Summer of Food

Well, summer is almost over and this is only my third blog post! I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to blog. But today I have a little time. This summer has been my ultimate summer of food—working at a food truck and Pizza Factory and taking some cooking classes. That's no problem for me though. Cooking and baking are one of my biggest passions. I love taking ingredients and watching them evolve into a flavorful dish. I am definitely a foodie, that's for sure. Here are some of my favorite dishes I've made this summer with a recipe on crepes. Enjoy!

         Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Creme Fraiche and Mint               Flank Steak Street Tacos with Homemade Chips & Guac 

 This is a pizza with my choice of toppings which include the following:                                                                                                 pesto, sautéed asparagus and mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and bacon bits.         

       Crepes  (Easy)  

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradualy add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
                                                             
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

*Tip: the batter will be better if it is made a day or two in advance*

Special shoutout to Chef Tony who was my teacher for the MATC cooking classes! 

Thanks for reading! :)

Love, Sara Jane

Conquer Your Fears

I love summer! It's nice to have a break off from school and spend time doing other things. I've spent my time well taking cooking and sewing classes, working two jobs, going on trek, and hanging out with friends. And there's still more adventures to come!

Last Monday, my friend, Hannah, invited me to go rope swinging with her. I was a little terrified at first, but thought it would be fun. I had never been rope swinging before into a river! Once we arrived, I persuaded Hannah to go first and show me how it's done. She had done it before, but was nervous for the first swing. After several minutes of standing and admiring the rope, she went for it and came back without touching the water. Then Hannah did it a few more times and got comfortable with the rope in and out of the water. I was still too scared to swing on the rope. She tried convincing me to do it, but I didn't. My mind kept telling me I couldn't do it. Finally, after a lot of convincing, I managed to do it without touching the water. I was surprised how easy it was. That first time made it easier for me to keep going. 

During the time we were there, lots of people came by to watch us. They thought it was fun and wanted to try it themselves. One girl fell in the water on her first try and another girl fell on her second. I wished I could be as brave as those girls were and just do it without worrying. I was too scared of jumping into the water of an unknown depth. Later, a group of boys came and swam across the river. I was still clinging onto the rope deciding if I wanted to get in the water or not. Hannah wanted me to go, but I refused and let the boys go. One guy did a cannonball off the tree. Okay, maybe he was just showing off. Pretty soon all the boys were telling me that I should go. I knew I had to swing off that rope. That was the whole reason I came here! No matter what would happen, I knew I would be safe because I was wearing a life jacket and Hannah was there to catch me. So I just went for it and decided to conquer my fears. It was one of the best feelings ever. 

I learned a very powerful lesson from this experience that in order to take away your fears, you must be able to conquer them. And that requires a lot of faith and trust. Once you believe you can do something, you're one step closer to actually doing it. 

Wherefore be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you. 

-D&C 68:6 

Thanks for reading! :)

Love, Sara Jane

Love of London

Hey! So I thought for my first blog post I would share some of my best pictures from when I visited London last summer. London is an amazing city with lots of sites to see. It's a lot like New York City which is why I love it. If you ever go to London, you have to see the Big Ben and go on the London Eye. The view from the London Eye is breathtaking! You can see the whole city from up there! Also you should take a picture in a phone booth and ride on a double decker bus. Those are just the basics. Now I am wishing I could go back!

 old double-decker bus

 Trafalgar Square

 The Big Ben

 I happen to dress accordingly with the London colors

 The London Eye

 view from top of the London Eye

London at Night

Thanks for reading! :)

Love, Sara Jane