Hawaii Mom Blog: June 2014

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June 30, 2014

Visit Vancouver: Rain or Shine Ice Cream

I love ice cream, and I love finding local ice cream shops whenever we travel.  While in Vancouver we made sure to stop at Rain or Shine Ice Cream , a local shop on the very busy and popular Kitsilano West 4th Avenue in Vancouver.

Salted Caramel

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle

Chocolate

I had the Brown Butter Snickerdoodle, which was very delicious!  I especially liked biting into the chunks of cookies.

The Salted Caramel was fantastic as well, and my kids loved the Chocolate ice cream.  

Opened just last year, Rain or Shine's homemade ice cream has drawn quite a following, and the lines prove just how popular the ice cream is - rain or shine!

Rain or Shine
1926 W 4th Ave #102
Vancouver, BC V6J 1M6, Canada
604-428-7246
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Visit Vancouver: e.b.o. Restaurant and Lounge

In the Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre is a beautiful restaurant - the e.b.o. Restaurant & Lounge, where our family had breakfast twice during our stay at the Delta Burnaby.

At first glimpse the restaurant looks as if it's a place I'd have a date night with my husband, or a night out with friends - it looks too "fancy" - with gorgeous lighting and furnishings - to be somewhere to take the family for breakfast.

But e.b.o. welcomes all - couples, families, business workers - anyone looking for great service and great food.

What I love about Delta Hotels is that children 6 years and younger eat free at their onsite restaurants, in this case e.b.o., and the children's menu (for kids 12-7) offers very inexpensive meal options.

Kids Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon
Kids Eggs with Bacon and Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
Scrambled Egg
Rosy's Spicy Chorizo Scramble

Sourdough Toast
3 Egg Omelet with Smoked Bacon, Wild Mushrooms, and Boursin Cheese

Although one of my kids was given a Poached Egg instead of the Scrambled Egg we ordered, and the restaurant had run out of White Bread for Toast, we had a great server, and she was very quick to remedy any issues.

Also, we were pleasantly surprised to get a small shot of a fruit smoothie along with our meal.

The food was great and the prices were very reasonable (breakfast plates come with toast and potatoes!).

The second day we ordered almost all of the same items, and although the food looked different from our first visit (e.g. powdered sugar on the pancakes; no smoothie shot), and I was given the wrong kind of toast (Whole Grain vs White - I didn't mind and ate the Whole Grain anyway), the food was still delicious and the service was still excellent.

Kids Plain Pancakes with Bacon

Kids Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon

3 Egg Omelet with Smoked Bacon, Red Onion, and Boursin Cheese
e.b.o. Smoked Salmon Omelet
Whole Grain Toast
I wish I could've had a chance to try lunch or dinner at e.b.o. - I guess I'll have to wait until the next time I visit the area.

And if breakfast is any indication of how lunch or dinner is, I know it will be excellent.

e.b.o Restaurant & Lounge
4331 Dominion St
Burnaby, BC V5G 1C7, Canada
604-453-0788
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June 29, 2014

Tucker & Bevvy Breakfast


Tucker and Bevvy Picnic Food opened last year in Waikiki offering sandwiches, salads, juices and smoothies.  The beach food focus is on fresh and healthy.  This month, owners Tony and Cecily Ho Sargent, opened Tucker and Bevvy Breakfast Food in the Hee Hing Plaza, located next door to Tokkuri Tei.  

They offer fresh and hot Aussie breakfast favorites for dine in.  It took me two trips to try all the must have dishes they offer.  The first outing was with Hawaii Mom bloggers Gem and Nat and fellow foodie and yelper, Brandon.  This place is popular so be prepared to wait.  We ordered the mushroom rosti, chicken fried rice, and the roast beef hash.  The plan was to share the tim tam waffle for dessert, but for the month of June T&B was graciously giving a free ricotta pancake per entrée so we were too full.  After seeing all the pictures of the tim tam waffle on Instagram, we instantly regretted this decision.  

But that leads me to outing number two.  This time in my company were my kids and my poor/ brave dear friend, depending how you look at it.  I made sure to order the tim tam waffle when I ordered my croque madame.  Everyone LOVED the tim tam waffle, which was light and crispy, and went amazingly well with the vanilla ice cream.  That was the first item that disappeared and my son kept asking for more…and more.

The mushroom rosti and the roast beef hash are their popular dishes and often raved about.  I didn’t try those personally, but I loved my chicken fried rice topped with two eggs.  I ate the entire thing.  The croque madame was also very good.  The Dijon gives the black forest ham and Swiss sandwich a nice kick.  My kids were intrigued by the sunny side egg and really enjoyed a taste of it.

If you're not in the mood for breakfast foods, they also serve up a burger, BLT, and a smoked salmon tartine.  That's three reasons for me to return!    

The restaurant is open daily from 6:30am to 2:30pm.  Go check them out.  You'll be glad you did!  
  
