When people ask me about Christmas in November, it's an experience that is truly difficult to describe. Magical, festive, and indulgent are some adjectives that come to mind to describe this caliber of an event, but I don't think I ever really do it justice. To be able to feel the holiday spirit and all it encompasses an entire month before Christmas is what Christmas in November is all about. I could spend an eternity trying to explain what Christmas in November is like, but I'll spare you. Instead, I'll give you five reasons (not that you need that many!) to make the trip to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge next November to experience it for yourself first hand.

From the moment you step foot onto the Fairmont property, you are overcome with Christmas spirit and can't help but spread the holiday cheer. Sleigh bells ring as you're welcomed to the Jasper Park Lodge, and elves in the lobby are eager to spoil you with Christmas cookies, treats, and mulled wine. A life-sized gingerbread house brings joy and fills the air with the familiar scents of holiday baking. The lodge is a truly magical place decorated to reflect the joy of the season, and every moment you're reminded of the wonderful holiday season.


The Jasper Park Lodge has been home to Christmas in November for 28 years. Located next to the beautiful Lake Beauvert and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, attending Christmas in November is a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. While you may feel compelled to go to as many sessions as possible, it's also important to take the time to relax and enjoy yourself. Go for a swim in the heated outdoor pool, or spend some quiet time in the Eucalyptus Steam Room.


From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, the hospitality at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is unparalleled. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and go above and beyond to ensure you have a wonderful stay during Christmas in November. From shuttle service around the property to meal service and turn down service at the end of the evening, you are well taken care of.

You will see the same faces often, so it's hard not to make friendly conversation with some of the staff - many of them have amazing stories to share! And I love finding the surprises the staff leave for us in our cabin.


Food Network chefs. Need I say more? One of the best things about Christmas in November is the exciting presenters they bring each year. A lot of celebrity chefs have attended in the past and it's a pretty surreal experience to sit in their sessions and hear them speak about their passion for food and cooking. This year's Christmas in November featured the well-loved Chef Vikram Vij, and his session was an absolute blast. Christmas in November gives you the chance to meet and mingle with the chefs and get to know them on a personal level - they are so open to interacting with attendees!


I would be lying if I said the food wasn't my top reason for attending Christmas in November. Christmas in November is a time to indulge, and calories don't count! Your stay is kicked off with the Silly Christmas Sweater Reception, which features a buffet like no other. Each subsequent day starts with a breakfast buffet, followed by a three-course lunch and four-course dinner. On top of it all, you'll be cooking and eating along with your favourite presenters at your sessions throughout the day. Complimentary wines and seasonal cocktails are served in the evenings as well. With so much food and drink around it's hard not to overdo it, but hey, you're on a vacation that celebrates all things food and drink!

I really can't say enough good things about Christmas in November. It's a fun, all-inclusive getaway buzzing with Christmas energy to get you geared up for the holiday season. You really can't help but spread Christmas joy when you're surrounded by the festive food and decor!

Gordon and I have been fortunate enough to attend as Gastropost ambassadors for the last two years and Christmas in November is an event we look forward to and talk about often. It's an event that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime, so we hope to see you there next year!

For full recipes and recaps from this year's installment of Christmas in November, visit the Gastropost website here!


*Disclosure: I was asked to represent Gastropost Edmonton at Christmas in November. Views expressed in this post are solely mine. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

Do you ever have those days when you come home from work and you're just too tired to even think about prepping dinner? Yeah, I have those too. I'm thankful for the evenings that my boyfriend cooks dinner for us and has it ready when I come home, but there's also those days where we both aren't home until late and we just don't have the energy.

While it would be amazing to have a personal chef cook for us on those days, that just isn't attainable. But there's an alternative that's almost as good. Say hello to Chefs Plate, a Toronto-based company that recently made it's way to Alberta.

The concept behind Chefs Plate is simple and is done in three steps:

• You choose the food you want to eat and specify the number of people you need to feed
• Chefs Plate packages up the ingredients in the exact amounts you need and sends it right to your door in a refrigerated box
• Each box comes with the recipes you need, so you can cook and eat in record time

Each week there are a handful of recipes that cater to a variety of diets with land, sea, and veggie options. The dishes are globally-inspired, balanced, nutritious, and feature locally sourced farm fresh ingredients.

Chefs Plate operates as a weekly subscription service that can accommodate meals for two or families of four. Delivery is available Monday thru Friday and you can manage your deliveries easily through their website. What's even better is that you don't need to be home for delivery - ingredients are sent using insulated, refrigerated boxes, and all packaging is 100% recyclable. Pricing is dependent on the number of recipes you require each week.

Chefs Plate set me up with a trial of two meals from their 2-person plan, so I went with the Shrimp Linguine and Korean Steak Stir Fry. The ingredients arrived at my door while I was at work, but the insulated, refrigerated box kept everything cool as it waited for me at my front door. The contents of the box were separated by recipe, and each included a card with step by step instructions illustrated with photos.

Cooking the meals couldn't be easier. With some washing and chopping, we spent about 30 minutes per recipe and enjoyed the results. The ingredients were very fresh and we appreciated that the proteins were locally sourced and Oceanwise certified! The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the amount of packaging, but all of it was recyclable which made me feel a little less guilty.

