Two Cowboys Sinks a Put for the Canmore and Area Healthcare Foundation in Canmore, Alberta

More Than Expected

Communities are defined by how well its people take care of each other. However, we don't always appreciate or is aware of who these "caretakers" are that we rely on so leisurely. 

In our "modern world", we've become so far removed from the people that make our civilized lives possible that we no longer appreciate who they are, and what they do. How well do you know your neighbour? Do you know the name of the kid behind the coffee machine that served your Espresso this morning, or your fries for your poutine last night? Dare you ask and care about how your pharmacist's day is going?

Let's make it serious. Do you know who paid for the heart monitor used when your wife was at the hospital's emergency room? Who bought the chair in the waiting room you slept on outside the maternity ward while waiting for your son to be born? What is the name of the Doctor who treated your daughter when she fell off her bicycle, on her way back from school?

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Community for Community

We go through our days often unaware of the people behind the scenes that make a difference to our lives. Sages are touching us and shaping our every day, positively. We will never meet them.

It is easy to take the little things for granted. Marriages and friendships fall apart when we no longer pay attention to the value of what is often considered trivial. Relationships suffer when we stop saying "good morning" or forget to ask, "How was your day, my love?". In the same way, it is even easier to just assume that someone else is taking care of the big things. Our roads, water, hospitals, schools, sanitation and our safety. Isn't it is the Government's job? People are getting paid to do it. I pay taxes, that is why it is there. That is why I am entitled to it.

Herein lies the problem. Government, our taxes, and public servants don't always take care of things. It becomes quite evident when the system breaks down. The world is full of examples where bureaucracies misbehave, fall apart, or abuse their role with catastrophic consequences for the societies they are meant to serve.

In South Africa people in towns are no longer safe, no longer have clean drinking water or electricity. Municipalities no longer remove garbage and streets and sidewalks haven't been maintained in years. The "system" fell apart. Public servants became more interested in serving their own bank balances and exorbitant mortgages, than serving the people that are funding their purpose and existence.

With towns in peril, local community members came together to take care of each other. Neighbours are now patrolling streets and keeping each other safe. Areas are generating their own electricity and neighbours are collecting each other's garbage. People are taking care of each other. They know who is making their town livable and they take responsibility for each other.

Canmore Community

In Canada, we are fortunate to have public healthcare. There is a massive system of bureaucracy somewhere in Edmonton, Vancouver or Toronto, with Billions of Dollars responsible for being there when we get sick or have a health emergency. We assume that the Government fits the bill for our much needed and essential health services. We certainly pay a fair chunk of our income in taxes with the belief that our public servants have our best interest at heart and will be there when we need it most.

However, there are cases when our system fails us, and much-needed resources are prioritized elsewhere. This is when the luxury of leaving our salvation to someone else costs us personally and our community in much-needed services or resources. It simply leaves us with two tasks. To put pressure on the health care system to prioritize resources our way, and coming together as a community to take on the responsibility of taking care of each other.

The Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation is a community organization that is tasked with these two crucial asks for the people of Canmore, Alberta. Their mission as a community-initiated organization is to obtain and provide charitable financial resources for the continuing improvement of the health facilities and services of the Canmore General Hospital. They encourage philanthropy and guard these financial resources to benefit the community's health needs.  It is the people of Canmore taking care of each other where the public health services don't meet requirements or fall short.

Observations

Soulafa Al-Abbasi invited the Cowboys to be part of this year's Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation's annual charity golf fundraiser. The goal was to have fun, entice more charitable giving, and more importantly, to tell the story of the Foundation's existence and the vital work they do.

We were residents of Canmore for eleven years. All this time, we used the Canmore Hospital and its facilities not knowing about the Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation. We've always assumed that thanks to generous public funding through our taxes, of Alberta Health Services, that Canmore has an excellent healthcare facility. Now we know that we also benefitted from the work of the Foundation. More importantly, we benefitted from the charitable contributions of our neighbours towards access to better healthcare.

