Special Features - Home for the Holidays

www.langleytimes.com The Langley Times Tuesday, December 2, 2014 B17

Homefor the

Holidays

COVER PHOTO BY DAN FERGUSONTable staging by Sandra Craig of DeZigns by Gallery 1.

Finding the SpiritFinding the Spiritof Christmasof Christmas

Offi ce Gift ExchangeOffi ce Gift ExchangeDo’s and Don’ts!Do’s and Don’ts!

Christmas TrendsChristmas Trendsfor 2014. Great ideas to wow them!for 2014. Great ideas to wow them!

Local Chef RecipeLocal Chef RecipeMilner FarmsMilner Farms

Looking Back Looking Back Retro ToysRetro Toys

PHOTO BY DAN FERGUSON

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B18 Tuesday, December 2, 2014 The Langley Times www.langleytimes.com

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You’re driving home in the gloomy dusk one early De-cember afternoon and as you approach your driveway you

are shocked to see neighbour’s house aglow with Christmas lights. Suddenly, it’s Christmas.

We never know just exactly what is go-ing to trigger our Christmas spirit. Some people explode into the season in early November and others have to be dragged into the glare of lights and music, kicking and screaming all the way.

Maybe, just after the calendar page fl ips to the last month of the year, you turn on your car radio and the strains of the year’s fi rst Christmas song awak-en your hibernating spirit. At fi rst you try to resist, even think about changing stations, but before you know it, you are humming along with a choir sing-ing Silent Night or belting out Feliz Navidad with Jose Feliciano.

As the Christmas carols drift out from the speakers you contemplate just which one might be your favourite Christmas song. The debate pits old crooners like Sinatra and Crosby against newcomers Blake Shelton and Buble. Which is better, the original Christmas Song by Mel Torme or the Nat King Cole version? Is Anne Murray’s Christmas special still the best or have Kati Perry and Taylor Swift replaced her? Has anyone outsold the Elvis Christmas Gospel album yet?

Wait, what’s this? You’re actually think-ing about Christmas now?

Maybe you walk into a kitchen and a tray of butter tarts or short bread are cooling on a baking sheet. In an instant you are whisked back to a kitchen from your youth and you hear someone warn-ing you not to touch the baking. You can smell all the magic of Christmas snacks and see the plates piled high with huge family feasts and amazing once a year desserts. All that Christmas fare can’t be far off.

You might still try to suppress your Christmas spirit but it is very close to the surface now.

Then a phone call comes from your

grandson or daughter inviting you to their school Christmas concert. Even though it’s still a couple of weeks away, an old movie of many Christmas con-certs starts playing in your head.

Settling back in your seat in a crowded gym from your past you crane your neck as the Children’s Choir comes on the stage. Just their entrance is enough to lift your spirits. The kids are looking for par-ents as they bump into the kid in front of them and jostling and re-positioning as they fi nd their right spot on stage. Just off stage, the parents are whispering instructions as the pianist and director try to get their attention as well.

Maybe you can see yourself in grey fl annel slacks, a crisp white shirt and a red bow tie or your new blue velvet dress and white blouse as your teacher

herds you along. Or maybe it’s your son or daughter and you are trying to fi gure out how to work your camcorder as they enter. Maybe this time it is your perfect grandchild

shining above all the rest. It doesn’t matter which generation it is, the kids all look sharp and confused and the music is delightful.

What’s that, a smile now? You’re not going to be able to keep that spirit bot-tled up much longer.

Soon more than one neighbour has their Christmas lights up and as you drive through the city it is lit with lights strung through the trees, piercing the gloom and the mist. Maybe you start thinking about getting out the box of lights and the aluminum ladder, after all, you don’t want to be the last one on the block. You can feeling the spirit starting to boil over.

Then, the fi rst Christmas card comes through the mail slot. It’s from those old neighbours you had years ago. What Christmas parties you had with them.

