Over the past 46 days, Richard and I were home for 4 nights. That’s a lot of eating out! The last 11 nights we spent at a Home Exchange in beautiful Banff with our youngest son, Creighton, and his girlfriend, Charling. Here’s a quick sampling of just some of the tantalizing creations that were on our plate.
Marshmallow Donut (with a view). The Rimrock Resort Hotel. Charling couldn’t wait to dig into our ‘Viva La Pizza’ at Bear Street Tavern (featured in John Catucci’s You Gotta Eat Here).In nearby Lake Louise, Lake Louise Village Grill offers relatively affordable dining options with a great local feel.At The Grizzly Paw Pub in Canmore, Creighton requested salad instead of fries with his burger. I’d say that they took that request very seriously!We usually ate breakfasts and dinners at our Home Exchange. Due to the feeding frenzy around the dinner table, I missed taking photos of our earlier dinners — salmon, ravioli, kababs, grilled steak (I know, I know…but when in Rome)! Featured here are Steak and Mushroom Quesadillas made by Creighton and served with Mango Salsa Taco Salad made by Charling. I could seriously get used to this!We kept our Friday Night Pizza Tradition with Homemade Pizza (including the dough) courtesy of Charling. (I mentioned that I could get used to this, right?)Pancake Breakfast made by Mom (me)! Recipe here. The happy diners at The Prow at Buffalo Mountain Lodge (which features bison, wild boar and elk specials…luckily they also had vegetarian options).
We worked off our meals on some very scenic hikes including: Sulphur Mountain, Johnston Cannon, Plain of Six Glaciers, Lake Agnes, Icefields, Bow River to the Hoodoos and tons of walking around Banff.
To our delight, we met other diners on our walks. Luckily they had their own food and showed zero interest in us!
So, what was on your plate this month? Please join Deb and me and let us know.
Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.
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93 thoughts on “What’s Was On Our Plate (While in Banff & Surrounding Area)?”
Hi Donna! Wow! Your food photos were GREAT! You have really been working on making your “plate” photos exceptional because they ALL looked very tasty. And like you said, with all the hikes you’ve been on you can eat as much as you want. Looks like you had an amazing time with your son and his girlfriend–and Richard of course! Thanks for sharing! ~Kathy
What a great variety and amount of food Donna, you’ve done well for being home for only 4 nights out of 46 days! The walks and fellow diners all look fabulous but I’m not sure what. BeaverTail is?? It looks like you’ve enjoyed every minute of your trip and I’m so happy to see your lovely smile 🙂
Hi, Debbie – Both Richard’s mother, and my grandmother, made something similar to beavertails that they called ‘nothings’ Basically, it is a lightly deep fried thin piece of dough. While it is still hot it is then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Delicious!
Well that was quite a change from your usual ‘eat the rainbow’ super healthy meals you share Donna – it was fun to see you munching through all those calories and then burning them off walking through all that amazing scenery (and wildlife). And how lovely to be able to share some wonderful family togetherness time in the process. x
Another foodie in the family…nice! I’m happy you were able to spent time with Creighton and Charling. She’s adorable! Thanks for sharing your stunning photos with us, Donna.
Donna, first of all, forty-two days of travel sounds wonderful and all that food looks good. Unfortunately, not one of those things is allowed on my plate right now as I am in ‘defluff’ mode for the next two months. Thanks for the link to beaver tail. Now I know what the fuss is about and completely agree – when in Rome.
Thanks, Suzanne – Slightly over three weeks of our time away (plus 4 upcoming days) have been devoted to my mom who recently broke her hip. I am grateful to have had this time with her, and that she is recovering well considering her injuries. Richard and I will return to our regular eating soon! 😀
Donna,
Your plates not only look delicious but are also presented beautifully. We tried for two summers to camp at Lake Louise but COVID kept us locked out. Now that I see what I missed, we are determined to try again. Thanks for giving us a peek. Joe
Holey moley! Some great photos and some great meals too. Looking forward to hearing about your time away, in person. Glad you were still able to make Banff happen. Looks like you guys had a lot of fun family time. Very happy for you! 💕
Luckily with all of our walking and hiking we were able to get in over 25,000 steps each day and sustain over 150 minutes of elevated heart rate each day as well. That (along with my tendency towards smaller portions) helped to counterbalance the calories…thank goodness! Thanks so much for following and commenting!
