I blogged about MyGoodness! awhile back as I was exploring my old Mount Pleasant ‘hood one summer evening. I was amazed at not only the selection, but the quality and craftsmanship that went into the entire production from the storefront to the final product. The fact that this was in MY backyard and available for the masses made me proud to be a Vancouverite and supporting local. If you like baking with different flours and are interested in what’s beyond the normal and every day (ho-hum) white flour, check this joint out.

In the same neck of the woods, up Main Street into the Riley Park area is Quejo’s (pronounced Kay Joes) Cheesebuns; home of the ‘wholesome delicious Brazilian-style bun’. We’re not talking regular cheese buns here, it’s more intricate than that…how does sun-dried tomato and basil sound? Or extra cheese? Spice things up with Jalapeno maybe? Or maybe you’re more earthy and the flax-seed and almond floats your boat. Whatever your craving, whatever your desire I’m sure there’s a flavor here at Quejos for you. Trust me, this isn’t some boring-old-run-of-the-mill cheesebun. It’s on another level.

A place I’ve never been is Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty Inc on Arbutus Street. Word around town is this is THE place to go for gluten free bagels, of which a good majority are also dairy, nut and soy free too! Looks like there’s alot to choose from here and I promise to check it out soon! This just in…I was on their Twitter page moments ago and Silver Hills Gluten Free Chia bread has arrived in store!! Do I have to say more?

So staying on the west side of the city, there’s also Panne Rizo on Cornwall Avenue to check out. They are a GF bakery and cafe that’s been around since 1998. In a city like Vancouver where new cafes pop up every minute, that’s a long time so they MUST be doing it right. Again, I’ve not had the pleasure of visiting this stop for a bite, but I’ve talked to people who live in the area and it comes highly praised.

If you’re living GF in Vancouver, or suspect you might have allergies and just want more information, visit Gluten Free Vancouver at the new online digs. There is a wealth of information and resources here for everyone no matter what you’re looking for…more specific information of course can be found at the Vancouver Celiac as well.

How does a paneer wrap sound? Pretty cool except for fact it would be processed-crap that probably in no way resembled paneer…

Check out this link and make a promise. When you go traveling to new and exotic places, find local COOL EATERIES. If you don’t know where to look, ASK A LOCAL!

Yes it’s really that simple.

McDonald’s? I’m hatin’ it.

Currently at Nice Shoes munching on sweets from Fairy Cakes! Got a new wallet and My Guy got awesome shoes by Keep! 3568 Fraser Street. Hurry!!! It’s nice and dry in here…

Icicles at Peppercorn Park, Gold River BC

It’s been a long time since my last post, or so it feels anyway! My Guy and I went away last weekend to visit my Folks for a little visit. I guess we should have paid closer attention to the weather forecasts instead of thinking “Oh it will pass…” The visit was great; we even made it out on a snowy walk down to Peppercorn Park where I spent countless hours of childhood sunning on the rocks and swimming in crystal clear waters. What greeted us this time was a Winter Wonderland. Icicles hung from the cliffs, the huge rocks that seem so hard to walk over on First Beach in the warmer months were covered in a carpet of soft snow. We had no trouble moving fast across them…to the waters edge. Not yet frozen and still as clear as I remember.

It wasn’t until the drive home, in a snowstorm, 22 km out of the nearest town where there is NO cell service did we decide to get in a little ‘accident.’ The rest is as you can imagine. Standing in the driving wind and snow, our car completely vertical down an embankment and our only hope in help is dependant on the kindness of strangers. Without cell service we needed a Good Samaritan to call a tow truck for us once they reached a phone…

And then the ferries back to mainland were cancelled…so an impromptu night at the Ramada in Nanaimo was where we spent the night.

Bottom line? We are both fine, damage to car is minimal we think and My Guy said to me at the time, “There’s nobody else I would rather be stranded with.”

So what cool things have I found this week that I’m either excited about or just has my interested piqued? Read on my friends!

I’m not sure I believe this article entitled, “Girl Eats Nothing But Chicken McNuggets for 15 years“. I first read about it earlier today on my iPhone and thought it was pure crap, and wanted to research it more when I got home. I’ve read the article again and some parts just don’t ‘click’. I’m wondering first off, why this girl isn’t overweight? Also secondly, why is her skin so good? She LOOKS happy and healthy. I’m sure the article is grossly exaggerated; maybe she just really likes them and ate them frequently. It just brings to mind though how fast food is EVERYWHERE and the earlier we teach our young people about moderation and what to consume to fuel their body properly, then think of how that would decrease diseases like diabetes and heart attacks. We love to eat in our house and I can’t personally imagine why anyone would want McDonalds food over My Guy’s stir fry, or my amazing baked Mac & Cheese with buttered cracker crumb topping.

