New Beginnings for Two Beautiful Girls..

     Tomorrow afternoon my cousins are having a joined graduation party. They are expecting 70 people to come! Seems like a lot huh? Well they are that loved. The oldest graduated from JU a few weekends ago and the younger will be graduating next weekend from high school. I'm so proud of them both. Lindsey is the valedictorian of her 2011 class and she totally deserves it. There is talk of Lauren traveling to NYC to audition somewhere and she's been working really hard to get the money together for her trips. Determination is definitely a prominent character trait that radiates through this entire family. I know they both have amazing futures ahead of them. Or that's what I've been praying for at least.
     The future is always a little scary, a little exciting and a little hard to think about but lately I see the future of my family rising higher and higher. It seems like a lot is falling right into place. 
     In my last blog I told y'all about my trip to north campus to sit through an information seminar about the culinary management program they offer, and took a tour and filled out an application that I figured I'd have to wait to hear anything about till July. Well, just one day after I went to the seminar, my dad's friend called to see how our visit was. We knew his brother in law was a chef teacher at the college but we weren't thinking about trying to use that angle. My dad's friend asked if we wanted him to give his brother in law a call and well.. he did. He told him about me and how I wasn't going to quit half way through and that this was definitely what I wanted to do with my life. So.. if those of you Facebook readers saw my post about the voicemail that could have quite possibly changed my life, this is the news I got around noon yesterday, "You can tell her that he said he would get her on the list." I don't know if that means I'm on the list for next semester or what but it didn't stop from shedding a few happy tears and then calling my family, from my living room floor where I was sprawled out, to tell them the good news. I probably thanked god 30 times in the 2 or 3 hours after I got off the phone with my dad. Come August I could very well be on my way to becoming a chef. Just the idea alone is still hard to fulling handle. I was so giddy and happy the rest of the day. I even got to go to a friends and celebrate a little bit even though it was pretty uneventful, I had fun. 
     So to continue in the culinary theme, I will be making some pretty interesting but fun desserts for my cousins party tomorrow. I still need pretzels and coconut m&m's and cream cheese. Hopefully I can get my dad to pick all that stuff up on his way home so I don't have to leave my house. I think I am going to making spaghetti from scratch tonight. The recipe is one I got from some other really good cooks in my family. :)
   -  Okay, for really good homemade spaghetti sauce, cut up a medium sized onion and 1 shallot. Saute them in olive oil till the onions are soft. Add about 5 cloves of garlic and cook a few more minutes. At this point I add my seasonings.... salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and just any other spice/seasoning you want (I kind of play around with it). Stir it all around and distribute all the seasonings. At this point, add some red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook out the alcohol and then add a can of tomato paste. Stir that around and then add a can or 2 of Tomato sauce (if you like chunky sauce, you can add fresh tomatoes or canned), stir to incorporate and then add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar and then let that simmer for a while (I usually let it cook for about 30 minutes, minimum). After everything's cooked together for a while, taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking. After that... enjoy! - Thanks Jessie! :)
     I will post pictures of my creations later.
Hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. :)

Future!

     Today was pretty amazing. I went to an Information Seminar on the culinary programs offered at a campus I had never been to. I was thoroughly impressed. My dad even took the day off to go with me to act as a second pair of eyes and ears. I'm just glad he got excited right along with me. Often I don't know if he is on board with my passions.
     After a very detailed description of the courses and costs and other requirements, the department head took us on a tour of the labs. It was really cool to see students at work in the kitchen and I really just liked the whole setup. Open windows, spacious work stations, and really happy smiling students.
     It made this dream a reality. I got to see what the uniforms look like and a lecture classroom, along with a food class in progress, that I later saw tasting the food they had been making when I came back through on the tour.
     The internships are to die for. The list of places I could go work for seems endless and very upscale. One caught my eye but I don't want to get too ahead of myself. You have to be accepted into the program and only some 35 people are chosen each semester. I did fill out an application after the tour. It was actually pretty short. Just a checklist to see where you are in the enrollment process, your prior experience, your goals and how you came to know about the program. Very simple and I threw in "passion", "perfect fit" and wonderful timing to try and emphasize the importance of getting selected to start in August. I'll probably jump up and down if I get that acceptance letter in the mail in July.. like literally jumping and screaming and uncontrollable laughter. :) Pray I get in cause I really want to start as soon as possible. I don't want to waste any more time just going part time, not knowing if the classes I'm taking are going to get me anywhere in life. THIS IS WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO! I just know it. I love food, I love to create knew dishes and entertain people. I love the presentation side of it and the hospitality side. I can't wait to fill my brain with all kinds of new information.
     I was being serious about praying for me though. I'm not sure how they pick people. All I know is that I will be following up with the department head that talked with us today. I want to be heard and show him I truly want and need to start this next semester. Hopefully he sees my determination and doesn't see a young girl, who is off on another venture that won't get seen through to the finish. Not the case here. :)
I'm going to bed a happy girl.
Night loves!

