Mashed Thoughts: October 2014

Tea Sparrow is an online tea subscription and tea critiquing company that allows its customers to experience different top rated teas from around the world every month. On Sunday, they hosted their first tea tasting party at the Heritage Hall on Main Street. It was a pretty good turn out; lots of people came to drink tea and listen to the small info talks about tea.

We were given a scorecard and a little ceramic cup as we entered and were told to rate each tea based on smell, appearance and taste as we went through table to table. There were all sorts of teas - white, green, oolong, black, rooibos and herbal teas.

This pretty tea is Strawberry-Champagne (Sencha green tea, carrot pieces, pineapple pieces, stawberries, cornflowers, sunflowers, natural flavour). Each table had two types of teas and bowls of the loose leaf that we examine and smell.

After looking and smelling the tea, it's time to taste.

Just in case you don't like the taste of the tea, each table also had a discard pail.

White Rose - Fair trade certified organic white tea and organic rose.

I liked how on each table, there's a coloured banner corresponding to the type of tea on that table.

Passion Berry Jolt - black tea, marigolds, cornflowers, raspberry and passion fruit flavouring

Freedom Tea - green rooibos, red rooibos, lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, and lemongrass, with just a hint of vanilla

Santa's Secret - apple pieces, hibiscus, rose hip, cinnamon ceylon, pears, quince, essential oils, organic orange, cloves, vanilla

Organic Peppermint

Nut Crunch Rooibos - green honeybush, green rooibos, apple pieces, raisins, flavor, hazelnut pieces

We also had the option to purchase individual teas for $5 a bag.

There were also some pretty tea pot and cup sets for sale.

It was a pretty interesting event, especially if you like tea!

Friday, October 24, 2014

Opening Celebration for Dwellings: From Seabeds to Cityscapes at the ArtStarts Gallery
Saturday, 3pm - 5pm
ArtStarts in Schools 808 Richards St Vancouver, BC V6B 3A7
Explore the new exhibition of young people's art and look forward to: Greetings and introduction by ArtStarts Gallery curator Juliana Bedoya Meet some of the students, educator Carolynn Elliot and architect Danielle Berwick who worked on the Rethinking Dwelling project. They will be presenting their piece and will share some highlights and insights about their process. Meet other artists, educators and students that were part of some of the projects featured in this exhibition. Help create a collaborative art installation and leave a mark that will contribute to the transformation of the gallery entrance. Treats will be served!

Nerds & Birds
Friday, 5pm - 8pm
Creekside Community Recreation Centre 1 Athletes Way Vancouver, BC V5Y 0B1
Join two local naturalists for a one hour urban wildlife easy walking exploration to learn about bird identification and behaviour. After the tour let’s Jam on creative ways to connect to urban wildlife.

Haunted Village at the BVM - $14 adult, $9 children
Fri, Sat & Sun, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Burnaby Village Museum 6501 Deer Lake Ave Burnaby BC
Spirits be haunting, spectres be creeping, and crows be - everywhere! The Village, the Farmhouse and the carousel will all be adorned in a ghoulish, spooky yet fanciful fashion. This year the decorations play with the theme of crows and Victorian steam punk. the new seasonal pastry chef proudly displays Lady Fingers join The King of the Crows, the friendly crow DJ, for dancing on Hill Street the Crowsery Store advertises Murders of Crows Butcher's Block Cafe special is Crow's Feet mummies are pressed into action at the Burnaby Post print shop enjoy the Circus Sideshow and ride the carousel

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Halloween ComicFest
Player Wanted Games & Collectables, Comic Land, Connection Games & Comics, RX Comics, Metropolic Comics & Toys, and Golden Age Collectibles

Each year, Halloween ComicFest is celebrated at your local comic shop the Saturday before Halloween. On this day, you can walk into any participating comic shop and get a FREE Halloween ComicFest comic!

East Van Indie Swap - $5
Saturday, 11am - 11pm
The Independent 188 Kingsway Vancouver, BC V5T 3J2
On October 25, the Eastside Flea is back again at the beautiful Independent, putting on a warm & cozy Fall market party that spans from day to night! Cool vintage, handmade goods, local small business. Featuring Vancouver's favourite flea market with an amazing line-up of local vendors, daytime mini vinyl record fair, evening bar with craft beer & delicious Fall cocktails, outdoor food trucks, DJ's spinning groovy tunes, live music from Portage & Main and debut performance from Chiinatown (Tough Lovers band new project)!

