I picked this book up after watching Julie and Julia, then reading the autobiography of Julia Child, My Life in France becauseI thought it would be an interesting perspective through a collection of personal letters between Julia Child and her friend, Avis DeVoto. The decade long collection of letter correspondences between Avis and Julia start with Julia reaching out to Avis' husband, Bernard (a American historian) about a knife, through fan mail. In place of Bernard, Avis' response sparks the start of a life-long friendship and culinary/literary collaboration.
Avis is not only Julia's good friend, but she was critical to helping Julia publish Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julia herself is known as American chef, author and television personality. Julia brought authentic French cooking to American tables in the 60s through television and cook books. In the age of social media where relationships are created or ended in the blink of an eye, the collection of letters between Avis and Julia is very much the opposite: a lovely marination of two women's common interests and perspectives over years. While they surely had telephone correspondences on occasion, the essence of their perspectives is evident when you read the letters--both women are learned and capable in their own rights.
Avis, left and Juia, right working on... something!
I liked that the sections were prefaced by a summary of sorts to give the reader an idea about what turn of events (without giving it all away!) were about to unfold. Reading the letters feels like you're embarking on the same emotions and events Julia and Avis are, from their daily mundane struggles to the more lofty subjects like political atmosphere. Neither woman is dull by any means and the lives they lead are more than enough adventure for a reader. I enjoyed living through them by their letters as letters are generally not hidden behind several layers of editing or censoring by the writer, which makes them even more lively and enjoyable.
This is the first collection of letters I've read... it helps that I had some background from the other two books even though the editor made efforts to include lots of footnotes with explanations and clarification. Aside from the biography/autobiography slant, the book touches upon the political and cultural subjects of the time, giving a time-capsule feel where it's easy to lose yourself in their conversations. Other than the intimate insight into creation of one of the most well known and reputed French cooking books, if you enjoy history, this can be an interesting read as well, especially regarding the US political atmosphere of the 1950s.
When travelling, I make it a point to immerse in the culture through food (and drink). In high school a Portuguese classmate joked that their Canadian cousins must be Newfoundlanders because of their shared love of seafood. While most of us are familiar with fish, various shellfish and crustaceans, the introduction of sea limpets was the highlight of my seafood experience. These molluscs have a texture between calamari and mussels. Azoreans eat them raw as well as cooked; we had 'em grilled with butter, garlic, wine and spicy chilies with a squeeze of lemon. While it's no surprise that seafood is a staple of the Azorean diet, the other (that was a surprise to me) is beef and dairy.
On-site milking done in the fields and a cow in pasture
Most of the cattle raised is exported and they make A LOT of cheese. Every restaurant features fresh white cheese and Sao Jorge cheese as appetizers; one custom we were not familiar with before dining in Sao Miguel is that upon being seated, the server brings a plate of cheese (generally the fresh white one kind) and spicy sauce with bread--whether you ordered it or not. If you're not going to consume it, I'd recommend you tell them that, before being seated or it'll be added to the tab.
The countryside is intensively sectioned into walled plots of mixed farming, by lava stone, ranging from small residential gardens, to beef/dairy farming, to pineapple or passionfruit "orchards". Driving around the island, it is common to see holstein cows grazing on the sides and tops of hills as well as people's front yards. But as history has it, the original major agricultural export was oranges, until a disease wiped out the island's crop. Wine grapes are another crop grown but the best wine in the region is that from Pico Island. Another notable super drink cultivated is tea, with two plantations still active: Porto Formoso and Gorreana, from the inception of the cultivation in the 1870s. Gorreana is a functional museum where visitors can learn about the process and sample the tea.
Tea fields of Gorreana
Dining in Sao Miguel is quite the experience and you will not be disappointed. My most memorable meal is the Caldeirada de Peixe (and my mouth waters reading the linked page describing the dish in all its amazingness) at Restaurante Mariserra in Ponta Delgada. Yes, we are wearing bibs; be fore-warned not to wear any light coloured clothes or you'll be redecorating that shirt.
Restaurante Mariserra
The first meal of the stay was a little less memorable but one we still enjoyed: a steak sandwich and fries, and fried sardines (*yum*) at a cute hotel Solar do Conde near our own hotel. This was our first exposure to beef on the island and it was really good so expectations were high.
