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The Surprise Gourmet Gab Party

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Today I’m celebrating seven years of writing Gourmet Gab! It is so amazing to look back on the journey, read old posts, watch some of my first videos and think about how far the blog has come. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me! To celebrate all things Gourmet Gab, my best friends in Indianapolis threw me a surprise party a few weeks ago. You might have seen the Instagram Story video, but I was completely caught off guard because I thought we were going to a Friday night barbecue! I walked into my friends’ house and saw the Gourmet Gab lemon everywhere, big gold balloons, and everyone anticipating my arrival as I walked up the stairs. This surprise party was such a sweet send off as I moved from Indianapolis to Phoenix last week as I am prepping for my next adventure (more details to come, I promise!).

Each of my friends brought a Gourmet Gab recipe to the party and it was honestly the most amazing feeling to see all my dishes brought to life by my friends! My friend Kira even did little calligraphy signs for each of the dishes with the date that the blog post was published.

Israeli cous cous salad with orange, dried cherries, cucumber and feta is one of my favorites.

This bruschetta is such an easy entertaining snack! It’s sweet, savory and crunchy.
My friend Marlee dug way into the archives of Gourmet Gab from 2012 and found my favorite macaroni and cheese!
We ended the night with individual s’mores burritos and they were such a hit! It is so fun to watch them cook in the microwave.
I love these healthy carrot cake cookies and when my friend made them in a bite size version, I think they were even cuter!

I was having so much fun throughout the night that I feel like I barely took any photos – the sign of a great night, right? – but here are some snapshots of the party, even though they’re a little blurry. My friends went literally all out with the theme and the details. Lemons everyone, lots of Prosecco to pop, ingredients to make the Aperol Spritz drink I’m obsessed with this summer and more. As you can see, I was literally all smiles!

Molly is the queen of the soft smile, and I can literally never pull it off. I love this photo because it 100% captures our personalities.
Props are a must in photos…especially when they matched Kira’s dress perfectly!
I’ve known Elizabeth since I met her when I was a sophomore in college. Our friendship has grown so much ever since!
Sean is like a big brother I always wanted! King of the grill, the biggest Cubs and Mizzou fan I know, and my go-to person for an honest opinion.

I didn’t get photos individually with everyone, but below is the iPhone self-timer photo we got to snap! I just love it so much, especially since my friend Marlee’s puppy Charleston made it into the photo. I am so grateful for these friends who have become my Indy fam over the last few years. Like you all, they have been so supportive of my Gourmet Gab endeavors. They let me film videos in their houses, gave me recipe feedback, participated in photoshoots and listened to me film a lot of Instagram Stories and Snapchats talking to the camera. Hah!

The last seven years of Gourmet Gab have been such an amazing journey and I can’t wait to see where the next seven take me! Cheers to lots of great food, fun travel and adventures, meeting new people and cooking together. Thank you again for being a part of this Gourmet Gab community!

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela

5 Tips for Traveling with Friends

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It’s summertime and you’re ready to adventure with friends. Whether it’s a road trip to a new city or international backpacking, there are a few things to consider before you take off. Grab lunch or drink together to talk through these topics so you can plan a stress-free summer getaway with your BFFs.

Priorities

Determine individual priorities for the trip. If you’re going to visit other friends in a city, are you both cool with just lounging and catching up? If you’re going to the beach, are you going to be happy with straight relaxing or do you need some excursions too? You’ll be happier once you determine what the goal of the trip is and what you must do to feel like the trip met your expectations.

Are you planners or free spirits?

It’s important to identify whether you need to make itineraries for each day or would rather wake up and go with the flow. Find compromise in planning a few must-do things to do each day and then leave a few hours in between for roaming.

Outlook on food

Everyone has to eat, but not everyone looks at food the same way while traveling. Some people would rather eat breakfast at their hotel to save time. Others are anxious to eat at the city’s famous restaurants for every meal because they feel they can learn the culture that way. Find the combination that will work best for your trip and travel group.

Communicate budget

Talk with your travel partner(s) about where you are going to spend money and where you feel comfortable saving. Would you rather stay in a hostel so you can go all out on excursions? Is there a certain dollar amount the whole trip should not exceed? Determine where you don’t mind dishing out a few extra dollars and what you’re okay skimping on to make the most of the budget.

Sleep in or set your alarms?

You want to start each day of your on the right side of the bed, so don’t get frustrated when your travel partner wants to get up at the crack of dawn to get exploring if you haven’t discussed that you want to sleep in! You’ll make the most of your trip by figuring out whether your night owls, early birds or simply just need a full eight hours of sleep.

My favorite saying is, “It’s only awkward if you make it awkward!” Be honest with yourself and your travel partner to be sure the trip meets both of your expectations. You’ll avoid frustrations by being honest about what you need to feel like you’re getting the most out of your trip.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela

Photography by Leah Trib Productions | Styled by Simply Audree Kate

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Snapshots from Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. The fast-paced tempo of our everyday life slows down so we can sit around the table with family and friends to give thanks. While the day may not actually be “slow” – cue the four nieces and nephews under three years crying or running around – the organized chaos of people is something I look forward to. This year, my family hosted Thanksgiving and it was so special seeing relatives come together and pitch in for a delicious meal. We had all the classics: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and more, but also our family’s essential appetizer: clam dip. Pretty simply it’s cream cheese, clams, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Serve with salty and crunchy Ruffles, it is actually addicting. I’m really looking forward to next year because my cousin passed off her responsibility of stuffing to me. It is my favorite side dish, so I cannot wait to start practicing recipes.

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One of the biggest things I am taking away from this year’s holiday is that in the end, it’s really only the big picture that matters. It’s not worth it to sweat the small things. Wine glasses may be broken on the patio, cranberry sauce may spill on a white rug, and someone may forget to make the gravy. (Yes these all happened.) Little hiccups while entertaining big crowds are inevitable and hopefully can remind us to laugh the small thing off. All day on Thanksgiving I felt so grateful to look around and see the abundant blessings of food, family and friends. The little things that happened and “went wrong” are now just memories.

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Above are my dad, step-mom, and step-siblings Brittany and Cameron. We always have a blast together and as you can tell, we can’t stay serious for too long. After we indulged in our big meal, all the family and friends sat out by the fire, drank wine and sampled the assortment of dessert options. Pecan pie has emerged as a new favorite for me. Not only was the company and conversation excellent, but as you can see from the pictures, it was a stunning evening in Phoenix to stay outside all night long. My family’s backyard is evolving into the destination for outdoor entertaining and relaxation. When a large group of guests are over, the fireplaces, big couch and heaters make it feel like an outdoor living room. I cannot wait until Christmas!

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I have so many reasons to be thankful and being home over the past week was the perfect way to celebrate. Thanksgiving will always be my favorite holiday because of the delicious food and family focus, but I also love how it starts the rest of the holiday season. In a few weeks, I will be back to Phoenix to celebrate Christmas and one of my best friends’ wedding. Hopefully the weather is just as beautiful as it was this week. Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela