Knit one, read two...

My Superbowl Snack Recipe

2012-01-25T19:40:00.005-06:00

I made this up at work yesterday to use up the open hot pepper raspberry spread in the fridge. They were a big hit! I took a picture but I cleaned house and can't find my card reader thingamabobber.

Sweet & Spicy Toasted Pecans

2 tbsp. Robert Rothschild Hot Pepper Raspberry Spread (or any hot pepper jelly that you have)

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. olive oil (or whatever cooking oil you like to use)

3 cups whole nuts

2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix hot pepper spread, red pepper flakes, and oil (and maybe a pinch of cayenne) in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to loosen mixture. Stir well. Add the nuts and coat them well. Sprinkle in salt and sugar and toss together. Pour onto an oiled baking sheet and toast the nuts in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown and the sugar begins to caramelize. Cool completely.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T22:49:00.000-06:00

We had a very simple--and kind of odd--Christmas this year and don't have many pictures to show for it. We missed the big extended family shindig and my immediate family hasn't had theirs yet. Julianne has two jobs and had a lot of fun shopping this year. I have one part-time one so I really didn't but she did get a few things.

My girls:

I got (among other things) this fuzzy, cozy robe and I haven't taken it off!

Christmas Spirit

2011-12-12T20:03:00.001-06:00

Who haz it?

M'BuddyDave next door:

Neighbors across the street:

More neighbors across the street:

My house:

I love a red October! GO CARDS!!!

2011-10-25T18:12:00.002-05:00

2011-10-05T16:31:00.000-05:00

Workin' for a livin'

2011-09-20T10:29:00.000-05:00

It's so great to be working again! I started my second part-time job yesterday and may never have another day off! I like both jobs but neither is my dream. I'm concentrating on getting caught up on things while I look for that. I'm still "as needed" by caterers, too. That should pick up a lot during the holidays. That will be nice!

Pointfest

2011-09-10T13:55:00.004-05:00

I just got home from working Pointfest. The caterers didn't really need me this time but they did need a dishwasher so I jumped on that. Wow. It's SO much easier than cooking! I cooked a little. I helped out when anyone needed anything. Taught the new guy the easy way to chop boiled eggs (by pushing them through the grid of a cooling rack). I'm not nearly as tired as I was the last time I worked for them and my back doesn't ache at all, feet only a little. The pace isn't as rushed and I really enjoyed it. I like the crew a lot. They are really nice folks. I got rushed at the end when I suddenly had everything from the dining room to do! I would rather cook, of course, and as Garde Manger when I have a choice, but whenever these guys need a dishwasher I'll gladly do it!

I actually made it home with my pass this time! I lost the last two almost as soon as I got them. They were fabric stickers and I must have brushed against something. The first one is stuck to a book cover and I can't get it off without tearing up my book.

Look what was in the mail today!

2011-09-09T21:26:00.002-05:00

2011-09-05T17:15:00.003-05:00

Meet Rocky and Bongo. They're staying with us for just a little while. They belong to Julianne's boyfriend and he can't have them where he lives. We can't, either, because we rent and because we just don't have room. They need a new home badly. If anyone needs a couple of very sweet boys in their lives please let us know. They are very good dogs but bored stiff in our teeny house so they've started looking for ways to entertain themselves and consequently getting in trouble. They're terrified of little Abby! She won't let either of them near me. It was pretty funny at first but they need cuddles.

I like that word "Alumni"!

2011-09-02T11:12:00.002-05:00

Graduation Day!

2011-08-27T16:26:00.002-05:00

FW:

2011-08-27T16:25:00.002-05:00

I'm in there somewhere!

Sappington Farmers Market

2011-08-22T17:21:00.004-05:00

Besides catering, I am also working part-time at my very favorite grocery store. I enjoy it. Most of the other ladies that I work with have kids my age. They're all very nice and great to be around. It's not my dream but I need a flexible schedule while I get there so it works. I'm working again. That feels GOOD!

These giant butternut squashes were in CSA boxes at work a couple of weeks ago. What would you do with one?

Superjam!

