Tuesday, June 24, 2008

NECI Graduation Weekend fotos

Hello everyone,

 I have finally finished posting dozens of photos on my blog. I had to post them in backwards order so when you seem them on  the page they are in order of when they happened. Please be sure to see them all. You will have to go to the next page to see them all (older posts). 

I appreciate all comments and critiques. 

Matthew

NECI Graduation Saturday June 21 (Beginning of the day)

The big tent where it will all take place.

A grande tenda onde tudo vai acontecer.
The last of the group. Nearly 30 us started in March 2006. Only 7 of us actually made it to graduation. However, several opted to move on to the Bachelor's program. 

Os ultimos do grupo. Quase 30 de nos comeceu em Marco 2006. So 7 atualmente se formou. Porem, algums decidiram fazer o grau maior de 4 anos. 
After signing in and getting my jacket, I walked upstairs to get in line to walk to the tent. 

Depois cadastrando, recebendo minha jaqueta, eu subi para entrar na linha para andar para a tenda. 
Walking in alphabetical order to the tent (from the hotel), to begin the ceremony. 

Andando em ordem alphabetica para a tenda (do hotel), para comecar a formatura. 
Walking in the tent to get things started. It's bit low, I had to duck. 

Entrando na tenda para comecar o ceremonia. A tenda e' baiao, tive que baixar minha cabeca. 

NECI Graduation Saturday June 21 (Middle of the day)

Waiting to walk to the front to receive my diploma.

Esperando para andar para frente para receber meu diploma.
Me on the stage in the background receiving my diploma.

Eu no balco recebendo meu diploma.
My group of students throwing our chef's hat. I'm in the back on the right next to someone wearing sunglasses. You can only barely see my head. 

Meu grupo de alunos jogando nossos chapeus de Chef. Estou atraz, ao lado de alguem com oculos escuro. So pode ver minha cabeca. 
Me with my diploma. 

Eu com meu diploma. 
Gma Betsy, Eli, Sophie and Me after the ceremony finally ended. Time to eat!

Vovo Betsy, Eli, Sophie e Eu depois da ceramonia finalmente terminou. Esta na hora de comer!

NECI Graduation Saturday June 21 (end of the day)

End of the graduation ceremony. The Speckarts, The Glenns, and Gma Betsy.

O fim da formatura. Os Speckarts, os Glenns, e Vovo Betsy. 
Sophie playing with a balloon after the ceremony. 

Sophie brincando com um balao depois da formatura. 
Lisiane and I pose for the camera after I officially graduate. 

Lisiane e Eu fizemos uma pose para a camera depois que eu me formei. 

Lisiane and Sophie pose in front of the beautiful background of the Green Mountains.

Lisiane e Sophie fazem uma pose em frente da linda paisagem das Montanhas Verde.
Poor Sophie she had a very long hard day that started at 6:30 am and ended at about 2:30 pm.

Sophie tadinha, teve um dia bem comprido e dificil que comecou as 6:30 e terminou mais ou menos 14:30.  

We visit Shelbourne Farms Sunday June 22 (The beginning of the trip)

The tractor takes out to the farm.

O trator leva a gente pela fazenda
Shelbourne Farm from the tractor.

A Fazenda Shelbourne do trator.
Eli trying to catch a chicken.

Eli tentando pegar uma galinha.
MMM Creme Friache. A baby goat just a day old. I named him "Goat cheese" in french.

MMM Creme Friache. Um bebe de Cabra que nasceu um dia antes. Eu chamei ele "Quejo de cabra" em frances.
MMMM Cornish Hens. Baby chickens.

Pintinhos.

We visit Shelbourne Farms Sunday June 22 (Middle of the Trip)

Lisiane putting sun block on Sophie. It's bright outside. 

Lisiane coloquando protetor solar, estava brilhando fora.
Lisiane and Sophie playing on the tractor, Sophie's hair was blowing in the wind.

Lisiane and Sophie brincando no trator, e o cabelo de Sophie ficou voando com vento.
MMMM baby bacon!

Eli playing on the rocking horse.

