Weekend Recap: Farmer’s Market and Book Sale

This weekend ended up being one of those weekends that felt extra cozy in the best possible way. Between trips to the farmer’s market, finding more vintage Nancy Drew books for my collection, lots of good food, neighborhood walks, and time spent outside enjoying the warmer weather, it felt like the perfect mix of productive and relaxing. Sometimes it’s the simple weekends that end up feeling the most memorable, and this one definitely felt like that for me. So here’s a little recap of my weekend filled with books, fresh air, iced tea, and a few very good food finds.

My weekend started off on Friday with a trip to the Calgary Farmers’ Market West. It had been a few months since I was last there, so I figured a visit was definitely in order. I asked my dad if he wanted to come with me, and he said yes, so the two of us headed over together. This farmer’s market isn’t huge, but I have a handful of favorite vendors that I always make a point to visit, including a bakery and a place that sells vegan Thai food.

Our first stop was Yum Bakery. I used to make these amazing soft pretzels at home, and every single time I made them they would disappear within a few hours. They were that good. So when I saw that Yum Bakery had soft pretzels, I immediately knew I had to grab two for my dad and brother.

And how pretty do these macarons look? Along with the cheesecakes in jars? Everything in their display case looked so good that I honestly could have walked out with way more than we did.

My dad also decided he “needed” a rhubarb strawberry pie, along with a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. There were so many delicious things there that it’s honestly impressive we only left with four things total.

They also had a couple of produce vendors set up, so we picked up a few apples and some cherries while we were there.

Next stop: Hearts Choices for Thai food! I’ve been eating their food for more than 10 years now, and it’s still one of my favorite local spots. I picked up a couple of my usual favorites, including two packages of their vegan ginger “chicken,” which I usually serve with rice and sautéed veggies. I also grabbed some of their yellow curry with vegetables and potatoes. Yellow curry is their mildest option, which is perfect for me because I cannot handle spicy food at all. And lastly, I picked up their peanut satay sauce, which is honestly so good.

My last stop at the farmer’s market was for tea. I found one called electric lemonade tea, and I thought it sounded perfect as an iced tea for warmer weather. That’s exactly what I made when I got home. It definitely needs a little sweetener, but it’s really good and has a slight tartness to it, just like the name suggests.

After the farmer’s market, I decided to go for a quick 30 minute walk because I needed to get my legs moving and burn off a little energy. There’s a small park at the end of the route I’ve been taking lately, and it’s such a nice change from all the houses in my neighborhood. It almost doesn’t feel like I’m still in the middle of the city.

Later on, I spent some time reading outside while listening to Spotify. I’m about two-thirds of the way through My Darling Girl right now, and if you’re into creepy paranormal stories, I highly recommend anything by Jennifer McMahon. Whenever I read, I need music without lyrics, so I usually end up putting on one of Spotify’s classical playlists in the background.

My boyfriend had told me about a book sale happening on Saturday morning at another farmer’s market. The sale was benefitting a charity that supports women affected by human trafficking, so we got up bright and early and headed over right when it opened. I’ve recently started collecting Nancy Drew books, and I managed to find about half of the ones in the photo above. I read so many of them as a kid, so finding them again brings back so many cozy memories of spending afternoons reading mysteries.

On Saturday afternoon, I took my boyfriend’s dog, Winston, for a walk by myself, which I don’t usually do. He was extremely concerned that my boyfriend wasn’t with us and refused to walk for the first few minutes after we left the building. Eventually, though, I convinced him to keep going. We ended up walking to a nearby park that has basketball courts, pickleball courts, a skate park, a dog park, and lots of benches. Winston and I ended up sitting on a bench for awhile just people watching, which honestly felt really relaxing.

I must have completely worn him out because by the time we got back to the apartment, he couldn’t even be bothered to sleep in one of his many dog beds.

For dinner, my boyfriend made butter chicken. Along with the usual chicken, he also added lentils and paneer, which were both really good in the sauce and made the meal extra filling.

Sunday morning started with breakfast outside on the deck. I had two slices of the cinnamon raisin bread we picked up at the farmer’s market, some cherries, and vanilla Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of granola on top. It was one of those simple breakfasts that just feels extra nice when you can eat it outside.

Later in the day, I stopped by the thrift store because I was looking for a white vase, which I ended up finding for only $5.50. Of course, I also had to check the book section while I was there to see if I could find any more Nancy Drew books. Luckily, I found the other half of the books in the photo above, which felt like such a lucky find. They only take me a few hours each to read, but there’s something so cozy and comforting about those mysteries.

After that, I stopped at Deville Coffee. I hadn’t been to this particular location before since it’s still relatively new. It was really busy, probably because of Mother’s Day, so I didn’t stay long, but I could definitely see myself coming back with my laptop sometime soon to get some blogging done.

When I got home, I decided to head out for another walk. It was a little cloudy outside, which honestly made it the perfect temperature for walking. I ended up going for another 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. The city is currently replacing sections of sidewalk along the main road near my house, so I’ve been trying to avoid that area as much as possible lately. It’s made my walks a little shorter than usual, but progress is definitely being made, and I’m hoping everything will be wrapped up within the next week or two so I can get back to my normal routes again.

Overall, it ended up being one of those weekends that felt simple in the best possible way: good food, fresh air, books, walks, and a little extra time outside now that the weather is finally getting nicer.

What was the highlight of your weekend? Let me know in the comments below!