Niagara Icewine Festival

My present to Matt for his birthday was to take him to visit some wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Matt loves wine and going to wineries so I thought it would be something that he’d really love. We often visit the Lake Erie North Shore wineries here in Essex County, but we’ve never tried any in Niagara so we were pretty excited.

We hit the road on Saturday morning for the 3 hour drive through snow and sleet. We hit up 7 different wineries. Seven. I know that sounds like a lot, and with normal tastings we would have both been completely shitfaced after visiting seven wineries.

But this wasn’t a normal wine tasting. We got tickets for the icewine festival so at each winery we went to we tasted an icewine that was paired with a dish.

Icewine, if you’re not familiar, is a very sweet dessert wine made from grapes that were picked after they had frozen on the vine. When the grapes freeze the sugars concentrate so the icewine has the most delicious sweetness. It is phenomenal.

(click on any of the pictures to make them bigger)

Niagara College

The first winery we hit up was the Teaching Winery at Niagara College. I really liked their tasting area and felt slightly jealous of the students who got to go to school there and learn all about growing grapes and producing wines. Sounds way more fun than my math degree.

We didn’t actually have any icewine here but we tasted the 2007 Dean’s List Meritage which was a really good full bodied red. I might have bought a bottle if it weren’t $50(!)

Chateau des Charmes

Next stop was Chateau des Charmes, a huge, classy joint which was definitely the fanciest winery we’ve been to. Here we had an icewine cocktail paired with a New York Cheesecake and a Salted Chocolate Cheesecake. The latter of the two was probably the most delicious cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. I wish they would have served us the icewine straight up so I could have tasted what it was like, but the cocktail was delicious.

Southbrook

Southbrook was a really impressive winery. It was the number one winery that I wanted to visited because it is a biodynamic and organic winery. They don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides in order to maintain the integrity of the soil. They even have chickens and sheep (my favourite animal!) that graze between the vines and naturally fertilize the vineyard. So cool.

We sampled their cab franc icewine paired with an icewine cannoli. I can’t quite remember the flavours of the icewine, but I remember thinking the cannoli shells were really tasty.

Cattail Creek

Next we went to Cattail Creek which is a much smaller winery that reminded me of the smaller scale wineries here in Essex County. They paired their vidal icewine with butter chicken and mango chutney which was cool since I’m used to icewine served with dessert. I found that their vidal icewine wasn’t as sweet as I like my icewine to be, but it was still pretty good.

Packing List for a Destination Race

When I was getting ready to leave for Florida, I found that it was really helpful to make a packing list of everything that I was going to need for my big marathon race to make sure that I didn’t forget anything.

I put all of my “race day” stuff in a separate bag within my luggage so I wouldn’t have to do much to get ready the night before the race. All I needed was to pick up my bib and put out my race day bag on Saturday night so I was ready for the brutally early 3:20AM wake-up call on Sunday morning.

Word to the wise: Put all your running gear in a Carry-On, because if it gets lost, you’re fucked. Just imagine getting to your destination and not having your running shoes with you. Not good.

The night before the race I laid out my stuffed fanny pack, bib, race clothes, and running shoes

Race Day Packing List

Clothes:

-Running Shoes
-Socks – 2 pairs, in case it’s too cold to wear just one
-Underwear – especially if you have a certain pair you prefer to run in
-Shirts -bring an extra long sleeve shirt in case of cold weather
-Running Shorts or Tights or both
-Sports Bra
-Headgear – headband, hat, hair ties, hairpins
-Compression Gear – shirts/pants/shorts/sleeves if you wear them
-Warm clothes for the start – sweatshirts, sweatpants, gloves, hat, earmuffs (You can toss these on the side of the course mid-race. Most races will collect them to donate)
-Extra safety pins for your bib

Gear:

-Sunglasses
-Camera & Battery Charger
-MP3 player, Earbuds, & Charger
-Vaseline/BodyGlide/athletic tape for chaffing
-Bandages – in a ziploc bag to carry with you
-Food and Fuel – dates/gu/shot blocks/powerade/etc.; whatever you’re used to eating and drinking on course
-Knee Braces
-Fuel Belt with bottles or Camelback
-Extra Toilet Paper – in a ziploc bag to carry with you
-Fanny Pack – to carry fuel, bandages, toilet paper, and camera
-Watch
-Tylenol
-Sunscreen

Paperwork:

-Race Forms/Waivers, Bib, and Chip – if you get them in advance
-Proof of time – if you want to try to move up in corrals
-Pace charts
-Travel Itinerary
-Passport -if necessary

Photography Challenge Day 28

Day 28: Flowers

Photo Taken September 7, 2009 at Mackinaw Island, Michigan.

