Author: Alice

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Cottage Bakery & Cafe (Victoria)

I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time on Vancouver Island this week, in Victoria. On this particular morning, it was cool and drizzly but the weather soon cleared up as you’ll see from some of the pictures in the other places I’ve posted about it.

I did a google search to find a place that  made nice pastries and coffee/tea as we were hoping for something light that we could take down to the breakwater on Dallas Road and enjoy. Let me tell you that this place delivered! First, I will get the practical bits out of the way.

Things of note:

  • This cafe is a bit hidden and there is limited street parking. We were lucky to grab a spot very close, but I imagine that it may be difficult to find parking nearby at busy times of day.
  • It is located in a sort of sunken location from the sidewalk, with 8 stairs leading down to it. There is a metal railing but the railing was very wobbly and needs to be properly secured.
  • That being said, there is a sign next to the stairs indicating that you can circle around the back and use a ramp to get to the cafe if you require that.
  • There is one step up into the cafe so even if you used the ramp for wheelchair access, I imagine it would be difficult to enter the cafe itself. The ramp would certainly allow you to access their outdoor seating area, though.
  • There is a single bathroom.
  • The outdoor seating area has tables and chairs that can be moved around. The chairs do have arms that I’m entirely certain would have pinched my hips quite a lot (I didn’t sit in them because it was raining and they were all wet).
  • There are a few spots to sit inside and those  chairs don’t have arms but the space is very small and I wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting there because I would be blocking the flow of people as they were ordering and leaving with their goodies.

Here are some pictures of the inside, including some of the delicious offerings:

I realize that the bullet points aren’t painting a great picture in terms of accessiblity and comfort. What I do want to emphasize is that even if you aren’t able to access the place on your own, I suggest that you enlist everyone you know to bring you the delights that this place has to offer, or bring a friend who can go inside and order for you while you enjoy your treats in the outdoor seating area.They have mad baking skills! Here is a picture of the outdoor sitting area:

I ordered a London Fog made with skim milk and an almond croissant and I cannot stress to you enough how good the croissant was. I’m still drooling over it. I practically want to make the 12-hour (return) trip right this minute just to get another one. BEST ALMOND CROISSANT EVER! It was so flaky on the outside and loaded with rich almond paste inside. The almonds on top were toasted and crunchy. It was perfection. This is a terrible picture in that I’d already torn a big piece of and eaten it, the perspective makes it look as though the croissant was small when, in fact, it was quite large, and it does not do any kind of justice to the glory of this pastry. Eat all the things from this place!

The London Fog was not really sweet, so if you’re fan of the sweeter latte drinks you might want to add some type of sweetener. I enjoyed it as it was very much. I was also pleased to see that they use compostable lids on their to-go drinks!

Here is a rainy picture from inside the car as we enjoyed our breakfast:

I have some trips to Victoria coming up in the future and I certainly plan to go back to the Cottage Bakery & Cafe. Maybe next time I’ll try the chocolate croissant…if I can resist the siren call of the almond one, that is.

If anyone has recommendations for great places to eat in Victoria, please let me know in the comments so that I can check them out!

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Kaiso (West Kelowna)

Kaiso is one of our go-to spots for a delicious, quick meal. Sometimes we eat in and sometimes we take our food home, but this is definitely a restaurant I feel comfortable in. It is fairly small and unassuming but the service is good, they use quality ingredients, and there are multiple seating options. So far, of all the sushi places I’ve tried on the west side, this one is my favourite and they also serve Thai food, which makes a nice compromise when selecting a place to eat as my husband dislikes all seafood. He quite enjoys a stir fry from Kaiso, though, with his favourite being the Firecracker Chicken (it’s loaded with spicy chili peppers).

Some things of note:

  • There is ample parking nearby as Kaiso is located in a large strip mall complex.
  • There are no stairs to deal with at Kaiso.
  • The washroom is one large wheelchair accessible room.
  • There are different kinds of seating including booths and the rest of the tables have chairs on one side and bench seats on the other, and the tables and chairs can be easily moved around as needed.
  • I usually opt for the bench seat side of a table but I’ve sat on the chairs a few times and they are definitely sturdy and they don’t have arms.

A few of my go-to items at Kaiso are the tuna tataki (flash seared to perfection and their ponzu sauce is so tasty), the veggie sunomono (to me,  it’s the perfect balance of  sweet and sharp vinegar), and the salmon nigiri (it melts in your mouth), but I often try different items or share with others who have their own favourites. In this picture there are a few pieces of Sunset Roll (salmon, avocado, and tempura flakes), 1 tobiko nigiri, 2 toro nigiri, 2 slices of deep fried California roll, veggie sunomono, and the usual sides of pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. I ordered this to go and plated it at home, and I was sharing it with someone else which is why there are only 2 or 3 slices of the different rolls.