A smile crosses your face as you set the card on the mantle. You turn around and as you are deciding where the Christmas tree is going to be this year, you realize, the Christmas spirit didn’t boil over after all. It just settled on you silently, and there is nothing you can do to fi ght it.

Suddenly, it’s Christmas

Wait, what’s this? You’re actually thinking about Christmas now?

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Once a year coworkers congregate to doll out presents — names are usually picked at random, which means there’s a good chance you won’t know all that much about the per-

son you’ve been assigned to gift to.

Choosing the perfect secret Santa gift for your ex-change can be an intimidating process. Aside from the chances being high that you won’t really know the person you’re buying for, there’s the added pressure of fi nding a classy, appropriate gift that won’t offend or embarrass anyone.

If luck is on your side, you may end up buying for some-one you know quite well — someone you share lunch and coffee breaks with, work milestones and tidbits of your personal life. On the contrary, you could get the task of buying for someone you’ve never even con-versed with at the water cooler... or worse, your boss

Rather than go oh-so-popular gift-card route, per-haps it’s time to steer your gift-giving abilities in a whole new direction — one that will knocks the socks off everyone in your offi ce and make a big splash.

The Offi ce Gift Exchange

OKRISTYL CLARK, LANGLEY TIMES CONTRIBUTOR


Holiday Gift Cards Available

Here are the do’s and don’ts to keep in mind before you hit the stores this holi-day season.

Do a Little Investigative Work

You pull a name out of a hat, look at the moniker and the reality sinks in -- you have no idea who said person is.

Is it that woman in the red blouse who always smiles when passing the water cooler? Or, maybe she’s the ‘girl Friday’ who started last month?

Whoever this mystery person is, it’s time to do a little digging. After fi nding out who they are, strike up a casual con-versation to fi nd out what they’re into.

Do they have small children at home or pets? Is travelling their cuppa tea? Per-haps they’re crazy for coffee? Whatever you do, make sure you’re super stealth about your sudden interest in their life. You may let your secret Santa status out of the bag if you’re a little too keen.

Don’t Go the Lazy RouteYes, we’ve all done it -- I’m talking

about that stop at your favourite java joint, gas station or grocery store to pick up a gift card just minutes before the gift exchange is about to commence.

While it’s easy to blame our gifting la-ziness on being too busy — and aren’t we all this time of year? — there’s really no point in participating if everyone just swaps cards. Where’s the thought and ef-fort there? Consider this an opportunity to impress your coworkers and superiors with your talent for fi nding the ultimate gift on a budget.

Do Stick to the BudgetSpeaking of budgets, it’s considered a

big fat holiday faux pas to go under or over a predetermined budget. Sure any-

thing a few dollars under or over is okay; however, you’re sure to end up on Santa’s naughty list if the budget is $20 and you spend $2.

Get CreativeHere in Langley, there are so many spe-

ciality shops that offer all kinds of fun goodies. Shopping for a seafood fan or fi shermen? Consider putting together a little basket of sauces and spices and crab claw crackers from the 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market. For the movie buff, you could head on over to Crazy Bobs to fi nd a copy of their favourite fl ick, pack it in a popcorn bowl or pretty container from McBurney Junction and stuff with goodies from Sticky’s Candy.

Don’t Spill the BeansIf Secret Santa is the name of the game,

don’t go spilling the beans. Not only will it add pressure on you to fi nd the great-est offi ce exchange gift of all time, you might make the person you’re giving to feel uncomfortable.

Do Consider Packaging

Since you spent all that time and energy on the hunt for a gift, make sure it’s wrapped with love and care. For those with two thumbs who pre-fer to leave it to the pros, head to Wil-lowbrook Shopping Centre and visit the gift-wrap booth. For a nominal feel that goes to local charity, your gift will stand out in the pile of gifts — heck, it might even get you promoted.

And there you have it, your ultimate guide to surviving the dreaded office gift exchange. With these tips in mind, you’re soon to be a present pro in no time. And who knows — maybe next year, everyone will be keeping their fingers crossed that you draw their name.

