Luncheon

5 PM Channel 7 News today

Good evening everyone out there.  Hope that everyone had as good as day as I did.  

I was a speaker at the "Second Annual Esteemed Women of Michigan Luncheon" and what a great opportunity it was.   I can't even tell you how much sleep I lost and how scared I really was to get up in front of 310 very influential people. It was all just  blurry and I really don't remember much after the speech as it was such a relief to be done with it that everything just went blank.

The Luncheon was at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester and that is a really nice place and the food that they put out was outstanding.  That is all that I can say about it ... they went way beyond to make sure that we were comfortable and had everything that we needed.  Thank you Jay and the Royal Park Hotel!  Good Job! 

As for me, I got several good leads as to where I would have an opportunity to work or do my ex-tern ship at and I have to tell you that the possibilities are endless.  With some very hard work on my part I am going to be all right from now on ... I feel that my life has turned on a different course today.

There were many pictures taken but they are not available as of yet but I am sure tomorrow I will be able to post some of them for you to see how nice it was.

I am very tired after this very long week that I have just had so I just wanted to drop you a little line to fill you in a little but I will post a lot more tomorrow you all to see.  

Have a very good night and take care.  Good night for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

 

Resting today

Ann Thornton

Good morning fellow readers.  Hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

I am so sorry that I have not posted a note to you in the past couple of days but it has been an unreal past few days. 

Ann and I

First we had finals all week last week and then on Thursday and Friday for 7 hours each day we made 3,000 moon pies to sell at the "What's Cooking Detroit" event.  And then yesterday (Saturday) I worked at the actual event.  I was one of the main prep people for the Food Network star Ann Thornton.  Chef David and myself worked like crazy to make sure that everything was just right for her when she got on stage to give her presentation.  What a thrill it was to work so close with a real star.

Chef David and I work very well together.  I like his teaching methods very much ... he teaches with kindness.  We have worked several times together now and I can learn anything from him.  I think that I am going into the Pastry field when this is all over with.  I have 6 months to go and it is only going to get harder for here on out but I am sure that I can do it ... and I hope that I can carry the grades that I have a present but that remains to be seen.

Anyhow back to Ann Thornton.  She is a star ... very people friendly and had a great stage presence.  It was so great watching her do her thing.  The recipes that we had to prepare for her were Spicy Smoky S'mores Bars and Fudgy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies. 

Since this was just like a Food Network show you had to have it ready like they do on TV so we had to bake a final product for her to pull out of the oven and then we had to make a particle one and then we had to get all of the ingredients ready like she was doing it her self and set it all up on her stage for her and we had to cut the final one and place it on the platters and then the clean up of the stage for the next star and then that clean up and set up again for Ann.  It was a very long exciting day.

Tomorrow will be another first for me.  I am going to be a speaker for the Gary Bernstein Free Clinic.   I am very afraid but I know that I can do it ... they are counting on me.  I have been getting help from the Clinic now for about 1 1/2 years and I so appreciate all that they have done for me so this is the least that I can do to show my appreciation.  I hope that I made it through this speech without too much trouble.  I just rewrote it and it doesn't sound too bad to be so I think that I will quit worrying about it and just go with it.  So, I will have another exciting day to write about tomorrow night and then it will be sort of dull for writing the rest of the week as we are on a break until Monday, October 3rd.

I will keep you update throughout the week with any news.

Have a really great Sunday and catch up with you all later ... 1HappyChef.  :)

"What's Cooking Detroit"

Hi everyone.  This will just be a very short message to tell you that I will be cooking with Ann Thornton today at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  This will be really exciting to be cooking with a real Food Network star.  I can't wait!

Hope that everyone has a nice day and I will post later with some pictures from today.

Thank you for being patient  with me last week for not posting too much.  It was a very long stressful week with finals and all but I am back on track now and will get to posting everyday again.

Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Good evening everyone ...

Evening everyone.  Hope this finds you all well tonight.

Diving off limits!

Today was a practice day before the finals start.  I was very confused today but after about an hour I got it together and tried to figure out what I was going to do to make it better.  The way I understood it last week we could pick either chicken for fish for our meat dish .. and me not liking fish at all picked the chicken.  Boy was I ever surprised when Chef David told us today that we had to do both ... it was the first time that I was hearing this and was not prepared at all ... but, like I said I got over it and got it together.

