Goodbye January and Culinary School Feast!

January is over and done. Well, there are 20 minutes left in my part of the world.

It is time for a month wrap up. A lot has happened this month, and I know that a lot will continue to happen this year. It surely won't be a boring one at all.

Person of the month: Chef Michael. He has been such a great chef in class. He is balancing teaching our class and the culinary arts class. I have no idea how he does it, but he just keeps going. And going. His patience, knowledge, experience, and passion for food is inspirational. I am looking forward to the coming weeks of class.

Moment of the month: Finding out that I got a job! I was so excited to get a job where I can start cooking in a cafe, as well as learn how to manage a small food program and learn how to be a barista. Plus, its really close to where I live, next to culinary school, and lots of cool people work there.

Outing of the month: Does Puerto Rico count as an outing. If it does, then my week spent with my family in Puerto Rico wins.

Book of the month: Sundays at Tiffany by James Patterson. It was such a great read. I finished it on one airplane trip. I definitely have to add Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain, because that has been such a good book so far. I love how crude and honest he is.

Accomplishment of the month: Starting culinary school officially and making it through my week as team chef, injuries and all.

Restaurant meal of the month: Besides the restaurants in Puerto Rico, I haven't eaten out much this much. At all. During my time in Boulder, I have gotten cupcakes, but that is about it. So I guess the winning restaurant of the month is Tee and Cakes, because I have gotten 3 cupcakes so far! And of course, Caffe Sole, because they were awesome enough to hire me!

Goal for February: explore some local restaurants. I at least have Valentine's Day weekend with Stephen to do this!

Cooked meal and dessert of the month: Brinner for the mea. It was amazing with pancakes and grapefruit! Dessert would be the Orange Almond Chocolate Cake. So simple, yet so delicious.

Culinary School Time! I will wrap up this post with a quick run through of the wonderful food in class.
We are officially done with chicken until midterms. Now we are on to meat.

We learned how to cut the meat into filets.

Then we cooked them to a nice medium rare.

We made spaetzle. Now, I know nothing about German food, so I had never tried this dish before. It is like a combination between pasta and gnocchi. It's pretty delicious. We made one version with cream and cheese and one with browned butter. Both were amazing. I don't know how I survived 26 years without ever knowing what spaetzle was!

Our mixed greens with ranch dressing. I made the ranch dressing all by myself today. And chef chose mine (the other team made a blue cheese) to serve with all of the salads. I was seriously giddy with pride. I have never made my own mayonnaise. I've tried, but I've never been successful. Then tonight I went and made my own mayo and turned it into an amazing ranch dressing.

We learned how to properly plate a dish.

Sauce, asparagus, spaetzle.

Time for the steak!

Ta-dah!

And from a different angle.

I usually like my meat cooked more, but this is quality, grass fed beef. It was so tender. Not chewy at all.

Happy tummy.

Stratified Bliss

Last night, before I lay myself to sleep to the words of Anthony Bourdain, my mind was racing. I wanted nothing more than to walk upstairs, grab a ton of food, and...well, you know the rest. This would have been an easy way to solve my axieties. It would have been a quick fix to calm myself down, exhaust my body, and sink into a dizzy, shaky, state of rest. Instead of using my quick fix, I tried my best to take deep breaths and think about what was actually going on in my mind and body.

My body was clenched. My breathing shallow. I was hunched over and shaking slightly from being cold.

My mind was nervous. It was nervous about the prospect of actually getting together with classmates to study and practice for culinary school. I don't randomly get together with people. Not these days, anyways. I know that I am not a shy person, and that I do like being around people. But it seems safer to just be a casual aquiantance inside of class and not try to be anything more, even if the "more" is study buddies. To put it simply, I was anxious about stepping out of my comfortable bubble.

It's times like these that I need to talk to myself and say, "Astrid you are awesome. You can do this. Relax, get some rest, and start tomorrow fresh." It's times like these when I can travel back to my yoga practice of the day and remember the blissful feeling of a favorite pose or the overall sensations I felt on the mat. I know that there is a state of peace somewhere inside of me, and that if I allow myself, I can reach that state once again no matter how off kilter I feel.

