WHOA lansi

francophile, oenophile, logophile, turophile

Category: recap

March in Instagram

Somehow we’re already well into the first week of April, & all of my grand blogging plans lay unfulfilled. With N away so much (aka living in another country), all the household stuff falls to me, so I’ve been a little busier lately. It’s amazing how much of a difference not having him home regularly makes. Odin & I have been making the best of it though, & we’re lucky to have an amazing group of humans to keep us company & help out when we need them. Here’s what we got up to in this first month of living in different countries (according to the very filtered world of Instagram):March 2017 IG Recap

  1. We celebrated our awesome gymnastics coach & friend, Tanis, turning 35 with a paint nite. I’m actually so impressed by how well everyone’s paintings turned out!
  2. Can’t get enough of Sue Higgins Dog Park. Odin loves adventuring there & meeting up with all his buds.
  3. I joined some friends in Canmore for the weekend to celebrate the lovely #Elissagettingmeowied. It was such a fun weekend away in the mountains, with lots of great food, a little dancing, & so many laughs.
  4. Neither Odin nor I like saying goodbye to N. Airport drops offs are tough on this little guy. I don’t think he understands at all.
  5. First patio day of 2017 at Cibo. We took advantage of a beautiful Saturday to get outside & enjoy some drinks on a really lovely patio. They also have one of the best happy hours out there – check out the $5 pizza!!
  6. Rosso Tuxedo opened! Finally good coffee in our neighbourhood. We’ve been eagerly anticipating their opening for months. I love it already!
  7. N flew home to watch #ElissaandMatt get married at a lovely ceremony at the Lakehouse. We danced, we ate, & we consumed far too many delicious drinks.
  8. Dogs & Beer? I’m sold on Cold Garden & have been meeting up with friends for a pint pretty much weekly. Their beer is delicious (& reasonably priced!), & I can bring my furry friend. It’s my favourite.
  9. Odin turned one this month! He was spoiled rotten. We’re heading out on his first hike tomorrow to celebrate. Happy Birthday, little buddy!

April promises to be a busy month as well. I’m a #poutinepusher for Calgary Poutine Week 2017, so if you like poutine (& good causes) keep an eye on my social media for details (& watch me try to eat all the poutine in a week). Bring on the stretchy pants!

October in Instagram

I think this is the earliest I’ve posted an Instagram recap in years. Success! If everything goes according to plan, I’ll finally get my SeaWheeze post up this week too. Registration is coming up pretty quickly, so my goal is to get it finished before that. Sometimes I just need to give myself deadlines! The new bullet journal moleskine I picked up this week is really helping in that department too. I am a sucker for a new notebook, & I even got some coloured pens to keep it fun! We’ll see if these doodles last. They’re fun right now, but one of the best things about bullet journaling has been its simplicity. Only time will tell!

Anyway, here’s what we go up to in October according to Instagram:

oct16ig

  1. At the beginning of the month, I took a roadtrip out to Invermere with my favourite Paralympian, Morgan Bird. We helped out (& swam a little) with their training camp & fun meet. She gave a fantastic talk to the kids of CVSC & GGSC.
  2. This slow cooker chili has quickly become a favourite of mine. It’s like eating hot wings, but it’s paleo. Throw everything in the slow cooker the night before & come home to this delicious chili. I’m obsessed.
  3. Our first snowfall came pretty late this year, by Calgary standards. Odin didn’t really know what to make of it, but I think he ended up loving it. I can’t wait til we get a really good dump so he can play more. It’s hilarious!
  4. I made my second turkey all by myself. This year, I went over to my parents & used their incredible kitchen. Seriously, their range is a dream. Thanksgiving dinner turned out fantastic too. 😉
  5. I’m totally hooked on November Project. What started as part of my Healthy Living Challenge in September has turned into something I look forward to every week. If you’ve been on the fence about checking it out, I’m there every Wednesday (& some Mondays). Come drink the kool-aid!
  6. Some version of this sausage & vegetable noodle “pasta” in on the menu every week at our house. Usually it involves tomato sauce (my go-to recipe here. Sorry about the terrible photos!), but this time I simplified with roasted red pepper, goat cheese, & herbs. Simple & delicious!
  7. Our Bitches be Brunchin’ crew hit Batl Axe this month. We had a great time! If you’ve been thinking about trying your hand at axe throwing, I’d highly recommend it.
  8. We made huge strides with our house this month & it’s really looking like our home. We painted a lot of the main floor, hung vintage shelves from my grandparents, & bought a media console for the record player & our games. I love how it’s coming together.
  9. For Halloween this year, we dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz. I made my costume from scratch (putting my grade 8 sewing skills to the test) & N pulled a tin man costume together on short notice. Odin went as himself, our little lion man. It’s going to be hard to top this year!

Do you like to dress up for Halloween? Do you make your costume from scratch or buy one from a store? 

