TGIF! Well not for me actually since I have to work tomorrow but for all yall, happy Friday! I can’t believe in just one week, I will officially be DONE with culinary school! Crazy!
This morning I had a breakfast cookie made with 1/2 cup oats, 2 tbsp hempmilk, 1/2 scoop chocolate protein, 1 tbsp almond butter and half a banana.
Mmmm chocolatey deliciousness. It kept me full until 10:00 and I still wasn’t starving at that point so I ate half of my coconut cream pie larabar instead of the whole thing
Glad I only ate half because Adam made pizza for staff meal today and we all know, I just cannot resist homemade pizza!!!!! I had two brick-style slices of the “everything” one:
It really did have everything on it. Leftover chicken, sausage, cheese, red onions, basil, pastrami……..I picked off most of the sausage since I’m not a huge fan but regardless, it was still aaaamazing.
I had to eat early (at 11) since that is when staff meal is served. However, the pizza kept me FULL for the next 5 hours. Seriously! Since I rarely eat heavy things like that for lunch my body was, like, shocked into fullness. When I got home after work I had the intention of just snacking on an apple since I still wasn’t very hungry but then I looked at the front door and saw a big mysterious package with my name on it….I tore it open like a crazy person and gasped at what I found!
NUT BUTTERS!!!!!!!!! And dark chocolate bark!!!!!!!!!!! I almost cried. Thank you x 1,00000, Miss VeggieGirl!!! Of course I just HAD to try some out. I chose my first sample to be the hazelnut butter because Liz always talks about how “holy yum” it is and I have never seen it before at the store! I fixed myself some with a honey crisp…
Mmmmmm I’m pleased to announce its just as holy yum as I thought it would be. Creamy with a DEFINITE hazelnut taste. I have never had anything quite like it actually! I love hazelnuts, especially toasting them and making homemade granola with them, and this was no exception. The perfect partner to my apple!
Today was a relaxing day at work. Not much was going on tonight and the kitchen was quite quiet for the majority of the day. I spent about 3 1/2 hours punching out cheddar wafers, a task I usually despise, but today tried to find the joy in it since it was my last time EVER doing this!
I fed Oscar (my sourdough starter) and he was bubbling and smelly this morning! We named him Oscar because he smells just like the trash can. But…the smellier the better for wild yeast cultivation! It will produce the best sourdough 
It’s aliveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee muhahahahaha
I also worked on a special project—-baking St. Lucia buns! Now, many of you might not know that tomorrow is St. Lucia’s Day, but it is. St. Lucia’s Day is a holiday celebrated in Norway and Sweden and by some Scandinavian descent families in the States, usually up in the Midwest. Over in Scandinavia, tomorrow is the longest day of the year (it falls near the winter solstice) and, traditionally, the oldest daughter wakes up early and bakes special St. Lucia Buns for the family. These buns are made from a rich sweet dough, flavored with saffron and decorated with raisins.
The reason I did all this today is because my family is from Norway (they all live in Wisconsin now) and I have always thought it was a cool thing to celebrate since it has to do with my family history! I remember baking these little buns when I was about 10 years old…I think they were the first bread I ever baked actually! They are pretty yummy….sort of tasting like a cross between a soft white roll and a danish but with definite saffron notes. And they look so pretty, too!
I used the recipe I always use from a really old school cookbook called “Prairie Home Cooking”. I have no idea when or where I got the cookbook from but everything I’ve made from it has been really yummy. I plan to have one for breakfast tomorrow!
I’m actually going to do another yoga class today—-a 60 minute Baptiste flow class. My legs are SUPER sore from yesterday’s class but I’m starting to get back in the groove!
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
What a fun day! I am intrigued by the pumpkin seed butter…
Jenna, will you be able to take any time off between school and starting your job?
Oh what a fun package!!
The pizza looks so great – and I am not a fan of sausages myself!
The school where I went to kindergarden, elementary, middle and high school celebrates St. Lucia’s day! Every year, the whole school would gather together and a girl from the high school, dressed all in white would walk in wearing a wreath with candles (lit!) on her head and the chorus would sing a song about St. Lucia and the buns you talked about making would be passed around. It was great – especially because there was food involved! I wish that the college I go to now would celebrate EVERY SINGLE holiday like my elementary/middle/high school did!
