ding ding ding! Pittsburgh!

I love thunderstorms.

Random lunch: bowl of cereal, 1/4 cantaloupe, hunk of challah. Picture of what brother ate. he had 2/3 pizza?

Graduation party!

Who's this little lady? Meet Frosty.

Needed quick sugar for my brain. Driving takes quite a bit of brain power.

What do relatives make you do when you see them? eat:)

dessert was crap load of fruit: strawberries, watermelon and grapes

Rainy Memorial Day

I wanted this morning more then anything to sleep in but alas with a brother taking a morning exam and the thunder shaking at my window, I rolled out of bed. Literally. When I really can't sit up on my bed to get up, rolling off bed always works because you have to stand up to not fall on your face! I wanted a big breakfast this morning. i initially planned some scrambled eggs with cottage cheese, I just wasn't feeling it. Smoothie it was with some kashi cereal.

I tried to show you how big the bowl was with my hand but this picture still doesn't do justice.

Now I need to get cracking on packing. I'll give you clues as to where I'm going.

• it's 3.5 hours away
• three rivers met
• lots of steel

Last official day

Oh, I don’t even know what to say. I just came home from my last official day of senior project at Four Seasons. From this experience, I have grown more intrinsically then in my cooking skills. It’ll be hard to share what I experienced at the showcase through this blog, pictures and perhaps some food because this was an experience to be experienced and not to be observed from the outside. Over the last two weeks, I met and got to know wonderful people who are friendlier and more down to earth then I have ever ever met in my entire life. I have learned the hard labor that goes into the food you eat at weddings, the benevolence and companionship among those in the kitchen, and the toughness of life. Sad but true. You know, ultimately, I haven’t seen much and experienced the world from real life. Most students are taught to be compassionate toward those who are less fortunate through community service day, food drive, speakers, documentaries and countless bake sales for various charities. But what is it really like out there? Too often I have lain in my bed early in the morning, as the sunlight slips through my blinds and splatters across my bed, thinking about the meaning of life and what’s the point with myself. Why to the infinite possibilities. I still don’t know most answers to my whys but I’m learning.

I was very lucky with this project to have such an enriching experience. The relationship I have formed with the kitchen staff is so unique that it’s hard to describe with words maybe except love. I will miss them dearly and sorely. But it’s not a goodbye forever but rather a wave of a hand saying “see you later”

Have you shed a tear yet?

My morning started with toast and almond butter, a couple apricots and some cherries.

You know, I haven’t bounded out of bed so quickly in so long since probably the start of school last August. It’s stimulating to know that school’s not forever and that when I do what I love to do, I can work tirelessly like there’s no tomorrow. I made my simple lunch in the morning when I was eating breakfast. It’s an idea I got out of the cookbook I was flipping through yesterday at Barnes and Nobles. It’s whole wheat pasta, threw in sugar snap peas and peas in the last couple minutes, drain then stir some garlic powder and ricotta cheese until it’s nice and creamy. I found my cross country sportrait and decided that it would exemplify how food powers and fuels you. Not trying to say anything else, but don’t I look strong in that stance? One time I fast for 36 hours just for fun and it was an eye opening experience. By the end of that day, my hands where literally shaking from holding a glass of water. I really couldn’t do anything well. I remember that I couldn’t think while studying for Modern Euro History and I was just dead tired.

You are not going to believe this. I ran into Marissa today at the morning spinning class. She and I were just together yesterday watching Iron Man II. We’re next door neighbors going to the same fitness class throughout the past few months not even knowing that until today because we have both being going off and on.

My mom’s flowers in the front yard.

Guess what the chef made for lunch (in a sing song voice)? Beef Wellington. It was unbelievable. I’m a little wary of meat right now so I had a taste of the pastry and the gravy. It was heaven coming to you on a fork. I might have stolen another couple of bites from her plate.

Now, here is your cue to drool.

The wedding was Chinese themed and it was pretty much what I expected to be. Lots of red, lots of that symbol for luck, the traditional Chinese gowns and lots of food to feed the guest cause that’s important in the Chinese culture to make sure your guests have a full belly.

I made a fruit tray, wrapped bacon around shrimp, this pastry with gouda cheese wrapped around an asparagus tip and some other stuff (?) can’t remember anymore.

Tarragon butter for the salmon.

Oh yah, brie in pastry cups with raspberry coulis. Aren’t I’m glad to have pictures to remind me?