Chicken fried rice

Mushroom rosti

Croque Madame


Single ricotta pancake

Tim Tam Waffle




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June 27, 2014

Visit Vancouver: Milestones Grill & Bar

Robson Street in Vancouver is home to many, many restaurants, but once we saw a Milestones Grill & Bar, a popular family-friendly Canadian chain, we knew we wanted to dine there.
Kids Grilled Cheese
Kids Chicken Fingers
Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich

The Chicken Sandwich piled high with Cheddar Cheese, Chipotle Aioli, Lettuce, Onion, and Tomato.

Kids Cookie and Ice Cream Dessert

Caramel Gingered Apple Crisp
Kids meals are a little pricey ($8.99), but all meals come with a drink and dessert.  My kids just loved the cookie and ice cream!

My husband and I shared the chicken sandwich, which was really delicious.  The chicken was perfectly cooked and even with just half a sandwich I was pretty full.

But I still had room for dessert!

The Caramel Gingered Apple Crisp was delightful!

Service was excellent, and Milestones is definitely one of my favorite restaurants that we dined at while in Vancouver.



Milestones Grill & Bar
1145 Robson St
Vancouver, BC V6E 1B5, Canada
604-682-4477



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Visit Vancouver: Boundary Bay Regional Park Playground

We love visiting playgrounds whenever we travel, and the Boundary Bay Regional Park Playground, located about 40 minutes away from Vancouver, was proclaimed "The Best Playground Ever" by my middle son, and I may just have to agree.

Located right next to Centennial Beach, the playground is huge, with swings, a rope climb, a zip line, slides, and more.

What I really love about the playground is that it was made possible by the Lions Club International Foundation, who emphasized making it a playground "for children of all abilities."

A section of the playground equipment has numerous ramps, and there's even an interactive station on learning braille.

The beach, just steps away, was beautiful, even during very low tide.  

On site is a cafe and restrooms, and there is some seating around the playground.

The Boundary Bay Regional Park Playground is definitely the best playground we've ever been to.

Boundary Bay Regional Park Playground
570 Boundary Bay Rd
Delta, BC V4L 1N2, Canada


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Sprout Sandwich Shop

The sandwich business is heating up in Kaimuki. First there was Via Gelato, then Earl Sandwich, and now Sprout Sandwich.  

I didn't visit Sprout in person, but I got to taste three of their sandwiches and they were all amazing.  

Each sandwich comes wrapped neatly in brown paper, and labeled on the outside so that you know which is which. 

The Fonz: prosciutto, capicola, and salami with fresh olive tapenade, greens and house mayo. 

The Duke: Fresh, oven-roasted turkey, hickory smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pickled red onion with house mayo.

The Floater: Fresh, oven-roasted turkey with pickled red onion, crispy apple, melted brie, lettuce, and house mayo.

Sandwiches range in price from $7-$9.50.

Sprout Sandwich Shop
1154 Koko Head Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
Closed on Mondays
Metered Street Parking

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June 26, 2014

Baldwin's Sweet Shop

Growing up on the Leeward side of Oahu, Baldwin's Sweet Shop would be the place to go for shave ice, and it's nice to see that they're still around.
From top left, clockwise: Chocolate, Coconut, Rainbow, Lemon Peel & Lychee
I had the Lemon Peel & Lychee flavors, which was quite an interesting combination.  The Lemon Peel was tart, and the Lychee, which was my favorite of the two, was sweet and refreshing.

I love that they offer keiki sizes and that they are manageable sizes for my kids, since sometimes when we go to other shave ice shops the "kids" size is so big my kids end up wasting shave ice.

I also love that the shave ice is served in cups, which are easier for my kids to hold than the cones (and no need to buy the plastic holder).

Baldwin's Sweet Shop offers a lot of great flavors and add-ins, and their shave ice was a cool and tasty treat that we all enjoyed!

Baldwin's Sweet Shop
98-040 Kamehameha Hwy
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 488-0505
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Visit Vancouver: Tim Hortons

Founded in Ontario, Canada, Tim Hortons has locations all throughout Canada, as well as some locations throughout the US.

As we were driving through Tsawwassen, we saw one and knew we had to stop for lunch - and to get some donuts too.

Grilled Cheese Panini

Turkey Bacon Club Sandwich
Chips
Right, from top to bottom: Birthday Cake, Chocolate Glazed, Chocolate Dip Maple Glazed 

Although the menu seemed to be limited, and surprisingly no kids options are available, the food was good, and the donuts were sweet and delicious (my fave was the Birthday Cake). I wished they offered fries instead of chips, but I thought it was nice that for combos you could choose between chips or a donut.

The donuts were so good, that when we were at the Vancouver International Airport for our return flight, we decided to buy some Timbits (donut hotels) to enjoy on the flight.

Strawberry and Chocolate Glazed Timbits

Tim Hortons
1211 56 St,
Delta, BC V4L 2M4, Canada
604-948-2356

Vancouver Airport - Level 2 International Arr
3211 Grant McConachie Way
Vancouver BC, V7B 1Y7
(604) 231-3731
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Visit Vancouver: Science World at Telus British Columbia

I love taking the kids to science museums, where they have so much fun they don't even realize they're learning, so I knew a visit to Science World at TELUS World of Science was a must for our trip to Vancouver.
So much to do at Science World!
Highlights of Our Visit
Housed in an eye-catching geodesic dome, Science World offers visitors a number of different galleries and exhibits that educate, engage, and inspire. 

