Cooking Class with Betty

Tonight I was able to cross another thing off my list of 30 before 30 when I took my first cooking class with Betty.  We took an introductory cooking class at Publix Apron School where we learned to make several awesome summer treats.  It was a hands on class and I learned several new techniques as well as walked away with a few recipes that I am looking forward to trying out at home.  The class was a great first lesson and showed me that my passion for cooking has grown and I want to be able to take more classes in the future.

Our meal was quite a spread complete with maple glazed baby back ribs, shrimp roll, BLT pasta salad, baked beans and corn soup.  We finished it off with blueberry cobbler and homemade ice cream.  YUM!

Went on vacation with just my girlfriends

I was able to successfully cross another item off of my list this past weekend when I took a road trip with 10 other women to Key West.  I had a lot of reservations leading up to the trip because this was my first time traveling with some, and others I haven't traveled with since college.  I feared that the years of growth and maturity since leaving the sorority house could make the weekend uncomfortable, or lack luster.  As it turns out, when you get a group of women who all at one point partied together in college the result is that you try to party like you did together in college.

 
When most people think of the Florida Keys they think slow paced, relaxing getaway, laid-back, chill.  When you get a group of women together celebrating a bachelorette on the verge of entering married life the weekend could not be described using any of those adjectives.  We maximized our time by waking up early with a drink and hand and staying out until the bars closed down.  I didn't go fishing or snorkeling or see a show in Mallory Square - even though most of my vacations to the Florida Keys include all of those activities.  But I did see a lot of Irish Kevin's, Dirty Harry's, Fat Tuesdays and well you get the idea. 

 

As I began the drive back Sunday morning, slowly driving over the first bridge away from Key West hungover and groggy from the night before, I glanced in my mirror at the other women in my car who were all either sleeping or close to it and thought about what I am taking away from this short vacation.  I laughed so much that my cheeks were sore, I have a new Rolodex of silly inside jokes, I can still party like an 18 year old even though I recover like someone approaching their 30's, and I have an amazing group of women in my life who would do anything for me.  These memories are a small reminder of why these beautiful ladies are the people I want to spend time with.  This might be the first vacation I've ever taken with just girlfriends, but it certainly will not be the last.