Hello From Las Vegas

Hello from Las Vegas...I am here for the Edible Arrangements Franchise Convention, which takes place at the Aria Hotel & Convention Center this weekend. My older son, Robert, has accompanied me. We left from the Oakland Airport around 12:30pm and landed here around 2:00pm. Right to the hotel we taxied so we would check in, get our room and register for the convention.

This is the view out my hotel window

We collected our "goody bag" at the convention registration counter. It was filled with some great EA stuff: notebook w/pen, sunscreen, mints, magnet, water bottle, new T-Shirt and a great new bag to carry it all home.

The contents of my EA "goody bag". I love the new convention T-Shirt. I am in the chocolate dipped strawberry group.

Once we were all registered for the convention...it was time to change into our workout clothing, to get in a little workout and get our appetite ready for a BIG splurge. Tonight, the night before the convention started, we decided the we would do a Mother-Son dinner at:

Gordon Ramsey Steak

Paris Casino - Las Vegas

OMG! Was this a meal to die for! Here is what we had (make sure that you have a napkin to wipe the drip from your mouth)...

BREAD

Left to Right: Butter with blackened sea salt; 2 pieces of walnut/olive bread;
Middle/Front: Truffle roll
Middle/Back: Panchetta roll
Right: 2 pieces of lemon focaccia with drizzle of olive oil 

APPETIZERS 

My Choice: Shrimp Cocktail -
tiger prawns, "flavors" of cocktail sauce, celery leaves and sea foam 

Robert's choice: Pea Soup
carrot custard, English pea-mint mash, crispy iberico jamon 

 Salad/2nd Course

Robert's Choice: Smoked Beef Tartare -
lemon zest, red onion, capers, guinness infused mustard seeds, yukon gold herb chips

My Choice: Market Green Salad -
butter lettuce, crisp pancetta, market greens, shropshire blue cheese, tomato raisins,  green goddess dressing

 MAIN COURSE

My Choice: Ahi Tuna -
seared Ahi Tuna (medium rare), served over purple cauliflower puree, with an olive/cauliflower tapinade 

Robert's Choice - Signature Dish: Beef Wellington -
glazed root vegetables, potato puree, red wine demi glace

Robert's Side Dish Choice...Mac and Cheese -
blue, cheddar, parmesan, truffle (definitely not Kraft and definitely didn't come from the blue box)

 AND THE FINALE...DESSERT!

Robert's choice: Sticky Toffee Pudding -
sweet pudding cake, brown sugar toffee, brown butter ice cream

My Choice: Apple Tart Tatin -
Golden puff pastry, caramelized apples, Marzipan filling, cinnamon ice cream

It was an amazing dinner. Eating all of this food...this rich, rich, rich food will leave one in a deep, deep, deep food coma!

Post-meal coma

Well, time to sign off so I can get some sleep. Gotta wake up early tomorrow in order to workout - work off the meal and get ready to start the day fresh, ready to learn and listen to all my fellow franchisees.

Take care...until next time, remember...

Live, Laugh, Love, and Stitch Often!

Lisa

A stitch and a run

Wow, it has been awhile since I have posted. Yes, I have been a little busy. It seems that the boys' hockey summer camps and our stores have been keeping all of us on the go. If I am not dipping strawberries and other yummy fruits into chocolate, I am driving down to the hockey rink. Oh, well, guess it just means that life is good and all is well...right?

However I have found some time recently to do a few of my favorite things: Stitching and Running.

Ok, I'll start out with the stitching. I have started LHN's "Sampler Months - March".

LHN "Sampler Months - March"

Sorry about the pathetic photo. I am sitting at the rink as I type this and I needed a status photo for the post. Once I get the border of this month done, the inside should go pretty quick. For the design inside has nice "big" areas of stitching, which make it go fast :)

On the running side of my life...I wasn't able to get in any miles the beginning of last week because DH was out of town and I had to be at the stores. But as soon as he got home, I was able to get outside and get in some miles. I got the running bug several years ago when my older son started to participate on his high school track team (when he was a freshman). He runs every spring - it is a great way to get involved in school sports and to keep in shape when the hockey season is over.

