New Woman

It must either have been all those sweet comments yall wished me to sleep last night or the melatonin 3 I took, but I PASSED OUT at 8:15 and slept like a complete and solid log until my alarm buzzed at 3:15. I know its not 8 hours, but it was waaaaay more than I had been getting all week. I honestly don’t think I’ll be getting 8 hours anymore with my new job…..I know it’s “bad”, but I’m hoping to train my body to function on only 6 or 7. Today I was full of energy and felt great! It was wonderful.

I’m so happy to say that I really looooove my job! All week I was sort of in an exhausted daze, but today everything seemed so much more clear. I love providing people with something that will make them so happy—there’s nothing like fresh bread. I like to picture wives going home with my bread and surprising their husbands with a special dinner….or today a little boy and his dad came really early for breakfast (probably before he had to be at school) and they each got one of the hot cinnamon nut rolls that I had just pulled out of the oven. The boy was in bliss. Its really fun to be so totally “behind the scenes”, and by the time most normal people are just waking up and starting their day, I’ve already baked 30 loaves of bread. And, most of all, I REALLY love that I’m totally done with my workday just when people are starting to take their lunch break.

On my way to work I had a cup of hot water with lemon (this wakes me up more than coffee actually!!) and ate half this larabar and then ate the other half around 5:30. I had never tried this kind and LOVED it!

And for my breakfast break at 7:45, I packed the same thing as yesterday—plus an orange. 1/2 cup of oat bran with 1 cup skim milk, pumpkin seed butter, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and brown sugar.

It’s funny because I’m the only one usually taking my “lunch break” at 7:30. The guys in the offices near the break room have gotten into the routine of asking me “what’s in my oatmeal today?!” and think its funny that I have this whole little breakfast set out for myself including a cup of tea and my book to read.

My mom and my aunt, who had just flown in from Milwaukee, came to visit me at work today and my mom bought some of the Italian bread that I baked as well as homemade pita chips (we make the pitas homemade and then for two hours today I sliced them and drizzled them with olive oil, salt and pepper). They got to see me all my hair net glory. Here’s a picture just taken about 10 minutes ago with my bread-–

And yes, I wear all white. I never understood why chefs were all white uniforms because all we (or actually I) do is get messy.

After I got off work, I met them at a cute little restaurant/European cafe around the corner for lunch. I had their specialty—-pizza with goat cheeses, sundried tomatoes and summer squash:

Their pizza is so special because its really not like pizza at all! Its more like a thin cracker with toppings-–there’s no tomato sauce or real “crust”, so eating two slices of this actually felt like a light lunch compared to the thick, doughy pizza I usually eat! haha

When we got home, my aunt brought la piece de la resistance———-CANDY RAISINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(don’t gag until I explain)

My goodness, how I adore these. The only bad thing is that you CAN ONLY BUY THEM IN MILWAUKEE!!!!!!! They don’t taste like raisins AT ALL but more like perfume??! I can’t explain, but all I know is that they are sort of an acquired taste…..you have to grow up eating them. My mom is from milwaukee and my whole family lives there so every time we would go visit when I was growing up, I would eat these. They are my absolute favorite sweet EVER! I like to keep them in the fridge and then eat two or three after my meals. I just had a tiny handful right now actually!

Oh, and please sign the petition to keep them around because apparently they might become discontinued in the future! The horror!

I’m about to do some yoga and then probably lay down for a little while because since I don’t work again until Monday, I’m going to need to stay up later than 8:00. Hehe. My mom is making one of my favorite dinners tonight and Ryan is coming over to enjoy it with us and meet my aunt. Its only 50 degrees out and she is LOVING it because today in milwaukee, it was 30 below and the schools were closed (she’s a 7th grade teacher)! I can’t even imagine. It feels like the arctic to me outside and its only 50.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday so far—–its the start to my long weekend so I’m lovin’ it. See you tonight!