s a m t s i r h C out of the box 2016
Centre for Seniors Information is r ramping up thei et cr Se al annu Santa project for low income, s. isolated senior re o Read m inside!
Filled with fun activities, recipes, ps, boutique sho s a m st Chri tips and more to make this holiday season one to remember!
2 n December 2016
downtown & North Shore ECHO
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
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229 VICTORIA STREET | 250-372-3565 | DOWNTOWN KAMLOOPS
downtown & North Shore ECHO
December 2016 n 3
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
Little helper Evan Lawrence helps prepare drop boxes for the Centre for Seniors Information's Secret Santa project for low income, isolated seniors. For most of the seniors in this program, this is the only gift they receive all year! They are in need of donations of shampoo, lotion, soap, razors, socks, coffee, gift cards, kitchen items, scarfs, slippers, gloves, books, coffee mugs, picture frames, manicure sets, large piece puzzles, crossword books, bath products, etc. Unwrapped new gifts can be dropped off at the CSI Activity and Drop-in Centre, 9-A 1800 Tranquille Road, or at any drop box location: London Drugs, Sahali Mall, Cain’s Independent Grocer, Schoening Funeral Service, First Memorial Funeral Services and All Aboard Games. Cash donations are also accepted at London Drugs and Cain’s Independent Grocer customer service desks. For more information or if you know a senior in need, call Brandi at 778-470-6000.
a helping hand
Think outside the box for thoughtful last-minute gifts (NC) Although it's the time of year to make a list and check it twice, a recent poll found that on average, three in ten gift purchases during the holidays are done at the last minute or within a day of giving the gift. We all understandably want our holiday shopping experience to be more convenient and try to avoid line-ups, crowded stores and parking lot traffic whenever we can. For an easy and convenient last-minute gift, why not consider a charitable donation? Many charities offer gift options for the holidays. For example, you can make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross in support of items like winter blankets that provide warmth
and comfort to those facing rain, snow and freezing temperatures. You can also send a paper or electronic card to let the recipient
know you're in their thoughts this holiday season. These kinds of items can help make a charitable donation a heart-warming gift in more ways
than one. Even as a last minute online purchase, charitable gifts are the perfect way to spread the true spirit of the season.
Give back this holiday season through these local programs:
Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign In addition to the 2,000 kettle locations across Canada, you are now able to donate online at fillthekettle.com. 250-554-1611 to volunteer. Christmas Amalgamated Adopt a family program. Donations of blankets, toys, etc. for babies, kids and teens needed. Drop off toy house locations are located at: Sahali Centre Mall, Northills Shopping Centre, Save-On Foods, Aberdeen Mall or Aberdeen Canadian Tire. 250-376-0777 to adopt a family. Big Brothers Big Sisters Donate to or sponsor a family or put together a hamper of food, toys, gifts or other items for families. Bbbskamloops.ca. Y Women’s Emergency Shelter Accepts donations of new items as well as cash or gift cards. 250-374-6162. Out of the Cold Program Cold weather shelter providing warm clothes, meals and beds for those who have nowhere else to go. To volunteer or donate, call 250-320-2005? or 250-318-0236. The Shoebox Project Fill a shoebox with items such as hygiene products, lotions, makeup, chocolates or gift cards. Boxes are delivered to the Family Tree Family Centre, Y Women’s Emergency Centre, Kamloops Sexual Assault Centre and Interior Chemical Dependency. Drop off boxes at TD Canada Trust, 500 Notre Dame Drive, Genesis Fashion and Beauty Complex, Beautiful U Laser Anti-Aging Spa, Lavender Lingerie and Abbott Wealth Management. Shoeboxproject.com/Kamloops.
