The Journal of a Girl who Loves To Cook

Bake Me a Cake ! .... please?

2008-07-17T17:08:00.026-04:00

Su has been pretty quiet the past 2 weeks.
Occasionally writing about fruit...and the simple sort....
...Ahh... blogger-sphere.. I miss thee.

So where has she been? Where has she been spreading all that love instead?
Well; Su's been pigging out on cake under the strong and comforting wings of the Strachwskys' at Bake Me a Cake; Altamonte. It's a ways worth for me to drive up to their bustling bakery every morning; but I still somehow seem to enthusiastically make it up there by noon. There really isn't much I'd rather be doing here in Orlando. It's Su's happy place!
Let me first introduce you to the very important crew of this heavenly place filled with all things sweet; delightful and fun!

Alex Strachwsky- Resident Baker

The handsome and humorous leader of the pack.
A pleasure to be in his incredibly joyful company.
Pulls out mouth watering cakes, cookies and breads in a flash.
Bakes indulgent and crisp croissants filled with delicious combinations.
Extremely talented former architect.
An amazing chef, parent and husband.
Makes killer spaghetti and meatballs for dinner!
Loves to feed Su; telling her how she never eats anything.
Occasionally craves German cuisine.

Mercedes Strachwsky - Artist and Decorator

Her work is mind blowing. Out of this world. Indescribable. Pure genius.
She is Immensely talented, artistic and creative.
Cultured, well traveled and has great taste.
Gives the most welcoming and comforting hugs ever imaginable
So very sweet, sincere and heart warming to be around. Like an angel with beautiful CAKES! :D
Giving and generous with knowledge and support;
A perfectionist; in such a pleasant way.
My idol and mentor
My master of cake-istry *grin*

David Strachwsky - so much more than just a 'Manager'

Manages finance, customer service, employment, payroll... and all other boring stuff
Unfortunately filing and paperwork isn't exactly his cup of tea.
Resident errand runner, handy man and rice crispy/Styrofoam sculpter
Invents cool new gadgetry from scraps occasionally. Extremely creative and innovative. Is genius just like Mom.
Has the ability and confidence to fix up almost everything.
Has great taste and a critical eye.
Extremely thoughtful, ambitious and inspiring.
Su's favourite bakery 'hang out' friend.
Makes a killer mango slushie!
Likes beef jerky - gross...

Michael Strachwsky - Baby of the Bakery.

Funny man Michael is always around to make everyone smile
Makes me laugh like no other.
Loves to string silly never ending questions which I love making up never ending replies for.
Pulls out random tricks and stunts to brighten us tired ones up.
Looks great in a collared shirt
Incredibly sociable and pleasant to be around.
Sings in a play as one of the 3 Musketeers!
Is proud of his cool new i phone which he stood 6 hours in line for. *tsk tsk*

Kelsey - An piping bag full of fun!

The beautiful and talented pastry chef of Bake Me a Cake.
Makes delicious goodies for the shelves early in the day.
Retiring dancer.
Has a puppy thats afraid of being in a storm alone.
Excellent artist.
Loves to get creative with petit fours and cookies.
Bakes with a passion.
Young, energetic and bubbly! Yay~

Maria - Resident Sweetheart

Soft spoken, kind and gentle.
I love Maria. She is always so pleasant.
Does excellent work on fondant cakes.
Incredibly skillful handy work and pays great attention to detail.
She really does has a big big heart.

Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to hang out more with the rest of the Bake Me A Cake crew such as Andy Strachwsky; the eldest of the 3. He rarely comes by the store; but I've heard lots about how good he is with math and technology. The other happy campers at the bakery such as Bianca and Aura and Dionny speak as much English as I do Spanish..which makes it a little harder for me to get to know them.
It's funny how I've been picking up many of Mercedes's funny ways from hanging out around here so often.
I'm slowly but surely becoming a hug-a-holic myself! I never voluntarily give out hugs but... recently; I can't say I've not hug-ed much! *laughs* I love how she calls her Alex; Pa-pi and says mi-amore (my love) when David or Michael comes through the door. It's just too sweet!... makes me miss my family too.
They've all been so kind to have me hang out at the Bakery and to learn the business that way. I love it so much. It's the best 7 days I've had in Orlando to date! I can't believe how much I've learnt in the past week. I can't be more grateful for all that they've taught me about the industry, the cakes, the business and myself. I'm more confident in my hopes and dreams now than I ever was before; and for that I can't thank them enough.

