Shaking up dinner with Cavendish potatoes and flash back of our PEI trip

Some days I have a hard time preparing a satisfying meal for dinner especially on busy days after work and school, so having something convenient to shake up our dinnertime is very helpful.

Winter Waves: Scarf and Skiing adventure at the Horseshoe Resort

Our skiing adventure at the Horseshoe Valley Resort inspired me to make this striped check stitch scarf for my son.  This pattern reminds me of the beautiful snow filled mountains and hills that are like winter waves.  I picked this colour of 4 ply worsted weight yarn as these shades remind me of the ever-changing winter sky.  I chose to knit instead of crotchet because the knitting needles represent the skiing equipment. 

To make this scarf I put 21 stitches using a 4 1/2mm needle, but if you want something wider then cast on a multiple of 6 stitches plus 3 extra

Row 1 and all odd numbered rows K

Row 2 K

Rows 4 and 6 P3, *K3, P3 repeat

Rows 8 and 10 K

Rows 12 and 14 K3, *P3, K3 repeat

Row 16 K

Repeat rows 1 to 16 until desired length.

Learning to ski at the Horseshoe Valley Resort will remain as a wonderful memory to our family.  We had a satisfying experience that I would like to share with all of you.  If you want to learn skiing I hope this post will inspire you... or if you already know then take a trip to Horseshoe and enjoy the gorgeous slopes.  

We were happy to enrol our son in this year's new Kids Korral Ponies program at the Horseshoe Ski Resort.  It is a wonderful opportunity for potty-trained children age 3 and 4 to get lessons from qualified instructors, so they can learn this sport correctly at an early age and have fun.
The lessons were from 10 am to 12 pm, so we left him with other children the same age and went to do our family Discovery ski lessons.  
My son said his instructor Connor and other staff like Jessica taught him to make a triangle shape with his skis to stop the skiboards from going; I think this a good way for little children to remember. 

Since he was on his own for the couple of hours until we returned, I could see his eyes were tearing and he was glad that we had come to pick him up.  I think this program is a good opportunity for children to learn skiing without the parents around, so they don't depend on us too much or cry because it is cold.  I felt that my little one was in good hands with the kind instructors.  There were lots of staff members to care and supervise the children, and I liked that they were making safety a top priority by not letting any parents inside the Kids Korral area.
At the end of the lessons the instructors took him inside to change the skis and shoes, and to offer him hot chocolate.  My little guy passed on the hot chocolate so he can come back to us quickly.  After we came to the room, he told us how much fun he had and that his favourite was going up the "magic carpet" and zooming down the slopes.   

The quality of the picture is due to my husband who went down with my poor camera as he tried to take action pictures :) He didn't get to hold the camera after that Incident!

This Kids Korral Ponies program is for beginner skiers as they learn the fundamental skiing skills without any pressure.  For the half-day Kids Korral Ponies lessons and rental the cost is $50.  Once the children master the stop and turn skills they can go for Kinder Private lessons or the Kinder Kolts program.

The family or group Discovery ski lessons that we did are for anyone age 7 years and up.  This program is a wonderful opportunity to everyone who wants to learn skiing or snowboarding.  The discovery program allows us to learn the basics so we can enjoy the hills at the Horseshoe Resort at our own leisure.  The beginner lesson package is $73 per person and includes the 1 and 1/2 hours lesson, 4 hour equipment rental and beginner lift ticket.  We can learn all the basics such as putting on the skis, going up the slope, skiing, stopping and turning.  I totally think having a teacher helps and makes a big difference when we are learning.  
Horseshoe also has a variety of snow school lesson packages such as private lessons, mommy and me programs etc to accommodate different ages, abilities and skills.

At the beginning of the lessons I was nervous because I thought we were going to be late as it took some time to get the rentals and to put them on.  So next time, I plan to be early at least 1/2 to 1 hour to get the rental equipment.  There is a lot of learning involved especially if it is your first time skiing such as putting and handling the equipment.  Renting the equipment made it easy for us instead of lugging our own.  
We found all the staff at the Horseshoe resort friendly, hospitable and wanting to help.  It was easy to ask them when we needed help with the equipment and to find the correct size.  There are coin lockers within the Horseshoe activity center in the Main Chalet if you need.

