Sweet : Tiny Bites

My mother-in-law’s recipe for Winnipeg Folk Fest cookies

3 Comments Karen HamiltonJuly 26, 2009

My mother-in-law in Winnipeg is an amazing cook, and I am so thankful that she shares her recipe trove with her family and friends. One of my favourite cookies that she makes in the summer is her Winnipeg Folk Fest cookies, so named for the music and hempy festival that occurs in the city around this time of year.

As she says, “These are not the official cookies of the Winnipeg Folk Fest, but they are so wholesome and hippy-like that they should be!”

I baked a batch of these to share with our fellow Blogathoners at The Workspace, and another batch will be made for the Tiny Bites Grand Prize (that you might win if you donate before 6am!)

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flax
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup grated coconut

Directions

Mix butter with sugars.
Add eggs, water & vanilla and mix well.
Add all the dry ingredients and stir.
Chill dough for 30 minutes.
Drop by the spoonful onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 350F for 12–15 minutes.

When done, they should be lightly browned and firm to the touch. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Giveaway alert!

Another unannounced giveaway for all you generous Blogathon 2009 donors. Please give a round of applause for Jason L., who has won a batch of these Winnipeg Folk Fest cookies, made with love by yours truly.

It’s not too late to get in your donation to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and for the last 2 prizes left to draw: the $450 Tiny Bites Grand Prize and the Top Donor dinner for 2, traipsing through the culinary excellence of Blue Water Cafe, CinCin, and West!

Categories: Blogathon 2009, Blogging for Social Change, Dessert, Food, Recipes, Sweet

Rogers’ Chocolates Soda Shoppe and days of yore

1 Comment Bruce NguyenJuly 25, 2009

Located in prime tourist real estate at the base of Government Street, approaching Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Roger’s Chocolate Soda Shoppe has set up shop.

The layout is split into two physically separated areas, soft serve ice-cream sundaes in the larger corner space, and hard, scooped ice cream in the smaller adjoining space. Also served are ice cream floats, malts, cookie ice cream sandwiches, splits, and a host of other related treats.

The store sign itself promotes “Olde Fashioned Ice Cream Concoctions” and I haven’t quite made up my mind whether the interior décor is ironic, an avant garde take on retro, or just confused. Old time charm is attempted to be blended with modern design ethics; LCD screen menus are side-by-side with stained glass light fixtures and signs in “Olde English” at the same time that wooden accents merge into bold granite fixtures. Although I have to admit, I am a fan of the uniforms. It’s the hat that does it, really.

I tried one of the more conservative sundaes on their menu. Yes, the drooling beast in the image below would be considered conservative in terms of number of toppings – vanilla soft serve ice cream rimmed with nuts, a Rogers’ chocolate medalion, and finished with caramel, whipped cream, and a marachino cherry.

My favourite part of the sundae was actually the nuts. But I’m an odd fellow who claims his tongue is abnormally full of too many sweet receptors. It wasn’t until after I was happily crunching on my sundae toppings that I noticed a sign advertising cookie ice cream sandwiches. That’s one childhood indulgence that has stayed with me all these years.

Looks like I’m going to have to make another trip to ye olde soda shoppe sooneth.

Rogers’ Chocolates Soda Shoppe
801 Government Street | Victoria
(250) 382-4249
Official Facebook Page

Categories: Beyond Vancouver, Blogathon 2009, Blogging for Social Change, Dessert, Food, Restaurants, Sweet, Vancouver Island, Victoria

Hotel surprise treats

1 Comment Bruce NguyenJuly 25, 2009

As a traveling business technology consultant, I find myself on the road more often than at home. This leads to continuous nights of dining out. If you’re a road warrior, why should you make nice with the hotel staff?

Aside from it being the gracious thing to do, you may also be treated to surprise items like this:

I’m known for an inherent lack of a sweet tooth, but that’s not quite accurate. My sweet tooth is just long lasting. And after this, I was good for a month.

Before you ask, no, I didn’t end up spending my birthday in the hotel. I was only there the day before.

My actual birthday was spent at the dentist!