This past weekend, I had a blast. I worked in the prep kitchen for the Smithsonian Folk Life festival, in the Food Culture section.

http://www.folklife.si.edu/festival/...ood/index.html

OMG! I ate so much, just a fork full here and there all day long. They had famous chefs and cook book authors on both days doing cooking demos and we, the volunteers, got to eat all the food they demo'd. Stuff that at their restaraunts would cost way too much. This one chef demo'd a papaya, lobster and something other salad and he said that at his place, it would go for $25-for a 1/2 cup serving!

Food made with real cream, fatty things, rich things, vietnamese, thai, chinese, weeds(-that was a really cool demo), edible flowers, raw fish, deep fat fried things, ....I'm so sick now. I don't think my intestinal track has forgiven me unless it's a slight case of food poisoning. I sort of feel like a small child after a day at the carnival after stuffing myself with all the bad junkfood. I didn't really think that I"d eaten that much but today I'm so incredibly gassy (TMI?) and visiting the little girls room (way TMI?) .

I think next year I'll be a little more selective. No matter how expensive it would be in a chef's place, if it's going to be give a tummy ache it's not worth it. But, hey on the plus side it's only once a year. Plus, when else will I get to eat a plate full of really pretty weeds in a vegen creamy risotto?

Sarah

I was going to go to the festival We could have met up!

It's this weekend too, Thursday-Monday. It's not too late. The Oman section is really interesting, learning about their culture. The Forestry section was kind of odd, I guess I'm not into forests.

In the food culture area, they have a tents on how they make soy milk and tofu, chocolate, tea, coffee, bee keeping (that might be in forestry, I don't remember seeing in the food culture section), plus 3 big demo areas.

The capital 4th is on Monday. You could make a day of it and stay late for the fireworks. I love the DC fireworks, but my dh is the type that wants to beat the crowds so we leave 15 minutes early and miss the really good ones so we can run to the Independence Ave entrance of the metro and we still are trampled by the stampeding crowds. This year we are going to visit my sister so we'll miss it.

Sarah

I could but HB and I are going camping (this is the weekend I propose!)

Have fun for me!

Good luck, Jenn!!! Are the butterflies getting to you?

Yeah! Well that's much more interesting. The folk life festival is every year, this is something that happens much less often

Sarah