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Papaya Caprese Salad

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Rarely do we see fruits in the mix with salads but this salad is a tropical spin on the traditional Italian caprese salad, due to the addition of a papaya.

Having gained popularity recently, papayas are one of the healthiest fruits; they are rich with potassium, folates, beta carotene, and vitamins making them the perfect addition to a light salad.

Aside from calling for one medium-sized papaya, this salad is also filled with a variety of delicious ingredients such as fresh mozzarella (which contains a protein that can help enhance dopamine and other neurotransmitters in your brain) with the tasty combination of red long hot peppers and cracked black pepper.

But, if you’re leaning towards a greener salad, we recommend you toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl with baby spinach leaves and sliced avocado.

M5V_PapayaCapreseSalad_Apr182013

Ingredients:

  • 1 Medium Sized Papaya
  • 3-4 Ovoline Mozzarella
  • 2 Small Red Long Hot Peppers
  • 1/8c Fresh Basil Leaves
  • 1/8c Fresh Cilantro Leaves
  • 3tbs Olive Oil
  • 1tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2tsp Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Start by slicing the papaya in half lengthwise and then removing the seeds with a spoon and peel its skin. Slice into half inch thick pieces and set aside.

2. Drain the brine from the mozzarella and slice into slightly thinner pieces.

3. Grab the red long hot peppers and remove and discard the seeds then slice into a fine julienne. (If you are sensitive to spice use less pepper in the salad, and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before touching your face).

4. If the basil leaves are large, rip them into smaller pieces.

5. Combine all into a salad bowl.

6. Lastly, sprinkle hot peppers, basil, and cilantro on top. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with salt and pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Sources:

http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/02/post-holiday-detox-papaya-caprese-salad/

Crush Wine Bar

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If you’re someone who enjoys a glass of wine with their meal, then we recommend Crush Wine Bar. Located at 455 King Street West, in one of Toronto’s trendy neighbourhoods, this bar features a menu that suggests wine pairings for each food item.

Their sophisticated wine list has a total of 80 different wines that are available by the glass, with 30 to 35 wines available by the three- or five-ounce glass. On a separate menu are two pages of wine flights. This gives you the opportunity to try two different 3 oz. portions (the equivalent of one glass of wine) which is a great way to compare and contrast different wines.

M5V_CrushWineBar_Mar252013

Executive Chef Trista Sheen, who has worked at the bar since last year, constructs a menu that features organic meat, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables from surrounding local farms. Nothing arrives pre-packaged. All the food, including the dessert, is prepared and made in-house.

With that said, the menu is definitely geared toward the carb-conscious, so if you are on a diet you can easily be satisfied, until you start exploring the wine list, of course. Wine stewards are on hand to guide guests through the extensive collection, suggesting ways to enhance the flavours of Chef Sheens’ simple, yet stunning dishes.

From the exposed-brick walls to the semi-open kitchen, this bar will have you feeling cool and laid-back. Whether you come for dinner with the ladies, a first date, a casual business dinner, or you’re just looking for a quick drink, lunch, or place to steal away for the evening, Crush Wine Bar is committed to providing a first-rate enjoyable experience.

Whether you choose to dine inside the restaurant or outside on the fabulous patio during the warmer months, Crush Wine Bar is sure to exceed expectations.

Crush Wine Bar is open weekdays from 11:30am to 10:30pm and Saturdays from 5pm to 10:30pm.

DIY Dresser Redesign

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If you’re trying to bring some colour to your home décor but do not want to spend too much money, one great option is to try fixing up an old dresser!

There are an endless number of potential designs and paints to spruce up that old dresser. Here are just a few examples.

Fabric:

You can pick up a cheap, unfinished dresser at many furniture stores. Find some fun fabrics and a bit of paint. In this example, the sides of the dresser were covered with white and red fabric. The fabric can simply be stapled to the dresser. To cover the drawers, make sure to carefully measure the amount of fabric you need and make sure the patterns align properly. Add some paint if desired.

M5V_DIYDresserAfter_March6,2013

Wallpaper:

For this DIY project, find fancy wallpaper and decoupage. Add a little paint and your dresser can look brand new! This particulate wallpaper is from the Daydream collection by Julia Rothman for H&W.