Every resident of Canmore is likely to come in contact with the Canmore Hospital sometime during their lives. Here is the ask, when you know that the hospital is in your future. Don't you want to be sure that the Canmore Hospital will be ready and able to treat you, as you would like to be treated when you need it most?

If you do, then make the Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation part of your charitable contribution. If it is not a monetary contribution, give your time. You will get back much more than you give thanks to your neighbour, who is also contributing for your collective benefit. This is the community looking after each other, in its purest and basic form.

We thank Soulafa and the Canmore and Area Health Care Foundation for the opportunity to share this positive story. We thank them more for the heart monitor they bought for my wife to use when she was in the Hospital's Emergency Room on Friday, 20 July 2019.

It reminds me of a sign I once saw on the wall at one of our best clients. It said, "When you learn, teach. When you get, give." We implore you to give generously!

Hendrik

Canmore Cowboy

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Photos

Perfect Day

Sinking a Put

Canmore

Two Cowboys: The Spice Must Flow with Alberta Steak Spice in Canmore, Alberta, Canada

It’s the Spice

Someone once said that you can never have too much spice in your life. We agree. As we get older and our palates develop, some would say mature, we definitely lean towards discovering new and bolder flavors for cooking. Spice is one of the go-to options to add more flavor. It allows us to broaden our culinary repertoire. We have our favorites but we are always open to discover new ones.

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There are a lot of places in the world known for spice production and its use in specific cultures and cooking. Mexico for chilies, India for curries, and Asia immediately come to mind with a mind-numbing array of bold spicy flavors. We didn’t think that the Province of Alberta was one of them until we discovered that it is the New World’s main producer of mustard! This opened our eyes to the adventures of Alberta’s spice masters.

We were fortunate enough to have met one of them, Larry Gale, at the Canmore Uncorked Food Festival a couple of years ago. Today, he is the inventor, proprietor and general cheerleader of Alberta’s newest and most adventurous journey into spice production - blending spice. According to Larry, Alberta has a unique demand for a  foundational spice that goes well with its world-renowned Black Angus Alberta beef.

However, he didn’t stop there. Once the foundation was laid he discovered that it worked with a lot more than Beef. It spiced up chicken, ribs, seafood, vegetables. In fact, Larry will canvas for the use of his spice even on Ice Cream!

The real opportunity came for Larry’s product when he hunted for a name for his spice. At first he settled on the unassuming and generally accepted convention for plain and simply referring to it as Alberta Steak Spice. Alberta’s people are Prairie farm folk. Simple folk. It is better to make it clear what the stuff in the bottle is for.

Then it struck him. Larry invented “ASS”! Or, more commonly referred to as Alberta’ ASS. The acronym for (A)lberta (S)teak (S)pice is ASS. This opened up all kinds of wicked marketing possibilities which he hasn’t even started to explore.

Observations

The novelty of the name may be the first thing that attracts someone to ASS. However, once you tried ASS you want to use it a little more in your daily cooking. We’ve used it on our steak and we’ve liked it more and more.

The blend is course, yet versatile, and a little on the peppery side - the way folks like it here in Alberta. It is a base blend which allows you to add more of your own adventures like a little more cyan pepper, mustard for pork, all spice fr chicken or even brown sugar for caramelization. Larry mentioned that he is adding to the ASS repertoire with a finer version of ASS (Alberta Seasoning Spice). He is doing it because folk have been using ASS on so much of their food and so many different kinds of food that there is scope for something with even more use.

We can see this only the beginning for this novel idea. It has our support. Where will you be able to get your own ASS, I hear you ask.

You can buy it online for worldwide shipping, in your local supermarket in Alberta (soon British Columbia and the rest of Canada). It is also available in the Two Cowboys Store. (http://www.twocowboysstore.com)

Hendrik van Wyk

Spice Cowboy

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Traveling Cowboys: Small Plates and Big Flavour at the Grande Brunch of Uncorked 2018 in Canmore, Alberta

Nine in a Row

For a town of fourteen thousand people, Canmore has so many restaurant choices that even if we eat at a different one every day, for a month, we still won't be able to try them all.

