today, while i walked over to sneak dinner from the camp nawakwa (we didn't have program today), i thought about fall. i've been thinking about fall a lot lately. friends have been asking me what fall is like in the mountains. i used to tell them that it made me miss the brilliant colors of the midwest. that it made me nostalgic for making giant leaf piles, jumping in them, and promptly stuffing those leaf piles down the jackets of anyone nearby. that it made me miss home.
this year, i'm embracing fall in the mountains. since i spend my days in the kitchen instead of outside, i've come to appreciate my time outside so much more than i ever have. i relish the warm sunshine on my skin and the cool shade under the oak trees. i have two beautiful windows in my room and love seeing the oak trees change from yellow, the orange, and eventually to red. yesterday, when i was hiking with friends, we found a cave and even met a new bat friend! how perfect for a halloween adventure. last week i even served up pumpkin spice coffee instead of the normal blend.
fall has been an awakening for me this year. i've been learning a new job, a challenging and exhausting job. i've been adjusting to a community full of familiar friends and new faces...as well as the difficulty of fitting in when my position is completely different from everyone else i work with. i am trying to stay connected to friends and family who are not in this community...and am finally planning the time to keep in touch (sorry pen pals...you will get letters!). it's not easy...but no one ever said life was.
i am enjoying myself. i get to create delicious, healthy food. highlights include breakfast crepe "lasagna", quinoa-black bean-sweet potato burgers, and finally finding time to bake bread from scratch! i'm slowly reclaiming free time during the week...hoping to get on some bike rides this week before it gets too chilly. and the weekends are always full of adventure : )
pictures will come soon...
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
back to the daily grind. cooking up a storm.
it has been quite some time since i gave attention to my blog. i guess you could say i took a summer vacation from blogging. to sum up the rest of my summer: my trail crew in oregon was a blast (i'll post pictures soon), my 3 weeks at home in michigan were blissful and my road trip back to california was splendid.
highlights from my road trip included seeing my brother and his family in kansas at my grandmother's house, visiting my train acquaintance (rob) in utah, spending time with kyle at grand teton NP and camping with thia in lake tahoe and sequoia national park.
when i got back to california, i hit the ground running. i spent the first week training under the other head cook, a beautiful soul named natalie, while cooking for new staff training. we made some delicious treats...especially spring rolls, homemade falafel, and extra delicious carrot cake.
the second week was the real deal...150 kids, 50 staff and teachers, and a kitchen full of food. i really got a sense for what it's like to be not only the cook, but the kitchen manager (my actual title). it's a new challenge for me to juggle trays of tater tots for the kids while not overcooking the veggie fritatta for the adults all the while baking tantalizing treats that are not kind on the waistline and making sure there is enough hand soap (random, but apparently i'm also in charge of ordering cleaning supplies for camp. hand soap has been the one that hasn't come in yet...and the one we really need. oh well!). i am starting to notice my biceps and quads getting much stronger and defined from regularly lifting 50 pound bags of flour and large pots of boiling water.
my almost-disaster came when i mixed up the squeezy bottles of cooking oil and dish soap (both yellow liquids that i hadn't labeled yet). you can imagine my surprise when i wondered why the green peppers i was cooking kept smelling so clean and bubbled up quite nicely. good thing i caught that before adding it to the huge vat of sloppy joes for the kiddos.
i'm slowly catching up on rest. i spent the weekend sleeping in, settling into my room and frolicking outside. it's amazing how soothing time outside with wonderful people can be to the tired soul.
this week i'm headed to virginia to see my best friend from college get married! i am escaping a puking epidemic that is going around camp and some icky weather passing through southern california. no complaints here!
highlights from my road trip included seeing my brother and his family in kansas at my grandmother's house, visiting my train acquaintance (rob) in utah, spending time with kyle at grand teton NP and camping with thia in lake tahoe and sequoia national park.
when i got back to california, i hit the ground running. i spent the first week training under the other head cook, a beautiful soul named natalie, while cooking for new staff training. we made some delicious treats...especially spring rolls, homemade falafel, and extra delicious carrot cake.
the second week was the real deal...150 kids, 50 staff and teachers, and a kitchen full of food. i really got a sense for what it's like to be not only the cook, but the kitchen manager (my actual title). it's a new challenge for me to juggle trays of tater tots for the kids while not overcooking the veggie fritatta for the adults all the while baking tantalizing treats that are not kind on the waistline and making sure there is enough hand soap (random, but apparently i'm also in charge of ordering cleaning supplies for camp. hand soap has been the one that hasn't come in yet...and the one we really need. oh well!). i am starting to notice my biceps and quads getting much stronger and defined from regularly lifting 50 pound bags of flour and large pots of boiling water.
my almost-disaster came when i mixed up the squeezy bottles of cooking oil and dish soap (both yellow liquids that i hadn't labeled yet). you can imagine my surprise when i wondered why the green peppers i was cooking kept smelling so clean and bubbled up quite nicely. good thing i caught that before adding it to the huge vat of sloppy joes for the kiddos.
i'm slowly catching up on rest. i spent the weekend sleeping in, settling into my room and frolicking outside. it's amazing how soothing time outside with wonderful people can be to the tired soul.
this week i'm headed to virginia to see my best friend from college get married! i am escaping a puking epidemic that is going around camp and some icky weather passing through southern california. no complaints here!
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