Food

Black Friday Coffee Talk

Posted on by Josef Havelka

So… I ended up doing Black Friday shopping for an unplanned purchase.

I was up early and about to make myself a cup of hazelnut coffee. As I lifted the glass carafe off the hot plate, it exploded. Shards of glass and scalding hot coffee went all over the place. My pants, our counter and floor were enjoying twelve cups of coffee all at once. After dropping some towels down to soak it up- I hit the road. I didn’t even bother to change my pants. If I wasn’t going to drink the coffee, at least I would enjoy the aroma.

I showed up at Walmart in the pouring rain. No one else was there, but I knew they opened at six. So fifteen minutes prior, I went to the doors. Standing beside the sign for where the lineup began, I realized that Black Friday isn’t really as good as it once was. No big crowds, no lines, nothing. Just before the doors opened only four more people showed up.

I will say, I got a new coffee maker for half price. That’s a win. It’s also nicer than our old one and will be easier to use. Hooray for morning coffee and a good deal.

Déjà Vu All Over Again

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last weekend I experienced déjà vu. Not just a small moment. Everything about the weekend had a sense of me doing it once before. From work, to being at home, even at the bunkhouse in Boston Bar and traveling by train. The crews I worked with had a sense of familiarity and a redo of something once done.

I have had senses like this in the past. I’m not quite sure what to make of the sensation. Could it have been because I had a head cold? Perhaps because my equilibrium was off. Or maybe everything had shifted two inches to the right.

I also thought that I had written a previous blog title déjà vu. But I was wrong. Even though this feels eerily familiar. I’m a bit suspect about this simulation we are in. I’m not sure when it will end. But a software update is necessary. Not ready for a reboot yet. I don’t really want to turn my life off and on.

Am I the only one who experienced this sensation last weekend? Maybe the planets or the moon had something to do with it. Or else I’m just going crazy.

Soup’s On

Posted on by Josef Havelka

There are some days that you just need a warm bowl of soup. I enjoy making a soup stock/bone broth, cutting fresh vegetables, adding some meat and letting it simmer. It produces a warm, hearty flavor and emanates a heavenly smell that fills your home. Such a beautiful thing to enjoy on a cool autumn night.

Sometimes, you need it quickly as well, but don’t have all day. Tonight, I made chicken noodle soup. From a packet inside a box. The smell wasn’t the same as making soup from scratch. But I did have a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup after about ten minutes. I grabbed some plain crackers from the cupboard which I crumbled a handful into my bowl.

It was exactly what I needed tonight. A quick bit of warmth in my belly. Convenient and easy.

Beetlejuice Carving 2022

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This year someone suggested I do a Beetlejuice theme on my pumpkin. Originally I was going to do him from the cartoon with Lydia and the title plate as well. In the end I opted to do the snake version from the original film.

After years of carving pumpkins, I have gotten faster at it. My first intricate pumpkin was a Jack Skellington one that took over 4 hours to complete. Every year I get faster. I am also able to visualize the finish product as I go.

My intensity in pumpkin carving has passed on to my two oldest children. They have also spent hours carving pumpkins. Our middle loves doing anime fandom style. They are busy working on theirs this afternoon as well.

Besides a picture- sometimes I wish there was another way to preserve these art pieces. But they are meant for one night and then they cut up and into breads, soups and pancakes. We don’t just toss them in the trash once Halloween is over.

Do you carve pumpkins? How much time do you invest in doing it? Show me some of your favorites please!

Beetlejuice.

Avoiding Chips

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My wife and I have always been potato chip eaters. Every weekend was a bag or two. When my wife and I first met- she always had a bag of regular Lay’s Potato Chips and Diet Grapefruit soda (Diete Pamplemousse).

Of course we have had other snacks over the years. From charcuterie boards to mozzarella sticks. But chips… man those are pure evil. A bag doesn’t stand a chance once it’s opened.

Today my wife made a snack plate for us. Goat cheese, avocado, pickled peppers, cream cheese, tomatoes in sliced baguette- much healthier choices for us. and very tasty!

