Spark up the Grill - It's Time for a Little Mealtime Inspiration!

The warmer weather is finally here, so take the cover off the barbecue and get ready to polish up your grilling techniques.

Here are some grilling tips, tricks and recipe ideas from Everyday Food and Foodwishes.com to get you on your way.

What's Open and Closed on the Civic Holiday

If you're considering a kitchen or bath renovation in your home, condo or cottage, drop by the Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre showroom this weekend. Our design team would be happy to discuss your plans with you.

Here are our Civic Holiday long weekend hours:

Friday, July 31st - 9am to 5pm
Saturday, August 1st - 9am to 5pm
Sunday, August 2nd - closed
Monday, August 3rd - closed
Tuesday, August 4th - regular business hours resume

Below is a list of what's open -- and what's not -- around Toronto on Monday.

OPEN

• Tourist attractions (ROM, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium)
• Major malls (Eaton Centre, Yorkville, Fairview, Sherway Gardens, Square One, Vaughan Mills) The Pickering Town Centre will be open 10am to 6pm.
• Select Beer Store locations
• LCBO
• Grocery stores
• Movie theatres

CLOSED

• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Banks
• Libraries
• Government offices
• Post offices and mail delivery

For a full list of what's open and closed, click here.

We hope you enjoy a safe and happy Civic Holiday long weekend!

Spend Less Time Inside with these Easy-to-Prepare Summertime Recipes from Everyday Food

Looking for a little summer mealtime inspiration? Here are a few recipes that are both delicious and quick and easy to prepare.

5 Reasons Why Summer is the Perfect Time to Have Your Kitchen Renovated

After a seemingly endless winter spent indoors, there’s a good chance you’re ready to say goodbye to your drab, outdated kitchen and excited to embrace a brighter, more efficient living space.

But no matter how well you plan for the disruption of a major kitchen renovation, there's nothing that quite prepares you for the daily inconvenience of preparing meals and doing dishes in a temporary kitchen. As the heart of the home, your kitchen is more than a place prepare and eat meals; it's the central gathering place for most families.

When’s the best time to renovate? For many homeowners, the sunny days of summer make the most sense.

Renovating your kitchen during the summer months has its advantages:

Weather permitting...you can eat in your outdoor kitchen!

Polish up the patio set, turn on the portable CD player, set the table and VOILA! You've got yourself a temporary kitchen away from the dust and mess of your kitchen renovation.

You can barbecue more and eat take-out less.

Eating at restaurants and bringing take-out food home is as expensive as it is tiresome. Fortunately, the internet offers endless creative ways to use your barbecue to grill meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

You can go on vacation.

If you have young children, it's often easier to leave for a week at the cottage or an extended road trip once they are out of school. You may not be able to avoid living at home during the entire period of upheaval, but you can reduce the amount of stress your family feels by planning to be away during some of the "messier" periods of your renovation.

You can breathe easier!

With any renovation, there will be dust. Sure, you can close off rooms, shut all the doors...but the dust will follow you everywhere―except outside. Grab a book, your laptop or a deck of cards and head outside for a breath of fresh air.

You can clean less -- nice weather means less mess!

From the time tear down begins to the moment you sit back and enjoy your new kitchen, there is an enormous amount of traffic in and out of your home. When renovating during the summer months, you reduce the amount of dirt tracked through your house. And with any major renovation, a table saw is often a contractor’s best friend. During the warmer months, the saw won’t need to be set up in your garage, porch or basement. That means less dust floating around your home.

Are you considering a kitchen renovation? Monarch has been making homeowner's kitchen renovation dreams a reality for over 30 years. Drop by our showroom or call us at 905-686-2001 to book a consultation with one of our kitchen designers. But hurry, Monarch’s summer schedule is booking up!

Celebrate Summer with Delicious Recipes from Everyday Food

No matter how beautiful your kitchen is, you probably have better things to do in the summer months than stay inside and prepare meals.

Here are a few fast and easy recipes from Sarah Carey at Everyday Food.

Ready to Renovate? Book with Monarch and Get the Kitchen You Want in Time for Fall!

After a winter spent indoors, you may be ready to say goodbye to your drab, outdated kitchen and ready to embrace a brighter, more efficient living space.

No matter how well you plan for the disruption of a major kitchen renovation, there's nothing that quite prepares you for the daily inconvenience of preparing meals and doing dishes in a temporary kitchen. As the heart of the home, your kitchen is more than a place prepare and eat meals; it's the central gathering place for most families.