Vacation eating is fun especially in a vacation spot like Banff. Good food, good company, good surroundings (minus tourist crowds). Eating out has been limited during pandemic times and has been limited to fast food items, none as yummy as yours. I had visitors from Britain for two weeks in June and there were bits and bobs of frozen leftovers that have reached the table in the past few weeks. The latest noteworthy menu item was pulled pork/brisket with coleslaw & quinoa salad. Cool, rainy weather prompted me to make a pot of split pea soup. I’ve really been enjoying watermelon with feta cheese & fresh basil. YUM! Donna, I hope things have settled with your mama.
Thanks so much for your kind words. My mom’s hip has been healing…still a long road ahead but she is currently feeling much better. The dishes currently on your table sound delicious. Please sign me up for an extra portion of watermelon and feta salad!
Hi again, Mona. When I popped into the grocery store yesterday they had fresh Watermelon-Feta-Basil-Red Onion Salad for sale. I immediately grabbed one. Absolutely delicious!
Banff is incredibly beautiful and good for your belly too! Looking forward to going there again soon. We like The Grizzly House. Reminds us when our parents made fondu in the 60’s. We both inherited the pots and serving accessories, but haven’t done a fondu since….well, you know. Might be a good “What’s on your plate” for the future.
Hi, Tracey- We passed the Grizzly House every day, and even grabbed a copy of their menu. Sadly, we never made it inside (simply too many choices)! I used to have a fondue potas well. I wonder what happened to it??
Wow, those views at the end! And the names of those hikes sound familiar, I think we must have done some of them on one of our two visits. Most of the food I couldn’t eat (veggie) but what I could looked delicious.
Hi, Anabel -There are so many wonderful hikes in Banff. I’m glad that you got to experience them as well. And yes, this has been a big departure from our regular eating — HUGE actually. Although everything was delicious – Richard and I are both longing for our regular at-home meals!
Absolutely! Even though I’ve continued to do much of the cooking, it has been in Home Exchanges where I don’t have access to my regular pantry, and where we’ve had others join us who have very different appetites!
Hi Donna, Lots of delicious-looking food on your plate. I love seeing Banff and Lake Louise through your lens. I’ve done most of the hikes you mentioned so your post brought back great memories. Have a wonderful July!
Hi, Natalie – There are still so many more hikes in Banff that I would like to experience. It remains on my Travel Bucket List for a return visit! I’m glad that you got to experience them too!
My parents once took the Canadian train trip that included Banff and Lake Louise and they were thrilled with the experience. It seems that Paul and I need to add that area to our must-see list. The food pictures you shared make everything look so yummy (except maybe that marshmallow donut) and I’d like to order one of each, please. How nice that you were able to spend quality time with Creighton and Charling.
Hi, Janis – I definitely recommend adding Banff to your Bucket List. I know that you and Paul would greatly enjoy it. Better yet, plan a trip and let me know when you will be there and Richard and I will join you!
I am sadly not a marshmallow fan. The donut was Creighton’s. But it did make a very pretty picture! 😀
Hi Donna, Definitely tantalizing…a feast for the eyes, too. You remind me how Creighton is an amazing cook. Wonderful to see everyone looking so happy. The scenery, spectacular! Thrilled you were able to spend time with Creighton and Charling …always priceless! 💕
Hi, Erica – Thank you so much for stopping by. The time with Creighton was very precious indeed. Charling has now returned to Hong Kong. Creighton is currently in Toronto visiting family there. We will see him briefly in Vancouver before he returns to HK and Richard and I return home. It’s been a great visit.
Hi, Sandy – Thank you so much for joining us. A Springtime Veggie Diet sounds like something that I could get into. I’m off to read your post right now. See you there!
Every single dish looks delicious. Such a splurge. I’m so glad you had a wonderful time in the mountains and could stick to plan. That plan anyway! 🙂 Love the wildlife shots here and on social media as well.
