Coming backAs I sit here at my laptop, I think ... "How am I going to do this?" Where do I start? What am I going to talk about? HOW am I going to even begin writing about the journey that I have been on?
Countless times have I started typing and set aside a few words, a paragraph or two, or even a whole page. Though, I never did post. I didn't think I was ready. Thoughts, feelings, insights, etc... entries in my email or journal, in personal texts, on scraps of paper, or swimming in my mind. And I am finally deciding to bring it all together. To share my burdens, my joys, my strengths and weaknesses, my insights, ... my life; this blog is no longer just about food. And if there's an ear out there, I am blessed. And perhaps I can bring truth to your world, as God has brought it to mine. Truth. About our purpose here. Truth. About my struggles. Truth. About my joys. Truth. About health. Truth. About our world. There are so many lies we were born or taught into believing and their manifestations are far beyond UgLy. But when we learn the Truth, we can make the changes we need to be better for our Lord and Savior. The changes that perfect us and make us new. I am becoming new. It is no easy journey and I am certainly not through, but I will no longer let the waiting period dictate the postponement of sharing my story. And so let it begin. This is my story... |
"Food is an infinitely rich subject, and there's always something about it to understand better, something new to discover, a fresh source of interest, ideas, and delight." |
Almost two week's worth of living and never enough time to express it all. Is this why we all have our own lives? I would say most certainly. We are our own beings and are given the freedom to do, say, and think as we please. That's the magic of life. We are never truly bound. In fact, a new experience may be just one question away. But you must ask yourself what that question is before asking it to another. Only just a bit ago, Joe and I went out shopping for new work clothes. Sadly I had more luck than him, but we still had an enjoyable time. Nevertheless, I got a bit hangry and what did I ask myself? "Should we just go to our homes, eat, and call it a night or should we go dutch and treat ourselves to dinner jointly?" And how do you suppose I answered? Yep. A night out. I mean who really cares if they have work the next morning with a 4 am wake-up call? Sometimes the food and the person you enjoy it with makes all the difference. And so we went to Bahama Breeze (https://www.bahamabreeze.com/menus/dinner/dinner_samplers.asp). for the first time because, well darned it, I wanted a hamburger. Now I won't tell you what I got (really what Joe and I shared) because it's all in the pictures' text. Though maybe you're just here to look at the pictures ... hmmmm. So once Tuesday of last week came along my mom, Jerry (my step-dad), and their two furry children Little One and Trixie came down to visit me! The first night I brought over some wine and wine glasses to their hotel room and we ordered Italian to go: 2 chicken marsalas, 1 lasagna, and an appetizer of basil and roasted red tomato 'bruschetta' with mozzarella. I can't say it was bruschetta since it wasn't chopped up but it still tasted good with a creamy bite from the cheese and the acidic twang from the balsamic vinegar. Soon after dinner I had to run back home and prep for the next day's work. That following evening we all (excluding the dogs, including Joe) went to downtown celebration to eat at the Town Tavern. The fare was not entirely typical and it did have a Boston theme to the menu. At the tavern (http://www.thecelebrationtowntavern.com/) we split their bruschetta which was a pesto grilled Italian bread topped with fresh tomato and a mixture of garlic, red onion, basil, olive oil, and a balsamic glaze. Joe and I split a lobster roll dish and Steak Scampi (12 oz. N.Y. Strip Steak, topped with 2 jumbo shrimp scampi) with smashed potatoes. We both ordered a side salad as well. The company was much better than the food, but the food was still good. Not great, but good. .... Am I a food snob? Don't answer that. The next day we all went out for an early brunch at Bob Evan's where my mom and I split multi-grain blueberry pancakes and a veggie omelet. Joe went off to work and my mom, Jerry, and I went off to Animal Kingdom and Epcot. We had a really great time, but once the late afternoon hit legs were tired, hips were hurting, and we were sweating. So we called it a night and retired to their hotel room where we ordered pizza with wine and beer and a frozen store-bought tiramisu. Such a perfect night for a long day outside. The next day we went to winter garden for some shopping in the historic part of town. We went through a candy shoppe, clothing stores, a coffee shoppe, and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting store. The coffee shoppe was the best I've come across down here in Orlando. It's called Axum (http://www.axumcoffee.com/) and they give all of their profits to villages in Africa. I encourage you to look at their website! At the olive oil and balsamic store, my mom purchased a white pineapple balsamic vinegar that paired with an onion and cilantro olive oil. She also bought me a dark fig balsamic vinegar (makes a BEAUTIFUL reduction sauce!!) Following our morning excursion, we went to a local French bakery who