Almost there!

So every time that I go more than a day without blogging I truly feel horrible! I'm sorry readers and I know I'm behind on the American Regional recipes but I will sit down and write them all out for you! Heck school will be ending soon then what will I have to share besides the recipes I create at home. It has just been so busy around here, from school to work and straight to sleep. I picked up a shift Saturday then had a movie night and started my homework, it's almost done. I got a little side tracked tonight I watched "You Again" such a great movie! I recommend this one, pretty darn good chick flick, I think you guys could handle it too.

Well the birthday is quickly approaching, Tuesday the 1st! Holy moly I can't believe I'm finally turning 21! Almost there. I don't know if I'm more nervous or excited. I think I'm excited for it but I'm nervous it's just going to wind up another disaster, hopefully not. And I'm not trying to think it will, trying to think positive and just stay happy and enjoy myself. Also Tuesday is payday and that will be real nice to have on the birthday day uuuuntil I pay bills, all well. Just remember "Work to live, don't live to work." And just me I don't want to!

Well now that it's a little later and Criminal Minds has me even MORE sidetracked from my journal homework I'm going to say Goodnight to all. Enjoy your night.

I don't have a good quote for the day nothing I found really fit. If you can find one let me know it.

Streaks.

Well just 5 more WONDERFUL days until my birthday! The big 21! So today I did the first step to party preparations - Hair color! I didn't change my color just added some low lights, blonde! WOW! It's blonde! She said it would fade which is good but I love the cut and the color and it was just $57! You aren't misreading that! Love my new streaks.

I also did a little shopping before the appointment, trying to find a birthday outfit for the Zoo and bar Tuesday. Then Beerfest & the bar strip Saturday night. AND Virginia! I'm found some super cute shoes that if I don't get for the bday I'll be buying with my student loan, that needs to really get here! Ohh and something for St. Patrick's day! Ohh man March is PACKED of fun fun fun activities! So back to the shopping - I found two really cute shirts and I broke down and bought both because I couldn't decide and they were both on sale for like $12 well I got one for a PENNY and the other for $12 all together I spent $14 it was a GREAT deal. I'm still looking for some things but I figure I'll go drive around this big town on Saturday and find somethings.

Other than a wonderful ending to my day, I cleaned my apartment - minus the dishes and my room but the rest looks Great. I did however miss my Choir class with my little Bumblebees :( I was really sad about that and I feel like a Jerk for missing it. I hope they forgive me when I see them next week!

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go."

-Dr. Seuss

If you haven't discovered it already he is my favorite author to quote! (:

Flights

And now it's Tuesday! I have a few recipes for you from the Woodblock [pastry lab] but we will get to those soon.

Monday.

Class was great I was in charge of making the plated dessert, Angel Food Cake with stewed berries, crispy, chocolate decor & chantilly cream. I also got to take the left overs home and it's still super good! My friend even agreed it was good! We had it with blueberry sauce in class and raspberry sauce at home. Sadly I only have one left so I'm debating on when to eat it, ha! Also made a Nobilis Torte and Puff Pastry Dough, wasn't a very full day but it was good.

After class short 45 minute nap then work. Wasn't too bad got done an hour early went home and watched a movie [& ate that angel food cake] We watched Red, if you haven't seen it I don't recommend it. If you have, did you like it? So Monday wasn't the most eventful just long hours standing on my feet. But here are Day One recipes.

Monday Recipes:

Angel Food Cake: Cocoa powder 1oz, water-warm 2 fl oz, vanilla extract 2 tsp, sugar 12 oz, cake flour-sifted 3.5 oz, salt 1/4 tsp, egg whites 12, cream of tartar 2 tsp.

It's recommended to cut the recipe in half.

Puff Pastry: salt 0.5 oz, water-chilled 10.5 fl oz, AP flour 20.5 oz, butter-soft 4.5 oz, butter-cold 1 lb, AP flour 1 oz

You do not have to proof this dough so you can make it at home. It is the dough used for the Apple Strudels too.

Nobilis Torte:

Hazelnut & Cherry Meringue Cake: Cake flour-sifted 4oz, hazelnuts-toasted/chopped 8oz, hazelnut flour 3 oz, powdered sugar 7 oz, dried cherries-chopped 5 oz, egg whites 16 oz, sugar 1/2lb

Hazelnut Cream: Traditional french buttercream 1lb [if you need the recipe again let me know], hazelnut paste-creamed 6oz, sheet gelatin-softened 11 grams, heavy cream-soft peaks 2 cups

Cover with an apricot glaze & toasted almonds.