This post is part of the October 30 Day Photography Challenge

Wildberry Dream Cookies

I’ve been feeling nostalgic for Norway lately.

I know I make it sound like I spent half my life there when really it was only a week vacation but I fell in love with Oslo and the beauty of Norway, even in the middle of winter.

The astronomical cost of everything there and long and cold winters are more than made up for by the friendly people, the beautiful scenery, and the very high quality of life.

I really do just want to run away there right now.

When Matt and I were staying in Geilo we stayed in an apartment there so we were able to cook our own meals. This proved to be extremely practical because the cost of food was through the roof.

One thing that we picked up on one of our many grocery store trips was, naturally, a box of cookies called Skogsbærdrøm Cookiene which roughly translates to Wild Berry Dream Cookies (according to google translate, of course).

I really liked these cookies. They had dried fruit in them as well as white and milk chocolate. They were loaded with deliciousness.

One morning while drinking tea with cookies and watching Norwegian news I was “reading” the side of the cookie package. A lot of Norwegian words are incredibly similar to English so it didn’t take me long to decipher that the recipe on the outside of the package was a recipe for the cookies was a recipe for the cookies inside!

My first instinct was “Sweet! Jackpot!” and I immediately ripped the side of the cookie package off and tucked it into my luggage. I would be making these at home for sure.

My second instinct was “Who the hell puts a recipe for their cookies on the cookie package??”

Norwegians do. They’re good people.

I typed up the recipe in Google Translate to make sure that I got everything right. Suprisingly, my own Norwegian to English translation was pretty much on the ball. I’ve held on to the recipe since March but hadn’t made this cookies until recently when my urge to go on vacation back to Norway was strong.

They were just as good as I remembered.

Related Norway Posts:

Norway in March
Norway Travel: The Food
Exploring Norway by Train, Boat, and Bus
Active Pursuits in Norway
Homecooked Meals

Skogsbærdrøm Cookiene

The recipe in Norwegian, for fun. Scroll Down for English.
(ca 20 store cookies)

4 dl hvetemel
1 dl havremel
150 g smor/margarin
1 1/2 dl sukker
50 ml farinsukker
1 1/2 ts bakepulver
1/2 ts salt
1/4 dl sirup
1/2 dl eplemos
1/2 dl vann
40 g torkede blåbær
40 g torkede tranebær
40 g rosiner
100 g hvit sjokolade
60 g lys sjokolade

1. Bland mel, smore, sukker, bakepolver, og salt slik at det blir som små brødsmuler. Tilsett så sirup, eplemos, vann, og rør til en deig. Bland til slutt inn bærene og sjokoladen.

2. Rull deigen forsiktig i en lang rull, ca 5-7 cm i diameter. Legg deigen i kjoleskapet i ca 30 min. Skjær deigen i skiver (ca 1 cm tykke) og legg skivene på en plate med bakepapir.

3. Forvarm ovnen til 400F senk så temperaturen til 350F og stek cookiene i 10-15 min – midt i ovnen. Avkjoles på rist.

Skogsbærdrøm Cookiene – Wild Berry Dream Cookies

(makes 20 large cookies)

These cookies are very sweet, slightly crispy, and loaded with chocolate and dried fruit. The recipe is a bit funny because the volume measurements are metric (and not even standard) but with a few tweaks you can figure it out.

