Perfect Potluck: A Lasagna Bar!

Hey Mes Amis!

Jenny C here.... Sorry I've been M.I.A. this week - but my world has finally gotten busy again. Huzzah! But enough about me, it's your weekend and you want to have friends over... or you'd love to host a dinner party but feel overwhelmed at the idea of executing a menu.

Solution? A "Build Your Own Lasagna Bar"!

The amis and I tried it out last week. Everyone brought a couple ingredients, we laid them out and let each other go to town building perfect personal lasagnas.

Brilliant, non?

We had the following ingredients in our bar: lasagna sheets (obvi), tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, ground sausage, mozza, parmesan, smoked cheddar, roast veggies and spinach. The possibilities are endless, make a list, have your friends forage for ingredients and have a great time!

Bon Weekend!
Jenny C

5 things...that I am going to try and get done this weekend!

Happy Friday! Did the four day stretch leading up to this glorious day feel as long to you as it did to me?

I feel that recently I haven't been making the most of my weekends, while I love the opportunity to lay about and really do nothing, I am starting to feel pangs of guilt for not being more productive. I have things that I have been meaning to get done, errands on my list, that when the time comes Ms. Lazy Bones takes over and I get sucked into multiple reruns of Grey's Anatomy. So I am giving myself some goals and I hope to return to you on Monday with goals accomplished.

Here are 5 things I am going to accomplish this weekend (I'm starting small):

1. I've been saying for weeks, nay months, that Amis Are We should have a Facebook page, time to buckle down and do it.

2. Remember those two ratty old chairs I bought, well they are still sitting in my parent's basement looking just as ratty, much to my Mom's displeasure. Time to make some headway on those.

3. Get the ole camera out and take some random pics!

4. Catch up with old acquaintances.

5. Create a back log of some quality posts, I feel like I've been throwing them together lately, today's post is further proving this point.

Cheers to the frickin weekend, lets drink to that!

xo J

WEDDING WEDNESDAYS....Paloma Blanca

In my search for a wedding dress I have come across a spectacular Canadian designer, Paloma Blanca. Based in Toronto, and serving the bridal industry since 1937, this family owned business designs and produces their exquisite bridal gowns and accessories on home soil (way to keep it Canadian!). As the photos that I’ve included allude to their dresses are romantic, dreamy and original; the materials used are simply superb and feel absolutely amazing on (oh the lace!); and the style and finish is absolute perfection. The bridal accessories, including veils, boleros and brooches, are show stoppers in themselves and really add to a well put together bridal look.

Paloma Blanca dresses and accessories can be found in town at Isabelle’s Bridal in North Vancouver, and their price point starts at $1400. I recently heard that Paloma Blanca is the only Canadian designer sold at Kleinfeld’s in New York and has even been featured on their oh-so-fabulous wedding dress reality show “Say Yes to the Dress”. I know of a few brides who have decided on a Paloma Blanca wedding dress for their nuptials this year and they are beyond ecstatic with their dress choice! You can definitely trust this made-in-Canada designer to make you feel like the most beautiful bride on your big day.

And the Oscar goes to...

...well we don't know that yet, but we now know who might get one. Oscar nominations were announced this morning and most were fairly predictable but it is still fun to start speculating on who will actually take the big prize. I am rooting for The King's Speech to take best picture!

My aunt is bringing back her annual Oscar party this year which I am pretty excited about. She makes tons of yummy snack food and the entire family meanders around the house to the different TV’s all tuned in to the Oscars, oh yes and we drink a lot of wine. Do you have any favorite Oscar moments from over the years? I think these are some of mine…

When Billy Crystal hosted, he was one of my faves and he was hilarious.

Anna Paquin winning Best Supporting Actress, she was so young, so cute and so excited.


Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, won best original song for "Falling Slowly" from the Movie Once, when the music cut their acceptance speech short, after the commercial break host Jon Stewart insisted they return to the stage to allow Irglova a chance to speak.


In memoriam, it is always sad to remember those that have passed but it always offers a moment to look back to remember some great talent, Patrick Swayze broke my heart.

Katheryn Bigelow became the first woman to recieve the top award for directing for The Hurt Locker, and she won it over her pompous ex-husband, James Cameron, to boot. Now that is what I call karma.

To see a full list of this years nominees:
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/83/nominees.html

xo J

Asparagus wrapped in goodness!

Do you ever see something at a restaurant and think I could totally make that, and I could make twice as much for half the cost. Well thats what I did...sort of. My dad has been making this quick and easy appetizer for years and I made it last weekend and I coincidentally noticed it on a menu of a local (trendy) restaurant that charges $4.00 for a measly three proscuitto wrapped asparagus...three! I think I made over thirty for $10.00!

If you ever are in need of a quick, easy and inexpensive appetizer give this one a try. It can be made a couple hours ahead of time and served chilled or in the summer time grill the asparagus for extra flavor.

After cutting off the tough bottoms, boil or steam asparagus until tender

Make a quick aioli by mixing some garlic, lemon juice and fresh ground pepper into mayonnaise

Spread a bit of the aioli on to a thin slice of proscuitto before wrapping it around the asparagus

ENJOY! xo J

WEDDING WEDNESDAYS……DIY Weddings!

For a craftier, budget-conscious wedding with lots of personal touches and eco-chicness think DIY!! I know I am for a number of my wedding details. It allows you to be more hands on and have more control over your wedding plans and your budget. And DIY is definitely not only for the frugal, but also for those who really want to personalize their wedding with details that really show off who you and your partner really are.

A more do-it-yourself wedding can include organizing your wedding without a wedding planner, creating your own decorations or making your invitations. It can be the small details (putting together your favours) or the larger ones (decorating your reception space), and it’s also a great way to involve friends and family and make it a part of the pre-wedding festivities. Arranging your own centre pieces never sounded so fun when you can get your girlfriends to help you out (add some vino, appies and some music and you got yourself a party)!

And there are a ton of great DIY wedding resources out there with lovely ideas for inspiration and sourcing materials. Online, in magazines and on the bookshelves at your local bookstore, DIY is all the rage right now so there is a lot of knowledge and info to draw from. Some great online resources I’ve stumbled upon include 100 Layer Cake, Ruffled Blog, Style Me Pretty, My DIY Wedding and of course from the woman who made DIY trendy again Martha Stewart Weddings.

DIY is definitely not for everyone especially when it comes to your wedding, but for those who want to be more hands on in the creative process or just want to add a personal detail or two, doing it yourself can really add that special touch and keep your budget in check too!

Ricky Gervais - Bloody Hilarious

Yes, Hollywood may be a bit uptight about Ricky Gervais' hosting of the Golden Globes, but I thought he was absolutely hilarious! What did you think?

If you're craving some more of the funny man you have to watch or listen to The Ricky Gervais Show. It began as an audio comedy show in the UK, and later was turned into an animated program for HBO. His round headed buddy Karl Pilkington's thoughts are jumping off points for all kinds of hilarity. You can catch some clips of it on YouTube - click here to see for yourself.

Ricky's laugh is about the best laugh EVER.

Enjoy!
Jenny C