Hotel Solar do Conde
The only place on the island that topped our beefy expectations, was the farming coop (Associacao Agricola de Sao Miguel) which also has a restaurant on site, open to the public. We enjoyed our meals here so much that we went twice and both times, it was a full-house. The signature dish is the Portuguese steak: a fried steak with an egg on top. An unusual combination was the blood sausage and pineapple but worth it!!
Our first meal out on the town was at a Portuguese restaurant (and accommodations) in Ponta Delgada established in 1908, called Alcides. We over-did ourselves this time since we hadn't been informed about the cheese and bread custom. But boy did we enjoy ourselves! Conger eel stew and fish egg scramble/fry.
Fish egg fry/scramble and Conger eel stew!
Another specialty dish is cozidos. Foods cooked with the heat of the geothermal energies of the Furnas area. Pots of ingredients, generally meats, potatoes, vegetables and rice, are buried in the ground and then dug up several hours later. It was at Tony's where we first tried sea limpets accompanying the cozidos and deep fried forkbeard fish.
Cozidos in Furnas
Despite going out to explore different tastes, we did spend one dinner at the hotel we stayed, Pedras do Mar, and had a lovely night in, with a fresh salad, cod and grilled octopus.
A night in, at Pedras do Mar
We couldn't forget the best way to spend our lunch after horseback riding at a little seafood place by the ocean called Bar Caloura. This unassuming place took advantage of its location by the ocean and the catch of the day menu changed daily. You'd just pick a fish you wanted, they'd grill it up for you with access to the salad bar. Very relaxing and wonderful way to spend lunch after a ride.
Food and drink is always such a highlight of our travels but being prepared for the trip is pivotal for a good experience. Coming up next, preparations and other thoughts about making the most out of a trip to Sao Miguel!
We've had a lot of dinners and potlucks to go to this year. It's no surprise that for the latest potluck (a very happy birthday to our awesome coach, Sheri!!!), we found a really simple recipe that asks for very accessible ingredients and is really straight forward to make--well, almost. INGREDIENTS FRUIT BOTTOM:
6-8 apples or pears (6 cups or so)
Lemon juice
1 cup dried fruit like raisins or cranberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
(here's where I start mixing things up Deb-style)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon*
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 pinches ground ginger
dash of allspice
Handful of chopped walnuts (or another nut like pecan)
CRUMBLE TOP:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
(again, I start mixing things up a bit here)
1/4 cup rolled oats (quick cooking), plus an extra sprinkle more of oats for good measure
1/8 cup rolled rye
1/8 cup rolled spelt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon*
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 pinches ground ginger
dash of allspice
*if you only have cinnamon, that's fine. It's the bare minimum spice the original recipe calls for
EQUIPMENT
Slow-cooker/crockpot
Large mixing bowl (crumble)
Paring knife
Peeler
Cutting board
2 butter knives or pastry cutter
I took the base recipe from here, and revised it since it's more cooking than baking so I don't have to be as accurate! We made the dish twice; once with pears and the most recent, with apples. I have little experience cooking/baking with fruit, so for the pears, I picked two types: a brown (not Bosc) and a green anjou (I think). With apples, I did a quick search and saw that the more tart/sour apples are best for cooking/desserts; I selected granny smith and macintosh.
Red and green for the season
We peeled the fruit in advance; I did a rough peel because I am a big advocate for eating as much of the food as possible to ensure you get all the micronutrients--which are often found just under the skin. I sprinkled lemon juice over the cut fruit and lightly tossed and put away in the fridge until I was ready to start. The original recipe asks for 6 cups of fruit but does it really matter? As long as I covered the bottom of the crock pot by half, I figured I was good. Then, I added the raisins and spices.
Delicious fruit bottom
Next, mix the fruit until the spices evenly coat the apples and add a sprinkle of raisins on top along with the walnuts; otherwise the small nuts and fruits end up only on the bottom of the mix.
Fruit 'n nuts
Plug your crock pot in and turn it on to a high setting for 30 minutes. Go on to make the crumbly top, by combining all the dry ingredients throughly by ensuring the brown sugar clumps are broken and then cutting the butter into the dry mix.
Cut in that cold butter!
Disclaimer: we had no idea how to "cut in butter" and did it totally wrong and should have checked before attempting it based on our own understanding of what it meant. All I knew was that the butter should be small (how small? I dunno!) pieces in the mix but what exact that looked like... I hadn't the foggiest. And of course +ADW has limited experience with baking so knew less than I did. But both of us were too stubborn to look it up. Combined, we created a melty-greasy-doughy mass. Don't let this happen to you and ensure the butter stays nice and cold and rest it in the freezer/fridge if needed. That said though, our mess didn't ruin things.
