Classes for the spring 2011 term at Fox Valley Technical College started this past Monday. I can’t recall ever being excited about sitting in a chair for 9-10 hours per day when I was in high school, but I guess that’s part of what makes this mid-life college experience different for me than for some other college students. I have a passion for improving my life, and simply put, I LOVE learning. If sitting in a lecture for 2-3 hours at a time is what is required, I’m all for it!
The majority of my instructors have an abundance of inspiration and motivation, both of which are incredibly infectious. The minute I step into a class room with one of those awesome people, my mind becomes a magnet to all of the energy that is being emitted from the podium. Despite physical exhaustion (and sometimes a bit of brain fry), it is amazing how fulfilled I feel at the end of each school day, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with the people around me. There are times when I secretly wish that I could become a professional student so that I could start getting paid for having so much fun!
Another inspiring topic is food. Food inspires me to become a better person. OK, maybe not the food itself, but the act of cooking or baking it. When I make and serve food to a hungry person, I feel that I’m making a positive difference in that person’s life. When I take it a step further and cook for someone I care about, I feel fulfilled. I wish I could explain it, but I’m having difficulty putting words to it. It’s simply the way I feel, and as my stepfather (and former high school guidance counselor) has stated many times, “Feelings are an undisputable fact.”
Want to grab a little bit of inspiration for yourself? Then link up to this fabulous recipe for APPLE GRANOLA CRISP from my wonderful friend at KITCHEN CONFIDANTE and start your weekend off right.
What’s awesome about this recipe is that it’s delicious AND healthy. With wholesome ingredients like apples and whole grain granola, I may not even need to put on my stretchy pants this weekend…unless I decide to spend the weekend in bed, eating it topped with a pint of vanilla bean ice cream. Hey, the wind chills are below zero today. I MUST do whatever is necessary to stay warm, and my bed has a heated mattress pad. Besides, I could do worse than granola and ice cream to my hips. If I get inspired about baking Jessica’s gooey butter cake, only the good Lord can help save me from my gluttonous self.
My last source of inspiration and final thought for today can be summed up with two beautiful colors… green and gold. I am more excited about watching this weekend’s match between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears than a child on Christmas Eve. Yes, I realize that some of you wonderful readers are not quite as fond of the Packers as I am, but until my days on this earth are finished, I will continue to publically profess my adoration for those gorgeous, muscle laden boys of the frozen tundra. Oh, and the fact that they have an awesome defensive team and play some amazing football is also note worthy J
A Fox In The Kitchen 