While you think it’s tough to shop for your signifi cant other,

sibling or parent who seems to have everything, it’s a cakewalk compared to the dreaded

offi ce gift exchange.

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Who actually determines what is trendy? Is it the manufacturers or is it the customers?

Some might say that is a question along the lines of the chicken and the egg. But upon discussing this question with local retailers I have concluded the ones who determine the trends would be YOU!

As local blogger Shelley Levis of sowanddipity.com writes, “Pinterest is the clear choice for fi nding ideas and manufacturers pay close attention to what bloggers and crafters are doing so they can replicate it on a big scale.” So those amazing DIYs you see with 1,000,000 likes and repins will likely be next year’s hot new item.

Carrie Thachuk of The Passionate Home couldn’t agree more. She sees people coming in looking for the tools to make things they’ve seen online. Husbands are coming in ready to buy whatever tools and supplies his wife needs to complete a project.

Carrie calls this the “gift of creativity.” Perfect for those people who have everything, what she sees is a rise in the gifting of an experience. Rather than fi lling family and friends’ homes with “stuff” people are arranging classes with their friends. It becomes a night out with people you love, potentially turning into a lifelong passion.

The Gift of Creativity (photo courtesy Passionate Home)

When they aren’t making it

themselves, what are people buying this year? Themed trees still reign. White trees are always hot. Ornaments featuring coffee, wine and animals are big. Not just any animals, poodles, according to Carrie. And owls of course. They’ve been part of the who’s who of Christmas for a while now.

Everyone has something to say, so anything with text on it is sure to please. Signs have been popular for a while now, but don’t overlook pillows, frames, napkins or anything with a message. Walking into McBurney Junction another of this year’s big trends is immediately visible: traditional is back. Plaids, tartans and fl annels in red and green will give a warm and cozy feel to any home. If you are looking for nostalgia it won’t be hard to fi nd this year. Nikki, co-owner of the store, calls this year her “favourite Christmas in a long time!”

Home for the Holidays Tree by Sow and Dipity

(photo courtesy Shelley Levis)

In addition to traditional, rustic cabin-style décor is hot this year. Anything that says cottage or lake,

features camping or skiing and other winter sports will be featured in many homes this year. Don’t limit yourself to using brand new items. Check out thrift stores and antique shops to fi nd vintage items to use as décor in vignettes around your home and accents in your tree.

Finally, as it turns out, antlers aren’t just for rednecks anymore. Making their way out of the man-cave, antlers have become a sophisticated piece of décor. Who’d have thought it? Antler chandeliers, wine bottle holders, napkin holders, or simply to hang on the wall. Don’t stop there, make a tie or coat rack, or jewelry holder, candle holder, stocking hanger by the fi replace, or hang ornaments from them for a chic, festive look.

(photo courtesy Passionate Home)

Whatever you do this Christmas, whether it’s make your own décor or pick up what’s in store, make sure you take lots of photos and get them online. Who knows, maybe your beautiful tree, lovely mantel or festive family room will be the inspiration for next year’s Pinterest trend fest!

You can be the trendsetter!

What’s hot for Christmas 2014

WFIONA JANSEN, LANGLEY TIMES CONTRIBUTOR

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CRUST:1 ¾ cup graham crackers½ cup melted butter1 tbsp. sugar½ tsp. cinnamon

Mix together until smooth. Pat into bottom of a 8” springform pan. Bake at 350 oven for 5 minutes.

