Crazy Couple of Weeks

It has been a long couple of weeks; I was finishing up plated desserts, started my job, and had my first exams!!

We finished plated desserts and it was one of my favorite things ever, I loved doing it so much. I am just very glad I got that experience and now I am ready to go into a restaurant and really see the production. I want to learn way more about plated dessert, because I think it is something I do want to go into. Work at a few restaurants and hotels doing more of it.

Crepes

Rhubarb

Cappuccino Creme Brulee

Then in groups we got to make our own desserts.

So besides plated desserts, we had our first exam!! I know its crazy I am almost 1/3^rd through the program. This is just going by so fast that sometimes you don’t even notice it.

Exams were not bad at all, I went in thinking whatever I can do this. I just couldn’t even worry about it because I knew there was nothing to worry about. In the end there was nothing to worry about, the first day was a little stressful I had to make my meringues 3 times, but that could be a bunch of dumb things. I could have not gotten all the water out of the bowl, or not all the fat out of the containers. But then the second day I got all organized, make labels for everything, and got all my notes straighten up, I had plenty of time and was able to make my crepes and made my pastilles. And then the final day, got a bunch turned in right away, found a time slot to make my soufflés right away, and got my cake done and had about 3 hours to spare. It was the best thing ever!! I realized there is not reason to get stressed out for a baking exam, its not even worth it, just take your time and call it good.

Well besides school, I started a job, its been tiring getting home late having school work to do then going to work early n the morning but someone has to do it. In the end you just remember what you are doing is because you love to do it, so if you need to put a lot of hours in and get no sleep so you can do what you love then that is what happens. So tough love right?!?!? That’s what I just keep telling myself.

So I love school so much, school makes me love life more and more everyday, there is something about it all that makes me just excited. Well I would say besides being in Chicago and going to FPS there are only a few other really big joys I have in life.

But the biggest joy in my life is my family <3!!!

I just love them all so much, and so the only thing that could make everything even better here is the Ohio gang came and saw me this weekend!! <3<3<3!!

I got to see my two nephews, my awesome Micah Man who I love so much!! It is sad I don’t get to see him everyday!! But the time I spend with him is precious and I take every minute of it I can get. And then there is Baby Benjamin, when I got to hold him the first time it was the best thing ever, and now I got to see him three and a half months later and it was just precious. Holding him is the best thing in the world. Because after being with Micah for so long I know they know you and remember you and if I have to I will brain wash him so he will remember me…Jking. But those two kids are the loves of my life; I just love them so much.

It was also so awesome to see Jeremy and Kim, I just have the best family ever and I am just so happy they drove out here for the weekend to see me! They are so supportive and so loving; I just love them so much. I wish I could see them more often, but I will get to see them in a month!! While they were here I made dinner for everyone, and celebrated Kim’s birthday! They got to try all my stuff from school.

They were having too much fun at the Childrens Museum, Micah was soaked after they came out of the WaterWay.s

Well starting a new unit this week. Chocolate!! I am way excited, I’ll let you all know how it goes.

Have a great night!

I Am Living the Life

As always this week has been busy, I am pretty sure busier than the others. I have been running around, well taking buses and trains all over the place. With job interviews, getting things taken care of for applications, and school it’s been a crazy week. I have been getting pretty exhausted, and with a really busy weekend it didn’t help much. But I was able to get some sleep in today so that did help.

This week started another unit; which is now my third unit, I am up to plated desserts. I love plated desserts, its one of the reasons why I went into pastries, I remember going to Las Vegas and seeing all these Buffets and even though it was way busy, and just a piece of chocolate cake they still plated it so delicate.

The one thing I do love is all the little things that go into it, you may have a piece of chocolate cake, but then you might have to think of a sauce, flavor ice cream and garnish. And then in the end every piece comes together. In just one week we have already made quiet a few desserts, and still have another week. Each dessert is so good and even though you think you’re not going to like it, you end up loving it. In one week I have had pears, plums and grapefruit which I never eat but now I love all three!

