Girls' Night Out - The Keg, Sephora and Yaletown

Vancity Girlfriends had a little hiatus with the busyness of life!  Thought it would be nice to share with our readers what we've been up to including our Girl's Night Out dates.  

I had a gift card for the Keg so we decided to meet at The Keg on Alberni Street downtown Vancouver which Carolyn also describes as the Shangrila Keg.  This was the first time I went to this location and I loved the atmosphere.  First we met at the bottom of staircase that led up to the front doors of the restaurant.  The staircase was lined with bamboo on both sides creating a natural and beautiful entrance.  I had made Open Table reservations for 5pm and that's also when the dining room and outdoor patio opened.  It was a beautiful sunny evening so we asked to sit in the elegant patio and dine outdoors.  

Happy Hour was from 3-6pm so we had time to indulge in $6 glasses of wine.  I had the white on tap and Carolyn had the red on tap.  Both were lovely blends that I would return to have again.  It was worth going for an early dinner just to be able to have $6 glass of wine.  

For our meals, we didn't order from the Happy Hour menu but instead had the Keg classic dinners which start with a caesar salad and the steak of your choice comes with grilled vegetables and a side of your choice.  I chose the Top Sirloin (8oz) steak with bernaise sauce and a twice baked potato.  The Keg Classic dinners did not disappoint.  We were both completely satisfied with our meals and the ambiance at The Keg on Alberni in Vancouver.  

After our meal, we walked down Robson Street and stopped at our favorite beauty store, Sephora.  I was looking for a new cleanser and moisturizer and found the Ole Henriksen A Brighter Truth skincare kit with the cleaner, serum, and moisturizer.  The brighter truth has vitamin c to help with the sun spots and age spots which I need so I bought the reasonably priced kit at $42.  It has a light fruity scent that is refreshing so we'll see how I feel after I test it for a month.

Then we continued our journey down Robson Street past the Vancouver Art Gallery where there was a busker playing music on the street.  We were both completely full from dinner so the evening stroll downtown was a way to walk off our dinner.  Since Carolyn needed to travel by the Canada Skytrain Line, we decided to walk to the Roundhouse Yaletown skytrain station.  Just outside the skytrain station we were pleasantly surprised with the Underbrella art exhibit.  Umbrellas in the sky.  It was the perfect way to end our girl's night out.  

NaBloPoMo Day 6 - Janzen Tea and Pho Hoa Restaurant

Janzen Tea and Pho Hoa Restaurant

NaBloPoMo 2017 Day 6 

I was first introduced to Janzen Tea in the summer and happened to go for a late lunch during happy hour.  Happy Hour is a perfect time to try different types of food and drinks because the fruit tea and smoothies, salad rolls, and spring rolls are all on sale.  It's hard not to try a little bit of everything.

We went to the location in Coquitlam 3025 Lougheed Hwy #750 closest to Coquitlam Central Skytrain Station.  On Mondays they have Meatless Monday specials with their Vegetarian Pho.  There are other locations in Vancouver, but I've only visited the location in Coquitlam.  

The hardest part is deciding what you want to try.  Janzen tea is the Taiwanese tea part of the restaurant that serves fruit, milk, smooth or snow sips.  So many different types to choose from.  The Pineapology is pictured below with a shrimp salad roll and peanut sauce.  In the other picture is the vegetarian pho.  I've tried the delicious popcorn chicken as well and spring rolls.  Even just writing this blog is making me long to return to Janzen Tea and Pho Hoa to treat myself to Taiwanese teas and Vietnamese appetizers and pho.  That sounds like a winning combination for the winter.  Time to plan my next trip!

Thrifty Tuesday - Fatburger

I have to admit that I love saving money and using coupons.  So I have a problem.  I'm addicted to Groupon Vancouver this year.  It helps that a have a Groupon buddy, yes a friend who loves Groupon even more that I do.  One of the reasons I stopped with all group buying coupons for awhile is because I was addicted to buying them and then never redeemed them.  Now times have changed and I make sure that I make my appointments and use my groupons.  On occassion if I miss out, that's okay because the amount I paid never expires.  

