Coffee, Clayton and class

Hey all! Thank you so much for your well wishes and concerns about Clayton’s surgery recovery. I’m happy to report that he’s still doing great! As to be expected, his nose is majorly tender and sore with each passing day, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. Our biggest obstacle to overcome right now is his constant lightheadedness that we’re not sure is a direct result of his pain medication or from the fact that he’s trying to adjust to life without a chronically clogged head. 

By doctor’s orders, Clayton is required to take a least an entire week off of work and at only 3 days in, he’s already going stir crazy. He’s been so antsy to get out of the house that I offered to drive him to the mall last night and let him exercise his legs. We visited the pet store (They had the cutest wiener dog!) and perused Finish Line’s selection of Brooks running shoes (I’m about 3 months overdue for a new pair. Whoops.)

For dinner I made a beef stew in the crock pot and totally didn’t let it simmer long enough. Clayton, bless his heart, made it a point to eat the crunchy pieces of potato anyway. I love that guy.

Before going into the oven. Already looks yummy!

Oh, and on Sunday afternoon I had a bit of cabin fever myself, so I decided to occupy my time by peeling, coring and cutting about a dozen apples to make my first ever apple crisp. Warm apple crisp is easy, not the most completely unhealthy dessert on the planet and tastes comforting on a chilly winter afternoon. Fresh out of the oven, I topped a bowlful with a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and presented it to Clayton with one of his pain pills. 

I also started my online class yesterday and our only assignment for this first week is to visit the discussion board and introduce ourselves to the rest of the class (Oh, the joys of taking a 100-level course). Being the eager beaver that I am, I was the first person to post to the discussion forum and after reading some of my classmates introductions this morning, I realized that I’m totally long-winded and wrote about 3 paragraphs more than everyone else.

Everyone else’s introductions were one or two short sentences with their name, where they’re from and how far along they are in their degree.  I basically wrote my cooking manifesto and look like a total brown noser by making sure my mini novella was the first post my professor read.

Oh, and did I mentioned that I closed my introduction with a joke?

Yes, that definitely happened.

Off to a good start there, Court. It’s hard to come across as socially awkward on the internet, but you pull it off with pizazz. 

The class is called Food Sanitation and Safety and it’s the single prerequisite course needed to take the baking and cooking classes we offer at the college. My hope is to take nutrition over the summer (just for my own curiosity) and then register for Introduction to Baking this fall. After that, I’ll take any other food class that tickles my fancy.

I’m not looking to earn a specific degree, I just want to take classes in areas that interest me and cake really, REALLY interests me.

This morning I tried a new roast of coffee from Starbucks (I know, it’s been a big day for me) and I think I found a new favorite, too! I’ve seen bags of their Blonde Roast at the grocery store several times, but I never knew what was so special about this particular blend until I saw a commercial for it yesterday. Apparently this roast is lighter both in taste and the amount of damage it can do to your stomach (I love Starbucks, but I don’t indulge in it too often because I usually feel sick later in the day).

So in an effort to avoid the usual “Bowels, why so serious!?” conversation with my digestive system, I cashed in a gift card and gave the Blonde Roast a try this morning on my way to work.

Aside from the fact that it went completely cold on the walk from my car to the front entrance of our building (Seriously, it was 19 degrees this morning and I almost got frost bite from scraping my windshield), it’s pretty good! It definitely has a lighter color and while it’s clearly not as full-bodied and robust as a regular cup of Starbucks Java, the taste is remarkably good. 

I’m a simple gal when it comes to my coffee. No lattes, no cappuccinos, no shots of whiskey or caramel or espresso—just give me plain coffee with a little bit of skim milk, and I am happy girl! 

 

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Before I sign off the day, I just had to ask: Did anyone catch the Golden Globes on Sunday night? My girl Tina Fey (she’s my hero ... and my bestie, she just doesn't know it yet) hosted with Amy Poehler, and those funny ladies killed it. I think the two of them just host every awards show from here on out … even the Teen Choice awards. 

I hope you have a great Tuesday!