HI, Liesbet – Richard and I were happy to be able to keep the Banff plan and have that quality time with Creighton. It worked out well for my mom as well as she continues to value her independence and made some good progress. Richard and I will be in Kelowna again soon to see those gains in person! I hope that all is well for you!
Wow!! You’ve packed a lot of food and hikes into a short time period! Great to have a house so not every meal must be eaten out. It is great for variety but after a while one does wish for home cooked meals. Hope that bear wasn’t as close as he looks or you might have been on his lunch menu! Bernie
Hi, Bernie – That grizzly was no more than 60 feet away. But he was much more interested in eating dandelions than he was in noticing us. He was also across a road which he didn’t seem interested in crossing. Funny, neither did I! 😀
Feeding frenzy. The image conjured by those words made me giggle. We can have a feeding frenzy at our house over fish sticks and tater tots!! Ha!! We would be delirious over choices like these. Oh, my goodness. I appreciate Charling’s (cute girl, cute name) enthusiasm for food. So many young girls worry about eating. Yay her!! Yay all of you!! Glad you were able to enjoy this trip. You needed some time away I am sure. Thank you for sharing. Now I am off to find a snack.
Hi, Leslie – Your comment made me giggle as well. You are an excellent writer — even of comments! I now have images of tater tots and fish sticks dancing through my mind! I hope that all is well for you.
Deliciousness all the way Donna! Flew to Durban on Friday for a wedding on Saturday (yesterday) and was underwhelmed by the celebratory dinner. We have the day here today – fly back tomorrow- and will spend the day shopping around in search interalia for some decent grub!
Hi, Susan – I’m sorry to hear about the underwelming dinner. ‘Hope that you found great food that helped balance out the score. Enjoy your travels (it feels awesome being able to say this once again)! 😀
Hi Donna – as I sit here contemplating what to make my family for dinner tonight, I am inspired by these dishes! That is indeed a serious salad that your son ordered, and it looks delicious!
Oh wow – that’s a lot of nights away but it looks like you have certainly eaten well. I haven’t been to Banff in nearly 30 years. Would definitely like to visit again to experience the food and the wildlife. I don’t remember seeing beaver tails though! Thanks for sharing your travels and food
Thanks, Janine – The original Beaver Tail pastries have been around since 1978, but I am not sure how long they have been in Banff. Prior to that, they were made by our grandmothers and called different names depending on nationality (my Grandma called them ‘nothings”). If you get a chance to visit Banff again, I believe that you will notice many, many changes!
Hi
Wow – you have been busy having a good ol’ time! When we visited my MIL in December – we dined out the whole trio and then when we got back home it was like I wa in habit of going out – and had wind down from that – did you feel that too?
The food looks so good and a beaver tail is a good name for a pastry
–
Thanks, Yvette – We were lucky to always have had accommodations with kitchens, so we (gratefully) made most of our own meals. You are absolutely right – that’s still not the same as cooking at home. Now that we are back in our own house, I’ve delighted to return to our normal eating habits!
Thanks, Yvette – For each portion of this trip (Kelowna, Banff, Edmonton) we were in Home Exchanges. As a big part of this trip was responding to a family emergency, the Home Exchanges gave us much appreciated flexibiity, space and peace of mind!
That sounds like a lot of fun time away from home this summer, Donna. Great to hear you’ve been enjoying many a meal. I hope you enjoyed that marshmallow donut. It looks so good and real on the screen, like I want to reach out and grab it. Food with a local feel always tends to be so much more appetising and so lovely of them to accommodate Charling’s request for salad instead of fries, and a very generous serving of salad too. Wonderful captures along the way. Good meals and good walks with scenery go hand in hand. Hope you are enjoying your summer 🙂
Hi, Mabel – Thank you so much for stopping by. That marshmalllow donut belonged to my son. He saved it for later and I keep forgetting to ask him how he liked it. I have now added that to my ‘to ask’ list! 😀 I hope your July is going well. I can’t believe that it is almost August!
