Unusual Education

I picked this topic because I thought it would be interesting to talk about my learning styles and why I value my different phases of education.

When I was a little tot, my parents enrolled me in a alternative style preschool/kindergarten where I learned about nature and how to sew. It was a stepping stone into the direction of Waldorf school, which is where I attended first grade.

Waldorf style learning originating in Germany and is mainly a European style of teaching. It emphasizes imagination and different stages in a child's development. Creativity is valued highly and a number of nature focused stories are taught.  I have distinct memories of this one year of my life, which feels like it had to be more than a year. I learned French, Spanish, and German, mind you I was a first grader. Music classes were just as important as these language classes and I learned to play the flute; not the metal sideways flute but an upright wooden "recorder". We participated in our own Grecian Olympic games, including the javelin throw, discus, archery, and more. We dressed in togas and head wreathes to celebrate the games. We celebrated the not so Hallmark holidays. Such as dancing around the May pole on May first and putting our boots out for Saint Nicholas to bring us gold painted walnuts on December 6th. We painted often and listened to stories based on fairies and mother nature. I remember spending a lot of time outdoors and using my imagination to play. After my first grade year at this school, the school closed due to lack of funding. My parents and a few other parents rallied together and hired my teacher to become our private tutor. The new school would be in my home. For me, it was homeschooling, but not for others. At times we had up to six students, but others only two. A room of our home was dedicated to this "Windy Ridge" home school. I learned to write, in ink with a calligraphy pen. I painted with watercolors, and recited poems. On Fridays, my father would teach a cooking class in the mornings, and school was out around noon. I became very independent, not only because there were only a few students, but because I was left to my own imagination. The Waldorf style teaching does not push a student to learn things, they address different skills as the child is ready. I was just learning to read and write when was around six or seven. The testing system was also quite different than what you know. There were no set exams, but you were tested on your everyday skills.

After I completed third grade, the number of students in our small school were dwindling, and my teacher suggested that my parents look into a different school, and close our home school. I think that my parents looked into Montessori school, which is similar to Waldorf school, but for some reason they decided against it. It was decided that I would start at a public school, but that I would take third grade again because I was not as developed as some of the other students. Also my parents wanted me to be able to adjust to the social scene as well as the learning style change before I would have to take standardized tests in 4th grade. I had a hard time with friendships throughout my start of public school. I stayed very independent and made friends with the characters in books. I think I read the entire library of my classroom and spent most of my recesses deep in a book. I can definitely say that I had trouble with testing, and I think it still effects me to this day.

I continued public school until the end of my high school career. I am a hands on learner and I attribute this to my early education. I also make up little rhymes or riddles to remember things which I think is due to my Waldorf education. I chose to be a chef because I would rather be physically doing something with my hands than sitting at a desk job for my whole life, and I also think that Waldorf had an influence on this. Still today I have a filled imagination, which I am proud of. I wonder what I would be like if I had continued my Waldorf education. I think I might be brighter than I am today. Many people scoff at Waldorf schools, they think they are hippie-like or that they are too liberal. But the funny thing is- my parents are not either of these two things. I plan on asking them over Thanksgiving why they chose Waldorf school. I am really intrigued by these alternate education plans. When I have children I will definitely consider them. Although Chris is one of those private school discriminators who makes fun of me for being weird and attributes it to my Waldorf education. Maybe it is, but hey he still loves me right?  I think unique is better, I don't think kids should be exposed to so much television at a young age, I encourage myself and others to be one with nature, I enjoy the outdoors and the arts. So why not? I am thankful for my different history regarding my education.

Dating Decade Dilemma

My thoughts on dating are old fashioned. I often wish that I had grown up in a different time period, I think I may have fit in a little better. Dating back in the day seems to be a lot more straight forward. Dates were more common. It was not a huge deal for a boy to ask a girl he thought was suitable out. Although I cannot attest completely because I am not an old fashioned boy. A female could be asked out on dates by a few different men and this was not a huge deal, this was also called "courting". You could date all that you wanted, as long as you were not spoken for. If you went on several dates with the same individual, then maybe you would start "going steady" which is what people refer to as "dating" today. 

Pros of Old Fashioned Dating

People could get to know each other before they were labeled an item.

The physicality of the relationship went slower. 

Both parties were less embarrassed to actually go out on a date.

No double standards regarding girls seeing more than one guy or vise versa. 

More dates! How often do you actually get to go out on a date with your significant other?

Chivalry. Enough said, the men had to compete, so they were much more like gentlemen than this honking the horn from the driveway to pick you up business. 

Rollerskates.

No technology! Amazing honestly. No "tone" over a text message, no break ups over the phone, etc. They had to actually communicate back then. 

One night stands were seldom. 

Manners. 

It cost less money. (I guess that's probably due to inflation, but hey it's still a positive).

THE OUTFITS- I mean really people.

Double dates were way more popular. 

Picnics.

They showed these educational videos in school! 

I guess I just fantasize about what it would've been like to grow up in a different era. I think that I would've loved to be "wooed" by Christopher. But either way I am happy with him. And I should write a disclaimer saying that none of the above mentioned tidbits are targeted towards Christopher. We have had a quite old fashioned courtship and not once did he honk at me from the driveway. 

Frustrating Satisfactions

So I looked up some statistics on the population's biggest pet peeves and I thought I would add my own commentary. Satisfaction

1) "Drivers who don't use their turn signal"
It's true, who likes these people? Not me. My sister always tells Chris that he falls in the late turn signal category, and she suggests it might be because he is from Michigan. When we traveled to Michigan not too long ago, he noticed that some of the other driver's use the late signal as well. But he attributes his turn signal delay to the fact that he gets annoyed by the sound of the clicking if the turn signal is on too long. One pet peeve right into the next I guess.

2) "Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side."
Jealous much? I think this is cute, but it's also a stage. Once Christopher slid in next to me on the same side of the booth as me and it was an element of surprise. But when I think back to that time, we were still in the beginning phase of our relationship. Now we would rather look at each other and hold a conversation than hold hands under the table.