It didn't matter if my task for the day involved cutting out a million fondant donkeys, topping off countless cupcakes with sugar flowers or sticking itty bitty diamonds onto itty bitty places; I enjoyed myself thoroughly!They've brought me with them far and wide to deliver cakes to brides, buy equipment and lots of other fun stuff! It's been so awesome. So awesome that I'm at a loss for words. You know Su's running out of vocabulary or dumbfounded when she starts using words like 'awesome'. :P
Learning to do cakes with one of the best cake decorators in America really is something else! It's been a sneak preview of my life in 30 years... I want to be just like Mercedes, doing what she does best, loving every minute of it.I'm not exactly certain if cakes really are my forte; but I'm sure we will find out soon enough ....*fingers crossed*
With possibilities of branching out to chocolate sculptures, candies, pralines and the lot; it's really hard to say! I'm incredibly excited to return to Malaysia now on Monday. I'm ready. I owe it to the Strachwskys.
I'm going to miss them dearly... *tear*
Thanks Chef Mary for bringing me here. It's been an incredible experience.

A day too late?

2008-07-13T20:20:00.004-04:00

I'm running behind about an entire day to wish my dad A HAPPY HAPPY Birthday!
It relation to Malaysian local time; It's the 14th... where I'm at; it's still the 13th.
So technically; I'm still entitled to send him hugs and kisses and a miniature sugar birthday card filled with love! :P

Ancient Greece through a delicate cluster

2008-07-10T21:18:00.006-04:00

..petite pods of juicy sweet nectar.

Holding up an elegant row a whiff away; transports me to an ancient era of Grecian drama. When decadence meant hot baths, an abundance of fresh fruit, rich wines, artisan cheeses and beautiful servants waiting on your hand and foot. Who can possibly deny the pleasure in fantasizing about the very cliche --- 'dangling of a string of juicy ripe grapes' by the Greeks.
I discovered a little box of decadence for myself recently.Although called by the more glamorous name of "champagne grapes," this is actually the Black Corinth variety. They're extremely tiny (about 1⁄4 inch in diameter), violet to purple in color, and exceedingly sweet and juicy. Champagne grapes are available in clusters in specialty produce markets.

Here's a little more about the "Black Corinth" variety.

Black Corinth is a seedless ancient Greek grape variety prized for its super sweet pea-sized seedless red fruit. The fresh fruit is often marketed under the name "Champagne grapes" in U.S. specialty stores, but despite the name they are not used for making Champagne, nor wine. The dried fruit is marketed under the name "Zante Currants" or sometimes just "currants". Since they are about the same size as red and black currants many people confuse the two.
References in period cookbooks to "raisins of Corinth" actually refer to dried Black Corinth grapes. In fact, we get the English word "currant" from the name "Corinth" — for small black grapes that have been dried in the sun.

In wild grapes, the sexes grow on separate vines with male flowers on one plant, and female flowers on another. Black Corinth is an "almost male" variety in that the flowers have well developed anthers (male), but only tiny underdeveloped ovaries (female).

In order to yield sufficient fruit, Black Corinth needs to be carefully managed. In ancient times girdling was a standard practice in increasing the set and size of seedless grapes until the discovery of the plant hormone gibberellic acid and it's ability to do the same thing with less labor. Historically, Black Corinth was probably kept for its pollen producing abilities so that other female flowered varieties (with naturally higher yields) would set full crops.

Kay... too much information.
Fact is; these grapes are awesome! Greek or not... they are my favourite little juicy gems!

Silly Su and her Tamarillos

2008-07-06T13:45:00.009-04:00

Silly Su took a big brave bite into this funky tomato-like fruit.
Silly Su cringes.. eyes squinted.. oh god.. it's sour; bitter....eergh..
hmm..
wait a minute.
It's getting better... the tartness is turning pleasingly sweet..
She hits a seed.
"What do I do with this? Swallow? as in 'passionfruit seed' or spit; as in cherry pit?"
I'm going to go with swallow... as in other yummy sour passionfruits and figs.
Hmm....
it really isn't too bad!
Kay... now to figure out what it is exactly I ate.
Where it comes from...and if it's possible to avoid that initial bitter taste as my teeth sinks in.