Tomorrow we will do the chicken dish with a starch and vegetable and then take a test for CA105 and then on Wednesday we will make the fish dish with the bread, starch, vegetable and dessert.  This is what I was preparing to do so nothing has changed that much except I will have to work with the fish ... ick!  Also, tomorrow we will have a knife skills test too ... I have to tell you that my knife stills have drastically improved in the past 12 weeks.  I even hold my knife like they want us to now ... in the beginning I had a very hard time with that as I was very used to doing it my way.  And I have NOT cut my self once in the past 12 weeks ... and that is a very good thing!

So, for now I will get going.  I did not sleep very good last night so I am hoping that I am tired enough to get some sleep tonight so I can get through tomorrow and do a very good job ... I am trying very hard to be the best that I can be ... sometimes that is not so easy, ya know?

I will check in again tomorrow when I get home and maybe with a picture or two of the dishes that I made that I will be graded on.  I hope that they are picture worthy and I hope that you enjoy them.

Have a really great evening and good night from 1HappyChef.  :)

Good morning, America!

Good morning, America!  I hope that everyone has a really great day.

As for me it will be a day to take it easy and get myself ready for the coming week.  Finals are always nerve racking and this will be NO different.

Culinary of the day word:  radish

I do however think that I am ready ... at least for the "practical" part of the exam.  I worked on my menu and presentation all day yesterday and what I didn't think of I keep adding with sticky notes as I think of them.

I am going to have the Sauerkraut Rye made into rolls, I am making Risotto, steamed peas and carrots, chocolate moose and for the meat I am going with poached chicken in a "some kind" of cream sauce for the finish.  Not only does it have to be done well and the right way it has to be presented on the plate as if you were serving it to a customer.   So, when you poach chicken it can remain quit white and sick looking so I was thinking to make it look better I would get some grill marks on it before I poached it.  I also was going to present it on the plate sliced thin and put it in a fan shape.  For the rice I thought that I would put it in some sort of mold to plate it and I am not too sure yet about the peas and carrots other that we will also be judged on our knife skills so dicing the carrots in 1/2" cubes will only help my score.  The rolls will be beautiful just as they are ... and the chocolate moose I thought that I would just garnish with a fresh mint leaf and maybe a couple of fresh raspberries.  Also on my main plate I will have some garnish (green leaves) and I will make a tomato rose for the "pop" effect.

And so that is what I am going for.  I found that I can make it and arrange it in my head all day but when it comes right down to doing it ... well, lets just say that you never know what will go wrong.  Maybe like not having the right ingredients and having to use something else .. something that you can't even visualize in your dish.  Happens all the time ... I will however get through it and I am going to do the best job that I know how.

I am more concerned about the 3 written parts of the finals.  I know that I know the stuff ... I have been living it for the past 12 weeks but it is still hard when you sit there and have to do it.  I will not let myself get all bent out of shape over this ... it will be what it is and I can't change that so I refuse to loose sleep ... well, maybe just a little.

Culinary word of the day meaning:  A member of the mustard family grown for it root (Raphanus sativus); generally, the crisp white flesh has a mild to peppery flavor and is usually eaten raw.

So, you all have a wonderful day and "Go Detroit Lion's"!  Take care from 1HappyChef.  :)

 

Creamy Cucumber Soup

Hi all of my fellow readers.  I am posting this very quick today because there really isn't much new here but I was asked if I knew of any "Cucumber Soup recipes" ... so real quick this is what I came up with:

Creamy Cucumber Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers, divided

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1//4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 avocado, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Preparation:

1.  Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1-4 minutes.  Add lemon juice  and cook for 1 minute.  Add 3 3/4 cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6-8 minutes.

2.  Transfer the soup to a blender.  Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth.  (use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)  Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt.  Chop the remaining 1/4 cup cucumber slices.  Serve the soup warm or refrigerate and serve it chilled.  Just before serving, garnish with the chopped cucumber and more chopped parsley, if desired.

