Good Morning Team Awesome,

So day 8 recoup……

(Singing)I had the time of my Life………………………..

I don’t even know if I can write all the amazing things that have happened to me to day.

So you all know I was going to Chef Michael thing at his wonderful Community Hall in Fortune Bay today.  For those who don’t know Chef Michael he came to PEI 21-23 years ago…and he loves it here and he is a true spirit of the land and he is a truer part of the island… he is so gentle and he is so tall, and he is so real. He loves the land and the community and when you see him talking about this island and the food he gets from here it is like wow… he loves his family and the community and the food and everything, his passion for the land and community almost out shine his love of cooking.

So going tonight with blinders on just wanted to be there.  So we bought VIP passes go big or stay home…40 bucks big deal…

So we got to go an hour early and spend the time with him, again Rutger and I didn’t know what to expect it was pretty loosey goosy. So we were first at the door, and Chef Michael opened and welcomed us in.  So we went in and the first station… local brewed gin and tonic with mint, and juniper berry. Great starts… then we were ushered over t Chef Michael’s table where he was shucking fresh oysters….Never in my life did I ever think I would try oysters, you know slimy, raw etc., but Rutger and I said we are doing everything trying everything no stopping.  So he shucked us and oyster and then put frozen Bloody Mary on it…OMG!!!!!! Taste buds singing……LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 I’m in heaven, yes in heaven.  So we ate oysters and drank different gins, one form the north side of the island and one form the south side of the island and the gins were very different, Rutger liked the north shore and I liked the south shore.  Rutger had 4 and was feeling pretty good….lol

So after an hour were there shuffled into the community hall into so VIP seats.  Where we sat and Chef Michael presented a slide show of his kids cooking and his family and his home and community again you could see the love this man had for his community… at this time he did a few displays making bread in a minute, teaching the best way to make salad dressing etc.  We were then asked to go outside for fresh mussels and fresh bread.  The mussels were bacon beer and whole wheat bread absolutely delicious, Rutger and I each ate two helpings craving more but no room.

So after eating we were called back in and told that there was going to be a special auction for the community hall, I knew right and then what I was doing.  I was going to leave a piece of me in this community, whatever the auction Item, it was mine….

Rutger looked at me when I said this and I think he was scared for me…. He knew the look and he knew there was no talking me down….

So the auction item please noting to big…..I mean you know I don’t have loads of money but I wanted to win…

So the item reveled…, it was the 1^st book of Chef Michal’s newest cookbook to be released in a month or so, it is already a number one book with all the preorders sold online.  Well that sounded fun and not to expensive you know its 30 dollar cookbook…

So the auction was off… it went to 100.00 and then 10 increments…I just kept my hand in the air and people very quickly realized this woman was taking it. And take it I did…. Chef Michal was so thrilled with my tenacity. I won the price $400.00. That was nothing I am able to leave a small piece of me here on the island and this community and I was so happy to be able to leave a piece of me here, I was so happy and I have never done any this thing like, as most of you know I’m pretty cheap and we need the money but I had to do it...It was an amazingly selfish thing that I did for me and it felt wonderful, and it was all about me…I think for once it was the first times in my life.

So after winning the auction I was invited to go on stage with him and, he had a gift for me, a bottle of French champagne he brought over from France this year, it was like a 100 bottle of champagne for me.

But, it wasn’t that easy, he was teaching me how to cut the top off the bottle with a saber???

Are you kidding…lol

 He gently showed me how you stroke the bottle with the saber softly and aiming for the glass knuckle on the top of the bottle. Then when you are feeling comfortable you hit it hard and the top will cut off, the whole glass top.  I was struggling holding the bottle and the saber was very heavy s o I leaned over and I just said I don’t have the strength, so he held my hand firm and helped me do it. It was amazing the glass neck came off and we drank French champagne on the stage.  Everyone cheered my name and it was so wonderful… Rutger has a video to post of it. So how much more excitement can I have?

Well … more than you can possibly know!!!! But you will, because here is the rest of the story…..

After the event is over, Chef Michael comes over sat down with me and hands me the number 1 book off the press and said here you go you should be the one to open it. He brought over an elaborate plastic box filled with stamps ink pads and various sharpies.  He explained to me that this box has never left his office before. He pulled out a red stamp of a maple leaf and explained that he carved it himself and that it is special as every cookbook that leaves his office is hand stamped by him with this logo. Then he pulled out a blue stamp and stamped the book again… he wrote a little blurb in my book and handed it to me… He explained that this was a very special book to him his baby and he loved it. I felt very blessed to have it cradled it in my arms…He then gave me four of his original drawings that he had done for his first cook book, he handed me four of them and said there is less than 200 of them in circulation, again I was so honored and touched by them they meant a lot to him, so I will have them framed. His manager came over and asked what day it was and I told her that this was my anniversary day of 9 months of survival and a new feeling came over us all, I shared my journey quickly with Chef Michael and his staff and they were blessed by my words. We talked a little bit and then Chef Michal and his staff asked me if I would come to the test kitchen next week and work with them and taste some recipes that are going into the next cookbook and Chef Michael would like to have lunch with me and spend the afternoon with me… what could I say but I would be honored to do this with this wonderful gentle man would like to spend time with me. Rutger and I are so freaking blessed and then he is going to put a list of all the best places for me to go and eat at while we are here... Can you believe it…?

How can we ever beat recoup day 8… I don’t know but Rutger and I are going to try…..

Lots of pictures to share….

I am so blessed don’t hate me… but I will let you envy me….lol