**[ tam-uh-RIHL-oh; tam-uh-REE-oh ]-

Prior to 1967, the tamarillo was known as the "tree tomato", but a new name was chosen by the New Zealand Tree Tomato Promotions Council in order to distinguish it from the ordinary garden tomato and increase its exotic appeal. The choice is variously explained by similarity to the word "tomato", the Spanish word "amarillo", meaning yellow,and a variation on the Maori word "tama", for "leadership".
Native to South America, this egg-shaped fruit is also known as a tree tomato. Although not yet widely accepted in the United States, the tamarillo is very popular in South and Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia, New Zealand (from where most of the fruit in the United States is imported) and Australia. The tamarillo has a tough, bitter skin that can be various glossy shades of red, purple, amber or yellow. The tart but very flavorful golden pink flesh is purple-tinged around the seeds. Tamarillos are available from May through October in specialty produce stores and some supermarkets. Choose firm, blemish-free fruit that's heavy for its size. When ripe, tamarillos should be fragrant and should yield slightly to palm pressure. They can be ripened at room temperature. Once ripe, they should be refrigerated, tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, up to 10 days. Tamarillos are a good source of vitamins A and C. Tamarillos can be eaten fresh or cooked, and are used for both sweet and savory dishes. One requisite, however, is sugar, which reduces the fruit's natural tartness and enhances its flavor.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Sugar! Ah hah!

The flesh of the tamarillo is tangy and mildly sweet, and may be compared to kiwifruit, tomato, or passionfruit. The skin and the flesh near it have an unpleasant bitter taste, and usually aren't eaten raw.

*tsktsk*...silly silly Su; tamarillo's aren't supposed to be eaten raw! However; I've read somewhere that...

The fruit is eaten by scooping the flesh from a halved fruit, but in New Zealand children palpate the ripe fruit until it is soft then bite off the stem end and squeeze the flesh directly into their mouths. When lightly sugared and cooled, the flesh makes a refreshing breakfast dish. In addition, they give a unique flavor when compoted or added to stews (such as Boeuf Bourguignon), hollandaise, chutneys, and curries. They are also tasty and decorative in, for example, radicchio salads. Appetizing desserts using this fruit include bavarois and combined with apples in a strudel. In Colombia and Ecuador, fresh tamarillos are frequently blended together with water and sugar to make a juice. It is also available as a commercially pasteurized purée.

I'm not sure if it'll make a good juice though. It will probably need a fair amount of sugar for it to be tolerable.
Here's what I attempted to do.

1 cup brown sugar
3 cups warm water
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 tamarillos sliced in 1/2

Place first 3 ingredients in a small deep pan. Place on low heat and warm up gently till sugar is dissolved. Drop in the tamarillos and bring to a gentle simmer. Should take 5-6 minutes. Spoon out from pan, shake off excess liquid and slide off skin.
I sweetened the deal with a tiny dollop of cool creamy vanilla ice cream.

Happy 4th of July America!!

2008-07-05T00:05:00.009-04:00

I'm not exactly part of the patriotism ... national pride; ...celebration of freedom.. and the sort; but I was definitely game for the 'party'-ing bits that goes along with the 4th of July.
Barbeques; beer; music; sunshine and fireworks.... I wanted to be in the middle of it all.Here was what went on downtown last night @ Lake Eola. I met a fair number of new charming individuals with intriguing personalities; had a couple of good wines; shared a delicious spread of food by everyone and topped it off with breathtaking fireworks viewed from an arms length away.

Adorable pooches were out to play at the lake too.

I've NEVER seen fireworks from such close proximity ever before. They were ridiculously humongous!
The Americans went all out to celebrate with smoking hot pits topped with succulent meats, deck chairs, cool sunglasses, hefty crates of liquor and colourful umbrellas popping up everywhere along the sidewalks. At 5pm, the City of Orlando was ready to party!
I pitched in with red, white and blue tartlets. Cute golden raspberries huh? They really are incredibly rare. I'm happy I discovered them recently... perfect for my 4th of July fruit tarts.
The centers were filled with mousseline cream; which basically is regular pastry cream lightened with a good portion of whipped cream.

Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream) - fills 10-15 small tarts.

