Journey To Notter School and Orlando

Not Good-Bye...

2009-10-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

It's that time! Time to pack up, shut down the computer, and hit the open roads! I can't believe I pulled an all nighter updating my blog...MAN, it's gonna be a long drive home!
But to my fellow readers, you all are worth it!!! :o)

So, what now? What lies ahead for me now? I believe that when one chapter comes to an end, another one begins. So begins my life at Gerhard's Elegant European Desserts. Though some know that I considered NOT pursuing a pastry profession, my bank account is begging to be replenished. *guilty grin* (Could it be due to all that time I spent at Disney? Perhaps. *innocent shrug*) :o) However, I am thankful for the opportunity provided for me. I believe that although I have learned lots in the 24 week program, I KNOW I still have so much more to learn. I am just a starter dough waiting to grow! :o)

I would like to take this moment to say THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you to all my Floridian Friends. You have definitely made it so much easier for me to be here on my own but harder to leave. Though homesick at times, I can definitely say that I've had way more NON homesick days.

I thank you for making me a part of your group of friends and family. Thank you for keeping me company on lonely nights and giving me a place to go when I felt alone. I am very blessed to have met such wonderful people and grateful for all the bonds I've built. You will all be dearly missed but I truly do hope we keep in touch. I will if you will! :o) If you're in Chicago, please PLEASE give me a ring...would love to show you around or just hang out! :o)

To my fellow classmates (if you're still reading my blog): I know that the last week of school was an unpleasant one, but to me, you were my family here. I thank you for helping me keep my sanity. I will miss all of our singing and joking around. I definitely could not have asked for a better class. You will always hold a special place in my heart. You will truly be missed. I love you all and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!! :o)

As soon as I get settled back in Chicago and my new job *cheeky grin*, you will definitely hear from me again!!! For now, I must report in to work first thing early Tuesday morning! :o) WISH ME LUCK!!!! Until then, time to give my mom a great big hug and kiss and spend endless hours with my doggie!!! (You know me, I already have a list of things I'm dying to do as soon as I get home) :o)

But for now, it's not a good-bye, but rather....I'll see you real soon!!! :o)

Smile, the fun has just begun! :oD

Scary?...Not Scary!!!

2009-10-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Costumes + Mickey Mouse = Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

I had one more night. So how do I choose to spend it? Celebrating it at the Magic Kingdom, of course! However, this was not just any other trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Because I was going to be in limbo (neither here in Orlando nor there in Chicago) for Halloween, I just HAD to celebrate it the only way any Disney fanatic would. Plus, this gave me another opportunity to prance around in my fancy bee costume. After all the insects I had to put up with here in Orlando, I figured, if you can't "bee"t 'em, "bee" one with 'em! *chuckles* No locking up these "wild animals".

It was such a riot! I don't think I've smiled harder in my life!

MK never looked so different before!

Cinderella's castle during HalloWishes Fireworks.

Everyone was in good spirit. I was excited to see people of all ages dressed up for the occassion. *GASP* They even let the inmates out for a night of fun!! :o)

There were lines to go trick-or-treating! Check out all of my yummy goodness. (There were more, but I couldn't resist munching away on some as soon as I got them). *blush* As though we didn't get enough candy, Goofy and his candy company passed out even more at the Boo-To-You Parade. Believe me...it was Boo-licious! :o) *licks lips*

I think I'll be on a nice sugar high for the next 10 years!!

There were dance parties with characters. Of course, I got the one and ONLY picture that mattered!

I could not have asked for a better departure with Disney. I was sad to leave, but looking back at all the times I've spent on Disney property this month, I was okay with saying good-bye...because I KNOW I'll be back! :o)

See-Ya-Real-Soon!

*I have tons more pictures I wish I could share with you but due to time constraints (having to pack to head back to the Windy City), I only put up a few to give you a taste of the FUN-NESS I had. Plus, this is one experience you DEFINITELY have to experience for yourself.*

To Bee or Not To Bee

2009-10-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

The last and final Disney race of the year...the Tower of Terror 13k! *Eeek*

This race was going to be a memorable run!

This race was going to be FUN!!!! :o)

*yippie* I was so glad I decided to run in costume because IT'S DISNEY!!!

Check out some of these photos from Studios Central.

I was NOT the only one with the spirit of fun!!

What was even more exciting was that I got props for wearing the costume. Many-a-times I would run with my name on my bib and no one dare tries and attempts to yell out my name and cheer for me. However, with the bee outfit (which actually lights up in the dark...incredibly cool), I had people rooting for me from every direction. LOVED IT!!! :o)

Thank you whomever you were out there cheering for me!

Y'all definitely made it a memorable run for me!! :o)

I was able to run the entire distance (okay, minus that last and final ginormous hill right before the 8 mile mark, but that was it. I never understood why people put hills at the end of a long run. Was the run not torturous enough?!?!?). Still, I was extremely proud of my accomplishment! I did carry a camera on the run, but I wanted to actually RUN so I did not take many pictures. However, here are the pics I did take.

Signing the Hotel Register

Meeting Up with Nick and Lee Ann

(y'all are a riot, thanks for letting me tag-a-long) :o)

Firework Start

(sorry, best I could do) :o\

Starting Line

Buck Hornsby

(part of a mystery clue thingymabobber)

Hitting Up Rides After the Race

Showing Off My Bling! :o)

This was the last running of the Tower of Terror 13K. I'm glad I got to be a part of this historical run, but am also sad to see it go away. I think most Disney runners would agree that this was one race Disney definitely should not take away.

Have no fear...

I'm sure Disney is conjuring up something better somewhere! :o)

Disney's Martial Arts Festival

2009-10-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

I have been spending a GREAT deal of time on Disney property. Whether it's for a race, Food and Wine festival, or simply to enjoy being a kid at heart, I cannot get enough Disney!! *giggles*
However, I wanted to take a break from the theme parks (and pirates and princesses) and spend time in the one place that I never really get to see: The Wide World of Sports. It is a 220 acre sports complex located in the Walt Disney World Resort. The athletic complex hosts numerous amateur and professional sporting events throughout the year.

It was time to pay a visit to what I consider two (of the many) necessities of life: Disney and Sports! The only times I've been to the Wide World of Sports has been to pick up race packets. This weekend they had their 10th annual Martial Arts Festival.

Other than watching The Karate Kid on tv, I can't say I know anything about martial arts! Oh man, there was A LOT to know. From Kung Fu, Karate, and Kendo, to Ju Jitsu, Judo, and tons more, I had no idea how big the martial arts world was!

THIS WAS BEYOND AMAZING! I didn't know whether to cry or cheer. I know all the competitors knew what they were doing, but sometimes I just wanted to jump in there and save them from the pain. :o)

I was truly touched by this competitive art! You could see a lot of focus, a lot of discipline, and A LOT of passion! It was truly inspirational.

Morning Tournaments:

Evening Showcase:

Mulan travels to different countries to learn different forms of martial arts in order to become a warrior. Disney + Sports = A happy healthy lifestyle!!! :o)

For a truly full Disney Sporting Weekend:

Don on your favorite jersey and baseball cap (proclaiming your sports team allegiance)
Stay at the WDW All-Star Sports Resort
Attend an event at Wide World of Sports
Catch Monday Night Football at ESPN Club at Disney's Boardwalk Area
Shop for fun souvenirs at Team Mickey Athletic Club in Downtown Disney

Airbrushing with Stephane Treand

2009-10-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Isabella comes to life! :o)

My creation of Isabella *giggles* before Andreas brought her to life! :o) I had never airbrushed a face before, so please don't laugh! :o)

What can I say? I LOVE AIRBRUSHING!!! :o)

Chef Stephane Treand is TRULY the AIRBRUSH MASTER!!!

Put anything in front of him, and he could easily replicate it with his steady hands, keen eyes, and amazing artistic abilities! In 2004, he became an M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), the top honor in the pastry industry in France.

In these past three days, I returned to the Notter School, not as a 24 week program pastry student, but this time, as an alumni. At first, I had no idea what that was going to be like, but I can honestly say that it was definitely a different feel. I was excited to do more airbrushing, but more so, excited to meet the creator of the gorgeous showpieces in the school's lobby.

During my first visit to the school (to check it out), I was told that I was going to learn how to airbrush lifelike faces during the 24 week program. Not true! :o( However, when I found out that it was through the class with Chef Stephane, I did not hesitate to sign up for the class. Tah Dah! Here I was, FINALLY taking the class I was dying to take. Woo Hoo!! :o)

After taking his class, it reconfirmed something I've noticed/learned in the pastry world. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE! No one shows more patience than Chef Stephane. Although I was itching to get my hands on the airbrush machine, I could have watched him airbrush showpieces all day long.

Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get away with it that easily. Hahaha! Instead, we had to get into teams of two or three and create a showpiece. I partned up with Andreas Proisl, the Executive Pastry Chef from Isleworth. His idea was to do an autumn themed showpiece. As long as we got to put one of those lifelike faces in the showpiece, I couldn't care less what our theme was. While we were brainstorming, I was a little scared that our idea was a little overly ambitious. However, after seeing the final result, I was amazingly proud of our work!! VOILA!!! and SUCH GREAT TEAMWORK TOO!!! :o)

What do you think Chef?

YAY!! A thumbs up from Chef!! :o)

p/s If I hadn't mentioned it before...I LOVE airbrushing!!! Christmas is coming soon *hint hint* :o)

Race for the Taste

2009-10-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Savitre has gone 101!!! :o(

(just found out that 101 is Disney's code for attraction down)

This was one of the two reasons why I'm still here in Orlando. I couldn't wait to do another Disney race. I remember my first race during the Goofy Challenge. The expo was huge, the weather was perfect, Savitre had an "A" day/weekend. :o)

This race, however, was much MUCH different. The expo was a huge let down. I thought I had gone on the wrong day to pick up my packet. No one was around and there was only one rack put up to sell the race day tee shirt. SELL?!??! Usually we got a race tee shirt with our packets....what was going on here? Instead, we received a pint glass with our packets.

It's all good. I still ended up buying the tee shirt. *guilty grin*

On race day, I got up, got dressed, and proudly pinned on my bib number (#101). I headed out the door to Wide World of Sports. Parking was plentiful. I guess everyone wanted to park at Epcot so that after the race they didn't have to shuttle back to their cars.

Music was blaring, the humidity died down tons from the previous night, and everyone seemed chipper. Aaahh...it felt so good to be lining up with a bunch of Disney racers again!

The Star Spangle Banner played, fireworks lit the sky, and we were off. Well, everyone but Savitre was off and running. I, however, encountered many technical difficulties at the start of the race.

Just as I was crossing the starting line, my iPod started to flicker. Before I knew it, it went to the black screen of death! NOOOOooooooo!!! I simply CANNOT run without my iPod!! Curse the storm from Expedition Everest! Ever since that race, my iPod has not been functioning normally. Lucky for me, I knew how to reboot it. I continued to walk the first mile as it slowly rebooted. YAY!!! It was finally working again.

Did problems end there? No no no...of course not! I decided to carry a camera during the race. However, this was a new pocket camera that I had purchased. The only problem was that I didn't know how to use it. Ooopsie! So, as I tried to take pics of anything along the way, all my photos were coming out blurry. Gosh darn it, I thought!! I continued to mess with the settings until I got it to where I thought the pics were decent. Ahhh...2 miles later, I finally decided to start running!!

I was finally back in business after all my technological issues. However, now I was starting to suffer from severe respiratory issues. It wasn't the humidity. I'm not quite sure what it was. I felt like I couldn't take full breaths in. WHAT THE HECK?!?! Today was definitely NOT an "A" day. If there were a Double "Z" day (make that triple "z"), today was that day! I give up *throws hands up in the air* :o(

Mile 3 (half way through the race), I was ready to call it quits. I just wanted to hitch a ride back to my car, crawl into bed, and wake up and believe that the REAL race had not started yet and that this was just one bad nightmare! NOPE, this was as real as it got!!! *sigh*

I didn't quit though. I decided to enjoy my moments through Disney and just take in the scenery, enjoy being amongst other runners, and cherish the reason I was still in Orlando. All I could think about was "as long as you finish Savitre, you'll get a medal...not ONE but TWO....so keep moving little one". :o)

Before I knew it, the finish line appeared! PHEW!!! That was pure torture!!! Of course, Disney does not fail to put on a fun post race party! We had three snack tickets to sample some of the food from Epcot's Food and Wine Festival. Of course I did not skip out on this opportunity.

Characters were out and about for photo ops...and no matter how bad it gets, Goofy ALWAYS makes me smile!!!

One down, one to go....my next (and last for this year) Disney race is the Tower of Terror 13K on October 24th. Hopefully that race won't be as scary as this one and NO MORE Savitre going 101!!! Hahaha :o)

3 Days...3 Jays

2009-10-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

School's out...time to head to Tulsa!! Wheee!

I was very excited to get out and leave Orlando for a bit...but what was John and I about to get ourselves into? MAJOR CAKE MADNESS...that's what!! :o)

DAY 1:
We got there a day early so that we could pick up our dummy cakes and check out the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show hosted by Kerry Vincent. I've seen it on the Food Network several times, but never knew that it was HERE that was where all the madness happened.

Outside there were food, games, and rides!! FUN!!! :-)

Inside, there were cakes EVERYWHERE!!!WOW!!! :-O

People from all walks of life, ages, and skill set lived and breathed for this competition and I could see why! The cakes were gorgeous!!!

At first we tried to check out some of the demos but it was way too crowded, so we just walked around in awe and checked out some of the coolest cakes EVER!! We even met with Paul (aka Chef Rubber). The man behind some of the greatest pastry products out there.

DAY 2 :
Bright eyed and bushy tailed, John and I loaded up the car with our suitcases filled with cake supplies.

As we walked into the conference room, everyone was rummaging through their cake supplies, kneading fondant, or trying to figure out what they still needed. There were about 50-60 people total taking the class. It was mass chaos at it's best! :o)

Up at the front though, were THE THREE JAYS (James Roselle, Joshua John Russell, and Jason Ellis)!! *gets all giddy*

It was extremely exciting to see these Food Network personalities live!!! If you think they look cute on tv, they were extremely adorable in person!! :o)

Immediately, we went up to James Roselle and introduced ourselves as Notter School grads. HA! One never would've expected THAT to be an immediate ice breaker but from that moment on, a new bond was built. James used to teach at Notter School when they first began the 24 week program. Boy oh boy did we have plenty to talk about. This was cool because he ended up taking great care of us. He even called us his "peeps". *mini claps* :o)

Between John and I, we tried to bring as much (supplies) as we could, but still, with what we had, we did not have enough. Have no fear, James was there to save us. THANK YOU JAMES for helping the poor pastry school students...YOU ROCK!!!

