At Long Last

I’m doooooooooooooooooooooooooone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. What a ride. Seriously. Only a mere year and a half ago culinary school was the LAST thought in my mind. Crazy how much can change, no? And I’m so glad that I did it….even though there were definite days and nights where I really questioned whether it was the right thing or not. Long hours, hard work, tons of driving. ALL DONE! 🙂

I was actually sad to leave work today! I’ve met some great people that I hope to keep in touch with and I know I’ve been a source of entertainment there since I’ve been the only girl in the kitchen and, well, I can be a blond sometimes (can’t we all??!). Today I accidentally turned off all the lights in the kitchen and someone yelled out “dance party since its Jenna’s last day!!!“. That kind of thing ;). Anyways, I guess its just another chapter in my life that is closing and tomorrow a whole other one will be opened!

This morning I had a big bowl of oatmeal using 1/2 cup multigrain cereal, half cup silk, half cup water, 1 banana, handful of blueberries, hazelnut butter and a sliced dried figgy on top

Midmorning I ate a z-bar

Eric, one of the guys I work with that apparently read my blog for the first time last night, saw me eating the z-bar and instantly goes, “I hope you took a picture of that!!”. Well I did. Obvi.

And for lunch, a delicious salad topped with a big chunk of leftover salmon from last night.

Mmmmm it was so delicious. No need for dressing!

I also had a big ol’ hunk of piping hot sweet potato focaccia. I grabbed it as soon as it came out of the oven and, let me tell you, it was probably the most amazing thing I have ever eaten (I know I say that all the time). It was hot, fluffy and crispy around the edges where it had been baking/basting in olive oil. Ahhhhhhhh

I was STUFFED after all this food (especially the large piece of focaccia, which I really didn’t need but wait…yes I totally did) 😉

When I got home from work I grabbed a pear to take in the car with me, as Christie and I immediately headed out to run some errands:

I was planning on working out but, really, I am just so tired right now that I fear that if I work out I won’t be able to make it to dinner and a movie later. Today at work we deep-cleaned and I scrubbed our whole side of the kitchen, basically on my hands and knees. That, coupled with every other thing I did at work today, was pretty much a workout in itself. I’m pooped.

Mmmm and I just have to share! I baked the most amazing Portuguese sweet bread today! Chef asked me to do it for a special dinner he was having tonight and I took home two loaves myself—one for Christie’s parents and one for Ryan to make his morning toast on. It smelled FABULOUS!

And, yes, I did have a tiny taste. How do people not eat carbs or bread these days??! How I ask??? They are clearly not fully living!

I’m off to dye/trim Christie’s hair (don’t ask) and then we are headed out to dinner at this tiny cajus/New Orleans-style restaurant here called French Quarter. Tonight we rented Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Part 2. Actually I rented it because I’ve been dying to see it. I loved the first one! I know, I know….I’m a total teeny-bob sap.