All my life, I've never been particularly lucky. As a result, I've learned to make the most of a bad situation. Not to be overdramatic, but here's the "bad situation" that lead to the topic of this blog post: the soft opening of Soft Peaks. For those who aren't in the know, a new organic soft serve shop has opened in Gastown, and the hype over it has been overwhelming. (As of now, it's officially opened already, but as always, I've procrastinated, and this post is rehashing an event that happened months ago.) You know how I am when it comes to ice cream...so of course, I wanted to be there on the first day of their soft opening to give it a try. Alas, when I arrived after class, this was the sight that greeted me....

Apologies for the bad phone pics. I have to heft my laptop around for school which makes it impossible to bring my camera too :(

As you can see, they definitely don't skimp on the custard. Mmmm....I'm craving one (or two) now....

Hidden within a residential area near Fraser Street.....a little secret (that isn't really much of a secret nowadays)- Le Marché St. George. From the minute I discovered this gem online (possibly through Monocle- I honestly can't remember now)- I'd wanted to go...and that was over a year ago. What is it about living close to so many cool places but never actually going?! *cough earnest ice cream cough*

This month, I decided I was sick of waiting, and since school's technically done for the term, I arranged a date with my friend Cybil- whom I've shared many first time cafe/restaurant experiences with :') It was as quaint and perfect as I'd expected. I frequent their blog VERY OFTEN, so I already had a good sense as to what the general feel of the place would be like, but nothing compares to being there in person. Even with the many people seated in various areas inside, it's not so much boisterous as it is just plain cozy. The soft chatter and sounds of dishes being prepared in the kitchen blends seamlessly with the fragrant smell of pastries and hot drinks. Luckily, we went on a weekday afternoon, so we easily found seats at the table. I fell in love with the homey atmosphere- I felt as if I was starring in a lovely French film! (Let me live my dream of starring in my own version of Amélie, haha!)




After trying very hard to decide what to order, I went for the cinnamon sugar & butter crêpe, and Cybil chose the lemon sugar & butter. We also agreed that hot chocolate was the way to go and both opted for the Michel Cluizel option (which was a bit pricier, but so, so worth it.) Surprisingly, I'm not crazy about crêpes- I remember having my first nutella one in Paris and I didn't feel too good afterward...maybe that's why, haha. I did like the cinnamon sugar, but I couldn't really taste much butter, so it felt a bit dry. I think next time I'll definitely go for the savoury option, or try a quiche! The hot chocolate was genuinely scrumptious though. If you're like me and aren't fond of coffee, I would without a doubt give it a try. My total was less than $10 though- my wallet approves! (Also, check out their menu!)

As should be well known by all readers of this blog by now, I am extremely dedicated to my (self-titled) job as an ice cream aficionado. I constantly have my eyes open for any new gelaterias or ice cream parlours in Vancouver, or perhaps any ice cream related events- and luckily enough, I was alerted via the good folks over at Scout Magazine to BETA5's Ice Cream Social!



I'm no stranger to BETA5- I've tried many of their desserts before and while I hadn't been there in a year or two, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. When I arrived, there were over 15 people in line, and small groups of people were seated all over the parking lot, enjoying their ice cream. I was joined by my good friend, Anneliese, and it made the wait that much better, as we got a chance to catch up. When we finally got to the front of the line, we were greeted by this menu:

I will admit it- I have a bit of a chip addiction. I was never allowed to have any as a child, so when I hit high school and had a bit more freedom with my allowance, I would buy a bag at the cafeteria almost daily. This irritated my mother to no end and she constantly harps on my weight gain as being a result of my junk food addiction. After giving up chips and such for Lent last year, I've managed to control my urges- I rarely buy potato chips nowadays, only giving in once in a while for Sun Chips, Kettle Chips, or Cheetos.

Of course, when the kale chip fad began a few years ago, I was instantly intrigued, but despite pestering my mom about buying kale, she never remembered and I was never sure where to buy it. Last month, I finally brought it up again thinking my mom would ignore me as usual, but out of the blue, my dad bought a large bunch home from Whole Foods (bless him)

• DEFINITELY keep a close eye after putting it in the oven- it can burn very quickly!!!! I followed the times and temperatures listed in the recipe for the first batch but changed it for the second batch as all ovens are different. I constantly moved pieces around as some were crispier than others and it made me nervous since the ones in the middle were still slightly limp. 
• The most boring part for me was patting it dry, to be honest. 
• Don't over-salt! I was worried there wouldn't be enough flavouring since I like things with flavour, but the kale itself is already a bit salty so going overboard is no bueno. I used garlic salt on some and truffle salt on others.
• It wilts and shrinks a HUGE amount, so there isn't really a need to worry about spacing them out on the tray other than to make sure they all bake evenly- silly me by reflex spread them all out for the first batch as if I was making cookies (what was I thinking??)
• I love how airy light and crunchy they are- just what I needed to combat my chip withdrawal. If there are some that haven't fully been baked, it's fine. I just pretend I'm eating salad and the kale itself is quite good.

Like I was saying about how easily it burns....

I definitely recommend trying it out if you haven't already- it's an excellent healthy substitute for chips- a bunch at Whole Foods costs me $2.99! My mum suggested buying it once a week so it'll be a nice snack and treat for me. It's a bit time-consuming for sure, but I think it's worth the effort :)