Seasons Change...

Today marks the end of a really long unbelievably difficult season for me.  
The catering company I'm part of has successfully finished our busy "wedding season."   I have not been at all vocal about the real struggle for sanity that has been taking place here in my life or the seemingly endless work hours I've been putting into things here in this side of the universe, but I just want to go on the record and say that there have been some really remarkable things going on behind the scenes and I'm extremely grateful today for those who have been cheering us onward.  I also have been taking a long break from blogging because of it.  

Though I've missed you here,  I can't even count how many of you have come by Bistro A' la Mode  during the last few months to show your support!!  It has made me feel so honored and humbled. Given the struggle of last year and the lack of employment, this has been an awesome change! 

No complaints!
 I want to be clear also in saying that I'm not at all complaining about working long hours, though I'm exhausted most days of the week. Management is a lot of work.  It is also remarkable to see a winning effort from our team and I love seeing the crew come together to get things done.   I'm extremely thankful for a job that supports our family and for the ongoing sweethearts at the bistro and catering kitchen who have been my family away from home over the last few months. My apprentice Aubrey has been a God-send.  Love her!!

The biggest strength has come from home and Faith.  
Most days I've stumbled from my car at the end of a long day and been met at the door of my home by loving children who whip off my shoes and socks to rub my feet. They have given me courage.  I'm away from a desk in the kitchen.  It is a full marathon. It is loud. It is hot.  It is awesome. I'm usually at it anywhere between 10-15 hours a day and I often receive messages from Ace letting me know he just said a prayer for me or that he just needs me to know he loves me.  I've begged the Lord for strength and felt his unseen arm on my shoulder lifting the weighty challenges.   Aren't those messages from far away the ones that keep us going?

Some have asked me if this has been a,"dream come true" since opening the Bistro? 
 Yes. Yes. Yes. It has been.  I've also been incredibly aware of the fact that it was not going to be easy, nor will it ever be easy to have anything worthwhile become successful.  So, I'm not even going to pretend that it has been an walk in the park the last few months balancing work and home life.  I'm tired. My feet hurt.  I miss a lot of stuff at home to to make things happen at work. It hurts on a deep level.  I knew when I started that this would be part of the deal but the reality is still difficult to bare at times. Sometimes...I just want to sit on a beach. I'm incredibly thankful for a husband who takes care of the home front.  I don't know how I could do it all. I don't want to even think about it. That being said, I'm not complaining. Not at all.  

You know what else?  I always get to the end of the day and smile. It is harder than I ever thought it would be, but I love it. You know what I love most? The sense that I'm deeply loved and needed where I work. 

Someone recently asked me, "Why haven't you been on TV lately?"  Personal reasons...but a lot to do with my own body image and struggling with feeling pretty. I know that sounds shallow. I feel lame for even voicing it.   I'm pretty sure in my heart I'm a beautiful person and people who see me know it ( I hope). Truth is,  I'm struggling with some health challenges that have added a few pounds to my figure. Nobody worry...I'm here for a while (I hope) I just haven't been in the public eye like I have in the past.  I'm working through it. From this side, just know that I will get through this...and that big things are still ahead.  Oh, yes. I'm a strong woman. You can count on that. 

What now?
Now as we are at the end of the wedding season, we're gearing up to expand things in the restaurant, I'm excited! I'm ready for the next challenges.  I'm getting really giddy about new menu items and changes.  I'm back to a more normal schedule for the summer. I'll see my kids more. I am able to blog a lot more and I'll be adding a lot more here than you've seen. Thank you all for  your continued love and support.  I can't express how thankful I am for your cheers and words of encouragement.  

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Chocolate Waffles of Women's Divine Happiness

 I'm a waffle person. I really am. I shouldn't share this with you but I have got this waffle problem. Wait. She's just using the word "waffle" instead of "awful". What a dork.  I love evil chocolate waffles. They're delightfully divine and well...I shouldn't eat them endlessly. On the other hand...there are five fingers. Look. If chocolate sugar free 9 grain waffles are covered with a no-sugar added natural tart-sweet strawberry amaretto compote with toasted walnuts and fresh slices of banana, I'm really not being evil right? I'm sharing some bliss. Right?

