One of my favorite outings when I come home to Calgary is going to the Millarville Farmer’s Market. Located about 30 minutes southwest of Calgary, this small community is dripping with nostalgia with its sweeping pastoral views and old-timer charm.
I would be the old-timer.
And their farmer’s market? It’s one of the largest and most successful of the Alberta-Approved Farmers’ Markets and is chock full of my childhood goodies. Favorites include saskatoon berry jams and syrups (we’re bringing some home for Jamie), oodles of beef, crafts, gluten-free, glorious bakery items and a montage of ethnic selections (Thai and Indian are my favorites–still reeling over the mango butternut squash soup I sampled).
Did I mention it was 72 degrees? I was in heaven and so were the kids.
Bode driving the tractor. See that blue backside behind the wheel? Thus were the remains of Hadley.
My mom is turtle-obsessed and many of her treasures were destroyed in their garage fire. They added this turtle solar lamp to their collection.
I’ve decided I’m in love with beavers. Here’s Bode staring one down.
Old buck-tooth totally won. There’s no competing when you’re sporting a Canadian flag.
And our lunch of champions? Kettle corn, pina colada fudge, Skor fudge, French fries and fresh peas.
Give us a break–we’re on vacation.
When we left Millarville a couple of hours later, Dad suggested instead of going back to Calgary on the 22X (highway), we try to find a charming country church he loves on the backroads around Millarville.
We never found it and ended up doing a big detour through country hamlet Black Diamond and then Okotoks, which has grown to a bustling city of 30,000.
We used to nickname it “Hickville” when I was a teenager, which just shows how old I really am.
“Let’s stop at Bulk Barn in Okotoks,” my mom suggested.
Now, I don’t know about you but anything with “bulk” and “barn” are not very alluring. But do you know what? I’ve never seen anything like it. Bulk Barn is a veritable bulk foods emporium with over 4,000 products and is Canada’s largest bulk food retailer. Rows upon rows of bins with the most amazing selections, many of which I’d never heard of–everything from soup to nuts, candy and snacks, baking ingredients, health food and pie fillings.
Hadley tried Turkish delight, I freaked over plantains and mango-flavored craisins (I brought home a bunch for salad), and Bode fell in love with creamsicle Big Feet (like orange-flavored Swedish fish in the shape of feet). Talk about getting your hand caught in the cookie jar.
Or rather, the bulk food bins.
But the item I was most excited about? In the baking section, they had a large selection of various kinds of chocolate for making desserts. I have a snickerdoodle bread recipe and have been trying to track down the requisite cinnamon chips to make it. Bulk Barn didn’t have them but had something even better: lemon chips. I’m totally making some cream cheese oatmeal cookies with lemon and white chocolate chips with coconut.
.
Now is the time for my local friends to start sucking up.
Or that should be “puckering up.”
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 