So a while back I signed up for a few ATC Swaps in Fiskateer and Ive gotten some of them back now!
These are the ATCs I have gotten back and Im so amazed at what they look like! I feel really ashamed of mine in a way as there are some really brilliant ones - but then I shouldnt be so hard on myself, I dont believe their is a right or wrong way to these and the only rule is that they stay the same size pretty much.
Luck of the Irish ATC Swap
Animal ATC Swap
And Ive just completed my Vacation ATCs - I pulled out of the Nevada/NZ ATCs as I couldnt met the deadline and I couldnt think of what to do, and then i felt bad as when i sent the message the lovely host of this swap ended up in hospital....Im not sure how things are with her, and Im waiting to see an update on Fiskateers..!
Since Ive got a couple of weeks to on hand while Im mid semester at Uni - I thought I might as well get some scrapping in while I can - I Should be studying but meh it can just wait for now! My accounting guru - well not so much guru, but my friend who is a qualified and works as an Auditor isnt replying to me much now - so Im still completely stumped with some accounting things, and then we have the lecturers saying that don approve of how the textbook does things and my lecturer saying she doesnt agree with how the paper co ordinate and one of the other lecturers does things - so you get taught multiple ways of doing these calculations and its highly confusing...though entrust everything into the lecturer who is the co ordinator of the paper as he was my lecturer I had for Marketing I wouldnt have gotten the high marks I did without his assitance and teaching.
Anyway here is one of the first layouts I have started on - this is from the end of the Summer School Holidays when me and my niece went and played Mini Golf at Treasure Island Adventure Mini Golf at the airport...being on a tight budget and with not much income and stuff Im having to use what I have one hand and not buy anything...but that is good in a way I guess...
Just a quick entry to show my menu and buffet cards I made the other week for my final practical assessment at Uni for Kitchen Operations.
My 2IC said they were awesome as did the rest of our brigade and my lecturer said I put alot of hard work into them - she just hoped that the rest of my team were appreciative of what I put in to them.
Mum and me went out today, since the shops were open again today - this is theo ne thing I hate about holidays like Easter and Christmas is when the shops are closed. Everyone does that last minute shop the day before the shops are closed and then the day after the shops are closed and open again they all flood out and you face parking problems and big crowds of people and everyone grabbing for stuff and empty shelves. Easter and Christmas are like that alot. You got to be quick and once the sales are - well you have to be early and fast.
So we went out to see what was left in the way of eggs, I knew mostly everything would be gone, especially labled branded ones like Pooh Bear, Sponge Bob, Cars, Hotwheels, Hanna Montana - though there were a few - but mostly all of them were gone. As were alot of the tiny eggs in bags. But we managed to get a few things for ourselves and the kids.
We went to a couple of stores - I met up with one of my old co workers at one story - we had spent most of the day trying to meet up and finally did....
Back home mum got to searching for templates, she wanted something big enough to fit the puzzles we got the kids in but it wasnt working out, she found one and we got to work making them. They turnt out pretty good I think so - given we are on a tight budget with very little money between us both.
Hopefully the kids will like them - one each for Meggan and Michael alone with a puzzle each and the toy is for their brother who is at this moment playing circus acts while my sister tries to give birth to him....I personally think its a great big laugh as karma hits back!
You can find the template for this basket HERE at Jackie Wright's blog - I would like to
My Kitchen Brigade - Back: Mira, Jude, Zane (2IC), Bronwyn (Chef de Partie) Front: Charles
YES CHEF!!!
Alright so its over and done with...and Im not going to say Thank God - as I was loving this class and it sucks that its only 5 weeks long, it would be so much more rewarding if it was a full semester! I know we have to fit four papers into one semester and that both Kitchen Operations and Food and Beverage Operations are both semi practical but seriously its alot of information and stuff to cram into 5 weeks and expect to be memorised and learnt and understood in. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am one very hands on person and I dont do written stuff I dont do the whole theory work. Probably why I sit in exams almost pulling my hair out for the first five mins of reading time and then an hour later when Ive hit the hard parts and people have already started leaving!
Prawn Fritters
Me and Zane had spent two days working on our requisitions and time management and standardise receipies - never mind our group was made up of 5 people we were the only two who did work on the paperwork. Our lecturer was not impressed that the other 3 members didnt do any work...we hadnt really planned how our buffet would work or colours or anything, I just went ahead and created menus and buffet cards for the assessment which everyone liked which is great....I would have been pissed off if they didnt.
Spanish Flat Omelette
I handed out our time management and receipies making it clear who was doing what and when to be in the kitchen by - Jude let us down by being late after I drilled it into him to be there on time. We pulled into a tema huddle and Zane being the class clown he is, broke out singing the national anthem and Maori...with the two Chinese members going whats he seeing...and me explaining it to them - they were a bit confused and I laughed...we went in and got into things cleaning and sanitizing our benches...we were set back minorly with that the food wasnt brought up from downstairs yet - so we basically got all the equipment ready.
Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Our lecturer was pulling our groups our slowly for a meeting while we got the ingrediants ready, my group was pulled out and it went down hill from there - three of my chefs had dirty uniforms one, one of which hadnt iron his, I know the iron was not working as I have been to the school reception and the school office about it - and was allowed to use the staff one under supervision with them having posession of my school ID card. I was told i have inteligency from my lecturer over that situtation the others clearly didnt...as Chef de Partie I had to decided what to do - i cant believe they had not washed their uniforms since monday!! One said he has but couldnt get stains out I ripped into him that he could have soaked it in nappy san, that he could have given it to me to wash at home. We were able to swap their jacket front over (isnt Auguste Escoffier amazing with this invention of the chef jacket and the rest of the uniform??) However they had to get aprons. I ripped into them further more saying what a let down they were, that it was unhygienic and that we were being tested in the practical componet for our food and hygiene certificate.
Breakfast Salad
Once we were sorted we got underway. We were working ahead of time and though we started late we were up and serviced first and before time. Alot of positive feedback given, with a couple of mark downs but over all it was great. We were so proud of ourselves and I was proud of my team.
Classic Club with Pommes Pallies
We had to do peer assessments and it was highly interesting seeing what marks everyone gave each other. I marked my team fairly, I gave low marks to those who didnt take part in full team participation, they may have done well at the practical but they didnt put in anything towards the paper work that both myseld and Zane had worked hard on. It was interesting seeing them giving themself top parks for team work - and for uniform - never mind their uniforms were dirty, they may have come with full uniform but it was dirty....we also had to give comments to justify our marks. It was just a bit of a giggle for me reading through them all, unfortunately Zane fell ill with the chicken pox so I didnt get to see his, I would have love to have read them over with him. All paper work is not in to be marked.
Apple and Date Cake with Coconut Topping and Caramel Sauce
Just hoping I get a good mark over all and that I get that certificate - even though Ive already done it two times before and have that certificate from another institute..!
I wouldnt know what I know with cooking had it been from not watching the chefs at my job over the past year, and from watching inspiring people like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver - two highly known chefs who inspire me, and Ive said to people I don idolise them and Im not a bit fan, they are an inspiration to me...I have learnt great things about food through them. And if you havent done so alread I recommend watching Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food and Gordon Ramsay's F Word....many lessons I have learnt from watching those.
OMG!!! Finally its coming.....it really is coming!! It was a couple of years ago, Rob suggested to me to read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code - having known he read it in three days I took the challenge to read this book and also read it in three days, it was a book I could not put down I was engroused by it! I then went and brought the movie that was based on the book on DVD - and it was in this DVD that it said Angel & Demons was coming out soon....it showed previews if I recalled of the movie...and so your left major suspence on wanting to see it - now this too is based on Dan Brown's novel Angel & Demon's which features the same character in it...again another book Rob told me to read having loved The Da Vinci Code....Ive attempted to read it however I didnt finish it but I will take that challenge on to read it again...maybe during the semester break...
And the reason why i need to read the book is because i know the movie will miss parts out that are in the book..much like the case with Da Vinci's Code...
BUT OMG!! Its finally got a release date after waiting TWO years!! Now I dont know if this is world wide or what - but I cant wait and Robbie - we are so going to this together, we havent been to the movies together since 2005 when I was in tech and we did that whole setting off the fire alarm thing in Borders lol!! Yuh you remember now!!
There is nothing like meeting someone and keeping your heart to yourself, telling yourself not to open up and let anyone take it. However as simple as that may sound its not always that easy. And so this song speaks just how I feel towards someone - who I let my heart slip out to a bit to much......though I did not love you I did feel for you deeply. However you did not feel for me in the same way I did for you...though I am unsure of how to deal with this or confront how things have turnt and I pray that they can be fixed and that this isnt the end of something that seemed to be going well, a freindship I was growing to like and enjoy, it felt somewhat right given the circumstances I was in when it all started...
TIME...
Only time will tell and hold all answers to what the future holds......
PATIENCE......
However is something I lack to control and posess.
About Moi - Presently a WAHM while I take a break to spend some vital time with my daughter during her toddlers years (after missing most of her infant years due to working and PND!!) but when I am in paid employment I work in the Hospitality Industry.
I graduated from AUT University with a Diploma in Hospitality Management in 2010. I am actively involved with the Culinary Fares both as a competitor and now as a Judge.
Im a mummy to a Angel in Heaven named Kieran Stefano James is passed away in July 2007 - and a beautiful little rainbow baby born in September 2011 named Amelia Chloe. An Aunt to two beautiful girls Meggan and Emma along with two cheeky boys Michael and James! In addition to being a Step Aunt of 6! I now have two cats Bullseye and Martini and Abby my Border Collie Hunterway X...and Im a non practising Wiccan and proud!!
I have a passion for food, travel and scrapbooking and a touch of photograph, pilates and attachment gentle Parenting. - not all at once though...ok maybe all at once. I also have a big keen interest in Event Planning, and adore Table Settings and all those little detailed things that get my creative juices flowing.