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4 n December 2016
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
downtown & North Shore ECHO
Holiday fromage and festive Gouda After years of working the holiday season in the retail sector, I came to find Christmas music rather loathsome. Frankly, I am a “Christmas season starts on December 1” kind of gal. By mid-afternoon on Boxing Day, we can pretty much close the book for another year. The tree can stay until January, but that Michael Buble Christmas album needs to go. The only expectation is Vince Guaraldi Trio’s classic soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, which is good-to-go from early November to long after New Year’s Day. I’m going to lay down a bit of a proclamation here—Kanye West style… A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack is the GREATEST Christmas album of all time. OF ALL TIME. To me, for Christmas music, it
doesn’t get better than the lady would like to this. It’s cheerful but go home. not condescending. It’s worse than If not Charlie B, give “Santa Baby”; if we me something classic, must go there, give me soulful and silky the Eartha Kitt version smooth: Nat King or give me death! Cole, Al Green, Diana Any other rendition Krall, heck, even The is so sickly sweet and PERFECTLY Carpenters. naughty, nubile young FABULOUS Generally, the performers wearing Alicia Ashcroft musical choices Santa themed lingerie. offered in shopping malls is No thank you. more along the lines (at least Don’t get all flirty with Santa; in my generation) the pop he’s a giver of gifts, not a Sugar stylings of N’Sync’s poppy Daddy. yet politically correct “Merry The worst of all Christmas Christmas, Happy Holidays”, numbers, in my humble opinion Destiny’s Child’s “Eight Days of is Harry Connick Jr’s “Parade Christmas (shiver). Oh, and one of the Wooden Soldiers”. That can’t forget Jessica Simpson and song is so agitating; it makes me Nick Lachey’s breathy rendition want to drive my car right into of "Baby It's Cold Outside!"—a the horn section just to stop all song I tend to purse my lips at. that flipping racket. Um step aside sir, sounds like Shut it down.
Rolling in 18 years of the CP Holiday Train Every year the brightly lit holiday train departs from Montreal and travels across Canada, stopping in dozens of communities, raising donations of food and cash for local food banks before finishing in Port Coquitlam. The 18th annual CP Holiday Train will be rolling into Kamloops on December 15 at the North side of Sandman Centre. Performers Dallas Smith and the Odds will be entertaining
the crowd from 5:15 to 5:45 pm. Make sure to arrive 15 minutes early to see the train pull in! Please bring a donation for the Kamloops Food Bank, either a non-perishable food item or a cash donation.
Bring joy to a lonely senior this Christmas! Drop off unwrapped new gifts until December 16 at:
CSI Activity & Drop-in Centre, London Drugs*, Cain’s Independent Grocer*, Sahali Mall, Schoening Funeral Service, First Memorial Funeral Services, *Cash donations accepted at customer service All Aboard Games For more information, call Centre for Seniors Information 9-A 1800 Tranquille Rd 778-470-6000 www.csikamloops.ca
Now before going further, I really recommend taking a moment, or possibly an hour and a half, and Google “worst Christmas albums” or “bad celebrity Christmas albums”. Get creative, just have fun with it! If it leads to a YouTube marathon that ends at 3:00 am with David Hasslehoff’s spirited rendition of “Feliz Navidad” then so be it. Some of these albums… Sheesh. Colonel Sanders? Roseanne Barr? Regis Philbin? Who signed off on these choices? Now if you want some proper Christmas Gouda, you’d spend your Christmas nights with Boney M. By the time we get to the “Oh My Lord” verse of “Mary’s Boy Child” I’m clapping my hands and riding high on the Christmas spirit. I think that a healthy dose of cheese makes such classics as “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney and Wham’s “Last Christmas” possible. But it’s fine to overhear at a shop or party, it’s not something I’d take home with me. While I adore holiday cheese, I appreciate the festive but mellow vibe of the Charlie Brown soundtrack because it’s anything but cheesy. It’s mature, slightly melancholic and sincere. It says “Christmas makes me happy and sad all at the same time, but try let’s focus on the positive, shall we?” Holiday happiness can be an uphill battle and Charlie totally gets that. Year after year I’m comforted by those jazzy undertones in the backgrounds of all my Christmases.
