Tonight I called my dad and we had a long conversation. I needed some dad-ly advice, and he's so good with words. It's been kind of hard on my being away from family for the holidays so I just need a little bit of reassurance that everything will be ok. I also have been thinking of switching from the degree program to the diploma program. Mostly because I will be getting the exact same education. The only classes I won't be getting that i would be in I stayed in the degree is the 2 culinary classes and the gen. ed. This would save me about $12,000 and I really only need the pastry knowledge. I don't want to go into the culinary field and the gen ed. doesn't transfer to a 4yr. Anyways after giving me advise and thinking it over I think I will be switching and striving to move back down to Socal when my lease is over here at the end of July.

My Dad!

My dad sent me this picture of him at the lake in the mountains. Aww i love my dad <3

Homesick

I want to go back home for a visit. Its a bummer Vince is just contract so he has no vacation. I would love to be back in SoCal right now with family! I miss 'em!

I have this silly idea in my head that if Vince is off next Monday and Tuesday I want to pack things in the truck tomorrow night along with the dog and cat and head down to home, then drive back up on Tuesday. I know its sill and is such a LONG drive for such a short amount of time but I just want to hug my family. Of course it would be much easier to fly but i can't take Minnie and Charlie on a plane and Charlie would freak if he had to go in cargo. Anyways just my silly imagination at work, wishing I was closer to home.

Merry Christmas!

Well its both Vince's and my first Christams with no family. I've been out of the house before but always close enough to drive to see family. It's kinda sad and hard for us both at times but we are enjoying the time Vince and I have together.

The package from his parents came yesterday, we were completely spoiled by them. Even the pets got gifts =) The package from my parents is still on its way, my mom said it should be here by New Years (maybe it's her and my dad... one can hope).

Other then the holidays I am enjoying my 2 week winter break! Vince goes back to work tomorrow, bummer. I don't really have many other plans except I will be volunteering at the Portland Childrens Museum for the day camps they put on during break for parents who still have to work but the children are on break. That way I'm not sitting around the house bored with nothing to do.

Well, take care everyone!!! Love ya!
B

Chocolate covered strawberry mousse cake

This was my timed pratical final for my custards and mousse course. I made a chocolate covered strawberry mousse cake. I had to be done in 3hrs, and I was able to do mine from start to finish in 2 1/2. I only missed 1/2 point for it not being as chilled as it could have, but I did recieve the higest score!

My friend Brooke and I (my shoulders look huge in the top picture, and the camera slipped while Brooke was taking the lower picture, lol.)

More Mousse!

This is my layered frozen mousse cake I made today. The yellowish layer on top is mango, the bottom mousse layer is coconut and the base is a ladyfinger sponge. On top is sliced mango, toasted coconut and creme chantilly around the edge. The coconut and mango paired so well together!

The Sara's

Me and the Sara(h)'s, Sarah R. on my right and Sara M. on my left. Sara is my MAX buddy in the mornings, well only till this Friday, bummer. She will be going to Mt. Hood C.C. come Jan. 7th.

No one was quite sure why Sara did this, but I found it to be entertaining, good thing Chef didn't see.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-S-E... huh?

Sorry for some of the crappy pictures, I had forgotten my camera a for few days and had to use my phone.


One of many mousse cakes I've made in the past week. Orange mousse cheesecake with a chocolate sable and genoise base.

Charlotte royale, I forgot to get a picture before I cut into it. Raspberry jellyroll shell with a vanilla bavarian filling, garnished with creme chantilly and chocolate filigree.

Chocolate mousse cake with chocolate glaceage and ribbon sponge and almond joconde sponge.

St Honore cake (saint of baking) and the small rings are Paris Brest.

Just some mini bavarian mousse with chocolate glaceage, just some extra stuff I did.

Wish me luck!

Ok so I don't NEED a job right now, but I applied for a pantry cook position with Papa Haydn's today. Papa Haydn's is a really nice upscale restaurant that not only has amazing desserts and pastries but does catering and custom wedding cakes as well. If I get this pantry position it would totally get my foot in the door to be able to get a possible paid externship there with them as a pastry chef! Oh and by the way, I might be graduating in May instead of November. I am thinking of switching from the associates program to the diploma program. The only difference is that I would not be taking the 2 culinary courses for the P&B program and I wouldn't be doing the general ed. (which I found out isn't accepted as transferable credit to many universities if I ever wanted to go on to get a bachelors somewhere). It would also save me about $12,000. I have spoke with the dean of my program and I feel confident I can go out there with the skills I will continue to learn in my advanced pastry courses, and get a fantastic externship/job. I haven't came to a final decision yet but am leaning towards switching. I plan on making my decision over winter break.

Cupcakes

I've been thinking of getting a new tattoo while I'm in Portland and in school to become a pastry chef. Here are the 2 ideas I'm working with.

I also have found this company called Johnny Cupcake. I am in love with a purse they have for sale, but couldnt imagine spending the $249 for it, I'm not that bit of a purse girl. Johnny Cupcake also has a hoodie & shirt I like, I think im gonna buy the hoodie.