Because this was the first day, we just covered our dummy cakes in fondant, traced out the peacock, and made the gum paste flowers. Class ended at 5pm but some people stayed until almost 11pm. We, on the otherhand, made it to 6:30...then it was time for some good o'l Buffalo Wild Wings! :0)

DAY 3:

Time for some serious focusing!!! There was A LOT to be done!

Today we had to paint the mosaic peacock, decorate the sides of the tiers, and assemble the peacock. Time flew by extremely fast. Before we knew it, it was time to go. We never got around to completely finishing off the cake, but we got the star of the cake (The Peacock) done.

YAY TEAM CHILANDO (Chicago + Orlando)!!!!!!!

Taking a break for a special luncheon with James and Josh at Applebee's! :o) It was so cool that they went to lunch with just us!

I could honestly compare this experience to that of Wilton. The major difference was having to bring your own supplies. However, having the THREE JAYS definitely made up for all of it!!!

Graduation!!

2009-10-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

After 720 Hours filled with:

Joy

Trust

Fear

Surprise

Sadness

Anger

Anticipation

Optimism

and Love

...WE DID IT!! :o)

CONGRATULATIONS

APRIL CLASS 2009!!

Run Savitre Run!

2009-09-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Some of you know me to be a wee bit crazy at times.

Sometimes, I just don't know when to stop.

TODAY was one of those days!!! :o)

Reggie told me that Chick-fil-A was sponsoring a race. The race, however, was on the same day as the Expedition Everest. This would not have been a big deal had I signed up to do the 5K race.

Did I sign up to do the 5K?

NO!! OF COURSE NOT!!

Savitre went ahead and signed up to do the 15K (9.32 miles). Why would I do such a thing? Because I'm KrAzY (plain and simple)!!! :o)

Here's my gang sign for you Reggie

...Gotta Represent!

Now, I'm never too sure how a race is going to be when put on by an Orlando organization, but I must admit that this was one of the better races I did this summer out here. The weather was perfect (not too hot, not too humid). The course started out south of downtown and through the city. It was GORGEOUS! For a moment I felt like I was running a Chicago race down Wacker Drive all over again. Track Shack (sponsoring organization) strategically placed volunteers throughout the course to cheer us on. The water was plenty (and managed to stay cold).

The first 7 miles was a breeze. However, during the last two miles, I started wondering why on earth I had signed up to do this. OH YEAH...THE MEDAL!!! Savitre wanted her medal. She could've signed up for the 5K race and not gotten a medal or be insane enough to do the 15K for the medal!

On one shoulder, positive Savitre would say "keep going, you can do 2 more. Afterall, you already did 7. The end is near! Hang in there, your legs are NOT going to fall off!" On the other shoulder was negative Savitre saying "what were you thinking? You aren't even ready to do the Tower of Terror 13K!"

What a struggle! Who do I listen to? How was I going to get through this? Before I knew it, I saw people walking back to their cars proudly displaying THE MEDAL. I tried to get a glimpse of what the medal had on it. So, I told myself, "get to the end, get the medal, and you'll see for yourself."

Before I knew it, I was sprinting for that finish line (managing to get a wave in to Kobfa and the camera). :o) YAY!! I did it!! I got my first medal for the summer!

But was this the end? NO, OF COURSE NOT!! This would have been a lame post if it were. Right? *palms up and shrugs*

I went home, showered, took a six hour nap, just to find myself lacing up again for ROUND TWO! Dum dum duuuum....

*in an echoing voice* THE EXPEDITION EVEREST CHALLENGE.... CHALlenge... Challenge... challenge.

The night was cool. The parking lot was packed. Music was blaring. "Tonight's gonna be a good night!"

Before heading off to the starting line, we ran into some familiar faces (I swear, they were EVERYWHERE!). No more trash talking now...just wishing the best of luck for both teams.

Justin and Stan were in the second wave. We were in the eighth wave. Because each wave started out four minutes apart, Justin and Stan finished the 5K leg of the race before we had even crossed the starting line. *sigh* I think this is going to be a loooooong night!

While patiently waiting for our turn,

I decided to capture runners in FUN costumes!

Now why hadn't I thought of that? :o(

5...4...3...2...1! And we were finally off and running. The run started out in the parking lot of Animal Kingdom and eventually through the theme park. It was adrenaline rushing because it was dark! However, by the last mile, it went from a split second sprinkle to a torrential downpour. I LOVE RUNNING IN THE RAIN!!! Rain makes Savitre get all giddy inside.

After the 5K portion of the race, we headed over to the obstacle course. The obstacle course first consisted of climbing over three beams. Ummm...maybe they should've put up a sign that said "WARNING: SLIPPERY WHEN WET". People were flying forward, backward, over, and under those beams. I must admit that it was quite entertaining. :o)

Rain continued to pour!!

Then we had to climb up ropes over a wall and back down on the other side. Next, we had to walk across a balance beam. At this point, it was extremely slow moving because you had to wait for the person in front of you before you could go ahead. EVERYONE was proceeding with caution. (smart move)

Finally, we had to crawl (army style) across under a net. Let the FUN begin! This brought back memories of when I was younger and loved playing in the mud. If you weren't the get down and dirty type of person, this obstacle course definitely was NOT for you (especially in the soaking rain). I loved it! When I got out from under the net, my entire leg was covered in mud, my new shoes were wondering why I had even bothered, and camera and ipod were done for.

The Siamese Twins carefully manuvered to the scavenger hunt trailer to pick up our clue passport. In a matter of seconds, the pages were ripping off, the pen was not writing, nor could we see where we were going. The rain pelted against our face, people took cover, but we didn't stop. We headed back into the theme park and tried to solve all of our clues before making it to the ultimate finish line where I got my second medal of the summer and DAY! *jumps for joy*

Unfortunately, they had stopped collecting the clue passports and had started closing off the race course due to the rain. However, they did email us the answers to the scavenger hunt clues, and I must say that I am quite proud of us. We got them all correct! We did read through the other clues that other teams had gotten and I think we actually got away with the easier clues.

Nonetheless, this was an EXTREMELY fun race. The rain definitely made it for a more memorable experience though.

YAY US!! :o)

The fun didn't stop there. We met up with Justin and Stan (seriously, they seem to be EVERYWHERE) and hit up some rides. The Dinosaur ride was freak'n cold yet still scary, the Kalahari Rapids was wet (I think?..couldn't tell because I was already drenched), and the Expedition Everest was indescribable. I've ridden the EE during the day before, but it was not being able to see anything at night that made it WAY cool! I ended up going on that about 4 or 5 times in a row!!

Justin, why you gotta be so Goofy? :o)

How I managed to do a 15K in the morning followed by mass chaos at night...I guess that's the magic of Disney! *wink* :o)

I can't wait for my next Disney race....Race for the Taste 10K....here I come!! :

PROST!!

2009-09-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

It's the day before the BIG race!

After all that trash talking, it was time to meet up with "The Other Team".

Ha! You've been spotted

(and by a trash can nonetheless)!! *laughs* :o)

We headed out to Disney's Wide World of Sports to pick up our race packet.

I was a little bummed that the expo wasn't exciting. Out on the lawn in front of the complex, people walked around aimlessly trying to find their race packets and t-shirts. While the pre-race talk was being held on the stage, I wandered over to a GINORMOUS board to sign our team name. Go Siamese Twins!!

Check out the RED writing to the bottom right of us...

WHAT IS THAT?!?!? *wink wink* :o)

We then headed over to the Biergarten Restaurant at Epcot's Germany Pavillion.

While dining, we were entertained with some live music, fun entertainment, and pre-race goodies. I can't say I've had German food before, but boy oh boy was it goooood! *rubs belly* :o)

We even saw the Ricola people! *giggles*

After all the good eats, we went our separate ways!

Have no fear...I'm sure we'll see them again somewhere!

It was now time to hit up Epcot's Food and Wine Festival.

But not before long, we ran into some friendly faces! :o)

One would think that eating at the German buffet was enough, but not for us! We couldn't help ourselves but be tempted by all the goodies from around the world. While running around the World with our Kim Possible "Kimmunicator" and activating all the hidden gems at Epcot (which I HIGHLY recommend you try because this was one of the neatest things I've seen Disney do), we managed to pit stop at some of the international huts and grab some grub along the way.

Epcot's Food and Wine Festival is definitely not cheap (big price, small portion). However, it is always fun to try food from around the world. I can't wait to go back and try food from all the other countries! YAY season pass!! :o)

Enough fun for one day...time to get the A-Game on!!!

Sugary Goodness

2009-09-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love working with sugar. Surprisingly enough I didn't burn myself! *woo hoo*

Unfortunately our sugar unit was only 3 days long *sniff*. I wished it were longer though because this was definitely a fun unit (plus more time to spend with Chef Notter)!

If working with pastillage and chocolate showpieces wasn't hard enough for my little gorilla hands...try having me pull sugar. NOT an easy task!

In the morning, Chef Notter would do a demo and then it was our turn. *laughs* I guess we were supposed to make something that resembled what he made. *shrugs* I tried :o)

My first basic flower: Not too shabby, eh?

The concept of making the ribbon was pretty cool, unfortunately I could not gain control of my sugar piece. It had a mind of its own...I SWEAR!!

My first swan:

Okay, so one swan looks like he just woke up and is stretching but believe me, out of all of the swans I made, this was my best. My first attempt at the swan looked like a cobra...definitely no good.

My first fishy:

I thought he turned out pretty cute. This was definitely my favorite piece to do because there were so many different techniques used.

Our last day before graduation week we watched (in the blink of an eye) Chef Notter put together a dragon for our Asian themed graduation. VOILA!

How DOES he do that? He didn't even need to sketch it out on paper first or do a rough draft. We just told him that we wanted a dragon for our graduation and JUST like that...a dragon we got!

*Note: I would've taken more pictures of the dragon if I hadn't been dying from a severe stomach ache. I'm not quite sure why I get these excruiating pains every so often. I know, some of y'all will say it's because I eat too much, but MAYBE I'm still not eating enough!* :o)

Chef Notter then treated us to a luncheon at Lai Lai (Chinese Buffet). I think I would've enjoyed the buffet more had I not been suffering earlier from the stomach ache, but this was our last bonding time with Chef Notter before we graduate. *sniff* :o(

I Can Do...26.2

2009-09-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time lil Savitre used to sit in the kitchen and watch on her 9" tv the NYC Marathon received via antenna with knob controls. She sat in awe of the amazing runners with eyes wide open at the sight of these athletes running, picking up a drinking cup, and dumping the water on their head.

OH HOW FUN THAT LOOKS!!!...Savitre thought to herself. :o)

Nothing ever stopped her from imitating those that she admired. As the marathon played in the background, she set up dixie cups (filled with water) around her kitchen and dining room. (Her 1970s kitchen had two doorways where you could enter from one side and leave through the other into the dining room making a complete circle...good for running laps). She pretended that she too was running the marathon. As she approached a dixie cup while running around the kitchen, she would pick it up and dump the water on her head (of course making a mess all over the kitchen floor and dining room carpet) and celebrate victoriously with winners of the race. Sure enough she got in tremendous trouble but her mom COULD NEVER stop her on the days the marathon was aired.

Although the marathon was fun and exciting to watch, Savitre was never a long distance runner. She had always been a sprinter. Her favorite athletes were James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens and Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis. Reading was not her favorite subject in school, but nothing could stop her from wanting to learn more about these Olympic medal winners. Every morning at the bus stop, she would ask her friends to meet her there early so they could get a few races in (up and down the block before the bus came). In gym, she broke numerous records for the short distance runs and from third grade to senior year in high school Savitre received the President's Challenge award (at the time her most valuable prized possession because it had the President's signature on it).

Throughout college, running was no longer a priority. It wasn't until she became a teacher and met Erin, a small town girl from Iowa, that did marathons. "What?!?!?" she thought to herself. Could anyone just sign up to run a marathon? Did they not have to be an Olympic medal winner? With a huge smile on her face, Savitre dreamt of running in the same marathon just to be able to dump that cup of water on her head and NOT get in trouble for it.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." -John "The Penguin" Bingham

One day after getting into an argument with her college boyfriend, she decided to get out of the car and walk 5 miles home. Realizing that she was able to easily walk this distance, she also realized it was the best way for her to deal with anything going on in her life (stress, work, school, people, etc.). It was Savitre's alone time; her time to think and clear her mind. It was Savitre's happy place. :o)

The next day, she went out and bought her first pair of running shoes at Fleet Feet. It's been awhile since she's "ran"...so it took her about 15 minutes to do one mile. It never really mattered to her how long it took because the longer it took the more time she had to herself.

Going through several resources to find the dos and don'ts of running, she came across The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running for Your Life by John Bingham.

"Once an overweight couch potato with a glut of bad habits, including smoking and drinking, at the age of 43 Bingham looked mid-life in the face-and started running." A native of Chicago, he has become a role model for all ages and abilities. When he first started running and ran past shop windows, he thought to himself that he didn't look like a "runner" but more like a penguin waddling, and so, he calls himself "The Penguin".

Savitre felt like she could completely relate to this guy. Eventually, she bought every book he had written and even followed his blog as he trained for the Goofy Challenge the same year she ran it. This was very inspirational because it helped her to know that someone else was battling training in the bitter Chicago winter for a major race in Florida.

Before you knew it, she started doing a bunch of 5K races and had fun dressing up (as an angel, an M&M, a reindeer, a Purdue Boilermaker train, and even a banana) at these races. To her, it was fun being at the back of the pack. Running was meant for enjoyment and solitude not competition. Eventually, the 5K races lead to 8K then 10milers and half marathons. It eventually led to the proudest event of her life...the 2003 Chicago Marathon. Although it took her about 5 hrs and 15 mins to complete her first marathon, there was not one water station that Savitre did not stop at and grab a cup of water and dumped it on her head. It was definitely 26 miles of smiles. :o)

She eventually ran 3 more marathons: 2004 Chicago Marathon, 2006 Goofy Challenge, and 2007 NYC Marathon. Soon after the NYC Marathon, Savitre's running career came to a halt. Since then, it's been a complete struggle to get back into a routine. She yearns for the running bug and that runner's high that she once felt. She also hopes to one day return to the marathoning world.

