Day 18

Today was a good day at school. We made allot of products today that were really good. I made Danishes that had a almond cream, and apricot center. Also Kogelhopf, which I have never heard of before but is very good. I made Pains Au Chocolate ( Chocolate Croissants ). They were awesome right out of the oven, oh ya. Also got to make Baguettes this is the first time I really got them to turn out really nice. Who would have ever have thought that a guy from Atwater MN, would be down in Chicago IL. Attending this school, and have all these opportunities laid out in front of me. The longer that I'm down here at this school I realize that I can do all this. I look at the recipes that I am making now and I would never have thought that I could pull them off before. Now I can stand back and look a a recipe and see all the small details in it, and it doesn't seem so overwhelming any more. Living down here has given me allot of time to think about what I want to do with my life and who I want to spend it with. What will the future bring, who knows. But that is in Gods hands, and that is right were it belongs. What ever is placed in front of me I know that with Gods help all things are possible.
" Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight."
Proverbs 3: 3-6

Day 17

Today was a good day at school. We made farmers bread, danish, Croissant dough to make almond and chocolate croissants. It will be hard tomorrow when we get to take home croissant and danishes ( its hard, I feel like I'm wasting away without anything good to eat. Ha ha). This will be the second time we make croissants at school and I think that I am really getting in a rhythm on how to make them. I found that I really love making all the different kinds of breads, I was a little worried. On the first day they were like " You may think that you like some thing now, but when you start doing it you may not like it any more." But the more I make breads down here the more I love it.

Got another job interview on thursday a 1:45. But I looked up online how long it would take to get there from school it will take a hour and a half. So the soonest I'd be able to get there would be around 2:15. So I have to call them and rearange the time. Hope they don't get to mad. But thats all the news from Chicago. Have a great night, everyone.

Sunday 25th of July

This week has been good. At school we made french bread, whole wheat bread, croissants, and a variety of other products. The hunt is still on for

on for work, I have a job on Wednesday but I don't know if it permanent yet. I got an e-mail from a bakery that's named Take the Cake, all they asked was if I could come in to work on Wednesday after school. So I'm realy looking foreword to that. They make a veritity of products from cakes, cookies, and truffels. So this is going realy fun, I hope it all works out.

I'm slowly getting used to living in the big city some days are better than others, but that's to be expected really. The part that really sucks is that now I have to buy my own bus pass till the 24 of August because the one I got from the school ran out on Saturday. The pass for a month is $85. And with not having a job yet it is a real pain to come up with. But all in all its going good, I am learning so much information down here how pastry works with the chemical reaction that its almost like a chemistry class and baking all rolled into one. But until next time, I'll talk to you all later.

Day 9

Well things are going good at school. On weds. I was asked to help out a hotel, for the tenth annual Chefs BBQ in the park. The event took place at a park in the north side of Chicago. There was a very large number of the top Hotels and restaurants there. Every thing that was made had to local grown. If some one were to tell me that I would cooking and serving at a $100 a head BBQ a year ago, I would have told them that they were crazy. We made a dessert that was a honey cake, Carmel cream, and grilled apricots. The desert was really good. I got to walk around and talk to the chefs and try allot of amazing food that I have never had before. I got out at 8:30 and had no idea how I was going to make it home do to the fact that I was not able to go home after school and look up a bus rout home. Finally after talking with a bus driver and a lot of worrying I finally found a bus that would take me were I needed to go. After a hour and a half bus ride I finally got home with out any real problems. On Thursday at school we made Pate a Choux's, and pastry cream. On Friday we made almond cream, and French and Italian Meringue. The Italian meringue we mixed with Butter to make Butter Cream, that every one but Chef Jonathan, and myself thought tasted to much like butter, we thought that it was to sweet maybe that's the french coming out in me. But until we meet again have a good day.

Day 6

Sorry for not writing for the last couple day its been pretty hectic down here. Whats new? Well on Monday the 12 th we had a event at school that will be in a magazine( but unfortunately I cant remember the name) that will be published into 5 different languages, and circulated in 20 countries. Got to meet allot of the big name Chefs in Chicago, and work one on one with Chef Plano from the Peninsula Hotel, witch was awesome. I also got to meet the Mayor of Chicago, and got pictures with him. Today in school we had kitchen tours and covered the basic equipment that we will be using everyday in the kitchen. Tomorrow will be better we are starting to make the base recipes that we will use for allot of other recipes. It is really starting to pick up at school, now that we are starting to get in the real swing of things. We also are to take part in what they call stages ( that's when you contact different restaurants and see if you can intern with them for a night or several to get to know how every thing works, and to get your name out into the steam of Chefs) I have contacted several places to see about employment but have not herd back from any as of yet. But have a great night every one out there, and I will be filling you in some more on how its going in this new neck of the woods.

Day 1

To day is my first day at the F.P.S.. Was not all that bad of a day although Pretty boring though. I know that it will pick up, but its hard to sit through 7 1/2 hours of rules and stuff. although we got to go through almost all the kitchens. they are really nice, and very different from what we had up in Hibbing . The hardest part about this is the fact that I still have 6 months away from Christina, Autumn, Chloe.