That is why we love our annual appointment with Andrew Nickerson and his team at Canmore's Uncorked Food Festival. The festival makes it easier to discover and enjoy the best Canmore's dining scene offers - restaurants we didn't know existed and dishes we haven't tried before. When we say the best, we don't only mean the food. We also suggest the people committed to promoting this great destination for culinary's sake. We applaud their effort.

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It is our third year of involvement in the event. Spring is always a great time in the mountains. The Uncorked food festival seals the deal for a visit and an appointment with this lovely destination.

Canmore Uncorked is a multiple award-winning food festival that returns each May for eleven days of remarkable dining experiences. It is the opportunity for restaurants of the town to showcase what they have to offer and to entice diners to try something new. For patrons, it is a flavour gauntlet that stretches the imagination and the waistlines. It is a must-do!

One way we make the most of the experience is to attend the Grande Brunch. Nine restaurants come together in one location to offer delicious taster morsels. The newly opened Grande Kitchen and Bar hosted the event this year which took place the first Sunday of the festival.

We tried everything, which proved to be an overly ambitious task. The portions were just enough to entice us to do another visit at participating restaurants. Together, it made for an amazingly delicious and very fulfilling meal.

Observations

Food festivals are for patrons. Patrons come with friends to celebrate, eat, explore, experience, meet and have fun with plates of food, mugs of beer, and glasses of wine. It is a familiar promotional drawcard used by destinations to entice new customers to visit and discover more about local businesses partaking in the celebrations.

Vendors are given an opportunity to reach new customers, fill their restaurants and move their products. It is a great marketing opportunity - when done right. The organizers of food festivals have the delicate balancing act of assuring there is enough variety, volume and value for attendees to make it worthwhile attending, and for participating businesses and the destination to see a return in the short and longer term.

Here in lies the crux of a successful food festival. Participating businesses and the destination, as a whole, must go all-out or risk being relegated to just another irrelevant mee-too food event of which there are far too many already. Businesses should make the most of the chance and strive to out-do each another. Not just each other in town, but other festivals, elsewhere.

We all know that with the demise of Canmore's destination marketing organization the Canmore Uncorked festival was left on shaky ground. Cudos to Andrew and his team for seeing it through and keeping the festival going. Unfortunately, herein lies the problem. We are of the opinion that Canmore's establishments overall are still not getting that this is their opportunity. It should not be just an event that continues. It should be the pinnacle food event in the Rocky Mountains!

In 2018, a few die-hard businesses and some newcomers remain committed to the festival's success, and they are reaping some of the potential rewards. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Canmore's food scene remains missing in action, and as a result, the town risks losing the opportunity.

It is no longer the "great" festival it once was. A celebration is not, and should not be for immediate profit or gain. If it was, it would be called a market. A longer perspective and commitment should prevail. The festival is there for the purpose of building marketing and promotional momentum for the times of the year when there isn't a festival. Profit follows from this momentum, and the awareness, excitement and the discovery drawcard it lit in customers. Participating businesses should commit their resources to building momentum like they would have done through any other marketing or promotional effort.

Canmore should be lucky to still have Uncorked. We hope to see it grow again to the grand festival it was once before. Andrew has our commitment and our vote to make it work. Now, all we need is for more of Canmore's food establishments to realize that this is their opportunity and get behind it. We are hopeful that it will happen before it is too late.

Hendrik van Wyk

Uncorked Cowboy

We earn our livelihood by producing great content and supporting inspiring people, businesses, and communities. Please book us here so we can tell your story too. If you want to see us do more of these, then please forward the favour. We will use it for the next episode promoting a local business or event.

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Yum, Yum!

Benedict

Andrew

Cupcakes

Traveling Cowboys: The ¡Perfecto! (Best) Margarita at Aroma Mexican Restaurant in Canmore, Alberta

¡Perfecto!

The problem with our line of work is that our palates are spoiled. We have the privilege and plenty of opportunities to eat the best and drink the fantastic wherever we go. The result is that our expectations are high. It also means that our standards are ever-increasing.

We do have our favourites, though. Ever-so-often, we have to circle back to what we refer to as "our people". They are our friends where to we travel. Visiting them, eating and drinking the best they have on offer is like wearing a familiar pair of comfortable shoes or sitting in a favourite chair. There is no pretence. It is the casual and a part of us.