As more races are approaching, Savitre seeks the support of others to cheer her on, be her guide, and provide words of encouragment. She isn't looking to come in first or have her personal best but hopes to find the love for the sport of running that she once had found.

Expedition Never Rest

2009-09-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

OH MY...

Where has the time gone? I cannot believe I only have about a month left.

It felt like it was yesterday I was sitting on my bedroom floor debating what to pack and getting all giddy after an 18hr drive to find cows in my backyard!!! :o)

More to come with my trip down memory lane in a later post.

Until then...let me tell you about the crazy hectic (yet exciting) month to come!

September 25

Day at Epcot

I am hoping to get a season pass to Disney at a Florida resident rate so I could catch the different performances at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival's Eat to the Beat throughout the month of October. Why? There will be an AWESOME music line up (ie Boyz II Men, Richard Marx, Sister Hazel, En Vogue, Billy Ocean, Better Than Ezra, and much much more)!!! Great music and tasty food??...NOW we're talking!!!

Plus, since I won't be in school...what better way to spend my last month in Orlando than park hopping! OOOH YEAH!!! :o)

September 26

Expedition Everest Challenge

The Siamese Twins (Siam...Thailand...get it? :o) ) are back with a vengeance!

After coming in fourth in Urban Dare because of the silly plaque on Wacker Drive, we knew we just had to team up again and go for the gold!!

This race includes a team (of two) 5K run, obstacle course, and scavenger hunt through Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's also a night race...oooooo...scare-eeeeeee!! :o)

October 2

GRADUATION!! :o)

I have 10 tickets but will be only using 2 on Kobfa and Renee...

I think i'm going to be the one with the lowest family/friend attendance. *sniff* :o(

anyone else want to go?....pleeeeez!!!

October 4 -7

John and I will be in Tulsa, OK for the Three Jays.

It's a 2 day cake class with Food Network Challenge veterans Jason Ellis, James Roselle, and Joshua John Russell. Ooh la la...hehe..HOW FUN!!! Can't wait!

Do you recognize James Roselle's chef coat? (check out the logo)

October 11

Disney's Race for the Taste 10K.

This will be my first 10K race in a loooooong time!

After this race though, I should be getting a bonus medal for doing both the EEC and RFT.

Whoop Whoop!! More Disney medals makes Savitre smile! :o)

October 12 -14

Airbrushing Techniques with Stephane Treand

Assuming this class doesn't cancel (eh, with my luck it probably will), I will return as an alumni to Notter School of Pastry Arts for the one class I have seriously been waiting for. Savitre + Airbrush = FUN FUN FUN!!!!

October 24

Tower of Terror 13K (8.08 miles) - Hoo Rah for another night race!!

This will be my last race on Disney property. So sad :o(

more on my running history to come...

THEN IT'S TIME TO HEAD BACK...

TO THE WINDY CITY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! :o)

NOT a Notter Day!!

2009-09-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

(please click to see larger image)

I think we're losing it...

Noooo...we have OFFICIALLY lost it!! :o)

Ummm...Chef Jim...what is that? *giggles* :o)

This past week...

Monday - Field Trip to Yacht and Beach Club

Tuesday - Free day with Chef Jim. This was a fun day because we got to experiment with different recipes under professional supervision. He's so awesome because he loves what he does and he loves teaching us everything and anything he knows. :o) Sometimes, he's soooo into it, he doesn't even know what's going on with US *laughs*

"Check it out guys"

Awww...that's why we love you Chef Jim :o)

Wednesday - Slide show presentation on Cost Efficiency....

LOOK HOW MUCH FUN IT WAS!!! *lmao*

Thursday - Partnered up with the other class and made different convenience items (already made or made from pre-made mix) and items from scratch.

TAH DAH!!! PREEEE-SENTING our super sized smorgasbord!!!!

HAHAHA...this post makes me smile :o)

Field Trip Frenzy

2009-09-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Friday morning (Sept. 11th)...I usually wouldn't be rolling out of bed so early to go to school, but that day was different. Our school had an optional field trip planned to attend the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show.

I was pretty excited to go because there have been many years that I've seen the NRA Show go to Chicago and have always wanted to attend but never could because I didn't have an "in".

So, here's a recap of that day:

9-10am: I arrived at school to find out John and I were the only ones from our class to attend. It was cool though because we got to hang out with students from the other class. Chef Notter then announces that the convention isn't opened until 11 (oops). :o\

10:00-10:30 Ivonne decides to take us to Panera and discusses Code of Ethics...she said that this was something that HAD to be discussed because it wasn't in our handbook.

*whispers* my opinion...it was used as a time killer :o)

10:30-11:00 On the road to the Convention Center. YAY!! :o)

11:00-3:30 We got there and parked in the North Concourse...and after walking for quite a bit, later found out that it was in the West Concourse (oops again). :o\

HOWEVER, once we made it into the convention, we walked around and got to sample the many goodies they had to offer and check out the latest and greatest inventions for today's happening kitchens.

We even saw a pizza throwing contest...

And ran into some friendly faces...

Overall, I had lots of fun. I just wished more of my classmates could have gone....

WAIT...BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!!!.... :o)

Because...that's exactly what happened...

On Monday, September 14th, our class had a surprise field trip planned to the Yacht and Beach Club on Disney property. I can't tell if they ran out of stuff to teach us or because the schedule is completely out of control this month...ANYWHO...another field trip for us!! *WOO HA!!*

At first I wasn't too thrilled about going...seeing as I have been there several times now and the fact that Disney World is in my backyard. I wanted to see something new, something different, go somewhere that I haven't gone yet. My friend and I believe that the school is planning their field trips around my blog...first Farmers' Market in Winter Park then Julie and Julia and now Yacht and Beach Club. Obviously I didn't attend the first two...but I'm glad I went to this one...because it's one side of Disney I may never get a chance to see.

Ooo..makes me want to sit on a hammock with a Mai Tai!

Anyways, as soon as we got to school, we were told to head over to Starbucks (which til this day, I'm still not quite sure why we did that) and order a drink of our choice. Of course I had my Iced Grande Extra Vanilla Latte...which means you KNOW it's going to be a good day. :o)

Everyone piled in my car and off we went!!! I like driving because I like playing DJ and tormenting everyone with MY music...*evil laugh* Thanks for putting up with Hannah and PYT guys...and I must admit that our rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight is WAAAAY better than the original....y'all are so awesome!!!! *group hug* :o)

Check out how HUGE our class is...wait...where did everyone go? :o)

After the brief pitstop at Starbucks, we headed to the Yacht Club to meet Chef Kelly (one of the Sous Chefs at the Yacht Club). It was nice of her to take time out of her busy schedule to show us the kitchen and even let us try the lemon basil gelato and the multi-grain roll.

When I used to work in dining services, I met some of my best friends in the kitchen...right "G"? :o) Something about not being in an office behind a computer with no windows but rather the sounds of the pots and pans clanging always made me feel alive, awake, and active. Ahhh...and nothing beats being around the smell of things baking and cooking!!! :o)

After our tour of the Yacht and Beach Club...we headed back to school to discuss our career objectives (more on that in a much later post) :o) and then it was early dismissal day!!! WOO HOO!! So what does Savitre do with the extra free time she has on her hand? She does 10 miles on a treadmill! YUP...TEN MILES!! *pats myself on the back*

More on running and my crazy October schedule COMING SOON in a post near you!!!

Chicago...My Kind of Town!!

2009-09-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

OMGoodness...Where in the world have I been?!?!?!?!?!

Carey (hometown friend) just sent me this video!!

My head has been in fantasy Disney World...I can't believe I missed this!!!

ROCK ON CHI-TOWN!!!! You people are the BESTEST!!!! :o)

(Taken on September 8. 2009)

Oprah's reaction is so amazingly cute...loved that she's so surprised by it!
Chicago luvs YOU Oprah!!! :o)

Sorry, I just had to do a quick post on this...but stay tuned for field trip frenzies :o)

Eat Drink and Be Extremely Full

2009-09-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post has nothing to do with baking, nothing to do with running, just tons and tons of eating. So, if you're like me and LOVE TO EAT...this post is for you. :o) Oh, and it's an unusually long post...don't say I didn't warn you :o)

While some women like to spend their money on purses, shoes, or clothes...Savitre loves indulging in FOOD...glorious FOOD! *hee hee*. I love it when my hometown hunny comes to visit, it means time to explore new restaurants!

This weekend was definitely not one bite short of what we do best...EAT!! (it's the number one thing we have in common). Boy oh boy...oh how we love to eat *rubs belly* :o)

After picking up Kobfa from the bus stop in the pooring rain, running errands, and visiting Renee and her sister, we decided to fulfill my craving for Thai food (it's been almost SIX months of Thai food deprivation)! So, we headed to Thai Thani in Celebration.

I didn't know what to expect because the Thai community in Orlando is definitely not as big as it it in Chicago. However, when we walked in, we were greeted with a friendly smile and immediately shown to a table. The restauarant was spic and span and definitely had an authentic feel. My FAVORITE drink at any Thai restaurant is a Thai Iced Coffee and Kobfa's is the Thai Iced Tea. After skimming through the menu, I felt like I could order one of EVERYTHING. *Mmm*

However, we settled for:

Som Tum - GREEN papaya thinly sliced, mixed with string beans, tomatoes, and flavored with dry shrimp, peanuts, chili, garlic, and lime juice.

Nam Sod - Ground pork sauteed with ginger, lime juice, onion, shallots, and peanuts, served on a bed of lettuce.
Garlic Steamed Mussel - Mussels steamed with lemon grass and basil leaves served with house spicy sauce. First time I had mussels was in Brussels when I was 13...loved it ever since.
Phad Bai Kapow - Basil leaves, onions, scallions, and bell peppers stir-fried with chicken.

I was hoping that they would have mango and sticky rice for dessert, but unfortunately they didn't. Instead, we settled for Sang Khaya - Thai Custard (sorry, I forgot to take a picture because I was too excited to dive my fork in and chow away at it)...maybe next time. :o) Ahh...this sure hit the spot!

As though we didn't get enough rice in our diet, the next day we headed to downtown Orlando to check out Ichiban Sushi. However, our anxiousness got the better of us and we were there an hour and a half before they opened (DOH! *smacks forehead* should have done my research). It was all good because this gave us a chance to scope out downtown (which seemed pretty dead for a Friday during work hours *frown*) and take a nice stroll around Lake Eola. Was it worth the wait? INDUBITABLY!! :o)

As of now, I cannot remember how many sushi restaurants I've been to here in Orlando, but this is definitely TOPS on my list. It's a trendy and chic locale. We ordered the Naha Roll, Sonic Bomb, Dynamite Roll , and Spicy Tuna Roll (something we ALWAYS order to gauge how good everything else is going to be). Sure enough, it was extremely good, I ordered another Dynamite Roll and Kobfa ordered another Spicy Tuna Roll. Hmm....guess we should've saved the walk around Lake Eola for AFTER dinner. *long exhale* :o) Maybe I should start an Eat Sushi and Run blog!! *laughs*

Later that evening we just HAD to get dessert...so when it's late and you have a hankering for something sweet...where do you go?

The BIGGEST ice cream stand in town!

Yeppers...Twistee Treat...for some good o'l fashion soft served ice cream on a cone. :o)

Umm...so at this point, one would think we consumed enough food to last us through Chicago's bitter winter, right? WRONG! To top it all off, we had made a reservation about a month ago for Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian.

Mood: I had fun getting dressed up and dining amongst an older crowd (it was clear that Kobfa and I were the youngest ones there).

Ambience: dimly lit, music provided by a live harpist.

Service: Two attentive servers ("Victoria" and "Albert"). They were willing to bring me a shawl since they keep the AC on high because the gentlemen were required to wear a jacket. As soon as I sat down, they brought me a mini stool to put my camera on so it did not have to dangle off the chair or rest on the floor/table. Before we left, I was given a long-stemmed red rose, an orange-date-nut bread, and our personalized menus kept in pristine condition throughout dinner. We even got a tour of the kitchen, met some of the chefs, and saw where the Chef's Table Dinner was located (hmmm...put this on my list of must do). The tour is not included in the dinner, but curious lil Savitre just had to ask for one...so I encourage you to ask! :o)

Food: SUPERB!! A six course semi-fixed menu with a pre-appetizer. We also did the wine pairing...have not had some of the best wines in a looooong time. :o) Kobfa and I each had alternate selections for each course so that we could try more of these palate-pampering delights.

Okay, so there's really nothing I could say about this place that will do justice for it..so instead, I will leave you with pictures (and description) of our exquiste culinary dining experience.

Three bread courses with three different butters.

Amuse Bouche (bite sized hors d'oeuvre = pre-appetizer): They are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but when served, are according to the chef's selection alone. Because tomato was in season, the dish consisted of four different preparations. My favorite...the tomato custard baked in an eggshell. Champaigne pairing: Pommery Royale Brut NV

And so begins our two hour journey into the six course feast:

TOP: Prosciutto Wrapped Gulf Shrimp with Florida Melons and Jamon Iberico. Wine Pairing: Maximin Grunhauser Riesling Kabinett Abtsberg, Mosel 2007

BOTTOM: Sesame Crusted Big Eye Tuna with Tat Soi Salad and Tamari Honey Foam. Wine Pairing: Marcel Deiss Pino Blanc Bergheim, Alsace 2005

LEFT: Black Grouper with Zellwood Corn and Bamboo Rice Ragout. Wine Pairing: Langtry Sauvignon Blanc Guenoc Valley Estate 2007

RIGHT: Red King Samon with California Asparagus, Crab and sauce Bearnaise. Wine Pairing: Chimay Ale Peres Trappistes, Belgium

TOP: Duck Breast, Sausage and Confit with Salsify, Cherry Sauce. Wine Pairing: Acacia Pinot Noir, Carneros 2006

BOTTOM: Poulet Rouge with Mushroom-Truffle Ragout, English Peas and Yellow Chanterelles. Wine Pairing: Apollo-Falter Spatburgunder Rheinhessen 2007

LEFT: Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin with Marble Potatoes, Ramps and Sauce Soubise. Wine Pairing: Cesari Mara Ripasso Valpolicella, Veneto 206

RIGHT: Niman Ranch Lamb with Sumer Vegetables and Celery Root. Wine Pairing: Castillo Perelada La Garriga Samso, Catalonia 2005

TOP: White Chocolate Gelato with Tableside Shavings and Micro Orchids. Wine Pairing: Paolo Saracco Moscato D'Asti, Piedmont 2006

BOTTOM: Colston Bassett Stilton, Coach Farm's Goat, 36 Month Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and Thomasville Tomme. Wine Pairing: Quinta do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Porto 2002

LEFT: Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid, Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle, and Peruvian Chocolate Ice Cream and Puff Pastry.

