rehearsal dinner in laguna beach

after the wedding rehearsal at seven degrees, the bridal party headed to k'ya in laguna beach. the view/food/atmosphere was phenomenal. we had a private dinner on the rooftop overlooking the ocean during sunset. of course i could go on about the food, but all i'm going to say is the dark chocolate fondue was out of this world! such a fun evening with the girls!

Samantha and Cameron Creer Wedding

7-11-09

sam and i have been good friends since we were young. i met cam when they first started dating and it's crazy to know that they have been dating for 7 years, and now they're MARRIED!

sam looked literally amazing. her dress had beautiful pleats in the back.

her very sparkly bouquet

our bouquets

bridesmaids minus one (alex, nicole, britt, katie, me, and cam's sisters)

the wedding ceremony was at 7 degrees in Laguna Beach. it was ranked the best venue or 2009 by 'the knot'

this was where we all stood in a v-formation

right before walking down the isle!

the reception center at 7 degrees. the place looked awesome.

where the bridal party sat. i loved how we weren't one large rectangular table at the front like traditional weddings. instead she had us right in the middle facing each other. round tables were all around the outside.

her delicious cake. it was from Heidelberg Cake Bakery in laguna beach (also ranked best bakery by 'the knot'). the three layers were chocolate with cappuccino, banana with fresh strawberries, and lemon cake.

bridesmaids katie and britt

ad-hoc pineapple upside down cake

umm....this recipe for the all-american favorite from ad-hoc looks delicious.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

( serves 8 )

Thomas Keller writes: Here is another slightly zany entry from the American tradition, pineapple upside-down cake. I have some affection for canned pineapple for nostalgic reasons, but we use fresh pineapple here for a more elegant dessert. Again, think of this as a general template that you can use for different fruit — apple, blueberries, and the like all work wonderfully. We make what we call a “pan schmear” of butter and brown sugar, top it with the fruit, and pour the cake batter over the top. The recipe makes more schmear than you need, but it is difficult to make less. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, ready when you want to make another cake, or it can be frozen.

For pan schmear:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon dark rum

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract

Kosher salt

1 Gold (extra -sweet) pineapple

For cake:

1 1/3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle, combine the butter, honey, rum, sugar, and vanilla, and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1/3 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a 9-inch silicone cake pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. (The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)

Cut top and bottom from pineapple, and cut away peel. Cut pineapple lengthwise into quarters, and cut off core from each section. Cut each piece crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Beginning at the perimeter of the pan, make an overlapping ring of pineapple slices with the curved side facing out. Make a second ring inside the first one, overlapping the slices in the opposite direction, working toward the center of the pan. Reserve any pineapple for another use.

Sift flour and baking powder together; set aside.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in milk. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating just until combined.

Pour batter into pan and spread over pineapple. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm. (Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

nail salon

the fourth of july is one of my favorite holidays. while lighting fire-works with the fam, my dad said something that sparked my memory. it was a memory from when i had flown up for my friend emily's and michael's wedding. it's a story that still to this day makes me laugh and i figured i needed to write it down so that i would remember it forever....

it was the day before emily's and michael's wedding in april. after picking up michael's tux, emily, michael, and I went to the local nail salon so emily could get her nails done.

there was absolutely no one in this nail salon....at least we thought. i was sitting down reading people magazine while michael was paying close attention to emily's pedicure when all of a sudden we heard loud shouting from the back rooms. one woman was going nuts....screaming, yelling, you name it at another woman behind the curtains.

the little vietnamese woman doing emily's pedicure said, "I scare foh her". emilie, michael, and I looked at each other in confusion until...

a woman storms out of the back room yelling, "don't EVER come here for a facial! these people are not professional!" and leaves the salon with her embarrassed boyfriend slowly trailing behind her.

a couple minutes after the fiasco, the vietnamese woman working on the crazy lady came out behind the curtains all flustered.

vietnamese lady: "oh my gah. that lady was so wude. i cannot belie her"

"she came in here cuz she hab many peckles, and she say, 'i want to get wid of my peckles' so i tell her 'i can get wid of your peckles but it take mo den one tweatment'. so lata she come back and she say, "i look like MONTAH!"

-at this point i am so confused. i'm sitting there starring at the woman trying to figure out what the heck 'peckles' were and most of all what on earth a 'MONTAH' was-

"so i tewl lady dat it take mo den one tweatment. and i tewl her that she pick her peckles. i can tell dat she picked her peckles. den the lady say, 'i no pick my peckles. are you calling me a liah?' den i say, no lady. but i can tewl dat you pick your peckles. it take mo den one tweatment. it no magic."

after the long, drawn out story, i realized what the lady was saying...