Nutrition:

Per serving:  173 Calories; 12g Fat; 2 g Sat; 8 g Mono; 2 mg Cholesterol; 15 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 494 mg Sodium; 544 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate per serving

Exchanges:  1 vegetable, 2 fat

I do have to admit ... this sounds really good.   EatingWell.com gets the credit for this recipe.

For me the rest of the day folks will be just watching all of the good teams in MI play ball.  Maybe we will have another winning weekend like last weekend.  Go Tiger's ... such a good job!  Good bye for now from 1HappyChef.  :) Have a really great weekend.

I can breath now.

So cute!

Good evening my fellow readers.  Hope that this post finds you all well and ready for a great weekend.

This is going to be short and sweet tonight as there is not much to tell you.

Culinary word of the day:  

tranche (tranch)

I went to school today to take the Nutrition test and before we started the test we were told that we would have a study period for two hours before and then the test.  Well, that never happened ... we walked in and took the test .. so that was sure a shock to my system.  I didn't have time to get all bent out of shape and worry about it as we were handed the test, told to clear our desks and have 3 feet between each person taking the test and then to do it.  I was very worried until I saw the test ... I think that I did quite well on it as I did study and study.  I will not know my score for about 7-10 days .. so, I will get back to you about this and how I did.

Today a fellow student named Randy came over to try and help me  for the next MOD ... that is the one with all of the MATH in it and we already know how good I am at math.  The truth is that I am not any good at all but he was going over it with me to try to help me understand it better.  For anyone who is interested ... Randy will help you with anything that you need help with.  He is knowledgeable and would be a very good person to get some help from.  I know that he helped me with the Nutrition and it paid off.  

Right now I am trying to get the menu ready for my finals next week.  We have to make a chicken dish with a homemade bread (mine will be the Sauerkraut Rye bread) that I will be making into rolls, and we need a starch, vegetable and dessert.  Doesn't sound too hard ... does it?

Culinary word of the day meaning:  1>French for a slice. 2>A slice (usually of fish) that is cut on the diagonal to increase the apparent size of the item.

Well, I am going to call it a day for now and try to relax for awhile before I go to bed.  Everyone have a wonderful evening and I will post again tomorrow.  Saying good bye for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Nutrition test tomorrow

Good evening everyone.  Hope this finds everyone well.

Today was just a day to study and study Nutrition ... the big test is tomorrow and I think that I am ready but the proof is in the pudding.  I won't know for sure until I get the score.  I am hoping to pass it and I really hope to do a little better than that ... I have put enough time in on this book studying.

Culinary word of the day:  tuile (twee)

To take my mind off of all of it for tonight at least I am watching a program called "Inside the Bermuda Triangle".  Actually the Bermuda Triangle and Edgar Allen Poe are two of my favorite things to investigate when I am not thinking about school.  Oh, and I think that Ernest Hemingway is a pretty interesting guy too.  I have experienced the Bermuda Triangle first hand many times in my cursing days in Lighthouse Point, Florida with my late husband.  There is something about it that you can not explain but I never felt that we were in any real danger ... or were we just naive?  Look what happened to CM and his traveling mates.  I think that we were a little smarter back then and we learned very early on that you needed to respect the Ocean ... I don't think that CM had that same respect or did he have a sea-worthy boat.  Remembering all of this again is certainly enough to take my mind off of the test ... wrong.

Mom's Caster Beans

Not too much else to report for today.  Just getting ready to go to bed and see if I can get any sleep at all tonight.  I don't have to be to school until 10 AM so I even will be able to sleep in if I so chose to.  That will be welcome for a change even though I am mostly a morning person and usually like to get my day started early ... actually the earlier the better is what I say.

Culinary word of the day meaning:  French for tile and used to describe a thin, crisp wafer cookie traditionally shaped while still hot around a curved object such as a rolling pin.

Oh, I almost forgot.  I promised a Bacon Jam recipe today in the post.  And before you snort at Bacon Jam, you might want to try it first.

Bacon Jam

1 pound smoked bacon (or use regular bacon and liquid smoke)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onion sliced

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Tabasco sauce (according to taste)

1 cup coffee

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

Black pepper to taste

Extra water

In a nonstick pan, fry the bacon in batches until lightly browned and beginning to crisp.  Using a pair of scissors cut into 1 inch pieces.

