Gingerbread Oat Latte and Candy Cane Hot Chocolate from Tim Hortons

Happy Saturday! We're running errands today, and before we start, we grabbed breakfast at Tim Hortons.

There's snowplace like Tims snowman cup.

First, the Tim Hortons cups are adorably designed. The Candy Cane Hot Chocolate was surprisingly delicious, and for someone who hates anything minty on my sweets this passed the test.

There's Snowplace like Tims snowglobe cup design.

Meanwhile, hubby chose the Gingerbread Oat Latte from Tims, which does not have any hint of gingerbread taste. Such a shame because this cup deserves a delicious drink.

THOSE Pretzels from Vancouver Christmas Market

I am an obese foodie. I lost 20 lbs from my heaviest weight with slow and steady dieting.

We purchased a big bag of THOSE PRETZELS last night at the Vancouver Christmas Market, and it's so good. Their tagline is accurate, "Once you start, you can't stop." I had to put a post-it near our snack bin to remind myself of my diet.

THOSE Pretzels 🤤

My hubby's employer is having a Christmas party, and I want to lose a few more pounds before it, but boy, the pretzels are making it so difficult. 🫣

Below is a list of booths we have tried so far:

#40 Bratwurst Haus last November 12 #43 Kartouffel Haus today (November 17) #44 Chimney Cake last November 12 #45 Das Langos Haus today (November 17)

#48 Das Smoked Haus last November 12 #61 Das Apfel Haus today (November 17) #61 Those Pretzels (this post)

Non-Alcoholic Apfelwein from Apfel Haus at Vancouver Christmas Market

The non-alcoholic warm apple wine is enough to make me fall in love with my husband again.

I have been dating my husband for more than 11 years, yet today felt like a first date. We shared a warm cider, walking around the Vancouver Christmas Market on a clear, crisp, lovely evening with live Christmas carols playing in the background. It feels like I'm in a Hallmark movie without all the drama but all the love.

A cup of Apfelwein

My issue with taking pictures of drinks is it's hard to make it pretty on its own, yet here we are. The Apfelwein is the perfect non-boozy drink to keep you warm and maybe in love while inside the Vancouver Christmas Market.

Das Apfel Haus

In Germany, the translation for cider is 'Apfelwein', which means 'apple wine'.

Apfelwein was first produced in Frankfurt, due to the surrounding area being one of the richest fruit producing regions in Germany. Over time, some of the freshly pressed apple juice was allowed to fermant and become alcoholic.

Unlime American ciders, which are sweet, German cider has a tart, sour taste. This is because less preservatives and sugars are added in the process, giving it a more natural flavour.

Fun Fact: Frankfurt has become the most popular place to visit in Germany to taste Apfelwein.

Apfel Haus inside the Vancouver Christmas Market

Below is a list of vendors we have tried so far in the Vancouver Christmas Market:

#40 Bratwurst Haus last November 12 #43 Kartouffel Haus today (November 17) #44 Chimney Cake last November 12

#45 Das Langos Haus today (November 17) #48 Das Smoked Haus last November 12 #61 Das Apfel Haus (This Post)

Classic Langos from Das Langos Haus (#45) in Vancouver Christmas Market 2022

After sharing a kartoffelpuffer, hubby and I decided to order and try a Langos.

According to the description near the menu, "Not a pizza. My big brothers are the Elephant Ears, little sisters the Beaver Tails. I'm the Hungarian Langos.

Classic Langos
Garlic powder, sour cream, cheese, bacon, and green onion.

It is essentially deep-fried dough with savoury topping. You also have the option to put Nutella to make it a dessert.

I love the fried dough - greasy and flavourful, but the real winner is the green onion. It elevates the whole dish, so it's not just creamy from the cheese and sour cream or salty from the bacon but actually delicious.

It's a bit messy because you eat it with your hands like a pizza, so be prepared to have greasy fingers afterwards.

#45 Das Langos Haus

Below is a list of booths we have tried so far:

• #40 Bratwurst Haus last November 12
• #43 Kartouffel Haus today (November 17)
• #44 Chimney Cake last November 12
• #45 Das Langos Haus (This Post)
• #48 Das Smoked Haus last November 12

Kartoffelpuffer from Kartouffel Haus (#43) in Vancouver Christmas Market 2022

After a fun evening at the Lighting Ceremony of St. Paul's Hospital Lights of Hope, we decided to walk to the Vancouver Christmas Market in Jack Poole Plaza. We have Seasons Pass, which means unlimited entry.

I am so glad we went. There's a minimal crowd, and everything feels so spacious.

For our first meal, we went for the Kartouffel Haus and ordered the Kartoffelpuffer with smoked salmon, and brie cheese served with apple sauce and sour cream.

Kartoffelpuffer with Smoked Salmon and Brie Cheese

Kartoffelpuffer (German Potato Pancake) with smoked salmon and brie cheese

The potato is pretty bland, but the melted brie cheese, salty smoked salmon, and sweet apple sauce provide all the flavour the German Potato Pancake needs.

The line is long here because everyone wants a stick of the hurricane potato sold at the same booth (#43).

#43 Hurricane Potato and Kartoffel Haus

Below is a list of booths we have tried so far:

• #40 Bratwurst Haus last November 12
• #43 Kartouffel Haus (This Post)
• #44 Chimney Cake last November 12
• #48 Das Smoked Haus last November 12

St. Paul's Hospital Donor Celebration at Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre

My hubby and I have been donors to St. Paul's Hospital for the last four years, but we got invited to their Donor Celebration at Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre for the first time. I guess because this is the first year, our support exceeded a specific amount.

After work (5:00 PM), we hurriedly took an Uber to Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to ensure that we'll be on time for the program scheduled to arrive at 5:30 PM.

Since this is a food blog, I'll share the pictures I took of the refreshments they served.

Christmas Dinner in a Jar (sorry for the blurred picture)
Whipped potatoes, mushrooms and sage dressing, Brussels sprouts, cranberry relish, roasted turkey, and gravy.

Can we make this Christmas Dinner in a Jar a thing? It's a fun way to eat all the delicious things in a typical Thanksgiving meal - turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies (in this case, Brussels sprouts), gravy, and cranberry sauce. I love it!

We thought of just staying in one area but noticed that there seemed to be a path past the screen and podium. There was an alcohol bar and a snack bar further into the room. There are cookies (a lot of variety), tarts, mini cupcakes, cakes, coffee, tea, and even hot chocolate with little marshmallows. It's a little kid's dream or an adult with a sweet tooth. We stayed here for the rest of the event, but we're not shameless and only got one of each type to share.

Tarts, mini cupcakes, and cookies in dessert plate number 1.

Candy cane cream puff, colourful cookies, and red velvet mini cupcakes for dessert plate number 2.

Mini Cake Roll for dessert plate number 3.

After the event, we went downstairs to join the countdown for the lighting of Lights of Hope, which looked amazing.

Lights of Hope in Vancouver

My dream next year is to have our names in one of the stars. But, we gotta keep working hard so we can continue to share our blessings with St. Paul's and other non-profits in Vancouver.