"See the good around you, even if you have to squint." --little book of inspirational thoughts...
It was one year ago today that my dad died. And even though he was not always well-liked, we still miss him.
Jordan and I went out to breakfast today with Kasia and Gary and Ric. We went to Krumbles over by Renown. I know, you thought I was going to say Arlington Gardens. Surprise! It was a nice breakfast, good coffee. Jordan and I split a Denver omelet.
Jordan left after that to go work at UNR. I came home and finished stitching the living room drapes. They are all hung now. Ni think I like them better this way. A little more modern. I worked on my recipe collection today and getting the recipes I am using going for my next projects. I also need to decide what cookies I am going to make and get started on those.
Janell and I went out looking for dried salmon treats for Ah Choo. Then on to Resco, the restaurant supply place, to see whatmthey had that I could use for catering. I did get a few new "toys". They carry quite a bit. We had lunch at the Sushi Rose. Imagine, Janell eating sushi! Most of the sushi restaurants have cooked items on their sushi menu so there is more for everyone to eat.
Then I came home, more recipe entry, a late dinner, then bed. Such an exciting life, lol.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, yeah! I watched the Royal wedding, at least clips from it. I'm not one to stay up all night and watch that sort of thing! Very nice wedding! Lots of people there, lots of Americans.
"Dreams have no expiration date.". --little book of inspirational thoughts....
I spent the morning inputting more recipes into my personal chef program, talking to two insurance guys to get a quote on commercial insurance and still trying to discover all the features of MenuMagic. I did go have coffee at Backstubbe with Ric, just to get out, then drove over to Michael's Craft store to see if they had any "gable boxes". They had lots of boxes but not the ones I wanted! Guess I'll have to order online. I looked at one online store and to have a box of 100 of the gable boxes sent to me two day delivery, it was going to cost me $134!!! That's just crazy! Needless to say, I didn't order from that company!
After I came home, I just couldn't deal with food any more, so I took the living room curtains down, sewed the two panels together. (I have two panels on each side and had never bothered to sew the two together so it looked nicer.) Then I rehung them without using the curtain rod rings and clips. And I took the swag away and just let them hang straight. I think I like that better. I need to finish up the two curtains from the left side of the window. I'll get that done tomorrow. And I STILL need to tackle my office space! And get organized. That will happen, I guess, just not quickly. And I need to start baking cookies! Anne wants 30 boxes with four dozen cookies each over the next two weeks! That's a lot of cookies!!
Jordan and I went out to Zozo's for dinner. They were packed. Right before they left 26 girls from one of the college baseball teams playing in Reno, came into eat dinner after their game. Yikes! We left soon after that. The wait staff there sure is nice!
But now it's time for bed.....
"Dreams have no expiration date.". --little book of inspirational thoughts....
I spent the morning inputting more recipes into my personal chef program, talking to two insurance guys to get a quote on commercial insurance and still trying to discover all the features of MenuMagic. I did go have coffee at Backstubbe with Ric, just to get out, then drove over to Michael's Craft store to see if they had any "gable boxes". They had lots of boxes but not the ones I wanted! Guess I'll have to order online. I looked at one online store and to have a box of 100 of the gable boxes sent to me two day delivery, it was going to cost me $134!!! That's just crazy! Needless to say, I didn't order from that company!
After I came home, I just couldn't deal with food any more, so I took the living room curtains down, sewed the two panels together. (I have two panels on each side and had never bothered to sew the two together so it looked nicer.) Then I rehung them without using the curtain rod rings and clips. And I took the swag away and just let them hang straight. I think I like that better. I need to finish up the two curtains from the left side of the window. I'll get that done tomorrow. And I STILL need to tackle my office space! And get organized. That will happen, I guess, just not quickly. And I need to start baking cookies! Anne wants 30 boxes with four dozen cookies each over the next two weeks! That's a lot of cookies!!
Jordan and I went out to Zozo's for dinner. They were packed. Right before they left 26 girls from one of the college baseball teams playing in Reno, came into eat dinner after their game. Yikes! We left soon after that. The wait staff there sure is nice!
But now it's time for bed.....
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
"It is often the bend in the road that makes life worth the drive.". -the little book of inspirational thoughts...
I was up early again! You do get a lot done that way, lol. I wanted to bake some cookies, but was tired of the cluttered, messy kitchen, so I started cleaning, and rearranging, and throwing way. But the kitchen really looks nice now, lol! Spotless-at least for a while. I wanted extra space to work on the counters also and now I have it.
Wen I had cleaned and put away and rearranged and tossed things, I mixed up two batches of cookies. One chocolate chip with toasted pecans and the other orange-white chocolate cookies. Both turned out well. Even with all the work, it was only 11:30am!
I worked on a catering proposal for SCOR's partnership meeting and offered them three different menus. Then I dropped off the proposal at SCOR along with some cookies (never hurts to advertise.). I was offered two more catering job from SCOR and I said yes, so looks like I am off and running (or at least jogging, lol). After chitchatting a bit, I went off to the grocery store, then came home.
All I seem to do lately is look at recipes, input recipes, and plan. No complaints, but I had to take a break and watch some TV! Now it's almost 11pm and I am exhausticated, so I am going to bed. And I'll start again tomorrow and clean up my office room. Wish me luck on that one!
I was up early again! You do get a lot done that way, lol. I wanted to bake some cookies, but was tired of the cluttered, messy kitchen, so I started cleaning, and rearranging, and throwing way. But the kitchen really looks nice now, lol! Spotless-at least for a while. I wanted extra space to work on the counters also and now I have it.
Wen I had cleaned and put away and rearranged and tossed things, I mixed up two batches of cookies. One chocolate chip with toasted pecans and the other orange-white chocolate cookies. Both turned out well. Even with all the work, it was only 11:30am!
I worked on a catering proposal for SCOR's partnership meeting and offered them three different menus. Then I dropped off the proposal at SCOR along with some cookies (never hurts to advertise.). I was offered two more catering job from SCOR and I said yes, so looks like I am off and running (or at least jogging, lol). After chitchatting a bit, I went off to the grocery store, then came home.
All I seem to do lately is look at recipes, input recipes, and plan. No complaints, but I had to take a break and watch some TV! Now it's almost 11pm and I am exhausticated, so I am going to bed. And I'll start again tomorrow and clean up my office room. Wish me luck on that one!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
"Live happy.". -little book of inspirational thoughts...
I woke up really early this morning (3:45 am!) and couldn't go back to sleep so just got up. It is amazing how much you can get done early in the morning!
I finally figured out what desserts I am offering to make for Zozo's. AND entered all the recipes into MenuMagic so I could enter information on pricing to figure out what to charge. That was the hard part. I had Orange-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Caramel Bourbon Sauce, French Apple Cake, Devil's Food Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Pear and Honey Custard Tart, "Serious Rum Cake", Key Lime Meringue Pie, Strawberry Dream Cake, Strawberry Clouds (Mini-Pavlovas), New York Cheesecake, and Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake. Sound good? I thought so too.
I took the quote over to Zozo's and talked a bit with Judy, then stayed for lunch. We'll see if she takes me up on doing desserts for them. She seemed to like my list of desserts, but it may be cost prohibitive. We'll have to see. I have not heard anything from Total Wine on a job.
I did get a catering job next Thursday, for a partnership business meeting. They need dinner: a salad, a meat, a starch and dessert. That's how it was described to me, lol. Should be fun!
Now I am just getting a menu together for my Personal Chef client and trying to figure out the food programs I have for personal chefs. Definitely a learning curve. Then bed, while Jordan works late. Night, all!
I woke up really early this morning (3:45 am!) and couldn't go back to sleep so just got up. It is amazing how much you can get done early in the morning!
I finally figured out what desserts I am offering to make for Zozo's. AND entered all the recipes into MenuMagic so I could enter information on pricing to figure out what to charge. That was the hard part. I had Orange-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Caramel Bourbon Sauce, French Apple Cake, Devil's Food Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Pear and Honey Custard Tart, "Serious Rum Cake", Key Lime Meringue Pie, Strawberry Dream Cake, Strawberry Clouds (Mini-Pavlovas), New York Cheesecake, and Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake. Sound good? I thought so too.
I took the quote over to Zozo's and talked a bit with Judy, then stayed for lunch. We'll see if she takes me up on doing desserts for them. She seemed to like my list of desserts, but it may be cost prohibitive. We'll have to see. I have not heard anything from Total Wine on a job.
I did get a catering job next Thursday, for a partnership business meeting. They need dinner: a salad, a meat, a starch and dessert. That's how it was described to me, lol. Should be fun!
Now I am just getting a menu together for my Personal Chef client and trying to figure out the food programs I have for personal chefs. Definitely a learning curve. Then bed, while Jordan works late. Night, all!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
It's been a busy couple of days. Sunday Janell, Jordan and I went over to "Aunt Pat's" house with my neighbor Sandy. Aunt Pat is Sandy's daughter-in-law's aunt. Confused? Don't be, we essentially went to Sandy's in-law's house. It was pot luck. I brought an egg, sausage, hash brown, sourdough strata (baked egg dish) and Janell brought a bottle of Moscato d'Asti. We bought it at Total Wine Saturday morning. We had a very nice time! There was lots of good food, good drinks and good company. The rest of Sunday was pretty quiet.
Monday I went to the Washoe County Health Dept to get my Food Manager Certificate. I filled out the rest of my paperwork, showed them my test results from Pete Allen, paid my $28, got my picture taken for my Food Manager ID, then went on to get my AES certificate at the Nevada State AES Center on Bible Way. Lots and lots of hoops to jump through! I took myself to lunch at Creme Cafe on St Lawrence off of Sou Virginia. They offer crepes as well as quiches and frittatas, salads and they have a small production bakery going on there. Creme is owned by the same people that own Sup (pronounce soup but my Sup needs two marks over the "u" before it qualifies as the nice German spelling it is suppose to be), with is only a block or so away. The people were friendly and helpful. They only have seven tables, so the place is not very big.m they were full went I went in there but by the time I left, there were only two of us. Very nice coconut macaroons! Other than that, I tried to go through recipes to see what I had for dessert offerings for Zozo's. I hat to admit it it, but I made Hamburger Helper for dinner last night. It was not that good, lol. I am trying to clean out the freezer and the pantry. Don't know where that box came from! Never again though. Even Jordon teased me about it, lol.
