Wordless Wednesday

Bronte's first ice cream cone: chocolate bacon flavour, at La Casa Gelato. Photo by Anthony Floyd.

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Tandem Bike Cafe

I've ridden past Tandem Bike Cafe I don't know how many times & have been meaning to stop by since they opened in 2013. I finally went there to meet with a friend to discuss the family biking event we're planning for July.

I didn't eat a lot there--just a blueberry scone, but it was quite good. Served grilled in a panini press, dripping with melted butter & accompanied by an orange slice. My cup of tea was just just run-of-the-mill bagged Earl Grey, but if you're a coffee drinker, I hear they brew a good cup of java. My friend's breakfast sandwich looked really good & she enjoyed it.

Tandem Bike Cafe is in an old-school shop in the front of an old house in a fairly quiet, mainly residential neighbourhood. I loved the relaxed ambiance & the eclectic decor. This is the kind of place I'd love to hang out in more often. Many of the seats are old public bus benches & there are a few funky old bikes hanging near the ceiling. The worn, painted patchwork wood floor & bike related doodads everywhere It wasn't busy when we were there--a Friday late morning--so Bronte had free run of the place.

It's a fairly kid-friendly space, though not ideal for really active toddlers. They have a handful of toys for little kids, including crayons & a colouring book, which entertained Bronte for five minutes. There's a high chair with a tray, but the bathroom is tiny & lacking a change table, so we had to do a diaper change in the back hallway area on the floor. The main issue we had was that Bronte was running into the back hallway out of sight, behind the counter, & into the bike shop area--where there are tons of tools within reach of a baby.

The prices are good & the staff are friendly. You could hang out for a while. Which you might want to do if you've brought your bike for service there. Yup, you can get your bike fixed up & have a latte all in the same place. Clint, one of the owners of the cafe, mans the bike shop end of the business. While I was talking to him, I realized that I'd met him before in a local park our kids were playing at. I was asking him about his cargo bike--a Cetma that comes apart in the middle of the frame. By the way, if you're interested in longjohn style front-loader cargo bikes, Tandem is a Cetma dealer.

We'll definitely be going back to Tandem Bike Cafe to hang out & investigate the menu further. All in the name of research, right? ;)


Check out Tandem Bike Cafe in person--3195 Heather Street at 16th Ave--or online www.tandembikecafe.com

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#30DaysOfBiking Week 3

We're getting close to the end of #30DaysOfBiking. Our week three was again pretty low mileage (68km total), & the weather was all over the place.

Thursday, April 16th we biked to Tea Swamp Park (under 2km) to run the kids.

The next day we did a couple of rides, but really short again: preschool dropoff & pickup with a detour to the library (5km). The morning was a bit rushed, so B made the first ride in her pyjamas. Here she is opening the garage door for me.

The 18th was great weather. We had two extra kids for the afternoon, which meant some logistical issues. I got B down for her nap while Oli walked up to a plant swap at our local high school with the other three. As soon as B woke up, we zipped up to meet him with the Yuba Mundo & a couple extra helmets so I could bike the older two kids back home again (under 2km).

The 19th the weather was really warm again. We met another Yuba family (theirs is the green bike in the foreground. It's an electric BodaBoda) & rode to Hastings Park Farmers Market.We weren't the only ones who biked there...

After lunch, I biked (all by myself!!) to my friend Emily's cookbook launch just past Granville Island. The SunRun had happened that morning, so drivers were being idiots at some places. (28km for the day)

Monday after the usual preschool toing & froing, we rode up to Oakridge for an appointment (13km).


The run of sunny weather ended on Tuesday & I braved a bit of rain to make a quick run to the dollar store to look for some mini traffic cones I'd seen there a couple weeks before. Should have bought them when I saw them first--gone! (4km)

Wednesday I biked the kids to & from preschool, then rode alone to another Active Transportation Policy Council meeting at City Hall. Below is Bronte, jumping the queue at preschool pickup (8km).

The 23rd dawned grey & just got worse at the day went on. We made a quick run to the grocery store for 50% off diapers. As you can see, by the end of the ride, the kids were not terribly happy about the weather, but their rain suits kept evverything but their hands & faces dry (6km).

How'd your third week of #30DaysOfBiking go? Even if you're not participating, where was the last place you rode?

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One month til Kidsfest!

The Vancouver International Children's Festival is only a month away--have you got tickets yet?

If you buy early you'll beat the rush, & get your top picks for shows. There's plenty of excitement happening on stage at this year's Children's Festival from international hits to local favourites. The super cute Pyjama Nights are back; they've got evening shows, & their Activity Village will be in full swing! New this year are workshops & dialogues with artists!

 As always, there are many ticket options to choose from: One-day Show Passes*, Two-day Show Passes*, & their great Family 4-Pack ticket deal* - 4 tickets to one show for only $68! All Show Passes include wristband entry into the Activity Village.
*Variety show excluded

For all you need to know about Kidsfest, check out the Festival Guide. Hot off the presses, the 2015 Festival Guide contains everything you need to know about the Festival from show descriptions to activities to ticket pricing & parking.

