Tall Ships 2012 and What the Bleep is Beep?

Wow...this post is really, really overdue!! My parents have been visiting for the last week so my time on the computer has been very slim. We've also been out of the house doing some touring. Lots of posts and great photos to get to...(eventually).

When my parents arrived last weekend it was pefectly timed for them to be able to check out the Tall Ships Festival. This was  a long-awaited, much-planned event for Halifax. It's a really big deal in these parts! I gotta admit the ships 'were' pretty awesome to see.

The ships arrived and were docked all along the waterfront for everyone to view. People were able to board the ships, take a look around, and to meet the crew (just $5 got you into all of them!).

It wasn't just about the ships though, the food was pretty darn good too. Taste of Nova Scotia had many events going on too with a whole section devoted to local cuisine and celebrity chef demonstrations.

My first stop, however, wasn't to any of the seafood treats though. It was to Sugah! Halifax for a Beep Slushie. Twitter was going crazy over these things. People were getting excited, posting pictures of themselves with them, etc. My question though was what the bleep is Beep? Being from 'away' it would seem that only the locals really know about it and have a strong emotional connection to the stuff.

After doing a bit of research, it turns out that 'Beep' is produced in Bedford, Nova Scotia by the Farmers Co-operative Dairy. I have also learned that it was once widely available but due to declining sales it was discontinued in 2010. The main reason for removing it from store shelves was partly due to its sugary ingredients and the fact that it really only contained 25% fruit juice (I'm thinking it was something similar to Tang).

Anyways, it has made a comeback (for a limited time only anyways).

I gave it a shot for a special treat. It was delicious!! I can see what the fuss was all about. It's not something that I would drink on a regular basis but as a special refreshing treat on a really hot day. Yes!

My next stop was for some food. I ended up with a yummy lobster club sandwich. I've fallen in love with lobster since we moved here. I just can't get enough. I would have liked to have tried some of the other items but I really can't eat that much food in one sitting.

After some eating it was back to looking at some of the ships. The 'grandest' of them all was definitely the one for the U.S. Coast Guard. Holy Crap!

Really, it was so awesome to see all of these ships. And it was the most beautiful day too.

Between visiting ships, walking the waterfront, and my daughter's incessant desire to bounce on the bouncy castles we were able to find more time to spend in the Taste of Nova Scotia for cooking demos.

I watched Anna Olson's presentation - with her husband by her side. She made a gumbo and some chowder fish cakes. No baking for this event; I'm sure even she wouldn't be able to figure out how to incorporate seafood into her desserts. Luckily I was able to meet her (again) and got another picture with her. I had met her last year at Springridge Farm in Milton, Ontario when she first released her book 'Back to Baking'.

Someone else I was able to meet for the second time in one year was Chuck Hughes. He also did a cooking demo for the festival and I was able to get another picture with him. Last year I had seen him at the Savour Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. What an awesome guy. He's hilarious (and cute)!

While watching the cooking demos it was super hot outside and we were starting to get parched. Good thing there was strawberry lemonade being sold. Refreshing!!

The last ship we visited was The Peacemaker. A newer ship, the people on board make pottery and sell the mugs and bowls to finance it.

Here is what I found about them on their website:

 "Our vision for the ship is to be a seagoing representation of the life of peace and unity that our twelve tribes are living on land in our many communities around the world. It will also provide apprenticeship opportunities for our youth to learn many valuable and practical skills, not only in rigging, sail-making, sailing, navigation, marine mechanics and carpentry, but also in living and working together in tight quarters, as well as many cross-cultural experiences traveling from port to port."

It's a beautiful ship!

Overall the festival was pretty darn awesome. The ships were grand, the food was delicious, and we were all able to be pirates for a little wihle. Arrr!!

My only regret? Not making it out to George's Island... On the Sunday there were special ferries taking people out to the island and back. Apparently, NOBODY is allowed on this island and haven't been for a while. We tried to get tickets but they stopped selling them in the early afternoon.

Here's a beef that I have about events in Halifax - there isn't anything that lets you know where to get what you need and nothing listed anywhere about the time of the event either. There was lots of talk about ferries going to the island for the one day but that's all. Nothing about where to buy tickets, what times the ferry would go out (or how often), or anything. I noticed the same for the cooking demos too. Until we were actually at the event and looking at the schedule in person on the grounds there was nothing online to say when things were going to be happening. It's really annoying!

First Trip to the Annapolis Valley - Cherry Picking

Last weekend we went on a road trip to visit the Annapolis Valley for some cherry-picking. One thing that I've learned here in Nova Scotia is that fruit is darn expensive to buy at the market. You're much better off to take a drive and go pick them yourself for a discounted rate. So off we went...

