When I think of a luxurious hotel, I always think of the “Four Seasons”. I have never actually stayed a Four Seasons hotel (until now), but I have visited many. When I was traveling in Milan this summer, I visited the Four Seasons Milan. Trust me. If I ever get the opportunity to go to Milan again, I will definitely want to stay there. The closest Four Seasons hotel to me is The Four Seasons Atlanta. So, when I heard about their “Holiday How-To Classes”, I put it on my to-do list. The Saturday afternoon 1 1/2 hour class was packed with great food and recipes, entertaining ideas and even new friends.

The class started with Executive Chef, Robert Gerstenecker, teaching us how to make Candied Pecans with only 3 ingredients. So easy and so good…

Chef Gerstenecker shared recipes that that make entertaining easy. He taught us how to prepare several crostini appetizers such as Pimiento Cheese, Chicken Liver Pate and a creative Red Pepper Dip. He demonstrated how to make Homemade Cheese Crackers which are only 5 ingredients (I couldn’t stop eating them).

He also proved that Kale Chips are so easy to make and delicious. Most of the women at my table had not tried kale chips before and were hooked.

Next, The Four Seasons Mixologist, Matthew Buckly, demonstrated how to make some holiday cocktails. Oh darn!

The Candy Cane Martini demonstration was hugely popular. (I’m so glad he gave us the recipe.)

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Floral Designer, James Hurley, gave us a flower arranging 101. I need this desperately. We learned how to create the napkin holder (top picture above), how to make individual place cards with fresh herbs and raffia, and how to make a pretty table arrangement. We turned this (below)

into this (below).

When the class was over, I explored the hotel. Since it was too cold outside, I found the perfect spot for relaxation or a workout. This indoor pool was was the perfect place to warm up.

And who wouldn’t want to step into this this jacuzzi?

The Four Seasons Atlanta also is equipped with a great workout facility, and the locker rooms were fully equipped with sauna, steam and everything you could ever need.

The Four Seasons Atlanta is located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta right near Piedmont Park, The Atlanta Botanical Gardens, The Georgia Aquarium, The High Museum of Art, The Fox Theater, World of Coca Cola and more. Since I needed to do some holiday shopping, I headed over to Atlantic Station which is an incredible venue for families with great stores so close by. The Four Seasons Atlanta is a truly special big city family destination or a great couples getaway.

I love doing fun cooking activities with the kids, and my daughter, Leigh, and I have been researching fun ideas on how to decorate Halloween cupcakes. We asked one of her very best (and very talented) friends, Eloise, to come join the fun and to spend the afternoon decorating Halloween cupcakes. We gathered some of our favorite Halloween ingredients, and the two of them went to work (with none of my help). This is so easy for anyone to do. Just start by baking your own favorite cupcake recipe, or save time by picking up store-bought ones that aren’t already iced. Then, purchase some of your favorite candy along with some Betty Crocker Icing.

The kids were very focused and worked carefully on each cupcake. They helped each other and researched designs on the internet before starting.

Leigh licked her fingers on just a few occasions. Eloise said, “Someone might actually eat these.” It was so funny and adorable.

Eloise has been one of Leigh’s best friends since preschool. She is so creative, methodical and precise (and quite photogenic, as well).

What a smile. This is what cooking with kids is truly all about.

For the skeleton (pictured below) Eloise took a regular size marshmallow for the head and Betty Crocker icing for the body. For the eyes, she used “Reese’s Pieces“. For the mouth, she used chocolate icing. If you have some Tic-Tacs, they work great for the legs and arms instead of icing.

For Rest in Peace Cupcake (below), Eloise used the vanilla half of a “Head and Tails Oreos” for the headstone and Betty Crocker Orange Decorating Gel for the lettering. The remainder was made with chocolate sprinkles on top of white icing.

For the Monster Mouth Cupcakes (see below), Leigh used white and yellow  Betty Crocker Icing and Reese’s Pieces for the eyes.

Leigh was very proud of this Candy Corn Cupcake (below). She used Betty Crocker yellow and white icing and candy corns for decoration. These were a hit for sure! My dog, Latte, even stole one when we weren’t looking, and he even ate the cupcake paper too…ooops.

What a fun afternoon with the kids. I hope we have given you some fun and creative ideas for Halloween.

When I was coming up with recipe ideas for my “Healthy Baking Cooking Class” for kids, I knew I needed to be creative and offer a few no-bake items since there was only going to be one large oven. These No-Bake Granola Bars were a huge hit! They have wonderful, kid-friendly and healthy ingredients, and adults as well as kids, love them. Feel free to use any of your favorite dried fruits, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc. Enjoy, but beware: they are very addictive!

Over spring break (I can’t believe it has been a month), I had the ultimate pleasure and honor to teach my “Healthy Baking for Kid’s Cooking Class” at Studio B in Alys Beach. It was such a wonderful experience in an incredible venue, Studio B, located at the most beautiful beach in the country, Alys Beach. We had originally planned for 15 kids, but when 24 arrived, we didn’t turn them away. We made all types of wonderful healthy baked (and no bake) treats. I will feature some on the blog this coming week. Below, is a shot of some of my hometown Birmingham friend’s children who attended and some other shots taken from the class by the talented, Colleen Duffley, owner of Studio B.

Sorry I have been so out of touch. I have been preparing for the “Kids Healthy Baking” Cooking class at Studio B in Alys Beach, Florida all last week. The class was yesterday, and we had 24 kids-huge success! Back to the grind now, but not yet. Since I had the best margarita ever today with wonderful company at Caliza Pool in Alys Beach, I thought I would share a recipe for easy Empanadas that are low-fat (85 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving), easy and delicious! Here’s to incredible surroundings!

I’m very excited about the upcoming cooking class at Studio B in Alys Beach. It’s almost full, so if you’re interested act fast and send me an email. I will be teaching “Healthy Baking for Kids and the Secret Ingredient”. We will be using Greek yogurt, Gluten-free brown rice cereal, mashed bananas, Gluten-free, organic candy, peanut butter and more create incredible confections for kids!