One night I was heading downtown for an art workshop at Opus and I knew that I wouldn't have much time to eat dinner.  So when I saw the Fatburger Groupon for a burger, fries and drink for $9, it was perfect and I bought one right away.  Fatburger is a fast food joint with big juicy burgers.  It was easy to use the Groupon and I only had to pay the tax which was less than $1.45 or something like that.  Fatburger just outside Stadium skytrain station was packed because of a Canucks game the same night.  However since it's fast food, I was able to find a spot for one at the window and there is fast turnaround.  It tooks 10 minutes for me to get my meal which is pretty good because just look at that plump burger filled with toppings.  

Check out Groupon Vancouver at my referral link for Fatburger and other great deals.  Or come back to see #thriftytuesdays.  

Vancouver Restaurant: Medina Cafe

The best part about having visitors and family come visit, is being able to explore the city and spend time trying new places.  When my "sister" from London came for the new year, I took a day off work so I could spend time with her.  She wanted to go downtown Vancouver and suggested we try Medina Cafe.

I vaguely had heard of the name of the restaurant in passing but not much else.  Perhaps it was one of those brunch restaurants that would normally have a line up out the door.  Luckily for us since everyone was back to work, our wait was not very long, maybe 20 minutes instead of an hour.  That is the trick for those restaurants who do not take reservations and have a first come first serve policy.  Just go to them on your day off!  

The Medina Cafe Menu had such unique items with a Mediterrean or Middle Eastern flair.  It was a difficult decision as to what to try.  Everything on the menu looked tasty and I would definitely return.  I ended up going for the Harissa Burger with two fried eggs on top of a pita with beef, hummous, baba ganoush.  It was a gourmet breakfast and soo super flavorful!  

If you come to Vancouver and are staying downtown and want a unique brunch, check out Medina Cafe.  If you are in a rush, they also have waffles to order on the go.  #Yummy

Vancouver Bakery: Divinely Delish

Divinely Delish is a blogger, traveller, food enthusiast so I happily support her baked goods and savory items by treating myself to something homemade.  I love ordering her one savory item which are Chinese dumplings.  I've tasted all of the dumplings but traditional Pork and Chives is still my favorite.  Even though she posts the recipe on Divinely Delish blog, I still like to order them to save time.  It's nice to have fresh homemade dumplings in the freezer.  They make my meals on a numerous occasions.  I just boil them until they rise to the top and then dip them in a combination of soy and sriracha sauce.  

During the holidays I wanted to get something for my husband and the biscotti sold me.  Biscotti is something that I would never make at home especially the double baked biscotti so I decided to order some for my hubby to have with his coffee.  When my husband saw the big bag, he immediately froze some and then we had the rest fresh to go with our coffee drinks.  

I look foward to new year when I may try some other new baked items.  In the meantime check out the Divinely Delish Blog.

Vancouver Restaurant: Gotham Steakhouse and Bar

Gotham Steakhouse is one of Vancouver's well known restaurants for steak.  They have won several awards and none of this would have enticed me to go.  Instead I could just wonder....until this Christmas.

The office decided to host the Christmas party at Gotham Steakhouse and Bar.  What a treat!  There are private rooms downstairs for company parties and a bar and servers.  It's the full service deal.  It was cozy to have this private Christmas party and even better that there was an open bar!  It's the company Christmas party when I can choose a signature cocktail to enjoy all night long.  I've learned my lesson not to mix drinks or play and drinking games.  I've grown into enjoying a cocktail and Gotham is the place for cocktails.

I researched Gotham cocktail list so I would be prepared for the party.  I waited for others to order so I could admire the different types of drinks and then I ordered the "French 49" martini.  Such a beautiful drink!  

The servers are friendly that it wasn't until my 2nd order of this fancy martini cocktail that they corrected me and said it was a "French" martini.  I loved every sip of this drink.

When the food arrived it was just as impressive, the steak was flavorful and tender.  There was a set menu for us and we had options for our appetizer, entree, and dessert.  I choose a prawn cocktail as an appetizer.  It was served on ice and the prawns were large and delicious.  

The main course was a filet mignon tenderloin steak.  It was the perfect size and packed with flavour.  The side dishes of mashed potatoes, button mushrooms, and asparagus were in the middle of the table for all to share.  The mashed potatoes were light and fluffy and whipped with butter.  I couldn't get enough and had to finish all of the little plates of mushrooms and asparagus.  This was such an elegant tast of a steak.  I now know why Gotham Steakhouse is so well known for its steak.  