Fry the onion and garlic in the rendered bacon fat on medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the bacon, onion and garlic into a heavy-based, cast-iron pot and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the water.  Simmer for 2 hours adding 1/4 of a cup of water every 25-30 minutes or so and stirring.

When ready, cool for about 15-20 minutes and then place in a food processor.  Pulse for 2-3 seconds so that you leave some texture to the "jam" or you could keep whizzing and make it smoother and more paste-like.

Store in a sterilized jar and refrigerate.  Makes about 1 cup.

That is it for me today fellow readers.  I am off to bed.  I am starting to get tired and don't want to miss the opportunity to fall asleep if that is even possible.  Just one more thing to add ... my "blog" was in the hard copy of the Oakland Press today ... that was very exciting to see "my blog" in print in the local newspaper.  Wow!

Have a good night and everyone take care.  Good night for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Sushi today

The maker of the wonderful Sushi

California Roll

 Good evening everyone.  Today we had a demonstration on how to make Sushi and it was really fun to watch the really happy guy to the left do just that.  I personally don't like the "fish" sushi but the all vegetable ones were not too bad at all.  As you can see by the pictures they are wonderful to look at too ... very colorful.  Some of the ingredients that go into making these is: seaweed, spice sesame seed, crab, avocado, cucumber, ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, tuna (yellow fin), hot chili sauce, and shrimp tempura.  Some of them had a good bite to them .. if you like it HOT then it was for you.

Spicy Tuna Roll

Culinary word of the day:  turbot (thur-bow)

Assortment (Shrimp Tempura, Tuna, and California) rolls

Today other than the demonstration on the Sushi we did have things to do in our own kitchen but nothing that was picture worthy.  I thought that you would like these pictures much better ... and what a nice smile that man above has!

  

We did make today a stir-fry of all vegetables and with a spicy sort of hot sauce on it all over rice and it was very good.   I actually ate quite a bit of it today.  I am usually all about the sweets but today there wasn't too many to pick from so I stuck with the good stuff.  Also, today we stuffed some healthy granny smith apples ... they were a little over done but still very tasty.

I went today and got my hand checked out and the Dr. said that it will get a lot worse before it is going to be any better, I am only starting to feel all of the damage that I really did ... my entire right side hurts but they assure me that nothing is broken and I will be fine.  So, I guess that is that, I have been released from Dr.'s care ...

Culinary word of the day meaning:  A diamond-shaped flatfish found in the Atlantic Ocean off Europe and in the Mediterranean Sea; it has a silvery-brown skin, a firm, white flesh, a delicate flavor and weighs up to 30 lbs.  A marketing name given to several Pacific Ocean flat-fish of no culinary significance.  

So for today I will be saying good night.  I have had a very long day and I am just going to chill and do some Nutrition reading and get ready for school tomorrow.  I do have a really (I think so) Bacon Jam recipe to share with you but that will have to be for tomorrow.

I am also feeling very guilty for not working "Keego Skate Night" tonight.  I have worked it every year for past 8 years and I just couldn't get it together enough today to make myself go over there and help.  I think that school is way more important at this time so I need to go with what I feel is right.

Have a good night and good night my friends.  Take care and I will check in tomorrow.  Good bye from 1HappyChef.  :)

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

Day 2 of my hurt hand

Good evening everyone.  Hope that everyone is doing fine.  I just want to tell you that me and my hurt hand went to school today and did everything and did not get any special treatment.  Just as it should be, although it was an accident I am so very grateful that it was not any worse than it is because "finals" are next week and I want to be able to get through the practicals and the written exam without any problems.  I have to go back tomorrow to the Dr. to make sure that it is still OK and then he will release me.  It was a very stupid accident and I will forever never take the stand mixer for granted ever again and I will give it all the respect that it deserves.