Wedding cake. Not super impressive but okay. Sorry, I’m a hard person to impress. Anyway, Chef always mutters don’t stick fresh flower into the cake because it has pesticides and these guest are ingesting it…so don’t do it or else I will haunt you in your dreams.

A seafood display.

Oh, I helped with the California salad. It’s it pretty? I think this one by far was the best. I love the green from the lettuces, the white and slight blue from blue cheese, and the rainbow of colors from the fruit and berries.

I also helped the plate up but I thought I save you a look since the plate up was the same as the dish they saved for me. Aren’t they nice? My heart melted like that butter on the salmon when I think how much they care for me. Really my heart melted just like that. The salmon was perfectly cooked, the tarragon butter was lip smacking divine, asparagus tasted exactly like blanched asparagus and the top part of the potato was the best, you know, the part where twice baked potato has all the cheese and butter. I had nibbles all day: pineapple, brie cheese, whipped cream, most of the hor o’dourves and some chicken stuff pastry that I can’t remember the name.

I was definitely sad when I left. But again just look at what I wrote on top but you should also know that I’m not that analytical most of the time. The only reason I was able to reason out everything was because of this blog. I came home had a bowl of ice cream, some cherries and a frozen banana. I just wanted to eat just because.

Now it’s midnight. I’ve sat here for quite a long time typing my little heart out to anyone who’s willing to read and listen. Don’t worry I’m not all the way done. But I now must bid you adieu.

On the Go

I’ve been away from home since 2:30 to almost 10 when I finally returned. I ran some errands this afternoon in the blistering heat. It seems like every summer I have readjust again to the temperature. Since I had to be at St. John’s at 5 for the wedding rehearsal I just dressed in what I had to wear (all black) and brought shoes! I brought flip flops until the wedding, brought heels because I wasn’t sure what others are wearing and brought flats because I always leave a pair of flats in my car if I wore heels all night. Always always bring flats. Your feet will thank you.

I went to Sams Club to develop from picture. Side note, did you know I use to say “wash pictures” for a long time until I got tired of people making fun of me. The international school I went to in 3rg grade taught British English and that’s what they say about “develop pictures” Anyway, I saw this swing. I always told my mom when I have my own place I would get a puppy and a swing sofa.

Since I wasn’t going home and had some time to kill I went to Barnes and Nobles. I remember at the end of my sophomore year, I literally spent an entire week taking all the SAT subject tests they had on the shelves. In the end I took 9 SAT math II and 5 SAT biology practice tests. Yes, I’ve spent long hours here but I love bookstores.

What do you think I headed first for? Cookbook and trashy Twilight magazine.

I did Chamber Music Connections in their fall and winter sessions. I wish more then anything I listened to my flute teacher’s recommendation that I join cause I have learned more in these two session then in YPCO orchestra and marching band combined. Their program is so enriching and I could never hide behind a line of 26 flutes in marching band and forced me to play beyond what I though I was capable of. Every Friday I drove back and forth from St Johns. I also sang choir here when I was in elementary school. It was a program called Columbus Music Art academy, started by my previous piano teacher. I missed choir so much that I took it my senior year in school.

Do you like my handy dandy McDonalds bag? For gigs, the group honestly rehearses less then an hour together right before the event and in many times players have never played with each other before. I had an unpictured clif bar in the car.

This was a more high end wedding at the Franklin Conservatory Park. I felt so professional driving up to security that I was playing in the wedding. Security because of crazy Asian Festival parking.Isn’t it beautiful?

The ceremony was outside and I was sweating under the sun before we even sat down to play. But it’s better then being in the greenhouse! It was a funny ceremony because the Asian Festival was right beside it, so close you can hear the drums and the people.

Me and Margaret.

Those men in tux under 90degree weather were very brave.

The bride was absolutely lovely. I approve of their dresses. The bridesmaids dresses where just above the knees, which I think it’s appropriate since the bride’s dress is floor length, and the color is one of those then shimmers and changes shade ever so slightly in the sun. The bride’s dress was a simple elegant dress pulled a little to one side. They did not feed us but I wasn’t feeling hungry even though I could feel my stomach growling. So it’s all good.

Did not want to cook. Pretty Asian bowl

This had more blueberries then anything else so not so much of a green monster.

Have you guys noticed that I like to eat food out of a bowl?

I timed myself. From the time I walked in the door to me finishing it was about 10 minutes. I clearly hated it.