

Brooch Bouquet Tutorial
Brooch Bouquet Tutorial Brooch bouquets are trendy. (Or they were when I was planning my wedding in 2014). They add colour, sparkle and glam to your wedding look. But more than that they can be very meaningful! Flowers wilt and die, a brooch bouquet can last forever (and maybe even for generations). If you invite loved ones to contribute to your bouquet you carry tokens of their love down the aisle with you. Here's my tutorial on how to build a meaningful and beautiful brooch


Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Chicken Soup
Such an easy recipe! Mexican inspired ingredients and Latin American inspired spices. Super healthy and so delicious. Ingredients: Organic Vegetable Broth 1 can organic black beans (or pre-soaked dried ones) 1 can organic corn 1 hunk of onion 1 can organic tomatoes (crushed or whole) 1 large free-range chicken breast Spices to taste: salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, achiote, coriander, chilli pepper, chillis, jalapeño peppers * *This time I used an "achiote cilantro" spice mix.

Tips for Body Blitz
I am recent enthusiast of Body Blitz Spa! A fun girls-day-out or a great solo indulgence. The main spa is a therapeutic water cycle: Warm mineral salt pool, aromatherapy steam room, infrared sauna, cold pool and hot epsom salt pool. You soak in the pools in a prescribed "cycle", including a cold plunge in between each. The health benefits include pain relief, muscle relaxation, elimination of toxins, better circulation and more. Both locations also feature treatment rooms for


Recipe: Shiitake & Water Buffalo Cheddar Risotto
You can make risotto with just about anything! I typically use mushrooms and parmesan cheese. I am looking forward to experimenting with other ingredients. (Blackened Brussels). Here's a basic risotto recipe: 2 cups Aroborio Rice Organic Vegetable Broth, 2-3 cups, to taste Cheap White Wine (Pinot or Chardonnay) 1-2 cups, to taste Vegetable or meat of choice 1 cup hard cheese Salt & Pepper Butter Olive Oil This recipe features shiitake mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, water-buffa

Wedding Series: Finding Your Dream Wedding
or, The Wedding We Ended up Having was Not the Wedding We First Imagined. Ah, the Dream Wedding. What a hefty title. For some it's a picture that's existed since childhood. For others, it only comes after obsessively pinning ideas to a secret wedding board (hands up for those who've done that!) Anyone who's planned a wedding will tell you that the event they pictured initially is not the event they ended up with. It sounds like a cliché but it's true. Wedding dreaming and sch


Recipe: Blackened Brussels
Brussel Sprouts White/Yellow Onion Garlic Olive Oil Optional: Summer sausage or bacon Salt & Pepper 1. Cut the bottom of the brussel sprouts. Peel the outer leaves and add to bowl. Cut remaining brussel "cores" in half and add to bowl. 2. Add a little olive oil to a wok/pan on medium heat. 3. Dice of a hunk of onion and 1-2 cloves of garlic. Add to wok and cook until clear. 4. Add brussels. Optional: Chop up summer sausage or bacon into small pieces. Add to pan. 5. Stir often


Recipe: Cauliflower "Chicken Wings"
Cauliflower "Chicken Wings" - a great, healthy alternative when you get a craving for saucy wings! Organic Cauliflower, cut into "chicken wing" sized pieces 1 free-range egg Organic Milk Breadcrumbs Olive Oil Butter Hot Sauce (I use Franks) SauceWorcestershire 1. Pre-heat oven to bake at 400F 2. Cut up cauliflower into size of choice. I go for big, chunky pieces. 3. Mix together 1 egg and a splash of milk. 4. Pour bread crumbs into shallow dish. Optional: Add spices to taste


Saturday Market Shopping
Or, an Update on Goal-Setting 2016 From Left: St Lawrence Market Produce - About $40 Spent Soup Base (Cilantro & Achiote) $4 Organic Canned Tomatoes $4 Beans $3 Corn $4 Roasted Red Peppers $5 Edith's Blend Coffee (Luba's Coffee) Arborio Rice $8 From Right: St Lawrence Farmer's Market - About $60 Spent Organic Shiitake Mushrooms Free-Range Eggs $2.50 Fresh Thyme Water-Buffalo Cheeses $6 & $8 Garlic Onions Peppers Summer Sausage (Small) $10 More Mushrooms (Cremini) Apples $7 Sw


Wedding Series: The Pros and Cons of Engagement Ring Shopping Together
or, My Engagement Ring Story or, Communication is Never a Con Trying on Rings The first time I ever tried on an engagement ring was well before I was engaged. I was visiting my mom and she suggested we go over to her jewler to "try some on for fun". This was very nerve-wracking and exciting. Like a lot of young women I had thought about what kind of "dream ring" I would want. So in we went, and, nervously, I tried on what I thought the dream style would be! Well, that's a pre


Recipe: Slow Cooker Gourmet Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
I read a few recipes online and then decided to wing it! (What else is new). I have to say it turned out great! Note the italics for what I would do differently next time. Also keep in mind that every slow-cooker is different. Slow Cooker Jalapeño Mac & Cheese 4 cups uncooked macaroni 3 cups organic vegetable broth (1 cup for firmer noodles) 1 cup organic skim milk 1 large free-range egg 2 tablespoons Kozlik's dijon mustard 1 medium jalapeño pepper (to taste; we like it spicy