Anyway, I had an awesome run today. I did a total of 15.1 miles. 12 of those miles I ran consecutively...meaning I didn't walk. However, as soon as my iPhone app told me I made it to 12, I needed to do a little walking. I was getting sore.

"Happy Dance"...12 miles in less than 2 hours. It's been a long time since I have made it this far without walking. 

My total mileage...15.18 miles in a little over 2.5 hours. Yahoo! 

 Not too shabby for an old lady :)

Well, time to sign off and pick up the needle! I have 1hour and 20 minutes to get in some stitching.

Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

A little weekend update - stitching and more :)

Hello and Happy Sunday. I hope everyone's weekend is going well. We have been having a nice and relaxing weekend...and definitely enjoying the weather. The heat wave seemed to have snapped Thursday evening, for Friday's high temps were in the low 70's. That was over a 25 degree drop in temps. We have since opened the windows and turned off the air conditioner, giving it a well deserved break until the next heat wave hits the Bay Area.

We haven't really done much around here this weekend; just feels good to veg-out with the family. I have fired up the grill a couple of times making BBQ pork chops, chicken and beef kabobs over the weekend to ensure the boys are getting their fill of lean proteins - something every growing boy needs - as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. It is nice to have time to sit and visit during family meals. 

During our relaxing weekend, I have been able to "basically" finish up February from LHN's Sampler Months Series. 

And here is January and February together...

Next up...March.

I just want to say that our thoughts and prayers are being sent to those families who were affected by the Asiana Airlines Flight 214. It really was strange being somewhat near the city that this crash occurred. We fly out of San Francisco airport periodically for hockey travel (SFO is one of our choices to fly in/out of...sometimes we fly out of Oakland and other times San Jose. It is nice to have 3 airports so close together when comparing prices)...and to think that airport is only 40miles away. When the crash occurred, we did experience several big commercial jets fly over our area as their were redirected to the other airports. With my DH and older son, Robert, leaving on Thursday for another hockey event, I find myself getting a little anxious about their travel.

Anyway, time to sign off. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Happy July...turn on the airconditioning and stitch, until the frogs visit

Summer seems to have arrived with a vengeance! It is HOT. When one goes outside, it feels like you have walked into a blast-furnace. Not that I have entered a blast-furnace; but if I did, I am sure that this is what it would feel like. Our poor airconditioner, it seems to be working over time. We have shut all the blinds to keep the direct sunlight out of the house and turned up the thermostat to 72-73 degrees.

Anyway, all my boys came home from Colorado last Thursday evening. Everyone had a terrific time. My DH and older son, Robert, enjoyed hiking in the mountains and fishing for trout; while my younger son, Matthew, enjoyed his time at the hockey development camp he attended. And I? Well, I enjoyed my days working in the store, my early evenings vegging at the house waiting for the stores to close - which signify that all the deliveries were made and everything is ok - and my nights catching up on my netflix TV shows.

Anyway, we are kind of back to normal...with a little different routine as the boys are now attending a hockey clinic from 8-1 four days a week which my DH and I are balancing with the business.

Nevertheless, over this last weekend, since it was just too hot to go outside and do anything, we did have a quiet weekend and I got some stitching done. Out came LHN's "Sampler Months" - February.

Well, on Sunday afternoon, I thought I was doing well. I got the February border basically complete and started on the inside...finished the row of hearts and then started on the next row...almost completed it and then realized I stitched it in the WRONG color. It was NOT suppose to be snowball (white)...it WAS suppose to be stitched using the color Joshua Tree (medium green). 

UGH!

Oh Bother...time to...

And rip that darn white I did...and immediately threaded my needle with the Joshua Tree and within a few minutes...

Phew! That is what it is suppose to look like. Wow, now it is right! Now I can move to the next part.

Well, hopefully I have sent the frogs a'packing, keeping their visit short and sweet!

Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa