Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Outside my window lies a white blanket of that cold powder most people hate. I, on the other hand, love it! It started falling on Christmas morning while I was talking to a friend on the phone. I screamed in delight when I saw it! Amazing! My first white Christmas in four years! It didn't stop falling until late last night, and while I heard the groans from my parents, I couldn't stop skipping!!! SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!! It fell with grace and landed everywhere it could. Can you say a wintery heaven? I took my three dogs outside to play with them today, only because when we lived in Michigan, we would literally have them pull us around on our sleds in the snow and well, they loved it! So today, the little bro and I threw snowballs for them! Much to our delight, they would chase after them only to find more snow! It was really a mean trick, but a funny one at that. Sadie, our old border collie acted as if she was a puppy discovering snow for the first time. 

Sadie (our 9 yr old border collie) running through the snow!

Sadie has always felt the need to eat the snow as if she's going to make it all go away. Unfortunately, this always makes her have to pee a lot more than usual, which leads to her eating more snow. It's a vicious cycle. Today, I watched her chase around flying snow balls and dive into the snow after them as if she was going to find the snow ball still in tact. Silly dog! Salem, our yellow lab pranced around in the snow at first, not wanting her precious feet to get too cold. She desperately wanted to join in the fun, and reluctantly gave in. When she was younger, she could have easily been lost in this white blanket covering our three acres, but now that she's become more of a yellow lab, she's getting easier to spot! She too would run after the snow balls; however, she showed less intensity than good ol' Sadie! 

Matthew trying to get Salem to come off the driveway and play in the snow as Sadie goes to eat more snow in the background!

 My little dog, Guido (a rescued Jack Russel), on the other hand, decided it was too cold for him to play in the snow. He wandered around next to Sadie for awhile only to return to me shivering and giving me that irresistible puppy dog face. I had no choice but to pick him up and put him in my jacket while I carried him back to the house! Silly little dog!

Me keeping Guido warm

As I snapped pictures of anything and everything, the dogs followed me around, covering themselves in snow and exploring the forbidden woods. We don't usually let them wander through the woods, but I figured I'd give them the rare chance as long as I was there with them. We walked behind the house and crossed the creek where they both ran up the hill and past the barbed-wire fencing someone put up long ago. Sadie peed every two minutes and then continued to eat away the snow. Salem wandered aimlessly, sometimes into bushes and often times she would shove her face right down into the snow (Wasn't this the dog that wouldn't go and play in the snow at first?). Eventually, I was getting to the point where my finger couldn't press the button on the camera and figured it was time to go inside. I whistled for the dogs and they came charging back up to the house. I went inside, made my brother and I some hot chocolate and then I started a fire in the fireplace! The perfect end to the perfect day! :)

Jason Mraz-Winter Wonderland! Love this version!

Christmas Time

Every year, my grandparents have a big Christmas celebration at their house, complete with two Christmas trees, trains, a ton of food, and you betcha, lots of snow. All the family comes over to eat and open presents. Aunts, uncles, cousins, boyfriends, girlfriends, and whomever else shows up to see each other before the big day. My grandparents have 7 children and I'm not sure how many grandchildren (last time I checked, I think it was around 30, but I could be way off!), and now we're even adding great great grandchildren into the mix. This massive family Christmas party has been going on for as long as I can remember, probably longer than I've been alive. Every year, I would go over a day or two before to help my grandparents decorate (my favorite part has always been setting up my grandpa's trains! they're amazingly cool!), cook (dilly casserole bread... yummmmmmmmm), and whatever else they needed me to do. The family would then trickle in and the festivities would begin. 

One of my favorite parts of Christmas!

However, about four Christmases ago, my parents and I moved away from Michigan and our family Christmas, to North Carolina. Not exactly the half an hour drive to grandma's anymore! And since our big move down south, Christmas seems to have lost something. There's no more giant piles of snow, no more grandma reading her Christmas story as we grandchildren gather around her on the floor, and no more setting up the trains. With my older brother and sister starting families of their own and not returning for Christmas, well this year seems to be out of place, and the last three years seem to act as prelude to the years to come. Times are changing and I guess no one really realizes that until traditions fizzle out. But have no fear, Christmas is still special to me nonetheless. While I may not be able to partake in it as years past, I still have the memories of those that I could and the ability to create new Christmas memories to last a life time.  

Loving What You Do

Throughout life we all go through doubts about whether or not we made the right decision. What if I can't do this certain career day after day? What if it was my destiny to do something else? Of course, going to a school where your major is so defined from the beginning, I have asked myself these same questions several times. Today, however, I was reassured about my decision. Monday I have to take my practical for meat cutting. It involves both a written portion and skills portion. We're supposed to cut up a chicken in 20 minutes using a certain cut. In class I was able to do a terrible chicken in about an hour and a half. Not exactly "A" material. Our school offers programs to come and practice whatever you need to on a Friday, so guess what I did today! I went and cut up four chickens! Having a very self-esteem boosting day yesterday (I cut a very beautiful rabbit and rack of lamb, not to mention made sausage and packaged it while talking in a British accent!), I walked into the kitchen with confidence. I looked at my first chicken, took my knife in my hand and began cutting away. It took me awhile to do, but it was the best job I've done since I started cutting chickens two Tuesdays ago. I then took my second chicken, feeling even more confident, and did probably the worst job ever. It could have been because people were watching me very intently, but I'd rather not make excuses. I was being helped by older students that were giving me tips on how to make it easier on myself. And while it took me about an hour to cut the worst chicken ever, all the while I stood there excited and determined to get it right. I wasn't the best, but I was trying to be the best I could be. It reminded me of playing lacrosse (another passion of mine) and how I would stay after practice to work on my stick work or my shots on goal. Often times I was left standing outside in the cold with a couple balls, but I did it because I loved doing it and I wanted to do it. 
Standing there with the same excited intensity I played lacrosse, I started in on my third chicken. A much better job with very clean cuts! All I needed was to improve my time. 20 minutes is all we have in class, so I timed myself. Today, I cut a very clean chicken in 24 minutes. It was the best I have ever done. And there were even people watching my every cut. Excuses, I think not. So Monday, I will be cutting a beautiful chicken in 20 minutes flat. ;) 
As for my decision to become a chef, I know I made the right one because I'm happy every time I pick up a piece of food. I love being able to create something with my bare hands and then handing it to someone so they can enjoy it too. If your smiling and having fun, you know you're where you should be.

