Family, Food, Friendship, Gratitude, Vancouver Island

What’s On Your Plate – July 2024?

Retirement Reflections

My July was filled with family, friendship, travel and food. Lots and lots of food!

There was time with family and friends in Kelowna. There was a family reunion, my stepfather’s 89th birthday celebration and quick meetups with long-time friends. We even snuck in two of our favourite Kelowna breakfast restaurants, OEB and Coras. Our Reiswig-Wageman reunion took place in Reiswig Park in Lake Country, BC. How cool is that?

From there, we travelled to Seattle to meet long-time friends from Beijing. We took a walk together in Carkeek Park, followed by dinner at Five. I highly recommend both. Later, on our own, we reexplored downtown Seattle and accidentally discovered Bikini Baristas. Seriously, who knew that was a thing? On the upside, the latte was one of the best-tasting that I have ever had.

Finally, back on Vancouver Island, it was time to celebrate Deb’s 65th birthday. Thus, another car ride, this time to Victoria, to visit Butchart Gardens and enjoy High Tea. If you are ever in Victoria, BC, the gardens and the High Tea are a must-not-miss. Oh, and while in Victoria, I added yet another library card to my growing collection. I’ll talk more about that in my next post.

These food pics were also on my camera roll for July. They include Spanakopita, which I recently made from a recipe shared by fellow blogger, Hilary @ Positive Letters. Hilary kindly individually typed her recipe for me (a bit like this version). Hilary recommends using Swiss Chard instead of flimsier spinach (and frozen instead of fresh), plain yellow onion instead of green onions and different cheeses in varying amounts depending on what you have on hand. Most importantly, when working with the filo dough, she says to ‘just get on with it,’ which I found to be excellent advice. Also included in this photo set are: Canada Day appetizers, pancake breakfast at our local Farmer’s Market, our eldest son’s company barbecue, and DeDutch Restaurant in Vancouver (another breakfast fav)!

What’s been on your plate this past month? My cohost, Deb, and I would love for you to join us.

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Published by Retirement Reflections

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.

90 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate – July 2024?”

  3. All absolutely delicious Donna – nothing beats family, friends, and good food – you ticked all three boxes. Lucky you walk so much to burn off all those calories – and I loved how you photo collaged each grouping too.

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  4. Hi Donna – lots of fun events you had during this past month … I totally agree re Butchart Gardens – an amazing place to visit, as too teas galore; then the Spanokopita – thanks for including this … I’ll be making some for myself soon! Take care and I do congratulate your stepfather on his 89th … a great age to attain … take care and enjoy those type of days. Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi, Laurie – I think that August will be a different kind of busy — with nonstop visiting from friends and family. But, with us not leaving the Island for the first time in 2024! Janis (RetirementallyChallenged) is here now, Kathy (Smart Living) is arriving soon and Mona (regular commenter on this blog was also on the Island today and I finally got to meet her in person). So a different kind of busy, but all very positive! I hope that all is well there.

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  11. That sounds like such a fun and delicious month! I find our months are always filled with food too; this month we had a lot of farm fresh veggies to use each week.

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  13. Very cool about having the reunion in a park with the same family name! July looks like it was absolutely delicious and I can vouch for the deliciousness of at least 2 of those meals 😁. Here’s hoping August can live up to July 💕.

    Deb

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    1. Thanks, Deb – I thought that having the Reiswig-Wageman family reunion in Reiswig Park (not far from Wageman Road) was very, very cool too! I’m grateful that we have had such great meals (and great times) together and look forward to further great meals/times ahead! ❤

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    1. Thanks, Janis – I can’t believe that I forgot to take photos with all of us and Mona today. As I just replied back to Anabel, that’s definitely a sign of a good time when you are too engaged to remember photos. ❤
      I’m greatly looking forward to the festivities ahead!

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  22. I would not like bikini baristas, not even for the feminist thing, just hygiene. I really want people around my food clothed….we had a guy in a low cut under the arm singlet serve us in a brewery and I could see a bit of chest hair sticking out and it made me inspect my plate so carefullly….ha!

