September 2014

After a busy summer, I was really hoping for some time to rest up and recover from being sick and all the strenuous travel.

Immediately after arriving home, I had to move apartments.  I love my new place! I have a 500-square-foot one bedroom apartment.  It's really great to have a place to myself.  Of course by this point, I'm all moved in, though I still need to hang up some of my decorations.  I'll try to post a house tour up here sometime soon, once I hang up the artwork.

Unfortunately, I had scheduled my recital for just one month after my return, and I hadn't had practice time to prepare before I arrived back at school.  The recital was on September 29, and it went pretty well.  Everyone was really complimentary, and, though everything wasn't perfect, I was happy with my work considering the difficulties of the program and the short time I had to prepare.

Also, it turned out that I had some unforeseen issues with my classes, which necessitated major schedule changes and caused a lot of bureaucracy problems.  Due to this, it wasn't until the first week of October that I was able to actually finalize my schedule for this semester!

I also had to take a huge doctoral exam in music theory.  I felt like I did ok, but I got a borderline grade, so they made me retake part of it.  Finally, I ended up passing, and I got the news just as I came off-stage from playing my recital!

With some collaborators after my recital

Despite all this business, I've also been doing some of hiking, sometimes alone, and sometimes with friends.  One weekend, a group of use went hiking and then had a barbecue in the state park.

Hiking in a state park with some friends

I've also been doing some home cooking in my new place.  I made some delicious Brazilian rice and beans, which you can find the recipe for here.

Beans and rice

Following my friends' and my monthly schedule for organized fun* we had a chamber music party near the end of September.  My friend had the cutest dog who loved the music and all the attention we gave him.

Cute doggy!

Ms. Haydn came to the party

What a crazy busy month, with no time to rest! October is going to be pretty busy as well, but with no recital prep, it should be slightly more manageable.

*Our monthly organized fun schedule:
First Wednesday: play pool
Second Thursday: attend a concert
Third Friday: movie night
Fourth Saturday: chamber music party
Fifth Sunday: brunch

25 Things: Go Gluten-Free! Part 1: Preparation

I am going to spend a month (October 1-October 31) eating gluten-free.  I decided to do this because it is pretty trendy right now and I want to see what all the fuss is about, plus I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds.

So, what is gluten anyways? Even a lot of people who don't eat it don't know what it is, as evidenced by this video made by Jimmy Kimmel Live.


According to Wikipedia, "gluten is a protein composite found in wheat and related grins, including barley and rye, [which] gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture."

Not eating gluten for a month is going to be a HUGE challenge for me.  My diet is very based around carbs, including lots of pasta and bread in the form of sandwiches, wraps, and crackers.  My first step is to find out exactly what I can and can't eat.
-Nothing made with traditional wheat flour.  This eliminates pastas, couscous, cereal, and breads (including flour tortillas) aka my lifeblood.  Also, nothing breaded - pretty much nothing fried.
-No beer or anything cooked in beer.
-No soy sauce.
-Check packaging of soups, teas, processed meats (cold cuts, hot dogs, etc), sugar, coffee, and salad dressings.

So, what CAN I eat?
-Corn-based versions of things normally made with wheat flour, such as cornbread, corn tortillas
-Rice and quinoa
-Things made with alternative flours (rice flour, quinoa flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, etc.)
-Oats and oatmeal that is labeled as being gluten-free
-Nuts, coconuts, and beans including chickpeas
-Potatoes and sweet potatoes
-Jams and jellies

From what I read, it seems like I have to eat a lot of fresh produce, which should be really great for me anyways.  I can continue to eat plain meat (not processed, ie. chicken breasts, steaks) and eggs.  I can also use plain tofu as a protein source.  Some sources suggested to substitute potatoes for bread to satisfy cravings for starches.  Keep rice as a base for meals rather than bread.  I can eat plain yogurt, which normally I hate, but may be bearable with added fresh fruits or jam.  Most cheeses are still allowed, but I need to check the packaging to make sure.  Substitute wraps made with corn or brown rice tortillas, or lettuce.  I'm going to stick with wines in terms of alcohol consumption, with possible forays into unflavored liquors if I get tired of wines or there is not a good selection available.  While gluten-free products such as breads are available, apparently they taste really different, and it is recommended to wait two weeks before trying any of these products to let your taste buds adjust.