Beyond the Magic
Saturday, 12pm - 5pm
UBC, 2036 Main Mall Chemistry Building Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1
Beyond the Magic gives chemists a chance to share the science we are most passionate about with members of the community of all ages. With demonstrations shows, hands-on activities, prizes, and of course liquid nitrogen ice-cream, this is a day not to be missed!

Brew Your Own Kombucha -$20
Saturday, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Homesteader's Emporium 649 E Hastings St Vancouver, BC V6A 4J9
Learn to brew your own fabulous varieties of kombucha at home by feeding and nurturing your own mother, or SCOBY (symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast). This is definitely a beginner-friendly program, but with 90 minutes we'll be able to take you a little deeper into how to keep your kombucha healthy and vigorous, and how to start experimenting with a huge diversity of kombucha variants and fizzy secondary ferments. There truly is a kombucha for everyone, and by brewing your own you can make it just the way you like! Ticket price includes the instructional program; for those interested, we'll have healthy, fresh SCOBYs available for purchase at a discounted price for participants.

Diwali Downtown
Saturday, 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Roundhouse Community Centre
Diwali Downtown is a FREE event that brings together the best of contemporary and classical Indian culture for the entire family. This year’s event will include over fifteen different music and dance performances, an Indian bazaar featuring South Asian crafts and food, and a room-sized rangoli!

Thrill Vancouver 2014
Saturday, 4pm
Creekside Community Recreation Centre 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Y 0B1
Thrill Vancouver is part of an annual international dance event in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance seen in the music video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller'! How It Works? Learn the dance online, attend the rehearsals then join us on Saturday October 25th for #ThrillVancouver Get Zombie Make-Up -> 12noon to 3:30pm Dance at 4pm! COST: By donation, $10 suggested (to cover staff, rentals, equipment and insurance costs)

ALDO A-List
Saturday, 7pm - 9pm
1025 ROBSON STREET VANCOUVER, BC V6E1A7
WELCOME TO THE ALDO A-LIST IT’S TIME TO DISCOVER WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT! Get ready, you’ve been invited to our most exclusive shopping party! We’re stocking up on drinks, treats, discounts and gifts just for you. You and your most fashionable friends will not want to miss this!

Haunted Village at the BVM - $14 adult, $9 children
Fri, Sat & Sun, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Burnaby Village Museum 6501 Deer Lake Ave Burnaby BC
Spirits be haunting, spectres be creeping, and crows be - everywhere! The Village, the Farmhouse and the carousel will all be adorned in a ghoulish, spooky yet fanciful fashion. This year the decorations play with the theme of crows and Victorian steam punk. the new seasonal pastry chef proudly displays Lady Fingers join The King of the Crows, the friendly crow DJ, for dancing on Hill Street the Crowsery Store advertises Murders of Crows Butcher's Block Cafe special is Crow's Feet mummies are pressed into action at the Burnaby Post print shop enjoy the Circus Sideshow and ride the carousel

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Vancouver Mushroom Show 2014 - $3
Sunday, 11am - 4pm
VandDusen Botanical Garden, Floral Hall and Cedar Room, Admin Bldg.
Admission: $3 per person, children under 12 free. Taste various mushroom dishes, attend presentations and look all the various mushrooms found in the Lower Mainland.

Tea Sparrow's First Annual Tea-Off - 2 for $10 at door or 2 for $5 in advance
Sunday, 11am - 7pm
Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver BC
Coffee lovers, look out. Discerning tea drinkers are taking over. Welcome to the 1st annual Tea Sparrow Tea-Off! This is not your grocery-store-bagged-tea sipping event. We will, however, be offering you the chance to sample our members’ top-rated teas from our featured tea blenders from around the world. Tickets will either get you into the show from 11 am–3 pm or from 3-7 pm. The majority of tickets will be sold online before the event, and a small amount will be available at the door. 2 tickets for $10 at the door. 2 tickets for $5 in advance: http://www.groupon.com/deals/vancouver-tea-festival-1

Zombie Walk to Save Pine Free Clinic
Sunday, 1pm
Meet outside Pine Free Clinic, located at West 4th Avenue and Maple Street, at 1pm
On Sunday, October 26, you can get involved in a good cause while getting in the Halloween spirit. A zombie walk is taking place on West 4th Avenue to protest the closing of the Pine Free Clinic.

