Out & About #911 | Canada Day 156

​It seemed like it was just yesterday that our nation celebrated its 150th year of unity. Yet, in the blink of an eye, another year has fallen upon us, and with it, the 156th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.

​For the obvious reason of rampant wildfire fumes and impending thunderstorm forecasts, outdoor barbecue proposals, were swapped for simpler meals in an air-conditioned space. The marinating was no simple feat, but the cleaning even more so. Dozens upon dozens of greasy brushes and foil trays had us labouring until the late hours of the evening last year, just until it was time to head - ahem, drag the sleepy polar bear out - for fireworks.

Instead of toiling away for hours on end, I suggested pre-packaged kabobs instead. Two 8-pack pork souvlaki skewers were obtained from Costco, along with sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, baby cucumbers, a shrimp cocktail ring, and the crowd favourite of potato salad.
The idea had been to reduce efforts where possible. Though, at seeing the extensive array of fresh veggies before me, I couldn't resist assembling some (unplanned) dishes of my own.

​Lunch preparations commenced around 10 AM, starting with the baby cucumbers. Majority were purposefully chopped into chunks, then salted and left to sit for fifteen minutes. A smaller quantity was cut into thin slices before undergoing the same step of salting.

​Fond recollection of the cucumber side from Kaze's Bulgogi Bento had instigated the impromptu cucumber salad. Maangchi's recipe of garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds had been modified to include rice wine vinegar for tanginess. Scallions were sliced finely and dunked into ice water to remove their sharpness. In the absence of gochukaru, I began to experiment with smoked paprika and a pinch of Indian chili powder. Featuring a relatively mild kick, I utilized wasabi to boost the pungency factor, but would recommend gochukaru over my various swaps.

​Once the cucumber had been rinsed and drained, the chunks formed the base of the Korean side dish, while the slices were arranged in a single layer on paper towel to drain thoroughly. Covering with plastic wrap, the salad was allowed to marinade in the fridge until serving. Toasted sesame seeds were prepared for sprinkling.

​In the meantime, the red, orange, and yellow bell peppers were separated into strips (for salad) and one-inch segments for grilling. Romaine lettuce was also washed and drained, then set aside; cherry tomatoes were arranged on the surface to resemble a maple leaf - my best attempt since the coconut cream crêpe cake with strawberries.

​Bell pepper chunks were coated with olive oil, garlic powder, sage, parsley, black pepper, and a hint of sugar before roasting in the oven. They resided on the bottom rack for some duration of unknown time, were flipped, then transferred to the middle-high rack to continue cooking and obtain their lovely charred edges and caramelized, wrinkly skin.

The Pork Souvlaki Skewers did not possess the "EZ Peel" technology that the package directions spoke of. Scissors added in the rescue of the individual skewers, but occasionally poked through both layers of the packaging, separating the fleshy sections from the wooden skewer.

​In spite of my endless gripes, all items of the lunch course emerged spectacularly. The Cucumber Salad possessed adequate amounts of umami and garlic, while the grilled bell peppers were sweet and flavourful. Both paired well alongside romaine sans-dressing.
Comprising of a herby, lemony essence the souvlaki was surprisingly complex. The cuts were incredibly lean though, making for a rather tough texture overall.

​A single Original Glazed Donut from Krispy Kreme, requested by yours truly and procured by the sleepy polar bear, served as dessert.

When I finally retreated to my humble corner of the second floor, the fatigue began to slowly settle. Initially reluctant to venture out into the potentially muggy outdoors, the donning of Canada-themed attired altered this approach.

Nani's Gelato was one of the few independent ice cream parlours open on the Statutory Holiday. (We had Baskin Robbins at home, after all.)

A Vanilla Bean Soft Serve in a waffle cone and Small scoop of Vegan Dark Chocolate rang in at around twelve dollars. Truthfully, I had been eagerly anticipating the return of small-batch swirled Vanilla and Lindt Chocolate soft serve, but arrived to find a relatively limited Scoops selection. On the other, the Pints list was absolutely brimming with new names.

The portion of Vanilla Bean within the waffle cone was about 1.5 times that of the small scoop. Interestingly enough, it was also priced somewhat proportionally.

The treats were enjoyed on one of the four square tables positioned outside the gelato business, with us racing against the heat to avert rapid dissolution. I had brought along two gelato wafers, previously purchased during my Yonge-Eglinton days, then forgotten about until over half a year later.

Vanilla Bean was delightful at first, but gradually grew bland after successive bites. Trickles of speckled milkiness caused the cone to collapse, exhibiting a similar consistency to dampened biodegradable containers.
Vegan Dark Chocolate curbed the interim craving for chocolate, but was richer in cocoa than it was velvety chocolate. The dairy- and egg-free creation gave rise to blemishes nearly immediately, indicating poor quality cocoa, non-Belgian derived chocolate, or both.

​We relieved sticky digits within Nani's accessible stall, then began contemplating next steps of action. I opted against purchasing a pint to take home, for there was no cooler in tow.

At this point, my watch read 5:50 PM. I suggested a stopover at Streestville, just before their celebratory activities kicked off at 6 PM.

​Road closures were already in place along Church Street, as well as the connecting side streets of Mill and Old Pine. We managed to find street parking just west of Tannery Gate and Water Street, then strode over to the Village Square.

​Our early arrival at the event equated to an abundance of Canada Day-themed freebies. Maple leaf-topped sugar cookies welcomed us first, followed by enamel pins, pens, notepads, and light-up wristbands at the MPP booths. Naturally, we refreshed our Canada flag inventory with fresh, vibrant ones.

​Kid-friendly activities were also found throughout the space, ranging from face painting, arts and crafts (making red-and-white bracelets, sticker-topped paper headbands, and glittery Canada flags), bean bag tosses, temporary tattoos, and a photobooth with Dollarama favourites.

I had wanted to obtain a handful of temporary flag tattoos for future years, but the attempt was cut off by a volunteer, who began to peel off the tattoo backing as I approached the booth. He helped to apply the tattoo as well, dabbing the back with a wet sponge, then retrieving the paper discard for disposal.

Canada Rocks, the same band performing at last year's celebration, commenced their set around 6 PM after an inaugurative speech.

Out of curiosity, I led the way to Streetsville Memorial Park, though there was not much to see beyond first responder vehicles and an empty field. The drone show was not slated till 9:45 PM, when we'd be long gone from the vicinity and enjoying A/C back home.
​It was somewhat breezy at the base of the slope, but dreadfully humid along the upward trek back to the Village Square. Nevertheless, the conditions were preferred to the predicted thunderstorms.

The short-lived visit allowed me to confirm that municipal street parking was indeed free of charge on "Holidays" - statutory or not, that is to be confirmed - and solidify understanding of at-work presentation material regarding non-standard pavers in BIA districts.

Happy 156th Birthday, Canada!

​(P.S. I probably ate too much...Not pictured are the copious handfuls of Choco Churro Turtle Chips, dried mango, cherry gummies, and Sapporo ingested after dinner.)