Proud to be Nova Scotian
In April, I had the distinct pleasure of reveling in a showcase of all that makes Nova Scotia wonderful, all under one roof, at the annual Saltscapes Expo.
Delicious local food, incredible handicrafts, beautiful wines, exciting outdoor sports and recreation activities, dedicated charitable organizations, stunning artwork, amazing food…did I mention food yet? Maybe I was a little fixated…
There were so many good things to try though! There was only one thing to be done: methodically eat my way around the province by visiting aisle after aisle of booths displaying the products of local vendors and restaurateurs.
I started off healthy and wholesome with Valley Flax Flour. I’ve begun to make an effort to use more gluten-free options in my baking, and Valley Flax Flour is the perfect alternative to whole wheat. I was totally hooked after I tried the flax flour muffins they had available as samples, and picked up a bag of their pancake and cookie mix to try at home.
Next I headed over to satisfy my sweet tooth with Cornect Family Farm honey.
Though they have an incredible array of products, including a sweet and tangy honey lemon spread that would be perfect in a hot cup of tea and a fruity haskap berry honey that would be divine on a slice of freshly baked bread, I fell in love with their chocolate honey spread. I didn’t want to embarrass myself by dipping more than three or eight popsicle sticks into the gooey stuff, so I bought a jar for myself and a jar for the babysitter that was at home with my little one, making all this eating possible.
Several of the finest restaurants in Nova Scotia had booths set up at the Expo, and I was quick to work my way through the throngs of people vying for chocolate caramel cashew phyllo cups from Gabrieau’s Bistro and delicious little fig-stuffed croissants from Atlantica Hotel & Marina Oak Island.
Thankfully, I was able to wash all this rich goodness down with a local thirst-quencher: Terra Beata Cranberry Juice. Though I may have been led down the path of pure indulgence with mouthfuls of honey, chocolate and pastry, I didn’t have to feel the least bit guilty about quaffing this sugar-free, pure cranberry juice.
Completely stuffed and proud to be a Nova Scotian, I made my way back out into the sunny day, amazed that I had never taken in the Saltscapes Expo before. With not just great food to eat but beautiful arts and crafts to buy and lots of local initiatives to learn about, it was well worth the hours I spent taking it all in.
My next move, logically, was to head directly home and whip up a batch of pancakes with my Valley Flax Flour pancake mix and some local flavour-infused maple syrup that I had picked up at the Expo. An egg, a half a cup of pancake mix and a third of a cup of milk, and I had a sweet, golden (fibre-rich!) mid-afternoon snack for me and the kiddo.
