#57: Have monthly sleepovers with Erin & Seamus - Part 1

Task #57: Have monthly sleepovers with Erin & Seamus
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 7/23/11

July sleepover survived.  On Friday after work, I picked up my niece Erin and my nephew Seamus for a sleepover at my place.  Our evening started with a trip to Giant Eagle to get all of the necessary ingredients for making our own pizza.  At home, we started the assembly - I laid out the sauce and tomatoes (fresh from the garden) while Seamus layered the pepperoni and Erin put on all the cheese.  Erin said that she wanted to try something new on her pizza - so we picked some fresh basil from the garden (see below) - both sweet basil and dark opal basil.  In 25 minutes we had a delicious dinner.  Then we headed to Regal Cinema at Crocker Park to catch Harry Potter 2.  Yes, Harry Potter 2, which Seamus and Erin loved.  Our night ended with a much needed trip to cool off at Mitchells with their coffee and peanut butter chocolate ice creams.  Breakfast this morning was homemade blueberry muffins right out of the oven, enjoyed while watching Spongebob Squarepants.  We had a great time together and I look forward to our August adventures.

#13. Take a Cooking Class

Task #13: Take a Cooking Class
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 7/19/11

I've completed my first task today - my dad and I took the trek out to Chesterland, Ohio to attend a gelato making class at the Paganini Cooking School.  The name of the class was sort of a misnomer - we didn't only learn to make gelato. We learned how to make sorbet, granita, ice cream, gelato, chocolate mousse, fudgesicles, pizzelles and more.  And the best part of making all these things?  We got to taste everything (more than once!) - chocolate hazelnut gelato, pistachio gelato, strawberry ice cream, vanilla ice cream, lemon sorbet, coffee granita.  Our class was headed by Loretta Paganini herself, an amazingly interesting and stunning woman who captures your attention and teaches you in a way that you don't even realize you are being taught.  Rather, she makes you feel like you are just old friends catching up in her kitchen while she happens to whip up fantastic desserts effortlessly.  Dad and I even volunteered to make the pistachio gelato together in front of the class, we make quite a team, he and I.