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Dwight and Harvey putting slip covers on the chairs
Rose & Harvey
Olives, Dates, a pear & Cambezol cheese
Wine being aerated through a Vinturi , this helps the aeration process. plus it fun!
people stopping to take our picture and chat with us.
as Dwight serves us, more people stop to watch (notice man in background)
more hikers stopping to talk and take photos
Details, such as napkin ring holders help set the ambiance
Salmon and dill sauce
Hikers coming down into canyon, crossing over the small bridge and river . If you could see their faces when they saw us, It was priceless !
A man stops with his dog to watch us, notice his dog peeking over the rock.
Lemon sorbet served in hand blown Muron0 a desert bowls
Dwight blocking the sun for Harvey . I did mention it was HOT !
I pod playing classical music
We all agreed it was a fabulous meal and a memorable day!
This was photographed from the car window as we were leaving the state park.
All images on Copyright. Please do not copy.
“D ” is for dinning….. the ultimate dinning experience on a dime
How it all got started.
When my close friends think of me one of the first things to come to mind is one word: entertainment. I love to entertain and challenge myself with inventive ideas. Having an enthusiastic attitude toward life and friendship, and an artistic brain that is always on the prowl to impress and bring flavor in the my professional world as well as everyday life.
I hope to demonstrate the wonderful things that can be added to your life if you just let your mind flow. “D” is for dinning is proof that you can take an everyday thing and turn it into something original and memorable for you and the people closest to you and at a very minimal investment.
“D” is for dinning was formerly produced as a way for me and my best friend and darling husband of twenty years Dwight to experience dating in a new fun, romantic, and unique style. We had decided that since we have lived Colorado for 18 years and have seen so little of it, we decided we would choose spots all around Colorado, from the snow capped mountains, to our own backyard , and shape our dates to not only enjoy our time together but also to explore the beautiful scenery that we forget about and take for granted.
After coming up with the “dinning on location” concept I added a few more caveats to our dates. It would have to be in a “fine dinning” manner instead of the simple picnic style, so of course the presentation had to be impeccable to make the vibe equal to being in the finest of restaurants. That meant: No plastic cups, plates, or utensils. Instead we use slip covers on all the chairs that we would bring with us a linen table cloth for the table that also would be in tow. Everyday dishes would be forbidden .It had to be top notch.
There was one more decree to making everything complete and that would be to make the meal for under $10.00 per person. Although we were essentially going for the 5 star restaurant appeal, we didn’t want the price range to be the same as a high end restaurant. It all has to be inexpensive to keep the flare going about basically dinning on a dime.
The first “D” is for dining Location:
I chose to do our first “D” is for dinning, in a canyon. We would have to hike down to the floor of the canyon so we could set up next to the river. My darling Dwight was not so sure of this; after all it is quite a hike down, and even more so going back up! I had to admit, this was going to be a challenging location, I asked him how many people do you know that would challenge this hike with table, chairs, dishes, etc. to have dinner? He had to admit, no one we knew! nor had we ever seen anyone do this. It is common to see people with paper sacks and their lunches but not to the degree of presentation I was proposing, this is what would make this memorable. He agreed to do this location ONCE!
I was sharing the concept of “D” is for dinning with my friends, and to my surprise they were very excited about this concept and expressed a desire to join us, so we invited them. I explained the ground rules for our dinning experiences: the max $ amount we could spend, and what the table presentation would consist of.
The menu:
1. We agreed that Baked Salmon with Dill sauce would hold up great considering the temperature would be in the 80s F. and we would have no way to cook it on location.
2. Red baby potatoes with baked with Olive oil, rubbed in garlic and Rosemary sprinkled with a dash of Sea salt.
3. Hours devour; a variety of large olives, 1 pear sliced and served with a Cambezol cheese and a handful of Dates.
4. Drinks: Red wine (St. Francis), White wine, and sparking water.
5. Desert: Lemon Sorbet
6. Music: I pod with classical music serenading us.
Our experience:
As we set up our tables and chairs for our dining experience, the blazing heat came forth making it a little more challenging to get the job done. With Dwight and Harvey in charge of putting the slip covers onto the chairs, Rose setting up the table and food, and me in charge of the music and photography we managed to make the best of setting up our lunch; rising temperatures and all.