This is how our love affair started with Margarita, until Laura at Aroma Mexican Restaurant in Canmore, Alberta made it enduring.

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A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice, often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up). Although it has become acceptable to serve a margarita in a wide variety of glass types, ranging from cocktail and wine glasses to pint glasses and even large schooners, the drink is traditionally served in the eponymous margarita glass, a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe.

There are various stories about the origins of the drink during the earlier parts of the last century. However, most people know its murdered cousin found at the typical all-inclusive Mexican hideaway or passed-off as a drink-of-choice for riotous partying Springbreak youngsters in warmer climate locations.

We've discovered that the real Margarita is a drink with character and a power that should not be underestimated. Laura at Aroma Mexican Restaurant in Canmore introduced us to her. Aroma is now our favourite place for our Margarita-time because we've not succeeded in duplicating their version. This spurred us into action. We had to find out more about the secrets behind their particular version that makes it so uniquely delicious.

Chef Jose Castillo and Laura Matamoros were both born in Mexico City and raised in the kitchen. In 2009 they introduced the Bow Valley to their authentic and traditional Mexican cuisine in the Bow Valley. The restaurant has a warm and cozy atmosphere. It emulates the intimacy felt around a Mexican’s family kitchen table. Jose, himself is behind the stove in the kitchen.

He offers a fusion of Indigenous and Spanish cuisine, traditional sauces, tortillas, and desserts. All are artisanal homemade and slow cooked from scratch for each order. It is worth the wait if you are lucky to get a seat during the busy times. We know Jose and Laura personally, so it is our weekly culinary gourmet trip to Mexico. There is always a special table reserved for us, the "familia".

Observations

Laura took us on an expedition of Margarita discovery without divulging a single secret. From that perspective, we failed in our quest to know how to make an excellent Aroma Margarita.

Instead, we journeyed through the traditional, the flavourful, the herby, the fruity, smokey and the savoury. Just as our faculties began to fail at number four (or was it six), Laura managed to wake us with the kick of a spicy Jalapeno signature Margarita. After that, it all became a blur!

Aroma is not a "fancy" restaurant. Jose and Laura succeeded in keeping it personal and homey with really good traditional, but refined food. If you take time to get to know them, you will find it quickly turns into a friendship. For us, it is a welcome friendship because it includes frequent rendezvous with the fabulous Margarita.

P.S. Some Margarita's are only available when Laura is in attendance, and you won't find it on the menu. She guards her recipes that closely ;-)

P.S.S. If you have the guts, ask for the Two Cowboys version. See what happens!

Hendrik van Wyk

Mexican Cowboy

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Order is Up!

Heaven

Laura

Mixing

The Perfect Time

Secrets!

Traveling Cowboys: Event Highlights for Canmore Uncorked 2017, Alberta, Canada - You Should've Been Here!

Canmore Uncorked Food Festival in the Mountains 2017

This is the second year that we collaborate with Canmore Uncorked (http://www.canmoreuncorked.com).

See the highlights of 12 days of food festivities in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.

Because many of the business in Canmore support us as sponsors and patrons, we support them in return: http://www.travelingcowboys.com. If you want to see more about them, be a supporter of our cause or follow our travels, then please become a friend on Patreon. Subscribe to our channel on YouTube and read our Blog.

Hendrik van Wyk

Travelling Cowboy

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Here they are:

Highlights!

Launch Party!

Long Table Dinner

Wine Festival

Beer Festival

Whiskey and Spirit Festival

Progressive Amazing Dinner Tour Race

Two Cowboys: Creating and Sharing Wild Adventures at Wild Life Distillery in Canmore, Alberta, Canada

The Wild Life

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Owning a business teaches you the hard facts of personal liberation and self-discovery. To travel is another way to do it. You quickly discover your limitations and learn to extend your boundaries. Both are expensive in commitment and cost, yet incredibly rewarding personal endeavours.

