Tag: food

Unforgettable Family Experience: Prince and Princess Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Empress, Victoria, BC

The Ashley RhapsodyLeave a comment

Calling all families local to and visiting Victoria, BC! Are you ready for an unforgettable experience fit for royalty? Look no further than Fairmont Empress, where they roll out the red carpet for your little princes and princesses with their enchanting Prince and Princess Afternoon Tea.

Our family visited Victoria, BC over the Mother’s Day weekend and I knew I wanted to do something memorable with my daughter. We were staying at the Fairmont Empress and my daughter already thought we moved into a castle, so I thought Afternoon Tea would definitely put the finishing touches on her royal experience. It definitely didn’t disappoint.

Fit for Young Royalty:

The Prince and Princess Afternoon Tea is tailored to suit the tastes of your tiny travellers, aged five to twelve (my little one is four and she was quite happy with the offerings. Our server Yosef was so kind and accommodating which helped with my nerves about having my four year old in such an elegant setting.

The Prince and Princess menu includes:

  • ORGANIC PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY brioche bread
  • SLOW ROASTED TURKEY ON ISLAND HARVEST BREAD tender smoked turkey breast
  • ENGLISH CUCUMBER ON BRIOCHE sweet local cucumber
  • BLACK FOREST HAM & CHEESE orange cheddar cheese, 7 grain bread
  • SIGNATURE EMPRESS SCONE
  • CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR
  • VANILLA CAKE POPS
  • LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKE
  • FRUIT GUMMIES

Savour Every Bite:

But let’s not forget about the grown up food – because it’s fit for a king or queen!

The Afternoon Tea menu includes:

  • SMOKED SALMONlocal sockeye, caper berries, citrus smoked crème fraîche, blini
  • GRANDFATHER HAM & CHEESE shaved ham, rosemary honey mustard, swiss, brioche
  • TRUFFLED MUSHROOM QUICHE free run egg, heavy cream, cultivated mushroom, thyme, mount moriarty gruyère (this was my favourite)
  • CORONATION CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH house-roasted farmhouse chicken, curry infused sweet onions, brioche
  • ENGLISH CUCUMBER dill whipped cream cheese, apricot, fennel pollen & pink peppercorn, marble rye
  • FRESHLY BAKED EMPRESS RAISIN SCONES served warm with house-made clotted cream & strawberry-vanilla preserves
  • BANANA AND TONKA BEAN CRÈMEUX banana confit, rum whipped ganache
  • PISTACHIO OPERA almond jaconde, pistachio buttercream
  • PEAR MACARON caramel and pear ganache
  • CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY MADELEINE dark chocolate ganache
  • BERGAMOT AND ROSEWATER TART yuzu pearls

For tea, I selected the tea that was boasted as Princess Diana’s favourite tea, an elegant rose tea, and my daughter had the Orange Vanilla tea. I’ll admit I was bracing myself for my daughter to spit out the tea because she’s never had tea before, but Yosef was correct in his recommendation and she polished off the whole pot!

Book Your Royal Rendezvous:

For how thoughtfully curated the menu was for both kids and adults, and with the overall experience giving “bucket list,” I thought the prices were pretty reasonable. Thanks to a friend of mine who’s pretty enthusiastic about afternoon tea/high tea, I have frequented many tea experiences over the past couple years, and this one definitely takes the cake!

Prices for this experience are:

Afternoon Tea
$109 per person

Champagne Tea
Add a glass of Laurent Perrier Brut Cuvée $151 per person

Royal Champagne Tea
Add a glass of Laurent Perrier Brut Rosé $157 per person

Prince & Princess Tea
$60 per person

So, if you’re looking to add a touch of magic to your family vacation in Victoria (or even a special experience for locals), make sure to book your table for the Prince and Princess Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Empress. It’s an experience your little ones will treasure forever.

Top 10 Brunch Locations for Mother’s Day in Vancouver, Surrey & Langley

The Ashley RhapsodyLeave a comment

Looking for the best brunch spots to treat your mom this Mother’s Day? Look no further, because I’ve got you covered. I’ve scoured Vancouver, Surrey, and Langley to find the top 10 brunch locations that will make your mom feel extra special. Whether she’s a pancake lover or prefers a classic eggs benedict, these spots will have something for every taste. So grab your mom, your siblings, and maybe even a mimosa (or two) and let’s get brunching

1.OEB Breakfast Co. (Langley)

First up, we have the newest addition to Langley’s brunch scene: OEB Breakfast Co. If your mom is a foodie, she’ll love this spot. Their menu is full of unique dishes like the Lobster Benny, which comes with Atlantic lobster, hollandaise, and truffle oil, and the Gold Digga, which features potato waffles, duck fat-fried chicken, and foie gras hollandaise. Plus, the industrial chic decor will make for the perfect Instagram backdrop

2. Milltown Bar & Grill (Vancouver)

Next on the list is Milltown Bar & Grill, located in the scenic Marpole area of Vancouver. This spot boasts a beautiful waterfront patio, where you and your mom can enjoy stunning views of the Fraser River while sipping on mimosas. Their brunch menu features classic dishes with a twist, like the Chorizo and Cheddar Omelette, and the Blueberry and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

3. Jam Cafe (Vancouver)

If your mom is a fan of comfort food, she’ll feel right at home at Jam Cafe. This cozy spot serves up hearty dishes like the Gravy Coated Biscuits, which are topped with sausage gravy and two sunny side up eggs, and the Pulled Pork Pancakes, which come with smoked pulled pork, apple bourbon BBQ sauce, and coleslaw. Plus, their famous homemade jam will have you and your mom fighting over the last bite.

