events

One of the highlights of this year was attending the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference in October. Not wanting to miss another conference, I had registered for this one the day the tickets came on sale. It had been something I was looking forward to for months and it did not disappoint!  It was a great weekend with good food and making connections with some amazing people. So happy I brought a selfie stick with me to capture it all!

I was hoping to do a recap right after getting back but life got in the way. Better late than never!

A huge thank you to Melissa and Ethan for putting on a very successful event. We were spoiled and it was clear how much work you guys had put into making us feel that way.

The Venue
The conference was held at the Four Seasons Hotel right in downtown Vancouver. It was the perfect venue, being close to shopping, great restaurants and the water. Needing to capitalize on the fact that I was without kids and could catch up on sleep, my single room was a treat! 

The Bloggers
It was so great to meet with bloggers whose blogs I have been following and putting faces to twitter handles. Everyone was so friendly! 

It was really impressive to me that veteran bloggers who had highly successful blogs were willing to share their knowledge. No one was afraid of competition, but rather were excited to share their strategies to see more bloggers find success. This is huge! It plays a big role in creating this awesome community that Melissa and Ethan began when starting FBC.

The Sessions
The sessions were so informative. The speakers that participated were full of knowledge and I just absorbed everything they all had to say. It got me thinking of the goals that I have for my blog and what I need to do to achieve them. 

We also got a chance to hear from the dynamic duo of Thug Kitchen, who entertained us at dinner the second night. They were happy to be part of a selfie!

The Swag
The sponsors totally outdid themselves and we were spoiled with all the swag we got to take home. Of course, the spoiling started long before we made it to the conference with knives from Chicago Cutlery and cookware from Nordicware.

The Food
Last but not least, the food! Of course the food at a food bloggers conference was a huge part of the weekend. We were fed very well! The breakfasts, the lunches, the dinners and of course all the snacks, there was definitely no going hungry. Here is a glimpse of some of the delicious food we ate.

I’m excited to participate once again in the Food Bloggers Bake Sale. In it’s 4th year, it gives us Calgary bloggers a reason to unite for a great cause.

This year, the charity we have aligned with is Brown Bagging For Calgary’s Kids.
Since 1990 BB4CK have been making sure Calgary kids have lunches.
Through the work of community groups and volunteers, they provide about
2,000 lunches each day to kids in school. Lunches are prepared in their
main kitchen, and in various other locations by community groups
including retirees, parent groups and local businesses. BB4CK works with
school staff members to identify needs and to plan how best to make
sure hungry students get the nutrition required to think clearly and
learn. Each lunch costs about $1 to make. Their goal is to make sure no
child goes hungry.

The event takes place on Saturday, November 29th at the Calgary Farmer’s Market. There will be some tasty treats by some very talented bloggers. Hope to see you there!

Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in Edo Japan’s first Sushi Rolling Competition. I was up against some fierce competitors:

Pierre Lamielle
Vincci Tsui
Katrina Brady
Elizabeth Booth
Bonnie Huang
Ryan Massel

The competition was simple. We had twenty minutes to create a sushi roll and we were judged on presentation, creative content and taste.

My entry was “Land and Sea – The Ultimate Surf and Turf”. Lobster along with shrimp tempura and a spicy sauce were rolled and topped with Sukiyaki beef, Edo’s signature teriyaki sauce and crunchy fried onions. This came a close second to Bonnie’s beautiful creation which was topped with blow-torched salmon! Check out pictures from the event here.

Congrats to Bonnie for winning the coveted prize of Edo for a year!

It’s been a couple weeks since the Stampede took over our city. With
pancake breakfasts and the guilty pleasures at the grounds, it was a
wonder that one of the best meals I had that week was fresh and clean
and a great feel-good lunch.

I was invited to the Red Hat Co-operative Stampede lunch at Bite
Groceteria. Red Hat is a group of local Alberta growers, whose offerings
were showcased at this delicious lunch. With over 50 members, this
group is committed to getting you the best quality of local produce.

The guilt-free lunch had us feasting on salads made with the tastiest
tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, flatbread with eggplant and fried
jalapeños. There was even a juice bar using the local veggies.

We were lucky enough to take some veggies home and I immediately made a
caprese salad to keep enjoying those flavourful tomatoes.

Keep an eye out for Red Hat at your local grocery store. You can collect
grower cards in their products which could lead to a beach getaway. Good
luck!