Tea for One..

     My grandmother bought me a box of various tea flavors and so far I've tried Black Current and Chai. They both are really good. I was never a big hot tea drinker but since I bought my first tea cup and saucer set a few weeks ago I've taken an interest in it. We buy Gevalia Black Tea to make iced tea with but I tried it hot one day and found it to be almost better than cold. Of course I tell my grandma about my purchase and she comes up with the most beautiful tea set and tea for my baptism gift. It was a really nice surprise. I didn't know she was going to bring me a gift. :)
     The past two days I have enjoyed trying the tea. This morning instead of coffee I tried the Chai again, while I watch Kathy Lee and Hoda. I've become quite a creature of habit lately. I get up at 9:30am and have coffee or tea, watch the morning news and Kathy and Hoda and then make something for breakfast. I got hooked on The Days of Our Lives when the real Rave was in the convent with amnesia.. but that seems to be the slowest going part.. and I'm getting bored after only a week and a half. 
     I'm always in search of new recipes, but lately I've been looking for something wonderful to make for my cousins graduation party next weekend. I know I've got some time but I want to make something really great and it has to be enough for 30 to 40 people. 
     I still have company but he leaves during the day so I have to get most of my research done during the day since there is so much conversation when both him and my dad get home. No big deal.. just less room to spread out on the couch in quiet. lol.
     I  started Letters to Juliet yesterday but it was pretty close to dinner time and I was going to make crepes so I needed to start the prep work so I plan on watching the end of it today after my dad leaves. He came home for lunch and I guess to check if the part for our washer came in but it hasn't yet. I hope it comes cause I need to do laundry bad. 
     It's only 8 days till I go take the tour of the culinary department and get more detailed information about the classes. I'm so excited. My dad is going to take the morning off to go with me. I just know this is going to be great. I just keep cooking and learning new things and reading about different cultures and where certain dishes originated and most importantly asking god to keep me motivated and headed down a path that will lead me to a prosperous future.
     I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. Last night I made chicken crepes and warmed pear sauce that I served over frozen yogurt. It was delicious and my dad and FB agreed and talked restaurants afterward. I believe I will go have my afternoon tea now. :)

Pizza pizza..

     I attempted to make my first pizza tonight and it turned out pretty darn good for my first try. I used a bisquick recipe I found online to make the dough and then added garlic powder, red pepper, and a pinch of salt to the dough. I topped it with some tomato sauce and then onion slices. I spread cheese out over most of the top and then put ham on top. Added some more mozzarella cheese and popped the beautiful masterpiece in the oven to bake.
     It really did turn out good. I will be trying to perfect pizza soon. :)
     Some recent news: this past Sunday, just yesterday, after church, with my parents and grandparents, and other members of my church gathered at the beach to get baptized and I am proud to say I was one of them. :) I cried, which made both my mom and grandma cry. It was a great day all around. :) After we got back to the house, my grandma gave me a beyond pretty tea set and tea, and a beautiful new silver cross necklace. I.had a cup of tea today in my new cups and wore my necklace later in the day.
     We had a small cookout of hamburgers, grilled veggies, beans, and macaroni salad. I made a spiced pear upside-down cake the night before which we paired frozen yogurt. YUM! So glad my mom spent the afternoon with us. :)
     Did I mention my dad and his friend cleaned off the front porch?! WELL THEY DID! Can you tell how excited I am. :) It was awesome to be able to sit on the porch and enjoy the amazing day we had. :)
Pictures from baptism will follow later. I'm having issues getting them out of an email but ill figure it out. :)

I beat the kitchen 2 - 0..