3) "People who don't use coasters"
I admit that I have done this before and my mother was not too happy with the result. It was Thanksgiving and I warmed myself up a nice mug of cider, when I lifted my cup off the polished wood, everyone gasped. It has been a few years and a good amount of lemon oil has faded the distinct ring that my cup once left. One of the essential items that Chris and I first found for our apartment was a slick set of coasters. And I will say that now, if I absentmindedly rest my glass on the coffee table, I receive an abrupt "ahhemm."

4) "Made up car names that are not even real words"
But seriously, who comes up with those names? Because that would be an awesome job.

5) "People that interrupt you when your telling a story and then they continue to tell you their story and then ask you in an uninterested tone to continue on with your story when they are finished talking."
I totally do this all the time. It's not our fault that we will easily forget the awesome story that just popped into our head so we have to blurt it out. This is one of Chris' pet peeves. He will threaten to not tell his story, and then he remembers that he loves me. 

6)"Driver's who won't turn right on red"
In some cases yes, but in others, I am guilty. If it's a tough turn, or you can't see the traffic that has the right of way, or even if you are just in the groove of the tune on the radio. I know that not everyone is on a relaxed schedule, but on the days that I am, sometimes I don't turn on red. Which leads me to another one- "People who honk at you if you don't turn right on red." Lay off!

7) "When ice cream drips out of the bottom of the sugar cone"
This my friends, is how brain freezes were invented. Everyone is trying to eat their ice cream so fast because they are afraid of the inevitable: the meltdown. 

8) "When people don't send thank you notes"
Ok, I want to know the etiquette on this one, because my pet peeve, is not knowing whether someone received your thank you note. And are you supposed to send a thank you for the thank you? For instance, I received a thank you gift, do I return with a thank you card? Or is that just redundant. I am thankful, but who knows how many stamps could be wasted on thank you thank you and thank you. 

9) "When you bite into a jelly bean and it's a different flavor than you expected."
#hogwartsproblems

10) "People who ask questions during a movie"
Guilty and guilty. I always seem to ask the question right before it gets answered. It makes Chris steam. I can't help it I think out loud. But recently we were in the theater watching a movie and we found ourselves asking each other questions. I felt awkward when I remembered that there were two hundred other people in the theater who probably did not want to hear my whispering ignorance. 

11) "Children's hand prints on the windows of cars"
I noticed this yesterday at a stoplight. I guess it probably is annoying to have to keep wiping cheesy fingerprints off the back window, but what are you going to do. I was thinking maybe I will be the cool mom who gives my kids window markers so that they can draw all over the windows instead of printing their hands.

12) "People who put too much ice in your drink"
I know water costs less than what ever I ordered, but honestly. Chris has beat the system by asking for no ice. But then what if it isn't cold? Did you know that your body can better process what ever you are drinking if it is room temperature. Food for thought. 

What erks you? What are you guilty of? If everyone had the same bothers this world would be boring. 

A Book

A BOOK:

that I'm currently reading: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets I know that I am behind a decade or so, but at least I am finally reading it! It's difficult to get through though because since I love the movies and watch them over and over, I know that it's not super exciting that Harry just got to Hogwarts and the sorting hat put him in Gryffindor, because he has so many adventures to come! I have never read a book after I have seen the movie, and I will say that it's very easy to tell the differences when you view before you read. I did try to read the books when they first came out, but something didn't grab my interest. Granted now I am begging for it to be Harry Potter weekend every weekend. Thanks ABC Family.

that I recently finished: The Longest Ride Nicholas Sparks rocks, hands down. I have read all of the books Sparks has written and I have seen the movies that have been modeled after them. The books are way better. But some of the movies are relevant. The Longest Ride has already been signed on to be a movie and it was released in September. I would highly recommend the book, although it is different from the other books he has written. Nicholas Sparks is able to grab you with his words and encourage you to connect with your loved ones through his words. Good stuff, not just mushy, but meaningful.

that I want for Christmas: A Girl and her Pig April Bloomfield is one of my role models in the chef world. She is a butcher and I really aspire to be more like her. She most recently has appeared on the PBS special The Mind of a Chef.

that I last bought: In the Charcuterie and Ottolenghi Last month I surprised Christopher by buying him these cookbooks (although the Charcuterie was also mainly for me). Chris already has the other cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and so this was an addition to a "collection" as Chris likes to say. We still have to buy Plenty by him as well- which will complete that collection. I really enjoy the recipes in his books because they are based around Mediterranean ingredients which I love and it's healthy. Charcuterie attracted me because of the instructional butchering tactics. It's a meat-centric cookbook with vivid images of the butchering. It also has many cold meat terrines and pates- one of which we tried and loved (The chicken liver pate).

What books do you love? 

Return of the Real Girl

Is anyone out there? I wouldn't blame you if you weren't. I hate how my blog posts turn into updates, seems more like a "downer"date because it means that I haven't been writing regularly. This is primarily  because my life has been on the fast track.

I don't like that my writing is put on the side, but when both jobs are consuming your time and energy it's difficult to put time in on my computer especially when I can't even put time into my relationship! This had to stop, and so I realized that the most important thing to me, was not working until I couldn't breathe, but my family, my relationship, and my happiness. I asked my boss to back down my hours, and reminded him that this was a part time job for me. It seems to have worked and I have been able to relax a little bit and enjoy my life, which to me, is more important than money. 

In order to continue my blog I have decided that I need to stick to a schedule that forces me to put time into my writing and encourages me to stay on track everyday. So I have decided to make myself a blog challenge. I have compiled a few lists and come up with some of my own ideas in order to make a 30 day blog challenge. This way I will have something to write about everyday, and hopefully I will tend to my dear blog everyday! If you have any suggestions, or topics you would like me to address please don't hesitate to comment. And if you don't have access to comments because you are not a google member, feel free to contact me at ptriciacharming@gmail.com. I would like to know if anyone really is out there. 

1. A book

2. Pet Peeves

3. Your opinion on Dating

4. Your education

5. Something you are proud of

6. Something you are thankful for

7. A childhood memory

8. The Weather

9. Somewhere you would like to visit

10. Bullet your day

11. Beauty Products

12. What do you like to watch?

13. People who have had a huge influence on your life

14. What you like to do when you are alone

15. What if?

16. Disney

17. Wedding Dreams

18. Something you really want

19. Your favorite thing to eat

20. Holidays

21. Diets

22. Lessons you've learned

23. A hobby

24. A family history

25. Your blog name

26. A movie

27. Your house

28. A hidden talent

29. A list

30. A recap

Bringing Home Some Bacon!