downtown & North Shore ECHO
Think locally owned when shopping this season The holidays for whatever reason bring feelings of love and joy upon us. They make us want to honour our loved ones and send a token of our appreciation towards them. The problem lies in finding that perfect gift. The city is home to some of the most interesting places to find those perfect gifts. We have lovely and quaint little stores that are lovingly stocked by the shop owners with care. On the north shore, Loboy Market, run by Mike Cottrell and Sue Bellavie, offers a diverse array of goods at a cheaper price than anyone might think possible. Camera gear to kitchenware to fashion are all part of their product mix at pennies on the dollar. "Our deals are real deals," states Mike. "The price you see is the price you pay, all taxes are included." Downtown Kamloops is chalked full of fun and interesting gifts just waiting for a home. From Golden Buddha and their metaphysical offerings including
December 2016 n 5
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
STERLING & SEMI-PRECIOUS JEWELLERY UNIQUE CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES GIFTWARE ~ GREETING CARDS CRYSTALS & METAPHYSICAL, BOOKS & DECKS HERBALS, OILS & INCENSE
crystals, tarot decks and Reiki candles to Genesis Fashion and Beauty Complex where you can send your loved one for a haircut or skin treatment to get them to relax and take away the stress from a busy season. Kamloops Florist has beautiful centerpieces and Rogers chocolates perfect for Christmas. Healthylife Nutrition is the place to go for handmade soaps and culinary spices and teas. Instinct Adornment is the place to go for piercings and fine jewellery. To keep warm and toasty while you are shopping for others, visit Caffe Motivo for a specialty coffee and stop by some of the downtown cloth-
There are lots of games that inspire electronicfree gaming and great family time.
ing stores; Karin's Fashions, Look Boutique, Pyramid 17, and Blue Sky Clothing Co. to get a new Christmas outfit. Arwen's Apparel is a locally made bamboo clothing line. Don't miss out on Eyes International's amazing three for one special. You can bring a friend and share the spare pair! This year spend some time in your neighbourhood stores and find out what the people in your city can do for you this Christmas. Not only are our shoppe owners the nicest, friendliest and most helpful people you will meet, but they have also worked long and hard to find you all the best products the world has to offer.
O
the ech list
Games like Qwirkle, fun for all ages and great for developing strategic play, can be found at local toy store, Tumbleweed Toys, 1201-A Summit Drive (corner of Summit and Columbia).
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6 n December 2016
downtown & North Shore ECHO
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
first christmas
Easy Christmas crafts for kids! Make these cute trees and Santa following these simple instructions! Christmas Trees: Paint two cone water cups green. Wrap rickrack or ribbon around one. Decorate with pompoms. When the paint dries, apply a thin layer of glue to the second cup and cover with glitter. Jolly Santa: Paint a cone-shaped water cup
red. Cut out a circle face shape from felt and snip top of face to make it flat. Cut a felt beard and mustache and glue to face. Add black dots for eyes. Wrap pipe cleaner around the point of the cup and the middle of the cup to make the hat and jacket trim. Glue the face to the front of the cone. Add a small pom-pom for a nose. Glue paper feet to the inside of the cone.
The pessimist and optimist
Now I am not someone that has a whole lot of Christmas spirit usually - I blame it on excessive commercialization. Or maybe it’s because my kids are older and don’t believe in Santa, but this year is going to be different. This year I am a grandma and it is my grandson Asher’s first Christmas and I plan on spoiling him so much because that’s what awesome grandma’s do! The one thing I will always love about the holidays is being with my family and I think that’s pretty much what it should be all about. Carrie Harman is the administrator of the Downtown and North Shore Echo.
Involve children in giving back Forget the lemonade stand, set up a hot chocolate stand! On a mild afternoon when families are likely to be outdoors, offer cups of hot chocolate, along with candy canes for stirring. Donate your proceeds to a charity of your child’s choosing!
A family had twin boys whose crying bitterly. only resemblance to each other "Why are you were their looks. If one felt crying?" the it was too hot, the other father asked. thought it was too cold. "Because my If one said the TV was friends will be too loud, the other jealous, I'll have claimed the volume to read all these needed to be turned instructions before I up. Opposite in every can do anything with way, one was an eternal this stuff, I'll constantly optimist, the other a doom need batteries and my toys AVAILABLE and gloom pessimist. will eventually get broken." Just to see what would happen, answered the pessimist twin. at Christmas time their father Passing the optimist twin's loaded the pessimist's room room, the father found him with every imaginable toy and dancing for joy in the pile of game. The optimist's room he manure. "What are you so loaded with horse manure. happy about?" he asked. with a $30 or more That night the father passed by To which his optimist twin in-store the pessimist's room and found order replied, "There's got to be a him sitting amid his new gifts pony in here somewhere!"