RIGHT: Caramelized Banana Gateau

Finally we finished off the meal with "Celebes" Coffee brewed right on our table.

No matter how full you get, you always manage to find room for Friandise (a French term for confections, a variety of small sweets such as preserved fruits, petit fours, or truffles served after the dessert course). The salted carmel was the best. The best way to eat it is turn it upside down so that the salt touches the tongue first! YUMMERS! :o)

Okay...NOW stick a fork in me, because I'M DONE!!! :o)

p/s During this Labor Day weekend...while some ran a two hour half marathon...I did a two hour eating marathon! YAY ME!! :o)

Showy Showpieces

2009-09-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

Heeeeeee's Baaaaaack! :o)

Aaaahh, the school never cease to amaze me!!

When we walked in on Monday wondering what class we were going to be having and who will be our teacher...to our surprise we find out that we were sent back to the old classroom.

Bye bye marble table tops :o(

Hello Chef Jim. :o)

Yes sirree, Chef Jim now leads us in Chocolate Showpieces and Pastillage.

I'm beginning to think I signed up for Chef Jim School of Pastry Arts instead of Notter School of Pastry Arts. "Always laugh when you can. It is cheapest medicine." :o)

Our class had mixed feelings at first...not having Chef Notter as our instructor. I guess when we started school here, we all looked forward to having Chef Notter as our instructor. It was a lot of fun having him for our Candies and Pralines unit so we were anxiously waiting to have him again for Chocolate Showpieces, Pastillage, and Sugar (his specialty)...afterall, it is why we all wanted to go to school here, was it not? *sigh*

Anyways, after much discussion, we all decided that having Chef Jim was actually a GREAT thing. He's done a lot of showpieces before in competitions and is also featured in the Artisan Pastry-Silicone Molds (see B5) of Chicago School of Mold Making's latest book. I admire his patience for us and willingness to seek new opportunities to teach us stuff beyond the curriculum.

As we work on our showpieces, he is constantly encouraging and continually pushes our creativity. No matter how many times I break my showpiece because of my orangutang arms and gorilla hands (trust me, I do not have enough fingers and toes to count on to tell you), he has always been able to fix them and still help me make it look like a showpiece. *mini claps*

Making a showpiece (in short):

-Cut out chocolate traced from templates.

-Create other elements (ie flowers, spheres, curlicue thingymabobbers, tubes, chocolate cigarettes, coral, fish, etc.).

-Assemble pieces (this was where I kept breaking everything...*grr*).

-Airbrush showpieces (even used a paint gun on one)..always my favorite part!!

-Stand and let dry.

-Attempt to bring it home without it melting in the car or breaking (not an easy task!).

Here are the final products of my showpieces:

Chocolate Showpieces

Pastillage
(made from gelatin, water, powdered sugar, and cornstarch)

Underwater Themed Showpiece

Chocolate Heart Box
(this one I made for my mom's bday, Sept. 6, wish I could give it to her)

bless her heart - she spent her bday in Thailand for my uncle's funeral

I would have to say, minus the times I would get frustrated with everything breaking, I definitely enjoyed this unit. It was always interesting to make all the different elements and have no idea how it would all come together...but when it did...it was the COOLEST!! *thumbs up*

Savitre's 4-1-1 Update :o)

-Three weeks until graduation (12 actual class days!) Woo Hoo!! *jumps for joy*

-Chef Notter has been busy doing demos on the road...WE MISS YOU CHEF!! *sniff*

-The administrative office (of two) have been busy working on some top secret project ... appears that the Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Sea debuts in Dec. 2009 with the FIRST cupcake shop at sea called Cupcake Cupboard. *wink wink*

-Continually training for the Expedition Everest Challenge in less than 2 weeks!! Virtual Curb Crew Captain or not...you know who you are...BEWARE!!!! *tee hee* :o)

A Sight To Remember

2009-09-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....the rain is falling (actually it's soaking wet pouring), I have coffee by my side, and soft music playing in the background. Looks like a great night to UPDATE THE BLOG!! *cracks knuckles to prepare*

After last week's craziness, I definitely needed something to boost my spirits. After Renee had left on Thursday night, I remembered that there was supposed to be a shuttle launch sometime soon. When I looked it up on NASA, I realized that I still had an opportunity to catch it on Friday night. Whaaaa?!?!?!? A NIGHT LAUNCH?!?!?! Could I really be this lucky?!?!?! You hear such wonderful things about it, how gorgeous it is, how amazing it is when it lights up the night sky...were I to be that lucky to witness such history?

Indeed! The Discovery launch (STS-128) carrying the COLBERT treadmill was set for 11:59 on Friday, August 28, 2009. I have tried TWICE already to catch a launch since I've been out here, once was while I was at school and the other from my balcony. Both...a bust! *frown*

So, feeling like a giddy little 8th grade girl, I did what any other shuttle launch seeking enthusiasts did...reasearched the best place to view the launch.

FIRST BEST PLACE: NASA Causeway.

SECOND BEST PLACE: Space View Park.

Any guesses as to where Savitre went?

Answer in T-3 seconds:

Yup, I chose the second best place. Okay, I didn't REALLY get to choose because the first choice was sold out *sigh*...BUT... nonetheless, I did NOT do too shabby.

Before I had left the house, I had checked the status on the launch, and they had said it was at a 60% GO. The launch had been scrubbed twice already, and the most recent one being on Tuesday due to an anomaly in the fuel valve of the orbiter. Thousands of people sat soaking in the rain down to the last four minutes just before take off to find out that it was getting scrubbed. What were my chances of sitting out there in the sweltering heat and getting a chance to see the launch?

I got there at 3pm because I had read that it gets really packed and it's hard to find parking.

Umm....but where was everyone?

Photo taken at T-8 hrs.

Sure enough by 9pm (after everyone got out of work and had their dinner, probably in the comfort of their own home), they all appeared out of nowhere! :o) Good thing I got there early and camped out for a rock star spot!

But let's rewind a little.

So, what does Savitre do to kill time?

PLENTY!!!! Life is never a bore, is it? *chuckles*

Let's begin with, I spotted a bunch of cool creatures...

Manatees

Shark Fin!!! *eeep*...okay, it was really a dolphin :o)

...and the rescuing of a sea turtle...poor lil baby 100 lb sea turtle :o(

I also spotted the Fox 35 News van. Oh how I would love to be on TV!!

Oh wait!!! I was! *cheeky grin* As I was hanging out by the pier with an elderly couple, the camera and anchor man came up to me and asked me if they could interview me. "Sure, why not?" I thought. Knowing how many interviews they do, I didn't think they would truly air ME...little o'l ME? Sure enough, they did! I was featured (my 7 seconds of fame) on the six o'clock news saying something along the lines of *ahem-clears throat* "today is my lucky day, I'm sorry that everyone else came out earlier this week and got soaked in the rain, but today is MY lucky day and I KNOW the shuttle WILL launch".

Please don't ask me why I say what I say? If you know me by now, you know that I say a lot of gibberish *hee hee* :o) Well, right after it aired, Reggie called me asking for my autograph...he's such a silly goose like that. I have yet to see it, but thank goodness for Renee's sister, she recorded it on dvr for me. Anyone know how to transfer dvr recordings into a data file? I'll post it on my blog if you tell me how...pleeeez *begs* :o)

Anyways, in the nine hours of sitting and waiting and sitting and waiting some more, it was easy to meet others that shared the same interest - THE SHUTTLE! I met a bunch of friendly folks traveling from all over. I also met a world traveler, Victor (originally from Australia). He helped pass time by sharing stories of his trip thus far and even taught me how to use MY camera (and boy oh boy...never did I realize that I had an extremely uncool camera *hmph*). Anyone want to buy Savitre a really niiiiiice camera for her graduation gift? Hahahaha....yes, until I graduate, I'm going to use "graduation" as an excuse for everthing!!! *giggles*

Check out the storm coming in from the left!!! EGAD!!
No worries...there was no raining to be had on THIS parade! :o)

Alright, here are some of the photos of the shuttle I was able to capture with my not-so-high-tech camera. Enjoy!

Here are photos I found from online :o)

As a child, it's ALWAYS been a dream to see a shuttle launch...this night was priceless! *smiles with content*

Lost For Words

2009-08-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Afterall, a picture is worth a thousand words. :o)

Although my spirit was brought down these past two days, have no fear...Renee was there. Thanks to Renee, my weekend could not have started out on a better note.

First we had sushi at Seito in Celebration. Sushi is Savitre's comfort food...it never fails to make me smile and heal my soul. Mmm....mmmm :o)

We then hung out on the rocking chairs overlooking Town Center Lake. While chatting the night away (since it was a gorgeous night out), we waited patiently in hopes of spotting an alligator. Did we see one?....We sure did!! My first alligator spotting in Florida! Woo Hoo!!!

Check out the other creatures we saw too :o) I love these Floridian wildlife...so fun to capture with my camera!

Anyways, I would love to do my posting on my night of "Discovery" but my bed is calling me now...so please stay tuned for the day the shuttle launched!

Three Tiers...Three Teams

2009-08-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Crazy Krazy Kraazeeee!!!

Wedding cake unit has come to an end. What are my feelings? There was a lot of sleep deprivation and a lot of gum paste flower making but it was definitely a unit that I enjoyed. Actually it made me miss Wilton A LOT!! Let me present to you the three team wedding cakes.

VOILA!!!

Kiku and Reggie

John, Elena, and Isamarie

Drum Roll Please....

Me and Christina

...and because Christina and I don't have anyone to take our delicious three tiered red velvet cake home to...here's what we did with the cake!! *laughs*

This was the MOST fun we had with this project!!! GO PASTRY PRINCESSES!!!! :o)

Piece of Cake

2009-08-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

As we head into the last two days of the Wedding and Specialty Cake unit, Elizabeth Hollabaugh takes on the challenge of teaching her peers (us) how to pipe icing, roll out fondant, torte a cake, and make gumpaste flowers.

Elizabeth recently graduated from Notter School of Pastry Arts in June. Amongst her classmates, she took first place in the cake competition held at school which awarded her to be in charge of designing their class' graduation cake.

The most exciting part of this course for me so far has been carving cake into a shape of a purse. Most of my classmates airbrushed their colorful gems. I, on the otherhand, strayed from the norm (as usual). *sigh*

Why oh why must I ALWAYS do this to myself??? *shakes head* For some bizarre reason, I thought that making a zebra patterned purse would be a great idea. Though my classmates liked it, I think I would have preferred to airbrush mine to add to the collection of brightly colored purse trend. La dee da...there's always next time! :o)

On Thursday our individual occasional cake project was due. We were each given a different swatch of ribbon and had to design a cake utilizing the ribbon as an inspiration. My ribbon:Before I show you MY cake, let me show you my classmates' cakes:

Anyways, the first thing that came to mind with all the stripes on my ribbon was a child's birthday cake. Blah Blah Blah I thought to myself. There had to be other occasions out there besides weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. After recovering from a brain hemorrhage from thinking long and hard for an idea...the little light bulb in my head went off. DING DING DING!!!...I hit the jackpot!! *claps in excitement*

Everyone always gets a cake for celebrating something...be it a religious event, graduation, anniversary, etc.

I love cake!! I always want cake!! Cake makes Savitre happy!! :o) But you know what just dawned on me the other day? While people get cake for huge accomplishments or milestones in their lives...I NEVER once got a cake for the four marathons I completed. Was running a marathon not considered a huge accomplishment? Was it not a milestone in my life? OF COURSE IT WAS!! Although I was not able to get a cake for it then, did NOT mean I could not get a cake for it now! Tah Dah!

So to all those of you who have shed many tears, lost many toenails, but still crossed that golden line we call "the finish line"...I present you with my high ratio chocolate Many Miles in a Marathon Cake! (okay, so it's really just me running along the Chicago skyline...but hey, it's the thought that counts, right)? *cheeky grin*

I had so much fun making the cake come to life after sketching it out on paper.

If this cake isn't the epitome of Bake Cake and Run...then I don't know what is *shrugs* :o)

Finally, I got my airbrushing kick in by painting these really nifty looking sneakers. :o)

For the next day and a half, my partner (Christina) and I have to put together a three tiered wedding cake. Stay tuned to see how that turns out. Don'tcha just love cliff-hangers? :o) Dum Dum Duuuuum *tee hee*

Shotts of Chocolate Makes It Better

2009-08-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Why?!?!? Why did it happen to me?!?!?! That wretched day!!!

The morning was dark, quiet, and still. Not a sound to be heard for miles away.

Was anyone else awake? NO!! Just me!

There I was, surrounded by an unsually fowl odor.

But what could it be?...

...and then IT happened!!

THUMPTHUMP

THUMPTHUMP

THUMPTHUMP

Okay, okay, enough of the dramatic opening... :o)

WARNING: I'm just being me in my silly mood again...so if this post makes absotutalootly no sense whatsoever...my apologies to y'all.

It's been a pretty insane 2 weeks...but I don't know if I would exactly go as far as to say "wretched" :o)

Last Thursday, as I headed out the door, there was definitely a strange smell in the parking lot. I didn't think anything of it, until I started driving off. I almost made it to the gateway of my community, when I heard a funky sound. I lowered my windows and turned off the AC...sure enough it was the sound of a flat tire. "Gosh Darn It", I thought. I pulled the car over to a spot near a street lamp and got out to check. Yup, front driver's side, flat as a pancake.

Normally, I would be able to change the tire myself...however, since my car is new, everything was bolted down ridiculously tight. I swear...I know how to change my own tire...I just didn't have the muscle power that morning.

So who comes to my rescue???? Are you ready for this??? You're NOT going to believe this!!!!...Definitely not AAA....Is the suspense killing you yet????...

Okay...okay....Answer: CHEF NOTTER!!! *my hero* :o)

Yes, I called the school to let them know that I was going to be running late. Fortunately for me, Chef Notter answered the phone and seemed very concerned to help me in my desperate time of need. Faster than you can say Notter School of Pastry Arts and Car Repair, Chef Notter pulled up next to my car and in the blink of an eye, my tire was changed. (Wish I had gotten a picture of this...but I was more concerned about helping him get the tired changed...*ho hum*.)

