Shaping up to be a great weekend!

I'm taking a minute to post a non-Geeky Gourmet related entry. After all, this blog is still a more personal means of expressing myself and it ain't all about the show (don't tell Howie I said that).

Today was a great start to my weekend and I promise it's sorta food related. My darling, sweet boyfriend asked me out on a date. I sometimes think I made it too easy for him, in the beginning of our now 3 year relationship. I told him a few nights ago, "You should ask me out sometime." Sure enough, he asked me out on a picnic lunch! But then the question was, what to eat? I thought it only fair, that since he asked me out, he should figure the lunch part out. We have both come to really enjoy sushi (cooked or raw) and that's what he was craving. But I was unsure if our local sushi joint allowed take-out orders. Sushi isn't typically something I would think of on a take-out menu. To my surprise and our luck, they do! So Charlie got a small variety of sushi to share, some veggie fried rice for me, and 2 tempura chicken strips for him. He told the nice woman who took the order that it was for a picnic and she included two house salads for us for no extra charge. How nice! So he picked up lunch and I made "Mexican Hot Chocolate" brownies. They had cinnamon and vanilla in them for a nice little twist to a typical chocolate brownie. All in all, it turned out to be an eclectic little lunch, but it was very nice. We found a shady spot in the SC Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the food and each others' company. It was an awesome way to start my weekend.

And tomorrow...tomorrow is Euphoria. It's a big, fancy culinary festival in Greenville, SC (about an hour from my house). I am beyond excited! Bryan Voltaggio (from Top Chef: Las Vegas), Kevin Rathbun (of the Rathbun Brothers and Rathbun's Steak House in Atlanta), Justin Bogle (of GILT, New York), and a few other awesome chefs will be there doing demonstrations and will be guest chefs at various wine dinners in Greenville's premiere restaurants. Did I mention that Edwin McCain is originally from Greenville and he'll be there as well? I was so looking forward to Greenville getting publicity like this, but sad I wouldn't be able to go. Tickets aren't cheap and I'm a broke culinary student.

However, I'm incredibly spoiled by my aunts and lucky to have them. They paid for me to go to the Tasting Showcase on Saturday. This is the day where demonstrations are being held (hosted by all the star chefs), wine tastings, wine lectures from world class sommliers and food. Lots of food. I...oh man I can't wait! I'm going to take lots of pictures, hopefully get an autograph or 5 and I'll have lots of stories to share when I get back. Yay! I guess all of that homework I was planning on doing Saturday will just have to wait. What a shame.

I hope everyone else has a great weekend, too!
<3 Elle