    But enough about my neurosis. Sounds like you had a lovely trip! Ha!

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      1. Your first comment made me laugh out loud and your second comment made me laugh even harder. I went on a few online rabbit hole dives. Several regularly clothed baristas said that they are constantly being burned on the jobs by hot liquids and hot appliances and NO WAY would they prepare coffee without protective clothing. Ouch! 😀

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      2. Great point. I just looked it up and the only dress code law that I could find regarding Bikini Baristas was that the owners/managers “require workers to cover minimum body areas with opaque material.” The baristas we saw were wearing g-strings and pasties. (no lie). Good grief!

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  24. Family events are always such catalysts for big, special meals! But I’m always glad when someone else does the cooking! The Spanakopita sounds amazing! I can actually join you on Sunday with a plateful of Napolitano-inspired food!

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  25. Hi Donna, Family, friends, food and some travel are among my favourites 🙂 Your post made me want to fly to Vancouver Island. My most recent eating out in July was pizza at La Vecchia Signora in Copenhagen. It was delicious. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  26. G-strings and Pasties…say it ain’t so! Donna, I love the collages and all the fun and food you shared with us. Buchart Gardens is amazing, and I hope I can work in another visit. Like you, I find I devote more time to pictures than writing, but pictures tell a great story. Have a fabulous weekend. Joe

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    1. It was definitely so! But the girls were absolutely lovely…and even offered us a discount (15USD for 2 smalll coffees instead of $20) because they immediately realized we had not not planned to go to a bikini barista stop. Butchart Gardens is beautiful. I hope that your travels take you and Helen out this way again!

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  31. Hi – well that is a pretty big deal to say the best latte ever – wow
    and for me – the best espresso I ever had was in the 1990’s in Ontario Canada – funny to still recall it – but they had the perfect coffee and the lemon twist added so much. I mostly only drink coffee and “grassmilk” these days – I had a lavender latte in the spring and it was too sweet
    —
    cheers to all the wonderful food you had on your fun travels and happy 89th and 65th birthdays to the f0lks you know

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  32. I know, right? But honestly, the latte made for me by the barely-dressed barista was the best tasting latte that I ever remember having. What city in Ontario did you have your favourite espresso? I’m from Windsor, but have also lived in Ottawa, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Mildmay, Kitchener and Tecumseh. 😀

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  34. What a spectacular month of celebrations with friends and delightful eating! Vibrant colours, and all that love!

    Was just speaking with a friend about the Camino the other day, and I told them about you and the many adventures you’ve had on this trail.

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    1. Hi, Ju-Lyn – Could you feel the synergy? I was speaking to a friend (Janis from RetirementallyChallenged) about the Camino when this comment popped up on my phone. I love how things like this frequently happen in our little corner of the blogging world. ❤

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  35. It does sound like a wonderful July with family, friends, travel and food. You did go places and always lovely to catch up with friends when they are in town. Breakfast restaurants and pancakes sound like a treat, and so did spending time outdoors in Reiswig Park.

    This month I’ve been experimenting different minced meats cooking pasta Bolognese, which I feel is perfect for our cooler winter months in Australia. Though I do like pasta all year round. Enjoy the rest of your Summer, Donna.

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  36. Hi Donna – I am seeing Spanakopita everywhere lately! I’ve never tasted it, but I remember my mother made it once for a dinner party. She was really stressed about making it and at one point was afraid she used a nearby tissue as part of the pastry! She found the tissue later, so phew!

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    1. Hi, Barbara – This is such a fun story about your memory of your mom making spanakopita. I totally get how you could mistake tissue paper for the filo dough sheets. They are incredible thin, fragile, dry out super quickly and often have thin sheets of paper separating them – which in itself is very confusing! D

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      1. Haha – I remember that night so well because it was late and my mother was really tired and a little fed up. I’m not sure why she decided to make spanakopita – seemed complicated!

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