If there was one word to sum up the last few days it would be- whew! We had SO much fun, but we’re also glad to be back in our own homes with our sweet families. The absolute best part of our trip was getting to meet so many of you wonderful readers! Thank you so much for coming to see us- seeing your smiling faces was the highlight of this event!
We started out with a book signing , and after showing up to the wrong store, we were thrilled to see there were actually people excited to see us at the right store! After a long day of traveling and not too much to eat, I was beyond excited when this dude walked in with a pan of warm Pao de Queijo– be still my heart! It was baked to perfection too, loved it!
Food or not, we loved seeing everyone who stopped by that night- thank you!
The next morning was a big day. Kate and I woke up way earlier than should be legal and headed over to Orson Gygi. This place is a-maz-ing. Besides having a design center for amazing custom kitchens, they have anything and everything you could possibly need and/or want.
Pans in every size
cupcake liner anyone?
Plus tons and tons of beautiful things. I could spend an entire post on Orson Gygi.
They have several demo kitchens- check out this one, where we did some of our food prep:
The best part about them is that they are stocked with 872 of everything. Take measuring cups for example:
or kitchenaids
We got right to work and started prepping food for 120 people! We couldn’t have done it without lots of help, like Cindy (L) who made tons and tons of chocolate mousse, and Leigh and Michelle (R), who chopped their hearts out. Well Michelle chopped her heart out. Leigh, what were you doing? 😉
Our amazing publicist Ashley (below, R) made all of our cheesecakes, provided breakfast, and hooked me up with eye drops so I didn’t look drugged. She’s the greatest. Seriously. She’s also a good chocolate taster apparently, along with Roberta (middle, who plans special events at DB) and Leigh, another publicist for DB.
In fact, speaking of help- do you know what happens if you show up early to attend our event and you find us still in the kitchen in our pj’s running around like crazy women trying to get everything done in time?? We put you to work. Here’s the proof.
Yes I really did that. These cute girls cut all of the bread for the Panzanella- thank you cute girls!
We had a blast cooking and chatting, and giving away prizes. It was sort of like Oprah except people got spatulas instead of cars. Okay, so nothing like Oprah.
One of the best moments of the whole day? Seriously, I still can’t believe this happened. I joke so much about my kitchen-klutz moments but never thought one would actually happen while cooking in front of people. Oh ya, never assume such things. Let me just say that the knives at Orson Gygi are sharp. Very sharp. And apparently I have trouble multi-tasking, you know like cutting and speaking.
I totally sliced my finger! hahaha I can laugh now. Fortunately it wasn’t until the afternoon class, and we had these beautiful latex gloves so the show could go on. Awesome.
We had lots of adventures signing books too.
Kate actually signed one “Happy Birthday” and it so wasn’t the person’s birthday. And me? I signed not one, but two books, “Love Kate” Apparently we lose brain cells every time we open one of those covers.
This is Brent. He makes us feel cool by following us around taking pictures. Not in an I’m-a-crazy-stalker kind of way, but rather an It’s-my-job-to-take-your-pictures-so-I-have-no-choice kind of way. We’ll take what we can get. Since he’s always behind the camera, I thought it was only fair to put him in front of it at least once!
At our last signing of the night, a sweet woman brought us 2 freshly baked loaves of sourdough bread. Really good sourdough bread. It was the end of a very long, very exhausting day and as we headed back to our hotel late at night I could think of nothing else but ripping open one of those loaves. So right before we went to our rooms (at about 10pm mind you), we stopped by the hotel restaurant and asked for… butter. The sweet hostess replied, “um, wait- what? You want butter?” Yes. Butter. She totally hooked us up with a bowl of flavored herb butter and some diet coke. She’s our new best friend. Okay, the woman who baked the bread is our new best friend, but the butter lady comes in a close second. And the awesome girls who brought us doughnuts at Orson Gygi are right up there too. As well as the Brazilian Cheese Roll guy. If you haven’t guessed yet- all you need to do to be our best friend is feed us.