Culinary word of the day:  Ravigote, sauce (rah-vee-GOT)

Now on to more pleasant things: I did not make this personally but I wanted to share it with you as it was pretty good.  I know what you are thinking .... a "chick-pea) cake ... how good could that really be?  I was a little sceptial myself but after eating a piece of it it is something that I could eat if I were trying to eat healthy and still get my chocolate fix.  It did have a like sort of after taste to it ... I don't know if that is right but it tasted a little oriental to me ... do you know what I mean?  Well, here is the recipe in case you would like to try it for yourselves.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free!)

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

(Gluten Free!)

Ingredients:

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 (19 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

8 eggs

1 1/2  cups of white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.

Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl.  Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth.  If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50%. 

Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend.  Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed.  Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated over, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.  Dust the top with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

This actually is a recipe from:  allrecipes.com and Derrick Miller made it in our class today.  Very nice Derrick!

Culinary word of the day meaning:  1. A cold French sauce made from a vinaigrette garnished with capers, chopped onions and herbs.  2.  A French compound sauce made from veloute' flavored with white wine, vinegar and shallots and finished with herbs; usually served with calf's head, brains and boiled fowl.

So for me a much better day today than yesterday.  I am just trying to get everything in order and ready for the intense week next week.  I am trying to plan the menu that I will use for my practical exams and well the written ones will be another day of worry.  I am going to make the Sauerkraut Rye buns for my practicals and I made them once again today to make sure I had the process right.

Have a very good night everyone and I will check in again tomorrow with an update on the days activities.  Saying good night for now from 1HappyChef.  :)  

You can now read the "blog" on the Oakland Press web-sight at:  theoaklandpress.com and then go to the blog tab and go down to the life tab and then scroll down the page to health/food and there I am about the 5th person down.  This is very exciting for me.  

OUCH my hand.

Good evening all of my fellow readers.  I just wanted to share with you that it was not a very good day for me.  At 10 AM this morning I got attacked by the dough-hook attachment of a 6 qt. stand mixer and it was not a pretty sight.  My hand is black and about 2 times as big as it should be.  I did go to the clinic to get it checked out and after 14 ex-rays, a really nice plate of cut up heirloom tomatoes and cukes and a very nice Dr. ... there is nothing broken so I can go on with all my regular work at school and that is a very good thing as next week is Finals ...

Culinary Word of the day:  mazzard

I will however like to share with you what I was doing when I hurt my hand and maybe  you will feel a little bad for me.  I was not messing around .. I was doing my work that was assigned to me and that was:  Sauerkraut Rye Bread.   This was a recipe that I have been asking to make since we started school and today was the day but you know when you just have some off days and everything just isn't going right and you don't know how to fix it?  That was me today ... I don't know I got to school just like always but it seemed like it just wasn't going to be a good day ... I was covered with every ingredient that we were working with and my knife that I was using was dull but I was afraid to sharpen it ... what could happen then with a sharp knife ... probably nothing but it had me thinking and so this is how it was...

Sauerkraut Rye buns

I was following the recipe that I got from my brother Roger (who tried to make this on 3 different occasions) and never had success with it as he could not get it to rise so I was going to make it work if it was the last thing that I did today.  So, I always ready the recipe first and gather all of the ingredients and I read this over and over today as I told you I was just not that confident in how I felt today about everything for some reason.  So, come to find out that this is a recipe that you are suppose to use for a bread machine ... and do you think that the cooking school would let you use a bread machine?  I don't think so  .... I re-read it and I think that I have it figured out so I can use the same ingredients and make it regular so I am off and running.  I decide that you can still mix everything in the mixer with the "dough-hook" and then go from there regular with rising and finishing in the oven .. this is what I am thinking.  But, when I add all of the ingredents it is very wet.  Too wet and it doesn't resemble bread dough like you would know when you make homemade bread so now I am really getting curious and I have my nose right in the mixer and I am adding flour with my left hand and the mixer is on and I have to keep adding flour and more flour because it is still way to wet and I am not really knowing what to do next but keep adding flour and finally after almost 1/2 more flour than the origional amout that we put in it in the first place we were finally getting a ball forming but I decided that I needed to touch it to see if it was still sticky to the touch so I turn off the mixer (so I thought) but it is stopped because the dough is so thick and I stick my hand in the mixer to touch it and you have already heard the rest.  My hand is black and blue and swollen from the tips of my fingers to my wrist but to my surprise that is it ... nothing broken ... it is a miracle!

