Sorry for the late posting tonight.  Today was caaaraaaazy!  At the end of my 6 hour class I literally felt like I had been in there for days – what an adrenaline rush!  We started with our written final, which I was really nervous about.  This class was PACKED with information.  Despite my nerves, my studying paid off, and I ended up getting a 96 on the final – score!

Next we split into two groups – one doing knife cuts and one making sauces.  I had hoped to make my sauces first, but ended up in the knife cuts group.  I banged them out one by one, paying really close attention to detail since we had so much time to do them.  I ended up getting perfect 10’s on all but two of them (which were 9.5’s) – double score!

Last but certainly not lease – SAUCE time!  I was a nervous wreck.  It might have been the fastest 90 minutes of my life.  I felt like I was on a Food Network show or something – racing everywhere, shouting for people to grab things – general insanity.  But I ended up being the first in my group to finish, and one of the only people to finish on time.  I was soooo relieved when it was OVER!  Once everyone was finished, we had to scrub the classroom top to bottom, and it was a disaaaaster.  The line was covered in sauce, flour, butter, and other unidentifiable goop.

The dish pit was a nightmare all day long – stacks of dishes so high that we had to start piling them on the floor!

No pictures of actual food in class today – sorry!  I was way too busy making sauce to whip out the old camera.  We were so rushed to get in all the cooking and cleaning that we didn’t end up getting a lunch break.  I scarfed my sandwich down the minute I got to work!  After work, I got home to discover that Casey had bought a new toy for the kitchen!

A french press coffee maker!!  Something it seriously wrong with our Cuisinart Grind & Brew – I think it is possessed by ghosts!  It keeps turning on by itself and going into grind mode out of nowhere.  I finally insisted we unplug it because I was afraid it was going to burn the house down!  Rather than replace our $200 coffee maker, Casey thought it might be fun to try french press for a while.  He gave me a short tutorial on how to use the new gadget.  First up – grind the beans.

Then pour the grounds into the press, and top with measured boiling water.

   Then top and PRESSSSSS!

Wait four minutes, and pour…

The coffee was delicious, and a nice treat after such a crazy long day.  This has been the craziest week ever with two huge exams and a cooking practical – I have ONE more gigantic project due on Monday, and then I am finally freeeeee from all this end-of-term madness. 

Originally I planned on buckling down and starting to tackle the project tonight, but I’m feeling really stuffy and I’m having massive allergy attacks.  I think a night off might end up being more beneficial than trying to push through.  So instead of doing school work, I decided to enjoy my coffee, make dinner with Casey, and relax on the couch and enjoy the new episode of Survivor!  Sometimes you just need a break, you know?

And what is more comforting and relaxing than MEXICAN FOOD?  Yum!

We made brown rice with Mexican seasoning in the rice cooker.&#
160; On the stovetop I sautéed a pan of peppers and onions, and a pan of tofu marinated with cilantro, ginger, and orange juice. 

Casey had his in tortillas, but I went for the salad option tonight.  I topped my spinach with all our Mexican goodies, as well as some spicy salsa and crumbled goat cheese.

Mmmmmmmm.  Off to watch the newest season of Survivor with Casey, and hope that I wake up feeling a lot less stuffy and congested.  Allergy season is the WORST – can anyone recommend a good over-the-counter allergy fix??  I want to itch my nose and eyeballs straight off my face!

The EatSmart food scale giveaway ends tonight!!  Winner announced first thing tomorrow morning – see you then!