Happy Spring!

Alas, spring is here! We couldn't have started off the spring season without one last reminder that winter wasn't over yet. Last Thursday, we received about 5-7 inches of snow. It was pretty, but made for an annoying commute on Friday morning. The good thing about snow storms this time of year is that it all melts away quickly. By Saturday there was little trace of the storm that blew through.

We started off the weekend with music class. Miss Kelly is back and we couldn't be happier - the class was packed! It was wonderful, complete with bubbles and stamps. Ian's favorite!

After class we met Maggie at our house and headed to Ft. Collins to watch Casey compete in the NACUFS Culinary Challenge. He represnted the University of Colorado - Boulder at the 2010 Continental & Pacific Region Conference and Culinary Challenge. He has been preparing for months and it was finally time to show off his skills!

This conference is held all over the region each year, so we were fortunate that this year it was so close to home. Each year they have a main ingredient that is to be showcased and this year it was Portobello Mushroom, all the competitors are aware of the ingredient ahead of time. Back in January, Casey had to compete against 2 of his peers to gain the spot at the competition. His winning recipe was Portobello Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Vegetables sweetened three ways. Not only are you judged on your food, but also your overall skills in the preparation of the dish. There were 12 competitors this year - he was joined by chefs from CSU, Oregon State University, Stanford, South Dakota University, San Diego State and University of California - Berkeley...just to name a few. The event was held on the CSU campus in the Ram's Horn facility. It was so fun to watch him in action (way more fun than watching me coordinate benefits, trust me)! We enjoyed cheering him on and were nervously awaiting the announcement, which didn't come until late Saturday evening.

Casey came in second place! He scored a silver medal and a gift card. Not bad for his first competition. The winner hailed from CSU, so it was kind of cool that he could win on his home turf and it was the university's first win. I am sure this will be the first of many competitions for Casey. All of his hard work paid off and we couldn't be more proud of him!

Maggie did an awesome job being my photog at the event, as well as, helping me rangle in a 2 year old on the loose! Thanks, Maggie. Below is a slideshow of the event. Enjoy!