Not too bad considering we got it wrong...
When the mix is "crumbly", evenly spread over the fruit in the crock pot and spread a tea towel under the lid to catch the moisture. Slow cook on "low" for 3 hours more, or until the fruit is tender. If you are in a rush and only get in 2 hours, fret not! Bring it with you and continue cooking at your destination and leave it on "warm" when it's done. If you're serving right when it's done, wait 10 minutes and let everything "stand".
Delicious and ready!
The best part? Service warm with vanilla ice cream.
I spent the summer getting and eating the lovely greens of the garden and now is the time when we start seeing the robust root vegetables and squash. As the weather cools, I'm reminded of the Thanksgiving dinners my mom put together for us as kids. One of the most memorable dishes she makes is a butternut squash mash. To this day, Thanksgiving dinners aren't quite complete without it and this is the first year I'm having to do these types of things on my own. I thought to share the recipe!
These are not exact measurements and it's more about putting together proportions of the ingredients you enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
1 small/medium butternut squash
4-6 carrots
5-7 small red potatoes (or other potato)
1 white small/medium onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup unsalted butter
150g cheddar cheese
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Granulated garlic powder (1/2 tsp or to taste)
Ginger powder (1/4 tsp or to taste)
Nutmeg (1/4 tsp or to taste)
DIRECTIONS
Haul from the farmers' market
1. Gather the fresh ingredients and start cleaning them of dirt and blemishes/eyes/etc and peeling the carrots and potatoes. Note: I chose not to peel the potatoes unless there is a blemish or eye so I could keep the fibre-y bits. Keep in mind that often the best nutrients are found in or just beneath the skins so you won't want to let those go to waste (and it's good for your colon)! You'll also need a large (~6 quart) crockpot, water and your stove.
Cutting the squash can be precarious so be careful!
2. The tricky part will be to get your butternut squash peeled, opened and cleaned. Tip: I laid it on its side with the 'bulb' in my weaker hand and sliced off the stem. Then I inserted the tip of the knife into the columnar portion of the squash, lengthwise, and pushed the knife down towards the top. Once the cut is made (doesn't have to be all the way through), I pull the knife out and stand the squash upright and then take the knife and drop it into the cut and bring the knife right down to the 'bulb' and am able to slide it right open. From there, the peeler has a "grip" where I cut the stem off and I peel from top down.
Carrots, garlic, potatoes and onion
3. Then I cut everything into smaller pieces for quicker cooking and easier mashing. Note that carrots generally take the longest to cook so I cut smaller pieces and the onion cooks the fastest. At this time, I have not yet cut the butternut squash because that cooks the fastest.
Boiling phase 1
4. Add the ingredients to the crockpot and add water just until it starts covering the ingredients. Cover the crockpot and turn it on high heat to get boiling.
During this time, get the butternut squash ready by cutting it into smaller pieces to be cooked.
Cook on medium-high for ~10-15 minutes or until you can push a fork into the potato and carrot with resistance.
5. Add the butternut squash pieces and add some more water to the point where the water is halfway up the squash layer.
6. Boil for about 10-15 minutes more or until the fork easily slides into the butternut squash. At this point, you're ready to drain the pot and you can either chose to keep the broth for something else (it's great to drink if you've got a cold as its full of vitamin C and other water soluble vitamins/minerals) or dump it.
7. Grab your fork or potato masher and add in the butter and cheese. Slice the cheese into pieces so for easier melting. Mash vigourously. Include the salt, pepper and other spices as you are tiring out and mix well. Tip: if you aren't sure about the spices, take a small portion out into a bowl and play with the proportions there to see what you like. My proportions are for a full pot based on me fiddling around with a recent batch but your tastes and portions will be different than mine.
I got so excited to taste and run out the door with it (I was taking it to a pot-luck), I didn't get an image but the image doesn't do much justice to how it tastes so nothing lost there. But if you're looking to get some colour into your diet and mix things up for Thanksgiving, check this out and make it in place of your mashed potatoes!
Let me know if you get a chance to include it in your Thanksgiving menu this year and how you enjoyed it!
There is a great deal of waste taking place in kitchens and groceries stores across this country.
Oh the horror! Especially for a foodie like me...
