Tacomio – Take Out

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I had been seeing birria tacos all over my instagram and my mouth watered every time I saw them.  Tonight, I didn’t feel like cooking and thought it was the perfect night to try them.  I did a search on uber eats and came across Tacomio.  I ordered the quesabirrias and my husband got the quesadillas.  We also ordered the house made chips and a couple sides of guacamole.

I loved the presentation of the food.  The quesadilla presentation was especially impressive.  It arrived in it’s own box with little containers of salsa and sour cream fit into the box.

The quessabirrias were ahhh-mazing!  Oh my goodness, sooo delicious.  The tacos are filled with shredded beef stew and melted cheese, you dip it into a consomé before eating.  The combination of these flavors are just an explosion in your mouth.  So good!  I loved the guac as well.  For me the lemon was prevalent in the guacamole, but in the best way.  My husband said “so good” several times while chowing down on his quesadillas. He was happy with the generous portion size as well.

We were so impressed with the food that while we were eating we were talking about when we would be able to head over to Tacomio to try more menu items.  That day can’t come soon enough.

Update:  Since this review was written, we’ve ordered Taco Mio again.  This time I went for the Supreme Birria.  This is a giant wrap folded following the viral tortilla challenge.  It’s packed with everything that is in the birria tacos, but adds the addition  of pinto beans and corn crisps.  It is also served with a consomé.  It was yummy and ginormous.  I think I personally prefer the birria tacos more, but still pretty freakin delicious!

https://tacomio.ca/

Gnooda, the keto pasta

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I came across the website for Gnooda pasta and I was instantly intrigued.

Gnooda is a keto pasta that is only 3g of net carbs per serving.  They are made out of lupin flour.  They are low carb and gluten free.  Judging from the photographs, it was the most pasta looking keto pasta I had seen.  The shape is called “radiatore” because they looked like mini radiators.

I decided to put in an order.  One order comes as a 4 pack.  The cost (as most keto items) is a bit on the pricey side.  $40 American for the pack of 4.  They do state on the website that it is artisanal so I guess that’s what you’re paying for.

My order did not arrive.  I reached out to the company several weeks after I put my order in and they said it should have arrived by now and re-sent my order.

When my package came it was a lot smaller than I imagined it would be at the time of my purchase.  I wasn’t sure if it would expand like regular pasta so I wondered how far these small packages would take me.

I’ve since cooked three packages of the pasta.  Things I noticed:

  • when you boil it, the water you boil it in turns yellow;
  • it does expand, one package goes a long way;
  • it’s easy to prepare – just like regular pasta.

Obviously, on it’s own it doesn’t taste exactly like wheat pasta, but the texture is great (al dente) and it takes on the flavors of your sauce pretty well.  For me, this is the closest thing to real wheat pasta I’ve found so far in the keto department.  Even my husband (who isn’t on the keto diet) thought the pasta dishes I made were delicious and could definitely pass for traditional pasta.

https://gnooda.com/

Grotto Spa

By in Beauty and Pampering, Local Getaways, Parksville No Comments Tags: , , ,

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Grotto Spa has been voted #1 Spa in Canada.  I  decided I needed to go check it out for myself.  My husband and I headed over to Parksville for a summer weekend away and booked a couples massage at the spa.

Upon arrival we were greeted, then escorted to the locker rooms (his and hers).  The women’s locker room was equipped with hand lotion, q-tips and so on, but my husband noted that the men’s locker room did not offer as many amenities.  We locked up our items and got into our robes and were instructed to proceed to the lounge where we helped ourselves to beverages and fruit.

When it was time for our massage, we were led to this big beautiful room with a bathtub and a fireplace.

My massage was just okay.  I asked for an increase in pressure maybe 3 times.  My husband thought his massage was fine.  I’ve heard him describe massages with a bit more enthusiasm in the past, so I think although it was good it just didn’t stand out for him.

