Monthly Archives: April 2012

Drink of the Week: Pimm’s & Ginger

Posted on April 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

I have a confession. I never knew of the existence of the amber-hued and delicious elixer known as Pimm’s No. 1 until Mike Burns of The Ranche Restaurant in Calgary made a Pimm’s No. 1 Cup cocktail for a Spirited Calgary wedding cocktail column that I wrote last year. The drink is basically a Pimm’s mojito, where you muddle fruit and mint with Pimm’s — a spiced, gin-based liqueur — then top with ginger ale and 7-Up. I fell in love with the drink and bought a bottle of Pimm’s.

Coincidentally, my husband had travelled to Africa shortly before my Pimm’s cocktail discovery and he drank quite a lots of Pimm’s mixed with ginger ale while there (Pimm’s is kind of a big deal anywhere the Brits have left their mark; except for Canada, evidently). Since it’s a bit of work to chop and muddle fruit, and to always have soft drinks and mint on hand to make a Pimm’s cup, we decided a Pimm’s & Ginger is an almost-equally-as-refreshing, and tasty, spring sip. It’s also a lot easier to whip together for happy hour, or anytime — the Pimm’s motto is ‘It’s Pimm’s O’Clock!’. I like it.

Let's make Pimm's No. 1 popular in Canada, people! Try it. You'll love.

Pimm’s & Ginger

1-1/2 oz Pimm’s No. 1
4-1/2 oz ginger ale (or ginger beer)
Wedge of lemon
Slice of cucumber

Build the drink over ice in a Collins glass and garnish with a lemon wedge and cucumber slice.

— Recipe adapted from Spittoon.biz

Why I love spring skiing

Posted on April 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

By April, most people have given up on skiing. With longer days and chirping robins, outdoor enthusiasts turn their attention to warmer-weather pursuits such as tennis, mountain biking and hiking. That, however, is folly. Given our climate and its wicked penchant for snowstorms in May, you might as well embrace the snow — and skiing — until the gondola halts to a stop at Sunshine Village on Victoria Day.

Besides, spring is arguably the best time to go skiing. I just spent an incredible weekend at Fernie Alpine Resort, where I floated atop powder and carved turns through corn snow, got a tan and drank beer on a patio while sweating from the heat. When was the last time you did all that in the same day?

Still not convinced? Here are four reasons to give spring skiing it a try:

1. Bluebird days

Come April, the powder-producing blizzards don’t hit as frequently, which means blue skies and sunshine. Bluebird days were a rarity in Fernie this winter, so I rather enjoyed this one, and the stellar views from everywhere on the mountain.

It snows so much at Fernie, you easily forget the amazing views until a sunny day blows you away.

2. Tons of snow

I have always wondered why the hordes drive out to Lake Louise on opening weekend, when there’s no base to speak of and the only run open is Wiwaxy, but the resort looks like a ghost town in April and May when the base is over 200 cm and the entire mountain is open. It makes no sense. There was so much snow at Fernie this past weekend (427 cm base), the Currie Bowl sign was in danger of being engulfed. Also, you can still ski powder at the top of the mountain and slushie corn snow at the bottom. Get a late start to avoid the morning ice.

There's so much snow, the Currie Bowl sign is slowly getting buried.

3. Warm temperatures

Forget icy toes and hot chocolate breaks every hour. In the spring you can ski in far fewer layers and never get cold.

4. Outdoor apres ski

Need I say more? Sit on an outdoor patio and sip a cold beer or a cocktail, like this Griz Bar Caesar.

What's better than apres ski? Outdoor apres ski.

Family fun in Ixtapa

Posted on April 9, 2012 | 5 comments

After a week in Ixtapa, Mexico with kids and nary a bandito sighting, I have come to appreciate the real dangers of travel south of the U.S. border: the sun, stinging water fauna and the ocean. Runners up include the weirdly hard mattresses and elevator doors that close speedy-quick.

All of our encounters with danger occured within 48 hours of our arrival, and may have had something to do with our margarita- and cerveza-clouded parenting judement. But no matter. Here’s what went down:

Our son got a sunburn on his shoulders on Day 1, as for some reason I dressed him in a wife-beater tank-top that day and forgot to apply sunscreen to his shoulders. On Day 2 he got stung by a jellyfish, the pain of which eased when a local “healer” rubbed sand on it (good thing too, as my husband declared he’d been about to pee on Bennett’s arm!). A couple hours later Bennett was knocked off his feet by a huge wave and I had to recall my high school lifeguard training and rescue him by sacrificing my back on the offshore rocks. And finally, he ran into our hotel elevator and the doors closed behind him before we could get on. The elevator then went up to the 21st floor, Bennett got off — totally non-plussed (I was freaking out!) — and some random senora delivered him back to us. Ay yi yi!

But when we weren’t being radiated by the sun, dodging jellies, fleeing from rogue waves and playing elevator hide-and-seek, we discovered the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area has a ton of activities and excursions to occupy a young family. Here are the top five:

1. Isla Ixtapa

It’s a short taxi ride to Playa Linda and then a five-minute boat ride to Isla Ixtapa. The island’s beaches are more protected than the main beach in Ixtapa, so the waves aren’t as crazy and the snorkeling is supposed to be good when it’s calm. You can walk between the beaches and take shelter at one of many restaurants for cervezas and snacks. Our kids liked collecting snails and sea glass, swimming and digging in the sand.

2. Croc watching

There’s a crocodile farm at Playa Linda where you can spot crocs sunning or swimming, and see iguanas and tropical birds. There are also crocodiles at the south end of Ixtapa beach where the river empties into the ocean.

I love this photo -- the kids are oblivious as to the "peligro" that lurks below.

3. Parasailing

One of the items on my husband’s bucket list was parasailing. When he found out it was $40 for a tandem parasail — there are parasail guys spaced regularly along the beach — he quickly amended his list to include parasailing with Avery. She loved it (though I have to admit, this mommy was a wee bit nervous watching them float high above the waves).

Getting ready for a parasail.

4. The beach

Our kids couldn’t get enough of the beach. The sand, running from the monster waves, all of it. I think they would have been happy to play out there all day, every day.

Avery buries Bennett. Finally, his fists and kicky feet can do her no harm!

5. Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo was once a sleepy fishing village, but I think its starring role in The Shawshank Redemption — as the place Andy Dufresne ran off to after he escaped the prison — helped turn it into an uber-trendy little town, complete with tony shops and taquerias. It’s definitely worth a visit. Located on a lovely bay, the waves are quite gentle. And the souvenir shopping is great, too. Gracias Ixtapa-Zihua! Hasta luego.