When you get the chance to go on a girls weekend with a group of food bloggers, you jump at the opportunity. Not only did I know there would be good food on this weekend getaway in Deer Valley, I also hoped to get to know some of my fellow food bloggers that I so much enjoy online.

I haven’t done many girls weekends over the years.  I had an assortment of college friends, many of which weren’t friends with each other and I try and see my high school friends when I go home, which is always special, but a dedicated girls trip weekend, this was something I was missing. And while some may want to avoid anything this filled with estrogen, I will tell you that there is something so satisfying and enjoyable about just spending a few days with the girls.

Sure there was nail painting (I wash too many dishes to partake but it did happen) and lots of talk about fashion… these tieks to be exact… like would they go with most of my wardrobe, or do they clash with my skin tone, but there was also talk about life, kids, careers, dating and marriage. The deep stuff along with the fun stuff and in perfect balance.

All of these girls, but one, I had met before. Though I definitely prefer more face-to-face friendships we definitely take advantage of connecting online to continue our friendships and keep up with one anothers lives. That’s the great thing about blogs.  Yes, we’re food bloggers but many of us also speak about our lives as well.  It’s a great way to keep up with friends and also be encouraged by the lives we all lead.

And no food blogger girls weekend is complete without good food and taking pictures of said good food.  Not one plate was enjoyed without it’s photo being captured first.  This happened at every meal, every snack time and as every glass was poured.  But there wasn’t any grumbling like some of us might get at home, why?  Because we all understand each other.  The weirdness of our profession is accepted and understood when we are all in the same room.  And being understood by your girl friends is something that quickly takes a friendship to a new level. 

I knew these gals we’re more than fellow bloggers when they jumped right in to help with Everett over the weekend.  Since Josh was out of town, Everett joined us for a portion of the weekend and everyone took turns to give him the attention that my sweet boy needed.

Here’s a basic run down of our weekend and a good blueprint for any girls weekend:

Caffeine up! After some travel and all of the energy it takes to pack and leave your families for the weekend we all needed a boost.  We started the weekend with a perfect cup of coffee, churros on the side, at La Barba.

Plan out your Meals: All of our meals were planned out except a few meals we knew we wanted to cook together.  We picked the best restaurants in Park City and Salt Lake to visit, each of which were great places to hang for ours, catching up, sipping beer and wine, and enjoy a lengthy meal (girl-friend style!). We loaded up our fridge with groceries from the local Whole Foods in Park City, the essentials for perfect apres ski and breakfast (cheese, crackers, and fruit, along with granola, yogurt, eggs and bacon). No meal was disregarded (another must for a girls weekend – at least in my book).

Here are some of the local restaurants we enjoyed in Park City and Salt Lake:

La Barba Coffee

East Liberty Tap House

Fireside Dining

The Brass Tag (their vegetable hash is pictured above, which I made a similar recipe for here)

Royal Street Cafe

High West Distillery

Rye Diner and Drinks

Designate some active time and a lot of down time:  We skied hard but then spent the afternoons couch-side, hors d’oeuvres in one hand and wine in the other. The skiing was good especially since we were eating so good too but the time just sitting around the fire, this was the rich part of our weekend. 

Because our weekend was planned out so well (thank you Megan and Annalise) we really just got to sit back and enjoy. Enjoy the food, the wine and the company.  We reconnected, talking for hours, some about business and some about life. Being understood is essential in friendship and this weekend sealed that for us.

Check out all of the ladies blogs who retreated with me: Annalise, Lauren, Megan, Erin, Liz, and Meagan.

Special thanks to Deer Valley, Tieks, and Whole Foods who sponsored our special getaway!