Today, I braved city hall and the courthouse to get my dba-filing a fictitious firm name. Because I am using "April Cooks Tonight!" as the name of my business and not April Woodward, I am working under a "dba" or "doing business as". $21 please. When I got to Ci Hall, the lady at the business license counter told me I had everything but my sales tax permit. So I had to head out to 4600 Kietzke to the Nevada State Dept of Taxation to file papers with them. Interestingly enough, when they typed my name in, Reno Silver Blades came up, my old fencing club! I had to tell them I was no longer associated with them. Imagine that?! It must be ten years or more since I sent Silver Blades up as a business/non-profit! Once I paid for that paperwork, it was back to Cityy Hall, where I paid $114 to the City of Reno for a business license. It all worked out.
After that, I stopped by SCOR and saw a few of the people I used to work with-Bobby, Kitty, Sally, Nita, Bomita, Tim, Michele, Nicole, Laurie and a few more. It was nice to see everyone and they seemed just as happy to see me. It's been almost a year since I left SCOR to go back to school. Can you believe it? It's been a long road, but well worth it.
After Scor, I went to the grocery store to get some prices on supplies for baking. I will likely do most of my shopping, at least for now, at the local grocery stores because I don't need supplies in bulk, at least not yet. That may change in the future, and I can get some things cheaper at Costco. I came home and started inputting recipes into my MenuMagic program so It would be easier to work out pricing. I'll finish it up tomorrow so I an drop it off at Zozo's tomorrow. We'll see what Judy says, although I won't bug her about an answer tomorrow, I'll wait a day or two, lol.
I met Mike for dinner. We went to Da Vinci's which is a restaurant in the newly reopened Siena. They have changed the decor and the menu. The food was good. I had deviled quail eggs (never heard of such a thing!!!) and Beef Filet Medalions Oskar (two filets topped with Bernaise sauce and crabmeat. Tasty! It was served with Garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. Mike had Cream of Artichoke soup (very good) and Ivory Wild Salmon. It got it's name because the flsh and flesh are white and not pink! I'll have to look that up, I've never seen it before! That was also very good. We shared deep fried cheesecake, which turned out better than it sounds, lol. Kind of like eating a soppapilla. I also interviewed him because he is my very first client!!! Yeah! Can't wait. I handed out cards to quite a few people today. It's also nice to be doing something again.
So tomorrow will be busy also. I need to organize my office, go see Judy at Zozo's, call and talk to Anne about catering the partnership meeting for SCOR, and otherwise clean house. Time for bed now, though!
Monday I went to the Washoe County Health Dept to get my Food Manager Certificate. I filled out the rest of my paperwork, showed them my test results from Pete Allen, paid my $28, got my picture taken for my Food Manager ID, then went on to get my AES certificate at the Nevada State AES Center on Bible Way. Lots and lots of hoops to jump through! I took myself to lunch at Creme Cafe on St Lawrence off of Sou Virginia. They offer crepes as well as quiches and frittatas, salads and they have a small production bakery going on there. Creme is owned by the same people that own Sup (pronounce soup but my Sup needs two marks over the "u" before it qualifies as the nice German spelling it is suppose to be), with is only a block or so away. The people were friendly and helpful. They only have seven tables, so the place is not very big.m they were full went I went in there but by the time I left, there were only two of us. Very nice coconut macaroons! Other than that, I tried to go through recipes to see what I had for dessert offerings for Zozo's. I hat to admit it it, but I made Hamburger Helper for dinner last night. It was not that good, lol. I am trying to clean out the freezer and the pantry. Don't know where that box came from! Never again though. Even Jordon teased me about it, lol.
Today, I braved city hall and the courthouse to get my dba-filing a fictitious firm name. Because I am using "April Cooks Tonight!" as the name of my business and not April Woodward, I am working under a "dba" or "doing business as". $21 please. When I got to Ci Hall, the lady at the business license counter told me I had everything but my sales tax permit. So I had to head out to 4600 Kietzke to the Nevada State Dept of Taxation to file papers with them. Interestingly enough, when they typed my name in, Reno Silver Blades came up, my old fencing club! I had to tell them I was no longer associated with them. Imagine that?! It must be ten years or more since I sent Silver Blades up as a business/non-profit! Once I paid for that paperwork, it was back to Cityy Hall, where I paid $114 to the City of Reno for a business license. It all worked out.
After that, I stopped by SCOR and saw a few of the people I used to work with-Bobby, Kitty, Sally, Nita, Bomita, Tim, Michele, Nicole, Laurie and a few more. It was nice to see everyone and they seemed just as happy to see me. It's been almost a year since I left SCOR to go back to school. Can you believe it? It's been a long road, but well worth it.
After Scor, I went to the grocery store to get some prices on supplies for baking. I will likely do most of my shopping, at least for now, at the local grocery stores because I don't need supplies in bulk, at least not yet. That may change in the future, and I can get some things cheaper at Costco. I came home and started inputting recipes into my MenuMagic program so It would be easier to work out pricing. I'll finish it up tomorrow so I an drop it off at Zozo's tomorrow. We'll see what Judy says, although I won't bug her about an answer tomorrow, I'll wait a day or two, lol.
I met Mike for dinner. We went to Da Vinci's which is a restaurant in the newly reopened Siena. They have changed the decor and the menu. The food was good. I had deviled quail eggs (never heard of such a thing!!!) and Beef Filet Medalions Oskar (two filets topped with Bernaise sauce and crabmeat. Tasty! It was served with Garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. Mike had Cream of Artichoke soup (very good) and Ivory Wild Salmon. It got it's name because the flsh and flesh are white and not pink! I'll have to look that up, I've never seen it before! That was also very good. We shared deep fried cheesecake, which turned out better than it sounds, lol. Kind of like eating a soppapilla. I also interviewed him because he is my very first client!!! Yeah! Can't wait. I handed out cards to quite a few people today. It's also nice to be doing something again.
So tomorrow will be busy also. I need to organize my office, go see Judy at Zozo's, call and talk to Anne about catering the partnership meeting for SCOR, and otherwise clean house. Time for bed now, though!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
We woke up to a cloudy, rainy day, suited for staying in and reading a good book. I didn't do either! Yesterday I had put together a recipe for Morning Rolls using Pepperidge Farms puff pastry. The filling is granulated sugar and vanilla extract. You roll them up like cinnamon rolls, but in this case, you let them rise an hour in a greased muffin tin, then put them in the fridge overnight and bake them in the morning (hence the name "Morning Rolls"). Leaving in the fridge overnight let's the dough ferment a bit, giving the puff pastry a hint of sourdough type tang. Then you bake them for 25-30 minutes at 385 degrees (yeah, I know, strange temperature, but it works!). You need to remove them from the pan before they cool otherwise you'll never get them out as the sugar caramelizes in the bottom of the muffin holes then hardens, not good!
After breakfast, Janell and I went to "Total Wine", the new wine "superstore" that just opened up where the old "Bed, Bath and Beyond" used to be. The place is HUGE! Lots and lots of good choices, very good prices, it's clean and well organized and the staff is very friendly. They are having wine tastings everyday for the next two weeks as part of their opening promo. The store not only has wine, but also carries beer and liquor. We had a good time looking around. Then it was home so I could go pick up my friend, Michael, at the airport.
I spent the afternoon looking at recipes so I can come up with a good list of desserts to offer Zozo's. First the recipes, then I need to work out pricing. We'll see what happens.
All in all, a quiet day. Time for bed!
After breakfast, Janell and I went to "Total Wine", the new wine "superstore" that just opened up where the old "Bed, Bath and Beyond" used to be. The place is HUGE! Lots and lots of good choices, very good prices, it's clean and well organized and the staff is very friendly. They are having wine tastings everyday for the next two weeks as part of their opening promo. The store not only has wine, but also carries beer and liquor. We had a good time looking around. Then it was home so I could go pick up my friend, Michael, at the airport.
I spent the afternoon looking at recipes so I can come up with a good list of desserts to offer Zozo's. First the recipes, then I need to work out pricing. We'll see what happens.
All in all, a quiet day. Time for bed!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
"Scatter joy". -Ralph Waldo Emerson
I can't believe it's Friday already! Time to catch up.
Wednesday Jordan spent the morning with the Spatial Sciences Dept head talking about jobs. We'll see what happens. After we checked out of the USC owned Marriott hotel, we had lunch at "The Lab", a fastening on campus. The menu is small but unusual, the food quite good. I find myself looking at menus everywhere I go, checking out what goes into a dish, how it's made and how it's plated. All research I tell myself, lol. Jordan is getting used to it.
After lunch we leisurely drove up the California coast, stopping in Mendicito and Santa Barbara before ending up in Los Osos at the Woodside Inn. Beautiful setting in a small little town. Not much going on in Los Osos but they are right next to Morro Bay State Park and about 20 miles from San Lius Obispo. Just exploring...but it was SO quiet there. No traffic sounds, no big city sounds (like in LA), just nature.
We left Los Osos about 8:30am Thursday. Jordan had a 1:30pm meeting with the California Emergency Planning group, something to do with FEMA. I tell you, the man seems to be involved in a lot of things! We started to drive up Hwy 1 but cut over to the I-5 via Hwy 41. Hwy 1 takes quite a long time to drive and apparently they had a recent landslide so a large portion on Hwy 1 (which follows the California coastline) is closed until they can dig it out. Jordan was about 20 minutes late anyway but managed to get to the meeting. I dropped him off at his meeting and continued on home. Jordan got a ride back to Reno from a UNR co-worker.
