Vancouver Restaurant: The Buffet at the River Rock Casino Resort

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Blogging Almost Everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 28 - The Buffet at the River Rock Casino

When we first planned the River Rock Casino Resort staycation, i did not have The Buffet on my list even though I had a casino card which means a small discount.  Instead I was thinking of fancy dinners at restaurants and it was Carolyn who said "I want to go eat at the buffet one night."  Of course I wasn't going to stop that idea because I do love all you can eat buffets.  

The best part was our timing for eating at The Buffet on a Saturday night.  We shopped at Richmond Centre all afternoon to work up an appetite.  I specifically starved myself knowing that the Surf and Turf at the Buffet was coming up!  Surf and Turf of sea and land and that is definitely what the Buffet had.  We returned to the hotel at 4:30pm, dropped off our packages and then went downstairs to the Buffet even though it didn't open until 5pm. 

Boy that was the best decision ever.  There was already a line up and large groups ahead of us.  We made it through the line and were brought into the dining area.  The Surf and Turf weekend buffet had such an assortment of food.  Now the maximum dining time is 90 minutes and believe me, you'll need it.  By the way when we were all done and left the Buffet the line up was even longer and along the hallway so who knows how long those folks had to wait.  

There was the Turf part with prime rib, turkey, chicken with roasted potatoes (I wouldn't dare try the mashed), gravy, toppings, and perogies.  There was an unexciting salad bar.  The Surf part had prawns withe seafood sauce, and the big ticket item were the crab legs!  They had a table filled with sushi rolls and sashimi and another area with hot items such as rice, vegetables, asian noodles.  If you prefer dessert, there was an entire dessert table and a freezer full of ice cream.  So many options, it was hard to choose and eat it all.  

Feel free to check out their prices at The Buffet at the River Rock website here:  http://www.riverrock.com/dining/buffet/  

Sunday Funday - Meal Prep Sunday

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NaBloPoMo Day 27 - Drone Racing and Meal Prep Sunday

I love the idea of meal prep sunday that my husband discovered for me on Reddit which links back to this blog ideally called My Meal Prep Sunday.   On Reddit you can see people posting containers of their healthy lunches that they have made for the week.  Inspiration from me!

So what really happened on my Meal Prep Sunday.  Firstly I slept in and since it has been rainy and dark I really did not want to get out of bed.  Once I did I went out to the Western League Drone Racing event at Cloverdale Agriplex to check out what multirotor drone racing looks like and to visit our friends.  

Needless to say we didn't even think about meal planning or grocery shopping until later in the afternoon.  I use Plan to Eat to do my meal planning and from there my grocery list.  We ended up going to Walmart to buy groceries since we needed to go there for cheap glue for flying wings.  I wanted to share this because my Meal Prep Sunday was not a full day and instead a few hours.  So what did it look like?

1.  Rotissiere Chicken leftovers with Steamed cauliflower, carrots, and frozen green beans.  I prefer fresh veggies but sometimes it is nice to throw in frozen ones to make it more colourful.  This was a nice combination.

2.  Brocolli Apple Salad - http://paleoleap.com/broccoli-apple-salad-walnuts/ - This salad was such a success last week that I made it again!  I put it in smaller containers as it is a good midday snack.

3.  Slow Cooker Beef Stew - http://www.clubhouse.ca/en-ca/products/meal-helpers/slow-cookers/slow-cookers-beef-stew  I chopped carrots, potatoes, and onions so tomorrow morning I can put everything in the slow cooker on low and go off to work.  That will give me dinner and hopefully few more lunches.  

What did I learn?  I need a full day of Meal Prep Sunday to have more meals.  I like using smaller containers so I feel I have variety and using the slower cooker during weekday evenings will help save time as well.  I want to do more baking as well so we'll see if I'm successful next week on #sundayfunday #mealprepsunday

Fitness Friday: RSVP 33 Dance Class

National Blog Posting Month

Blogging Everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 18 - RSVP 33 

RSVP 33 is a dance party.  It's a six week dance class party and the next party starts in the new year January 2017.  What a great way to get fit and have fun!  Vancity Girlfrineds Carolyn has already signed up and can't wait to get the party started.  So tempting!  Since I'm not a very good dancer I'm hesitant to sign up for dance classes but RRVP 33 seems different.  As RRVP 33 says on their website 

"We're different.  For your six-week workshop, everyone learns, grows, and dances together."

Motivation for fitness is hard to find so I always love to try new things.  Six weeks seems like a short commitment and a reasonable investment at $100 for six classes.  Plus you get to move to some cool music!