I appreciate that my wife made us an afternoon snack. She put in more work than I would have- I mean last weekend I opened a bag of ripple chips and dip. That was the extent of my ability to bring a snack to the table. I think my wife wins in the snack department.

BC Lions

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night I watched my first ever CFL football game in person. In fact, it was my first CFL game ever to watch. We went to BC Place to watch the Lions vs Blue Bombers. Even though I don’t follow sporting events- it was a great evening out with friends.

My wife and I parked about a ten minute walk away from the arena. As we made our way to the event, the sun was setting, creating a beautiful skyline. When we arrived, we ordered some beer and poutine. Our view of the game was right on the sideline, almost center field and in the second row.

The action was so close to us throughout the game that I found myself really getting into it. I cheered and stood up numerous times as I got excited by the plays on the field.

There is something to be said about the energy at a sports event. The crowd and the buzz that goes on. I thoroughly enjoyed our night out and would gladly do it again sometime. The last sports team I need to see play in BC is the soccer team- The Whitecaps. I have already watched hockey, baseball, basketball (when the Grizzlies were here), and now CFL.

Do you enjoy being at a game? Are you more of a hockey fan instead of football? Let me know in the comments.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Not going to spend too much time writing today’s blog entry. I was working all day and rushed home to be with my wife and kids for Thanksgiving Dinner. So I’m hastily writing a quick note to wish everyone some well deserved time with family and friends!

I’m looking forward to our dinner, and it’s almost time for me to carve the turkey. The table is set and we are about to engage in conversations.

Have a great Thanksgiving Weekend everybody! Be sure and enjoy your time with those you love and the food that will be served.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Not going to spend too much time writing today’s blog entry. I was working all day and rushed home to be with my wife and kids for Thanksgiving Dinner. So I’m hastily writing a quick note to wish everyone some well deserved time with family and friends!

I’m looking forward to our dinner, and it’s almost time for me to carve the turkey. The table is set and we are about to engage in conversations.

Have a great Thanksgiving Weekend everybody! Be sure and enjoy your time with those you love and the food that will be served.

Buy The Corn!!!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My wife has been super excited about buying corn this year. She has been mentioning it for weeks on end. There is a small corn stand just a few blocks away from us that we can see from our backyard. There is also a Facebook group devoted to the corn stand. It’s from Bose Farm (which is also the land our home is originally from…)

This morning my wife was up early and watching out the window. She grabbed a pair of binoculars when she saw a car stop. Corn was available! Today was the day to buy corn.

We got out of bed and rushed out to the box of corn. A dozen cobs of farm fresh corn for $5 is well worth the early trip. We will be enjoying it this weekend for Thanksgiving with the family. Yes, I do enjoy corn as well.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can bring us joy. My wife getting that farm fresh corn she wanted is right up there!

Do you like corn on the cob as much as she does? Have you been buying farm fresh corn this season? Let me know in the comments.

Baking For Thanksgiving

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As easy as it would be to go and buy a pie at the store, I find it oddly satisfying to bake my own. Today I baked two pies from scratch- using apples from our own tree.

The tree we have is the sort of tree that has numerous varieties on it. On the west side of the tree are a variety of red apples. On the east side is all the green apples. I ended up picking about twenty apples or so of all the varieties. I was unsure how many I would need.

After peeling a bunch of our green ones, I realized I’d have enough apples for two pies. Good thing the crust I was making from scratch was enough for two pies. I also figured that since I was making such a mess in the kitchen, I may as well bake something else.

After a couple of hours, and using the oven in our basement as well- I created two apple pies and two banana bread loaves. The house smelled heavenly. Now to keep the family away from these goodies until Sunday night dinner! if they are snacking- they can try one of the red apples that I picked but never used for baking.

Doing Things My Wife Will Like

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My wife has taken our son away for another skating meet in Calgary this weekend. And like most times that she is out of town- I GSD. (Get shit done). Like most times when my wife is away, I take on projects out of boredom.