I made it back uneventfully, unpacked the car, relaxed a bit, picked up Ah Choo from my sister's and came back home to find Jordan already home. I guess no one at the meeting wanted to stay past 4pm! Dinner was a remix of left overs with a large side of steamed brocolli, Jordan's favorite.
Friday morning, today, Calvin Willey came over to talk about landscaping the yard. Jordan and I will talk about what to do over the weekend. I spent the rest of the morning getting my ServSafe Certificate from Pete, then filling out paperwork for a City of Reno business license, a Nevada State license, DBA paperwork and getting a Federal Tax ID number. Brother, what a lot of work! And money! But you can't get a city license without getting a state license first. Lots of hoops!
I had lunch with my friend Kasha. She found a new place to try (I'm all about research!), Dee's Bakery. Looks like it's run by Dee and Dylan (not sure of the relationship there). Dee's offers soups, salads and sandwiches every day but Sunday. They also have lots of pastries, cookies, cakes and cupcakes. They leave samples out on the counter for people to try. Yum! We thought the frosting gs were a little too sweet, but the cake was moist with a nice structure. We both had a cup of soup with a half a sandwich, $9.
After lunch, it was back to paperwork and emails. Dinner tonight was steak with a baked potato and more broccoli! It was all good. We opened a bottle of Doffo Malbec, really nice! Doffo is what is called a boutique winery. They make good wine but small volume and not enough volume to sell to large chains so it's mostly word of mouth. I also belonged to their wine club for a while. A little educational TV then bed. I'll go back in and put some pictures of Lis Osos in tomorrow.
Night everyone!
I can't believe it's Friday already! Time to catch up.
Wednesday Jordan spent the morning with the Spatial Sciences Dept head talking about jobs. We'll see what happens. After we checked out of the USC owned Marriott hotel, we had lunch at "The Lab", a fastening on campus. The menu is small but unusual, the food quite good. I find myself looking at menus everywhere I go, checking out what goes into a dish, how it's made and how it's plated. All research I tell myself, lol. Jordan is getting used to it.
After lunch we leisurely drove up the California coast, stopping in Mendicito and Santa Barbara before ending up in Los Osos at the Woodside Inn. Beautiful setting in a small little town. Not much going on in Los Osos but they are right next to Morro Bay State Park and about 20 miles from San Lius Obispo. Just exploring...but it was SO quiet there. No traffic sounds, no big city sounds (like in LA), just nature.
We left Los Osos about 8:30am Thursday. Jordan had a 1:30pm meeting with the California Emergency Planning group, something to do with FEMA. I tell you, the man seems to be involved in a lot of things! We started to drive up Hwy 1 but cut over to the I-5 via Hwy 41. Hwy 1 takes quite a long time to drive and apparently they had a recent landslide so a large portion on Hwy 1 (which follows the California coastline) is closed until they can dig it out. Jordan was about 20 minutes late anyway but managed to get to the meeting. I dropped him off at his meeting and continued on home. Jordan got a ride back to Reno from a UNR co-worker.
I made it back uneventfully, unpacked the car, relaxed a bit, picked up Ah Choo from my sister's and came back home to find Jordan already home. I guess no one at the meeting wanted to stay past 4pm! Dinner was a remix of left overs with a large side of steamed brocolli, Jordan's favorite.
Friday morning, today, Calvin Willey came over to talk about landscaping the yard. Jordan and I will talk about what to do over the weekend. I spent the rest of the morning getting my ServSafe Certificate from Pete, then filling out paperwork for a City of Reno business license, a Nevada State license, DBA paperwork and getting a Federal Tax ID number. Brother, what a lot of work! And money! But you can't get a city license without getting a state license first. Lots of hoops!
I had lunch with my friend Kasha. She found a new place to try (I'm all about research!), Dee's Bakery. Looks like it's run by Dee and Dylan (not sure of the relationship there). Dee's offers soups, salads and sandwiches every day but Sunday. They also have lots of pastries, cookies, cakes and cupcakes. They leave samples out on the counter for people to try. Yum! We thought the frosting gs were a little too sweet, but the cake was moist with a nice structure. We both had a cup of soup with a half a sandwich, $9.
After lunch, it was back to paperwork and emails. Dinner tonight was steak with a baked potato and more broccoli! It was all good. We opened a bottle of Doffo Malbec, really nice! Doffo is what is called a boutique winery. They make good wine but small volume and not enough volume to sell to large chains so it's mostly word of mouth. I also belonged to their wine club for a while. A little educational TV then bed. I'll go back in and put some pictures of Lis Osos in tomorrow.
Night everyone!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday we were up early. Jordan so he could start his day of meetings at ESRI, me so I could drive up to Granada Hills to see my sister, Michele. The traffic wasn't bad, but I did get turned around a bit what with all the freeways splitting here and there. I managed to make it there in one piece!
Michele, Dylan and I went out the lunch at Maggio's. It's a chain, but I still like the food. I made dinner for Michele and family last night-Steak Diane, mashed potatoes and roast asparagus. Everyone seemed happy with their meals! I also made up the Amish Friendship Bread that someone had given Mark a starter for while Michele was in DC and NYC. I am bringing some of it home! I also mixed up my bread dough to sit over night.
Tuesday, I made breakfast-scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Unfortunately, I decided to bake the bacon in the oven. Michele and Mark's oven is not very good or reliable for that matter. It runs very hot, so that even with using a lower temperature, I succeeded in burning the bacon (extra, extra crispy!). Good thing I only used half of the bacon I bought at Mahogany Meats in Bishop! We ate it anyway. I warmed up the leftover sauce fro. Last night and spooned it over the scrambled eggs. It was still tasty!
I made Peanut Butter cookies today (using the 1 cup of peanut butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and one egg dough mixture), then baked my "No Knead" bread. It certainly baked in a shorter amount of time than it does in an oven that works properly! Then we ran errands and checked out Tuesday Morning. The Tuesday Morning store here is at least twice the size of the one in Reno. Amazing! I found a few things to use for cooking. Then on to lunch (so ok, I let Dylan have his way today and we ate at McDonalds), then Target. I found a new iPad cover for $15!! It was on sale, very nice.
Jordan took the train up from USC and we picked him up in Van Nuys. We went out for dinner to "The Cheesecake Factory". Yummy food, no room left for cheesecake though! After dinner, Jordan and I drove back to USC to spend the night. USC is putting us up for the night as Jordan has more meetings in the morning. That man is certainly busy! Once he is finished, we will take a leisurely drive up the coast of California. Should be relaxing for us both.
Michele, Dylan and I went out the lunch at Maggio's. It's a chain, but I still like the food. I made dinner for Michele and family last night-Steak Diane, mashed potatoes and roast asparagus. Everyone seemed happy with their meals! I also made up the Amish Friendship Bread that someone had given Mark a starter for while Michele was in DC and NYC. I am bringing some of it home! I also mixed up my bread dough to sit over night.
Tuesday, I made breakfast-scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Unfortunately, I decided to bake the bacon in the oven. Michele and Mark's oven is not very good or reliable for that matter. It runs very hot, so that even with using a lower temperature, I succeeded in burning the bacon (extra, extra crispy!). Good thing I only used half of the bacon I bought at Mahogany Meats in Bishop! We ate it anyway. I warmed up the leftover sauce fro. Last night and spooned it over the scrambled eggs. It was still tasty!
I made Peanut Butter cookies today (using the 1 cup of peanut butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and one egg dough mixture), then baked my "No Knead" bread. It certainly baked in a shorter amount of time than it does in an oven that works properly! Then we ran errands and checked out Tuesday Morning. The Tuesday Morning store here is at least twice the size of the one in Reno. Amazing! I found a few things to use for cooking. Then on to lunch (so ok, I let Dylan have his way today and we ate at McDonalds), then Target. I found a new iPad cover for $15!! It was on sale, very nice.
Jordan took the train up from USC and we picked him up in Van Nuys. We went out for dinner to "The Cheesecake Factory". Yummy food, no room left for cheesecake though! After dinner, Jordan and I drove back to USC to spend the night. USC is putting us up for the night as Jordan has more meetings in the morning. That man is certainly busy! Once he is finished, we will take a leisurely drive up the coast of California. Should be relaxing for us both.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday was filled with breakfast with friends, computer work and cooking. I had breakfast with Kasia, Gary and Ric (Jordan was getting ready to go out of town) at Arlington Gardens. You might ask yourself if Ric knows of any other restaurants besides Arlington Gardens, and he does, but if he has anything to say about it, he always chooses the Garden. I came home and started in on trying to get my MenuMagic program to upload personal chef recipes. I finally got it to work. Yeah!
For dinner I made Spring Vegetables with Couscous and Chicken. The veggies were asparagus, peas and scallions. The dish turned out well and was low fat. And it's very easy to make. Every day Martha Stewart sends me a dinner suggestion (obviously I don't always listen but this meals sounded good), so I decided to try this one. It would make a good salad served at room temperature with a vinaigrette.
I didn't pack for LA until this morning. The cat knew something was going on. He doesn't seem to like it when I leave for any length of time. I started taking him outside on a harness and lease. He seems to enjoy going out on the deck.
After dropping the cat at Janell's house, Jordan and I took 395 south. Our first stop is Redlands, CA and it is quicker to take Hwy 395. Jordan has meetings all day tomorrow. The drive down was beautiful. It was warm and sunny. There still is snow in the mountains but it is melting. We are staying at Dynasty Suites in Redlands. It's a nice place, quiet and off the beaten path.
We had dinner at "The Old Spaghetti Factory". It has been years since I ate at one of these restaurants. I can't even remember what city it was in, lol. The food was ok, not spectacular. I had a glass of Frances Coppola Rosso but it did not taste good to me so they gave me a glass of La Crema Pinot Noir. I did have to pay extra for that, lol, no breaks. That tasted better!