2011-08-21T23:25:00.002-05:00

Today I worked at Superjam at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Li'l Wayne, Far East Movement, and a couple of other bands played. I was Garde Manger again. I really love this job!

2011-08-20T00:27:00.003-05:00

I had a BUSY day! I got to be Garde Manger for the caterer at the Blink 182 & My Chemical Romance concert. I worked from 6:00 am until about 9:30 pm with one fifteen minute break. Everything aches! We served all three meals and it was seriously nonstop. I was so excited to get to do it and can't wait to do it again! I will on Sunday for Superjam which includes L'il Wayne & Keri Hilson and a couple of other bands that I can't remember (probably because I strongly dislike that crap). I hope real hard that the chef likes me because he has something way cooler than these concerts coming up Labor Day that I want to do, too! I'll tell you about it when I know more.

Done!

2011-08-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

Stick a fork in me. The ceremony is August 27 but yesterday was our last day of school and our "official" graduation day. Time to get a life...

2011-06-28T17:30:00.008-05:00

I have been wanting bruschetta all the time for the past couple of weeks but today it was all I could think about! I looked forward all day to coming home and making Tuscan bread for it but found that I was too hungry to take the time to make yeast bread, so I toasted slices of a whole grain baguette that I already had and added an heirloom tomato, fresh basil, a heavy drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt (plus a sliced avocado on the side). Heaven! The picture is blurry because the camera battery is dying. I'm too hungry to care.

We have had a lot of storms this year and several just this week. I LOVE storms so I never complain. I have a branch down in my yard that is big enough to make a whole new tree. I need to drag it to the curb but it is touching a wire so I can't see that happening. The For Sale sign from the house on one side of me is now on the ground in front of the house on the other side. Ooh, good idea for a fun prank...

This is week six of my externship. Four more weeks left after this one! I'm so excited! The last day of school (or externship) for my class is July 31 and our graduation is August 27. I'm enjoying the work that I've been doing. They mostly have me do prep stuff, so I cut things up, make a lot of stocks, sauces, & dressings, cut things up, roast chickens, make croutons, and then I cut things up. We had a big brunch buffet for Fathers Day and I did my first carving station--four hours of "prime rib or leg of lamb?". I liked it, though. I met a dude from Sardinia who swears that it is more beautiful than Tuscany. I can't imagine that but I am willing to visit in order to form an informed, intelligent opinion. He recommended a book, Tea With Mussolini, that I plan to read very soon.

Besides the externship, I have been on call with a caterer and have helped them out a couple of times. The last time was for a wedding and the venue wouldn't allow us to use any hot water! Whatever. I guess I shouldn't whine. I didn't have to haul those dishes back and wash them! I would've if they'd asked. I enjoy catering a lot. The folks I've worked with have been great and, of course, the leftovers are awesome!

Happy now?

2011-06-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

My family members have complained that there are no pictures of me from Italy, so I have stolen some from my classmates' Facebook albums. Here ya go.

A few minutes pre-grappa:

Oh, wait...

2011-06-20T16:37:00.008-05:00

On our last full day in Figline we had one more cooking class with Chef Claudio. We left the hotel EARLY the next morning for the long drive back to the airport in Rome and a long flight back home. I didn't take pictures then. It just wasn't the joyous, thrilling occasion that the trip over was. I am going back when I can stay longer. There is just too much to see in five days and our days were so structured. I am figuring it all out. There are several possibilities--internships, more school, work. I am going to get a TEFL license so teaching English will be an option. That will pay barely enough to live very frugally but, hell, I can struggle here or struggle there. I am aiming for late next summer or early autumn and I am not kidding. Why not? A year in Firenze and then one in Scotland and then come back to settle in New England. My dream will be lived. I will be happy!

First, fettucine:

I love that Chef Claudio doesn't use a pasta roller. He made pasta so simple that you feel silly for not doing it yourself all the time. I will from now on!

MMM!!!

MMM!!! Squash blossoms!

This is Chef Claudio's dog and if I understood correctly its name is Tale.

Spider!

My pizza. Perfecto!

