Local Archives - Breakaway Vacations

Nov21

Winterfest Craft Fair Qualicum Beach

Tara Rafferty Blog, British Columbia, Events, Family Activities, Food and drink, Holidays, Sustainability, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vancouver Island, Winter no responses

We are counting down the days till the Winterfest Craft Fair at Qualicum Beach! 50+ Crafters, Artisans and in between will be attending the Winterfest the list of vendors can be found here. While you are checking out all of the vendors there will be 7 types stage entertainment from Highland dance, bands and live music.

Admission price is $4 per person – come and go as you please!

Not only will you be supporting local while shopping at the Winterfest Craft Fair event you will also be donating to local community groups. From the beginning of 2012 they have raise $24,108 for local community groups!

Last year they were able to raise $3,323 which was split to the following community groups. Sourced from Winterfest Website

Bikers Against Child Abuse $447,    Oceanside Hospice $408,
Qualicum Beach Cat Resue $237,    Haven Society $1060,
Vancouver Island Compassion Dogs $427,    North Island Wildlife Rescue Ass. $408,
Ballenus Track Rebuild, $200 Building Learning Together $127.

Get to know the community while staying on the property and enjoy the local talent that Qualicum and surrounding area brings.

Where: Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones Street

When: November 25th – 27th

Friday 9am – 5pm

Saturday 9am – 5pm

Sunday 10am – 4pm

Nov03

What to do with your Pumpkin now that October has ended!

Tara Rafferty Blog, Family Activities, Food and drink, Holidays, Vancouver Island no responses

Did you know that two billion pounds of pumpkin ends up in landfills worldwide each year? Are you looking to dispose of your pumpkin differently so it does not land in the landfill this year?

Here are a few ways you can dispose of your pumpkin:

If you pumpkin is bare with no candle residue, paint, marker etc pumpkins are a great snack for wildlife to enjoy. On your next hike bring your pumpkin cut into pieces and dispose it into the bush off the path and out of the way of other hikers. If animals decide to pass on enjoying this snack not to worry pumpkins are 90% water so they will decompose into the earth.
Compost your pumpkin and reuse the dirt for your garden in the upcoming years!
Create a “snack-o-lantern” for the birds around your neighbourhood follow this craft here
Plant the pumpkin seeds to see if you are able to grow your own pumpkins next year!
If your pumpkin was freshly carved and no mould or decomposing has taken place you are able to make a long list of recipes from the pumpkins “meat” aka the inside of the pumpkin!
Reach out to local farmers and see if their pigs, chickens or goats would enjoy your pumpkin as an afternoon snack!

A few recipes you can try are:

Oct15

Qualicum Beach Farmers Market

Tara Rafferty Blog, British Columbia, Events, Family Activities, Food and drink, Holidays, Sports, Travel, Vancouver Island no responses

Have you had the opportunity to indulge in local ingredients and produce? The Qualicum Beach Farmers Market is a must add to your list when looking for local, fresh ingredients. Hosted year round every Saturday from 8:30am-noon.

A few common asked questions from the Qualicum Beach Farmers Market website attached below:

Are Dogs Allowed? No – The friends of Qualicum Beach Farmers Market love the fur babies but ask for them to stay at home for the market trips!
What is in season? Check out the in season diagram here!
Is there food at the market? Yes
Are there washrooms? Yes – located outside the Community Hall
Where do I park? – In the church behind the market there is parking offered during the market.
Where is the Market? 644 Veterans Way, Qualicum Beach, BC V9K 1L8

There are so many vendors who frequently are at the Qualicum Beach Farmers Market from produce, eggs, baked goods, and crafts just to name a few. To view the entire vendor list check out the website here.

Happy Shopping and don’t forget your reusable bag!

Jul05

Places to eat near Qualicum Beach – Coombs

Tara Rafferty Blog, British Columbia, Food and drink, Travel, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island no responses

Picture this: You spent the entire day in the Qualicum Landing pool and hot tub splashing and playing in the sun. But your stomach begins to rumble and you are ready to eat! No worries! In under 20 minutes you can be in Coombs at one of our favourite local spots: Cuckoo Trattoria!

Cuckoo is located in the Coombs Market (famous for their goats on the roof, amongst other things!) So head over a bit early and take your time wandering the local shops before heading in for dinner.

Cuckoo boasts a large menu of delicious authentic Italian cuisine made with local West Coast ingredients. The best traditional Italian recipes we all love! From pasta, to Italian thin crust pizza, homemade desserts and more. Head Chef Fausto Bellicini was born and raised in Italy and brought all his expertise to us locally in the heart of Coombs. You can read more about Chef Fausto here. Choose to eat in or take out, but I recommend staying and enjoying the ambiance!

A few of our favourite dishes:

Fettuccine Salmone – The Italian spin on a West Coast classic, with wild B.C. smoked salmon, garlic, capers, dill and a touch of white wine in a light cream sauce

Boscaiola – Flavours of the forest, with local wild chanterelles and a medley of seasonal mushrooms sautéed with garlic & thyme, topped with mozzarella cheese on a creamy mascarpone cheese base, drizzled with Italian truffle’s oil

Mussels – Fresh steamed mussels served Neapolitan style with garlic and white wine, or yellow curry and coconut milk

Your taste buds will be tingling the minute you walk in the door with the aroma of fresh, local, delicious, homemade Italian meals and ingredients.

Be sure to check out Cuckoo Trattoria during your stay at Qualicum Landing!

Jun28

Realm Food Co – Places to eat near Tanglewood

Tara Rafferty Beaches, Blog, British Columbia, Food and drink, Vacation Homes, Vancouver Island, Vancouver Island no responses

Looking for a taste of local food during your Tanglewood stay? We have loads of tips on local treats and eats, and Realm Food Co is high on our list! Realm is a great place from breakfast, to on the go bites, tacos, sandwiches and so much more!

Located minutes from Tanglewood in Parksville is Realm is a great pick for a meal out. All the items on the menu are sourced locally right from Vancouver Island, and we all know you can’t beat the taste of local. Check out Realm Food Co’s website to see all the items on the menu and explore more about them.

A couple of our favourites on the menu are:

Ramen (vegan options available) – poached egg, bone broth, carrot, cabbage, kale, wild mushrooms, rice noodles, nori, bone broth, chili-hoisin gastrique choice of chicken, pork or tempeh

West Coast Bowl – seared albacore tuna, avocado, carrot, beet, sprouts, cabbage, marinated kale, rice, nori, chipotle-basil aïoli, ponzu sauce

Local Sandwich -basil chèvre, marinated tomato, cucumber, apple-thyme slaw, greens, sprouts, turmeric aioli

Looking to bring the deliciously fresh food back to your Tanglewood Beach Home patio – Realm offers take out so you can bring it back to your beautiful beach home for the entire family to enjoy.

Haven’t booked your island vacation yet? Make sure to check out our rentals page to see all that we offer – and get in touch if you have any questions at all!

Eat Local, Eat Fresh!