#4 Take Exotic Dancing Classes

Talk about being a tease…

So I left work yesterday on a mission to purchase some sexy stripper-like shoes and some new “gym” clothes. The shoes, while not completely strip-tastic, are still pretty awesome. I mean, who could possibly hate on some 4-5 inch stilettos that are a mixture of both bondage and safari? (probably my poor feet for one, but who cares) Anyways…After some successful purchases I headed home where I proceeded to get mentally (and somewhat physically) prepared.

But crap! Little did I know that the first session is really only a meet and greet.

So for those of you that don’t know me that well, let me backfill for a second or two….You see, I am one of the only girls I know that didn’t make the dance team in junior high. The problem lies in the fact that 1) I have strange rhythm or perhaps no rhythm at all 2) I have very long arms and can sometimes appear awkward and 3) I’m just way too silly.

So here I am. For the next 8 weeks I will be embarking on a journey to explore my inner exotic dancer.

But herein lies the real problem. I have yet to come up with my “dancer” name. If you have any suggestions, please let me know and bonus to those names that can relate back to an actual song. Because get this! The last class is actually a recital where we dress up and can dance to our own song. I’m all about themes so help me out. And sorry boys, you’re not allowed at the recital. Girls only!


For those interested:
West End Dance Company

Update:
The dance lessons are now over as are the life and times of Phoenix (my dancing alter ego that was a little to wild not to be kept in her cage). The classes were a blast but even more so were the times spent with my dancing partners, Countess Preening Peacock and Red. Good luck with the next round!

And thanks to Mr. Corde for assisting with the name selection. The mythological bird rising from the ashes is very fitting for the life I'm leading now. As for the song, major props to HLT for selecting Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix.

#3 Take a Cooking Class

What a culinary adventure!

During my family vacation in June I decided that for my birthday I wanted to take a cooking class and from that the idea for the 30x30 blog blossomed. So this past Friday, I traveled to Atlanta where I met my mom for a little mother-daughter weekend.

But first a quick look back…

Growing up I fondly remember the summer days where Josh (my brother) and I, perched ourselves in front of the television with our cheese sandwiches watching the Food Network. Decades later I cannot begin to add up the number of hours I have spent watching this delightful network. I guess with that and my first Betty Crocker cookbook, a true foodie was born.

So on Saturday, my mother and I journeyed to the Viking Cooking School in Atlanta for a 5-hour hands-on class on French Culinary Basics. I have never seen that much butter put to such good use. I really think we used a pound in each recipe. Gotta love the French!

Here’s the menu:

• Classic French Bread
• Cheese Soufflé
• Beef Bourguignon

• Seafood Crepes

• Tarte Tatin

Favorite highlights:

Making crepes – Mom and I took to a range and got to work making four beautifully crafted and expertly flipped crepes. I think a crepe pan is next on my list to purchase. (I say next b’c I already picked up a baguette pan at a kitchen outlet on the way home. Here comes the fresh baked bread!)

Making the baguettes – I had to get in on this action. After hours of feeding, kneading, beating and sleeping, it was time to make our beautiful artisanal loaves. First you stretch the dough into a rectangle and then you fold it several times, sealing the edges each time. Finally you pick it up and lay it seam side down on the baguette pan. The final touch prior to baking is the slitting of the baguettes, which requires a razor blade or sharp knife.  

Eating it all – After all the food was complete, we all sat down at the table to enjoy the fruits of our labor. There are few things better in this world than a freshly baked baguette dipped in the savory sauce of beef bourguignon.

The finishing touch.

Lucky for us, dinner reservations weren’t until 9pm. For anyone heading to Atlanta soon, go to JCT Kitchen in the Westside Urban Market. It was mind blowing!

 

For dinner:

Iceberg salad – a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with blue cheese, radishes and onion strings. I just might like this better than the classic of bacon and tomatoes.