Tuscan moon:

Eggplant parmigiana:

This baby breaks my heart. She wondered into the teaching kitchen and plopped down in the floor like she owned the place. Chef Claudio says she's a stray. She has been a beloved pet at some time because she is very friendly. If you glance at her she falls on your feet and rolls onto her back. She's covered with fleas and stuff is matted into her fur. Everyone talked to her but nobody wanted to handle her. I had to. She needed it. I sat on the ground and gave her a good working over--rubbed her belly and scratched her ears. She's such a sweetie! It was killing me to see her itching so badly and not be able to help her. I wanted to clean her up so bad! I hope Chef falls in love with her and takes care of her. How could he help it?

Wahim brought out a dessert we made earlier...

...and grappa!

Byron gave Chef Claudio a Rams hat.

The rest of us autographed a chef coat for him. Nick drew a great picture! Looks just like Claudio!

Don'tcha love that the doggie posed with us?

Chiantishire

2011-06-13T17:40:00.010-05:00

Today we had a guided half-day excurson to the Chianti region. Gorgeous!!! First we went to a town called Greve which is almost as beautiful as Figline (but I am very biased so "almost as beautiful as Figline" is pretty high praise). The piazza is actually nicer and the shops around it are amazing (I use that word so much talking about this trip). I can't wait to go back!

Sting's place:

A good Tuscan man, Pinocchio:

Giovanni da Verrazzano:

What do culinarians get excted about? Knives! This shop has tons of kitchen stuff made of olive wood. I wish I'd had money to spend in there! I was down to about ten euros by this time (though I would find ten more in a bag pocket when I got home).

In the Chianti Region everything has black roosters on it.

There are pretty boys just everywhere!

I have no idea what this thing is, but I'm intrigued.

We also get very excited about meat and cheese. We've come to the right place!

This is all peccorino like we had at our tasting at Chef Claudio's and it's at about the same three stages of aging. Some of the oldest stuff here has tomatoes or olives on the rind instead of the herbs like what we ate at Claudio's. Next time I'm here I will buy some! I think that you're allowed to bring this home, so I'll even share.

This was a very neat place!

Grappa--no friend of mine!

A very good year!

Now, THIS is good stuff!

From Greve we went to Panzano--another gorgeous, ancient town amongst many. Man, I love this country! We started at Dario Cecchini's butcher shop where we were plied with wine and snacks and then we went downstairs to one of his restaurants, Mac Dario.

Dario took that whole mad cow thing very hard.

Dario's wife, Kim, is from California.

I love this place!

That's Dario behind the pig.

I love the communal tables in restaurants. Another group of Americans, from Colorado, sat next to me.

Of course I peeked in the kitchen.

Eduardo!

Now that's a burger!

Oh, my!

Dante:

This place, Accademia del Buon Gusto intrigues me very much. I will go in next time!

I found this:

A real castle!

I think I would follow anywhere this path might lead.

2011-06-13T17:05:00.002-05:00

I met this fickle little guy (gal???) in the hotel lobby yesterday morning but he ran off when I wanted to pet him. Last night, though, he was all over me wanting attention! What a cutie.

We went back to the fair last night for jousting. It was a little hard to follow but so cool. I love that we were here for that. I felt like I was really experiencing Tuscany. They were not entertaining tourists. We were eavesdropping on them.

The rest of my group got bored with the horses before I did but I tagged along with them to a bar where I was introduced to a very evil thing called Grappa. It looks all innocent--just like water--but after a couple of them you will tell strange men in foreign cities how sexy they are. I wonder how hot Franco is when I am sober?

Beautiful day!

2011-06-12T05:57:00.004-05:00

It is an absolutely perfect Sunday morning in Figline. We had the morning free until time to go to Claudio's this afternoon and a few classmates went into Firenze. I chose to sleep in so I missed breakfast in the hotel. I walked down to the piazza in search of brunch and found delicious pastries and capuccino. I really think I am in Heaven! I love the piazza! I love that everyone seems to just hang out together there. There were about twenty old men with tables pushed together talking, smoking, and playing cards. There were folks with their kids everywhere. Things were being set up for the jousting tonight at the fair. I'm excited about that! I want to live somewhere with a piazza!