Standing Under my Own Cloud of Rain

Lately, I've been feeling a little under the weather. After talking to my mom on the first day, I was concerned with having diabetes, a disease that runs in my family and is a possibility. Day two, feeling worse and acquiring a sore throat, I thought that I had mono. I visited a friend over break who had mono, so it could have been mono. Day three was the ever dreadful Monday and I was supposed to go to my meat cutting class, but felt too terrible, so I spent my day sleeping. I finally woke up and went to the school nurse only to find out that I had a virus! And while most people would say terrible, I say yay! I am not a diabetic nor do I have mono! I'm just sick! Go for the silver lining! 
But I did find out something I've been dealing with for a long time. I've been having food allergies for quite some time, I just never knew what they were. I knew it had something to do with the oils used in the food and sometimes I have problems eating cereal. Not to mention anything remotely close to fiber means problems are on their way. Mentioning this to the nurse (thinking it would help her solve my loss in appetite), she then informed that I may have a gluten problem. GLUTEN FREE DIET HERE I COME! Just not too fast because it's hard. :) I'll let you know how that goes... 

Unleashing the Beast

Lately, I've been dealing with little or no appetite at all. Some people I know wish they didn't have an appetite, but being a culinary student, its been my internal conflict. Food has always been one of my joys and the fact that I don't have any desire to consume it, is quite frankly uncharacteristic. I just started my first set of culinary labs here at school, starting out with Meat Cutting (a class that involves standing in a giant freezer to cut up carcasses of meat!). Most people don't exactly get hungry when they look at the top round of a beautiful piece of beef. In fact, most turn the other way and would rather see it when its cooked. I had one day this past week where my appetite seemed to be unleashed like a wild lioness waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting zebra.  As I'm standing there cutting this piece of meat, I found my stomach growling and wanting nothing more than to find the nearest stove, grab a pan, and make myself something delicious. Of course, standing in a giant freezer, there really isn't much to cook on, so I was left hungry until it was time for lunch. Beef was on my mind and it wasn't coming off it either. So after we cleaned the class (which involves using a giant hose to spray off everything), my friend and I took the trash out to the trash room and not realizing that the door to the trash room locks when it closes, were locked out. Being resourceful, we decided to embarrass ourselves even more and walk outside, wheeling a giant trash can behind us. When we finally returned from our adventure, we found our entire class standing outside the classroom eating some chicken wings our chef had made us. We took care of the trash can and ate the said chicken. Yummy. What they had on them, I cannot remember, but I do know they were delicious. And while I may not have been wanting chicken, it started my stomach on a wild rampage. We then went to lunch where I was served a very delicious Beef Wellington Mignon and red wine to help bring out more flavor. I looked at my empty plate when I was finished, quite upset that it was over. I finally had my beef, but it was defiantly not enough to feed the hungry lioness waiting at the end of my esophagus. Chef told us it was time to go, so I trudged back to class rubbing my hungry stomach. We then had a guest speaker about shellfish. Not being big in any seafood, I wasn't really sure how it would go down for me. We were told we had to face our fears and try a raw oyster or else we would be dropped from the class. I had never had an oyster, yet alone a raw oyster, so I decided to go in with a positive attitude. How bad could it be? I ignored my friend telling me how awful they were and how she did not want to eat them, negativity was not needed at the moment. I was one of the last to eat my oyster (not because I was procrastinating, but because my oyster kept being taken by someone else!). My chef looked at me with amusement as I placed a vinaigrette over the oyster. I'm sure he was waiting to laugh as I gave a look of disgust as it slid down my throat. However, when I slid the shell back and I began to experience the intense deliciousness, he was surprised, as was I! I am proud to say that I ate an oyster and liked it! The mussel I had earlier wasn't bad, but the oyster seemed like a slimy heaven! The lioness was finally satisfied. I even willing ate dinner that night! Which I have to say is something I've been forcing myself to do so I don't starve! I went to bed that night with a happy stomach to awake the next morning with little to no appetite. Bummer. I guess I'm just going to have to wait until the lioness is hungry again!

Sometimes we have random thought that we just have to share, or a life experience that cannot go unnoticed. Whether they make sense or not, we always have something to say. Or at least I do! I find it hard not to share something with someone! So this here blog is exactly where I'm going to do that! So please join me Somewhere Over the Rainbow as I take you through my thoughts and hopefully you'll get something out of it as well!