We then went over to the grotto/pool area.  It is pretty nice, although maybe a bit small.

Although I had a nice time overall, I’ve been to many spas in Canada that were quite far above this one.  I was actually disappointed because I was expecting to be blown out of the water, but I wasn’t.

If you’re in the Parksville area, it is a great way to spend the day, but maybe don’t go in with sky high expectations like I did.

https://grottospa.com/

Disclaimer:  Please note that our visit was before the pandemic.  Spa experience may have changed since then.

Chicken World

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Chicken World recently opened a location on Denman Street in Vancouver.  My family frequents the Surrey location so I had heard about them before, but hadn’t tried it myself.  On an evening where neither my husband Chris or I felt like cooking, we decided to head over to Chicken World and try many different items from their menu.  They have quite a large selection of items that they offer.

We ordered Nashville Billo Burger combos (spicy for me and mild for Chris), an order of chicken nuggets, 5 piece fried chicken, arabian rice, jalapeno poppers and gravy.  Here are our thoughts:

  • Nashville Billo Burger – I liked it and will definitely order this again.  I liked the combination of flavors and the kick.  Chris thought his burger was good, but he didn’t feel it was something that stood out.
  • French fries and gravy – Golden, crispy fries and a dark, flavorful gravy.  Yum!
  • Chicken Nuggets – I did not like the nuggets.  I could not finish them and ate only one whole and a bite of another.  I felt they had a bit of an after taste that I could not explain.  I did eat them later on and needed to re-heat them so I don’t know if that played a part in it.
  • Fried chicken – These were good.  Crispy and not very greasy.  Better than your neighborhood KFC.
  • Arabian Rice – You don’t often get rice as an option on a fast food menu.  I enjoyed the rice and will be getting it again.
  • Jalapeno Poppers – Really delicious, especially if you enjoy spicy food like I do.  On the Chicken World Instagram account, I saw a photo of the jalapeno poppers being dunked into a sauce and I wonder what the sauce was as one wasn’t included in the order.  These were good without the sauce though.

I noticed that there was a poster on the counter that Chicken World feeds the needy on Fridays.  I asked about it further and learned that Chicken World opens their doors to any needy or homeless person that comes in on a Friday and provides them with a free meal.  I think this is absolutely amazing and I commend them.

A few days after my first visit to Chicken World, I went back to my usual (or more often) low carb eating style.  I decided to re-visit Chicken World to see if I could find options that would work for me.  I ordered their peri-peri chicken and the coleslaw.

  • The Peri-Peri Chicken – Omg, yummy!  This is my favorite dish from this restaurant!  Love it and I will be getting it again and again and again.
  • Coleslaw – Nothing unique or different.  If you like coleslaw, you’ll like it.

Also this deserves a mention – during my second visit, the young girl behind the counter also asked me if I’d like some indian chai while I wait for my food.  I declined, but I loved that!  Never had that happen at a fast food joint before.  I’ll definitely be coming back.

https://www.chickenworldcanada.com/

 

 

Cin City Donuts

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Last night, my husband Chris and I headed over to Cin City Donuts to try some of the items on their menu.

You know those delicious mini cinnamon donuts from the PNE?  This is the new brick and mortar that they opened last year.  Those donuts take me back to summers in Vancouver.  You couldn’t leave the PNE without snatching some up!  They were a must!

When you walk through the door of Cin City Donuts, the first thing that hits you is that nostalgic smell of deliciousness.  I stood at the door for a moment to take it all in.  This place is so super cute!  I got massive carnival vibes with the the wall art and the pretty twinkling string lights hanging from the ceiling.  The store is clean, new and fresh. In the center is the ordering counter with the menu board behind the cash register.  We were greeted by some friendly masked faces and tons of enthusiasm.

We put in our orders and got to watch as they were being made in the donut machine/maker.  Very cool!

