Semester 1 Reflection

Coming into this class, I had a few expectations, but having already been in the class last year, I had an idea of how things would be.  I expect the class to not be fully motivated by our trip to Chicago in April, although that will obviously have an impact, but to be pushed by our dedication to culinary arts.  I was looking forward to sharpening my culinary skills and preparing myself for culinary school next year.  

I also expected to be surrounded by another group of girls who would hopefully be able to work together better than the group last year.  For the most part, my expectations have been reached.  I feel that our class works well together, although some girls are more dedicated than others.  I fully admit that I have my days where I'm tired and don't want to do much, but I always work to my full ability to ensure that whoever is eating our food is beyond satisfied. 

Second semester, I would like improve our work ethics.  I want the entire class to put their hearts and passion fully into our work and caterings.  I strongly believe that the amount of energy and passion you put into your cooking shows in your final product.  If you don't care about what you're doing, your plate will turn out poorly.  If you work to your best ability, your food will look and taste much better.  If everyone works this way next semester, we will be able to build up our already great reputation.

Overall, I've had great experiences first semester.  I get along with my classmates, we work well together to prepare delicious meals, and manage to have fun while doing it.  I am looking forward to our many more caterings and our class trip to Chicago in April!  I would definitely recommend this class to other students, as long as they knew they had to take it seriously and not to take it just to mess around and make food for themselves. 

Autumn has arrived!

Since the Lipscomb wedding, we've had a few projects. 

One being our Halloween Cupcake Sale.  We had four flavors - pumpkin, chocolate, confetti, and banana - and each were decorated very festive.  The pumpkin cupcakes were topped with a little marzipan pumpkin, the chocolate with a chocolate spiderweb, the confetti with a mini reeses/whopper/fondant ghost, and the banana with caramel corn.  They were a huge hit, selling 578, and we made roughly $800! 

Last week for staff lunch we made chicken tostadas.  They were served with a delicious Mexican hot chocolate tart for dessert. 

Sunday Summer, Bri, Taylor, and I helped Chatfield with a wedding in Blue Lake.  We served deviled eggs, fruit, cheese, salami, crackers, salad, garlic mashed potatoes, steak, chicken, and puff pastry tarts topped with mozzerela, roasted tomatoes, and pesto.  The wedding cake was red velvet, and it was decorated with a simple mocha ribbon and green swirlies around the edge. 

Yesterday, we had a catering at Eureka High School for an HROP Advisory Board meeting.  I was unable to attend, but I heard it went over really well.  They served chicken and spinach spanakopita, salad, garlic bread, and spice cupcakes (which were very tasty!) topped with honey whipped cream and sesame brittle. 

We don't have a staff lunch this week because we don't have school on friday due to Veteran's day, but we have begun our Pie Sale.  Up until next week, we will be selling pumpkin pies, chocolate mousse pies, pecan pies, apple struesel pies, and pumpkin cheesecakes.  We are hoping to rake in quite a bit of money to go towards our trip in the spring!

Mr. and Mrs. Lipscomb! ♥

Kelsie Ann Burnside and Boden Tanner Lipscomb got married on Saturday, October 15, 2011.  The wedding ceremony itself was amazing - Kelsie looked beautiful in her wedding dress and Boden looked great as well.  I attended the wedding rather than helping cater, but it was still a great time.  The food prepared for the reception was delicious.  There was tri-tip, scalloped potatoes, cheese raviolis, fruit salad, green salad, and beans.  The wedding cake was tasty as well.  It was a four-tiered cake, frosted with vanilla butter cream, decorated with a hunter green ribbon wrapped around each tier, and green flowers placed about.  The four flavors of the cake were confetti filled with pastry cream, strawberry filled with strawberry filling, chocolate filled with chocolate mousse, and banana filled with banana filling.  Kelsie then had her own personal mini cake which was confetti with whipped cream, because she dislikes butter cream.  Everyone in the class did a great job from what I could tell.  I brought Summer with me as my +1, and we had a fun time.  We danced the night away with great friends and loved helping Kelsie and Boden celebrate their big day!

Sammy and I with the beautiful bride, Mrs. Kelsie Lipsomb!

Sammy and I with Kels and Bobo!



Whoo whoo whoooo loves cake pops?!

Here's a little picture of the attempt Summer and I made at making Owl Cake Pops.

We're off to a good start!

In the past few weeks, we've had quite a few projects - staff lunches, caterings, and in-class cooking.
Our first staff lunch, we made spring rolls with tom kha gai soup and coconut lime whoopie pies.  Last week, we prepared lime chicken, or lime portobello, rice, and mini Mexican hot chocolate cream pies.  This week we will be serving fettuccine Alfredo, chicken or veggie, garlic rolls, and upside down apple cakes for dessert. 
The two caterings that we have done so far were both retirement parties.  The first was for a woman at the Humboldt County Office of Education, and they had the same foods as we did for our first staff lunch - with the addition of deviled eggs, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, fruit kabobs, and a pink camouflage cake.  The other retirement party was for a woman who worked here in our business office.  We, much like the other party, made them the same food as we did for lunch, again with the addition of corn and black bean salsa, and a retirement cake.
Summer and I also made mini creme brulee pies.  They were small, cute, and, not to mention, delicious! 
We are now working on apple strudel. 

and, just an FYI, next week is Homecoming Week, and us Seniors are getting ready to dominate!

Bananaaaas, yum!

So for some reason, Chatty had a ton of bananas, so we had a banana day!  In groups of two, we each got a recipe for a banana dessert.  There were banana scones, banana cookies, mini banana cream pies, banana whoopie pies, and Summer and I made delicious Triple Banana Double Caramel Mini Cupcakes.  They were so cute!  We made a gazillion of them, so we took them around and passed them out to all the administration on campus...got to make sure we get good grades somehow! ;) haha, just kidding.  Everyone loved them, as did I.  Sum and I are going to make many variations of mini cupcakes and sell them to people to raise money, hopefully it works out well!  Tomorrow we are beginning to work on knife skills, so we will all be chopping pros by the end of the year!

and we're back!

School started back up again on August 24, 2011.  It is my senior year and I am very excited, to say the least!   It is a little nerve racking knowing that in ten months I will be walking across stage, graduating, getting ready to start a new chapter in my life, but I am definitely looking forward to it.  I'm just going to focus on making the best memories possible during my last year of high school, and so far I am doing just that.  This past week about 50 kids from our Senior Class of 2012 had Senior Sunrise, which is where we all gathered on the football field and watched the sunrise together.  It was a tad bit foggy, but it was the idea that counts.  We will be having Senior Sunset at the end of the year, and I'm sure it will be just as great.  I am looking forward to continue growing closer to my class, [:

Regarding cooking, there are many things I am looking forward to, too!  I can't wait to begin staff lunches, as chaotic as they may be.  I am also looking forward to helping make the wedding cake for Kelsie and Boden's wedding! Yayayayayyy, so exciting, I am so happy for them, <3  Starting in a few days, we will be working on knife skills.  Let's hope no one cuts themselves!  We will be working hard between caterings and other fundraisers to work towards our goal of traveling to Chicago in May!