I hope you get to ask your son how was the marshmallow donut. It really looked good. And as I type this, tomorrow will be August. Time does go by. Enjoy the rest of your summer, Donna 🙂
One of the highlights (no surprise here, I think) of travelling & vacations is the very different eating that happens. So much excitement in this quarter! We also love to stay at places which offer a home-cooking option should we choose (that quesadilla looks mighty delicious!) But that marshmallow donut captured all my attention and hasn’t let go!
Hi, Ju-Lyn – You and my youngest son (who currently lives in HK but did previously live in Singapore) must be kindred-spirit-eaters. That was his donut and his homemade quesadilla. Thank you so much for dropping by. Your comments always make me smile!
Wow! You have a very close connection to Singapore (I went to high school in HK – although it must be such a different place now)! There are some things I miss very much from my college days in Texas … donuts & anything remotely Tex-mex rank high!
Retirement Reflections 
Lots of good looking things on your plate!
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Thanks! It definitely a departure from our regular meals. As I mentioned, when in Rome! 😀
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Hi Donna! Wow! Your food photos were GREAT! You have really been working on making your “plate” photos exceptional because they ALL looked very tasty. And like you said, with all the hikes you’ve been on you can eat as much as you want. Looks like you had an amazing time with your son and his girlfriend–and Richard of course! Thanks for sharing! ~Kathy
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Thanks, Kathy – It was a wonderful stay and we were grateful to have that time with Creighton. Your photos of Portugal are awesome.
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What a great variety and amount of food Donna, you’ve done well for being home for only 4 nights out of 46 days! The walks and fellow diners all look fabulous but I’m not sure what. BeaverTail is?? It looks like you’ve enjoyed every minute of your trip and I’m so happy to see your lovely smile 🙂
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Hi, Debbie – Both Richard’s mother, and my grandmother, made something similar to beavertails that they called ‘nothings’ Basically, it is a lightly deep fried thin piece of dough. While it is still hot it is then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Delicious!
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Well that was quite a change from your usual ‘eat the rainbow’ super healthy meals you share Donna – it was fun to see you munching through all those calories and then burning them off walking through all that amazing scenery (and wildlife). And how lovely to be able to share some wonderful family togetherness time in the process. x
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Thanks, Leanne – it was fun and delicious ‘vacation eating’. We do miss our regular at-home meals and are looking forward to get back to them soon!
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Can I just say… yum! https://andanyways.com/2022/07/06/whats-on-my-plate-the-queenstown-edition/
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Thanks so much for linking up. I greatly appreciate it!
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I forgot to say – I’d definitely try wild boar.
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Yah, I gave the wild boar, the elk and the bison a miss. I greatly admire your openness to adventurous eating! 🙂
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Grant is far more adventurous than I am. He’ll do offal as well, which I won’t.
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Grant is my hero!
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Yummy pics and complete with endorsements. All I have to do now is make my first trip to that area.
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Hi, Frank – Banff is such a wonderful area to visit. If it is anywhere on your travel list I highly recommend it. Thank you so much for stopping by!
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Oh I’m hungry! Looks amazing although I am not sure what a beaver tail is.
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Hi, Antoinette – You may have had a beaver tail and called it something else. I think that it is a flat version of a knot surprise!
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Another foodie in the family…nice! I’m happy you were able to spent time with Creighton and Charling. She’s adorable! Thanks for sharing your stunning photos with us, Donna.
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Hi, Jill – Thank you for your kind and uplifting comment. I always look forward to them.
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Donna, first of all, forty-two days of travel sounds wonderful and all that food looks good. Unfortunately, not one of those things is allowed on my plate right now as I am in ‘defluff’ mode for the next two months. Thanks for the link to beaver tail. Now I know what the fuss is about and completely agree – when in Rome.
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Thanks, Suzanne – Slightly over three weeks of our time away (plus 4 upcoming days) have been devoted to my mom who recently broke her hip. I am grateful to have had this time with her, and that she is recovering well considering her injuries. Richard and I will return to our regular eating soon! 😀
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Donna,
Your plates not only look delicious but are also presented beautifully. We tried for two summers to camp at Lake Louise but COVID kept us locked out. Now that I see what I missed, we are determined to try again. Thanks for giving us a peek. Joe
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Definitely try again, Joe…and don’t forget to add on Vancouver Island. I think that you and Helen will love both places!
