Valentine

First and most important: every reader or peruser of my blog must click on the link to Ben, my brother in law, Tom's brother. Tom and Ben made their first film. They have so many great ideas and a great help and friend in Garret Batty, of Three Coin Productions. "My Valentine" was chosen to produce first because of Valentine's Day of course. So go watch it. It's hilarious!!

Second, we had a wonderful Valentine's. On Thursday I had a lot of studying to do for a big test Friday so we just watched our niece and nephew while Ben and Kat got some well-deserved alone date time. We celebrated last night. We went to a Utah Grizzlies hockey game. They were playing the Bakersfield Condors! I had to fight the urge the whole game to yell out "I'm from Bakersfield. Do you know anyone in Laurelglen area?" We also had dinner at The Garden restaurant at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, overlooking the temple and Salt Lake scene. It was beautiful and the food was great! It was neat because my current chef/professor was the head chef of The Garden for 8 years. A lot of recipes we make come from the Garden because he created 80% of the menu. They still use his recipes. I realized after I ordered the porkloin that I made the apple-mango chutney that accompanies it. I was even more pleased to taste it and know that I created the same quality. It feels good to know I can reproduce good food like that. I think it's what I'll make for our family Valentine's dinner tomorrow. We got to stay at Little America hotel. We love it there. The tower is worth the stay every few years because the rooms are so comfortable and elegant. The Little America has this amazing breakfast buffet. It's so gourmet, with an omelet bar and fresh-carved ham, french toast, crepes, biscuits and gravy, all the fresh berries you can eat, pastries- a total breakfast lover's dream. Go some time!

P.S. I got a 39.5 out of 40 on my written test and a 92% on my practical. I was really pleased with both. We had to prepare duck, a soup, a sauce, and two side dishes with appropriate garnish as well as demonstrate our cutting skills and some other criteria I can't remember all within 2 1/2 hours. It was intense and fun!

Here's a picture. I don't have any for this blog's subject but it's fun to have a picture, right? This particular photo is of Sean right before his mission and our nephew Chase, Laura and Devin's son. They don't have a blog but I want the world to see their cute son.