Our instructor Kelsey was very encouraging throughout the lessons.  By the end of the lessons, I wanted to keep on skiing :)  I liked our instructor's approach and enthusiasm, which made us believe we could do it as well.  The instructor put on a stretchy cord in front of my daughter's skiboards that she called "a worm" so my daughter could stretch it as much as possible to make the skis stop.  

My daughter told me that she was scared and nervous in the beginning just like we were.  However, after knowing how to stop and use the skis she felt comfortable and happy to go down the hill.
My challenge was getting off the lifts without falling :) I guess I will need more practice on that.

Look for their wonderful deals such as on Mondays we can take up to three friends for Alpine or Nordic skiing for $20 each.  Horseshoe Facebook is updated on Tuesdays with special offers.
They have lots of savings if you are member of their free Sky Life Rewards program.
Both my children and we had a fabulous time discovering skiing at Horseshoe.  Since Horseshoe is a located at the natural snow belt, it is a wonderful place to learn downhill skiing as they have fresh snow all the time.  Just thinking back to our experience makes me happy :) and makes us want to put on a pair of skis and head up the hill.

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Scenic accommodation and dining at Horseshoe Valley Resort

At the first sight of snow my family and I get very excited to get outdoors and have fun.  During the December holidays when we had some snow in Toronto, we were too sick to go out and enjoy it :(  However, I am glad we had planned to go to Horseshoe Resort in Barrie, Ontario before the school holidays ended and miraculously got well a day before our trip.

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park

Sky Zone is the only fun Indoor Trampoline Park in Canada where we can experience an Ultimate 3D play.  My children and we enjoyed the bouncy fun at the park.  Adults will enjoy this as much or more than the kids, as we can become a kid again and have fun jumping in the trampolines.

MySushi a unique sushi experience

We had a fabulous time and meal at my sushi, a newly opened restaurant/takeout.  The idea of my sushi came to be because of their customers from Bento, who wanted to have their own unique sushi combinations and flavours.  There isn't any other sushi establishment that allows guests to make their own choices and customize.  After experiencing my sushi with my family, I can tell you that it stands for its name.

I like the comfortable, inviting environment at my sushi.  Even if it your first time at my sushi you will feel as though you are visiting a close friend/family, because all the staff there were friendly.  I saw that everyone who walked-in was welcomed and felt special as they were explained about how to order, we don't see this type of hospitality nowadays so everyone in my family really liked this.  We felt comfortable as we were told how the process works so we could order without feeling shy :)  It is kind of like a friendly assembly line, so only one person is handling one section i.e. the rice or the protein and this avoids cross contamination.

When ordering...
We can get our own unique combo and pick the fillings we like or get one the six chef recommended sushi rolls from the menu.  My sushi has counted 786240 different combinations of sushi rolls they can make.    

1. We pick our wrap either the traditional nori (seaweed) or the modern soy based wrap.  Then we choose either or a combination of white or brown rice.

 

2. For the protein we can choose cooked seafood; carb meat, spicy crab, tempera shrimp etc... or raw; salmon, tuna etc or a combination of both.  For every extra protein it will cost $1.50

3. Then we get to pick 3 greens; asparagus, avocado, carrot, cheese, yams, mango etc...  If you want more ask the chef.

4. After the sushi gets neatly wrapped and cut, we can ask for a sweet sauce; Japanese mayo, teriyaki, my sushi sauce or a spicy sauce; mayo, Korean sushi sauces, sirachara chilli that will be beautifully drizzled and decorated.

5.  Then if we like we can top it off with any of their toppings such as the fried onion, sesame seeds etc.

Walking through and seeing the fresh quality ingredients and the process made me hungry :) and I couldn't wait to taste it.  

My children enjoyed the flavours in their sushi such as the mango and avocado that motivated them to eat without any complaints.  They also liked the fabulous taste of the tempura yams and tempura shrimp with the salad greens.  We also liked the colourful presentation.  

Tempura salads

We skipped the soy sauce and enjoyed the sushi roll as it had lots of flavour on its own, if you want soy sauce it is available on the table and in packets.  I preferred using my hands because it is comfortable and after all that is the traditional Japanese way to eat sushi :)  They have good quality chopsticks for us to use if you prefer.

miso soup

The sushi rolls comes with a choice to have miso soup or edamame/ sunomono/ seaweed salad.  The miso soup is fabulous, I kept wanting more :)  They also have refreshing green tea and cold drinks.  We shared it around so we were able to taste a variety of delicious items that were really filling.

sunomono salad

On top of the delicious sushi rolls my sushi also has traditional Japanese Donburi rice bowls made to our preference, which I highly recommend.  They also have healthy fresh salads and udon noodles soup that are customizable.  Just feel free to ask as you please to make it the way you want.  