Breakfast in Heaven looks very much like this:

You get it here:

When I got back to the hotel I found my classmates in the pool with a jug of wine.

SO good! And organic!

My own sort of Under The Tuscan Sun moment (not a lady bug but I think it's prettier):

Grappa, grappa everywhere...

YUM!

I don't have the recipes yet but I will share this when I do. It is zucchini layered with a creamy sauce and cheese. To. Die. For.

Lasagna:

I don't know what to call this. I'll edit later when I have recipes. It was good!

My new desktop background:

We made ice cream from one of those delicious cantaloupes.

The coolest thing on the planet tonight

2011-06-11T19:53:00.005-05:00

is that I am in Figline Valdarno! It might just be my favorite place. Yesterday, between the train station and the hotel, on our way back from Florence, we came across a yarn shop. The others just left me there. I was so excited to find it! I had been looking for them in Florence. It is a small shop without a huge selection, but it is warm and kind of cozy and the selection that they have is nice. The very, very friendly lady who works there (and who speaks better English than some of my travel companions) showed me a scarf on display that is made from a novelty yarn. I got two skeins of Borgo de' Pazzi Eva to try to make a scarf like hers. I love that the yarn is made in Firenze. I have to experiment to figure out just what she was doing but it will be neat if I can get it right. Maybe I'll go back and take a picture of her scarf so I can at least ask my knitting friends. One of them will know what to do! I think it might be the boa scarf on the Patterns page of the Borgo de' Pazza website. Anyway, today is Worldwide Knit In Public Day and I am not in St. Louis to participate but this lady told me that she would be celebrating in her shop at 5:00 and she invited me and even offered to loan me needles. By the time we got back from Claudio's and I changed it was 6ish when I left the hotel. On the way across the piazza, though, I ran into a medieval fair! How cool is that?!!! Of course, I had to check that out pretty thoroughly. In my attempts to communicate with the folks there (Spanish reeeeeelly comes in handy if you get desperate) I learned that there would be a fire show at 9:30 tonight and jousting tomorrow night! I was SO excited! The yarn shop was closed by the time I finally made my way there so I started back to the hotel to round up classmates for the fair (I would see the yarn shop lady at the fair and learn that they had moved to a table there and I just missed them--and that there was a note on the door for me that I missed). We went back for the fire show, only it was a play of some kind so I figured that I had misunderstood. I hadn't, though. After the play there was a gal doing some sort of belly dance/fire show act. It was pretty neat. I loved the play even though they spoke too quickly for me to even attempt to follow. There was a lot of fighting. Of course I took pictures! I had an awesome night. I loved being here for their festival. I love experiencing this fair because it wasn't a touristy thing. I LOVE Tuscany! I don't ever wanna go home. I'd give anything in the world to have Julianne here with me. Some day... Hey, if I had "missed" my plane, I wonder if my friends would have taken up a collection to send her to me???

What a disgustingly gorgeous couple!

This guy doesn't look so hot right now but a few pictures down he is in costume. ;)

Their fair food is even way different from ours. There was not one funnel cake! I love it. I got one of these strawberry things for Julianne:

The guy at this booth cut me a taste of each of these meats. They were so good! The folks are very friendly.

Told ya he'd get better.

More gelato! This time I tried tiramisu.

2011-06-11T18:16:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, after lunch and a tour of the gardens, Chef Claudio had a tasting for us. We tried three different peccorino cheeses. The first is twenty days old. The second is aged for six months. The last has been aged for a year. It was also wrapped in herbs while it aged. The difference was amazing! The first was good when it was the only one you ate. It is mild, soft, and creamy. The rind is good. The second is a little firmer and stronger. The last, though, is very good. It spoils you for the others! Not only did the aging add so much character, but the herbs enahnced the flavor a lot. I was sure that I tasted dill specifically. With it we ate the best cantaloupe! I haven't had a good one back home yet this year. The ones I've cut at work have been unripe and flavorless. I would have happily eaten this whole melon! We also tried three different charcuteries. I only took a picture of the first.