Sauerkraut Rye loaf of bread

The bread turned out fantastic and I am going to make it for my final.  It was picture perfect and even Chef Milos said it was the best.  Just like eating in Germany he said.  My thoughts exactly!

Culinary Word of the day meaning:

A wild sweet cherry native to Europe; the black-skinned fruit have a rich flavor and are often used for flavoring liqueurs in Central Europe; the mazzard is a particularly hardy species and it is often used as a grafting stock; also known as a bird cherry or gean.   That is pretty interesting right?

So the lesson that I learned today is that you can make regular bread with a bread machine recipe and the other lesson is to keep all hands and fingers out of the mixer while it is plugged in. I am old enough and experienced enough to know better but as I said I just couldn't figure out why the day was so off and now I know ... I was meant to sit in the Medical Center for the afternoon and meet some really nice people.

Well everyone, I am exhausted from all of the stress today.  I think that I am going to watch TV for a short while and then hit the bed and see if I can dream good thoughts for tomorrow.  Good night for now from 1HappyChef.  Have a really great evening and I will check in again tomorrow.

Stay warm and dry today.

Flower and bumble-bee

Good morning everyone.  I just wanted to check in and say HI so you did not forget about me.

Not too much to report today.  Yesterday I went to school for extra credit Math class ... I don't really need the extra credit but I do need all of the math help that I can get.  Only 3 other students showed up beside myself and it turned out to be a very informative class and I am very happy that I decided to go.

Culinary word of the day:  mead

Coming up next week ... we will be in the kitchen for one more week before finals and practicals.  I am not sure what that will be about yet as they really don't clue us in until the last minute so it is hard to be really prepared for the practicals too much.  I think though that we have to fix 2 entries, 2 starches and 2 veg. dishes and we will no doubt have to do some knife skills ... which I am getting better at by the day.  I can section an orange now with a chefs knife like a champ ... I am hoping that I do as well on the rest of the knife skills test.

Next week I do know that we will be making "Roger's" Sauerkraut and Rye bread recipe ... that will be interesting as Roger never was able to make it rise.

I know on Friday coming up we have a "Nutrition" test that we have to take and you have to have at least 80% to pass.  I read and look at nutrition everyday and I still don't get a lot of it.  Some of it is common sense so that won't be too bad but all the big words and the statics that you have to remember might just be the death of me.  I will try real hard to pass this just as I have tried with everything else since I have started school.

Culinary word of the day meaning:  A drink made from a fermented mixture of honey and water; also known as honey wine.

The picture above was taken in my mom's backyard last Saturday.  I think that it is very cool as I got the bee too!

So, the rest of this weekend I will just be studying and getting ready to go back to school on Monday.  I also am trying to write a speech that I have to give at a luncheon on 9.26.  I have written it twice but anyone who reads it thinks that it needs to be changed and I am not sure that it matters at all because once I get up in front of all of the women to talk I will probably loose my voice and make a fool of myself.  So, do I really need a speech?

I will let you go for now.  Everyone have a wonderful weekend and stay dry and warm.  I will check in on Monday with new pictures and tell you about the food that we made/are making for the week.  Take care everyone and bye for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Art work at Henry Ford Hospital

All cut glass and beads .. beautiful!

3 Lady's in swimsuits sitting on a bench.

 Good evening everyone.  Rain rain go away ... the grass is starting to look very nice here but enough is enough.  And it could warm up just a little and it would be perfect!

Culinary word of the day:  lambic

(lahm-bic)

The pictures at the right are pictures that I took yesterday at HFH.  I don't think that you will be able to tell the real beauty of them by the pictures but in person they were really something to see.

The picture of the 3 Lady's is made of all tiles and it is stunning.  The glass and beads above is breath taking, really something to see.

Not too much to tell you about school today.  We were in the classroom all day doing Nutrition and watching a movie and taking a test ... I aced the test.

Other cut glass pieces.

Tomorrow is special credit Math class.  I will be going to that for sure as I need the math class more than I need anything.  In the next MOD is a Culinary Math test and you have to have at least 80% to pass.  I am thinking that I will be very lucky to get 80% on a math test.  I need a lot of practice between now and then.  Good

luck to me.