mass produces their breads and pastries and even sells to Disney! (That French bread in Epcot's France? Yep.) That night I semi-surprised them with a cheese dinner. Oh but you'll have to again look at the pictures to get the full story! Since Axum was such a memorable experience, I returned the following day, when my mom and Jerry headed back up North. But first I headed over to the farmers market. I was back in my utopia to say the least: produce of all shorts, shapes, and sizes, breads and pastries, dried fruits, fresh milk, eggs, and meat from the farm, a plethora of honeys, crafts, live music, food stands... not only are the prices and the origin of the foods worth the trip, but also the conversations with the people selling these things! If you're ever at a farmer's market and it's not too busy, as a question. Strike up a conversation and see what you'll learn! The best stand was my last. A son and his mother were selling whole spices from Mexico. I sampled a sun-dried in-shell cocoa bean alone to taste the natural bitterness from the alkaloids and then with chocolate to see how they complemented each other. I also tried a whole cardamom pod. The man with whom I was speaking was explaining how we are lead to believe that all spices that we work with must be worked with and incorporated in their ground state. But why? Well for obvious reasons, they must be ground. However, they can be ground from the fresh pod/seed/etc and worked with or can be eaten raw, though this does not apply to all. So I bought some cocoa beans. They have a large amount of magnesium and calcium, give a euphoric boost without the negative effects from caffeine, and have numerous other nutritional benefits. I'm still reading about these, but I promise to talk more about these in my next post. The most recent foodie experience I've had was a special dinner for Joe and I. I made a cheese plate with cheddar, goat, manchego, blue, and queso blanco (don't try this cheese - it's like a waxy mozzarella) on a wood cutting board. I also had sliced, toasted, and olive-oil drizzled multi-grain bread from the German baker at the farmer's market. AND there was another wood board with roasted tomatoes, asparagus, and yellow squash; pan-fried lamb and chicken; fresh figs and asian pear; and a fig balsamic reduction. Joe brought over a nice 2012 oaky pinot noir too. The fun with the different options is that you get to make several combinations. It's food experimentation!! Always a fun time. Apart from that, I've been the typical busy girl that you may all know. Keeps me on my toes! Well until our next meet.
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Well. Here we are again! Two week later and my brain is exploding with stories, events, food experiences, and so much that I'm not sure I have enough time to get it all down before bedtime! (But try? I shall.) As several of you may know by now, I had been up in Flat Rock, NC at CNS (the Comparative Nutrition Society for milk that I analyzed at the National Zoo. (Yes when I was interning/contracting at the National Zoo, I analyzed okapi milk for the dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), sugar (CHO - stands for carbohydrates), fat, calcium(Ca), phosphorus(P), and ASH(mineral) content. And from this came a poster which I presented at CNS!). Though, working at Disney now I guess you could say that I was representing Disney and The National Zoo. Anyway, this conference lasted from August 1 - 5 and was full of poster presentations and power-point presentations about animal nutrition research. These conferences are really important for nutritionists to gather together and share what they've learned through their research. That way, we can apply what we've learned and provide our animals (zoo, farm, or companion) with a better diet and lifestyle. So with all of the presentations and conversations with nutritionists, professors, and researchers, I learned a great deal of information. To add to my time in NC, we were given some down time. Being where I was (highland lakes resort), I went kayaking, biking, hiking, and played tennis (across two afternoons). The resort itself was gorgeous. There was a 4.5 sized lake, a large pen for goats and sheep, an organic garden, a pool, 2 hammocks, 2 tree swings, a shed with several recreational equipment, a restaurant (pictures below!!), some actual houses (meaning people lived there), several other buildings,, and just luscious 'greenery' all around. And all throughout the days, there were always birds singing. I could talk days about this, but I will again do a picture slideshow. Since I've returned, I've been working (7 days in a row/70 hours but it's money so I'll take it!!). Some very great people are coming down this week, but you'll have to wait until my next post. And then hopefully I'll have another ingredient to talk about! |
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February 2017
"Food is an infinitely rich subject, and there's always something about it to understand better, something new to discover, a fresh source of interest, ideas, and delight."
From Pennsylvania to France to Washington DC to Florida, I've had myself many an adventure. Now it's time to indulge in the life of a Floridian. With great food, great friends, and great experiences, I offer you stories and pictures to take you away, into my world at Disney. Categories |