My new adventure has indeed begun. A new everything!

I have been here at Mesa Winds Farm for almost two weeks now and I have loved every minute of it, even the long hours. My hands are beginning to show sings of wear and tear, due to the hard work and the manual labor – something my hands are not used to seeing.

A little history before I tell you about my stay so far. Mesa Winds Farm was bought by a couple, Max and Wink. They bought the farm a few years ago and have made it their home, for the two of them and their dog, Monty. The farm is located in Hotchkiss, Colorado, the valley of the North Fork and the Gunnison River. It is a lovely town. Hotchkiss is sandwiched between two neighboring towns, Paonia and Delta. I have only seen the outer sides of both towns, but the small town of Hotchkiss is ideal.

The farm itself is about 36 acres. It is lovely. They have orchards for two types of apples and two types of peaches. They also have vines to grow different types of grapes, for wine making and for eating, table grapes. There are also two hoop houses, almost like green houses, that hold room for vegetables for us to eat on the farm – any leftover will be given up the farmer’s market. There is also an herb garden and small beds for vegetables to grow closer to home.

The living arrangements are apartments. The land does not have a house. Instead there are picker houses. There are six houses located at the front entrance. There are two rows, the first row houses Max, Wink and Monty. They converted two picker houses into one for them. The second row is four picker houses with two houses connecting. Each has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/living room. Not the entire second row is livable right now, but soon. One house the winery, one house is the tool room and then there are two houses are for people to actually live in.

My life for the past (almost) two weeks has been amazing. I have been working hard and sleeping hard. My day is pretty routine. I wake up about 7:45 and get dressed and get to work by about 8 or so, sometimes stopping for a cup of tea. For the first week I did a lot of planting with Max. We planted spinach, cilantro, different varieties of lettuces, three different kinds of onions, asparagus, raspberries and blackberries and cherry trees. There was a lot of digging and a lot of weeding! But it was a ton of fun. I can’t wait to see what I have accomplished. Right now, we can see the young sprouts of spinach and cilantro. It is very exciting!

A few days ago, a friend of Max and Wink’s, came over and taught us about pruning grapes – wine and table grapes. It was very interesting. We spent six hours roaming the fields and trying our hand at the pruning. It was very informative. He liked to talk.

The farm houses five hives, bee hives. They are located down by the irrigation canal and the cherry trees. I got to help Max (mostly by watching) put new houses on the hives. The new additions are for us, so we can collect this house and make honey. The bees live in two story houses. They use this honey to feed themselves and to house their young. It is really cool. Each hive has its own personality. I can’t wait to eat fresh honey from the hive! The buzzing noise is really pretty – soothing.

On top of the farm duties I am also cooking meals for the three of us. I usually do not make it to breakfast – but Max and Wink, usually fix that. Really good pancakes. I made lots of dishes, drawing inspiration from home – baked chicken with a compound butter, burritos, daddy’s pasta with pesto, soups and some other stuff. I have even done a little baking. I am in the process of making my Caramel Brownie Cheesecake! I can’t wait until the garden begins to produce food, so I can outside to pick out what I want to make. Talk about fresh food!

Max and Wink are very nice people and want to introduce you to their town and to their friends. They have made friends with some really neat people – I have only been able to meet a few, but then again, I haven’t been here long. A friend who is a chef is coming to dinner tomorrow. Hopefully, this will be a great contact later on in life. Max has been so kind to sign me up to work a few functions with the local talent here – big dinners! This will be an experience!! The area I am in is the most concentrated location in Colorado to house Organic Farmers! I can’t imagine working with such fresh produce – dairy, meat and vegetables. Oh my!

A few days ago, Max and I went hunting for wild asparagus. We found lots. That night we enjoyed fresh steamed asparagus for dinner. It was wonderful. The first day I arrived, Wink took me on a tour of the property. We found a few wild asparagus hiding and he cut one for me to eat. I ate it right there and it was so sweet! This is why I am here and I knew it at the moment.

