157 replies to this topic

[CaliPoutine]

Good Morning from Exeter, ON( Pop: 4,400). Exeter is about 30 miles N. Of London. We're also 2.5 hrs from Toronto and Detroit.

When Susan( Snowangel) asked me to blog again, I thought about it for a short while. I said Yes, because this foodblog is going to be a lot different than my last two . I blogged last year with eG member Pookie and the year before by myself. ( you can find the links to my other 2 foodblogs under my signature) A lot has changed since I last blogged. I have 3 part-time jobs and they are all in the food industry. My main job is a Sous/Pastry Chef for a caterer in Grand Bend. I work the second job on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. I am the Chef for a Senior Dining program also held in Grand Bend. I work the 3rd job once a week although it didnt start out the way it has ended up.

When I moved here from California, I couldnt work until I became a permanent resident. My Spouse Robin is a Director for a social service agency and through her I met Shelley. Shelley runs a program that helps young adults with a developmental disability to make a successful transition from school to a range of community participation/activities/work. She matched me up with Marley. Marley is now 19 and has Down's Syndrome. Last year Marley worked at a day care center and she did not enjoy it. I suggested we cook together and that has been very succesful. We cook dinner together at her house once a week.

I wanted to start this blog today, rather than Saturday because this weekend is going to be crazy. I'm working for the caterer on Saturday and Sunday. We're catering a BBQ for 60ppl in London( the big city). My boss won't be attending the job so it will just be myself and a server. I'm really not sure what to expect yet. I believe the menu is chicken, salmon and ribs. I'm not sure what the sides are.

Here is how the week will go.

Today- I'm very excited. I'm going to a food show( sysco) in Goderich. Robin is joining me because before the show, we're going to West Coast Kitchens. We're going to pick out counters, cabinets, etc and then tomorrow West Coast is coming here to give us an estimate on a kitchen remodel. We're going out for dinner too ( buffet Chinese, please don't get me started).

Friday- The kitchen people come!!

Sat/ Sun- work

Monday- Baking for a catering job on Tuesday morning, Marley in the afternoon.

Tuesday- breakfast catering, prep for Wednesday

Wednesday- I'm filling in at another dining program.

Thurs-Sat - work for caterer. Prepare for 3 weddings!!

Here is my breakfast. I went to Port Huron, MI yesterday and brought back my favorite cottage cheese. I had that with some fresh berries and a glass of non-fat milk. I'm not a coffee drinker!!

[CaliPoutine]

Here are my furry children.

Oliver( 8 going on 9, black and tan smooth standard dachshund)







Harley ( 7, going on 8, wirehair standard dachshund)




They love to sleep and eat!!

[Kerry Beal]

Randi,

Nice to see you blogging again. I'm looking forward to it.

I love small curd cottage cheese, but you just can't get it in Ontario anymore. I'll have to bring some back next trek across the border.

[kbjesq]

Hooray, Randi's back! Thanks for starting early.

I love your cooking for seniors thread. And thanks for bringing us along for what promises to be a very, very busy week ahead. I look forward to hearing more about your new jobs.

PS Love the dogs, too.

[patti]

Here are my furry children.

Oliver( 8 going on 9, black and tan smooth standard dachshund)

OMG! I'm in love with this face! (Don't tell Harley, please.)

[tejon]

I used to work with developmentally disabled adults and it was very rewarding. Are you working with Marley in order to help her go forward in terms of potential job training, or more as something enjoyable for her to learn? It's wonderful that you are able to do this for her.

[Kouign Aman]

Brave lady, tackling a blog with that schedule in front of you.
Those're some beautimous berries you had for breakfast.

[CaliPoutine]

I used to work with developmentally disabled adults and it was very rewarding. Are you working with Marley in order to help her go forward in terms of potential job training, or more as something enjoyable for her to learn? It's wonderful that you are able to do this for her.

You're right, it is rewarding. It's not the field I trained in, but I'm enjoying teaching her about cooking and different foods.

The goal is for Marley to be self-sufficient. She loves cooking and would love to have a job in the food industry. I thought I may be able to get her in 1x a month at the caterer, but its just too fast paced for her.

[CaliPoutine]

Lunch:

Yesterday, I brought us home 2 salads from Wendy's. We ate them today. I had Mandarin Chicken, Robin had Chicken, BLT( no tomatoes because I threw them out, we both do not like raw tomatoes). I used some croutons from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor.



