boardwalk eggs and a small swell.

Recently I have been dreaming of the ocean, I normally go surfing spring through some of fall however the water gets so cold that I find it hard to function.  Today a friend of mine and I went surfing, we both have had the urge to go for a while and I finally have 2 days off instead of 1, so we packed up our lunches, towels, boards and debit cards (for coffee and renting of suits of course).  If anyone knows Canadian waters it is pretty cold this time of year, cold enough that we had to wear every piece of gear possible to stay warm.
When we rented the suits, the first thing the guy said to us was “you’re under 18 right?”   we looked at each other and laughed.   we gave him a polite no, we’re 20.   After that he asked us every safety question in the book…have you been surfing before, are the waves to high, are you sure?  I guess he has good intentions with asking, but we have been renting from this place for a while and we had our boards strapped to the roof of the car.
After we got our suits, we headed to the beach.  Where we decided to eat breakfast, something we didn’t have time to do before we left.  we set up a small burner with a tiny frying pan and a couple of eggs.  People did look at us funny, and we did feel homeless but I must admit it was pretty fun. 
It was time to hit the water, after our struggle to put all the gear on we finally made it down to the water.  We stretched and then hoped in.  The waves were small at first, then about an hour later they grew a few feet and the current got stronger pulling us further off to the side than we wanted to be.    Leaving us no choice but to head back to shore and walk back to our desired spot,  or giving us a reason to stop for a drink. Which leads me into a complaint, mitts are a good idea for keeping your hands warm but are extremely awkward to take on and off, and they make it hard to do anything like drink a big glass of water of the non salty variety.

Well it was starting to get to the time where the suits had to be back so we got dressed, packed everything up and waited for our drive to pick us up.  While waiting I decided to take all the wax off my board, drink out of my super cool…..mason jar.   (Yes a mason jar, it’s good if you are in a pinch or for everyday use!) and watch other people surf.   Ohhhh and did I mention that because we went so early we packed breakfast and lunch?  However a seagull got at our lunch and ate it….again!   It is like we never learn!

Fact(s)
- 90% of all volcanic activity is beneath the ocean.
- Canada has the largest coastline out of any country.
- People have been surfing for hundreds of years, starting off with oddly shaped pieces of scrap wood.
-You can surf rivers and lakes, it all depends on time of year and size.

Raccoon babies on my balcony.

Wow, I didn’t realize how long it has been since I wrote.  I guess I haven’t come across anything of interest lately, which is really disappointing.  However do I have a story for you guys!  The title of this post explains it all, raccoon babies.

Today I was really hung over, I played Skyrim and drank large amounts of water all day….at least till the rest of my family got home, and all of my brothers friends took over the living room.  I was bugged to help cook supper and do the dishes, and when it was all over with and supper was on it’s way to being done, I quickly went back to hiding in my room from all the loud noises.
As I’m surfing the net and playing with my baoding balls (just as I’m doing now) I hear yelling coming from the living room, knowing my brother and his friends I shrug it off and just think it’s them being rowdy.  Till I hear it again, but it’s louder and just as I’m about to ignore it once more I hear my mother yelling in the back ground too.  I quickly get up and go out to the living to find everyone hovered around the window and balcony door.  I shove everyone out the way and open the balcony door, while everyone is screaming NOOOO don’t open it.  To my surprise, there was a raccoon nestled in one of our old washtubs….we all thought she was dying or just hurt because she wasn’t moving or getting aggressive.   15 minutes later I’m yelling SHE HAD BABIES!!!!   Now let me explain, I live on the second floor of an apartment building, this raccoon scaled our deck right before giving birth, I know she’s a raccoon and they do that kind of thing but really that shocks me, animal or human if you are about to give birth do you really think climbing is the best thing?
We caught the raccoon that night in one of those cages, and carefully packed up the raccoon babies, where they were taken to a wildlife park. Where there were two other orphan raccoon babies.   Hopefully the mother raccoon took the other two in as her own :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fact(s)
- Racoons do not hibernate.
-They can live up to 16 years in the wild.
-Racoons can have up to 50% body fat.
-They have up to 1 litter a year.

Race to Space Contest: Vote for me!

Recently I joined a contest called race to space.   Currently in Canada leading first place is over 14000 votes and counting.  What I’m asking you guys is to vote for me!  …and then pass the word along that I really want to go!