When we get produce from a grocery store, the produce is cleaned and tidied for the consumer so we don't always get the produce in its complete form--totally understandable. But I started thinking about Korean dishes that fellow blogger Maangchi shared with the world, and wondered: which tops are actually edible?
I grew carrots and beets in my backyard a couple years ago and observed that for a single root (what we generally consider the edible part of the plant) there is a lot of foliage going on, on top. Quick general science background in case you're not familiar with root/tuber plants: these plants produce lots of foliage during the growing season because the leaves are where food production takes place (plants grow their own food!) and as fall rolls around, they take all that food and store it in the root/tuber for the next season. Roots/tuber vegetables generally have more starch than their leafy or fruit/flower components.
The thing is, most people send the green (and red) tops of beets, carrots and radishes to their compost/garbage bins when in fact, they're tossing away an edible (unless you have allergies) leafy green! These young leafy greens are great additions to a salad with their peppery tasting leaves giving a little bit of pizzaz.
However, it is logical that it is off-putting when considering residual pesticides or other chemical additives that might linger so in that case, certainly toss it away. But if you have the chance to get organic or pesticide free leaves and tuber/roots, cut the leaves off when you get home and store each piece separately.
I didn't have the same patience to make the recipe that Maangchi posted but I decided to stir-fry it with garlic and salt....
Washing them in cold water to prep for cooking.
Don't forget to cut into halves of you'll just have one long leaf to eat!
Clean up the leaves in cold water; halve the leaves so they're not one long piece to eat
Shake off the excess water
Mince garlic and set aside.
Add some oil to a hot pan, waiting a minute for it to heat. You'll know it's hot enough when you tilt the pan around and the oil becomes more viscous.
Added garlic to let that sizzle and cook a bit--careful not to let it burn so stir gently.
Then drop in the green tops of radish and cook and stir/turn until wilted and dark green.
If it gets too dry, add a tablespoon or splash of water--not too much or you'll have watery vegetables.
Add a pinch or two of salt to bring out the flavour and voila!
Hello tasty!
It's my first time having them so here's my verdict... they're really tasty and quick to make! They are tougher than spinach and taste a little bitter (but I love bitter melon--those who don't know... you're in for a treat ha ha!) but still taste great.
Maybe you might have the opportunity to try this recipe or check online for other ways to use this wonderful forgotten gem!!
When +ADW and I bought this house, we didn't know what we were getting in terms of garden and yard flora. I knew that there are two cherry trees that blossomed in two different colours (spliced with a white branch on a pink tree) but I wasn't entirely certain about what else was on the property. I soon found out that I have a really cute little crab apple tree that is very hard working as far as a tree goes.
In the spring, I saw all these wonderful flowers and thought absolutely nothing other than "awwww look how pretty that tree is!" I'm a biology graduate... I should honestly know better: flowers lead to fruits! DUH. The cute little tree is now over-burdened with pink-purple-red fruits about 1.5 inches. I have no idea what to do with these things!! Ariel enjoys eating them, but isn't allowed to eat too many. My parents (who live across the street--yes, it's an 'Everybody Loves Raymond' thing) like eating them but again, only eat a handful every now and again.
As typical owners of crab apple trees think, what the devil am I going to do with all these apples?? I looked up some recipes to see what I could do... and they range from easy to a pain in the butt. I decided to try the easiest approach, slow roasting these babies with cinnamon.
You'll need the following supplies:
Crab apples
Oil for high heat
Ground cinnamon
Then you follow the directions...
Wash apples and leave stem etc, intact
Lay them in a low walled baking sheet to dry
Pre-heat oven to 300F
Drizzle/coat the apples with an oil good for high heat
Hand mix the apples to coat with oil
Sprinkle ground cinnamon and again, hand mix
Pop them into the oven
Roast for 1.5 hours or until the apples look wrinkly or have split skins. I'd pull one out to test after the 1 hour mark. Also, you'll note that depending on the size of the apples, the time might change.
Unexpected bonus: the entire house just smelled of apples and cinnamon. That lovely aroma alone is reason enough to do this!
Glossy apples ready to jump into the oven!
Sprinkling on the cinnamon
Slow roasted crab apples!
I was chatting with my neighbour and they said I could have them with a pork roast (savoury) or drizzle maple syrup on them and have them like that, or add ice cream! I tried a few without and then with maple syrup. They are quite tart! It's a bit of a pain to avoid the core but not THAT troublesome. I will probably be making some more (since the tree hasn't stopped) this weekend and have these ones with pork chops or something.