Last week I printed out fifteen resumes and mapped out my drop off route. After scouring Yelp and UrbanSpoon, I checked out menus from my favorite restaurants in town. Rochester is more foodie than we realized. I decided to just go out on a limb and drop off my resume at the neatest sounding places around. Chris reminded me that not every place I had on my list would be hiring, and I nodded- but what did I have to lose? I picked out a skirt, pulled a blouse over my head, and buckled my shoes. Ready, set, go!

Chris started the day off as my chauffeur but after four locations, duty called and he had to scurry off to work. I traveled to the Italian eatery, the hotel steakhouse, the Mediterranean bistro, the fun bar, the fancy canteen, the new southern saloon in the neighborhood...among numerous others. After my whirlwind of driving around in the good old Volvo, I could not wait to take the shoes off of my blistered feet and sink into the couch. 

After looking back on my day, I thought about how I had encountered some chefs who were very unimpressed with the CIA stamp on my resume. I think it's very interesting to see how bitterness can be extracted from chefs who made it where they are with out the expense of the Culinary Institute of America. It's also a shame that a lot of CIA graduates step into a position believing that they know everything, which in turn makes employers bitter about grads from my school. I guess my opinion on the matter is that I will never stop learning and that's what I always play up; I love to learn. And I think that at the Culinary Institute of America, they train you to want to learn. Each class is three weeks long, and so after three weeks I am chomping at the bit to do something new! I think that I would appreciate that if I were looking to employ someone. As far as the educational background, I know that it is very real that people can make it without going to school. I have witnessed it and I also know that some of the world's greatest chefs learned through experience. But I think that an employer should appreciate that I have spent my time and lots of money to jump start my career. 

The next day, while roaming the makeshift aisles of the resale store, I got a phone call for an interview! I was not expecting it, and as I shuffled between the pre-owned doors I discussed a few of my past employers and what kind of job I was looking for. What kind of job was I looking for? Hmmm. It's difficult to tell a potential executive what you are looking for in a job if you are not completely sure yourself. I can tell you what I don't want to do! I do not want to be stuck in a dead end job with no possible movement. I don't want to be stuck on garde manger for a whole summer making the same dishes on repeat- (been there done that). I do not want to go through the motions and become a robot. I'm not sure I want to be on the line (although I think that if I got into it, I would be pretty good at it). I would love to be your butcher! But apparently not a lot of people do that anymore. I would also be interesting in an evening server job. I have been interested in front of the house throughout my schooling and I think that because I grew up in my parents restaurant and I was a hostess at age 5, it is natural to be in the dining room for me. Something that Chris and I had discussed was that when you have that CIA "stamp" I referred to on your resume, no one really considers the education that we get in the dining room. I would say that I was in two of the best service classes on campus and I learned so much about fine dining service. But compared to the number of kitchen classes we were enrolled in, three classes is a small percentage. Still I think that combined Chris and I have better service skills that probably half of the servers we have had when we are dining out. 

 Ends up that I set up a early morning stage at the Italian place and an afternoon interview with the steakhouse at the Hilton hotel. For those of you who don't know, a stage is basically a kitchen interview. It is a time that is set up for the prospective employer to see a few of the skill sets you have, as well as giving the employee a chance to get a feel for the kitchen and see if it is fit for them. After putting my classic black pants and white t-shirt on, I set out on an early morning venture to Two Vine restaurant.

 I started off by mixing up some focaccia dough and then rolling out a dozen balls of perfectly round pizza dough. The chef then demonstrated how to grill them off and where to store them. I think I impressed him because he suggested starting with one grill- two pizzas at a time, and I was quickly able to take on four at a time. He then asked me to blanch off some freshly cut french fries and micro-dice shallots at the same time. I will admit, I was not great at the shallots. First off, anything related to an onion makes me cry like a baby, and if you have ever cut one of these vegetables, you know that it's a sting not just a tear. But my eyes are the most sensitive, honestly I was cutting chives the other day and the moisture swelled up around my lashes. And I was not that fast at cutting them either, I really wasn't. I know it's no excuse, but I have very small hands and so my hands have not been completely trained to move my curved fingers parallel to the the knife as it glides away. After I finished the shallots I confessed  that I probably had not cut a whole quart of shallots since my first class at school, and I apologized for my delayed technique. He told me not to worry and hastened me on with other prep tasks. At the end of my kitchen tour, the executive chef welcomed me onto their prep team and asked when I could start. I eagerly said that my day one could be the next day. 

Feeling a boost of confidence I rushed home for a quick lunch and rehashed the mornings events to Christopher. I think he was proud of me. Although have worked with a caterer since I graduated, I have not been in a kitchen every day of the week besides my own since graduation, and I think he knew I could do it, but I was a little weary. Then I changed out of my whites and into a button down for my next interview. In my mind I knew that I would be unavailable mornings, and that I was looking for a flexible part time evening job. The chef at the the steakhouse was looking to hire a day time garde manger cook; two things that I did not want. So it was easy to say that I was unavailable but if anything else came up, to keep my contact information. I think it was better, not to be so overwhelmed by two new jobs in one day. My mom had mentioned that it would be great to balance two part time jobs, but three is a bit like juggling-which I do not know how to do by the way. 

The next day I got my schedule at 2 Vine, and I starting getting in a groove of a routine. I work the morning prep shift, eight to noon, and I get to do something different every day, although shallots are on my list every single day. And I am happy to report that today I made it through my quart of shallots without a single tear! So many people have advice- put the onion in the freezer, stick your head in the freezer, stand by a flame, put a toothpick in between your teeth, chew gum...but really, there isn't really a trick that has worked for me. I just used a sharp knife and opened the door for a breeze, that's all I had to do. Lucky for me, my job entails a lot of meat fabrication which is really where my passion is. The day that I got to work with pork, beef, and chicken, I could not keep from grinning. 

