my vacation

On my vacation at myrtle beach. I got the time to see some real taffy being made. A great way to see how taffy is made. This guy was making watermelon taffy, but also gave out free pieces of it. Salt water taffy is one of the best taffys Great trip to South Carolina

Alexis Addison 

Busy on Break

I haven't had time to post quite as much recently because of my phone completely shutting off for good and having to buy a new one and wait an abnormally long time to get it. This may have had to do with the fact that I have a lot of trouble picking out technology since I don't know too much about it. College life has proved to be sooooo much different than high school. It's really strange for me to experience so much independence. I'm so sad to see 3rd quarter end, because I really enjoyed my Artisan Bread class with Chef Woehrle. However, Chef Woolums has probably been my favorite chef thus far and I have him this next quarter in Modern Pastry. It's time to build some chocolate sculptures!! Plus, I'm officially moved out of the dorms and I have been working about 8 hours a day at Heitzman Traditional Bakery. And of course, next week I get to go home to St. Louis after 12 weeks of not getting to see my family. I'm so thankful that my work is allowing me to have some time off!

-Kate Richter 

Sobering Thoughts.

Yesterday, as I sat with my friends awaiting our next final, the world was crashing around the students at an Oregon high school.  A gunman entered the school shortly after 8 am and shot and killed a fellow classmate, before being shot himself. 


This was so sobering to me, as I know those students were doing the same as I was; preparing for finals.  Looking forward to their summer break and all the fun they will have.  Sadly that dream ended for two of the students who will never graduate from high school to sit in a university like I am.  And the other students in that school will have the shooting haunting them, having them ask "why?"


I am humbled by what has happened, being very thankful for the safety of my own brother who just recently graduated high school, and for the safety of my friends and I as we sat, joking about classes and eating lunch, as this horrific event was taking place.


Please keep Oregon in your thoughts and prayers today, and the city comes to grip with what has happened.


-Lauren Steele

Advanced Techniques in Bread Final

The final practical schedule for the Baking II class includes a Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Coins (top) on Tuesday, Baguettes (bottom left) on Wednesday and Croissants (bottom right) on Thursday.  Monday is Mise day, all ingredients for practicals week are measured, labeled and stored for the week so that there is one less thing to do on the day of any certain item.  Tuesday includes completing a Golden Chiffon Cake flat-iced with Bettercream and a shell boarder and twelve rosettes topped with chocolate coins, also, the Biga starter for the Baguettes must be made and the Croissant dough must be made.  Wednesday is when you finish the Baguette production by developing gluten through stretching and folding and doing the final shaping and proofing then they are steamed and baked, you also have to lock the fat into your Croissant dough followed by three turns (tri-folds).  Thursday is when you have to finish your Croissants by rolling, cutting, shaping, proofing, egg washing and baking them.

-Logan

Dead Dough - Beginning to End

Dead Dough sculptures are a beautiful and exciting way to use simple ingredients for bread dough and change them into anything you want to.  The process begins by selecting a design, case in point I selected the symbol of my old high school marching band(Left), including a close-up detail of the medal(Right).  From here you begin making the pieces and adding details to the individual pieces.  Sometimes you may have to change minor details, like the blue ribbon in my idea had to be changed to green, because there isn't anything that occurs naturally blue in nature.

After your individual pieces are complete they need to be "glued" together using simple syrup and then baked slightly, just until they get A LITTLE color. Once they are baked, they get arranged on your previously made plaque and hot glued into place.  Finally, once the pieces are arranged to your liking and glued down, the entire sculpture gets shellacked for the purposes of preserving the piece and for adding an extra bit of presentation.

-Logan 

Roommates.

As we are headed in to a new quarter with new students, I thought I would give some words of wisdom on dealing with new roommates.

If you are like me, going into college, you have no experience with having a roommate.  I didn't even share a room with a sibling.  So I hope this post will help some future students.

• Don't Touch Their Stuff
• There is something to be said about "your side of the room."  Don't assume that you are instantly best friends with your roommate, and that you can take or borrow their stuff and they won't mind.
• Keep Your Stuff Clean
• This isn't always going to be reciprocated, but if you keep your stuff clean, you'll lower the risk of having problems.  Plus it keeps reminding them that they are messy.
• Set Ground Rules
• This is something that needs to be done in the first few days.  Establish things like cleaning, time limits on having friends in the room or talking on phone, and discuss the possibility of  bringing significant others to the room.
• When Things Go South
• When you do have issues with your roommate, talk to them.  That should always be your first step.  Don't gossip to your friends about it, this has a way of getting back to your roommate and can make things awkward. (I heard from someone that my old roommate didn't like me, it made first quarter really uncomfortable).  If talking to them doesn't do anything, talk to your RA.  That's why they are there, but make sure it's within reason.  Don't bang on your RA's door at 3 am because your roommate left her towel on your side of the room again.  The RA's are students too, they need their sleep and sanity just like you.
• Spend Time Out Of Your Room
• This solves a multitude of problems. Don't eat every meal with your new roommate, don't follow them around with their friends all the day, don't constantly be there.  Get out, make your own friends, have experiences without your roommate.   

Hope these help!

-Lauren Steele