Cocktail and Appetizer Pairing - May 4, 2018

Ruth hosted a team challenge for our May 4th Cocktails and Appetizers pairing. Teams were chosen at random with choice of cocktail and appetizer left up to individual teams.

• Team #1 - Vicky & Daryl
• Team #2 - Susie & Kelly
• Team #3 - Pam & Christy
• Team #4 -  Ruth & Cathy
• Team #5 - Carole & Debbie
• Team #6 - Judy & Connie

Laying out the food for our tasting event!

Team
Team #4 -  Ruth & Cathy
An homage to Cinco de Mayo
Fruit Sangria paired with shrimp ceviche and chips

LtoR - Ruth and Cathy
Delicious drink and appy ladies!

Team #2 - Susie & Kelly
It's also time for the Kentucky Derby
Mint Juleps and mini Hot Browns
Good thing those mint juleps were small!

LtoR - Kelly and Susie
"They say that you may always know the grave of a Virginian as, from the quantity of
julep he has drunk, mint invariably springs up where he has been buried."
~ Frederick Marryat, 1839 ~

Team #6 - Judy & Connie
Prosecco served in gold rimmed glasses paired with
Guave and Cheese bites with a drizzle of honey and a savory cracker combo

LtoR - Judy and Connie
Winning combination!

LtoR - Pam and Christy
Team #3 - Pam & Christy
Where is the cocktail?
It's combined in the dessert!

LtoR - Pam and Christy
Christy has lots of practice as a food demonstrator at Costco
See how practiced she looks?

LtoR - Daryl and Vicky
Team #1 - Vicky & Daryl
Kalimotxo (red wine and cola) cocktail served with white chocolate dipped strawberries
Rumor has it there was plenty of taste tests the week prior to the event!

Carole and Debbie (not pictured)
Carole flew (aka drove really fast) in from San Diego just in time for the event - what dedication!

Blackberry Merlot served with blackberry tartlettes
Delish!

LtoR - Christy and Kelly waiting on some more cocktails?

Kelly is all smiles!
This might have been AFTER all the cocktail tasting!

The winners!
LtoR - Susie, Kelly, Connie and Cathy
Well done ladies!

Pimp My Wine Bottle - April 6, 2018

If I Ever Go Missing, I Would
Like My Photo On Wine Bottles.
That Way My WWW Girlfriends
Will Know To Look For Me!

Christy hosted our April gathering at her house. In preparation for our event, she asked everyone to drop off a wine bottle for slumping. Some chose normal sized wine bottles but there were a few over-achievers in the group!

Lunch is served!

Ten ladies were able to attend for a fabulous Mexican Salad in an edible bowl with chips, salsa and guacamole. Ladies could choose flavored Margaritas or wine to imbibe. After the hard work of crafting our wine bottles Christy served a delicious chocolate layered cake with chocolate dipped strawberries. Yum!

 Christy is the hostess with the mostess - cutting our her own wine themed chips!
Take THAT Martha Stewart!

LtoR - Vicky, Judy, Christy, Pam and Carole

Judy with TWO margaritas! Doesn't look like she plans to share!

LtoR - Carole, Cathy, Ruth, Christy, Daryl, Kelly, Vicky, Judy and Pam
Is Ruth collecting her own souvenir?
Better check her purse at the door!
Wait! Where's Connie?!

LtoR - Carole, Cathy, Ruth, Christy, Daryl, Kelly, Vicky, Judy and Pam
Make sure to get our good sides Ron (Vicky's hubby & occasional photographer)!

After our scrumptious lunch we retired to Christy's patio and got busy. Christy supplied tools, wire, beads in addition to wine charms that we also decorate to take home.

LtoR - Connie, Kelly, Christy, Ruth and Pam
Hard at decorating those bottles!

The finished bottles
They all turned out so pretty!

Vicky is the Queen of swirls and curls on her bottle!
We all wanted hers!

After our hard work we enjoyed a chocolate layer cake with strawberries.

Thank you for a fun afternoon Christy!

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo - March 2, 2018

Whatever Zola wants, Zola gets...

The sun and warmer weather finally arrived for our trip at the zoo. There were 10 ladies who attended the event, hosted by Daryl. We were greeted at the gate by our private guide. We had three stops on our tour: feed meal worms to the anteater, pet a rhino and feed carrots to the giraffes. The giraffes were the most attentive animals while Yebonga, the rhino took a nap and Zola, the anteater, could barely take her mind off the male in the next enclosure.

BUT the elephants made our day!

After enjoying the zoo, we made our way to Congress Street for lunch at The Hub. Sandwiches and salads the size of platters. Lots of to go boxes!

LtoR - Pam, Susie, Ruth, Daryl, Kelly, Judy, Carole, Debbie, Connie
Photo opportunity at the entrance to the zoo.

LtoR - Pam, Susie, Ruth, Vicky, Kelly, Judy, Carole, Debbie, Connie

Aldabra Tortoise grazin' in the grass

Mr. Handsome...hey big fella!

Yebonga, the Rhino was one of our stops on our tour. She wasn't about to rouse herself from her nap to come over for a pat from a group of strange ladies. At 45 years of age, she preferred to nap. On the first great weather day for about a week, who would blame her?

Yebonga, the Rhino taking a nap

An endangered Speke’s gazelle housed in the same enclosure as the Rhino. The Speke's gazelle is the smallest type of gazelle. One was buy butting his head against a branch. Preparing for the summer games?

Speke’s gazelle

Connie feeding a carrot to a Giraffe. No kissing for Connie!

Ruth tries her hand at carrot feeding.

Judy's Giraffe really wants that carrot!
A giraffe’s L-O-N-G tongue (18 to 20 inches) is black.
Some scientists think this helps keep the tongue from getting sunburned.

Finally! Zola came to a gate in her enclosure for some meal worms. She was very busy thinking about her boyfriend in the next pen to even come close enough to our group the first time through so we tried again. Carole feeding meal worms to her new friend.

Carole feeding meal worms to Zola

Kelly is a country girl at heart.
Look at the pro at work!
Animal trainer material!

After our private tour we congregated at the elephant enclosure and were treated to the baby elephant's mud bath.

Five elephants arrived from San Diego Zoo Safari Park in February, 2012.  Mabu is a mature male; Semba and Lungile are mature females.  Punga (son of Mabu and Semba) was born in 2007, and Sundzu (son of Mabu and Semba) was born in 2010. A baby female elephant, Nandi (daughter of Mabu and Semba), the first born in Arizona, was born at 10:55 p.m. on August 20, 2014.

Reid Park Zoo's 13,000 pound bull elephant, Mabu, returned to the zoo's herd earlier in February after a two-year stay in San Diego for breeding purposes.

Thanks to Kelly who took the following footage of baby Nandi taking a mud bath!

One of Reid Park Zoo's two tigers. So glorious looking.

Debbie as a giraffe. Thankfully no one had a carrot in their hand!

Susie as a Heffalump...sans mud bath!

Lunch at The Hub was de-lish! Ready to go back and try some of their ice cream!

LtoR - Susie, Pam Carole, Debbie, Connie

LtoR - Daryl, Kelly, Ruth, Judy