The main challenge I have had to face is the schedule. I felt deflated because the person I enjoy spending the most time around, had the exact opposite schedule as I did. And although I was so excited to be back in the kitchen on a daily basis, I was so sad to leave so early and made sure I pried my eyes open until 11:30 at night so that I could spend even twenty minutes with my love. And I will say that it puts a lot of stress on both people. The first few nights of the week I had trouble getting to sleep because I stayed up so late and pschyed myself out because I had to get up early. The worst is when you set your alarm (or in my anxious case- check for the second time that your alarm is set) and it says, your alarm will sound in six hours. I know I am spoiled and have gotten used to a solid eight hours, which is probably not normal for someone my age. There were definitely times in school when I went with four hours sleep. I feel old. Anyway, back to business. I was really struggling with the schedule. One night, Chris came home and asked me all about my day. As I was rambling on about making pizza dough and deboning pork butt, I came to a pause. "So I start lunch on Mondays" OH MY GOODNESS! The entire time I had been chattering about meat, and he had been smirking because he had the best secret! We get to be normal now! I no longer have to make dinner for one! I cannot really use enough exclamation marks to show you how exciting this is. When Chris and I first started dating, we were both AM students- finished with our days at 5pm and we got to enjoy the weather and many adventures. For the past year, we have both been on the PM schedule which is really horrible because how can you have a really great adventure when you know that you have to go to work at 3pm. So now, we are both on a morning schedule, and we are adjusting. It's a little weird. I think Chris tried to draw the line yesterday when I said- "Hey I think dancing with the stars is one at eight." He did not want to be that couple, although he still enjoyed a few moments of the show with me.

So now I really am a home maker, "Dinner on the table when you get home love!" Haha not quite, but everything seems to be falling right into place. Just in time for autumn. We are finally settled into Rochester and our apartment, and we are starting to feel like quite the family. :)

Preservation Station

I am smack dab in the middle of canning season. I have finished two projects and I am ready to start the next. Applesauce was my first canning attempt. Actually I did can one jar of pickles, but I do not like pickles so how am I to know if they are good or not? Would anyone like a jar of pickles? No guarantee they are great, but I will pay for postage!

 Back to applesauce. Kind of:

 I was able to gather some fresh from the tree apples when I was visiting a very good friend a couple of weeks ago. We actually had a fun filled day packed with apple gathering and cider pressing.. THE MOST FUN. If you have an apple tree and want to invest in something wonderful, a cider press is the thing to go for. I was told that this press was small compared to some of the bigger presses farmers have, but it seemed like just the perfect size. It's amazing how the process works. You insert the whole apple (or half if they are big) into the grinder and  turn the handle to crush the apples. After crushing a batch of apples you then turn the screw which presses a board down and releases the juices through a mesh sheet and into a bucket you have places under the spout. After this step, you can run the cider through cheese cloth to catch any of the remaining sediment and then drink away! Fresh cider will last a little over a week but not much longer because it is unpasteurized. Hands down the best cider I have ever tasted.

So I was able to collect some extra apples to make my apple sauce. I then read up on making apple sauce and canning apple sauce etcetera but really went with my own recipe based off of a few recipes. But I made sure to include lemon juice because acid is important when it comes to canning. After creating my mixture I warmed my jars and started the process. I crossed my fingers and hoped that I would hear the joyful sound of that "ping!" when the top seals onto the glass jar and everything you have done is proven to be successful! one ping. two pings...........and three- a sigh of relief. Mission one- a success. 

The next was a tomato sauce. Now I researched tomato sauce and found a few interesting facts. Although we assume that tomatoes are high in acid, they do not have enough acid to stay good in a jar without the addition of citric acid. Tomatoes used to be of high acidity, but because humans are now desiring a sweeter taste, tomatoes are being bred for less acid and a higher sugar content. Interesting. When reading about the sauce itself, sources claimed that most people make the mistake of just using tomatoes in their pasta sauces. At school, we of course learned to start with onions, carrots, and celery like any good sauce so that is how I start all of my recipes. But this specific source claimed that pureeing carrots into the sauce make it sweeter. Instead of carrots, I decided that since I had some summer squash and zucchini laying around from the farmer's market that I would incorporate that into my sauce. It worked out and got the Christopher stamp of approval! Make sure to add lemon juice to the bottom of your jar before filling it with sauce in order to properly preserve the tomatoes. 

My next mission will be a salsa canning. I have collected the last tomatoes before the weather turns, and will be formulating my own recipe. But the coolest part of all of this canning is that I get to decorate the jars after I am finished. I think I made the years best purchase at a resale store when I bought a ziplock bag full of random lace ribbons for seventy five cents. It's grand. I'll keep you up to date on the jar to jar basics. Until next time. 

The Grass is Never Greener

Every girl who has straight hair wishes it were curly and every girl gifted with curly hair wishes it were straight.

So it's a little early to crack jokes, but my hair has been through some trauma lately. I am really treading on thin emotional ice by trying to make light of the situation for your enjoyment, but there is a possibility that some of my advice may be useful.

Long story short I was getting sick of growing my hair out. I was a couple of hours away from chopping it off myself when my knight in shining armor came home with a hair relaxer and a chocolate cream pie! I have researched natural relaxers and so I figured it was the same sort of thing. WRONG-O. After the treatment my hair was completely damaged. Dried out, stringy, frayed...think of all of your worst hair days and combine them with your best friends worst hair day...and that is what I had. I was mortified. What ever would I do? I have had bad dye jobs before and have neutralized the colors with another round of dye, but it did not look like there was anyway to help my completely deflated curls. My scalp ached and displayed red blotches.

Christopher felt horrible. He kept saying sorry and researching what we could do. We returned to the store and picked out a perm treatment. If it's flat now and I want my curls back, I would have to put them back, right? WRONG. After rushing around to collect all the needed perming rods, I called my mom. I felt as though I was over the fact that my  hair went wrong and I was on the way to a bigger and better curly girl head. She scolded me. Just as mom's do. Not the "you're grounded" kind (mind you I am an adult now) but the kind my parents were always best at "I am very disappointed in you". She explained to me that the worst thing I could do was put more chemicals in my hair. She warned me that my hair might fall out, my scalp may be damaged etcetera. She told me the only solution was to shave my head- immediately. I am not afraid of short, I am not even afraid of edgy shaved head hairstyles. But I don't think I could pull it off. Unfortunately I was in an accident when I was five years old and fractured my skull. As a result I have a scar from ear to ear which would be just in time for Halloween- the bride of Frankenstein. Ah! I can almost imagine. So I took a deep breath and decided to try and save my scalp.