When pondering where we should hold this extravagant "D" is for dinning experiment, we came across a public state park that was so outstandingly beautiful it became apparent that that's where the location would be. Aware of the attention we would gather from the people hiking through the canyon, we weren't prepared for the wonderful and entertaining response of the hikers traveling through the canyon, and the result definitely shocked us.
The first on-looker stopped and asked: "Is this for a magazine cover?" but it did not end there. There were several questions that poured in from all the other curious hiker's such as: Did someone get married? What helicopter dropped you into the canyon? Can we take your photo? Because no one will believe what we are seeing! Other people told us what an inspiration we were, some stopped and stared in disbelief, meanwhile some carried on conversations with us at the beginning of their hike and at the end of it. Not only did I take many pictures of us, but I also ended up taking an equal amount of people taking pictures of us!
When our dining experience came to a close we each agreed that it was a complete blast and that if we were in a restaurant we would have never spent this many hours enjoying each other's company. It not only would have been a noisy environment, but it would have had several interruptions by the wait staff doing their job; not to mention our tab would have amounted close to $300.00 keeping in mind ours was less than $40.00.for all four of us!
We created so many great memories together that Rose and Harvey couldn't resist sharing with their friends the amazing time they had with Dwight and I. Their friends became so enthused at the idea that they too share their desire to join in on future "D" is for dinning outings.
The small idea that I had took on a mind of it's own and branched itself off making it much more popular. In the beginning it was intended for just my husband and I, which turned into four of us, which then turned into twelve, and now we are on our fourth one which will hold around 36 people! I would have added more to the list but I simply do not have enough room to hold anyone else, but they too will get their turn to join in the fun as many more gatherings lie ahead.
As the saying goes, "pictures are worth a thousand words" I will be posting images and details from each event so as to bring my experiences from me and my friends, to you and your friends.
The Benefits:
The way we have designed this makes it financially viable for anyone regardless of how much money you make or for that matter, how little! In fact it has been proven that the less money spent the more fun everyone has. It is about connecting with your family and friends, creating ta plethora of memories that you can hold dear to your heart for a lifetime and it is about pushing your creativity to a whole new level; teaching yourself how to think outside the box.
A FUN CONTEST WE INVITE YOU TO PARTAKE IN
“D” is for dinning … the ultimate dinning experience on a dime
About one every six weeks we will hold out a challenge to you! This will in turn inspire others, so it is the gift that keeps growing. and you get to be a part of it!
January 2009 Challenge.
Two categories to compete in;
The first is the $10.00 and under per person dinning experience.
The second: $20.00 and under per person dinning experience
Regardless of which category you choose, the food and entertainment, including fresh flowers etc.the expense per person cannot exceed the amount in the category you are competing in. We will not take into consideration the table linens and plates & eating utensils..
The dinner taking place must within the month the competition is being held.
Proof of this would be a newspaper with the date on it being held by a guest.
Remember this is a FINE DINNING experience not a picnic... Use your creativity, step it up top notch!
You will be judged on creativity, location, ambiance, and food choices…
Please provide us with your menu, & photos... The name of the location along with brief story of why you chose the area, and the response from your guest...
This is to be a FUN contest. The goal is to get connected with our family and friends, having a unique dinning opportunity all while keeping expense LOW and the fun HIGH!
The contest will run throughout the month of January.The winner will be showcased the first week of February ..
THE PRIZE. A signed “13 x 19” limited edition Fine Art flower print. by international photographer , DEANNA URS , Value $175.00
Deanna’s flowers were just featured in a national Photography magazine “Range Finder” in the October 2008 FINE ART EDITION.
These prints have been sold in art galleries in Laguna Beach California, New Port Beach CA. , Fat Tail gallery and Dens Gallery, Denver Colorado. They will also be show cased in a new book that is due to be published early 2009. You can see a sample at http://www.deannarurs.com/
“D ” is for dinning….. the ultimate dinning experience on a dime
How it all got started.