He was quite surprised that I had gotten most everything ready for him to go. I said "Mise en place" with a huge grin on my face.

- a French term meaning "everything in place". It is normally used in a professional kitchen to refer to the ingredients and other components that a cook requires to prepare during their shift.

Yes, Savitre doesn't fail to make Chef laugh...even during the most stressful times!! :o)

ANYWAYS, to make a long story short (too late, right?):

The spare flatted (is that a word??) by lunchtime.

Reggie filled air in the spare just so I could get to the dealership.

Waited at the dealership for 2 excrutiating hours.

When the car was done, major rain/thunderstorm began.

Traffic moved like molasses.

Finally made it home into my nice, warm, comfy bed :o)

Ahhh...then begins my weekend of FUNness!

It's been quite some time since I've taken a weekend class, so I was extremely excited.

This time it was Artisinal Bonbons and Confections with Andrew Shotts.

We got some awesome recipes including yummy marshmallows, Baja popcorn, and about a gajillion different types of bon bons.

Day 1: Helped scale ingredients and watch Chef Andrew make tons of ganache.

Day 2: Savitre burns 1 cup worth of popcorn and supposedly broke the microwave. I can't even pop popcorn properly ...what am I doing here?!?!?! *sigh* Just wasn't my day, I guess.

Day 3: Taste tested every single product made...sometimes had to taste them several times just to be sure *wink wink*. Boxed up all the products in cute little packagings that Chef Andrew provided for us. Got him to sign my copy of his book. He's so silly, his signature autograph is "Shake Your Bon Bon" :o). Anyways, heard you were going to be at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival...maybe I'll see ya there Chef :o)

All in all, what started out to be a no good, very bad day ended up in the most delicious weekend ever! Another round of Shotts please! :o)

Happy Hunniversary

2009-08-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to YOU...Hunny Boo!!

Last weekend, Kobfa and I spent a day on Disney Property at the Grand Floridian. So, what did we do? We enjoyed several hours in their fitness center of course!! I loved their gym...they had the most high tech treadmill I have ever seen. You could hook your Ipod up to the treadmill...how cool is that? *in awe*

After a nice long workout, we enjoyed a relaxing couple's massage at the Grand Floridian (fitness center was part of the package deal), followed by dinner at Swan's Kimonos. More Sushi = More Yummers!!!...then a night of my butt getting kicked at putt putt in Disney's Winter Summerland. *sigh* You know I let you win, right? *wink wink*

Anyways, with us, it's ALWAYS been such an adventure. But why wouldn't it be? Afterall, we did meet through skydiving! Check out the brave soul to jump out FIRST!!! *Eeeek!*

Did cupid have plans for us to meet?...DEFINITELY!!
Although we didn't know each other as kids (even though we were just steps away from each other), I'm so glad we crossed paths again!

Thank you for all the laughter and great times we've shared.

I would've added more pictures if my computer hadn't crashed and destroyed all our precious memories...but of what has been saved, may the pics speak for itself :o)

HAPPY 3 YEARS HUNNY BOO! :o)

Miss you...can't wait to see you soon!

Just "A Notter" Day

2009-08-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

OKAY!!! I MUST DO THIS!!! I MUST UPDATE MY BLOG!!!!

I had such a fun weekend....I can't wait to do the posting on that. However, before I get to that (which will be another night's project), I would like to catch you up on the happenings at school.

Last week, we wrapped up the Candies and Pralines unit! WOW!! I never knew how much fun it would be!!!...okay, who am I kidding???...we're talking about CANDIES AND PRALINES!!!...not budgets and financial statements (no offense to those of you who enjoy it...but it's just not for me). *shrugs*

Honestly, I feel like I ate more than we made in class (if that's humanly possible). YES YES...I definitely need to get back on track with my long runs. *sigh* I was doing so well too....hahaha unfortunately this weekend won't help because I will be taking a weekend course with Andrew Shotts (more bon bons and confectionary comestibles). *mini claps*

So, what did Chef Notter do? He made little candy elves out of us. We were busy casting molds. Just let me say...it is NOT an easy thing. If you see people do it and it looks easy...it's probably because they've had years of experience. Of course the first day I did it, I dropped the mold into the vat of chocolate....GO ME!! :o) However, for my practical, I was able to do it flawlessly (BUT I must credit Christina for being the guinea pig and risking her mold for the good of our group...WE HEART XTINA!!!!)

By 9am on some days, you could tell that some of our classmates had ONE too many rum truffle. *lol* RUM and CHOCOLATE for breakfast?!?!??! SERIOUSLY...Check out the side effects!!!!!

The day before our practical, we were sending all sorts of goodies through an enrobing machine. That was surely a fun day...but it took us a lot longer to set up the machine and break it down than the time we spent playing with it. Oh well...add that to my list of more toys I want to buy (I swear...I'm going to have to live to be a thousand to have Santa get me all the fun contraptions I've seen in school). *grin*

Anyways, I would DEFINTELY have to say that the BEST part of this unit (minus eating and eating....and eating) would be having Chef Notter as an instructor. I must admit that the night before our first day with him, I was extremely nervous. I didn't know how strict he was going to be or how critical he was going to be with my products.

However, it didn't take our class long to fall in love with him.

CHEF NOTTER:

loves what he does

is BEYOND GREAT at what he does

is extremely fun to joke around with

is one of the most personable instructor

doesn't want you to settle for mediocrity

enjoys showing you how to do it (right) *laughs*

wants students to respect the food and equipment

hates it when you show up to class late or don't show up at all

is what makes going to Notter School of Pastry Arts all worth it

Some of my most memorable phrases that he said were: "May I show you?", "Make a break.", and "Funny, Not Funny." Okay, so maybe that just sounds weird, but you just had to be there!!!

I was quite sad to see this unit come to an end...but this isn't the end of Chef Notter. He will be back to teach us Sugar, Pastillage, and Chocolate Showpieces (I hope). *crosses fingers* Until then, it's off to the Wedding Cake unit...

Wilton: I will try my best to represent you well! (if I don't, it's because I haven't touched cakes since February) :o)

Flickday Friday

2009-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Life in Orlando just doesn't get any better when Kobfa's in town *looking at him with dreamy eyes*. Today we had plans to just enjoy a day at the movies. So....what does Savitre decide she wants to go see? G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA....NOT!!! :o) (not that I have anything against G.I. Joe)

However, in theaters today...Julie & Julia!

I normally don't frequent theaters just because I hate paying the overpriced movie tickets...but this movie was going to be special. Growing up in my generation WITHOUT Food Network, one can truly appreciate Julia Child along with:

JEFF SMITH

JUSTIN WILSON

GRAHAM KERR

and of course... MARTIN YAN

So, there we were at a Regal Cinnema in Winter Park. It was me, Kobfa, and a theater full of elderly ladies (those whom also appreciate the classic cookings of Julia Child). I have a short attention span at theaters and have even been known to fall asleep at some (must admit...I fell asleep through The Matrix). This time it was different...this time I had my tray of nachos (with cheese and EXTRA jalapenos *Ooooo-we*!!!)...and a super mega big gulp of lemonade on hand (a surprise I didn't have to take a bathroom break in the middle of the movie). I never once took my eyes off the movie. *two thumbs up*

Meryl Streep did an excellent job of portraying Julia Child. She was drop-dead hilarious. If you don't already love Julia Child...this movie will sure make ya! However, what interested me most was Julie Powell's blog. No doubt that when I got home, I had to search for her blog site.

TA DAH!!!.... here it is The Julie/Julia Project.

It made me wish I had a purpose to my blog. Some people blog about running, some people blog as a form of therapy. Me?!?!?....I blog for the sake of rambling on...hahaha (it's what I do best). I wish I had a mission...I wish I had a purpose for my blog...I too wish I had a "project".

So, if y'all out there have any ideas for me...please send them my way...please? :o)

Until then, I thank you avid readers for continually reading my blog...glad I can entertain! :o)

After Julie & Julia, Kobfa and I decided to pay Christina a visit at Gurtzberry. She looked so cute in jeans (it's AMAZING how people look so different out of their chef uniform). Usually when people say they work at a yogurt joint...I think...TCBY. But NO!!! Gurtzberry was definitely not a TCBY...their yogurt actually tasted like yogurt! It was DELISH!!! :o)

The establishment was tres (French for "very") cute as well. I loved the color scheme, fancy light fixtures, and IKEA-esque furnishings...very hip and modern!

BUT WAIT!!!....THERE'S MORE!! (told you I like to ramble on) *lol*

As the night grew darker...Kobfa and I drove to 1 Walmart and 4 Walgreens in search of a Redbox to rent some scary movies. I ALWAYS love a good scare (as long as I know I'm in a safe environment). $1/night for movies...where you can pause, go to the bathroom or replenish your drinks, or rewind because you couldn't understand what they were saying...now THAT'S my kind of moving going! WAIT!!...just remembered....we actually got these movies for free (clearly I'm a big cheapo)...if you plan to rent from Redbox...look online for coupon codes. Why pay a buck when you can get it for free? *wink wink*

Anyways, we ended up getting Dark Secrets and The Uninvited. Dark Secrets wasn't scary *bummed*....it was more of a mystery solving...I don't know what. But The Uninvited?!?!?....now THAT was good!! I love movies with great endings (and pizza from Papa Johns aint bad either)!

Now that your eyeballs have fallen out of head from reading this long post...I'll stop boring you until the next post! :o)

As Julia Child would say..."Bon Apetite" :o)

Sea-ing is Believing!

2009-08-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

It's been about 6 months since Amanda and I graduated from the Masters Course at Wilton...it was definitely time for a reunion. Debbie (our instructor) thought that we had known each other before school started...but we hadn't. It was by chance that we were partners throughout the two grueling weeks. We shared lots and lots of laughter. It was so easy to get along with someone so much like you. GOOD TIMES!!! :o)

Debbie, if you're still keeping up with my blog....Amanda and I want to give you a shout out and say "Thanks for putting up with our silliness in class!!! You're the BESTEST!!!...and of course, we miss you!" *big hugs* :o)

After graduation, Amanda and Mama Angie (the awesome-est mother and daughter tag team) continued baking/selling cakes. They've been ironing out different fondant and cake recipes...and I have had the honor of being in the know of their family secrets. *ssshh*

So what do two Wilton friends do when they get together? They bake cake, of course!! :o)

However, we didn't make just any 'ol cake...we made cute lil cupcakes as a tribute to our Sea World Weekend. Woo Hoo!! (sorry, fondant animals are NOT my forte)

I was such a giddy little girl when I found out we were going to Sea World. I am a Disney person...so I don't think I would have ever made it out to Sea World during my time here in Orlando. MAN oh MAN am I glad I did!!!

The BELIEVE show was definitely touching.

However, Amanda and I could not stop laughing throughout the entire show of Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island. Sooooo GoOfY! :o)

After being out in the torrid noonday sun, poor Savitre ended up getting sick. That was cool though because the next day, Manda and I just had a lazy day of Wizards of Waverly Place marathon. Aaaahhh....sounds like a Funday Sunday any day! *giggles*

Manda, thanks for a fAnTaBuLeRrIfIc weekend!!

Nuts About Notter

2009-07-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

I've been so happy these days...let me count thy ways:

We are less than halfway to graduation!! *high five*

Tuesday, July 21: I did seven miles!!! The longest run since the NY Marathon!! Woo Hoo!!

Wednesday, July 22: our class graduated to the bigger classroom...with MARBLE TOP TABLES ....Ooooooo......Aaaaahhhh!! :o) (and FINALLY get Chef Notter as an instructor )
We've started the Candies and Pralines unit...YUMMERS!!! LEMME AT IT!!! *begins to drool*
Has consumed tons and tons of nuts and chocolate!!!....and somehow have still managed to lose weight since school started!! OH YEAH!!!

Chef Notter said "not bad, eh?" to my creations!! *does a happy dance*....he's such a master at his trade, it's not easy pleasing Sensei. :o)

Friday, July 24: Finished the last volume of Kitchen Princess!!!! Najika is incredibly cute and Daichi is soooo dreamy!!! *giggles*

Saturday, July 25: productive day cleaning house!!! *admires home*

Sunday, July 26: EIGHT great miles at the gym!! *loving my Bengay Patches*

I JUST WANNA BE!!! :o) *dancing to a bunch of fun songs downloaded this weekend*

Life is like a box of chocolate......Full of nuts!!! *laughs*

Friendship Friday

2009-07-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

SETTING THE STAGE FOR OUR DESSERT DECATHALON:

Friday afternoon, as I was getting ready to meet up with Elena to check out Icings Cupcakes' grand opening, I received a text from John seeing if I wanted to grab lunch. Since I already had plans, I invited him along for the ride.

Well, with me, one never truly knows what they are getting themselves into. Ain't that right, John and Elena? *wink wink* It is ALWAYS an adventure!!

BEGIN JOURNEY:

With much enthusiam, John carefully navigated while enjoying what he called a "mini road-trip". *gives John the look of confusion* Were we not in the same state?..let alone city?? Too cute! :o)

I guess one has to understand that Orlando is widely spread out across the state of Florida. So if you live on the east side, you may never visit the west side (unless you hitch a ride with me) :o)

As we circled around Winter Garden, trying to find the cupcake shop and (ahem) Elena , we decided to stop at a Starbucks. You know it's going to be a good day when you start out with an Iced Grande Eight Pump Vanilla Latte. :o) When we were all united, we made our first pit stop at Peterbrooke Chocolatier. While in there, we were entertained by a lady who was excited about her job AND chocolate. I cannot wait until we start the chocolate unit in school.

CONTINUE ON JOURNEY:

We decided that since no one knew where they were going, it was best to take one car. As we followed the directions Google Maps gave us...we ran in to a road block. It dead ended due to construction about 100 yds from the cupcake shop. Grrr....we were so close...we could smell the chocolate (okay, not really, but we were SO close). I had to ask Officer Friendly for directions to get around. After careful manuvering, we made it to our destination (ALAS!!). YAY!!! We saw Renee!!! Hip Hip HOORAY!!! It was crowded but we were offered complimentary cupcakes. However, the one thing that I really wanted to check out, the MAIN reason why I went there, was to check out their shotglass desserts (aka verrines). So which one did we get? ONE OF EACH, PLEASE!!! Yup, ONE OF EACH!!!