Haunted Village at the BVM - $14 adult, $9 children
Fri, Sat & Sun, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Burnaby Village Museum 6501 Deer Lake Ave Burnaby BC
Spirits be haunting, spectres be creeping, and crows be - everywhere! The Village, the Farmhouse and the carousel will all be adorned in a ghoulish, spooky yet fanciful fashion. This year the decorations play with the theme of crows and Victorian steam punk. the new seasonal pastry chef proudly displays Lady Fingers join The King of the Crows, the friendly crow DJ, for dancing on Hill Street the Crowsery Store advertises Murders of Crows Butcher's Block Cafe special is Crow's Feet mummies are pressed into action at the Burnaby Post print shop enjoy the Circus Sideshow and ride the carousel

Reoccurring Events

Night Markets:

MERCATO: Italian Night Market
3pm - 7pm every 3rd Friday of the month until until Friday, November 21st, 2014
Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan Street at Grandview Highway
IL CENTRO Italian Cultural Centre is proud to host and present Il MERCATO, the city’s first Farmer and Italian Night Market starting this Friday. This market is the first of its kind in Vancouver bringing together the tastes of Italy with the produce grown in local farms. We invite the community to come shop for a vibrant assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, handmade products from local artisans and delicious food prepared by Il Centro’s chef. The Italian community market element allows you the opportunity to bring home a taste of Italy every month. Stay for live Italian music featuring the classic mandolin and accordion, and children’s activities provided by our Italian School teachers.

Farmers Markets:

Saturday Farm Market at UBC Farm
Saturdays, 9:00am-1:00pm from June-Oct

free 30 minute public tours at 11:00am
UBC Farm, 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver

FOSS Farm Market Days
Fridays in June, July and August from 10:30am - 5pm
Saturdays in September and October from 12-4pm
6767 Balaclava St at West 51st Ave, Vancouver

Hastings Park Winter Market
Sundays, Oct 5 - Nov 30, 10am - 2pm
Hastings Skatepark, Vancouver, BC V5K 4A6

It's fall! And that means apples! The annual UBC Apple Festival was held on Sunday, October 19 at the UBC Botanical Garden. This was the first time I've attended; the heavy rain put me off from going the last few years but this year the weather was pretty nice!

There was music, apple tastings, and apple related food to purchase.

Apple tastings were $5 but M, K and I opted to skip it. We weren't sure we could eat so many apples - we had our hearts set on pie.

There were three apples that we could taste for free. This golden one was called Aurora Gold. I liked it the most. It was very sweet.

This one was a new kind of apple; so new it doesn't have a name yet. It kind of reminded me of a Fuji apple but a little more tart.

We found the apple pie! There was regular apple pie and apple-raspberry pie available for $4 each. We were looking to buy a whole pie until we saw the $32 price. Yikes! I would have thought a whole pie would be cheaper than a slice.

It was delicious but it would have been better if it had been warm...and maybe with some vanilla ice cream!

I also got some yummy Ginger Gold apple chips to go.

Some other foods for sale was caramel apple popcorn, candied apples, and apple cider.

An obscene amount of different varieties of apples to purchase as well!

Apples were also on display. They came in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Some had insides that were unique as well!

After looking at the apples, we watched cider being made with a cider press.

Tried a little bit of it as well. It's apple juice. Haha.

The festival was fun! We wandered around all the different areas, like the scarecrow field and the kids corner where lots of kids were playing in a huge pile of leaves.

The Samsung Tag Team Kitchen Challenge was held on Saturday, October 18th 2014, on the Vancouver Magazine Stage at the Vancouver Home and Design Show.

Three of Vancouver's home chef's paired up with three of Vancouver's top chefs to create the perfect entrée and dessert for a chance to win $5000 worth of Samsung Chef Collection appliances for their own kitchen! This competition was a little different and past competitions I've watched where only one member of each team could be on the stage at one time.

The home cooks were paired up with Chef Angus, Owner & Chef of Maenam, Chef Geoff Rogers, Executive Chef of Blacktail Florist, and Tim Cuff, Executive Chef of West Oak, and had to make an entrée made with the three secret ingredients: bison, figs and feta.

Food Network's Chef Corbin Tomaszeski entertained the audience as we watched the three teams battle it out on the stage.

Chef Corbin Tomaszeski along with the judges tried the three dishes and chose the two teams that would move on to the dessert round.

The judges liked the girls' dishes the best!

Chef Corbin Tomaszeski was a really entertaining MC. At one point, he held a contest where three volunteers from the audience had to eat a Jalapeño pepper and dance while doing it!