We are not talking about the "comfortable-all-expenses-paid-fake-margarita" kind of travel you do through the window of a car, coach or plane. Rather, the kind of travel that forces you to let go of your comforts, expectations, biases and requires you to actually interact with local people. The same applies to starting a real business where you are making something.

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"For as little as $1/month you will get the inside track on content like this and follow the travels of the Two Cowboys & A Camera. Join here."

There are similarities in the adventure of both travel and entrepreneurship. It requires a special kind of outlook in life that aligns with values such as self-respect, appreciation for originality, authenticity and anticipation.

Both cases require an unwavering commitment and a substantial effort to succeed. That is why it is easier to do it with a partner and a friend. When times are tough, which they inevitably are, it helps to have someone with similar values for support. Nothing tests the commitment in a relationship more than travel or being in business together. Both are life journeys that are better when shared.

To succeed in a partnership, it is crucial to have trust in each others’ abilities. There must be a shared understanding of each other's roles, responsibilities, and what each brings to the opportunity.

Successful partnerships are above all, guided by a shared vision and purpose. Partners have to work towards a common set of objectives. It builds trust and recognises the value and contribution each other makes. Partners must respect each other’s contributions and regard one another as equals. It promotes an atmosphere of learning and an open mindset and desire to invest in each other's skills and knowledge. If a partnership is going to succeed, there must be effective communication and constructive honesty in feedback.

It is such a partnership that we recognised when we met Matt Widmer and Keith Robinson at Wild Life Distillery in Canmore, Alberta. Both are world travellers that already shared a journey through South America. Both signed up for the wild life of entrepreneurship and making something.

Observations

According to them, everyone has an ideal life they would like to lead.  It can be an overwhelming notion to commit oneself to a process that will eventually result in this dream. However, with the knowledge that there is no right or wrong way to get there, and no guarantee that one will ever achieve it, they are at least certain that doing a little bit each day will move them closer to their ideal life goal.

At Wild Life Distillery they have made this approach to lifestyle and craft distilling their personal commitment. They are in constant pursuit of personal betterment on a path of continuous learning and growth. They are passionate about what they do in their life and in their newly founded business and don't waiver in any opportunity to share it with others.

We are encouraged by the energy of Matt and Keith, and really like their first Vodka that launched the business this past winter. We are sure to see a lot more come from these two makers as they explore the wonder of a wild life as they lubricate the journey with their beverage creations.

Hendrik van Wyk
Wild Cowboy

We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. 

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Portal

Fine Tuning

Branding

Hand-Made

My Vodka!

Two Cowboys: Keeping the Show on the Road to Showcase Local Producers with Cam Clark Ford, Alberta, Canada

Community Sponsor

Today, we have a big announcement.

It is a major milestone on our journey and a huge validation of our cause.

We've obtained the commitment and support of our first large, inspiring, community focused Sponsor. Cam Clark Ford is giving us a hand to bring you more stories from our producers in Southern Alberta. They are helping us to give our entrepreneurs and local businesses a big promotional hand.

We now have extra resources available to feature our people.

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"For as little as $1/month you will get the inside track on content like this and follow the travels of the Two Cowboys & A Camera. Join here."

It's been a year since we've launched the first content for Two Cowboys & A Camera. In this year we've promoted many local producers - people that make things. We've promoted local markets where microbusiness operate and where major businesses are validated.

We've covered festivals and events that showcase craftsmen and woman. We've told stories of people with a passion for their art and a commitment to their (often dying, yet iconic) trade. In short, we've been telling the stories of the "little guy" that often works against huge odds to feed their families and make a difference in their community.

They are the entrepreneurs that source, employ, produce and serve locally. They are also the customers of larger organisations like Cam Clark Ford. This company, who once was a small business as well, still nurtures the very important values that made it successful in the first place. It is important for Cam Clark Ford to be focussed on the success of its customers and to dedicate resources to foster healthy local communities and prosperous local businesses.

When we set out on our journey we made a commitment. Every dollar we get from Sponsors and Patrons we will apply right back to further this cause. With a minimalist outlook, we have hit the road in the second half of our lives to devote all our time and resources to find, explore and highlight the local people that fit this profile.