(translation. the woman came into the nail salon to get a chemical peel to get ride of her freckles, but it didn't work so she told the vietnamese lady that she looked like a MONSTER. the esthetician told her that it would take more than one treatment to get rid of the freckles, but the lady had no patience)

sour cherry strudels

gourmet mag. featured a recipe for sour cherry strudels that looked amazing! now that summer is here, you can find sweet bing cherries at almost every store. i love this recipe because the phyllo dough makes the pastry light and flaky. if you're in a pinch and can't pit all the cherries, williams-sonoma makes an amazing all natural cherry compote.

wedding festivities

got another wedding this week. bf sam is going to marry cam in laguna this weekend. so much to do before the big day. can't wait for this party!

xooro: spanish fritters

so happy to find out that there is going to be a location in san diego. 

xooro is a company known for their churros (aka premium spanish fritters) that are filled with custards and topped with a bunch of sweet treats. 

wake me up when we get to beaver

while driving home from the grad party, my sister says, "wake me up when we get to beaver". i will never forget these words for as long as i live. beaver? where is beaver? the story begins....

once i finished byu, i had to move out of my apartment and drive all of my things home. this picture just about explains how much stuff i had. my car was literally packed to the brim. my sister and i had a deal that i would drive the first half of the trip, and she would proceed to finish the rest. a couple of hours into the trip my passenger of a sister tells me, "wake me up when we get to beaver". period. that's it. no explanation, just a statement. so i proceed to travel down the I-15 listening to music, everything peaceful, UNTIL.....

i had just made it over a hill to see 2 cops parked on the side. i immediately felt a pit in my stomach. he didn't even have to turn his lights on. me, being the leader of the pack of cars, pulled quickly over to the side, saying something under my breath only to see my sister waking up from a deep slumber. "what's happening? where are we?" she says. "i have no idea, but i'm getting a ticket" i angrily apply. before the cop got out of his car, i had my license and registration already handy. as he was approaching my window, my arm was perched out with documents in hand. "wow, where are you going?" the officer asked.

"ohh, i just graduated from BYU....i'm driving home"

"well i clocked you going 91, and it's a 70 area, but because you just graduated, i'll knock it down 5 mph"

-i paused for a moment with my jaw to the floor because he is writing me a ticket, yet trying to be the nice guy at the same time. this is when my sister nudged me in my side and told me to say thank you for what he had done. and me, gritting my teeth, said thank you.-

"okay go on your way now, drive safe, and happy graduation!"

i hate beaver.

graduate party part due

grandma, mom, child

who knew nicoli was so good at being a florist. i taught him well.

the party was an absolute blast. gram went WAY overboard. thanks for everything! love you!

graduate party part uno

my party planner of a grandmother decided to throw us grads (me and ash) a little get together with tons of food (delicious pasta...a staple in our house), gorgeous flowers, and wonderful friends and family


grandmama and girls

cousins sean and joey

my adorable cousins jord and morg

miss sassy

goodbye high school

little sister graduated from GOHS this week.


how precious

-ash and dave-
(quite the kodak moment)

dave's sweet native american dance

-kids minus little boys-

congrats from one grad to the other. looking forward to going to the same school as you. go cougars.

Newsweek's Top 1500 High Schools

so excited to see my alma mater, Mission Viejo High School, make Newsweek Magazine's Top 1500 High Schools nationwide. we just so happened to be ranked #325!! go diablos.

went to ash's graduation from Great Oak this week. more on that later....

la cafetiere

wouldn't mind this lovely french platter added to my kitchen collection.

m and e wedding

michael and emilie davidson

abbey road

i'll always bleed blue and white

who would have thought that i would graduate a cougar, and become a cougar all over again? definitely NOT me. i was admitted to the summer 2009 nursing program at cal state san marcos (who just so happen to also be the cougars like my alma mater!) as a grad student. i start in a few weeks and couldn't be more excited. 

sleepless in seattle

off to seattle for a wedding! first time to WA so i'm super excited. be back saturday with lots of pictures of the beautiful groom and bride. 

trip down memory lane

while searching for new recipes to try out, i stumbled upon this recipe by giada that's so similar to the one i made daily in italy. the only difference? add sauteed pears on top for the perfect salty/sweet combination.

Ingredients:

36 slices (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread, about 1 loaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced (or Crottin de Chavignol)
3 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
4. Drizzle the toasts with honey. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

trapdoor

how cool is this spiral wine cellar in the middle of your kitchen? i want one.

the pineapple room

bon appetit magazine featured a popular recipe for wok-fried edamame from the pineapple room in honolulu . i love edamame so i wasn't hesitant to try this recipe out. they were un.be.lie.vable and slightly messy, but so delicious. the peanut oil in the recipe is mainly for its ability to sustain high temperatures without smoking in the wok and the slight peanut taste, but since I didn't have any peanut oil i just used regular vegetable oil. 

Wok-Fried Edamame with Garlic

(6-8 appetizer servings)

1 lb. unshelled fresh or frozen edamame

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Teaspoons oyster sauce

1 Teaspoon hot sesame oil

2 Teaspoons peanut oil

2 Garlic cloves minced

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add edamame. Once the water is boiling again, cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and transfer edamame to a bowl of ice water to cool.

Mix together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and hot sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat peanut oil in a heavy large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add edamame and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture; stir 1 minute to coat evenly and heat through. Transfer to platter and serve. 

yukon gold fever

the march issue of Bon Appétit Magazine featured a recipe for cinnamon rolls using yukon gold potatoes. the picture looked mouthwatering so i decided to try them out.

overall verdict....definitely worth the time and preparation. the recipe says it makes 12 cinnamon rolls, but i ended up getting around 3-4 dozen and they were very thick. the potatoes make the dough moist and tender. you can't even tell that half the dough is potatoes. once they came out of the oven, they had disappeared that quick. i will definitely make those again!

for the recipe, visit here.

byu vs. sdsu

brigham basketball had a game this week down at san diego state. their campus is amazing. our original tickets were way up in the nosebleeds, but i couldn't resist the chair seats in san diego's aztec territory. we were pretty much the only cougars in that area. needless to say, i lost my voice to my screaming and was beat the end of the night. 

highlights of the game....