I am very much coveting the Cuban rums! I wish we could have them at home.

I don't know how to spell his name, but it is pronounced Waheem. He's a mess!

For Peggy & Sandee

2011-06-11T17:48:00.001-05:00

Here are just a few of the pictures of the gardens and flowers that I can't stop snapping. This place is amazing. Flowers are everywhere and the air smells like them. I wish I could record the smell somehow!

I tried to shoot the hummingbird moth that was flitting around this lavender but he was never still! Cool little guy!

Happy face

Chef Claudio grows grapes and olives. He presses his own olive oil.

When you see paintings of Tuscany, this is the view.

Guess who has been in the garden? Wild boars!

Lemon verbena, lavender (is there anything that smells better than those?), and yummy wild raspberries:

2011-06-11T14:05:00.004-05:00

Wahim blowing me a kiss. He, and a couple of other folks, ferried us back and forth to Claudio's.

Chef coats are so unflattering. I DON'T have rolls!

See Pinocchio peeking out of my pocket? He doesn't write very well but he's CUTE!

Biscotti:

These potatoes are very, very simple but DELICIOUS! They just have olive oil and herbs on them. I will be making them often at home!

We put red sauce on part of our pasta and the zucchini sauce on the other. They were both sooooo good!

2011-06-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

Firenze

2011-06-10T17:39:00.024-05:00

How can you ever possibly describe Florence and do it any justice? I have to go back. I have to spend many days (weeks, months...) exploring this beautiful, fascinating, historic, ancient city. My friends predicted that I would fall in love while I was in Italy. I did. With Italy.

This is inside the train station--stazione--in Florence.

Lisabetta was our tour guide:

This is the cathedral of Florence--Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore--and it is in the Piazza del Duomo. It is incredible. It's made of marble that is all from Italy. I can't remember but I know the white is from one area, green from another, and pink from another. One day I am going inside! I want to climb all of those steps to the top of the bell tower.

His pictures are gorgeous and I paid enough attention for him to relentlessly chase me around dropping the price. I bought one when he got to 10 euros (he started with 35). Shoulda held out one more time. I love it, though! Love the colors. But I got a hard time from my classmates.

Chef Owens

This is about a half block over from the cathedral (duomo) and is sort of a little fix-it shop where they are in charge of the maintenance and repair of the cathedral.

Beautiful reflection!

I feel silly because I don't know who this is or how to look it up. There are some flowers on the ground underneath. A guy was leaving one while I was there.

The Piazza della Signoria is amazing! It has many sculptures, Loggia dei Lanzi, and the Palazzo Vecchio.

Fountain of Neptune:

David:

Judith and Holofernes:

Inside the palazzo:

Perseus with the Head of Medusa:

Of course the one hidden from me is the one that got my attention. This is The Rape Of The Sabine Women. She doesn't seem to like the curtain, either.

Arno River:

Ponte Vecchio to the right:

It is a tradition for lovers to put their names on a lock and lock it onto the fence around the bust of Benvenuto Cellini and then to throw the key into the Arno. Their love will be eternal--or until a city worker cuts the lock off (apparently this tradition is frowned upon). The locks have spilled over to these chains. There seem to be thousands of them! Someday when I am there with a travel companion of my own choosing......

A Room With A View was filmed in one of these windows. What a view it would be!

Tripe sandwich:

Benvenuto Cellini:

Mine is Crema D'Oriente and The' Verde. MMM!!!

Where would I like to live in Florence? Hmmm......

He asked "Take a picture?" and I said "Sure!" and snapped him.

Then he laughed and snapped us.

We were all intrigued by Steve's Zucchini Ripiene.

I bought one of the little square ones. So pretty!

Firenze

2011-06-10T15:50:00.001-05:00

We ate breakfast in the hotel this morning. It was gooooood! I had very good stuff on my plate but we were rushed (going to Firenze) and I eat slooowly so I didn't get much down. I would almost swear that Colonel Brandon was having breakfast there, too, but I didn't want to stare enough to figure it out. Nobody else had a clue what I was talking about. *sigh* There are rooms around the restaurant filled with ancient farm equipment. Fascinating! I love this place!

