Springtime on my balcony...

Welcome to my outdoor balcony space!  It's small, yes I know, but it is extremely cozy.  This year I added the window boxes, a new table and an outdoor rug to brighten the space.  My plants are still growing but when they get bigger it will be amazing out there!  I'm growing tomatoes, dill, onions, peppers, and a multitude of flowers!  I will post pictures when they start to bloom.

Happy Springtime! 

I made all of the pillows and cushions!! - Outdoor bench, carpet and bistro table

Orange love

Prairie Harvest Cafe, Saskatoon, SK

Yes, you read that correctly... I was in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan a few weeks ago and was not expecting much for great food or fun restaurants but boy was I wrong!  There are some great finds in Saskatoon!  I wasn't able to spend much time in Regina so I won't judge before I explore.

When a friend suggested I try Prairie Harvest Cafe, and then let me know that it will feel like I'm lost in suburbia getting there... I was slightly skeptical.  By far one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in.  I had their beef burger with beet and potato chips and it was fantastic.  Everything was home made from as many local ingredients they can get their hands on.  Food was amazing, even the buns were baked fresh from scratch and everyone was very friendly and welcoming.  I showed up 10 mins early (still on Ontario time) before it opened and they still made me comfortable while they finished getting things prepared.  They also have a great selection of local beer and wine, so yes of course I had to try a quick pint at 11am.  Paddock Wood Brewing Company makes an excellent beer!
Thanks again Prairie Harvest, I will definitely be back!

Paddock Wood Brewing Company - Local Saskatoon Micro Brewery

Entrance to Prairie Harvest Cafe, SK

Sign over every table at the restaurant explaining their quality meals

More from Jasper Alberta...

I took quite a few pictures while I was out west and think they should be shared with everyone!

Happy Travels :)

Get off the road dude!

The view from the drive in to Jasper, AB

More obstacles on the road...

Downtown Jasper

Pyramid Lake carvings

Pyramid Mountain and Lake

Breathe the Mountain Air... Jasper, Alberta

I had a conference in Jasper, Alberta last week and took as many photos as I could to capture the beauty that is the Rocky Mountains.  Just driving to Jasper is absolutely breathtaking.  We saw tons of mountain animals and ate at some fantastic restaurants!  I stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, it was also beautiful however I didn't have wifi in my room and the curtains were falling off one of the windows... not worth the $200/night!  The views and the lodge were amazing though, and the fact that I stayed in my own cabin... you can't beat that.

Welcome to beautiful Jasper National Park

The cabin I stayed in at the Fairmont

Found this fella in my backyard!

View from my bedroom window

Having a pint while soaking in the views.

Downtown Red Deer, Alberta

I flew out of Ontario this past Sunday and landed in snowy Calgary, Alberta.  After a full Monday of meetings I took off Tuesday for one meeting in Red Deer (an hour and a half north of Calgary).  One of my friends lives there so I decided to stick around until he was available and explored the downtown core.  I stopped in to some great clothing stores (although I was looking for shoes so I didn't buy anything).  The first was called Alta, with both men's and women's clothing.  The second was a couple streets away and was called Muse, this store carried quite a few Canadian designers and sold all women's clothing and accessories.  The owner of Muse also had an extremely cute tiny dog that greeted me at the door!

After my wandering around in the cold spring wind I decided to have lunch at a bistro around the corner.  It was called 'The Bistro on Gaetz'.  The three ladies working at the bistro were extremely friendly and were welcoming their many regular customers for the hour I was there reading my book and eating my lunch.  Great atmosphere and excellent selection of food.  The latte I ordered was pretty tasty as well!

Eating lunch at Bistro on Gaetz

Taking a lunch order at the Bistro

Happy Birthday Bellwoods Brewery!

If you haven't yet tried a brew from Bellwoods Brewery located at 124 Ossington Ave., Toronto - you must put that on your Spring to do list.  Today would be the perfect day to go as they turned one year old!

Happy Birthday Bellwoods Brewery!

image from bellwoodsbrewery.com

I tried the beer there for the first time last summer on their fantastic patio on Ossington.  A few of us stopped in so we all chose a different brew and tasted as many as we could.  Now I make a point to stop in to their store every time I'm in the area!

In honor of their one year anniversary they have created two new beers:

"The first is “Bring Out Your Dead”, an Imperial stout that was aged in cognac barrels for 3 months, weighing in at 10% ABV. The second is “Motley Cru” (11%), a sour blend of Tripel aged for a year in red wine barrels, and Quad aged for 3 months in port barrels" - Bellwoodsbrewery.com

I know I will be picking up a couple the next time I am in Toronto!  See you soon Bellwoods :)

Picture from bellwoodsbrewery.com

Equator Coffee

One of my friends was placing an order for his favourite organic/fair trade coffee and asked me if I wanted to try some "freakin' good coffee", this being the name of the brew.  I obviously said yes considering my love for coffee!  We just received the product yesterday (took less than a week to arrive!) and I tried it last night for the first time.  Amazing, or should I say "freakin' good"!  The coffee is from Equator Coffee Roasters, located in a tiny town outside of Ottawa.  They supply their product in health food stores around Ontario.  Definitely a good recommendation.

Freakin' Good Coffee from Equator Coffee Roasters Inc.