Now something I’m truly excited about is Fairy Cakes WILL be opening next month here in Vancouver. It’s been delayed and set back due to some unforeseen problems arising with the building location….but the company has recently posted that they are opening! The website isn’t up and running yet but keep checking or keep reading my blog for more details. I’ve been lucky enough to try these cupcakes several times and I’ve never been disappointed, well except for the fact one isn’t ever enough. I always want more. Dairy free, egg free, organic, nut free and peanut free are just some of the reasons to get excited about Fairy Cakes. Store front opening soon at 3586 Fraser St or call 604-442-YUMM (9866) for more info!! Can’t wait till next month? Go to Nice Shoes (3568 Fraser St) on January 29th from 12:30-4 pm to check out the cities coolest selection of Vegan footwear and try a Fairy Cake! What else you doing this weekend anyway?

Avon was recently caught in a little lie. Uncaged, one the leading experts in animal experimentation in the UK, got the company to finally retract the statement on their site and advertising claiming they don’t test on animals. In fact Avon has made NO secret they do toxicity testing on animals but maybe they figured having that claim there for all to see would ease their conscience? Or sell more product?

I’m sure there is more stuff to tell you all, but this will have to do for now! Stay tuned…

While researching this topic I found another amazing ecovillage on my old stomping grounds of Vancouver Island! This one could possibly lose their land…please check out the link for more information. Brilliant concept.

If this style of living appeals to your core values take a look at the links below:

Ecovillage Network of Canada

Global Ecovillage Network

Fellowship for Intentional Community

Of course I slightly freaked and panicked, thinking ‘will we make it 2 weeks??’ We had to. We didn’t have a choice. We waited and we DID make it; we survived. January 16th comes and I leave work 20 minutes early so I can be here for the appointment time of ‘sometime’ between 4-6 pm. Long story short, no Technician arrived. I called this company 2 times and both times told yes, a Tech should be there soon…nobody arrived…I went to bed pissed off at corporate business around 10 pm. I guess when a large company has a service we all need, they can grab us by the balls and twist…not caring if they are late or don’t provide what they say we will. They know we’ll wait…

Bottom line is I had to call the following day to find out the appointment for the 16th was NEVER properly set up…I, the customer, had to again wait until a convenient time for the company, to come out to me. Funny thing is, I tweeted about this experience last night and would you believe @shawhelp got back to me in less THAN 1 HOUR? It hit home to me how much value and importance companies put in their online presence over the ‘real’ customers waiting in line (figuratively speaking). Because I complained online and publicly, they responded ASAP to try to do damage control. Not impressed.

Think twice about the service you’re getting from those companies who provide us with our basic necessities; such as hydro, cable TV, internet and electric. We’re paying them for a product and/or a service and we deserve proper treatment, respect and a guarantee on the promises and claims they make. If you’re not satisfied, speak up. If we all do this, our voice will be loud. I’m just sayin…you know? 

Now, in case you live under a rock and didn’t know, today was a day to go down in history. The largest online strike in history occurred to protest the ridiculous Internet Censorship Bills SOPA and PIPA. If you value freedom of speech online and the right for website developers, authors, bloggers etc to speak their minds, please consider signing the petition. If you’re a US citizen better yet you can write to Congress. It’s all here. Visit Fight for the Future for more info.

More to come…

There’s a new joint in town to eat at, and it’s aptly named Chomp. The full name is Chomp Vegan Eatery. Yes, you read right. A vegan restaurant has come to the Tri-Cities area of the Lower Mainland and some of us couldn’t be happier. While I am NOT a vegan, I do support the lifestyle and by being a vegetarian myself, I feel I make the best choices I can for me. I totally love the idea of indie eateries popping up that offer something just a little different and cater to a particular group. Hopefully another vegan restaurant can help dispel the myths that we non-meat eaters live on lettuce and carrot sticks. While the masses may be able to somewhat accept a vegetarian in their midst, I think that vegans still have a long way to go unfortunately to get the acceptance and understanding they deserve. I urge you to check out Chomps website, and this article in the Georgia Straight for more info. Aside from the menu, the site offers up a ton of information including awesome pics, the concept and idea behind Chomp and a little Q & A section about veganism. I personally can’t wait to try it out but will probably have to wait until after the Holidays!

Some of you may remember a post from the summer about a vegan cupcake shop opening soon in Vancouver called Fairy Cakes. While the actual storefront has been delayed due to some maintenance issues with the building, beyond the owners control…you can STILL get your cupcake fix. Don’t worry. Seriously. The Fairy Mobile will be a-fluttering around the city ready to deliver sweet-gooey goodness anywhere and everywhere. You can reach them at 604.442.YUMM (9866) or via email at fairy_cakes@live.ca. As you know I love supporting local and especially love supporting vegans and vegetarians so if you have a special occasion coming up, or you just want a real cupcake without all the ‘crap’, call up the folks at Fairy Cakes!

