Happy Birthday! Let's Eat!

Today I celebrated 4 birthdays, all around a full table. In the morning we celebrated birthdays for two of the men in my family. I made the coconut creme caramels that I also make at TR. They were delicious. Mom made amazing cinnamon rolls. Yum! Add to that a crisp fruit salad, bacon, sausage, and a fabulous egg and ham dish, and you've got a great meal, topped off with an orange julius drink and freshly brewed coffee. Delightful. Celebrating family around food, I can think of very few things I would rather be doing. Great.

Then at work in the afternoon, we celebrated two of the cooks' birthdays, Chef M and D. The owners had bought Chef M a cake, and I brought lemoncello for the family/staff to try. So we ate, sang, and toasted to our two birthday boys. Happy happy birthday, to the max.

Since it is fall now, and squash are in great supply, it was decided to decorate TR with a few squashes and fall colors. Chef J and one of the managers, B, schemed together to make artistic representations of the kitchen staff via four small squash and my Sharpie pen. So I, D, Chef J, and Chef M have our likenesses depicted on squash. How funny. Below is a photo of these examples of the fun and family that TR has.


I'm the one of the far right, the angry looking pumpkin. Chef J said that the pumpkin persona is my alter ego, because he's never seen me angry at work. Phew!

That's especially good news since I have my 3-month review coming up next weekend. I'm a bit nervous and anxious about it, but I'm also quite optimistic. I have been blessed to be a part of the TR family and community. When I consider how my degree didn't land me this job, and my vast (?) experience didn't land me this job, and with the economy in such a tough time, and the job market being scarce, I wonder what it is that allowed me to land this job. Luck? Perhaps. Timing? Possibly. Something bigger than myself? I sure feel that way sometimes. Take that as you will.

Speaking of celebrating with family, some family friends came in to the restaurant tonight. I hadn't seen two of them in quite some time; I hadn't even met some of the others they brought along. They had the Calamari (one of their favorites), Spring rolls (one of my favorites), and the Walnut Prawns (now one of our shared favorites, though I have to try to avoid the walnuts due to allergy concerns...). Yet another example of food and family being shared and enjoyed.

Finally, I want to share about an article that was in my former school's weekly newspaper. The article I'm refering to was about a Mexican restaurant very near campus, one which I have come to love and adore over my four years at the university. Family owned and operated, this restaurant invites you in, cooks for you, often sings for you, and cares for you like you were visiting their home. Again, food and family, being shared and celebrated.

Thanks for reading my blob, as someone near and dear to my heart called it. Love you.

Go, Eat, and Celebrate,

K.