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Wine & Cocktails

My 2nd Blogiversary + 10 Things I Learned in my Second Year of Blogging // JustineCelina.com
Business, Create, Creative Process, Dwell, Goals, Inspiration, Life, Occasions, Wellness, Wine & Cocktails

MY 2ND BLOGIVERSARY + 10 THINGS I LEARNED IN MY SECOND YEAR OF BLOGGING


Today’s post has literally been 1 year in the making! March 2, 2017 marked my 2nd Blogiversary. Can you believe it? So here we are — just over 2 years, 218 blog posts, 400 000 views, 100 000 images and 2 000 comments later, I’m sharing my My 2nd Blogiversary + 10 Things I Learned in my Second Year of Blogging!

Part of the reason I love blogging is that I have bookmarks into specific time periods of my life (albeit, a small portion of it). It’s so interesting to look back and reflect on where I was 1 year ago versus where I am now. Today’s post is different than last years Blogiversary celebration — because I’m different. This is a quite an introspective, raw post set to the theme of growth and change, which is also my overarching theme for March to welcome spring. This year, I wanted my Blogiversary to feel exactly how it would if we just hanging out as friends, sharing a glass of wine and having a conversation about the last year of this crazy journey of mine. It’s not the shiny production that last year’s post was — and it feels just right. Relaxed, casual, and simply more me at this specific moment (just as last year’s post felt like me at that specific moment). I hope you enjoy my Pantone Greenery inspired 2nd Blogiversary + 10 Things I Learned in my Second Year of Blogging post, in collaboration with my friend Rebecca Dawn Design!

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Blood Orange Creamsicle Mimosas // JustineCelina.com
Occasions, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

BLOOD ORANGE CREAMSICLE MIMOSAS


Are you searching for a stowstopping cocktail to complete your Valentine’s Day menu? Well, my friends, you’ve come to the right place — because today I’m sharing the recipe for these gorgeous Blood Orange Creamsicle Mimosas! With just 3 ingredients (and a big wow factor), these elegant cocktails combine vibrant, freshly squeezed blood orange juice and Spanish Cava with a hit of creamy vanilla liqueur for an elevated, seasonal twist on the classic mimosa!

Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with that special someone, celebrating Galentine’s style with your favourite ladies or savouring some quality solo downtime, my Blood Orange Creamsicle Mimosas are the perfect love day elixir. Enjoy them over brunch, après dinner, during a candlelit bath or anytime you want to indulge in the beautiful flavour of blood oranges complimented by a healthy dose of bubbles. Simplicity really is the ultimate sophistication — cheers to love, friends and delicious sparkling cocktails!

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Food Bloggers of Canada Featured Member // JustineCelina.com
Business, Entertain, Food, Goals, Guest Posts & Features, Inspiration, Life, Wine & Cocktails

FOOD BLOGGERS OF CANADA FEATURED MEMBER


Happy Friday, everyone! You’ll find me celebrating with a glass of sparkling rosé in hand tonight — because I’m the Food Bloggers of Canada Featured Member this week! I’ve been a member of The Food Bloggers of Canada since the summer of 2015 and they’ve been instrumental in JustineCelina‘s development, growth and success over the past year and a half. I’ve mentioned FBC many times here on the blog and I’ve also introduced you to a handful of fellow FBC members who I’ve formed some incredible friendships with along the way. If you’re a food blogger (or a lifestyle blogger who blogs about food!) I encourage you to check The Food Bloggers of Canada out — this community is absolutely invaluable to me.

Whether you’re new to JustineCelina or a long time reader, you’ll probably learn something new about me in this feature! I answer questions about why I started blogging, my professional background, some of my favourite bloggers and recipes, where I draw inspiration and what’s next. A big thank you to The Food Bloggers of Canada for the feature and also to FBC’s extremely hard working founders, Melissa Hartfiel and Ethan Adeland for their continuous guidance, support, kindness and generosity! Cheers, everyone — I hope you enjoy the interview (and a great glass of rosé!).

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Curried Winter Vegetables with Roasted Acorn Squash // JustineCelina.com
Dairy Free, Dinner, Food, Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

CURRIED WINTER VEGETABLES WITH ROASTED ACORN SQUASH (+ MY 200th BLOG POST!)


Today’s recipe marks a milestone in my blogging career. Today I’ve published 200 blog posts. 200 blog posts?! It’s crazy to think I’ve been blogging for 1 year and 9 months (what?), but I guess that’s what 2 posts per week amounts to! It just so happens that my very first post was a recipe, as was my 100th blog post. So if you’re interested in taking a look through my archives, enjoy, but be warned — when I first started JustineCelina I took all my photos in square format on my iPhone!

