I do not ski.
       I do not snowboard.
               I do not own snow pants (anymore).
                           I do not like it when my legs become freezer burnt.
                                             I do not like falling on my ass when I ice skate.
                                                          I do not like pellets of snow bouncing off my drying skin.

So why would I celebrate New Year’s Eve at a ski hill?

                                                          I do like the looks of Ponderosas in fresh snow.
                                            I do like trying new things and what better way to start off 2012?
                           I do enjoy ice skating despite the fact that I fall.
                I like that Big White Ski Resort is close to my home and serves the valley’s best wines!
       I do like taking sleigh rides around the village.
I do like to eat!

 

 

Ski Villages, when designed right, are becoming more for anyone than just those who love to surf the snow!

Ice skating, sledding, ice climbing, tobogganing, etc.

I tried snowboarding and I was never so sore in my life. I never knew that a tail bone could ache so much for so long. But I was happy to experience Big White’s ski village with the great British Columbia views and the hot tub on our private balcony that warmed my ice burnt thighs after an hour of ice skating in jeans and a sweater. I was able to visit for 3 nights with my parents and boyfriend. Instead of spending more money after Christmas we decided to each make dinner one night and then go out for New Year’s Eve. My boyfriend and I made oven roasted crab with french bread to mop up the buttery sauce. My mom almost topped us with her stuffed cannelloni (sorry mom!).

 

 

As for New Year’s Eve dinner we had a good meal at the Kettle Valley Steak House and Wine Bar. Although, I still don’t think our crab could be beat.
The pumpkin coconut soup was very hearty and I couldn’t finish it without running the risk of becoming too full before my meal.

 

I also had the Trio of Duck with duck bacon, duck spring rolls and pan fried duck with a sour cherry sauce. Unfortunately my dish was slightly undercooked. I normally like duck to be medium rare but some pieces were very rare in the centre. The duck bacon was very salty but also quite tasty. The spring rolls had to be the most flavourful and satisfying creation on the plate.
Dessert was a Champagne Strawberry Baked Alaska with layers of strawberries tucked between light layers of angel food cake. Simple and tasty.
Kettle Valley Steak House and Wine Bar has an amazing selection of drinks and my favourite had to be the Grapefruit Ice Wine Martini!

Aside from the food the atmosphere of the village was perfectly charming. It had snowed heavily the two nights before New Year’s Eve which made for a relaxing hot tub as we watched the snowflakes fall in the darkness.

 

The sleigh ride offered some snowy landscapes and a charming little girl named Clementine who kept conversation lively and even drove the sleigh for a short while. Dear Clementine, you made the sleigh ride even more fun!
We were even able to Skype my sister in Barbados, although, I do not know what interest she had in white snow for those few minutes as opposed to white beach! I’ll try to convince her to share some of her photography and stories.

Our Apartment Building

Happy New Years To All My Readers!