they did a great job with the decor as well.

I usually pay no attention to the art in a restaurant, but this piece was noticed!!

We went with another couple and shared a variety of vegetarian dishes. Every single dish was flavourful and I wouldn’t hesitate to order them on another visit.

CHILI TOFU – pan tossed with onions and peppers.

SWEET POTATO CHAAT – with yogurt, tamarind and mint chutney

SEMOLINA PUFFS – filled with chickpeas, potato, yogurt and chutney

CAESAR SALAD – Romaine hearts, roasted chickpeas, smoky coconut “bacon bits’ with a vegan cashew dressing

 

TRIO OF CHUTNEYS with Papadums

I’m looking forward to my next visit at which time I’m going to order some non vegetarian dishes like: Hakka Shrimp, Naanchos, and Chicken Purris. Can you tell that I’ve been studying the menu? I really can’t wait to grab another couple and visit.

Congratulations Derek and Harsh for opening (and creating) yet another fabulous restaurant.

For more information about Ji. 

Address: 760 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto

Phone: 416 792 5550

Twitter/Instagram: @HelloJiToronto

Facebook: Www.facebook.com/HelloJiToronto

 

I’d like to take a bet that it would be hard to find someone who doesn’t like macaroni and cheese. It’s comfort food at it’s best.

Plus it’s easy to make. I think it was probably the first thing I learned to make on my own when I was a teenager coming home at lunch time!!

These days, Italpasta has introduced a macaroni and cheese that has 100 percent Canadian wheat and real Canadian cheese. Added bonus: No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. I’m all too happy to support this concept of using Canadian ingredients. Wouldn’t you agree?

The other night I made macaroni and cheese and brought it to another level of yummy-ness.

Heres’ four secret ingredients: (which clearly aren’t a secret anymore{

1. Add 5% cream instead of milk. What a difference. (or use both!!)
2. Add panko and more grated cheese on top of the mac and cheese and bake in the oven for 10 minutes
3. Add a touch of cream cheese.

Bingo, you will have a freakin’ delicious macaroni and cheese to serve.

Trust me. Everyone will be digging into this dish.

Another tip I received on facebook when I posted the above photo included:

-try making the mac and cheese in a slow cooker. Apparently it comes out really really creamy. (which I’ve never done before)

The other tip I would like to share is that this dish freezes beautifully. This means, I always make a big batch and then freeze it for those nights when I come home and I’m too tired to cook (you know what I mean, right?)

Happy Cooking!

For more information: www.Italpasta.com

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own.

 

 

I try hard to participate in Meatless Mondays and thought I would share what I made last week. This plate contains; arugula salad with shaved parmesan and tomatoes, wilted spinach, and cucumber noodles topped with sesame seeds. Not bad for Meatless Monday eh?

This meal should be called: Three Shades of Green!!

An hour later, I had a “not-so-healthy” moment as I had discovered a recipe on Pinterest (click on the link to see my Food Board. Hint)  that I always wanted to try: Banana Fritters.

Before I knew it, I was whipping up dry ingredients and mixing them into the wet ingredients. Then I was DEEP FRYING. I even brought out a thermometer to make sure the oil was hot enough!

Here’s the recipe for this super easy but not-so-healthy-dessert:

Banana Fritters (recipe courtesy of OMG Chocolate Desserts)

Ingredients

Approximately 4 large bananas

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 egg white

Vegetable oil for frying

Powdered sugar for dusting…(I used cinnamon)

Instructions

1. Peel bananas and cut into 1.5 inch long pieces .
2. In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add egg white and yogurt into dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon until it’s smooth.
4. Heat about 2 inch oil in a frying pan.( Be careful not to over heat the oil or the fritters will be too brown, it should be about 350F). This is an important step!!
5. Using a fork dip each banana slice into to batter to coat it well and transfer it into oil and fry until it’s golden brown. Work in small batches because you have to work fast. (agreed – I had to work fast. Do not answer the phone or do anything else)
6. Remove fried fritters to a paper towel lined plate to drain .
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve

Happy Meatless Monday Everyone!!

I grew up in downtown Ottawa surrounded by hotels so I’ve always been interested in the “hotel scene” in Ottawa. The newest hotel to be introduced to Ottawa has opened up in the fabulous Byward Market area and is called the Andaz Hotel.

The check in process can be done online or on site in their intimate lobby area. Immediately after checking in, I sat down at the bar and enjoyed a complimentary beer. Keep reading as there’s more than just one perk at this hotel!
 Then I checked into my stunning room, that featured very stylish clean decor. I felt like I was in NY but I was in Ottawa!! I love how they incorporated “copper” into so many aspects of the room – the alarm clock, lighting, etc.

