CRMR at home

Have you ever had curried apple, butternut squash soup? Me neither until today. I picked it up at CRMR yesterday afternoon after a sign outside reading «daily soups» lured me inside. The soup was but one of a range of products I found. There were other kinds of soups, organic butters (peanut, almond), spices, teas and many other goodies.
The shop isn’t huge, but it does have a fantastic variety of cooking gadgets (do you have a button crockpot? I don’t… but I think I’m going back to get one. I hate having hard butter!). As well as other interesting food products I haven’t seen elsewhere (like chocolate covered honeycomb).
The staff are absolutely lovely as well. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted warmly. «I’ve never been in here before,» I said to the gal. «You’ll be here awhile!» she replied with a smile. After I had picked up my soup, I was still looking around. She came by and took the soup over to the counter for me so I needn’t carry it around. Nice touch.
My head is now spinning with all of the Christmas presents I could be picking up for people here. I’m glad I didn’t buy anything else just yet, because as I was paying for my soup, the gal mentioned that their Christmas stock hadn’t come in yet. Must return!
As for the soup, I’ve never had anything quite like it. The curried apple gave the butternut squash soup a sweeter flavour with a little kick at the end. The container was $ 12, but I’ll get about 4 bowls out of it. Perfect for this first onset of chilly weather!
Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge: ⁶⁄₃₀

First of all a huge shout out to the staff here, they are pleasant, so well informed about their products and the pride of working here really shows in their faces. This is one of the most beautiful produce stores I have ever seen in Calgary; polished cement walls, glass walls and urban industrial shelving, makes this place the biggity bomb.
They have everything here, jarred jams, chillies, and pickles, they even have kitchen accessories and glassware. They have a great coffee paraphernalia area; plus a stainless steel kitchen with an island in the back where they perform cooking classes.
I was mostly impressed with the frozen food section because here you could buy yourself wild game meat. There is buffalo and elk, a wonderful array of pre-​prepared meals like lasagne and pizzas, and there is even tiramisu and different types of pies. I myself bought for Valentines a pre made pear, pine nut and gorgonzola cheese pizza and a fresh mini apple pie.
I also came away with a natural home cleanser that is made in BC that is scented with 100% pure essential oil blends. It is naturally effective and is plant based and biodegradable, my home now officially smells like coconut and peppermint, which makes me want to clean all the time.
Everything is super fresh, the packaging is ultra sleek and you are buying great quality food, CRMC, is associated with four restaurants in the city, one being the chic Cilantro restaurant that is right beside this seductive store.

CRMR at home is a total gem on 17^th ave SW, Part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch Group which includes a many resorts, the Ranch, Cilantro, Divino, and a wonderful free range buffalo ranch!
I have visited the CRMR at home store a few times now and they are really nicely stocked with all my favourite gourmet foodie treats, with a heavy focus on in house made (or next door made as the case is with Cilantro) and locally produced goods. But I think by far the best thing they sell their is the meat! which is naturally grass raised bison and elk ranched just outside of Calgary.
This past weekend we decided to make a quick little trip out to Candian Rocky Mountain Ranch (CRMR) and took a walk through the buffalo and elk yards. While we really don’t eat much meat at all, the meat we do eat MUST meet very specific criteria before I consider exercising my vote as a consumer and make a purchase… It must be naturally + humanely raised, free of hormones and antibiotics, it must be local, and most importantly I really like to meet the farmers and just talk with them about their farming practice, and when possible I like to go and see their operation for myself, And that is exactly what we did on Saturday.
Seeing the animals was really great for all of us. And helps reconnect you with your food cycle. It was a really refreshing visit, and a reminder to me (ever the pessimist) that some people are really raising animals in environments which are contusive to healthy living, for both the end consumer and the creature who is turning solar energy into food energy for us to enjoy + be nourished by.
And the best part… it tastes great!