As a little girl of Italian decent, I have wonderful memories of watching my grandmother and mother enjoy cooking together and sharing their love of food with the family. That love of cooking has carried over to my own family as I share the kitchen with my oldest daughter Dana and now my granddaughters. So imagine my thrill when Dana told me that she won the Spectrum Organics sweepstakes to attend the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and invited me to be her guest.

We couldn't believe the diversity of the programs offered at the Classics. Of course, we had to go see Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine on the first day! Their banter and sense of fun in the kitchen is very reminiscent of our family cooking sessions over the years. We couldn't decide between a wine class or cheese class on day two, and lucked out by choosing a 6-glass wine/cheese pairing course led by the very entertaining Brian Duncan and Laura Werlin. Maybe it was the wine, but everyone from the guest chefs to the security guarding the Tasting Tent were extremely nice and accommodating.

We came home filled with stories and memories, samples and swag, and new cooking ideas. Before we run off to the kitchen to start cooking, we want to thank Spectrum Organics, the Pépin's, and everyone else involved in making this trip exceptional and memorable. You have created 2 fans for life. See you next year!