(soundtrack for this post) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eetIgGXH6DA And now here is the purely self-indulgent, ever so gushy sentimental post that was inevitably going to happen... the great YEAR END REFLECTION. Here's a wee glimpse into the LIFE OF LAR during the year 2019: JanuaryI moved out! I said bye to ma and pa and hello to two wonderful friends and roomies in a cozy little home. I worked full time at Higher Ground, baking cookies, preparing food, chatting with customers, making coffee, and loving the simplicity of having one job instead of two and being a part of a lovely, local, vibrant community. I baked a cake with fancy buttercream to serve to my friends at our house warming party and vowed to bake more pretty cakes. FebruaryI continued to bake lots of cute and fun things for the cafe... some so cute that they almost looked fake... I received an unexpected phone call from the head chef of The Deane House requesting my help with decorating a cake order while their pastry chef was on holiday! I was honoured to be the one that they thought to call... MarchI set up a studio space in my bedroom so I could start painting again... I baked an apple crumble pie at home for a friend. I was offered a terrifying but wonderfully exciting job of being a pastry sous chef at The Deane House and even though I did not feel qualified, I decided to JUST DO IT and I felt so proud that I made myself a faux business card. AprilI painted on a miniature skateboard for Tom Brown's art project. I was finishing my last few days at Higher Ground, sneaking in all the cute baking that I could. I was a guest speaker for Prospect Human Services in which I ran a workshop on how to make your own miniature pizza slice for a group of special-needs adults! That was wild. I was invited back to sell my artwork and earrings at New Craft Coalition! I started training at The Deane House and realized that it was gonna be very challenging but so good and if I worked really hard I could do it, and that I still remembered how to bake good bread. Meanwhile I baked more cakes for friends at home. MayI trained at Deane House for a short 3 days and before I could sign any sort of formal papers a very sharp twist in the road (which turned out to be a twist for the better) led me back to work full time at River Cafe, instead of Deane House. While this decision meant I lost the chance at a fancy title, I gained a wonderful position with an amazing pastry team back in Calgary's top restaurant, and it felt darn good. Soon I was doing everything from baking bread to making wedding cakes, to plating desserts, opening the restaurant and staying until the last guests had ordered. I even got to do some recipe testing to create a chocolate chip cookie for the summer time "picnic baskets". Back at home, I started a tiny garden! JuneI discovered the joy of creating custom ice cream flavours for special people in my life... such as "Oatmeal Raisin Cookie" ice cream for my dear papa. JulyI helped create weird, wonderful and whimsical desserts under the direction of an incredible pastry chef at River Cafe. I made danishes every weekend for Brunch service. I picked fresh marigold from the restaurant garden. I went to the stampede with my Ma and ate mini donuts... even if they weren't from my favourite mini donut stand (which wasn't there this year!!! The HORROR!) I baked more cakes for friends. I went swing dancing! I was horrible at it. But it was fun. I did it to be brave and to maybe meet a boy... I was successful with the brave part. I tried my best to enjoy the view every day even though work can be stresssssssfullll! AugustI went to shakespeare in the park with my family and bought a cute notebook that my talented friend made. My roommate helped me feel better when I was feeling low. We enjoyed sitting out on our little patio when the weather was nice. I rode my bike to outdoor concerts to see friends playing trumpets. I started teaching myself hand embroidery. When I worked nights at the restaurant, I would ride down early so that I could sit in the park before my shift started. Peace. With the help of my amazing pastry chef, I got to create my very own tasting dessert for the restaurant! Something I never thought I could do. I made my own creative take on a hyper-local nanaimo bar... morphing a family recipe into something suitable for a fine dining plate up. I took an indulgent four day vacation, which my boss was not super keen on. But life is meant to be lived and that's all there is too it. And I deserved a tiny vacation!!! I went to Invermere with my bestest pal of all time and we did all the things I was hoping we