We are back in our room and I am exhausted so I'll go to bed soon. Tomorrow I go see Michele in LA. It will be nice to see her. :-D.
For dinner I made Spring Vegetables with Couscous and Chicken. The veggies were asparagus, peas and scallions. The dish turned out well and was low fat. And it's very easy to make. Every day Martha Stewart sends me a dinner suggestion (obviously I don't always listen but this meals sounded good), so I decided to try this one. It would make a good salad served at room temperature with a vinaigrette.
I didn't pack for LA until this morning. The cat knew something was going on. He doesn't seem to like it when I leave for any length of time. I started taking him outside on a harness and lease. He seems to enjoy going out on the deck.
After dropping the cat at Janell's house, Jordan and I took 395 south. Our first stop is Redlands, CA and it is quicker to take Hwy 395. Jordan has meetings all day tomorrow. The drive down was beautiful. It was warm and sunny. There still is snow in the mountains but it is melting. We are staying at Dynasty Suites in Redlands. It's a nice place, quiet and off the beaten path.
We had dinner at "The Old Spaghetti Factory". It has been years since I ate at one of these restaurants. I can't even remember what city it was in, lol. The food was ok, not spectacular. I had a glass of Frances Coppola Rosso but it did not taste good to me so they gave me a glass of La Crema Pinot Noir. I did have to pay extra for that, lol, no breaks. That tasted better!
We are back in our room and I am exhausted so I'll go to bed soon. Tomorrow I go see Michele in LA. It will be nice to see her. :-D.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
"Sometimes you just gotta go all out and put two sugars in your coffee". -little book of inspirational thoughts
I am combining two days again as some of my days probably seem pretty boring! I spend a lot of time on the computer. I finally decided on a business name-April Cooks Tonight! Personal Chef Service. So I ordered new business cards, letterhead, etc, even a magnetic sign to put on the side of my car for when I go out to a client's home. I have a domain name and the start of a web page, www.Aprilcookstonight.com. I ordered some containers and boxes for food and baked goods. I bought a computer program called MenuMaker to help me keep track of clients and recipes, food costs and calories.
I stopped by Zozo's twice before I got to talk to Judy and Sid about making desserts for them. Their Tiramisu is a signature dish for them so they won't be changing that but Judy is interested in plain cheesecake, seasonal cheesecake and getting some new desserts on the menu. So she asked me to come up with desserts and prices. She says she is willing to pay a little more for good desserts, so I will work on that for her.
I went out to dinner last night with my friend, Laura. We went to India Garden over on Mt Rose Street and South Virginia. The food was quite good, but as we sat in our booth talking, a cockroach climbed up the wall! We left in a hurry!! Won't be going there again.
This afternoon I stopped by Emerald City just to check it out. They are at Plumb and McCarran and have been around for 14 years. I had already had lunch so got their "Dooley Bar" and a small latte. The "Dooley Bar" looked and tasted like those 7-layer bars we used to make. Really rich, I couldn't finish it. I also purchased two scones, a breakfast cookie and a sunshine muffin. Gotta do my research, lol!
Tonight Jordan and I drove to Portola, California to eat at the Chalet View Lodge. I also wanted to interview the chef there for Examiner.com. Her name is Lizzie Parker. She is a friendly, talkative woman who has been in the restaurant business for years. She used to work at Disney World and at one of their food and wine festivals met Julia Child! As Lizzie tells the story, Julia Child was surprised to find out Disney had not only hired a woman chef, but a black woman chef! Lizzie has so many experiences she was easy to interview.
Dinner was good, Manhattan Clam Chowder, a salad, Blackened Salmon with corn cakes and grilled veggies for Jordan and Pasta with
spinach and mushrooms for me. We shared a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream that was pretty good. After that, we drove back to Reno. Then to bed-tomorrow is another day.
I am combining two days again as some of my days probably seem pretty boring! I spend a lot of time on the computer. I finally decided on a business name-April Cooks Tonight! Personal Chef Service. So I ordered new business cards, letterhead, etc, even a magnetic sign to put on the side of my car for when I go out to a client's home. I have a domain name and the start of a web page, www.Aprilcookstonight.com. I ordered some containers and boxes for food and baked goods. I bought a computer program called MenuMaker to help me keep track of clients and recipes, food costs and calories.
I stopped by Zozo's twice before I got to talk to Judy and Sid about making desserts for them. Their Tiramisu is a signature dish for them so they won't be changing that but Judy is interested in plain cheesecake, seasonal cheesecake and getting some new desserts on the menu. So she asked me to come up with desserts and prices. She says she is willing to pay a little more for good desserts, so I will work on that for her.
I went out to dinner last night with my friend, Laura. We went to India Garden over on Mt Rose Street and South Virginia. The food was quite good, but as we sat in our booth talking, a cockroach climbed up the wall! We left in a hurry!! Won't be going there again.
This afternoon I stopped by Emerald City just to check it out. They are at Plumb and McCarran and have been around for 14 years. I had already had lunch so got their "Dooley Bar" and a small latte. The "Dooley Bar" looked and tasted like those 7-layer bars we used to make. Really rich, I couldn't finish it. I also purchased two scones, a breakfast cookie and a sunshine muffin. Gotta do my research, lol!
Tonight Jordan and I drove to Portola, California to eat at the Chalet View Lodge. I also wanted to interview the chef there for Examiner.com. Her name is Lizzie Parker. She is a friendly, talkative woman who has been in the restaurant business for years. She used to work at Disney World and at one of their food and wine festivals met Julia Child! As Lizzie tells the story, Julia Child was surprised to find out Disney had not only hired a woman chef, but a black woman chef! Lizzie has so many experiences she was easy to interview.
Dinner was good, Manhattan Clam Chowder, a salad, Blackened Salmon with corn cakes and grilled veggies for Jordan and Pasta with
spinach and mushrooms for me. We shared a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream that was pretty good. After that, we drove back to Reno. Then to bed-tomorrow is another day.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
It was suppose to rain today but ended up only being cold and blustery (sounds like Winnie the Pooh, lol). Other than walking to the store and walking up to my mailbox, I stayed in today. Me and the cat.
I worked on finding muffin liners and boxes for mostly baked goods, as well as rounds to put under cakes. I also looked at containers for when I go into people's homes and cook for them. There seem to be a lot of choices, but I would like to use a pressed paper product called Pressmate. It is made out of recycled materials and is recyclable. The pressed paper can be used in the microwave and in the oven and is safe up to 400 degrees. Pretty good actually. I am still waiting for the software company to process my order for Menumaker. I'd like to use it to help figure out how much cookies, etc cost per cookie, etc. I can do it by hand but it seems much easier to use the computer program. I also wrote an article for Examiner.com on Brûlée Oatmeal. I made that for breakfast this morning, very tasty!
Its seems to be a slow process, starting a business. I guess it doesn't matter what kind of business it is. There are all kinds of little things that must be done before one can start "working" as a business. I still need a name for my personal chef business. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm willing to consider everything. A lot of the "cute" names have already been taken. Someone suggested "Delicious Dishes" (I like that one)-already being used, at least from a .com point of view. Who would have thought?! I'll keep plugging away!
I worked on finding muffin liners and boxes for mostly baked goods, as well as rounds to put under cakes. I also looked at containers for when I go into people's homes and cook for them. There seem to be a lot of choices, but I would like to use a pressed paper product called Pressmate. It is made out of recycled materials and is recyclable. The pressed paper can be used in the microwave and in the oven and is safe up to 400 degrees. Pretty good actually. I am still waiting for the software company to process my order for Menumaker. I'd like to use it to help figure out how much cookies, etc cost per cookie, etc. I can do it by hand but it seems much easier to use the computer program. I also wrote an article for Examiner.com on Brûlée Oatmeal. I made that for breakfast this morning, very tasty!
Its seems to be a slow process, starting a business. I guess it doesn't matter what kind of business it is. There are all kinds of little things that must be done before one can start "working" as a business. I still need a name for my personal chef business. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm willing to consider everything. A lot of the "cute" names have already been taken. Someone suggested "Delicious Dishes" (I like that one)-already being used, at least from a .com point of view. Who would have thought?! I'll keep plugging away!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Well, I went and took my ServSafe exam. It ended up being in at the guy's house! I guess it doesn't matter really. His wife was there, and his cat-who slept while I took my exam at Pete's dining room table. He did make me a cappuccino, so I guess I can't complain too loudly! I passed, getting a 91% correct grade. It takes a week or so to get the actual certificate mailed to the instructor, not to me!! I can't do anything until I get the certificate so that means I wait. Oh, well....I guess I am learning to roll with the punches.
I came home afterward and cleaned. Then trimmed some of the plants in the yard. Calvin Willey is coming on Friday morning at 8:30am to give me his landscaping plan for the yard. Can't wait to get it done, although with the weather the way it is, it may be later rather than sooner!
I walked up to my neighbor, Sandy's house, for a glass of wine. One of our other neighbors showed up, RC. I guess RC married his girlfriend in July. He seems very happy. Sandy is going to be moving to Red Rock. She is short selling her house. Too bad, I will miss her.
I made Lamb Shanks with Lentils for dinner. Just put two lamb shanks in the crock pot along with two cans of diced tomatoes, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp of oregano, 2 cups of beef broth and a little over one cup of lentils. I let them cook on high for four hours. It was a tasty dish!
I am not going to take the job in Carson City. Too far to drive! We'll see what happens next.....
I came home afterward and cleaned. Then trimmed some of the plants in the yard. Calvin Willey is coming on Friday morning at 8:30am to give me his landscaping plan for the yard. Can't wait to get it done, although with the weather the way it is, it may be later rather than sooner!