     I just to start off by saying, I love baking! Well of course y'all know that but I love it even more every time I make something new and it turns out flippin fantastic. This afternoon I made Chocolate and Almond Cake with Chocolate butter icing. YUM!
      The process was time consuming and my egg whites gave me a little trouble but I got it made. It was a little thinner than I expected but I believe it will be rich. As you can see below I made a design around the edge and in the middle with almond slivers. Fun stuff! :)
     While the cake was cooling, I made divinity. The recipe is in the prior post. It's wonderful. When I was finished with the sticky mess I told my dad to check out my beautiful clouds of sweet heaven. He laughed and tried one. :)
     Tomorrow I'll be going to church with my dad and then out to my Gma's for mother's day lunch. It should be fun. I should probably figure out how I'm going to wrap her present..
      For all those mothers out there, I hope you have an awesome day tomorrow. Good night!

Lots of Baking Going on Today!

     Mother's Day might be kind of bittersweet this year. My mother and I have been distant for a few months and where I've been trying to bring our relationship back to life, she's not even meeting me a 1/4 of the way. I'm dealing with it but sometimes I wonder what's going on inside that woman's brain. 
     Of course I'm going to use this holiday as an excuse to try out new recipes and hopefully wow my family all over again, like with the Carrot Cupcakes. On today's list of baking plans, I will be making a Julia Childs recipe for Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing, Mama's Divinity Recipe from Paula Dean's website and Hummingbird Cake from JoyofBaking.com. I'm pretty excited and nervous to get started. I don't really know what to make first.. Well first I have to get my Dad home so we can go to the grocery store to get a few things I know we don't have.. like white corn syrup and unsalted butter and crushed pineapple and almonds and CHOCOLATE! :)
     I know I can go shopping by myself but I know we need a lot more for just us so he needs to come pay for all that. ;) I've got my many lists ready to go just need daddy'd wallet. lol. 
     I went to visit my mother Wednesday and stopped to get McDonald's on the way cause she wasn't picking up and I knew she'd be mad when I got done banging on the front door. Well I was right but we had a good visit after I opened the curtains and turned some lights on. It was like a tomb in there. lol. I got a stain glass window hanging to go in my kitchen window and the 1989 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book from her. Seemed perfect. A cookbook from the year I was born just sitting at my moms, collecting dust. She says it's on loan but more than likely I'm going to just keep it and try to make as much as I can from it before I start the program at my college. It's a great learning book. It has tools for measuring and how long to cook things, and conversions all throughout it. If I don't use the recipe for Paula's divinity, I might use the one in this cookbook cause that's where I got the idea in the first place. Oh and I got a candy thermometer from her to use so I know I'll be making my Grandma's favorite candy for her for Mother's Day. :)
     I guess I can clean up the kitchen some in the mean time. My Dad called me back a little bit ago and said he was getting close to heading home. I will post pictures as soon as there's something to take pictures of. :)
    Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! I've had my stereo turned up playing feel good music for the past hour so I'm feeling pretty wonderful right now. :)

Just right for me.. :)

Okay so I've got ten minutes to waste while I let this facial mask do its work.

