February 29th. Now there's something that doesn't happen every day!
The last several days have pretty much been spent laying on the couch. I finally made it to the doctor's office today (I traded in my regular doctor for a new doctor) where she prescribed mega-antibiotics and a couple decongestants. Hopefully that will make things better faster. I don't make a very good sick person, lol, too impatient. But as my mother used to say, if you don't take care of your body (and give it what it needs), it will make it so you are forced to slow down and take care of yourself. So I am resting up! I had to cancel my wellness clinic for tomorrow. Imagine what people would say if a sick nurse took care of them at a welness clinic! "She can't even take care of herself, wht is she doing here?". So better off to cancel now.
I saw my orthopedic doctor today. A six month follow up after my Oxford knee replacement. He is very happy, as am I. The visit did, however, get me a cooking job. His office nurse wants red velvet cake truffles for her daughter's birthday. She doesn't know how many, though, so will get back to me. Amazing that people like those little cake truffles so much! But I guess they are small bites, so people don't feel guilty eating them.
I am going to bed early, in an effort to take good care of myself. Hopefully I will notice an improvement sooner rather than later! The people at Apple called to let me know my computer has been fixed and I can pick it up any time. And hopefully this will do the trick! And then I'll be able to add pictures!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
As it turns out, I did not go to my ACLS class Saturday. I was just too tired and felt ill-prepared to take the all day class. It still needs to be done before the end of February so I'll take it online after I study a bit more. Taking ACLS always stresses me out. It's not easy!
Instead of taking the class, I finished my taxes and caught up on bills and mail. I had lunch with Janell, taking her out for her birthday (which was Wednesday). I came back home, studied ACLS for a while then finished my examiner.com article on Nutrisystem and Chef Mark Estee (a local chef).
I made chicken for dinner, roasted, with potatoes and broccoli, all roasted. I am always amazed at how much better vegetables taste when they are roasted.
Sunday I slept late. I think it's official, I have a sinus infection. Even my face hurts! Everyone around me has been sick, so why not me? Hope it goes away quickly!
I downloaded some updates on my computer last night and now this morning it won't start. I took it to the Apple Store and was told there was something wrong with my "logic board". Doesn't sound good! Apple is a good product, I just think I got a lemon. They are sending it out for repair. The computer is still under warrenty so it won't cost me anything. I've had it less than a year! Jordan thinks I should just get a new computer. We'll see.
Before dinner I mixed up a batch of "Compost cookie dough". The recipe is from the Momofuko cookbook I bought in Hawaii. Momofuko Milk Bar is one of several Momofuko restaurants in NYC but their only bakery. Let's just say, all the recipes intrigue me, they are so unusual. The cookies have the usual butter and flour and sugar, eggs and vanilla, but also chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coffee grounds (unused fresh grounds), potato chips, preztels and graham cracker crust. Amazing, right? But kind of weird at the same time! I'll bake them up after dinner.
Dinner was Ratatouille and seared pork tenderloin. Simple but healthy and tasty. I love Ratatouille! After dinner I did bake up the cookies. They spread out more than I thought they would and they are big cookies, but with all the "stuff" there is in the dough, it's hard to make them smaller. Jordan thought they tasted just ok. Maybe I'll try them out on a few other people.
Going to bed now. Can't add any pictures until I get my computer back. Most unfortunate!
Instead of taking the class, I finished my taxes and caught up on bills and mail. I had lunch with Janell, taking her out for her birthday (which was Wednesday). I came back home, studied ACLS for a while then finished my examiner.com article on Nutrisystem and Chef Mark Estee (a local chef).
I made chicken for dinner, roasted, with potatoes and broccoli, all roasted. I am always amazed at how much better vegetables taste when they are roasted.
Sunday I slept late. I think it's official, I have a sinus infection. Even my face hurts! Everyone around me has been sick, so why not me? Hope it goes away quickly!