I walked up to my neighbor, Sandy's house, for a glass of wine. One of our other neighbors showed up, RC. I guess RC married his girlfriend in July. He seems very happy. Sandy is going to be moving to Red Rock. She is short selling her house. Too bad, I will miss her.
I made Lamb Shanks with Lentils for dinner. Just put two lamb shanks in the crock pot along with two cans of diced tomatoes, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp of oregano, 2 cups of beef broth and a little over one cup of lentils. I let them cook on high for four hours. It was a tasty dish!
I am not going to take the job in Carson City. Too far to drive! We'll see what happens next.....
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
"Follow your heart, it knows the way.". -little book of inspirational thoughts
I got on the phone after breakfast this morning to try and find out about buying or leasing a coffee cart. I found out through Dr Mullins's office, that the managing company for St Mary's Center for Wellness is Ensemble. I called Ensemble and talked with Jaime there, told her my name and my purpose (that some of the office staff in the building had asked me to put in a coffee cart) and the first thing out of her mouth was NO! I asked her why not. Jaime told me that the hospital does not want that type of business in there. I thanked her and hung up. What do you say to that? Then the sales rep for the espresso/coffee cart company called me back and we talked for a bit. A six foot completely self-sufficient, stocked espresso/coffee cart is $13,999 delivered. To lease it would be $1550 down and just about $2000 a month (even that seems a little pricey). I told him about my conversation with Jaime and he was surprised. I told him I would have to put it all on hold for now.
I had lunch with Ric (another surprise-Arlington Gardens!). He says he'll talk with one of the fencers who works at the VA to see if the VA Hospital would like a coffee cart in their lobby. Who knows?
After lunch, I went to meet with Chelsea at Applied Staffing about a job in Carson. Turns out, Applied Staffing hires you, then sends you out to various jobs as a temp. This continues until an employer is willing to buy out your contract with Applied and employ you themselves. I told her of my reluctance to drive to Carson every day. Chelsea says she thought I lived in Carson because my name came up in a search for Carson people. Guess she didn't check out my resume very well! So I will let her know tomorrow about whether or not I am willing to interview in Carson. She was very good about it. My concern was that if you quit early, you (or me to be exact) would end up paying back Applied for some of the money they spent on you AND, it would drop my pay rate to minimum wage. No thanks! So I may stick with them and let them do a job search for me. I also found out I need Alcohol Education or AES in order to work at any of the restaurants. Another test, another certification!
I took the AES exam before dinner. I take the test, print the results, then take them to a place on Bible Way, give them $20 and they give me a certificate. Just takes money to get started!
I got on the phone after breakfast this morning to try and find out about buying or leasing a coffee cart. I found out through Dr Mullins's office, that the managing company for St Mary's Center for Wellness is Ensemble. I called Ensemble and talked with Jaime there, told her my name and my purpose (that some of the office staff in the building had asked me to put in a coffee cart) and the first thing out of her mouth was NO! I asked her why not. Jaime told me that the hospital does not want that type of business in there. I thanked her and hung up. What do you say to that? Then the sales rep for the espresso/coffee cart company called me back and we talked for a bit. A six foot completely self-sufficient, stocked espresso/coffee cart is $13,999 delivered. To lease it would be $1550 down and just about $2000 a month (even that seems a little pricey). I told him about my conversation with Jaime and he was surprised. I told him I would have to put it all on hold for now.
I had lunch with Ric (another surprise-Arlington Gardens!). He says he'll talk with one of the fencers who works at the VA to see if the VA Hospital would like a coffee cart in their lobby. Who knows?
After lunch, I went to meet with Chelsea at Applied Staffing about a job in Carson. Turns out, Applied Staffing hires you, then sends you out to various jobs as a temp. This continues until an employer is willing to buy out your contract with Applied and employ you themselves. I told her of my reluctance to drive to Carson every day. Chelsea says she thought I lived in Carson because my name came up in a search for Carson people. Guess she didn't check out my resume very well! So I will let her know tomorrow about whether or not I am willing to interview in Carson. She was very good about it. My concern was that if you quit early, you (or me to be exact) would end up paying back Applied for some of the money they spent on you AND, it would drop my pay rate to minimum wage. No thanks! So I may stick with them and let them do a job search for me. I also found out I need Alcohol Education or AES in order to work at any of the restaurants. Another test, another certification!
I took the AES exam before dinner. I take the test, print the results, then take them to a place on Bible Way, give them $20 and they give me a certificate. Just takes money to get started!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
"Half of doing is believing that you can.". -little book of inspirational thoughts...(thought I was gonna run out of quotes, didn't you?)
It was a beautiful, albeit somewhat chilly day today. I can only hope nice weather continues. We walked up to the Squeeze-In for a late breakfast. I was hoping to talk to Chad about selling the restaurant cookies, but he wasn't there today. Apparently he is going to run both the Reno Squeeze-In restaurants, so he's going to be a busy man! And he has new twins at home! The Squeeze-In on the south side of town (near Foothill Rd off South Virginia) just opened so I guess life has been crazy for them. I did get his card so I'll contact him shortly, after things settle down a bit.
After brunch, we took a car ride up just past Portola to check out a lodge on Hwy 70. We've stayed there before and Jordan thought it might be nice for a three seminar he is thinking of organizing. Sure is pretty up there. The conference rooms are nice too. We drove up through Truckee, then took Hwy 89 to Sierravile, then Hwy 49 to Portola. Still snow up there but the drive was beautiful.
I made dinner when we got back. Jordan wanted to try "faux-tatoes". Which translates to pursed cauliflower seasoned somewhat like mashed potatoes. They certainly have the appearance of mashed potatoes but they are a little watery or "thin" in appearance compared to mashed potatoes. I steamed a head of cauliflower, then put the florets into my food processor and "woodged" them around until smooth. Then I added some butter, salt and pepper. They were a little bland, so I added some Mrs Dash and that helped a lot, but still they lacked depth. So I grated a little Parmesan cheese in there. They did taste good, but I think I would add a potato or two to the mix to "beef up" the consistency of the pursed cauliflower. Jordan LOVED them!
After dinner, for reasons unknown to myself, I decided to take all three of my exams for my Personal Chef course at once. And guess what?
No, I didn't fail them! I passed!! Yeah! Now I am a Certified Personal Chef or CPC. Always nice to be able to add more letters behind your name (not really, but at least I have one culinary certification!). I need to start checking around tomorrow for pricing for a coffee/espresso cart and check to see how much that would cost. And stop by the Batriatric Institute to drop off a proposal for the dietician and the doctors to look at (personal chef ing for bariatric patients, a niche market). Gotta be pro-active.
It was a beautiful, albeit somewhat chilly day today. I can only hope nice weather continues. We walked up to the Squeeze-In for a late breakfast. I was hoping to talk to Chad about selling the restaurant cookies, but he wasn't there today. Apparently he is going to run both the Reno Squeeze-In restaurants, so he's going to be a busy man! And he has new twins at home! The Squeeze-In on the south side of town (near Foothill Rd off South Virginia) just opened so I guess life has been crazy for them. I did get his card so I'll contact him shortly, after things settle down a bit.
After brunch, we took a car ride up just past Portola to check out a lodge on Hwy 70. We've stayed there before and Jordan thought it might be nice for a three seminar he is thinking of organizing. Sure is pretty up there. The conference rooms are nice too. We drove up through Truckee, then took Hwy 89 to Sierravile, then Hwy 49 to Portola. Still snow up there but the drive was beautiful.
I made dinner when we got back. Jordan wanted to try "faux-tatoes". Which translates to pursed cauliflower seasoned somewhat like mashed potatoes. They certainly have the appearance of mashed potatoes but they are a little watery or "thin" in appearance compared to mashed potatoes. I steamed a head of cauliflower, then put the florets into my food processor and "woodged" them around until smooth. Then I added some butter, salt and pepper. They were a little bland, so I added some Mrs Dash and that helped a lot, but still they lacked depth. So I grated a little Parmesan cheese in there. They did taste good, but I think I would add a potato or two to the mix to "beef up" the consistency of the pursed cauliflower. Jordan LOVED them!
After dinner, for reasons unknown to myself, I decided to take all three of my exams for my Personal Chef course at once. And guess what?
No, I didn't fail them! I passed!! Yeah! Now I am a Certified Personal Chef or CPC. Always nice to be able to add more letters behind your name (not really, but at least I have one culinary certification!). I need to start checking around tomorrow for pricing for a coffee/espresso cart and check to see how much that would cost. And stop by the Batriatric Institute to drop off a proposal for the dietician and the doctors to look at (personal chef ing for bariatric patients, a niche market). Gotta be pro-active.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
It's Saturday but it doesn't feel like it. Only the fact that Jordan doesn't have to go work sets it apart. I guess that is the peril of not working a regular job!
I made a French omelet for breakfast. Very simple with just some diced prosciutto and Parmesan cheese in a rolled omelet. Very quick and easy. I have started making bread again. I really like the No Knead method that Jim Lahey started with his book called "My Bread". Original name, yeah, I know. The bread comes out great every time! Just mix 3 cups of bread flour (bread flour contains more gluten), 1/4 tsp yeast, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 1/3 cups of water (the temperature does not seem to matter as long as it is not hot water) in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it sitting on the counter, unattended for 12-18 hours. By that time, the dough will have risen to double or triple in size and the surface will be covered with bubbles. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. The dough will be very sticky. Use either well-floured hands or a scraper to shape the dough into a round or oval shape. Set the dough on a non-Terry cloth towel dusted with cornmeal (so it doesn't stick to the towel) and let it rise for about an hour. In the meantime, take a Dutch oven (ceramic or ceramic coated cast iron works best) and place it in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Once the oven is heated and the dough has risen, take the Dutch oven out of the oven, remove the lid and place the dough into the very hot Dutch oven (I usually just roll mine from the towel into the Dutch oven-the cornmeal makes this easier-being careful not to touch the pot as it is VERY hot). Replace the lid and put the Dutch oven back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid but continue to bake the bread at 475 degrees for another 20-30 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the bread from the Dutch oven using a spatula. Cool on a wire rack. Do not cut the bread, as tempting as that may be, until the bread is completely cooled. If you cut it any sooner, the bread can be "doughy". Perfect Artisan bread every time!