July in Instagram

& just like that we’re halfway through the summer. How does this time of year always go by so quickly?! I think it’s likely because there is so much going on in the beginning of July. We kick things off with Canada Day & then it’s go go go from there, with Stampede & my own birthday as well. It was a fantastic month, & I’m a little sad it’s already over, but here’s what we got up to, according to Instagram.

July2016IG

  1. Celebrating the lovely Karla with a wine tasting, brunch, Banff Springs spa day, dinner, & party bus bar crawl. Such a fun weekend with a great group of ladies!  #gettinghutched
  2. Odin got his first haircut & looks adorable. Since his cut, you can really see how long his legs are. He looks like a gangly teenager instead of a little fluff ball!
  3. We kicked off Stampede week by spending the first Saturday at our favourite tent, Nashville North. Dancing, great friends, & many rounds of drinks made for a fun night!
  4. Week two of Stampede, we were back at it. This time we met up with more of N’s friends & his sister & her friends. It was a hilarious (& ridiculous) night at the tent!
  5. Our delicious birthday (x3) meal at the Nash with my family. My birthday this year was all about great eats.
  6. Another birthday dinner, this time with my girl friends. We shared an incredible assortment of wine & small plates, & the totally spoiled me. My friends are fantastic!
  7. Dog Party! My best friend bought a house & it has this INCREDIBLE backyard. It’s seriously the best! We’re excited for many many dog parties. I love watching our pups play!
  8. Backyard wine dates with my work wife. She’s a member of Kelowna Female Family Photos, an awesome cancer fundraising group. We love their apparel. These tanks are the softest & comfiest I’ve ever worn! Check ’em out – it’s for a good cause so you don’t even have to feel guilty.
  9. We took little O out to the lake this weekend & did some swimming. He jumped off the back of the boat twice (to save me, of course), but isn’t super stoked about it. It’s a little high for him right now. He really enjoyed swimming for sticked off the shore though. He’s gonna be a water baby!

August & September are a little bit slower than July, which should be nice. I’m running the #Seawheeze next weekend, but the rest of the month is really chill. I think we will likely celebrate our wedding anniversary with a nice dinner, so if you have any suggestions, let me know (maybe Royale?!). Then in September, N gets knee surgery & we head to wedding in Kelowna. I can’t wait to pick up some more wine & celebrate a lovely couple.

Did you find this month flew by, or was it just me? How are you making the most of the rest of your summer? 

April in Instagram

Happy Cinco de Mayo! May? May is here! The weather has been fantastically spring-like. I can hardly believe our luck. Spring in Alberta is usually essentially Winter: Part 3. While I’m still expecting at least one more dump of snow, I really have no complaints with this year so far. April was pretty busy so I’m looking forward to what should a bit of a quieter May (& Summer). N has started a rotation in Fort McMurray so he will be working 14 days on/7 days off. I plan to hibernate a little bit. & eat a lot of salad.

Here’s what we got up to this past month, according to Instagram:

April

1. We spent Easter at the lake with my parents, ATVing, eating delicious food, & relaxing. I love spending time out there.

2. A friend of ours turned 30 & planned a “reverse surprise party”. It included a party bus, photos on McHugh bluff, & a Roughnecks game. #GarciaCat.

3. I’m attended the Calgary Expo as a volunteer on the Social Media Crew for Beakerhead. The Tin Fish was a big hit! Follow along on Social Media @Beakerhead.

4. I’ve finally started to clean out my old room at my parents’ house. I started with my wall of posters, Jones Soda labels, photos, & postcards. Goodbye young Usher.

5. Anju‘s “Poutine for your Seoul” was incredible. We shared a pre-game meal with some friends including this poutine, gochujang wings, oxtail tortellini, crispy tofu, & spicy octopus. Always a favourite spot for a great meal.

6. One canucks fan & three flames fans walked into a bar…everyone booed. haha. I always seemed to be working late during our playoff run in 2004. This year I’ve joined the crowds on the Red Mile twice to celebrate Flames’ wins!

7. Seven of us took on the Poutine Crawl this year. We had a great time sampling poutines from six different restaurants on a crawl around downtown Calgary. Delicious!

8. I used a new recipe from the Domestic Man on one of grass-fed Alberta roasts & turned out fantastic. You will not regret trying this one out!

9.  Kyle Shewfelt himself covered Adult Open Gym last Wednesday. He’s both  hilarious & knowledgeable. We learned so much & had a fantastic time. I can’t wait to practice more this week.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, friends! Grab a margarita, your Flames jersey, & cheer on the Flames tonight (after you vote, of course!).

Eat Eat \ Poutine Crawl

A few weeks ago, one of my best friends scored two tickets to the 2014 Calgary Poutine Crawl. We’d both been anxiously awaiting the moment they were to go on sale, but she was one of the lucky 60 or so to snag a pair of tickets to the event. It literally sold out in less than 15 seconds – the first obvious sign that it was bound to be some special. I was obviously pretty bummed about it until her husband offered his ticket to me. Best wedding gift so far, Z!

