Out & About #254 | Weekend Visuals: Biking Weather Feat. Dairy King

7/16/2016

Glorious warm weather without horrid levels of humidity can only mean one thing: embracing nature to the fullest via afternoon strolls and/or bike rides.

Since finally adding biking to my skills index, it's been one of my greatest goals to pedal along Mississauga's numerous bike trails before the dreaded school season approaches yet again. With humidity being a thing of the past week's on-and-off rainstorms, the time had ultimately arrived for a pedalling excursion surely free from heat stroke.

Swiftly but surely, I soon made it to Burnhamthorpe's dedicated bike lanes. And ever so gradually, the bridge across the Credit River came into view.
Driving along has never provided a great view of the scenery below; one is also not permitted to stop either. Biking on the separated pathway though, was a completely different story. An endless sheet of blue with streaks and patches of stark white grazed the tops of the lush green forestry surrounding me. Stone barrier in place, it was almost as if I had stepped foot in another universe - a world of absolute bliss and liberation. At that moment, I felt an utmost gratification for having obtained the wondrous skill of cycling from the same man I am proud to call Dad.

Along the bridge were also curved sections that allowed pedestrians and cyclists alike to stop and speculate the wonders of nature down below.

Entering Riverwood Conservatory then led me downhill to Culham Trail, which I followed southbound, weaving through families and weekend hikers trudging along the trail. Gosh, was the breeze fantastic!

Somehow, I eventually made it to a section near Erindale where the Credit River met a trail-less rocky edge. Perhaps I was underneath Mississauga Road, as I heard cars from above.

The other side of the path was narrow, intruded in on by unkept weeds and the like. I turned back to search for a homebound route, leaving the picturesque location for others to discover.

Besides enjoying physical activities underneath the sun, the weekend also consisted of a great deal of munching. One may recall my Waterloocakeshop post from last year, where a very close friend of mine generously provided a Green Tea Crêpe Cake for my personal enjoyment. This friend has since expanded her product selection, adding a series of sweet, creamy breads to the lineup.

These carby creations have gained significant interest in the Asian dessert world as of late, and are commonly called "奶酪包".

The up-and-coming fad is presented in chiffon cake-like wedges, each capable of being modified to one's flavour(s) of choice. Shown below are: Green Tea, Tiramisu, Chocolate, Original, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Oreo.

While I had skimped out on proper lighting for the images above and below due to lack of time, the specimens themselves adopted quite the curiosity-piquing appearance.

Each side was slathered in a rich mixture of whipped cream and cream cheese, and then further enhanced with flavour add-ons such as green tea powder and fresh strawberry bits. Possessing properties that rendered them firm yet spongy soft at the same time made the sweet breads great choices for breakfast or afternoon snacks.

The entire box was thoroughly demolished in a matter of days. Technically-speaking, these are best consumed within 48 hours for optimal flavour and texture, but shouldn't be kept for longer than four days.

Sunday was termed "National Ice Cream Day".

My first attempt at celebrating the food holiday was taking to my kitchen to recreate Blogilates' Nice Cream using the ingredients on hand. While coconut milk/cream was in abundance, the same could not be said about the number of frozen bananas required. The resulting product, while tasty, was shapeless and absolutely atrocious in appearance. (Needless to say, it won't be making its way to What I Make until grocery shopping has been completed.)

All was not lost, though. We simply headed over to Dairy King in Port Credit for our desired dose of sugar.

< Pictured above and below: Vanilla-Chocolate Swirl w/ Wafer Stick, Vanilla-Chocolate Swirl w/ Chocolate Dip, and Vanilla w/ Butterscotch Dip >

Dairy King is located on Lakeshore, just east of Hurontario. As we approached the shop, my mouth gaped at the lineup that was coiling around the corner. Drawing near though, we all heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that the shop was merely an ice cream counter with a lineup consisting of no more than five people. We pulled in, noticing that some customers had taken to occupying the plastic tables located directly outside the shop since the indoor dining area was closed (for whatever reason).

Parking spots were few, and pay parking was also enforced majority of the time. Thankfully, we had arrived after 6 pm on a Sunday - a time when parking was absolutely free.

Two girls were working the counter in the evening, but neither seemed to have particularly good cognitive capabilities. For first time Dairy King-goers, not a single member of our party was familiar with the menu. We requested further clarification, only to be given a stifled version of a glare/exasperated sigh. While we understood that there was a lineup steadily building behind us, what we desired was no more than simple clarification on specific items. Being told to "stand to the side and make up our minds" wasn't exactly pleasant either.

I also found it odd that our orders were not taken all at once, but rather one by one. A cone would be produced and thrust into our hands after every order, and only after all three cones were created was payment demanded.
The reason why someone would ask for a customer to fumble through his/her bag for payment after handing them several ice cream cones is beyond me.

The soft serve ice cream itself was alright. Portion size was more than acceptable, though the chocolate dip and waffle cone were found to be lacking in depth of flavour and freshness; admittedly, the cone was a tad stale and lacking crispness. Surprisingly though, the Vanilla-Chocoate Swirl was tastier than other retailers that I've tried.