4. The Wooden Spoon (White Rock)

If you’re in the mood for a charming, small-town brunch experience, head to The Wooden Spoon in White Rock. This adorable spot has a rustic, homey feel, and their menu features classic brunch dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Try the Farmers Hash, which comes with crispy bacon, house-made sausage, and roasted potatoes, or the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, which are light and fluffy with a citrusy twist.

5. The Red Wagon Cafe (Vancouver)

Last but not least, we have The Red Wagon Cafe, a no-frills spot that’s all about delicious, hearty food. Their menu features diner-style dishes like the Pulled Pork Pancakes and the Chicken and Waffles, as well as classic breakfast options like eggs, bacon, and toast. Plus, the prices won’t break the bank, so you can treat your mom without breaking a sweat.

6. Forage (Vancouver)

This Vancouver-based restaurant is known for its commitment to using locally-sourced and sustainable ingredients in its dishes. The brunch menu features a variety of delicious options like buttermilk pancakes with berry compote and poached eggs with Dungeness crab. Maybe leave the little kids home for this one, unless they are cultured foodies like yourself.

7. Krause Berry Farms (Langley)

This Langley-based farm and market offers a brunch menu featuring a variety of delicious options, like waffles with fresh berries, breakfast sandwiches with bacon and eggs, and quiches with seasonal veggies. Kids will love the farm atmosphere and the chance to pick their own berries after brunch.

8. Yolks (Surrey & Vancouver)

With locations in Vancouver and Surrey, Yolks offers a brunch menu featuring classic breakfast dishes like eggs Benedict and French toast, as well as more unique options like a breakfast poutine with hollandaise sauce.

9. Trading Post (Langley & Surrey)

Trading Post Brewing is a great spot for brunch and beer. Their menu features classic brunch items like waffles and breakfast sandwiches, and their craft beer selection is sure to please any beer-loving mom.

10. The Vault (Surrey)

If you’re in Surrey, The Vault Restaurant is a great option for Mother’s Day brunch. Their menu features classic breakfast dishes like eggs benny and pancakes, as well as more unique options like duck confit hash.

Whether you’re looking for a trendy atmosphere, a farm-to-table experience, or a family-friendly environment, the Lower Mainland has no shortage of amazing brunch options.

From the new OEB in Langley to the classic Red Wagon Cafe in Vancouver, there are so many fantastic restaurants to choose from. And if you’re looking for a kid-friendly spot, places like The Wooden Spoon and Milltown Bar & Grill have got you covered.

No matter where you decide to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, the most important thing is spending quality time with the people you love. So whether you’re savoring a mimosa with your girlfriends or enjoying a stack of pancakes with your little ones, make sure to take a moment to appreciate all the joys of motherhood (at least if just for today <3) . Happy brunching!

February: Gentle Eating Rules for the Month

The Ashley Rhapsody2 Comments

Ecological Footprint: 1.9 earths (down from 2.3 in January), 19.3 hectares (down from 20.3 in January) 

I eat animals. 

I LOVE sushi, a good charcuterie board, and a breakfast platter adorned in animal products. 

I have also proclaimed several times in my life that if I were to ever discover I was lactose intolerant, there would be no need for me to go on. If I can’t partake in a hearty cheese board, what is life really about anyway? 

Here’s the kicker: I really love animals. I can not even watch a movie where trouble or harm befalls an animal. I can watch a movie where the entire human cast dies, and not miss a beat, but a dog gets injured and I’m a mess for days. Case in point: the new Dumbo movie is coming out… I sobbed… at the TRAILER! One glance at Dumbo dressed like a clown and being mocked by the circus crowd… Ugh, I can’t even talk about it anymore. 

I have been finding myself presented with this idea a lot lately: how in the world can I say I am an animal lover and also consume them? To take it a step further, I would never eat a dog EVER, why do I think a pig is any different? Or a cow? Or even a chicken or a fish (gasp)? 

Family Values

Much of the way I eat is reflective of how I grew up. Meat, cheese, butter, and milk were staples; I’m Italian for crying out loud, isn’t that a birth right? My husband makes the same retort; he is Ugandan, therefore it is his right to eat chicken and pork. But just because this is the way our parent’s eat, and our communities eat, does that mean it’s right? 

