Food and Fun

Happy Belated Valentines Day everyone! Also, happy Independence Day for the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Korea!

For Valentines Day, I happened to be with my parents in Puerto Rico! (Do not tell my brothers)! I was there with an incentive trip my mom had earned with her company Discovery Toys, because she is an awesome sales lady. The whole time we had gourmet Caribbean food.. all the Caribbean flavors, I had been tasting but prepared in a way I have never experienced!

But Valentines Day took the win for most amazing meal of the year! The night was a recognition dinner for the employees whom had earned the trip. You were able to bring dates according to your performance this year. My mom had earned just one extra spot, for my dad, and after sob stories to the coordinators, we couldn't buy an extra spot for me... since it was all based on recognition. (My dad's response: Kelly will give recognition, she is a great clapper).

So anyways, I had a feeling I would be spending my Valentines Day alone in the hotel room watching the olympics, while everyone would be at this swanky dinner. I even have a boyfriend, but I will be feeling sorry for myself in my pajamas eating chocolates...

But as luck would have it, or malsuerte (bad luck for another), my mom's best friend sadly came down with food poisoning from local sea food the night before. She was one of my parents good friends from the trips, and she said I could go with her husband as his date to the Valentines Dinner!

So my parents and I got all dressed up, after a day of sitting by the pool, and we took a bunch of prom photos, and made a lot of jokes of me and my sugar-daddy, and then proceeded to the dinner.

As luck would have it again, we had assigned seats, and I was seated next to the new owner of the company! But, first let me tell you about the food!

Okay, well this was Top Chef level food. We started off with a Caribbean salad, with fresh greens and very finely cut fruit, with a fruity balsamic dressing. Then for the main course we had a tender steak topped with a layer of smashed and lightly friend yuca (a sweet root vegetable), and then in cased by a croissant cage. This was served in a savory sauce with mashed potatoes and medley of incredibly fine cut veggies.

Then for the dessert, there was a tower of 3 different type of chocolate mouse, that were inside a white chocolate cage, with an opening in the top, like a double shot. There were berries inside, and 3 different caribbean fruit sauces, with a dolop of whip cream at the end and a strawberry! Wow!

I wish I had pictures but here are some some ideas! But these pictures would definitely lose very quickly in a duel with this dessert.

At the end of the night, there was an amazing band that played many oldies but goodies! The lead singer looked about 10 but was belting Tina Turner and Diana Ross. I first thought it was a CD... it was amazing. I think my date, my parents, and I sat out 1.5 songs! It was such a fun night!

O and how did conversation with the owner of my mom's employer go??? AMAZING! I wrote up a proposal for an educational toy lending system, and an educational toy club, and he is donating all these amazing toys to the community library I have been working on!

I also just applied this week for a grant, to teach a summer children's art camp.

This week, I am suppose to be hosting about 12 students in my community, to help set up our lending system in the library, and do some painting! Hopefully everything will go well, but I have a lot to coordinate, such as finding places for these kids to sleep! I am also trying to coordinate my artisans to give a tour... so vamos a ver! Other plans are a big dominican style cook out, and smores!

Next blog... I will let you know how this all went.

Also coming soon... I will write about this weekend and CARNAVAL! It was a a crazy cultural experience!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying interesting!

Miss you!

P.S. I have a new artisan site about my project. It is really simple, but check it out! http://artisansofhiguerito.yolasite.com/