Poutine Day arrived and we excitedly met at Wurst at noon. I’ve eaten (as well as enjoyed many a beer) in this great establishment & have always enjoyed the experience. There’s something about a beer hall that just says good times to me! We ordered drinks & waited for things to start, discussing whether we thought it would be something off their menu (they have great poutine) or something new.

Karen Richards, the organizer, welcomed us before the chef took the stage to talk to us the thoughts behind the day’s creation. They had decided to go with the poutine on their menu for a very good reason – they’d spent a long time creating it & think it’s great. I have to agree; it is a great poutine. They start with duck fat fries (never a bad idea, if you ask me) & add cheese curds, green peas, speck sauce, duck confit, & truffle oil.

This poutine is rich so I was grateful for the smaller portion. I have & would eat this poutine again though – the fries are great (duck fat, people!), the cheese curds squeak, & the “gravy” has a great flavour. For me, those three things are the most important components of a great poutine, & Wurst nails it.

Once we’d finished up, we got onto one of the two party buses & headed off to National 17. Not only is National one of my favourite bars in Calgary (another beer hall. What can I say? They’re just so great!), but also this next poutine would be the creation of one of my favourite chefs, Roy Oh. This poutine was by far the one H & I were most excited for, being Anju fangirls. (We’re anxiously awaiting the opening of his new restaurant – Anju 2.0!) Roy’s creation was a very cool Korean-Inspired “poutine” featuring chewy rice cakes, bacon, cucumber, gochujang sauce, & squeaky cheese curds. This is definitely not traditional poutine here, but those flavours. Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The experience was over far too soon for me.

Back to the bus – we were headed off the beaten path, to Naina’s Kitchen, in a more industrial area of Calgary. I regularly frequent the Farmer’s Market across the street, but haven’t tried the stuffed burgers this place is famous for yet. It’s a small, unassuming little spot, but we all squished in. This one was a feast, & probably the most traditional to that point, featuring fries, cheese curds, meatballs, caramelized onions, & a sweet gravy. The meatballs were fantastic & I enjoyed the hint of maple syrup in the gravy, but the fries & curds weren’t my favourite. This was probably for the best though. If I had finished that monster, I don’t think I’d have managed the rest of the crawl (without actually crawling!).

It was back downtown for our next stop – The Libertine. Halfway through & I was getting a little full & a lot sleepy. Luckily, they have some great beers on tap, so we quickly solved one of those problems. Their team presented their poutine in little takeout boxes. I was excited to see apple coleslaw on top (I’m sure I’m almost alone in my excitement over a good coleslaw). Underneath we found fried chicken, double smoked pork belly (magical words), & of course, curds, gravy, & fries. I think the pork belly (& the slaw for me – I know I’m alone in this) were the stars for me here. The fries, curds, & gravy were all delicious though too so it was an all around well-executed poutine!

H & I had reached waddle status at this point, so she suggested we walk the few blocks to downtownfood. It was a great idea & we even arrived before the bus. downtownfood was the 2013 Calgary Poutine Crawl winner. In fact, they seem to put out some pretty amazing food for most of these types of things so I was definitely looking forward to their take.

They started us off with a lemon sorbetto to cleanse our palate “after all those inferior poutines we’d tried.” It was a clever tactic. This sorbetto was arguably one of the best palate cleansers I’ve had. Next they came around with the poutine. Servers removed funny plastic lids to uncover a steaming bowl of deliciousness, which included bacon, mushrooms, house-made cheese curds, duck-confit gravy, & delicious fries. These curds hit it out of the park for me. I could have eaten a bowlful of them. Seriously, I love curds. I also loved the flavour of the gravy, despite it being a bit on the more liquidy side. All around amazing flavours.

& then they followed it up with dessert: macarons. I’m such a sucker for macarons. Well played, downtownfood.

 

Last stop on our tour was a little pub across the river, Oak Tree Tavern. Wild Rose Brewery put us all in great spirits with a free beer. The poutine that followed was the first vegetarian option of the day, featuring crispy fries, cheese curds, & a sage mushroom gravy. The flavours of this poutine were great again, but I found myself wishing there were more curds. Yes, even after 6 poutines, I wanted more cheese curds. (I know, I’m a freak.) Oak Tree Tavern was a great venue to end that day on. We stayed around for a few extra beers & waited for our stomachs to shrink back to normal.

Overall, Anju’s poutine was my favourite for Roy’s creativity as well as the amazing combination of flavours, but I can’t say I was disappointed with any of the poutines we tasted. The votes were tallied the next day & downtownfood came out on top for the second year in a row – a well deserved win. All the participants did an incredible job & I would highly recommend this event to anyone who likes poutine. Or maybe I wouldn’t – I’d like to score tickets myself next year.

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