Wood Grilled ½ Chicken with duck fat crisped heirloom potatoes, lacquered pork belly and local honey

Meyer lemon doughnuts with expresso ice cream – these things melted in your mouth

I have to say that the class and weekend more than lived up to any expectations. Special thanks to mom for coming along for the adventure.

Resources:

Viking Cooking School

JTC Kitchen

Next up on the list: Boxing lesson

A quick rewind:

Truth be told, this all took place last weekend before the blog was actually set up. If anyone feels especially cheated then I guess it doesn't have to count towards the goal.
Perhaps I need to form an oversight committee to rule on these types of issues.

On to the real story...

Growing up, my grandmother, May, would always cook a special meal for each of her children's and grandchildren's birthdays. While the dinner menu may have changed over the years, the dessert never did. As long as I can remember, my birthday dessert was homemade caramel cake with peach ice cream. So last Saturday I set out on an adventure to create homemade peach ice cream from freshly picked South Carolina peaches.

The hurdles came early and often. First off, the peaches on the trees would not be ripe enough for ice cream so I had to settle for a basket of very ripe peaches. In my defense, I did at least take the time to wander through the orchard and I promise to return sometime soon to actually do my own picking.

Where to go:
Fisher's Orchard
Greer, South Carolina
www.fishersorchard.com

After a slight detour to Campbell's Covered Bridge and the Tomato Vine, I made it home with my pre-picked peaches and began the ice cream adventure. After hours of boiling, freezing, peeling and squashing, the mixture was ready to go into the fridge but oops, I put the freakin’ stuff in the freezer. So here I am on Sunday morning trying to thaw out the creamy peach ice block. Lucky for me the summer heat worked its magic. So all was going well and I proceeded to prepare a massive southern meal for some friends. After hours of refilling ice and salt, I figured it was set so I got lazy. By the time we finished eating, the mixture had completely melted. Luckily I was able to resuscitate the mixture 30 minutes later just as our butter and salt comas were lifting.

Thanks to some good friends for giving me a great excuse to cook and for sacrificing their bodies to the 30x30 cause.

2 down and 28 to go!
(Blog and Peach Ice Cream)

The start of some things new...

So here I am, one year and some odd days shy of my 30th birthday. For whatever it’s worth, this is not a quarter, third or mid-life crisis. Simply put, I just want to try new things. You see, less than a year ago I began a new life for myself. I realized (much like in the book Eat, Pray, Love) that I have a tendency to lose myself in people, relationships, situations, etc…In plain English, I just felt bored with myself.

With that said, I am starting a blog to try 30 new things before my 30th birthday. Some of these things will be small and trivial, some large and significant. I welcome your input and insights. And further, if you’d like to join me on one of my so-called adventures, well then, I’d like that too.

Here's a rough draft of some things I'm considering:

1. Write a blog
2. Take a French cooking class
3. Take a First aid class
4. Take a self defense class
5. Take a meditation class
6. Cook a dish with mussels
7. Make homemade bread
8. Teach Maddox a new trick (or just to behave)
9. Volunteer to help underprivileged children
10. Join a networking group
11. Bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail
12. Run the Cooper River Bridge Run
13. Build something
14. Make a triple layer cake
15. Send birthday cards
16. Go camping
17. Explore local waterfalls
18. Go to a roller derby game
19. Take French lessons
20. Bake croissants
21. Take a group to First Fridays
22. Get a Concealed Weapons Permit
23. Take a golf lesson
24. Learn a new song on the piano
25. Visit Happy Cow Creamery
26. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
27. Visit the Makers Mark distillery
28. Host a dinner party
29. Take shag lessons
30. Make peach ice cream
31. Buy a lottery ticket
32. Bake Christmas cookies
33. Take a group to a hockey game
34. Wear a sock monkey costume downtown

This list will certainly evolve over time but I think it's a good starting point for now. And just a note to anyone wanting to suggest something for me to try, keep it clean. That's all I'm going to say about that.