It seems ridiculous to say that we have only been married for 14 years. I mean, we have a child that’s almost 16 years old! Lol But, considering I had never dated anybody for longer than a few months, 14 years seems like a lot, lol. Ninja and I met briefly when I was 21 years old. I met him again a few days after I turned 22 years old. We had our first date a week later. I am now 45. Ninja has been a constant in my life for more than half of it. I can’t imagine loving anybody the way I love him. When I look at the last 14 years, although it seems like minutes in the grand scheme of life, lol I see how much has changed. The last 14 years of my life have been some of the hardest and some of the best. Ninja has been there for both. Holding my hand, holding me up, holding me steady, or just holding me.
When I look at our wedding pictures, it’s crazy how many memories overwhelm me. I remember planning our wedding, back then there was no Pinterest and I wanted everything handmade, environmentally friendly and local. We hand picked every bottle of wine, all the food, made every single item that went into our guest’s welcome bags, hand painted every personalized menu, and even picked which cabanas that were used for our welcome party. Because our wedding was small, only 50 people, including us, and most of our guests were coming in from our town, we made our wedding a whole weekend party!
We had a joint bachelor/bachelorette party! We took all of our friends for a float down the channel before Ninja went jet-skiing and out for Mexican and the Ladies and I had a party at Peaches Lingerie and dinner before we met back up for drinks at the Lakeside Resort.
We had a welcome party for all of our guests at the poolside cabanas at Spirit Ridge Resort, where we got married. We gave every guest a handmade bag, made out of all of Ninja’s old concert T-shirts filled with handmade items from across the Okanagan Valley! We wanted to share our new home with all of the people that we loved and had helped bring us together over the years. We had my wedding shower on the rooftop of Spirit Ridge Resort and my Sis, SIL and WpgBesty even MADE plantable paper!!! Ninja had his own wedding shower… On the golf course with all the Guys! We organized wedding passes for Rattlesnake Canyon, and after our rehearsal dinner, we went out with all of our family and friends to do some go karting and bumper boats!
We had our wedding ceremony on a Monday evening. We wanted to spend the weekend with our friends. We had been living in Penticton for just about a year and hadn’t met anybody yet. We were feeling a bit homesick and seeing all of our friends from Winnipeg was amazing! We chose to get married in the evening so that our guests could have the day to explore Osoyoos. I had made them all a small ‘zine lol of all the fun things to do in the southern Okanagan. It rained. Like, hard! In the desert, lol our wedding day was nothing like I had envisioned!
To be honest, our marriage hasn’t been like I envisioned either. It has been so much better. Just like our wedding! Yes, it rained. Yes, my dream wedding outside in the summer heat turned into a basic reception in a basic ballroom lol but all I remember is laughing! And feeling beautiful, and loved and lucky as hell! When I look at the pictures, I see SO much happiness. It’s crazy, half of the people in our wedding pictures are either no longer with their significant others or no longer with us. So much has changed. But not my love for Ninja. That has never wavered. Not since that first week when I met him and told him, “get ready because I like you. “ LOL Thank you Ninja for being YOU. My best friend and my forever partner. Together we are a perfect blend.
We also curated our wedding playlist. We listened to every CD we owned driving to our new home here in BC and picked the music for our cocktail hour, the special songs for our ceremony, the reception and our first dance. Theses were some of the songs we picked to celebrate our big day, 14 years ago.
Wedding Songs
Forever and Ever, Amen * Randy Travis The song our parents & Ninja holding HBear, walked down the aisle to
Take Me As I Am * Ingrid Michaelson The song our wedding party walked down the aisle to
Better Than Love * Griffin House The song my Bro sang as I walked down the aisle
Love is Where You Are * Diana Krall The song my SIL recited at our wedding ceremony
Come Away with Me * Norah Jones The song we signed our marriage license to
All You Need is Love * The Beatles The song we left our wedding ceremony to
You Are the Best Thing * Ray LaMontagne The song we entered our wedding reception to
Forever Young * Rod Stewart The song my Bro sang to the Father/Daughter dance
It Had to be You * Harry Connick Jr. Our first dance, a choreographed foxtrot
Cocktail Hour and Reception Songs
Tightrope * The Stone Roses
Here Comes My Man * The Pixies
I’ve Just Seen a Face * Tyler Hilton
Super Duper Love * Joss Stone
Take 5 * New York Jazz Lounge
Cry to Me * Solomon Burke
Danny’s Song * Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
With or Without You * U2
The Scientist * Coldplay
Son of a Preacher Man * Dusty Springfield
Inside my Mind * The Groove Armada
When I was a kid, my Parents would make themselves a fancy dinner later on at night. Dinners to celebrate promotions, job interviews, accomplishments, birthdays, and anniversaries. My Sis and I got hotdogs or KD for dinner early and then sent downstairs with a movie. My Dad would fire up the grill and my Mom would sauté mushrooms, make garlic toast, baked potatoes and big juicy steaks. That’s how Ninja and I do it too! His favourite dinner is steak. We usually barbeque a steak with a potato packet, but as we were celebrating our 14th anniversary, we wanted something a little different!
Many years ago, my WpgBesty’s hubby, our WpgBesty2 actually lol pan seared skirt steak that blew our freaking minds! We have never been able to replicate the deliciousness of that steak. This Garlic Butter Steak was the closest we have come. This was tender, flavourful and the perfect “special dinner” recipe.
Instead of potatoes, we went with my favourite starch, rice! But make it anniversary dinner by upping the ante with this Summer Risotto with Grilled Corn & Tomatoes. I love risotto! It takes a lot of practice and we’re not even sure if we get it right half the time lol but man, is it creamy and delicious! Top it with that delicious salad, and it was perfect!
