Sweet Morsels Make a Great Wedding Favor!

Though I originally saw this recipe as a pre-Christmas post I am just now getting to look at it! I realize that this confection is SO special and sounds SO good it ought to be enjoyed year round. In fact, why not break into bite-size pieces and bundle into little tulle packages tied with satin ribbon as wedding favors! Trust me, your guests will thank you.

Reprinted from [cuturelativity]a new human interest journal for the new age (http://www.culturelativity.com) Christmas Crack – The Healthier Kind

Edwina Phillips Posted on December 2, 2012

The simplicity of this holiday treat belies its decadent appeal. To say that it leaves you wanting more is one great big understatement, as you’ll find yourself rearranging your schedule, guarding your kitchen and skipping real nutrition in order to make room for more of this forbidden fruit. For every healthy recipe I cook in my home, I’ve got two recipes, just full of dark magic. And by “dark,” I usually mean “dark chocolate,” which carries its own brand of magic … but I digress. My gift to you, dear reader, is one that would otherwise surely be inducted into the Seven Deadly Sins Hall of Fame, were it not for this healthier version that I’m hoping will redeem me of the sin of sharing—or not sharing, as the case may be—this recipe with the world and thusly spending the rest of my days acquiring a permanent tan in Hell’s kitchen.
Unlike similar versions of this recipe, we will be using fewer ingredients while keeping its devilishly delicious flavor. Make this. Love this. Thank me. Hate me. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You’ll need: 1 box Keebler crackers (not saltines). 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (normal sugar will do, but I’m trying to help you here). 2 sticks (1 cup) butter (no margarine. Kids, trust me on this one). 1 package semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Optional (less healthy options): Colored sprinkles.
3/4 cup chopped pecans. 1 cup crushed candy canes.
Shredded coconut.
Bacon. Preheat the oven to 400º. ◦ Line a 10″ x 15″ cookie sheet or a jellyroll pan with foil and lightly grease with butter or lightly coat with a non-stick cooking spray.

◦ Cover the cookie sheet with a single layer of Keebler crackers. You’ll have enough for almost three batches.

◦ Bring the brown sugar and butter to a boil for 4 minutes, stirring with a whisk.

◦ Pour the mixture over the crackers and spread evenly. Be careful, it’s hot!

◦ Bake the crackers for five minutes. When removing, be extra careful! The mixture will be molten hot like sugary napalm. I know.

◦ If your crackers have moved while in the oven, take a fork and gently push them back into place.

◦ Allow tray to cool for at least three minutes.

◦ Once melted, spread evenly over crackers.

Now would be the time to add sprinkles, nuts, coconut, bacon, etc. Go crazy.



◦ Allow the tray to slightly cool, and then transfer to the refrigerator to harden.

◦ Once hardened, peel off foil, break into small pieces and place into airtight containers.

The Road To A Successful Marriage Doesn't Always Start With a Wonderful Wedding!

Obviously being a wedding officiant, emcee and DJ I am all for having fabulous, joyous, memorable weddings. However putting all things in perspective having a wonderful wedding certainly doesn't predict or ensure having a wonderful marriage. Though we all wish and hope for the best wedding day possible it's always best to recognize that even if things don't turn out exactly as planned the most important thing is to begin a wonderful and loving life together. This excerpt (reprinted front The Huffington Post) tell about some newlyweds that had a pretty horrific wedding, however have a terrific attitude-bodes well for their future together!

Newlyweds Ravayna and David Coe told "Good Morning America" Friday that everything from the venue to the flowers went wrong on their wedding day last October.

When Ravayna arrived at the New Orleans hotel where they were set to marry, she discovered that the property had no grass or bushes, the kitchen was closed for renovations and about one-third of the flowers they'd ordered were dead. When the groom's tux arrived, it was three sizes too big.

When the big day finally arrived, the weather was so hot that Ravayna almost passed out while taking photos.

Luckily, the couple still made it down the aisle in spite of their wedding nightmare.

"It's one day and this is the rest of our lives," Ravayna said. "In the grand scale of things, eh, what're you going to do?"

-HuffingtonPost.com

Choosing a Wedding Gown-Ramblings From A Humble Officiant & Audrey Hepburn Fan!

