A New Direction

Well, it has been a while since my last blog post and a few things have changed in my life. I was blessed to have returned to my amazing job at the BC Wine Institute for about 10 months before going on maternity leave once again last month as we welcomed our second little boy at the beginning of April. 

With the arrival of my new little man, I am going to try (hopefully I'll do better than I have over the past year) to blog more regularly and the content will not only include my love for wine and the BC wine industry, but also about my boys and the joys and challenges of having 2 under 2. 

Right now, I am fortunate that my big man (L) is still in full-time daycare so that little man (C) and I have been able to have some wonderful one-on-one time. Starting next month, L will be home 3 days a week with us and I'm excited and nervous for the increased activity level that my busy toddler will bring. For now, I'm spending lots of time researching various activities to keep him engaged and active (in the hopes that I won't spend my entire day playing hockey) and have found some amazing resources, including Toddler Approved and Growing a Jeweled Rose. I also love the Weelicious site for providing wonderful, healthy recipe ideas. 

Cheers to all the wonderful wino and mom adventures that await!

A Good Reason to Run

Kelowna is already home to over 25 wineries and numerous renowned wine & food events (including the Canadian Culinary Championships coming up in February), and now a new half marathon will have people experiencing Okanagan wine country in a whole new way.

On Saturday, September 7 Destination Races presents the inaugural Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon. Destination Races motto is 'Cool Races in Beautiful Places' and Kelowna's races promises to be exactly that as participants (novice and experienced runners alike) along a scenic tour of East Kelowna wineries, with stunning views of Okanagan Lake, ending in downtown's beautiful Waterfront Park. Activities, including a post-race concert will be planned all weekend so bring your family and friends to experience this one-of-a-kind adventure.

Destination Race parnters with a variety of national, regional and local charity and non-profit organizations each year. The Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon is being supported by the YMCA of the Okanagan as the primary volunteer provider and the event will support theYMCA Strong Kids Campaign that gives kids the opportunity to live happier, healthier lives.

For more information on the race or to register for the inaugural Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon, visit http://destinationraces.com/runbc/.

Cheers,
Lindsay

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! As we’re entering a new year I wanted to take some time to reflect on 2012 and what an amazing year it was for my family.

I have always been a very lucky gal, blessed with a wonderful family, great friends, wonderful husband and a great job, but this year brought new meaning to my life. In June, we welcomed our amazing little man into this world and he is truly the best thing that has ever happened to us. I feel very fortunate to live where we live as well where I have the opportunity to take a full year maternity leave and spend my days with my little love.

Prior to starting my maternity leave, I was nervous to leave my day job and not “work”. As for many people, work is a defining part of who you are and I am no different. It is amazing how quickly I switched gears once little man arrived. Now, I consider myself to be a more rounded, fulfilled person and I believe that this will be a great benefit when I return to the BCWI in June of this year. Until then, I will continue to live life to the fullest at home with little man and enjoy every giggle, every hug, every smile and all of the wonderful firsts that I get to witness.

Prior to life as a mom, I always had a passion for cooking and baking and now I get to spend more time honing these skills. One of my resolutions for 2013 is to get out of our culinary rut and try at least one new recipe a week. I will try to post each recipe (and the results) that we try as well as some of my favourites.

Cheers!

This Week’s Recipe: Indonesian Chicken in Peanut Sauce

(adapted from Canadian Living | The Slow Cooker Collection)

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I also used 1 breast)

5 carrots, sliced

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup smooth peanut butter

½ tsp ginger, minced

¼ cup soy sauce

½ Tbsp hot sauce

1 ½ cups frozen peas

1 tsp white wine vinegar

•  Place chicken, carrots, onions and garlic in slow cooker
•  In a small bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cups water with peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger and hot sauce. Pour into slow cooker and stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
• Add peas and vinegar. Cover and cook on high until steaming hot, about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice and top with your choice of peanuts (or sesame seeds) and chopped basil. Enjoy!

Potential pairing: Quails’ Gate Gewürztraminer or Baillie-Grohman Pinot Gris 

Back to Blogging with some Power Granola

It's been a while since my last post. Unfortunately, when life gets busy, the blog is typically the first thing I neglect. Now, back to regularly scheduled blogging...

Over the past year, there have been many changes in  my life. Most notably, I became a mother to an absolutely perfect little boy, Lucas Gordon Kelm. Lucas was born on June 25, 2012 and I am so lucky and proud to be his mom. He amazes me everyday : )

I've slowly been getting back to life as usual over the past 10 weeks including the occasional glass of wine and some lovely dinners with friends and colleagues. Although I do love those indulgences, I also have to keep on track to get the 20 lbs of baby weight off. One of my favourite go-to recipes for a healthy, quick breakfast or snack is Power Granola. For breakfast, simply add some milk or yogurt (I like using Greek yogurt) and/or fresh fruit and it will keep you full for hours!

Power Granola
(adapted from Cooking Light's original recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups regular oats
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup ground chia seed
1/2 cup almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation


Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. 

Combine orange juice, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in oil and vanilla.

Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to coat. Spread mixture in a thin layer onto a sheet pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 10 minutes; stir well. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and enjoy! 

Note: Store cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Cheers! 

Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in BC Wines

The Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in BC Wines were announced earlier today. This is truly one of the stiffest competitions of the year for the Wines of BC as over 300 wines from 83 wineries across the province were submitted, and only 11 receive the prestigious awards.