400 ml flour
100 ml oatmeal
150 g butter
150 ml sugar
50 ml brown sugar
1- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
25 ml light corn syrup
50 ml apple sauce
50 ml of water
40 g dried blueberries (~1/2 c)
40 g dried cranberries (~1/2 c)
40 g raisins (~1/2 c)
100 g white chocolate (~1/2 c)
60 g milk chocolate (~1/4 c)

1. Combine flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until you get small crumbs. Pour into a separate bowl and add the syrup, apple sauce, water. Stir to form a dough. Mix in the berries and chocolate at the end.

2. Roll the dough gently into a log, about 5-7 cm in diameter. Put the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 min. Cut dough into slices (about 1 cm thick) and place the slices on a plate with baking paper.

3. Preheat oven to 400F, then lower the temperature to 350F and bake cookies for 10-15minutes – in the middle of the oven. Cool on wire rack.

Prior Posts:

Week 4: Speculaas: Dutch Spice Cookies
Week 3: Poppy Seed Filling
Week 2: Cinnamon Bun Cookies
Week 1: Soft & Pillowy Coconut Frosted Cookies

Photography Challenge Day 23

Day 23: Sunflare

This photograph was taken on January 5th, 2007 in a Mayan village in Mexico.

This post is part of the October 30 Day Photography Challenge

Photography Challenge Day 20

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Day 20: Bokeh

Photo taken July 2011 in Fathom Five Marine Park, Ontario. This is a photo of a fern growing out of a mossy rock on Flower Pot Island.

This post is part of the October 30 Day Photography Challenge

Photography Challenge Day 7

Day 7: Fruit

Photo taken July 3, 2010 at the Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal, PQ.

This post is part of the October 30 Day Photography Challenge

Photography Challenge Day 5

Day 5: From a High Angle

This photo was taken on July 20, 2008 at Mont-St-Michel, Normande, France of the bustling tourists on the main street leading up to the abbey.

This post is part of the October 30 Day Photography Challenge

Photography Challenge Day 4

Day 4: Something Green

Photo taken July 12, 2007 on the marsh boardwalk at Point Pelee National Park of Canada.

Point Pelee is the southernmost tip of mainland Canada (at the same latitude – 41.6N – as Rome, Barcelona, and northern California).

This post is part of the October 30 Day Photography Challenge

Top 7 Things to Do in Tobermory

I’ve been missing in action for a over week now and that’s because I’ve been escaping the unbearable sweat lodge that is Windsor for a little vacation to the Bruce Peninsula and Grey County in Midwestern Ontario. Matt and I camped in Bruce Peninsula National Park before meeting up with my family for a week long stay in the Blue Mountains. Glorious!

Tobermory is one of my favourite places in Canada. It has serenity, spectacular geological formations, great hiking, phenomenal swimming, and clear skies. So if you ever decide to head there, here are some things that should not be missed.

Take a Hike

The 894 km Bruce Trail starts in Tobermory and this region is reputed to have the most gorgeous views of the entire trail. Try hiking from Halfway Log Dump to Cave Point on the Bruce Trail. It is difficult, but the gorgeous views gorgeous views offered from the top of the Niagara escarpment are worth the effort.

How to Get There:

Halfway Log Dump trailhead is remote but it can be accessed by taking Hwy 6 about 3K south of Cyprus Lake Campground to Emmett Lake Rd (dirt road, 8K long). Follow the blue trail blazes from the parking lot until just before the boulder beach where you will turn left onto the Bruce Trail.

Tips:

- Parking is available for a fee of $11.70 which appears to be based on the honour system.
- Many hikers walk along the boulder beach thinking they’re on the right path because the Bruce Trail is easy to miss here. Look for the white trail blazes on the trees marking the Bruce Trail. You will see them just before the beach.

Boulder at the Coastline

If you don’t want to hike from Halfway Log Dump, you can boulder there instead. There are countless boulders along the coast just waiting to be climbed. Bouldering is permitted along the beach up to cave point.

How to Get There:

Same directions as above.

Tips:

- Bouldering isn’t permitted in the forest.
- Be careful to avoid any vegetation include lakeside daisies

Visit the Grotto

The Grotto. It’s just where you go when you go to Tobermory. That’s where everyone goes, and rightfully so. It’s a gorgeous Georgian Bay cave that feels just a little bit dangerous.