a) getting offered red vines from a bunch of smiling aztec students....i'm pretty sure they were tainted with something. what did they think i was born yesterday? i declined.

b) getting offered $1.00 from some guy to lower the tone of my scream because the aztecs were getting tired of hearing it. i told him to keep his money....i just got louder. 

c) watching byu win, and watching all the aztecs leave the game before it was over. 

loved the game and loved the outcome. GO COUGARS! 

williams-sonoma

just found out i'm a new employee of a brand new williams-sonoma! can't wait!

american girl part 1

somebody special got the chance to celebrate her 5th birthday at american girl place at the grove in LA. she said, and i quote, "this is the best day of my life." here's to gigi.

please look at the amazing cafe upstairs

who wouldn't want a party here?

shopping at the grove is my new favorite past time

happy birthday baby sweets

teacher luncheon

snapped a few pictures from the luncheon. everything went smoothly with the menu.

creamy tomato basil soup

gelato with biscotto

luncheon was a hit. check please.

la dolce vita

honestly, i don't think this day could have been better. i got to spend quality time with grandma and the sister in the always wonderful downtown Pasadena (and eat at this DREAM of a restaurant...(another location at South Coast Plaza)

and shop around the plethora of shops and boutiques. not to mention the fact that i walked through my favorite store, sur la table, and came home to my mouth watering, haagen daaz-like, strawberry gelato and chocolaty biscotti i worked so hard to get perfect. needless to say, i was so pleased with the outcome.

party of 12

next week i'm catering a luncheon for teachers around southern california. menu will include...

lobster bisque

ricotta and spinach raviolis with chopped asparagus in a wine butter sauce

homemade strawberry gelato with chocolate hazelnut biscotti

stay tuned for pictures.

-invitations from papyrus-

smitten

one of my favorite websites is smitten kitchen. when typing the web address in, i forgot to enter in 'kitchen' and instead typed in smitten.com . this website is almost as bad as the 'snuggie'.

the smitten mitten is for friends and lovers

ONLY $13.90

miss dior cherie

once i saw this brilliant advertisement i was hooked. makes me want to fly to france and own a boulangerie. can't get enough of it or the perfume.

papyrus

love this store and LOVE these...thank you cards from papyrus. i have got to get a box of them quick.

happy sumo

nothing is better than sushi with this dream of a group on one of my last nights in provo

ring christmas bells

saturday was the night of the mormon tabernacle choir christmas concert called "ring christmas bells". the guest artists were Brian Stokes Mitchell (also known as the singer from the prince of egypt soundtrack...phenomenal voice, but very broadway/theater) and Edward K. Herrmann (also known as the husband from the movie overboard). of course motab didn't disappoint.

definitely had chipotle for dinner

we had to stop at the salt lake roasting company for hot cocoa

canterwood christmas

i wish canterwood looked like this again

first presidency christmas devotional

december in utah is my favorite month because of the first presidency christmas devotional and the mormon tabernacle choir christmas concert (which is next week!) . tonight was the devotional and let me just tell you our seats were out of this world. we were literally right in the front. the messages given were outstanding like always, and the music......phenomenal. i got to share that experience with some of my good friends....lucky me.

surprise for the birthday boy

nothin' like a little surprise dinner at the brazilian grill 'tucanos' for the birthday boy on the left. he was so surprised to say the least. love the hill boys.

the group

afterwards we splurged with homemade dark chocolate souffle cakes, vanilla bean ice cream, and a fresh fruit sauce

caramel apple crisp

we had too many apples in our fridge to just let spoil, so i decided to make individual caramel apple crisps with vanilla bean ice cream. just picture a scoop of ice cream on top with caramel sauce drizzled over it. the base of the tart is made with oats which gives it a nice crunch. it was AMAZING. just AMAZING. 

peter rabbit stew

this past week was pretty cold. nothing sounded more delicious than vegetable stew. this recipe has every vegetable imaginable...you name it...it's in there. we then served the stew with a roasted garlic ciabatta. 

starbucks and clue

oh the things you do when it's freaking snowing, and you have a major calculus test....

because of the cold, i decided to wear my mafia leather gloves. i also found one last use for my halloween candelabra. please tell me these pictures remind you of the movie 'clue'?! miss scarlet in the study with the candelabra. love it.

LOVED the salted caramel hot chocolate from starbucks. it honestly tastes like warm toffee and caramel. perfect for a hellish day.

craving fulfilled

these girls are a dream. we just had to go to paradise cafe in slc due to the warm gooey chocolate chip cookies....oh and the amazing sandwiches. while we were there we decided to stop by the gateway for a little fun around some of my favorite shops. what a relaxing night. 

podcast #2

torta alla nocciola

house cake

love this idea from here.

site shots

can't wait to see the final product of this beautiful site in roma. ...

travelcostamesa.com

my debut. look who's makin' her way to the top! foodnetwork here i come!

p.s. sisters, i think we're even now.

a night on the town

on friday, my roommates and I decided to drive up to salt lake city to do some shopping and visit the cheesecake factory...of course we had to order cheesecake before we left. i opted to try a new flavor. let me introduce "limoncello cream torte"...

this was a piece of heaven. oh my word. it had a light lemon taste to it and was served with fresh strawberries to add to the bright flavors of this dessert. definitly something to clense the palate.

an exciting reunion

i just received an email saying that my boss, Dr. Luca Bonomi, Director of the Dante Alighieri School of Siena, Italy, will be visiting BYU on Monday, October 27.

i was invited to attend a special lecture given by him on something inspiring.... "Eating Italian Culture: A Culinary Journey through Italian Art, History, Music, and Literature on Monday, October 272:00 P.M.,

after the lecture, the siena alumni are going to be having a private dinner at gloria's little italy. my all time favorite provo italian restaurant.

i can't wait to catch up. it will be good to speak italian again. ill be posting pictures of the exciting reunion.

let me show you one of the reason's why gloria's is out of this world....

she has definitly perfected the art of baking let's just say

our very own local deli market...love it

she's ADORABLE

big thanks to the sisters for meeting this DREAM of a chef....and taking tons of photos for the obsessed italian chef...

i really don't think she could be any cuter or smaller

they had to wait in line at my all time favorite store to get this...

brand new cook book so it could be....