I downloaded some updates on my computer last night and now this morning it won't start. I took it to the Apple Store and was told there was something wrong with my "logic board". Doesn't sound good! Apple is a good product, I just think I got a lemon. They are sending it out for repair. The computer is still under warrenty so it won't cost me anything. I've had it less than a year! Jordan thinks I should just get a new computer. We'll see.
Before dinner I mixed up a batch of "Compost cookie dough". The recipe is from the Momofuko cookbook I bought in Hawaii. Momofuko Milk Bar is one of several Momofuko restaurants in NYC but their only bakery. Let's just say, all the recipes intrigue me, they are so unusual. The cookies have the usual butter and flour and sugar, eggs and vanilla, but also chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coffee grounds (unused fresh grounds), potato chips, preztels and graham cracker crust. Amazing, right? But kind of weird at the same time! I'll bake them up after dinner.
Dinner was Ratatouille and seared pork tenderloin. Simple but healthy and tasty. I love Ratatouille! After dinner I did bake up the cookies. They spread out more than I thought they would and they are big cookies, but with all the "stuff" there is in the dough, it's hard to make them smaller. Jordan thought they tasted just ok. Maybe I'll try them out on a few other people.
Going to bed now. Can't add any pictures until I get my computer back. Most unfortunate!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I arrived home safely late Tuesday night, a very tired girl.
I have 320 cake truffles due tomorrow so that's what I have spent most of my time doing since arriving back in Reno. The cake truffles are now all made (I'll come back and add pictures later), but need to be packaged. There will be two Oreo cake truffles and two red velvet cake truffles in a cellophane bag. 80 bags total. They'll be used as party favors as a local AORN seminar on Saturday. I'll also put my logo on the bag. They look pretty cute!
The dark chocolate truffles with red are the red velvet cake truffles. The white chocolate truffles with the dark chocolate decorations are the Oreo cookie truffles.
I also have an interview with Chef Mark Estee tomorrow morning, but that should go quickly. I am writing an examiner article on Nutrisystem and the Culinary Council they started last year. Everything seems to be happening this week!
I have 320 cake truffles due tomorrow so that's what I have spent most of my time doing since arriving back in Reno. The cake truffles are now all made (I'll come back and add pictures later), but need to be packaged. There will be two Oreo cake truffles and two red velvet cake truffles in a cellophane bag. 80 bags total. They'll be used as party favors as a local AORN seminar on Saturday. I'll also put my logo on the bag. They look pretty cute!
The dark chocolate truffles with red are the red velvet cake truffles. The white chocolate truffles with the dark chocolate decorations are the Oreo cookie truffles.
I also have an interview with Chef Mark Estee tomorrow morning, but that should go quickly. I am writing an examiner article on Nutrisystem and the Culinary Council they started last year. Everything seems to be happening this week!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
sunday, February 19, 2012
It didn't rain after all today! I was up a little later again this morning, then made second breakfast, scrambled eggs with sausages.
Since it was sunny, I made one last trip to the pool. Beautiful weather!
Lunch was a Grilled Ham Gruyere and Apple Panini. Turned out very well! Chips on the side. I spent the afternoon making two chicken dishes, Tuscan Chicken and Lemon Chicken, then baked some chocolate chip cookies. All things to leave so there is plenty to eat after I leave.
We went out to dinner at Merriman's tonight. I had Lobster Bisque for a first course and Pasta with Mushrooms and Ricotta for a main dish. Pineapple Upside Down Cake for dessert. Now I'm stuffed, lol!
I will be on travel the next two days so will not be making an entry until Wednesday. Sorry about that! No cooking though, the next two days. It's been a lovely four weeks, thank you my friend!
Since it was sunny, I made one last trip to the pool. Beautiful weather!
Lunch was a Grilled Ham Gruyere and Apple Panini. Turned out very well! Chips on the side. I spent the afternoon making two chicken dishes, Tuscan Chicken and Lemon Chicken, then baked some chocolate chip cookies. All things to leave so there is plenty to eat after I leave.
We went out to dinner at Merriman's tonight. I had Lobster Bisque for a first course and Pasta with Mushrooms and Ricotta for a main dish. Pineapple Upside Down Cake for dessert. Now I'm stuffed, lol!