I researched the undo-ing of a hair relaxer and all of the arrows pointed to shaving your head. "The only solution is no solution at all." The hair on my head has been chemically deconstructed and reconstructed to be straight and the only way to get my curls back would be to grow them back in. But I kept calm and decided to go natural. This was my plan in the first place and maybe since God made my hair curly and I should have stuck with the girls all along, I should only use ingredients that He created.

Below I have listed some of the helpful natural hair treatments that I have tried and the results I have had. I am far from being curly again, but my hair does look healthier. Moral of the story is, it is ALWAYS better to stay natural. And I am taking the pledge to stay as natural as possible. If you can eat it, then it is probably safe for your body.

1- Egg mask- Eggs contain balancing proteins (which is what my hair had lost) and will give your hair more volume and make it more manageable. You can mix the egg yolks with olive oil or honey or you can just apply the whole egg to your hair. One egg goes a long way, so mix and use one at a time. After this treatment my hair seemed to be a little more workable. This is a mask I will try again even if my hair returns to its natural state.

2- Avocado- I took the plunge and pureed some avocado. Avocado is one of my favorite vegetables. Not only because it is good when you eat it, but I always rub the pit on my hands because its natural moisture is so good for you. The internet said that avocado is very beneficial for both your face and your hair. Some people mix it with eggs but since I had already tried the egg thing, I went for the honey mixture. Honey is antibacterial, attracts moisture, and has a variety of healing properties. After mixing these ingredients, I massaged the goop all over my head and into my hair. Chris then fashioned me a plastic wrap cap (makeshift shower cap) and I scooted off to bed. When I woke up in the morning, I showered. While rinsing, my hair felt worse, but after combing and air drying it, my hair began to feel and look more lively. This mask had my favorite results of all of the natural remedies that I have tried.

3- Olive Oil- Every reviewer online raves about olive oil treatments. It seems a little Grease Lightning to me. But I am trying it all. I massaged the oil into my scalp and let it sit for a half an hour. Very messy. You can always wash egg out of your shirt, but oil is pretty permanent. I rinsed my hair with just water and it didn't seem to do anything. (DUH water and oil don't mix). After soaping my hair it seemed to start to dry and although it still felt oily, it really helped the sheen of my hair- building up natural oils that had previously been stripped.

4- Currently I am in a yogurt/mayonnaise do'. It is said to act as a great conditioner and helps with circulation. The egg in the mayo acts the same way as the egg mask itself, combined with oil. The yogurt has milk proteins which hair craves. I will have to see how it turns out!

Moral of the story is: Love and appreciate what you have!

unREALity

I have been thinking about reality TV show a lot lately. I know that they probably do not deserve to take up my brain space but they always seem to make their way into the forefront of my mind. Recently a friend of mine shared a video of reality show commercials that are fake. It's so sad that these could be reality shows today. I often fall into the reality show trap, and it is entertaining to he and haw about some of the crazy things people do, but some of it is unreal.

How about this Amish takeover? One day you are driving down the road and slow down to pass a candlelit, horse drawn carriage and the next thing you know, the "Amish Mafia" is on your tele. I just don't really understand it. I thought that the Amish were against use of electricity, but they allow a camera crew to follow them?! I mean is this real life? Well through some research, I am happy to report that these shows are most likely untrue. I think it's really demeaning to the Amish religion and way of life. Not only this "Amish Mafia" show, but "Breaking Amish" I think is very disrespectful. "Lord help me eat this sandwich" Really? This "reality" TV is encouraging these young adults to break out of their religion and go crazy in some big cities around the country. ALSO! I watched one episode, and this guy brought an Amish girl flowers TWICE in the episode. This really is unrealistic, I mean really, the first flowers did not even have time to die before he got her the second bunch. The best part of Breaking Amish is that the characters wear normal clothes until they are on the individual cameras- I guess so you don't forget that they are different than you and I.  I have heard rumors that the people in these shows are not representing themselves correctly. Who do we place the blame on? I think the channels should be left responsible. I mean I understand that MTV hooked millions with a show about a bunch of party people at the beach, and who knows what was scripted, but I really expected that from MTV. The above shows I mentioned are on TLC- isn't that The Learning Channel? And the Discovery Channel...what are we discovering by watching such things? I guess I just think that if these channels want to have a show about the Amish and they want to script it, why do they have to advertise it as a reality show? I really have just watched some clips of these shows, I am not an avid viewer, I am just ranting.

This brings me to shows that are on certain channels. The Discovery channel, which was founded in 1982 and concentrated on educational documentaries. Then they started Shark Week in the late eighties which appealed to a broader audience. I wish that they had youtube back then, but I am not sure how to get my hands on one of the first episodes ever. I am not a big shark girl, but I looked back as far as I could and found a very educational episode on the different species of sharks. Shark week 2013 looked a little more gruesome. But I would still say that Shark week is pretty educational. And Cash Cab is one of my family favorites and of course Mythbusters. But as I mentioned the Amish Mafia is a part of the Discovery channel. What do you think we will be discovering in ten years? Let's take a look at the History Channel- also known as a pretty boring channel that we would watch clips of in history class (or- one of Chris' favorite channels as a kid  ;) ) History included: The Civil War, The American Revolution, The Crusades, JFK: A Presidency Revealed. Now history includes: American Pickers, Pawn Stars, God, Guns, and Automobiles. While some of us may find these shows entertaining, what do they have to do with history besides that maybe someone in history once owned an artifact that shows up in a pawn shop. Bah humbug.

