Graduation Present

My parents bought me this for graduation:

YEAH!!! SO EXCITING!! I have been in need of this for a while...especially after the homemade bread debacle. Isn't she a beaut?

New Year's Eve Grub

On the menu for tonight:
Little Smokies
Crab Dip in a bread bowl
Ranch Dip and Veggies
Shrimp & Dip
Champagne punch

It's a good thing Mandy and Michael and the kids are joining the 3 of us!

Bon Appetit!

I Want That

Isn't she a beaut?

I went to another class at Williams Sonoma this morning - Espresso, Cappaccino, and Coffee. It was great! This little number was one of the demos - it's new to the store. You pour milk in the glass part, fill the bottom part with water. There is a place for the grounds that sets right inside the bottom part. Then from the bottom up the water is forced through the grounds and into the milk. This is all done on your stovetop! Then after it is done brewing there is a wisk inside this contraption that mixes it all together!

Oh- WS is also selling some pumpkin latte mix to put inside of your morning drink, or to drizzle on ice cream. Mmmmm....i love the fall!

Cooking Class

Last Sunday I went to cooking class at Williams Sonoma. They have free classes almost every Sunday morning. This past Sunday was French Techniques: Braising & Sauteing. It was packed! There were probably 40 people in there. It was ok - maybe not quite what I thought it was going to be, but I was still really glad that I went. I mean, any time spent at Williams Sonoma is a good time! Some of the other women there were kind of pushy though - so I guess that was the turn off part. You know there is always that one person who feels the need to talk the ENTIRE time?
A few things I learned (which you guys might already know - but that was new to me!):
Shallots have more of a garlicly flavor which makes them perfect for sauteing.
Always rub your meats and veggies dry before putting them in the pan. This will prevent any steaming.
Make sure the pan is super hot and turn down after you start sauteing the meat.
Above all - Don't crowd your food!!

Next class - in October it's espresso and coffee.

Happy Cooking!

Feels like Home

This is what our apartment looked like for the first weekend we were here. Very comfy!


And this is what it looked like after the movers left.....




So needless to say, we've been busy. And I think we are finally done! Many many trips to Goodwill and still renting a storage unit, and our apt. now looks decent. It was good for us to be forced to go through what we had and really decide what was important.

Yesterday we went up to Estes Park. We just walked around and got something to eat. It was really crowded, but it has tons of cool little shops. We are hoping to go up there for our anniversary in November and stay at The Stanley. It's the hotel from The Shining. Yeahhhh!!!

We are really happy to be here. It is just beautiful, and I can't wait for people to start visiting us!! (hint hint hint)

Foodie Night

Last night we got together and went to an Indian resturant in Laurel. It was a buffet (big stretch for me being a germ phobe), and it was nice to get to try many different dishes, since most of us aren't really familiar with Indian cuisine. The service was good and I really liked the food. I think Tony and Craig were disappointed with not having lamb vendaloo, but hopefully the other things made up for it. It sucked that we all had to sit far from eachother, so I missed visiting with everyone, but I was glad the turnout was so good.
One of the best parts of last night though??? Free Refills on the SODA!!! Wish I had pics but my camera doesn't work....

Foodie Night, the First

Last night the Foodie Club went to dinner. "Club" sounds exclusive, and this group is not, so maybe Foodie Friends? Anyways, we went to the Brewer's Art. It was Tony and I, Craig, Irene, Beth, Jason and Renata, Cheri and Brian. We had a great time! The place was awesome. Very old and eclectic. There were plush couches to sit on and low tables in the waiting area. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our table (despite reservations). But that was ok, we were able to get drinks from the bar then just sit around and visit. Their beer is very good, Tony and I got a bottle of Green Peppercorn Triple. It was a nice amber beer with a dry aftertaste, but I liked Jason's Cerebus Triple better, so we traded.
We all shared the appetizers we got. The escargot ravioli was very good, and the blue cheese cheesecake was my favorite food of the night. The roasted pears and bitter greens were a very nice compliment.
I got the seared scallops for dinner. I was nervous when the waiter said the scallops would be medium rare, but they were delicious!
Beth took a couple of pics, hopefully I can get them when she comes back from vacation, as my camera is on hiatus, so no pics for now.
But I really look forward to our next Foodie Friends Night! I think it's going to be Indian Food in Laurel. Hopefully some of our other "foodie" friends will be able to join us!!!