The Annapolis Valley is similar to the Niagara region in Ontario. Due to fertile soil and mild climate it's where you'll find the large majority of farms in Nova Scotia, especially the fruit orchards.

On our way out to the farm we made a stop in Grand Pré to visit 'Just Us! Coffee'.

In 1995 Just Us! Coffee became the first fair trade coffee roaster in Canada.

What's fair trade? Well, here's a definition from Wikipedia: "Fairtrade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to exporters as well as higher social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate, flowers, and gold."

Inside they have the coffee shop (of course) but they also sell coffee, tea, chocolate, hot chocolate, etc.. There's also a Fair Trade Museum too with tons of information about fair trade and about coffee beans and cocoa beans.

Our next stop on the roadtrip took us right next door to the Tangled Garden.

The Tangled Garden is a super cute shop (and garden). We didn't have a chance to view the garden/labyrinth but did spend some time inside sampling various jams and jellies.

The stuff that they sell are really far-out in terms of flavours; like raspberry-lavender jelly, garlic rosemary jelly, wild blueberry and tarragon chutney, lemon dill mustard, and cilantro pepper vinegar.

We tried quite a few jams and jellies and loved them all. We didn't buy any though because we hoped to stop in after our cherry expedition for some ice cream, specifically some rose petal ice cream. Nonetheless, we were pooped afterwards and had a late lunch so were weren't hungry enough to go back. Next time!

It's definitely a place to take your guests when they visit. I'm sure my mom would love this shop.

The cherry orchard that we went to was Dempsey Corner Orchards in Aylesford (west of Kentville).

The cherries were in great supply!

When we were there we also picked black currants, raspberries and blueberries. The raspberries and blueberries were just starting to be picked on that day though so it was slim pickin's. I'm sure they're bursting now!

On our way back home we made yet another stop to Noggins Corner Farm Market to pick up a few things (between Wolfville and New Minas). We got some broccoli, dried seaweed (yeah...), and zucchini.

It was sooooo hot on this day. It felt like we were back in Ontario. It was sweltering!! The kid was super hot. Luckily the girl behind the counter was super awesome and offered to cool her off for us. She brought us out back and gave her a mini shower to give her some relief. Now, THAT's customer service! :-)

The Annapolis Valley is definitely an area of the province that I'll be visiting very frequently. There is just so much to see and do. Sheesh...it's also right along the Bay of Fundy, which we didn't have a chance to see while were there. That's a whole other trip entirely!!

Point Pleasant Park

When it rains it pours. Would you believe that after the June lull in my posts I now have a backlog? I'm at least a week behind..

This post, for instance, is about our visit to Point Pleasant Park....from LAST week.

My daughter and I decided to make our way into Halifax one afternoon to check out the park. Looking at the map it was a large green space just south of the downtown area. We found the park rather easily (thanks to my ever-handy GPS) and was happy to see that there was plenty of parking available (and signage)

The park is quite large with a lot of different trails and roads to hike; and very dog friendly - lots of leash-free zones. Make note, however, that bikes are only allowed on weekdays during the day (not in the evenings or on weekends).

We managed to walk quite a good distance and made it to the waterfront.

You know what's sad about the park though? It was heavily damaged by Hurricane Juan back in 2003. As a result, there are some areas where the trees have completely disappeared. What once used to be a park filled with 100+ year old trees is now bare in some places.

While we were making our way through the park and checking the map (often) we noticed that there was a canteen available. We decided we'd stop there for some lunch. For a small little park canteen I was impressed to see that they had something other than just plain 'ol fries; they had 'Tatostix".

What are Tatostix? Well, they are potato chips twisted around a skewer. Cool, eh? Just because they were different I had to order one for us to share. We didn't get any of the special flavorings but it was yummy all the same.

After our lunch of Tatostix and sausages we treated ourselves to popsicles. Banana for me and chocolate for her. I can't even remember the last time I had a banana popsicle. Lots of childhood memories of getting these from the corner store at the campground. Yum!

We had a great time on our hike. We'll have to go again soon. I'd like to go during one of the outdoor shows from Shakespeare by the Sea. My parents are coming for a visit soon so that may be when we go back for that. I'm hoping to see Alice in Wonderland.

Here's one last picture that I had to take. Does anybody ever use 'Wet Paint' signs on anything other than park benches? Reminds me of Sesame Street for whatever reason. Didn't they do something about benches and wet paint on one of the shows? Or am I just crazy?

Martinique Beach

The weather has just been amazing here these last couple of weeks. Nothing but sunshine! The best part of living in Nova Scotia is that there is always a beach nearby to enjoy.

On Friday, my daughter and I headed out to Martinique Beach located just south of the Musquodoboit Harbour on the Eastern Shore.

The beach has the longest stretch of white-sand beach in Nova Scotia (5 kilometers).