I also made Ninja’s Mom’s Rosemary Focaccia Bread. She’s made it for us before and we loved it so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make it. The Kids were so happy I made enough for them to have as well lol.
We were stuffed by the time it was dessert, but I knew we would be lol so I pulled out all the stops for Ninja’s birthday a few weeks ago! The Kids picked the cherries, and I made the cherry syrup and baked a delicious and rich Black Forest Cake. Real whipped cream, dark chocolate shavings, moist chocolate, cake, and fresh cherries, this cake was VERY special and worth the work!
Garlic Butter Steak
4
servings5
minutes15
minutes5
minutesIngredients
2 lbs skirt steak
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Cut steak to fit into your skillet. Pat dry and season with salt, and pepper on both sides.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the steak and brown both sides for about 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or cook until desired doneness. Place steak on a plate and let rest.
In another skillet melt butter over low heat and add in the minced garlic. With a spatula stir garlic around till it starts to brown. Remove it from heat and transfer it to a bowl immediately. Careful not to overcook it will burn fast.
Slice steak against the grain and pour over garlic butter. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Summer Risotto with Grilled Corn & Tomatoes
4
servings10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
5 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
3 ears grilled corn, kernels removed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Melt half of the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Set the remaining butter aside for later.
Add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Add arborio rice and a pinch of salt to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice has absorbed any remaining butter, about one minute.
Add white wine to skillet to deglaze. Stir to incorporate, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7-10 minutes or until rice has absorbed most of the wine.
Add one cup of chicken stock and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice has absorbed nearly all of the stock. (You should be able to drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan without seeing any large pools of liquid). Repeat this process, adding one cup of stock at a time and letting the rice absorb it between each addition, until rice is cooked. As you near the end of the cooking process, you may want to add stock in smaller increments - half or even quarter cups - so as not to overcook the rice. Taste and add salt as needed between each addition. When you drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, the finished risotto should slowly seep back into the space.
While the risotto cooks, add grilled corn kernels, tomatoes, basil, and lemon juice to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until you're ready to assemble the risotto.
When rice is cooked, remove risotto from the heat. Stir remaining butter and parmesan cheese into your risotto. Give it a taste and add salt if necessary. Top with the corn and tomato salad and serve immediately.
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Directions
Add warm water (about 110°F, which you can measure with a thermometer if you want to be sure it’s the right temp) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy.
Gradually add in the flour, olive oil and salt. Then knead for 5 minutes using the dough attachment on a stand mixer.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased mixing bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in a warm location for 45-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Shape the dough into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Cover and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
Heat oven to 400°F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish). Use your fingers to poke deep dents all over the surface of the dough. Then drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
8 ounces chocolate, chopped and melted
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons espresso
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cherry liqueur
- Cherry Liqueur Syrup
4 cups bing cherries, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cherry liqueur
- Whipped Cream Frosting
4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
6 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- Garnish
12 cherries
1 cup chocolate shavings
Directions
- Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 8 or 9" round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Set Aside.
Add all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine on low speed.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk eggs with oil, buttermilk, espresso, vanilla, cherry liqueur, melted chocolate, once combined, slowly whisk in the hot water, careful not to cook the eggs.
Add wet ingredients to the bowl with dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake for 25-30 mins in the preheated oven or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out mostly clean.
Cool the cakes 10 minutes in the pans then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cherry Liqueur Syrup
Place sugar and water into a small pot over medium heat and stir to bring to a boil.
Simmer for 1 min then remove from heat and stir in cherry liqueur, after that add the cherries. Allow to cool completely before using it.
Once cooled, remove the cherries from the syrup, set aside 12 cherries for garnish and place the rest of the cherries in a bowl.
- Whipped Cream Frosting
Add heavy cream and sugar to a very cold bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Assemble the Cake
On a cake stand, place a dollop of whipped cream and add on top one chocolate cake layer. Brush generously with the cooled cherry syrup.
Top with about 1 cup of cold whipped cream and spread it evenly.
Top with about 1 cup of cherries and gently press them into the whipped cream.
Repeat with remaining layers.
When done frost the outside of the cake and top of the cake with whipped cream.
Pipe rosettes on top of the cake. Garnish each rosette with one cherry that was set aside.
Decorate the sides of the cake chocolate shavings or chocolate bark.
Chill for 12 hours before serving.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #391 The Eh Team. This week, we chat 2024 Paris Olympics, broken board, Orange Margarita, new events, runners, paying athletes, Olympics quiz, Celine, & PeachFest.
Another week of visitors, sunshine, and recovery. While I did get outside for a walk with the dog, I still don’t have a lot of energy, and the fatigue has been pretty bad. With all of the heat, we had a few wildfires start up around us, but thanks to our amazing firefighters, they were all put out quickly! The Kids have enjoyed Peachfest with JQ, Ninja’s Bro, Sis, and Parents! They have been to the natural park, the candy store, parkour, and McDonald’s! Ninja and I celebrated our anniversary with an egg salad sandwich from The Bench lol and Ninja and HBear went golfing at Twin Lakes ! I have been able to read again (thank goodness), Ninja and his Sis took the Kids on a hike to the Naramata Falls, wine tasting at Garnet Valley Ranch, HBear closed out Peachfest with her KVRBesties and the Kids have been beating the heat at Grandma & Grandpa‘s pool!
2 thoughts on “Our Wedding Songs & Anniversary Dinner”
Happy anniversary and may the two of you enjoy many more wonderful years together. We are heading for our 47th anniversary in December. WOW, just wow, seeing it in writing, it’s hard to believe. Life is good and I am grateful for a loving husband, and family
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at SSPS 323. See you again next week at #324 https://esmesalon.com/tag/seniorsalonpitstop/
Thank you! 47! That is SO inspiring! See you next week.