I have to admit that this was one of the most memorable Christmas parties!  I'd recommend others to look into Gotham Steakhouse next year for their holiday party but keep in mind that you have to book early.  

Thrifty Tuesday - Chachi's at Metrotown Food Court

Vancity Girlfriend Carolyn is an avid foodie and always wanted to try Chachi's at Metrotown Food Court.  I guess pictures of Chachi sandwiches had hit Instagram and even though Chachi's has been open since May 2016, we figured it was better latet than never.

Even though I had seen the Chachi's sign in the food court, I never went because I wondered if a sandwich would fill me up for dinner.  Not this time!  It was a special food court date just to check out and taste Chachi's sandwiches.  I decided to go for the Pulled Pork with Macaroni and Cheese sandwich.  WOW!  Macaroni and Cheese in a sandwich.  Now that's a mouthful.  I had a cherry iced tea to go with it.  The sandwich was flavorful and delicious and it did not disappoint.  Chachi's was worth it.  The perfect dinner at the Metropolis food court.  

As their box says Chachi's works with local bakeries, butchers and cheese makers and it shows.  Yummy!  We loved it and will be back.  There are so many different hot sandwiches and options to try.  What will it be next time?

Check out their website for more:  http://www.chachis.ca/

Thrifty Tuesday: Bourbon Street Grill at the Metrotown Food Court

National Blog Posting Month

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.  

Sunday Funday: Meal Prep Sunday

National Blog Posting Month

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: Trattoria Burnaby Pasta Tuesday

National Blog Posting Month

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 

Vancouver Restaurant: Cactus Club Bentall 5

National Blog Posting Month

Blogging daily in Novmeber

#NaBloPoMo Day 7 - Cactus Club Bentall 5

Cactus Club Coal Harbour is good for large private groups or when you want a table with a view.  However Cactus Club Bentall 5 on Burrard and Dunsmuir is perfect for meeting visitors and is easy to find as it is right beside Burrard Skytrain Station.

When I went on a weekday evening it was perfect because they could seat a table of 4 immediately without any reservations or maybe I was just lucky.  We had a nice booth and ordered a variety of food from the menu.  We decided to go family style so we were able to try a lot of comfort food from the menu.  

We started the culinary journey with the Tuna Tataki.  Normally I don't like tuna, but the tuna tataki was seasoned well and tasted delicious.  It was a great appetizer because they had several pieces of tuna to share with the group.

Cactus Club is a Canadian dining restaurant known for contemporary West Coast style with head chef Rob Feenie.  It is known for steaks and so it is not a surprise that I chose the Four Mushroom Sirloin served with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  The steak melts in your mouth and the asparagus are perfectly tender crisp.  There was also short rib pasta and chicken fajitas.  There are a lot of variety on the menu worth trying.  Surprise your tastbuds with a foodie adventure!

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/

Vancouver Restaurant - Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant

I love trying new foods, and it is a bonus to discover a restaurant with a Vietnamese friend who knows exactly what to order.  As an adventurous foodie, I easily leave the ordering to someone who has been to the restaurant before.

So what did we order?  We ordered the Vietnamese pancake which is filled with bean sprouts, shrimp and served with lettuce and basil and the special sauce.  Originally when we ordered a pancake, I thought it would be like Korean or Chinese pancakes where it is served on a dish and you just cut it up in pieces to eat.  With a Vietnamese pancake it looks more like an omelette and the special way to eat it is to take a piece of lettuce and wrap a piece of pancake with the basil and sauce.  If you wrap it properly, everything stays together.  As a beginner, I am not a good wrapper and had a shrimp fly out of the bottom of my lettuce wrapped pancake.  Fun times!  Kind of feel like being a kid again eating a Vietnamese pancake.

Vietnamese Pancake

 For the main dish, I tried the Duck and Bamboo Shoot Noodle Soup.  That was a unique combination, I'm used to trying the regular Beef Pho Soup.  The duck comes on the side.  To eat this soup, the duck is dipped in sauce and then eaten with soup and noodle.  Wow, this was work to eat a Vietnamese dinner.  I'm glad my friend brought me here to try something new.  Everything was delicious and super filling.  

