The Black Swan

I've saved the highlights of our Kalamazoo trip for it's own posting. Here's the scoop.
A couple weeks before our trip to Kalamazoo, Nicole called me to get my permission for an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for Jordyn. She knows how much Jordyn likes to cook and that she desires to be a chef someday. Well, one of Nicole's old students is a chef at a 5-star restaraunt in Kalamazoo (or Portage, can't remember), so she sent him a letter asking if he would consider allowing Jordyn to come and observe him for a couple hours as he worked. He graciously obliged and they set the whole thing up. Well, Jordyn did much more than observe. She came around 2pm when dinner prep was starting and assisted Matthew (who is the sous chef) and Trent (the executive chef) and the rest of the kitchen staff for most of the meal prep. She handled the final process for all the coconut shrimp (pics below), made a poppy-seed and italian dressing, carmelized nuts, and portioned out pasta for a swordfish dish. They had her taste a variety of things so that she would become farmiliar with them and gave her a wealth of cooking instruction. It sounds like they went far above and beyond anyone's expectations and made her feel most welcome and wise! After our meals they brought her back in the kitchen and surprised her with a leather bound portfolio souvenir with a kind inscription and everyone's signatures. Then they surprised us by bringing us each a scrumptous raspberry sorbet!
This experience was so surreal, and I'm just talking about how I felt. What an unbelievable idea and plan by Auntie Dedo (Nicole), an amazing gift from The Black Swan staff, and a tasty memory for the rest of us!
Thank you Nicole and Matthew for making an unimagined dream a reality for my Jordyn!!!!

This is Jordyn after she came out of the kitchen to help serve our dinners. They gave her the apron as a souvenir too :-)

We were able to throw together a last minute mini-family reunion with Aunt Peggy, Krystin and her daughter Keira, and Melissa. They live in nearby Grand Rapids and changed around plans so they could come see us all and be part of Jordyn's great day! It was great to see everyone!

These are the appetizers, or should I say, 'hors d'oeuvres'. The orange one is coconut shrimp and the other one was some tasty cheesy thing with cherries I think. 'Brie' maybe? :-)

I think this was Dedo's meal.

Here was my meal, Rack of Lamb...yummy!

This is Jordyn's meal.