500g milk
1 vanilla bean/3 tsp vanilla extract
62.5 g sugar
2 yolks
1 egg
37.5g cornstarch
62.5 sugar
30g butter

Bring first 3 ingredients to a low simmer in a pot. Beat egg, yolks, cornstarch and second portion of sugar in separate bowl with a whisk. When milk is finally lightly bubbling; temper the egg mixture by pouring it in a slow thin stream into the whipped eggs; whipping constantly as you add. Return the liquid mixture into the pot and place over low heat, stirring repeatedly till the creamy mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. At this point; if it looks lumpy...you have failed. :P hehe. Make sure the stove top isn't too hot and it should take less than 5-10 minutes for it to thicken; don't forget to keep stirring it. When almost done; pour the hot custard out immediately onto a wide mouth bowl placed over an ice bath to ease its cooling down and to stop it from continuing to cook in the heated pot. (an ice bath is a bowl of ice topped with some water). Allow mixture to cool completely before using; it should thicken as it chills. You may then fold in some whipped cream to lighten it or add in other flavouring/fruit you wish.

Biscuits? Cookies? Scones? Muffins?

2008-07-01T22:48:00.013-04:00

I used to think I knew exactly what each of them meant.
oh... was I terribly mistaken.
Su went on a mission to uncover the mystery behind the various terminologies used for these similar baked yummies.
It's best we start this long winded discovery with the most common : Biscuits.
.....By definition a biscuit is;

A baked flour confectionery dried down to low moisture content.
The word biscuit comes from the French bis cuit ("twice cooked"), which is what the original sea biscuits aboard ship had to be in order to remain crisp.
It has a number of cultural meanings. In the United States, a biscuit is a soft, thick scone product or a small roll similar to a muffin. The British biscuit is equivalent to the American cookie and cracker. These latter terms are relatively modern. "Cookie" comes from the eighteenth-century Dutch word koekje, a diminutive of koek (cake). "Cracker" is a North American term that also came into use in the eighteenth century, connoting the sound of the wafer as it was chewed or broken.

However....

1. In America, biscuits refer to small quick breads, which often use leaveners like baking powder or baking soda. Biscuits are generally savory (but can be sweet), and the texture should be tender and light.

Biscuits are extremely soft and similar to scones. In the United States, there is a growing tendency to refer to sweet variations as "scone"and to the savory as a "biscuit". A sweet biscuit served with a topping of fruit and juice is called shortcake. In Canada, both sweet and savory are referred to as "biscuits", "baking powder biscuits" or "tea biscuits"
Biscuits are a common feature of Southern US cuisine and are often made with buttermilk. They are traditionally served as a side dish with a meal, especially in the morning. As a breakfast item they are often eaten with butter and a sweet condiment such as honey or jam. With other meals they are usually eaten with butter or gravy instead of sweet condiments.
Biscuits are now ubiquitous throughout the U.S. and feature prominently in many fast food breakfast sandwiches. The biscuit sandwich burst onto the scene primarily through the Hardee's chain of restaurants as an answer to the McDonald's Egg McMuffin. Along with the traditional country ham, Hardee's added sausage, cheese, eggs, steak, and even chicken to the breakfast bread. Breakfast biscuits are much bigger than ham biscuits, most as big or bigger than a typical fast food hamburger.

2. In the British Isles, the term "biscuit" usually refers to a flat, thin cookie or cracker. The British usage of the word biscuit was defined in the defence of a tax judgement found in favour of Mc Vities and their product Jaffa CAKES which claimed they were a 'biscuit' and was therefore liable to value added tax. The successful defence rested on the fact that "biscuits go soft when stale, whereas cakes go hard when stale". "WOW"...
Although there are many regional varieties, both sweet and savoury, "biscuit" is generally used to describe the sweet version. Sweet biscuits are commonly eaten as a snack and may contain chocolate, fruit, jam, nuts or even be used to sandwich other fillings. Savoury biscuits (such as creamcrackers, water biscuits or crisp breads) are plainer and commonly eaten with cheese following a meal.Generally Australians, New Zealanders and the Irish use the British meaning of "biscuit" (colloquially referred to as bickie or biccie or bikkie) for the sweet biscuit.

In the US and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat baked dessert. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is Biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have different meanings—a cookie is a plain bun in Scotland, while in the United States a biscuit is a kind of quick bread like a scone. The term "cookie" was borrowed from the Dutch, who settled in New York in the early 1600s. The word simply means a little cake, and "little cake" is what most cookies were called in early American cookbooks, just as they were in England. By the 1790s, however, the New York term began to show up in many places outside of that state.
The popularity of the term increased because of its connection with the fashionable New York New Year's cookies, highly ornamented stamped cookies served during New Year's Day entertainments. The word moved into American cookbook literature and eventually came to encompass any crisp, sweet finger food. But one further distinction has developed. "Cookie" is applied to foods of this kind that are either homemade or intrinsically American.
How is this known? Chinese fortune cookies were invented in the United States in the 1840s under the name of motto cookies. They are not foreign. By this same rule, imported French champagne biscuits are not called cookies. Likewise the Italian biscotti served at nearly every coffee bar would never be characterized as cookies. Cookies are comfort food. Cookies are what children are allowed to eat. The word separates what is recognizable and American from all the rest.
William Woys Weaver

In the UK the term cookie often just refers to chocolate chip cookies or a variation (e.g. cookies containing oats or candies).