FILLING:500 ml Milner Valley Cheese chevre2 eggs½ sugar1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and pour into crumb crust. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool

LAYER:450 ml sour cream4 tbsp. sugar

Mix sour cream and sugar well. Pour over top of cooled cheesecake. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Cool

TOPPING:3-4 mandarin oranges (or canned)1 cup orange juice½ cup sugar2 tbsp. cornstarch

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LOCAL CHEF RECIPE

Merry Christmas to all,from the Smith Family at Milner Valley Cheese

MMMMMMMM CCCCChhhh iiii tttt ttt lllllll

Christmas Day for the Smith family is always a family day spent together. After Glenn milks our herd of 75 goats, with sons Gregg and Brad helping out with morning chores, our family takes a day off from the farmwork to spend with our extended family, which means sitting down for a wonderful Christmas meal, prepared by all, at lunchtime. With a few gifts, coffee in hand and a dessert (which by request, always includes Marianne’s Mandarin orange goat cheesecake) we all have a warm visit with lots of laughs, before, yes again, it’s time for evening milking.


Many parents have spent time during the holi-day season on endless quests for the perfect

gift for their children. Many gifts have earned “must-have” status over the years, and although many of these gifts are forgotten by the time the next holiday season comes around, certain products have re-mained timeless. Some of these more memorable products have even been resurrected into newer, modern-day versions of their previ-ous selves. Here’s a look at some of the toys that have made their mark over the last several decades.

• Rubik’s Cube: The Rubik’s Cube reached the height of its popularity during the 1980s, when the colorful game puzzle was mass-marketed to the public. Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik actually invented what he dubbed the “Magic Cube” a decade prior. Since the product’s inception, millions of Rubik’s Cubes have been sold across the globe, making it one of the top-selling puzzles and toys.

• Cabbage Patch Kids: Adults stormed stores in the mid 1980s for Cabbage Patch Kids, which became one of the most popular toys of the decade. Designed by art student

M

Retro Toys

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Xavier Roberts, Cabbage Patch Kids began as dolls called “Little People.” The dolls were marketed with a fantastical story about a cabbage patch in a magical valley, where dolls were born and awaited their adoption into loving homes. Cab-bage Patch Kids have been produced by a number of different toy manufacturers through the years, and shoppers can still fi nd new incarnations at stores today.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started as a comic designed to paro-dy established popular comics of the early 1980s. The concept of genetically mutated turtles who possessed ninja skills quickly caught on and the TMNT franchise expanded to television shows and scores of complementary merchandise.

• Beanie Babies: Ty Inc. introduced a series of plush toys fi lled with tiny plastic pellets instead of traditional polyester stuffi ng in 1993. These pellets made the dolls fl exible and cuddly, which played a role in their popularity. Throughout the 1990s, chil-dren collected as many of the Beanie Babies as they could, though some of the dolls were more coveted than others. Ty ceased production of Beanie Babies in 1999 with a bear called “The End,” but it wasn’t long before new Beanie Babies were manufactured for a new generation of children to collect.

• Tickle Me Elmo: The hottest toy of the 1996 giv-ing season was Tickle Me Elmo, a plush doll based on the beloved Sesame Street monster. When prompted, Elmo would laugh, giggle and gyrate to the delight of kids and adults alike. Tickle Me Elmo caused mass frenzy at stores during the 1996 holi-

day season, as shoppers swarmed toy stores to get their hands on the top toy of the year.

• Nintendo DS: The Nintendo DS, fi rst offered in 2004, was the fi rst Nintendo console released in North America before it was released in Japan. With its dual screens (the lower being a touch-screen) and portability factor, the handheld device became one of the most popular gifts for young gamers.

• Zhu Zhu Pets: Interactive, robotic hamsters, Zhu Zhu Pets fi rst appeared on the scene in 2009. Their name was derived from Mandarin Chinese and translates to “little pig.” These small toys could be set to explore their environment or simply emit cooing sounds in the “nurturing mode.”

• Nintendo Wii: In addition to the Sony Playsta-tion and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii became the latest in a history of must-have video game consoles in the early 21st century. Games on the Wii were interactive through the use of mo-tion-sensing hand controllers and other gaming interfaces. The later release of the Wii Fit package made the Nintendo Wii even more popular.

• Monster High Dolls: With their ghoulish good looks, Monster High action fi gures were one of the most gifts of 2012. The dolls are based on a series of young adult novels modeled after “Twilight,” though the Monster High dolls are targeted to younger children than items associated with the wildly popular “Twilight” series.