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downtown & North Shore ECHO
A letter to Santa from Mom Dear Santa, I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl guide sash with staples and a glue gun. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.
Here are my Christmas wishes: I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any colour, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't
broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, "Don't eat in the living room" and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. And please don't forget the Playdoh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colours and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the in-laws' house seem just like mine. If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a container. If you don't mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don't catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or
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December 2016 n 7
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
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Holiday events Christmas at the Courthouse on December 3 and 4 from 10am to 5pm at the Old Courthouse Cultural Centre, 7 West Seymour St. “A Dickens Christmas” is a fine art and craft show and sale including music, seasonal treats and door prizes. 2nd Annual Christmas Trees at the Double Tree Open House on December 4 from 12pm to 4pm at 339 St. Paul St. Visit with Santa and enjoy a complimentary stack of flap jacks, cocoa and cider with a donation to your favourite nonprofit's decorated Christmas tree. Women’s Winter Festival and Bazaar on December 4 from 3 to 5:30pm at St. Andrews on the Square, 159 Seymour St. An event for women and children presented by Mosaic Fusion Bellydance and Fatamorgana Belly Dancers. Open House and Christmas Tree Light Up on December 8 from 5 to 7pm at the Wilson House, 115 Tranquille Rd. Tree light-up, princesses, super heroes, live Christmas music and treats! Senior's Christmas Light Tour on December 8. See the best lights in the city followed by a tea service and sing-a-long at the Sandman Centre. A bus will pick you up and return you to your pickup location. To register, call 250-828-3500. Program No. 260135 BC Wildlife Park’s Wildlights
Festival from December 9 to January 2. Bring the whole family to check out the hundreds of twinkling lights and entertainment! Bcwildlife.org. Kamloops Heritage Railway: The Spirit of Christmas from December 9 to 11 and 17 to 19. Departures: December 9 and 10 at 7pm, December 11 at 4pm, December 17 at 7pm, 18 at 4pm and 19 at 7pm. Tickets available at kamrail.com/spiritof-christmas-railtour.php. Christmas with the Kamloops Symphony at the Sagebrush Theatre on December 10 at 7:30pm and December 11 at 2pm. This is a Kamloops Symphony festive tradition, featuring music inspired by the season and showcasing soloists from our community. Music director Bruce Dunn finishes the programme by turning his baton to the audience. Santa’s Alpine Visit and Spectacular Holiday Kick Off on December 18 and 19 at Sun Peaks Resort. Enjoy festive music, photos with Santa, Holiday Artisan Market, maple taffy and much more! Woodward Family Christmas Tree Farm open until December 22 – hayrides, concession, Christmas sing-a-longs, bonfire and mulled wine on weekends, all centered around the magical experience of choosing your own fresh tree. Open daily from 10am to 4pm.
leave crumbs on the carpet. Yours Always, Mom P.S. - One more thing... you can
cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.
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236.425.4003 ▲ 338 Seymour Street www.pyramid17.com
8 n December 2016
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
downtown & North Shore ECHO
s Host a holiday swap
a m st ri h C is th se o o ch er h et L GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE 3-IN-1 Can be used for fashions and accessories, in the hair salon or day spa.
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Looking to save money this holiday season and still give great gifts to those on your list? Instead of pouring your hard earned dollars into big box stores, why not try something a little different. Host a swap event with friends, neighbours, coworkers or anyone wanting to buy less this Christmas, and bring your items of quality (that doesn’t necessarily mean expensive) and swap with others! Most of us have things we don’t want or just don’t use anymore but are still in great condition. Some of us have items we received as gifts and have never used but maybe someone else would! Many of us remember getting homemade toys for Christmas when we were young, but it doesn’t seem to happen as often these days. Whether it’s canned
Treasure Island – The Panto! by Vance Schneider will be running at the Sagebrush Theatre from December 24 to 31. Join the Laughing Stock Theatre for their 6th Annual Traditional
Email your name & phone number to echo@shawcable.com Draw Date: Dec. 15
A scene from last year's Beauty and The Beast – The Panto!
John A. Neill Photography
Decembe
Matinees
h Theatre
r 24 th - 31 st , 2016 1PM |
Evenings
Dec 24, 26
7PM | Dec
Adults $1 7.00 Family Pac k $50.00
, 27, 29, 31 26, 28, 30
Child (Und er 14) $1 4.00 Child (Und er 5) FRE GST!) E!
