Life lessons learned in the kitchen

Another week has come and gone.  So many things can happen in only a few days, but I've learned to value each day for what it is:  another shot at life.  That's exactly what changes bring us.  And now I know.

I'm adjusting well to my new job!  I must admit that the first few days were rocky; I was beginning to think I'd made a huge mistake.  It's better now, though, even if it is a BANK (my boss at the credit union referred to this as a four-letter word).  I'll be in training for another week and a half, but I'm all for extensive learning if it means being better at what is expected of me. 

 

I was able to spend some much-needed and much-loved time with two of my nieces, Brittany and Baili.  They've become fast friends with Maggie and Ziggie.  I couldn't help but laugh when I drove them to their house to get their spend-the-night things.  I was driving along when they both got huffy with me.  They kept saying, "Stop doing that!  It's making our heads go forward!"  I had no idea what was going on.  Then it hit me...they had obviously never ridden in a car that wasn't an automatic.  On Saturday morning, they taught me a valuable lesson:  eggs taste just the same on the inside, even if the outside is a little bumpy. 

Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, the big day of LOVE, I decided to get a little festive this evening and make some goodies to share with my new co-workers.  Chocolate-covered pretzels seemed to be the way to go!  Genius idea...  I tried to melt half a bag of white chocolate chips in the microwave--on high heat.  Yeah, they burned.  Then I tried another half a bag, and I burned those too.  Mom got out her double boiler and melted some milk chocolate chips for me to use.  Those turned out well!  I still couldn't get over the white chocolate ones though, since they're my favorite.  We went all the way back to the grocery store for one bag of white chocolate chips.  Mom went to work with the double boiler, and I decided that the beautiful pot full of perfectly melted white chocolate wasn't beautiful enough.  I wanted PINK chocolate!  It is Valentine's Day, after all.  I put in a few drops of red food coloring while Mom stirred.  One should never, ever put food coloring into melted white chocolate.  Lesson learned:  some things are perfect just the way they are--don't try to doctor beautiful.  We melted the rest of the chips, and I managed to get 17 white pretzels sprinkled with red sparkles out of the mess!  Mom and I are both impressed with the temperament of that dead blasted white chocolate!

Maggie, Ziggie, and I wish everyone a very happy Valentine's Day!  Never let the idea of love blind you from seeing the real love right in front of you.  Never let go of an opportunity to tell someone how you feel.  And above all else, love yourself!