"It's a nervous work. The state that you need to write is the state that others are paying large sums to get rid of." ~Shirley Hazzard

There is a funny truth about life. It will go on with or without you. A week will go buy whether you push your boundaries or stay in your comfort zone. A year will go by whether you are pursuing something completely new and exciting or if you are stuck in a dead end job or degree program. Spending your days challenging yourself and balancing on anxiety, fear, and excitement, may be triggering at times, but it is a much more satisfying way to live that staying in a safe coccoon of food schedules and loneliness. It is amazing to push boundaries and see that I can (yes, I can) push through feelings of discomfort!

I am not against comforting myself in healthy ways during the day. This comforting breakfast, for example, hits the spot each morning. Wheat and oat bread with almond butter, banana, and cinnamon. It was great fuel to keep me going through a lunch tme of practicing our cooking skills. I got together with Steph from class and whipped up some great food. It all came out delicious and was a great way to get the basic ratios and concepts into our minds and bodies.

Our pureed potatoes. This came out fluffy, light, and slightly sweet. They were nearly cloudlike in texture and definitely better that what we made in class.

Pan seared chicken breasts! You will be happy to know that this week in culinary school we will not be cooking chicken! We are on the meat. Hooray. Okay, I, at least, am suer excited to be moving forward!

We also tackled a stratified cream sauce made with white wine. It came out very delicious, smooth, silky, and had more flavor than the one developed in class. I know that in class we are all timid and do what chef says to do. We don't want to be wrong. And when one or two batches are being made between the whole class, it is diificult to really have a say in how the flavors turn out. Practicing with just one other person brings out our own knowledge and small amounts of creativity when creating our dishes. This sauce is a great example of the success that we can create.

Our lunch. Not show is the vinaigrette we whipped up while making the rest of the food.

We also purchased a bulb of garlic. Since we did not use it in our meal, I went ahead and roasted it. Now we each have some roasted garlic cloves. Does anyone else feel the need to pop the cloves into their mouths like candy? It is a good thing Stephen is not here to kiss me. He would be tasting a whole lot of garlic. This girl is not scared of having super garlic breath!

After a late afternoon study date at the cafe where I work (I can get a free drink or teapot there), I went home and created a delicious sandwich from some leftovers.

Wheat and oat bread toasted on the inside, with sweet potatoes, apple, and almond butter. It may sound strange, but it was seriously great. Super soft with a great crunch from the apples and the toasted part of the bread. I highly reccommend this combination. I bet kids would love this!

I served the rest of the apples, sweet potatoes, and some avocado on the side.

I enjoyed every bite of this little meal.

This is certainly what happens when I am alone in the kitchen. When I had Stephen to cook for every night I would make "normal" meals. You know, burgers, mac and cheese, pizza, pulled pork, enchiladas, etc. Dishes a civilized individual would eat. When I am alone, I experiment with my favorite bread and ingredients to make the simplest of food groups, a sandwich. How can you go wrong with good bread with good ingredients inside? There is nothing better to nourish the body and nothing better to comfort an affected mind and soul.

There needs to be a sandwich sanctuary out in the world that serves sandwiches from every stretch of the imagination. It would have categories of sandwiches that would be different takes on some basic sandwich favorites:

The PeanutButter Sandwich-expansions on the classic nut butter sandwich, including pb and bacon on banana bread, pb honey and apples on wheat, pb and homemade jam on sourdough, pb chipotle peppers in adobo and sour cream on wheat.

The Chicken Sandwich-take your basic grilled chicken breast and serve it with melted cheddar and grilled apples on a wheat bun, or with feta, spinach, and artichoke hearts on foccacia, and people will be delighted.

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich-from brie and apples to goat cheese and avocado to cheddar and bacon, to mozzarella, tomatoes, and pepperoni, this will be a favorite catgeory for most.

The BLT Sandwich-different takes on a bacon sandwich, including watermelon, bacon, and lettuce; peanut butter, bacon, lettuce, tomato; smoked salmon, bacon, and cream cheese.

