Sunday, September 27, 2009
Well Fed
Besides starting school, my thesis project, and working in the garden, I have co-started a student run bi-monthly restaurant/ dinner with my new and amazing friend Elissa. Saturday was our opening night and, for being an opening night, everything went extremely well. You can check out our menu, pictures, etc. at our blog oxywellfed.blogspot.com. Some of the ingredients came directly from the garden, the honey was from our muse/ inspiration/ beekeeper friend Bruce Steele, and all the rest of the ingredients came from the farmer's market. And, to top it all off, we were already written up by Elissa's boss on her restaurant's blog! Everything this semester is going really well (besides the 33 outbreaks of Swine flu on our campus), everyday is super busy, but not in an overwhelmingly terrifying way. I'm also very grateful to be working on all these different and exciting projects because I have made so many great new friends!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Things to look forward to
Here is my list of things to look forward to:
1. Going home for one last week of summer. It's my last day of work today which, on the one had is sad because I've had such a great experience working for Zoe (my boss) and UEPI in general, but on the other hand is really great because I get to go home to see my friends and most importantly my family. I can't wait to lie by the pool and finally get some of the sun I've been missing out on.
2. CAMPING. About 6 of my friends and I are going camping at the Kern River in Sequoia National Park the weekend before school starts.
3. The Garden. It's growing so much!!! We installed and filled 4 more beds last night. I finally convinced all of my roommates to come out and see what I have been up to the last few months. I think they really loved it. AND I got to cook with the squash blossoms I picked from the garden last night. They were delicious.
4. SCHOOL. I mean who isn't excited for academia? But, really, I have a pretty cool schedule: Mon, Wed, Fri are pretty booked but Tues/Thurs I have French and Italian Conversation and I also get to work at...
5. City Hall, Department of City Planning. I'll be getting paid (fingers crossed) to intern and do research for my final comprehensive project.
6. Seeing everyone after being abroad for six months.
LOVE
1. Going home for one last week of summer. It's my last day of work today which, on the one had is sad because I've had such a great experience working for Zoe (my boss) and UEPI in general, but on the other hand is really great because I get to go home to see my friends and most importantly my family. I can't wait to lie by the pool and finally get some of the sun I've been missing out on.
2. CAMPING. About 6 of my friends and I are going camping at the Kern River in Sequoia National Park the weekend before school starts.
3. The Garden. It's growing so much!!! We installed and filled 4 more beds last night. I finally convinced all of my roommates to come out and see what I have been up to the last few months. I think they really loved it. AND I got to cook with the squash blossoms I picked from the garden last night. They were delicious.
4. SCHOOL. I mean who isn't excited for academia? But, really, I have a pretty cool schedule: Mon, Wed, Fri are pretty booked but Tues/Thurs I have French and Italian Conversation and I also get to work at...
5. City Hall, Department of City Planning. I'll be getting paid (fingers crossed) to intern and do research for my final comprehensive project.
6. Seeing everyone after being abroad for six months.
LOVE
Friday, August 14, 2009
Welcome
Just wanted to be able to update more people on my everyday- from good restaurants to what I'm doing to events in the city to where I'm going, etc.
Work: I am currently finishing up my second to last week working for the Environmental Policy Institute(UEPI) : Center for Food and Justice in Eagle Rock. I have been working all summer on developing a new program that introduces local, quality foods and nutrition education to one of the fastest growing populations at risk for obesity: Preschoolers. UEPI runs the National Farm to School Network which links elementary, middle, and high schools with fresh local food and food education. Here is their website: www.farmtoschool.org. Working for CFJ has been really rewarding for me since I have never before worked somewhere where I have actually seen the fruit of my labor (and I am getting paid to do something I am actually interested in).
Besides the 9-5, I have been actively working and helping to manage the new Occidental garden with my new friend Elissa. Elissa actually started everything and is the real inspiration behind F.E.A.S.T. (the name of the club that runs the garden) but, I have been lucky enough to just tag along and help out. When I started working at the garden we were mostly only turning and creating new compost to fill our future raised beds but, in the last two months, we have built, filled, and planted 6 beautiful raised beds. The garden looks awesome! Cucumber, corn, purple bush beans, squash, squash, and more squash, basil, and a whole bed full of pumpkins. We are currently in the process of building and filling nine more beds with the wonderfully endless and brilliant support and help of Bruce Steele.
From the friendship Elissa and I made over our love of the garden also came the realization the we both loved to cook. Elissa co-ran a student run restaurant last semester called Cafe Norris, which had an AMAZING menu and presented a really great resource for students to have a great, locally sourced meal made by two dedicated students. (I am really sad the I happened to be abroad last semester and missed all the preparations for Cafe Norris and the garden). Once we discovered our mutual love for cooking, farming, and eating we decided to re-create Cafe Norris between the two of us. Low key, fun, family style, delicious food for students, friends, faculty, and staff to enjoy. So far we've come up with a name, Well Fed, but are still looking for a decent location.
In other news (sorry for the length of this post), life is good. I'll be starting my senior year, which means senior comps (100-page thesis), applying to grad school/looking for a job, taking the GRE. Luckily, two of my professors have been very supportive of me and my research AND I have the most supportive family and friends.
LOVE
Work: I am currently finishing up my second to last week working for the Environmental Policy Institute(UEPI) : Center for Food and Justice in Eagle Rock. I have been working all summer on developing a new program that introduces local, quality foods and nutrition education to one of the fastest growing populations at risk for obesity: Preschoolers. UEPI runs the National Farm to School Network which links elementary, middle, and high schools with fresh local food and food education. Here is their website: www.farmtoschool.org. Working for CFJ has been really rewarding for me since I have never before worked somewhere where I have actually seen the fruit of my labor (and I am getting paid to do something I am actually interested in).
Besides the 9-5, I have been actively working and helping to manage the new Occidental garden with my new friend Elissa. Elissa actually started everything and is the real inspiration behind F.E.A.S.T. (the name of the club that runs the garden) but, I have been lucky enough to just tag along and help out. When I started working at the garden we were mostly only turning and creating new compost to fill our future raised beds but, in the last two months, we have built, filled, and planted 6 beautiful raised beds. The garden looks awesome! Cucumber, corn, purple bush beans, squash, squash, and more squash, basil, and a whole bed full of pumpkins. We are currently in the process of building and filling nine more beds with the wonderfully endless and brilliant support and help of Bruce Steele.
From the friendship Elissa and I made over our love of the garden also came the realization the we both loved to cook. Elissa co-ran a student run restaurant last semester called Cafe Norris, which had an AMAZING menu and presented a really great resource for students to have a great, locally sourced meal made by two dedicated students. (I am really sad the I happened to be abroad last semester and missed all the preparations for Cafe Norris and the garden). Once we discovered our mutual love for cooking, farming, and eating we decided to re-create Cafe Norris between the two of us. Low key, fun, family style, delicious food for students, friends, faculty, and staff to enjoy. So far we've come up with a name, Well Fed, but are still looking for a decent location.
In other news (sorry for the length of this post), life is good. I'll be starting my senior year, which means senior comps (100-page thesis), applying to grad school/looking for a job, taking the GRE. Luckily, two of my professors have been very supportive of me and my research AND I have the most supportive family and friends.
LOVE
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