Note: I got a lot of this information from this website:  http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/p/how-to-go-g-free.html  Just want to credit them properly!

Since it seems like I'll be subsiding mostly on fresh produce (yay!), I also decided to take a look at what is in season this month, so I can hopefully not spend my entire hard-earned stipend on organic strawberries.  Here's what the Produce for Better Health Foundation says is in season in fall and year-round.

Off to the grocery store I go! I'll post again with how things are going in about two weeks - half-way through my month-long challenge.

Summer, part 2

My summer was so crazy and full of different activities! I'll cover what I did in 4 separate posts.
Part 1 - Oregon
Part 2 - Colorado
Part 3 - Germany
Part 4 - France and Germany again
----

I was in Colorado to participate in a summer music festival called the National Repertory Orchestra (NRO).  It was probably the most intense one I've ever done.  We played an average of 2.5 concerts per week, all with different repertoire.  I definitely grew a lot musically, but of course I made time to have some fun as well.

One of my favorite things about being in Colorado was being surrounded by such amazing natural beauty, once I got used to the 9,000 foot elevation.  At the beginning the elevation and dryness made playing difficult, but I soon got used to it.  In fact, afterwards, when I was in Germany, it was amazing how well I could play! Sadly, though, the effects of the elevation only lasted a few days after my return to sea level.

Here I am playing my horn outside - one of my favorite things, but sadly something I can't do often because of bothering neighbors, extreme temperatures, or other reasons.

This is at Lake Dillon, where we played an Independence Day concert.

I also got to do some hiking.  I'm most proud of one hike, Mt. Elbert, which is a 14-er (a Colorado term for a summit with elevation over 14,000 feet).  I felt bad from the beginning of the hike, due to the elevation and being fairly out of shape, but nevertheless, I kept going, without distractions of other people or music to keep me going.  I even ran out of water partway through, but I forced myself to continue.  And I made it to the top!

I also went on a few solo hikes near the town where we were located.





I had some fabulous colleagues that also made it a summer to remember.  This is another member of the horn section.
































I really really loved my roommates.  Excuse the dark and blurry picture full of red-eye - this is the only photo we took all together!


Maybe this is the reason we all got along so well:




































Our house hosted a party for the final match of the world cup.  It was so intense when it went into overtime!
One of my other colleagues and I made this video during a rehearsal for a pops concert.


It was really musically inspiring to play with such great people!  We played Strauss' Ein Heldenleben with members of the Breckenridge Music Festival.  It was really cool because one of my friends from undergrad plays in BMF, so it was a mini-reunion of sorts! Here are the combined horn sections:


Thanks to the generosity of friends with cars, I was able to take a few little side trips as well.  I went to Fairplay, the town the TV show South Park is based on!  As a super-fan, it was a life-altering experience.




A few friends and I also went to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra at Vail,

Altogether, I had a wonderful time at NRO this summer.  I would love to return if possible, but the festival has a one-summer-only policy for all wind players.

After a very late night and a very early morning, I was en route to Germany!

25 Things: Cook something on the grill

To fulfill my goal of learning how to grill something, my mom and I made a nice dinner last week of grilled veggies with shrimp.  We made a delicious marinade of olive oil, oregano, and lemon juice, where the ingredients stayed in for about 10-15 minutes.  Then my mom taught me how to turn on the grill.  Once it heated up a bit, we put on the food.  I was assigned the task of checking on it every 2-3 minutes until the shrimp was pink and the zucchini and squash were slightly soft, but still crunchy and delicious.  What a great summer dinner!

