[caption id="attachment_5804" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Michelle &amp; Lisa"]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/P5280010.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5804" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/P5280010-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

I met Lisa Dahl, author of <strong><em><a href="http://livingdahl.com/elixir-of-life_store.html/" target="_blank">The Elixir of Life</a></em></strong> cookbook, and the inspiration behind <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/18/day-232-lusty-cooking-project-menu/" target="_blank">The Lusty Cooking Project</a></strong>!  She is Fab-u-lous.  Details to follow later in this post...

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Sis and I almost didn't make it to Sedona for the Lusty Cooking Project Grand Finale.

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About an hour into our drive up north, a highway sign alerted us to a road closure ahead.  I pulled over for a pit stop and called the <strong><a href="http://www.rockspringscafe.com/pies.html" target="_blank">Rock Springs Cafe</a></strong> about 10 miles ahead.  They confirmed that the accident was north of the cafe, and they relayed to me that the highway would reopen in about an hour and a half.

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10 miles and 45 minutes of gridlock later (bad, but it could have been so much worse), we arrived at Rock Springs, famous for their pies.  I have always wanted to stop and indulge, but I'm either in a rush to get up to Sedona or Flagstaff, or in a rush to return home.  For this particular trip, Sis and I needed a place to sit and stay awhile.

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After combing through the menu, Jennie and I decided to share the Chicken and Biscuits with fresh veggies.  I'm a sucker for homemade southern biscuits.  And the fresh veggies would make this dish healthy.

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[caption id="attachment_5801" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Did the menu say fresh veggies???"]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00411-20110528-1255.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5801" title="IMG00411-20110528-1255" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00411-20110528-1255-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

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Except that the veggies were hidden in an ocean of cream gravy.  Oopsie!

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<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Jennie's Review: </strong></span> OMG.  This is like the most amazing pot pie in the world.

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<span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Michelle's Review:</strong></span> I've never met a biscuit that I didn't like.  Where's the <del>beef</del> veggies???

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As if the biscuits didn't contain enough lard, I suggested that we have pie for dessert.  The highway wasn't cleared yet, and I believe that you cannot leave the premises of a place famous for pie without partaking.  I'm such a rule follower.

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<span style="color: #993366;"><strong>Jennie's Cherry Pie Review:</strong></span> OMG.  This is the most amazing cherry pie!

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<span style="color: #ffcc99;"><strong>Michelle's Peach Pie Review:</strong></span> Not too sweet.  Just right.  The Goldilocks of Pies.

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[caption id="attachment_5797" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The Goldilocks of Pies"]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00412-20110528-1314.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5797 " title="IMG00412-20110528-1314" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00412-20110528-1314-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

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The heavens opened, the angels sang, and the highway cleared.

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We crossed our fingers and headed for Sedona Round Two.

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We made it!  Sis and I spent a few hours walking off pie and taking in the majesty of the red rocks.

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It was then time for dinner.  (<strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/31/day-243-wine-and-dine-2011-kickoff/" target="_blank">The Wine and Dine Tour</a></strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/31/day-243-wine-and-dine-2011-kickoff/" target="_blank"> </a>is about eating our way through the weekend, after all.)

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We arrived at <strong><a href="http://www.cucinarustica.com/" target="_blank">Cucina Rustica</a></strong> which you would think translates to "Rustic Kitchen" but which actually means "A Piece of Culinary Heaven Plopped Down in Sedona, Arizona".

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Our server welcomed us with, "My name is William, and I am here to take care of you this evening."

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Oh, my, my, my -- Music to every woman's ears.  You could tell right away that this restaurant is run by a passionate woman and a real, live Italian male.

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William, we are tired, weary travelers who would love nothing more than to be taken care of.  Could we please start with a glass of Italian wine?

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<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Jennie's Review </strong></span>of <strong>2008 SUPER TUSCAN </strong>TENUTA ARGENTIERA ‘POGGIO AI GINEPRI’	<strong>BOLGHERI, ITALY </strong>:  OMG.  This is the most amazing wine!

