i was four years old when this picture was taken. if you had told me then that twenty one years from now i would officially be able to call myself a caterer,

i would have said:

"um...duh."

a few weeks ago--i single-handedly catered my very first event. 

i've cooked for friends and family more times than i can count, but never have i EVER cooked for strangers. after working part-time as an occasional food-setter-upper at my friend's office, i mentioned to her boss that i do, in fact, cook. 

well, that's not exactly how it went down. i made a joke about setting up my own omelet station which led into the conversation that i know my way around a kitchen. right then and there he decided that i would have my very own day of catering the next time i was back at their office. a few weeks passed and before i knew it, it was time to start planning my dishes. 

there's something about greek food that i absolutely love. the fresh delicate herbs like dill and oregano combined with spicy garlic and bright lemon make a combination that i can't get enough of. keeping in mind that greek flavors are simple and light, yet full of flavor--i went forward with my mediterranean menu. i felt as if i had no other choice.

me NOT making greek food would have been like paula deen opening a chinese restaurant.

so...here it is!

(the recipes are all posted at the end)

two hours of grocery shopping.

six hours of cooking.

two coors lights.

eleven episodes of diners, drive-ins, and dives.

...and a partridge in a pear tree.

the above picture is of some delicious bruschetta i once made for an outdoor party. i knew it was going to be a hot day so i wanted something refreshing. what's more refreshing than strawberries and basil?

the below picture is from the catering day.

same dish.

fancier plates.

strawberry goat cheese bruschetta with basil, cracked black pepper, candied pecans, and a reduced sweet balsamic syrup.

spinach salad with roasted cashews, sliced apples, dried cranberries, goat cheese and a balsamic agave vinaigrette.

olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, agave, sweet vidalia onion, sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

greek pasta salad with souvlaki-style chicken, caramelized red onions, cherry tomatoes, marinated artichokes, sundried tomatoes, feta, basil, and lemon zest tossed in an herb vinaigrette.

warmed pita pockets--

the only thing NOT made from scratch.

traditional tzatziki sauce with cucumbers, dill, garlic, and lemon.

the measurements in these recipes were for a little over twenty people, and i did everything through the eyeball method:

where you judge each step based on how much you THINK you'll need by taste or sight instead of sticking entirely to the recipe. i just wanted to list the ingredients in each dish incase anybody had the desire to make these in their own kitchen:

greek pasta salad with lemon chicken and feta tossed with herb vinaigrette:

• 15 cups (dry) Orecchiette pasta
• 15 chicken breasts
• 3 ¾ - 4 cups feta cheese
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large thinly sliced caramelized red onion
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 8 cups arugula
• 1 ½ cups sundried tomatoes packed in oil
• 4 6 oz. cans artichoke hearts
• 15 pitas (on the side)

chicken marinade:

• 8 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red vine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  

greek pasta salad herb vinaigrette:

• 4 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 3 cups plain greek yogurt
• 8 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups olive oil
• Pinch of sugar

tzatziki sauce:

• 6 cups greek yogurt
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 4 medium seedless cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 lemons (6 tablespoons lemon juice) + some zest
• Salt and pepper to taste

strawberry basil bruschetta:

• 30 toasted baguette slices
• 5-6 oz. goat cheese
• 3 cups strawberries
• ½ cup chopped basil
• ½ cup candied walnuts or pecans (candied in brown sugar and butter)
• Small bottle aged balsamic vinegar
• Cracked black pepper on top

spinach salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, apples, and cashews tossed with balsamic agave dressing:

• 32 cups baby spinach leaves
• 4 cups toasted cashews
• 1 1/3 cup goat cheese
• 2 cups dried cranberries
• 4 apples (preferably pink lady or something tangy and sweet)
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 ¼ small Vidalia onion
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 ½ minced garlic cloves
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup + 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 
  

newest obsession:

hamsters.

reason:

it's pretty obvious.

newest cleaning device:

duster.

reason:

i found out what my fan looks like when it's not spinning.

newest california surprise:

double rainbow.

reason:

my sister probably had something to do with it.

newest exercise routine:

walking up my street to the beachwood stairs like i used to when i first moved to california.

reason:

it's a good thinking walk.

newest embarrassing moment:

craving this soup.

reason:

i'm lazy and sometimes don't feel like chewing.

newest exciting moment:

pumpkin lattes being back at starbucks.

reason:

if you can't figure this one out on your own then stop reading my blog.

oh hey...

remember me?

don't worry, i didn't leave you.

but a few weeks ago--my computer certainly did. you know the VERY first sneeze of a cold when you think to yourself:

"okay, either i just sneezed because it's dusty in here...or i'm on the verge of a vicious stuffy nose."

well, instead of my computer warning me with a "first sneeze" that it was about to get sick--it just decided to turn off and then not turn back on. luckily there's a doctor (samsung store) about an hour away that i was able to take him to instead of shipping him off to some unknown land.
as soon as he was cured and back in my hands, i threw myself headfirst into a very important project.
the best friend's 24th birthday was right around the corner and she had asked me to put together a slideshow for her family and friends to see. most people would probably spend a day or two quickly throwing pictures and songs on top of one another, but i have never been like most people. i took this request from my best friend VERY seriously. knowing that i was responsible for the dozens and dozens of images that make up her life--i spent not just days, but weeks perfecting every little detail. 


before i knew it,
it was time to come home.


september 9th finally arrived and i hopped on a plane and headed back for the east coast.

