Guinea Pig Dinner

Yummm. Guinea Pig. Who would've thought?

Hahaha. Just Kidding. I didn't eat Guinea Pig.

I've heard it tastes just like chicken though!

So, here's the thing...I don't cook. I live a pretty simple and standard bachelorette life. Some drinks in the fridge, and a can or two of soup, just in case I should starve.

However, as I get closer and closer to wanting a serious relationship, I've considered that I might *want* to cook for my man one day and I really wouldn't want to embarrass myself.

So, not too long ago I went to visit a friend in Austin, TX and she invited me to a Guinea Pig Dinner. A Guinea Pig Dinner is where everyone makes a dish they've NEVER made before and we all get to be the guinea pigs! This is where the cooks and the non-cooks have an equal opportunity to make something fabulous or not! (Was my thinking.)

Anyways, my friend picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to the supermarket. Thankfully, there were FREE recipe cards and I was able to pick out a dessert I knew I would like (and seemed easy enough to make) and picked up all the ingredients on the spot.

My friend left me to her kitchen, and she was no help at all!!!

Ok, I know that is the point, but I'd be meeting all these new people and I really wanted to make a good impression! Still, she left.

Well, guess what? The dog ate it.

Hahaha! No! Actually, it turned out great!!! Everyone ate it up!

Well, there were leftovers, but the host ate it up over the next few days! LOL!

Oh, you probably want to know what it was that I made, right?

Ready? Drumroll....

Cream Cheese Banana Pudding!

It was made with vanilla pudding, Nilla wafers, bananas, cream cheese, whipped topping, milk, sugar and bananas.

Sounds yummy, right? (And high in fat, but who cares?)

I even made a smiley face out of the bananas on top! LOL! Nothing says, "nice to meet you, I hope you like this" like a smiley face from cut-up bananas! ;)

In any case, I was so inspired by this idea (and that no one got poisoned), that I brought it back to NYC!

This past Saturday evening I hosted the 1st NYC Guinea Pig Dinner! It was a success too!!! 15 people came, and just about everyone made a dish. ALL the food was GREAT! The ones who didn't make a dish, bought dessert, but that was a last minute request of mine because I thought we might be lacking in that area.

Ya' see, when organizing for a dinner of this size, it's important everyone share what they're making (appetizer, main, side or dessert), so that not everyone brings the same thing. However, it is also just as important to share what food you are making because we ended up with 4 chicken dishes. Not that it's a bad thing, but variety is good too.

Ok, back to the story...

This time I made two dishes! I got courageous!!! ;)

They were easy, but yummy too!

I made "Annie's Fruit Salsa" (courtesy of www.allrecipes.com) and served it with Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar chips. A hit!

I also made Cilantro & Mint Melon Salad, (again, www.allrecipes.com) and even though I forgot to put it out (it was in the back of the fridge!) the after party enjoyed it!

So, the point is that I've been DREAMING of being comfortable cooking, confident that when the time comes, I can make my man a meal! Having these dinners is an easy way to learn, and without pressure! Everybody is in the same boat! And it's fun too!

Got questions about hosting your own Guinea Pig Dinner? Please feel free to ask!

'Til next time, thanks for reading and Happy Dreaming! :)

Yeah baby, I'm back!

Ok, let's talk about Turks & Caicos!

The beach was gorgeous, it was great seeing Shantelle, I got a great tan and we took a lot of fun pictures! Yay!

End of story.

Was that all? No! Of course not! Well, maybe...

LOL!

Ok, so it wasn't all it was cracked up to be, at least not to me. I don't want to talk bad about Club Med, so I'll leave it at that it's not the happening singles spot it used to be! However, if you're in a couple and you're athletic, it's great! Lots of activities, and did I mention the beach is GORGEOUS? Seriously, the sand is perfect, fine, white and pillow-y and the water is crystal clear!

Heaven!!! I've been to many beaches and I have to say this is by far the most gorgeous beach I've ever seen! So, if you like 'da beach, you must check it out! ;)

Well, since we like to talk about dreams on here, let me share with you my dreamy story!

It was my first day on the beach...

I had landed at 12p, and by 3p I was already taking some rays. Off in the distance, me and my girlfriend could hear reggae music and since Jamaica/Reggae is really our first love, we couldn't resist dancing to the tunes! Well, in fact, it was a yacht playing those sultry sounds and Shantelle's great moves enticed the Captain to jump ship and swim our way! Before we knew it, we were asked if we wanted a ride! Yes we sure did! Ha Ha!

So, as we climbed aboard, you would never guess it, but the name of this beautiful vessel was "Dream Aweigh"!

Seriously!

And that's exactly what happened as Shantelle and I took off from the beach of Club Med! We danced, chatted with the Captain, Kenard (www.kenardcruises.com) and his brother, took some great pictures and got to see a little more of the island!

It was the perfect way to start a dream vacation!

So, that's my dreamy story...

That's all folks!

Awww, did you say you wanted to hear more?

Well, unfortunately I don't think I have much else to share! :(

I knew as I sat down to write that this would be a quick blog, so maybe I could have prefaced with "Something dreamy happened, but search elsewhere for juicy details." :P

Um, and in case you're wondering...the G.O's didn't necessarily live up to my expectations. Nice guys, but nothing like I had imagined when I heard those stories from my childhood friend. Awww, shucks, darn!

Anyway, I'll be back shortly to share with y'all about more dreams I've been having, so stay tuned!

BTW, have you had any dreamy vacations you'd like to share?

I would love to hear about them!

'Til next time, thanks for reading and happy dreaming!

:)