  

Thrifty Tuesday: Bourbon Street Grill at the Metrotown Food Court

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Blogging Everyday in November 

#NaBloPoMo Day 15 - Thrifty Tuesday Bourbon St Grill

Metrotown Food Court in Burnaby, BC which is one of the largest shopping malls in British Columbia is a popular place for a fast and affordable dinner.  The hardest part is always deciding what type of food to buy for dinner.  Do you go to the place with the shortest line up?  Or the longest line up?  Do you follow your tastebuds and follow the type of cuisine that you want to eat?  Or do you follow your pocket book and try to figure out which fast food place will give you the most for your money?

Well I decided to go to the newest place.  There was a shiny big sign that said Bourbon Street Grill.  I imagined good old southern home cooking with corn, and meats, and cornbread.  At the buffet holding trays, they had corn as an option.  And if you say "Can I try the Bourbon St Chicken?", they will give you a toothpick and a piece of chicken to taste.  Wow, that was nice!

What I actually meant was "I'll take the Bourbon St Chicken".  So I decided to order the Bourbon St Chicken, Bourbon St Rice with mixed vegetables.  Now it pretty much is a Chinese style food with a sweeter sauce anytime they say "Bourbon".  It was still good for my tastebuds and I would return if I am looking for a Chinese Canadian food.  I really cannot call it southern food at all.  It was still a dinner for less than $10 so it's a good deal for Thrifty Tuesday.  

Movie Monday: Trolls with Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake

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#NaBloPoMo Day 14 - Trolls Movie

What did I know of Trolls?  It was an animated movie with Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.  Not much really.  I vaguely remember Anna Kendrick on a late night talk show talking about her role but I didn't think much of it.  An animated movie for kids, so what?

Then when my niece asked me to take her to the movie Trolls, of course, I said "Yes".  What auntie wouldn't especially knowing that I probably only had a few more years when she would actually ask me before her pre-teens and then she would be too cool to spend time with me.  Even more so because she was the youngest and knew that I wasn't really her "auntie" instead I was "Mom's friend who hangs out at the house a LOT."  Hmm, interesting translation.

Anyways, I love those "Auntie Days" when I can spend time with her and make her happy and spoil her.  So I don't need to know anything about a movie except for the fact that my niece wanted to go.  Sometimes that's the best part when you don't know anything because then you can be pleasantly surprised.  

And surprised I was.  Trolls are such positive and happy creatures and I never knew that happiness could be spread through singing and dancing and hugging.  With colours of the rainbow that light up the roads.  There are so many feel good moments in Trolls and the best part is never hearing Justin Timberlake sing until the very end, and when he sings it is soo good.  I loved Anna Kendrick's character Poppy because she is so bright and filled with positive energy.  

All in all even though this is a kids movie and if you are going to watch it in the theatre, you better have the patience for kids.  Otherwise wait until it comes out on DVD.  It's best enjoyed with a niece or two.  Watching Trolls with my niece was the highlight of my weekend.   I didn't watch any movie trailers but hey maybe you want to.  Don't forget to SING, DANCE, and HUG like TROLLS!

Sunday Funday: Meal Prep Sunday

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Blogging everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 13 - Meal Prep Sunday

I love being in the kitchen but often I am too tired or find myself too hungry to enjoy cooking.  Sundays are different.  Some people call them Meal Preparation Sundays #mealprepsundays.  This is the one day when you meal plan, prepare and cook your meals or lunches for the week.  I love the idea and Sundays are lazy days for me so I was super happy that it was raining and I had time to try a Meal Prep Sunday.  

First I use my meal planner called Plan to Eat to plan the meals that I want to cook.  I have recipes from the web that I want to try and like to see how the meals will work for the upcoming days.  Plan to Eat has grocery lists for grocery shopping but since I am only cooking for two, I don't use that function very often.  I did in the beginning when I first started using Plan to Eat.  Feel free to visit my referral link to check it out:  https://www.plantoeat.com/ref/couponchef  Or you can keep it simple and write down the meals on a piece of paper.  There is nothing wrong with that!

So I wanted to get started with some baking.  I hadn't baked in a LONG time.  I decided to make Mini Pumpkin muffins using the following recipe:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-mini-muffins because I had a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry.  After I put the first batch of muffins in the oven and was putting away the leftover pumpkin puree I licked the spoon of with the last scraps of the pumpkin purree in the can and YUCK!  It tasted awful!  Then I looked at the top of the can of pumpkin puree and saw the expiry date.  It read October 2015.  What a letdown to my first baking experience back in the kitchen!  Lesson learned, if you have pantry items that you want to use, check the expiry dates.  I learned the hard way.  