We opted to try two of their gourmet options.  We went with the funfetti celebration (sprinkles!!) and the deep fried oreo donuts.  The presentation is unmatched!

  • Funfetti Celebration – Donuts topped with vanilla frosting and covered in fun and colorful sprinkles and a tiny donut candle.  I oohed and aahed when I got it.  It is the cutest!  It is also majorly instagrammable!  I was already impressed, but then I tried it and ohhh ehhhm geee, I died and went to heaven.  The donuts were warm and soft. I’m a frosting girl (looove it),  I dipped the donuts in every last bit of frosting there was until it was all gone.  I had read somewhere that it reminded someone of dunkaroos, and I second that.  This is my favorite.
  • Deep Fried Oreos – Oreos covered in the mini donut batter, then fried and topped with chocolate sauce and icing sugar.  The combo of the warm donut with the oreo inside was absolutely delectable.  Just when you thought Oreos couldn’t get any better, along comes Cin City Donuts.  It was yummy!  This was Chris’ favorite of the night.

Beyond their gourmet items that we tried, the menu has tons of other carnival favorites like bags of the cinnamon donuts we know and love, hot dogs, lemonade and cotton candy.

We had a chance to sit and chat with the owner, Layla.  She is a bundle of positive energy and we both enjoyed chatting with her.  We got to learn a bit of the history behind the store and how it came to be.

Another bonus to Cin City Donuts is that it’s located in Mount Pleasant next to AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint.  How perfect!  I mean, what sounds better than Pizza and Donuts?!

This is one of my new favorite places for sure!  I definitely recommend that you try them out!  You will love it!

https://cincityvancity.com/

Thank you to Cin City Donuts for inviting me to taste some of your items.

Stay tuned for your chance to win some delicious treats from Cin City Donuts.  Details to come on my instagram page (@getsprinkled) and/or my giveaways page.

 

Think! Keto Protein Bar

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This is a protein bar that I love to have on hand when I’m in the midst of the ketogenic diet.  It has 10 grams of proten, 4 net carbs, and 2 grams of sugar with no artificial sweeteners.  It reminds me of a cross between a peanut butter cup and wafers.  It has a bit of crunch which I love.  I think of it as a treat and often will devour it alongside a cup of tea.

I purchase them from https://naturamarket.ca/

The Little Charcuterie

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I received the Valentine’s Box from The Little Charcuterie as a giveaway win.

The Little Charcuterie is a new local business that started in December.  They offer several different types and sizes of charcuterie boards and delivery for an additional fee.  The one I received was a Valentine’s Day promo box that retailed for $75.00.

I loved the presentation of the box.  It was wrapped with a cute pink bow.  The charcuterie itself was laid out so beautifully.  Some stand outs for me were small bottle of rosé right in the center of the box, two salami roses, the cutest little bottle of jam, the chocolate covered strawberries, the teeny tiny brie, and the heart cookies with cheesy sayings on them.  Simply gorgeous.

Everything tasted amazing also.  I was obsessed with the jam.  I’ve never had a sweet jam with chili flakes in it and this was soo good!  Topped my cracker with some jam and brie – so yummy!  I love the variety that the box offered.  This was such a nice Valentine’s Day treat.

I definitely will be ordering future boxes from The Little Charcuterie.

https://www.thelittlecharcuterie.com/

 

Rumble Boxing

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I received a direct message from Rumble Boxing offering me a free personal training session.  I decided to take them up on it and took my bubble of four along with me.

The facility has a really modern and cool look to it – funky boxing bags in the window, lit up signs inside and a message wall.  There was also a giant ring in the gym.

The gym was also very clean.  They seem to be very conscientious with their covid protocols.  We did do our work-out masked, there were hand sanitzer stations and tape on the ground to prevent overcrowding.

Upon arrival, we were provided with boxing gloves to use, but were told we needed to purchase wraps.  I do wish that I was advised of this before we arrived.  Some of us were first timers and had to make the decision to purchase the wraps ($15) when we weren’t yet certain if this was something we would ever do again.

