My Final Exam

Saturday, March 5
Day 365 in my Food Revolution

On the Menu for the day:

For Lunch:

#168: Kedegree (pg. 288)


For Dinner:

#169: Roast Beef (pg. 192)
#170: Bread Sauce (pg. 210)
#171: Cauliflower Cheese (pg. 225)
#172: Yorkshire Puddings (pg. 209)

#173: Vanilla Cheesecake with Raspberry Topping (pg. 325)

It's my last day of cooking. I really can't believe it. I had focused so much on getting the recipes done this week that yesterday I realized that I hadn't invited anyone to my final exam dinner. I called my parents in a bit of a panic, "Wanna come over for my last dinner?" Despite the fact that they live two hours away, my awesome mom and dad dropped everything and drove over to my house the next morning to stay for the day.

When they arrived I was already working on lunch, Jamie's Kedegree on page 288. This is another recipe I've obviously put off until the end. Kedegree is a dish made of rice, fish, boiled eggs and its made with a curry paste. So you don't have to keep reading until this time next week, know that I made it in a flash, every morsel was eaten and raved about and I'd definitely make it again. There's a great youtube video of Jamie making a version of this and as he says, Kedegree is really great to make after a few days of lots of eating like Christmas or New Years so it turned out to be the perfect thing to make after our marathon week of cooking (and therefore eating).
Check out the video and let me know if you give it a try too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wPgabUBAuQ

In preparing for my final exam, I have read and reread these recipes several times. I got out an index card and planned out my timing just like my mom does the week of Thanksgiving. I had everything prepped, planned and ready to go and I worked through my plan like I had been training for this for like 365 days or something. I remained calm in a crisis ("Crap! The Roast Beef isn't done when its suppose to be!") and uncertainty (hmmm….how do I keep Dish A warm while Dish B & C cook) consulting my support system as they entertained the kids and checked on my progress throughout the day. It was a well executed "event" and I think if Jamie had been there to grade me I would have gotten an A.

The Roast Beef turned out great with lots of flavor and the bread sauce was a great topping in lieu of gravy. It was different than the other Roast Beef dinners that both my mom and dad have coached me through in the past and the fact that they were there meant the world to me. They have been so excited for me and I know they are two people that can honestly appreciate how far I've come this past year.

The Cauliflower Cheese wasn't my favorite of Jamie's side dishes but it was easy, everyone "tried something new" and seemed to like it quite a bit. It made me think about what good sports my kids have been along the way (especially the Kid) and that I hope the "revolution" not only taught them something about trying new things and taking on challenges but also that when you set a goal its important to finish it, even when the goal is just your own and not a school or work deadline.

The Yorkshire Puddings seemed to be the bonus question on this exam and if you've ever tried to make them you'll know what I mean. You need to be on your toes and be ready for anything, as they are very delicate little suckers that need constant attention. There are times when you need to leave them alone and times when they need very quick action on your part. Honestly, the yorkshire puddings are probably a bit like me during this whole experience and I imagine my husband was like the careful baker that knew just what to say and when to say it. He knew when to swoop in and help as well as when I just needed to be left alone. He didn't sign up for this yet he prepped and chopped and washed more dishes than he has in his entire life not to mention all of the editing, tech support and being my staff photographer. He was the best solider in my Food Revolution and had my back every step of the way.

Sitting around the table and looking at what I had made, toasting to a Food Revolution that I started on a whim made me think about the rest of my friends and family that encouraged me, cheered me on and especially the ones that said, "You should do this! Its going to be great!" They believed in my idea more than I did and I'm so glad I listened to them.

I found myself thinking back to a lunch of yummy egg salad with a dear friend and co-worker a year ago. He was the very first one to hear my idea and his enthusiasm made me move forward and actually do it. Another friend and co-worker seemed to be one of the first to read every blog and would call or email me to let me know that she was reading and listening. She also surprised me and showed up at my cooking class. I am so lucky to work with them and it means the world to me that they are both such Amy fans.

My sister was one of my favorite guinea pigs who so many mornings called and asked, "What are you making today?" She softly egged me on even on days when I just didn't think I had time for my Food Revolution. She also did her share of chopping and baby-watching while I threw together a recipe for our lunch or dinner. I gave her a copy of Food Revolution for her anniversary and she calls and tells me which recipes she's trying and what she thought of them.

My Friday walking buddy talked strategy and ideas and really helped me figure out my vision for the blog and how I wanted it to reflect me and what I was doing. She has been such an awesome sounding board and I couldn't have done this without her either.

My gardening neighbor supplied endless amount of fresh stuff from her little garden last summer and answered tons of "Do you have….?" runs down to my house. She even endured all of my cooking chatter even while battling morning sickness when the last thing she wanted to talk about was what I was having for dinner that night.

My college friends who don't live close-by anymore shouted and cheered from the rooftops so loud I could hear them hundreds of miles away. J…always the first to read my blog posts and my huge support in the Indian cooking department! K….my gentle editor and awesome cheerleader. S…one of my first followers and loyal readers.

The Vanilla Cheesecake with Raspberry Topping I started the day before by making the crust and finished Final Exam morning by making the filling with my trusty KitchenAid Mixer. This cheesecake was going to be the last recipe eaten and written about. #173. And while I mushed the raspberries for the topping I kept thinking about this last blog post and everyone that has been reading about my journey. I thought about the readers that were friends I had lost touch with and reconnected with through my stories, readers that I didn't know well that became my biggest fans, ones that did a little PR for me and got their friends to read and the loyal strangers, some of whom I still don't even know their real names.

Friends like P…we met on our honeymoons 10 years ago and really had just exchanged Christmas cards and an occasional anniversary card. I found out that she was just like me! She didn't cook either and really wanted to. One of my highest moments of this journey was getting an email from her saying that I had inspired her to cook!

Or E…another one of my followers, married to my post-college roomy, who seems to read all of my posts and comment. We have never had the chance to spend a lot of time together and having him follow so closely and let me know he was reading was a great chance to get to know him better.

Or M….a neighbor and one of my most frequent commenters who always kept me in check and asked great questions about the recipes, substitutions, and where to get ingredients. She was always a good reminder that ultimately it was about the cooking.

Luckiest1…another blogger in Canada, who is also cooking through Jamie's cookbooks. She has been a great support and I don't even know her real name!

Danny…Jamie's web editor who shocked me with his email when he actually wrote back and has been such an awesome cheerleader all year. Having him validate what I was doing and send his "You Go Girl!" support was a huge motivator that got me through this year.

Cindy….the reporter who did a story on me and quickly became a good friend. During the last few weeks when I was having trouble getting the rest of the writing done her "So did you make it?" messages kept me going.

There's like 50+ more of you I need to thank for reading but I'm afraid if I keep writing the 'thank yous!' you'll stop reading! So…I'll continue.

We sat down to eat the cheesecake and I was so happy that I had done it, so sad that it was over and for the VERY first time since it had began 365 days ago I thought….

"I wonder what Jamie Oliver thinks."

And then I thought….

I need to thank him.

So now the recipes are cooked but I feel like I'm not done yet. Did I do what I set out to do? Can I cook better? People all year have been asking me if I thought Jamie Oliver was reading my blog and I always thought that I didn't care. I wasn't really writing it for him but now that I realize how much he's taught me, I feel like I need to know. So I hope you'll keep reading. After 173 recipes and 365 days I still feel like there is a bit more to do and I hope you'll see what happens next.