2012 is your year!
From all of us here at Academy Florist, we wish you a wonderful year in 2012.
Are you full of resolutions? Here are some of our favourites…
-Become a more loving spouse/partner/parent. Showing your love is as easy as speaking three little words, and the more they pop out of your mouth, the more you’ll think about them – and the more thoughtful of a loved one you will be!
-Take care of yourself better. As the year goes on and stress climbs and climbs, the best way to take care of yourself is by eating healthily, going to bed early, drinking lots of water, and getting physical activity. After all, you’re the one who will benefit from it!
-Try new things, and don’t be afraid to become the best version of yourself possible!
-LW
Tis the season for many things! Savouring delicious baking treats and hot beverages with family, watching the snow drift down slowly outside covering the world in a glittering blanket of white. While it can best be enjoyed from indoors, winter is a very magical time for all, and especially for us at Academy Florists..
We love what we do, and we love how our beautiful flowers can make such an impression on the recipient. That’s why we just can’t stop giving flowers away! It’s like giving away free smiles that last for weeks, that fill your home with colours and aromas, and leave a lasting impression on guests.
Although we hold our Bouquet Giveaways all year round, we especially love giving them away in the Holiday Season, because it’s the official season of giving.
Do you know of a special someone who’s day would be brightened by a gorgeous floral arrangement? Is there something missing on your dining room table? Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page as we will announce when the give-aways are to take place. Customers can call in to one of our locations and see if they will be the lucky recipient of another beautiful Academy Florist creation. We have an incredible variety of floral designs for the holiday season, form traditional Norman Rockwell arrangements, to unique and festive non-traditional colours and styles. There is certainly something for everyone’s tastes available. Good luck and enjoy the holidays!
Ready for some Flowers and Food? Seasonal recipes with beautiful flower arrangements are the perfect way to fill your home with the warmth of the season. Watch this video for more!
Pumpkin Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
Sugar Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
Spiced Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
Scones Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
4. With a fork, pastry knife, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter remain. Set aside.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg.
6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
7. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide).
8. Use a large knife to slice the dough into three equal portions. Cut diagonally to produce 6 triangular slices of dough.
9. Place on prepared baking sheet from step 2.
10. Bake for 14–16 minutes until scones turn light brown.
11. Place on wire rack to cool.
Sugar Glaze Directions:
1. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoon milk together until smooth.
2. Brush glaze over the top of each cooled scone.
Spiced Glaze Directions:
1. As sugar glaze firms, combine the spiced icing ingredients.
2. Use whisk to drizzle over each scone and allow to dry before serving.
Makes 6 pumpkin scones.
Pumpkin Muffins:
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup olive oil
4 eggs
Mix first four ingredients and then add:
2 cups flour
1 cup bran
½ tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips if desired. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
Pumpkin Seeds:
Pumpkin Seeds (from 1 pumpkin)
1-2TBSP olive oil
Salt, chili powder, or other spices to taste
Combine all ingredients and roast on a greased pan at 400F until deep golden brown (about 15 minutes).
Pumpkin Penne:
Penne con la zucca (Pumpkin Penne)
For 4 portions as a main course you’ll need:
1LB penne or other pasta
1.5 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 large yellow onions, sliced
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
half a cup heavy cream
nutmeg and black pepper to taste
Cook pasta.
Carmelize onions with a litte butter in a heavy pan – about 20minutes on low heat. Add pumpkin, nutmeg and Black pepper. Remove from heat and add heavy cream. Add sauce to pasta and then add parmesan and mix. Garnish with extra parmesan if desired.
Some fantastic recipes by Lauren Funk, seen in our homepage video: See all recipes below, and stay tuned for more!
Strawberry Mango Salsa
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup orange juice (optional)
1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)
2 tablespoons lime juice
zest of one lime
2 diced fresh mango
2 pints strawberries, diced
Combine all ingredients and let sit for a half hour before serving.
Pico De Gallo Salsa
2 cups choppped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
salt to taste
Combine all ingredients and let sit for a half hour before serving.
Corn Tortilla Chips
8 – 6″ corn tortillas
cooking spray (i.e. PAM)
salt
optional seasonings: garlic, onion powder, etc
Spray tortillas with cooking spray on both sides. Salt and season both sides. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges using a pizza cutter. Bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 350F or until golden brown and crispy.
Sweet Tortilla Chips
4 – 10″ Flour Tortillas
cooking spray
2 TBSP sugar
2 TSBP cinnamon
Spray tortillas with cooking spray on both sides. Season both sides with 1tsp cinnamon and 1tsp sugar. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges using a pizza cutter. Bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes at 350F or until golden brown and crispy.