The trainers that we had were Vince and Erwin.  They were friendly and easy-going.  I felt a bit nervous before getting there and I instantly felt at ease around them.  They helped us with our wraps and got us started by teaching us some boxing fundamentals.  We practiced basic punching combinations with pads and eventually moved to the punching bags, which was my favorite.

Our session lasted about forty minutes or so.  I was sold.  It was a good way to get your work out in, but also release stress and tension.  I also had tons of fun!  When it was over, I felt like I definitely wanted to do it again.  My husband and I bought a pack of sessions and I cannot wait to go back!

I would highly recommend you try them out and your first session is free!

https://rumbleboxing.com/

 

Papi’s Oyster Bar – Dine Out Vancouver

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Tonight my husband, my mother-in-law and I headed over to Papi’s Oyster Bar to enjoy Dine Out Vancouver and have a little belated birthday dinner for me.

I had made reservations online.  The time that I wanted wasn’t available (5:30 p.m.), the first time available online for three people was at 6:15 p.m. which we booked.  We ended up swinging by at around 5:30 anyhow to see if they could take us in.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that they were able to take us in right away and there were available tables in the restaurant.  I’m really glad that we were able to be seated at our preferred time, but I was a bit puzzled as to why there was not more availability on Open Table.

So first I’ll talk about the amazing.  The service here is top notch.  The staff is personable and attentive.  My mother-in-law had presents for us and they gave us plenty of space to do our thing without interrupting.  Our server had a wonderful personality and great energy.  They added a birthday candle to my dessert and sang a nice little rendition of Happy Birthday along with my family.  They were absolutely fantastic.

First course:

  • rockfish croquettes – crispy on the outside with a mixture of mashed potatoes and rockfish on the inside with tartar sauce.  Loved these.  They were delicious.  I also loved the presentation.
  • white wine mussels with a toasted baguette – this dish was divine!  I love mussels and the broth was flavorful with a perfect piece of buttered toasted baguette to soak up all the yumminess.

Second course:

  • braised short ribs with polenta cake and a rosemary red wine reduction – a little disclaimer:  this was my mother-in-law’s main entree and I did not try it.  Her opinion on the dish was that although it was still good, it did not need as much sauce as it was smothered in as the short ribs were the star of the dish and would shine through perfectly on it’s own.
  • prawn and chorizo linguine with herb tomato sauce served with a toasted baguette – this dish was yummy.  I came here looking for seafood and the prawns in the dish were large and cooked to perfection.  My husband also ordered this dish and we both polished off our plates.

Third course:

  • panna cotta – with choice of raspberry or chocolate sauce.  My mother-in-law and I both opted for the chocolate sauce and my husband went with the raspberry.  The panna cotta was creamy and delightful and we all enjoyed it.

I do want to make a note with the third course.  Two out of three of us actually ordered the crème brûlée, but right before dessert to our dismay, we were told that it was unfortunately not available.  We were disappointed as we both had our hearts set on it.  That being said, in the end we did enjoy the panna cotta, but I still imagine that the crème brûlée would have made my night complete as it is one of my favorites.

Lastly, I want to mention how beautiful the far end of the restaurant is.  I almost didn’t notice it at first, until right before we were leaving.  They have a door that goes through to another room which has a beautiful mural on the wall – just gorgeous.

Although our experience wasn’t perfect on this visit, I feel this is a great restaurant.  I’m looking forward to going back to try their Wednesday Seafood Boil and their fish and chips in the future.

 

Too Good Gourmet Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I received the keto chocolate chip cookies as a part of a gift.  I’d never heard of this brand before and was excited to try them.  Unfortunately, I found there to be a strong after taste.  They were also very soft, not like chewie chocolate chip cookies, but more like an old stale cookie.  I would not recommend these cookies.

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