The last book signing of the trip was a relaxing one, partially because we were heading straight to the airport afterward! Thanks to everyone who came to see us there- it was so fun meeting all of you. We were thrilled to meet one of our favorite bloggers, Amy, from The Idea Room. She’s actually doing a giveaway right now for one of our cook books so click here to head on over and enter! Also, one of our other fave bloggers, Maria- from Two Peas and Their Pod is doing a giveaway right now too. Click here to enter hers!
As Kate and I made it through security at the airport, bought some trinkets to take home to the kiddos, and said our goodbyes, we were surprised to turn and see this window display at the airport bookstore- how fitting! A quick cell phone pic from a passer-by and we were on our way.
If you didn’t get a chance to see us this time around, we’ll be back in SLC the first weekend of April for Deseret Book’s “Ladies Night” and then at BYU for Women’s Conference at the end of April. We also have events in both Boise and Seattle coming up. We hope to see more of you then!
Lastly- congrats to the winners of our own cook book giveaway! Random.org picked lucky numbers 1063 (Katie) and 1814 (Carolyn Stock) winners have been contacted!
And yes- we’re actually going to post a recipe this week, so stay tuned!
Questions & Reviews
I’m so jealous! I’m way out in Upstate NY so I missed all the fun, but it sounds awesome! To make myself feel better, I’m hosting an Our Best Bites party in which everyone will have to make something from your site and I’ll show off my new (unsigned) cookbook. It’ll be awesome!
Mindy, HOW FUN!!! It would probably be weird for me to have my own Our Best Bites party, right?! 🙂
Kate, Not at all! You haven’t done that yet? You deserve a party with all the food you love! But if it’s too weird you’re welcome to come to mine. Have any plans to come to Palmyra, NY?
Are you coming to Southern California?
Ladies Night @ Deseret Book!? I am so there! Can’t wait to get my very own signed copy of your book! 🙂
congratulations on all your success, girls! enjoy and keep up the good work!
I am just glad you didn’t mention that the girls who brought you donuts were a bunch of crazies! 😉 Thanks again so much for such a fabulous day – you guys are so cute and fun. I have been dreaming about the chicken cacciatore and PB cheesecakes ever since.
YAY! Love it! So fun to be in a post… AND I’m thrilled that everything went so well this weekend!! Love you both!
Wow! It looks like you had so much fun! Minus the accident with the finger of course! Would love to have been there. The bread looks so wonderful……….I’m drooling! Can’t wait to find your new book!
I’m so happy you guys are going to be at Women’s Conference! Now I’m looking forward to it even more. 🙂
I was so heart broken I didn’t get to go to the Orson Gigi event. I wanted to attend with all my young girl heart. It looked like a great blast and I am sure you guys made it so entertaining!
Are you thinking of doing another one? Maybe in the summer? I would totally love it!
Thanks for coming to Utah and for creating such a great book!
My mom still is raving about your coconut chicken…I actually tried it with shrimp the following night. L-O-V-E-D it!
You’re amazing ladies!
It was my sisters book you signed Happy Birthday! LOL Loved meeting you both. Youre both amazing women!! My daughter and I are making beignets right now
On a trip to Deseret Book today to get my daughter her first set of scriptures (sigh) I grabbed my copy of your cookbook! I ripped into it before even checking out! I’m drooling over practically every recipe. We made it about two blocks down the road before my sister in law went back to get a copy of her own! Pretty much every page has a post-it for a must try recipe. I can’t wait to get back to good ol’ AZ to start cooking! Thank you!!!
It was a pleasure to meet you both, thank you for the opportunity!!! Great news about your BYU Women’s Conference booking, I’d love to make it there to see you again 🙂 Thanks for sharing all your incredible recipes and ideas. You’ve accomplished that amazing balance of recipes/meals that are achievable and completely yummy, truly a talent and gift! Thank You!!