M5V_DIYDresserMaps_March6,2-13

Silver Leaf

Finally, check out this glamorous silver dresser – all done with silver leaf pieces. First, sand down your dresser and coat with paint. Once the paint has cured, coat the dresser with 3-hour Quick Set Gilding Size. The gilding size acts as the glue that holds the left. It’s applied just like varnish. Here, they used aluminum leaf because it was the brightest silver tone and that’s what they were going for, but there are different colours. Carefully lay the sheets down with as little folding as possible. Then use a soft bristled paint brush and just tap, burnish and rub the leaf down.

M5V_DIYDresserSilver_March5,2013

 Do you have other DIY dresser ideas? Let us know!

Sources:

http://www.curbly.com/users/modhomeecteacher/posts/9867-10-diy-dresser-makeovers-to-die-for

http://www.frugalmomeh.com/2013/02/diy-dresser-makeover.html

 

 

M5V Achieves LEED Gold Status

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m5v_LeedGold_Feb16,2013

M5V has just received LEED Gold accreditation! What exactly does that mean? For one, the M5V building is now considered environmentally sustainable within its urban atmosphere. It consumes less energy and water, emits less harmful toxins and provides ample living space for its tenants.

LEED was developed by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide building owners with a framework to implement real and measurable green initiatives.

The program was started in 1998 and today includes more than 7,000 projects around the world. The rating system used by LEED has changed a bit over the years. Today it consists of a nine-scaled rating system for the design, construction, and operation of a building. In this way, LEED takes a holistic approach to sustainability.

For more information regarding M5V, please feel free to contact us.

Sources:

http://www.teeplearch.com/news/12-10-26/m5v-condominiums-now-certified-leed-gold

http://lifetimedevelopments.com/blog/m5v-wins-gold/

http://www.cagbc.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=LEED

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1186153&l=3a71a80501&id=133647556708921

Exploring the TIFF Bell Lightbox

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TIFFBellLightBox

One of Toronto’s most important cultural institutions, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), has had a beautiful new home on the corner of King and John Streets in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District for a couple of years now. This five-story complex, designed by award-winning KPMB Architects, is home to all of TIFF’s current programmes and also provides space for special occasions and events.

An enormous canopy directs visitors to the main entrance and box office along King Street. Cinematic flair is given through the use of glass panels along the surface of the building that catch the shadows of people moving around inside.

TIFF_Interior

The interior of the complex contains a three-storey atrium, five public cinemas, two galleries, three learning studios, an education centre, a bistro, a restaurant and a lounge.

The current feature exhibition running at the Lightbox is Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style. This is the first time this exhibition has been shown in North America after first being unveiled at the Barbican Centre in London.

TIFF_Bond

Designing 007 is the most extensive exhibition ever developed around the Bond franchise, featuring an incredible assortment of objects including costumes, props, models, artwork, storyboards and gadgets from Q-Branch. Some of the more iconic artifacts in the exhibition include Sean Connery’s overcoat from Dr. No (1962), Richard Kiel’s steel teeth from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and the poker table used in Casino Royale (2006).

The exhibition is accompanied by educational workshops, guest speakers and film programmes. In addition, the brains behind Luma, one of the Lightbox’s restaurants, have designed Bond-inspired martinis (including the Moneypenny and the Goldeneye) and special prix fixe dinners.

TIFF_Luma

Enjoying an elegant, quality meal after experiencing some of the TIFF Bell Lightbox’s programmes would make for an excellent experience, especially in Luma’s chic dining room, which is decorated in rich woods, warm leather and stone. Luma’s menu reflects Toronto’s cultural breadth, with its globally inspired choices as well as its emphasis on high-quality local and regional ingredients.

If a full sit-down experience is not what you are looking for however, O&B Canteen, the Lightbox’s more casual café and bakery has ready to go, chef-prepared options. All the items use fresh ingredients, ranging from home-made sandwiches to freshly baked pizzas. Quick, fresh, healthy food is the perfect combination for the working professional on the go. Their expansive outdoor patio can also be enjoyed throughout the summer.

Sources:

http://www.oliverbonacini.com/Luma.aspx

http://tiff.net/about/tiffbelllightbox

Z Teca serves a burrito you won’t be able to pass up!

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Z Teca is the place to go to get your fix of guac and exceptionally good burritos. With convenient locations around the city, and one just steps from M5V, Z Teca is a burrito joint you’ll be craving before you even try it.