How about scones?

They are a Britich snack of Scottish origin. The scone is a basic component of the cream/devonshire tea. British scones closely resemble a North American biscuit (many recipes are actually identical) — itself not to be confused with the English biscuit, which equates to the American cookie. American "scones" are often baked to a dry and somewhat crumbly texture, and are typically large and rectangular; more like a cross between a cookie and a muffin than a biscuit. In Canada, both tend to be called "biscuits" or "tea biscuits".

The griddle scone is a variety of scone which is fried rather than baked. In some countries one may also encounter savoury varieties of scone which may contain or be topped with combinations of cheese, onion, bacon etc. In the Scots language, a griddle is referred to as a "girdle". This usage is also common in New Zealand where scones, of all varieties, form an important part of the traditional cuisine.

In some US states in the Mountain West region, especially Utah and Idaho, a "scone" commonly refers to a deep fried flattened bread which serves as the basis for "Navajo" tacos and is commonly consumed by itself with honey butter. It is similar to frybread or sopaipilla.
Scones are quite popular in Argentina (brought by Irish and English immigrants and from Welsh immigrants in Patagonia). They are usually accompanied by tea or coffee.

So... can we finally get a taste of a biscuit/scone yet?!
In respect to my current geographical positioning in the Southern region of America; I will stay true to the ways of my neighbours with a recipe for good ol' southern savoury biscuits and gravy.

2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
4 sprigs oregano finely chopped
1 stick cold butter (113g)- diced into small cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk / regular milk + 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
grated cheese of your choice as topping (e.g mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere, parmegiano-reggiano)

Rub butter into all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Do not over mix till butter melts. "chunks of buttery goodness is good a good sign'. Add the milk into the center and bring together to form a soft ball. Press soft ball into a lightly floured surface (1 inch thickness). Cut into circles with a 3-4 inch diameter cutter and bake in 180 degree oven till puffed and lightly golden. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for another 1-2 minutes till crisp and golden. Place the scones lined close together but not touching to help them to rise in the oven.

Having a stack attack!

2008-06-30T19:17:00.006-04:00

This will look familiar to those who know Su and her lazy food making well...
I'm not sure where I've inherited this 'stacking' fetish of mine.

- 'Start with a crunchy base'
- 'Pile creamy stuff over the top'
- 'Repeat'
- 'Add fruit'
- 'Repeat till mouth begins to water'
- 'Whip out eating device'
- 'Dig into messy yummi-ness!'

.......- 'Ahh...satisfaction'

Fresh mango cheeks sliced and topped with a little dusting of sweetness. The sugary goodness is then slid under the broiler(grill) for 10 minutes till sticky, warm and lusciously smooth!

Creamy cheesecake batter?:

375 g cream cheese, softened
rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
60g milk warmed
dilute 2 tsp powdered gelatin into milk
400 g condensed milk

: beat all ingredients till smooth and well incorporated. Use immediately

Crumbly cookie chunkies?: Digestive cookies!
McVities is my friend. Su loves good cookie in cheesecake.

Sticking around a little longer...

