Annual Chili Cook-Off at Fresh St. Market

The annual Chili Cook-Off at Fresh St. Market happened today in West Vancouver, with six teams participating for the most votes. A $5 ticket got you a sample from each team and a drink.

Competition was tough, as all the chilies were delicious!

The 6 teams participating.

A palete cleansing station between chilies!

Just looking at this photo makes my mouth water! The chili teams from top to bottom are: Fresh St. Market, Grimm's, Lekker, Village Taphouse, 7 Seas and West Van VPD. Each station provided the ingredients for their chili recipe so you could replicate it yourself! 

A frozen treat was also available - chocolate dipped frozen bananas! Yum!

Chili Cook-off in full swing!

Easter Is Coming...

You know Easter is coming when you see ginormous rabbits in Vancouver.

Watch out for the Lindt bunny near you! Spin the prize wheel and win some delicious Lindt chocolate bunnies!

Burdock and Co. - A Great Place for Sharing!

After seeing some delicious looking pictures on Instagram by other Vancouver foodies, I just had to go to Burdock and Co to try it for myself. All dishes are specifically made for sharing and it is suggested to order 2-3 plates to share per person.

Pacific Octopus and Leek Terrine, Castelvetrano Olive Gremolata, Sherry, Smoked Almond.

Grilled Beef Tongue, Morels, Fiddleheads, Smoked Mackerel and Pickle Mayo.

Yarrow Meadows Duck Breast, East Van Roasters Cocoa Nib and Lingonberry Granola.

The presentation of all the dishes were gorgeous, and everything seems to be in portions of three. Menus change all the time so if you want to try anything above, go quick! Dishes range from $13 to $22 so your bill can add up if you order 3 plates per person plus drinks. Burdock and Co is definitely worth trying because this is the first place that offers the shared plates concept (and also has a communal table!).

Vancouver International Auto Show 2015

The Vancouver International Auto Show is happening this week at the Vancouver Convention Centre. With two levels this year, there are tons of brand new cars to see. The exotic super cars are on the main floor and there are some nice ones. Downstairs you can see all the new 2015 models from all car manufacturers - BMW, Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota, Audi and more!

Personally, I like the red Ferrari convertible better, but I'll take this orange one too.

The Canuck Team Chevrolet.

Lamborghini.

Does anyone else think of Joey from Friends when they see this Porsche?

Hollywood North - The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo.

The yellow really makes this Corvette stand out!

A custom exotic Lamborghini.

Lexus.

Dodge Viper. Everything looks better with racing stripes.

Nissan Blade Glider concept car. This is a prototype for an upcoming electric vehicle.

The Ford Robot was at the show once again.

Michelin man!

Another concept car by Toyota.

Hot Wheels car!

Make sure to check out the cars outside of the Convention Centre as well!

Vancouver International Auto Show is happening from March 24 to 29th. Check the website for tickets and hours.

Zakkushi on Main

J and I went for some late night snacking in her neighborhood at Zakkushi, a Japanese grilled izakaya restaurant. This cozy little placed seemed like a popular place for the late night crowd and it's hard to resist the BBQ smells wafting out of restaurant.

We didn't order too much since we were just looking for a quick snack, but the food was pretty good, if a little pricey. You order by the skewer, so don't get tricked by the pictures on the menu.

Okra, Oropon Maguro (albacore tuna with grated daikon and ponzu sauce, Uzura Maki (quail eggs wrapped with bacon).

The Zakkushi special, which consists of 5 skewers of various meats.

A lone kabocha melon.

I would probably go here again when I'm feeling peckish and try some of the other items on the menu. Who can resist grilled food?!

Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast

The Disney Fairies are back with a new adventure. Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast focuses on Fawn, an animal fairy whose talent is befriending and studying all the animals of Pixie Hollow. Fawn always wants to help animals first and think about consequences later, which doesn't sit well with the head of the Scout Fairies, Nyx, whose job it is to take down any threats to Pixie Hollow.

When the Neverbeast shows up, Fawn quickly befriends the large and scary-looking animal (who really reminds me of Falkor from The Neverending Story) while Nyx thinks the complete opposite and wants to capture him. 

The animation is gorgeous and there are some great songs. Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast is full of humour, action and emotion (J said she teared up in the last scene) and is perfect movie for the Fairies fan!

Pick up the Blu-ray in stores now! It is packed with bonus features including deleted scenes and featurettes. 

Disclaimer: The product mentioned above was provided by the company for review. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Savvy Shopping, Deals and Reviews and have not been influenced in any other way.

50% Off All Toys @ Target

With all Target stores closing down in Canada, I've been keeping my eye out on their clearance items like any frugal shopper! Toys have finally hit 50% off last Thursday which is a good time to start jumping in, I think! There are some really good deals to be had so stock up for your kid's birthday/Christmas gifts now!

Video games have also hit 40% off, though most of the good games are long gone. Music/Movies are 50% off, but Target's regular price makes this a really bad sale.

Target will be increasing the discount every Thursday so keep an eye out!

Double VIP Event @ Lego (Mar 14-29)

It's double VIP time again at Lego stores, which means now is the time to make all those purchases you've been waiting for! Double the points translates to 10% cashback. There are also a few sets that have been put on sale (20% off) so keep an eye out in stores.

March promotions include a Bionicle Hero Pack with any purchase, or an Azari's Magic Fire polybag with any Lego Elves purchase.

Don't forget to use up your March coupon from the calendars to build your own minifigure! It's only for 1 figure, and not the entire pack.

20% off Select LEGO @ Chapters (Until March 31st)

In time for spring break, Chapters has a 20% off sale on select LEGO sets, while supplies last. There are some new Star Wars and Superheroes sets that might be worth getting with this discount.