Audrey Hepburn has always been a favorite of mine-a classic beauty with quiet sophistication and poise. When I came across this wedding photo of her (in a Balmain wedding gown) and first husband Mel Ferrer I was surprised! Granted, Audrey Hepburn could put on a potato sack and still look chic, but this gown just didn't seem to have the usual panache I associated with one of my favorite heroines. Now I am usually not a "fashionista" by any means, however I do know what I like-and I became intrigued as to what other wedding gown choices my favorite Audrey had made. In my opinion this one was the only mistake she made-what do you think? Below are the results of my research! Enjoy-
Audrey was first engaged to James Hanson. She had a wedding gown designed by the famous Italian Fontana Sisters. They were famous for their highly romantic ball and bridal gowns. However Audrey called off the wedding when she was in Italy filming "Roman Holiday." The dress was already made so she gave it away to a young girl from the town of Latina, Italy. She said "I want my dress to be worn by another girl for her wedding, perhaps someone who couldn't ever afford adress like mine, the most beautul, poor Italian girl you can find."
Audrey married twice, her second marriage to Italian doctor, Andrea Dotti. They wed in 1969. To that wedding she wore a simple pink wool dress and matching scarf designed by her dear friend and famous designer Hubert de Givenchy. I think she looks stunning in both of these wedding dresses and they suit her perfectly.

So, a little fun look down memory lane of an amazing, iconic figure-and maybe a reminder that when you look for a wedding gown (despite current trends and styles) always pick one that best represents and flatters you. You will always feel the most confident and beautiful when you make those kind of choices!

Central Coast of California Wedding Faire--a MUST for planning a wedding!

For upcoming nuptials, whether they are next month or next year, attending a bridal faire can be an extremely helpful event. Central Coast Wedding Professionals (CCWP) will be hosting a great wedding faire on January 13, 2013.  At the faire you will be able to meet vetted wedding professionals that belong to CCWP. You can collect  an abundance of information all in one place and from a variety of vendors. "Goodie Bags" are always distributed to brides (or grooms!) and there are always faire "specials" that various vendors participate in. Also, this year CCWP is offering an opportunity to win an iPad. Click here for details on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/The.CCWP?sk=app_310984065669547&app_data

Photographers, caterers,  wedding venues, DJ's, florists and more will be there to meet and  talk to,  answer questions and attend to your every wedding need. And, if you're not quite ready to plan and book your wedding you can just use the experience to collect all kinds of creative ideas! Additionally there will be contests to enter and free samples to collect. If you're not in the Central Coast area, look for a wedding faire in your own area or the area where you are planning to have your wedding. They are a wonderful resource and fun experience. And while you are at it, be sure to bring family and members of the wedding party-you won't regret it! If you do come to the CCWP Bridal Faire at Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo be sure and come by and say hi to me! I'll be there showing off my DJ lights and all sorts of little extras I offer when you contract with me to be your 'RocNRev'! Allow me to be 'at your service!'

[caption id="attachment_42" align="alignleft" width="110"] "Your wedding is more than my job, it's my joy!"[/caption]

Michael Taylor, At Your Service Weddings

CCWP Bridal Faire January 13th!

One of the best bridal faires on the Central Coast! Look for my booth and come by and say hi!

On Love-Grasp That Brass Ring!

Here's an article I read in The Washington Post by Ellen McCarthy. Just goes to show, true love can always be just around the corner and when you least expect it. But I think the real message here is to embrace life and love-don't wait on principle and waste time. Know, listen and trust your heart, don't be fearful-live life to the fullest.

On Love: ‘I considered her so far out of my league’

By Ellen McCarthy, Washington Post, Published: December 15

To Gillian Ramsey’s friends, it seemed as though the guys she dated were all the same: hung out in Georgetown, were always up for a good time but didn’t call when they said they would.

So in April 2010, when she heard about a local radio DJ from Mix 107.3 who was attempting to go on 30 dates in 30 days, Ramsey decided she would do the same

“I was like, ‘I can totally do 30 dates in 30 days,’ ” recalls Ramsey, a 29-year-old former pageant contestant who was teaching kindergarten at Holy Trinity School in Georgetown at the time.

The parameters were set: prospective suitors had to be within 10 years of Ramsey’s age and live within a 30-mile radius of the District. Friends-of-friends and colleagues’ acquaintances were recruited to help to fill the slots. Outgoing and bubbly, Ramsey could chat easily with each of the men, but it wasn’t always fun.