After breakfast we walked through town to the train station and went to Firenze (Florence). These pictures are Figline Valdarno. It's a beautiful place!

Yes, I'm so infatuated that even the grates in the street are picture-worthy!

Glorious food!

2011-06-09T23:57:00.006-05:00

We are eating VERY well! After we checked into our hotel and relaxed a bit, we went to Chef Claudio's bed and breakfast for a welcome lunch. It was SO good! I was late. When I asked, nobody knew what time we were meeting up so I got wifi access and went upstairs to upload pictures here. I dozed for just a few minutes. When I went back downstairs none of my classmates were around anywhere! The gal at the front desk said that they had gone to eat. She called but they had already discovered me missing and sent someone after me. I understand that my classmates were shown around the place. I looked around a little. Chef Claudio is a very nice man and his food is WONDERFUL!!!

Chef Claudio is in the middle here, standing.

My plate--had to try some of everything:

This is Cleopatra.

Dinner was at Antica Tavaerna Casagrande, the restaurant in Hotel Villa Casagrande, where they serve delicious, authentic Tuscan food. I still say that there is not a prettier place for a wedding anywhere.

The dude in the purple shirt is the hottest waiter I've ever seen. Very young but yummy!

He took our picture:

Our first course was bruschetta--very simple but so good! The tomatoes and olive oil were good but I think it's the fresh basil that makes it so heavenly.

This is the second course--veggie pasta of some kind. There was a little meat in it and a creamy sauce. We all loved it and, of course, had to analyze how we would make it.

A nice Chianti:

This waiter is hilarious! "No feeneesh, no dessert"!

The main course was a skewer with bread on both ends, a pigeon leg quarter, some kind of liver (too big for this bird), and another piece of the pigeon. No, it did not come from the flock of them all over the garden! And, um, no, I wouldn't ask. It was all very good but I was stuffed!

Gellato! Maybe I'm not really too stuffed...

My room

2011-06-09T15:27:00.005-05:00

Love it! I never want to leave. This is the prettiest hotel room I have ever seen even in pictures. I am rooming with Joyce and we seem to be a good match. She is not impressed with Italy at all, though, or the room. I hope she has a great time anyway.

Me!

How did they know to put me in the room with this outside the door? I know I have some friends drooling over it! I am!

Hey, you know what's cool? Italian URLs end in .it instead of .com and on my laptop when I click my Home icon to go to Google it goes to the .it one instead of the .com one, so, the address bar says "google.it". I got a kick out of that. I'm a dork. What's up, though, with this ad on my sidebar every time I go to Facebook???

Hotel Villa Casagrande

2011-06-09T15:13:00.002-05:00

Such a beautiful place! Absolutely amazing! I am completely fascinated by the medieval wall and have been trying to see as much of it as I can. I am going to bed a little early tonight (most of the rest are out exploring--okay, drinking) so that I'll have more energy tomorrow to get around town. I can't wait! I ain't going home!

This little nook has a dozen places to stick your room key when you go out.

I don't know yet what this table really is but it's obviously ancient! I love it!

The view from that window:

Another lizard:

This is a ceramic shop connected to the hotel. It is closed until the 12th. I have to save a few euros because I can see Christmas ornaments in the window and that's what I want for myself.

the restaurant:

Can you imagine a more beautiful place anywhere for a wedding?

Rosemary!

2011-06-09T10:06:00.001-05:00

We had a long bus ride from Rome to Figline Valdarno--three hours and a rest stop--but it was so amazingly gorgeous! I am completely fascinated with very old things--especially buildings--so I was glued to the windows with my camera. Here are just a few of the many, many, many pictures that I took!

Woah. He knows our name.

There is graffiti everywhere!

Yes, I will take a picture of anything.

This is a rest stop along the road and even the food there is amazing! the top shelf is bowls of fruit with peaches and cherries, next down is antipasti plates, then caprese salads, and then more fruit. I think I'm gonna like this place! The bowls to the left are veggies, maybe roasted, and they look like Heaven! I remember huge mushroom caps.

