HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

WEDDINGS 101

Spending a weekend literally planning 2 engagements (both on Valentine's Day) AND 3 weddings for this Spring & Summer!
I also just found this helpful info from Martha Stewart Weddings on-line.

Alot of my younger friends are D.I.Y. Brides & Grooms, and this is an excellent starting point.
Just remember kids, a realistic & well-defined wedding budget is the foundation of a great & successful marriage!!!
Best wishes & XXXOOO,
me

Martha Stewart Weddings -- Darcy's Weddings Idea of the Day

SUPERBOWL XLVI Engagement Menu

Ahi Tuna "Poke" Platter (Ahi,w/ ginger, sesame oil and garlic chili paste, on wasabi-rice cracker)
Charcuterie Plates
Mini Beef Tenderloin Cheese Burgers
Mini "Peeky Toe Crab" Cakes w/ Remoulade
Charlie Trotter's Chicken Wings
Pulled Pork Quesadillas
Purple Potato Salad w/ Sage Aioli
Napa Cabbage Slaw
Cavitappi Pesto Pasta w/ Pecorino and Sun-dried Tomato
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
Triple Chocolate Brownies
Mango Meringues
Pecan Bourbon Bars
and a
2008 Besserat de Bellefon brut rose
Oh, and a VERY special appearance by MADONNA... @ Halftime!!!

And the "AWARDS" go to...

"And the AWARDS go to..."

In the non-stop "Awards Shows" month of February, as I begin what might be my final season as "Iowa's Gay-Wedding Planner", I want to give an extremely loud "Shout-Out" to the "Best of the Best", as far as my OWN (and it's been said I'm high-maintenance... really???) personal over-all experience, the flawless attention to detail and the customer service I experienced for my destination couples, from the Gay-Weddings service-providers that our great state of Iowa has to offer:


Best Venue for an All-inclusive/Full-sevice Wedding: HOTEL BLACKHAWK, Davenport, Iowa
Best Officiant: Reverend Kathy Love, The Wedding Chapel, DSM, Iowa
Best Outdoor Ceremony Venue: Des Moines Art Center Rose Garden
Best Outdoor Reception Venue: Two Saints Winery, St. Charles, Iowa
Best Indoor Ceremony Venue: the Atrium Presidential Suites at the Suites of 800 Locust, DSM, Iowa
Best Indoor Reception Venue: Hotel Julien, Dubuque, Iowa
Best Special Event Decor: Stuart Alexander @ One Source Event Production
Best Photographer: Amy Allen Photography, DSM, Iowa
Best Caterer: Taste-to-Go, DSM, Iowa
Best Wedding Cake: Andrew Kopfman @ Tip Top Cakes, Coralville, Iowa
Best Floral provider: J.W. Perry Wholesale, DSM, Iowa
Best Table Linens: Beyond Elegance, DSM, Iowa
Best Wedding attire (women): Sarah "Dornick", DSM, Iowa
Best Wedding attire (men): Badowers on Ingersoll, Des Moines, Iowa
Best Wedding "Rentals": Scott @ Des Moines Rentals, DSM, Iowa
Best Transportation: Majestic Limousine, DSM, Iowa


On a different personal note, these next few months will be spent traveling back & forth from Chicago, as I do special events on a much different level, working w/in & for the 501C communities, along w/ figuring out where to take my past three years experiences next.
I also am SO VERY excited to see the new LGBT CENTER in Des Moines take on a new Board of Directors, and with the new EXPERIENCED leadership, finally become one of the best LGBT Centers in our nation!!!
And in this fight for our very lives as FIRST-CLASS CITIZENS, I beg you to pay close attention to this years' elections... and lift your voices in protest.
PLEASE.
Before it's too late...
Just sayin'...

Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka's Engagement Story

Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka's Engagement Story

Epiphany Dinners... one night only!!!

Makes about 4 dozen
1/2 cup carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 large egg white
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 scallion, white part only, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, (optional)
48 dumpling wrappers, cut into 2 3/4-inch rounds
Cornstarch, for baking sheet
2 to 3 napa cabbage leaves or parchment rounds
Ginger Dipping Sauce
Directions
1.Place carrot, edamame, egg white, ginger, sesame oil, scallion, salt, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, and Sriracha sauce, if using, in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth.
2.Place 1 dumpling wrapper on work surface and top with 1 teaspoon filling. Brush edges with water and press to seal, forming a half moon shape. Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel to avoid drying out. Repeat process until all wrappers have been filled. Place dumplings on a baking sheet dusted with cornstarch until ready to steam.
3.Fill a large saucepan or wok with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Place cabbage leaves or parchment round in bottom of bamboo steamer. Place dumplings in steamer, working in batches if necessary, cover and steam until wrappers have softened and filling is cooked through, about 8 minutes.


Btw, and OMG... I just ate almost two dozen of the "practice" batch for tomorrow's dinner party...

12 Nights of Christmas Dinners - Martha Stewart Holidays

Levi Kreis: From Self-Loathing to Self-Love: How I Cast Out the Real Demon Inside Me

Levi Kreis: From Self-Loathing to Self-Love: How I Cast Out the Real Demon Inside Me