One thing I love and hate about college— I’m constantly learning.

All the sweat and tension was worth it, though, when I picked up the paper up this morning:

Oh yeah, front page, baby!

Granted, it was on front page just because it was probably the only newsworthy item today, but I was damn proud of it!

What I realized throughout this process, though, was that I am not as great of a writer as I thought I was. Pressured under time, limited to a certain amount of space, restricted to tons of journalistic rules, and forbidden of all forms of personal opinions, I was stripped to a confused and stumbling newbie in writing:

1. Editing time with my editors was torture. They basically re-wrote the whole article for me, pointing out to my bazillion errors
2. I made so many journalistic taboos, I could make the next Jayson Blair
3. Worse, I started questioning myself if I could make a good journalist, because I had a tough time with interviews, and catching good angles to a story
4. I found out I was timid. I was scared to interrupt the Councilman and tell him I had no idea what he was slurring about!

Oh, man. I have much to learn indeed, so freaking much to learn!

…Or…I can think of it as: Oh, yay, I can’t wait for the challenge and to learn as much as I can! Yippee! *Jumping jacks of celebration*

I am trying to turn my mindset to the latter, but truthfully, I can’t help feeling a bit…deflated and overwhelmed.

Thank goodness for comfort food. Some people turn to chocolate, some people to mac & cheese. But for me, nothing spells comfort food like a good bowl of kabocha soup. Yes, even if it is 100 degree outside and I have no AC in my room, kabocha soup was the one single thing that could truly warm me from inside-out (Besides God, of course).

Kabocha Soup with Bacon and Goat Cheese

• 2 teaspoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups roasted kabocha flesh, mashed
• chicken broth
• 1/4 cup milk/cream
• salt and pepper
• pinch of turmeric
• pinch of cumin
• 2 strips bacon, diced
• crumbled goat cheese

Heat up the butter in a large pot. Toss in the garlic and onion, fry until fragrant. Dump in the kabocha, then the chicken broth, enough until it covers the whole thing.

Bring the contents up to a boil, then a simmer. Add more chicken broth if needed. Pour the mixture into a blender, blend until smooth and creamy. Return to pot, stir in milk or cream. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, fry up the bacon until nice and crispy. Ladle the soup into a bowl. Top with bacon and goat cheese.
Served with half a warm (microwaved) ciabatta. And my favorite lime-green spoon from Yogurtland!

Can you say, ahh~hh.
There really is nothing like this rich and creamy and intensely orange soup on a stressful day.
And call me silly, but the fact that I was eating out of this lovely green spoon, with the visual contrast of colors, delighted me!

Slurping up this soup did wonders, but wait till you see what I received today…
A college-care package from Jennifer of Slim-Shoppin!! What an opportune time, just when I needed some pampering! I said “ahhh…” wh
en I ate that soup, but I was totally going “AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!” when I saw this!

Just look at the lovely stuff she sent me:
 Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal! How appropriate that it is called ‘Mom’s Best’…Jennifer was totally like a surrogate mom to me at that moment!
 Fruit snacks from Trader Joe’s, Peanut Butter Larabar, and Kashi bars! How did Jennifer know that the only Larabar I like is the PB one? She’s a mind-reader!

And more: packs of Garlic Rice Noodle Soup, and Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Trader Joe’s! Haha, I was just talking about the comforts of soup, too!
More munchies! (I already polished off the Smartfood popcorn clusters)

And awesome foodie magazines to indulge in when I feel like procrastinating!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Jennifer! I must have been in some weird hormonal emotional state because I could have wept with gratitude. This small token of care and kindness came just at the right time, and not am I awfully thankful to Jennifer, I am also thankful to God for sending this package to me in such a timely manner!

*Sniff*sniff*. I honestly believe that life is beautiful. Even when things go wrong and sometimes you start questioning your own ability and decisions…somehow God provides a comforting hand through any random ways.

Ah, well. Back to the books I go. There is a reason why I am in college. Not to get A’s and flaunt my intelligence, but to be humble and to just learn as much as I can!

Question of the day: What is your ultimate comfort food? And in what small but significant way did anyone offer a source of comfort to you?

Related posts:

1. Excuse My Garlic Breath…
2. This is Me Blogging in Class
3. It’s Worth the Grill
4. New Year’s Self-Reflection
5. The Lemon Tree

Tagged as: bacon, bread, cheese, kabocha, soup