No bologna and Kraft singles in there!

Pastries! Okay, I was trying to save my euros since my meals are included in all of this but I can resist no longer!

Can you see the lizard?

There are flowers EVERYWHERE!

I wasn't going to eat until our welcome lunch but my pastry just sat in my bag and teased me until I gave in. OHMYGOSH YUM!!!

2011-06-09T08:13:00.000-05:00

This is my first glimpse of Europe ever and anyone who knows me very well can appreciate just how excited I was to see it! This is France from 30-something-000 feet. I really think our American clouds are prettier than French clouds ;).

Alps:

Descending and getting close to Rome. See the cruise ships?

2011-06-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

These are my classmates and me yesterday on our way from St. Louis to Chicago to Rome. Do we look excited?

Yes, we're still in St. Louis and, yes, some folks were drinking already. I refuse to pay airport prices to drink.

2011-06-08T11:11:00.002-05:00

On my way!
-Cyndi

2011-06-07T15:34:00.003-05:00

I just went to L'Ecole Culinaire to pic up my travel stuff. We got these nifty passport wallets, handy tote bags, and spiffy aprons from The International Kitchen. I get excited over goofy stuff. This is where I am going tomorrow. Our group has a couple folks too many to stay at Chef Claudio's bed & breakfast so we will be at a hotel in town. There are no words to adequately express my excitement! I can't wait to see Chef's garden.

2011-05-31T14:01:00.002-05:00

Chef made me lunch before I left work. I appreciate that a lot! I reeeeeeally enjoyed this tuna burger and salad!

2011-05-29T14:51:00.003-05:00

I'm so proud. *sniff* Julianne made the Senior Favorites as Biggest Flirt. Now, which block is she a chip off?

My wonderful mom threw a graduation/birthday party for Julianne. It was great! All three of my sibs were there and my Nanie and some cousins, plus Julianne's boyfriend, Mason.

My brother, Ed:

My other brother Darryl...er...Jim:

My Nanie, my mom, and all four of her kids (I'm the cute one):

Snoopy, Aubrey, Nanie, & Julianne:

Four generations:

JuJu & Mason:

2011-05-27T12:57:00.004-05:00

I made it through the ceremony without a tear! I almost broke down when the graduates marched in but maintained control somehow. Earlier in the day I went to the school to pay fees and saw chairs set up on the football field for graduation (they moved it into the auditorium because of the forecast) and I lost it! I'm so proud of my beautiful, brilliant girl but, man, where did the time go? One of my first posts on this blog was when she graduated from 8th grade.

2011-05-26T18:18:00.003-05:00

I am in my very last phase of culinary school--my externship! WOOHOO!!! The last day of everything for my class is July 31. Graduation is August 27. With no experience (since I don't think it prudent to bring up Ernesto's) I wasn't able to even get an interview for a paid position so I am doing an unpaid one. It's only ten weeks and I am on call for paid work with some catering companies and now I will have experience on my resume. I am working at Oceano Bistro in Clayton, MO. It's a very nice seafood restaurant. I am the extra person in the kitchen so I do a lot of prep work. That's good. I would rather be given recipes to fix than work on the line. I think they like that they can give me a recipe and forget about me for awhile. I don't need much guidance but don't hesitate to ask questions if I'm unsure about something. Everyone is cool. The executive chef & I are the only two Americans in the kitchen. I think my Spanish is improving faster than my cooking!

The one thing that I have been asked to do that I really hated was to clean these two dozen softshell crabs. I was traumatized! Seriously--couldn't go to sleep. I kept seeing them when I closed my eyes. Other animals are butchered after they are killed. Not shellfish. You just start cutting up these guys while they are squirming around in your hand! They don't bleed, either, but have this yellow mustardy stuff and brown jelly stuff. Don't tell the Fat Ladies, but I think I will be a vegetarian!

2011-05-19T18:10:00.001-05:00

-Cyndi

2011-05-19T12:06:00.001-05:00

Last day of school! We're signing coats. I made a self portrait.