SIGNED!!!!

and the bonus....i have celebrities as sisters

they were featured in the Orange County Register

"Giada de Laurentiis greets fans at South Coast Plaza"

"Sisters Ashley and Vanessa Ricchio, of Temecula, skipped school (high school for Ashley and college for Vanessa) to meet Giada de Laurentiis for the first time. "

job well done girls. thanks a bunch.

giada at home

giada's new show called "giada at home" will premiere October 18th at 1 PM EST. i have a feeling i'm really gonna like this new show. mark your calendars.


Find more videos like this on Giada Network

p.s. my favorite part, "this show gives a glimpse into my everyday life here in california". don't we all wish we had a life like hers.

i did it for the free snacks

i realized that i really like donating blood. this might be so physiologically wrong, but i feel like i can feel the new clean blood running through my veins. everything went smoothly today. didn't feel lethargic, dizzy, etc. what's even better, i filled the blood bad in 5 minutes flat. purely amazing. my poor roommate on the other hand took 13 minutes to fill one bag. so, i snacked on some finger foods, grabbed the free t-shirt and waited patiently for her chocolate sauce-like blood to fill the bag. im definitely going back, and so should all of you who can donate blood. it's quite the experience. my sister would definitely agree with that one.

skating at 7 peaks

last friday the ward hosted a little get-together at 7 peaks ice rink. let's just say i was so excited to be able to skate. maybe i was also excited for the free churros and hot chocolate.

-sweetie and me-

-she always seems to do some stupid dance move that makes me unable to normally smile for pictures -

-whit and danielle (the new roomie)-

this was by far my favorite part of the night, hmm...probably when i went to throw a shoe at her boyfriend and in the process nailed the cup full of hot chocolate. Let's just say she smelled like sour milk the rest of the night

best news i've hear all day

the LDS church will be building a temple in ROMA, ITALIA!!! i couldn't be more excited! the italian members there currently have to go to switzerland (which let me tell you is quite the trip) to visit the temple because there is no temple in Italia. i read an article on this exciting news that said, "The announcement of the temple in Rome brought an audible gasp and smiles to more than 20,000 church members assembled in the Conference Center." i didn't realize how loud i was screaming until my roommates looked at me in shock. the italian spokesman for the church states that "the site many members speculate about is typical Roman countryside adorned with Mediterranean pine trees. The land is located with easy access to a freeway on the outskirts of Rome." it's gonna be a beauty by the sound of it. looks like i will be taking another trip to visit soon!

it's that time of year

motab just released their newest x-mas album for 2008. let's just say it's making me just that much more excited for the holiday season. motab never disappoints. now all i have to do is try to get tickets to see them perform live in december!

biggest joke of the year

i don't know what it is, but the chinese gymnast story really moves me the wrong way. the international gymanstics fed said it was going to look into the ages of the girls a few weeks ago. well, they did just that and what did they find? this way my favorite quote from the article. . ."The federation said it has concluded its inquiry into the matter after it confirmed the gymnasts' ages through official documents that the Chinese Gymnasts Association provided. " yah, that sounds legit to me.

the countdown begins

purchased new book - check

4th to last person to call to reserve spot (only 450 people allowed) - check

v.i.p treatments (including 1st in line, free stuff, personally meeting Giada, etc.)- check

the sister is 'kind enough' to take my place and be me for a day since i am at school, but i will say that i am oh so close as to ditching school and coming home. i told sis to be like the paparazzi. knowing her, she'd do it just for me. anyone have any free plain tickets that they don't want?!

settebello

this napolitaneo-style pizzeria is located in slc and was opened by a mormon guy. while browsing through gourmet magazine, i saw this cute article. in a way i can totally relate to this story because i pretty much did the same thing. settebello's next location ....las vegas! i haven't been able to make it to the slc location yet to give it my stamp of approval, but from what i've been hearing....it's mindblowing.

giada's kitchen

Giada de Laurentiis is coming to south coast plaza to autograph her newest addition. all the proceeds go to her six figure bank account. she's a dream, and for any of you that love her...you have got to go (if anything for me!)

Where:Williams-Sonoma, South Coast Plaza
3333 South Bristol StreetCosta Mesa, CA 92626
(714)-751-1166

When: Wednesday October 15, 2008

Time: 1:00pm

a very unexpected surprise

i am the new proud owner of this beauty! my overly generous, and thoughtful friends mary and andrew went on a little trip to my favorite store williams-sonoma to get a few things AND purchase me a gift...a gift that they knew i would absolutely die over. i don't own a single item from this dream of a company, and they were the first ones to provide me with my first le creuset oval dutch oven. why they would do this, i can only say that these people are self-less, giving, and loving friends. i can't thank you guys enough!

costco is a dream

my adorable roommate has access to a costco card. LOVE her. we just went yesterday afternoon and i bought some fruit, vegetables, and some pasta (the things i eat a lot of). one of the things that i bought was a carton of 'ready pac freshly sliced mangos'. let me tell you that in less than 24 hours, i downed 2 lbs. of mangos. they were amazing and all i want is more, AND i bought 48 oz. of tortellini for 7 bucks. take note family.

pomodori gratinati

i honestly had so much fun recording my first podcast. i could really get used to this!

