Day Out With Jessica

My best friend Jessica was coming to town and I needed to find some stuff for us to do.  I went to Denver.org and put in the day that we'd be spending together.  That's when I discovered that the Great American Beer Fest was going to be that weekend.

This also means that it's Denver Beer Week!  Yeah Baby!

I immediately found the perfect thing for us to do.....a Beer Paring Breakfast!

I asked Jessica if she has convictions about drinking before noon.  She didn't, in fact, she said she encourages it!  I called up Pub 17 on Welton to make a reservation and the nice man that took my information said that my name sounded familiar.  I asked him if he was a member of the PTA and he said no.  He made a big deal about telling me the menu and kept calling me Mrs. Weiss.

Jessica and I arrived a little early for our breakfast and the man I spoke with on the phone greeted us warmly.  I explained to Jess that he thinks I am somebody.  We sat at the bar and ordered Dirty Martinis and he told the bartender that they were on him.  Who does he think I am?

I suppose he could have googled me while we were on the phone.

What do you know!  Google thinks I am somebody!

Jessica and I had the best time and our Beer Pairing Breakfast with Fort Collins Brewery was so great! You can read all about it later this week on The Rookie Foodie.

The Buick Discovery Tour

It's snowing again.  Yes, it's April and we've had more snow this month than we've had our entire winter.  I'm ready for SPRING!  Luckily, Sunday was a beautiful day.  It was a bit overcast but the sun was out when we test drove a new Buick Encore.

Actually, Rachel gave us a ride. I don't like to drive in downtown Denver if I can help it.

Photo Credit: Connie Weiss

What do you think of when you hear Buick?  You probably remember the super reliable and big cars that your grandparents drove, right?  I've always thought Buick cars were too expensive and that's why older folks drove them.

Funny story!  When I met Keith I drove an Oldsmobile.  Four doors, vinyl top and electric doors and windows.  It was a Grandma car.  While we were looking at the cars he told me that he almost didn't keep dating me because of my car.  WHAT? Rude! 

Buick....you've come a long way since my Grandma's grocery getter!  I fell in love with a couple of the cars.  I'd love to put Keith in the new Verano when his car wears out.  It comes in a turbo (which he doesn't need) and it gets great gas mileage. 

Plus, I think it would be fun to have a Murano and a Verano.  And, Peyton Manning LOVES the Verano. Have you seen the commercial he's in?  I love it!

Photo Credit: General Motors

You're probably wondering why Keith and I were running around downtown Denver letting pretty school teachers drive us around.  We were invited to The Buick Discovery Tour that was put on by Buick (obviously) and Food and Wine Magazine.

I spent a lovely three hours at the Four Seasons eating, drinking and watching food demos by amazing chefs.  You may not know this but in my former life (BK...Before Keith) I was a manager of an auto repair shop and auto parts store.  I know cars!  In my new shiny Trophy Wife life....I'm a Rookie Foodie and highfalutin gal.

Photo Credit: Connie Weiss

We learned how to make fresh Ricotta and Cavatelli pasta from local chef Alex Seidel of Fruition Restaurant and Farms.  Alex is super adorable and has convinced me to get a sheep, a pig and a pasta maker. THIS JUST IN...Keith says I can't get a sheep or a pig but I can get a pasta maker. We can't wait to visit Fruition and take the kids to the farm for a tour!

Photo Credit: Intersport

Next was the adorable and funny cookbook author and pastry chef, Hedy Goldsmith.  She told us a charming story about her easy bake oven and is very passionate about balancing savory and sweet.  The recipe she made for us had basil in it and it was so delicious!  I can't wait to make the Basil Panna Cotta with Strawberry Consomme for my family.

Photo Credit: Intersport

Our next culinary adventure involved 21 weeks of wine instruction in 20 minutes with the hilarious Michael Green.  We tasted two wines with two different items.  A Sauvignon Blanc that was made better by sucking a lemon slice and a Tempranillo that was fantastic with a piece of dark chocolate.  The most important thing that I learned from Michael was....if a wine tastes good to you, it's good wine and it's okay to swallow.

ME and Michael Green
Photo Credit: Keith Weiss

The best was saved for last!  Michael Psilakis, world famous chef and restaurant owner made the most amazing little Gyro Sliders that I've ever tasted.  He told us a story about how food has connected him to his family and it touched me so much because this is what I want my kids to take away from their lives with me. I want to plant the seed!

Photo Credit: Intersport

I will be testing all of these recipes in the Rookie Food Kitchen in the next few weeks.

At the end of this wonderful experience, we were given many gifts!  Keith has asked me to give his swag away to one lucky reader.  Come to The Rookie Foodie for a chance to win a Buick Discovery Tour Swag Bag.


Disclaimer: I was given free tickets (all the tickets were FREE)  to The Buick Discovery Tour and a lovely swag bag from Food and Wine Magazine but all opinions are my own. 

Great Things...On The Way

I feel like I have so much to say about our trip to Orlando but I don't know where to start.

 I want to tell you about how we escaped from our semi-crappy hotel in the dead of night during rush hour with a cab driver that didn't read or speak english and I really want to tell you about all of the food and drink I had.  If you're at all interested in that part, I'll be telling those stories over on The Rookie Foodie.  (hint hint...go follow that blog)

I want to tell you about how my kids are still on Florida time and are up at the crack of dawn this morning and that I have ZERO desire to leave my house today.

I want to tell you that I thought about Owls during the whole trip and why. (hint hint...it's about Christmas)

And I really want to tell you about the very eventful flights in both directions and how my husband believes that I'm cursed and likely doesn't want to travel with me anymore.

Instead, I'll leave you with one funny Mallory story.

We were standing at the bus stop waiting to go to Disney Epcot when a man asked if we were from Colorado.  Both Alex and iKeith were wearing Bronco hats so everywhere we went people commented on them.  Mallory looked at him and said, 'How did you know that?  Is it because we speak english?'

The entire bus stop busted up in laughter!

Side note here: Apparently....we visited Orlando with half of Europe.  While American children are toiling away until Thanksgiving...Europe is on Fall Break and as my dear UK friend put it, it's bloody cold there!   We heard lots of accents and other languages.

Okay...one more funny story.  This one about iKeith.

Our shuttle bus from our hotel to Sea World and Universal Orlando was driven by a guy named Terry. He was so much fun and had the whole bus singing songs.  One day...we ran out of songs and he asked for suggestions.  My kids had been practicing a song that they have to sing TODAY at a book store and Keith broke out in that song.

He taught all of these Europeans a song about a turkey hiding in the woods to avoid being killed for Thanksgiving Dinner!  I found it so funny because they don't celebrate Thanksgiving.