Anyway, onto the real reason why you’re here today — the recipe! To be honest, I can’t believe this is the first curry recipe I’ve published. I make curries often, typically with whatever veggies and spices we have kicking around (you know how it goes around here!). In the winter especially, plant based curries are a staple in our kitchen — and my Curried Winter Vegetables with Roasted Acorn Squash is healthy comfort food at it’s finest! A medley of onions, garlic and ginger are caramelized, then accompanied by a flavourful trio of carrots, peppers and celery simmered in a decadent, tomato based curry sauce dancing with rich Indian spices and just the right amount of heat. Roasted Acorn Squash houses the Curried Winter Vegetables in a nourishing, edible bowl — a playful, hearty spin on typical bread-based options. This recipe yields a generous amount of curry that freezes well, so you can stock the freezer with healthy options to help fuel January’s resolutions when you’re running short on time! 

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A Luxurious New Years Eve Bash // JustineCelina.com
Appies & Sides, Dwell, Entertain, Food, Sponsored, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

A LUXURIOUS NEW YEARS EVE BASH


As 2016 winds down, I wanted to cap things off here at JustineCelina with an unexpected twist! The older we get and the busier our lives become, the more I truly treasure the time I’m able to spend with family and friends — especially during the holidays. I’ve always wanted to host a black tie party to ring in the new year — I would much rather stay in and create a unique and memorable evening for guests to enjoy than go out to celebrate. Today I’ve teamed up with HomeSense, Rebecca Dawn Design and Genevieve Renee Photographie to do just that in this Luxurious New Years Eve Bash!

If you’re hosting a New Years Eve party and looking for some fresh ideas, we have so much entertaining inspiration in store for you today. This season I wanted to create something interesting and experiment with a different aesthetic — fantastical, luxurious and a bit avante garde. This moody, black tie celebration is complete with dramatic florals and modern decor mixed with antique touches, indulgent accoutrements, Vanilla Pomegranate Mulled Wine and no shortage of bubbly. Rich, on-trend textures of velvet, agate and natural stone are layered with jewel tones, gold and antique brass to create a dramatic spread with contemporary flair. If you, too, are craving some drama this season, we invite you embrace your dark side this New Years Eve and celebrate 2017 in style!

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Vanilla Pomegranate Mulled Wine // JustineCelina.com
Entertain, Gluten Free, Occasions, Vegetarian, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

VANILLA POMEGRANATE MULLED WINE


I don’t know about you, but I’m in desperate need of a cocktail — and today I’m in good company! Do you remember this past summer when I collaborated with a handful of my favourite food bloggers to create a patio-inspired drink? It was a blast and we figured it was about time to do it again! I’m elated to share my Vanilla Pomegranate Mulled Wine as part of our second Connecting Over Cocktails collab — this time with a cozy, seasonal flavour focus! If you’re looking for some fantastic cocktail ideas as we transition into the holiday season, we have some serious cocktail inspiration in store for you today. Be sure to check out the bottom of this post for seven festive cocktail recipes from my fellow Food Bloggers of Canada members. Cheers to creative collaboration and connecting over cocktails!

‘Tis the season for my Vanilla Pomegranate Mulled Wine — a sophisticated twist on a holiday classic! Luxurious flavours of pomegranate and vanilla mix and mingle with robust Zinfandel, clementines, honey, cloves, star anise and a touch of nutmeg to warm you from the inside out! This mulled wine is chock full of antioxidants and healing spices, because who doesn’t love a festive beverage with feel good health benefits? If you’re hosting a holiday celebration this season and looking for a crowd-pleasing beverage to serve, welcome guests with a warm mug of Vanilla Pomegranate Mulled Wine. It’s the ultimate in cold weather comfort — like a cashmere sweater for your taste buds!

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Christmas in November 2016 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge // JustineCelina.com
Fall, Fashion, Food, Life, Travel, Wine & Cocktails, Winter

CHRISTMAS IN NOVEMBER AT THE FAIRMONT JASPER PARK LODGE


We’re home from Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and tonight I’m recapping our experience! What is Christmas in November, you ask? Basically, it’s a giant meeting of people who love all the same things I love — great food, wine, entertainment and seasonal inspiration. This past weekend we cooked with celebrity chefs, learned about holiday decor from industry experts, came away with tons of culinary inspiration and tasted wine from all over the world. Sounds like a good time, right? Now, imagine that experience set in a charming, rustic lodge, overlooking a serene mountain lake in a picturesque National Park. That, my friends, is what Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is all about! I’m sharing every detail of our trip — including the accommodations, the food, and drink, the lodge, the spa, the setting, the sessions, the after parties, who we met and what I wore! Come along with us to Jasper, Alberta on this festive retreat nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and let’s kick off the holiday season in style!

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