New Years resolutions and insincerities

**Full recipe at bottom of post, please feel free to skip my jibber-jabber**

Well with January first this came the expected resolutions (quit drinking), the obvious ones I’m not going to keep (quit drinking), and the ones I’m going to give my best efforts to keep (run a 5km race in March).

My lovely sister (in-law) suggested we do a cleansing detox the first week of January. I am VERY hesitant to even use the word detox, or cleanse, cause not only are they often dangerous, or strait up wrong, they can also be confusing to do and carry with them the stigma of “Oh, you’re on a cleanse, what do you think you’re better than me?” (or maybe that how I’ve always looked at people who do them…)

Today is the first day of week two, and oh dear GOD I want a chocolate bar so fuckin’ bad! Strangely enough though, celery is starting to taste sweet to me (WTF?).

The basic idea is:

            Sugar free (including fruits)

            Gluten-free 

(easy now, considering that particular dietary need has found its place to limelight)

            & Dairy free (I miss butter.)

The first week we graded down towards the Full Monty, so to speak, with limited dairy, natural sugars (no refined sugar, not a bad thing after the holidays) and no bread products. Not that bad… we were still allowed coffee (with unsweetened non-dairy milk, Hello Almond Milk!)

Ooooh wait though!! Hold up… this week:

            No Sugar (of any kind, no refined sugar, no fake sugar, no FRUIT?!)

No coffee (black or otherwise, FML)

No legumes (good-bye sweet, delicious beans)

That’s a lot of NO

This week will be an adventure of and in itself (note: I am writing this powered solely on omelette muffins (no cheese, it’s a crime) and green tea… pfft!)

Last week though Manfriend created a delicious granola recipe, totally gluten free and totally fucking delicious! (and not just because we were jonesing for ‘real food’)

Delicious Nut Granola

            Gluten Free

            Dairy Free

            Freaking Awesome

Time: 35 Minutes

Tools: Food Processor, rimmed baking sheet, microwaveable bowl, 

Ingredients:

o   ½ cup each of:

·         Almonds

·         Hazelnuts

·         Brazil nuts

·         Walnuts

·         Pumpkin seeds

·         Almond Meal

·         Coconut Flakes (unsweetened, if you’re cutting down on your sugar)

o   ¼ cup of honey (OR ⅛ cup of honey, ⅛ cup of Maple syrup)

o   1 Tbsp. of Vanilla extract

Directions:

1.    In a food processor, chop all the nuts and pumpkin seeds into pea-sized pieces or smaller.

2.    In a large microwavable bowl combine nuts, coconut flakes, honey and vanilla extract.

3.    Microwave about a minute, to make heat honey.

4.    Mix all ingredients until honey is evenly distributed.

5.    Spread evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet.

6.    Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Omelette Muffins and Homemade Ketchup

And that’s it! It’s awesome, unfortunately we can’t have it this week, because of the honey, but after this intense thing, I am ALL over it!!

Hope you try it out and enjoy, it’s worth the 35 minutes of your life.

Stay tuned for my post about homemade condiments. 

designing a healthy life

Anna Felicity

Conversations with his 2 year old daughter

Well, I can’t actually remember where I came across this, but it's well worth a watch.

The creator, Matthew Clarke of Warmland Films only started the Youtube channel on May 18, 2013, and already his first video (seen above) has had over 5,000,000 hits! It’s a viral hit, as well it should be!

The tag line, “Actual conversations with my 2 year old daughter, as re-enacted by me and another full-grown man”, cannot prepare you for what you are about to see.

A big shout out to David Milchard, who pulls off the role of a two year girl with childish charm and just the tiniest hint of psychopath.

Let me leave you with this,

Because sometimes, don’t we all just want one more cookie.

    designing a life with cookies (I can only hope)

         Anna Felicity

Capilano Suspension Bridge adventure

Before the bridge

My birthday was on June 9th, and in celebration of turning a completely arbitrary age, ie. a none-milestone age, I decided I wanted to go the Capilano Suspension Bridge for the day.

After the bridge, and still talking to me?

Well for the day didn’t really happen, cause we were completely lazy and didn’t actually get out of the house until about 3. From our living room we can clearly see North Vancouver (Oh and Downtown AND West Vancouver, btw!), and we spent the majority of the morning eating decadent foods and watching the weather.

By 3pm we (by which I mean I) decided it didn’t matter if it was raining there, we (I) wanted to go.

The staff are very close to nature.

After 40 minutes of Downtown Traffic we were there and it was beautiful! On the way there, I seemed unable to contain my enthusiasm and appreciation for the fact that some great power (or deity or whoever you bow down to, if any) has deemed me worthy of this beautiful place I live in. I’m not sure who thought I was worthy, but no longer will I waste this amazing natural playground I live in. Enter the Capilano Valley, a haven etched out of the land, situated a stones throw from home.

