Bridesmaids News: First Edition

Well I'm ending a small week long wave of wedding fever! Boy that was a hard one hahaha.Anyways I've been meeting up with a few of my bridesmaids and also haven't seen one or two in a wee while. I was reading the ever fabulous and best magazine out there, Martha Stewart Weddings where I read a tip that suggested creating a Newsletter you would send to your bridesmaids every couple of months updating them on the progress. I thought this was a great idea for me to do (naturally with my own spin on it) and it helps buffer the time between now and when I can do the heavier planning. So I thought in today's blog I would introduce my wedding party and another fun thing or two.

My Leading Ladies

Big Sis!

Nikki is my big sister and my Maid of Honour. I was her maid of honour too and since she is married we have to call her the Matron of honour. This lady is going to have one easy ride!

Good Golly Miss Holly!

Holly is one of my best friends from college. She was also my college roomie and the very first person I talked to in class when i was the next chick who joined the program late. Yay Holly!

Holly is also a paramedic so I know im in good hands at my bachelorette !!!

The Other Sister!

Andrea is my other sister as we've known each other forever. Our moms were best friends in highschool and our dads went to college together. We consider each other family even though we have no blood relation. Andrea will be crafty help during the wedding countdown as she's just finishing school to be a teacher and knows all the fun stuff!

My Personal Papparazzi

Kristin is another of my best friends. We never went to school together but we did work at shoppers and superstore together. Kristin works in photography and is never without her camera! I know she'll be giving me albums worth of great pictures through the whole process! She can't control herself! :P

That's Choreography

Cassie is my 3rd cousin. But on my dads side I don't have any first cousins and so i just think of everyone as my first cousins. Cassie is also my Godsister so she was just meant to be in the party! Cassie is a sassy dancer so I'm hoping she'll show me how to pop a slide or sumn like that. haha

Flying Free Tenacious Lee

Melody is another of my best friends from college. Shes spunky! We were never roomies but we practically lived together for a little while there. Melody is my laptop buddy and she's always more than happy to see what i'm cooking for dinner. hee hee

The Tan Queen

Emily and I go all the way back to grade 9 which is going on 9 years now crazy! If you get us going we can quote most of high fidelity and dirty dancing in very weird voices. Emily is the Tanning queen and she best be helping me with my colour! lol.

I read a poem my mom wrote when she invited her bridesmaids over to work on wedding stuff in the 70's. I thought it was cute and so I wrote my own as a startup to the newsletter! So to end, I leave you with this...

We've gotten engaged and the wedding's next year
I'm told to look out, it'll quickly be here!
Will this year come and go so fast?
Already three quick months have passed
The ring i've got, and a date indeed
And now my dear friends help i'll need
To get this wedding on the go,
To marry Matt, I love him so!
I love so much and love is heaven
How many maids? Why, I've got seven!
The groom has surely followed suit
He's picked out his own seven brutes
Some you may know and some you will soon
You'll all be old friends by next coming june
My big sister Nikki can help with my dress
Will Kristin take pictures of all of the mess?
I've got Cassie to show me a dance move or two
And Holly? For freak outs, im counting on you!
With Andrea's help i'll be done in a jiffy
And Emily's tan smarts will help me look spiffy!
And last but not least, im hoping that Mel,
will help with the secrets and SHH please don't tell!
Thank you all for accepting our favour of you
you'll be in my heart always, it's really quite true!

mmm legumes

wow long time no blog! BLAME BLOGGER! talk about having tantrums! haha it took me weeks to get anything going! the lost drafts! the tragedy! i can hardly bare to think!



so todays recipe comes from my family. We heartily enjoy our thick italian soups (thick enough so lets call it a stew) and so thus par, here it is. My favourite winter night stew, our family recipe,

PASTA FAGIOLE!

This stew/soup is great for a winter night, a vegetarian day in your weekly healthy eating schedule, or hey, just a sweet ass comfort food packed with superfood goodness!


we always seem to serve it with homemade plain tomatoe pizza or bread. its easy, its done in an hour and its filling.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 lg clove garlic, minced
1 large scoop of tomato paste (i put mine in spoonfuls in a container and freeze it)
1 can 3 bean medley, drained
1 can white kidney beans, drained (you can do 2 kidney if you dont like the mix)
6 cups hot water
2 tbs beef bouillion powder (bulk barn)
3/4 cup small elbow or shell pasta (flour or whole wheat)
salt
pepper
grated parmigiano or romano cheese


DIRECTIONS

turn water on to boil in tea kettle.

In a medium-large stock pot, saute onions in olive oil until just tender, about 5 minutes. add garlic and cook another minute.


Add tomato paste and stir until blended with onion, then add all beans. Stir for a minute.

Pour in all 6 cups of water (if it hasnt quite boiled yet, its not a real issue) and beef bouillion.


Cover and reduce heat to medium low and stir more than occasionally for 30 minutes or until water reduces and stew thickens.


Stir in the pasta and stir continually until the pasta is cooked through, about 8 minutes. **careful! i find my pasta sinks and sticks to the bottom if i dont stir lots! annoying but tasty!**


Serve with parmigiano and a bread or pizza you like to dip, ENJOY!