End of an Era - The Pumpkin Edition

One of the things I love most about living relatively close to where I grew up is that I get to share experiences with my kids that I loved in my childhood.  One of those items was 'the great pumpkin' at Plant World, an Etobicoke staple in gardening for generations.  

As a kid, my mom would take us to visit the pumpkin while she shopped for plants and we loved playing in the giant jack-o'-lantern.  Each year, as a family tradition Chris and I take the minions to Plant World and while we shop for pumpkins they run around playing in the same giant beast of a fake pumpkin I did.  We even take a photo each year to show how much they've grown.

One of the first ever visits to the pumpkin circa 2013.

Anyone who has lived in Toronto knows that condo builds are popping up everywhere.  In the Junction I'm seeing graffiti on billboards announcing new builds spray painted with, "We Don't Need Anymore Condos".  This week BlogTo shared that the current location of the Junction Farmers' market is going to become yet another condo build.  Earlier this year we lost the only subway accessible first run movie theatre in the west end of Toronto, The Humber, to a condo build.  Don't get me wrong, growth is great, but where are all of these people going to shop, or have a sense of community?

Needless to say, it didn't surprise me when I found out that Plant World Family will be closing at the end of September.  I imagine that large expanses of condos will pop up soon after.  This weekend we're going to visit Plant World one last time.  I don't know whether or not the Great Pumpkin is out, but we'll see (I'll update if it is so anyone in the area who wants to visit can).  I'll probably pick up some succulents for my workspace while I'm there cause it's a little early for pumpkins.

Thank you Plant World!  You served Toronto for three generations and my family for two.  Best of luck on your new adventures!

It looks like it's time for a new Halloween tradition for the minions.  Anyone have any Halloween traditions you'd like to share?

My Time for Beer!

One of the times that I missed drinking the most while I was pregnant was St. Paddy's Day because I had to skip my nice dark Guinness and settled for a Dad's Root Beer instead, still good but not nearly as satisfying.

 I love fall and everything orange, yellow and Halloween, I also love the dark beers harvest and Halloween beers that come out this time of year!  So in celebration of the long weekend and my autumn vacation I picked up some dark ales and wrote some reviews.  If you aren't interested in beer, you may want to check out the giant pumpkin photos below!

 If you don't seek Pumpkin Beer, but are looking for somewhere in Toronto to pick out a pumpkin that's a little more exciting than your local grocery store, go to Plant World.  The pumpkins cost a little more, but your kids can play inside a giant pumpkin.

Enlightenment, Great Punkin
Origin - New Zealand
Boasts recipe including "New Zealand Fuggle"
Dark, High alcohol ale with dark amber red colour, initial taste red wine.  No pumpkin taste.  Pretty sure I hate fuggle, whatever it is, because this beer was heavy on my tongue with a chemical plastic smell.  I couldn't finish it.

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale
Origin - New York
This beer is the ale answer to fruit beer with a refreshing pumpkin and spice taste.  It's as if Belgium fruit beer married an ale and it's bliss.  The $2.50 price tag doesn't hurt either.

Spooks Ale
Traditional ale, tasted like a coffee porter.  Good Halloween party gift for an ale fan host.  If you like Mill Street Coffee Porter and want something seasonally spooky, this is your beer.

Spoiler Alert, there may be a few more reviews to come this autumn.  Enjoy!

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Jack inside the giant Jackolantern.

Thank You

This weekend we got to experience our first major holiday with the minions where they were mobile destructive forces.  It was fun, albeit exhausting, and Chris and I may have woken up this morning significantly more tired than we were when we entered the weekend.  All the same there are many things that I am thankful for.

I am thankful that both children slept through the entire night yesterday, for the first time in two weeks.

This Thanksgiving I experienced life at the kiddie table, for the second time in my life.  This time however, I was armed with a pair of mischievous toddlers. I got to witness a deju vu scenario where our children and their cousins played in the front hallway, with everyone's shoes and the door stopper because it was the only place where parents weren't watching and they could stay out of site and out of trouble.  It reminded me so much of Thanksgiving at my grandparent's house that I couldn't help but smile.

I am thankful that I was able to watch a tradition repeat itself - one generation later.

Thanksgiving often marks the beginning of tradition season for me and we followed suit by taking the minions to Downey's Farm for the second year in a row.  For the adults there's Downey's Estate Winery*, a gift shop and a corn maze - that you can book to do in the dark if you so desire.  For children, there is a cornucopia of activities including: the corn maze, a pirate ship, sandboxes, mini golf, a petting zoo, games and a skeleton rock band.

Skeleton Band at Downey's Farm

Baby Goat Eating a Corn Cob

 

Molly and Chris Navigating the Corn Ma(i)ze

Pumpkin Patch Kids

 

 

We had a blast at Downey's, don't get me wrong, however I think this is the last time we're going to be going with the kids for a number of years.  Next year our family admission cost will sky rocket from $27 to $54 because the minions will be over 2 and will have to pay to get in. That doesn't include the cost of buying pumpkins**  The impending cost of admission next year had me contemplating Fall traditions in my family and actually had us making the decision to purchase our pumpkins elsewhere this year.

 

On our way home from the farm I chatted with Chris about how every October my mom would drive us to Plant World where we would get to play inside a giant pumpkin for a while and then get to pick out our Halloween pumpkins.  Even if said pumpkins cost Chris and I $5 a piece, this is significantly cheaper, closer and will likely make a similar impact.  Heck we can even swing by High Park, go to the Animal Paddocks, donate $10 and then hang out in the playground for an hour before we head home. 

 

I guess my main point is holiday tradition doesn't need to be expensive, it doesn't have to be super stressful, but it's easy to lose sight of that.  It also gives us a destination for next weekend - Plant World here we come!

 

I am thankful for affordable family traditions!

 

Shoes and socks cannot contain Jack at the farm.  Thankfully I had my trusty hoodie to shove his feet into when it got cold!

 

 



*The raspberry dessert wine is amazing...even just as a few drops into a dry white.
**Although I am not above pretending that Molly and Jack have a November birthday next year should we decide we need our fix of good old farm fun.