CONTINUING ON OUR JOURNEY:

After we devoured the 6 verrines and 3 mini cupcakes, I wanted to show them the bakery that I had once visited in Winter Garden. Unfortunately, there was a sign on the door that said "Gone Fishing..will return July 23rd." *frown* The sign was too hilarious...wish I had a pic. Oh well!

Did that rain on our parade???? Of course not. It was now time to execute Plan Bluezoo.

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN:

Chef Sally said that if we ever wanted to know what "fine dining" dessert looked like, we should check out Bluezoo at Swan and Dolphin. So, we did just that!!! (yes, another great opportunity to set foot on Disney property!) Because our practical is on Tuesday, we thought this would be an excellent opportunity to get some inspiration. Our inspiration (3 different desserts) was consumed faster than you can say "inspiration". The dessert was definitely FANTABULOUS!!! :o)

TIME TO WALK IT OFF:

Since none of us has ever been to the Swan and Dolphin, we thought it'd be fun to walk off the dessert in order to prevent sugar crystalization in our tummies. Because it was still daylight, many of the shops on The Boardwalk were closed. However, this place definitely seems like it would be a fun place to hang out at...better yet?...MAYBE A NEW RUNNING ROUTE??? Hmmmm...Savitre, put this on the list of places to come back to.

While walking around, we noticed that you could take the water taxi around the resort area...soooo....I decided to kidnap the crew and go for a joy ride!!! Way too much fun!!

Because I didn't want to leave Disney property, our next adventure took us to the Wedding Pavillion by the Grand Floridian. I was hoping to show Elena some of the wedding cakes that they display in their windows...however, there was only one. :o( I love admiring Elena's cakes. Check out her latest creation!! Ooh La la! :o)

TRYING TO FIND SAVORY FOOD:

As the sun was setting, the darkness was rising...and so was our appetite. We were all craving something NON-SUGARY! !! What did we have in mind??? Cici's Pizza Buffet!!! Buuuuut....so did everyone else in Orlando! :o( The line was out the door (literally). It was kRaZy!! So, we drove back to Winter Garden (where we originally ditched Elena's car) and settled for Urban Flats. It was pizza on a flat bread with a flare! Seriously, check out their menu!! This place was definitely yummers!!!

M-I-C (see ya real soon) - K-E-Y (why? because we definitely have to do this again):

I definitely needed this outing trip...but after a long day of fun filled adventures, it was time to say goodbye. Thanks y'all for joining me and giving me a day of laughter and much happiness!

Looking At The Same Thing, But Seeing Different Things

2009-07-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

This week we continued the Plated Desserts unit with our new commander-in-chief, Chef Sally Camacho.

Chef Sally Camacho received her Associates Degree in Culinary Arts at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After completing her externship and employment at Caneel Bay Resort, a Rosewood Hotel property, in the Virgin Islands, she returned to San Francisco to complete the Baking and Pastry Program at CCA. Sally then worked directly under Executive Pastry Chef Donald Wressell at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills for five years. Clearly a turning point in her career and the core basis of her training, she learned all aspects of the hotel industry from plated desserts to wedding cakes as well as helping Chef Wressell train and practice for his many competitions. In 2005, she relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada to open the Wynn Resort as an Assistant Pastry Chef for world renowned Pastry Chef Frederic Robert. The Wynn Hotel is the only five star five diamond casino/resort in the world. She continued her journey as Pastry Chef at James Beard Award winning restaurant Bradley Ogden in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. -2008 World Pastry Team Championship

Her desire (or as she would say "hungriness") for knowledge and success has paid off. I have found it a blessing to have her as an instructor. I have had one of the BEST weeks at school. *mini claps*

Although I must admit that I do NOT have an eye for art, Chef Sally has definitely been an inspiration. Usually when I see things...that's as far as it gets...I just see THE THING! *shrugs* But now she's encouraged looking at things differently, like color scheme, light, shapes, lines,texture, innovative technique, aesthetic appeal, flavor combinations, etc. Not only will this benefit me when I work on my plated desserts, but it will also aid in seeing the world in a different light and hopefully appreciating all that's around me. *sigh of peace*
Usually, as soon as class lets out, the first thing I think about is..."MUST GET TO THE GYM!!!". However, this past week, I have had a lot of fun hanging out with her after school and getting to know her better. She is extremely personable, encouraging, and knowledgable in all facets of life. Very seldom do I meet people I look up to...she definitely makes the list of Top 10 People I Look Up To. :o)

There has definitely been many days that I wake up and say "WHY OH WHY can't I be more artistic?" or "I wish I had dainty hands and fingers!" or "What in the world am I doing here?!?!?!.. I do not belong in this industry!!!!" AND THEN...somthing always happens (a blessing in disguise is what I like to call it)...where my questions and prayers are answered...be it a phone call from Renee, Justin's blog about one of the GREATEST people EVER, Walter E. Disney, or continually knowing that I have the best support group one could ask for!!!!

Boo! The ice cream (that we made and spun) was melting on contact!

I love my blogger fans!!! Thank you everyone who has continually kept me on my feet and encouraged me to "keep going because the race is not over, it has just begun", whether it's from being homesick, keeping on track with working out, pursuing my dreams (whether Big or Sweet and Petite) *wink*, exploring new territory in Orlando, or providing kind words of positive reinforcement!!!

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison

I know I was suppose to work on a plated dessert, but I couldn't resist the temptation of making a verrine out of the popcorn panna cotta we made in class. I'm so rebellious!! *slyful grin* :o)

Just A Bunch of Jokesters

2009-07-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

As we say goodbye to Chef Jim, our class surprised him with a "Moustache Tribute". He was always joking around with us and constantly making us laugh...it was only natural for us to bid farewell in the most comical manner possible! :o)

Dont' get me wrong, it wasn't always fun and games....OKAY...so it was. *chuckles* However, I had learned lots and done tons that I have NEVER done before. This was just the first week for plated desserts and we've already made frozen desserts (ie. ice cream), creme brulee, flan, custards, Crepes Suzette (pictured on the left), and more.

I must admit that at first the flames scared the Bee Gee Bees outta me, but after doing it, it was nothing but a mega adrenaline rush. It was like...Ka-BOOM!! tee hee :o)

As I reminisce about my journey with Chef Jim and remember all the tears and sweat that was shed, looking back, I can DEFINITELY say that he has made a difference not only with me, but our class, and the school. Thanks for all your patience and understanding, Chef! ROCK ON!! *sign of the horns* :o)

See Ya Soon June

2009-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

I finished off the Classical Cakes and Tarts unit by making a "Brooklyn" cheesecake for my practical. It's supposed to be a NY cheesecake but since the outer edge wasn't working out the way I wanted it to and looked a little "rougher on the edge"...I coined it "Brooklyn" cheesecake....I wish I could actually go to Brooklyn and give this to my best friend Aarti because July 9th is her BDAY!!!! FELIZ CUMPLEANOS CHICA!!! :o)

Other fun things for the 4th of July weekend entailed:

Checking out ICEBAR:

This was 27 degrees (fahrenheit) of FREEZING FUN!!! Music blasting, people dancing (to keep warm, I suppose), bartender laughing, drinks gratifying...it was definitely one touristy thing I definitely had to check out while out here in Orlando. *shivers*

Ahhh...never thought I'd say it, but it made me miss Chicago's bitter winter... I love wearing cozy sweaters w/a cute scarf, drinking my peppermint hot cocoa, skating at Millenium Park, and cuddling up with my Chilly Willy :o)

Of course when Kobfa comes out here, we have to go fishing for some really good sushi. I wanted to keep the fun alive and find a Kaiten-Sushi (conveyor belt sushi; aka sushi-go-round) restaurant. I was told that Amur a had it. Boy oh boy were we disappointed when they didn't have it. I guess the person misunderstood me when I tried to explain it. Oh well, at least the sushi was good. I tried Googling Kaiten-Sushi restaurants in Orlando...but couldn't find anything...so if anyone knows of one...PUH-LEEEEEEEZ let me know!!!! (Otherwise I'll have to add Sushi Station to my list of places to eat when I get home).

The weekend ended with a BBQ at Star's. I was extremely excited for her when I saw the turn out because this is HER day and she definitely deserved to be the happiest that day! I was just grateful to have met someone that gave me a fun place to go (with GREAT food, FUN folks, and GORGEOUS fireworks). We sat so close to the fireworks, I think I'm still washing ash outta my eyes. Hahaha! OH, and let me say, this was my FIRST time playing with sparklers! *gets all giddy*

So, to June...I say GOODBYE!

A great big welcome to JULY!! :o)

I always said there's always a rainbow after the rain!!!...and it definitely made it's appearance on the way to Star's 4th of July BBQ. This was DEFINITELY one of the best weekends yet in Orlando!! :o)

Wish i had a panoramic camera.

This one stretched all the way across the sky (full arch)

Watermelon Crawl

2009-07-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Rolling out of bed EARLY in the morning after a late night of fun was NOT the easiest thing for me to do! Was I looking forward to another run in what already felt like a sauna bath before the run even started???? Of course not, are ya nuts?!?!?! :o)

The race took place in a small residential neighborhood (in Winter Park), so one can only imagine how crowded the run was. There were 3000 hot, sweaty, enthusiastic runners lined up at the start! The anthem played, horn sounded, and the runners were off.

Amongst the throng of trail trekkers was none other than Chef Ewald Notter! I felt like a completely lazy slug next to him. He had already done 4 miles..BEFORE THE RACE! This 5K run was nothing but a cool down run for him.

Hahaha....too funny because when I get to a race, I always see people running before the race and never understood the purpose....now here I was with the founder and Director of Education of Notter School of Pastry Arts and witnessing to him being "one of those people" *sheepish grin*

He gives me great inspiration to run....helps preserve youth, prevent weight gain (it's got to be his secret since he consumes all that sugar all day), and stay fit...HE is living proof!!

My goal (again) was to cross that finish line in one piece! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! *does a moonwalk* <--- in honor of MJ :o)

The fun did not stop there, Kobfa and I signed up (along with hundreds of others) to do the watermelon eating contest. 5 guys and 5 gals were chosen (at random) to see who could eat their chunk'o watermelon the fastest in 3 minutes.

My name did not get pulled...but once again, people I go with do get chosen. Kobfa's name was chosen, but because there had already been 5 guys picked, he was not allowed to do it. The MC was gracious enough to allow lil o'l ME to do it instead!

Rules of the game were as follows:

No hands, no upchucking, no spitting!

So, how did I do? Welllllllllllllll.....you are now looking at 2009's Watermelon Queen!! WOO HOO!!! :o)

Me, FL's Watermelon Queen, Winner of Men's Division (and son)!

I won rights to never inhaling watermelon like that ever again, a whole watermelon, a crown (aka watermelon visor with "QUEEN" written on it"), and two beautifully hand painted wine glasses.

So what have I learned from this experience? Maybe cooking isn't my thing...but EATING sure is!!! Maybe after pastry school I'll go and train with Juliet Lee and Sonya Thomas and join them in the rankings of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. *laughs hysterically* JUST KIDDING....or am I? *wink wink*

It was just nice to run along side my sweet darling lollipoo. Our next appearance will be EXPEDITION EVEREST!

*Note-I had to use this Post Title because it used to be one of my favorite songs amongst many other country songs. How could y'all NOT like line dancing? :o)

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow

2009-07-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's a new month...time for new beginnings! :o)

I'm not quite sure how much I got chopped off...but Man'o Man does it feel Grrrrreat! My head no longer feels heavy! *does a quick hair whip*

I know a lot of gals who get sad when they chop their hair off, but me??? NO WAY JOSE!! My hair grows at an unusally rapid pace so I wasn't worried! No more horse hair for me!!!! Yippie!!!!

Taste of Chicago

2009-06-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

OMGoodness! Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine blogging about Italian Beef!!!

However, with the Taste of Chicago in full bloom right now, I began to miss the thought of not being able to frequent this annual event...the sweaty crowd, the blistering heat, the rowdy lines, highway robbery prices, but most importantly...the unforgettable aroma that fills the atmosphere.

So many restaurants, so many decisions, so little time. One could only spend so much time walking around this madness before deciding to go back and rejoice in air conditioning and the peace and quietness of their humble abode.

I for one, ALWAYS manage to get my usual...corn on the cob from Dominick's, elephant ears (fried dough) from Harry Caray's, and of course the Italian Beef from Tuscany. For those of you that have a sweet tooth, I would recommend Eli's Cheesecake, chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate dipped frozen bananas from Aunt Diana's Candy Makers,...OR Kobfa's favorite, the Rainbow Ice Cream from Original Rainbow Cone.

Because of all the sugar I have been consuming, I have been craving something succulent, something meaty, something spicy, something savory, something that makes me say "aaaaaah...now THIS is life". :o)

I have been craving an Italian Beef!!!!

Today, I asked my classmates where I could find good Italian Beef. To my surprise, they all gave me a look of confusion. They had no idea what I had been talking about. WHAT?!?!?! How could you not know what an Italian Beef is? At that moment, sadness fell upon me because I knew my chances of getting my hands on one of those soggy richness was slim to none.

However, Reggie, bless his heart, decided to jump on the internet during our lunch break and look it up.

To our surprise, there was a Giordano's out here in Orlando. I had never had an Italian Beef from Giordano's before, but since it's one of Chicago's favorite food venues, I figured that might be the closest to an original Italian Beef I'll get out here.

There are varying degrees of juiciness, depending on your taste. Nomenclature varies from stand to stand, but wet or dipped means the bread is quickly dunked in "the juice" (au jus); juicy even wetter; soaked is dripping wet.

ME!!!! I ordered EXTRA DIPPED! :o)

How did Giordano's do? The Italian Beef did not come with giardiniera (a common Chicago condiment on Italian Beef)...so I settled for jalapeno peppers instead...but it SURE hit the spot! *licks lips* Feels good to have a taste of home again. :o)

So to my fellow peeps in Chi-town...DO NOT take this mouth-watering goodness for granted!!! When I get back to Chicago...we are hitting the town at Al's Beef (or Portillo's...whichever is still open) *chuckles*

Home Is Where the Bed Is

2009-06-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

This may not be your usual Bake Cake and Run blog...but blogs are for documenting your thoughts...good and bad, right?

Well, as I sit here contemplating exactly what to write...I conclude why it's been so hard to find motivation to blog these days. I want to tell you so much about school and all the different goodies we've been concocting, but I've been extremely emotionally drained.

