Please allow me to introduce you to Flourgirl Baking, some of the best Vancouver vegan baking I’ve ever had. I will be honest, initially I was intrigued by the notion of a vegan cinnamon bun. Would it be cinnamon-y, just the way I like? Will the texture be right? And let’s not forget the icing!…
Aren’t these beauties just the sweetest? To me, they say “Hello, welcome to Spring!” The Batters Up Bakery owner-operator Jessica van Delden has hit a home run with her sugar cookies. The taste, texture, and sweet design are outta this ballpark delicious! In December 2017 Jessica made a batch of Christmas themed sugar cookies for…
As a big fan of chocolate, especially handmade chocolate with a focus on local flavours, recommending Chocolate Arts is a no-brainer for me. My headline isn’t lying: this is one of the most-liked chocolate in Vancouver. You’ll find Chocolate Arts on West 3rd in Vancouver. These chocolatiers are no newbies, having been in business for…
Kombucha is a fermented beverage. So is wine. I guess it’s no wonder I became a fast fan of Hoochy Booch Kombucha when I first tried it in 2014. Hoochy Booch was founded by Kristin Zerbin. Once upon a time she was a tired, bloated and moody woman who wanted to make a change. Kombucha…
Good news first: my brain fog finally started to lift in mid-January. Tough news next: health after 50 is a bit of minefield. In addition to managing my normal menopause symptoms at age 50 and beyond, I’m dealing with being on the diabetes spectrum. On a follow-up visit for my blood pressure with my GP…
When Ryland, Ali, and I arrived at The Alexander Hotel in downtown Indianapolis at 1:00 am after travelling all day, it was a treat to be greeted so kindly at reception. If you like, it was a good omen, and one that proved quite accurate. Our time in downtown Indianapolis did not disappoint. So why…
What do you want to do when you turn 51? You could do worse than a lunch at Vila Joya, a small boutique resort that allows outsiders to dine in the restaurant as guests! That’s exactly what Russ and I did on my birthday this October 1st, since we were traveling in Portugal. Vila…
I love pretty grocery stores and Whole Foods is definitely one of them. But besides being pretty there are a lot of things going on at their locations. Juice and smoothie bars, coffee bars, hot and cold food bars, and loads of olive and cheese options. It’s like a playground for foodies. …
When food and wine is basically your religion (yes, I’m raising my hand), you want to keep learning about it. But isn’t it nice when your learning is accompanied by lots of fun, delight, fascination, and gratification? I asked myself which of my food & wine books provide (almost) as much pleasure…
My family and I have a Thanksgiving tradition. Everybody around the table takes a turn answering a question: “What am I grateful for? And why?” The “why”—as always—is so important. When you address that part of the question, you put your whole self into the answer. For example, if someone starts with, “I’m…