Painted Rock Estate Winery

Last year, I had the pleasure of joining Their Honours, the Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, and Mrs. Gwen Point and the distinguished Consular Corps members as they presented these awards to wineries throughout the Okanagan. I am very fortunate to be a part of such an amazing industry. Watching Their Honours and the Vice-Regal party discover a few of our wineries for the first time was truly inspiring; each visit offered a new, unique experience for Their Honours and their guests and the journey was truly one of those precious moments where I felt truly blessed and proud to work with such amazing people in such a beautiful province!

I know there are many consumers just like me who take a lot of pride in our local wine industry. The growth that the BC wine industry has seen in he past 20 years is astonishing, going from a mere 17 wineries in 1990 to over 220 today! Take some time to celebrate your local vintners this summer and toast the 2011 Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in BC Wines recipients:

Howling Bluff Estate Winery
2009 Pinot Noir

Laughing Stock Vineyards
2010 Pinot Gris

Mt. Lehman Winery
2009 Viognier Reserve

Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery
2008 Syrah

Red Rooster Winery
2008 Meritage

Sandhill Wines
2009 Small Lots Syrah

St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery
2009 Dry Riesling

Stoneboat Vineyards
2009 Pinot Noir

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
2006 Steller's Jay Brut

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery
2010 Rosé

Wild Goose Vineyards and Winery
2010 Mystic River Pinot Blanc

Cheers!

Kelowna-Area Wineries Unveil 5 Trails (via Tourism Kelowna)

What an exciting new development for wine-lovers in Kelowna! Tourism Kelowna sent out a media release today unveiling 5 new Wine Trails. Happy Touring! For Immediate Release April 29, 2011 Kelowna-Area Wineries Unveil 5 Trails They are the pioneer wineries of the BC wine industry. They trailblazed the Okanagan Valley wine brand, bringing home the valley’s first international awards. They became landmarks for the wine tourism experience in the region, and now they’ve launched a destination wine touring experience along with their neighbours that will redefine why Kelowna is “Ripe with Surprises.” Indeed, the area’s wineries together with Tourism Kelowna are promoting five distinct wine trails between Lake Country and West Kelowna, rich in both history and cutting-edge spirit, each with a big personality to match. “The Kelowna area has always been historically significant to the BC wine industry and to the Okanagan in general as its wineries were among the first to be established and it’s widely recognized as the birthplace of BC Wine,” says Nancy Cameron, President and CEO of Tourism Kelowna. “We knew that we had to repackage the wine experience in our destination in order to raise the awareness around the scope and quality of wine touring and further build tourism revenues for the wineries and hospitality businesses,” she adds. The marketing initiative includes a new Kelowna Wine Trails brochure and upcoming Smart Phone App, both of which group wineries in trails with others in their geographic proximity, and provide a taste of what visitors can learn at each winery, beckoning them to visit. The 18-page “conversation-starting” guide allows visitors to get a glimpse of the people behind each of the 20 participating wineries, creating an instant personal connection and enhancing visitor experiences on each trail.  Gray Monk Estate Winery  in Lake Country  The five trails include the Scenic Sip of Lake Country (Ancient Hills Winery, Arrowleaf Winery, Ex Nihilo, and Gray Monk Estate); the East Kelowna Wine Trail (The View Winery, SpierHead Winery, Vibrant Vines, Camelot Vineyards, and House of Rose); the Lakeshore Wine Route (Tantalus Winery, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, St. Hubertus, and CedarCreek Estate Winery); the Westside Wine Trail (Mission Hill Family Estate, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Little Straw, Volcanic Hills, Mount Boucherie, and Kalala Vineyards); and the Heritage Downtown Visit featuring Calona Wines (BC’s oldest commercial winery), and tying in nicely to the Cultural District and Museums. “Each of our wineries offers a unique and appealing experience….no two are alike,” says Jane Hatch, General Manager of Tantalus Winery. “We want to shine the spotlight on the distinct personalities of each winery and engage with visitors on a variety of levels. There are 5 wine trails right at your hotel doorstep, each easily enjoyed in a day with enough room to spare for leisurely winery dining and shopping along the way. It’s a wonderful  surprise to find that within such close proximity to the city, there are vast tracks of vineyard and farm land, lake views, and an earthiness usually reserved for remote places. All these things set wine touring in Kelowna apart from other wine destinations, and we’d like to celebrate that with our visitors.” Wine Trail brochures are available now at the Kelowna Visitor Centre at 544 Harvey Ave and the Airport Info Kiosk, as well as area wineries and select businesses. Stop by to pick up your complimentary copy, and enjoy the trails. As a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), Tourism Kelowna invests in advertising, promotion, and sales strategies that build consumer demand for the destination resulting in increased visitation and spending. It also operates the Visitor Centres of Harvey Avenue at Ellis Street and of the Kelowna International Airport.

-30- For more information, to request a brochure, or for interview arrangements please call: Catherine Frechette, Media Relations Manager, Tourism Kelowna Tel: (250) 861-1515 ext. 203, E-mail: Catherine@tourismkelowna.com

Okanagan Spring Wine Festival

It's an exciting weekend in the Okanagan, the start of the Spring Wine Festival! 

The festival is really the unofficial kick-off to the tourist season, there are over 120 events happening between April 28 and May 8. In my former life, this meant coordinating and working numerous events and not truly taking the time to enjoy the festival. Although I really enjoyed working the events (and truth-be-told, I miss that side of the business), there is something to be said about taking the festival guide and having the freedom to choose any events that catch your eye!

This weekend I will be sampling the latest spring releases at the West Jet Wine Tasting and heading South for some long-overdue winery visits including a stop at Meyer Family Vineyards to see the new tasting room.

If you are in the Okanagan at all over the next couple weeks, be sure to visit http://www.thewinefestivals.com/ to plan your wine route!

Cheers!