Renovating your kitchen during the summer months has its advantages:

You can go on vacation.

If you have young children, it's often easier to leave for a week at the cottage or an extended road trip once they are out of school. You may not be able to avoid living at home during the entire period of upheaval, but you can reduce the amount of stress your family feels by planning to be away during some of the "messier" periods of your renovation.

Weather permitting...you can eat in your outdoor kitchen!

Polish up the patio set, turn on the portable CD player, set the table and VOILA! You've got yourself a temporary kitchen away from the dust and mess of your kitchen renovation.

You can barbecue more and eat take-out less.

Eating at restaurants and bringing take-out food home is not only expensive, it can be tiresome, as well. Fortunately, the Internet offers seemingly endless creative ways to use your barbecue to grill meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

You can breathe easier!

With any renovation, there will be dust. Sure, you can close off rooms, shut all the doors...but the dust will follow you everywhere―except outside. Grab a book, your laptop or a deck of cards and head outside for a breath of fresh air.

You can clean less -- nice weather means less mess!

From the time tear down begins to the moment you sit back and enjoy your new kitchen, there is an enormous amount of traffic in and out of your home. When renovating during the summer months, you reduce the amount of dirt tracked through your house. And with any major renovation, a table saw is often a contractor’s best friend. During the warmer months, the saw won’t need to be set up in your garage, porch or basement. That means less dust floating around your home.

Are you considering a kitchen renovation? Monarch has been making homeowner's kitchen renovation dreams a reality for over 30 years. Drop by our showroom or call us at 905-686-2001 to book a consultation with one of our kitchen designers. But hurry, Monarch’s summer schedule is booking up!

Quick and Delicious Recipes That Will Keep You Out of the Kitchen This Long Weekend

As kitchen renovation and design specialists, we are usually the first to encourage you to spend more time in the kitchen.

But we know long weekends come with their own set of rules.

Here are a few great recipes from Sarah Carey at Everyday Food that will help you to spend less time preparing your meals and more time enjoying the company of family and friends this weekend.

Happy August long weekend from Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre!

5 Reasons Why Summer is the Best Time to Renovate Your Kitchen

Chances are you're planning on spending a little extra time in your kitchen over the long Easter weekend. If your kitchen is well-designed and meets your family's needs, you're probably comfortable with this idea. Perhaps you're even looking forward to the opportunity to cook for family and friends.

If, however, your kitchen is a constant source of frustration, this weekend just might be your tipping point―the point at which you realize something really needs to be done to improve the beauty and functionality of this pivotal room in your home.

At Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre, our designers are familiar with the onset of "spring fever" that seems to come over homeowners at this time of year. After a winter spent indoors, many of you are ready to say goodbye to your drab, outdated kitchen and ready to embrace a brighter, more efficient living space.

If spring is a great time to plan, then summer is an even better time to renovate! No matter how well you plan for the disruption of a major kitchen renovation, there's nothing that quite prepares you for the inconvenience of preparing meals and doing dishes in a temporary kitchen. As the heart of the home, your kitchen is more than a place prepare and eat meals, it's the central gathering point for most families.

Renovating your kitchen during the summer months has its advantages. Here are Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre's top five:

You can go on vacation.

With the kids out of school, it's often easier to leave for a week at the cottage or an extended road trip. You may not be able to avoid living at home during the entire period of upheaval, but you can reduce the amount of stress your family feels by planning to be away during some of the "messier" periods of your renovation.

Weather permitting...you can eat outside!

Polish up the patio set, turn on the portable CD player, set the table and VOILA! You've got yourself a temporary kitchen away from the dust and mess of your kitchen renovation.

You can spend more time barbecuing and less time in the drive-thru line.

Eating at restaurants and bringing take-out food home is not only expensive, it can be tiresome as well. With the Internet at your disposal, you can discover numerous creative ways to use your barbecue to grill meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

You can breathe easier!

With any renovation, there will be dust. Sure, you can close off rooms, shut all the doors...but the dust will follow you everywhere―except outside. Grab a book, your laptop or a deck of cards and head outside for a breath of fresh air.

No sleet and snow means less mess!

From the time tear down begins to the moment you sit back and enjoy your new kitchen, there is an enormous amount of traffic in and out of your home. It only makes sense that by renovating during the summer months, you reduce the amount of dirt tracked through your house.

Are you considering a kitchen renovation? Monarch has been making homeowner's kitchen renovation dreams become a reality for over 30 years. Drop by our Pickering showroom or call us at 905-686-2001 to book a consultation with one of our kitchen designers.