So I didn't let that stop me from Sunday Funday Meal Prep Sunday.  (Just stopped the baking).  Take a look at what recipes I prepared for my first Meal Prep Sunday.

1.  Easiest Eggplant - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/70142/easiest-eggplant/

I had a lonely eggplant in the fridge that needed cooking up so this is what I made.  I figured we could eat this as a snack or to accompany a main dish.

2.  Brocolli Apple Salad - http://paleoleap.com/broccoli-apple-salad-walnuts/

This will be a great starter to any meal or to bring as my brown bag lunch.

3.  Korean Glass Noodle Chap Chae - http://steamykitchen.com/180-korean-glass-noodles-jap-chae.html

We actually ate this all up for Sunday lunch.  Next time I would need to double it up if I wanted more for lunches.  Great vegetarian recipe!

3.  One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Tettrazini - http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/one-pot-chicken-and-mushroom-tetrazzini/

This was my Sunday favorite One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Tettrazini!  It was the first time that I made a one pot dish and guess what?  It worked!  We ate this for dinner and there was some leftover this time for our lunch tomorrow.  

What did I learn from my first Meal Prep Sunday? 

I learned to check the expiry date of canned foods, and also that I might not have actually done meal prep sunday since I do not have a week's worth of lunches in the fridge.  I have one lunch, eggplant snacks, and three small containers of salad.  I also have ingredients all ready for tomorrow's Chicken Stirfry dinner.  All in all, even though there's room for improvement for #MealPrepSunday, it was a successful #SundayFunday because I had fun in the kitchen!

Vancouver Restaurant: Ebisu on Robson Japanese Restaurant

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Blogging Everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 12 - Ebisu on Robson 

When I used to work downtown Vancouver it was easy to go out to try different restaurants because it was convenient and right there.  That was almost ten years ago.  

It is a treat when my brother comes to town about once a year so we can catch up at a restaurant downtown.  This year I choose Ebisu on Robson for Japanese food.  One of the reasons why I choose Ebisu is because I could make reservations conveniently on Open Table.  Open Table is a reservation app where you can easily make reservations without having to call the restaurant.  I find that modifying and canceling reservations on Open Table is super easy.  Plus every time you make a reservation and check in you receive points and when you have enough points they will provide you with a dining check.  Not only do you have the convenience of having a reservation, but with enough reservations they will feed you too.

Anyways, it was a rainy day so I was happy to have the reservation so I could have a warm booth to sit down in.  Ebisu Robson is English friendly and has nice photos of the different types of food and drinks that they serve.  When my brother arrived, he asked me "Why did I choose Ebisu?"  Little did I now it was one of his favorite restaurants in Vancouver and every year when he comes he usually eats at the Richmond location for lunch.  WOW!  

That's good when I am able to choose a restaurant that has good food and is well known.  Now when you see the food pictures below you will also see why we went.  My brother treated me so we splurged and tried a lot of different types of Japanese food including sushi, rolls, and more.  There is so much to choose from on the menu.  I can't wait until next year when he is back and I return to Ebisu on Robson.  

Ebisu Robson - Dynamite Roll

Ebisu Robson - Aburi Sushi Set

I can't remember what the last roll was, it was likely one of the special rolls.  I love seeing food prepared at the table and they seared the roll with the torch.  That mesmerized me so I am blanking out on what this roll was.  One thing I know is that it was delicious!

NaBloPoMo - November Writing Prompt Wednesday

National Blog Posting Month in Novmeber

Blogging Everyday

NaBloPoMo Day 9 - Writing Prompt Wednesday

As a part of NaBloPoMo BlogHer has November Writing Prompts to help with what to blog about.  Today I felt like I needed it because of all of the sadness around me and people getting depressed because of the announcement of the newly elected President of the United States.  So I went to the Writing Prompt and what was the prompt?

Nov. 9: What do you want to say to Hillary Clinton today?

Did they know what the election results would be?  More #AmericanElection.  Should I be surprised?  No, we will be wondering and talking about this for some time to come I am sure.  Especially with the unpredictable mannerisms of Trump.  Everyone is waiting to be pinched and wake up from this nightmare.  

There is a lot of talk about Americans wanted to immigrate to Canada.  Is this true?  Might be just talk but I hope that everyone doesn't flee the USA because look at who will be running the country.  I know Trump for his reality show "The Apprentice", I truly never thought the man saying "You're fired" would be the President of the country.  