I had 4 "patriotic" peanut M&M's as well. I'm a type 2 diabetic and I am on a wonderful drug called Byetta. This drug controls my blood sugar and prolongs gastric emptying. I stay full a lot longer. If I want something sweet, a bite of something usually does the trick.

Edited by CaliPoutine, 07 June 2007 - 09:49 AM.

[Pookie]

You are nuts blogging with that schedule!

[snowangel]

Randi, how can you have a schedule like that and not drink coffee?

[MarketStEl]

What Snowangel said.

I was going to guess somewhere in the American Great Plains when I saw the teaser photo; I was at once way off base and not that far off at all -- rural Ontario and the eastern US Midwest have much in common terrain-wise.

Welcome back to Blogland! Whatever possessed you to agree to this week for a return appearance with that weekend schedule?

[CaliPoutine]

Randi, how can you have a schedule like that and not drink coffee?

Well, I've had 2 diet cokes and 1 diet dr. pepper so far today.

I know its a busy schedule, but I don't plan on cooking much at home and I usually get online when I get home so I can unwind a bit. I probably won't post as much as I do on a day off.

I'm very excited!! I'm currently at my MIL's house. We went to the foodshow. There were all of 3 vendors there and it was very lame. Before the show, we went to the kitchen place and picked out a few styles of cabinets, etc. I can't wait for a new kitchen!! Tomorrow we'll get an idea of a rough estimate of the total cost.

What do you think of granite countertops? They really seemed to be pushing those.

[heidih]

I absolutely adore my granite counters. Highly polished, from slabs picked from a local yard, Italian, installed by an Italian craftsman (via New York and now L.A.). No maintenance. No issues with hot items. I use the bare counter for kneading, rolling, AND they are gorgeous. Unfortunately no digital camera or photo posting ability.

[mizducky]

Hi Randi--happy blogging! I keep meaning to contribute to your topic about cooking for the senior dining program, especially since I'm about to start a live-in assistance arrangement with a senior friend of mine who is a similarly picky eater, but I've been so flat-out busy that I've hardly had time to read eGullet, let alone participate. I may not be much in evidence in your blog either, but I'll at least be lurking. Have fun!

[CaliPoutine]

Dinner:

Some really bad Chinese. The buffet costs 12.95, a total rip-off for what you get. I found it extremely salty.



On the way home, Robin wanted to stop for ice cream.






She had an Arctic Swirl, Farmer Dell's version of a blizzard. This is choc. soft serve with Skor( aka heath bar) candy.



I'm not going to be doing much cooking at home this week. However, I do want to test a potential recipe for the Senior's. I'm going to make a 4 day coconut cake. I read about it on a foodblog. You mix up some sour cream with sugar and coconut. You let that sit for one day. Then, the following day you bake a 2 layer cake, split the layers in half and frost them with the sour cream mixture. You wait another 2 days before you eat it. I'll mix up the sour cream tonight and bake the cake tomorrow.

[DesertCulinary]

What do you think of granite countertops?  They really seemed to be pushing those.

Glad to see you back blogging here Randi!

We had granite counters put in when we did our remodel. I don't know how I did it before without them! I fell in love the first time I rolled out cookie dough or kneaded bread dough on it!

[Peter the eater]

Hi Randi Calipoutine!

I'm really pleased you are going to share your food-life for the next while, and from my home province no less. What a week you have ahead. I have very fond summer memories of The Pinery Provincial Park, plus my godmother lives in London.

Spare no detail!

[lucylou95816]

Calipoutine,
I've read your previous blogs and look forward to this one. As for granite,not sure what your current situation is, but I previously had tile and formica, and got this product called, Granite Transformations...http://www.granitetransformations.com/

They put it right over your existing countertops. I've had them for about 2 years and really love them. They are stain resistance, crack resistance and heat resistance. Truly worth the money, slightly less than granite, without the destruction of your kitchen.

[Pan]

Hi, Randi. Hang in there and have fun; I'll be following along and cheering on the sidelines.

[CaliPoutine]

Good Morning.

I feel very bloated today. I'm sure its from all that sodium and MSG I ingested yesterday. I just had some cottage cheese and berries.

I took this out for dinner. 2.99lb

I think I'll grill it along with some potatoes and some sort of veg. I might make a salad too. Normally, I work on Friday for the caterer, so I never cook dinner. For the past few weeks, we've been getting chicken schwarma's from this new place in town. Since I'm working tomorrow, I figured I better cook tonight.