I know what you're thinking,"Enough talk. Spill the beans sista'!" I hear ya. Don't get your girdle in a twist. I can only type so fast and then I need more chocolate to keep up my strength.We've discussed this phenomenon in depth among the ladies and here it is.

 The unmistakable woman chocolate truth:

• Truth: Never underestimate the power of a woman who needs to eat chocolate and still fit into her jeans. It's an evil vortex of genius.
•  Truth: All  really bad  female headaches can only be cured by rubbing an intense dark sea salt soiree bar in the mouth and counting to 100.
•  Truth: The secret cure  to female moodiness that has baffled husbands for years is to do a choc-incantation while holding a chocolate doughnut with each index finger for added balance. This incantation must be done while wearing chocolate ceremonial garb...

•  Woman wearing ceremonial garb must also be  watching at least 2 hours of Pride and Prejudice...particular during a certain cycle of the moon that will only be discussed in secret woman circles (in hushed tones) for fear that men will actually understand us.

 **Men Please note: there are 3 days in the month that men must never question the seemingly evil chocolate force that overtakes a girl and can only be cured by creamy smooth dark squares of chocolate taken orally...and alone. Let her hide in a closet undisturbed during this phase and you will find peace in the land. Deny her chocolate during this phase...and sleep on the couch with a pillow over your...never mind. I've been told that during menopause this phase is extended from 3 days to 3 years. I'm getting a villa in France for that phase Here.

 To my husband Ace, I'm sorry. 3 years is a long time but I think it would be better if you didn't see me like that. Knowing Ace, he'll probably follow me anyway and just pat my shoulder and say (in a hushed tone), "poor, poor, thing." {By the way if you've never seen my favorite movie Harvey then that last "poor, poor, thing" won't mean a thing to you.}
 There is however, the very high chance that Ace will  throw  his hands in the air and say, "FINE!#$*%***# Have it your way Mrs. INSANE!!...France is really nice this time of year!"  



Here we go ladies. It is time to be sucked into the vortex of evil genius. I sense there is still some good in you. { Giggle. Giggle.}
Chef Tess' Chocolate Waffles of Woman's Divine Happiness

2 cups 9 Grain Baking Mix or My homemade bisquick
1/2 c baker's cocoa
1 tsp Sweet Leaf Stevia Drops stevia drops (I love the vanilla or hazelnut flavored ones)
1/3 cup Whole egg powder or 3/4 cup egg whites or 3 eggs
1/2 tsp grated orange zest (optional)
1 3/4 cup water (use only 1 1/4 cup water if you use real egg)

Directions: Combine all ingredients.

Vanilla creme stevia drops are perhaps my favorite.

 Bake in a well oiled waffle iron. Serve warm with any sugar-free fruit topping of your choice. I use mashed fresh strawberries, and some frozen raspberries topped with some toasted walnuts and banana. 

 Eat chocolate waffles on any day that you as a female crave chocolate. That would be, of course, any day that ends in the letter "y"...As in " y-not eat chocolate today"...and "y-question my authority as a woman?"Wait. She's just using the letter "Y" in place of the word "why". What a dork.

There you go. Make chocolate waffles. Fit in your jeans still. Your training is complete.

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Friday Feel Good Thoughts...

Just a few thoughts to keep you smiling today, because life is hard sometimes...and we need to cheer each other onward and upward! 

Tara shared this with me this week. It made me giggle. 

Auntie Em shared this...and tagged me on facebook. I don't know if I make people do all of this...but...

This one made me cry a little bit...

This one made me want to pray a little more. 

Happy Friday everyone!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Random Thoughts. Rocket Science and Home Canning

My next book is Rock Science for Dummies. Just kidding. I always feel like a nuclear physicist when I put my canning jars in my pressure canner. I don't know if it is because it looks like the canner is a spy satellite  that should be floating around  Mars. I don't know if I should be colliding atoms in it. It just feels like I need a better lab coat and some really nerdy goggles. 

This morning I got up a little early to get some beans and meat canned before my class.  The canner makes a hissing sputtering noise when it is processing jars.

 My husband kept asking me, "Should it be making the noise it was making?" 

He asked persistently, " Is that thing going to explode?" 

 My response was, "Yes on the first question.

 No explosions.

 Leave me alone, I'm a professional. 

