I was asked to write a post on our family experience with girls hockey in Ottawa for Kids in the Capital. This website is the creation of Ottawa moms Lara Wellman and Brie McManus. I follow this blog because it is a wonderful source of information. It highlights fun activities, attractions and provides good resources for families in the city. Kids in the Capital also organize meet ups that help children and parents make connections in the community.  I wish there was a site like this when we first moved to Ottawa…it would have helped me navigate my way around the city with two little kids. 

Although the topic is a departure from the shop, eat, live mindfully theme of my blog, I include the link to my post …Hockey Girls.

My family looks forward to February because in Ottawa it means Winterlude, lots of visitors, skating on the Rideau Canal and Beavertails (Queues de Castor). Have you ever had a Beavertail? For those of you who have not, it is a pastry not a sexist remark or an actual animals tail.  Outside of Ottawa they are sometimes called Elephant Ears, Flying Saucers or Whale Tails.

BeaverTails are flattened whole-wheat dough deep-fried in canola or soya oil and served piping hot with butter and different toppings. There is no point in knowing the Weight Watchers points involved (30?), but once in a while it is worth a splurge. Our favourite topping is cinnamon and sugar although the chocolate with banana slices or maple butter are also winning combinations.

Did you know a Hooker popularized the BeaverTail? Yes, Grant Hooker opened a small booth in the Byward Market in 1978 and 32 years later the BeaverTails family business is thriving and an Ottawa institution just like the Parliament Buildings. The Hookers still have a booth in the Market and also license tails to over 130 outlets in Canada and other countries too. According to their website they are now sold it Saudi Arabia too.

The ObamaTail is the newest addition created in honour of President Barack Obama’s first visit to Ottawa in February 2009. The ObamaTail is a maple syrup and chocolate drizzled “O” on top of cinnamon sprinkled pastry. The President made an unscheduled stop in the Byward Market just pick up souvenirs and BeaverTails. So far, I am unable to reach The White House for comment…but I am confident the President LOVED it.

BeaverTails go best with freezing temperatures and a skate on the Rideau Canal. Who am I kidding?  I eat them in the summer no problem and they are just as yummy. Like it or not, the BeaverTail has become a part of our cultural fabric. When you visit Ottawa I highly recommend you add “Eat a BeaverTail” to the list of things to do…it is a Canadian tradition. 

I love coffee. I also enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon, but aaagh coffee is the nectar of the gods. I credit coffee for getting me through every morning since the birth of my children. Addicted? Perhaps. After a night of  “I peed the bed”, “I lost a tooth” and “When is the tooth fairy coming?” kind of sleep, coffee is the only morning beverage choice for me. I suspect many of you with toddlers and young children are nodding your heads in agreement.

The organic coffee debate is a popular one in our home. My husband emails me articles citing organic marketing fraud blah blah blah. I in turn show him information touting the health and environmental benefits. Perhaps you have this debate in your home too.

Here are my thoughts on the issue. I have consumed a cup of coffee every day, sometimes more, for the last 18+ years. (yikes)  Coffee is a heavily sprayed crop. For those of us trying to avoid pesticides this means buying organic. There are also worker labour rights and farming practices to consider too.

I think Canadians fall into two categories when it comes to coffee…Tim Horton’s and Starbucks. I am a Timmy Ho’s kind of gal and my Hubby is a grande-bold man. We are unable to find an organic coffee that suits either one of our tastes. It has been a frustrating and expensive experiment searching for a good organic coffee and frankly, I cannot bear to drink a whole bag worth of bitter bad sludge. My frugal side has reached its limit.

Has anyone found a great tasting organic coffee? I need a good recommendation please.