Will we see you at the festival this year?

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Cookbook Review: Well Fed, Flat Broke

I will start this review by saying that I am not much of a cook. I love good food, but have little to no interest in making it myself. My cooking, such as it is, is mostly just to keep us alive. If it's a step above 'edible' on the scale, I consider that a win. So as you might guess, my cookbook collection is rather small. About a dozen. Of those books, half are Oliver's, several were given to me & I think I may have purchased two. Emily Wight's book is one of those two.

Well Fed, Flat Broke, Recipes for Modest Budgets & Messy Kitchens (hereafter WFFB) is kind of beautiful, the kind of book I might have picked up in a bookstore, but then put down again because, well, did you read the previous paragraph? However, if you actually look through it, which I've found a little time to do, the recipes are interspersed with stories & useful tips on cooking, all from the perspective of, & for an audience of, a person who wants to eat well without breaking the bank. This is an accessible cookbook & instruction manual that will help you learn to make (& eat) some really incredible food without spending a mint.

Emily is a true gourmet, constantly challenging herself to make incredible dishes for her lucky husband & son, as well as friends & family. But she's also really down-to-earth & willing to share her failures (like the disaster of roasting a whole chicken for her parents: she winged it & the bird was raw inside!). Did I mention she's funny? Of all my Facebook friends, I can honestly say that she's never written a status update I didn't laugh at. WFFB doesn't disappoint in this regard--it's engaging & the kind of book you might actually read cover to cover, if you didn't have two small screaming children running amok around you.

The recipes are organized by main ingredient: rice & grains, pasta, eggs, beans & legumes, & so on. Don't let me lead you astray by those first few, however--there are a lot of animal product based recipes in this book. Emily's included tons of dishes that would be great for vegetarians, but the book is also chock full of beautiful recipes like Peanut Butter Bacon Fat Cookies (p.219), which I will try as soon as I've fried up enough bacon to render & collect 1/2 cup of fat. (Honey, we're having bacon for dinner!)

I tried a few things out of the book at Emily's book launch last weekend: Dutch Meatballs (p.161), Kimchi Pancakes (p.185), & Avocado Cream (p.93). The latter was offered as a veggie dip, but in WFFB Emily suggests it as a taco topping, a brilliant (& delicious, of course) way to stretch your avocado dollar up here where we can't grow them. Emily's Dutch meatballs are kind of addictive--the touch of garam masala in there along with a handful of other flavourful seasonings (not telling you what--you need to read the book!) make them a step above pretty much any other meatball I've tasted. The Kimchi pancakes were a surprise for me--reminiscent of okonomiyaki, but more fluffy. They're definitely savoury--not something you're going to smother with syrup & fruit compote--& make an excellent snack or appetizer. Great for dipping in sauce (recipe also provided in WFFB), I could see my children liking these for dinner or a weekend lunch.

I've joked about not having time to read the book because of my children, but don't let me give you the impression that the recipes aren't family friendly fare. Emily has experience with picky toddler eating, being a mom, & her book includes an entire section on the topic, as well as many recipes that are particularly attractive to kids.

So, to sum up: if you are a foodie, you need this book. If you are not much of a cook but like to eat good food like me, get it. If you are trying to find a good gift for someone else, this is perfect. Everybody, just get a copy. Well Fed, Flat Broke is available all over the place for $24.95 (though I hear you can order it on Amazon for a bit less) in actual-paper-book format, or even ebook.


Disclaimer: I bought my own copy of this book & was not in any way compensated for this post. The link just above IS an affiliate link however, so if you buy through it, I'll get a small commission.

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What I'd be doing if I didn't have kids

I've been spending a fair bit of time on Pinterest lately, pinning all kinds of awesome DIY stuff, like raised garden beds, knockoff Anthropologie tops, beautiful desserts. However, like most people who are frantically pinning these beautifully illustrated tutorials, I know I won't do 99.9% of these things.

Because children. I love the little buggers, but there is no making things, no sewing, no fiddly baking, no gardening, no home improvement with them around. & once they're asleep in bed, I'm too tired to do much other than veg in front of a screen with ice cream or popcorn.

Maybe someday I'll be able to do this stuff, someday before I'm old & even more grey. I'm hoping it'll be just a few years. Though I have little hope for Linnaeus wanting to do anything crafty with me, as his attention span for such things is about two minutes. But maybe Bronte's interest in scribbling & stickers will translate into a love for DIY & she'll let me work on my projects while she does her own.

In the meantime, I'll be on Pinterest, daydreaming about home decorating, fashion, gardening, baking... oh, & bikes. Lots of pretty bikes on there.

Are you on Pinterest? If so, let's connect! I'm Spokesmama on Pinterest , like everywhere else. :)

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