Eli brincando no carvalo de pau. 
MMMM VEAL! The Glenn family and a young volunteer holding a baby calf. 

MMMM carne de bezerro! A Familia Glenn e uma joven voluntaria segurando o bezerrinho. 

We visit Shelbourne Farms Sunday June 22 (end of the trip)

Eli learns how to milk a goat.

Eli aprendendo como tirar leite da cabra
Me learning how to milk a goat. It isn't as easy as it looks. 
If you grab her wrong it can hurt her. 

Eu aprendendo como tirar leite da cabra. Nao e' tao facil como parece. 
Se pega no lugar errado pode machucar.
The cousins chillin out. Sophie is saying hi to Clara, while Eli relaxes. 

Os primos relaxando. Sophie dizendo OI para Clara enquanto Eli relaxa. 
Feeding the sheep. They flocked to me every time I tried to drop pellets in their bowls. 

Dando comida aos carneiros. Ficarem loco cada ves que tentei encher as tijelas de comida
Sophie wanted to walk around in the trunk. 

Sophie queria andar no porta mala. 

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Sounds Good #8 Vegetable Teriyaki Chicken with Peanuts



This is my first attempt at making anything Asian and it turned out decent. The recipe comes from a user website called www.allrecipes.com. Search: Baked Teriyaki Chicken. This is great website and full of info. Several recipes I've tried in the past to vary everyday dishes I've gotten the recipes from other users on this website. 

Ingredients:

1 T Corn Starch
1 T Cold Water
1/4 C Brown sugar
1/4 C White sugar
1/2 C Soy sauce
1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t black pepper
4 Chicken breasts


Aluminum foil an 8X8 pan and place the raw breasts cleaned in the pan. Preheat your oven to 400. Mix all the ingredients except the corn starch and water in a pan on a medium heat. Mix the corn starch and water in a separate bowl until looks like sauce consistency. Should NOT be lumpy or pasty. If it is add small amounts of water until thins. After mixture in sauce pan has simmered add the corn starch mixture (slurry) into teriyaki sauce and simmer some more until thickens. Pour hot sauce over raw chicken, foil the top of the pan, and place in the oven for 25 minutes. 

If you want to vary or add to this recipe, I suggest using carrots thinly sliced into circles, small cut broccoli florets, and peanuts. I added these things after the chicken was cooked and cooked them with a little bit of water, butter, and hot teriyaki sauce so they were cooked but still had a small amount of crunch texture to them. 

ENJOY!


Monday, June 9, 2008

Sounds Good #4 Southern Slow Cooking: Carnitas Tacos PART 2

Pork Butt, Celery, Oregano, Salsa, Kosher Salt, an Avocado, 
Pepper, Cilantro, Ham & Pork Stock
So we decided to just have the meat with rice instead of into tacos, this is what that whole 3# pork butt looks like after 12 HOURS in the crock pot. It literally just fell apart. It was a bit fatty/oily. If I was to make this again I would sear off the pork a little bit to try and cook off some of the fattiness.  But it turned out very tasty. 

Sunday, June 8, 2008

OH MY SWEETNESS! Saturn/Donut Peach in Season!!!

Beggar's Purse Crepe dessert with Donut Peach puree (class project 2007)
So I walked into the local grocery store today in Charlotte, and I caught a whiff of a familiar but I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it was very sweet smelling. I walked around the fruit section until I found what it was. Donut/Saturn peaches are in season again, or if they have been, I hadn't noticed. Anyway I bought 3 for about $1.80. 

What you must understand is, I HATE PEACHES but I love these little guys. Some of you will recall that while I was at NECI (www.neci.edu) for my final class project we used a different variety of peach for each course to tie a theme together. Mine was the Beggar's purse dessert (pictured above for those that haven't seen it yet). The sauce on the plate is the puree from this variety of peach. They are very sweet. If you can get your hands on some DO IT. Just try them, even if you HATE PEACHES, just try 1. You may have to hunt and try places like farmers markets or maybe even Trader Joe's or a specialty market but they had them all the way in Vermont and we have them now in Charlotte. 

Much love