For me space is a place of most peace, where mankind has hardly touched.   Like most kids I’ve always dreamed about one day traveling to outer space and would stare at the stars for hours on end. Unfortunately I knew it would never come true.  This is now my chance, a one in a life time opportunity to visit a place I never thought would be possible, and all I need is your vote and the kindness for you to share the word via facebook/twitter or even by writing about me in your blog…OR maybe by word of mouth.
It’s really simple, let me explain…I swear this takes no more than 2 seconds of your time!!!

1.  Go to www.metroinspace.com/ca/view/coyu

2. Press the yellow button that says VOTE.

3. Press the share button and choose the site to share it on.

4. Convince your friends I’m the best possible candidate for this trip, and that I have something to offer when I get back!

5.  CONTINUE!!

Thank you for helping me achieve my goal! Even if I don’t win, I’ll congratulate that lucky person.  Hopefully they’ll have as much fun as I know I would!

 

 

Coffee, more than caffeine.

**Vote in poll at bottom**

Coffee, one of life’s greats pleasures….A health benefit in disguise and part of millions of peoples daily routines.  Do they really know what they are drinking?  Or is it an excuse to guzzle down more caffeine to get through another awful day at work.

For me coffee is both, I’m surely addicted to it purely because it amazes me. It amazes me as much as grapes interest a wine maker, that’s a huge deal.  However I will admit coffee does sometimes help me get through those hard days at work…or school were all I want to do is climb up on the prep table and take a quick nap….or hop into the huge pot sinks and relax is the soapy hot water….and sometimes yes it brings me to place of peace.

Everything I need...

Even though most the the worlds population seem to think coffee is just black liquid in a cup, I’m here to tell you it’s more than that.  The coffee you buy at low end places sell nothing but beans that have been roasted till burnt and then ground up for consumption.  You shouldn’t taste an awful after taste when you take a sip, it shouldn’t taste burnt and it shouldn’t be so strong you cringe when you smell it.  Like wine, coffee should be full bodied, you should be able to taste where it was grown and you should defiantly know where it comes from!
You’re probably thinking that I’m crazy, however the next time you buy a cup of Jo and you struggle to take ever gulp remember. Society has put convenience over quality, Speed is more important than having the best possible product.  Could you imagine what it was like to have a cup of coffee before the automated drip machine?  Where people worked for hours making the perfect cup?  PROBABLY AWESOME!

Even though a lot people think coffee is just something you drink, I’m also here to tell you that it has amazing health benefits, not to mention the beauty tips I’m about to share.
Coffee like most things contains antioxidants, these help improve the look of your skin and hair.  Not to mention makes you feel great, and helps your body repair itself.   In moderation, coffee actually helps prevent heart disease, which is great because hearth disease is a number one killer in women.
It contains 0 calories when it is black….yes I said it ZERO!   So stop adding dairy and sugar and drink away.  In some countries you can actually go to a spa and have a coffee treatment.  This makes your skin look great and refreshed.  Rubbing wet coffee grounds in the areas where cellulite is most noticeable will reduce the look of it.  It also exfoliates because of it’s ruff texture (So yes, when you are done making your coffee go to your tub and rub yourself down …in circular motions)

My love for coffee will always be great, for me I enjoy it with milk…yes milk!  It doesn’t ruin the flavor it merely makes it better, such as adding salt your sauce. I’ve bought books, I’m always looking for new equipment, I’m hoping to one day find a course close enough to where I live (If anyone knows of a place please let me know!!) and I even got a coffee cup tattooed to my foot.
What are your opinions on coffee?

Fact(s)
-Legend has it that coffee was first discovered when a goat herder ate a coffee cherry and he noticed it gave him great energy.
-In some countries coffee has religious and spiritual associations.
-In Europe coffee was thought of as the “devil’s” drink, till people realized the pope loved it.
-In Europe the first coffee house opened in 1683, which was in Venice.
-Coffee grows in over 70 Countries.

 

Finally Menu Week Is Over, I Can Relax!

