More Food (Or Should I Say Disasters).

Helloooo!

I really didn't want to write this post, but I suppose it would be unfair - and fairly misleading - if I didn't. I attempted make a recipe I found on Pinterest. AND IT FAILED. I was extremely upset because this (a failed recipe which I didn't know how to fix easily) had never happened to me before.

I tried to make pizza. In a frying pan. I don't know why, considering I do have an oven, it just seemed like a cool idea. Needless to say, it did NOT work. At all. The dough wouldn't cook from the top and would burn from the bottom. It was so bad. My first disastrous cooking experience made me so, so distressed. 

EXCEPT! I just remembered a funny story from Culinary Class (yes, I get to take cool classes like culinary as part of my degree :) )

Now before I start the story, I would like to point out that this is about baking, and I do not, by any means, claim to be even a remotely good baker. 

So, on our last day in culinary lab, it was kind of like the show chopped, where they gave us surprise ingredients and we have an hour to make a menu using them (except it was no where near as hard because our "secret" ingredients were chicken, butter, and eggs. ha.) So anyways, we get to choose teams, and we have to make a menu and serve it under a time limit. So my team from last semester's marketing class decided to all team up for old times' sake. Additionally, since we spent so much time together for our marketing project, we felt that we would work as a "well-oiled machine", I believe they say. 

So after perusing the other ingredients that were given to us, we decided to go with an Asian themed menu, which I am quite proud of, by the way. We had a citrus salad with a soy sauce and ginger dressing for the starter, a Thai style chicken and some egg fried rice for the entree, and a mango and ginger trifle for the dessert.

So anyways, everything went smoothly throughout the entire menu, all of our dishes were completed on time, and everything was given good marks. Then we got to the dessert. Duh duh duh.

It was pretty genius, we decided to flavor the whipped cream with some fresh ginger root. As I was reaching for the ginger root from the ingredients table, the head chef said "Hey why don't you use this ginger paste, it will save you time." So of course, I took his advice and used the ground ginger instead. So we assembled the trifle, even going as far to boil the mango in some sugar water because it wasn't that ripe, cubed up the cake we baked, layered it with the ginger whipped cream, and sent it up for judging.

As we were cleaning, I looked over to the judges table, and they were laughing. So I of course thought, "Why are they laughing? This is peculiar." So we went along cleaning, but a few minutes later, one of the chefs came up to us and asked us what we put in the whipped cream. So we told him it was ginger, of course. He chuckled, and told us, "No. That was garlic!" HAHA! So of course we were ROARING with laughter (well I was.) And the chef tells us not to worry, they wouldn't deduct points. So everyone continued along cleaning, and I suddenly remembered that I had let another team borrow our whipped cream because they didn't have time to make their own. So I ran over to the judging table FREAKING out as they were tasting this particular dessert yelling "THEY USED OUR WHIPPED CREAM! THEY USED OUR WHIPPED CREAM!" Of course, the rest of the class (except for my team) was giving me highly quizzical looks (later I found out that they all thought I was trying to take credit for their dessert) and the chefs and the TA's all burst out laughing because they knew our whipped cream had garlic. 

So, essentially, THE funniest class I have ever had. Ever.

Hope I made you laugh :)

Cool thing:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/pictures-that-will-restore-your-faith-in-humanity

This is the BEST webpage!

<3

-T

Pinterest Food.

So I always go on Pinterest and see all these DELICIOUS looking dishes, and I really want to eat them! So I decided that this summer I am going to try to make as many as I can. The first one I made was an amazingly comforting cauliflower soup which was only with 5 ingredients, completely vegan, and surprisingly filling (and it's just as gorgeous in real life as in the picture). Now, I am not a huge Martha Stewart fan. So to my disdain, the next dish I made is one of hers. I do have to say though, it was quite delish. It was poached eggs and asparagus on top of fettuccine. Then I did a small salad and some roasted tomatoes with some cheese and herbs on top. It was my first time poaching eggs, but it really wasn't a big deal, I did break 2 though!

The Meal (please excuse the computer!)

So I guess I will be posting some more dishes that I make this summer! Maybe I will even try baking!! Okay, that's being optimistic, but we shall see. I am really excited for what I am making this week: it's going to be a Thai curry. Thai food is my FAVORITE. So I am very very very excited. I hope it is gooood.

Here is the recipe for the pasta if you like :)

Crisis.

Crisis (n) - A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger

I have been having a lot of 'Crises' recently.

1. Where should I study abroad?
2. How do I get more out of my internship?
3. Should I quit my internship?
4. How do I get more out of my life?
5. Where do I get the motivation/inspiration to write another blog post?
6. When am I going to write that article?
7. How am I going to succeed in this world?
8. Goodness I need to stop worrying.

Believe it or not, those 8 things I listed above harrow me. On a daily, I'd even say hourly, basis. Then of course I begin to become even more stressed out because I KNOW that being stressed about what blog post to write (for example) is plain silly. And no where near what would or should be considered a crisis.

I think I have narrowed down my stress to one question: What do I want?

Now the fact that I am even posing this question to myself is quite overwhelming in itself for two reasons. First, I have always known quite exactly and specifically what I want. Always. Second, I have always been very content with my life. It is something that I have always prided myself in - knowing that little known fact that the ultimate secret to happiness is being more than content with what you have.

The thing is, I think I still am. Happy and content that it. The question is, why would I say "I think I am" and why would I pose the question "What do I want?" If I know that all this doesn't matter because all that matters is that I have my basic needs met - that I can create my happiness from anything - then why am I having these questions?

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it is incredibly easy to say something to yourself over and over again, and sometimes (the lucky times) you begin to believe it? Other times, no matter how many times you try to convince yourself something, you know that it's just not working.

Now, it really really distresses me to write this post because I honestly am happy. Now I know you probably won't believe me after reading this, but I am. Whenever I feel unhappy or uncertain or just simply  complain-y, I remind myself of the great fortune that my life is. I think about all the people that are less fortunate than me. Sadly, there are a lot them. I know that it will be very difficult to help them all get as great lives as me (though I am tying to figure out a way to!), so in my crazy head, I kind of justify my life by reminding myself to be not only thankful and grateful but also happy and content with what I have, because it just wouldn't be fair to be unhappy with everything that I have. 

I guess we all need some perspective every once in a while.

Time.

Helllooo Everyone!!

So sorry it has been so long, apparently time really flies. I just wanted to check in and tell you that lots of blog posts will be coming...VERY soon :)

<3

-T