I'm making your beans."

Silence. Gigggggle. Knee slapping.

Then I almost sat on the floor laughing. Beans. 

"Should it be making that noise?"

Do you get it? 

Don't worry. Ace didn't get my joke either.  I think I was just giggly tired and it was starting to show.  I think it is evidence that I have teenage boys that talk about gas way more than they should. 

I told him I just needed more chocolate covered cinnamon bears.

Ace just looked at me like I needed more sleep...and maybe a vacation.

There you go.

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Are My Yams Really Sweet Potatoes? Does Anybody Really Care?

 Recently someone asked me why we called sweet potatoes "yams" and why they were different colors?  I thought they were just different varieties of yams.   I really didn't have a definitive answer. I really don't like not being a smarty-pants.  So I thought I'd look into it.  I, Chef Tess, learned something new! Come to find out...what I had called "sweet potatoes" were just one variety of sweet potato (the white ones)...and there were many in the USA in fact really dopey as I felt, I had been calling  sweet potato varieties "yams" that were well...not real yams. 

Sweet Potatoes VS Yams...What's the Diff'?

general information source

Yams Yams are related to lilies and grasses.They're native to Africa and Asia and yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). Remarkably there are over 600 varieties of yams. 95% of these crops are grown in their native Africa. Yams are starchy and dry compared to sweet potatoes. 

A few years ago my whole garden was filled with this gorgeous vine...and under the ground were soon to be released...some "Yams". Well. Most people I knew called them yams. Daddy called them sweet potatoes and since he's the master gardener, I never questioned it.

Sweet Potatoes 

The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea.  This explains the vines. 

The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. 

 When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.  When I got these ones from the market,  the one on the left (white in color) was labeled "sweet potato" while the middle one was labeled "red yam" and the far right was labeled Bouregard yam...and guess what. They're all sweet potatoes. 

Why Are We Confused In America?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. 
When we pulled our Sweet Potatoes out of the ground...we called them sweet potatoes. Thanks to my dad.

The ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties. Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!  

Last I checked, my neighborhood market didn't carry the international variety. So there you go. Smarty pants.

The real truth is, that though many may say that they are having candied yams for the holidays, I betcha that most of y'all are really only eating sweet potatoes.  Why do I even care to set the record straight? I don't really.  I just thought it was a really cool random fact.  So. Eat that sweet potato caramel sticky bun.

 I'm still eating the sweet potato pie...even if someone calls it a yam pie. It's not really going to change the taste...right?

There you go. 
Random Facts are now in your giant brain too.  

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Today's Bread-Art Photo Shoot...and a NEW Book!!

Announcing the next Chef Tess Bakeresse cookbook! 
I just signed a book-deal for a Bread Art craft and baking book! That is the next release after the Gourmet Meal in a Jar book that I'm also working on currently!

 The bread book is due to be released January of 2014!! We're super excited around here and today we had my friend  Laura Sokol, the  photographer, at my home taking pictures for 4 hours! I took these photos I'm sharing here. Hers were just amazing! I won't even tell you how many hours I baked and prepped for this first shoot. Yes, I never sleep. It's sick how hard I work, but then again, that's part of life isn't it? I love what I do. I wouldn't change a thing!   That being said,  I wanted to share some of the beautiful breads! There were many more, but here are some of my favorites... 

Goldfish sweet bread

 Sea-shell sourdough on a bed of French grey sea-salt.

 Light rye and herb star-spangled loaf.

 Yeast-raised Gingerbread and orange crown loaf.

 Garlic and herbs of the vine bread.

Fleur-de-lis for me (personal-sized French buns)

 Rye-decorative dough embellishments.

 Spot-On Bread

 Rose-petal Cardamom-infused  Sweet Ciabatta 

 Natural herb-and spice enveloped baguette tutorial

Fall herb and sweet pepper Ciabatta 

 No-Knead Fleur-de-lis

 Lavender and Lilac Rolls

 Ribbons and wrap sandwich buns

 Sweet Pea Floral Tutorial

That's just a sneak preview of many many more things to come! I love you my darlings! Thank you for your encouragement and sweet support. It is what keeps me going every single day...that being said, tonight, I'll be sleeping like a rock. It has been a wonderful day.

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess