Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
MARY OLIVER
Merry is a bespoke weekend retreat in February 2020, hosted in the Berkeley Hills to a group of eight friends. Merry is focused on exploring and diving into the themes of intention and reflection.
On the project — Merry is a project created by Elisa and Eileen through a culmination of multiple dinner conversations and brainstorming sessions. We both have a deep interest in self-discovery, creativity, and intentional living; we wanted to bring these elements together and share them with our closest friends. Through this weekend experience, we created a space and community for attendees to reflect, recharge, and discover values and intentions for the upcoming year.
On the itinerary and activities — One and a half days spend in relaxation, healing, and peace: guided journaling, nature walk, self-guided craft activities, tea service, guided meditation, reiki healing, guided morning yoga and pranayama, self-reflection activities, community brunch, make your own kombucha workshop, guest speaker on Finding Your Life’s Work, 2020 mapping, and more.
On the meals and snacks — I was in charge of the retreat’s meals and snacks. I was inspired by fresh produce, healthy and varied flavors, new recipes to try, and the desire to eat well. Details on the menu:
Check-in snacks: grazing table full of variety, textures, colors, depth, notes, and profiles which included pretzels, chocolates, cheeses, crackers, fruits, and more. The biggest board I’ve put together thus far!
Welcome lunch: brown rice bowls with garlic roasted chicken, pickled red onions, lentils and quinoa blend, charred lemons, shredded carrots, and four types of sauces (Spanish romesco, artichoke cream, smoky red mustard, and a rosemary basil pesto)
Dinner: baked sausages, apples, and blackberries with mustard and maple syrup (recipe from Diana Henry’s From the Oven to the Table), rosemary and coconut-oil roasted potatoes with herb butter, roasted coconut carrots with peppers and apple cider vinegar, and mixed greens with all the leftovers salad. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert.
Sunday brunch: For our last meal together, I created three brunch stations because: (1) I wanted to provide a cornucopia of options, (2) re-use and re-purpose some leftover ingredients, and (3) make sure everyone felt full and thoroughly satisfied before leaving the retreat.
Waffles station: rye and whole wheat waffles with sweet and savory toppings
Grits station: garlic cheesy grits bowls with crumbled chorizo (or soyrizo), eggs, mushrooms, radishes, and herbs
Sweet station: Apple galette, pear galette with mint and honey yogurt and orange slices with mint
Journaling snacks: Banana bread custard cake and a chocolate and coconut oil banana bundt cake
Parting gifts: I also wanted to make sure that everyone left with a small gift, a token of our affection and gratitude for trusting in our endeavor and project. We packaged small bags of:
Cherry, coconuts, and vanilla chai white chocolate granola
Hot chocolate, cinnamon, and dark chocolate granola
Candied orange and dark espresso beans granola
Gingerbread and apricot granola
On the future — The retreat exceeded all of our experiences and more. While Merry was designed to be a one-time, bespoke event, there is overwhelming desire by the group to continue meeting and growing together. It’s not just a retreat, it’s a lifestyle. The group is looking forward to its first reunion in April 2020.