I fixed a rotten board in our deck. This took me a bit as I had to pull up a bunch of boards and remove the handrail. I also had to dig out the old boards that were buried in the dirt- hence why they were rotten. Tomorrow I plan on using some cement against the board in hopes to seal it and keep it sturdy.

I also picked up some flowers and dirt for the flowerbed that I Expanded the other day. With the swimming pool, we are trying to have a contrast of red and yellow flowers. These are perfect as they bloom late summer and required direct sun.

Beyond that, I am working on adding a border to the front garden between our home and the neighbor’s property. I am not quite done as I will need to go get some more stones as I only took what my car could handle. After the border is done, my wife and I will be looking to getting some river rock delivered to cover what was once our lawn. I’m not a fan of grass as I feel it’s a waste of water and energy to keep alive and green. Plants and flowers are so much nicer.

I also plan to get the Halloween decorations out so that our middle can decorate the house and yard. That way when my wife returns- our home will be updated and festive. I know my wife will be happy to see it.

Soda Jerking

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Our son has decided that he wants to create mixed drinks. He has been looking up a variety of recipes online. Not the alcoholic type of beverage mind you. Instead, he wants to make sodas.

So I ended up buying a couple of bottles of flavored syrup for him. As well as some pumps. Then I bought some more that I thought sounded tasty. There’s a couple of flavors in there that may taste good in coffee or hot chocolate this autumn/ winter.

My wife thinks it’s funny that the lime and coconut flavors showed up together. Our son is going to attempt to make some Italian Sodas over the next while. As well as some DisneyLand inspired drinks. I’m looking forward to tasting the concoctions. Perhaps he can be a better jerk than he is most days.

Autumn Equinox 2022

Posted on by Josef Havelka

In the next few minutes summer shall be over and autumn will be upon us. Luckily for us living in the Vancouver area- the daytime weather will be nice and warm for at least another week keeping us in the mid to low 20°C areas. Summer is just not ready to hand over the season lightly.

I for one am glad about this. It means more time with our pool open as the sun beams down. Earlier today, my wife and I went for a swim to try and make the most of this weather.

It also means we will have a chance to prepare our gardens for winter. I’m genuinely excited about that. We will be setting up a temporary greenhouse to protect our remaining tomatoes and peppers before the last harvest. We also have some trimming and planting to get done so that next spring the gardens will bloom.

Of course I do like all the seasons. Autumn brings with it Halloween and warm food and drinks. As well as apple pie and turkey!

So happy Autumn Equinox everyone. Go enjoy the pumpkin spice!

Do You Remember?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Do you remember? The 21st night of September?

My wife loves that song. Her friends often look forward to singing it to her every year. I find it humorous and have written about it in the past: 21st Night of September . Today got me thinking about my wife and how she remembers the way I like things done. Specifically preparing food.

Now, I’m not saying that the way I like my food prepared is right, but it is how I like my food. It used to cause many discussions years ago, but now my wife just goes with it. Usually.

I’m a big texture and taste person when it comes to food. I don’t overly care if different food touches on a plate, so that’s not it. It’s more how the flavors mix. For example- when making a sandwich- the mustard side needs to be the side the meat is on, not the cheese. Cheese on mustard has a very different taste and texture compared to meat and mustard. Trust me.

Mr Noodles… the instructions on the packet are wrong. The noodles need to be placed in the water immediately and then brought to a boil. Once the noodles are soft, drain all the water. Then put the noodles in a bowl and add the flavor packet. This isn’t a soup we are making! It’s called Mr. Noodles not Mr. Soup.

Because of these preferences, I will admit that I am the one who usually ends up making the lunches. My wife will adhere to my choices when making something for me, which is nice, and has on occasion agreed with how I make foods. Like a dash of salt after goulash is served. It brings out the flavor immensely as you are about to eat.

However it’s not just food preferences I need to work on with her. I still need to get her to understand that the toilet paper flap goes over the roll, not behind it.

And with that, I am off to escape to work to avoid confrontation once she reads my blog.

