Flying By....

It's hard to believe that I'm half way through my 2nd block of school already.  The first 6 weeks seemed to go slower and these 6 weeks is flying by.  I have only the Foundations II class this time, but it is a very fast paced course.  It's all stocks, sauces, soups, veg, starches, grains...etc.  One day we are in lecture class observing a demo by the chef, and the next day we are in the kitchen lab replicating what he did the day before.  It is challenging, frustrating and exciting all at the same time.  I love it!  I have also noticed, as I get deeper into learning about food, how to prepare it, and even the financial part of it, that my goals and dreams are changing just a bit.  What I thought I wanted to do with my new career going into school is now morphing into something else.  I'm still not completely sure what I will be doing after I graduate, but I'm just going to wait and see where this whole experience takes me.  So much can happen to direct, or redirect my path even while I'm in school. 

I've had 2 cooking practicals and a written mid-term exam so far in this class.  My grades on the practicals were okay, but I wanted to do better.  I have another one coming up in a week and I'm sure I will do better on it.  Before I came to AZ and started school, I would sit at home back in Texas and watch videos of past students on the Le Cordon Bleu website.  One of the ladies I recognized as being a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen.  In her video she talked about how good it felt when her chef instructor held up one of her dishes and announced to the class how good it was.  The moment I she said that, it became one of my goals to work toward.  In my current class we always cook 3 items of whatever it is we are learning that week.  A week ago we did 3 soups and one of them was Broccoli Cheddar.  I was so nervous to bring my soup to the chef instructor to taste.  I had never made a soup before and wasn't sure I executed it correctly.  The chef instructor tasted my soup and then just looked at me.... I thought, "Oh crap I screwed it up."  Then he leaned toward me and said, "It's the best one I've tasted all day."  My eyes got big and my mouth swung open as I exclaimed, "Really?!"  The chef then held up my soup and told the class that it was perfectly executed; it was exactly like the one he demoed the day before, and invited them to come over and taste it!  I was on cloud 9.  I felt like a silly teenager, but I didn't care.  I was just so excited that I had met my first huge goal and it kind of validated that I am supposed to be there.  Of course, two days later we were back in the kitchen and I had the worst day I've had so far....so I came home, climbed under a blanket on the couch, turned on my music and cried.  My husband came home to find me just sitting in the dark crying. LOL This cooking thing can take me to my highest high and my lowest low, but I still keep coming back for more.  I love it!  =)

Determination and Persistence....always pays off.

Thanks for reading, "All About My Business"

Crystal Campbell