First 30 Years of life

So as of tonight around 2:42 AM, I will have completed my first 30 years of life. I was thinking about all the things that I should have done while I was in that youth...I did them all. I was thinking that I never got into a fight, but I don't regret that. Fight Club being one of my favorite books and films, I could definitely appreciate the quote that says, "A man can't know himself until he has lost in a fight." But to me, getting in a fight means that you cannot resolve your conflicts like a civilized person.

I'm sad that my 20s are over, but happy that I'm starting the second of the three sections of my life.

Pretty Uneventful lately

Work is in full swing now, so my weekends have been more geared towards rest. This Friday I played in a golf tournament with a few colleagues. It was a fundraiser for the sports program at my school.

Last week I had a total of 7 students suspended from school in my classes. 6 of them were in chamber choir.

I made some really good beet greens the other day. I used bacon. Bacon makes everything taste good.

On Friday I'm going camping, my birthday is on Thursday, and I have the whole week off the following week. So let's chill.

Sometimes even I fuck up

My baguettes turned breadsticks. Had my oven set to 400 not 375. FAILURE! We'll see how they taste, hopefully better than they look.

Sexy Salad Niçoise

This dish I first encountered while conducting at the Medomak Retreat for Conductors. The had these wonderful cooks there that cooked all of the meals. The most memorable dish, aside from the lobster, was the Salad Niçoise. This dish was so foreign to me because you get this plate of vegetables that are all seperated and some tuna. I wasn't even a big fan of tuna at the time. But, I love potatoes and eggs and green beans. So I made this dish tonight to have for lunch and share with one of my colleagues. We have decided to make lunch for each other every other day. So tomorrow being my turn, I chose this simple dish that is so tasty and sexy all at the same time.

While making the dressing, I realized how delicious my dressing is. I started eating it all up. Let me share with you my recipe for the dressing. These are not exact measurements so use your best judgement.

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1 tsp. Honey

1 tsp. finely chopped sage

1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. salt

ground pepper

4 tbsp. Olive oil

Whisk and love

Here is a pic of alex's dogs, lol.

Labor Day

Arnold Palmer's that happened on Tuesday with me and Alex. Had a good time downtown for happy hour at E&O Trading Co.

I've been making some delicious whole wheat bread. No preservatives or diglycerides.

Made some awesome pizza this weekend. Partied Friday night and Saturday night with good friends. Golfed on Saturday my best game ever (which is only a 102). Good weekend.

mmm donuts, doh!

So in my quest for eating healthy real food, mostly fruits and vegetables, I had a half a donut today. The donut called to me in a very seductive voice, "hey sweet cakes, come eat me." I couldn't resist, so I ate half. A half hour later I was the grumpiest person, had a headache, came home and thought I was going to throw up. My body felt poisoned. I could fell it all throughout my body. I wanted to yack. I took a nap and woke up in this haze. It was like being high of some bad chronic. No more donuts for me.

In defense of food

I just finished reading this book. It's incredible! It is really everything I believe in about food. I just hate it when people say I eat too much butter and too many eggs. Fuck You! You drink too much high fructose corn syrup and eat partially hydrogenated soybean oils. Go buy some corn and make some high fructose corn syrup and add that to your fuckin coffee in the morning.

If I wasn't already somebody who takes my food very seriously, I am now. The next step I am taking in my new relationship food is prayer. Now many of you who know me probably just took a double take. When I was in Florida, Kenny's Mom and Dad prayed at every meal. At first I laughed because Kenny's dad said the thing so fast that it had no meaning. But after 6 days of it, I came to appreciate it as a ritual. I'm not interested religious propaganda, but I'm interested in the ritual of taking time to acknowledge one's food and to have gratitude in one's life. I'm not doing cause I'm afraid of hell like most Christians or to be righteous. My motivation is pure gratitude to the cow that gave it's life, the farmer that stuck the zapper up its butt to kill it, to the Mexican that uprooted my potatoes, to Simon the checker at Safeway, to my mom, dad, and grandparents who taught me how to cook.

I offer this prayer, because it sounds cool (in latin):

Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate summus sumpturi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen

(Bless us o Lord for these thine gifts we are about to recieve and the bounty of Christ our Lord, Amen.)

My mom told me it also changes the molecular structure of your food. She says that praying over water also does and there is some visual evidence of that happening. Here is a link to a website that gives evidence of that.