Two meals from the 2-person plan comes out to the price of $50 per week, which is a bit on the pricy side, but you're paying for pre-portioned quality ingredients that are locally sourced and delivered right to your doorstep. We found that each recipe gave us more than enough for two people (roughly 3 portions), so being able to pull an extra portion out of your ingredients can also be considered when it comes to the price.

I appreciated that each recipe listed the amount of ingredients so we could recreate the dish in the future. Another great feature was the nutritional information thlisted with each dish, which is great for those who are health conscious. While we won't be ordering from Chefs Plate on a weekly basis, I'll be keeping them in mind because I think this would be awesome for having a date night at home!

Are you curious and want to give Chefs Plate a try? Chefs Plate has offered to give one of my readers a free trial of Chefs Plate with two meals from their 2-person plan - details listed below! If you can't wait and want to try them out right away, use my referral tag #LITTLEMISSANDREA for 3 free plate credits with your first order. Have fun and enjoy!

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THE GIVEAWAY

Two Meals from Chefs Plate for Two People
($50 Value)

To Enter: Visit the Chefs Plate website and tell me which dish you would like to cook!
Note: leaving a comment is mandatory to enter this giveaway - additional entries will improve your chances of winning, but will not count unless you leave a comment

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

• Follow me via Twitter (@littlmissandrea) (+1)
• Tweet about the giveaway: "Home cooked meals can be made easy with @ChefsPlateCA - Enter to win two gourmet meals from @littlmissandrea!" and link back to this post (+2)
• Follow me via Instagram (@littlmissandrea) (+1)
• Visit my Facebook page, and share the giveaway post by liking the post and tagging a friend in the comments! (+3)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to anyone 18+ years of age in Western Canada. You have until November 20th to enter and the winner will be selected by random and be contacted via email. Good luck!

Duchess Bake Shop is arguably one of the best patisseries in Canada. On any given day there is guaranteed to be a line up for their beautiful baked goods, which are always worth the wait. Last year at Christmas in November I learned that there were plans to open up a breakfast spot 5 blocks east of their current location, so I've been waiting eagerly ever since.

Cafe Linnea - 10932 119 Street - Edmonton AB

Following the opening of the new Duchess Provisions at Holland Plaza comes the opening of Cafe Linnea, co-owned by Chef Kelsey Johnson and Garner Beggs (part owner of Duchess Bake Shop). This breakfast and lunch spot takes its inspiration from traditional Scandinavian and French cuisine, both of which share a part of Chef Kelsey's heritage.

I stopped by for lunch with a friend on a Thursday to find a busy restaurant with a small wait list. Although Cafe Linnea is tucked away from the busy 111 Avenue traffic, its hidden location has not stopped patrons from finding the space. The open concept restaurant features clean lines and minimalist Scandinavian-style decor, with copper accents giving the space a bit of warmth. Concrete boxes filled with plants and mossy vegetation bring some life to room, and in some ways it feels like you're dining in a greenhouse with the sunlight coming in through the windows along the roof.

We opted to sit at the bar by the espresso machine, where the barista worked non-stop throughout our entire meal. What's interesting about Cafe Linnea is that it is a no-tipping establishment. Prices on the menu are reflective of using high-quality locally-sourced ingredients and are inclusive of GST, so what you see is what you pay. The reasoning is that by paying their staff high wages (full time staff are salaried and get benefits) the staff are motivated to come to work, and tips are not expected.

The menu is split between small bites and main dishes, both of which have a fair number of options to choose from. As we debated between a few different dishes we had our drinks to start. The cappuccino came along with a baby meringue - a sweet little touch! The bar also features a juicer for daily made-to-order juice. During our visit it was a mix of peaches and other seasonal fruit.


Daily Juice
For lunch my girlfriend went with the Seared Carrot Galette ($16). Caramelized carrots, raclette cheese, crunchy cabbage, kobocha squash puree, and a perfectly soft poached egg sat beautifully on a folded buckwheat crepe. The sweetness of the carrots and squash paired well with the savoury cheese, and the cabbage added a different textural element. The runny egg yolk tied it all together.

While I get tempted by sweet brunch dishes I almost always end up going in the savoury direction, and the Oeufs-en-Cocotte ($21) caught my eye. The dish came with two soft-baked eggs on a caramelized onion and mushroom ragu with potatoes, topped with baby kale and served with a side of whipped butter and housemade sourdough. After one bite into the eggs and ragu I was done for. The creamy ragu was packed full of umami from the different mushrooms used in the sauce, and each variety gave the dish a different texture. With creamy egg yolks added to the mix, it was a perfect pairing with the lightly toasted sourdough and butter. You bet I wiped the dish clean with my bread!

A meal isn't complete without dessert, even when you're full, so we opted to share the Roasted Nectarine Crepe ($11) with bourbon vanilla semifreddo and caramel. The roasted nectarines had a slightly nutty flavour and paired well with the silky custard of the semifreddo. Even with the caramel sauce the dessert wasn't overly sweet and rounded off the meal just right.

Edmonton's brunch scene is growing and it's great to have another option available in the city. Prices range from $6-$21 per plate, putting this cafe on par with other establishments in the city. The use of local ingredients and house-made condiments brings to the table high quality dishes that customers of Duchess Bake Shop have come to expect. Stop by for breakfast or brunch, but be prepared to wait - there are no reservations unless you have a party of 6 or more. Reservations can also be made for high tea service on Sundays ($55/person), which I hope to check out soon!