Bread, Wine & Everything Fine

What are some simple things we can do in our daily life with our planet in mind? April Hoffart (@rocky.mountain.rising) has answers to questions about how we can make choices, shift our behaviour and ultimately build sustainable habits.

We're shifting gears away from bread, wine and the finer things to tackle a behaviour and lifestyle issue - environmentalism. Evan Mitchell of Dreamable Inc. is the guest on this episode and although he wears many hats, he took the time to share more about one of them, providing accessible information about how we have the power and what we can do to save our planet.

This episode features three shorter conversations with three incredible small business owners. Leslie from Camp Brand Goods, Emily from Frayed Grey Macrame, and Janice from Flora Fromage share the stories of how their businesses came to be, some of the highs, the lows, and big future dreams.

On this episode I chat with Katie Rioux, an incredible woman and interior decorator with a decade of experience. She gives a glimpse into how she started in the industry, the process of building her dream home, and some practical tips for creating spaces for gathering (even on a budget).

It was an absolutely privilege to have a conversation with Jill Hoff, Canada's most recent National Barista Champion. She gives a little insight into what it's like to prepare for and compete in a coffee competition, what her go to beverages are, some tips on brewing coffee at home, and how the Monogram Coffee team are adapting to the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. The audio may not be total quality, but the conversation most certainly is.

Join me for a conversation with Carly Hamilton, a food blogger turned chef turned cream puff queen! We talk about how she went from working in a Michelin star restaurant to making cream puffs for a living, what running a small business looks like for her during these strangle times, and where she finds flavour inspiration.

Continuing the conversation with Kevin, we talk about what wines to considering pairing with a holiday meal. He also dishes out on some wines that are delicious but won't bread the bank, his personal go to's as well as a whole range of different grapes to consider trying!

Have you ever had questions about what it takes to become a sommelier, where to start when buying a bottle of wine or the best bottle of wine an expert has ever had? On this episode I had a wonderful conversation with Kevin who gives answers to all of those things.

AJ and I continue our conversation in this episode and get into a whole new range of topics. We talk about social media, what joy looks like to us, the importance of pursuits outside of motherhood and AJ shares what is currently going on in her life right now.

Have you ever wanted a glimpse into the mind of an event stylist? On this episode I have a conversation with AJ and she gave me just that. We talk about where she finds inspiration for creating beautiful things, her party planning process, and her career as an event stylist. She shares her daily philosophy and how having children has impacted her desire to create and surround herself with beauty.

On this episode I sit down with a childhood friend who shares my love of homemade bread. We talk about how she almost pursued a culinary career, her experience working in a bakery, how baking bread has become a sort of therapy, and she even shares some advice on baking a delicious loaf from scratch. Then to wrap up the episode I check in with my husband on where we are at in our own bread adventure: the failures, successes and everything in between.

Have you ever felt like you just can't do it all? Do you feel guilty for not reaching a certain 'standard' in any aspect of your life? As we approach our sons first birthday my husband and I reflect on the past year of parenthood and the beautiful realization that when it comes to our personal life, friendships and business some things are fine just the way they are.

On this episode I sit down with Sam Le, a former sushi chef turned wedding photographer. We talk about how television changed his life, the best meal he's ever had, and where how he chooses where and what to eat when travelling. Sam shares a bit about how his parents adapted Vietnamese food with new ingredients when they moved to America, as well as both his fine dining and street food experiences.

In this second episode I share a bottle of wine with Genevieve Renee, a photographer, wife, mother and lover of beautiful things. We talk about the nostalgia of food, where she finds inspiration to make it look so pretty without breaking the bank, how she’s creating food experiences with and for her children, and we share our thoughts on taking the time to cook in an ever busy life. "I have often treated it as a necessity as opposed to something that can be beautiful and an experience. Most people view it that way. We’ve got to eat. We’ve got to get food on the table. It’s like an obligation rather than a joy."

Why would a photographer, wife and mother decide to start a podcast about something she loves but doesn't know much about? In this first episode I welcomed my husband to talk about creating space in our home for gathering, the process of building our table, as well as my journey of falling in love with bread and wine. "“We wanted a table where there could be wine stains and crumbs in the cracks that was imperfect in the sense that it felt like an accessible place for people to come.”