Thomas was reading an email I got from Opryland Hotel and saw an advertisement for the Food and Wine Festival. As part of this special weekend, you get room accommodations, tickets to the exhibit hall, celebrity chef cooking seminars, and special meet and greet appearances. He really wanted to go...so why not?
We left after work on Friday, which is also the day we had tickets to see our celebrity chefs cook. Our tickets were to see Jamie and Bobby Dean. The Dean brothers are the sons of the famous Paula Dean. 
Here Thomas and I are waiting for the seminar to begin. 
The seminar started a few minutes late. What surprised me first, was that they weren't really dressed the way I thought they would have been. But they came out talking, seeming like they were looking ready to have a good time, even though they had a couple glitches along the way. Jaime said something about his suitcase that got to fly here, but he had to drive from Atlanta, sounded to me like he had some plane issues and ended up having to drive which caused them to start late??? Anyways, they talked about all kinds of things. They talked about how Paula Dean got her start, about how they went door to door selling her bag lunches and about how even though they may be famous, when they are home they still work in the restaurant in Savannah. 
They talked so much, that they got behind in doing the cooking part of the show, which was funny to watch. All of a sudden Jaime starts digging around in the fridge rustling for the ingredients and such. Then when he pulls out the ingredients, each one he is smelling and tasting trying to see how fresh it turns out to be. They continue to talk the whole time and rush around to cook their selected recipes of the night. 
Here is a Tilapia Slider, with homemade slaw. We had a table right up front and were able to get one of the first six sandwiches. The sandwich wasn't that bad, this is coming from someone who doesn't like fish or tomatoes.
They also made another type of slider sandwich, sweet potato fries, and peach cobbler. None of which we got to sample.
After the cooking seminar, we had tickets to the celebrity meet and greet. Here we got to meet and talk with the Dean brothers. They seemed very nice and were extremely friendly, we talked about their weekend plans and whether they were going to see any sights while in Nashville. Jamie Dean was going to go to the zoo and Rainforest Cafe with his wife and son.
On Saturday morning, Thomas and I got up and went to find breakfast. After which we walked around the hotel just enjoying our time together.
After walking around the hotel, it was time for us to use our tickets to the exhibit hall. Here there were many vendors set up handing out samples and trying to sell their products. Also in the exhibit hall was a place for cooking demonstrations and a kid section.
Here Thomas and I get the secret to Bush's Baked Beans. They had a sample of recipes with the beans and freebies!
I saw this women with a sticker that said "I was shot with food." I had thought I had read something about these food shots, but it really ended up being a food photographer taking pictures of people with food. Here I am in a pot.
Thomas and I sat and watched a demonstration by the head chef of the steak house at the Opryland Hotel...we learned a couple things about butter, cooking a steak, and creme brulee (spelling?).
After walking around the hotel, it was time for us to use our tickets to the exhibit hall. Here there were many vendors set up handing out samples and trying to sell their products. Also in the exhibit hall was a place for cooking demonstrations and a kid section.
Here Thomas and I get the secret to Bush's Baked Beans. They had a sample of recipes with the beans and freebies!
I saw this women with a sticker that said "I was shot with food." I had thought I had read something about these food shots, but it really ended up being a food photographer taking pictures of people with food. Here I am in a pot.
Thomas and I sat and watched a demonstration by the head chef of the steak house at the Opryland Hotel...we learned a couple things about butter, cooking a steak, and creme brulee (spelling?).
Thomas and I went back to the room for awhile after sitting through the cooking demonstration to relax before the kids arrived. Since we booked the package that included two nights at the hotel we had decided ask one of the parents to bring the kids up Saturday afternoon, then they could spend the night and enjoy the hotel. After, the kids got there we took them to the exhibit hall, where Thomas got "shot with food"...
as did Tanner...
and Tyler!
Then we took them to the kids area where they made cupcakes, sushi rolls, cookie pizzas, and ice cream sundaes...they could have also made s'mores, but enough was enough.
Tapanga was more into eating the candy than making the items.
The sushi roll was really pretty neat...you take a fruit roll up, rice crispy (flatter than normal), chocolate syrup and a gummy work and then roll it up like sushi.
Tanner was the only one to make an ice cream sundae, which he took two bites of an was done.
Tanner with his goodies.
Tyler with his.
Taking a break and trying the goodies...we ended up tasting and then taking them back to the room, where they didn't get eaten...but the kids had fun making them!
We then walked around a bit and the Farmers Market gave Tanner a cucumber...which became his baby.
We then walked around a bit and the Farmers Market gave Tanner a cucumber...which became his baby.
Sunday morning when we got up we took the kids swimming, which they love doing. The water was a little chilly, but they didn't notice.
We had a great weekend, some alone time just Thomas and I, then some family time as the 5 T's!
No comments:
Post a Comment