(click on the title which will lead you to the audio file. this is the rough draft. music will be added later for the final touch)

disco skating

saturday disco nights are by far my favorite. tonight was no exception. skated and danced to all of the classics and probably will be returning next week.

pastacast.net

an italian teacher at BYU just asked me to be apart of an italian language podcast on itunes. he wants me to do a culinary portion on the podcast to change things up a bit. when you go on itunes and type in italian language, this podcast is one of the first ones that comes up. my first breakthrough will be the 1st week of october. i will be making "pomodori gratinati" in english. so go ahead and subscribe to this podcast. pastacast.net ... it's free. still thinking of a catchy show name. any suggestions?

my latest obsession

food blogs. makes me want to be a food stylist.

the culinary classes begin

that's right folks. need help in the kitchen? want to learn the italian cuisine? i'm your girl. whitney wanted to learn how to cook a quick, easy, and healthy italian meal for her and paul. i made her wear my coat so she could have the whole chef feeling. she LOVED it and they LOVED the meal.

a night of bowling

what's better than bowling with one of your favorite couples? pretty much nothing. love whitney and paul. i'll hang with those kids any day.

ronald mc. donald house my...

once upon a time, my sister went to mc. donald's. the mc. donald's man said, "would you like to purchase this booklet of coupons called 'spring time treat' for one dollar? all the proceeds go to the ronald mc. donald house." my sister gave in. who wouldn't pay a dollar for a booklet of free drinks, applepies, ice cream cones, and cookies?

days after she bought the booklet she saw the expiration date...4/31/08 - 7/31/08. my sister bought the booklet half-way through august. what a spring treat.

so, was it a waste of a dollar? my answer no. i'm sure the kind-hearted mc.donald's man pocketed that one dollar to help pay for lakeysha, treyshaun, and darnell's education.

paris or perris?

martha stewart has always been one to obsess over the 'good things' in life. obviously martha thought she was doing a good thing by becoming the mayor of perris (which i'm pretty sure she thought was ritzy and glamorous like paris). little did she know perris would become famous for drug busts and drive by shootings.

ode to marie callender

dear marie callender,

you look like a nice lady and all so i'm sure you won't be pleased when i tell you of a family experience that we had at one of your restaurant's just last night.

the family was hungry and you looked like a good option. i mean, who could resist a warm slice of pumpkin pie? the host led us to the table and we proceeded to crack jokes and order our meal at the same time. i ordered chicken fingers, dad ordered the frisco burger, and mom ordered some nasty disgrace of a chicken pot pie.

the food comes out quick and as dad is about to take a bite of the burger i yell, "DAD! The burger is raw!" dad takes a look, RAW, feels the meat...COLD. looks under the bun soaked in blood, RAW MEAT. the waitress comes around acting all concerned and decides to bring dad another burger.

she brings out the burger and in a fake tone says, "enjoy your meal." dad looks at the burger....they used the exact same blood-soaked bun with raw meat still attached. oh no they didn't. dad uses his famous line, "give me your manager."

thanks for the free dessert and manager discount marie, but....couldn't you have taken care of our entire bill?

oh and do us one favor...to prevent anymore raw meat happenings...try hiring someone who speaks english and not spanish because obviously he didn't understand you.

i'm sorry to inform you that we will never eat there again. we just can't risk it. i don't want to know what they would to our food if they recognized us again. rest assured, i will order your pumpkin pie though. delish.

thanks.

kneader's carmel syrup

1 c. Brown sugar
1 c. Cream
1 c. Light Karo Syrup

Blend together and heat on stovetop until sugar is smooth. Serve warm.

pool day

nothin' like the pool on a hot summer's day...

mi piace restaurant

ate at a great italian restaurant in one of my favorite cities, pasadena this past weekend. devoured a delicious butternut squash ravioli dish with a brown butter sauce, and finished the meal off with a few desserts that i shared with the siblings. oh, grandmama didn't want us to forget the experience so she bought us all mi piace ("i like it") shirts. priceless.

paradise cafe

lately i have been wanting to have a chocolate chip cookie from paradise cafe, but because of the sparse locations of this cafe, it's difficult to make that happen. i just recently ate a mrs. fields cookie and i just about died because it was so good. the highlight of my trips to this bakery and cafe are the cookies. the many different types of cookies. from oatmeal to chocolate chip, you name it...they are the best cookies i have ever eaten. i have been wanting to find the recipe to their chocolate chip cookie, but usually never could find it. then one day, i found it. i don't know how, but i did. i haven't tried out the recipe to see if it works or is anything like the cookie yet.