The New Canadian Food Guide

Canada recently rolled out the new Canadian food guide and there are significant changes from what I remember as a child. The biggest changes being the removal of emphasis on meat and dairy, and the focus on eating a plant based diet.

dims

Apart from the animal cruelty involved in the meat and dairy industry (which is indeed a big deal), there is also the matter of the damage these industries have on our environment. Here are just a few statistics from http://www.onegreenplanet.org:

  • Raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30% of the Earth’s land mass. (Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, a 2006 report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)
  • The massive amounts of excrement produced by livestock farms emit toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia into the air. Roughly 80% of ammonia emissions in the U.S. come from animal waste (The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
  • Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of the total release of greenhouse gases world-wide (this is more than all the cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined)  (Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, a 2006 report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

For the past few months I had been trying to transition my diet to “plant-based.” I was doing pretty well until December… and then I fell off the wagon… hard. Like, sausage and egg McMuffin hard. Now for the month of February I am going the cold-turkey route (so to speak that is) and am going to live that sweet Vegan life. My hope is that it sticks for good. 

My rules for February are few but mighty! 

  1. Eat zero animal products (I am not including yeast, or “bee” products)

Education: 

  1. Learn from a real life Vegan
  2. Watch: Food Inc., What the Health… Any other suggestions? 

How to Keep your Husband Alive

The Ashley Rhapsody12 Comments

When I got married to my husband, Giddy, I had a lot of people volunteer relationship advice:

  • Never let the sun go down on your anger
  • Men want sex all the time; prepare yourself
  • Your first year of marriage is going to be hard 
  • Never say “you always,” or “you never” 

And then, of course, I got a ton of unsolicited advice about when, where, and how we were to have children. 

But of all the advice I received, no one warned me of what would be the greatest challenge my marriage would face. 

The dreaded question: “What are we going to eat for dinner?” 

I knew before we got married that Giddy had a very specific list of foods he would not eat:

  • Shepherd’s Pie 
  • Lasagna 
  • Sandwiches 
  • Soup
  • Pirogies
  • Macaroni and Cheese

In my mind that left me with: 

  • Chicken
  • Rice 
  • Potatoes
  • Left-over chicken, rice, and potatoes 

At first I thought he had merely had bad experiences with these foods but surely he would like my versions of them. 

Giddy would sit quietly at the dinner table looking at me as I devoured my handcrafted sandwich. 

Me: “What?”

G: “I don’t eat sandwiches”

Me: “But you haven’t tried THIS sandwich” 

G: “I don’t eat sandwiches” 

Me: “Why don’t you just try it before you decide it’s not for you.” 

G: “I have tried sandwiches. I don’t like them. I don’t need to try yours.” 

This would throw me into a fit of rage. 

Then I decided I would try to be tricky and rename the foods on the fated list in an attempt to broaden his pallet. This had a 50% success rate.

G: “What is this?”

Me: “Baked Pasta”

G: “It looks a lot like Lasagna.”

Me: “No, it’s baked pasta.” 

*Insert Gideon giving me a dubious look* 

My adventures and misfortunes of attempting to find foods my husband would eat only began to expand his “do not serve list”:

  • Lettuce Wraps
  • Anything with a cream sauce
  • Tacos 
  • Anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter (fine on their own but combined? Atrocious!)

I floated between being infuriated that Giddy wasn’t eating all of my cooking creations, to being panicked that I was going to unintentionally starve my husband within the first year of marriage. I could hear the voices of my critics/advice givers now, “The man could survive living in Uganda during the civil war, but his wife’s food killed him.” 

Well, isn’t that interesting

Almost immediately upon Gideon’s arrival to Canada, we were invited over to friend’s houses for dinner so they could meet Giddy. Friend’s would ask, “Does Giddy have any allergies?” The truthful answer is no, no he doesn’t have anything that physically keeps him from eating certain foods. “But should I mention Giddy’s list of aversions?” I’d think to myself. No, I determined that would be rude, and I could risk the purchase of McDonald’s on the way home to keep Giddy’s BMI up and keep down my wife-guilt about starving my husband. 

But then something interesting would happen. 

He would go to other people’s houses and eat every, dang, thing. He would even make proclamations across the dinner table like, “Ashley, why haven’t you ever made this for me?” 

OH, you mean this cream-based soup and grilled cheese sandwiches? Because it causes us to doubt the validity of our marriage, that’s why. 

And this was not a show for my friends, he would genuinely request these recipes after the fact. 

99 Problems But Food Ain’t One

I am happy to report after four years of marriage, our food saga has (mostly) ended. My husband is not malnourished, and I do not have an anxiety disorder over what to pack for lunch. I have at least 10 recipes I can throw into rotation (though many of those recipes are just chicken and rice cooked in a variety of ways) and Giddy even cooks a great deal of our meals. Self-high-five! 

Marriage Advice

Four years of marriage does not feel like enough time to become one of those people who hands out relationship advice. With that said, this was the only piece of advice I didn’t get when Giddy and I got married, and it would have been really helpful. 

So get ready for some unsolicited marriage advice:

Spend your pre-wedding date nights strolling the isles of Chapters Indigo in the cookbook isle, and scrolling through Pinterest. Have your significant other identify recipes that look appetizing; use force if necessary. 

If at any point your significant other mentions their mother, abort all plans, register for gift cards to major food chains, and call it a day. 

Now go in peace.