**PLEASE VOTE IN POLL** at the bottom of this post!

Now that it’s the weekend, I’m done work and I’m in my Pj’s and relaxed. I can finally write! As most of you know I’m going to culinary school, (which is almost over!) and in second year it is mandatory to create a menu that will be showcased in the restaurant at the school.
Let me tell you, the next time someone tells you creating a menu is simple, tell them to contact me and I’ll tell them otherwise.  It’s not, it’s a lot of work creating something you hope everyone will like, that’s simple enough that everyone can do and will look nice on a plate.   After you have chosen the Items it’s time to create the recipes….gather information, and create timelines!  It’s down right hard and should be taken seriously.  I regret not getting it done when I had the chance..I procrastinated till the last minute and when it was time to pass it in, I wasn’t ready and very stressed.

The week of service I was really nervous, thoughts kept running through my mind….like what if nothing turns out, what if no one likes my menu, what if we run out of everything?  However as the week went on I realized that everything was going to be fine, people liked my menu and as it was ordered more and more the smile on my face grew.  What was going through mind mind now?  Well the biggest one was, YES! people like mine more.  (There were 2 of us doing out menus at the same time)
When I was forced to go out and talk with the customers I didn’t receive a single bad comment, everyone loved it!  I even had people give me their emails so I could send them recipes…How exciting!

The week went by fast, it was Friday before I knew it.  Which meant that it was time to do food cost….I was dreading this part, if anyone really knows me, they would know that math is my worst enemy….it can frustrate me to the point of getting upset :(  I got it done the day before it was due, and yes I got some of my classmates to help me….and maybe a teacher or two…

So the menu that I show cased was Italian influenced…When I was creating it I almost forgot to add some sort of pasta…Who ever heard of Italian food with out a good hand made pasta!!??   **Please tell me what you think :)**

Insalata Trio: Herb Marinated Bocconcini
Tuscan Bread Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers
Marinated Beet Salad with Candied Hazelnuts
Tomato Tartare, Basil Pesto, Red Wine Vinaigrette

Open-Faced Seafood Ravioli
Digby Scallops, Shrimp & Portobello Mushroom
Shaved Padano Cheese, Herb & Garlic Cream
Baby Arugula & Tomato Chip

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
Butternut Squash Risotto, Zucchini Ribbon with Tomato
Glazed Baby Carrots & Asparagus
Black Olive Jus, Port Wine Reduction

Puff Pastry Layered with Strawberries & Amaretto Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream, Handmade Bonbons
Vanilla Tuile, Orange Sauce & Chocolate Sauce

  ** Thanks to Julie.D for taking these photos, hers turned out better than mine! (I wonder if they edited the lighting?)
Take a look at her blog, She does a lot of food related posts. http://pomegranatebutter.blogspot.com/

Fact(s)
-A lot of people think the Italian’s were the ones who invented pasta, but in fact the Chinese did.  Rice Noodles are the first recorded pasta.
-Menus come in all shapes, styles and sizes.  However the way a menu is written and displayed effects the way you order. An example is not adding $ signs to prices or displaying high priced items first so when you look further down the rest look reasonable.

Spice Challange Accepted.

I told myself I wouldn’t write about food in this blog, but I think this is appropriate…and if it’s not I guess I’ll just change my rules again :D  …maybe I’ll have it as an everything blog, but keep my facts and photos of course!!  I know I haven’t written in a while and I know I should…I’m just so busy!!  However that’s not an excuse….I should be writing every night…or every other night.  Instead of this once a week or even longer thin

**Oh I also want to add a segment to this blog, something I’ll write out once a week on top of my normal posts..such as top 10 things I’ve learned, 10 things I’ve cooked this week (take in mind once I finish school it wont be as exciting), Favorite songs of the week,  I could do a movie review, or even a DIY.   Please vote on the poll, I’d like to start within the next week or two!!!

Three weekends ago I was hanging out with a friend, We watched a movie and he tried to force me to eat HALF a cheesecake…which in my books is way to much cheesecake … (even though it is my favorite)  That night he found out that I love spicy food, that I feel the spicier the better!!  He didn’t believe me….He thought I was exaggerating because he noticed that most Nova Scotians can’t even stand the tiniest bit of spice in their food.  So I challenged him.  He agreed to the challenge only on once condition…that I bake him a dessert.  I leaped at the chance to have him eat my cooking for the first time!!!  Unfortunately the only time we can hang out is on Sunday’s…so our challenge was left on hold for a whole week!