On the CliffWalk

Being a BC resident, we are entitled to a year long pass to the bridge for the price of one entry (the cost of a ‘student’ entry for me!), including entry in the Canyon lights event! Despite a funky/broken parking meter, the whole day went off without a hitch, and we didn’t even get a parking ticket!

That's a far way down!

Not looking as calm as he'd like

I had a few people suggest it was foolish for us to pay to go on a bridge, when the Lynn Canyon bridge is free, but I was there for the CliffWalk! A “ cliffside journey [that] takes you through rainforest vegetation on a series of unobtrusive cantilevered and suspended walkways jutting out from the granite cliff face above Capilano River to previously unexplored areas of the park. “ (according to the Capilano Suspension Bridge website)

After the bridge we went for dinner, and while we were planning on using The Keg gift card my uncle gave us for Christmas, it was a 45 minutes wait, so (poor me) we ended up at Bridges Restaurant on Granville Island. Seeing a theme to the day?

At Bridges

trying to show how far down it is...

After dinner we caught a movie, “The Kings of Summer”. It was technically a ‘coming of age’ story, but done so that I didn’t want to claw my eyes out from teenage angst. I actually really enjoyed it, check it out! It may not be a classic in theaters movie, ie. no big fight/race/explosion scenes, but the theaters may be the only place you’ll have a chance to see it, as it’s not a blockbuster, slated for 'in-home' release as far as I know. Rotten Tomatoes top critics didn't love it, but then again, they are critics. I'm pretty sure if I listened to them I'd never go watch a movie.

We suck at couple selfies

Next weekend I plan on celebrating with friends at the Irish Heather (who were kind enough to take my reservation, as opposed to a few other places that 'don't take reservations ', What?!) and may go up to the Lynn Canyon (what's the difference between a Valley and Canyon?)uspension bridge, but I don’t know how happy the Boyfriend will be about that one. I may be out on that bridge alone, so to speak.

   designing a life closer to nature

        Anna Felicity

Boo's Bridal Shower

On Saturday I went to Boo’s Bridal shower.

Boo did something quite interesting with her shower(s). She had two.

The first one was for the ‘ladies’, which included the moms, grandmas, aunts, and from what I can gather, the ‘experienced’ ones.

My mom was invited to that one, and lovingly referred to it at the ‘old farts’ shower. They were asked to bring  a recipe card with favorite/no fail/perfect family recipe.

I’m sure it included a huge variety of dishes as Boo’s mom was from Mexico and her dad is from Newfoundland. There was the Irish contingent in attendance, as well as the old family friends from Greece. My mom, being fully aware of her downfalls in the kitchen, and under the impression that you can never make another persons ‘no fail’ recipe very well, gave Boo the very best advice, she could.

“What do I make for dinner?”

*turn card over*

“Reservations.”

A Classic mom, a classic!

Well the ‘sweet young things’ shower was on Saturday, and it certainly lived up to its name. the room was filled with SYT’s and I got to chat with a great group of ladies (or girls, not quite sure what we want to say here?).

While I had no obvious marital advice, but I was able to bring my (in my mind, world renowned) devilled eggs, and try out all the other delicious treats brought by everyone else!

The games turned a little competitive. There’s a reason I only play board games with other serious people. You only have to ask my sister-in-law about that time we played Trivial Pursuit to hear about my competitive nature. It’s not pretty. I ended up winning one of the games, but it was a hollow victory as the prize was chocolate, which I can’t really eat without getting a really bad stomach ache. The other games (including the classic toilet paper wedding dress ,modelled here by the two lovely bridesmaids) were as hilarious as they were creative.

The gifts were great and my personal favourite involved the bride answering questions about the groom. For every correct answer, she remained safe, for every wrong answer, she had to chew another piece of gum. By the end she had 4 or 5 pieces in her mouth, and while her breath was (I’m sure) minty fresh, he face painted another picture.

These were some of the questions and some of Boo’s answers:

• What is [groom]’s favourite food that you cook him?
• “I don’t cook.”
• What did [groom] say is your favourite movie?
• “The Lion King. No? What?! Well he’s wrong, everyone know my favourite movie is the Lion King”
• What is [groom]’s favourite song?
• What is [groom]’s favourite place to spent time with you?
• What thing would [groom] burn in your closet if he could? (to be honest, I can’t remember if it was burn or just get rid of, but by the end Boo had turned it into burn)
• What is [groom]’s favourite thing about you? (Physical thing I think)
• What’s your favourite thing about [groom]?
• When did [groom] know you were the one?