Sushi is a healthy alternative that we can have instead of our regular meals.  Rice is an excellent source of carbohydrate and a protein that is also gluten free.  If we choose brown rice then it has more fibre.  The natural ginger without the additives served at my sushi is a healthy palate cleanser that aids digestion, boots the immune system.  Nori has nutritions such as protein, minerals, vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, niacin and C.  
Many people think that sushi is raw fish, which is not true because we can have the option of having cooked fish or omit the fish and have it vegetarian.

Some perks that my sushi offers...

• Register and track your sushi experience at mysushi.ca by picking up the card from the store.  Then register online and get a free side. 
• As a loyal member for every 8 rolls you will get one for free.
• On your birthday get one free roll.
• On the anniversary date of registering to become a member you will get a free roll.
• Get to know about the Chef's latest and tastiest innovations.

We can enjoy the delicious food their location or takeout.  Once you experience the food and hospitality you will want more.  We are already planning our next trip :)

9343 Bathurst Street
Vaughan, Ontario
L4J8W1
phone number 905-823-6519
They are open from 11am to 9pm everyday.

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Born to be wild IMAX at the Ontario Science Centre

We enjoyed watching Born to be Wild at the Shopper's Drug Mart OMNIMAX theatre, located inside the Ontario Science Centre.  We liked the IMAX experience, excitement, film and sound effects.  

Born to be Wild is a heartwarming, engaging IMAX film that the whole family will enjoy.  This documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman is about second chances, love and bonds between human and animal dedication.  It documents the story of orphaned orangutans in Borneo and elephants in Kenya, who are cared by extraordinary people who rescue and raise them, so these animals can return to their destined wildlife.  These people try to preserve the physical environment, so the animals can live in their natural habitat.  

Threatens by humans have made these animals become endangered with many baby animals that are orphans.  Elephants are killed for their ivory tusks.  Orangutan's habitats are turned into palm oil plantations, so people can make cheap vegetable oil and bio-fuels.  Once we remind others and ourselves about the innocence of these animals and respect them, nature and its habitants would live in peace.  

Elephants who live for up to 70 years are emotional and only live a long time if they are happy.  Elephants are social animals that live with their families and depend on each other.  Elephants also have a good instinct and know who truly care for them, so they pick their own care people.  The baby elephants were given milk from bottles, they had soccer balls to play with and sunscreen was applied on their ears to prevent sunburn because they don't have their big mothers to provide shade for them.  
Orangutans who live for up to 50 years are independent and survive on their own.  Baby orangutans wearing diapers, listening to lullabies, asking for direction and wanting to ride the motorbike were funny to my little ones and us.  

This film reminds us to love and respect all God's creations.  My children and we liked the parts of the movie that shows how close we relate to these kind animals.  After watching this movie I started to see how similar we are to these animals.  My children were curious to know more about these animals even after the movie.  I really respect the people who work among these wonderful animals and are doing their best to send the animals back to the wild.  
Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to watch this memorable IMAX film Born to be Wild.

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Halton County Radial Railway

We had lots of fun riding the rails at the Halton County Radial Railway.  At the Streetcar Museum, we felt as though we were time travelling and enjoyed riding the olden time streetcars and looking at the beautiful fall scenic route. 

The ride is about 20 minutes as the streetcars start at the "Rockwood station", then it goes to the ice cream shop and then to "Meadowvale station".  The museum has put all the details of how it would have been in the past.  The conductors were dressed up.  

We can get off at the stations and enjoy the view or take a walk.  The ticket allows us to go on the streetcars as many time as we want.  

At the Meadowvale station, which is close to the ice cream shop we can enjoy ice cream and snacks.  There is a garden path, a fish pond and a lovely bridge.  The scenery is beautiful to take pictures.  We went when the leaves were changing colour.  

The subways and street cars at the display barn was fun to look and walk through.  

When you visit, you will see how much everything has changed over time including the advertisements that are displayed in the streetcars/subway.  