You are definitely a lucky girl, hazelnut butter? All this free stuff that I see all you bloggers getting is incentive enough to make someone start up their own! (except me, too lazy! haha)
Holy package in the mail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to have the American Girl doll Kirsten and she was from Sweden (I believe) and I read those books that went along with her and they celebrated St. Lucia Day
Ha! I love that you named your starter Oscar. I have sourdough starter that I “brought to life” over a year ago, and boy do I know the smell you’re talking about. It sure has made some yummy bread (and waffles, and pancakes) though! It makes a great gift for your baking-inclined friends, too.
ohhh that hazelnut butter looks so YUMMY! Kath, A has the Kirsten doll.. we love American Girls at our house.
Jenna… BAPTISTE YOGA!! I was totally in Baron’s class and wigging out when he was walking around and stopped by my mat and I was looking at his BIG TOE while in Down Dog. hehee It was all I could do not to giggle and say “look, it’s Baron’s foot!!”
Have fun. Hugs and soon you’ll be home with the fam and R!!
Those buns look so great! SO does the pizza.
haha ditto to what Kath said, the first thing I thought of when I read St. Lucia day was the American Girl doll Kristin – my sister had her, but I still read the books.
Anyway, your St Lucia rolls are gorgeous and sound tasty!
PUMPKIN SEED BUTTER!?! YUM!
Hey Jenna, a while ago you posted a list of your favorite books, do you have a link to that post? I printed the list but lost it.
Thanks!
BethT,
Well my plan is to move on the 20th and then from the 20th-25th rest and then on Christmas I’m flying out to the mountains for the weekend (!!!) and then I will rest the whole first week of January before starting my orientation and training on January 6th. What can I say? I guess I like to keep busy! (and making money)
Meghan,
I totally dressed up with the wreath on my head when I was in 4th grade…we had to dress up to celebrate a holiday that our ancestors celebrated and my mom made me this huge wreath with pretend candles and I wore a long white nightgown. Hahaha I wish I could find those pictures….
Kath,
This might have all started when I was 7 and had the Kristin doll and then discovered I was actually Norwegian myself!! hahaha I LOVED those dolls!!!!
Polly,
I would KILL to take a class with Baron!!!! You’re so lucky!
ModelBehavior,
Here ya go! http://eatliverun.com/?p=3388
I must try one of these yoga downloads!!!
Aww yay!! So glad you liked the package contents
Hooray for MORE tantalizing treats and for yoga!!
Yay for St. Lucia buns! I’m Swedish and lived there until I was ten, and seeing these totally kicks off winter festivities in my mind. They are so delicious and not overly sweet, and I love that you brought some of your heritage to the blog..I too had to dress up as the girl with the candles on her head in Sweden b/c I was the tallest girl! Ahh memories. Anyways, sorry to ramble, but seeing those seriously made my terrible day better! Scandinavian pride..:)
I’m from Norway too!! Do you know what part you’re from?! Us Norwegians have to stick together
What a great package from VeggieGirl! She’s such a doll!! Have a great evening!
K,
I’m sure I could call my grandma up in Wisconsin and she would know exactly but I’m not exactly sure myself!
My confirmation name (one of those Catholic things) is Lucia! My mom was supposed to be named that after St. Lucia but ended up being named after her mother (long story).. so I picked that! We pronounce it with an h, like Luch-ia.. not sure if others do or not.
It’s not Friday for me either, exams starting at 8am tomorrow! Craziness, but at least we are almost finished!
Those nut butters look delicious, I’m curious to know what the pumpkin seed one tastes like. Enjoy yoga!
yay for Scandinavian roots! (my dad is Danish, grandma from Finland)
and hooray for no more cheddar wafer cut outs!
I loved how you named your starter….
Big cheers for the package from Veggie Girl!
lucky you!!! those different nut butters sound amazing… the hazelnut one reminds me of this “hazelnut honey spread” I got in france over the summer, which was delicious.
have a good day!
VeggieGirl is the best blog friend!
I love that you named the starter!! I’ve never been brave enough to try making my own starter…
My grandmother is Swedish, and we celebrate Santa Lucia every year as well! All the girls in the family wear white robes with red ties, and lit headbands, and we hand out buns too.
Question: is that the traditional way the buns are made? My grandmother and her mother have always made them out of a sweet braided dough with cinnamon sugar on top. Hmm…
But I’m dying over that hazelnut butter! “Holy YUM”:)
Are you Scandinavian?
I live in Sweden, my husband is Swedish, those lussebullar look exactly like the ones that we make here and that are in all the Swedish bakeries, they are very fun to bake!