If you were to submit an appetizer and dessert for a church cookoff, what (based off of your recipes on the site) would you submit? I love the site, thanks for sharing!
You just made my day knowing you’re coming to Seattle! My sister has now asked me to get her a cookbook and get it signed when you come! Can’t wait. P.S. I made the French Dip sandwiches last night for dinner, after the very first bite my husband said, “Oh, this is good!” 🙂
I just purchased your cookbook at Costco this weekend. I have loved your site and recipes, so THANK YOU so much for making a cookbook! It will now be my go to cookbook. Congrats on all your success and for helping moms out there become better mothers by providing and sharing so many wonderful meals to feed to our families. Thank you!!
That “sweet bread lady” would be my darling friend Marisa! Doesn’t she make the best darn bread around? (And lucky me – I get to buy a loaf (or three) every Friday!) It was so fun to meet you girls! Glad you survived the week!
ooh thank you Jessica, her name slipped my mind! You’re so lucky you get to buy that every week. I need to live closer!
hiw funny! I was just going to comment that you need to come to the bay area, since I missed your utah dates by a week, and I click over to the comments and see that another bay area heather just beat me to it! Love your book girls! Made the appetizer meatballs last night for dinner. Fauxtisserie chicken is next!
PLEASE make a visit out to nothern california!! Specifically the Bay Area!!
That store looks like it’s the second best heaven!!
The two of you are so blessed. Such fun reading about your book launch and trip. Any plans to come to Southern California in the near future? Congratulations to the both of you!
SOOO excited to hear that you will be coming to Seattle. My cookbook will be all worn and used with splatters all over it by then. Hope I can still get it signed:-) I just did a week of “Our Best Bites” cooking over on my very small and lame blog if you want to take a peek! 3 posts all inspired by YOU!
http://frannykatescreativestate.blogspot.com/2011/02/cooking-plan.html
http://frannykatescreativestate.blogspot.com/2011/02/cookie-break-through.html
http://frannykatescreativestate.blogspot.com/2011/03/recipe-reviews.html
So so fun! So glad I could be a part of it. Great to finally meet you Kate! Sara, so awesome to see you. It was a fun day and you gals were amazing. As always.
Please, please, please post info about your upcoming gig in Seattle. That’s my neck of the woods, and I would love to see you!
As soon as we know, we’ll let you know Sarah! I’m thinking it will be some time in May, but we’ll let you know as soon as we have details!
Looks like fun. I am so glad you mentioned a book signing in Boise. I am anxiously waiting for more details about it. I can’t wait to go!
Just wanted you to know that I am sad I didn’t make the book signing, but I utilized your cookbook all weekend! I absolutely love it! I think I may have sold a few for you by leaving on my counter with lots of company over! It is beautiful and everyone was ooooing and awwwing over every recipe! Congratulations!
Love your new look and the colors are hip and stylish. I’m a huge fan! But the blue and the orange print is difficult for some of us “old gals” to read! (Well, i didn’t think I was THAT old until I had trouble reading those colors!)
Not going to lie — I was a little afraid of the kitchen at first. I’m soooo not a chef, but after watching everyone having so much fun in the kitchen with you, I quickly tossed out my inhibitions and got right to work.
Thanks for a great party on Friday!
P.S. That chocolate mousse was to die for!
It was so fun to meet you! Thanks for signing all my books and not putting “Happy Birthday” on them. I was laughing about that — totally something I would’ve done!
I’d love to see an “Events” section on your website. Maybe just on the sidebar, if you don’t think you’ll always have events coming up? Just a quick glance and I know when you’ll be somewhere near me! 🙂
It really looks like you had a fabulous times! So happy for you girls!! and I think the lady with the bread and the other one with diet cokes and butter would have been my best friends too! (who can’t love a good bread and yummy butter?!)
I’m so glad for all the pictures… makes those of us who couldn’t be there, feel like we were there with you guys!
I’m glad you had such a fun time!
That store and bread look amazing!! Sounds like such fun. Congrats on your new book!