It remains to be seen which toy will become this season’s “must-have” item.


II’ve always been keen on local his-tory and this year I decided to com-bine my Christmas shopping with a history lesson by visiting historic

Otter 248 Street Trail. Otter Road was named for Colonel Wil-

liam Dhillon Otter. Otter served in the North West Rebellion and command-ed the fi rst Canadian contingent in the South African War. Otter Road (248 Street) extends from 72nd Avenue all the way south to 0 Avenue. Otter Road was once known as Warhoop Road because in the 1890’s a couple of feuding neigh-bours named Beaton and Bourgane liv-ened up the neighbourhood with their loud verbal battles. These days things are more peaceful and instead of feud-ing some of the neighbouring businesses have partnered to offer shoppers an al-ternative shopping experience to that in crowded shopping malls.

Bonetti MeatsI started my shopping trip with a vis-

it to Bonetti Meats. This year instead of a traditional turkey dinner I wanted to serve ham. I knew right away that I’d come to the right place. Bonetti Meats is a old fashioned full service butcher shop that has its own smokehouse right on site. Founded in 1973 by Ita-lo and Jackie Bonetti, today it is owned by their son Carlo. “We sell traditional and old fashioned hams,” said Carlo. “Our hams taste like they did in the old days before all the additives and artifi -cial ingredients were used,” he said.

Shopping at Bonetti Meats is a family tradition and customers from all over the Lower Mainland visit the store. When I visited the store was busy with customers picking up orders of vari-ous cuts of BC pork, double and triple A Alberta beef, lamb, and poultry. Each order that leaves the store is wrapped in paper just like in days gone by.

Nothing is wasted at Bonetti’s. The store carries raw pet food made with chicken and beef without additives so your pet will get the very best in food

that is nutritious and delicious!The store carries a large assortment

of cheeses and I counted 17 different kinds. There was numerous types of pasta and they carry a huge selection of Italian grocery products. Bonetti’s also offers a large selection of gluten free MSG free smoked products. Not only did I leave the store with a beauti-ful ham, I bought some deli ingredients and an assortment of cheeses to make a nice selection of hors d’oeuvres.

Thunderbird Show ParkSince I was in the area I wanted to visit

this world renowned Equestrian centre. Thunderbird Show Park was founded by George and Diane Tidball and was origi-nally located at 200 Street and Highway 401. In 1999 the show park moved to

its present location at 24550 - 72 Avene. Thunderbird Show Park is one of North America’s premier equestrian facilities and is just minutes from the Trans Cana-da Highway. Thunderbird Show Park was named one of the top three show facili-ties on the continent by the North Amer-icans Riders Group for 2011, 2012 and 2013.Thunderbird Show Park is a busy place year round. Visit www.tbird.ca to keep track of all the world class events

Thunderbird has to offer.JD Farms Specialty Turkey

It was time for lunch so I dropped in at the bistro at JD Farm Specialty Tur-key. The bistro has weekly specials and because I was visiting on a Wednesday I had the turkey and broccoli ched-dar bake. It was absolutely delicious! Monday’s are Mac & Cheese Monday, Thursdays feature a turkey parmesan fi let and every Friday is Fajita Friday.

I browsed the store which has a large selection of different products. There are numerous kinds of turkey sausag-es, prepared entrees and appetizers. Most of their products are gluten free and on the wall is a short list of prod-ucts that actually contain gluten. This year to the delight of several custom-

ers they’ve added a gluten free bread to their repertoire.

Throughout the year, JD Farms have frozen turkey and turkey parts but at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter they have whole fresh turkeys avail-able. This year JD Farms have added another premium turkey. At Thanks-giving they introduced the dark feath-ered Heirloom Bronze turkey. This premium bird is dark and plump with

meat that is hearty and full bodied. It has a fl avour that is reminiscent of a game bird and it’s a little richer than a traditional turkey.

