We hope you’re planning to join us at the hottest event this month on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at Hazelmere Golf and Country Club in South Surrey. The Sources Community Resource Centres iGala will be a night of fun, friends, dancing and technology and will benefit community programs from White Rock to Prince George!
For all you fashionistas, the event boasts a “futuristic” dress code that will propel you forward to 2092. Wonder what sexy and cutting-edge futuristic fashion looks like? Our friends at Crush Clothing in South Surrey have put together a few suggestions for you.
For real - it doesn’t matter if it’s 1992, 2012 or 2099, diamonds will always be a girl’s best friend. This beautiful 1.30 carat diamond ring will be raffled off at the Gala. Raffle tickets are limited to the first 200 (that means a 1 in 200 chance of winning) and are available online to the public at http://www.pacsgala.org and at the event for attendees. Purchase your raffle tickets quickly. With odds this good they are sure to sell out.
So throw on your metallic dancing shoes and join us at this “must-attend” event! Oh, and did we mention that Tina Turner will be performing at the event? Okay, so it’s not actually Tina Turner, but Luisa Marshall – world renowned Tina Turner impersonator. Trust us, you won’t know the difference!
Purchase your tickets online at www.pacsgala.org ($125 per person) or call Sources at (604) 531-6226.
Congratualations to Michelle. She is the winner of the pair of tickets to the iGala event. This contest is now closed.
One lucky Stimuli reader will win a pair of tickets to the Sources iGala. To enter, post a comment on this editorial. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.
Ready to Run? You don’t have to to be involved in this year’s BMO Vancouver Marathon and Half Marathon. Vancouver’s only marathon is set to start on Sunday, May 6th with a new route that takes runners through 11 Vancouver neighbourhoods, along the city shoreline and beaches and through Stanley Park on the nearly 100 year old seawall. If, like me, you are not a runner, but would like to see what the event is all about – volunteering might be the answer.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the top 10 marathons worth travelling for, we think a short trip into Vancouver to experience the event as a volunteer sounds like a great way to re-visit our beautiful city.
With 5,000 marathon and up to 10,000 half-marathon participants expected, the volunteers required to put on an event of this magnitude are key to the success of the event.
There are 4,000 opportunities for volunteers spanning 30 different roles. Volunteers receive the much coveted BMO Vancouver Marathon t-shirts, plus other prizes and incentives. We here in the Stimuli Magazine offices certainly think this is a fun, cost-free, way to get together with friends and family, support an amazing event and be part of the marathon’s 40 plus year history.
Here’s how to join the BMO Vancouver Marathon crew; volunteers are asked to register for positions through the marathon’s online registration system on the BMO Vancouver Marathon website. Once registered volunteers are invited to connect through the marathon’s Facebook page offering volunteers a way to get connected leading up to race day on May 6th.
Just this week, BMO Vancouver Marathon announced participants will be able to “travelsmart” on race day. TransLink is offering improved service on race day with an earlier train service and increased frequency to ensure participants can arrive safely and on time for the race start. For more information on getting to and around Vancouver click here.
For those of you who may be thinking you’re up to running a kilometre or two, the half marathon is not quite sold out. Registration information can be found by visiting www.bmovanmarathon.ca
Ignite Café is owned by chef Dan Trites and his lovely wife, Angie. They opened the café in September last year, and haven't looked back since. The cuisine is impeccable — fresh, local ingredients presented in a creative, yet accessible style. When asked how to define his cooking style, Dan immediately said, "Fresh! Fresh, fresh ingredients. I especially love Farmer's Market season because everything is so fresh."
Dan got his start at the age of 16, training in the kitchen of a local Langley restaurant, Henry's Landing. Eventually, he was in charge of opening the Abbotsford location of Henry's. He moved on from there, running various kitchens until he opened Ignite Café. "We secured the location at the end of August," Dan said. "We were open just in time for the Cruise-In in September. That was our goal."
Ignite Café is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch; Friday and Saturday for dinner. Another part of their business is catering. "The largest group so far in the restaurant was a group of 28 for a sit-down service," Dan said. They have also catered stand-up cocktail-type parties.
Despite the daily restaurant service and catering, Dan works alone in the kitchen. "It's just me," he smiled. "It's really small back there." The café also sells ready-to-eat soups and meals. Dan makes his own spice and salt blends which are also for sale. Dan plans to eventually set up at the Langley Farmer's Market to sell his spice and salt blends. "I want to reach as many people as possible," he said.
An Imaginative Meal
My husband Robin and I love to try new restaurants, and Ignite Café was the perfect setting for our Friday night dinner. Right away, I was impressed with the cozy, candle-lit atmosphere. For our dinner, we ordered from the ever-changing chalk board with its mouth-watering specials. I started with Spinach Salad, while Robin ordered French Onion Soup. When the starters arrived, I could immediately see the quality and freshness of the ingredients. The fresh spinach leaves were drizzled with a strawberry vinaigrette and garnished with crumbled bacon, sugared pecans, goat cheese and fresh, crisp pear slices. The onion soup was beefy and full-bodied, topped with house-made croutons and provolone.