If seafod isn’t your thing but you still enjoy sushi they have a variety of rolls including vegetarian options and some fun creations like their fried chicken roll!

With Kaiso being a go-to spot for us, I might post about it again with some of the Thai items we enjoy there such as their stir fry and curry options, their spring rolls, and their chicken satay. If you find yourself in West Kelowna and are looking for a yummy, fresh lunch or dinner with lots of options, Kasio is a great place to try!

 

 

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Hunger (Roxane Gay)

I admit that I’m late to the party when it comes to reading Roxane Gay but that doesn’t make her words any less meaningful to me. I’ve set two reading goals for myself this year. The first is to read more books Canadian indigenous authors and the second is to read more books by feminist/body-positive authors. While I set the goal this year, I plan to continue this line of reading beyond 2018! I will post about the indigenous authors’ books I’ve been reading in a separate post, after I’ve finished reading The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline (I’m about 1/3 of the way through it right now).

Roxane Gay’s book Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

It took  a bit of time for this book to really grab me. The content was relevant to me but the writing style wasn’t/isn’t a preferred one for me when it comes to reading books. The sentence structure was short, almost choppy at times, and she repeated a lot of things over, and over, and over again. Eventually, though, the writing style became almost like quiet white noise…nearly soothing, barely audible, and only running in the background.

It’s Roxane’s story, her experiences, that grab you in the gut and pull you along on the ride of her life. Except, if you are a woman, then you may find yourself transfixed because maybe, just maybe, there are so many similarities in the experience of being a woman that this is the story of your life, too, in its own way.

We all have our own stories, but the way Roxane writes about her feelings, her relationship with food, with hunger, with other people, and especially her relationship with herself resonates with me. Roxane also addresses the experience of being obese, of being a black woman, of being bisexual, and so much more in her book.

This is not a light read in that the subject matter can be raw and may be difficult to read, for some, but this is Roxane’s truth and it is only right that we step up and witness it. Make no mistake about Roxane Gay, for she is real, and she is powerful, and she is a survivor.

I absolutely recommend reading this book and I plan to read more of her books this year.

You can find a kindle copy of Hunger here: https://amzn.to/2sBMojO

Or a paper version here: https://amzn.to/2M3J9to

Another book I recently read is by Lindy West. I’ve listened to her on podcasts and have read some of her articles so I was happy when I heard she had a book coming out because Lindy is smart and funny!

Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West 

If you enjoy dry, sarcastic humour you might just love Shrill. Lindy also shares her experiences of living as a fat woman through glimpses of her childhood, her love life, and her career. It’s clear that Lindy has decided she “good enough” and to love herself, regardless of her dress size. She’s funky, she’s bold, and you can’t help but cheer her on when she stands up to her boss (who happens to be Dan Savage) regarding his blatant bias against fat people. Lindy recounts the time she took on a comedian whose “jokes” about rape went too far and you want to cheer out loud at this bold, smart woman who dares to stand up for other women. Part of what gives this book an anchor is that so many of us remember these stories that circled the internet over the years, but this books gives you Lindy’s inside perspective on those events that she was an integral part of.

If you think fat women are just as intelligent, strong, beautiful, and funny as everyone else then (you are right!) check out this book. If you don’t think fat women are just as intelligent, strong, beautiful, and funny as everyone else then (you are wrong!) you should also read this book.

Get a kindle copy here: https://amzn.to/2sFb9va

Or a paper version here: https://amzn.to/2JGdsYC

I would love to hear your take on these two books and authors! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Last Straw!

I know there is a movement to get away from making/using disposable plastics and I’m all for that but I do recognize that it’s important to consider the needs of everyone. Plastic drinking straws have been in the news a lot, recently, but that has me thinking about people with different abilities. There are some people who, for various medical and mobility reasons, require a straw in order to drink and their needs are important, too.

Fortunately, companies are responding to the need (or even the preference, in the case of people who like to use a straw but don’t have to) for straws with ones that are made of materials that can last a person’s lifetime! They even come with special little brushes so that you can make sure your straws stay clean.

These ones get solid reviews and are a great price: https://amzn.to/2kJ3Uhq

I’m glad that we’re looking at ways to reduce waste but I hope we will always consider that some people may require certain items or products and if we expect everyone to make the switch then we have to create viable alternatives. I think stainless steel straws at a very reasonable price are an excellent compromise, in this case. Here’s to more environmentally-friendly AND accessibility-concious products in the future!