4th of July Wreath

I have been quite the slacker in the wreath making department lately.  I haven't found any friends down here that don't make fun of me for crafting and it's not nearly as fun doing it alone- ha.

My door was starting to look really sad and I ran across the cutest idea on Pinterest so I decided to give it a go.  Here was the finalized look:

It turned out pretty cute, huh?  Here's all I needed:

- Wreath form (I actually got a straw wreath because it was cheaper- I just left the plastic on so I wouldn't have to deal with the straw

- Red, white and blue yarn

- Wooden stars (the original one I saw had white buttons on it, but while looking around Michael's I found a bag of different sized stars, so I decided to pick out the small ones and paint them white)

- Hot glue gun

I don't think I've ever used a hot glue gun without burning myself.

... and I did it again this time.  Fail.

Hope you think it's cute (the wreath, not my arm)!!!  It was SUPER easy... I'm pretty sure Valerie could have done it.

Have fun celebrating the 4th!!!  We are heading out to Vail on Tuesday and staying through Saturday, so I'm super excited to spend the holiday on a beautiful mountain in cooler weather!

My Cooking Class!

So, remember when I moved to Dallas 7 months ago and Blake got me that cooking class?  Well, I finally used it and it was SO MUCH FUN!!!

I was a bit nervous when I walked in the class because it was a few couples, and a few old people.  I chose to team up with the old people and it was a blast.

I'll do a few posts on some of the recipes because there were some HUGE winners, but wanted to tell you about some cooking tips I learned before I forget.  Remember, I've only been cooking for a couple of years, so don't laugh at me if you already know some (or all) of these.
There are three rules for cooking meat:
1.  You should bring ALL meats (except fish) to room temperature before cooking.
2.  A good sear is great for caramelization.
3.  Always let your meat rest before serving.

Now, I never seared my meat unless the recipe called for it.  Not only does it make it so much prettier, but it cooks in the oven so much faster when you do this.  Just pour some oil in a pan over medium high heat, let it get hot, then throw on the meat.  The "caramelization process" is complete when the meat will easily lift up- make sure to not turn it before the process is complete.

OK, that's all I can think of for now.  Recipes to follow soon!  Oh, and if you want to come do a cooking class with me soon, you're ALL invited- what a great girls' night that would be?!