One of my favorites was the Chocolate Lover’s Obsession, because I do love chocolate and we paired that with coffee ice cream. Two of favorite things, then we added some crushed up nuts, and chocolate swirls and it makes the dessert so elegant.

I thought the unit was going to be a lot harder just because we haven’t learned that much but really each component is separate so you just learn one thing at a time. Also we just changed instructors and you can tell our instructor for this unit really thinks about everything she does. You don’t just throw everything onto a plate; you have to think about what needs to go where. There are so many components to one plated dessert.

Warm Papillotte and Exotic Fruit, Strawberry Sorbet and Spiced Tuiles

Vanilla Chilboust with Fresh Red Wild Berries

Warm Vanilla-Roasted Pineapple with Mango Sorbet and Mango Chips

Those are just a few that we have done, I have been so happy with everything Katie and I have made. We really work well together and both have different styles on how to plate things so its really helpful. We really help each other out.

This weekend was a crazy and busy one; it was the schools biggest event, For the Love of Chocolate. The even is to raise money for Scholarships, and man do they go all out. People are set up all over with savory food, and then tons of desserts. There is body painting, messages and hookah, everyone from the school was there to help so we didn’t get to enjoy everything but we got to walk around and see what was going on. A bunch of us already said that next year we will be back but we will be attending and enjoying the event. I do have to say the highlight of my night was meeting Courtney Clark, she is a past student of FPS but she is always a Food Network Competitor I am always rooting for her when I am watching the challenges. She was so nice, and just talked to me for a little bit and was just giving me some advice with school. I have to say that made my night!!

So besides us at the school all day Saturday, we decided we would be good student and get up in the morning to help clean. So a bunch of us went to Danielle’s house around midnight, had something to eat, we finally decided to go to sleep, and guess what we had to wake up…haha, it was way tiring but it was good to help, plus I got a piece of this Chocolate Moose cake, it was awesome!!

Not much else here, last weekend Barb, Annie and I went Ice Skating. Pretty cold out but had a great time.

Well I better get it going, I just spent the last hour getting a package ready to send out to my parents, pretty much just emptied out the fridge and sending it all to them. Made cookies using a cup to roll them out and cut them. But then I had to use a baking mat on top of a cupcake sheet because I don’t have any baking pans. Man each day is just another adventure. But it’s always a good one.

Hope everyone has a great week!

One Section Down…Many More To Go

So this blog is a few days past over due…but it’s been a little busy over on this side of town. Last week I got done with my sugar candies class, can I just tell you how much I loved it! We made so many different things, it just go exciting and exciting each and everyday. We made lollipops, marshmallows (2 different flavors, nougat (2 different flavors), pralines, pate de fruit (3 different flavors), Caramels, also Chocolate ones, and hard candies that we actually got to pull and make. I think everyone knows what they want to do, well kind of knows, but when you’re in the atmosphere of doing what you want to do it all changes. I mean I have been in the kitchen for 3 weeks now and it hasn’t hit me, maybe it’s because I know this is what I have always wanted to do.

This weekend I decided to spend about two hours taking pictures of all my products, I plated them and everything. And took a few things and tried to make them a little more artsy.

School I love so much, this week is the Ice Cream and Sorbet unit, I know totally awesome! I am learning so much and totally understanding everything, which usually never happens. The Chefs, Interns, and Classmates are the best things in the world!

Chicago is amazing; I love it here walking down the street I just see more and more things going on. There is so much going on everyday, it gets better and better…not kidding at all. Riding the train not as bad as I thought it would be, walking around…not bad at all. Everything I was so worried about is not bad. I got use to everything so quickly. The only thing that took a little longer to get use to was actually having to walk around in bad weather. Back home you just drive everywhere and never really think much of walking around, while here even when its snowing I still need to walk 5 blocks to train, and then to the school. But honestly I have gotten use to it pretty quickly.

My friends are so awesome!!! I have gotten to know so many people in my stream, and we hang out every weekend. We have been doing Friday Night Dinners after class, and then on the weekend we have been getting together.