My time here is just the tip of the iceberg. I am surrounded by amazing views of mountains, the babbling of the irrigation canal, and soon the sweet smell of ripe fruit. My hands are beginning to develop rough spots – from all the manual labor. I guess I’m not a southern belle anymore – Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind said that you can always tell a lady by her hands. They should be soft and well groomed. Mine aren’t soft anymore, but they look nice, if I scrub off the dirt from under my fingernails. The farm was a great move for me. I am going to learn so much more than I thought I would. Food is not just about what you get on a plate, but where it comes from – what goes into growing it, how does it develop, what is ripe. You appreciate things far better if you put your blood, sweat and tears into something you love and I intend in doing just that this summer – watch out - - - -


ps - pictures might come later, if i can get my camera out

Buckle down, this is gonna be a long one...

Just a recap from my graduation, because I can brag about it. Graduating day I received a diploma from superior cuisine, a medal and a pin. But that’s not all. Since I completed both the cuisine and patisserie program I got a bottle of nice champagne, another medal and a huge, pretty, fancy diploma. I have received from 4 different Le Cordon Bleu schools (around the world) 7 diplomas, 3 medals, 6 pins, plus an award for being the top in my class. I even graduated with honors from my patisserie program. It was a great feeling to see what I have done in a year. An accomplishment.

The next adventure lined up was going to Africa for a month to work at a children’s village. I was in Tanzania, Africa, a couple hours from Arusha and about a 45 minute bumpy red dirt road car ride from Karatu. This was an amazing time and experience. I played and taught children, even disciplined when it was warranted. I even cooked in the kitchen. It was an amazing experience. I think everyone should try to go do it. Being apart of what they are trying to build is truly unbelievable. I don’t even know how to explain it, words and pictures just do not do it justice. You realize after being there what you truly value and maybe you get a little better understanding of yourself.

So then I jumped from the beauty of the mountains of Africa to the beauty of the ocean, the Bahamas. I spent some time with my family. Then dad and I went on a trip just us. It was wonderful. Hearing the sound of the ocean is soothing and gives you peace; at least it does to me. You almost forget how beautiful unspoiled land can be. I was blessed to experience it twice within a month and at such opposites of the spectrum.

I went home for about a month to relax and just do nothing. It got boring very quickly but I think that was good for me. It makes you realize just how much you want to work and do something you love or just to get a pay check! I left the beautiful land of Birmingham, Alabama to venture out to the mountain ranges of Colorado. Leaving home is never easy to do, but for some reason it was easier for me to do it this time. I drove through the marsh lands of Louisiana and hit the Lone Star State of Texas. I stayed here a few days to reconnect with old friends. The Freidlanders took me in for the night and feed me good home cooked food. The next day I went to see a friend from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Beka. We talked for 2 hours and caught up on life and what we were doing now and where we were going. Then I went to see a friend from way back in the day, Paige Wolfe. I got to go out to dinner with her and her family (her dad, brother and new stepmother). It was great to see old friends and catch up with them. Early the next morning I drove to the pan handle of Texas, Amarillo, Texas. It was a long day of driving and I watched the temperature drop, from 70 to 49. It was rainy and cold when I pulled into the Hampton Inn for the night. But I got food and went back to the hotel to cuddle in the great cozy beds. Today was an easy drive and by far the shortest day yet, 6 hours to Denver, Colorado. I came from the flat lands of Texas through the hilly range of New Mexico and found salvation in the snow peaked mountain ranges of Trinidad, Colorado. I think my heart stopped because I was happy to see the mountains. I am staying here with a school friend, Cory McEwen and her boyfriend, Greg, for a couple of days. Then it is downward at a slight angle and to the left to Hotchkiss, Colorado where my new job awaits me as a private chef/hopeful gardener.

My journey is just now beginning. I think this adventure is going to be better then culinary school.

I realize it has been a couple of months since I have written...so sorry. But, good news! I DID GRADUATE FROM LE CORDON BLEU!!!

Graduation was lovely. Dad, Laura Lee, Mom and Mac came up for the occasion. I was so happy they were all able to come and help me celebrate. I just wish the rest of the family could have come, but oh well...they are happy for me as well, I know it.

We walked in with our chef coats and in our classes: basic, intermediate and then SUPERIOR. They called each class, cuisine then patisserie for each basic, intermediate and superior. Then Le Grande Diplome was called. There only four of us. We got called up on stage, given a gold medal, a huge and beautiful diploma and of course a bottle of really nice champagne! It was such a great feeling to be done and to have actually graduated!! After the graduation ceremony, people went to eat little foods and have more champagne. The superior students were toasted to first. We got the first glass...it was great.