I will be on travel the next two days so will not be making an entry until Wednesday. Sorry about that! No cooking though, the next two days. It's been a lovely four weeks, thank you my friend!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
I got up a little later than usual this morning, so had to hurry to get ready for the day We went out to breakfast, to the Westin in Ka'anapali. The restaurant is right on the beach. They serve either off the menu or a buffet. Very nice restaurant! And a great place to people watch, as so many people walk by on the trail that winds along the Ka'anapali beach coastline.
We mailed the boxes after breakfast, did a little grocery shopping and stopped by Walgreens. Then it was back to the Ridge. It was cloudy this morning, but one thing I have learned, is that often it comes and goes. So we went off to the pool this morning, and sure enough, we had sunshine. The wind, however, is another story. It has been extremely windy with gusts over 30 miles an hour. As my friend says, it makes the condo sound like a haunted house, lol. Whistling and rattling and howling, oh, my!
This photo was taken while I was looking out the kitchen window. The palm tree outside the window was blowing every which way!
Lunch was Curried Crab Bites, an old recipe I got from Jennifer Bushman years ago when she owned Nothing To It Culinary Center. It's one of my favorite appetizers (although I used it as lunch sandwich bites). I also made a small fruit parfait with blueberries, Greek yogurt and Clementine orange segments as a side/dessert to serve with it.
After lunch I looked in my Small Batch Baking cookbook and found a recipe for Fudgy Mocha Layer Cake. You mix up enough batter for two small cakes, then bake them in 14 oz cans that have been greased and floured (and cleaned!). They turned out SO cute! You cut your little cake in half horizontally, then fill and frost it. I made Mocha Frosting for it. I will serve them for dessert tonight at dinner. I also mixed up more Chickpea Salad and made a pot of French lentils both to serve tonight and as future dinners/lunch. I got the recipe from the book "Lunch in Paris". It was a good read but I also appreciate the recipes she included in the book-all things she learned to cook after moving to Paris when she married her French husband.
It's Harry Potter Weekend on the Family Channel so I watched part of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban". All the Hogwarts students look so young in this film compared to now!
For dinner, I made a first course of Lentils with sliced Seared Tuna. As a second course, I seared Moorish Spiced marinated steak and served it with Potatoes Anna and Vinaigrette marinated zucchini. Unfortunately, the second course looked all the same color! It was all tasty though, so that's good. Dessert was the Fudgy Mocha Cakes. So cute! Kind of like a tall cupcake.
The sunset was absolutely gorgeous tonight. One of the nicest we've seen since coming here. They said it was just for me, in honor of my leaving, lol (nice to have friends that say things like that!). So, of course, I had to take pictures.
Tomorrow there is a higher chance of rain, so guess we might be staying in tomorrow. Time will tell...
We mailed the boxes after breakfast, did a little grocery shopping and stopped by Walgreens. Then it was back to the Ridge. It was cloudy this morning, but one thing I have learned, is that often it comes and goes. So we went off to the pool this morning, and sure enough, we had sunshine. The wind, however, is another story. It has been extremely windy with gusts over 30 miles an hour. As my friend says, it makes the condo sound like a haunted house, lol. Whistling and rattling and howling, oh, my!
This photo was taken while I was looking out the kitchen window. The palm tree outside the window was blowing every which way!
Lunch was Curried Crab Bites, an old recipe I got from Jennifer Bushman years ago when she owned Nothing To It Culinary Center. It's one of my favorite appetizers (although I used it as lunch sandwich bites). I also made a small fruit parfait with blueberries, Greek yogurt and Clementine orange segments as a side/dessert to serve with it.
After lunch I looked in my Small Batch Baking cookbook and found a recipe for Fudgy Mocha Layer Cake. You mix up enough batter for two small cakes, then bake them in 14 oz cans that have been greased and floured (and cleaned!). They turned out SO cute! You cut your little cake in half horizontally, then fill and frost it. I made Mocha Frosting for it. I will serve them for dessert tonight at dinner. I also mixed up more Chickpea Salad and made a pot of French lentils both to serve tonight and as future dinners/lunch. I got the recipe from the book "Lunch in Paris". It was a good read but I also appreciate the recipes she included in the book-all things she learned to cook after moving to Paris when she married her French husband.