[Plated dessert and the Nobilis Torte. The Nobilis wasn't finished until Day Two though.]

Now it's Tuesday.

We had a lot to do in class so we weren't able to plate any desserts, we were preparing desserts for the Chinese travelers coming tomorrow, they may be ambassadors, not sure what Chef said, just that they were important and we had to make sweets. We finished the Puff Pastry dough to make a Napoleon, scrapes made Palimer cookies [so good], finished the Nobilis Torte & boxed it. Financiar, Blueberry Muffins I got to make them YUM with streusel, which is what starbucks does so HA! I don't need to buy my favorite muffins anymore. And a Petite Apple Tart. I'm also posting a picture of a boxed portion of the Sacher Torte from last week.

So I made the muffins and holy crap they looked so good! It's making me hungry thinking about them. We couldn't take any because they were made for the visitors as was everything else except the Nobilis Torte. The Palimer cookies were really good, they are supposed to be cooked so that they caramelize which makes them look burnt, the darker the better. Chef's favorite is the burnt burnt ones.

Once again after class, nap time it was about an hour this time, then off to work and as an added bonus I got to be there an hour longer than scheduled. Now I'm home! And tomorrow is Wonderful -HumpDay- Wednesday! No work, no school & birthday preparations! I'm getting my haircut [finally!] then getting a couple new clothes, probably not much never find what I really want but I do know what I want, so wish me luck! And now Day Two recipes!

Tuesday's Recipes:

Cream Filled Napoleons: Puff pastry 1lb 14oz, grand marnier or rum 1.5 fl oz, pastry cream 2 lb, sugar -as needed, powdered sugar -as needed

If you need the pastry cream recipe again let me know.

Palimer cookies: Puff pastry and sugar

Financiar: Powdered sugar 12.5 oz, almond flour 4.5 oz, AP flour 4.75 oz, baking powder 2/3 tsp, vanilla extract 2 tsp, brown butter [burne noisette] 6.75 oz, egg whites 12

Petite Apple Tart: Puff pastry, apples-thin sliced, ground cinnamon

BlueBerry Muffins! AP flour 8 oz, sugar 5oz, baking powder 2 tsp, salt 1/4 tsp, eggs 2, milk 8 fl oz, butter-melted [substitute Oil] 2 fl oz, vanilla extract 1 tsp, blueberries 5 oz, lemon zest 1/2 Tbsp

Streusel: AP flour 1lb, cinnamon-ground 1 tsp, salt 1 tsp, brown sugar 5.5 oz, sugar 4 oz, butter-cold 12 oz.

The streusel is topped on the blueberry muffins before baking. It's just like though $4.00 Starbucks muffins, but home made and DELICIOUS! And cost less to make and you get MORE!

[Napoleon, Palimer Cookies, Financiar]

[Petite Apple Tart, Blueberry Muffins with Streusel & Boxed Sacher Torte]

Ohh and the title Flights comes from the excitement I have to be taking my first plane ride by myself! I'm going to Virginia to see a very old friend of mine. We haven't seen each other for more than a day in more than nine years. It's going to be a blast! I fly into Baltimore then hopefully Day Two I'll be making my way to Charm City Cakes! Cross you fingers! That's all for now.

Buona Notte

Family

So I haven't posted since Wednesday but I had a lot to do before my family got here Friday afternoon. My mom came up from El Paso on a long 11 hour drive and my dad brought my brother up so he could spend time with us too. As well as the family dog and my cat, so there was quiet an apartment full this weekend! But it was great to be surrounded by the ones you love and love you back. We didn't do a whole lot of going out. Friday my mom came up to work and we ate there then I had to work a little. My brother got here about 730 so we went and rented movies and picked up some pizza and sat down as a family. It was really nice since that hasn't happened in a long time with my mom being stationed so far out. Saturday I made Eclairs for a friends party and brought my mom and little brother. They were worried because most of the people were going to be mid twenties but they fit in well and seemed to have a lot of fun. Plus as an added bonus my Eclairs were a HIT! Both of which made me really happy. Now we are just relaxing, they are starting to pack up, I have to finish my journal before heading to work, then movie night back at the neighbors. It was a great weekend too short when you spend it with family but I'm glad I got to! Definitely what I needed after the last month I had and all the happenings in that.

Just eight more days until my birthday and I'm getting more and more excited as I count them down. And another bonus! I have been talking to an old friend from middle school who I've remained friends with through the years and with his family, and the end of March I'm hopefully! flying out to Virginia to spend the weekend there! And I fly into Baltimore so hopefully Friday morning I can swing by Charm City Cakes and meet those wonderful people and maybe talk about an internship! I'm probably going to order a small cake too if I can pull it off.