Recently Academy Florist was in contact with the friendly folks at Floral Philanthropy in Winnipeg. Floral Philanthropy is an organization in conjunction with Winnipeg Harvest whose main mission is to repurpose flowers from weddings, funerals and events for those in need of uplifting and who may not otherwise receive flowers. Awesome, right? We think so!! We first heard about Floral Philanthropy through this article in the Winnipeg Free Press…
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/re-gifted-floral-arrangements-brighten-up-someone-elses-life-105328148.html
If you are interested in donating flowers after your event or wedding or if you would like more information click on the link below.
http://floralphilanthropy.wordpress.com/about/
We hope you share our enthusiasm for this project and consider giving your old flowers a new life!
~HP~
This weekend at Academy Florist we were happy to create lovely florals for eight weddings for eight beautiful brides. In the midst of this busy wedding season we would like to pause and give a shout out to all of the non-brides out there. You don’t have to plan a wedding to carry a bouquet! Pick up some colorful blooms to brighten your home or have them delivered to yourself at the office…we’ll never tell! At Academy Florist you are guaranteed to “catch the bouquet”!
Flowers are the ultimate affordable indulgence with NO CALORIES!! If you’re like us and don’t care about the calorie count then add some delicious Godiva chocolates to your order. We sample each shipment for, um….quality control purposes.
Going out tonight? Add a little aloha in your hair with flowers. In Hawaii it is customary to wear your flower on the right side if you are “single and looking”. This lets the handsome hunks know that you are available for dates. Placing the flower on the left side means “my heart belongs to another so kindly take a hike”.
Everyone deserves to enjoy the beauty of flowers. They are amazing and so are you!
~HP~
Have you ever wondered how our gorgeous floral arrangements reach their destinations? At Academy Florist our couriers know the city like the backs of their hands! They are well versed on the care and handling of the arrangements so that when they reach your door they are as beautiful as when they left our door. Our drivers do their very best to deliver the time sensitive deliveries at the appropriate times requested. If the recipient is not home upon delivery, our general policy is to call and leave a message to let them know that we have a floral delivery for them. If possible, we will leave the flowers with a neighbour if the neighbour is happy and willing to do so.
Below is a photo of David hard at work coordinating his route…or checking his Facebook status. Just kidding David 
. David is a full time delivery driver for Academy Florist. Not only is he an excellent delivery driver, but also is currently enrolled in the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. As well, David is a musician in four different bands. Perhaps we can convince him to start singing telegrams along with the deliveries??
Kathy is another one of our regular delivery drivers. She is an enthusiastic lady who is always “just gosh darn wonderful!”. She is an absolute treasure! When Kathy delivers flowers she shares in the joy and happiness of those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries and lends her shoulder to be cried on when someone receiving flowers is in need of comfort in times of sadness. Kathy is a HUGE Winnipeg Blue Bombers Fan and you will notice her delivery vehicle sports a fancy Bombers license plate. She is a season ticket holder and never misses a game! Kathy also enjoys sewing and probably long walks on the beach wink*wink*.
Our drivers are wonderful people working very hard to exceed your expectations so give them a big smile if you see them on route – they might be on their way to you!
~HP~
Looking for a great gift? Renovating and redecorating this summer? When looking for that perfect vase, visit us at Academy Florist. We have a great selection of vases to suit every style. From ultra modern to “shabby chic” the selection is endless. Treat yourself to a new vase for your home to fill with fresh garden flowers or if you’re still in vacation mode let us do the work for you! Just chose a vase and let us work our magic. We have the best designers and the freshest flowers!
Also new in town…acrylic poppy pods! Are we faux real?? We sure are! These faux poppy pods are a trendy decor item that will never go to seed. And back by popular demand – permanent bamboo. The perfect plant for any occasion!
Drop by a location near you to view our extensive selection – we look forward to seeing you!
~HP
Wedding season is in full bloom at Academy Florist ! We are amazed at the diverse florals we’ve been fortunate to work with this year. We are often asked what the most popular wedding colour and flower is and this year it is a difficult question to answer. The best word that describes this years trend is original. Gone are the days of the “cookie cutter” wedding and here are the days of celebrating personality and style! Here is a sneak peek at what we’ve been up to this summer…
Coming soon…our staff picks! We’ll show you our favourite bouquets!
~HP
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Uncategorized | admin January 3, 2012 | 
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