It's Harry Potter Weekend on the Family Channel so I watched part of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban". All the Hogwarts students look so young in this film compared to now!
For dinner, I made a first course of Lentils with sliced Seared Tuna. As a second course, I seared Moorish Spiced marinated steak and served it with Potatoes Anna and Vinaigrette marinated zucchini. Unfortunately, the second course looked all the same color! It was all tasty though, so that's good. Dessert was the Fudgy Mocha Cakes. So cute! Kind of like a tall cupcake.
The sunset was absolutely gorgeous tonight. One of the nicest we've seen since coming here. They said it was just for me, in honor of my leaving, lol (nice to have friends that say things like that!). So, of course, I had to take pictures.
Tomorrow there is a higher chance of rain, so guess we might be staying in tomorrow. Time will tell...
Friday, February 17, 2012
I awoke to more lawn upkeep. I guess I had no idea how much upkeep a golf course can be! Six people arrived last night to stay in the condo next door. They seem very athletic and they play golf. And no kids!
After breakfast, one load of laundry and uploading more pictures to my blog, we walked to the beach. When we got there, there wer two surfers, but no one else. For almost the entire time we were there, there were very few people on the beach. Of course, it could have been the strong winds and the fact that with every gust of wind, we got sand- blasted! It wasn't all that bad, though, and I won't have many more opportunities to walk to the beach before it's time to return to the "real" world. We stayed at the beach for about an hour and a half, just talking and watching the waves crash onto the shore.
When we got back, it was time to make lunch. Chickpea Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. It really is a great salad! It tastes fresh, it's good for you and a great source of fiber. I served Kalamata olives on the side and chocolate chip cookies for a little dessert afterwards.
After lunch I baked a Grape Gratin for our evening dessert. Interesting combination and one I've not made before. I have to say, it's great having clients who let you experiment and try new things and who have a discerning palate for good food. The filling on the Grape Gratin, had green grapes (of course), mixed with apricot jam, flour and one tablespoon of sugar. It was topped with a mixture of old-fashioned oats, flour, brown sugar, dried ginger, cinnamon, sliced almonds and butter. I crumbled the topping over the grape mixture and baked it for 20 minutes. It turned out pretty goo, but did not have any strong flavor. I also made an Orange Cream Cheese Coffeecake (a Paula Deen recipe). We finished off the Blueberry Crumb Cake this morning, so it was time to make something else, lol.
I talked with my sister, Janell. She's been sick the last few days so missed her job interview yesterday. Hope she can reschedule!
I also packed two boxes to take to FedEx after baking. I'm trying to "lighten my load" of stuff to take on the plane as I'll be traveling about 7,000 miles in a 36 hour time period. Whew! On Monday afternoon I fly from Maui to LAX, take the Red Eye to Chicago O'Hare and get in at 5:07am. I have a job interview at 9:30am. My sister, Corie, is going to pick me up and take me to my appointment. The plan is to have lunch together, then she'll drop me back off at O'Hare so I can catch a 5pm flight back to Reno. I'll get into Reno late, but at least I'll be home!
Dinner was Baked Rice Pilaf with Baked Salmon and Garlic Wilted Spinach. It turned out well. The salmon came out just right. Dessert was, of course, the Grape Gratin served with a little ice cream. Not bad, not bad. Don't know if I'd make the grape thing again or not.
I finally got to talk to Jordan for a long time. He made it back to Reno in one piece-that's good! We had another beautiful sunset tonight. It's suppose to rain on and off all weeekend-more of a chance on Sunday, so we'll go grocery shopping tomorrow morning. AND, we're going out to breakfast to a new restaurant. I love going out to breakfast!
