Beer making, sleeping and other fine things.

I woke up a little earlier this morning, with plans for a spin class at the gym.  But as my brain started up I heard the rain pounding on the windows and knew it wasn't going to happen.  I wanted to burrow down a little deeper into the night's warm blankets, but I didn't.  I woke my sleepy eyelids over my cup of coffee and walked out into the wet and cold to drop Shane off at the train station.  I hurried back inside and curled my fingers around another steaming cup of coffee and sat down to think.  I made lists, recipe lists, to-do lists and shopping lists and ate a toasted bran muffin alongside a banana.  (Pure delish!)  Once that was done my thoughts turned to Saturday and the trip Shane and I took.

We slept in late.  Saturdays are good for that.  Leisurely, after a few cups of coffee I started on the chai pancakes and a vanilla cranberry compote.  As with most things, it took far longer to make than consume.  It's still a good way to start any weekend if you ask me.  We tidied ourselves and dressed, and through the heavy rain we drove to Surrey.  At the mall we stopped. We bought very necessary shoes for my husband and ate lunch in the car by cramming trail mix, apples and bran muffins in our mouths.   (These bran muffins are very good, we're not suffering the way you'd think one would when you heard about them munching on bran muffins every chance they get.)

Across the narrow bridge we drove, right into New Westminster.  Our goal was to start the beer making processes at the u-brew there.  On a whim I had purchased a groupon for 22 litres of beer earlier in the summer.  Since we are totally new to u-brew, we didn't know the only thing we had to do was pick a style of beer.  Its something we could have done over the phone, not driven an hour to do.  Drat.  So there went our afternoon plans, it was only 3pm.  Our dinner plans were for a restaurant in New West that didn't open until 5:30, so we scrapped those and  drove the extra 20 minutes into Vancouver.  

Before we knew it we were at Granville Island, (with free parking, score!) jostling for spots in line at our favourite shops.  We stocked up on some of our staples, replenished our spice cupboards and indulged in blocks of cheese, fat sausages, loaves of bread, roasted vegetables and dried olives, for Sunday's lunch.  We ate at my favourite donut shop and Shane spoiled me with a few of my favourite Roger's Chocolates.

Soon we were starving. We decided on steak frites, at a lovely little French bistro we've eaten at before.  We were there as the doors opened at 5:30, but were seated at the bar regardless, that's just how popular this out of the way spot is.  We ate scallops in cheese, and the best steak and fries I'll ever have.  There was wine and there was espresso and before we knew it hours had passed and it was time to leave.