When my close friends think of me one of the first things to come to mind is one word: entertainment. I love to entertain and challenge myself with inventive ideas. Having an enthusiastic attitude toward life and friendship, and an artistic brain that is always on the prowl to impress and bring flavor in the my professional world as well as everyday life.
I hope to demonstrate the wonderful things that can be added to your life if you just let your mind flow. “D” is for dinning is proof that you can take an everyday thing and turn it into something original and memorable for you and the people closest to you and at a very minimal investment.
“D” is for dinning was formerly produced as a way for me and my best friend and darling husband of twenty years Dwight to experience dating in a new fun, romantic, and unique style. We had decided that since we have lived Colorado for 18 years and have seen so little of it, we decided we would choose spots all around Colorado, from the snow capped mountains, to our own backyard , and shape our dates to not only enjoy our time together but also to explore the beautiful scenery that we forget about and take for granted.
After coming up with the “dinning on location” concept I added a few more caveats to our dates. It would have to be in a “fine dinning” manner instead of the simple picnic style, so of course the presentation had to be impeccable to make the vibe equal to being in the finest of restaurants. That meant: No plastic cups, plates, or utensils. Instead we use slip covers on all the chairs that we would bring with us a linen table cloth for the table that also would be in tow. Everyday dishes would be forbidden .It had to be top notch.
There was one more decree to making everything complete and that would be to make the meal for under $10.00 per person. Although we were essentially going for the 5 star restaurant appeal, we didn’t want the price range to be the same as a high end restaurant. It all has to be inexpensive to keep the flare going about basically dinning on a dime.
The first “D” is for dining Location:
I chose to do our first “D” is for dinning, in a canyon. We would have to hike down to the floor of the canyon so we could set up next to the river. My darling Dwight was not so sure of this; after all it is quite a hike down, and even more so going back up! I had to admit, this was going to be a challenging location, I asked him how many people do you know that would challenge this hike with table, chairs, dishes, etc. to have dinner? He had to admit, no one we knew! nor had we ever seen anyone do this. It is common to see people with paper sacks and their lunches but not to the degree of presentation I was proposing, this is what would make this memorable. He agreed to do this location ONCE!
I was sharing the concept of “D” is for dinning with my friends, and to my surprise they were very excited about this concept and expressed a desire to join us, so we invited them. I explained the ground rules for our dinning experiences: the max $ amount we could spend, and what the table presentation would consist of.
The menu:
1. We agreed that Baked Salmon with Dill sauce would hold up great considering the temperature would be in the 80s F. and we would have no way to cook it on location.
2. Red baby potatoes with baked with Olive oil, rubbed in garlic and Rosemary sprinkled with a dash of Sea salt.
3. Hours devour; a variety of large olives, 1 pear sliced and served with a Cambezol cheese and a handful of Dates.
4. Drinks: Red wine (St. Francis), White wine, and sparking water.
5. Desert: Lemon Sorbet
6. Music: I pod with classical music serenading us.
Our experience:
As we set up our tables and chairs for our dining experience, the blazing heat came forth making it a little more challenging to get the job done. With Dwight and Harvey in charge of putting the slip covers onto the chairs, Rose setting up the table and food, and me in charge of the music and photography we managed to make the best of setting up our lunch; rising temperatures and all.
When pondering where we should hold this extravagant "D" is for dinning experiment, we came across a public state park that was so outstandingly beautiful it became apparent that that's where the location would be. Aware of the attention we would gather from the people hiking through the canyon, we weren't prepared for the wonderful and entertaining response of the hikers traveling through the canyon, and the result definitely shocked us.
The first on-looker stopped and asked: "Is this for a magazine cover?" but it did not end there. There were several questions that poured in from all the other curious hiker's such as: Did someone get married? What helicopter dropped you into the canyon? Can we take your photo? Because no one will believe what we are seeing! Other people told us what an inspiration we were, some stopped and stared in disbelief, meanwhile some carried on conversations with us at the beginning of their hike and at the end of it. Not only did I take many pictures of us, but I also ended up taking an equal amount of people taking pictures of us!