After breakfast, one load of laundry and uploading more pictures to my blog, we walked to the beach. When we got there, there wer two surfers, but no one else. For almost the entire time we were there, there were very few people on the beach. Of course, it could have been the strong winds and the fact that with every gust of wind, we got sand- blasted! It wasn't all that bad, though, and I won't have many more opportunities to walk to the beach before it's time to return to the "real" world. We stayed at the beach for about an hour and a half, just talking and watching the waves crash onto the shore.
When we got back, it was time to make lunch. Chickpea Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. It really is a great salad! It tastes fresh, it's good for you and a great source of fiber. I served Kalamata olives on the side and chocolate chip cookies for a little dessert afterwards.
After lunch I baked a Grape Gratin for our evening dessert. Interesting combination and one I've not made before. I have to say, it's great having clients who let you experiment and try new things and who have a discerning palate for good food. The filling on the Grape Gratin, had green grapes (of course), mixed with apricot jam, flour and one tablespoon of sugar. It was topped with a mixture of old-fashioned oats, flour, brown sugar, dried ginger, cinnamon, sliced almonds and butter. I crumbled the topping over the grape mixture and baked it for 20 minutes. It turned out pretty goo, but did not have any strong flavor. I also made an Orange Cream Cheese Coffeecake (a Paula Deen recipe). We finished off the Blueberry Crumb Cake this morning, so it was time to make something else, lol.
I talked with my sister, Janell. She's been sick the last few days so missed her job interview yesterday. Hope she can reschedule!
I also packed two boxes to take to FedEx after baking. I'm trying to "lighten my load" of stuff to take on the plane as I'll be traveling about 7,000 miles in a 36 hour time period. Whew! On Monday afternoon I fly from Maui to LAX, take the Red Eye to Chicago O'Hare and get in at 5:07am. I have a job interview at 9:30am. My sister, Corie, is going to pick me up and take me to my appointment. The plan is to have lunch together, then she'll drop me back off at O'Hare so I can catch a 5pm flight back to Reno. I'll get into Reno late, but at least I'll be home!
Dinner was Baked Rice Pilaf with Baked Salmon and Garlic Wilted Spinach. It turned out well. The salmon came out just right. Dessert was, of course, the Grape Gratin served with a little ice cream. Not bad, not bad. Don't know if I'd make the grape thing again or not.
I finally got to talk to Jordan for a long time. He made it back to Reno in one piece-that's good! We had another beautiful sunset tonight. It's suppose to rain on and off all weeekend-more of a chance on Sunday, so we'll go grocery shopping tomorrow morning. AND, we're going out to breakfast to a new restaurant. I love going out to breakfast!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
I awoke to hear not only the mega lawnmower they use to cut the copious grassy areas in this complex (plus the golf course) but the kids next door screaming and yelling. They have been here ten days but are leaving today. Good for us, lol, not so good for them. I am the last person to talk about parenting, but there was an article last week in the New York Times reviewing a book coming out on what makes French parents better than American parents. Apparently it is all in the approach and rather than yelling at your child, you speak to him with authority so that there is no question who is in charge. I am sure it is not quite that simple, so I guess we need to read the book. The author makes a good argument as to why the French have better behaved children than Americans. Although I was tempted to show the mom next door the article, she would not have appreciated it (nor would I have in all likelihood if I were her), so resisted. They were, after all, only here ten days.
To escape from all the noise, we went to the beach early today. On the walk down, my friend Neda called (or apparently her phone called me right after she finished talking to her husband) so we talked for a short while to catch up.
It was alternately sunny and cloudy with a few sprinkles but we stayed for two hours. There were three young surfers there and two photographers. One of the photographers sat on shore and took pictures of the surfers, the other photographer had on a wet suit, a helmet and fins and was in the water with the surfers (he also had a really big water proof camera) taking pictures. The surfers were doing all sorts of fancy twists and turns on the waves. One in particular made it look so easy and graceful. It was fun to watch them, but hard for the average person to catch them on film.
We got back in time to make lunch, which today was an Apple Sausage Cris-Cross Pastry. I took pictures of the pastry before I baked it and after I baked it, it was so pretty (ok, maybe you aren't suppose to say that about your own work, but I can't help it!). The taste reminded me of Thanksgiving, with the pork sausage, apples, bread crumbs, sage, cinnamon, dried cherries and onions. Yum!