The Dessert Sandwich-nutella and strawberries on grilled sourdough; goat cheese, pear, and honey; whipped cream cheese and banana on cinnamon raisin bread.

What a fun little restaurant this would be. A sister restaurant to my Pizza Cafe? Rockin' Dough (pizza) and Stratified Bliss (sandwich)?

How was your weekend? Any other sandwich ideas? AND if you were to open a restaurant, what would it serve?

Turn Your Wounds into Wisdom

"Turn your wounds into wisdom." ~Oprah Winfrey

Life is too short to regret anything that has happened. Everything you have ever done has led up to where you are now. Even those horrible moments or injuries that you try your hardest to forget.

Wound: An unhealthy relationship with food, exercise, and my body. I have struggled with restricting, overexercising, and bingeing.

Wisdom: Loving myself needs to come from within and it needs to happen now, not a few pounds later, not a diet later, not a month of hard workouts later. I need to relax, let go of "perfect", and take care of myself-body and mind. I have learned what makes me feel good. I have also learned that my eating disorder was such an effective coping mechanism that it will get triggered from time to time throughout my entire life.

Wound: A relapse

Wisdom: Relapses are like little red flags. They let me know that something is off kilter and not working. It lets me know that I may need a good yoga class, a relaxing shower, an art session, a phone call, etc.Emotoins are hard to deal with, even the great ones (actually, especially the great ones) and the stresses tend to make me yearn for my old coping mechanism. Also, a relapse will NEVER take away the effort I have put in and how far I have come.

Wound: Crying everyday while struggling to make myself finish my research.

Wisdom: I learned that I did not enjoy where my life was going or where it was while pursuing my Geology masters. I also learned that I am not the type of person who can suck up any job just for the money. Moving to Colorado to pursue culinary school was maybe a crazy decision, but my tears happen weekly or so instead of every day. I am happy because I know that I like where my life is going. I know that school isn't going to be easy, and any job in a restaurant I get isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows, but I am at least excited about it. I want to talk about it. That is something I never wanted to do in terms of my research!

Being unhappy in grad school also led me to seek therapy and group therapy for my eating disorder. It made me motivated to get the help I needed. It also motivated me to join OPAS (theater organization) and pursue art. Then there is the fact that I found happiness in my blog and in the kitchen. I am not sure if I would have this blog, such a strong recovery, my art, or my cooking if it were not for Geology.

Oh, and there's the fact that I met Stephen in the first Geology lab I ever taught.

Wound: Chopping off the tip of my finger on Monday, my first day as Team Chef

Wisdom: As long as your team knows what to do, they will be fine without you. I learned that my class is full of incredible people. I received emails with well wishes, and everyone constantly checked up on me during the week. I am proud to report that my thumb is fine and now only requires two bandaids to protect it against the elements.

Yes, that is another cupcake from Tee and Cakes. I tried the hostess cupcake today. Not bad at all. I enjoyed the chocolate ganache on top instead of a lot of frosting. I think I am more of a minimal frosting person. The creamy center was also fantastic. Fluffy marshmallowy centers are never a bad idea. Then again, I like a lot going on in the middle of my cupcakes. I love fillings and/or chunks.

Look at that. Delicious! The swirly is red in celebration of Valentine's Day which is rapidly approaching! Tee and Cakes has a few additions to their menu in celebration on the holiday.

Lunch was a greilled cheese and avocado sandwich on Rudi's Bread that I am reviewing. I will have a review post in a few days after I use it for several different dishes and purposes. I am still loving this bread. As far as regular sliced bread goes, it is my favorite.

Dinner was another chicken meal. For some reason I am not very sick of chicken. I do like to change things up a bit, but I still look forward to a well cooked chicken just the same as I ever had.

I cooked up some brussel sprouts on the side.

These little babies will always be one of my favorite veggies. So delicious when they are cooked slightly crunchy. I hate mushy veggies, and brussel sprouts are one of those veggies that get mushy very easily. If you ever get the steamer bags, you will notice that those are a little soft. They are good, but nothing can ever take the place of well cooked, fresh brussels.

Sweet potatoes simmered until almost cooked and then roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Perfect.

