chilliwack...a cash mob story

Chilliwack made the news again last week...

when it was revealed that two of the ethnic restaurants in our town had received racist e-mails. 

While the RCMP were investigating a possible hate crime...
the community as a whole rallied around the targeted businesses.

A 'cash mob' was organized by several local residents...
an initiative that encouraged locals to flood the two targeted restaurants with their business last Friday.
And they did!

Between the Bay Leaf and Shandhar Hut...
an estimated 1,500 people dined on Indian Food in Chilliwack last Friday.
That number is simply amazing and way beyond what the organizers had hoped for.  
In the end it turned out to be a 'good news' story.

  We have eaten at the Shandar Hut in the past...

and have always enjoyed the food and the wonderful people that prepare and serve it.

We hope to dine there again in the future.

We wish both targeted establishments all the best!

My brother is visiting from Iowa this weekend.

He has fond memories of his favorite ethnic restaurant in this town from his childhood.

Canton Gardens...

has served Chilliwack for over 100 years.

Originally they were located in the  historic Royal Hotel...

the one I told you about in yesterday's post.

We will be paying them a visit this weekend...

for 'old times sake'.

Have a great weekend...

a culinary night out...

My daughter came over yesterday with her two girlies...

feeling like she had been housebound forever while they were sick.

She wondered if I had plans for the evening.

She needed a night out.

Well, I did have plans.

Mennonite Girls Can Cook were hosting a cooking class at Lepp Farm Market...

and I  was planning to be there.

She immediately volunteered that maybe she could join me.

 

And she did!

Lovella and Kathy were the cooking instructors.

Anneliese and I were the extra hands as needed. 

Gourmet pizzas...

made to look 'easy as pie' were on the menu...

along with a wonderful winter salad.

And for dessert?

Chiffon cake...chocolate and orange.

The chocolate chiffon recipe is on the blog.

The orange chiffon cake recipe will be in the new Celebrations cookbook.

Spending time in the kitchen was not Heidi's idea of a good time in years gone by.

But she totally enjoyed her 'culinary outing' last night.

Especially since she just happened to meet her high school friend who she had not seen in years.

They had a lot of catching up to do...

and thought the class was too short!

I'm thinking she might have a front row seat at a cooking class again sometime.

Who knew a cooking class could be so much fun?

Thanks, Lovella and Kathy for all your hard work!

 

a wet victoria day...

After a few weeks of sunshine we were due some rain.  

And it came...

on the long weekend.

So I spent my Victoria Day indoors.

Though the sky was grey...

the view from the kitchen window wasn't all bad.

I am quite enjoying my Nelly Moser clematis these days!

When we are on a road trip in the USA...

we stop by McD*s for coffee every once in awhile.

(Their coffee is good...and the service is quick!)

And every so often we have their cinnamon melts...

one order to share.

I always tell myself that I will try making them sometime.

Sometime arrived yesterday.

I used cinnamon bun dough...

made teeny little dough balls....

bathed them in cinnamon sauce...

and baked them in mini-pie pans.

 A drizzle of cream cheese frosting while the buns were still warm...

was the icing on the cake.

The kids stopped by and we had cinnamon mini-melts as a Victoria Day treat.

We spent the evening around the table with good friends.

And that was Victoria Day 2012.

Have a terrific Tuesday!