Where are we?: Germany
countries Visited: 9
Days on the Road: 111

Sunday, August 28, 2011

A Day in the Clouds - Sarah in BC










A Day In The Clouds

We set out from Toronto on June 11th, with a goal of getting to Vancouver on the 16th.  After 3 days of driving hard, little sleep, and very little pee brakes (totally my fault, I’m a driving maniac) We had over shot our goal, and deserved a tourism break!

 April (who was fit enough to run a 10k keep in mind) insisted on Lake Louise. I am game for anything, so away we went. After parking, we walked up to a hotel which would easily put any Montreal hotel to shame, then off to Lake Louise. It is a color that takes my breath away, a color that screams clean..fresh..and COLD. It gets it’s Aqua color from the clay, and the organisms that thrive on the clay.

  So as adventurous people that we are, we decide to do a hike. We decide on the 3.4km hike, which promises great views, and tea and biscuits at the end. Sounds lovely right?

  Well I don’t know about you, but I think the fact that the 3.4 km, was up a mountain should have been mentioned. You could argue that it should have been implied..but I will not listen! It should have been vocalized!

  In any case, huffing and puffing and many water breaks later, at 2.4km up, another stunning lake, run off from glaciers. We stop, we take photos, we breathe, we decide if we should continue. At this point, my “fit” friend, says lets go back down. Oddly enough it is me, who wants to go on. Hmmm??!!

  The last km is snow covered (in June), muddy slippery and 10 times worse than the km’s before. We manage up with no avail (besides me getting stuck in knee deep snow...story for another day) to the tea house.

  Run on solar energy, and a handful of just out of high school students, you can pick from over 35 different teas. We picked Roibos bourbon vanilla, so good I have been searching for it in markets ever since, and..biscuits, with honey. You have to wait a long time for your order, and it gets annoying, but.... and this but is good enough for another paragraph...

  There I was, sweaty from the hike, cold from the mountain air, and sitting in a cabin on top of a mountain, drinking tea, and eating biscuits with honey..eventually. And this is where it happens...Wow, I’m on a fucking(wait can I swear in this thing?) , mountain, drinking tea and..well you got the biscuit thing.

Definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life, and I hope everyone gets the chance to do it. Oh, but I didn’t mention the 3.4km DOWN. Another day!

Love Sarah

Fresh on Bloor st.




This veggie restaurant is not new but it sure is a hot spot! With its veggie food and vegan options, people from every food-walk of life. omnivores, herbivores and even a couple of carnivores.

So far from their menu I have tasted the awesome  Soho Falafel starter that is probably more of a meal not a starter if ordered for one person. It was 6 tasty pieces of falafel accompanied by quinoa and bean tabbouleh, flax hummus and toasted pita bread. This tasty dish was also served with 3 wonderful dipping sauces, a creamy tahini, Spicy zhug and sweet amba! All three sauces were tasty in their own right, the spicy zhug was (as warned by our server) very spicy, the creamy tahini was a nice cooling touch to the meal but my favorite by far was the sweet amba. Sweet heat, perfect balance.





Veggie burritos are not always the best but Fresh knows how to do them right. The Sam Houston Burrito was better then any taco beef burrito I have ever had. Stuffed with slow cooked soy and sweet potato taco filling, sauteed peppers and onions, avocado chipotle sauce, lettuce and alfalfa sprouts. It was a perfect lunch, a little bit on the big side but I was not complaining, their biodegradable take out system made me happy to take it home and have it for lunch the next day!

Along side their wonderful food menu they are also known in the city as the leader of Smoothies, Power drinks, fresh fruit juices and more. I tried the "tropic thunder", a blend of spirulina, almond butter, pear and banana....YUMMMMMM

On top of the wonderful setting, awesome food and tasty drinks the service was quick, friendly and educational. I found both times, at two different locations that I have had a wonderful server who goes that tiny extra little bit to make your experience that much better!

So thank you Fresh for being in existence and please do your self a favor and check it out!
All in all, if you are in the city and have a chance, check out Fresh...its amazing!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

" Good things grow in Ontario"




Our most bountiful time is upon us ladies and gents. July, August, September and October are Ontario's best months for seasonal fruits and veggies.




I work at one of Toronto's largest farmers markets every Saturday and today I was inspired. What caught my eye as I walked into work at 4 am was all the baskets of peaches, tomatoes, potatoes, concord grapes....yummm just yumm....all at their peaks and just begging to be eaten with love and most of all appreciation.   It is so wonderful that we live in a city that can pretty much get what it wants when ever it wants to, and I think that makes us loose appreciation for the food itself and most of all the hard working farmers that make it happen for us! 

My Challenge to you for the next few months while we are in our bounty, buy as local as possible, help your city, help your farmers, but most of all, help yourself! your body will appreciate all the local fruits and veggies more then you know!

If you need some help know what is in season and when you can check out this website, Food Land Ontario, other wise you can websearch your own state or province and find out whats best for you and when! 

Enjoy you Omnivores and herbivores and...Appreciate!


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Todays Adventure

A Birthday cake for a 3 Year old :)

Not sure if you all remember but last year I did a Elmo Birthday cake for a little munchkin Robyns 2nd Birthday. This year I was granted the opportunity to do another birthday cake for her 3rd. Its a much simpler cake, just going with color themes.

Its crazy what a year of practice can do, I remember feeling so stressed about last years cake, and this year, I actually got a full nights sleep being more confident in my talent :) 

Last years Elmo Cake



Happy Third Birthday Robyn!!!!!!!!





COMMENTS AND TIPS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED :)

Love Kristen

PS keep posted for some guest blog posts from Sarah

Friday, August 19, 2011

Joining Forces

Ladies and Gents we have a new contributor to Happiness is a Choice. My very wonderful friend Sarah is living in BC and is going to join the now team of two to share stories of food, travel and wonderment. Please welcome her with love, encouragement and excitement for the food blogs to come...I am sure they will be nothing less then Spectacular!!!

Love Kristen and Sarah

xoxoxoxo

Yesterday

Yesterday I had possibly the best Yoga class of my life. I have been doing this class for about 8 weeks, and yesterday it clicked. I was focused, ready and mentally calm. I was finally able to not let my mind wander, focus on the sound of the crystal bowls humming, and clear my mind of clutter. Out of all the classes and meditations I have done before this has never happened. It was AMAZING! Its a free class at Dufferin Grove Park, Every thursday between 6-7....COME if you can....its wonderful!

Kristen XOXOX