Duck for Duck and Bamboo Shoot Soup

Want to read more?  Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant Website

Vancouver Restaurant: CHAU Veggie Express

I decided to do a lunch exchange with a friend at work.  I made Hong Kong Chicken Curry and love sharing it since my husband doesn't eat or like curry flavored foods at all.  Anyways, my Vietnamese friend said that she would make a Vietnamese lunch on Friday.  Or that's what I heard.  

CHAU Veggie Express

What she really intended was to take me to a vegetarian, vegan, Vietnamese restaurant on Victoria Drive in Vancouver called CHAU Veggie Express for DINNER.  Ohhh, what confusion but once I walked into CHAU Veggie Express it made all of the miscommunication and confusion worth it.  

CHAU Veggie Express is a hidden gem on Victoria Drive.  It's unexpected and it has a colourful menu full of vegetables.  It felt like a Vietnamese fusion vegetarian meal.  It was difficult to decide which of the creations to try.  The menu is simple and colourful and when you are ready, you pay at the counter.  Then your food arrives and is full of colour and makes me want to cook more vegetarian meals (culinary art I should say) at home.  CHAU Veggie Express if a fresh taste on Vietnamese food and I would return to try more.  It is very reasonable and I would love to try to copy the idea of Vietnamese Vegetarian food at home.  Light and fresh and filling.  Yummy!

Rickety Rickshaw Bowl with Tofu and Egg

Non La Spring Rolls

Red Sand Dunes Soup

Vancouver Restaurant - Trattoria Burnaby

One evening after dinner and a bike ride, I went to Trattoria Burnaby for drinks and a snack.  Living in Burnaby, Trattoria is a convenient restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and a wood burning oven.  On Thursdays their signature cocktails had a discount so I decided to try their Limoncello Peach Mojito.  This was a nice refreshing drink for a summer's night and made my cheeks rosy.  Of course it doesn't take much for that to happen.  Some drinks just go down a little too easy.  

For our snack, we shared a Squash pizza and it was a burst of unique flavours that I never imagined would go so well together and look so picturesque.  It almost makes me want to be a vegetarian if meals were this delicious.  The squash pizza had pesto, roasted squash and hazelnuts and tallegio.  Even if you are not a vegetarian, it is worth tasting and so much more adventurous than boring pepperoni pizza which does not exist on Trattoria Burnaby's menu.

If you're in the neighbourhood, check out Trattoria Burnaby's Menu.  They also have a Cocktail hour from 2:30-5:30pm and 9:30-close everyday.  Trattoria Burnaby is so close to home that I know I'll be back to try more.  

Trattoria Burnaby Blog Posts:  Brunch or Breakfast and Weekend Brunch

Vancouver Restaurant: Sushi Town Burnaby Restaurant

Sometimes it is great to get outside of downtown Vancouver and head out into the suburbs.  I'm not sure if you call Burnaby the suburbs but there are some great restaurants in North Burnaby on Hastings Street.

Sushi Town is one of them located at 5935 Hastings Street in Burnaby.  It has generous portions and I was completely full after lunch.  Likely I need to remember this next time so my eyes aren't bigger than my stomach.

The spicy salmon sashi serving if probably enough for four people.  It is a place where you can share your rolls and the special rolls are larger.  I ordered a house roll and a mangodise roll.  I really loved the mangodise roll, maybe the presentation made it more appealing.  It was too much food and I couldn't finish the house roll.  In hindsight I should have ordered a smaller roll like a california roll.  I'd definitely share a salmon sashimi.  It was refreshing.  

If you are in the neighbourhood and are looking for an affordable sushi joint in Burnaby, check out Sushi Town.  

Spicy Salmon Sashimi

Mangodise Roll

Vancouver Foodie Event - Tasting Plates Fraserhood Recap

Hello Everyone!

Last Sunday I talked about Tasting Plates Fraserhood so I wanted to recap for everyone how Tasting Plates Fraserhood went.  There are a few things that consistently happen to me when I am so exciting about having a Tasting Plates event in the evening.  I try hard to remember to charge my phone, however, I was not successful at remembering.  Luckily I was with Carolyn whose reliable iPhone takes amazing photos and I have those to share with you today.  It was a sunny evening perfect for walking around and trying different types of restaurants and smoothies.  Let's take a look at our journey.

