A Detour into Hell's Kitchen? Or Quality Time with The Naked Chef?

Well, I wouldn't say it was Hell's Kitchen, but it's definitely been adventures in cooking. This past autumn while in the process of looking for a job here in Toronto, I decided to use my free time to try new things, one of which was cooking.

Now, don't get my wrong, I learned how to cook years ago, thanks to my mother teaching me a handful of recipes throughout my childhood and through picking a few up on my own. But I'd never really used a cookbook, and living on my own for the first time, I wanted to have one to show me how to make some basic dishes that you'd think people would know, but tend to screw up sometimes.

I guess what started all this off was my addiction to The Food Network. I started watching programs like "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and "Chef at Home", both of which I love, (especially Triple D, that Guy makes me laugh every time). But then I discovered Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares", and Jamie Oliver's "Ministry of Food", and I

was hooked. Two British men showing off their fancy culinary skills? It was like a dream come true.

While at Indigo in November, I learned that November was Chef Month, and numerous chefs would be doing book signings at the Manulife Centre. To my surprise and delight, guess who came? Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. :)

Both were pleasant and extremely charming, and Chef Ramsay in particular was quite chatty when I went up to get my book signed! While I like them both very much, when it came to their cook books, Ramsay's is just a little too advanced for me. Jamie's Food Revolution, on the other hand, was just what I'd been looking for. I've tried a number of recipes already, and each one has been delicious.

One of my favourites so far? Jamie's spaghetti and meatballs from scratch:

I'll post more of my culinary creations in the coming months. In the meantime, if you're looking for a great cook book, why not pick up Jamie's Food Revolution? :) You won't be disappointed!

So Long, 2010! It's Been a Time!

As 2010 draws to a close and we prepare to welcome 2011, it's time for me to reflect on what's happened in my life during the past year. This time last year, I had decided that 2010 would be The Year of Elizabeth, and I have to say, I actually managed to live up to that in regards to a lot of things!

There were some ups, some downs, but I certainly wasn't out. After everything that's gone on, I still think it's been one of the best years yet. :)

Here are some of the highlights:

- Completing the craziest year of school of my LIFE and graduating from Humber College with my PR certificate

- Turning a quarter of a century and and having a fabulous 25th birthday weekend, complete with a surprise visit from my brother Dan who flew up from Newfoundland for the day

- Really making the move to Toronto and moving into my first apartment ever (While I did move to Toronto last year to go to school, I feel like I moved this time because I wanted to, not because I had to for school. So it's different!)

- Developing an addiction to the Food Network just in time to meet some of my favourite celebrity chefs during their stops in Toronto on their book tours

- Going home to Newfoundland for the summer and completing an internship with one of the best companies in Newfoundland and learning about the PR industry in my home province

- Starting another internship in Toronto with one of the best and most exciting companies in the country & being fortunate enough to work on an awesome digital team

It's been a year where I've learned a lot, not just about my new profession, but about myself and what I'm capable of when I put myself out there and just try; try new things, new foods, new books, new areas of the city, new whatever.

Mark Twain once said, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So sail away from the safe harbour. Explore. Dream. Discover." and I think Twain was right. I've learned that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Though I've had some experiences this year that have been not great - in fact, they've been downright awful - they didn't kill me, and I managed to go away from them having learned a lot.

It was a year of growth for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2011 has in store. Perhaps 2011 will be "The Year of Elizabeth...Again"?

Happy New Year, everyone! All the best for 2011!

The New Job: I'm Lovin' It.

I know it's been a month since I last blogged, but for good reason - I started my new job! From day one, it's been go, go, go, and I'm lovin' it.

As the newest intern on the Digital team at HRC, I'm a busy bee! Whether I'm checking spelling and grammar on a piece of writing for a colleague or doing research for someone else, or popping into a last minute brainer, I'm always kept on my toes.

Being new to any job, there's so much to learn and get used to. This job, however, is my first real "office" job, so learning the ins and outs of techie type stuff has been interesting as well. (working the printer was a big step for me. Don't even ask about sending a fax, that's too complicated right now.)

The people I work with are great - so much fun and always available to help a poor newbie like myself. No one hesitates to answer whenever I tentatively ask a question about something or other. We play while we work too, and can frequently be heard calling out random answers to riddles given by one of the Digital ladies. Our favourite answer these days? "Cars can't see dogs!"

I'm really looking forward to growing and learning more and more about the digital side of PR, and I know I'm at the best agency to do this. As always, wish me luck! I think I'm in for an excellent few months! :)