Hillary should continue the fight and not stop trying.  She won the popular vote and can still make an impact.  Never give up and let's see how to put the country back to together.  When I went to sleep looking at the election map, the thought in my mind was "Hillary still has a chance." 

When I woke up it was a different story when the news read "Trump is President".  Enough said.  

On a side note if you have any Pharmaceutical stocks, those are flying high after Trump's win.  We'll have to wait to see how long that lasts.  

Vancouver Restaurant: Trattoria Burnaby Pasta Tuesday

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Blogging everyday in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 8 - Pasta Tuesday at Trattoria Burnaby

While pasta Tuesday is known at Boston Pizza, I'd say skip BP and go to Tratt Tuesday at Trattoria Burnaby instead.  They have amazing pasta and every Tuesday these signature pasta dishes are only $12 for a gourmet dinner.  Now that is a special feature that is win win for everyone.  Plus I have found that they are quite fast at preparing the dishes on Tratt Tuesday and I know why.  If they are giving away their pasta dishes at $12 then they want to turn over as many tables as possible.  I love it!  

Sometimes I just want a good meal fast and Trattoria Tuesday did it for me.  I'm not sure if we just got lucky that night.  Lucky since we didn't have to wait for a table and they seated us on the bar seats and table by the window immediatly.  We ordered our pasta dishes and they were served quickly, then the bill was brought promptly to our table.  It was wonderful fast service which is how we like it.  Delicious food and the ability to pay and leave conveniently and quickly without any pressure to buy drinks or dessert.  I'm sure that they have busier Tuesdays where you have to wait depending on the number in your party.  All in all I'd take Pasta Tuesday at Trattoria Burnaby over Boston Pizza any day.   Take a look at that tasty Tratt Tuesday!  

Trattoria Tuesday 

Fitness Friday - 30 Day Squat Challenge

As a part of National Blog Posting Month in November, I am blogging everyday.

#NaBloPoMo Day 4 - 30 Day Squat Challenge

  

Fitness Friday is fantastic alliteration and November is also the month where my work place decided to get fit before the holidays and participate in the 30 Day Squat Challenge.  

What is the 30 Day Squat Challenge?  There are many different versions and initially I was told we started with 30 squats and it would go up to 175 squats a day!  Say WHAT?!  I knew I couldn't do that.  I'm still a good sport and went along promoting the squat challenge and looking forward to taking part in it.  Luckily my words were heard and they found the 30 Day Squat Challenge that is beginner friendly.  Day 1 started with only 15 squats.  Thanks goodness!

It is Fitness Magazine's 30 Day Squat Challenge that has different squats to tighten and tone your tush.  Find out the details here:  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/butt/exercises/30-day-squat-challenge/

Now after day 1 of the squat challenge I realized that I am out of shape.  After day 2 I realized this is more different than it looks and almost fell on top of my colleague.  And after day 3, I have the words of encouragement and technique ringing in my ears.  

"Push your butt out, Sit down, Knees are too forward, Don't fall, Don't curve your back, Don't fall.  Weight in your heels.  Getting better.  3 more.  Now the other side.  Not bad.  Yay, I'm done!"

All of this has spurring this blog post because a year ago I was going to hot yoga and then tried a gym membership and then life which stopped it all.  I know that after all of this, I need work, and I need more activity and fitness in my life.  

But I don't want to spend a lot of money.  So I'll continue with the 30 Day Squat Challenge no matter how difficult it is.  It can make me sweat which is a good thing.  Hopefully at the end of the 30 Days I'll have fitness goals and workouts to keep me going.  I'll continue with my exploration of fitness with #FitnessFriday in November.  Come back to read the about the fitness journey!

Vancouver Park - Fall is in the Air at Central Park

National Blog Posting Month in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 3 - Fall is in the Air

On these rainy days in Vancouver it is nice to look back on #ThrowbackThursday to the crisp fall days when the leaves are changing colours and fall is in the air.  One sunny day a few friends decided to ring me up and since they were in the area we went for a walk in Central Park in Burnaby.  

That was a great opportunity for me to explore Central Park in the fall.  When you look up you can see the trees and there are many types to see that I wasn't even aware of.  We had a fabulous day of photography taking photos of the maple leaves, the scenery of the park and the surrounding areas.  That goes to show that even though I live there, I am commuting to work and not fully present in the moment to actually look up the trees that surround me.  So take a moment around your neighbourhood and you may be surprised to find some hidden gems.  