It's been a little over two months since I've been home. Although it may not seem long and people have come out to visit me, it's not the same as actually being home. I miss my mom....my doggie....MY BED!!!!! (and of course my Honeydew) :o(

I must admit that it isn't too hard to make friends...er acquaintances rather, but the comfort of true friends (ones that you can trust, depend on, and just laugh it all off with) is definitely irreplaceable. I know that I am just a phone call or a touch of SEND on email away, but sometimes, it's seeing their smile and being in their presence that confirms "everything will be okay". *sigh*

Please don't get me wrong, I am still learning (and eating) lots. I even have battle scars!!! *flexes muscles*

The one on my thumb is from picking up a tiny speck of freshyly made caramel...

DON'T TRY THAT AT HOME!!!

And the one on my knuckle is from touching the rack in the oven...YES SAVITRE, an oven is HOT!!!! *sigh* I guess it's a live and learn experience. :o) No worries, I still have all ten fingers (for now, at least). *giggle*

This week concludes the Classical Cakes and Tarts unit...but I'm still trying to figure out what I want to make for the practical. We can pick from any of the entremets we've learned in this unit.

So, will it be the....

The Opera Cake?

The Fraisier?

The Engadine Nut Torte?

Charlotte Russe?

Suchard Tart?

Linzer Torte?

Oooooor any of the tarts/cakes we learned in the first week of this unit?

Decisions...Decisions! Honestly, if I had all week for the practical, I wouldn't limit myself to choosing just one. They were all so fun to make, I would definitely love to try them all again. :o)

Anywho, I have lots of fun and exciting things to look forward to this week, so I'm hoping that this will help lift my spirits and make being homesick a little more tolerable...afterall, there is ALWAYS a rainbow after the rain! :o)

G'night Y'all!!

A Sweet Trip to Vegas

2009-06-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

The weather was gorgeous, people were stunning, and the food was sumptuous.

This wasn't my first trip to Vegas. My first trip was a treat for my college graduation. There aren't enough words in the dictionary to explain what Vegas is like...so if you haven't been there, I'd highly recommend checking it out (at least once in your lifetime).

I'm not sure what it is about bright lights and flashy crowds that intrigue me so...but the sight was definitely captivating. I was excited to finally check out the infamous Fremont Street.

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is renting a car (I know...it doesn't take much to make me happy). :o) It always feels like opening a birthday gift when you're handed the keys to a car that you DON'T know what you're going to get. So what did we get this time?

THE SMURF MOBILE *chuckles*

My first impression: I didn't think I had sunglasses dark enough to block out the bright shining blue...but I came to love it because it was also a convertible!

We definitely revelled in joy riding around town in our Cruiser.

Because I had been to Vegas before, my intentions for this trip was not for gambling, partying, and glam. This time I wanted to check out the sweeter side of Vegas!...Man oh Man was I in store for a treat!!!! :o)

We began our trip by checking out the Ethel M Chocolate Factory Tour.

Ethel M is owned by Mars Incorporated and was named after the mother of Forrest Mars.

In 2007 the company made the transition from Ethel M Chocolates into Ethels Chocolate. The new branding boasts a whole new line of 48 different handmade-gourmet chocolates designed by master chocolatier Jin Caldwell.

Unfortunately, when we got there, they were no longer making anymore goodies. *boo hoo*

"That's okay", I thought to myself because the trip had just begun. :o)

We continued our sacchariferous trip into the famous hotels of The Strip.

First stop, Bouchon Bakery of the Venetial Hotel-Resort-Casino.

I was excited to check out this bakery because it's owned by Thomas Keller. The only reason I know that name was because in our bread class, Chef Tim would speak highly of this man.

I was excited to see the carrot cake cookie because we had just made carrot cake in class on Thursday.

Golly gee!!! I definitely wanted to get my hands on one of EVERYTHING...but I settled for the vanilla macaroon! GOOD CHOICE SAVITRE!!! :o) *pats myself on the back*

Next stop...Payard & Patisserie Ceasars Palace of Francois Payard. As we walked in, before us stood a ginormous Chocolate Clock.

The nine time zone represents the international flavors and taste profiles which have been inspired by Francois and the recipes he has created over time. A time honored recipe for truffles was used to create the treats which are dispensed at regular intervals throughout the day for enjoyment of visitors to Payard & Patisserie Ceasars Palace.

Our feet were tired, we had a long day of travel, but nothing was going to stop us from getting to the Bellagio.

Here, we struck gold...er CHOCOLATE rather!!!! :o)

At the entry way encased in glass was a floor to ceiling chocolate fountain! My jaw dropped, mouth watered, and eyes wide as that of a kid in a candy store...I thought I died and went to heaven! *eyes gazing*

As much as you wanted to take your eyes off of it and browse the bakery, you just couldn't. When I finally got pushed around by the crowd and all the other excited visitors I was knocked back to conscious and continued to browse at all the delectables this place...this pastry paradise had to offer.

We had made it to Jean-Philippe Patisserie. There were cake displays all around, counters full of fresh pastries, and walls filled with purchasable confectionery treats, and a long line of happy customers waiting to place an order for fresh crepes.

We took home a box of Almond Dragee and Chocolate Coconut Tuile

(the Tuile was a must because that too was something I had just recently learned in school)

Sweets from my Sweetie!

Finally, our last day ended with the highlight of our trip! Mandalay Bay!

Home of Executive Pastry Chef...none other than Chef Vincent Pilon! *blissful grin*
Words cannot describe this experience...but I'll give it a try (but know that nothing I say will do justice for the actual experience)!

I was excited just to get a chance to see Chef Vincent again. I thought it would be a meet and greet and let him go his merry way back to his busy life...but NO, that was definitely NOT the case.

Oh my goodness, instead, he was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule and take us down to his bake shop and show us his kitchen, meet some of his staff, and see where all the works of art are created.

We also spent some time in his office checking out photos of some of his greatest creations. If you know me, I am easily star struck and loss for words. However, when chatting with Chef Vincent, there was definitely a feeling of ease. I wanted to just pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and go through each and every one of his photos in detail while listening to his life stories.

I was excited to see some of his chocolate showpieces...especially his latest work for The Lion King opening (seen on the right).

When I thought that I had seen it all, I had soon realized that THIS was just the beginning. He continued by showing us the "secret" passage ways of Mandalay Bay and areas I could never afford but only dreamed of seeing. (sorry, don't have any pics because I felt like it was top secret info that should only be captured in the memories of my mind).

Before I knew it, we ended up in the kitchen of the Grill on the beach and then soon walking amongst the hotel guests of the beach. The feeling was surreal. I couldn't believe what was actually happening...I, ME, lil Savitre, was walking around with Chef Vincent Pilon. It seemed only like yesterday I was watching the Food Network Challenges and seeing him win every competition he competed in...but NOW, I was there with him!!!! *still in awe*

Two hours later, we were on the casino floor, taking in recommendations of restaurants, and even going into one that was not open yet (Aureole). More joy and excitement came upon me when I saw the 42-foot-tall glass-enclosed "wine tower".

As soon as I saw it, I recognized it from when Lisa Garza (The Next Food Network Star) had to do a challenge in it!

I had never had a backstage pass to a concert before, but THIS definitely felt like VIP access. There was something about walking around with Chef Vincent that made you feel important, inspired, and definitely blessed with such an opportunity.

After we parted with him, Kobfa and I were paralized by the whole experience. We went to eat at The Noodle Shop (recommended by Chef Vincent). As we sat there, we were both basically loss for words. All we did was basically replay over and over in our heads everything that had just happened. I am forever grateful to Notter School of Pastry Arts for giving me the opportunity to have taken a class by him...AND I am forever grateful to Chef Vincent for making time for us and sharing with us. A visit with him was just the cup of tea I needed to rejuvenate my spirit for school.

The trip did not end here!!!....No trip to Vegas (for me at least) is complete without a visit to the land of my favorite chocolate candy~the four story M&Ms World.

If this isn't the SWEETEST trip to Vegas...I don't know what is!

Now, as Christina would say..."I need to sugar detox". :o)

Petit Four No More

2009-06-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

PREPARE FOR A PHOTO FILLED BLOG :o)

Okay, so I've finally concluded that blogging is becoming more and more difficult to fit into my schedule...with school all day, gym afterwards, updating notes for school, and getting to bed at a normal time. *hmph*

It makes me sad not to be able to document my daily happenings...but I guess I just need to somehow make more time for it. But where oh where does the time go?

Without further ado...let's see what's been bake'n at Notter.

On Tuesday we finished our Petit Four unit...which I'm quite sad about. I actually liked that unit because all the pastries were sooooo cute. :o)

Chocolate Orange

(hidden orange coulis inside and sitting on an almond daquoise)

Mango Passion

Pate Choux

(translates to "cabbage paste", referring to the cabbage-like shape of cream puffs)

Brownies

Madelines and Financiers

Apple Custard Tart

Macaroons

For our practical, we had to create a pate choux, petit four sec (a selection of dry cookies), and a petit four of our choice.

What did Savitre decide to do?

For the pate choux, I decided to do a profiterole. The choux paste is baked into small round puffs that are served cold with a sweet filling and sometimes a topping. The term profiterole refers to a filling of ice cream. A cream puff has a filling of whipped cream or pastry cream.

For the petit four sec, I chose to do Rice Krispy Cookies...not to be mistaken with Rice Krispy Treats. These cookies are Tah DIE FOR!!! :o)

And for the petit four of my choice, I wanted to do a verrine (a confection, originally from France, made by layering ingredients in a small glass. It can be either sweet or savoury, making a dessert or snack.). Any guesses on my inspiration?.....CHOCOLATE, BUT OF COURSE! :o)

The bottom layer is a milk chocolate mousse, topped with a chocolate ganache (with Rice Krispy Cookie crumbs mixed in to give it texture), followed by a nice light praline mousse, and finally a super mega sweet whip cream topping. Talk about being a chocaholic!!!...That's ME!!! :o) *giggles*

Anyways, this is only a fraction of what we did in petit fours. I'd be here forever trying to upload all the pics.

For now, we've moved on to Classical Cakes and Tarts. WHAT?!?!?!? Did someone say CAKE?!??!?! Yippie!! I'm super excited...this is where I come in! Maybe I didn't know much about bread, or breakfast pastries, or petit fours, but when it comes to cake...NOW we're speaking my language.

Yesterday we were busy baking away and today we decorated. Check it out!!!

We made Grandma's Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, California Fruit Tart, Apple Custard Tart, and NY Cheesecake....and none of them came out of a Pillsbury box. *chuckles* I was so proud and excited of our accomplishments...but then it dawned on me that I had no one to share all this yummy goodness with. I watched all my classmates strategically pack them away to take home to their loved ones...and then there was me. *sniff * :o(

I ended up taking home the carrot cake and cheese cake...and figured I will eat them by myself...*ho hum* such is life! :o) WHATEVER!!! TWO WHOLE CAKES to myself and not having to share or worry that someone else is going to get the bigger slice or last slice???? THIS is definitely a sweet life!!!!

Star, Veena, Jon...if you're reading this...know that I'll share this with y'all ANY day!!!! :o) With 15 weeks left to go in pastry school...you guys can be my taste tester anytime!!! Star, maybe I'll have left over for your 4th of July bash!!! (if not, I'm sure I'll have something) :o)

Sweat, Sun, and Fun

2009-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

It's 5:30 on a Saturday morning (a day off from school) and my alarm goes off! What on earth am I thinking? :o)

I'm thinking, today looks like a great day to go for a 5K run!!! :o) *begins day with morning stretches*

It was a gorgeous drive to the race...sun peeking over the trees...fog over little bodies of water...and barely any cars on the road.

It was a nice quiet drive until...I took the wrong exit....GRRRRR!

I had about 20 minutes left to make it to packet pick-up...NOT how I wanted to start the race!

After my personal GPS (my boyfriend) guided me back on the right path and having to put up with my frustrations, I finally made it!! (that's why I love my honey-bunches-of-oats so much, he's always there for me even when he's not here...thank you for putting up with your crazy lil monkey buns!!!)

So, how does ORC (Orlando Runners Club) compare to CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association)....hmmm...definitely not as organized.

When I got to the race, there was no distinct starting line...so I wasn't sure if I was parked close or 6 miles away from the start. Thank goodness for getting lost because I actually ended up parking A LOT closer to the starting line than most people.

I picked up my race packet and found only 3 safety pins instead of the usual four. That's okay, because I just asked for one more.

The sun was rising at a rapid pace and you could feel the heat warming up your back. I stood at the starting line wondering why this race wasn't set at an earlier start time. I guess it's Florida, so this is normal. *laughs*

Halfway through the race, I stopped at a water station just to pick up an extremely warm cup of water! *bleck* Oh well, warm water is better than no water, right?

At the finish line, I was told to go back a little because I couldn't pass up the guy in front of me because we had to grab an index card (in the order we finish) to put our name, gender, and age so they could post it (manually). *looks confused*

At one point in the race, I thought for sure I was going to melt into the ground and be mistaken for a water station. *continues to sizzle*

Although there seemed to be many negatives to this race, did I let it get me down? Of course not! I still had fun and rejoiced in my accomplishments. I FINISHED!!! (I think it was under 33 minutes...not quite sure) *does a victory dance*
I was excited to get my hands on post-race food. What does Florida have to offer?

ORANGES OF COURSE!!!

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!! A post-race pizza party was going to be held at Mellow Mushroom...but not for another 2 hours. Boo! So what does Savitre do?...she makes new friends!

Jon, Veena, Jason, Star, and Moi :o)

I met a fun group of friends aka The Headless Lizards. They are hilarious and were fun to past time by with. I am now an official groupie of their band! *giggles*

Before we headed out to Mellow Mushroom, they were doing raffle drawing based on our bib numbers. I was not lucky enough to have my number drawn. However, Jon was....TWICE to be exact. The first time he won a really nifty shoe bag and the second...the really chic bright green shirt that yours truly is modeling for you.

After an hour of sitting around at Mellow Mushroom... breakfast was served!! (sorry, I don't have any pics of the pizzas because all the hungry runners were devouring it up like vultures).

All in all, I had a fun day!!! Am I looking forward to my next sweltering 5K race? Definitely!!!...because next time my pookie bear will be running along side me on the 4th of July!!!
Woo Hoo!!! :o)

From Winter Garden to Summer Africa

2009-06-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

I had a very relaxing weekend. I didn't do much except play catch up with my school notes and hit the gym.