I had lunch with Janell at Olive Garden. The food is pretty good, the breadsticks were dry though. We did a little shopping, then came home. We went over to Kasia and Gary's house tonight for dinner. It was to celebrate my birthday. That was very nice of them! We had roast pork, polenta and asparagus. Dessert was a chocolate cake with shortbread cookies in it that apparently Price William is having made for his wedding in a week or so. Wow, huh? It was very rich and very chocolatety. Good food, good company.
I made a French omelet for breakfast. Very simple with just some diced prosciutto and Parmesan cheese in a rolled omelet. Very quick and easy. I have started making bread again. I really like the No Knead method that Jim Lahey started with his book called "My Bread". Original name, yeah, I know. The bread comes out great every time! Just mix 3 cups of bread flour (bread flour contains more gluten), 1/4 tsp yeast, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 1/3 cups of water (the temperature does not seem to matter as long as it is not hot water) in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it sitting on the counter, unattended for 12-18 hours. By that time, the dough will have risen to double or triple in size and the surface will be covered with bubbles. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. The dough will be very sticky. Use either well-floured hands or a scraper to shape the dough into a round or oval shape. Set the dough on a non-Terry cloth towel dusted with cornmeal (so it doesn't stick to the towel) and let it rise for about an hour. In the meantime, take a Dutch oven (ceramic or ceramic coated cast iron works best) and place it in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Once the oven is heated and the dough has risen, take the Dutch oven out of the oven, remove the lid and place the dough into the very hot Dutch oven (I usually just roll mine from the towel into the Dutch oven-the cornmeal makes this easier-being careful not to touch the pot as it is VERY hot). Replace the lid and put the Dutch oven back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid but continue to bake the bread at 475 degrees for another 20-30 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the bread from the Dutch oven using a spatula. Cool on a wire rack. Do not cut the bread, as tempting as that may be, until the bread is completely cooled. If you cut it any sooner, the bread can be "doughy". Perfect Artisan bread every time!
I had lunch with Janell at Olive Garden. The food is pretty good, the breadsticks were dry though. We did a little shopping, then came home. We went over to Kasia and Gary's house tonight for dinner. It was to celebrate my birthday. That was very nice of them! We had roast pork, polenta and asparagus. Dessert was a chocolate cake with shortbread cookies in it that apparently Price William is having made for his wedding in a week or so. Wow, huh? It was very rich and very chocolatety. Good food, good company.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
It was kind of a miserable day today, cloudy with snow showers off and on. I've included a picture of Trunk Bay on St Johns to remind myself that being in the Caribbean wasn't ALL bad!
I wrote another article for Examiner.com, read some, watched TV some. I did get an email from a woman who wanted to know if I was interested in working swing shift at one of the Carson casinos. I think my answer is going to be no, but I emailed her back asking what the position was. So I'll see what she says.
Janell called, and one of her questions was "what are you making for dinner tonight?" I told her pork chops but I wasn't sure how I was going to fix them. I guess I'll look in the fridge and in the pantry to see what I have, then decide. I don't think I've been this relaxed about cooking EVER, lol.
Only plans for the weekend are dinner at Kasia and Gary's. It's my birthday celebration with the "usual suspects" as Kasia would say. And lunch with Janell on Saturday.
I called Calvin Willey today to let him know I was back in town. He should have some yard plans for me to look over. I haven't heard from him yet. I also called Jay Bushman from Nothing To It Culinary Center to see about having lunch and discussing renting his kitchen. Haven't heard back from him either. Oh, well....
So I guess I should go look to see what's in the pantry for dinner!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
It was hard getting up this morning!! Guess being in Denver tired me out more than I thought it did. I added a picture of Ah Choo playing with his mouse and "hiding" so no one could see him, lol.
I am slowly trying to put together business plans. At this point it does not seem as if one thing will be enough to create a business. I was told that most businesses do not make their own desserts, but I have noticed the higher end restaurants DO make their own desserts and this is certainly true in Reno. So I may be able to connect with a few restaurants but not at the volume I would need to make a living. I am in the process of creating a proposal for the Western Bariatric Institute to pitch being a Personal Chef to their bariatric patients. Since I am a nurse and a bariatric patient myself, it would seem I am uniquely qualified to be a personal chef to that clientele. The WSG employs a dietitian that consults with clients but no one goes into their homes to help them learn portion size or help them change their eating habits. We'll see!
I had lunch with my friend, John Springgate. Always good to have a friend that is a lawyer, lol, just in case! We ate at the China Star Buffet. Not bad, lots of choices. Although there are some things I question and won't eat (e.i. seafood unless it is a higher end restaurant).
The afternoon was filled with checking this and that online. I still need a name for my business-anyone have any ideas? I have a few but nothing that has screamed-"that's YOU!" Names like "Sugar&Spice" Personal Chef Service, "Got Dinner?" PCS, "The Sweet Spot" PCS, "One Hot Tomato" PCS. What does everyone think?
I wrote another article for Examiner.com and also got a write up in the Alumni news from Cook Street for being chosen to be the Reno Food Examiner. Nice.
Subscribe to my feed at Examiner.com:
http://www.examiner.com/cooking-168-in-reno/april-woodward
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I didn't tell you all that Sunday, I was moved to the Pasqueflower (pronounced pass flower) room at Capitol Hill. It's up on the third floor (no elevators). It's at the front of the house with the bathroom set in the round tower at the corner of the house. It has a very large round whirlpool tub and is closed off from the rest of the room by French doors. It has four long narrow window trimmed in wide oak trim overlooking the front yard. There is a small sitting area, a queen sized bed, a small inset area in the wall where a flat screen TV sets and a side table with a lamp, hot teakettle and coffee/tea service. Quite nice.
I was up early again and went downstairs to make breakfast. As there were all new guests, Carl asked me to repeat the Nutella Stuffed French toast. (So much for pancakes!). Poor Carl overcooked the bacon this morning so had to do it all over again! Since I had nothing to do until guests came down (we saved the Creme Brûlée mix from Monday), I started baking. I made Apricot scones, Apple Raisin Bran muffins and a Banana Apricot Tart. Along with the Chocolate Chip cookies I made yesterday morning, that should be more than enough baked goodies for the "Tour Denver" group.
After breakfast, I came upstairs to pack and nap, since I didn't sleep too well (although this bed is much more comfortable than the one in Paintbrush!). My Mom called to wish me a happy birthday and we talked for a long time. It is always nice to talk to my mom!
My friend Cris's partner was suppose to take me to the airport, but I can't get hold of either one of them and we never set a time to meet. So before I panicked, I called Kim W and talked it over with her. She is going to take me to the airport now. I'll have to try to call Cris again later to see what was what. I was hoping Cris would have joined us at Olivea last night, so we could finalize things but he didn't join us.
Well, I did hear from Cris. He got off early and wanted to take me to the airport, so I called Kim and she said either way. Anyway, I made it to the airport in plenty of time, got on my plane and got into Reno about 7:30pm.
Dinner and bed. It's good to be home!
I was up early again and went downstairs to make breakfast. As there were all new guests, Carl asked me to repeat the Nutella Stuffed French toast. (So much for pancakes!). Poor Carl overcooked the bacon this morning so had to do it all over again! Since I had nothing to do until guests came down (we saved the Creme Brûlée mix from Monday), I started baking. I made Apricot scones, Apple Raisin Bran muffins and a Banana Apricot Tart. Along with the Chocolate Chip cookies I made yesterday morning, that should be more than enough baked goodies for the "Tour Denver" group.
After breakfast, I came upstairs to pack and nap, since I didn't sleep too well (although this bed is much more comfortable than the one in Paintbrush!). My Mom called to wish me a happy birthday and we talked for a long time. It is always nice to talk to my mom!
My friend Cris's partner was suppose to take me to the airport, but I can't get hold of either one of them and we never set a time to meet. So before I panicked, I called Kim W and talked it over with her. She is going to take me to the airport now. I'll have to try to call Cris again later to see what was what. I was hoping Cris would have joined us at Olivea last night, so we could finalize things but he didn't join us.
Well, I did hear from Cris. He got off early and wanted to take me to the airport, so I called Kim and she said either way. Anyway, I made it to the airport in plenty of time, got on my plane and got into Reno about 7:30pm.
Dinner and bed. It's good to be home!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I am combining April 4&5-my bad for not writing yesterday!
Monday I was up early to make breakfast at the B&B. I made Nutella Stuffed French Toast with bacon. I used challah bread and Carl's recipe for Creme Brûlée French toast. I tried cutting the bread thicker, then slicing a pocket in the bread, but it was difficult to press the Nutella in it without ruining the bread. So I sliced it thinner, dipped the challah in the French toast mixture, cooked it on both sides, then spread the Nutella on one piece of French toast then topped that slice with the other piece of French toast. Carl found some Fig and Chocolate Hazelnut spread at the store so I added a dollop of that on each slice then sprinkled some powdered sugar on top. It was rich but not too sweet, which I was concerned about. And everyone got two pieces of French toast (for one sandwich), sliced on the diagonal so it was just enough. There was bacon to serve on the side, which also helped counter the sweetness of the French toast. Every enjoyed it. Carl took pictures and posted them on his Facebook page, featuring ME as a guest chef-too funny!
After breakfast a shower and some reading. My friend Cris picked me up at 1pm and we headed to the 16th street mall to walk around and look at a kitchen store we had seen the other night called Equipment. There was some nice things in there, high end. Then on to a late lunch at Mt Fuji Sushi. Cris excused himself for a minute then came back with a birthday card and a box, from Italy! The box contained a bracelet I had helped him pick out, lol. He gave one to his aunt and thought he would wait for my birthday and give the other one to me. I was quite surprised! It's a beautiful sterling silver bracelet made up of tiny flowers. We had some nice sushi and conversation then he dropped me off. I spent a quiet evening in my room then bed.