April update

I'm sorry it has been so long since I last wrote!! Since coming back from Spring Break, I've been super busy.  First, I've been working a lot to try to get my finances in order for the summer, when I won't be earning any money at all, and secondly, I have been making an audition recording for a prestigious position in an orchestra, so all my free time has been focused on working on that.  I do have a few tidbits to share, though!

 My faithful trusty suitcase, that I have had for four years, with which I traveled all over the world (all over the US, Canada, China, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Colombia twice, Spain, Ecuador, Brazil eight times, Peru, Germany, and Switzerland), finally irreparably broke right at the end of my travels back from Brazil.  I'm thanking my lucky stars that it broke at the end of the trip rather than at the beginning, but I am so sad that it finally succumbed to old age.










My roommates in Brazil taught me how to make pineapple juice from the skin of the pineapple, so I decided to give it a try at home.  It was a lot of work, but it was awesomely fresh and delicious!!











My good friend here at Yale introduced me to a food stand where I can buy Colombian style arepas! It was delicious and reminded me of the arepas I ate on the street with friends in Manizales, the first time I visited Colombia.  Aww, memories!

I've also decided what I'm doing this summer and next year! This summer I'll be attending the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, here in Connecticut.  I'm very excited.  I already submitted my repertoire request form, and I asked to play a lot of unusual pieces, so I'm hoping at least one or two of my requests are granted!

Next year, I'll be starting work towards my DMA at the University of Georgia! I'm very excited to start a new life in a new state where I won't know anyone at all, but that means I need to buy a car between now and August.  I have no idea how to go about doing this! Help!!!

As I mentioned above, I've been working really hard on a recording.  The orchestra is super specific about how they want things set up - they designate a specific microphone to use, and it has to be eight feet off the ground, six feet away from the player, and pointed directly at the instrument.  I was able to borrow an appropriate microphone from Yale, but they didn't have any proper mic stands available, so here is my improvised recording set-up!

 One of my fitas finally broke off!  Fitas de Bomfim are one of the most famous symbols of Salvador, the city I frequently visit in Brazil.  You make a wish when you put it on, and when it breaks, the wish will have come true.  I don't usually believe in superstitious things like that, but it's true - the wish when I made when I tied on this fita has come true in the meantime.  This one I wore for about a year and a half before it broke.  I'm still wearing another one that I put on one year before this pink one, and it doesn't even look close to coming off.  It's a bit awkward - I actually don't want that wish to come true anymore, but I also don't want to cut it off or something, in case superstitions are true, and it would bring bad luck on me! I know it's silly, but better safe than sorry, right??

Finally, for a bit of blog maintainance stuff, I need to amend some of my 25 things that I wanted to do before I turn 25.  First of all, through elimination and reintroduction into my diet, I have learned that I am lactose intolerant.  The day I made this discovery, I was crushed.  But it's now a fact of my life.  So instead of doing a month of a gluten-free diet, which would be nearly impossible right now when I'm working on changing my diet already, I will do a month of lactose free eating.  That means no milk, cheese, or other dairy products, though since eggs seem to be ok with my digestive system, they're allowed.  Cheese is the hardest thing.  I absolutely adore cheese and used to eat it nearly with every meal.  I've only done a few days at a time without cheese so far so I need to really dedicate myself to this for a whole month! But not till I finish this blue cheese I've got in my fridge....

The other goal that I need to amend is having my summer camp.  Unfortunately, I had to cancel it due to insufficient student enrollment.  But! I still want to do 25 things that I've never done before! So I am adding do yoga to the list.  I think I am probably the only 20-something woman in America who has literally never tried yoga, so this is the time to do it! This is especially ironic since my dad has been doing yoga at least five days per week since I was in middle school or before!

Anyways, that's about all the updates I have today.  I have been falling behind once again in my essays for my Portuguese class, as well as in my schedule of the 25 things to do before my birthday in November, so hopefully I'll have some updates on that for you guys soon!

Until next time!

Lauren

Beans!