I think the best part of reality TV is "What not to Wear". The other day after I finished sweating in the kitchen for hours, I found myself stopping at the Library to pick up a couple of books. As I was opening the door, I caught my reflection in the glass. My Hanes t-shirt and gym shorts would not have made it past the first round in that show. I laughed to myself. I understand that there is always a story behind the people they pick for the show; that they are insecure with their looks, or don't want to stand out- but I just wear what I can afford and what is practical. When I find myself watching some of that show or even a commercial, I always point out to Christopher- "Oh my I have that!" or "I would wear that..." I just can't get a grip on how the hosts just throw away those victims' entire wardrobe! I mean they don't even accept jeans and a t-shirt. I remember speaking with Chris for hours before we started dating, and he mentioned how he was a fan of small town girls, and was attracted to girls in jeans and a t-shirt. Now I am not sure if this was because I had covered both of those areas, but he's really stuck with the t-shirt girl now huh?  Good thing the last season of that show has already been filmed, because I would be afraid that someone might send them my way.

I don't often have an opinionated rant about anything other than food, but I thought that someone needed to address this issue. Let me know your thoughts.

The Can Can

I decided to start canning!! It sounds really exciting right? But really it is. I came up with this great idea (actually it was not my idea) to fill mason jars with goodies for people for Christmas. (Sorry friends and family I spoiled the surprise.) My older sister Michelle has been cleaning out a bunch of J U N K from the storage space at my parents restaurant. She found a ton of really cool mason jars (I know they are in now, so aren't they all cool?) Anyway, she offered them to me and I graciously accepted. (It was her idea). So there are so many cool ways to fill these jars and give them away as gifts, not only for Christmas but something nice to give to someone hosting a party etcetera. So the jars that I was gifted are very stylish with glass lids and are perfect for a muffin mix, or granola, or other surprises I can come up with to give to my family and friends. This got me thinking about how there are so many different things you can put in cans. My favorite so far is I Spy. (Spoiler alert to those who will receive Christmas gifts). I think this idea is genius. Put rice in a mason jar and add little objects. Attach to the jar a list of objects to find inside the jar!

So I really like this idea, but I was also pondering how I could make it my own, instead of just layering beans, lentils, and spices in a jar. My mom is very into the soup mix idea but my culinary mind cannot stop thinking about how impractical it is. All of the ingredients in a soup cook at different speeds and are added to the pot at a different time. Now although I could write instructions explaining this- I think that if I received a gift of soup mix in a jar, I would just want to pour it all into the pot at once, and not have to weed out the different colored legumes. Practicality. So this brought me to canning. I am no pro, in fact the only time I have canned something was at school in my garde manger class, and I am pretty sure I was not a pro at it. Brenton can confirm this. Also, how do you judge if you are a good canner or not. I mean, you make the pickling liquid, add the cucumbers, seal it in the jar, and pray they come out good. (Kinda reminds me of baking). But I am up for the adventure.

I set out for Walmart in search of the canning section, and they have a pretty good selection. They are equipped with all of the tools, jars, seals, lids, and spice packs that you could possible need, and for a good price I might add. I skipped the spice packs because I thought I would give myself a challenge and experiment. Chris wanted a pressure cooker for his birthday and I am kicking myself for not getting it for him, but I am starting out the old boiling water route. I have (with the help of Christopher) successfully sterilized all of the jars that I will not be sealing, just because they have been sitting in a garage for at least twenty years. I have checked out two books from the library on preservation. And my kitchen is completely taken over by this whole adventure. Send some canning thoughts my way, and if you are interested or have any questions in regards to my excursion, let me know. I think this is a really thrifty, fun way to let someone know that you care about them.

follow me on pinterest!

Health Nut (?)

So I have never really addressed the dieting trend, and I thought that I would share my take on it.

 Being a chef makes it really hard to say no to food, but sometimes you have to dive away from those fattening foods and stay on the healthy track.  I am against diets in general. We were always exposed to healthy food when I was young. Chris always reminds me that I was very fortunate to be exposed to so many good foods as a youngster. Once I decided I was really interested in food, and interested also in going to culinary school, I became more healthy than I already was. But I never gave anything up. (Unless you count giving up dessert- which lasted 18 hours.) If I wanted ice cream, I ate it. Simple as that. I would say that I still have the same dietary habits and it has really worked for me.

I think that if you want to go for that late night taco bell run once in a while, you should be able to. But a balanced diet is most important. So, balance out that taco bell and eat healthy whenever you get the chance. I am obsessed with vegetables so I just constantly consume vitamins through leafy veggies. New favorite vegetable: radishes (I bought two bunches for $1.75 at the market this morning). I like to enjoy them raw with a touch of salt. Chris and I recently went to a bar that had radish snacks with home made butter and fresh bread- it was delish. I do not always eat healthy in fact I do enjoy taco bell, and tonight I made the best burger ever. Nomnom. But I eat a lot of vegetable centric meals and healthy snacks. Instead of potato chips, try veggie sticks. I know you may say ick when you read this, but they are addictive, once you start you won't stop. Instead of pudding what about yogurt? I haven't quite been able to switch Chris over yet, but when I buy greek yogurt he will indulge with me. One thing that has also helped me is nixing the starches. When you order a meal it normally contains at least one vegetable, a starch, and then a protein. But especially in this hotter season, it is very easy to skip the starch and just add a vegetable or fruit.  Apple sauce counts as a fruit serving, and it's cheap!

I have never been into the gym. I think it's pretty boring, and I really don't enjoy working out with a bunch of people I don't know. I am sure that I probably look ridiculous when I work out, so I steer clear of the gym. I have always been in touch with nature, and try to spend the majority of my time outside. This translates to my "work outs" I have always enjoyed a good jog, and at one point I would start my day off with a brisk walk. I used to ride horses, and sports whether it was kickball in the backyard with my siblings or competitive softball always got me moving. But I have never had a schedule. In my mind, as long as I maintain a healthy weight, there is no need for me to "buff up". When I am inspired to run, then I run, and it feels good, but everyone knows that there are some days when you don't feel like doing anything. But recently I started yoga. And let me tell you, yoga whipped my butt. I took a yoga video out of the library and invested in a yoga mat. Yesterday I started the video, and it was not for beginners at all. It was not the meditative yoga I thought I was getting into but a cardio form of yoga. But I stuck with it. I completed two out of the three exercises which was forty minutes long. I then collapsed. It felt really good, to stretch and breath and push myself.

After the yoga I will say that I immediately felt healthy. I started to think about what I would eat for dinner and healthy snacks etcetera. It's interesting how the mind works that way.