(All Price
s Include
Tickets on Sale Now! s
Kamloop
Live Box
Tel: (250)
www.kam
Office
374-5483
loopslive
.ca
www.thelaughingstock.ca
Plywood
Tranquille Farm Fresh
Mom's Night Out!
The new children's clothing store Pip and Pea Clothing is hosting a Mama's night out! Bring 10 new or gently used pieces of clothing for swapping. The entire store will be open to you to pick out the equivalent value in new-toyou clothing. Red and white wine will be served along with refreshments. This event will take place at 618-A Tranquille Road on December 3 from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. For tickets, call 250-571-0904.
Panto returns for another holiday season
Enter to Win a family pass
Sa g e b r u s
goods, crafts, toys, knitting or even wine, these gifts are often more personal than something bought in a store. Not crafty? Look online for easy tutorials!
British Pantomime with all sorts of new surprises in store this year! Billy Bones has come to Black Hill Cove where he meets Jim Hawkins and his Mum who run the Inn where he is hiding. Soon Billy's old crew mates show up, demanding the map to Treasure Island, the resting place of 'ol Captain Flint's pirate treasure. Suddenly Jim, his Mum, Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey find themselves embarking on a quest to reach the gold before Flint's old crew, led by the nefarious Long John Silver, get
there first! Will Jim and his friends find the treasure before the pirates do? Will Captain Smollett be able to protect the mighty ship Hispaniola? Will Bristol produce enough cod for the Dame's specialty of the house? Will you have a rollicking good time at the Panto? Oh yes you will! Treasure Island– The Panto! is suitable for all ages and is a perfect holiday outing for the whole family! Matinees are at 1:00 pm on December 24, 26, 27, 29 and 31. Evening performances are at 7:00 pm on December 26, 28 and 30. Tickets are available now at Kamloops Live Box Office, 1025 Lorne Street, 250-374-5483, online at: www.kamloopslive.ca and are also available at the door. For more information visit: www.thelaughingstock.ca. Cheerio, off to the Panto you go!
downtown & North Shore ECHO
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
December 2016 n 9
A gift for your sweetie If you don’t have a huge budget for Christmas gift giving I highly recommend DIY gifts. The best homemade gift I made last year was for my husband. I wanted to give him something meaningful that would last throughout the year. I found just the thing at a website called The Dating Divas, which is dedicated to strengthening marriages through dating. I fell in love with their Passport to Love gift idea that is free to download and print (thedatingdivas.com/ passport-to-love/). It’s the perfect gift idea if you are low on money but high on love or if you’ve been trying to get in the habit of having regular date nights. The basic idea is that you’re going to be giving your honey a little “Passport to Love” kit. He’ll use this kit to go on a different date with you every month for the whole year. The idea is to “travel the world” together, visiting a different destination each month. You can choose to actually go
out and visit different cities, sites, or attractions near you, or you can bring the different destinations to the comfort of your own home. With a little creativity, you can turn your living room or bedroom into another country and pretend like you’re going off on a spontaneous, whirlwind getaway. In January, we “traveled” to Sweden. We spent the day playing in the snow, enjoyed a fondue dinner and played two minutes in heaven after the kids went to bed. In April, we biked through “Paris” with a stop for a picnic before our library date. (thedatingdivas.com/librarydate-night-idea). Those are just a couple of ideas I came up with. No matter what you and your partner/spouse are into, you can customize your dates to suit your lifestyle and interests to have a year of adventure and connecting as a couple! Happy dating! Erin Johnson is the graphic designer of the Downtown and North Shore Echo.
Echo staff share family secrets Jodi’s Mom’s Christmas Brunch recipe
Ingredients: 10 to 12 slices white or whole wheat bread ½ cup grated cheddar ½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese 10 slices bacon or ham (cooked and crumbled) 8 eggs 3 cups milk Salt and pepper Grease 9 x 12 pan. Trim crusts off bread and place one layer on bottom of pan. Place half of cheddar, Monterey Jack and bacon on bread. Repeat layer bread, cheese and bacon. Beat eggs slightly, add milk, salt and pepper, pour over mixture in pan. Refrigerate eight hours or overnight. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes, test for doneness. This delightful breakfast is made the night before and sits in the fridge overnight. In the morning pop it in the oven, pour a cup of coffee and Baileys and in an hour you have a delicious breakfast!