You have to squeeze yourself into a tiny hole in the rocks and manoeuvre yourself along massive boulders to get down to this cave, but the crystal clear waters and the refreshing swimming is worth it.

You can find a spot for cliff jumping into the deep bay below, but be careful because it’s not actually permitted and can be dangerous.

How to Get There:

You can take a private boat and anchor just off of the coastline.

If you’re driving, take Hwy 6 about 10K south of Tobermory to Cyprus Lake Rd and park at the Head of Trails parking lot at Cyprus Lake Campground. The Grotto is an easy 30 minute hike along the Georgian Bay Trail.

Tips:

- Parking is available for a fee of $11.70.
- The grotto can get very busy during summer months so try to get there early in the morning, at supper time, or late in the evening.
- Wear good shoes or just go barefoot because climbing the rocks in flippy floppys can be a pain.

Visit the Flowerpots

My favourite spot in Georgian Bay is Flowerpot Island, named for the 2 rock pillars or stacks formed by erosion along the coastline of the island. The island has some not-too-tough hiking along the coast and through the emerald green forest of moss and ferns. It would take a novice hiker about 2 hours to hike the flowerpot loop. The Island has some of the best places to swim in the crystal clear and refreshing (read: cold!) Georgian Bay. It’s a bit less busy than swimming the Grotto and for those who play by the rules and prefer not to cliff jump, there are a lot of lower boulders that you can jump off of into the bay.

How To Get There:

By boat only from Tobermory’s main business centre in Little Tub Harbour

The Flowerpot Express operated by Blue Heron Cruises is a good option. It is a speed boat that takes about 25min to get there. It travels to Big Tub Harbour as well so you can see 2 turn of the century shipwrecks right over the side of the boat.

If you want to take a glass bottom boat for even better views go with Blue Anchor Cruises instead. Their glass bottom vessel actually has a glass bottom that you can walk on top of and see the shipwrecks right under your feet. It’s a lot better than Blue Heron’s “glass bottom” (not really) boat tour.

Diver’s Den offers boat rentals for full or half day at a reasonable price and will give you a 45 minute orientation beforehand if you don’t have a pleasure craft licence. Weather is permitting though, they won’t send you out if the weather is bad.

Tips:

- If you want to hike and swim, give yourself at least 3 hours on the island.
- The best swimming is near the flowerpots.
- The island is pack-in/pack-out so don’t leave your garbage lying around.
- If you’re into camping, there are 6 very private campsites on the island that would make you feel like you have your own private island.

Gaze at the Milky Way Galaxy

(source)

The Cyprus Lake Campground has virtually no light pollution. When the sky is clear and the moon is new then conditions are perfect for seeing the milky way galaxy in the sky with your naked eyes. Oh yeah, there are about a billion other stars you can see too—it’s like your own private planetarium.

Tips:

- It’s easiest to see the milky way during the new moon because there is less light pollution in the sky
- Cyprus Lake campground does offer guided stargazing

Go Diving

The waters off the coast of Tobermory are part of Fathom Five National Marine Park. The waters are crystal clear, contain beautiful submerged geological formations, and have over 20 intact shipwrecks turn of the century which are popular among divers and snorkelers alike making Tobermory the Scuba Diving Capital of Canada.

How to Get There:

Head to the National Park Visitor’s Centre Driving south on Highway 6 from Tobermory turn left onto Chi sin tib dek Road. Follow approximately 1km to the visitor centre.

Tips:

- All divers must be trained and certified
- It is a national park so admittance into Fathom Five Marine Park is $5.80 per adult or $14.70 per family. Diver’s must also register at the Visitor Centre for a fee.
- Waters here are very cold and diver’s should take necessary precautions

Eat Whitefish

The whitefish here is amazing. Mild, moist, flaky, and melt-in-your mouth kind of amazing. True story. Hit up one of the many fish and chip places in Tobermory’s Little Tub Harbour that offer fresh Georgian Bay whitefish or if you’re camping, cook it yourself on the campfire.

Tips:

- Here’s a recipe for the Best Whitefish