Today I woke up feeling like I was hit by a bus. Typical. My back and shoulders hurt in places I didn't even know existed. But I decided to stick with it and after a quick shoulder massage from Chris, I looked up stress relief yoga. I found a great stretching video online and completed thirty minutes of stress relief yoga. I felt better but I was glad when the half hour was up. I then relaxed a bit before soaking my new found muscles in a bath. Now my body feels great and I am rejuvenated.

Here are a few tips on staying healthy that I like to follow:

• Drink lots of water. Water flushes out your system and helps in a number of other ways. You should drink a glass of water when you wake up in the morning- this will get your metabolism moving. You should drink a glass of water before meals- this aids in digestion. And if you ever find yourself thirsty you are already dehydrated, so just keep drinking water- hey no calories! Chris and I bought a brand new water filter at a church sale for three dollars and we had been using it, but I noticed that I was not drinking as much water. He says I am a spoiled princess, but honestly spring water tastes so much better to me. So I caved and bought a case of bottled water. I am drinking more water again which is good for me and I think it's worth buying the bottles. Plus I can bring the bottles back and put the coins in my piggy bank. 
• Healthy foods. My mom picked up a book for me called 100 Health Foods which lists raw foods and their benefits for you. Some of my favorites include: Spinach (lots of iron), Quinoa (a very light starch option plus high in protein), Blueberries (antioxidants), EGGS (don't be scared of the yolks they are rich in vitamin A and B12), Avacado (fiber! Plus, healthy oils- rub the pit on your hands before ditching it, you won't regret it).
• Even if you aren't into yoga, stretching is important and keeps you younger!
• Cucumber water. I found this recipe on pinterest last year, and it has proven to help my digestion.   I don't have mint all of the time so I skip the mint, but dice some cucumber and squeeze a lemon into a glass of ice water (add the mint leaves if you have them). It is a nice twist to water and helps your digestion. Lemons are very good for cleansing your system. 
• Drink tea. My good friend from school drinks at least three cups of tea a day and is one of the happiest people I know. But tea is also good for your digestion, and another way to get water in your system. Green tea is best for your system but any tea is good. Ginger settles your stomach, and one of my new favorites is a ginger lemon grass tisane. 
• Spicy is good. It helps boost your metabolism, helps beat inflammation, and increases blood flow. 
• Honey- boosts your immune system and is healthier than processed sugar!
• Sleep eight hours. For some of you this may seem crazy, but sleeping  through your full sleep cycle is very important to keep your mood positive and your metabolism on track. 
• Get that fresh air. It will inspire you and open up your lungs. Think of that feeling after a nice run in the middle of the winter- your lungs feel as though they have been used to their full capacity- that's good. 
• If you are going to eat something unhealthy be okay with your decision. You will not feel guilty afterwards if you are happy with your decision. "I can eat this now, because I had a grilled chicken salad for dinner". Etcetera. Do not punish yourself by fasting from certain foods, just make up for the splurges with healthy. 

That's all she wrote!

My burger: Lettuce, Heirloom tomato, Avocado, Bacon, Egg, and Sharp Cheddar cheese on a Garlic Peppered burger 

nomnomnom

A case of the Mondays

This past week has been pretty upbeat. I found it really difficult to slow down today. Last weekend I worked a wedding with the caterer that I am working with and it was really fun. The hours I am getting are odd and scarce, but I really enjoy the people that I work with and I have a lot of fun.

It's really difficult living in a place that you don't know people in. I never had many close friends, but I always could surround myself with people whose company I enjoyed. Now, I am pretty lonely it's difficult to meet people when I do not interact with the same people each day.

So after the wedding weekend I was on a working high! So happy to have filled up my time doing what I love and what I was trained to do. Plus I was making money, something that is my worst enemy lately. I really dislike money, can't we just go back to trading in the hunter gatherer times? Seriously.


There was one thing in the back of my mind all week- Chris was turning twenty one and I had to find something to do on his birthday that would create great memories for both of us. So I was running in and out of stores looking for great steals all week to put in his "birthday basket". I am that type of person. If it were up to me, you would just have one huge stocking at Christmas and it would be stuffed with all cute little odds and ends. The funny thing is, I shopped only TJMaxx/Marshalls- many different locations though. I know some of you may be scoffing right now, but it is hands down my all time favorite store and they always have the best products at the best prices. There is no point in going anywhere else- when you find you favorite jeans, or the most comfortable shoes, you buy them in every color. So, I just shopped around my area and picked up all of the gifts Christopher would love.

I helped during an emergency! That was a pretty big deal to me- Chris called me a good Samaritan. I was painting something I would add to the basket for the big birthday when I heard cries outside. I was a little weary but opened my door to see what the ruckus was. A young girl was crying for help and her head was bleeding. Now I am a nervous nelly as it is, so I immediately called 911 (yes I knew the number) and brought her into my foyer. I heeded the advice of the medic on the line and stopped the bleeding with a washcloth, then I helped clean her up while the ambulance was on the way. I guess there was some neighborhood drama and a boy hit her in the head with a skateboard. She had a pretty deep gash in her head. When her mother and the ambulance arrived I wished them well and cleaned up the pool of blood that she had lost. It was a pretty big deal. I don't think I have ever had to call 911 before, and I was now worried about my neighborhood. Luckily Chris arrived home early that night and I was able to recap the story and feel better about what had happened.

My mom was headed away to Virginia this past week with my sister. She is preparing for an international competition next month in Canada. So my mom asked me to work her shifts at the hotel. I was excited (again to fill my time and make some money). I headed out early on Wednesday morning to arrive to work at nine. I made it through the day and was able to get some prep done for Friday on which day I would have to work a double. I decided to head towards Ithaca and get my nails done. Not often do I like to spend money, but I felt like I deserved it. I had a long week ahead. I then stopped at my brothers baseball game. Where I was able to say goodbye to my aunt and uncle who had come from California for a week to visit. Then I headed back towards Rochester.