Today I spent most of the afternoon making Brazilian-style beans, so I thought I would share the recipe.  This is my interpretation of the way my friend taught me how to make it.  There are endless different variations on this theme, but this is a version that I make "everyday" kind of beans.  I like to use Roman beans rather than pinto beans, because they don't disintegrate into the mixture quite so much, but pinto beans will work fine too.  The broth is optional.  It give a slightly richer feel to the beans.  I always cook the full pound of beans, since it takes so long to prepare, and then I freeze the leftovers to reheat later.  It will keep for months in the freezer, or about a week or two in the refrigerator.

Note: many people are familiar with the Brazilian dish feijoada.  That is more of a special occasion dish, made with many more different types of meats.  This dish here is for everyday meals and only uses sausage.  It can also be cooked without sausages for a vegetarian version.

Cooking time: 4 hours + 4-8 hours of soaking          Active cooking time: 1 hour          Serves 10-15 people

1 pound dry pinto or roman beans
1 package chicken or vegetable broth (optional)
2 large chorizo sausages
1 head of garlic
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
1 tomato
2-3 bay leaves
salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste

1. 8-12 hours before you would like to serve your beans, sort through them and remove any that are shriveled or hard, or any tiny stones that may be accidentally included in the package.  Soak the beans in a very large bowl of water.  I usually do this step the night before, so when I wake up in the morning, I can start preparing the beans for a large lunch.

2. About four hours before you want to eat (or the next morning), remove the beans from the water.  Throw away any floating beans, as they will be bad.

3. Measure the volume of the beans in a liquid measuring cup, and then place them in a very large soup pot.  Add the broth to the pot, then add water, to come to a total volume of five times the volume of the beans.  For example, if you have one cup of beans, you should add five cups of liquid.  The more broth you use, the richer the beans will taste, but you should use a maximum of one package of broth, to not make it too thick.  If I cook one pound of beans, I usually have to add about 20 cups of liquid.

4. Turn the heat on high.  Stir in about 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper, and add the bay leaves.  At this point, you can go do something else while you wait, but make sure to reduce the heat if the pot starts to boil over.

5.  After about an hour of cooking, cut the sausages up into rounds of about 1/8 inch thickness.  Add them to the beans and stir.

6.  After the beans have been cooking for a total of two hours, put about one cup of the bean liquid into a blender.  It's ok if some beans get in there too, but avoid putting meat in the blender.  Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, bell pepper, and tomato.  Blend until very smooth and return to pot.

7. Cook another hour or so until a bean is easily smashed between your tongue and the roof of your mouth.  People prefer different amounts of liquid.  I usually cook a bit longer to remove more of the liquid from the beans.  Serve over rice with farofa (fried mandioc flour - available at Brazilian grocery stores).

Making Pasta

The other day I went over my friend T's house to make homemade pasta! I'd never done it before, but I really enjoyed it, and the pasta tasted absolutely incredible!

 T had made the pasta dough ahead of time.  If memory serves, she said it's basically just flour and water, but you can find tons of recipes for pasta dough online.  She had to let it set for a while before it was ready to roll out.  By the time S and I got there, it was all ready to go.

T was in charge of rolling the dough out with the rolling pin, as you can see in the picture, and S and I were in charge of pressing it in the pasta machine.  Please excuse my somewhat crazed look in the photo on the left.  There were many different thicknesses possible with the pasta machine roller setting.  We started with 1 (the thickest setting), and gradually moved up to 4.  We rolled each section of the dough three times on each setting, and only twice on #4.

After that, it was time to cut the actual pasta.  We rolled it through another part of the pasta making machine to cut it into strips.  It was definitely a three person job! I am very impressed but thankful that S was able to take a picture at this point.

The pasta needed to dry for a few minutes before it was ready to cook.  We used a staple of every woman's laundry room for this purpose.

Finally, the noodles were ready to cook! Here they are alongside the delicious homemade tomato sauce we cooked.

Ready to eat!


















And for your animal friend of the day, here is a picture of T's beautiful dog! She is a wiry haired Ibizan hound - not a breed you see every day!

Until next time!

Lauren