Salted Butter Breakups, Beggar's Pasta, and Cheese-Chive Bread (FFWD)

 Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Somehow, I made all of these recipes on time, but for reasons unknown haven't made it to the posting stage. It's not like it's especially difficult, and it's not as though I haven't had time. I have. I think it's more that none of these recipes have left me especially impressed to the point where I rushed to tell you about it. Which isn't to say that they're bad, just kind of underwhelming. Maybe it's this last bit of winter that's given me the blahs.

BUT! I'm amazed at myself for not posting because I have BIG NEWS. Perhaps I thought I was going to come up with a better way to tell you about it, complete with witty food related tie-in. Or something. But I'm a blogging slacker, somewhere on the D-list of food blogs where mediocre photography, erratic posting, and often uninspired writing collide. Which isn't to say I'm not having fun, I think the whole point is that I consider myself a hobby blogger. I'm not trying to make money off of this thing, and I certainly don't think I deserve a book deal. (No, that's not it people. Be reasonable here.) Okay, now I'm just stalling.

 But the thing is, I'm starting culinary school. And sure, this has been in the works for a while, but it's happening way sooner and faster than I expected. On April 5th I'll be stumbling into Seattle Culinary Academy at 7:20 in the morning wondering why I willingly (and at great expense and inconvenience) signed myself up for anything that starts so early. (I hate mornings. HATE them. Especially the part before 9.) But it's true! I'm enrolled, my tuition is paid, my uniforms are ordered, my books are in the mail. So this harebrained scheme, over 8 years in the making, is finally coming to pass.

 Maybe they'll teach me some food styling, so you aren't stuck looking at skillets full of noodles. Or, more likely, I'll have less free time and continue with my shots taken hastily over the dinner table with a famished husband wondering, "Can I eat it yet?" ("Just one more shot honey! Damn this terrible light!") Over the course of the two year culinary program, I'll learn the basics with a special emphasis on sustainable food systems (!!!), and have the opportunity to cook in the two campus restaurants.

 I'm nervous. I've been out of school for about 5 years. (Oh my gosh, I had not added it up until just now. That's a long time to be wandering around trying to figure out who I am and what I want. But if there's anything I learned in my time at UCSC, it's that there's no point in doing something if you aren't sure it's what you actually want to be doing.) Are the other students going to like me? Am I going to endear myself to the teachers? Will I be that old married lady in class? Should I bring dulce de leche brownies to share on the first day? Or will that brand me as a nerd? It's a lot to think about!

 With my now plentiful free time dwindling significantly in the near future, I can't decide if I should languidly spend my mornings curled up in bed, or start myself on a schedule of gradually waking up earlier and earlier so the 5:30 wake up call on April 5th won't be quite so shocking. (I live two bus rides away from campus, so I'll be leaving home just before six!) Should I do very little, or utilize this time to get all my spring cleaning done before it's too late? What are the chances I'm going to unpack those last few boxes after school starts? (Then again, I haven't done it yet, so the amount of free time available to me clearly has little bearing on my productivity.)

 And I also know that when I spend a big chunk of my day cooking for others, I will inevitably spend less time cooking for myself. That's just how it works with me. (Although maybe I'll be eager to practice my new skills at home?) In any case, it feels like a new chapter of my life is beginning. Which is fantastic, and exciting, and a little scary.

 And somewhere in there between getting my stuff together for culinary school, tax season, training for The Big Climb, preparing to compete with my chorus, and hosting various nieces and comic book artists, I cooked some things. So, that's where I am right now. Busy, and grateful for all the fun stuff that keeps me busy. I am so lucky!