I will be honest here and say that I got a little emotional. It was a beautiful day. The air felt like fall, but the sun was shining like summer, and as I drove down the lake, the sun was saying its goodbyes to the water. I really love where I am from, and I guess I had always known that. I got homesick at school- just three hours from home, I got very homesick in North Carolina- a whopping twelve hours from home, and now here I was realizing that the most beautiful place I have ever been is on the east shore of Cayuga lake. I got home and took a hot bath, wallowing until Chris got home. I had a good cry in his arms trying to explain to him that I probably will end up where I came from. I will be the podunk girl who moved back to the podunk. And he said to me in a comforting tone- "Dear, I thought you already knew that? I've known it for a long time." What a guy.

The view from our cottage at the Cove 

The next day I hustled around grabbing groceries and picking up a few last minute items so as not to leave Chris in a completely empty house with a completely empty fridge. I surprised him with little hints of me and of course chocolate pudding which he appreciated. I would only be away for two days, but this "business trip" would be the couple of days leading up to his birthday. As I gathered my things I drove off, on my way to my Aunt and Uncle's house to spend the night. It was good to see them and my cousins, and be able to eat dinner and chat about recent activities. It's a real comfort to eat dinner and have a conversation, because while Chris and I do eat dinner together every chance we get and talk about everything, more often then not I eat dinner alone while he is away working up a storm.

The next morning I rushed to the shop where I was meeting my dad so that my car could be fixed. I know, who would've thought that I would be having car trouble, but I guess it's just classic me. My dad and brother then escorted me to the hotel where I would start my all day long shift. I had prepared myself pretty well on Wednesday so I felt pretty good. The only thing that lurked in the near future were the couple of large togo orders I knew would be coming in. King Ferry, New York is primarily made up of farms. And the farmers who work all day in the heat, either stop in for lunch to enjoy the air conditioning, or just take a short break in which they consume food that they order from us ahead of time and take back to the fields. Usually the orders come in early and leave by the time service has started, but not on this fine Friday. The special is fish fry, and of course they wanted to pick up the order right at noon. Now I would have been cool if I worked every Friday and was used to the pace, but doing 78 lunches mainly by myself with the help of my dad, was pretty crazy. People came in early and I was just immediately in the weeds. Do not get me wrong, I love the weeds, I really do, but ...how much can you actually love being tangled in the weeds. I survived though. The problem I found is that, everyone wants fried fish, which is great because I am not running around making fifty different menu items, but there are only two fryers! and you can only fry so much fish at a time. Mind you I am a fried fish snob. I grew up with this fried fish, and no where else I have ever been has come close to the same deliciousness of the Fish Fry Fridays at the King Ferry Hotel. I may be biased. A tad. Moral of the story is, that the togo orders cannot be picked up at noon in the middle of a Friday service. Period. To make matters worse the health inspectors showed up- luckily just to eat lunch, but it still freaked me out a bit. I guess that if they are in to eat, then that must make us a pretty clean establishment. Please watch this Friends episode if you don't know what I am talking about. The health inspector ordered a BLT with peanut butter instead of mayonnaise. I myself don't like peanut butter but maybe you should try it.
Everything was pretty down hill from lunch (in a good way). I had a rush trying to prepare everything for the dinner service on time by myself, but we only did 56 people for dinner so it was more of a steady pace instead of a weeds pace.

After a couple of beverages I headed to my family home to spend the night- 10 minutes is a much easier commute than an hour and a half. And I crashed. After a thirteen hour day I just fell right asleep with the tv on and did not wake up until three am when I peeled myself off of the couch and made my way to my old bedroom. The next morning I woke up to pancakes, what a lovely wakeup call. My dad makes the best breakfasts, my favorite is french toast. But I think the one thing that makes the meal better than you would think is warm syrup. Always always always warm syrup.  None of that cold out of the bottle stuff. It just won't do, from now on- warm up your syrup, you won't regret it I promise. I then headed back to the hotel where I was to make pulled pork and salt potatoes. Just a side note that Chris brought to my attention. Salt potatoes are an upstate New York thing. I couldn't believe it! He didn't know what salt potatoes were, and I guess I am just stupid to think that everything I know is a national thing, but apparently, and I am sure there are some of you out there who have never heard of a salt potato. The big local garage sale that goes along the entire road the Hotel is on was Saturday so I prepared for the worst. But the worst didn't come, which was a relief. I taught my brother a few cooking trips and then we headed to the lake.

Once I returned to Rochester that afternoon, I made a cake for Chris' birthday. Baking really reminds me that I am not a baker, but I continue to experiment anyway. It was nice to reunite with Chris when he arrived home from work, and we talked about the goings ons for the next day.

It really was the best birthday, I am not sure if it was for him, but it was for me. A quality day with my man enjoying the outdoors. After church and the "birthday basket" we headed south towards Keuka Lake. We were now celebrating the both of us being twenty one so we went on a neat wine tour around the lake. We enjoyed sips of wines of our choosing and just delightful views of the lake. It really was an all around beautiful day. We traveled to five wineries, one of which was a big player in the start of grape growing in New York State- Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyards. Chris and I mentioned how drinking wine would not be as much fun if we had not have been educated about it at school. He asked me how other people learn. It's an interesting idea though. At school we were taught how to distinguish the different flavors and the different terms. I guess that I would just feel out of the loop if I didn't know all of the lingo. But maybe it's different for people who don't know a lot about wine it's probably like a learning experience every time they visit a winery. Needless to say we had a lot of fun. We were rushing around all day because every winery in the area closed at five and we had seven wineries on the trail to visit. You can do the math and realize we did not make it to all seven, which was completely okay with us. At the last one we just sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air. The wine had finally caught up with us, (or at least me) and we stayed for a while to ensure that the alcohol would wear off before the trek home.

On the way back we grabbed a pizza, as the restaurant Chris had wanted to dine at is not open on Sundays, and spent our evening together with a movie and twenty one candles. Although it wasn't my birthday it felt like it was, because Chris and I are now adults and we are able to celebrate that legally! Even Chris mentioned that we could do just about anything, I however reminded him that for some reason you have to be 25 in order to rent a car. But we had a really great day.

And now today I have had a case of the Mondays. Which means that after a day full of the love of my life, I had to let him go back to work, and I had to slow down and take the time to reflect on the past week. Luckily Monday is almost over and I won't have to deal with this until next week. Ta Ta for now.