Paradise Bakery and Cafe Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 375* . cream together butter and sugar. beat in eggs and vanilla. in a seperate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. gradually beat into butter/sugar mixture. add chocolate chips and stir in. spoon and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake 9 minutes.

andrea bocelli

here's the big man himself...

lajatico

before i flew home, i went to go see andrea bocelli in concert at a private theater located in lajatico, his home town. i had a taxi come and pick me up from pisa and take me to this remote location in the middle of nowhere. i received a special gift from the four-one events group which included bottles of wine, honey, truffle oil, and a truffle compote. very nice gift.



the concert began at 21:00 (9:00 PM) and didn't end until 1:00 AM. I didn't get back to my hotel until 2:00 AM and then i had to get up to go to the airport at 5:00 AM. i didn't get any sleep.

the concert was absolutely amazing. amazing doesn't even describe actually how good bocelli was. the man didn't sing off key at all, not to mention the fact that he plays the piano and the flute. the repertoire were popular cinema songs....mamma, torna a sorrento (la mia preferita), etc. supposidly there were 10,000 people there. my seat was jaw dropping, i was oh so close to maestro bocelli. definitly, definitly, definitly, an experience i will always remember.

more videos to post...

fresh as fresh can be

while going into the fridge to look for some more eggs to make the pasta, i found what i needed...

but when i opened the container, i stumbled upon this....

an egg with bird poop all over it...not to mention the fact that the rest of the eggs still had feathers stuck to them . i guess this is what you get in italy when you buy extra fresh eggs.

cioccolato italiano

1/4 cup of good quality unsweetened cacao powder (such as Pernigotti)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Potato starch (corn starch in the US)
3 1/2 cups of milk

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Whisk over medium heat until smooth. Continue whisking until the mixture is warm and has thickened (about 5 minutes). Serve with a dollop of whip cream if desired.

middlesbrough college

for one week i taught a group of british first-year culinary students how to cook. these kids were so much fun to cook with. they got a kick out of me trying to speak in my british accent, AND they even said that i sound like i am from london. i knew i was good at that accent. anyway, i enjoyed getting to know these kids and the last day that i worked with them, they wrote me the sweetest note ever. love the british people.

2 other chefs (enzo and nando... nando calls me his sous chef)

-this is sonia the owner...she LOVES me and gave me a veeeeeery nice gift-

-me and luisa...she calls me her little bambina-
(see recipe for torta di limone glassata)

-the british kids-

cinque terre, liguria

i had never been to cinque terre before, but only had heard good things. cinque terre is on the coast of liguria (a northern region) and consists of five small fishing villages. with that being said, i had a four day weekend so i decided to head on over. i have decided that this place is the prettiest in italy. every village was stunning. so glad i got to go. i sadly couldn't make it to portofino, but on my next trip to italy....i'm renting a boat.

-corniglia-

i wanted so badly to rent a little boat and go sailing all along the coast

-vernazza-

-monterosso-

the train ride was 3 1/2 hours from siena which wasn't that bad. i left friday in the morning and stayed at a bed and breakfast friday so that i would have all of saturday to hike the villages. well, that hike ended up taking me 4 hours because i had to hike 7 miles of stairs. those 7 miles were the hardest 7 miles i have ever done. picture being on the stairmaster for 4 hours in the heat of the sun. but the views....definitely well.worth.it.

san gimignano

had a day off from work, finally, and was able to visit this gorgeous town an hour away from siena.

i took a walk all around the city wall and this was the view at every angle...vineyards galore

the streets of siena are similar to san gim, but are cobblestone...these streets were a whole lot easier on the feet

its so common for groups of old men to congregate and mingle during the afternoon

these small little trucks are everywhere....farmers and the locals drive them

babington's english tea room

on my trip to rome a few weeks ago, i was unable to visit a quaint tea room called babington's tea rooms located in the piazza di spagna right next to the spanish steps. i briefly saw the menù and knew that i had to return...even if i was by myself. i didn't have work on monday so i decided to take a bus, which took 3 hours, to the tea room where i had the "high tea special" with carly, another intern. the place was nothing less than charming and just what i expected. i think i got to the tea room at 11 AM for brunch and didn't leave until 1:30 PM. i just sat, ate, and enjoyed the english/italian atmosphere...

23 piazza di spagna, roma

- me and carly in front of the spanish steps-

- babington's tea room-

-look at how adorable this table is-

The High Tea Special
Small assorted sandwiches- Hot buttered crumpets with strawberry jam andcanadian maple syrup- Assorted home made cakes and pastries- Babington’s special blend tea

this was the first time i had ever tried crumpets and i think i am slightly obsessed now. they are sooo good. i wanted to become english after that experience.

global warming

today is 13 giugno 2008. according to the natives, it's supposed to be hot, humid, and slightly unbearable. i agree with them on the last part. it's unbearable today. literally. it is practically flooding here. not to mention the fact that when i was on the bus it started HAILING. hail in JUNE? oh great, now i hear tons of thunder...

it's absolutely hilarious to hear the italians talk about the weather. they are completely dumbfounded. no one understands why things are like this. my answer....global warming.

"we called BYU..."

those were the words that I heard when I ran into the two owners of the language/cooking/fine arts school that i attend.

i was preparing the pasta when they said, "Rachel, we called BYU a couple of days ago....the international study program office, and we asked if they could give you an extention..."

i quickly replied, "perdoname?" i was completely confused.

they replied, "we asked BYU if you could stay with us until fall semester starts. would you like to stay with us?"