I know you're probably wondering where the recipes are for American Regional but I don't have them but when I get them, you'll get them.

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together." ~Erma Bombeck

Yogurt!

I've discovered that ending Church nights with frozen yogurt is the way to go! I was in the music room tonight singing with the kids which really makes me happy. Love my little BumbleBees. Today was just church, chores and homework, pretty lazy day but I really enjoyed sleeping in until 12:30, that felt so good!

I know I didn't write Monday or Tuesday but in class we only did preparing on Monday and finishing on Tuesday so I was going to post Tuesday but I didn't get to it. Kind of had a rough night after work. I went to pick up my pan and bowl from his house and I thought I could handle it but turns out I wasn't yet ready. Found out the tears were only hiding but in time it will get easier and I'm okay with that. So back to talking about school and not the "love" life.

Monday was a prep day for Tuesday when the pastries would be completed. I figured it'd be easier to combine both the days recipes for everyone. I brought my A game both days and knocked my danish dough out of the park! We made the dough on day one then made the danish pastries on day two, cream cheese and raspberry filled, Chef got pulled away from the oven so my snail spun danishs sadly burnt he felt really bad because they were really good looking. We had to roll then out and twist them then spin them into snails, eyeglasses and "S" mine were coming out really good too! We also did a Sacher Torte, which was more experience working with chocolate. And our plated dessert this week was a delicious Apple Strudel with caramel sauce, ice cream and a crispy. There was supposed to be a sugar decor with it but Chef wasn't able to make it because too many people kept calling him away. The plate still came out good, I did two just for fun!

Danish Dough

Ingredients: Instant yeast 1 oz, Water 14 fl oz, All purpose flour 2lb, sugar 4 oz, dry milk powder 1.25 oz, vanilla extract 0.5 fl oz, eggs 2, butter-soft 3 oz, salt 0.6 oz, butter-cold 1lb 6 oz

Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients: Cream cheese 12 oz, sugar 2 oz, eggs 2, vanilla extract 0.25 fl oz, lemon zest-grated fine ½ tsp, pastry flour 1.5 oz

French Ice Cream base

Ingredients: Whole milk 10 fl oz, heavy cream 7 fl oz, egg yolks 3, sugar 3.5 oz, corn syrup 0.5 oz, ice cream stabilizer 1 tsp

Apple Strudel (filling only)

Ingredients: Apples 1lb 8 oz, lemon juice 0.5 fl oz, sugar 8 oz, cinnamon-ground 1 tsp, butter-melted 4 fl oz

Sacher Torte

Ingredients: All purpose flour 10 oz, cocoa powder 3 oz, butter-soft 12.5 oz, sugar 18oz, egg yolks 14, hazelnuts-toasted/ground 3 oz, egg whites 14. Filled with apricot jam, topped with apricot glaze then Ganache

[Left to right: Snail Croissant, "S" Croissant, Eyeglass Croissant]

[Plated Dessert]

Not a whole lot going on right now, just going to school early in the morning, taking a nap for about an hour, then off to work till about 8. Then sleep and repeat. Mom is coming this weekend and my little brother too so I can't wait for that! I could really use some hugs from my mommy! They give the best hugs and I really need that right now. Friend are wonderful but they can't always give you what your family can. Making Eclairs for the dinner party on Saturday at a friends apartment, also a neighbor of ours, should be a good time! Well tomorrow is the Texas Region in American Regional. Ohh and just TWELVE more days until my birthday! That is less than two weeks! So looking forward to a bottle of champagne, the zoo then the bar that night with wonderful people!

Until we speak again, have a wonderful night and day!

Cupcake War & Pictures

So they are a day late but here are the pictures from class on Monday & Tuesday. I made the Mousseline Torte & the Classic Chocolate Truffles. The Croissants were absolutely DElicious! And so was the White Chocolate Buttercream, white chocolate is my absolute FAVorite thing!

[left to right: Mousseline Torte, Mousseline Torte, Classic Chocolate Truffles]

[left to right: Croissants, Chocolate Croissants, Chiffon Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream]

Next are the posted pictures from my Midterm in American Regional. Where not only did I pass, but I plated my main dish with a burned hand. Yup! I got my second injury of this quarter. I was frustrated with the amount of room we had to cook, twelve people on five stoves! I had two burners & maybe five pots to work with. I just wasn't thinking clearly and went to turn the handle on the table and burned my left hand, from my thumb up my index finger along with the second and third. I was pretty proud of myself for still continuing and plating, it's amazing what drive does.