Rotations

My school doesn't work on the normal quarter, semester, type deal. Oddly enough, it took me awhile to realize this. Basically we work in 3 week rotaions, every 3 weeks you go on to the next course. During that 3 week period you have 3 practicals, 3 one week block worth of check offs, 2 written tests, and 1 large individual written project. The class is on based on 1 subject and through out the 3 weeks you are taught various products of that subject. Weekly we have check off sheets and we have to produce and present everything on the list (usually about 10-15 items) and have the sheet turned in by Fridays. Things for check offs don't have to be perfect (this is our learning time). On Fridays we have the practicals, which is products from the weeks learnings, ( per Chef choice), that we have to create, plate/present in a timed and graded process. Also on the 1st and 3rd Fridays we have a written test of what we have learned up to that point. And once in every 3 week rotation, usually during the 3rd week sometime, we have a project due. This is usually writting a research or thesis story and presentaions.

So far I am 15 weeks down and still maintaining my 4.0! Currently I am in the first week of a new rotation, which is the International custards and fillings class. So far we have made creme brulee, creme caramel, pots de creme, clafoutis, bread pudding, and apple charlotte. I have come to realize, the only thing I like about creme brulee is cracking the sugar, other then that I'm not a huge fan of classic flavored creme brulee.

The pies are done!

Charlie likes pie too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with family and friends! And lots of tasty food =)

We will be spending the evening, for dinner, in Vancouver, Wa. at our friends house, along with some friends from Wilsonville. I am just finishing up my apple and pecan pies so our apartment smells delicious! After the pies are finished I'll make some caramel sauce and creme chantilly.

Laminated doughs

This week I started a new course in laminated doughs/puff doughs, and we finally were able to move up to the 5th floor and switchs chefs. Laminated doughs can be a big pain in the butt when you first start them and they are so time consuming. Its called laminated because there is a butter (beurrage) part and a dough(detrempe) part and either you incase the beurrage in the detrempe or the detrempe in the beurrage. I prefer working with inverse dough which is detrempe incased in the beurrage, since the beurrage has flour added to it and makes for a more workable dough when pulled from the walk in. A lot of people prefer ordinary puff dough because they think it's easier, but the finished product looks nicer with inverse in my opinion. Once one is incased around the other you fold it with either tri-fold or 4-fold to get a mellifuille look or 1000 layers. After evey time you roll out and make another fold, you have to chill the paton(package) to ensure layers wont leak. After all turns are finished you roll or sheet out the dough to 3mm thick and cut out shapes to make your products and chill again... basically you chill after everytime you handle the dough, it get old real quick! We made all sorts of things this week, turnovers filled with an apple compote, fruit bands with pastry creme and fresh fruit, creme horns, jalousie, palmiers, cheese straws, chausson with apple compote, vol au vents filled with a mushroom newburd, bouchees filled with mushroom newburg, and pithiviers filled with almond creme ( this was my favorite). For our practical yesterday, in 4 hrs we had to laminate a puff dough of our choice and make one 8 inch pithivier, 4 apple turnovers, 4 bouchees filled with our choice, 4 vol au vents filled with pastry creme and topped with fruit. I wish I would have taken more pictures, especially of my products yesterday. I was the first one done with the best production, I also got the higest score of 95 and boths chefs in the class gave be wonderful comments. I was so happy! I can see such a huge improvement it everything I do, especially my work speed and efficiency, from when I started. Here is a picture of apple turnovers and chaussons from tuesday or wednesday, I really wish I would have taken pictures of yesterdays products, especially my vol au vents (they were gorgeous).

1111

Some friends of mine from school to me out to dinner tonight downtown at an awesome Irish pub called Kells. This place has such good food, all classic Irish dishes and way hearty. It was somewhat of an impromptu birthday gathering, but Kellen still brought me a little gift and card, and it was the cutest thing!



Last week on Halloween Kellen came over right after class to stay the night and go to fright town. As we were walking to the Chipotle for lunch, just a few blocks from school, we passed this place called Russian Glass. I've seen this place before but from afar on the MAX, but walking I noticed more detail as to what the store had inside. Right by the window was all sorts of hand blown glass animal and flowers. I thought the animals were all so cute and kept "oooh-ing". Well tongiht Kellen pulled out this little box and said Happy Birthday, so I read the card and opened the gift. Inside was a little glass cow, whish is super special for 2 reasons. 1 she not only remembered how cute I thought the silly glass figurines were but she also remembered her and I both have an FFA and agriculture background and both raised cattle, which is why she chose the cow. To me thats super special! Here a picture of "Kell's" the cow :)

Dessert Buffet Final

The final in my basic pastry class was to create a petit four dessert buffet platter. It had to include 5 catagories. The whole project was worth about 500 points and about 40%of our final grade. I ended up getting a 95% on the project and was really please how everything turned out. I wished I could have used brighter colors but in the fall its hard to get frest fruits to brightent things up.