Meaning of Culinary word of the day:
A style of Belgian beer brewed with wild yeast and beer-souring bacteria. 

For now that's all from me.  Everyone have a really wonderful, dry and warm evening and I will try to do the same. Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :) 

Field Trip to HFH, West Bloomfield

Inside Garden taken from above

Where they make the soup

Main station

     

Prep for all out-going meals

 Good evening to all.

As you all know we went on a field trip today to Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield to see what the new state of the art kitchen is all about.

Culinary word of the day:  hare

I am here to tell you that it was fantastic!  I would be lost in that place ... rooms, coolers, walk-in and storage everywhere.  There is not one thing that they did not think of when they were re-doing the hospital.  It is like a little city that you are walking into when you walk in the front door.  Unbelievable!  Also the menu that they have come up with and the codes so that everyone gets what they order according to their particular diet restrictions ... it is fascinating to see what they have done and how smooth that it is running.

All of the prices on the food were very reasonable as well. They only accept MC and Visa, If you are there for a meal.

Farmers Market inside the Hospital

It was a trip that I was glad I was able to go on ... 

There was a beauty shop in the little city, two inside gardens ... one for quiet and one for wedding, graduations, etc.  They also had an entire section that was "Art".  I took some pictures but they are had to place with the pictures that I already have here.  Also they have a spa with all of the trimmings.  They have a store in there as big as a Target or store of that size ... and the stuff is beautiful that they carry.


Meaning for Culinary word of the day: Any of a variety of larger rabbits, usually not domesticated; generally, they have a lean, darkish flesh with a chewy texture and an earthy flavor.

Well, all my fellow readers.  I think that tomorrow in the Oakland Press is going to be the first time that I "blog" is in print ... it's only up-hill from there, right?  So, for now I wish everyone a great evening and I will check in again tomorrow with news about the OP and school.  Take care and stay warm .. signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Apple Strudel

Apple Strudel

Good evening everyone.  How is everyone doing tonight?  Hope that everyone are starting to get their electric restored and things are getting back to normal.

Culinary word of the day:                 xun (shoon)

For me at school today we are still on the tail end of the "Healthy Food" part of the program.  Today my team made Apple Strudel, the Strudel dough, Chocolate Crepes, and Wheat Carrot Pancakes.

It is not so easy making all of this stuff the "healthier" way as it doesn't cook/bake the same without the fat in it and the substitutions that we have been using for sugar.  Nothing is as it seems with healthy food, other than being healthier for you.  I personally think that a little fat and sugar will not hurt you.

Tomorrow we are going on a field trip to the Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield to get a look at their kitchen.  I can not wait ... I can think of a whole bunch of questions that I am going to ask.  If I like the answers then maybe I will see if I can do my ex-ternship there with the HF people.  That is still 3 months off but it never hurts to plan ahead, right?

Meaning for Culinary word of the day:  A Chinese cooking method in which an ingredient, usually raw, is smoked with wood shavings (pine or poplar), tea leaves, sugarcane pulp and brown sugar and then steamed or deep-fried; the ingredient may be steamed or deep-fried before being smoked.

So to all the good people out there, I have to say good night for now.  It was a very long weekend and a very long day so I will be signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  Have a really great evening everyone.

More about the Field Trip tomorrow .. good night and take care!  :)

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day everyone.  Hope that everyone is having a great Holiday and none of you are without power.  I know that there are thousands around the Detroit without ... we were lucky here in Keego, the power never went off even for a minute.

I am just getting ready to go back to school tomorrow and get back into the swing of things.  I like going to school more than I like all of this time off.

Shane and Sandy made it back to PA safe and sound last night.  It was so nice to have had a short visit with them.  They said that they will come back when I graduate ... that will be the end of March.

MOM's Caster Beans

I will start writing again tomorrow about food and school.  I know that is what this blog is about, but when there isn't any school I have to write about something, right?

The picture that I have enclosed is of the Caster Beans that my mom grew from seeds.  Aren't they really beautiful ... the red flowers are the best!  Good job MOM!