Now TODAY! What a GREAT day! I went to CoupleCake Wars with three friends! CoupleCake Wars is a new annual event that donates to the Food Bank here in town. They donated $10,000 to it and 100% of the profits on one of their cupcakes went to the Food Bank as well! It was such a great cause. Seven couples competed for the title Cupcake Couple 2011! They had to write letters on how they met, come up with a valentine's day theme & a display. Also, they earned points playing the "Newlywed Game" it was adorable. After the long 15 minutes of decorating the judges did the judging and the couples explained the story behind their theme, some stories brought a warm feeling to my heart. I thought a theme I would have done if had the chance, it's a pretty cute one too. But I got to meet Candice Nelson, the founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes & the judge on Cupcake Wars. Well now I'm watching Cupcake Wars with my roommate & after meeting her it's pretty crazy to watch her! She is really tall by the way! So we had a great time, the "Rascal Flatts" couple one, they met on Match.com, so their theme was a box of matches, that said the perfect match. They had some really awesome cupcakes, CHICKEN & WAFFLES! It was topped with a ChickfilA nugget, so cool but I didn't get a chance to try it, sounded tasty though.

Pictures will be posted when my roommate post them, because the one I want to show it Aggie Cute! LOVE IT! Just went to work after that and now it's journal writing time.

Updated

Let's get updated once more! I have the recipes from Monday/Tuesday and it was MIDTERM week! We took a written midterm on Monday morning & there was a math portion! EEK! Luckily I had some previous help doing the conversions from the Guy, so I would like to Thank him! I did miss 5 on the question portion of the test, I think I passed all the math part but not sure yet, I'll know tomorrow or Monday! *Cross your fingers* The AWESOME thing that has happened this week has to do with the once again EBOOKS! [ahhhh] Well I walked in to the bookstore to get a Red Bull and there on the counter sat the On Baking book I want to own not in Ebook form. It was being sold back by a dad whose son had dropped out! His loss, my gain! I just feel bad for the dad because he was really nice and our books cost quite a pretty penny. So I asked if he may have the American Regional book too - and WHAM! He sold it to me for $20! And the lady in the bookstore was able to take the $20 off my account! Holy Crap! Thank God I wanted a Red Bull! -it was delicious by the way.

And Wednesday night was great too! It was the first night of volunteering at the Church! I'm with the PreK choir/music kids right now and they are cute. It's the BumbleBee group so all these little ones were dressed up, so adorable! Not much other than a little excitement here and there. I did fight with a friend and I apologized because I was in the wrong & I jumped the gun before I should have. Hopefully it's all worked out and we are back to before then.

Tomorrow I will post the pictures of the desserts from Monday & Tuesday because the camera is still in the car. And I'll post them with the dishes I make tomorrow for my American Regional Midterm. Today was awesome by the way because since we didn't have to cook we went to a different lab and made breakfast! It was so awesome I LOVE SCHOOL! And I perfected my biscuits! They were MUCH better this time! And now your recipes from Day One & Two!

Day One:

-cut the Mousseline Torte from Week 4 platted and boxed.

-cut the Cheesecake

Classic Chocolate Truffles (this is really easy & really good!)

Dark chocolate 1lb

Butter 1/2lb

Heavy Cream 1 cup

Brandy/bourbon/liqueur 2fl oz

Pipe the truffles and refrigerate until Day Two.

Croissant Dough- this is a laminated dough and pretty tough but the result is all the worth!

Sugar 4 oz

Salt 1 oz

Dry milk powder 1 oz

Egg 1

Water, ice cold 18 fl oz

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Instant yeast 1 oz

Bread flour 2 lb

Butter, soft 2 lb

Day Two:

-Rolled out and cut the croissant dough and rolled in

-Plain

-Chocolate

-Ham & Cheese

-Finished Truffles

-Rolled into balls

-Tempered chocolate, then coated truffles in two coasts

-Made a Chiffon Cake (Orange Zest Chiffon from a previous week)

-with White Chocolate Buttercream

Granulated sugar 1lb 14 oz

Water 8fl oz

Egg whites 9

Butter, soft 2 lb 6 oz

White creme de cacao 3 fl oz

White chocolate, melted 8 oz

There wasn't much these two days due to the Midterm! But still a great week for playing with chocolate! But again cross those fingers, I need to get this "B" back to my "A." Also got my classes for next quarter! Chocolate confection & centerpieces AND Artisan Breads.