From left to right; Petit for Glace product- chocolate glazed gingerbread cakes, sponge product- pistashio financiers, baked meringue product- meringue mushrooms, dough product- coconut pecan caramel cookies, and finally petit four sec product- langues de chat (cats tongue)

We were encouraged to make things we have yet to make in class and to try formulas from other books other then the ones we use for class, so all of them except the mushrooms came from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, a book I recieved from Nicole as a going away present :)



Meringue mushroom on top a slice of kiwi on top a mint leaf... I love this photo

Squirrels part 2

Well it has come to a whole new level of obsession! All day Charlie goes back and fourth from the back sliding glass door to the living room staring out the window at squirrels in the trees. When we go on walks he has to sniff and jump on every single tree, and while we are in between trees he is pulling me like a sled dog. Now to top it all off the dog park has now become the squirrel park. All charlie wants to do is stalk the trees for squirrels, running from tree to tree, jumping as high as he can hoping to leap on to a branch. I think he has issues, its time to call in Cesar... The Dog Whisperer!



I really hope squirrels are only around in the fall, and as soon as winter rolls around I will get the old Charlie back, and if so, by next fall he will be over the whole squirrel thing.

Charlie all pooped out, yet still has his eyes high up in the trees, huning squirrels!

Awhile back I had wrote about how Charlie is obsessed with squirrels, remember?

Everyone's moving!

I found out today that an old friend of mine, Curtis, might be moving to Portland. He actually might be moving as soon as Monday if all goes as planned. He used to be a supervisor of mine back when I worked at Cost Plus 3+ years ago. It'll be nice to see him, hang out and add more fun to Portland!

Ya'll should join in on the trend and make the move too :)

PDX Zombie Walk

Last Saturday evening Vince, Steve T., Drea, and I dressed up like zombies and joined in on the annual Portland zombie walk. I was seriously the coolest thing we have done so far in Portland! There were 600+ people at the walk, everyone from little kids with parents to old couples. It began in Pioneer Square and we walked through out downtown Portland on a pre-detemined route. Here is the link to the PDX Zombie Walk flickr page http://www.flickr.com/groups/60784064@N00/pool/



And here are a couple pictures of me! Isn't the bow a cute added touch, lol?!

For November the random event is said to be a Spaceman vs. Viking event in downtown but has yet to be determined. December 8th is the annual Santacon!!! I am so looking forward to joining in on the 500+ santas! ( find out is there's a santacon near you... www.santarchy.com)

Bank of Each Individual State

Today I went for a walk to Target and the Halloween store by my house looking for makeup for the Portland Zombie Walk. Well somewhere along the way walking from Target to Spirit I lost my debit card. I was bummed, but down a block and across the street is a Bank of America. I figure I would walk there so I can put a stop on the card and order a new one, plus pull out some cash so I can get the makeup. Well it turns out since it is a Ca. acct. and I am in Oregon, I can't touch my money with out a debit card. I can put a stop on the card but thats about it, with out the debit card I'm screwed! The new card isn't being sent out till tuesday, and will take 3-5 day to get here. So untill then my $ is being held captive by Bank of EIS (see the blog title)

Before the leaves fall

As requested by my siste, but for everyones enjoyment =) This is what fall should look like. It has alwasy been my favorite season, but never have I experienced it more beautifully first hand. This is Portland in the Fall time! (except the 1st picture... thats Beaverton)

The Melting Pot

Saturday night Vince and I went out to dinner at The Melting Pot with some friends of mine from school. OMG, the food was so freakin' good! We started off with cheese fondue, one pot had spinach, artichoke cheese, and the other was a WI. trio with a cooking wine. The cheeses were served with bread, apples, and veggies. Next was salad, Vince and I chose the California salad, baby spinach, spring mix, blue cheese crumbs, and a tomato vinegrette dressing. For the entres we had an assortment of filet minon, sirloin, some other type of steak, chicken breast, shrimp, green pepper ravioli, and mushroom ravioli, with cok au vue and mojo cooking styles. Lastly was dessert, we had a pot of "snickers," a mixture of milk chocolate, crunchy peanut butter, and caramel, the other was dark chocolate with raspberry. The snickers was amazing. Dessert was served with a plate of various bite sized desserts, strawberries, chocolate marshmallow, marshmallows, brownies, cheesecake, poundcake, and a couple other tasty things.



Here's a picture of the group.

Brooke, Heather, Kathleen and her boyfriend Izzy, Me, Vince ( We have no clue why he is making that face, lol), and Kellen (loved her dress and hair!)

The Great Pumpkin Patch

Last Sunday Vince and I took a trip out to The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island. It was such a cute place, and huge. It was the BIGGEST field of pumpkins I have ever seen. The place also had a large corn maze, and to find your way through you had to answer questions about oregon or figure your way out by trial and error. There was also a fresh produce market, a cage, u-pick flowers, u-pick produce, and entertainment, this place goes all out.

Charlie and I in the corn maze.

Charlie and Vinny in the maze.

Charlie led me the correct ways most of the time. Horray! We made it alive!

Field o'Pumpkins

I found the way the tree was trimmed to be amusing.

Steel Bridge, in the rain getting on the 5.
Steel Bridge again, I think this is my fovorite bridge. I cross this every morning to and from school =)