*NOT EXCITED ABOUT:* I’m usually pretty vocal and positive about the PC Vegetarian products available at Superstore, No Frills and Loblaws etc. I’ve blogged about the Worlds Best Meatless Burgers and Meatballs (which really are the best) and the Worlds Best Meatless Chicken Breasts made with the help of gardein (Love, Love, Love). But My Guy and I have a not-so-glowing review of the PC Vegetarian Wings available in the frozen section. They were a major disappointment and just thinking of the money we wasted, the time I wasted preparing it and the fact I choked it down because I didn’t want to waste it, almost makes me want to weep!! I’m shocked to be this disappointed in one of their veg products, so it’s hard to write something negative. My first complaint was the sauce that came with it. I thought first they would have already been coated, so maybe the flavour would have ‘sunk’ into the product a bit more, but they came with a little sachet of sauce. It wasn’t NEARLY ENOUGH. The amount was so tiny it didn’t coat all the irregular shaped ‘wings’ and we only got 11 in the package! It was just the Worlds Best Meatless Chicken Breast product shaped into what I assume were supposed to be chicken wings…So the sauce barely covered them and because they are a frozen product they leak a fair amount of water in the first few minutes of cooking. Result? Mushy, wet baking pan and what little sauce there was, pretty much slid right off. The end product was dry and tasteless. I thought wings were supposed to be saucy and messy! If you really want to try this product, get the Meatless Chicken Breasts along with some of your fave BBQ sauce and MAKE YOUR OWN. Trust me. ** I cannot find this product on the PC website**

A product we did LOVE however, was The Worlds Best Meatless Breaded Chicken Strips. I don’t recommend you eat them alot as they seemed kind of greasy but wow, tasty! Moops gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up and dipped them in sauce, whereas My Guy and I were super impressed with the value for the money, the taste and texture and how with some added veggies it was a complete and filling meal. PC got this one right…

I’m slightly scattered right now and would love nothing more than to try to remember all the stuff I wanted to blog about…but my mind is a million miles away. It’s the Holiday Season and I’m thinking of the presents that need wrapped (and the ones still to buy) and the house that needs to be packed up since My Guy and I are also moving this month. Don’t you hate packing up and unpacking a few days later? Everytime I do this, I think “I’ve got to condense my life…” and I still lug around the same amount of boxes, if not more. I did recently donate alot of clothes in the summer to charity shops, and felt good to move out some things so that someone else may benefit from them too. I just didn’t do quite enough…

It’s easy to get down in the dumps this time of year, or to get overwhelmed with it all. I try to think of Christmas as being for the children. They still have an innocent belief in the tradition of the Holidays, and it truly is THEIR time. As adults do we really need another bottle of perfume? Another sweater we might not wear? What about just being with those you love, enjoying good food and drink and setting a limit to the amount of presents you give? If you have to give, set a limit…or make your own gifts…donate what you would have spent to a local organization like the Food Bank.

Love the one you’re with.

Bring Peace back.

‘Tis the Season.

New snack you will love! popchips

Ever lost your digital camera? Or found one maybe and checked out the pics taken? Thanks to my bro for sending me the link to a site that posts pics from ‘found’ cameras all over the world in the hopes SOMEBODY will recognize them. The site doesn’t really have a name except ifoundyourcamera.net and that’s about it…it tells it like it is. I’m super proud to report the site is based in Canada and I think they’re doing a great job. We all know how important our photo’s are to us, so if you can help in identifying some pics or have some of your own to post- please do! Help these lost pics find the way home…

I blogged a little while back about the distressing fact My Guy and I could no longer find the PC Blue Label Meatless Beef Strips anymore.  They appear to be gone from the coolers and the label has vanished…BUT there was a new product to be seen in the frozen section. I’d love to provide a link to it, but alas I can’t find it in the PC Blue Menu vegetarian (meatless) line up on the site. The product is called “Vegetarian Tips” and look like ‘beef tips’ or chunks. In my excitement of spotting this product I must not have read the packaging completely; I swear it said meatless beef on it…not just vegetarian tips. No worries because there is no meat in it, and it’s a combo of wheat gluten, soy protein and ancient grains. Really. I didn’t make that last part up, it truly says ancient grains. The taste was not identical to the meatless beef strips and now that I’ve looked at the actual packaging I can see why; it’s not the same product. I chose to brown it and then use in a stew and it was flavourful and tasty, the stew was a success, but I’m honestly not sure how it will stand up in one of my My Guy’s legendary stir-fry’s. Stay tuned.

Last weekend I tried a ‘new to me’ snack. I think the product itself is relatively new however and it’s called popchips. The tag line states, ‘think popped. Never fried. Never baked.’ The website states fried is fattening and baked is tasteless. How true. Anyway I scored a sample of the plain popchips and have to admit I was very impressed, and very intrigued to try more. A regular potato chip it’s not and I don’t think it will really satisfy that craving we sometimes desire….BUT it did satisfy my need to snack. It was a new sensation and not at all a bad one! The chips were light, really crunchy and airy (without being fluffy and empty!). I only had a tiny bag and was sad when it came to the end. I easily could have eaten more. I know what you’re thinking- what about the label?? I had the single serving packet and that came in at just 100 calories! I’m always looking for 100 calorie snacks because it’s a nice round number to track calories by. If you have snacks that equal 100 calories each, you can easily monitor what you’re eating between meals. The flavours available are amazing too! Chili Lime, Parmesan & Garlic and Cheddar to name a few. Check out popchips for your next snack.