spring swap

i was reading a pretty plethora the other day when i got an idea. to host a spring swap with some of my readers. if youd be interested in swapping some lovely springy things whether it be a recipe you love to cook in the spring, a card, flowers. whatever small things that remind you of spring and in return i'll send something out to you. if youd like to swap send me an email and we'll figure out the details.

future plans

i can remember saturdays on pbs sitting in the living room of my house with my dad watching cooking shows, lydia's italian table, julia child, and ciao italia with maria esposito. jokingly my dad and i would talk about how great it would be to be able to cook for a living like they did, to have their own show and enjoy what they were doing. as i grew up i was always in the kitchen helping, thats just how it was in my family everyone helped with dinner. as we grew up we became more responsible for cooking our own meals. i always enjoyed it deep down and always wished there was something more i could do with it, like go to culinary school. i was never really sure of what i wanted to do, first i considered social work, eventually i thought working with 4-H a program that had helped me out so much and formed me into who i was seemed like the perfect fit. i applied to colleges, began classes and never really looked back. last year wasnt to bad, i made friendships some lasted longer then others but i thought the deeper i got into my classes and coursework the easier it would be to make friends i would spend the rest of my years with. summer after freshmen year for some reason i cant remember i started following blogs, collecting recipes and trying some. i made a peach pie and zucchini chocolate chip cookies and was given aprons from my grandmother. after that it felt like i was truly doing something i enjoyed. last semester was hard but i figured soon it will only be my major required classes, i'll enjoy them more. instead i hated them more and more. every now and then i would joke around with my mom about going to culinary school. i knew it was only a pipe dream, then i registered for a weekend class at le cordon bleu and it seemed my mom finally grasped how much this was something i wanted to pursue further. so i am. next year i won't return to the university im attending now, i'll move back home and start at a community college based culinary arts program. at first when i started telling people like my favorite teacher and 4-H leader i felt i was letting them down. but now i've come to realize however hard it will be to explain to some i'll finally be happy in my classes and i'll be doing something i truly enjoy. this post helped me really clarify for me that i was doing what was right for me and that i wasnt alone

quote of the week

found here

"And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was, when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why."

shine

loving this quote found here

spring forward

I feel like I have a fresh start with my life this spring. So many things have happened in the past few months that have made me wonder and question a lot of things. It always seems that as soon as I feel my life starting to come together and things are starting to work out, it all falls to pieces in the end. For awhile i let myself get in that deep dark and twisty place, but now im resurfacing and things feel alot clearer. I have learned from the mistakes I've made in the past and the bad things that have happened but starting now Im moving on instead of hanging onto dreams and wishes that will never happen. With the start of spring comes warmer weather, and the time to start my family's garden, and eventually the last days of me attending college. Soon I'll be wearing sundresses, skirts without tights,flats, flip flops, watching the plants sprout up and starting my new path in culinary school and I look forward to sharing it all with you. Eventhough it is raining here im looking forward to all that this spring has to offer.

quote of the week

via

“You’ve got me, anyhow. I’m not good for much, I know; but I’ll stand by you, Jo, all the days of my life; upon my word I will.” - Laurie, LittleWomen

boston bread binge

when we planned our trip to boston, i had one thing in my head that i absolutely postively needed to do; visit flour bakery. i had seen it on throwdown with bobby flay and constantly read up on it everyday until the trip. at one point i think i was more excited to visit the bakery then taking the bread class at le cordon bleu. so when we finally got there i think it felt like i was in heaven. the majority of the weekend i planned what i wanted to do around food, we made sure no matter what we had time to sit and enjoy every meal we ate. so now come the drool worthy photos from flour, im thinking about writing a letter to joanne chang asking if she can start a store in philly or new jersey. i cant get enough of that place, we ended up going there saturday morning for our second breakfast of the day and returning again sunday for breakfast before we hit the road to head home.

a peek at boston

this past weekend i visited boston for the first time with my mom, brother and friend who is basically my older sister. to say that it was lovely is an understatement. here's a sneak peek at all the fun we had, more to come tomorrow!

le cordon bleu

goodies at flour bakery

we may or may not have visited two different ones for breakfast each morning

quincy market

cute dogs everywhere

20 while im 20

taking a page out of ashley's book im posting a list of 20 things to do while im 20. little and big goals to achieve and accomplish in the next 364 days.

01. transfer to culinary school (more details to come soon i promise!)
02. better understand how to use my new to me dslr
03. make a pie from scratch
04. make birthday cakes for everyone i love this year
05. start running again (im going to base it off the couch to 5k program)
06. visit more states
07. plant a garden with my father (we do this every year but hopefully we'll be more experimental this year and try to crops)
08. send a surpise package
09. start and hopefully finish making a quilt
10. try out a few different bread recipes
11. organize my recipes better
12. learn to sew a little better
13. have a picnic
14. watch the sunset
15. go camping or fishing
16. visit flour bakery
17. read more
18. visit more farmers markets
19. try new foods
20. meet a fellow blogger

life, lately

(found here)

lately i've been a little absent from the blogging world for many reasons. my life has become a hotmess and im trying to navigate and figure out where to go from here. i've made some changes which i'll share more about when i can find the words. however im attempting to get back on track and blogging again. so some upcoming things im looking forward to: my birthday tomorrow, going home for spring break this weekend, going to boston saturday for a class on artisan bread at le cordon blue, hopefully visiting flour bakery , lots and lots of baking over spring break including a birthday cake for myself, a guiness cake for st. patty's day celebrations, more bread baking, and finally getting to play with my dslr a little more. thankfully spring has arrived and its sundress wearing, garden planning weather very shortly in the future. whats new in your life lately?