The turkeys grown by JD Farms and their partners are well treated and healthy. The company is one of the fi rst farms in Canada to take part in the Global Animal Program. This part-nership includes a fi ve step program that guarantees the animals are treat-ed humanely. The turkeys sold are a specialty certifi ed brand, which means the birds are given no antibiotics, fed no animal by-products and are grown by J.D. farms and their partners in the Lower Mainland under a stringent cer-tifi cation program.

There are always lots of turkeys avail-able but it’s a good idea to get the cen-ter point of your feast early.”We always have more than enough fresh turkeys available but it’s a good idea to come in early to get the best selection. You can keep your turkey fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days before cooking it”. said Ja-son Froese, the general manager.

Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery

Next up was a visit to Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery. Krause Ber-ry Farms is all dressed up for Christ-mas and you can easily get into the Christmas spirit. There is a wonderful assortment of gift ideas and gift bas-kets! As an added bonus you can get all your Christmas baking here as well. They have their special berry fruit cake, short bread, berry stollen and of course the numerous types of berry pies. Krause Berry Farm offers cook-ing classes with world class chef Wolf-gang. What a great gift idea for the as-piring foodie on your Christmas list.

On December 14th from 9:30 til 11:30 they will host a pancake breakfast with Santa with all proceeds going to breast cancer research in honor of Liz Krause. I’m planning to bring the grandkids along and pick up the beau-

BY LILIANNE FULLER, LANGLEY TIMES CONTRIBUTOR

I

Historic Otter —248 TrailShop Local This Christmas


Giesbrecht’sTree Farm

NEW!! U-CUT on weekends 9am - 4pm

Hours: 9am-6pm daily, Thurs. & Fri. 9am-7pmwww.giesbrechtstreefarm.com

5871 248 Street Langley

Large selection of fresh cut and u-cut trees

Opening Nov. 29th

Growers of Quality BC Christmas Trees since 1968

• Noble Fir • Fraser Fir• Grand Fir • Douglas Fir

Family

Douglas • Fraser • Noble • GrandCarols • Festive Atmosphere • Bonfi re • Saws provided

Complimentary Candy Canes24488 52nd Ave (off 248th St)

604-856-4889Cash or Cheque

ChristmasTreeFarm.com

Experience!

FRESH CUT

9am-8pm Daily

U-Cut9am-4:30pm

Daily

TREE BUYING GUIDETREE BUYING GUIDE

All Your All Your

Holiday Holiday

Gift Gift Finds

Willowbrook Shopping Centre #313 19705 Fraser Highway, Langley604-533-9200

FF

ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT for

Langley Christmas BureauSaturday, Dec 13 • 7:00 pm

Willoughby Christian Reformed Church20525 - 72nd Avenue, Langley

Featuring: • First Capital Chorus & Quartets • Langley Children’s Chorus

• Peace Arch Sweet Adelines • Opus One Women's Choir• Langley Concert Band • 2014 Christmas Community Chorus

ALL NET PROCEEDS GO TO SUPPORT LANGLEY CHRISTMAS BUREAU

FOR MORE INFORMATION PHONE GORDON HARRIS 604-530-4795

A community service projectof the First Capital Chorus

SPONSORED BY

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR OR:• Auld Phillips: 20500 Fraser Hwy • Beach Basket Giftware: #107 - 8850 Walnut Grove Drive• Westland Insurance: 4074 - 200 Street, Brookswood • Langley Times: 20258 Fraser Highway, Langley

TICKETS GENERAL $20 SENIORS & STUDENT $15

tiful Christmas tree that I was able to reserve ahead of time.

This summer Krause Berry Farms partnered with the Langley Lodge and the Langley Hospice Society for a But-terfl y Release. The event was to raise funds for the two local charities. It was so successful that plans are underway for Krause Berry Farms to host it again in 2015.

