Cooking Class #1 = Paella!

Last night was our very first cooking class!  Daisy hosted, and taught us to make paella.  It was absolutely delish, and so easy :) 

Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend is always encouraging her to cook more.  Like me, Marilyn cooks a few entrees, but doesn't have the confidence to do too much experimenting on her own.  So, she asked Daisy to teach us how to cook!  Daisy is and excellent cook.  She actually attended a "REAL" cooking class in Las Vegas, and this where she learned to make paella. 

Paella (Spanish pronunciation: [paˈeʎa]) is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.^[1]

Since paella is from Spain, Marilyn Monroe and I brought wines from Spain to enjoy while cooking and during dinner.  I also brought a tasty little Virginia wine that I picked up on a wine trek this summer.  Since the pups were joining us for cooking class, I felt it was appropriate:

(don't you just love these wine glasses Daisy has? you write your name on them with a piece of chalk!)

We were sure to bring our aprons to wear so that we all looked the part:

Our paella had Chorizo sausage, shrimp, chicken, snow peas and jasmine rice.  Daisy added bunches of yummy spices as well....

I'm excited to host next week's cooking class.  Ridiculous, I know....  But, I do know how to make a few things, and I will be teaching the girls how to make cavatini from Italy.  Yummmmm!

In other news, I won a $35 gift certificate from CSN Stores!!!  Laurnie from From Orange County....To Country Road (formerly Some Wine With Cheese) hosted a giveaway, and I won!  I was so very excited because I've heard so much about this CSN Stores situation, and I wanted to shop there too :)  I've browsed the site, but decided to wait to see if I won before placing an order.  And when I did I knew JUST what I wanted.

Welcome to my life Virginia Tech cooler that I have been coveting for quite some time:

I have seriously seen people with these at games (and just out and about), and I have wanted one desperately.  I have a plain red one that I tote around, and I kept telling myself that it worked just fine.  I didn't NEED a new Virginia Tech one.  And then...Laurnie's giveaway came into my life.  So there.  That's my excuse :)

Too bad I won't have it to tote it over to Barbie's house tonight.  She is having a few of us over for supper to celebrate her pup's birthday.  Julep is a Tea Cup Pomeranian, and she weighs in at a total of 3.1lbs.  Louis adores her, and she adores Louis.  She actually taunts Louis, if the truth be told, and he loves every minute of it!  He can't ever catch her, but he surely does enjoy trying :) 

Hope you all are having a lovely Thursday!

T