The Parks...

Sorry for the delay in blogging...we've been out of reach from the world with cell phone reception, internet, even TV...so here are some more pictures from Swan Valley, Idaho...one of our favorite places so far...it was absolutely beautiful this time of year with the leaves changing, and it wasn't very crowded...

The snake river...



Snowing on the ranch in the morning...



Will fishing...it was cold...I don't think it got above 50 degrees and it was windy, but such an awesome experience!



Casting...hoping to get a fish!



Idaho was incredibly beautiful, and the ranch we stayed on was so wonderful...we even survived without TV for 3 whole days! Haha...before we went fishing in Idaho we visited Yellowstone National Park for a day and then had dinner in Jackson Hole...we had a great time at the park, it was cold of course, but a beautiful morning until it rained in the afternoon. Here are some pics from the park:







A coyote...



Old Faithful...



We were traveling our way through the park going South, and on our way towards Jackson Hole, we went through Teton National Park too. The weather had taken a turn at that point, but here are some pics from that park.







And a moose!!

Potato Country...

We've been in Idaho for 3 nights now, and it's wonderful! I've found another favorite state of mine...here is a picture of our cute little cabin we're staying at on the ranch...it's very cozy





Yes, we woke up yesterday morning and it was snowing!! It was so cold, and we were signed up to go on a float fishing trip on the Snake River...it was awesome! We both caught fish and spent the whole day on the river with a guide with it snowing off and on!!

Here is Will's fish (a white fish, which is in the trout family), his first ever while fly fishing!!



And of course, Allison got a better one (an actual trout - Brown 'Cutthroat' trout)...



But Will wins in the end because his 3 white fish he caught totally out-do Allison's one brown trout...

We did get to do some sightseeing on the float trip too. We finally got to see a bull moose!!





And we finally got a picture of that national bird...



Here some scenic pics from the river:







Idaho was great. We had such a good time there. Now we are heading North!!

Attack of the Mormons!!!

We started our journey on Saturday to Salt Lake City...after a very long drive across the state of Wyoming we finally made it to Utah!! Northern Utah is so pretty...one of my favorite states!
We went to visit the Mormon temple and took a tour to learn more about the temple...Will thought we were trying to get "saved"...it wasn't that bad...







When we left Salt Lake City, we stopped at Antelope Island, which is about 45 mins North of Salt Lake City. And guess what we found...



Here are some other scenic pictures from the island:





After our brief stop at the island, we headed on up to:



More pics to come!

Culinary School Graduate...

Yea!!! I survived my long, hard 5 weeks of culinary school and now am a graduate! Here are some pictures from our graduation on last Friday afternoon...










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John, Tyler, and Lisa came...



The kitchen at school...



Will wanted me to pose with something...my bench scraper...



Me hugging my head Chef...Chef Amy while getting my diploma, and our assistant chef to the side...Chef Adrienne...



Robin, me, and Will with my diploma!



After graduation we flew home for our friends Terrell and Coach's wedding in Wilmington, which was so fun!! Now, Will is in his last week of work. On Saturday, we are heading on a week long trip up North, passing through Utah, Idaho, and Montana. Pictures to come in a week!

Boulder News

Well...

Allison graduates from Culinary School tomorrow!



Robin's roommate here in Boulder, Christine, was stopped by a Park Ranger this afternoon while she was hiking. Apparently, a mountain lion (or Puma if you will) was seen on the Dakota Ridge Trail.



The important thing to remember, is the Dakota Ridge Trailhead is about 300 yards from our house...kinda weird...

And finally, IT'S GOING TO SNOW THIS WEEKEND!!



Too bad we will miss it...

700 lbs

That is how much butter Allison has used for all her creations...kidding, but not really. Here is a look at what the professional has been putting together over the last couple of weeks.













And yes, this is an NC State cake...





And the Final Exam!! Raspberry fruit gallete with pine nuts and powdered sugar sprinkled over with a side of chocolate mousse infused with kahlua, and a creme anglaise sauce infused with mint and fresh raspberries, and garnished with fresh mint...