When our dining experience came to a close we each agreed that it was a complete blast and that if we were in a restaurant we would have never spent this many hours enjoying each other's company. It not only would have been a noisy environment, but it would have had several interruptions by the wait staff doing their job; not to mention our tab would have amounted close to $300.00 keeping in mind ours was less than $40.00.for all four of us!
We created so many great memories together that Rose and Harvey couldn't resist sharing with their friends the amazing time they had with Dwight and I. Their friends became so enthused at the idea that they too share their desire to join in on future "D" is for dinning outings.
The small idea that I had took on a mind of it's own and branched itself off making it much more popular. In the beginning it was intended for just my husband and I, which turned into four of us, which then turned into twelve, and now we are on our fourth one which will hold around 36 people! I would have added more to the list but I simply do not have enough room to hold anyone else, but they too will get their turn to join in the fun as many more gatherings lie ahead.
As the saying goes, "pictures are worth a thousand words" I will be posting images and details from each event so as to bring my experiences from me and my friends, to you and your friends.
The Benefits:
The way we have designed this makes it financially viable for anyone regardless of how much money you make or for that matter, how little! In fact it has been proven that the less money spent the more fun everyone has. It is about connecting with your family and friends, creating ta plethora of memories that you can hold dear to your heart for a lifetime and it is about pushing your creativity to a whole new level; teaching yourself how to think outside the box.
A FUN CONTEST WE INVITE YOU TO PARTAKE IN
“D” is for dinning … the ultimate dinning experience on a dime
About one every six weeks we will hold out a challenge to you! This will in turn inspire others, so it is the gift that keeps growing. and you get to be a part of it!
January 2009 Challenge.
Two categories to compete in;
The first is the $10.00 and under per person dinning experience.
The second: $20.00 and under per person dinning experience
Regardless of which category you choose, the food and entertainment, including fresh flowers etc.the expense per person cannot exceed the amount in the category you are competing in. We will not take into consideration the table linens and plates & eating utensils..
The dinner taking place must within the month the competition is being held.
Proof of this would be a newspaper with the date on it being held by a guest.
Remember this is a FINE DINNING experience not a picnic... Use your creativity, step it up top notch!
You will be judged on creativity, location, ambiance, and food choices…
Please provide us with your menu, & photos... The name of the location along with brief story of why you chose the area, and the response from your guest...
This is to be a FUN contest. The goal is to get connected with our family and friends, having a unique dinning opportunity all while keeping expense LOW and the fun HIGH!
The contest will run throughout the month of January.The winner will be showcased the first week of February ..
THE PRIZE. A signed “13 x 19” limited edition Fine Art flower print. by international photographer , DEANNA URS , Value $175.00
Deanna’s flowers were just featured in a national Photography magazine “Range Finder” in the October 2008 FINE ART EDITION.
These prints have been sold in art galleries in Laguna Beach California, New Port Beach CA. , Fat Tail gallery and Dens Gallery, Denver Colorado. They will also be show cased in a new book that is due to be published early 2009. You can see a sample at http://www.deannarurs.com/
The Canyon
Photos from our first dinning adventure with Dwight, Deanna, Harvey & Rose..
Dwight and Harvey putting slip covers on the chairsRose & Harvey
Olives, Dates, a pear & Cambezol cheese
Wine being aerated through a Vinturi , this helps the aeration process. plus it fun! people stopping to take our picture and chat with us.as Dwight serves us, more people stop to watch (notice man in background) more hikers stopping to talk and take photos Details, such as napkin ring holders help set the ambiance Salmon and dill sauce Hikers coming down into canyon, crossing over the small bridge and river . If you could see their faces when they saw us, It was priceless ! A man stops with his dog to watch us, notice his dog peeking over the rock.Lemon sorbet served in hand blown Muron0 a desert bowls
Dwight blocking the sun for Harvey . I did mention it was HOT ! I pod playing classical music We all agreed it was a fabulous meal and a memorable day!This was photographed from the car window as we were leaving the state park.
I will be uploading images from dinning series #2 & 3 & 4 stay posted!
Help us see how far across the world we can get this going..Send this post to your friends,
encourage them to join us and to share their photos and experiences. LETS ALL HAVE FUN!
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