Tuesday, today, I was also up early to make breakfast for the guests. Today I made Tuscan Eggs. I was going to make up prosciutto "bacon" but Carl was up before me and made regular bacon. And you work with what you have! For four people, take 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil, one clove of minced garlic, one diced yellow onion and saute until soft. Then add one 28oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp dried thyme or three sprigs of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and simmer to reduce and thicken for about ten minutes. At that point, the easiest thing to do is line a small baking dish (and Carl has some great souffle and gratin dishes) with the tomatoes, making sure to get some juice. Make a well in the middle of the dish and crack an egg into the well, sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top and bake in a 425 degree oven for about ten minutes, or to your desired level of doneness. I took the dishes out of the oven, sprinkled on a little more Parmesan cheese and sprinkled the top with thinly sliced chives. Mmmmm, good! I used olive bread toast to serve on the side, but if I had my drothers, I would rather have used ciabatta toast. You could also add spinach to this when you cook the tomatoes. You could also add diced prosciutto to it to make it more "meaty but it tasted quite substantial on it's own. Again, everyone seemed to like it. Carl kept wanting to take pictures of everything!
I met Jordan's CPA after breakfast for a consult (he's only a few blocks from here). Then decided to take myself out for lunch to Charlie Brown's, a local pub. I had a small pizza and Greek salad and if you go in on your birthday, they give you a $30 bar tab, lol. That's a LOT. Then it was back to the B&B. I'm not used to getting up at 5:30am!
Kim W. and her husband, Dave took me to Olivea, a restaurant over on 17th Ave, which is pretty much restaurant row here in the Capitol Hill
area. We had a charcuterie platter to start, then moved on to the main dishes. I had wide pasta with a wild boar ragu, Kim had duck meatballs on polenta and Dave had a skirt steak. Side dishes are ordered separately. Carl dropped by but wouldn't stay, just wanted to say hello and happy birthday. Kim andmI had dessert. I had a chocolate sel de fleur caramel tart and she had pistachio semi-freddo. And they would not let me pay! They took me out for my birthday. :-)
Now I am back and will probably go to bed early. I am cooking breakfast again in the morning!
Monday I was up early to make breakfast at the B&B. I made Nutella Stuffed French Toast with bacon. I used challah bread and Carl's recipe for Creme Brûlée French toast. I tried cutting the bread thicker, then slicing a pocket in the bread, but it was difficult to press the Nutella in it without ruining the bread. So I sliced it thinner, dipped the challah in the French toast mixture, cooked it on both sides, then spread the Nutella on one piece of French toast then topped that slice with the other piece of French toast. Carl found some Fig and Chocolate Hazelnut spread at the store so I added a dollop of that on each slice then sprinkled some powdered sugar on top. It was rich but not too sweet, which I was concerned about. And everyone got two pieces of French toast (for one sandwich), sliced on the diagonal so it was just enough. There was bacon to serve on the side, which also helped counter the sweetness of the French toast. Every enjoyed it. Carl took pictures and posted them on his Facebook page, featuring ME as a guest chef-too funny!
After breakfast a shower and some reading. My friend Cris picked me up at 1pm and we headed to the 16th street mall to walk around and look at a kitchen store we had seen the other night called Equipment. There was some nice things in there, high end. Then on to a late lunch at Mt Fuji Sushi. Cris excused himself for a minute then came back with a birthday card and a box, from Italy! The box contained a bracelet I had helped him pick out, lol. He gave one to his aunt and thought he would wait for my birthday and give the other one to me. I was quite surprised! It's a beautiful sterling silver bracelet made up of tiny flowers. We had some nice sushi and conversation then he dropped me off. I spent a quiet evening in my room then bed.
Tuesday, today, I was also up early to make breakfast for the guests. Today I made Tuscan Eggs. I was going to make up prosciutto "bacon" but Carl was up before me and made regular bacon. And you work with what you have! For four people, take 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil, one clove of minced garlic, one diced yellow onion and saute until soft. Then add one 28oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp dried thyme or three sprigs of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and simmer to reduce and thicken for about ten minutes. At that point, the easiest thing to do is line a small baking dish (and Carl has some great souffle and gratin dishes) with the tomatoes, making sure to get some juice. Make a well in the middle of the dish and crack an egg into the well, sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top and bake in a 425 degree oven for about ten minutes, or to your desired level of doneness. I took the dishes out of the oven, sprinkled on a little more Parmesan cheese and sprinkled the top with thinly sliced chives. Mmmmm, good! I used olive bread toast to serve on the side, but if I had my drothers, I would rather have used ciabatta toast. You could also add spinach to this when you cook the tomatoes. You could also add diced prosciutto to it to make it more "meaty but it tasted quite substantial on it's own. Again, everyone seemed to like it. Carl kept wanting to take pictures of everything!
I met Jordan's CPA after breakfast for a consult (he's only a few blocks from here). Then decided to take myself out for lunch to Charlie Brown's, a local pub. I had a small pizza and Greek salad and if you go in on your birthday, they give you a $30 bar tab, lol. That's a LOT. Then it was back to the B&B. I'm not used to getting up at 5:30am!
Kim W. and her husband, Dave took me to Olivea, a restaurant over on 17th Ave, which is pretty much restaurant row here in the Capitol Hill
area. We had a charcuterie platter to start, then moved on to the main dishes. I had wide pasta with a wild boar ragu, Kim had duck meatballs on polenta and Dave had a skirt steak. Side dishes are ordered separately. Carl dropped by but wouldn't stay, just wanted to say hello and happy birthday. Kim andmI had dessert. I had a chocolate sel de fleur caramel tart and she had pistachio semi-freddo. And they would not let me pay! They took me out for my birthday. :-)
Now I am back and will probably go to bed early. I am cooking breakfast again in the morning!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
My last day of class. I ate breakfast then went out to the bus stop to wait for the bus and it never came! So I went back into the house and asked Bailey if she would please take me to Cook Street. She did, and I was only a little late! I have no idea what happen with the bus.
At class, we talked about different ways to market, where to leave your cards, etc. She also thought we should do a "Demo", which to her means getting a table at a business and handing out samples of what you can make (cookies, granola, etc). She talked about business cards, websites, and press releases. We also worked on coming up with names for our business. I still cannot find out that "grabs me ". Need to work on that! We also talked about tags-the extra line under your company name. I need to sit down and go over the materials we received. Guess I'll do that tomorrow. Right about noon, it started to rain, then the rain turned into snow!! Yuck!
We actually got out at 3pm instead of 5pm. So Jackie and I drove (in the snow), to Kim W's for small plates (literally what it says, small plates of food. We had quite a variety! I made dessert. I took puff pastry, rolled it out, then cut small circles out of it, the pushed the circles into mini muffin tins and baked them at 350. Then I finished them off with a layer of almond paste, then a layer of diced pear mixed with fresh thyme and white pepper. Then topped the whole thing with crushed hard caramel. Yum! Then we went home before it got too late and the roads started to freeze. It's still snowing lightly!
I am cooking breakfast in the morning. Guess I better get to bed.
At class, we talked about different ways to market, where to leave your cards, etc. She also thought we should do a "Demo", which to her means getting a table at a business and handing out samples of what you can make (cookies, granola, etc). She talked about business cards, websites, and press releases. We also worked on coming up with names for our business. I still cannot find out that "grabs me ". Need to work on that! We also talked about tags-the extra line under your company name. I need to sit down and go over the materials we received. Guess I'll do that tomorrow. Right about noon, it started to rain, then the rain turned into snow!! Yuck!
We actually got out at 3pm instead of 5pm. So Jackie and I drove (in the snow), to Kim W's for small plates (literally what it says, small plates of food. We had quite a variety! I made dessert. I took puff pastry, rolled it out, then cut small circles out of it, the pushed the circles into mini muffin tins and baked them at 350. Then I finished them off with a layer of almond paste, then a layer of diced pear mixed with fresh thyme and white pepper. Then topped the whole thing with crushed hard caramel. Yum! Then we went home before it got too late and the roads started to freeze. It's still snowing lightly!
I am cooking breakfast in the morning. Guess I better get to bed.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
"Love people. Cook them tasty food." -unknown
Had a hard time sleeping last night. This bed is a lot harder than my bed at home! I was up early, had coffee, then it was off to school on the bus. I didn't realize the city raised the bus fares in January so the bus fare is $2.25 a ride and not $2.00. Oh well. What are you gonna do?
Class started at 9am. Gail talked about pricing again, menu planning, client interviews, client contracts, liability. She says that personal chefs should not be buying wine for their client's meals, especially dinner parties because she says whoever brings wine into the house is responsible for anyone who gets drunk and drives. Yikes! I would not have thought about that. She also talked about adding sous chef to the list of services offered. This would be shopping for groceries, then going into the client's home and doing all the prep work, chopping, mixing etc. Your client would do the actual cooking but a sous chef would get everything ready, portion out the proper measurements, etc. Not a bad idea for those who like to cook but don't like to shop or don't know what to make for dinner. Gail went over the things you should carry in your car from job to job (pots, pans, baking dishes, muffin tins, rolling pins, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, spatulas and spoons, plastic wrap and food containers, all packed in 1-3 large plastic bins with lids. A personal chef should carry around only small amounts of spices, oil, and vinegar. (And where would I put three bins in my Miata, lol? Gail says I just need to be a better packer!). Gail also talked about making multiple dishes from one cut of meat or poultry, making the most of your shopping. All good things to think about.
