Nursing, Weddings & Squash Blossoms

I know, I know...I said that I would write more often, but with life and school I have learned that I need to re-organize my life...no more television or surfing the internet. Err...perhaps a little tv wouldn't hurt? The past two weeks have flown by without a peep from little 'ole me. If I were in a relationship with you, dear readers, I do suspect I would be the guy who never called. It's not you, it's me.

Nursing school is one of the hardest things I have undertaken, and I suspect it will become one of the most rewarding. My classmates seem quite nice, the professors (nurses, both RNs and NPs) interesting and I am learning incredible things-our bodies are quite bad ass, in my opinion. I had my first day of clinical (working alongside a real nurse in the hospital) and managed to not kill anyone, infect myself with something deadly (or asymptomatic to this point!) or involve myself in a steamy affair a la Grey's Anatomy.

Last weekend, I went home to Minnesota for my best friend's wedding to a wonderful man. Congratulations Meaghan and Olivier! I know you will not be reading this post as you are in Santorini-if I didn't love you both so much I'd pretty much hate you out of jealousy. The wedding was in the forest at dusk. The groom is French and it is not certain how much of the ceremony his family actually understood, but they seemed content!



The food was a-frickin-mazing! Meaghan's cousin is married to a chef...we had freshly made peasant bread, cheeses, mushroom pate, roasted beets, heirloom tomatoes, the groom's mother's homemade mayonnaise, the best boef bourgignon of my life, along with butternut squash puree, a Thai walleye coconut curry and a vegetable stew I believe (I prioritized my stomach space and just had the beef!). And that is perhaps half of the reception's menu.

What is on the menu for this weekend? I searched high and low in my barrio but could not locate dulce de leche. Too lazy to travel, I decided to make my own instead-is it sad that I would rather cook tonight than socialize more? Apples upon apples fill the farmer's market, grocery store...my fridge...so after the dulce de leche is finished it will complement a cinnamon apple filling for Dulce de Leche and Apple Empanadas! (Yes, perhaps they are turnovers by any other name, but c'mon...doesn't this sound better?)

I also happened upon some squash blossoms at the farmer's market and plan to stuff half with herbs and goat cheese and fill the remaining blossoms with minced shrimp, lightly batter them and then fry'em golden. In my mind squash blossoms are one of those things you must love to be a foodie, so let's keep our fingers crossed that they turn out!