Gourmet Girl to Go

I have a BIG announcement, my friends!

I have decided to embark upon a new adventure, one that is sure to cause a bit of chaos and perhaps an embarrassing video or two. And I can guarantee I will be very messy on a regular basis.

Can you guess what it is? (And no, it is not mud wrestling. I am too girly for that.)

I am launching Gourmet Girl to Go, an in-home baking and cooking class service where I come to your house and together we cook or bake delightful, yummy things! Instead of having to go somewhere to take a class, you can invite your friends or family to your house and I will come to you! Plus, you keep everything you make and I clean up afterward.

It is a win/win situation!

I am in the midst of my trial period, which means I am trying this out to see if it will really work and if I can avoid burning down someone's house. I haven't taken out a loan or told the government I will pay them lots of money to start my own business, but I have decided to branch out and combine two things that I love to do: teaching and cooking/baking.

The great thing about this new endeavor is that I get to work one-on-one with people and help them learn new techniques and recipes that will make their life a little easier and more delicious. Plus, it is highly customizable, tackling anything from appetizers to three-course meals to desserts. It could even be offered as ongoing classes for home-schoolers or other kids' groups.

Tomorrow is my first official gig. My colleague Vicki has invited 13 of her closest girlfriends to her house to learn how to make three Christmas desserts. If we all don't slip into diabetic comas, it should be a BLAST! I spent this past weekend making pounds of dark chocolate ganache for truffles:

Five batches of cookie dough for chocolate crinkle cookies:

Oh, and a peppermint roll or two:

Each attendee pays a set fee (for this class it is $20 for a 2-hours) and will take home everything they make, plus the recipes for them to use again in the future!

You guys, I am really excited about this. And a little nervous. But I keep reminding myself that it is just food and messes can always be cleaned up. It is the connecting, sharing, teaching, encouraging, eating and laughing that I can't wait begin. Truly, I think I could have been made to do this.

If you are interested in having a get-together or a party or even a few friends over who want to learn how to make something delectable, give me a shout. I still have a few available dates before Christmas or we can schedule something for the new year! You can reach me at gourmetgirltogo@gmail.com.

And just in case you are still hesitant about my skills or overall general knowledge about anything, my Aunt Marge gave me her approval and has even asked to be my sous chef. If she didn't live 500 miles away, I would totally bring her with me everywhere I go. And she would be happy to set you up on a date if you are currently single.

It would be like a buy-one/get-one sort of deal.