After class, Jackie and I walked over to Tamayo, a Mexican restaurant on 14th and Larimer off downtown and met Kim and Cris (from my cooking class) for a drink. There was a lot of laughter! Kim is leaving for Belgium Thursday. She and her mom and her sister are visiting friends in Belgium for one week, then going to London for the wedding. "What wedding?" I asked. Kim said, "Why Prince William's wedding", like "duh". Not something I remembered, lol. Apparently Kim's mother still has ties to people in the diplomatic corps and got an invite not to the actual wedding but to some of the wedding festivities. How exciting is that? And Kim loves to travel. She's been quite busy! Cris is working for a large catering company and keeping busy. Now that he has gotten used to the fast pace, he loves it. Good for him!! I miss these people! After drinks, Jackie, Cris and I walked down the street to Cru (which is a wine bar) and had dinner. We shared a bottle of Prosecco, truffle ravioli, lamb lollipops with goat cheese and a cheese platter. All yummy food! Mmmmmm, good stuff Maynard!
Then Cris and I walked back to his truck and he gave me a ride back to the B&B, and Jackie took the light rail back home to Littleton. It was a good day!
Had a hard time sleeping last night. This bed is a lot harder than my bed at home! I was up early, had coffee, then it was off to school on the bus. I didn't realize the city raised the bus fares in January so the bus fare is $2.25 a ride and not $2.00. Oh well. What are you gonna do?
Class started at 9am. Gail talked about pricing again, menu planning, client interviews, client contracts, liability. She says that personal chefs should not be buying wine for their client's meals, especially dinner parties because she says whoever brings wine into the house is responsible for anyone who gets drunk and drives. Yikes! I would not have thought about that. She also talked about adding sous chef to the list of services offered. This would be shopping for groceries, then going into the client's home and doing all the prep work, chopping, mixing etc. Your client would do the actual cooking but a sous chef would get everything ready, portion out the proper measurements, etc. Not a bad idea for those who like to cook but don't like to shop or don't know what to make for dinner. Gail went over the things you should carry in your car from job to job (pots, pans, baking dishes, muffin tins, rolling pins, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, spatulas and spoons, plastic wrap and food containers, all packed in 1-3 large plastic bins with lids. A personal chef should carry around only small amounts of spices, oil, and vinegar. (And where would I put three bins in my Miata, lol? Gail says I just need to be a better packer!). Gail also talked about making multiple dishes from one cut of meat or poultry, making the most of your shopping. All good things to think about.
After class, Jackie and I walked over to Tamayo, a Mexican restaurant on 14th and Larimer off downtown and met Kim and Cris (from my cooking class) for a drink. There was a lot of laughter! Kim is leaving for Belgium Thursday. She and her mom and her sister are visiting friends in Belgium for one week, then going to London for the wedding. "What wedding?" I asked. Kim said, "Why Prince William's wedding", like "duh". Not something I remembered, lol. Apparently Kim's mother still has ties to people in the diplomatic corps and got an invite not to the actual wedding but to some of the wedding festivities. How exciting is that? And Kim loves to travel. She's been quite busy! Cris is working for a large catering company and keeping busy. Now that he has gotten used to the fast pace, he loves it. Good for him!! I miss these people! After drinks, Jackie, Cris and I walked down the street to Cru (which is a wine bar) and had dinner. We shared a bottle of Prosecco, truffle ravioli, lamb lollipops with goat cheese and a cheese platter. All yummy food! Mmmmmm, good stuff Maynard!
Then Cris and I walked back to his truck and he gave me a ride back to the B&B, and Jackie took the light rail back home to Littleton. It was a good day!
Friday, April 1, 2011
I could have slept in but didn't. I woke up early! So I got up and had coffee with Carl. He made artichoke egg soufflés.
We did not start class until noon, but today is opening season for the Rockies (the baseball field is only a couple blocks from Cook Street) so the school said to come early. I took the bus down to 15th and Market, then walked up Market Street to Cook Street School. There were hundreds of people out! Most of them were wearing baseball shirts and baseball caps, men and women alike. They take their sports seriously here!! A lot of them didn't even go to the game (sold out) but hung out at one of the three bars on the same block as the school. Noisy!
The school has had to do some remodeling because they lost their wine space a few months back. Apparently someone new bought the building two doors down and kicked out all the tenants, which included the Cook Street wine program. The school added sliding doors to make a separate room so the wine class and the cooking class could run at the same time and not disturb each other. It looks nice.
Chef Gayle was our chef lecturer. She is a former OR nurse who lives in Vallejo, CA. Her husband was complaining that he never saw her because she worked so much and suggested she become a personal chef (he had apparently read about this profession in a magazine). So she quit her nursing job and started "chefing". Eventually she bought the company that regulates and educates personal chefs, which is what brought her to Denver. There are eight people in the class, three that just graduated from Cook Street, a guy from San Jose who went to culinary school in California, two housewives, myself, and Jackie, who is the Alumni Coordinator. Nice group of people.
Gayle talked about all the types of personal chef jobs there are. She also pointed out that being a personal chef could be either full time or part time and that the business is portable. Everything from cooking core meals for clients in their homes to doing dinner parties to cooking lessons to grocery shopping and menu planning to specializing in a certain area (ethnic foods, kosher, vegetarian, Celiac's disease, special diets for diabetics or heart patients, meals and shopping for camping trips or picnics, desserts). Gayle talked about whether or not to be a sole proprietor or incorporate, pros and cons. Then she talked about having a business plan and what needs to go into your business plan: the executive summary, a description of your business, a financial plan, a marketing plan and a management plan. Gayle started to cover pricing but that will be ongoing over the weekend. The booklet we received for class shows an example of a business plan (the business is called "Nick of Thyme"-cute!). Next was licensing and insurance. She says there are a lot of "personal chefs and caterers" that work without a license and that if they get caught, could get them into trouble. Gayle talked about managing your finances and keeping track of what money goes out, what money comes in and all the different bookkeeping systems out there. She also pointed out everything could be done by hand and not on the computer, but that there had to be consistency. Makes sense! She showed us an example of an income statement as well as a chart of accounts. And her big advise? Save your receipts! Almost everything, it appears, is a potential deduction. There were 1040 forms, Schedule C forms, 1099 forms, self employment tax forms as well as a few others. If you have an employee that makes more than $600 a year, you need to give them a 1099. After all that, we were done for the day.
After leaving Cook Street, I walked down to the 16th Street Mall and picked up a couple of things (I forgot my toothbrush!), then came home. Carl, Tod (a friend of his) and I walked to the Avenue Grille for a glass of wine (the restaurant was packed!) then to Caveau, a wine and tapas bar for dinner. We shared stuffed mushrooms, meatballs (they are making a comeback, lol), Duxelles (sautéed wild mushrooms on a pita) and what they called a "white pizza" (that was the only thing that was just ok, not good, not bad). Then home and bed. The class starts at 9am tomorrow!
We did not start class until noon, but today is opening season for the Rockies (the baseball field is only a couple blocks from Cook Street) so the school said to come early. I took the bus down to 15th and Market, then walked up Market Street to Cook Street School. There were hundreds of people out! Most of them were wearing baseball shirts and baseball caps, men and women alike. They take their sports seriously here!! A lot of them didn't even go to the game (sold out) but hung out at one of the three bars on the same block as the school. Noisy!
The school has had to do some remodeling because they lost their wine space a few months back. Apparently someone new bought the building two doors down and kicked out all the tenants, which included the Cook Street wine program. The school added sliding doors to make a separate room so the wine class and the cooking class could run at the same time and not disturb each other. It looks nice.
Chef Gayle was our chef lecturer. She is a former OR nurse who lives in Vallejo, CA. Her husband was complaining that he never saw her because she worked so much and suggested she become a personal chef (he had apparently read about this profession in a magazine). So she quit her nursing job and started "chefing". Eventually she bought the company that regulates and educates personal chefs, which is what brought her to Denver. There are eight people in the class, three that just graduated from Cook Street, a guy from San Jose who went to culinary school in California, two housewives, myself, and Jackie, who is the Alumni Coordinator. Nice group of people.
Gayle talked about all the types of personal chef jobs there are. She also pointed out that being a personal chef could be either full time or part time and that the business is portable. Everything from cooking core meals for clients in their homes to doing dinner parties to cooking lessons to grocery shopping and menu planning to specializing in a certain area (ethnic foods, kosher, vegetarian, Celiac's disease, special diets for diabetics or heart patients, meals and shopping for camping trips or picnics, desserts). Gayle talked about whether or not to be a sole proprietor or incorporate, pros and cons. Then she talked about having a business plan and what needs to go into your business plan: the executive summary, a description of your business, a financial plan, a marketing plan and a management plan. Gayle started to cover pricing but that will be ongoing over the weekend. The booklet we received for class shows an example of a business plan (the business is called "Nick of Thyme"-cute!). Next was licensing and insurance. She says there are a lot of "personal chefs and caterers" that work without a license and that if they get caught, could get them into trouble. Gayle talked about managing your finances and keeping track of what money goes out, what money comes in and all the different bookkeeping systems out there. She also pointed out everything could be done by hand and not on the computer, but that there had to be consistency. Makes sense! She showed us an example of an income statement as well as a chart of accounts. And her big advise? Save your receipts! Almost everything, it appears, is a potential deduction. There were 1040 forms, Schedule C forms, 1099 forms, self employment tax forms as well as a few others. If you have an employee that makes more than $600 a year, you need to give them a 1099. After all that, we were done for the day.
After leaving Cook Street, I walked down to the 16th Street Mall and picked up a couple of things (I forgot my toothbrush!), then came home. Carl, Tod (a friend of his) and I walked to the Avenue Grille for a glass of wine (the restaurant was packed!) then to Caveau, a wine and tapas bar for dinner. We shared stuffed mushrooms, meatballs (they are making a comeback, lol), Duxelles (sautéed wild mushrooms on a pita) and what they called a "white pizza" (that was the only thing that was just ok, not good, not bad). Then home and bed. The class starts at 9am tomorrow!
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