Spring Break

I can't believe Spring Break went by so fast! It was so much fun and so much happened!! Soooo, let's recap! 

Thursday I drove to Norman to see Jacob, who I hadn't seen for 3 whole weeks! (3 weeks too long if you ask me...) Friday, we went on a double date with some friends to BJ's Brewhouse and then Starskate where we showed the disco who's boss. 

Me and my fiance, Jacob :)

While there, we were told we were the cutest couple in the entire face of the universe -their words, not mine- by a couple of middle school girls. Then they asked what "our relationship status" was. We told them we were engaged, and pretty much gained our own entourage for the evening.

Jacob gave me my birthday present a little early, and good thing, cause a good cast iron skillet needs time to be seasoned ;) He knows me too well! 

Naturally, I used it to create a wonderful sauteed steak that's finished in the oven with compound butter with chives.

I drove back Tuesday afternoon so I could start my shadowing at Maggiano's the next morning at 5:45. 

Pros for 5:45 A.M.- no traffic.

Let me tell you, it was INCREDIBLE! I followed the Executive Sous chef around for the morning while he did inventory, helped make huge quantities of marinara and Alfredo sauce and got to taste EVERYTHING. If you know me at all, you'd know I was in culinary heaven. 

At 9:30, we had 'family breakfast' where some of the cooks made a meal for all the other cooks. This morning, they made pollo con mole y arroz! That's chicken with stinkin awesome spicy cocoa sauce and Mexican rice for all ya'll non Spanish speakers ;)

I got to know the ins and outs of being a kitchen manager, became fluent in spanish- as I'm sure ya'll have already figured out- and what's that? Oh yeah, I got to learn some amazing recipes! 

So if you've never been in a restaurant kitchen before- like me- there's something you may have never guessed. You see, when I make a dish at home, it may take me, say, an hour- hour 1/2, depending on the recipe. I have to make the sauce, cook each ingredient, yadda yadda yadda....

BUT, in THESE kitchens, they've basically already made all the ingredients up and have them in large coolers, ready to be put together, into amazing, mouth watering dishes.

So when I made chicken Marsala, it probably took me, maybe 5 minutes, most of that was dedicated to grilling a perfect piece of chicken. Somehow, I never guessed their secret to speedy dishes...

Also, I've decided that I'm going to get one of these kitchens for my house...

The second day was much like the first, except I didn't have to wake up at ungodly hours this time. I got to talk to the banquet manager and beverage manager some more and ended up going home a little early. 

My time there was so informative, enlightening, and really fun! The chef offered me a job to start off as a cook there if I wanted- if only I lived a tad close- and now, I also have a really awesome experience to take with me!

My birthday weekend. Was. Awesome.

Friday, my mom and I went to the Dallas Arboretum, and it was fantastic! 

Tulips, tulips, everywhere!!

Jacob came into town, and Saturday, we went to a couple's shower for my friend Jessica & David.

Then, me, Jacob, my friend Haley, Amy, and Amy's sister and friend went to Billy Bob's to celebrate my birthday at midnight! I love getting to dance with my man :) 

The others may or may not have been asked by random weirdos to dance, including creepy old hip-thrusting man, choke-hold man, and smelly arm-pit man...sorry, guys!

The next day, me, Jacob and my parents went to Bonnie Ruth's to have brunch with Mimosas :) so fun!

We ended the night with dinner at Razoo's, The Other Guys, and hot tubing! 

I am SO incredibly blessed by all my friends and family in my life!!

Overall, my spring break was filled with lots of friends, love, and new experiences! 

What are some of your favorite spring break memories?

Feel free to comment!

With much love,

Megan

Joy. Opportunity. Food.

March has been quite a wonderful month so far, minus the tests, projects, and papers...but it's finally spring break!! WHAT WHAT!? I've been thinking over the past couple weeks of what I should write my next post about, and by the time I've finally had time to write it, I could write so much! So here is the plethora of things that have been going on in my life:

Joy.

Have I mentioned before that me and Jacob have set a date for May 17, 2014 for getting hitched?! Eeek! At first, it seemed like a daunting amount of time to wait; however, God has been using little things to show me that it's not only the perfect TIME to get married but that I will have plenty to do before the big day arrives. Note: did ya'll know that it can take up to 8 months to get a wedding dress made and altered? I sure am glad I have enough time! 

I may have mentioned before that Jacob goes to OU, which is about 145 miles from the big D (in my world, that's Denton, ya'll). This semester, I haven't gotten to see him as much- which is probably a good thing considering he has a lot of work to get done- but I sure do miss him. And while, deep down I am so sure that this IS His plan for us, it doesn't always stop me from being impatient. Then I realize, here I am, I get to marry the man of my dreams and have plenty of time to plan a fabulous wedding, and I have no joy to show from it? 

I've come to realize- mostly in the past week or so- that God is also using this time to bring me closer to himself. To find joy in HIM rather than my circumstance- which really, isn't that bad. While Jacob will be spending the last couple months or so finishing his film before he moves back to Texas, I'll be spending that time learning to be content in my circumstances and praise Him for his perfect timing. 

Opportunity.

Upon switching to Hospitality Management, I've been so blessed in getting to receive opportunities to learn what my passion is. I know I love food. I love cooking, using fresh, whole ingredients. I love serving and teaching people about food. I also love delighting people with an exquisite tasting experience. In order to get to spend more time with my roommates (and save on gas), I decided to resign from Oil and Vinegar. I'll still get to work holidays, and I'm actually planning with our manager a time for me to come in and do a cooking demo in the store! My big debut! It's going to use some of the products from the store, so chances are, it'll be my famous broccoli, let's be honest. 

For Christmas, my fiance's mother gave me the opportunity to shadow some of the managers/chef of Maggiano's and this week it's going to happen! I am so blessed and excited for this, even if it's going to mean an early morning 5:30 start time! Yikes! I'll be sharing my experiences I'm sure late next week. Prayers for a fun learning experience would be wonderful!

Foodie Friday! 

Last but certainly not least, the moment you all were waiting for...right?! Foodie Friday! Now, this week's recipe is seriously, one of my all-time favorites, because it involves everyone! Let me explain. A couple weeks ago, my roommates decided to have a pizza night and I was in charge of ingredients. It was WONDERFUL! So easy, tasty, and very gourmet! ;)

This is just a glimpse of how they turned out

We used already made naan bread from Kroger that was infused with garlic, so it was really flavorful! The key, is to use simple ingredients, and preferably ones that won't make it soggy when cooked. They are only in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, and the best part is, everyone can make their own! Everyone did different toppings, but personally, I think mine was the best :) 

I used a sun-dried tomato pesto (can be found on pasta aisle), a little bit of mozzarella, goat cheese, mushrooms and spinach. After this beauty finishes in the oven, I drizzled it with my California Novello olive oil, and black truffle salt. It. was. incredible! The goat cheese has a slight tang and becomes creamy, the olive oil brings out all the wonderful flavors, and the truffle salt gives it that extra shut-the-front-door taste. 

Naan pizza:

2 naan bread (Found ours at Kroger)

4 tbs of sun-dried tomato pesto

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 

handful chopped spinach, stems removed

handful white mushrooms, chopped & stems removed

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (if you can, get your hands on an unfiltered olive oil, it'll rock your socks off)

dash of truffle salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Place naan bread on baking sheet and spread on pesto. Add cheese, spinach and mushrooms. Bake for about 5-8 minutes, until cheese in center is melted. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of truffle salt.

Happy weekend everyone!

What's your favorite recipe that's a MUST DO with friends? I'd love to hear!!