Sunday, however, was a fun-filled day of Orlando exploration.

I headed up northwest to Winter Garden to check out Sweet Traditions. I had read reviews on it and was excited to go there and enjoy a nice cup of coffee and perhaps a snack (or two).

The bakery was situated in a cute little neighborhood with red brick roads and lots of people on bikes and walking around . When I first walked up to the bakery, I was so happy to see a bunch of people enjoying a Sunday afternoon brunch outside on the patio. When I walked in, I was in awe by the showcase filled with pastries.

People were laughing and chatting. You felt right at home in an instant. It didn't take very long for someone to come up to me and ask me if I needed help. I declined her offer politely seeing as I needed a few more minutes to take in all the goodness the bakery had to offer.

You know you're having a great day when you start out with a chocolate breakfast! I couldn't resist the urge to order a CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI and CHOCOLATE NAPOLEON.

"Man cannot live on chocolate alone; but woman sure can."

I was even more psyched TODAY when we learned how to make Napoleons in class (stay tuned for pastry school updates...lots of great things to share).

As I enjoyed my "breakfast", I chatted with some of the folks at the tables next to me and Yasmine, this sweet gal that works there only on weekends. She was so friendly and so gracious enough to tell me more about Winter Garden. I continued to enjoy my bottomless cup of coffee and play with my DSi (they had free wifi there...so I didn't fail my twitter fans) as I waited for Renee to get out of work and meet up with me. We had plans for lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant (Savitre was craving some serious spicy food!!!)

It was a gorgeous day. Not a single cloud in the sky..... BUT THEN....

good o'l Orlando doesn't fail to just dump all this rain on ya! *frown* Renee arrived as the rain started coming down. We waited a moment for it to clear (hence not seeing anyone outside in the first two photos). Once it cleared, we hit the road to the Thai restaurant...and AGAIN the rain comes down (that's me taking a picture while driving as the rain nearly blinded me)! HRUMPH! *look of frustration*

When we finally made it to the restaurant...it was closed!!!! (of course, because that's my luck)

So we tried to go to this other Thai restaurant that I saw as we left the bakery...

the sign was so honk'n huge, it was kinda hard to miss. Of course when we got THERE, they too were closed. *sigh* So what do you do when everything is closed? You settle for a quaint little Mexican joint. The food did not fail!

Did this end my day of funness? But of course NOT!!!

An hour later, I headed out to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge to meet 9 complete strangers for dinner. Yes, Savitre CAN eat within one hour apart!!!!

I had never been to the Animal Kingdom Lodge before (and if you love animals...this is definitely a place to check out!), so when I was offered an invite, by a fellow blogger friend, Justin (which you've probably already heard me mention a couple of times in other posts), I could not pass up the opportunity. Boy oh boy am I glad I didn't! To save some redundancy here...please refer to the comment I added to his blog, Just Keep Goofin'. Since he posted a nice pic of us, I will post the usual Bake Cake and Run pics....FOOD!!!!! *cheeky grin*

We ate at Boma. It's a buffet situated on the bottom floor in the Jambo House (not Jamba Juice, which is what I kept thinking it was for the longest time) I had never had flavors of Africa before, so I KNEW this was going to be lots of fun! I tried new foods like mealie bread, fufu, Geelry's rice, and Bobotie. Remember, I just eat, I don't cook, so please don't ask me what all is in it. *chuckles*

My salad plate included:

(starting at the top and going clockwise)

1) Carrot, Coconut, Pineapple Salad

2) Avocado, Papaya, and Grapefruit Salad

3) Lentils and Hearts of Palm Salad

4) Pasta Salad

and of course Pita Bread in the Middle

My starch plate included:

(again with the clockwise)

Corn and Spinach Pudding

Sambal (hot sauce) :o)

Cous Cous Marakesh

Geelry's Rice

Fufu

As you can tell, I had so much to eat today, I never made it to the dessert bar. Boo hoo!!!...but it looked good though. Here are some samples:

Before we left, I managed to get a picture with Justin, Krystal, and their two little cutie pies!

TAKE ONE!!!
OKAY...TRY AGAIN...TAKE TWO!!

PICTURE PERFECT!

See ya in September....and don't foget to bring your "A" game!!! *laughs*

You Know You're a Runner If...

2009-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

you know how to pronounce (correctly) Plantar Fasciitis
when you have a favorite ice pack
when you go through a box of Band-Aids without getting a single cut
your room smells like a nursing home because of all the analgesic you use

Some items from my home remedy kit includes my favorite ice pack (since 2003); can be used as an ice pack when placed in the freezer or a heating pad when thrown in the microwave! SO VERY COOL!

when you laugh about chaffing
when your physical/massage therapist knows your race schedule and are on speed dial
when you brag about losing toenails
when you run even though you are sick
when your family knows that you will run on Thanksgiving and Christmas (or other holidays you celebrate) no matter what

FYI: My next scheduled holiday race is 4th of July (The Watermelon 5K) :o)

when you put more time and work into taping parts of your body than to your tax return
when there are permanent blood stains on your T-shirts where you were rubbed raw
when it hurts worse to take a shower than it does to keep running
when you know the names and remedies for every possible injury from bursitis to shin splints
when you are constantly washing running clothes but have to go through piles of clothes on the floor to find work clothes each morning
when your rolling pin is kept near your bed instead of in the kitchen
when every T-shirt you own has a race name and sponsors listed on it
when you have to explain to everyone why you can't run in the T-shirts you get at races
when you go from having a drawer for your running clothes to having an entire bureau for running clothes

when you could teach a class about biomechanics and the different kinds of shoes people need
when you have more shoes than your girlfriend or girl friends (as the case may be)
when you balk at the cost of everyday shoes and then spend $75 - $100 on a pair of running shoes that will only last 3 months and think you're getting a fabulous deal
you can shop at Fleet Feet or your local running store for hours, but can't stand 5 minutes anywhere else
when you spend $12 on socks that help you avoid blisters
when your socks come in two categories: running socks and others
when the drive to the race is longer than the race itself

when you realize that all the traveling you did in the last year revolved around races
when you call four miles an easy day
when you smirk at people who tell you that you run too much or are crazy for enjoying a run

Waaaahhhh!!! Today brought upon bad news. I just found out that next weekend's class with Ciril Hitz was rescheduled to November (when I'll already be back in Chicago) *sniff* :o(

I moped about it for a good half hour only because it's added to my "personal issues with the happenings at school" but then decided to turn that frown upside down and sign up for the Orlando Runner's Club Race Into Summer 5K (seriously, could that name be any longer?) *grin*

It worked out nicely because according to my training schedule, I need to do 3 miles that day...so is that point 1 mile going to kill me? Don't think so! *looking confident* :o)

However, will the Florida sun melt me into the pavement before I get to the finish line? Perhaps! *looking not so confident* :o(

I'm a nocturnal runner...I'm not a big fan of running in the sun...that's why I'm extremely excited to do the Tower of Terror 13K which BEGINS at 10:30pm!!! It's okay though because after the race there will be a post-race party held at Mellow Mushroom. Mmmm...mmm....PIZZAAAAAHH!! *licks lips*

As the saying goes.. "Run the first mile with your legs, the second mile with your mind, and the third mile with your heart."

My only goal is to finish with a smile on my face and enjoy my first race in an EXTREMELY long time! Yay!!!...can't wait to pin on that bib #!!!! (clearly it doesn't take much to make me happy) :o)

Not So Petty Petit Fours

2009-06-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

It's a new month, with a new unit and a new teacher...which means NEW ATTITUDE!

I see great things for this NEW beginning! *great big smile*

We've left breakfast pastries behind and are now faced with the challenges of petit fours, mignardies, and patisserie. WHOA BABY!!!....many new words to learn!! *looks frightened*

When I first heard of petit fours, I was all excited because 4 is my favorite number. :o)

However, I just learned that petit fours has NOTHING to do with the number 4. *sigh*

They include any small cake or pastry that can be eaten in one or two bites. They are typically served at the end of a meal, with afternoon tea, or for buffets and receptions. The term comes from the French meaning "small oven". :o)

Anyways, how is Savitre liking this class so far? I am having a blast!! *cheeky grin*

Chef Jim has made busy lil cookie monsters out of us for the past two days. We've made spritz, chocolate chip, hazelnut, sugar, linzer, *takes a breath* shortbread, oatmeal raisin, biscotti, and praline rings. *phew* I've never been a cookie person...my favorite has always been chocolate chip with M&Ms but I never knew how fun it was to make cookies. The best part about it is that you don't need an oven that steams (like you do for bread), so all these recipes that we learned could be made at home!!! *does a happy dance*

This class is going to require more work outside of school because at the end of the unit, we have to turn in a portfolio with notes and pictures. Everyone has been listening intently and taking as many photos as possible. *cheeeeeese* :o)

Don't get me wrong...we're still having FUN!!

Chef Jim doesn't fail to continue to make me laugh!! Chef, you're such a goof...YOU ROCK!!!!

Now switching gears from TREAT to FEET! Pleeeez help me regain my joy of running!!! *on bended knees begging*

This past weekend, I'm not quite sure what happened to me, but when I got on the treadmill to do my regularly scheduled 3 miles, I was struggling from the minute the machine turned on!!! *frown*

I also managed to hurt my back from using the Gravitron. A wuh?!?!?!

For people like me who can't do a pull up, this machine assists in that area. It's really cool, but because I haven't worked out any other muscle in my body since the ice age, it was easy to overdo it. I'm okay now...no worries! *thumbs up*

So, after this complete failure of a weekend for working out, I've decided I needed to set a goal for myself. I continue to read blogs about others who are accomplishing goals left and right and all I'm doing is EATING!!! *guilty grin*

Here is my game plan...listen carefully, cause I'm only going to say it once (unless you come back to read this blog again). *giggles*

Since I will be running a 13K (8.08 miles) at the end of October, I figured I'd start training for that because if I don't, I would continue to wuss out and do my measly 3 miles and then freak out the night before the 13K.

Soooo....

here's my training schedule! :o)

Click on the chart to take you to the link!

It's a 15K training schedule (for novice runners) for only 10 weeks, but I figured I'd do it twice so that I would be in top shape for the 13K. I will also have to do the first two weeks twice to get on track...but it's all goooooood! *feeling like a champ*

Yesterday began day 1 of week 1...a successful 2 days!!! *hip hip HOORAY!* :o)

I'm not sure why I get bitten by all these other bugs out here in Florida EXCEPT for the running bug! Ever since the New York City Marathon, I was never able to get that runner's high ever again. Whenever I go running now, I do it just to do it. I have good runs but it's just not the same as when I first started out running 6 years ago. Maybe I'm due for a race and immersing myself amongst my fellow runners...not quite sure, but I'm hoping that this training plan will be a good start! *crosses fingers*

OH HOW I MISS MY CURB CREW!!!!

Time to go update my notes for school now! :o)

Lamination Station!!

2009-05-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling Un-Savitre like these days. I usually can stay positive and happy about a lot of things, but after Thursday's traumatic experience, I have been ANYTHING but positive and happy. *sigh of disappointment*

We finished off breakfast pastry on Thursday with a practical and written final exam.

I am definitely an advocate of practice makes perfect. I guess I didn't quite understand how we were expected to make a perfectly looking laminated croissant or a normal looking brioche à tête after doing it just a couple of times. I guess some people have the knack for it and some don't (yours truly).

Chef Tim told us that working with dough requires gentle hands....hmmm.....I'm the same girl that jump started her own car....do I seem like a girl with gentle hands? NO!!! I'm no Martha Stewart....I'm more Bob Vila!...hence the reason why I would rather manually roll out dough than use the silly sheeter!
This gosh darn thing would do nothing but eat up my dough, spit it out, then laugh at me! I kid you not!....It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! :o)

What laminated dough SHOULD look like!

Well, I thought I'd make up for it on the written final seeing that I studied my brains out...but NO...that wasn't the case either. How was I supposed to know what the French word for puff pastry is?...our book says mille-feuille...but Wikipedia says pâte feuilletée. Which one is it?!?!?! Too bad that wasn't the only question I answered incorrectly...now I'm wondering if I spelled my name correctly on the test. *frowns*

Anyways, I have been having a lot of personal issues with the happenings in school...but thank goodness I have this three day weekend to recuperate and regroup...

sometimes you're better off not knowing the answer to the ever so popular question..."WHY?"

As for breakfast pastries....I guess I won't be opening up a bed and breakfast anytime soon...but thank goodness for an upcoming weekend class with Ciril Hitz that may make me rethink how I truly feel about breakfast pastries. *cracks a grin*

All in all, Chef Tim will be missed. He's taught me lots, not only about bread but also about one's own character..."By seeing the seed of failure in every succes, we remain humble. By seeing the seed of success in every failure we remain hopeful."-unknown

I must continue to remind myself "Savitre, don't be so hard on yourself...you're in school to learn....no one expects anything more from you than trying your best...so go get 'em tiger" *cheeky grin*

After class, I had a little pow wow at my house. It was a potluck dinner and night of games.

Thank you Renee for providing the source of entertainment...and CONGRATS on getting the job at the French Pavillion in Epcot...I'm sorry you couldn't stay longer at the party so that I could beat you at Cranium!! *winks*

I attempted to make my famous papaya salad...only I had never seen an orange mushy gushy papaya before. Everyone here told me that that was the papaya they know it to be...but I've only made it with green ones...so it went from a papaya salad to papaya salsa. Oh well, still yummers! :o)

Elena, being the sweet heart that she is, made us a huge helping of lasagna and tasty garlic bread...I kinda sorta observed her making it and she did it in about 30 minutes....watch out Rachel Ray!!! :o)

It was super delicious and looked so easy to make....I MUST steal the recipe from her!!! *evil laugh*

Reggie brought us some hot wings, Kiku brought a tray of assorted cookies, Lorenzo with his ice cream and a bouqet of tulips, and John and Samantha with their cute little rice krispy treats with M&Ms on top (how did they know that M&Ms were my favorite)?

Mmmm...Mmm! I have not had a feast like this since I left Chicago....I feel like I could go into hibernation now and not eat for the next 5 months that I am here.....or as Justin would say...run it off! *wink wink* :o) (Thinking about you on your 20K!!!!)

After an excruciatingly painful day of breakfast pastry practical and final exam, this was DEFINITELY the way to end the day and kick start a three day weekend! *smile of content*