I'm going to make this today as well. I know its a mix, but if I end up making this dessert for a future senior meal, I won't make a from scratch cake. As much as I'd like to, time and budget just won't allow it. I actually really like this line of mixes. The ingredients are: Organic wheat flour, organic cane sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, organic vanilla powder and carob bean gum. This mix cost 1.99.



I also have to make some lasagna's for a former personal chef client. I pretty much stopped cooking for clients when I started the catering job. I ran into a former client of mine and she asked me if I could make some small lasagnas she can put in the freezer. She's allergic to garlic and wheat doesnt agree with her. I whipped up a marinara sauce the other day. She provided 2 boxes of kamut noodles. This shouldnt take me too long. I might have to run to the store for some spinach.

I need to get in the shower before the kitchen people come.

[Pookie]

You are in desperate need of a nwe kitchen. Folks, if you could see the whole thing you would agree.

I havent tried the Organics cake mixes, but I do like some of their other stuff.

Give Oliver and Harley a skritch for me.

[CaliPoutine]

Calipoutine,
I've read your previous blogs and look forward to this one.  As for granite,not sure what your current situation is, but I previously had tile and formica, and got this product called, Granite Transformations...http://www.granitetransformations.com/

They put it right over your existing countertops.  I've had them for about 2 years and really love them.  They are stain resistance, crack resistance and heat resistance.  Truly worth the money, slightly less than granite, without the destruction of your kitchen.

Thanks for the link. Our entire kitchen needs to be gutted so we don't have exsisting countertops to work with.

I can't wait for a new kitchen!!

[CaliPoutine]

Lunch today:




2 slices of Arnold's double fiber wheat bread, healthy choice oven roasted deli turkey, harvarti cheese, light mayo, honey mustard, lettuce. Baked doritos and a diet Citrus fizz. Citrus fizz is like the generic version of Fresca.

The bread, turkey, cheese and chips were bought in MI.

[CaliPoutine]

So far today I've

Made 4 lasagna's. These are spinach and asparagus. I delivered them to my client sans cheese. I gave her the cheese to put on later. Not too exciting, but I thought I'd post the picture anyway.


I also went to the supermarket. I picked up local asparagus( 1.25lb). I used a bunch in the lasagna and we'll have some tonight with dinner. I also picked up a 5lb of baking potatoes( 1.99). I mixed up a basting sauce for the pork. Maple syrup, sweet and smokey mustard, and a touch of cider vinegar. This has to be one of the fastest sauces Ive ever made.


I also baked and assembled the cake. It wont be ready to eat until Sunday. I'll frost it with some whipped cream before I serve it.

I spoke to my boss. Tomorrow we'll be cooking ribs, chicken and salmon. We'll also be making a salad called 40 shades of green and potato salad. I'll take lots of pics!! I think I'll be making a chocolate cake too.

Edited by CaliPoutine, 08 June 2007 - 01:26 PM.

[CaliPoutine]

Dinner:

Pork tenderloin, baked spuds( I made an extra one so Robin can make home fries for breakfast) and asparagus. I only lost one.

[heidih]

Really admire you for doing this with your busy schedule. The double fiber bread looks interesting on your sandwich. How many grams fiber per slice and does it taste good? It looks good. When I loose an asparagus spear or something like it on the grill I usually create a mess and try to retrieve it, resulting in something else falling in. You showed great restraint! I love the potatoes. Are they skewered onto a piece of metal so they have internal heat as well? I have never seen that- cool.

[CaliPoutine]

Really admire you for doing this with your busy schedule. The double fiber bread looks interesting on your sandwich. How many grams fiber per slice and does it taste good? It looks good.  When I loose an asparagus spear or something like it on the grill I usually create a mess and try to retrieve it, resulting in something else falling in. You showed great restraint!  I love the potatoes. Are they skewered onto a piece of metal so they have internal heat as well? I have never seen that- cool.

Thanks for commenting. Each slice of bread has90 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 18 grams of carbs. It wasnt too bad. I usually make my own bread, but I didnt really have time this week. I bought the potato cooker thingy at TJ Maxx. Its supposed to cook them faster. Its made especially for the BBQ. It was 3.99. It seemed to work well, although I nuked them for a few minutes before I threw them on the grill.

Schedule wise, today wasnt too bad. The real fun starts tomorrow. I'll be working non-stop until next Sunday.

[CaliPoutine]

Is anyone even reading?

I'm heading to bed. I wont be posting tomorrow until I come home from work.

[lucylou95816]

I'm reading