West Coast Wanderings - Part I

Hola Bloggies!

So I'm in Whistler for my conference and it's going well. Tomorrow will mark more than the half-way point of my trip.I've had a good time so far - hanging out in Van (couver) with my girls was particularly fun.

Shall we catch up? What follows is a highlight reel of my trip thus far! :o)


I flew out of my Rocky Mountain airport early on Friday evening. It was a beautiful day so I snapped a picture for you bloggies as I walked on the tarmac towards my Air Canada plane.

Our flight was uneventful (just the way I like my flights) and soon I arrived in Vancouver. It was late at this point and I went to bed early so I could get to all the wonderful adventures and yummy eats we had planned for my weekend.

This was the weekend I finally got to try these guys:


Can you believe this was my first introduction to the beauty that are steel cut oats? I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew they had to be good. After all so many bloggers swear by them!


To our oats we added a bit of chopped almonds and some creamed honey. Verdict? WOW! Steel-cut oats are completely worth the investments. They were a world apart from quick cook oats.

I've been toying with the idea of getting back into morning oats and I think I may just have to go steel-cut or go home! :oP

But don't worry bloggies - I also indulged in some other serious breakfast eats. I had a beautiful croissant courtesy of the wonderful Thomas Haas cafe in North Vancouver:


I don't think I've had such wonderful flaky and buttery croissants since the last time I saw Paris. The tiny bit of home made jam was also amazing. Needless to say I thought this treat was well worth the calorie expenditure!

While I was waiting in line to pay for my breakfast I also happened to notice an amazing chocolate sculpture:


All edible and all made of delicate chocolate! Outside of FoodTV I had never seen one of these beauties. Want to see a close-up?


Beyond amazing! And nothing less than what I would expect from a Master Chocolatier! :o)

While in Vancouver I also got to indulge in some yummy ethnic eats. Specifically - Asian food! On one of those occasions we headed to a local Korean restaurant:


One of my favourite things about Korean food is the little dishes of pickled vegetables, kimchi, potatoes, and (usually) bean sprouts that come complimentary with your meal:


While I nibbled on some potatoes I tried to decide on my main meal. Finally I chose a spicy cured tofu seafood soup. Yeah it sounds strange but it's not. It's like an amazing spicy stew chock-full of seafood and vegetables. It came with a bit of rice on the side - which is a good thing because it helped to take the heat (muy picante!) off!!!


Oh yeah the soup came with a single egg cracked inside. You stir it with your chopsticks and soon enough it cooks and mixes in with all the other ingredients. Some may think it gross but I think it makes for an awesome presentation!!!! Oh and it doesn't hurt that the soup was seriously good. So good I'm considering going back for more when I return to Vancouver on Friday.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that on Saturday afternoon I had what is possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had in my life:


This heart-shaped beauty (cappuccino) came courtesy of Cafe Artigiano. I had my lovely cup of java at the original location adjacent to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Turns out this location is home to the Canadian Barrista Champion for many years running! :o)

I often say I'm deprived of yummy eats in my small Rocky Mountain town. But I think I've more than made up for it this last little while! lol

Stay tuned tomorrow night for the next installment of my West Coast Wanderings!