"wow, that would be awesome if i could stay, but you know...it's too expensive to stay longer...plus i have some things i have to do...i have to ask my parents, etc"

"oh, we will take care of that honey. people here love you and we would love it if you can stay with us."

those were the last words that i heard in the kitchen. thought long and hard and i have decided not to take the option of staying longer, and i have no regrets. made friends, lived in a different culture, spoke the language, learned to cook from experienced chefs....i lived the dream.

the tea room

the tea room is a place where i go on fridays to relax. it is one of siena's treasures....literally hidden beneath stairs. this place sells soothing herbal teas and delicious cakes and desserts that are perfect after a long day at work. the place doesn't open until 9 PM and doesn't close until 3 AM, but this girl can barely stay awake past 11. there is even live jazz music to set the mood.

-the tea room-
-the interior-

-cakes and desserts-

roma 1

roma. huge city, lots of fun, but it is sure great to be back in siena. the weather was perfect the entire weekend minus monday afternoon when it started pouring rain. luckily, i was leaving monday to head back to siena. i ate some really great food and literally saw rome on foot. my feet were hanging on for dear life by the end of my trip.

in the midst of my fabulous trip to roma, my camera died. these are some of the pictures i took. thanks to a friend, i will have more pictures coming shortly...

roman ruins

colosseo

capitol hill
(because of their independence day, they had the military out guarding the building)
trevi fountain

with the picture of the trevi fountain comes an interesting story. there were and always are tons of tourists that visit this hot spot....including large massive groups of indians (people from india) who like to sell stupid things to the tourists. one of these stupid souveniers included a piece of clay that had glued eyeballs and string for hair. i was constantly bombarded by these men who would say, "only fi (5) eudos." not to mention the indian man that thought throwing roses at me would get me to want to buy them.

more pictures to come ...

la festa

italians celebrate their independence june 2nd. going to rome for the holiday weekend...

w.e.t

tanti auguri!! happy 26th (?) birthday!! hahaha. i would like everyone to meet my best friend whitney. this girl is amazing. we get along like peas and carrots. we are together EVERYDAY and when one of us is on vacation, we are constantly asked how we are surviving without the other one. she is adorable and i miss her like crazy. hope you have the best birthday ever! eat extra for me!

-celebrating my birthday at macaroni grill-

-my spinning/gym partner- (oh hey sickle cell)

-after a long day-

oh the people you meet

yesterday after work i had a few hours to kill before i started my next shift. the weather was so hot and humid that after walking around for a couple hours, i was beat. i bought a fanta, and proceeded to sit in the shade.

about 15 minutes into my rest, i was greeted by a italian couple who asked me all sorts of questions. while the wife was asking me a question, she leaned over to her left side and let out the biggest fart i have ever heard. she nor her husband flinched. i, of course, had this look of disgust and shock on my face because of this slightly abnormal situation. as i tried to hold it together to answer, she continued to let them fly.

i came to the conclusion that with this particular bodily function in public, our cultures are COMPLETELY different.

drunk driving

look what was posted on youtube! i was chosen by byu to give a persuasive speech to 200 people in december 2007.

p.s.

i work all day today. from 930 AM - 10 PM. boy am i tired.

job well done

this week has been wonderful. i feel like i am finally on top of my game. not only can i understand everything that goes on in the kitchen, but i can predict what the chef is going to do next. its a dream.

-one angle of the kitchen-

work last night was great. as i was helping the large group of american tourists cook the asparagus risotto, luisa, the chef who almost killed me for not eating her dessert, pulled me aside and said, "sono contento lavorare con te. sei bravissima...ben fatto". in inglese this translates to, "i am so happy to work with you, you are wonderful...well done". this was just what i needed to hear. looks like i have done something right!

-Luisa and Stefania (love her to death) -
(luisa studied with japanese chefs in japan and

has owned her own restaurant for 25 years)

a whole new meaning

last night as i was laying in my bed trying to go to sleep, I looked up at the light and saw....

i guess tampons can also be used to collect dust from lamps. who knew.

grosseto

today i traveled to grosseto to hike throught a regional park. the park overlooked the adriatic sea. it was beautiful. the weather wasn't that great, but it was perfect for hiking because it wasn't too hot.

la tavola

i tried to get a few shots of some of the dishes i cooked today, but usually forgot to snap a shot.

-la tavola, meal included fried zucchini flowers (delicious), a shrimp gumbo, tomatoes and potatoes with roasted fish, and for dessert a version of creme brulee-

- smoke salmon with a herbed lemon butter, along with smoked salmon crostini on a bed of greens with balsamic vinegarette -

james bond

it just so happens that most of the next james bond movie titled "Quantum of Solace" is filmed in italy. while passing through piazza del campo today, i saw the camera crew getting ready to shoot a scene. supposedly, in the next film there is a shot of the palio di siena, the famous horse race that takes place twice a year. according to the crew, they couldn't wait until july to film the scene, so they are recreating the entire race now. yes, recreating the ENTIRE race. that means laying a thick foundation of dirt all around the entire piazza which is pretty big, and staging the whole horse event.

the medieval costumes for each contrada

these people are supposed to be shouting and rooting for their favorite team or contrada. some of the people are wearing scarves like the man in the yellow.

last week i tragically missed james bond jumping off the bell tower in the piazza. what a shame. i have yet to see daniel craig.

i captured a video of the film crew, but its taking more than an hour to upload. stupid italian computers. i don't think they understand what it means to have high speed internet.

the night shift

the night shift was so much better. i can't even begin to tell you how much better it was. i got to translate for 15 wonderful people who came from all over the US. i felt like i was on a live cooking show because the chef didn't speak a lick of english and i had to explain what and why the chef was doing certain things to the dishes. i guess all those hours of watching the food network sure paid off. i made sure that these tourists had an informative and fun time in the kitchen last night.