The museum is located in Milton, Ontario and they are open on the weekend and holidays from 11am to 5pm.  The parking at the museum is free.  

Check out their admission page as they have special rates for families and groups.  We spent about 2 to 2 1/2 hours looking through everything, relaxing and enjoying a picnic there as the weather was beautiful.  Check out their special events here and follow their twitter to know about events that are happening.

Old and New way of operating streetcar/subway

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Homemade pizza and Ontario Natural sauces

Ontario Natural products are organic locally made products.  I tried a delicious variety of tomato sauces that we enjoyed in a variety of ways.

This tomato sauce with button mushrooms is full of flavour.  The sauce had diced onion, roasted garlic, basil, oregano and pepper in it.  I used this sauce to prepare lasagna.

The tomato sauce with roasted red pepper is made with organic whole crushed tomatoes, roasted pepper, onion, garlic, chile, basil and pepper.  We simply heated it up and tossed with cooked pasta then topped it with cheese to enjoy a meal.

The tomato sauce with basil had a delicious taste and we enjoyed it by tossing it with pasta as well.

We enjoyed the pizza & bruschetta sauce by making a healthy pizza with our favourite toppings.  I used the fresh vegetables from Carron farms to make this pizza at home.

94% of the ingredients of these products are from Ontario except for the non-organic olive oil and sea salt.  Since all the products are made in Ontario and are sold in Ontario, it keeps the carbon foot print down and helps the economy.  All these products are gluten free and are certified low in sodium.

Here is recipe to the homemade pizza base that we enjoy.

2 cups flour

1 tbsp yeast *

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

water to knead very little if needed

* If you are not using instant yeast, froth the yeast and sugar with about 2 to 3 tbsp warm water.

Mix everything together and knead into a smooth soft dough. Leave the dough aside to double about 1 to 2 hours depends on the humidity etc :)

Roll the dough and prick all over it with a fork. Then put the sauce and some cheese over it before putting the toppings of your choice.  Put more cheese over the toppings.

Bake the pizza in a prepared pizza stone with olive oil and cornmeal. Bake at 400F for 10 to 15 minutes till the bottom of the pizza is golden brown.

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DoubleTree Fallsview Resort & Spa by Hilton Niagara falls

We enjoyed our stay at DoubleTree Fallsview Resort and Spa because it is conveniently close to the falls. It would be crazy to tell everyone that we picked this hotel compared to other Hotels just because of the welcoming cookies :) and the Hilton points.

Last year, we got the corner suite, which was comfortable and big.

The scenery from the corner suite was relaxing as we enjoyed.

This year because of the need for two queen beds we didn't ask for a corner suite but wanted to re-live the memory by getting it in the same floor :) We stayed-over on a Sunday night and were delighted to see the fireworks from the hotel room. However, our children fell asleep and missed the five minutes of fireworks.

Over the years, the hotel lobby hasn't changed at all. Everything looked the same like time didn't change :) With little children, I would prefer if the floors and furniture in hotel rooms were a little more cleaner.

The bed and towels were clean, which I was happy about. They had a lovely collection of cream, shampoo, conditioner and soap hotel size in the washroom from Crabtree and Evelyn.

I like the small fridge in the room which helps keep the water and drinks cool; this is important during summer months. The air condition can be controlled, which is a good thing as it was a little chilly for the little ones. The coffee maker was convenient to make coffee and tea.

I would have preferred if they had a generous amount instead of a sweetener (which I don't use), two sachets of sugar and 2 small plastic cream containers. It looks like we have to bring our own milk and sugar to have a decent cup of tea or coffee.

We enjoyed the amenities of the hotel such as the pool in the lobby. The staff is really nice and welcoming. Good thing they had WiFi so I could post pictures on instagram :) We were able to park conveniently at the hotel so we can walk around the area without taking the car.

We had dinner at the Indian restaurant Cheetal, which is close to the hotel. The prices are high and the food was okay.

While at Niagara there are always lots to see, especially the falls. It never fails to amaze, doesn't matter how many time you've been there after all it is one of the wonders of the world.

We had a relaxing time and enjoyed the stay at the hotel. We will very likely return to enjoy another stay at Doubletree Fallsview Resort and Spa by Hilton Niagara Falls. 
6039 Fallsview Boulevard, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2G 3V6 

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