After the ceremony and reception, we all went to relax for a bit, then met for dinner at 6:30. Dinner was amazing. We went to eat at a place called eighteen. The food was great and the wine was superb. The next day, I was going home with my diploma and the feeling of being done with culinary school! What a great feeling.

My holidays were spent cooking at home and also getting a non-paying job. I got to work at Bottega, a local restaurant that serves amazing food. The chef/owner owns three other restaurants and I got to help make desserts for all his restaurants. It was great work. A great experience.

Now I am getting ready to go once again out of the country. I am leaving for Africa, Tanzania to be more specific. I am going to work at a children's orphanage. My aunt, Laurie, worked here last year and said it was the most rewarding experience she has ever done. Now my aunt Laurie is an amazing woman, like every woman in our family. She cares and loves all children and does anything and everything she can for them. This is just more thing she does.

I am going to be there for about a month. We are going over a few days early to adjust to the time change. Then I will be at the village for a month, working. A friend of mine, Art, is coming as well to make a film about the village. It's gonna be a great time spent there. I am going to try to blog while I am there, but I am not too sure about the Internet usage...so it might be up later, when I get home. So until then....

It’s been awhile since I have written, so sorry. Life has been crazy and school is winding down. I can’t believe school is almost done with. If I pass my final, I will have completed Le Grande Diplome! It’s taken alittle longer then I hoped, but I am almost done. The feeling is amazing. My sister pointed out, the other night, that I have been wanting this since I was young, I mean like since I was 11 or 12 years old.

Anyways, the weather here reminds me of college at Syracuse. The weather has been constantly changing, from hot to cold and back again. I’ve had more rain here in Ottawa than in London. But the weather has finally settled down. The leaves have fallen from the bare trees and help usher in the winter weather. It’s great. It almost makes me miss the weather in Syracuse, but not enough!

Two weeks ago, I went to New York City to spend time with my aunt Laurie. We got our African visa’s! It’s official! I’m going to Africa. I got the plane ticket and got the visa. The weekend was great, very relaxing. I cooked and spent time in Barnes and Noble, a GREAT place. Then it was back to reality – school.

Halloween, I got to work in the restaurant for the last time. I HAD A BLAST! The chefs were so nice. I peeled vegetables and did the grunt work. But this time I got to talked with the chefs. We were all peeling carrots and just talking. I was trying to educate them about the USA and they were trying to teach me about Canada. It’s so weird that we are so close, but we know next to nothing about each other.

Last Friday, I got my black box list for my final exam. The black box is just like the white box – a list of 20 ingredients with 4 ingredients (chicken livers, salmon fillet, duck legs and squid) we must use. We must make an appetizer and a main dish out of the 20 ingredients, for two. I spent the weekend trying to figure out a menu. I had lots of help, so thank you EVERYONE!!! My menu:

APPETIZER: spinach and salmon tartar stack with calamari and a beurre blanc sauce.
The spinach will be sautéed with garlic. There will also be another sauce, a red pepper coulis to bring color to the plate.

MAIN: duck two ways. Duck legs braised in apples with an apple Gastrique ( a sweet and sour sauce) duck roulade stuffed with chicken livers, mushrooms and leeks with a mushroom pan gravy.
There will be two vegetables, sautéed asparagus with shallots and a butternut squash puree.

I have two and half hours to prepare the appetizer and another 45 minutes afterwards to present my main dish. It’s gonna be kick ass – I just need to present on time!!!

This past week I had my last class and my last practical. It was fun. My last practical was so much fun! Chef Armando taught us how to carve in vegetables – we carved roses in turnips and beets. I made a fish out of half a butternut squash and made some other cool things. It was so much fun! I took pictures, but I can’t post them yet. I left my cables at home in Alabama, so ya’ll will have to wait.

Thursday and Friday I volunteered for Club des Amis. I worked with another student and chef Armando to put on a lunch. We made shrimp wrapped in a fillet of sole with sautéed vegetables and a beurre blanc sauce for our appetizer. Then for the main, beef tenderloin topped with bleu cheese with a peppercorn sauce, sautéed celeriac and vegetables. It was ok. This week has been a great last week in culinary school!!

