Metropolitan Cooking Show

I don't think I told you what the Heela gave to me for our 5-year wedding anniversary last month, did I? Well, it was two tickets to the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show!! He knows how much I love to watch the Food Network so he thought I would enjoy it - boy, was he right! The tickets were for yesterday so one of my good girlfriends and I made the metro ride into Downtown Washington DC bright and early to get started on our day 'o' fun!

The tickets included general admission to enter the Convention Center. Once inside we could visit more than 300 exhibitors, see live cooking demonstrations and participate in numerous cooking and entertaining workshops. We walked up and down the crowded aisles sampling along the way - everything form barbeque sauces, to flavored sea salts, to toffee and chocolates, to olive oils, to cheese and lots of other yummy choices. (sorry I don't have any pictures - it was just too crowded to get any decent shots!)

My gal pal and I decided to spend an extra $25 to gain access to the Beer, Wine and Spirits Pavillion where they gave us a commemorative glass in which we could taste over 75 different wines and beers. One of my favorites was a blood orange prosecco cocktail - yum! (I admit it... I went back to that booth twice! :)

But the highlight of our day was the fact that the Heela had also splurged and bought tickets to the ~Celebrity Theater~ which meant we got to go to a one-hour presentation by none other than...



Rachael Ray!!

And then, the Fabulous....

Paula Deen!!!

SQUUUUUUUEEEEEE!!!!!!



Rachael did a fun show and made three delicious looking meals. (but I have to say she didn't seem as "nice" in person as she does on TV.) (she also looked like she got a boob job! Or had on one fabulous cleavage maker!)

Paula's show was a blast - she was so much fun. But I have to tell you, she, personally, didn't cook anything! LOL. Apparently, this is pretty common and she even said herself ... "As y'all know, I'm notorious for not actually cooking at my cooking demonstrations". She brought her husband Michael (who is so cute and talked up a storm which surprised me because he never seems to talk much on her TV show) and an assistant and they were in the back doing all the cooking while she stood up front and just talked to the audience. It was almost like a stand-up comedy act! I was a little bummed that she didn't even tell us the ingredients of what they were making in the background, but it was still so much fun as she was a total crack-up!! (and let me tell you... she's got a dirty mind! And she shares it! Loved it!! :)

I exercised some pretty good restraint and only bought from one vendor - two jars of some spicy tomato sauce imported from Italy. I plan to use some for making a yummy homemade pizza and of course some on pasta. It was soooo tasty and I know the Heela will enjoy it since he loves all things spicy!

All in all, it was a great day - so much fun with lots of good food and drink! And Paula and Rachael to boot! (yes, now that I've seen them in person, I consider us to be on a first name basis LOL). Who could ask for more?! :) 

Here I am at the end of the day... exhausted, but happy!

Big thanks to the Heela for the tickets! You rock, babe!