This past weekend a bunch of us went to this Chocolate Show Case at Whole Foods, they had some really nice things, and so many yummy chocolates that we got to taste. Chocolate is my favorite thing to do, so I always love seeing Chocolate Sculptures, and all the little pieces of chocolate, it makes me giddy.

Then we all got together later that night to Celebrate Katie’s 21^st Birthday! We just had so much fun, hung out at Danielle’s house, ordered Chinese food, dances and played wii. How much better could it get? It is just awesome, Katie and I clicked right away, and then we pretty much got everyone to join in. The first week we were like we need to break all these people, we need to get everyone to have some fun. Now I can totally be myself and not think anything of it. Its just great we all get each other, we got to school and do our thing, but the minute we leave ands it down to have some dinner we all just get each other and we can just have a good time. I just love these people so much, Im pretty sure we have the best stream!

Well I will be writing another blog this weekend, I have to tell everyone about Ice Cream, its just so exciting.

I am having the best time of my life, hope everyone else is too!

First Week…In the Kitchen

Being in the Kitchen is exciting; it’s just this whole new experience that I am going through. I mean I have been in tons of kitchens before but this is the one I am learning everything in. Everything I didn’t know before I am learning in this amazing kitchen, with the best ingredients possible. It is great to be able to do something you love everyday, when I was attending college it just wasn’t what I wanted. The classes were just nothing I really wanted, when I started studying entrepreneurship things got better for me, but it still wasn’t everything for me. I guess I always knew this is what I wanted, which is awesome for me, there are people everyday trying to figure out what they want to do. But hey guess what, I know what I want to do…at least for the most part.

School has been cool…haha…I’m sad it is Monday and there is no school today, I mean for once I actually like going to class. But this first week has been exciting, we did a bunch of stuff, we started with learning our basic knife skills, and learning some basic techniques that we will always need to know. My stream is starting with Sugar Candies, and we have already made so many things; Meringues, Caramel, Nougat, Marshmallows, Pralines, and that is just a little taste of what we are doing. I have another week of sugar candies, and then we go into ICE CREAM…Yum Yum!

Besides school not much has been happening, Annie and I have just been hanging around the neighborhood trying to find jobs. Job hunting is going alright…I have a few applications just have to finish them up and turn them in. I just hate applications; it’s the one thing I hated about finding a college. The application process is always the worst.

I did get to go bowling with some FPS friends last night, it was a good time, and it is great to have a group of friends who get you. The group of classmates I am with are awesome, we all get each other and I think we all for the most part click. We have all been there for each other just in these past two weeks and it is very helpful. We all have totally different backgrounds but in the end we all come together in the kitchen and make some awesome creations.

Everyday I can tell more and more that this is the best choice I have ever made!!
I am so glad that I can go through all this, and share it with everyone!
I will keep you all posted, more sugar candies this week…and who knows what else could happen.

The Next 23 Weeks

Tomorrow I step into the kitchen and my whole life changes, this is a big step to everything I have wanted for a long time. These next 23 weeks will be the best/hardest time in my life. I am so ready for everything that is in store, but I also know this will be the hardest thing I do.

Lets be honest the first week we are starting some basics and one of those basis is knife skills, which lets be honest I am the worst! If I know anything I know how to cut myself more than to cut the item I am trying to cut. But you do need to learn from your mistakes; I just need some actual teaching of how to really use things properly. I am also deathly afraid of graters because I always feel like I am going to cut myself and that is never fun. I mean I am scared of watching someone uses one, it just freaks me out. But once I learn from it all everything will be better, well at least I hope so.

What I am trying to say is these next 23 weeks mean everything to me and means everything for my life. This is the start of my new life and I am giving everything I have to this. This is the greatest opportunity I can ever have and I don’t want to ruin any of it. I also do not want to miss any of it, I want to soak it all in and learn from everything I can. And I need to take in every opportunity I have, because most things only come once.