Vancouver Restaurant - Hime Japanese Restaurant on Broadway

National Blog Posting Month in November

#NaBloPoMo Day 2 - Hime Japanese Restaurant

It was a blustering rainy day and I only had an hour for lunch in a new neighbourhood.  The rain was pelting down on my rain jacket hood as I was shivering.  At first I stumbled into a coffee shop but their sandwiches were not calling my name and did not look like warm food that my cold body needed.  That was lucky for me because then I opened the doors of Hime Japanese Restaurant and the warmth embraced me.  

Instead of sitting cramped at a table with busy people around, being solo, I chose to sit at the bar where I could watch the sushi chefs prepare the rolls and let my mind wander.  After I just sat down a warm mug of green tea rolled into my cold hands and I was knew that I had found the right place for lunch.  The green tea warmed me up quickly and the menu was full of choices.  I didn't have much time to explore the menu so I choose one of the lunch combo.  It was Lunch Combo A which included an appetizer tempura, udon, and california roll.  The green tea kept me company until my lunch was ready.  Hime Japanese Restaurant is a busy place but once I saw my lunch combo, I knew why many people would not only want to order take out, but also enjoy the space and a lunch away from the office.  The food was beautifully displayed on a tray and I couldn't ask for anything more.  The tempura was hot and freshly battered.  The udon soup was delicious and warmed my tummy.  After my brief lunch time there, I was warmed inside and out.  

It's not surprising why this Hime Japanese Restaurant on Broadway has a 4/5 rating on Zomato and 4.0 rating on Google.  For under $10, this is a treat!

Intrigued?  In the area, check them out:  http://www.himesushi.com/

NaBloPoMo Lifelong Learning - Foodsafe Level 1

Every year in November I get revitalized with the Vancity Girlfriends Blog because of National Blog Posting Month which is one month a year where bloggers who participate in #NaBloPoMo write a blog post every day for the entire month.  

I'm starting off the #NaBloPoMo journey with a blog post about lifelong learning.

I was pondering making gingerbread men or should I say people with Divinely Delish and then my entrepreneurial side decided that if I help her decorate the gingerbread people and learn from her in the kitchen, I should be properly trained with Food Safe Level 1.

The timing could not be better since my husband also had a bout of food poisoning the week before and it was from food that we had prepared at home.  I'd recommend this course not just for those working in the food industry but for everyone who loves to cook at home.  I learned so much about food preparation and how to do it safely.  The instructor was a health inspector and she had so many stories to tell about improper handling of food.  I wonder if health inspectors ever get a break from their work since many of her stories were what she noticed as a customer and not a health inspector.  The knowledge gained in the class will help me inspect my own kitchen, and prepare food safely for my family.  

Perhaps this will be the start of a culinary adventure and since I love to cook, it makes sense to have the Food Safe Level 1 certificate.  I spent a day learning and at the end scored 98% on the test!  Woo hoo!  Really, it's not a difficult test if you stay awake and pay attention in class.  The class is offered quite frequently throughout Vancouver and it's only $80 which includes everything.  Once you have the Food Safe Level 1 Certificate it's good for five years.  

Check out the Foodsafe website to learn more:  http://foodsafe.ca/

National Blog Posting Month - Blogher NaBloPoMo November 2015

Hello Vancity Girlfriends,

This weekend October ends and we will fall back in time and start fresh with the month of November.  Last year I wrote about NaNoWriMo which is National Novel Writing Month:  http://vancitygirlfriends.blogspot.ca/2014/10/vancouver-events-national-novel-writing.html  I started but never finished my novella.  It was a fun challenge and I always start with high hopes and motivation.  Writing a novel in 30 days is a huge commitment even though in the beginning it seems easy.  As the days continue, it becomes harder and especially if you get behind, the number of words that you need to complete the mission adds up and starts to be unrealistic.  It is at that time that it's easy to lose hope.  

This year I'm a realist and found NaBloPoMo which is National Blog Posting Month.  Blog posts can be as short or long as you want them to be but it is best to write at least 100 words per post.  BlogHer has a NoBloPoMo on a monthly basis and so I joined the November 2015 Blogroll, signing up for this makes it real.  BlogHer also provides a badge that you can post on your blog to show that you are participating in NaBloPoMo and they also provide daily prompts to help you with your posts if you get the dreaded writer block.  All in all I am pretty excited that I discovered NaBloPoMo and it will give me a reason to make a bright post on a dreary winter's day.  Come join me and write your heart out on a month long blog writing adventure!   

Find everything you need here:  http://www.blogher.com/blogher-topics/blogging-social-media/nablopomo