Have a really great rest of the day and I will check in tomorrow after school with some school news and pictures.

Bye for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Take care everyone.

Wonderful visit with Shane and Sandy

Good evening everyone.  Hope that everyone is well this stormy evening.

Not too much to report except I had a wonderful visit with Shane and Sandy ... long over due and much too short but never the less wonderful!

Grilled 3 Cheese Sandwich

I just started posting to a new sight called "FoodSpotting" so my first post was a picture of a grilled 3 cheese sandwich.  It is so good but the trick was to get the picture to look as good as it actually was ... I think that it turned out OK, what do you think?  Any advertisement for a friend is always a good thing ... oh, they have this wonderful sandwich at Mary Donnelly's Public House in Keego Harbor, MI.

I also just started tweeting ... I am not sure that I understand that yet and I don't just sit in front of my computer so I don't do much tweeting but I am sure that I will get it eventually.  How hard can it be?

Not only did I see my son and his wife I also got to see my mom and my sister Renee'.  That was also a very nice surprise ... I don't get to see either of them enough.  We are all getting older and should make more time to see each other more.  I know that we are all busy but we should just make the time.

So, right now it is really raining and thundering here.  Good sleeping weather.  I am almost ready for bed as soon as I am done with this ... I am very tired.

MOM (Grandma), Shane and Sandy

MOM (Grandma) me (Denise) and Shane

Have a wonderful rest of the Holiday and be safe and happy.  Good night for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Visitor coming for the Holiday

Good morning out there to all of my readers.  I am so excited today to report that I am going to have a visitor for the Holiday weekend.  My son and his new wife are coming from PA to spend the weekend with me and I can't wait.  I have not seen him in over 5 years now and I can hardly catch my breath I am so excited.  I will let you know about what we did and his visit on Monday when I check in again.

Culinary word of the day:  hyssop (Hyssopus officinales)

On a different note I have to tell you about the Breakfast Sausage Patty that I posted the other day.  First I have to tell you that while Angie and I were making it I read and reread the recipe over and over but I guess that I was just dumb struck that day because as I was writing out the recipe on the blog I realized that her and I didn't do it right at all ... in fact we left stuff out even.  The picture looked like they should look and everyone said that they tasted very good but there was important ingredients and important steps that we left entirely out ... not on purpose I will admit but never the less it was not done right.  As I was typing it out for the blog I was saying to my self ... what the heck .. we didn't do that and oh no we didn't do that and we left that out and I was wondering if I even did it at all.  I know that I was there and I know that I read it over and over but I have to tell you ... my mind and smarts must have left the building that day.  I am really surprised that my gal-pal Angie didn't catch any of the things that we really should have done.  Anyhow, I just wanted to apologize to you and tell you that the Chef said that we could make it again next week and I will post a new picture of the way it really should be and you be the judge ... let me know if you think one looks better than the other, OK?

On Wednesday we are going on a Field Trip to the Henry Ford Hospital kitchen to see what a real kitchen is all about.  We need to have questions ready to ask the Chef ... from a cooks point of view or from a patients point of view so if any of you have any questions that you would like me to ask please jot them down for me to take with me.  I have heard that this is suppose to be a state-of-the-art kitchen so folks ... what do you want to know in case you are very there long enough to get a meal? 

Yesterday was just bookwork on Nutrition and of course the lecture on the sausage and how it went wrong.  The Nutrition test is in about 12 days now and I don't know if I will ever be ready for it.  It has a lot of "big" hard to understand words in it ... I sure hope I pass.  And then right after that is Finals again.  It sure doesn't seem like 12 weeks have gone by, does it?  After finals I will be 1/2 the way done ... wow, time flies when you are having fun ... that is so true.

Well I leave you with best wishes for a happy and very safe Holiday weekend.  I have to get going as I am baking my son and his wife a cake ... just like the ones that I have been doing in school with real "butter cream" frosting.  It is going to be so good!

Be good and take care from 1HappyChef.  :)

Meaning for Culinary word of the day:  An herb with dark green leaves and deep blue or pink flowers; the leaves have a strong mint and licorice flavor and aroma and are used in salads and with fatty meats and fish.

Picture:  Mooncake Biscuit