Although it was sooo hot on this day the ocean was still frigid (as always). It may be cold and our feet may have gone numb but we eventually adapted and enjoyed the waves.

I look forward to simply taking a walk along the beach and enjoying the scenery. Apparently, the walk is about 2 hours in length to reach the end of it.

Isn't it beautiful?

Since my blog is still technically food-related I gotta talk about the food too, eh? Well, we ate lunch on the beach while we were there. Our picnic consisted of tuna sandwiches - mine with lettuce, my daughter's without. She hates that I put green onions and celery in the tuna though. Despite her complaints I still put them in and watch her try and pick them out. She'll eat it as is eventually...

The rest of our picnic included cherries, bananas, and homemade granola bars. The granola bars were from a recipe that I got from The Seasonal Family (grain-free granola bars). Wow - they were amazing! The first batch is already gone but once I replenish my pantry with more nuts and dried fruit I'm going to make some more. I really wish I could make these for my daughter's school lunches. Boooo to not being able to bring nuts to school!

More Strawberry-Picking and a Visit to Saltscapes General Store

Earlier this week I made another trip out to Truro to do some more strawberry-picking. With the last batch I had made jam and froze a portion. With the ones from the second round the majority of them ended up in the freezer for our winter smoothies. I think I'm all stocked up now.

Would you believe that I'm actually getting tired of strawberries? Things come into season a little later here compared to Ontario and until this week the blueberries, raspberries and cherries hadn't arrived yet. Thankfully they are finally making their appearance and we can add a bit more variety to our fruits in the fridge.

On the way back home we made a stop to Saltscapes in Millbrook just outside of Truro. The philosophy for the store and restaurant is to 'Buy local to support each other and our communities' (www.saltscapes.com).


This is from their website:


"The Saltscapes Restaurant and General Store is 100 per cent locally owned and operated. Here’s how we show our commitment: this building was extensively renovated using many locally sourced materials; the furniture you are sitting on came from a local sheltered workshop; the memorabilia you see around you was collected from attics and barns around the Maritimes, and even the front doorknobs were custom made for us by a local blacksmith.


Our buy-local philosophy extends to our food. Our meat and poultry come mainly from family farms close by. Our fish comes directly from the wharf: we will not serve marine farmed fish. Breads and baked goods are either prepared on site or come from local bakeries. Your French fries are cut right here in the kitchen from fresh Atlantic Canadian potatoes.


The distinctive items for sale in our General Store have also been selected from mainly very small businesses around the region."

While we were there we picked up some Covered Bridge chips. Covered Bridge Potato Chips is a company based out of Saint John, New Brunswick. All of the potatoes come from the family's 500 acre potato farm and the chips are made in their own factory. Talk about keeping it local! I see a trip to Saint John in my future - according to the website you are able to take a tour of the facilities and then are given chips 'hot off the presses' and add your own seasonings to it. Sounds like fun!

We were hungry after our morning of berry-picking so while we were there we also had some lunch in the restaurant. I ordered fishcakes with a side of rice pilaf and maple-glazed carrots. Before the meal, however, we were given bread to snack on while we waited. The bread, wasn't just regular bread though, it was molasses bread. Mmmmm....

Turns out that Crosby's Molasses is a local company based out of New Brunswick, which is why they would highlight them with this bread at the table. Obviously there aren't any fields of sugar cane out there, but they do import the stuff. I think I need to make molasses bread soon.

At the end of our meal we were given mints with our bill. Figures...the mints are also locally produced in the area; at Robertson's Candy in Truro. The mints were delicious. They weren't your typical hard candies but a softer chewable version. We bought a bag in the store.

In the same plaza as Saltscapes is a huge (40 foot) statue that can be seen from the highway. The statue is of Glooscap. The Mi'kmaw legend is that he was the first human and he was created by a bolt of lightening in the sand. This statue was erected in celebration of the Mi'kmaw heritage. It's quite the sight!

A Walk Through Fisherman's Cove

Eastern Passage is most well-known for Fisherman's Cove. Initially a 200+ year old fishing village the town has come a long way. In 1996, the tourist attraction was opened to increase traffic (and business) within the area with gift shops, restaurants, and a boardwalk.

Although we've been here for almost a month now it wasn't until this week that we finally made our way down to the boardwalk to take a look around.

There were a few gift shops to peruse..

and some fudge to drool on...

and signs of some fishing goin' on too. The fishing industry here is still active. There are a couple of spots where you can actually purchase seafood on the spot. That'll be really convenient!

Here's the beginning of the boardwalk.

It was a beautiful day when we took our walk and there were quite a few people wetting their feet in the water.

Others were doing some fishing.

And then there's the scenery...

After our walk we took another look around the Cove and found a couple of spots that we missed the first time around. This is the candy shop.

Gah! Who's that? And why is he looking at us like that? ;-)