POPPIN' BOTTLES OKANAGAN STYLE

The Vibrant Vines proprietor Wyn Lewis pours us a little taster and tells us fun facts about Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is apparently the only red wine that comes in the shape of a white bottle of wine.

The wino crew.

The incredibly sweet Vibrant Vines proprietor Marion Lewis.

Cheese between every stop.

Although the primary reason for jetting off to Kelowna was to watch two really great people get hitched and start a beautiful life together- the trip also served as a perfect opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do: vineyard tours.

I love wine. I love wine when I'm cooking, chatting with my girlfriends, watching a movie, painting, soaking in the tub, reading a book, you name it. I just love wine.

So finally, last weekend I was able to knock off another off of my Fifty list. A group of about 20 of us from the wedding, loaded up on a bus and toured four stunning Okanagan vineyards.

The first, and my absolute favourite, was The Vibrant Vine Kelowna Winery. Not only were we able to chat with the friendly proprietors Wyn and Marion Lewis, but the couple served us up their palette pleasing wines while telling us first hand stories of the history of Vibrant Vines. They had bought the property in 2003 and have turned it into something truly beautiful. I can't wait to go back.

The Vibrant Vine also had a live band playing in the back yard and featured fantastic 3D art produced by the proprietors' son, Phil Lewis. The bottles of wine were covered with Lewis' art and we were all given 3D glasses to see the art in full effect! I also really loved how this vineyard incorporated art and music into their vineyard.

After The Vibrant Vine, our bus continued on to Spierhead, The Vine and House of Rose Vineyards with cheese and cracker breaks in between each stop.

Overall, I drank a little bit more than I learned but it was an incredible experience and I was so happy to spend it with friends, old and new.  

FROZEN STRAWBERRY BANANA CHOCOLATE TREATS

After coming across a cute little health, food and fitness blog- I found a recipe that looked too good not to try! Thankfully I had all the ingredients in my fridge so without further adieu: Frozen Strawberry Chocolate Banana Treats!


The original recipe called for peanut butter... but I used Nutella instead. 


I also substituted granola for Organic Holy Crap Cereal - Dragon's Blend. Mmmmm! I have to tell you that this cereal is my absolute favourite! It has hints of cinnamon, apples and cranberries in it! It's organic, gluten-free and vegan!


Ingredients:


Organic Bananas
Organic Strawberries
Strawberry Greek Yogurt
Organic Holy Crap - Dragon's Blend
Nutella


*You can find the original recipe HERE.

KELOWNA TEASER

After coming home from Kelowna this afternoon and looking through all of my pictures, I feel as though I'm going to have to split my trip into several different posts. In the meantime, I thought I would give you guys a small taste of what I experienced in beautiful British Columbia through some of my favourite shots of the weekend.


I had such an incredible time in Kelowna, celebrating a friend's wedding, visiting with old friends, tasting local wines and exploring vineyards, and boating and swimming on Lake Okanagan. It was an amazing trip.

BOSTON PHOTO DIARY + RECAP

Parish Cafe and Bar was phenomenal. Each item on the menu was created by a chef from the Boston area.

Mike & Patty's - An amazingggg sandwich shop on Church Street. This place was literally less than 200 square feet.

Avocado, eggs & some sort of asiago spread = my idea of Heaven.

I now know the secret recipe of home made lemonade- Boston style...

Our hotel was celebrating its centennial anniversary!

Stopped in at Williams-Sonoma and picked up a mammoth of a baking book to help me on my journey to becoming a top notch baker. I also got two very cute baking aprons with matching oven mitts!

At the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to. Hands down. 

Handsome men.

You will find Catie most days at The Fairmont Copley Plaza. She is the hotel's 'Canine Ambassador' and has her very own children's book. Guests can even take Catie for a walk around Boston!

The Pahk.

Douglas, Regina Pizza's bartender extraordinaire. He is the only man to ever work as a waiter at Regina's, which has been open since 1926.

I was told that pictures were not allowed BUT - the oven, still used today, was imported from Italy in 1883. It's the same oven Regina's Pizza has been using since they opened in 1926.

You don't even understand... 

A line-up, always.

Spent an afternoon at the beach and put our toes in the ocean.



Norah Jones sang some tunes...

BOSTON RECAP:

- Norah Jones concert- This girl has won NINE Grammy Awards...

- Tenacious D concert - This band has won zero Grammy Awards... but Jack Black was hilarious.

- Trolley Tour of Boston

- Wedding

- Shopping

- Fenway Park: I would have LOVED to have caught a game, but the team was away...

- Regina's Pizza

- Mike & Patty's

- Legal Seafood Harborside

- Saw the ocean

- Ate some delicious seafood

- Beers every day- sometimes even for breakfast- don't judge me

- Picked up some exciting goodies at Williams-Sonoma

I'm off to one of the most beautiful places in Canada tomorrow, the Okanagan in Kelowna, BC! I'll be knocking off another spot on my fifty list this weekend: visiting vineyards!