Love you honey!

Oktoberfest 2022

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night some coworkers and I went out to Oktoberfest at my favorite brewery- Trading Post. We went four years ago at the Fort Langley location (read about it here: Oktoberfest 2018) and had a blast. Last night was at their brewery location- which was really fun.

I reserved a large table last week because I knew there would be at least six of us. At the last minute, I had my boss’s boss join us as well. I was honestly surprised at how little we talked about work and just had a riot.

With the table came three large platters of food. We also ordered one more because with eight of us- we were drinking a lot and eating a lot.

Throughout the night, we enjoyed some Bavarian Oompah music from a trio of musicians. As well, we entered a couple contests- like chugging a 2 liter boot of beer in the fastest time- our group came in second. But at the end of the night, I won a draw and got to bring home a smaller boot of my very own.

If you are wanting to let loose in Langley on a Friday night- there are two more weeks of this going on. Check out the Trading Post Website for more details and to book a table. You won’t be disappointed. Just make sure you have a safe ride home like we arranged.

Cheers!

Harvest Followed by Relaxing

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today was a bit hazy and hot out. My wife decided that it was a perfect day to harvest some of her tomatoes and peppers. That way she could work in the kitchen preparing ways to preserve them.

She began by cutting up her banana peppers into rings. She kept the colours of the peppers separated once sliced up. While she was doing this, she had a vinegar brine solution simmering on the stovetop. I stirred it up occasionally. (I’m helpful!)

We currently have three jars of pickled peppers on our counter. Even though I’m not a big fan of pickled food, they sure did smell good. I have a feeling we will be enjoying these over the next couple of months in a variety of ways.

My wife took a break from doing anything with the tomatoes today. As the sky began to clear up, and the smoke rolled away- we hit the swimming pool for a little Sunday relaxation.

We spent hours in the pool. At one point before dinner, our 16 year old and 18 year old also hit the pool. It was a nice afternoon of using the water to cool off. Summer sure doesn’t feel like it’s over. But nature is sometimes pushing to get autumn onto our doorstep.

We can tell by the fruits and vegetables from our garden being ripe and ready to consume.

Locality

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Friday night I met up with some friends at a brewery. I screwed up the date and ended up at the location a day early- sitting by myself. As embarrassing as that was, I enjoyed the location and the sunset while sipping on some beers.

The brewery is located just up the road from our old house. It opened last year about a month after we moved. Thursday was the first time I had been there. We don’t tend to go back to our old neighborhood much, so this was a nice treat.

This brewery is still in its infancy so to speak. They haven’t put much money into fancying up the place and the seating outside is eclectic to say the least. But the beers are by far some of the best I have had over the past few years. What makes this place stand out is the pond and the serenity as you sit in the farm land and sip on your beers. Even with other people around, it is far quieter than any other brewery I have been to.

I’m sure if we had stayed living in our old home, I’d be attending this brewery weekly. Lucky for me- my friends were there the second day I showed up (albeit the date I was supposed to meet them.) I also picked myself up a pizza from the pop up Raving Gamer pizza truck that was on the premise. It was not too bad, although about five bucks more than it should have been. But when there isn’t much in the way of food out there- you have to enjoy what is offered.

So check out Locality Brewing if you live in Langley or Abbotsford; or if you want to check out a farm feel brewery just outside of Vancouver. You will not be disappointed. I know I wasn’t- with the fact that I was there two days in a row….

Disneyland 2022: Day 3- Another Disney Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We just finished our third day in a row at the Disneyland Park. We were there bright and early again. In fact, we were able to get to rope drop and be first in line.

Once the rope dropped, we hustled to Galaxy’s Edge and got onto Rise of the Resistance without stopping. That walk took us six minutes and was worth the rush.

Most of our day was casually hitting a few rides, meeting some characters and eating. Theory got a set of ears and had them embroidered. We got lucky and we arrived in Tomorrowland just after Space Mountain had broken down. As our son walked up to ask if they knew how long it would be down for- the ride reopened. Again, we walked right on to the ride. Once it was over, three of us walked right back on before the line grew once more.