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Don’t you just love it when other people bring their cooking talents to the table. Looks fabulous!
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Absolutely! Unfortunately both Charling and Creighton left on their flights this morning. I truly could get use to having other cooks iin the house!
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Some great eating in Banff. Such a fabulous setting. I love Banff.
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Hi, Darlene – I agree that Banff is an amazing setting. Thank you so much for following along!
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Holey moley! Some great photos and some great meals too. Looking forward to hearing about your time away, in person. Glad you were still able to make Banff happen. Looks like you guys had a lot of fun family time. Very happy for you! 💕
Deb
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Hi, Deb – So much to catch up on for both of us. I greatly look forward to connecting in person soon!
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This was the wrong post to read right now.
I am starving.
How much weight did you put on?
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Luckily with all of our walking and hiking we were able to get in over 25,000 steps each day and sustain over 150 minutes of elevated heart rate each day as well. That (along with my tendency towards smaller portions) helped to counterbalance the calories…thank goodness! Thanks so much for following and commenting!
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Vacation eating is fun especially in a vacation spot like Banff. Good food, good company, good surroundings (minus tourist crowds). Eating out has been limited during pandemic times and has been limited to fast food items, none as yummy as yours. I had visitors from Britain for two weeks in June and there were bits and bobs of frozen leftovers that have reached the table in the past few weeks. The latest noteworthy menu item was pulled pork/brisket with coleslaw & quinoa salad. Cool, rainy weather prompted me to make a pot of split pea soup. I’ve really been enjoying watermelon with feta cheese & fresh basil. YUM! Donna, I hope things have settled with your mama.
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Thanks so much for your kind words. My mom’s hip has been healing…still a long road ahead but she is currently feeling much better. The dishes currently on your table sound delicious. Please sign me up for an extra portion of watermelon and feta salad!
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Hi again, Mona. When I popped into the grocery store yesterday they had fresh Watermelon-Feta-Basil-Red Onion Salad for sale. I immediately grabbed one. Absolutely delicious!
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Banff is incredibly beautiful and good for your belly too! Looking forward to going there again soon. We like The Grizzly House. Reminds us when our parents made fondu in the 60’s. We both inherited the pots and serving accessories, but haven’t done a fondu since….well, you know. Might be a good “What’s on your plate” for the future.
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Hi, Tracey- We passed the Grizzly House every day, and even grabbed a copy of their menu. Sadly, we never made it inside (simply too many choices)! I used to have a fondue potas well. I wonder what happened to it??
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Banff is on my bucket list! Travel eating makes the exploring just more fun!
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Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Banff is a perfect Bucket List adventure. I recommend it highly!
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Wow, those views at the end! And the names of those hikes sound familiar, I think we must have done some of them on one of our two visits. Most of the food I couldn’t eat (veggie) but what I could looked delicious.
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Hi, Anabel -There are so many wonderful hikes in Banff. I’m glad that you got to experience them as well. And yes, this has been a big departure from our regular eating — HUGE actually. Although everything was delicious – Richard and I are both longing for our regular at-home meals!
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I recognise that longing for home cooking when you’ve had too many meals out!
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Absolutely! Even though I’ve continued to do much of the cooking, it has been in Home Exchanges where I don’t have access to my regular pantry, and where we’ve had others join us who have very different appetites!
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Hi Donna, Lots of delicious-looking food on your plate. I love seeing Banff and Lake Louise through your lens. I’ve done most of the hikes you mentioned so your post brought back great memories. Have a wonderful July!
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Hi, Natalie – There are still so many more hikes in Banff that I would like to experience. It remains on my Travel Bucket List for a return visit! I’m glad that you got to experience them too!
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My parents once took the Canadian train trip that included Banff and Lake Louise and they were thrilled with the experience. It seems that Paul and I need to add that area to our must-see list. The food pictures you shared make everything look so yummy (except maybe that marshmallow donut) and I’d like to order one of each, please. How nice that you were able to spend quality time with Creighton and Charling.