We've invited every one of the people we've covered or encountered to join us in this cause, by contributing to cover our expenses through Patreon and GoFundMe. Some obliged and forwarded the favour. It has helped to strengthen our resolve and boost our confidence.

What we've learned is that while we can highlight the stories of many, it is often the smallest and the ones with the least to give, that are the most appreciative of what we did for them. With the help of a major Sponsor like Cam Clark Ford we now have more resources to continue to promote these local business. They are the people that get it, that our local producers are the foundation of our economy and our communities.

More people should know about them. The Two Cowboys & A Camera will be telling their stories thanks to Sponsors such as Cam Clark Ford.

Hendrik van Wyk
Ford Driving Cowboy

We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. 

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Traveling Cowboy Wagon

Our Sponsor!

Two Cowboys: Cookies, Shepherd's Pie and Goji Cacao Balls at Canmore's Edible Life Kitchen, Alberta

Construction to Cooking

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Having a passion for food is the easy part.

Carole Beaton from An Edible Life discovered the profound impact food has on one's quality of life. For her, it has been a long lesson in the making. Since then, she's been on a journey with food, passion and healthy living that lead to her launching and operating a successful business in micro food manufacturing in Canmore, Alberta.

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"For as little as $1/month you will get the inside track on content like this and follow the travels of the Two Cowboys & A Camera. Join here."

Food is the pillar of any society. It defines customs, set identities and is the focal point of our social interactions. We turn to food for nourishment, comfort, leisure, creativity and inspiration. A large part of every person's day is taken up consciously or unconsciously by food. Once food becomes a conscious part of one's day, it has the potential to be even more. It has the potential for healing.

It is probably now more top of mind in our western society than ever before. Turn on the television (for those that still have one), or scour social media and the Internet and you will find it cluttered with food pictures, cooking programs and competitions. Chefs are celebrities and household names. Every cooked meal aspires to be photo ready and Instagramable. Food festivals are everywhere.

With it all comes hostilities that are proclaimed from the vanguard of food niches and fetishes. Paleo, vegan, nose-to-tail, root to leave, slow food, farm-to-table, low-fat, organic, low-carb, high-fibre, sugar-free and pre-made convenience all weigh into a never ending battle of what is better than the other. What is more healthy than the other. Then there are the labels that sound like religions of a new world order. Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Meatatarian, Fruitarian and Nutarian. Seriously! What happened to just good old hearty healthy food?

Supremacy of an argument in the world of food is hard-won territory. People's conversations have reached an almost religious pitch. Even morality is applied to food choices with little room for culture, history, preference, or personal experience. It is this personal experience in healthy eating that distinguishes Carol's small food manufacturing business from others.

Many of us, like Carol, understands instinctively that nutrition is one of the biggest building blocks of our health and happiness. However, many of us lack the in-depth knowledge and understanding of how our own bodies work with our food. We don't know how to make dietary choices with confidence or lack the skill to prepare wholesome and healthy food altogether.

Carole’s own experience in managing a hereditary kidney disease through her diet and exercise has fostered a deep belief in the value of healthy foods. She is now helping others discover the same benefits though her business. It has lead Carole to become a Holistic Nutritionist and to start An Edible Life. 

Observations

We dubbed Carol's place "Canmore's Kitchen". It is the place for delicious and healthy food when eating out is not an option, fast food is not acceptable, and when there is no time for making your own. It is the kind of place you can visit to see what's cooking on the stove today. It is a no-sit-down, get-your-food-and-go place where you can trust what you eat.

There are regular favourites on the menu like Shepherd's Pie, Goji Cacao Balls (which made her famous) and Honey BBQ Pulled Pork. She also carries an extensive menu packed with soups, hearty meals and lighter fare.

We are glad that Carol made a move from construction to food and from consulting to cooking. Her meals are delicious and because of her dedication to the "good and healthy stuff", you know that whatever you get from An Edible Life is for living. It comes with all Carol's healthy care and dedication.

We are eating for a healthy life at An Edible Life. She promised us, even the Goji Cacao Balls are healthy. We are taking her word for it!