And the chicken. Simply roasted with olive oil and some spices until cooked through and juicy.

I love that chicken is so versatile and can be cooked in different ways. It is also one of the hardest proteins to cook correctly and well. Honestly, I have never had chicken issues, but I do notice that some techniques of cooking the bird are better than others.

The meal. So good.

With a serving of Ben and Jerry's. I need to do the ice cream thing more often, especially as a reward after a Monday-Wednesday of culinary school.

My favorite parts of today:

Helping out at work. I am still not officially on the schedule, but the manager said I could come in for an hour or two on days that he is not there to soak everything is. I get paid for the hours, I get to hang out with cool people, and I do get to learn!

Yoga class. I went to a class after work. It was needed. So needed!

I believe that there is a huge difference between practicing by yourself at home and practicing in a class.

At home benefits:

A home practice is free

You can practice any poses you feel like and can make sure you target everything you need to

You can practice whenever you want to

You do not need to be embarrassed by any weird sounds or noises that will inevitably come out of your body

Class benefits:

The energy in the room from everyone else practicing is incredible

You are challenged wth new poses you may not have done on your own

You are challenged to let go into more relaxed poses and stretches

You have someone to follow and do not need to think

I do believe that having both is very important. I love practicing at home. But I rarely get the yoga drunk feeling that I receive at the end of a good yoga class. Today I did not want to get up from my mat. I felt so...good. This is why I want to go to classes more regularly.

That is a goal for next month! I am interviewing for a daycare job at the gym. If I get the job, I get a free membership. Free yoga classes! If not, they have a special where you can just get a class pass. I promise to treat myself to one if I do not get the job.

Permission to enjoy life

"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner." ~Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

Life is spent too often in fast forward. We are always looking ahead as far as we can see, around every sorner we can find, to get where we want to go. We forget to live right now and realize that life is actually pretty cool in the present. I know that I am regularly guilty of living in the future. I forget to live in the now.

This is actually a huge trigger for me. I panic about what I should do during the lulls in my day. I want to have fun. I want to so something productive. Yet I focus too much on what I "should" do, and how I "should" be feeling. I end up with my head buzzing and many times I end up doing absolutely nothing...or something much worse.

Why can't I just let go of...everything...and just be in my life?. As it is. Not as I hope it will be.

So in honor of Sidonie-Gabrille Collete (French novelist), I am going to make myself a "permission slip" of sorts to enjoy my life right now

I, Astrid, have my permission to enjoy of life, especially savoring the following:

Daily phone calls with Stephen while navigating our new long distance relationship

Culinary school and the rush and fear that comes with being in the professional kitchen

A new job and cool people to interact with

The beautiful Colorado mountains that surround me during my daily walks

Falling in love with food writing by cool authors like Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain

My blog as a great way to center myself

My yoga mat time

I will enjoy my life 5%...at least.

I was in a terrible head space this morning, because I couldn't figure out what to do with myself until work at 4. I ended up having a decent day and made myself a spectacular lunch. Lentils cooked with ginger, garlic, chili powder, and turmeric served over lots of spinach, roasted red peppers, zucchini, some yogurt, and bread. Delicious stuff.

I really wish that I can keep moving through my negative moods and crazy times inside my mind. When I actually ride it out and make it to the other side, I feel so proud of myself. Taking care of my emotions in ways like going for a calming walk, going through the racks and shelves at the Good Will, treating myself to a delicious chai at a coffee shop, doing laundry, singing at the top of my lungs, etc, is amazing and much better than any negative alternative.

I promise to enjoy my moments, even the crazy ones.

Seven Impossible Things

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ~Lewis Carroll

Today is Charles Lutwidge Dodgson's (aka Lewis Carroll) birthday. I adore Alice in Wonderland, so in honor of this brilliant master of nonsense, here are seven (why stop at 6?) impossible things that I believe in today:

I believe that I will one day be recognized for my creativity and talent with food. I want to inspire people who have once had a negative and confusing relationship with food (most people out there) to appreciate food by using their own two hands to explore its potential as a way to nourish both the body and soul. I want people to laugh and smile when they think about a good meal, and I want people to stop seeing foods as good and bad, acceptable and forbidden. I want them to experience the pure pleasures of a meal spent in awareness. When every color, smell, feel, and taste is savored.