The rest of the afternoon was shopping, followed by hours at Galaxy’s Edge. Our two kids decided that they wanted to build their own Lighsabers. Which was a pretty cool experience.

For day three, we had a pretty good time. Now onto our fourth and final day!

Road Trip 2022: Beginnings

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Wednesday we departed our home at 4:30am. Our trip was taking us south towards California. Because we were so early, we missed the rush hour traffic in Seattle. Shortly after that we paused at a rest stop and traded driving- it was now my turn. That lasted only about an hour until I got a speeding ticket. Now I’m not allowed to drive the rest of the trip.

Anyways… I got us to Voodoo Donuts in Oregon for 11am breakfast. After getting a sugar rush, my wife was driving and we were excitedly bouncing to some sing-along-songs until our next stop.

Shortly after 2pm we stopped for In-N-Out Burger. Seriously good burgers for an amazingly good price. Five burgers for $21. With fully bellies, it was time to get on the road for our final push for the day.

Ok, we drove for about an hour before we stopped at our usual rest stop in Weed. A quick stretch, bathroom break and photos… then it was onto our last stop. About five hours later we made it to the hotel. That last chunk was not so bad, until about the last leg of the journey. Because we knew today was coming to an end. All of us needed to get our bodies out of the car. It was as if we were suffering from rigor mortis.

On the bright side, we are now spaced out and refreshed in our hotel room. With only five and a half hours tomorrow remaining for our trip, I’m pretty sure we will do it in one go. Then we will be free of the car for almost five days. During which time, we will be walking. A lot. But that’s where the fun comes in!

Road Trip 2022: Beginnings

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Wednesday we departed our home at 4:30am. Our trip was taking us south towards California. Because we were so early, we missed the rush hour traffic in Seattle. Shortly after that we paused at a rest stop and traded driving- it was now my turn. That lasted only about an hour until I got a speeding ticket. Now I’m not allowed to drive the rest of the trip.

Anyways… I got us to Voodoo Donuts in Oregon for 11am breakfast. After getting a sugar rush, my wife was driving and we were excitedly bouncing to some sing-along-songs until our next stop.

Shortly after 2pm we stopped for In-N-Out Burger. Seriously good burgers for an amazingly good price. Five burgers for $21. With fully bellies, it was time to get on the road for our final push for the day.

Ok, we drove for about an hour before we stopped at our usual rest stop in Weed. A quick stretch, bathroom break and photos… then it was onto our last stop. About five hours later we made it to the hotel. That last chunk was not so bad, until about the last leg of the journey. Because we knew today was coming to an end. All of us needed to get our bodies out of the car. It was as if we were suffering from rigor mortis.

On the bright side, we are now spaced out and refreshed in our hotel room. With only five and a half hours tomorrow remaining for our trip, I’m pretty sure we will do it in one go. Then we will be free of the car for almost five days. During which time, we will be walking. A lot. But that’s where the fun comes in!

Last Minute Darwin Dinner Date

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I left work at 6pm to go home. On my way, I went to pick up our middle child from their work. What should have been a 20 minute drive to meet them was well over twice that. So we decided to grab some dinner and wait out the traffic.

We stopped at Red Robin near where we met up. The burgers were pretty good and of course an Oreo milkshake was needed. We had a good conversation that was more adult-like than we normally have.

I’m glad we took the time to just hang out. It was far better than me rage driving in bad traffic. After our dinner, the commute home was quick.

Our doggo needed our attention since they had been home alone while we were both at work. It’s rare that someone isn’t at home to love her. She was super excited to see us when we did arrive home.

It was a pleasant evening together. A chance to hang out as friends instead of parent/child. I look forward to many more dinners like this as they grow up and want to share about their day and life with me.

Fun Lies To Children

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Having small kids is filled with telling them lies. Many of the lies are done in order to calm or control the kids in some way. I know many parents who have told the same lies I have told.

