So I figured I'd update you on my life, since it has changed drastically this past week. Sunday I went to my ward for what felt like the first time in forever. Then we invited one of the new girls in our ward over from lunch. After she left, I started making treats for the fireside. Pretty sweet. I made these pecan pie cookies. They were just ok I thought. The fireside went well and then I came back and chilled.
On Monday we didn't have any school, so I took advantage of my last day of freedom by being incredibly lazy. I showered and had a meeting with my vice-chairperson and ran a bunch of errands and got ready for school. That night for FHE we fingerpainted and then my roommates and two of the guys in our ward, and I went swimming. Totally sweet.
Tuesday was my first day of culinary arts school. It was pretty good, but a lot of busywork and it's 7:40-3:30 M-F. It's way intense. That day we didn't really cook anything, learned the basics. That night I came home and started doing my homework and reading my assignments for the next day in my textbook entiltled, "On Cooking." It made me really hungry. Luckily, my buddy Dave called me up and invited me to join him while he went to Mongolian BBQ. It was pretty tasty. Then Dave and I went to Institute Choir and I must've been really tired. I was in such a weird mood.
Wednesday after my initial culinary foundations class, we dove right in and started cooking. They gave us three recipes and expected us to make them in the allotted time. Thank goodness I was paired up with a guy who had been there before, or else I wouldn't have known where to find anything. After that I came home and played scrabble with my roommate Madi's now ex-boyfriend. I won. He "needed someone to talk to" so he came over and I tried to comfort him and help him in any way I could. I think I may have convinced him to go on a mission. After he left, my roommate Ashley came home and we were starving and I didn't feel like waiting for something to cook, so we went and got a pizza. Then we played scrabble. I won.
Thursday in lab I made some tuscan white bean salad and a corn and tomato salad. Let me tell you what, my life's tough! And poor us, we have to sample everything before we serve it. Que triste! Anyway, it's pretty fun. I came home and immediatley started doing my homework so I could have time to go to the BSU vs. Hawaii basketball game. Tim Welch came over and we walked over there together and sat with the rest of the Mormon students who came. It was a party and we totally schooled Hawaii, 95-77. Then we all went to Carl's Jr. to get a free hamburger and hang out and such.
Fridays are my early day. I got up at 5am and got ready to go to committee meetings. I went to my 6am meeting, and then conducted my 7am meeting, and at 7:30 had to leave for class, so my vice-chair took over for the next half hour. My first class of the day was pretty ridiculous. We were learning how to double recipes or cut them in half, or take 2/3 of the recipe, and such. Ridiculous stuff that I can do in my head. I was so bored. Then in lab, we didn't need to cook anything, so we spent the entire class deep-cleaning the kitchen. Pretty sweet. Then I went to sanitation and learned the proper way to wash your hands. I came home and made some brownies and then flipped through tv channels until my roommate Ashley finished her book and agreed to take me/come with me to Dave's house party. We went over there and chilled and watched "Game Plan". We were pleasantly surprised by the movie selection, considering Dave's parties rarely involve PG movies. It was pretty cheesy, but kinda cute.
This morning I had Art 100 at 8am and I think I'm really going to like that class. I got home early, so my roommate Tressie and I went over and helped our ward clean the church. We came home and I showered, then felt the urge to fix my roommate's hair. It was pretty cool and then I gave her some clothes to wear. Too bad she doesn't have anyone to show it off to. We went to Wal-mart and picked up some groceries and came home and had lunch. I came to the library after I finished eating and I'm about to leave and go make dinner. I've been here a long time. I'm making manicotti for dinner. Yum!

Chef Whitney