Plywood and sheet metal decorate the space in a gourmet-industrial way that steers this restaurant in the opposite direction of other traditional sombrero hats and salsa music styled burrito joints. Z Teca is a place that you can enjoy visiting, and will actually want to eat your tasty burrito at.

Image c/o morethanjustwaffles.com

Image c/o morethanjustwaffles.com

The menu offers many options that cater to the carnivore or herbivore. Living up to the hype, Z Teca is proud of their quality, two-fisted burritos.

The menu is easy to read, featuring interesting options like corn quesadilla and beef barbacoa. The steps for ordering are equally simple. Step 1: choose a menu item, we played it safe and chose a burrito (other options include tacos, salad and a burrito bowl). Step 2: choose a filling. We chose juicy, char-grilled jumbo shrimp. Step 3: choose a salsa. You can choose medium, mild, hot or fresh mango salsa, which we thought paired perfectly with our shrimp. Rolled nicely with black beans, cilantro-line rice and Monterery Jack cheese, and grilled to perfection, our burrito ($8.76) was delicious.

Image c/o blogTO

Image c/o blogTO

Whether you’re on the go, or looking to stay and dine in this trendy fast food burrito joint, you won’t be disappointed. To find other locations in the city, take a sneak peek at their menu, or order online if you’re in a hurry, visit their website at http://www.z-teca.com/ .

Sources:

http://www.z-teca.com/

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/zteca

Victor restaurant gives you some unique tastes of Toronto

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Victor’s revamped dining space. Image c/o Toronto Life.

Victor Restaurant is a new(ly revamped) addition to the King West area, located in the lobby of Hotel le Germain, Toronto. It’s a great setting for those who want to dine or lounge. A new menu and a new look were revealed in 2011, both designed by Jenny Francis Design.

General Manager Michael Sullivan and Chef David Chrystian recently joined the team to re-launch Victor. Prior to working at Victor he attempted to open his first restaurant, Patriot Restaurant, which unfortunately ended up closing. As well, he has had extensive experience in places like the Crowne Plaza and Drake Hotel. More recently, he was a competitor on Top Chef Canada.

But, back to Victor! The lounge area is cozy, with plush velvet couches and oversize lampshades, overlooking Mercer Street. The dining room features an art deco style and can seat up to 40. Reviews often praise the great food, friendly service and elegant atmosphere.

The food at Victor is primarily tapas-style, with emphasis on shared platters. Their “Taste Toronto” menu offers a selection of dishes reflecting the various ethnic cuisines that can be found around the GTA. These options change weekly.

Meanwhile, the main menu offers lots of sustainable seafood dishes like marinated sardines ($14) or dishes for meat lovers like the roasted elk and venison sausage ($28). Complement your meal with any of the many wine or cocktail choices!

Whether you’re out with friends, family or on a date, Victor Restaurant is an ideal spot for a relaxing evening filled with delicious food.

Sources:

http://www.victorrestaurant.com/

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/opening-daily-dish/2011/04/18/take-a-look-inside-the-redesigned-victor-restaurant-at-hotel-le-germain/

http://www.torontolife.com/listings/restaurants/continental/victor/

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/topchefcanada/bios/-/47981/story.html

Adding colour to your space

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Colour is everywhere in the beautiful design of the recently completed M5V condo, located on King St. W and Blue Jays Way. From the giant red box to its multicoloured glass panes, the M5V building is a festival of colour, and we can help you evoke that feeling with some tips on how to bring colour into your condo space.

1. Choose a Color Scheme

Deciding on a colour scheme for an entire home can be hard, so take it room by room. Using a colour wheel for inspiration, you can narrow your colours down to ones you think work well together. Alternatively, you can use one of the popular colour schemes described below:

Complementary Color Scheme

Complementary colours are ones that sit right across from each other on the colour wheel. This includes the colour combinations of blue and yellow, purple and orange, and red and green. Rooms decorated with this type of scheme are usually the more formal rooms like the dining or living room.

Analogous Colour Scheme

Analogous colours are ones that sit next to each other on the colour wheel. This includes the colour combinations blue and purple, orange and red, and yellow and green. This colour is scheme is used in less formal areas of the home where you might want to feel restful and comfortable, like the family room or bedroom.