We were able to interact with exhibits that taught us about energy, recycling, the body, light, sound, water, and so much more!

My kids enjoyed playing a recycling game, watching balls move through the Dyson Airflow Wall Exhibit, and making music on a gigantic keyboard.
Recycling Game
Dyson Airflow Wall Exhibit
Making music on a giant keyboard
One of our family's favorite exhibits was in Science of Sports, where my kids could race against a cheetah!
Racing against a cheetah
There was also a room where we could see neat objects built with KEVA planks, and kids could create their own objects using KEVA planks as well.
KEVA Plank Creations
My youngest two kids loved the Kidspace (designed for kids ages 1-6), where they could build, climb, and even sit in a spaceship!
Gravitram
Throughout the day there were also numerous shows that kids could watch and participate in.
Air Show
My oldest son also participated in the Living lab, where students from the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia conduct research on cognitive development.

It was such a fun day of learning and play!

Dining
On site is Triple O's, where we had a quick and satisfying lunch, as well as the Snack Lab, where you can grab some sweet or salty treats!

Our Experience Visiting as a Special-Needs Family
My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various environments, I always try to share our personal experience when visiting attractions.

Fortunately on the day we went (a weekday) the crowd was not too overwhelming, and even though there were a variety of different types of exhibits, he did not seem to get overstimulated by all that there was to see and do.

He found several exhibits that he loved, particularly those that involved balls or water, and whenever he seemed to get anxious we'd simply take him back to those exhibits.

Although he usually does well watching shows, he did not want to watch any of the shows that were going on throughout the day, and there were some exhibits he was a bit afraid of (e.g. the Electric Hands exhibit, which used currents to power a speaker that made a startling sound), fortunately there were many other exhibits he enjoyed.

Since he also really loves tunnels and enclosed spaces, he loved the Sara Stern Gallery, where he could crawl through a beaver's lodge, as well as climb up into a tree.

I was also very impressed with all the new activities he tried, such as balancing on a beam, and jumping off a platform, however, he'd always want to go back to the Dyson Airflow Wall or the Waterplay station, where he was always calm and content.

Although he did experience moments of anxiety, there were numerous areas throughout the museum to sit for rest breaks, and there were areas, like at the puzzle and brain-teaser stations, where it was a lot quieter than other areas.

Overall he did very well, and he simply loved interacting with so many different exhibits.  

Final Thoughts
We had an amazing time at Science World, and it is easily one of the best, if not the best, science museum we have ever visited.

I love that there were so many different interactive and engaging exhibits for visitors of all ages, and that we were able to learn so much while having fun at the same time.

We spent nearly the entire day there, and I know there was still so much more we could've learned and discovered.

A visit to Science World is a great way to spend the day with family!

Science World at TELUS World of Science
1455 Quebec St
Vancouver, BC V6A 3Z7, Canada
604-443-7440

Click here for hours and rates; click here for parking information.

Thank you to Science World for hosting my children's visit.  Admission for two adults, as well as lunch, was paid on our own. 
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June 25, 2014

Wordless Wednesday

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In Search of Latte Art. Found It at Glazer's Coffee


Latte art is created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso in a pattern or design.  However, there's the controversy that the focus on the superficial appearance of the latte takes away from more important attributes such as the taste.  

What nonsense. 

Did you see how CUTE that latte bear is?! He made my day and the latte was just as delicious as it was amazingly adorable. 

Glazer's Coffee serves up espresso drinks prepared in unique Seattle tradition.  Their mission is to provide a rich, smooth, delicious espresso drink to their customers and they have succeeded. 

Their coffee house offers free wifi and a place to study or relax.  But mind you, it's awfully quiet in there. I went in on a Saturday morning with 3 little ones in tow and although we didn't get any dirty looks, I didn't feel comfortable staying too long and disrupting the peace. 

Glazer's is located on 2700 S. King Street and is open Monday through Thursday from 7am to 11pm, Fridays 7am to 9pm, and Saturday & Sunday 8am to 11pm.  Parking is in the shared lot with Sushi King. 
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Visit Vancouver: Silvestre Gusto Latino (aka Silvestre Deli & Bistro)

Walking around Gastown, we stumbled upon Silvestre Gusto Latino (aka Silvestre Deli & Bistro), which specializes in Peruvian food.

We didn't go to Silvestre's for the Peruvian food, however.  What drew us in was a sign on the street for gelato.
Blue Bubble Gum, Chocolate Flakes, Blue Bubble Gum

Although a bit pricey, the homemade gelato was delicious, and surprisingly I loved the bubble gum flavor!

Next time I hope to try some of the Peruvian dishes.

And I'll definitely be eating more gelato!


Silvestre Gusto Latino
317 Water St.
Vancouver, BC V6B 1B8, Canada
604-558-2825
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