Hendrik van Wyk
Goji Ball Cowboy

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We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. If you Sponsor us on Patreon: http://www.travelingcowboys.com or Donate to our cause on GoFundMe: http://www.forwardthefavour.com we can do a lot more for you, your business, event or community.

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Happy Place

Edible

Secret

Healthy

Two Cowboys: Getting in Shape and Living More Healthy with TONIQ Juice and Health Bar in Canmore, Alberta

Good Intentions

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There are certain times of the year that are just more ripe for evaluating and re-evaluate one's life choices. It usually happens at milestones such as birthdays, arrivals, moves and unfortunately also at departures.

This is a short promotional clip...

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"For as little as $1/month you will get the inside track on content like this and follow the travels of the Two Cowboys & A Camera. Join here."

We are at the beginning of a new year, and the matters of choice, intention and aspirations are top of mind for us too. It is the best and most favourite time for most people to reflect on what was, and to decide on what is to come. At this period, many people usually have good intentions. It may include body, mind or behaviour altering goals.

For example, there are lofty goals such as losing weight. Activity goals about exercising more, travel or spending more time outdoors. Then there are the all common dietary goals which may include eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, less chocolate, cutting down on alcohol or coffee. Lastly, and these are the really hard ones, there are the mind-altering goals of thinking more positively, having more patience, or if you are completely off the road, "living more in the moment".

No matter what change you contemplate for this year, I recommend you follow a simple piece of advice I received from my Mother. I hold on to it as a golden rule by which I live. It is something we all should keep in mind to succeed with any good intention. "Small changes have big effects over time. Big changes, usually end up breaking something".

Make small changes. Be patient. See your goals unfold. Adjust where and when necessary and enjoy the journey.

Having Patience

This is exactly what one of Canmore's newest beverage providers is advocating. Gillian Shepherd, the founder of TONIQ, instructed the Two Cowboys on the virtues of freshly pressed vegetable and fruit juices and the mystical powers of wheatgrass shots. We keep reminding ourselves that these are baby steps towards good health. We should try all things. Hold on to the good. At TONIQ, there is a lot of good for us to get.

TONIQ evolved from a need Gillian identified in the market to provide an easy but nutritious option for a workout energy boost or a meal alternative for a busy mother. When Gillian moved to Canmore in 2014 with her husband and young family she was immediately intimidated by the fitness levels of all the people she met and the health focussed attitude prevalent in the Canmore community.

She also discovered a new-found passion for the health benefits of raw, plant-based food. She embarked upon a 30-day juice focussed diet to lose weight, and as a stepping stone to changing to a healthier diet. A month later, she confirmed her results at 30lbs lighter with more energy. She could not help but share her joy, and her juices with friends, family and anyone willing to listen.

During the Summer of 2015, Gillian certified as a raw food chef. She launched the TONIQ Food and Drink venue in downtown Canmore in the Fall of 2016, after testing the market's reactions at Canmore's Farmer's market. She now crafts delicious and nutritious juices in Canmore's first and only Micro-Juicery where you can step in for a shot or stock up for your hike or ski trip.

Observations

Wheatgrass doesn't taste like Tequila. No matter how hard you tell yourself that it is good for you. It has a tendency to revisit you in your green nightmares. Even more so if you are plagued by the guilt of not paying enough attention to your diet. With TONIQ and Gillian's help, we are taking baby steps. Small, positive, more plant based changes in our diet should give us the benefits of more health, energy, vitality and peace of mind.

We enquired about the health benefits of our other plant-based staple of barley, hops, yeast, and water. Unfortunately, according to Gillian, our commitment to beer doesn't count towards our daily recommended dietary requirement for healthy living. It has value for one's mental state, but apart from a Vitamin B boost (which is new information for us), it lacks in the essential nutritional health benefits. It will have to be supplemented with a TONIQ juice.

Our plan is to work on a secret TONIQ Wheatgrass Beer recipe that should revolutionalize the health industry. It will make you happy, beautiful, and famous (we're told) and keep you healthy.

Bottoms up! Cheers!