I have been shopping at the local farmers' market lately and I found this gluten-free round from Molly B. The suggestions include breakfast rounds and personal pizzas. I don't lead a gluten-free lifestyle (I love bread so much!) but I do try to avoid eating too much, so sometimes I'll get something "gluten-free", just to mix it up.
The instructions are SUPER easy and best of all, no defrosting needed.
Pre-heat oven to 400-450F
Put the frozen round on a cookie sheet
Spread tomato/pizza sauce on each round
Vegetables: I used, green peppers, red onions (lots!), garlic, tomato. You can add quite a bit if the round is not flimsy
Fresh cracked pepper and oregano (or basil)
Meat: 3-4 slices of spicy capicola, porcheta and sopresetta
Cheese: I had gotten sliced Finlandia Lappi cheese lying around so I used that
Pre-oven pizzas
Then I popped the whole she-bang into the oven for 10 minutes or until toppings are bubbly.
Finished product--'zza!!
The finished product was way better than I expected!! I will use more cheese next time and maybe even more toppings... I"m going to see what I should do, to "max it out" without falling apart :D
Half way through my post Calgary Stampede post, I realized that it was too long to make into a single post. If you did make it through the entire post, I commend you! It was long, even for me. Today, I finish up...
On day 4, we have the main attraction of the Stampede, the rodeo. This is an incredible show of athleticism of both man and beast. It's also amazing to see the cowboys jump on a bull or horse and just aim to sit on it for 8 seconds. The longest 8 seconds ever! I did pick up a few tricks about what to watch for when they're bucking those broncos or bulls! Not that I hope to ever have to use it... but first, lunch:
Jalapeno mini donut poutine (you read that right!)
ADW is a (Chicago style) hot dog connoisseur!
The rodeo takes place in the Grandstand--the same place as the chuckwagon races. They just corner a smaller section of it and it becomes a closed off arena of sorts. It is in the sun though, so we start out afternoon under the hot sun but are lucky that the sun is moving a shadow over us. The rodeo is amazing to watch. Our seats weren't too bad as we were on the second level. We watched the saddle bronc, bareback, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. There was a kids event of riding the wild pony. I tell you, you'll die because it's so freggin' cute.
ADW even sat next to a real cowboy who was there to watch his grandson compete in the novice levels. He competed in his younger days for some roping type events and I think ADW had a really enjoyable time chatting with him. The rodeo clowns... those guys are hilarious. The commentator clown was just killing the audience with his sense of humour and antics. He was highly entertaining while twerking (yes, that's right) and dancing up a storm between competitors.
I could not say I was the least bit disappointed with the rodeo. It was exactly as I expected it to be! Unfortunately, I didn't bring my zoom lens so I didn't get any photos but you'd get the same impression when I went to the rodeo at the Royal in 2013.
------
To finish our trip, we made our way to Spruce Meadows. T was actually there (from the stable!) and she told ADW that earlier in the week, she was watch some serious eventing. I love Spruce Meadows because there's no admissions to get on the grounds and the grounds are just amazing. Every lawn and garden is manicured to perfection. The amazing thing I noticed too was that the arenas were not sand rings.. but grass rings! I can't even imagine the amount of maintenance that is required to groom the grass arena after a show. But, everything looks absolutely perfect. We watched some show jumping and visited the gift/tack shop during our leisure stroll around the grounds.
Welcome to Spruce Meadows!
Amazing grounds where even the non-equestrian can even appreciate
Sailing over the jump effortlessly
Always amazing to see the sheer power of the horses pushing
themselves and their rider over the jumps
Needless to say, this vacation was exactly what I needed before I get back into the swing of pulling my life back together. I definitely returned well rested and with a clearer head.
Welcome to the Canadian version of the Wild West: Calgary Stampede!
It's one of those events that you gotta add on your "do see/do" list just because it's so freggin' iconic; it's like Oktoberfest or the running of the bulls. Amb and I left Toronto on the 6th and with no plans for when we arrived, checked into our hotel, ate a late lunch and then headed into the city to check out the festivities. We are greeted by a lively, busy and festive feel populated with folk donning western apparel. Arriving in our very normal and very casual travel outfits, we made our way to Riley & McCormick to see if we could find something to help us mix into the crowd.
Getting cowboy'd up! YEEHAW!!