I believe that I will one day be able to undulge in anything without any guilt. I can have a serving of a sweet and not think twice about it. But if I am nnot sure if what I had was an actual serving, or something more (god forbid), I question myself and start thinking about compensating. I want to be able to fully enjoy any indulgence without questioning myself.

I believe that I can buy myself something that I do not "need" and not feel any type of anxiety or remorse. Oh, this thing cannot be food, drink, or activity. I still go into a store and I know that I won't buy anything. It isn't necessary. Case in point: Today I went to Prana to try on some yoga clothes. I love to live in comfy yoga pants, so I want more that just my two pairs. I liked a few pairs, which were all on sale (everything is 40% off), but I didn't even think to buy them. Why would I buy myself something so indulgent and unecessary? Grrrr. I frustrate myself so much.

I believe that people all over the country and world will learn to appreciate real, nourishing foods and stop relying on all the processed crap that is out there. I think we would be a much more pleasant nation if we were well nourished. Eating the way most of Americans eat causes our bodies to be in a state they should not be in. Everything is so processed that our bodies get confused. We get ailments like celiac's disease, because the overly refined flours negatively affect our bodies. We are low in energy because our bodies are too acidic and need to be balanced. As a nation we are so out of whack, that we can not be at our 100% best.

I believe that education will become a priority in this nation, including art and home ec programs. School shapes childrens into people that will one day rule the world. Yet education is never a priority for this country. I want to see schools where children learn to express themselves through movement and art, and where they learn about food and how it helps their bodies. How cool would it be if elementary schools had organic gardens where the kids could help grow their own vegetables and food? And where field trips were taken to local farms that raised cattle and chicken? They would learn what real food is.

You cannot fault parents or anyone for feeding their families processed crap food all of the time. We, as a nation, are so deluded by convenience, that we do not know any better. We need to learn. And that learning process needs to begin at a young age.

I believe that kids will learn to play and enjoy being active more than they enjoy computers and video games. I didn't get my own cell phone until I was a freshman in college. I didn't become addicted to the internet (yay for AOL) until I was in the 6th grade. These days, 5 year olds can type and play on the computer. And 8 year olds have cell phones. This is not necessary. Kids forget the simple pleasures of life like playing on a trampoline until you are too tired, or chasing boys (or being chased by boys) on the playground.

I believe that people will stop being so connected that they have their IPhones in their chef pants during cooking class or on their tables during labs. Why do people feel the need to text everywhere they are? School is for learning. If there is any time to disconnect from everyone in the universe, it is during class. You pay money to learn something, so enjoy the process. Turn off your phone. Tune into your life now, the one that is taking place in front of you.

I promised pictures of our culinary school feast. These are from a cell phone, but they will do!

The best part of culinary class is the feast at the end of the night. Yes, 9 o'clock is late for dinner, but we endure it for good reason. We make some excellent food. Then we sit around the tables and enjoy our feast. Last night's dinner was the most silent meal so far. Everyone was hypnotized by the different flavors and textures. All of the food great. We did an amazing job, if I do say so myself!

The french onion soup was slightly sweet, and gained a nice amount of fatty grease from the melted gruyere cheese on top. My team did not add any butter when we sweated the onions, and it is a great thing we didn't The soup doesn't need it. The onions were almost concerningly sweet. Then Chef told us to pour a bit of sherry in. Just a few drops. More will kill it (not in a good way). The sherry takes away a bit of the sweetness and makes for more depth in the soup.

Sometimes you need to make yourself some comforting and appealing meals to make your soul and tummy happy. It is especially deserved after a week of being team chef and some job training.

For lunch, I made myself a grilled cheese and tempeh, which was actually quite amazing. I used rustic artisan bread that I got at the store (Udi's, another local bakery, not to be confused with Rudi's). It is great stuff. It's made with asour dough starter and grills up fantastically. It stays almost gooey and chewy in the middle while the surface toasts up and crisps (hooray for Maillard reaction).

