A couple of years ago, Matt and I decided that our Christmas gifts to each other would be experiences we can have together. For example, one year I gave him (us) tickets to see the comedian, Brian Regan. Matt gave me (us) tickets to a Jazz game.
Every time we walk past Sur La Table (a kitchen supply store similar to William Sonoma) at Fashion Place Mall, he'd say that it would be fun to take a cooking class there. They have a kitchen in the back of the store for classes. So this year, that's what I got him. After looking at the classes being held in January, comparing the dates with Matt's work schedule, and taking his dietary needs into consideration, the only class that would work was "Date Night In the French Quarter". We would be making some yummy cajun food from New Orleans.
There were 8 couples in attendance and worked in groups of four. We were with a nice couple from North Salt Lake. The menu was chicken and andouille sausage gumbo with bay leaf perfect steamed rice, classic shrimp and grits, and bananas foster for dessert. So delicious!
Matt and another man were chosen to make the caramel rum sauce for the bananas foster and learn the technique of flambé. He rocked it!
A couple days later, I decided we would make the shrimp and grits at home for Emma. I am not a big seafood lover, but I did enjoy it the night of the cooking class, so I wanted to give it a try on my own. It tasted good, but not as good as at Sur La Table. I thought the shrimp were chewier, and it's the texture of shrimp that usually bothers me. I'd like to make the gumbo soon. Here's proof that I actually peeled and cooked shrimp by myself at home.
Matt's Christmas gift to me this year was a guided snowshoeing historical tour of Park City. We went this past Tuesday. We had a huge snowstorm the day before, so there was deep, fresh powder and snow frosted trees to navigate through. Our guide's name was Art, and he was super nice and knowledgeable. He showed us old mines and talked to us about the beginnings of Park City. Pretty cool stuff. But I was mostly interested in being out in such wintery beauty. It was only our second time snowshoeing (we went up Millcreek Canyon with Emma a few days after Christmas when we gave the family snowshoes). It's such great exercise and a fun way to enjoy being outdoors in the winter since I don't ski. When we were done with our tour, I asked Art about cross country ski lessons there at the White Pine Nordic Center, and he told us all about them as well as about the groomed trails around town. I'd like to learn to do that. I think I'd really love it. My dad took me and my college roommate XC skiing once when I was 19, but it was so long ago, and I didn't really get any instruction. But I do remember we had fun.
I wish we would have stopped along our way to get pictures and video of us in action. We only have this one pic in front of an old mine, and it doesn't even show our snowshoes. But look at that snow!
I love to be with Matt, and I'm glad we can share fun experiences together.
Every time we walk past Sur La Table (a kitchen supply store similar to William Sonoma) at Fashion Place Mall, he'd say that it would be fun to take a cooking class there. They have a kitchen in the back of the store for classes. So this year, that's what I got him. After looking at the classes being held in January, comparing the dates with Matt's work schedule, and taking his dietary needs into consideration, the only class that would work was "Date Night In the French Quarter". We would be making some yummy cajun food from New Orleans.
There were 8 couples in attendance and worked in groups of four. We were with a nice couple from North Salt Lake. The menu was chicken and andouille sausage gumbo with bay leaf perfect steamed rice, classic shrimp and grits, and bananas foster for dessert. So delicious!
Matt and another man were chosen to make the caramel rum sauce for the bananas foster and learn the technique of flambé. He rocked it!
A couple days later, I decided we would make the shrimp and grits at home for Emma. I am not a big seafood lover, but I did enjoy it the night of the cooking class, so I wanted to give it a try on my own. It tasted good, but not as good as at Sur La Table. I thought the shrimp were chewier, and it's the texture of shrimp that usually bothers me. I'd like to make the gumbo soon. Here's proof that I actually peeled and cooked shrimp by myself at home.
Matt's Christmas gift to me this year was a guided snowshoeing historical tour of Park City. We went this past Tuesday. We had a huge snowstorm the day before, so there was deep, fresh powder and snow frosted trees to navigate through. Our guide's name was Art, and he was super nice and knowledgeable. He showed us old mines and talked to us about the beginnings of Park City. Pretty cool stuff. But I was mostly interested in being out in such wintery beauty. It was only our second time snowshoeing (we went up Millcreek Canyon with Emma a few days after Christmas when we gave the family snowshoes). It's such great exercise and a fun way to enjoy being outdoors in the winter since I don't ski. When we were done with our tour, I asked Art about cross country ski lessons there at the White Pine Nordic Center, and he told us all about them as well as about the groomed trails around town. I'd like to learn to do that. I think I'd really love it. My dad took me and my college roommate XC skiing once when I was 19, but it was so long ago, and I didn't really get any instruction. But I do remember we had fun.
I wish we would have stopped along our way to get pictures and video of us in action. We only have this one pic in front of an old mine, and it doesn't even show our snowshoes. But look at that snow!
I love to be with Matt, and I'm glad we can share fun experiences together.