A visit here wouldn’t be complete

without visiting the winery. In 2012 Krause Berry Farm opened a winery that specializes in fi eld berry wines. Sommelier Ted is very friendly and his knowledge about the products is excellent. I had a mistaken preconcep-tion that all berry wines were super sweet so I was pleasantly surprised to fi nd that I was wrong. I bought a nice sparkling wine to ring in the new year and then it was off to the next place on my list. Kensington Prairie Farms.

Kensington Prairie FarmLocated on the historic Finning prop-

erty the 45 acre Kensington Prairie Farm is located at 16th Avenue and 248 street and is owned and operated by Catherine Simpson.

The farm is home to 48 alpacas and the two llamas who guard them. The

farm raises two breeds of Alpacas, the Suri and the huacaya. Different grades of fl eece is what determines the soft-ness of the fi nished product and pro-ducing a fl eece of under 20 microns is Catherine’s goal so she breeds the ani-mals accordingly.

The alpacas are sheared annually in April and sheering must be done when the animal’s fi ber is dry. Before sheer-ing, Catherine sends a sample of the

fl eece to Australia for quality testing. Two to three weeks later the results are received and the fl eeces are sent to various mills in Alberta for process-ing into yarn and some fi nished prod-ucts. Alpacas have 14 natural colours and their yarn can be dyed to a virtual rainbow. This summer Catherine be-gan doing her own dying and she pro-duced 96 different colours so now the store has over 192 different colours of yarn to chose from.

There is a small boutique store at the farm chock full of beautiful items made from alpaca yarn. There are scarf’s, socks and sweaters in a rain-bow of colours. A newer and bigger store is on the horizon for 2015.

Coming up on December 6 and 7th is Kensington Prairies last Christmas Ar-

tisan Sale. The public is invited to come meet the alpacas, browse through a wide selection of luxurious alpaca products and sample some delicious alpaca meat. Visiting artisans will be onsite and the event will be from 10 - 5 both days rain or shine.

Blackwood Lane WineryMy visit to the historic Otter trail

wouldn’t have been complete with-out a visit to Blackwood Lane Winery.

I wanted to pick up a case of The Rebel 2010 so I could gift each of my clients with a bottle of this amazing vintage. The vineyard and winery is located on 12.2 acres of southern facing slope and it is a beautiful setting. When I arrived I was greeted by fi ve deer grazing on the slope.

Blackwood Lane Vineyards & Winery was the dream of Carlos Lee and his wine connoisseur partners. As wine lovers they realized that people in the Greater Vancouver Region had to trav-el to the Okanagan to acquire the best wines in the province so they decided to set up their boutique winery. Their fi rst vintage was in 2004 and the wine produced here is already causing a stir in the wine world. In fact, two of the wines from Blackwood Lane were

named the top two wines by John Sch-reiner’s Ultra Premium Wine scores comparison chart.

The winery specializes in red wines but also makes some whites and rosés. The winery’s fi nest offering is a 2007 vintage called The Reference. This is a premium Bordeaux blend of the fi nest cabernet, sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Ver-dot grapes. It takes fi ve years to fi nish

and is delicious. The intimate tasting room is a lovely

place to taste the wines. Also available to purchase are wine jellies, fi ne jewel-ry, and gorgeous gift baskets. General Manager, Kimberley Collins has been trying her hand at making her own chocolate and truffl es. Be sure to try one of Kimberley’s Confections. The winery is open for tastings from 11 - 5. Wednesdays through Sundays year round. Cellar tours are by appoint-ment.

The sun was setting as my day end-ed. I had a great time and my car was packed with gifts for my family, friends and clients.

To see store hours and locations please visit http://shophistoricotter-248thtrail.com

From left,Kensington Prairie Farm, Catherine Simpson with an alpaca,Alpaca Yarn,Krause Berry Farm’s Christmas Display,JD Farms with a variety of turkey pepperoni


First Come First Servedaft er December 14th

All NaturalHomemade Goodness

Cooked orders must be picked upbefore the 24th @ 1:00pm. (Minimum 10 dz.)