This weekend I am going to take it easy and come up with a game plan for my final on Tuesday! Then there will be a couple of days of waiting to see if I pass my final, but the time will fly by since my parents are coming up for graduation. I just hope it’s worthwhile for them to come, meaning I hope I graduate. There have been students who have failed. I hope I’m not one of them. But the dream is almost complete! Think of me on Tuesday and send good thoughts! I’ll report back soon!

The past week has been...well repetitive. My program is just about over, less than a month left. Whose excited?? ME!!! Tuesday I went to a lecture given by a local professor at the University of Ottawa. It was all about hospitality law. It was informative, but most of it I have already had in college. But I got to ask a few questions and just listened to him talk.

On Thursday, I went in early to help Chef Marc, my main chef. He was cooking lunch for a group of ladies, with a few men thrown in there too. I was his assistant for a few hours. It was fun. We made quiche with mushrooms and cheese, coq au vin and creme brulee. It was fun. Then I had a workshop with my class for about 5 hours.

On saturday I went on a school field trip to a local brewery. We took a yellow school bus to the Draft Horse Brewery. We went in and began drinking beer - I mean testing the five beers. They were good. We had a tour of the brewery - a small room - which took about 10 minutes of him talking. Then we went back to drink more beer. Then we had a tour of the restaurant and went back to drinking. We got back to school - probably all alittle buzzed, but it was a good trip.

The week was good. Another week done, a few more to go and then I am finished! I can't wait. The upcoming week is busy and also a four day weekend! I'm going to New York City to spend some time with my aunt and get my African visa. So I will have more to report soon.

Turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes oh my! Here in Canada, the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving early. Monday, the 8th, was thanksgiving here in Canada. The people I am staying with invited me to eat dinner with them, but then took back the invitation. They didn’t have enough room at the table. Marnie, the woman who runs the B and B, felt so bad. I told her not to worry about it. I just laughed. I know tons of people who would have done that at home! But they brought me a plate of food. It was good. Now I can’t wait to cook the thanksgiving feast at home and eat it with all my family! (since last year I missed it.)

Tuesday, I had demo at noon. Then alittle break between demo and practical I went to the grocery store and did other things, anything to make sure I didn’t fall asleep! At 7pm I had practical. We were making a fancy French egg dish and surprise chicken consommé. The fancy egg dish was poached eggs in red wine with toast and a yummy sauce. It was so good! The surprise chicken consommé was chicken consommé with diced chicken and celery with puff pastry on top – all cooked in the oven. It was pretty good too. I made consommé in about 2 hours and it was perfect! Even made my own chicken stock!!! The chef said I did good, but then again, the critique never really changes.

Wednesday was different. Instead of seafood we made venison in a salted/dough crust. I had demo at noon and then the practical straight after. The chef in demo broke down a whole side of the deer. It was so cool. However there was no way we would be able to do that. And that sucked! The dish was pretty easy, but he said I cooked my meat to well done. He cooked his extremely rare. I didn’t want it that way – oh well, to each it’s own. We also took a class picture. How lame. We took the picture outside, with the school in the back round. The photographer actually arranged us, the girls sitting in the front and the boys stood according to height. It was pretty goofy. I’m not getting a picture, not because it was lame, but because we have to pay for it, 20 dollars! It’s a rip off! In Paris, they gave it to us, built into the tuition. In Australia and London, there was no picture.

Thursday was the best day! I got to work in the restaurant again! I spent the day in a local coffee shop doing work. Then at 3 pm I went to the school and get ready for my shift. 3:30 on the dot I was up in the restaurant! I got to work the viande station, meat and fish. I worked directly with the chef of the station, this time. The other time, I was working entremetier and I was pawned off to the viande station, but I didn’t care. I got to do things!
I spent the first hour or so with duck. I didn’t mind. I was taking the silver off of the duck fillets to make duck confit – duck pieces are slowly cooked in their own fat and it turns out this most fantastic meat. The chef de partie I think felt bad making me do that, so he let me play with him. I got to cook – sauté onions and make canapés with him. I had a blast. He taught me about his sauces – telling me and showing me things as he did it. He was trying to teach and involve me. He let me help.
It’s been such a long time since I have worked for the public, helping to turn something out for people, other then the chef we cook for in practical. I forget the feeling of being in the kitchen. It’s a rush, something I can’t really describe. Butterflies return to my stomach, my palms get sweaty, my forehead and nose develop sweat beads, knots form like the ones you get before a first date, but I am focused and ready to work. The intensity, the pressure, the heat – I love the feeling. Pain, hunger, thirst, everything goes away except for the food, the passion for the food. I finally remember why I love this. The excitement on the line – it’s like home.
We all know that I have been unhappy the past year or so. I can contribute that to many obstacles that have been in my way, but it wasn’t until I was leaving the 3 star, 5 diamond restaurant at Le Cordon Bleu, that I felt I have really made the right choice. The passion for my cooking/baking came back alive. And I am so thankful for it. Come my graduation, November 16th 2007, I will keep learning but by experience, not by constant book learning. I will be in the field and working in kitchens and helping to prepare food for the public. And I can’t wait! It’s gonna be one hell of a ride, so hold on!