     Over the last two days I have done some pretty extensive research on the subject of college and I was pretty surprised at what I found. A few scams, a lawsuit, and respect for these really really smart people. My search began with just a simple google search for the knife brand that my college prefers for their culinary students but while I found out that Henkels are amazing and expensive, I also found out that Le Cordon Blue college in Pasadena, California has a lawsuit out against them for taking close to $45,000 from a student and then didn't help him(as they promised they would) find a good paying job. He was left in serious debt, trying to live on a hourly pay of $10 an hour. They keep calling him to see if he's got a job, but every time they follow up with payment talk. His parents are furious that they lied and told his son he would be a sous chef right out of college and he could barely get a job as a dishwasher.. or something like that.
     I was taken back by this story and by all the people who commented on it. Over a thousand comments if my memory serves me right. An ex-recruiter at another Art Institute/ Culinary Institute/ Le Cordon Blue location commented, saying that she would get reprimanded if she didn't meet a quota of new enrolled students and if she tried to warn the students and was found out, she could be fired. OH! and the recruiters are making more than the teachers! I can't believe that.
     Le Cordon Blue colleges around the US are 90% fake. They hike up the tuition 60% more than the original and the Art Institute seems to be following in the same foot steps. It also sounded like as long as you are paying, you pass your classes but if you're late or miss a payment, they start messing with your education.. It kind of made me sad but also glad that I don't have the money to throw away. I have no problem going to a community college where I can take almost all the same classes, get the same certificates and if I decide to go to another college to further my education, my credits will transfer. NOT the case with AI or LCB.
     My dad has a friend who completed the culinary program at my college and is now working in a nice restaurant in our community but he started in a respectful entry level position and worked his way up. I certainly don't expect to get out of college and get an amazing paying job. I want to learn what people below the chef have to do. I will also be picking his brain soon.
     Did I mention the money..? Oh yah, that really high number up there. Well, at my community college where the curriculum is about the same, it's somewhere around 35-40,000 less. I refuse to pay for a name. It doesn't help you get a job any better than the one of a community college, specially in these times. It's about your skill level and what you know.
     I know most of my posts are pleasant and bubbly and I'm sorry this one is not but I'm still amped up about all the people getting ripped off. It makes me really sad that so many have and will be taken advantage of. This is a time to read every bit of the fine print and have the president do a background check. ;)
     I'm very happy with my decision to stick with my college, I'll be driving just as far as I would to the Ai campus even, since I'll be taking most of my courses at a different campus and I think that is exciting as well. I love exploring the different campuses. This will be the 4th for me. There's just so much to look forward to. I feel this is finally the path I'm supposed to be on. I knew that asking god for guidance would eventually work. He would show me in time. :)
    After this negative talk of those two schools, I want to say that the information was not provided by a completely reliable source. It was past students, a few that in the programs now, a few ex-recruiters and the information they sent me just today. I understand that there are a lot of students that are in school to learn something they are really passionate about, but then there are a those who just pick the trade with the highest estimated yearly income. I'm not even thinking about that right now. I just want to learn to be a better baker and maybe become a pastry chef in time and I think I can achieve those goals where I'm at.
     Okay. I'm done. It's been longer than ten minutes and I know my eyes are probably red from looking at this screen in bad light again for the third night in a row. :(
    

A Call from Art Institute..

     I filled out some information just yesterday afternoon on the Ai website hoping to get an information packet in the mail in a week or so, but to my surprise, around 2pm today I got a call from Marcel. He wanted to ask me a little bit about why I contacted them and where I was in my college education. It was a very pleasant phone call. He had a lovely voice and I will be receiving an information packet on their culinary program soon. He wanted me to come in this friday for a tour and short interview to see if I would be a good fit for the school but this is all so new that I had to tell him that I needed to speak with a few family members first. It had me giddy though. I really need to get a job soon so I can be saving money. Even if I don't switch schools I need to be saving money for when my Dad finally comes to his senses and sends me out into the real world. ;)
     Motivation has been key lately. I needed to see others succeeding to feel like I needed to get up and do something productive myself. But, now I can just get up and make a plan for the day in the amount of time it takes me go to kitchen, pour a cup of coffee and sit down to watch Kathy and Hoda. Today's plan was to simply sign up for a beginners Spanish class. I figure that I need to take a class while I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do about my major dilemma. Taking another language seemed really practical. It will be a great addition to my resume and may help when applying for jobs that would prefer someone who is bilingual. I've noticed more and more job adds that want Spanish/ English speaking applicants. I've got to give a lot of credit to my Dad for that idea but I had already let the idea roll around in my head a few weeks back.
     I did find a spanish class with a professor that got great reviews on ratemyprofessor.com, so I'm excited to get started next month. Not my ideal time to take class since I'll be driving on a busy highway in lunch traffic but I'll be fine. Not the first time I've taken a class where I had to drive through bad traffic areas. I am just glad to be taking a class that should actually get me somewhere in the career world. I can't say the same for many of the other classes I've taken.
     I wanna leave you with this amazing quote I heard today on the Nate Berkus show. It was said on December 17th, 2010 during his show by Maya Angelou.

     Home is my refuge. Not only from the world but a refuge from my worries and all my terrible concerns. 

     I like beautiful things around me. I like it to be beautiful because it delights my eyes and my soul is lifted

     up. - Maya Angelou

What to do? Where to go?