We were very excited about TP dress making

Quite possibly the worst (or most embarrassing) part of the party was during the gift giving. A few of us has decided to pool together and get an even better gift for Boo. Unfortunately for me, I misunderstood and thought that gift was going to be given at the shower, but no, it’s being given at the wedding. So when my name was called to give a gift, not only did I not have anything, I also dropped the ball, and now Boo knows some people are going in together for a gift for the wedding. Awkward!

My ‘awkward turtle’ moment wasn’t over yet though! Just as I was leaving and could have left the party fairly unscathed, I spilled the beans on the (apparently) secret events of the Stagette, even though Boo is a host on the Facebook event and nowhere does it say the event is a secret. I was baffled and holding my face in my hands by the end. While I had a great time, I was happy for that tyranny of awkwardness to be over.

All in all, I am definitely looking forward to going to the Stagette with these ladies! If this is what they are like at an afternoon tea, I can’t wait to see what goes down when you get a few drinks in them! I hope this time I can keep my shit together.

designing a life with (a lot of) humility

Anna Felicity

It's all coming up weddings

Okay, well it's not ALL coming up weddings, but I am attending a few lovely nuptials in the near and distant future, along with all the requisite stagettes, showers, and tea parties.

Last summer, my brother and my cousin both got married (a week apart) and I had the honour of being in both wedding parties. It was such a joy to share those days with two such amazingly calm and level headed brides, and thank God something did go wrong, otherwise we all would have been standing there at the end of the day waiting for the other (or any shoe) to drop.

My experiences from both those weddings makes me look even more forward the ones I have coming up!

I've already attended one this year, and I was honoured to even be invited as it was a very small civil ceremony held in their living room with only their nearest and dearest in tow. This particular couple was meant to get married last October, but because of health issues the wedding had to be post-poned. Earlier on this year they decided they wanted to be married, and neither hell nor high water (nor illnesses) was going to stand in their way.

The happy couple signing the marriage certificate

The ceremony was held in their living room, the officiant gave a lovely talk, and there was plenty of glasses of wine and cupcakes afterwards to feed a village.

The next wedding coming up is one I'm very excited about!

Boo's proposal

My oldest friend, who I lovingly refer to as 'Boo' (can't remember where that one started), is getting married on May 4th. The ceremony is being held in our childhood church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where we met at the tender age of 9.

Before the big day though there are the obvious requirements: Stagette and Bridal shower!

The potluck bridal shower is this weekend, and I'm already planning my deviled eggs, I just need to decide on a flavour.

The stagette is not long after, and despite my shoulder being injured, I'm still going to go along for the pole dancing lessons, and then enjoy a delicious downtown dinner, and some awesome 90's music dancing! I can't wait!!

In late May, my mom and I will be attending two marriage ceremonies for another couple.

The first ceremony is the going to be for the grooms religion. It's going to be some kind of Hindu (I believe) ceremony. I'm quite looking forward to it, but we're waiting to hear back from the brides mother as to what we should wear. New outfits may be in order!

The second ceremony is for the brides religion. I can't remember exactly what they are, but I'm pretty sure it's a Christian ceremony.

'Moose'

I've been told there will be copious amounts of delicious food and drink at both events! I can't wait!

I have a bit of a break for a while then, and September brings another wedding of a dear friend (Whom we refer to a 'Moose'. I completely remember where that one comes from, but that's a story for another day). She had one of the cutest proposals I've seen in a while (or at least one of the most picture worthy), and I can't wait to see what that wedding day brings, or even better, what calamity ensues during the stagette! I'm not sure yet if the party is going to be in Vancouver or Victoria, as she recently moved to The Island, but either local will be great I'm sure!

It says 'Will you Marry me?'

The last wedding I have on my calendar for 2013 (so far), is the Wiccan ceremony and reception for the first wedding I went to. The first couple who had their legal ceremony a few weeks ago will be having their 'handfasting' Wiccan ceremony in October. It promises to be a very interesting experience, and I look forward to seeing it! I already know what the dresses look like, as my mom and I are making the bridesmaids dresses and doing the alterations on the wedding dress.

Before that the big day in October though we have a bachelorette and bridal shower for that bride (well now wife technically). That party promises to be a very interesting event, as those group of girls have their own fascinating and awesome definition of fun! Pictures to follow if they are appropriate and PG.


Living in Vancouver and having such a diverse group of friends and extended family, I feel so blessed to be a part of these upcoming weddings, ceremonies, receptions, bachelorettes, tea parties, bridal showers, dress fittings, and luncheons! This year promises to show me some diverse and fascinating nuptials, and I can't wait!! Pictures and posts forthcoming.

    living a life surrounded by love
          Anna Felicity