December 24th 9am - 1pm (Order pick up only)December 25th - 28th CLOSED

December 31st 9:00 - 3:00Closed January 1st & 2nd

302B-20771 Langley BypassLangley, BCNorth side of the Bypass insidewith Dickinson Meats

prairiecottageperogies.comWE will be open for Ukrainian Christmas Jan 6th - 7th

Phone 604-533-9354 or Order on Line

Deadline for placingCHRISTMAS ORDERS:

December 13thPRAIRIE COTTAGE PEROGIES

Eco Friendly Christmas

Tips from the Langley Environmental Partners Society

Christmas is an exciting time fi lled with family, friends and of course giving gifts that show you care. But

what happens to all of the stuff that comes with the lovely gifts such as wrapping, ribbons, bows and pack-aging? They may end up in a land-fi ll or possibly make their way to the Pacifi c Ocean by fl oating down culverts and storm drains to your neighborhood creek. Eventually garbage is carried to the “Great Pa-cifi c Garbage Patch” in the Pacifi c Ocean made up of tiny bits of plastic and other manmade debris. “I be-lieve, scientists have taken samples where they have collected about 2 million bits of plastic per square mile in the Great Pacifi c Garbage Patch” says Kim Greenwood, Special Projects Coordinator at LEPS. “Our stuff, including plastic from our Christmas gifts, can end up in the ocean, where it photo-degrades into smaller pieces and ends up becom-ing part of the food chain”.

Why not try and change the sto-ry of your stuff this Christmas? The staff of Langley Environmental Part-ners Society are challenging Lang-ley residents to have an Eco-friendly Christmas this year. Send in a pho-to of your environmentally friendly holiday gifts to [email protected] or post a photo of the gift to the LEPS Facebook page for a chance to win a heritage apple tree.

Environmentally friendly gifts can include donations on behalf of a friend or family member to a local charity. Give the gift of a fun night out learning art or a craft, cooking or soap making, a gift certifi cate to your local Farmers Market, or a bot-tle of wine from one of our award winning local wineries; all great ways to be friendly to the environ-ment. Try to choose the gifts that have the least amount of packaging and shop as local as possible.

What about kids you may ask? A bird feeder and bird seed is a fun

way to learn about our local bird species or a small pot with some potting soil and a packet of salad green seeds from your local seed producer. Your kids will love getting their hands dirty and you can enjoy fresh mini greens during your New Year celebrations. Salad greens can be grown indoors without any fancy lights, just a sunny window.

If you are looking for a truly unique gift for someone with al-lergies or with young children try the following recipe to make them some hypoallergenic laundry and environmentally friendly laundry detergent:

In a large bowl, mix 1 Litre of boil-ing water with 2 cups grated, pure soap, 2 cups borax, 2 cups of wash-ing soda. Stir until everything is dissolved then add 7 litres of warm water. Use ¼ cup of laundry deter-gent per load of laundry.

“We are offering small potted Spruce trees once again this Christmas for a donation of $5, living trees are a great alternative to live cut and can be plant-ed outside following the season, or kept in the pot for several years for fu-ture Christmas use. To pick up your live tree visit the LEPS offi ce from Decem-ber 1st Monday-Thursday 8:30am to 4:00pm at 201-4839 221 Street Langley. Supplies are limited.”

C


Reserve your tickets today!www.langleyukes.com

or call 604 340-8537 (UKES), or email: [email protected] to reserve your tickets.

The Langley Ukulele Association presents...The Langley Ukulele Association presents...

CHRISTMAS Th emes of

Featuring Featuring Th e Langley Sr. Th e Langley Sr. A&B Ukulele A&B Ukulele

Ensembles Ensembles

Saturday, December 20thMatinee at 4 pm, Evening at 7 pm

Doors open at 3:30pm Doors open at 6:30pm

The Langley Evangelical Free Church20719 48th Avenue, Langley

Sponsored by:

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Special Features - Home for the Holidays