after the tourists had eaten everything they could from dinner and dessert, one man came up to me and handed me money saying, "now i want you to know that i don't do this to everyone. i only do this to the people who are courteous, polite, and such a pleasure to be around. you, my dear, did a spectacular job and i wish you all the best in the future". that was the nicest thing i had hear all day long. not to mention how many times i was told, "bless your heart, just bless you". i felt on top of the world while i was walking home down the cobblestone streets in the dark of night.

first day of work

where do i start. lets see, probably at 9:30 when I arrived and then 2:00 once i finished cleaning everything up. oh, not to mention that i am going BACK to work at 6 PM to work until 10 PM. one of the longest days of my life. i need to post some pictures of the kitchen and some of the dishes. the food actually turned out good and it was delicious too. the chef even gave me some to take home for tomorrows lunch.

it definitly wasn't as bad as i was expecting. i thought it was going to be a lot worse. at least i didn't have to do the dishes like this poor asian guy did. i don't even think he knew what he was doing. the chef would tell him something unrelated and he would just bow his head and with a smile say, yes.

dessert was interesting. some of you will think i am self righteous. oh well. we had tiramisu after lunch. the tiramisu we made contained coffee and brandy and quite a bit i might add. let me remid you that before i had started this internship, the director told me that if there is something that i cannot eat, do not be shy, do not get embarrassed, just bluntly tell the chef no. okay, not to bad. WRONG. the chef started to serve me tiramisu and i kindly and politely refused. she just about flipped a brick. i honestly thought she was going to stab me with the 12 inch long knife she was holding. she yelled something in italian, i didn't really pay attention because i was looking for the nearest exit. it sounded something like how dare you decline my food, etc. whatever lady. deal with it. i ate all the rest of your food.

that was day one. actually, im not even finished with day one. i still have to go back. let's hope it gets better. the good things about today: had delicious food, met some very nice people from the US and didn't get to wash dishes.

will post pictures later.

oh hey primary

i love going to church in siena. the 8 people in the branch are so great. also, the missionaries are really funny because most of them just left the mtc so they know very little italian. everything was going well until i was asked to teach primary next sunday. PRIMARY? yes, primary in another language i might add. i just about cried. how on earth am i going to teach children (granted there are only 5), who don't speak english , about things that i never learned? mamma mia. i looked in the manual and barely understood one word. i think im off to a great start. i don't know if i agree with this picture. this situation reminds me a little of my best friend. yes, i am thinking of a time in relief society...

caffe fiorella

love the name. love the hot chocolate. love everything about it.

via di città, 13

fonte delle monache

along the city walls, offers a splendid view of the surrounding countryside. . .

i traveled to the fonte delle monache which means 'nuns fountain'. this was an isolated spot so that the cloistered nuns could wash their clothes without being seen. without a map, i definitely wouldn't have been able to find this hidden treasure.

this is where they would wash their clothes. im pretty sure no one ever saw them.

Im thinking that i should send this to americas next top model, you know...gym clothes and all

wandering le strade

i decided to get up early saturday morning and head to the city just to get lost down the streets. i had my morning cup of joe (hot chocolate) and brioche, and wandered around. the italians who own this small caffe know exactly what i order. scary. sweet people though. defintely patient with me and trying to use my italian skills.

i stumbled upon these cool, peaceful streets...

this pretty much solely pertains to my fajah....

allora, i happened to stumble upon this street towards the back of siena. im sure your thinking the same thing that i was thinking. it's just a standard door of pretty much nothing. oh, you're wrong. as i looked closer, i saw this...

what? a gold's gym in siena? the hours are 11AM -11PM. i was literally scared to go inside because it looked so run down on the outside. the door was locked so i couldnt get a good picture of the equiptment or anything, but im sure its not like what we are used to.

frutte

the streets of siena are lined with these delicious fruit vendors. it makes me want to become a fruitarian.

hello culinary school

i am so much more relieved that i have everything figured out regarding my internship. i had a meeting with the director of the school and he informed me of what was going to be happening.

1) i am going to be working with professional chefs from around the world that specialize in italian cuisine. these chefs will be teaching me all the tricks of the trade.

2) i am also going to be teaching classes with the chefs to other culinary students.

3) once i feel ready and confident with my culinary skills, i can become a chef in a popular restaurant in the heart of siena.

i dont think things can get any better. as far as transportation issues, the director calmly assured me that someone from the school will be bringing me home everyday. that solves that problem. he also told me that i the dishes that i prepare, well....i can eat them. he gave me the recipes for the dishes that i am going to be learning and teaching on monday for lunch and they include:

-crostone al funghi (bruschetta with mushrooms)
-tagliolini al limone (pasta dish)
-panna cotta con fragole
-risotto al carciofi (risotto with artichokes)

oh, and dinner just gets even better. i had a personal tour of the kitchen and it is amazing. too be continued....

oh the italians...

sometimes i just dont get the italians. i start my internship next week in a restaurant inside the very popular siena town. i found out that i will be working monday through friday at 930 in the morning to set up and prepare for pranzo (lunch) and then come back at 6 until 10 for dinner. here's the issue. i live 25 minutes away from the city by bus, and the last bus leaves siena to take me home at 830. i asked the segretaria what i should do and she replied with a smile on her face, "take a tassi". haha. who does she think i am? take a taxi everyday for the next 3 months? i dont think so sweetie. i have to figure out what the heck i am going to before friday because we all know that the italians love their weekends.