kerstin’s chocolates - edmonton, ab

kerstin’s chocolates
10139 112 Street
780.990.0011

After Sharon's valiant attempt to successfully conquer the 'name that origin' contest currently running at Kerstin's Chocolates, I decided to pull up the britches and test my palate today.

It was relatively easy to persuade Sarah in joining me, so this way we could support or celebrate depending on the result. A couple of regulars were in the tiny store when we arrived, so it gave us a few minutes to look around. The store isn't a lot bigger than some bedrooms, but then again chocolate doesn't take up a lot of space. With varieties from all over the world, different flavours, and even drinking chocolate, I'm sure you will find something for the chocolate lover.

Finally stepping up to the chocolate plate, we signed our consent form and looked at the goods. 4 piles of chocolate, with 5 possible origins. Hmm. After a brief description of how to eat and develop the taste (this is like fine wine it seems), we were off. I was able to pick out the distinct characteristic in each chocolate, something that surprised me for sure. Two out of the four were straight forward and I was correct with my placement. The final two were close enough (similar profiles), so I flip flopped a bit before deciding. Unfortunately I had it backwards. If only I had gone with the 'she loves me not' choice, I would be right there with 4 out of 4.

Sarah picked out 2 correctly as well, the two I flipped, and we settled into a sample of warm and spicy drinking chocolate. While I like the aspects of chili in chocolate, it's definitely something I couldn't drink on a regular basis. Sarah finished our visit by picking up some Christmas gifts and we were off. What a great little spot to warm the heart and sweet tooth.

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bulk barn - edmonton, ab

bulk barn
2077 98 Street
780.461.4454

Where do I even begin. With the store finally opening it's doors in South Edmonton Common, I made my way over with Sarah to check things out. The store was fairly busy when we arrived, and is structured in sections. Candy occupying a major portion of the middle, with baking needs (flours, nuts, chocolate) to the left and savory items (soup mixes, spices, pasta) to the right.

Of course, and maybe unfortunately, Bulk Barn isn't the size of a barn. So it's fairly easy to navigate your way through. Just try and stay focused, I dare you. Seriously, every time I saw something interesting or intriguing, BAM! something else comes at you. I think there ended up being a lot of banter between Sarah and I (Come see this/Whoa, did you know they sold this) during our entire visit. Besides that, I can think of a few containers I would like to drown myself in.

I ended up taking a lot of pictures, so I've scaled the quality down and will now proceed with a sampling of whats available. And lets start with the candy...
Chocolate covered sunflower seeds and blueberries! Who knew
Does your boss have a mint dish..this is mint mania!
Jawbreakers you probably can't fit in your mouth..or at least comfortably.
They also sell a lot of pinatas, from Sponge Bob to NHL. There is of course plenty other bins of candy (broken chocolate bars, m&m's, sour candies, ju jubes, bark, suckers etc)but I'm not a sweets guy. More important in my mind is the baking section.
Flour of every kind, from all purpose to coconut to buckwheat and two types of whole wheat.
But wait everyone. There is more. How about fixing yourself up with some gluten free goodies. Soy flour, arrowroot..Check.
With an amazing selection of flours. Does it come as any surprise they also offer a cornucopia of sugars. I was in mini baking heaven.
You are also going to find yourself a collection of grains.
Heck, even if you aren't into scratch baking there is something for you. From pie crust to cookie dough mixes. Pancakes to cornbread. Even two types of bran muffin mix
One of the best surprises, was this.
A corn syrup machine (next to the honey). Who knew!
And speaking of honey, it goes swimmingly with nut butters! Smooth, crunchy, you name it.
Plenty of dried fruit. In fact, probably every kind of dried fruit. An assortment of raisins from around the globe. Dates, Figs, Pineapples, Peaches, Pears, Apples and candied fruit/peel.
What about nuts? You better believe they have a huge selection. Salted, roasted, slivered, diced..There is a good selection of beans as well.
And party snacks. I didn't even know you could (or would) buy bulks chips.
There are bins with regular, whole wheat and gluten free pasta.
Coffee and tea anyone!
They also carry a huge supply of spices, rubs, and seasonings. But really, the best part might just be the huge array of sprinkles!
And by now your arms are probably full, but don't forget about your pets. Dog, cat, heck even bird treats!
So what do you think. Did you enjoy the show? Have you been? Do you shop bulk? Are these good savings? So many questions I know, but do let me know when you go.