Even the bathroom taps were copper and gorgeous.

My room included COMPLIMENTARY snacks. When was the last time you saw that? What’s better is that they truly support local suppliers and that’s something you rarely see in a major hotel. (the booze on this tray wasn’t free but everything else was).Even the soap supplier for the Andaz Hotel is local. Truly they are committed to supporting their local community!

As much as I needed to sleep after checking in, I forced myself to go to their 16th floor roof top lounge which overlooks the city. At 5 pm on a weekday, the roof top was busy and everyone was enjoying the fall weather.

There was no need to leave the hotel, as the hotel has a dining room called Feast +Revel . Once again the space is just beautiful. (just like the rest of the hotel!!) and features a menu that really appealed to me.

I dug into this well prepared Elk dish which was described as a 72 hour Elk Ranch elk rib, with a mushroom + salsify, birch jus, sorrel, lemon honey mushroom conserve. My sister (who owns Stunning Ottawa) joined me for dinner and she was super happy with this Steak dish. On the menu its’ described as a Enright Cattle striploin, with lobster butter sauce, dressed baby gem + roasted tomato with Yukon Gold chips. Both of us wanted to drown in the lobster butter sauce!! SO SO good!!

After dinner, I couldn’t resist going back to the 16th floor to enjoy the views of Ottawa at night.

If you are heading to Ottawa, please consider staying at the Andaz Hotel or dining at Feast + Revel. You won’t be disappointed.

Please note, this hotel is BUSY even though it’s new. Book early #justsayin’.

For more information:

ANDAZ OTTAWA BYWARD MARKET
325 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7G1
Tel: +1 613 321 1234

Disclosure: I was provided a media rate but all my opinions are my own

I said “bye bye” to my Versa for a week and happily accepted the keys to a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. This is clearly evident in this photo.

This beautiful car has so many cool features but here’s three features that really were my favourites.

1. This tiny pocket that cools down your phone, when the car is running!

2. The fact that the steering wheel will heat up. This is certainly a very cool feature when you live in Canada! Bye bye frozen fingers.

3. The BOSE sound system. OMG!! I generally do not care about such upgrades but this certainly caught my attention….immediately.

4. The technology features- certainly appealed to me. (especially seeing as Im in my car all day long as a sales rep and use way too much data).

5. The fact that I didn’t have to push a button to open the gas tank. I just had to push it and it opened…OLD SCHOOL. This made me smile.

Just in case you want to know the new features for 2016 – here you go:

-a larger lighter design

-all new standard 1.4L turbo engine. Fuel consumption ration of 5.6 L/100 Km

-stop/start technology with automatic transmission enhances fuel efficiency in stop-and-go driving (the story of my life as a sales rep who is on the roads in GTA traffic)

-available Android Auto and Apple Car Play compatibility allows smartphone features to integrate apps wth Chevrolet MyLink (yay..yay..yay)

I will be honest, I have only driven used cars since I started driving at the age of 30. However after driving this car, I swear I would I consider buying a new car. I was totally in love with all these features.

This car certainly is on my radar.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post however all opinions are my own.

For more information:

Website: http://www.chevrolet.ca/2016-cruze-compact-car.html

Twitter and Instagram: @ChevroletCanada

Have you heard of Ozery Bakery?  Since 1996, the Ozery family has been inventing alternatives to traditional bread products that are made from hearty whole grains, fruits, and seeds.

I’m particular fond of their Morning Rounds which have been a regular part of our breakfast routine and can be found in my daughters lunch box too! They come in a variety of delicious flavours too: Muesli, Cranberry Orange, Apple Cinnamon, Date and Chia, and Multi Grain.

I’ve also been known to prepare myself a little snack which might look like this…

Or like this.

As you can see, I like to snack and these Morning Rounds by Ozery Bakery does the trick.

They are also “just the right size”. Do you know what I mean? Not too small and not too big…just right! Not to mention they freeze well in their reusable bag.

For more information:

Website: www.ozerybakery.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ozerybakery.pitabreak/
Twitter/Instagram: @OzeryBakery

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a friends’ house for dinner. Immediately upon entering her kitchen I said to her: “LOVE your dishes” and she replied: “I bought them last year at the William Ashley Warehouse Sale due to your blog post”.

She then tells me that she’d been looking for another set of dishes for years, and when she saw the prices at the warehouse sale, she bought a set.

This year the sale is taking place till Nov 27th at 111 Creditview  Road in Vaughan (near Hwy 400 and Langstaff) and naturally there is no shortage of incredible merchandise. You name it, they have it!