2008-06-28T14:37:00.008-04:00

A little more than 24 hours before stepping onto the plane headed to Malaysia; a last attempt at convincing my parents to let me stay another 3 weeks was made.
Miraculously, this time... the answer was YES!
It was for good reason...it's nothing like "I can't face the music back home; I need a long holiday" type deal. I had been longing for the opportunity to participate at the annual ICES convention for a long time. I've heard a great deal about the ICES (International Cake Exploration Society) from articles, television and cake lovers around the world.. it's annual convention was going to be held in Orlando this July...can you believe my luck!? I just HAD to stay... it would definitely be worth my flight extension... 4 days; surrounded my all things cake. Just thinking about it is giving my tummy butterflies!
You know what else I'll be so lucky to hang around and enjoy here in Orlando?
A brand new Wholefoods blocks away from where we live! SWEET! Driving 30 minutes up to Winterpark for groceries from my favourite store used to be such a pain. 2 days ago; a picture perfect "NOW OPEN" caught my attention as I drove swiftly past. I couldn't wait to bring my family in for a mouth watering shopping experience! We really don't get pleasures like this in Malaysia. Clean, ripe and juicy fruits and vegetables on display. All fresh, all organic, all DELICIOUS! The variety, the colours! The quality! OH my... they really know how to get us foodies in the mood!
Being a big foliage muncher myself; I was looking forward to bagging home a couple bags of loot! There really is nothing better than eating fresh greens and fruits with minimal cooking; but maximum flavour! The breads and baked goods here are pretty enticing too! Well; they try to make items on sale as healthy as they can...but sugary cakes and cookies are for sale too. Feeling hungry from the small tasting portions on display and intoxicating aroma of hot foods; we boxed several meal portions to have at the cafe.
What did we go home with?
Bags of fruit, a freshly baked loaf, artisan cheeses, huge colossal shrimp!
I sent my family off to the airport this morning with a healthy brunch.

Egg Souffle6 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tsp mustard
3 sprigs chopped thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
2 cups fresh assorted mushrooms (button/shitake/portabello) chopped.
1/2 sliced white onion

Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Beat eggs, milk, mustard and seasonings till light and fluffy. DIvide mushrooms and egg batter into ovensafe tea cups. Drop cheese into the centers. Bake in 370 degree over for 20-25 minutes till golden, risen and puffed. Serve immediately! Throw on a couple of grilled asparagus spears for colour and crunch.

Will be talking lots more about my plans in the next couple of posts guys... I'm TOO excited! Are you??!

Post Graduation.

2008-06-24T22:24:00.020-04:00

Lets Celebrate!

With sunshine.With family.
With adventure.With relaxation.With a beautiful view of the ocean.With a fun dip in cool blue waters.With a weekend at the Bahamas.With 5 star service and accommodation.With excellent buffet spreads.With waffles for breakfast!With delicious seafood.With gi-normous shrimp.With succulent lamb.With intoxicating cocktails.With colourful marine fish.With a tour of the world underwater.With a giant STING(manta)RAY! :PWith fun waterslides.With top notch Japanese cuisine.With french loaves + seasoned oils.With figs!

*puff...Puff*...
im running out of breath...
running short on things to add to my celebration list.
3 days of celebrating at the Nassau Islands later... I'm now back in Florida.
You must be wondering what Su's up to right now huh?
Well....
Plans have been made and changed..and reverted..well thought through..
..and now Su's going to be in the US for just a couple more weeks.
What for?..
ICES convention here I COME!
*gets excited!!!*
I'll be back on track with my regular blogging schedule guys; writing pages of boring ol' stories gets a little grey after a couple minutes of reading. I hope I've not put anyone to bed in the past. I'll try to switch it up more often guys. *grin*

Graduation

2008-06-22T20:34:00.012-04:00

Our safety harnesses have been lifted.

the ride is over.
I've loved, lost, broke, cursed and cherished.
It's now time to step away...step forward...to better things.
To better days and exciting adventures that await.

With a heavy sigh and a broken heart I turn around...
For a last glance at this wondrous harmony of friendship and knowledge.
An unexpected drop wells up in my eye...
It threatens to fall... it threatens to show my emotions.
I fight back; clouding my fear of tomorrow with logic and optimism.

Wisdom I've been given,
Inspirations I've received,
Hands I've held,
and hugs I've shared..
...will always be magical.
They will be cherished as priceless memories.

The hate, the fights and the ugly's...
have been forgotten...
They have been safely filed away as 'lesson's learnt' - never to return to haunt my thoughts.

It can't be the END of this!
IT CAN'T!!!
I'm not done being stunned at reality.
I can see so much ahead of me.. so much to jump, to reach for...to dream and achieve.
...But...
...but I love it here.

To do what is best...
to do what is right..... really ..really sucks at times.
How many goodbye's more will I be able to handle?
..wait a minute!...
Am I not the expert 'goodbye' bidder?
Have I not established how simple they are to do?
Or have the Americans finally found a way to melt this heart they find so cold

Congratulations fellow classmates,
I'm so proud of our experiences and achievements as a team.
It's been unbelievable.

Thank you Chef's,
I'll always cherish and respect all that I've been taught.
Your pieces of wisdom will be kept close to my heart.

I love you friends,
forget me not ;)

XOXO;
Su