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java jive coffee factory - edmonton, ab

java jive coffee factory

9929 77 Avenue

780.432.9148‎

I think by now that if you follow along with my adventures, you know I'm a coffee kind of guy. So recently when I was leaving Whyte Ave, I noticed a sign advertising coffee on 99th street. Making a quick right hand turn, I decided to stop in at Java Jive Coffee Factory for a quick look.

I don't know a ton about the history of the coffee scene in town, but it seems to me Java Jive has been around for long time. Offering freshly roasted beans from all over the globe, it's slightly odd location may be why I only seem to stop in a few times each year.

With my camera handy, I thought I would take a few pictures. Besides freshly roasted coffee, of which they offer a big assortment, they sell green coffee beans, machines, and accessories. Not the biggest store front, Jave Jive isn't about sitting with your laptop for hours on end, it's a straight to the point business. In a world with coffee shops on every corner, it's almost refreshing. Get in, get out.

And with coffee all around, and welcoming staff, it's pretty hard not to leave without something. For me, it was a bag of freshly roasted beans from Costa Rica.

Why not take a peek the next time you near Whyte, maybe you'll find a new coffee to try. Time to grind!

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st. albert farmer's market - st. albert, alberta

I finally made the trip north to the St. Albert Farmer's Market a few weeks back. With this market located a fair distance from Edmonton's south side, my Saturday market experiences have been occupied by the Strathcona, and Downtown options. So, needles to say, I was excited to see something new!

I always knew this farmers' market was big, but was surprised when I learned it's Western Canada largest. I now understand why they boast about it's size (250+ vendors) and product line up - Fresh Produce, Homemade Baking, Arts & Crafts, Family Entertainment, Pickles & Preserves, Woodwork, Farm Fresh Chicken, Ethnic Food, Pottery, Honey, B.C. Fruits, Fresh Fish, Pork & Beef, Jewellery, Stained Glass and more. With such a massive list, could you be anything but satisfied.

One thing I really liked was the free park and ride. With the market occupying a large section of the city core, you are welcome to park at the mall and hop on St. Albert's finest bus service. Brilliant idea!

With such a large market, I was hoping the layout would be easy to navigate and was happy to see the vendors occupying both sides of the road with no branch-offs. The setup allows you, for example, to start on the right side and walk all around finishing on the left side without missing a vendor.

My stroll of the market took about 90 minutes. I have no doubts you could take more time, but I'm not really one to stop at every booth. I'm more of the - scan, get intel, move on, and come back if so necessary. Unless of course something is to enticing to go on.


This man just didn't seem happy, and for some reason in my head I instantly went to that Seinfeld episode with the soup-nazi.

If you don't get your fill of food, there are plenty of crafty items to bring home. I picked up a birdhouse for the backyard.


What says farmers' market like spray on tattoo's!

All in all it was a great time. Sampled a baked green onion cake, which was of course healthier but not nearly as good and some lemon sorbet. For produce, I grabbed a bag of apricots and a few yellow zucchini.

While it was nice to get away, with many of the same vendors I think I'll stick to my usual markets and make St. Albert a once-a-year adventure. They are closing down for the season soon, so if you were thinking about going do hurry as you only have a few Saturdays left.


*As an aside. One vendor, who I chatted up, openly talked about the 'rich' often 'snooty' crowd at the St. Albert farmer's market, something they don't experience at the other market's around down. Even going as far as to say, prices can increase here because the clientele are willing to pay for it. Very interesting.

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