     I have been exploring food and baking more and more lately and I've always had a passion for food but with all the discouraging news about the job market I'm starting to think a change in majors might be a smart move. I remember helping my grandmother make biscuits when I was still to short to reach the countertop and had to use a step stool. My dad helped fuel my passion as well by making the best desserts for the holidays. Prune Cake, Sweet Potato Pie and Rum Cake were just a few of my favorites. Still are.
     After letting our Easter lunch settle, my Aunt, cousin Lauren and my aforementioned Grandma were sitting around the kitchen discussing my cousins upcoming graduation. Of course my schooling was brought up since we are the same age and started college at the same time. Not really a big deal. We had different backgrounds and financial circumstances. And, I have so many passions that I still don't know which one I would excel in the best. First it was fashion, then I just focused on my general education, then Digital Media Technologies and now I exploring the idea of a culinary program.
     Sitting around the table with my lovely Carrot Cupcakes almost half eaten, I was so excited about how well they turned out, I couldn't help but talk about how I made them. People online have been telling me for weeks that I should do something in the cooking department but until my family mentioned going to school for it, I hadn't really thought about it. A friend of my middle cousin, apparently went down to Disney and is working there while taking their culinary courses but when I came home and did a little research on my own, I found out that they are not really accredited and even though they pay you while you are going to school there, you still have to shell out a pretty large amount. It still sounds cool but it would only be something I'd do after I got a year or so of credited courses under my belt. After the Disney idea was shut down, I went on to see where else in my city they offered a culinary program and so far I've found that the college I'm already attending offers one and the Art Institute as well.
     It's kind of scary looking at the tuition costs though so I'm hesitant to tell anyone about my wants to change my major. I have been very lucky over the years, that my grandparents have helped with books and other things and my Dad has done what he could when spare money was available. I've never had to ask for the money and have covered the cost of books and art supplies almost every semester.
     Something else that's bothering me is the fact that every time I get on my college website, it either shuts down or wont do anything I want it to do. Part of me thinks that's a sign that I'm not supposed start back yet. I still pray that I get a job so I can at least be bringing in some money while I'm deciding what I want to be when I grow up. ;) Like today I got on the site to see when the next semester started and to see what the course list was the culinary program and that's as far as it would let me go. After finding the course list, I tried to do a class search to see the available classes and it wouldn't even load the class search. :( As usual, I closed the tab and went on to something else. The next semester starts May 9th. I wonder if I'll be taking classes or not.
    On a better note, just because my school future is unsure doesn't mean that my future dinner is. Tonight we will be having the left over pork chops but I will be making roasted new potatoes like I have done before. I'm pretty excited. AND if I'm feeling extra special in the kitchen, I'll be making something that involves cocoa powder. I'll let you know what I come up with if I do in fact make something chocolatey.
    It was a pretty uneventful Monday but I'm glad it didn't rain. I got some small chores done. Dusting, I cleaned wax off some candle holders, rearranged some knick-knacks onto the new bookcase by the door and a load of laundry. Happy and content here in my domain. :)
    Picture below is of my awesome lunch. Hormel black pepper turkey slices on Italian 5 Grain deli baguette from Publix, with mayo, mustard and pickles. Cape Cod Sweet Barbecue chips on the side. My favorite! :)

Rite Spot Pork Chops..

     About a year ago one of our favorite restaurants at the beach closed after the new owners couldn't afford the upkeep. It was unfortunate but we did get one of our favorite recipes before they shut their doors for good.
     One of the best, and there were many, meals served there was marinated center cut pork chops. I used to get a side salad with ginger dressing and green beans or cabbage for sides. Soo good.
     The recipe is pretty simple.. and tonight we marinated 5 center cut pork chops in:

1 cup low sodium soy
1 cup Apple juice
1/3 cup honey

      For an hour as the least but the longer the better. Brown both sides and then set off to the side, not on top of the fire. Then cook with a water pan for 15 minutes.. then if you have a piece of hickory wood then place that on the coals for 2-3 minutes more.
      We soaked squash in water for an hour and then paired it with zucchini and cooked in water with onions and salt. The sweetest white corn boiled as well. Dinner was awesome and I'm stuffed and I didn't even eat that much. :) Scones for dessert. :)
     Hope everyone had an wonderful weekend. Tomorrow I will be rearranging furniture since we acquired two new bookcases Friday and they have yet to be put in their places. :) I may just have this house visitor ready by thanksgiving. :D