Cooking Class with Chef Francois

The six of us are ready to learn... and eat!

We're all set: aprons, notes, recipes, and water.

Chef Francois doing his magic.

Making stock for the Lobster Bisque.

Grilling the rib eye caps and steaks.

Our menu:

• Romaine hearts with candied lemon dressing (My favorite dish of the night!)
• Lobster bisque
• Beer brined chicken and salmon
• Rib eye cap sliders with harissa spread (Another favorite!)
• Rib eye steaks with cauliflower risotto
• Molten chocolate cake with chocolate fondant

Francois is currently the Executive Chef at Desert Willow. He is a classically trained French Chef with the accent to boot! He was so kind to spend his evening teaching and inspiring us.

What a fun and memorable night with the ladies! We were treated to amazing food, fellowship, and tons of leftovers.

A big thank you to Hailey and Derek for setting it all up!

Annual Beach Day with Friends!

"Girls!"

Look at cute little Miss Sylvie peeking out. :)

Morgan and Derek.

Sand pit.

Joe picked a perfect day to fly his kite!

The ladies... plus Miss Malorie.

Zach made some new friends by helping himself to some shade and relaxing in this comfy chair...

WITH PEOPLE WE DON'T KNOW. :) 

 The girls were busy catching waves all day long.

 Daddy's mini me.

 All the kiddos.

Us desert dwellers gladly made our way to the coast to experience the 30 degree drop in temperature this past weekend. We love the beach anytime but our annual beach trip with friends is definitely one of the highlights of our summer.

The girls only came out of the ocean to eat while Zach on the other hand, stayed on sand for most of the day. Thankfully, he slowly warmed up to running in the water by the afternoon.

Speaking of the water, it felt fantastic! I don't always get in the ocean because it's a bit too cold for me but on this day, the temperature was great! The power of the ocean always leaves me with respect for the One who created it. When I intentionally experience the ocean freely, full throttle, it somehow leaves me with more courage and bravery, too.

Beach therapy... always so good for the soul.