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(You know how when siblings reunite, they often regress to a period from their childhood?  Apparently, my sister chose to revisit her "Valley Girl" stage this weekend.  OMG!  Like totally!)

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<span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Michelle's Review: </strong></span> If the wine in Tuscany tastes like this, I'll be looped every night when I'm there in September.

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<strong><span style="color: #800080;">Jennie's Meal:</span> ARAGOSTA ALLA VODKA </strong>

<strong> </strong>Linguine pasta delicately tossed with Canadian lobster meat and fresh campari tomatoes finished in a delicately spiced sublime vodka sauce

<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Jennie's Review: </strong></span> Yummmmmmm...

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<strong><span style="color: #008000;">Michelle's Meal: </span> PENNE DON QUIXOTE </strong>

<strong> </strong>Grilled chicken with sautéed mushrooms in a spicy chipotle cream sauce on penne pasta

<span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Michelle's Review:</strong></span> I feel downright quixotic.

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I then stood up and broke out into <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS9fPSKqL58" target="_blank">"The Impossible Dream"</a></strong>.

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Just kidding.

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<span style="color: #ffcc99;"><strong>Dessert: </strong></span> Ancient Italian Secret Ice Cream (family recipe)

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[caption id="attachment_5798" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I think it was called &quot;Semifreddo&quot;"]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00414-20110528-1925.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5798" title="IMG00414-20110528-1925" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00414-20110528-1925-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

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<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Jennie: </strong></span> Interesting.

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<span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Me:</strong></span> I'm feeling tipsy from the liqueur in there.

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<span style="color: #800080;"><strong>Jennie:</strong></span> No.

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<span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Me:</strong></span> I swear.

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And then...for the GRANDEST of Grand Finales...

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I met Lisa Dahl, award-winning author of <em>The Elixir of Life</em> and co-owner of Cucina Rustica.

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Courtesy of my sister.

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You see, I decided to feel shy and introverted at the end of the meal.  I regressed back to when I was five and hid behind my mother's legs instead of staying for ballet class.  Even though I wanted to be a prima ballerina when I grew up.

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Fast forward 36 years and I'm hiding behind a wall on the patio while insisting that Lisa Dahl is much too busy to talk to a small potatoes blogger who forked over a month's salary to Whole Paycheck so that she could undertake a silly Lusty Cooking Project.

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Unlike my mother 36 years ago, my sister made me stay.

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Tough love pays.

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I introduced myself to Lisa as she whirled around the corner.  She greeted me with a warm hug and her larger-than-life personality.

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Unlike<strong> <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/" target="_blank">Julie &amp; Julia</a></em>,</strong> where Julia Child thinks that the blogger cooking her food is a vapid idiot, Lisa Dahl said that she was "honored" to meet me!  Yes!  "Honored"!  I wanted to sputter, "Lisa, don't you know that I am a small potatoes blogger?!?!?!"

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She then excitedly rambled about a project idea that she has in store for us.  "Us!"  I can't tell you what she mentioned, because I was a little too starstruck and nervous to properly digest her idea.

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Hopefully, my sister will remember.

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In the meantime, I am working out and <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/22/day-235-global-trek-kickoff/" target="_blank">stepping it up</a></strong> like a fiend to counteract all the cream, butter, and cheese that I consumed last week.  Considering that those 7 recipes were the best meals that I have ever cooked, I would say that the countless calories were more than worth it.

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I hope that you enjoyed <strong><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/18/day-232-lusty-cooking-project-menu/" target="_blank">The Lusty Cooking Project</a></strong> as much as I did.  Are you ready to add a bit of Lustiness to your life?  You can purchase Lisa Dahl's <em>Elixir of Life </em>cookbook <strong><a href="http://livingdahl.com/elixir-of-life_store.html/" target="_blank">here</a></strong>.

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