Friday was our practice for the final and our midterm. We had two hours to prepare our appetizer and 2 ½ hours to prepare our main course. We had come up with our own recipes out of a list of ingredients we were given. We had four ingredients we had to use. When making our menus we had no idea we had only 2 ½ hours to cook. But somehow it got done. My appetizer was Pistachio Crushed Paupiettes of Snapper with Scampi Mousseline, Asparagus Spears with Creamy Leeks and Red Pepper Coulis. My main course was Poultry Two Ways: Seared Duck Breast and Potato Puree with Orange Sauce and Roasted Cornish Hens with Vegetable Risotto. I was alittle late with the appetizer, but I got it done!
After everyone turned in their dishes and cleaned up, the chef graded our dish in front of everyone! I got good reviews. My appetizer was too big, but good flavors. My main dish, the duck was too rare and I served too much hen. Otherwise, it was good. My risotto was cooked perfectly! I thought it was good. It needed alittle more color, but good flavors. My dishes were completely different. He like that I served the two meats together, the duo! The guys like my appetizer dish – I let them eat it. They liked the Mousseline. Not bad for the first time making the dishes! They just need to be tweaked alittle more. This week was great!

I forgot to tell ya'll, last Friday, I got interviewed by an Asian magazine from Toronto after Friday's Club des Amis. It was fantastic! The school wants me to write down what I said so they can have it. It's very exciting. I hope they send me a copy! That would be cool.

Anyways, this past week has been good. Monday we made scallops and a endive tatin. My tatin came out perfectly! The tatin was sauteed endive, goat cheese and puff pastry on top. You bake it in the oven and then you flip it out onto the plate. It was so good and I don't even like endive.

Tuesday was another seafood dish with scallops and swordfish. I'm getting kinda sick of seafood, but at least I am getting practice in it. Today's practical was about spices. So I played around with a combination of spices - cumin, cardamom, nutmeg and such. I love the smells. It reminds me of home and Fall. Every Fall, Mom puts a pot on the stove filled with oranges, cinnamon and cloves. The smell rings in the Fall and it is the best smell.

On Wednesday I got to go into the 5 diamond restaurant, Signature. I was there to observe the chefs in action. I arrived by 3:30 and left by 6:30. I arrived and was thrown into the mix. I did prep work, grunt work. I peeled beets, peeled onions, diced mushrooms, died leeks and whatever else they wanted me to do. It was good experience to watch them and just see the restaurant in action. The chefs were so nice. I had fun, even doing the grunt work.

Thursday was a seafood workshop. It was long and boring. The chef made us present our food by 7:30. We began our workshop at 3:30. That is 5 hours to make three dishes. A few of us had nothing to do for about an hour, except to just wait until we could cook to present our food. Luckily, the chef let us present by 7! So we were out by about 9. Long day. It was ok.

This weekend has been ok. I have developed a stye in my right eye, so I have been trying to fix that. Hopefully it will be ok in time for my practical tomorrow at 7. It hurts so much! But I think it is better. Today, Monday, is the Canadian Thanksgiving Day. The family asked me to join them for dinner. It was so sweet. And I must say, I welcomed the invitation. I was craving real home cooked food! Unfortunately there was not enough room at the table, but they brought me a plate of food. It was so sweet. And I cannot thank them enough! What do you know, I will have two thanksgiving meals to make up for last year!

Well this week at school is going to be good. Friday is a practice of our final. We were given last week a list of ingredients and told to make a menu for an appetizer and an main dish. There were four ingredients that we had to use and other ingredients we could choose to use. I think I came up with a good menu. I'll let you know soon. Wish me luck! talk to ya'll later!