For dinner I wanted some type of finger food that would be fun and entertaining to eat while watching my Thursday night shows (Royal Pains and Bones). I decided to go to the cheese aisle for inspiration and got a spanish cheese that apparently goes really well with grilled bread. I rolled with the bread and cheese idea, and decided on some crostinis with roasted red pepper, chicken, and the cheese.

The red pepper was scorched on the gas stove. This is my first time working with a gas stove, and I have loved using it these past two weeks. It is so much easier to work with than an electric stove top, because you can actually see and feel the heat. I had no idea how cool and fun it was to have a gas stove!

The roasted red pepper strips. So delicious.

Some toppings and salad ingredients.

Chicken tenderlons from the chicken I deboned last week.

Rustic bread turned into crostinis. So so good and crunchy.

With cheese, red pepper, chicken, and more cheese.

Before melting.

The salad mixed with a homemade vinaigrette we made in class. Would you like to know how to make a basic vinaigrette? Ths method is fool proof and a great way to toss together a healthy dressing.

Basic Vinaigrette

1 part emulsifying agent (dijon mustard works well)

3 parts acid (vinegar works well. try balsamic, or red wine)

9 parts oil (grape seed, olive oil, or oil of choice)

For a little more than 1/2 cup worth of dressing, use:

1 tbsp emulsifying agent

3 tbsp acid

9 tbsp (or 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp) oil

Combine the dijon mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined and a little frothy. (You want to use a round bowl without any ridges, and a large round whisk).

Add a small stream of oil and whisk until absorbed by the mustard and vinegar. Continue to add the oil in a thin stream, being sure to mix in the oil, not allowing the oil to pool up or collect at all. You will need most (if not all) of the oil to make the dressing.

You can use the dressing right away. Or store in a sealed container in the fridge. You will need to gently agitate or stir the mixture to recombine the ingredients.

Serve with a lovely green salad. The greens will cut any of the harshness in the dressing.

The finished crostinis. Don't they loo delicious and fun?

It was a great treat for myself.

But the treat did not stop there. I wanted some dessert, so when I was at the store, I pickd up a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yogurt.

What can I say, I have been missing ice cream. This definitely hit the spot. One serving of this chocolatey, gooey amazingness goes a long, long way. And it goes very well with a nice hot cup of tea. I love the "cooling effect".

For some fun, go to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor generator. Create a flavor and share it in the comments section! You might get a cool prize. Maybe.

Mine: Nutty Salty Mocha
Base: Coffee and Dark chocolate ice creams
Chunks: Chocolate and coffee chunks, hazlenuts
Swirl: Salted caramel

How do you comfort yourself with good foods? I am not talking self medicating with food. I am talking about treating yourself to foods you love and enjoy and truly savoring them.

Rudi's Giveaway Winner

I have picked a winner for the Rudi's Bread Giveaway! Karissa from CardioFoodie! Congrats, and I hope Houston is being kind to you.

High altitude highlights:

I have reached the 2 week mark in Boulder! In these two weeks, I have managed to take the wrong bus two times, find a job (yay), chop the tip of my thumb off, and survived 2 weeks of culinary school.

I made it through the week of being Team Chef! It isn't a huge deal, because as long as you let people know what is expected of them, they will do it. It's kind of cool. Even with us still being new to the kitchen and spinning in circles trying to locate basic equipment, we are getting the hang of how things work here. We know that the food will get completed, and at least right now, Chef will not let us fail too badly.

It is a terrific environment to learn how to trust other people. And to learn how to trust yourself.

Good news: We are finished with chicken!

Bad news: Last night's meal left us ith an ENORMOUS new appreciation for chicken. Pictures are getting emailed around. I found out that we actually are allowed to take photos, so I will be bringing my camera along more often to share what we make. You will see the phenomenal brased hicken in puttanesca that we made last night. Best chicken I have had in my life. My goodness!

Outside of the rich, exquisite foods in school, I try to keep my meals nice and nutritious, as to balance everything out. Professional chefs are not afraid of butter and cream, let me tell you. And it is amazing. But keeping nice light meals keeps my body and mind happy.