The Three Big Lies

Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are the three main lies we have told to our children. These fibs led to some good behavior and some magical moments as they grew up. It is always fun to be the character behind the curtain and make their dreams come true. A few gifts, some candy, a dollar or two. But I have a couple of other lies I have told over the years that I found amusing.

ID4

Telling our children at a young age that the move Independence Day was based on true events brought me joy. I wrote about it here: ID 4. Watching the film every year is one of my guilty pleasures. The kids also enjoy the film, so no harm no foul in telling them that lie.

However, my favorite lie was telling my kids that when the ice cream truck was playing music- it meant they were out of ice cream. That worked for a very long time. Each of them just grew to accept that we weren’t going to buy a frozen treat. Our youngest was the last to discover the truth. One day our son was over at a neighbor’s house and those parents went and bought ice cream from The Ice Cream Man.

I saw him getting a treat as I was leaving for work that day. Not sure if it was guilt in his face for being caught, or the look was the fact that he realized that I was always lying about the music. At least now if the truck comes to the neighborhood, our teenagers have their own money to spend if they choose to.

Is there any lies you have told kids in order to humor yourself, save money or perhaps your sanity? Let me know in the comments.

Finally A Cheap Breakfast

Posted on by Josef Havelka

With everything going on in the world, it’s nice to find a deal locally. Food prices are high, gas prices are fluctuating, but sometimes a place just goes against the norm and delivers.

Our downstairs tenants mentioned they went for breakfast yesterday at a local restaurant called “The Henry”. They told us that there is a $4.99 breakfast. Two eggs, hash browns, toast and a choice of bacon or sausage. For five bucks, it was worth a shot.

Honestly, the breakfast was pretty darn good. The service was also good. However, the coffee was not something I would buy again next time. Yes, there will be a next time.

So if you live in Langley or Surrey- definitely make your way to The Henry in Cloverdale for some cheap eats. It’s located on the street just south from the old Clova cinema. Some of my old friends may remember the location as an old strip club (just sayin’). My how times have changed.

I digress. It was a good Sunday brunch. Now to relax.

Aqua Thursday

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We had another fun filled afternoon and evening yesterday with our friends. We listened to music, had a few drinks, lounged in the pool, and ate a wonderful meal out on the deck. Our friend even did synchronized pool floatie dancing to Celine Dion for us.

It was a ton of fun, as always. I really enjoy their company and love spending time with friends.

I only captured a couple of photos as my phone is often the one that is playing music. This gives me more opportunity to be attentive to the conversations. A lull in talks didn’t have me reaching for my phone. In fact it was quite the opposite. It meant it was time for a new conversation topic.

Joking and playing around in the pool is loads of fun. Being an adult doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. If anything, I realize that who cares what other people think- just enjoy life! And enjoy it with friends.

Going Blonde

Posted on by Josef Havelka

With the beautiful summer weather, it makes one want to feel young and carefree. And what better way but to go blonde.

I’m talking about the lawn going blonde.

Honestly, I have always felt that lawns are drain on resources. People waste so much time and effort trying to keep them green. Not only that, but people water them unnecessarily as well. With droughts and water shortages throughout North America there is no need to waste it frivolously on watering a lawn. Grass stays healthy and is designed to look dry and discolored during the summer.

I know what you’re thinking. But Joe, don’t you have a pool? Yes we do. But we don’t drain it or have to add gallons of water due to evaporation because we take care of it. We are very conscientious about our water consumption and usage.

We do however have a garden. Many bushes and flowers grow bringing beauty to our landscape. We use water in the early morning and late evening to grow herbs, fruits and vegetables. Yesterday I enjoyed a cherry tomato right off the vine. No pesticides or chemicals on it. Just as natural and as fresh as you could imagine.

I honestly think we as a society need to do away with lawns. Or at least the obsession with having them green all the time. People also need to respect watering restrictions as well. I see too many of my neighbors ignoring the laws, wasting water and having green lawns during a heat wave. Water should be used to keep hydrated and refreshed. Not to make grass grow.