1.  Main Street Honey Shoppe - Since this was the registration, it was pretty busy and packed but we were able to find the appetizer honey treat and then move towards the next stop.  

2.  Nanno's Estiatoria Greek Restaurant - This was a nice start for dinner with the spanikopita, grilled octopus and beef noodle.  The octopus by far was everyone's favourite.  

3.  Commodity Juicery - There was one fellow making the different smoothies and iced tea for everyone to try.  The smoothies have unique flavours that are filling and delicious.  Makes my banana berry smoothies so old school and boring.  Golden Mylkshake is worth a try.  Check out their menu here:  http://commodityjuicery.com/menu/

4.  Brooklyn New York Pizzeria - New York style pizza that is foldable.  I had the spicy, margarita and white.  In the photo is the white and pepperoni.

5-6.  Fairy Cakes and Chomper - Joint venture of vegan food and desserts.  Points for presentation.

Travel Tuesday - Whistler Weekend and Spa Scandinave

This year we Vancity Girlfriends decided to have the Girl's Weekend Getaway in Whistler, BC.  Our hotel of choice was Pinnacle Hotel in Whistler because it had a kitchenette with a stove, fridge, microwave, and dishwater for our bottles of wine and tapas dinner.  Having a kitchen is a fabulous way to save money and cook at home.  

Pinnacle Hotel also has a jacuzzi tub which we did not use (except for storage) but if you wanted to return for a romantic weekend away, it is all ready for you.  It was the perfect affordable Whistler home for a girl's getaway.  We arrived on Friday night and tried to open a bottle of wine which was corked and were not successful even after efforts of attempting a YouTube experiment with a shoe and wall.  Perhaps we were not British enough to pull off that YouTube trick of opening a bottle of wine without a working corkscrew.  Alas, luckily we brought several bottles of wine and gave up.  We started with an easy individual sparkling wine bottles instead.  

The next day we slept in, had breakfast, and walked around the village before we got ready to take a taxi to the Spa Scandinave.  This is a real time saver and super cheap because from our hotel to the spa it is only ten minutes.  We could relax and treated ourselves.  Spa Scandinave is amazing.  There are hot pools, cold pools, saunas, relaxation areas and then you do it all again.  We went in the afternoon and it was really hot so definitely remember to hydrate and drink lots of water.  Once you enter the spa there is no re-entry so be ready to take it easy and relax.  Spa Scandinave is a silent spa so there is no talking allowed.  Since I'm an introvert this was my dream place.  I would definitely return but go back on a  summer evening when it is not so hot.  




Upon returning to the hotel after hours of afternoon relaxation, we put together our own tapas plate of crackers, cheese, grapes, prosciutto, and pepperoni.  This paired well with a bottle of white Greek wine.  

I love these Girlfriend Getaways that we do every year.  Whistler is a beautiful resort and I love it more and more every time I go.  

Vancouver Foodie Event: Tasting Plates Fraserhood

We are so excited because on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 we are going to Tasting Plates Fraserhood.  It has been so long since I last attended a Tasting Plate adventure.  You can read about my tasting journey from last year with Tasting Plates New Westminister, and Tasting Plates Cambie Village.  

So what is Tasting Plates?  It is a foodie adventure.  There are usually six different types of restaurants, bakeries, and this case even a juicery that joins the adventure.  First is the registration where you pick up the tasting plates card that you bring to each restaurant.  The restaurant will have essentially a "tasting plate" for you so you can try different food from six different places.  

I was pretty excited with Fraserhood because of some of the familiar places that will be in the adventure such as Commodity Juice, and Straight Outta Brooklyn Pizzeria.  The full details of who is included is here:  Tasting Plates Fraserhood.

Now when I buy the early bird tickets for Tasting Plates each adventure is about $32 which is a real steal for being able to try different drinks, food, dessert and have a walking adventure in a new neighbourhood while you are at it.  

Follow Vancity Girlfriends on Twitter as we sample away and see the pictures.  Afterwards I'll blog so come back to see the foodie photos.  Then you can decide if you want to do Tasting Plates Westend which is the next food adventure that has been announced by Tasting Plates.  These are tons of fun and I'm so happy I get to go on Tasting Plates Fraserhood with my Vancity Girlfriend!