would do!!! It felt like we were back in grade 5. SeptemberI got out to the mountains! I hiked up to Agnes Lake Tea house... something I have been wanting to do for a long time! I went for jogs around the dog park near my home and took photos and was grateful that these sorts of views were practically in my own backyard. I grew two tiny tomatoes in my garden!!! ONE OF THEM WAS STOLEN but I am not one to mess with and I managed to catch the thief in the the act. Nobody messes with my tiny garden... I started a new painting. It remains unfinished. I helped do the plate ups for the winter dessert menu. Feeling simultaneously excited for the new menu and also terribly and horribly sad that so many things were about to change... everything that I was just starting to feel comfortable and grounded with at work was quickly crumbling underneath my feet. But getting to help with the plating for this menu will undoubtedly be a highlight of my life! I made birthday cakes for the restaurant owner's twins. No pressure. I did what I like to do when I get a new job (yep, spoiler alert) and I treated myself to a new cookbook... Recipes from the best places to eat in Calgary. Side by side in the book (of course this would happen) is River Cafe and then Sidewalk Citizen... the place where I suddenly found myself applying for and getting a job at... I didn't really know what I was doing or if it would be a good idea but for many unknown reasons, it is what I did. I never felt like I wanted to leave River Cafe, but somehow it felt like the universe was pushing me away from it. OctoberI tried to enjoy every day I worked at the restaurant, as I could see that the place that I knew and loved was changing more and more, whether I liked it or not. I started my new job at Sidewalk Citizen, lucky enough to be able to work part time at both places until the year was over. I was also lucky enough to be a part of both the Bread team and the Pastry team. This means that I do a lot of bread-shaping and cookie-dough-scooping... among other things. I quickly discovered that they make A LOT of everything. But everything they do make is UHMAZING. I made pumpkin-caramel-twix bars, just for fun. I carved a pumpkin and make ghost cookies for halloween. I dressed up as peter pan. NovemberI got a hair cut to boost morale. Winter arrived... so we decorated the bakery at River Cafe with string lights... despite the head chef's desires. I continued to help make giant batches of things at Sidewalk. As if enough things weren't already changing... I MOVED AGAIN!!! My roomies and I found a new lovely home, this one even better than the last. Working and moving at the same time was not something I'd recommend... but I had no choice. After I had a few mental breakdowns and finally started getting settled... things were feeling cozier. SO MANY CHANGES. DecemberI turned a year older!!! I sure don't feel 27... but here we are. I didn't plan a party which made me feel bummed but my family and roomies treated me well <3 bless them. I helped decorate a few hundred Christmas cookies for the restaurant! I sold some more tiny things at a New Craft Coalition pop up sale!! I set up a NEW STUDIO space in my NEW HOME! I finally went to River Cafe as a guest, not an employee, with my mama bear <3 We shared two desserts and spent the whole afternoon talking and laughing and enjoying ourselves and reflecting over my time working there... Meanwhile back at Sidewalk Citizen we continued to make and bake SO MUCH BREAD. At home I made more christmas treats and cookies and was actually able to enjoy a tiny bit of the holiday season... despite getting no extra time off. Such is the life of a baker I suppose! What a wild ride this year has been. It's probably been the most twisty-turny of a year that I have ever had. It's been emotionally challenging to say the least. (I have never shed so many tears in a public setting) BUT, I'm trying my best to not feel sad anymore for the things that are no longer there, and instead to look forward to the future. More importantly than that even, being grateful for where I am RIGHT NOW. I never could have guessed that this is where I would be... but I am grateful for where I have been and for where I am now. Who knows what this next year will bring! I do know that it will be good. Sorry/not sorry for all the sentimental cheesy stuff. But this is what I must do.
Here's to 2019, thank you for it all. Love, Lari.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Tiny Tea PartyIt's about celebrating the tiny things. Categories
All
© 2015 Larissa Costella
All Rights Reserved (All images and content are my own unless otherwise noted) |