I suggest checking out R&M because their selection is SO extensive and there's something "fun" about it (they have a life-sized fibreglass horse out front that says, "I'm too old to be ridden!"). But seriously, they have a wall of boots and a wall of hats in different colours and materials. The price range is wide too, so don't be shy if your budget is modest and go nuts if it isn't!
That is a lot of boots... and I still only found one pair that I liked
Amb is excited to pick a hat for that lovely melon of hers!
At this point, +ADW is watching the rodeo and will watch the chuckwagon races in the evening because he's here for business (really, that's what he's here for!). We're left to our own devices and walk 8th Avenue SW because a portion of it is pedestrian fitted. We play a game of "spot the real cowboy" and make bets about which one of the cowboys we see strutting down the street is an authentic western cowboy versus the office folk and tourists who like us, are just playing cowboy.
As evening approaches, we are hungry and a little bored (it doesn't seem like many cowboys frequent the downtown) and make way to a place called the 'Palomino Smokehouse'. With our luck, a very inebriated young lady snuggles up to Amb while we're getting our IDs checked and the bouncer asks, "... is she with... you two?" To which we quickly quip, "no, no she's not!" Once she's shoed away, Amb nervously looks at the bar and then me and meekly asks, "are we still going in?". Oblivious to her apprehension, I boldly declare that we must because this place looks so authentic and ADW would so go. Plus, the bouncer has a friendly face while being physically intimidating so I feel comfortable. We spend the evening drinking (a little), snacking (a lot) and listening to live music by a local folk band named Sealegs who played with the Godfather of Yellowknife first and then went on set. They were highly entertaining and played a bunch of songs that Amb knew.
------
Moove on over to day 2 of our trip and we're getting ready for the evening chuckwagon races. We have lunch at the Calgary Tower to get up high and an impression of the city landscape. We have a little fun in the gift shop...
Amb getting fresh with Randy the RCMP Grizzly
ADW is always getting us into trouble...
ADW has found the hat that fits!
After lunch, we head to the Stampede grounds...
Hold onto yer hats!
Amb and I are prepared since we checked the guidebook prior, and circled the exhibits and events that interest us so we proceed to drag ADW around for our amusement...
The Ag building is full of fun exhibits for the whole family
Nobody comes to Stampede without trying the food on the grounds:
Hot beef sundae
Pizza foot-long
ADW briefs us on what he's learned about the races as we're waiting and we are totally blown away:
chuckwagon racing is an equestrian rodeo sport in which drivers in a chuckwagon led by a team of Thoroughbred horses race around a track. It is a team event, led by a driver who commands a team of horses pulling the chuckwagon, and is supported by two or four outriders, each racing individual thoroughbred horses that follow the chuckwagon. Each race typically involves three or four teams, and begins with the outriders "breaking camp", by tossing two tent poles (with four outriders only) and a barrel representing a camp stove into the back of their wagon before mounting their horses and following the wagons as they complete a figure eight around two barrels before circling a race track. The first wagon to cross the finish line typically wins, although various time penalties are handed out for infractions such as a barrel being knocked over, a tent pole or stove not loaded, wagon interference or an outrider crossing the finish line too far behind his wagon driver. (Wikipedia)
There are 9 heats and the starts are madness. Try getting 16 thoroughbreds to make that figure 8 loop and then run around the track at top speed. There were a few mishaps and each race is not long. The surprise of the evening is the "evening show" that follows. Without expecting anything, we were totally blown away by the Canadiana routine that was put together. A stageful of dancers and singers all in costume and singing about... Canada! The show was fast paced and accessible for all audience members while being educational (I love getting schooled!). It also ended with a family being made Canadian citizens and a humongous pyrotechnics display. Go big or go home was certainly the point tonight.
-----
Day 3 was a quiet affair away from Calgary while Amb went to visit family, ADW and I drove out to Banff for a trail ride into the Rockies.
I love how small the Rockies make me feel, every time.
ADW loves those paints/pintos
I'm on a cuddly horse named Guinness
Taking this photo was precarious!
Mountain on one side, drop on the other!
Who's that handsome rugged face? ;)
Spray River
After the trail ride, we make our way to Lake Louise. I didn't quite do everything I wanted to last time so this was my chance at completing my "list"... we saw Lake Moraine (did you know that this is the lake on the previous Canadian $20 dollar bill?) and Lake Louise in the summer (last time it was frozen and covered in ice and snow).
Stay tuned for the second and final part of this adventure!