“When you go on that many dates, you have the same conversation 30 times. ‘Where have you traveled? What’s your family like? What did you study in school?’ ” she recalls. “It was exhausting.”

Sometimes Ramsey would schedule two or three dates for a single night, just to give herself the next day off. By date 28, she was ready for it to be over. But date 30 was already scheduled; she just needed to find No. 29 for the challenge to be complete.

As she and a friend sipped margaritas at a bar in Arlington, they spotted a tall, kind-looking man who might fit the bill. Ramsey filled him in on her endeavor, and they chatted for 15 minutes before lining up a date for that weekend.

John Sheahan X, who has the same name as his father, grandfather and generations of ancestors, wasn’t used to being approached in bars. The Justice Department lawyer’s marriage had begun to unravel in 2008, and as a single father to a young son — John Sheahan XI, of course — he was just beginning to dip back into the dating pool.

Sheahan, a 39 year-old trivia buff, suggested that rather than meeting for coffee or drinks, they try the Post Hunt, an annual scavenger hunt sponsored by The Washington Post Magazine.

“Honestly, I considered her so far out of my league that I didn’t think I had much to be nervous about,” Sheahan recalls.

As they walked the city trying to unravel the game’s clues, they talked without pause — which doesn’t come often for Sheahan, an introvert. “I just didn’t feel any reserve. I didn’t feel any barriers,” he remembers.

They finished with a drink at the W Hotel and texted for the remainder of the night after saying goodbye. The next day, Ramsey canceled date 30.

She and Sheahan saw each other almost daily for the next month until Ramsey left to spend the summer at the New Jersey shore; she invited him to visit anytime.

The morning after she arrived, he called to ask whether he could come up that day. “I broke every single rule about trying to stay cool,” Sheahan says.

In July, he invited her to come to his class reunion, which was being held in California because one of his former classmates from St. Anselm’s Abbey School in Northwest Washington was undergoing cancer treatment in San Francisco.

Sheahan’s tight-knit friends from the small all-boys school heartily approved of Ramsey, which reinforced what Sheahan had already begun to think: He wanted to marry her. But they’d only been dating a few months, and he knew that getting engaged so soon would seem crazy to others.

That November, they traveled back to California, this time for his friend’s funeral. One loving eulogy after another talked about doing what felt right when it felt right and not wasting a second of life.

On the long flight home, Sheahan told Ramsey, “I’ve known for a long time that I want to marry you. I don’t want to wait for the sake of waiting anymore.” She said she felt the same.

They shopped for rings, and that December, Sheahan got down on one knee to propose in front of a Christmas tree at the Mansion on O Street.

“I think what makes it work is the fact that we can do anything or nothing and still have just as much fun,” Ramsey says.

The pair wanted the wedding to be an opportunity for their friends to become friends. They planned a series of events for the weekend after Thanksgiving, starting with a Friday night welcome party at the Mansion on O Street.

The next morning, Nov. 24, they exchanged vows before a bank of windows overlooking the Potomac River at Sequoia Restaurant. Guests sipped mimosas throughout the ceremony before dancing the afternoon away. That night everyone reconvened for an open bar and cover band at George, a bar in Georgetown.

Sheahan is grateful for Ramsey’s marathon dating challenge, although he remains astonished that she didn’t get scooped up by bachelors 1 through 28.

“She’s just an incredibly bright person. I can’t understand how any person at all could hang around this woman and not react the same way I did,” he says.

A New Year-A New Life Together!

Lot's of reasons to get married on New Year's Eve-of course there's the age-old tax advantages, but on a more festive and meaningful note-what better way to celebrate the end of a great year and the starting of a new one! As you ring out the old year you are also embarking on a new one as a married couple with dreams, aspirations and  new life together. Having exchanged vows and pledges  to each other you begin a new journey as the new year unfolds, and every year you get to do this again! New Year's Eve becomes an event in your lives that not only signifies a new beginning, but also a new opportunity to renew and revitalize your love and devotion to one another. This can be celebrated as a party for friends and family or a romantic and private evening for just the two of you. Either way, New Year's Eve is definitely a fun and meaningful holiday to set as a wedding date! (photo by Jenna McKenzie Photography)