Hendrik van Wyk

Healthy Cowboy 2017

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We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. If you Sponsor us on Patreon: http://www.travelingcowboys.com or Donate to our cause on GoFundMe: http://www.forwardthefavour.com we can do a lot more for you, your business, event or community.

Photos

Medicine

Mooo!

Good Intentions

What's Left

Happy Place

Two Cowboys: Adding Some Sophisticated Sauce and Missing Link Seasoning With Bow Valley BBQ in Canmore, Alberta

Boere Braai

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In our unique, little-known and often misunderstood Boere culture we take our meat and meat preparation, very seriously. If you know anything about South Africa's Boere identity and heritage, you will be aware of a right of passage called a "braai". If you don't, let me introduce you to this fantastic way of life.

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The word braai (pronounced “bry”, rhyming with the word “cry”; plural "braais") is Afrikaans for “barbeque” or “roast” and is a social custom in South Africa. “The word braaivleis is Afrikaans for “roasted meat.”

Only trusted friends are ever invited to a Boere braai. If you manage to get an invitation, then be aware that you are allowed into the inner sanctum of culinary privilege. A braai is our happy place. With a beer in hand, an open fire, good company, and something slowly roasting away we savour life. This is living.

When you ever make it to a braai with the Two Cowboys or any other South African Boer, then there is some important advice you should heed. Whatever you do, never ever criticise the way the meat is cooked. There is no bigger insult to a Boer than interfering with this sacred rite. Ever! Here's another piece of valuable advice. Never recommend sauce for the meat. It shows you are self-destructive or even suicidal. There is a good chance you won't live to tell about it.

It is highly irregular and unlikely to find any store bought sauce worthy of a Two Cowboys Boere braai. However, without admitting it too publicly, I think we've found one that we may tolerate. Jamie Ayles from Bow Valley BBQ told us more about it.

In 2013, Jamie and Bow Valley BBQ was accepted into the Self Employment government program for new entrepreneurs through Community Futures Centre West. In utilising the network and resources made available through the program, Jamie and Marie, his partner received a Growing Forward Government Grant to scale up and develop five products.

They then moved their production from a modest commercial kitchen setting in Olds and began producing 400 kg formulations at the Alberta Food Processing and Development Centre in Leduc, AB.  Bow Valley BBQ is now providing federally inspected HACCP certified products for both retail and food service.

Currently, Bow Valley BBQ Inc. products can be found in over 20 Restaurants and Retailers throughout Alberta and B.C. with more to come. They have since grown their monthly production demands to 2,400kg batches and a storage facility in Canmore is housing their inventories from where they ship it nationwide.

Observations

Most commercially manufactured barbeque sauces are molasses laden, fake smoke-induced, MSG-enhanced bottled concoctions. It is what you put on meat if you don't know what you are doing or when you have the in-laws over for dinner. If you do put it on your meat, you end up with a sugary, charcoal resembled, burned bitterness that serves no purpose other than make you look mean and stupid.

With the Boq Valley BBQ Blueberry Merlot Steak Sauce, we've found something much different. It enhanced our work. We used it as a basting sauce, and it made the meat flavour better, instead of destroying or masking it. We used it in combination with the Missing Link Spice Blend on sirloin, pork ribs, prime rib, and so far just could not fault it. It left us enough room for our own flavour additions.

We keep a high standard when we braai. There are reputations to protect. Jamie and his creations are helping us take it to the next level. We are glad we gave it a try. It is now a regular condiment in our arsenal of gourmet braai secrets.

P.S. Jamie is in the process of launching the Canmore Co-Packing Collective. He promised to work with the Two Cowboys to help package and bottle our own famous Monkey Gland Sauce. More about that later...

Hendrik van Wyk

Boere Cowboy

Get rewarded for supporting our local Producers: Receive special offers and invitations from the Two Cowboys and our Producers when you subscribe to our email list.

We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. If you Sponsor us on Patreon: http://www.travelingcowboys.com or Donate to our cause on GoFundMe: http://www.forwardthefavour.com we can do a lot more for you, your business, event or community.

Photos

Pitching

Crispy Belly

At Work

Grilling

Shrine