I spent a lot of time in this section as I can’t seem to have enough placements in my life! (plus they are easy to store in my small condo).

I also bought fabulous candle sticks which I was all to happy to use this week when I set my table. By the way – the table cloth and placemats were bought at last years’ warehouse sale!

I’m a bit mad at myself that I didn’t buy these fabulous light bulbs. Take a peek at the price tag! #next time

Please note, that if you spend $300 or more at the Warehouse Sale, you will receive a $50 gift card to use at their location at 55 Bloor St W or online. 

This warehouse sale has a ton of fantastic merchandise at fantastic prices. I hope you get a chance to visit.

Happy Shopping!

For more information:

Website: http://www.williamashley.com/warehousesale

Hours: Monday (closed), Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Dates: Oct 25 – Nov 27, 2016

Address: 111 Creditview Ave, Vaughan ON

Disclosure: I was provided a gift card in exchange for this blog post, however all opinions are my own

Can’t believe it’s already November. However despite the shorter hours of daylight – there’s some incredible events taking place in November. Here’s my round up!

1. Eat to The Beat:

The countdown is on to one of the hottest food events in Toronto! The 21st annual Eat to the Beat presented by KitchenAid® is a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) that features 60 female chefs supporting people living with breast cancer on Tuesday, November 1 from 7 pm – 10 pm at Roy Thomson Hall. General Admission Tickets are $189. Please click here for more information

 

This delicious event is taking place on Sunday, November 6, 2016
from 11 am to 6 pm at Roy Thomson Hall. There’s chocolate making classes, chocolate eating contests and of course, chocolates to sample and to purchase! Please click here for further info.

3. Nosh Fest – Nov 13, 2016, Wychwood Barns.

For more information, please click here!

Other November favourite events include the Royal Agricultural Fair (Nov 4 to 14) and the One of A Kind Christmas Show  (Nov 24 to Dec 4th)…especially late night shopping with free parking!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful November!

 

I’ve lived minutes away from Yorkdale, since I moved to Toronto in 1988! Not to mention, I was once the Marketing Director for Yorkdale on a 9 month contract in the early 199o’s.

It’s been a lot of fun to keep watching this shopping centre expand and expand.

Their latest expansion which opened last week includes Nordstrom and 18 new stores.

Seriously, this shopping centre is nothing short of fabulous. I can’t stop telling all my friends to GO!

It’s simply stunning and the new range of stores are pretty spectacular too.

For example:

UNIQLO has now opened at Yorkdale and this is going to make a lot of people happy (including myself).

Muji is another another Japanese retailer that features not only clothing, but housewares, stationary and bedding too! Worth checking out.

Naturally I couldn’t resist these diffusers and bought one! It was a little treat to myself and my condo (which is now spelling of Lemongrass).

Please let it be known that Canada Goose has opened it’s first retail store at Yorkdale. Another great reason to visit this new expansion.

Other stores that caught my attention – this Birks store which is particularly stunning.

 After touring the new expansion, make sure you treat yourself to something sweet at Nadege.

Other stores that have opened in this expansion include: Samsung (which also makes me every so happy that they are now at Yorkdale), ARC’TERYX, Wolford, Mage, Strellson, Reiss, Spareparts, The Face Shop, Saje, NYX Cosmetics, Mackage, Oak + Fort

Yes – Yorkdale has STYLE.

Happy Shopping!

Website: www.yorkdale.com

Address: 3401 Dufferin St. Toronto

Phone: 416-789-3261

Twitter: @YorkdaleStyle

Lately, my favourite activity on a Saturday has been to visit Wychwood Farmers’ Market  (601 Christie St – Bathurst and St. Clair) and then head home to start cooking a storm.

Seriously, you are never going to find produce like this at your local grocery store.

In between chopping, I will be honest – I spend some time on Pinterest. Click here to see my Food Board which has over 350 ideas!

I’m now going to share with you what I served for Saturday night. As much as I like going out to restaurants – I really do enjoy the simple pleasure of cooking and eating in!

Here’s what was served:

Roasted Carrots with Curried Chickpeas and Creamy Citrus Dressing (original recipe found here). 

Side note: I’ve made roasted chickpeas before and they didn’t come out. I’m convinced this time the recipe turned out as I followed an important step to take them out out of their shells. Trust me, it wasn’t fun and it was time consuming but it was worth it.

Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce (original recipe can be found here) ps bought the chicken at Sanagans and we think it was worth it.

Squash Stuffed with Candied Walnuts (sorry, no recipe..just made it up).

A Simple Salad made with veggies I bought at the Farmer’s Market.

As you can see, dinner was delicious.

Happy Cooking!!