I have found that having a "breakfast" of sorts before school keeps me full for a good 4 hours or more until we actually sit down to eat. It has worked this week, so I won't mess with it!

We are closing in on the last days of January. A lot has happened. And a lot is going to continue to happen as these months go by and fly by. As my captain on SEA semester said, the days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like days. I feel like each day I have culinary school, the day goes on forever. The next thing I know, we are done with the week and I have to study everything and read another 100 pages.

With things zooming by at hyper speed, I want to try to slow down in my mind. The prescription:

More leisurely reading for fun (reading Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw right now)
More knitting
More actually sitting down to watch and enjoy a whole movie without doing anything else

One thing at a time.

Stress is Stressful

"When you find yourself tightening; a knot in the stomach, a clenched jaw, tightened shoulders, you are living in a moment of fear and separation. Gently pull yourself back into the moment by connecting to something real in the moment; that flower, that ceiling fan, the rush of the traffic, the breeze gently blowing across your skin. Let all of it in without judgement. Be the I Am with What Is. Become the "I Am" observer of your "What is" reality."

~Jeff Doucette

This quote is approproiate for the stress in my life right now. It is not negative stress by any means. I am not ripping my hair out. On the contrary, I am having quite a bit of fun here in Boulder. But with huge changes comes stress...even of the GREAT kind. My current stresses:

Finding people to connect with in Colorado

Starting a new job

Enduring (and enjoying) hectic 5 1/2-6 hour culinary classes

Being on a different schedule that has me eating dinner at 9 pm at the earliest on M-W

Missing Stephen and people back home

Cutting my finger!

Coping is not always easy. Thankfully, I have beautiful Boulder to explore, I love cooking, and love that my homework is what I usually do in my free time. As far as eating on a completely different schedule goes, I know that my body is fine as long as my blood sugar stays up. So I have a good snack before class, and pack some glucose tablets and snackies just in case I hit a wall at some point in the night. It's all I can do. And everyone else is in the same situation, so we all understand when someone gets cranky or frustrated or out of it. I also have a library card and a library right down the street. So I can borrow books and movies whenever I want to. This gives me something pleasant and relaxing to look forward to. Is it silly that my favorite section is the kid's movies? I have been renting movie after movie from the section. I am now watching The Absent-Minded Professor.

                                  

                              

Of course, yummy, healthy lunches keep my happy and satisfied. Taking care of myself is a priority. Also a priority, at least 20-30 mintes (minimum) of yoga to wake up in the morning. Nothing excessive necessary. Just enough to give me a boost and some nice mind and body time.

My Injury - A blessing?

Cutting my finger on Monday may have been the best thing that could have happened in my first day as Team Chef for the week. I learned that my team is amazing. I had already assigned tasks and they knew exactly what to expect from the night. So with me incapable of doing anything for a couple of hours, our team was still successful. Yesterday went much more smoothly, as my digits stayed intact (and I stayed very far away from the Mandolin Slice), and both teams were able to finish everything we needed to finish up. And boy, was it a lot!

We learned some classic techniques and sauces that aren't commonly used anymore. I do appreciate learning the classic techniques and sauces to gain more understanding of what actually is popular these days and what works better. And also, what makes a plate more attractive.

Poaching a chicken in a court bouillon (very strongly flavored poaching liquid) yields a very tender chicken. But it doesn't taste like chicken. It tastes like the liquid. It also looks pretty plain and bland even with a nice cream sauce over it. It's a clean way to cook a bird, but not the most practical.

Bechemel sauce is classic and a great way to practice a roux (butter and flour). But most people do not use this anymore. And, to be honest, it isn't all that tasty.

Puree of carrot soup is amazing. We got in pairs to make our soups. My soup came out a little thick and grainy, but according the Chef, it had one of the best tastes. My partner and I rejoiced when he talked about the flavor. We thought he would bash it as he did the texture. I will definitely be praticing the soup at home.

Something cool:

Ever wonder why a very tart and acidic dressing doesn't taste as tart on a green salad?

Greens are alkali, so they balance out the acidity of the dressing. Cool, right?

Today is the last day to enter the Rudi's Bread Giveaway!