12 days later.

there's so much to update you on--i feel like it might be best to do it one post at a time. 

let's start from where we last left off...

to keep myself preoccupied while looking for a job, a few months back i decided to volunteer at the shelter where i rescued olive from. this wonderful place is called kitten rescue and their mission is to take cats and kittens out of shelters where they are about to be euthanized and provide them with a home. they have handfuls of foster parents who take the animals to monthly adoptions, as well as a sanctuary for the cats who have nowhere to live. the first time i walked into kitten rescue, i remember thinking that it seemed so different from any other shelter or pound i had ever been to. not only was it cleaner, but the cats basically had free run of the place instead of being locked up in cages. the whole place is open air so the cats are able to enjoy the breeze and see the outdoors. 

step one was volunteer training.

my first instinct was to adopt every single cat that i saw. 

and then i realized that was probably kind of silly, considering the fact that my apartment is the size of a chinese takeout container.

once my day of training was complete, i was allowed to come back anytime to help out in whatever way i liked. although it felt very rewarding to do real work like cleaning and washing litter-boxes, my favorite volunteer activity has been "socializing". despite the decent number of shelter workers and volunteers, there are only so many hands available for kitty petting. the training instructor explained to us that because their goal is to get each cat adopted--the more comfortable they are with humans, the better. 

finally.

a good excuse to embrace my inner cat lady.

the cat below is appropriately named monster--and even though he looks intimidating, i have a feeling he's just a big baby.

you know when you see a person walking down the street that looks JUST like someone you know, and you want to think it's that person--but you know it's just not a realistic possibility?

well, here is a picture of my best friend's cat:

oh wait.

that was a picture of a cat at the shelter.

THIS is my best friend's cat:

--insert twilight zone music here--

one picture.

two songs

1. slightly stoopid -- sweet honey

2. landon pigg -- trickery

flea.

+

market.

...FLEA MARKET!

well it's official. i've found my second favorite hangout. oh wait, i forgot about bojangles. 

mmm and las margaritas. 

and goodberrys!

shoot. 

okay, i guess it's my sixth favorite hangout. 

i've always been a fan of outdoor markets. it's a great way to spend time outside instead of sitting on your ass all day. 

i should really get off of the couch soon...

every weekend, i make my way over to the west hollywood whole foods. on the way back, i always drive by a big open field where people appear to be cleaning. 

to my disappointment--i discovered that it was not a dustbuster convention. 

this weekly occurrence is normally sunday, which means that by the time i get off of my ass to go to the store, it's 4 PM. which means by the time i'm driving back from the store, it's 5 PM and people are, in fact, cleaning up from the day. i did some research on this mystery place, and it turns out that every weekend from 9-4, there is a flea market! the next weekend, i threw on my favorite tank top, bought myself a smoothie, and headed over in search of fleas! appropriately named the melrose trading post, this cute little spot was everything i hoped for and more. i'm a big fan of the farmer's market at 3rd and fairfax--but i knew that this would be an entirely different experience...seeing as i can't eat fresh jewelry and clothes.

i was so fascinated by all of the little trinkets and knick-knacks that each vendor had spread across their tables. everything was so authentically vintage that i felt like i had just stumbled into the past.

...which is secretly on my bucket list.

i thought about picking this up for a smell test, but i was afraid it might turn me into a unicorn.

this next item wasn't worth the four dollars because i didn't want to think about who else had sweat on it--but it sure did make me smile when i found it :)

other than browsing the marketplace, i've been making sure to get outside a few times a week for some exercise. the traffic here may be ridiculous--but views like this make living in hollywood worthwhile.

 speaking of things to do in LA, last night was my first time at the hollywood bowl! if you're wondering what AWESOME band i saw...

think again.

it was actually the phil harmonic orchestra playing the music to disney's fantasia. although i've never seen the movie--the music was still pretty baller. (it's okay to describe an orchestra as baller...right?)

 hands down, my favorite part was that we got to bring our own food and drinks.

pinwheels a la fanny!

grilled veggies in a spinach tortilla with light veggie cream cheese, pesto, and a balsamic reduction on top.

disney music + big screen TV's = awesome

disney music + big screen TV's + fireworks = REALLY awesome

coors light + bread + cheese =

WINNING.