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Christmas puns What do Christmas trees and bad knitters have in common? – They both drop their needles. What do you call a reindeer who wears ear muffs? – Anything you want. He can’t hear you, anyway. Who makes toy guitars and sings, “Blue Christmas?” – Elfis.
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10 n December 2016
downtown & North Shore ECHO
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
How to create perfect beer pairings for the holidays (NC) Hop on the craft beer trend — pun intended — by learning to become a beer connoisseur in time for the holiday season. Impress your host or guests when mingling at the next party with beer sommelier skills and expertise in flavour notes, appropriate glassware, and what to pair with the turkey. Learn the basics. Many of beer's flavours come from malted cereal grains — primarily barley — that contribute to its sweetness, colour, and richness. The flavours range from bread-y and biscuit-y to a roasted or chocolate taste. All styles fall into one of two families, ales and lagers. Lagers are fermented for a longer time at cooler temperatures, resulting in a crisp beer with a lighter body. Pilsners are a great example of a popular lager style and are clean and refreshing showcasing light grains with a balance of spicy hops on the finish. Ales tend to have more body and greater flavour complexity, which lends itself nicely to styles that emphasize bitterness or rich
malt flavours. Stouts are a great example of a darker ale, with roasted barley providing colour and a coffee-like flavour. Drink with your eyes. Colour is great way to find out what malt flavours you can expect and how
strong the beer will taste. Choose a lighter beer like a blonde for a refreshing taste and go darker for increasingly richer flavours. Make sure not to confuse darkness with bitterness — there's no way to determine how hoppy a beer is based off its colour. Pick the perfect glass. Remember that a cool-looking glassware is more than an aesthetic consideration — the size, shape and stem all work together to affect the drink's taste, carbonation, amount of head (foam), hop oils and aroma. Choose a mug or stein for stronger ales and lagers, a classic pint glass for lighter beers and blondes, a flute or tulip glass for fruity beers and a Weizen glass for wheat beers.
Pair this with that. Lagers are perfect for light, fresh dishes or anything involving bread, wheat beers and fruit beers are great for vegetarian dishes and salads, and pale ales are exactly what your turkey needs. For desserts and winter comfort foods, choose a sweeter beer like Granville Island's Lions Winter Ale. With complex layers of vanilla, cocoa and caramel, this brew gives you plenty to get warm and cozy with and is nicely balanced so the sweeter flavours don't overwhelm. Stop by Lansdowne Liquor Store this holiday season for a variety of craft beer including those locally made!
Experience Christmas in Downtown Kamloops The In It To Win It contest is going to continue throughout the holiday season, featuring several give-aways per week and two “Experience DTK” grand prizes to be awarded just before Christmas! With every $20 and $100 purchases at a participating downtown business, you will have a chance to win bi-weekly prizes. Keep an eye out for pop-up elves. The CAP
Team and their mascot Grizz are going to be roaming the streets of downtown Kamloops throughout December in search of shoppers and rewarding them with smiles, high fives and prizes! Roving Santa will make numerous appearances on downtown streets to give away candy canes and prizes. Visit downtownkamloops.com for more information.
downtown & North Shore ECHO
December 2016 n 11
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
Visit our new bigger location at ! the corner of Summit & Columbia
Kamloops’ only locally owned toy store!
Dec. Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Sat 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sun 12-5, Dec 24 & 31 10-5. Closed Dec 25, 26, Jan 1, 2.
“Learn, Play, Inspire.” 1201-A Summit Dr • 250.372.3500 • tumbleweedtoys.ca
RIDE THE
Spirit of Christmas WITH THE
NEW THIS YEAR Visit Santa’s living room after the train ride Peter Olsen Photography
Steam Locomotive 2141
Departing the Lorne Street Station December 9, 10, 17 & 19 at 7pm December 11 & 18 at 4pm –––––– Reservations Required ––––––
Visit kamrail.com or call 250.374.2141
12 n December 2016
CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE BOX
downtown & North Shore ECHO
Expires Dec. 31, 2016.