I had been anticipating the challenge all week!  I was so ready to prove him wrong,  I even told him to make it so spicy it would make me cry!!
That Sunday when I arrived and stepped into the kitchen, all I could smell was spice.  It smelled delicious.  This was the first time a friend has ever seriously cooked for me since I started going to culinary school.  It was awesome, and I knew I’d love it even if it was “to spicy”.
He made Chili, something I normally don’t eat because yes..I’m not a huge fan of beans.  However I didn’t even notice they were in there till almost the very end!  Something I was very shocked about. 
Unfortunately his chili did not make me cry, it made our noses runny though….so in the end he failed.  However I loved it, the 4 different chili’s and the whole pack of bacon he used.
He also got me to try two different kinds of beers because I mentioned I was never a huge fan….  I must say the two he bought were delicious.  I should really ask for the names and write them down so I can buy them another time.

All week I was unsure of what to make him for dessert….so I asked him what he would like, he didn’t really help…he basically got me to name a bunch off and then picked one haha… Fortunately I picked the flavors!!
He never had a Panna Cotta before so when I explained what it was he instantly answered YES!  I agreed of course, they’re pretty simple to make and very satisfying.  I went grocery shopping for the ingredients Saturday  morning before work, and then made them right before bed that night.   Fortunately I made enough for everyone in my house, A neighbor in my apartment building, and even his room mate :) ..I was on a role!

The dessert I made was a:  Chocolate Amaretto Panna Cotta, with Strawberry coulis, Amaretto whipped Cream and fresh berries.  (I’ll post the recipes on the recipe page!)  He was so excited to eat it, that he didn’t even know where to start…How cute :)  It was refreshing to eat it after the chili….however I could of eaten the whole pot HAHA.
It’s unfortunate that his room mate couldn’t eat her dessert, however it was good news for him because he loved it and wanted more.

I’m so glad that I’m able to cook delicious food for people to eat.  It deafeningly is one of the greatest joys to watch their expressions.

Facts(s)

- Chili, also known as Chile Con carne…meaning “Chili peppers with meat”.
- Historians are un certain of who “invented” chili powder, and when.
-Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert made out of cream.
-Banana peppers are one of the least spiciest peppers ranging at about 100-900 scoville units. Ghost peppers are one of the hottest ranging at about 16,000,000 Scoville units.
-Law enforcement pepper sprays ranges at about 1,500,000–2,000,000 scoville units.  However once diluted it drops down to about 200, 000.

Bonfire’s have faces too!

This year has been the warmest winter I’ve ever experienced….In Canada that is.  I’m not saying I have traveled outside Canada but what I am saying is that when I do decided to leave the country I’m sure I’ll experience a few tropical winters :)
There has hardly been any snow, and when it does snow it melts away within the next couple of days. (which is good for me because I’m not a huge fan of snow)
Now with it being decently warm some friends and I decided to have a bonfire!!  I know I know some of you are thinking “WHY WOULD YOU HAVE A BONFIRE IN THE WINTER!” Well you see, bonfires in the winter are plain awesome….it’s cold outside you light a fire and everyone hurdles around it with hot chocolate, marshmallows and a great conversation, Unfortunately we didn’t have the hot chocolate…just alcohol.
It wasn’t snowing when we started the fire, but half way through we had a light snow fall…..By the time the fire started to dye down, it was snowing so hard we had mini snow banks on our heads and about 5cm on the ground.  However we didn’t mind, we were having fun and that’s all that mattered. 

Now as you can see, the piece of wood that was burning, was burning a little weird…It had us starring at it for a while.  Notice the small zig zag that’s lit up?  Think of it as a winking eye.   Now notice the huge hole on the other side?  Think of that as an opened eye.  NOW the last one, the lit up zig zag underneath the first two…Think of that as a mouth.  What does it look like now?  Obviously a face :)
I thought this was cool, it might of just been the alcohol I was drinking but I figured I’d post it to see if anyone else does too.

Fact(s)

- It’s believed the earliest controlled use of fire was about 1,420,000 years ago.
- Lighters were invented in the 16th century and was merely a flinklock pistol that was converted to make fire.
- Fire was discovered when a lighting bolt came down and caught something on fire.