-Cyndi

My kinda party

2011-05-13T16:15:00.005-05:00

Tonight I got my first taste of life as a tour chef and I loved it! Granted, I didn't roll into town in the wee hours after weeks on a tour bus and really didn't work very hard. The crew was great--just very nice people. I've been thinking for about a year and a half that I would really like to do this for a couple of years and when I told some of my friends one of them introduced me on Facebook to a friend of hers from school, Gene, who does it. He promised to let me help him out when he is in St. Louis. I knew that he would be here with Jason Aldean's tour so I held him to that. Julianne has a little crush on Jason and I got to report back that he is much hotter in person (and not nearly as huge as I expected). I am meeting with another chef who does this over the weekend in hopes of helping him out a lot this summer and I am hoping real hard that one of these catering companies will take me with them someday soon. What a good way to stay too busy to mope when my nest is empty!

Sound check:

Chef Cisco (very cool dude) and Ned, the owner of Ned's Catering:

James, the other owner, I think, making up a game for us during a break from packing up the catering truck:

We were to stand behind the yellow line and throw an egg to where the basket would be. Kelly (another St. Louis gal who helped out) won $10 from James.

Gene (his egg went over the fence behind the goal):

The mess we made (my egg went over the basket):

All packed up:

Everything is covered in stickers! My favorite of all of them is the bottom middle one here, "I may be old, but I got to see all the cool bands."

Gene & I took a picture just for Ally:

Cisco, the other Kelly, me, Geno:

Cisco, Kelly, Kelly, Gene:

Erik Church:

A drunk dude offered me $30 for my sticker so he could get backstage. Broke as I was I figured it was a good way to not get invited back!

2011-05-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

-Cyndi

2011-05-10T16:03:00.001-05:00

-Cyndi

2011-05-08T19:33:00.001-05:00

Happy Mothers Day!

-Cyndi

2011-05-06T17:40:00.001-05:00

Hanging out today with my aunt today and I got curious to peek at her patterns. She let me pick some out. Jackpot! I love these.

Julianne's Senior Prom

2011-04-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

2011-04-19T17:38:00.001-05:00

What every well-accesorized prom-goer needs. A jeweled flask. Really.
-Cyndi

2011-04-19T17:08:00.001-05:00

Every unemployed parent's favorite time of year.

-Cyndi

2011-04-19T16:59:00.001-05:00

Who says good men don't grow on trees?

-Cyndi

2011-04-13T17:48:00.001-05:00

-Cyndi

2011-04-13T17:47:00.001-05:00

I love cheerful, sunny dandelions but spring was just way too short.

-Cyndi

2011-04-13T17:46:00.001-05:00

-Cyndi

2011-04-11T09:12:00.001-05:00

-Cyndi

Sort of employed?

2011-04-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

I had an interview here today. It went real well. I am on their list now of folks to call for events, so I got the job but it's an as-needed thing and not a full-time gig. I'm thrilled! I need catering cooking experience and hope to get plenty of it here. I hope that they love me and keep me full-time and that I could then bake for them, too.

Eat dessert first

2011-04-06T16:57:00.003-05:00

These are the desserts on our menu and they are all heavenly! My job in the kitchen is to plate them as they're ordered and let me tell you--it's hard to leave them alone! Chef plated up one of each to show us how and for the class to taste. I don't know their exact names as we hadn't printed up a dessert menu yet. Everything was made by our students except the chocolate cigarettes.

This is a pineapple/carrot upside down cake. It's a grilled pineapple slice atop a layer of carrot cake and topped with mascarpone ice cream and pineapple sauce. YUM!

This is Frangelico crème brûlée. There are toasted hazelnuts under that sprig of mint.

This is a chocolate trio with a chocolate madeleine, chocolate chocolate chunk ice cream, and a slice of flourless chocolate torte, plus cherry compote.

This is neopolitan ice cream--strawberry, chocolate, and mascarpone/vanilla. Heaven!

My first plating attempt. Not too horrible but I got a little happy with the cherry compote.

2011-04-06T12:13:00.001-05:00

Dessert fail but OMG it's Heaven!

2011-04-06T09:13:00.001-05:00

???

-Cyndi