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Hi, Janis – I definitely recommend adding Banff to your Bucket List. I know that you and Paul would greatly enjoy it. Better yet, plan a trip and let me know when you will be there and Richard and I will join you!
I am sadly not a marshmallow fan. The donut was Creighton’s. But it did make a very pretty picture! 😀
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Hi Donna, Definitely tantalizing…a feast for the eyes, too. You remind me how Creighton is an amazing cook. Wonderful to see everyone looking so happy. The scenery, spectacular! Thrilled you were able to spend time with Creighton and Charling …always priceless! 💕
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Hi, Erica – Thank you so much for stopping by. The time with Creighton was very precious indeed. Charling has now returned to Hong Kong. Creighton is currently in Toronto visiting family there. We will see him briefly in Vancouver before he returns to HK and Richard and I return home. It’s been a great visit.
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Spectacular food, company & scenery! I think I’d like everything except the marshmallow donut – just looking at it makes my blood sugar rise!
I’ve been on spring time veggie diet myself & I’ve joined WOYP with a post
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Hi, Sandy – Thank you so much for joining us. A Springtime Veggie Diet sounds like something that I could get into. I’m off to read your post right now. See you there!
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Every single dish looks delicious. Such a splurge. I’m so glad you had a wonderful time in the mountains and could stick to plan. That plan anyway! 🙂 Love the wildlife shots here and on social media as well.
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HI, Liesbet – Richard and I were happy to be able to keep the Banff plan and have that quality time with Creighton. It worked out well for my mom as well as she continues to value her independence and made some good progress. Richard and I will be in Kelowna again soon to see those gains in person! I hope that all is well for you!
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Wow!! You’ve packed a lot of food and hikes into a short time period! Great to have a house so not every meal must be eaten out. It is great for variety but after a while one does wish for home cooked meals. Hope that bear wasn’t as close as he looks or you might have been on his lunch menu! Bernie
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Hi, Bernie – That grizzly was no more than 60 feet away. But he was much more interested in eating dandelions than he was in noticing us. He was also across a road which he didn’t seem interested in crossing. Funny, neither did I! 😀
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Feeding frenzy. The image conjured by those words made me giggle. We can have a feeding frenzy at our house over fish sticks and tater tots!! Ha!! We would be delirious over choices like these. Oh, my goodness. I appreciate Charling’s (cute girl, cute name) enthusiasm for food. So many young girls worry about eating. Yay her!! Yay all of you!! Glad you were able to enjoy this trip. You needed some time away I am sure. Thank you for sharing. Now I am off to find a snack.
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Hi, Leslie – Your comment made me giggle as well. You are an excellent writer — even of comments! I now have images of tater tots and fish sticks dancing through my mind! I hope that all is well for you.
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That’s a wonderful Friday night tradition! – Marty
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Thanks, Marty – I highly recommend it! 🙂
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Wow! All of those food pics look scrumptious! And I loved the photos from your hikes. It looks like you’ve had a fabulous 46 days.
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Thanks, Christie – It wasn’t the 46 days that we originally planned, but everything has worked out as well as possible. Almost home!
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https://equipoiselife.wordpress.com/2022/07/08/whats-on-fridays-plate/
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I had been to Linkz earlier and read a couple and was going to link up but it doesn’t seem to be working. So old school copy and paste!
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Thanks so much for linking-up, Bernie. I have added your post to InLinkz.
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I just can’t figure out why it would not work. It was not the usual 404 code if it’s closed it just was a bunch of mumbo jumbo
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Hi, Bernie – The InLinkz link up is still open for another week. As with most technology– it definitely has a mind of its own!
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Hi, Donna;
That “Viva La Pizza” looked amazing!
Glad you had such a great time in Banff 🙂
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Thanks, Aimer. That was an awesome pizza. I would definitely order it again!
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Deliciousness all the way Donna! Flew to Durban on Friday for a wedding on Saturday (yesterday) and was underwhelmed by the celebratory dinner. We have the day here today – fly back tomorrow- and will spend the day shopping around in search interalia for some decent grub!