This means I will not have much free time, most of my time is going to be used for school. Between class times, stages, volunteering, and trying to find a job, my free time is very limited. So I do want to say sorry if I am not available all the time, or can not get back to you right away. I just have to really concentrate on everything I am doing. I need to make sure I do not miss out on anything.

But I do want to say at the same time, if you don’t give any effort of trying to talk to me or staying my friend there will be no effort back. I need supportive friends right now, I know all my family is supportive and I will always have them, but my friends I am not always sure of. There are those people you know you will always be good with, and they will stay in touch with you, but then there are those friends that the minute you leave it’s over. So if you are one of those friends, then just remember you don’t put any effort then I don’t either, I don’t have the time to be friends with people who don’t care.

I am not trying to be harsh…but after this first week of orientation I realized how much work I really need to put in school. This is a lot of work and I can’t worry about dumb little drama that won’t matter down the road. The friends that I can keep through all this will be the friends I will keep forever.

I will try and post on here once a week to let everyone know what is going on with me. But please feel free to message me anytime and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

I want all my friends and family to know everything I am doing, because I want you all to be apart of what I am doing. This journey is for me, but I want to share it with the people I really care about.

This is the first week in the kitchen and I am more excited than ever!!

I am just ready for this journey to really begin!

My First Week of PASTRY SCHOOL!!!

Its Friday, I got through my first week of school and I am so happy, happier then I have been in awhile. It feels so good to know that this is my dream and it’s something I’m actually accomplishing. Dreams do come true…and I’ve made the first step.

This week was pretty exciting to meet all the chefs and get to know them and also getting to know everyone in my stream. I can already tell I am making some really good friends that could last a lifetime.

Getting to meet everyone was so nice; it’s a great feeling to be around so many people who love what you love. But lets just say if we could of met everyone and did a little tour that would have been good enough ha ha. I guess I have never been good at sitting in classroom and paying attention, so doing that all week was pretty hard.

Monday we did a whole orientation and got to meet all the staff, finish up paper work, and we got our uniforms!!! Our uniforms are so sweet, I guess when everyone has to wear them no one can make fun of you. My pants are so baggy on me its ridiculous but at least I was able to exchange my pants for a smaller size so now another person can’t fit in my pants with me.

Well then the next two days we had our sanitation class which was a BLAST ha ha!! I did learn some stuff I didn’t know but it was a long time just to sit in there and listen. But our instructor was way funny and nice, and gave us so much extra information.

The final two days this week had been long and tiring, we were just in lectures all day long. Yesterday we got our textbooks they are so big! But looking through them you just get more and more excited for it all. But today we got our tool kits…its so exciting like everything is getting real each day…one day at a time and soon one day I will be graduating and then everything will be change.

I’m just waiting for Monday when we all go into the locker room change to our chef outfits and get to go in the kitchen. It will feel so surreal but its going to be so much fun.

I am just excited for Monday!! My stream is starting off with sugar candies!

Post tomorrow about my apartment...and anything else going on...and some more pictures.

Sanitation

Man oh Man taking Sanitation class is so much fun....like I don't want to kill myself at all. But I guess the back of the class has been having fun, it’s just a group of us girls in Stream 4 and we are having a blast. We just know how to make things fun. Who knows maybe I will bust out Party in the U.S.A for them tomorrow, but I guess I have enough videos of me doing it I could just show them haha.

So I think for the most part I did well on the test, there were a few tricky questions but hopefully I got it all. This week has been slow but it’s nice to get to know everyone, and have some time to just sit back. I’m not sure what the next two days have in store for us but I’m excited.

Well sorry this one is short…we are having some problems with the internet but everything will be fixed this weekend. I’ll be posting again this weekend and will get some pics up of my new digs and my awesome uniform I got!! Oh and I think I get my tool kit on Friday!! I am way excited…I wonder how long it will take me before I cut myself, who knows I better bring some band aids.

Well that is all for now the city is waiting for me so hopefully this weekend I will get to explore and also need to find a job I have a few leads just need to get some applications in.

Hope everyone is doing well! Keep you all updated!