High Contrast

A high contrast scheme is one that uses light values of one colour and dark values of another together. The most popular example is black and white, with deep burgundy and light gold not far behind. Like complementary colour schemes, high contrast is used for the formal areas of the home.

2. Pull from an Existing Pattern

If you’re having trouble choosing a colour scheme, it might be useful to look at your furniture. If you have a large or focal piece like a rug, a large piece of art, or upholstered furniture, you may want to pull colours from the patterns present in these pieces so that your room will match its focal point. This would be easier and less expensive than painting the walls first and having a hard time finding matching pieces. For example, if you own a traditional oriental rug, you could have an analogous colour scheme consisting of red, brown, and touches of gold.

3. Use the 60-30-10 Rule

If you’ve spent some time looking at rooms in home décor magazines or interior design photos, you may have noticed that the room’s colours look like they are arranged into percentages of 60-30-10. It is not known why that particular breakdown of colour appeals to the human eye. The overall theme of the room can be shown through the colour taking up 60% of the room, the colour occupying 30% provides visual interns, while the 10% colour adds a final touch or sparkle to the room. In a room, we’d call these colours the dominants, secondary, and accent colours respectively. Usually this translates to the 60% colour occupying the walls, 30% the upholstery, and 10% in an accent piece

4. Live With Color Before You Buy

When you go shopping for upholstery or fabric, try to bring home a sample of your choices. This allows you to see if the colour really works with the room in various light situations. Leave the sample or swatch in the room for a few days and check how the colour looks in different lighting. Make sure to be extra vigilant during the times of the day the room will be used the most. If the room is used most during the evening, check on the colour during that time while paying special attention to the effect of artificial lighting on the colour. If the room is busier in the day hours where natural light is present, check the colour in the morning and early afternoon.

If you are interested in obtaining more information about M5V please feel free to contact us today at (416) 929-1660 or via email at resupport@axoncapitalrealty.com. We’d be happy to assist you in your search!

Sources:

 

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/top-10-tips-for-adding-color-to-your-space/index.html

http://houseandhome.com/design/shopping-colours

http://ideas.thenest.com/decor-tricks/decor-style/slideshows/8-ways-to-add-color-to-your-home.aspx

http://www.myhomeideas.com/decorating/color/8-practical-ways-to-add-color-10000001888809/

 

Photo of the Day: M5V stands tall and proud

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M5V from Oxley St. It definitely stands out on the King West strip. Image c/o A. Wood, Axon Capital Realty Advisors ©

M5V is truly a work of art. It was designed by Core Architects and Teeple Architects to be an elegant and slender tower and with its characteristic vibrant red box mid-tower (which houses the mechanical room), it definitely breaks out of the King West condo mold.

Another unique feature of M5V is that it is a leader in sustainable living. This philosophy is seen in the design and within the advanced and environmentally friendly building systems. Low emission materials were used during the construction of suites and common areas and, now that construction is complete, suites and common areas feature energy-efficient appliances and water conserving fixtures.

Starbucks at your front door? Yes please! Image c/o A. Wood, Axon Capital Realty Advisors ©

If you’re interested in snatching a place at M5V for yourself, please feel free to contact us at (416) 929-1660 or email us at resupport@axoncapitalrealty.com. We would be happy to help with your condo search!

In need of a bouquet for a special occasion? Check out King West Flowers right by M5V!

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Image c/o kingwestflowers.com

King West Flowers sits at the corner of Bathurst and King at 720 King St. West. It is a trendy florist shop offering over 80 types of bouquets and special custom arrangements, right on the spot! Their online shopping option is also widely popular, just click here to reach their online store.

Whether you’re planning a wedding or are looking for a nice bouquet for your mother on Mother’s Day, they will certainly have something for you.

Arrangements start at roughly $60. Their delivery service spans theGTA, for roughly $15.

You may have family or friends living abroad – King West Flowers is a member of FTD, or “Florists Transworld Delivery”. This means they can help you send flowers anywhere in the world!

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

M5V is surrounded by many trendy King West boutiques and great services. If you’re thinking of moving to the area, please feel free to contact us for more information. Reach us at (416) 929-1660 or email us at resupport@axoncapitalrealty.com. We would be happy to help you find the right condo!

Sources:

 

http://www.kingwestflowers.com/

http://www.torontolife.com/listings/flowers/planning/king-west-flowers-location1/