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Hi, Susan – I’m sorry to hear about the underwelming dinner. ‘Hope that you found great food that helped balance out the score. Enjoy your travels (it feels awesome being able to say this once again)! 😀
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Hi Donna – as I sit here contemplating what to make my family for dinner tonight, I am inspired by these dishes! That is indeed a serious salad that your son ordered, and it looks delicious!
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Thanks, Barb – I agree that salad was incredible – especially since it was a side dish replacement for fries! Hope your dinner plans went well.
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Oh you were so close by! We were in Banff yesterday doing the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay. Looks like you had a most delicious stay.
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Wow! Marshmallow Donut ! wow! I started licking the screen. Eventually after 30 mins licked more screen
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Your witty comment made me laugh out loud! Thank you for making my day (and thank you for reading and commenting)!
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Oh wow – that’s a lot of nights away but it looks like you have certainly eaten well. I haven’t been to Banff in nearly 30 years. Would definitely like to visit again to experience the food and the wildlife. I don’t remember seeing beaver tails though! Thanks for sharing your travels and food
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Thanks, Janine – The original Beaver Tail pastries have been around since 1978, but I am not sure how long they have been in Banff. Prior to that, they were made by our grandmothers and called different names depending on nationality (my Grandma called them ‘nothings”). If you get a chance to visit Banff again, I believe that you will notice many, many changes!
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Hi
Wow – you have been busy having a good ol’ time! When we visited my MIL in December – we dined out the whole trio and then when we got back home it was like I wa in habit of going out – and had wind down from that – did you feel that too?
The food looks so good and a beaver tail is a good name for a pastry
–
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Thanks, Yvette – We were lucky to always have had accommodations with kitchens, so we (gratefully) made most of our own meals. You are absolutely right – that’s still not the same as cooking at home. Now that we are back in our own house, I’ve delighted to return to our normal eating habits!
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Oh it is so helpful to have places with the kitchen area
And how Fun to have that long if an adventure
☀️😊
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Thanks, Yvette – For each portion of this trip (Kelowna, Banff, Edmonton) we were in Home Exchanges. As a big part of this trip was responding to a family emergency, the Home Exchanges gave us much appreciated flexibiity, space and peace of mind!
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That sounds like a lot of fun time away from home this summer, Donna. Great to hear you’ve been enjoying many a meal. I hope you enjoyed that marshmallow donut. It looks so good and real on the screen, like I want to reach out and grab it. Food with a local feel always tends to be so much more appetising and so lovely of them to accommodate Charling’s request for salad instead of fries, and a very generous serving of salad too. Wonderful captures along the way. Good meals and good walks with scenery go hand in hand. Hope you are enjoying your summer 🙂
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Hi, Mabel – Thank you so much for stopping by. That marshmalllow donut belonged to my son. He saved it for later and I keep forgetting to ask him how he liked it. I have now added that to my ‘to ask’ list! 😀 I hope your July is going well. I can’t believe that it is almost August!
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I hope you get to ask your son how was the marshmallow donut. It really looked good. And as I type this, tomorrow will be August. Time does go by. Enjoy the rest of your summer, Donna 🙂
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Thanks, Mabel – I will be speaking to my son within the next two days for his birthday. I will definitely ask then!
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One of the highlights (no surprise here, I think) of travelling & vacations is the very different eating that happens. So much excitement in this quarter! We also love to stay at places which offer a home-cooking option should we choose (that quesadilla looks mighty delicious!) But that marshmallow donut captured all my attention and hasn’t let go!
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Hi, Ju-Lyn – You and my youngest son (who currently lives in HK but did previously live in Singapore) must be kindred-spirit-eaters. That was his donut and his homemade quesadilla. Thank you so much for dropping by. Your comments always make me smile!
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Wow! You have a very close connection to Singapore (I went to high school in HK – although it must be such a different place now)! There are some things I miss very much from my college days in Texas … donuts & anything remotely Tex-mex rank high!
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I love that you love donuts. Any friend of donuts is definitely a friend of mine!
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