I could not wait for my entrée: White Wine & Garlic Prawns. There were eight huge prawns, with a fantastic white wine sauce. The prawns were accompanied by grilled mixed vegetables and a buttery rice pilaf.
Robin loved his entrée: Blackened New York Steak, 12 ounces of tender meat with caramelized onions, garlic confit, red pepper butter and a cajun rub, which Dan makes himself. The steak came with mixed grilled vegetables and mascarpone mashed potatoes. His steak was cooked perfectly and the flavours of the cajun spice, onions and red pepper butter melded deliciously.
Dessert! Robin had to fight me off his Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake, which came resting in a pool of caramel. The cake is a rich, well-balanced slice of heaven, garnished with mint, whipped cream, sliced strawberry, crispy cookie and dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa. My treat was the Frangelico Crème Brûlée, served in a little mason jar. It had a delightful crackle top; the custard inside was rich but still light with a beautiful caramel flavour. I ate the whole thing! And yes, some of Robin's cheesecake, too.
I was impressed with the creative approach to all the dishes. Everything we tasted was high quality and absolutely delicious. Ignite Cafe is a warm, intimate setting — perfect for your next date-night dinner!
Ignite Café is located at 5572 204th Street, Langley. Phone: 604-724-8670.
Ignite Style At Home
Dan says his favourite dish is a platter of antipasti. Dan shared with us his "recipe" for his Antipasti Platter that you can create at home for your next gathering.
Ignite Cafe Antipasti Platter
by Dan Trites
On a large platter, gather together your favourite cured meats. Dan uses Stoelting Meats in Aldergrove for their excellent quality and flavor.
Add cheese. Dan likes Double Smoked Cheddar and Smoked Gouda, creamy Havarti and Goat Cheese.
Add pickles. Dan suggests you add what you like; he likes artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes.
Don't forget the olives! No antipasti is complete without them.
Find great bread. Dan uses bread from A Bread Affair in Langley for their reliable freshness.
by Linda Horn
Blogger at Let Them Eat Cake & Ice Cream and Stimuli Magazine Contributor
Follow Linda on Twitter at @luluhorn
As you many have already read, my husband and I spent an afternoon snowshoeing on Mt. Seymour. Well, I loved it so much that when Mt. Seymour invited my family back up to try a snowboarding lesson I was game.
I'll admit that along with my excitment there was a healthy dose of fear; I'm not as young and flexible as I once was and while I do spend my summers on a wakeboard, hurtling down a moutain with trees on either side does make me a little nervous. Our instructor, Jack, was great; he made each of us comfortable from the beginning. Super friendly and patient he started by explaining our equipment to us and progressed to learning to to start and stop and get comfortable with our edges.
Take a look at a video of our experience:
There are a variety of lesson packages and groups that you can take including private lessons, group lesson for different age groups and advanced lessons for those looking to improve their skills. For a full list of lessons and pricing visit mountseymour.com. You can also check out the snow conditions, lift pass options and other activities.
Thank you Mt. Seymour for having us - we'll definitely be back!
t's fun to try something that you've never done before; to get out of your regular and sometimes ho-hum routine and embark on a mini-adventure.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband Kevin and I (Maryanne) spent an afternoon on Mount Seymour in Vancouver, BC, and tried snowshoeing for the first time. Now, while we do enjoy a good snowmobiling adventure, we are not typically mountain-top sports people. We've never tried skiing or snowboarding and we generally use gas powered engines to propel us and don't rely on our own legs to move us forward.
Having said that, I discovered that snowshoeing is FUN!
The Discovery Snowshoe Trails on Mount Seymour are well marked and groomed. It's a beautiful, quiet walk around two lakes and through the forest that is glistening with snow covered trees. The trails are all intertwined and categorized into three different options:
For the beginner: Gentle trails that are regularly maintained and well marked with maps at every junction.
For the athlete: Many loops with varying difficulty levels that are perfect for hill training and sprints and offers a great workout!
For the nature-lover: Scenic lakes, towering trees and plenty of animal tracks to follow after a fresh snowfall.
This is a very affordable, family friendly adventure. A trail pass is only $9 for an adult, $7.50 for a child or a family of 4 can go for $26. Don't have your own equipment? Don't worry, it's very affordable to rent. An adult is $27 for a full day trail pass and snowshoe rental and a family of 4 is only $75. If you aren't feeling confident enought to head out on your own, you can book one of the Guided Snowshoeing Adventures. We think the Chocolate Fondue Evening tour would be amazing!
For more information and to check snow and trail conditions, visit mountseymour.com. OK Stimulistas, it's time to embark on something new - happy snowshoeing!
