Sugar Cane and Machetes

Yesterday I was rewarded for my scholarly dedication with the gift of a sugarcane stalk! Whew what an adventure. It looks like bamboo, a long, extremely hard, stick. I threw it around a little, showing it off to anyone who would listen and then laid it down on the chopping block. I pulled out my little pairing knife and decided that that was no where near what I needed for this project. I needed a samurai sword. After consulting Youtube I found out that most people just rip off the tough carcass with their teeth- um yikes. I put all of my energy into skinning this stalk. Sugary pieces of fiber were flying in every direction and I was sweating trying to get every inch of its protective later stripped off. BAM I was ready to try this foreign delicacy. I expected an overwhelmingly sweet bust of sugary goodness. I popped a piece into my mouth and started to chew. My mouth filled with a sticky sweet liquid. It was like coconut water, infused with simple syrup. Very watery, and simply sweet. I didn't like it at first, but as i kept sucking I changed my mind. Whoa- mind blown.

Valentines Day

                                             Candles, Rose Petals, Vino... and Fillet Mignon!
Jimmy decided that for valentines day he wanted to cook for me (for the first time ever)! It was adorable. Jimmy chopped endless cloves of garlic, and I tried my hardest to emulate my grandparents famous Cesar salad dressing. Grandma it was not as good as yours, and Bart I have no idea how you make such a fine anchovy paste! It was the best valentines day- and we enjoyed every second of our meal making experience.

We decided to go grocery shopping the night before. We went to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Wine and Spirits to collect all of our cargo. To be honest we were both in bad moods- for a variety of reasons. We argued over which baguette to get, and which wine looked good. We managed to get everything we needed and home without any setbacks. Jimmy accidentally picked a French themed dinner. Red potatoes, Haricots Verts, Filet Mignon, Garlic Bread, and (the best) Aldens Blackberry Ice Cream. I told him that I would made the Cesar salad and I got a nice cheese to snack on beforehand.

When it comes to preparing food in the kitchen with other people I am usually a control freak- watching the others persons every move like a hawk. But I was eerily calm as we set out to create a fabulous dinner. 

Jimmy assembled all of the ingredients and we began. We used the bar to do all of our chopping, so that we were able to face each other, and enjoyed each others company while we slaved away. I got lemon on my cut and yelped, he handed me a paper towel. He struggled with the green beans, I handed him the scissors. It was a dance of sorts, and I was loving every second of it.

Jimmy chopped the potatoes and coated them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. He then chopped up the baguette and generously rubbed butter on the bread. I finished making the dressing (sorry secret family recipe) and poured it all over the romaine lettuce. I quickly fried up some croutons. He steamed the green beans, and finally he pan fried the Filet. After setting the smoke alarm off (don't worry nothing burned, it goes off all the time) we were ready to sit down.

Everything was delicious. The steak was juicy, and melted in your mouth. I kid you not there was zero fat on these beauties. The potatoes were perfect- crispy on the bottom and succulent in the middle. The green beans turned out to be a nice finishing touch. The salad was wonderful (leftovers were devoured) and we were stuffed. We couldn't keep eating so we took a break, cleaned the kitchen, and then sat down to dessert. Yum. It was all so good, and cooking together brought us closer- a great experience on a day when you are meant to feel and be appreciated by your loved ones.

Breakfast

People underestimate the role that breakfast plays, especially for children. First of all those that do not consume breakfast are twice as likely to be obese, because they will overeat later (most likely at dinner or late night snacking). Eating breakfast balances your appetite throughout the day. In addition to this eating something in the morning, especially something that is nutritious increases cognitive capabilities throughout the day, prevents fatigue, and helps with mood. Children are more likely to excel in school and their social lives. Not enough emphasis is put on eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast. Apples have caffeine in them, ensuring that you get an extra boost of "hello world I am ready to kick ass today." No more captain crunch and poptarts- eat something that will make you feel ready to do anything!