issue 19 // volume 42 life & style // no. ‘Wi “aN Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Lor to put out something : a little extra this Valentine’s : Day? Sick of cooking the same old romantic dinner that you do every year? Not to worry, I got you covered. Wow your date with a special love-themed cocktail that they’re sure to appreciate. These five cocktails are simple enough for even the most culinary challenged, but pretty and tasty enough to ensure you get your just desserts! : The Chocolate Raspberry Kiss 3 chocolate wafer cookies (crushed) 10 raspberries 2 oz. vodka 10z. cranberry juice Ice cubes Rim a martini glass with the crushed cookies. Muddle the raspberries ina cocktail shaker before adding both the cranberry juice and the vodka. Fill the rest of the shaker with ice before shaking until sufficiently chilled. Strain into the prepared : purée into the base of : achampagne flute. chilled champagne, do not stir. : sparkling white wine turn off the heat, allowing the : mixture to cool completely. : refrigerate the sweet mixture > until it is time to serve. : and % oz. of the mixture : inachampagne flute. : sprig of lavender. : martini glass and serve with : a twill of shaved chocolate. The Sex Machine 2 tbsp red current purée (this is easy to buy or make) Chilled champagne Scoop the red current Fill the flute with the Lavender Love 7A cup sugar Y cup water 1 tbsp dried lavender 4 bottles of chilled Fresh lavender sprigs (optional) Bring sugar and water to a boil ina saucepan, : stirring frequently till all : the sugar is dissolved. Add dried lavender, then Strain out the lavender, and Combine 6 oz. wine Garnish with a fresh Illustration-by Ea ppleby Cherry Bomb 6 oz. grenadine 2 cups water 2 oz. vodka Soda water 3 maraschino cherries The night before, : combine the grenadine and > water in a sauce pan. Bring that to a boil before : pouring it over an ice cube : tray. Let freeze overnight. The next day, fill a glass : with the grenadine ice cubes : and pour the vodka over top. Fill the rest of the : glass with soda water and : garnish with the cherries. Romeo and Juliet 14 oz. silver tequila ¥% oz. Grand Marnier Y4 oz. Chambord raspberry liquor 2 oz. peach juice In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, : Grand Marnier, Chambord, : and peach juice. Shake until evenly mixed : and then pour into a glass. For a fun twist add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a splash : of chocolate schnapps. Date not a fan of tequila? : Substitute it for vodka or mescal. Listed: 5 places to find the perfect gift for your valentine » A gift giving guide for people who don’t pay attention Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor © lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca 7, He": been listening to your significant other much? Meh, it happens. How are you supposed to be concentrating on their wants and needs when they’re super boring and they talk too much? But now youre stuck. You need to prove you care by getting them a really awesome Valentine’s Day gift—something that says “I was totally listening and not thinking about how excited I am about the new Deadpool movie.’ Now, you could ask their friends and family and risk ostracizing yourself by letting other people know you're a horrible boyfriend/girlfriend— or you can resort to other, more covert means. Here are the top five : places to check for Valentine’s Day gift ideas. 1. Tumblr: if you're lucky enough to be dating someone who's a frequent Tumblr user, then you have it made. All Tumblr is isa bunch of whiney people complaining about stuff they can’t afford and gender oppression. Peruse their Tumblr page to discover their interests—just be careful that your gift doesn’t conform to any established gender norms and you should be good. 2. Instagram: What do people do when they're out shopping and come across something they desperately want, but can’t justify purchasing? They take a tiny square picture of it and post : it with a retro filter and some sad emojis. Yes it’s stupid, but don't knock it too much—this i 4. = weird social habit could save your ass! Instagram is a plethora of gift ideas and pictures of people’s pets. See what your significant other likes, then find a way to get it for them. . Check out their best friend: Do you even know who your significant other’s best friend is? Good! Generally good friends tend to have a similar aesthetic—meaning all you have to do is check out their best friend’s duds for inspiration. You might want to jazz it up a bit, and buy that shirt or jacket ina different colour. I mean, come on, you can't be too obvious! Facebook: Generally Facebook can bea bit hit or miss when it comes to gift inspiration. Who's to say your lover wasn't sharing that link about an entire line of ironic t-shirts because they thought it was hilariously idiotic? Play it safe and stick to stuff they’ve commented on—better yet, look for something charitable! How can your boyfriend/girlfriend get pissed when your gift helps feed starving kids in Africa? You look like a saint, and they look like a dick if they hate it. Win-win! Buy them something they already have: This is the oldest trick in the book. How do you prove your love for someone? Take something they love and buy them the newer, better version of it. Make up some half-assed story about the gift’s previous incarnation looking ratty or worn down, then cash in on the love points for having noticed—even if it’s all a line of bullshit. The Variety Show of Hearts Telethon » Fifty Years of Helping BC’s Kids Jerrison Oracion fi Senior Columnist e’re coming up on Valentine’s Day and that means that a BC tradition, The Variety Show of Hearts Telethon, is back, and it’s celebrating a big milestone this year. In the past 50 years, a lot of people in British Columbia have raised millions of is nicknamed The Children’s Charity. Variety is a charity that that need assistance with their medical needs—and they always : say yes to children who need help! They fund a variety of things : including hearing aids, speech : therapy, hospital costs, Sunshine : Coaches (child specific life : coaches), medical equipment, : and medication. They help : families take care of their kids : and help those kids to become : independent. I’ve watched the : telethon over the past decade : and there have been a lot of dollars for the Variety Club, which} 2™azing moments throughout : the years. One very memorable : one was when one of the featured helps children in British Columbia : kids in the telethon liked to do : ballet and the kid got to dance : on live television. Also, there : wasa featured kid who was > ina wheelchair that needed : to get around her house, and : Variety helped her by installing : anelevator in her home. Two years ago, a featured : child who liked Michael Bublé : got a message from him and he : gave her various gifts including : tickets for an upcoming concert. : Another time, Sesame Street’s : Bob McGrath (a regular in the : telethon) read a story and the : mascots of several major sports : teams and various organizations : in the Lower Mainland joined him : onset. Last year, during Steve's : Little Darlings, Steve Darling : surprised his featured kids with : some of the characters from Star : Wars including Darth Vader, some : : stormtroopers, C-3PO and R2- : D2. Various other famous people : were involved in the telethon in : the past few decades including : Michael J. Fox in 1985, Sarah : MacLachlan in 1991, and Bublé, : who performed in the telethon : in 1998 before he was famous. While it is unknown what will : happen in the telethon this year, : there will definitely be special : guests and many surprises along : the way. The telethon will take : place in the Hard Rock Casino in : Coquitlam, with a special concert : to celebrate the 50th anniversary : of the telethon in the Centre for Performing Arts. Some of the : people that will perform in the : concert are 54-40, Jim Byrnes, : and Chilliwack. A lot of amazing : things will happen during the : Variety Show of Hearts Telethon : this year, and hopefully those : things will cause a lot of people : to donate to help BC’s kids. The Variety Show of Hearts Telethon : will air between February 13 : and February 14 on Global. Donations will be accepted during the telethon : by calling 604-669-KIDS.