As soon as I got the pastry in the oven, I put together Chicken Cacciatore. We are eating at the Banyon Tree tonight but I wanted to get a head start on a few meals to leave behind for the week my friends are here without me. So once that was put together and cooked, I froze it for a dinner next week. I'll make a few more meals before I go. It's easy to do.
Tonight, as I said, it's dinner at the Banyon Tree restaurant. I will come back after dinner and let you know more about dinner. It is likely I will not get there again any time soon, so will enjoy the opportunity while I can. I have been a very lucky girl the last month being here on Maui and cooking for friends.
Addendum:
At 5:15pm we drove off to the Ritz Carlton. The hotel and grounds are huge. The Banyon Tree Restaurant sits at the base of the hotel complex but not on the beach (remember the burial grounds and the need to move the hotel construction away from the beach and the burial grounds). Robert (Rrrow-bear') was our waiter-I snapped his picture right before he served us our wine. Our table was in the corner at the back of the restaurant with one windowed wall and one open wall. Beautiful setting! For dinner I had an appetizer of Seafood Sausage served with a remoulade (spicy mayonaisse based sauce) and shallot confit. For an entree, I had Crispy Snapper served with a Rice Croquette (in Italian it would have been called arancini). I was full by the end but had JUST enough room for ice cream (always room for ice cream, lol). Three kinds-mango, coconut lavender and white chocolate served with a tuille cookie. Very, very nice. I take many fond memories home with me...
To escape from all the noise, we went to the beach early today. On the walk down, my friend Neda called (or apparently her phone called me right after she finished talking to her husband) so we talked for a short while to catch up.
It was alternately sunny and cloudy with a few sprinkles but we stayed for two hours. There were three young surfers there and two photographers. One of the photographers sat on shore and took pictures of the surfers, the other photographer had on a wet suit, a helmet and fins and was in the water with the surfers (he also had a really big water proof camera) taking pictures. The surfers were doing all sorts of fancy twists and turns on the waves. One in particular made it look so easy and graceful. It was fun to watch them, but hard for the average person to catch them on film.
We got back in time to make lunch, which today was an Apple Sausage Cris-Cross Pastry. I took pictures of the pastry before I baked it and after I baked it, it was so pretty (ok, maybe you aren't suppose to say that about your own work, but I can't help it!). The taste reminded me of Thanksgiving, with the pork sausage, apples, bread crumbs, sage, cinnamon, dried cherries and onions. Yum!
As soon as I got the pastry in the oven, I put together Chicken Cacciatore. We are eating at the Banyon Tree tonight but I wanted to get a head start on a few meals to leave behind for the week my friends are here without me. So once that was put together and cooked, I froze it for a dinner next week. I'll make a few more meals before I go. It's easy to do.
Tonight, as I said, it's dinner at the Banyon Tree restaurant. I will come back after dinner and let you know more about dinner. It is likely I will not get there again any time soon, so will enjoy the opportunity while I can. I have been a very lucky girl the last month being here on Maui and cooking for friends.
Addendum:
At 5:15pm we drove off to the Ritz Carlton. The hotel and grounds are huge. The Banyon Tree Restaurant sits at the base of the hotel complex but not on the beach (remember the burial grounds and the need to move the hotel construction away from the beach and the burial grounds). Robert (Rrrow-bear') was our waiter-I snapped his picture right before he served us our wine. Our table was in the corner at the back of the restaurant with one windowed wall and one open wall. Beautiful setting! For dinner I had an appetizer of Seafood Sausage served with a remoulade (spicy mayonaisse based sauce) and shallot confit. For an entree, I had Crispy Snapper served with a Rice Croquette (in Italian it would have been called arancini). I was full by the end but had JUST enough room for ice cream (always room for ice cream, lol). Three kinds-mango, coconut lavender and white chocolate served with a tuille cookie. Very, very nice. I take many fond memories home with me...
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