NE Highlights and Challenges | Week #22

This is a class assignment that I write about at the end of each week called Highlights and Challenges. If you are new to my blog I am enrolled at The Natural Epicurean Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas and this is my online journal (among other things!).

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Describe: What did you find especially exciting, interesting, inspiring, satisfying and/or fun this week in the kitchen?

This was our last week in culinary school and our final event happened on Saturday! It was a whirlwind of food, family, friends, and yes some tears!

Here is our AMAZING menu that Tiana hand drew for us for our Earth to Table theme. She killed it with this menu and I hope she gets an A++:

We had four days to plan, grocery shop, decorate, and cook. Everyone was busy (some more so than others), but there was a calmness that kept me grounded. Since we were all so busy I really didn't capture any photos of food from the final event, but I did take a few random photos:

Check out this groovy mango that had a small arm growing out of it, but what's great about this was Tiana's expression...hahaha!!! 

2. Reflect: In what ways have you begun to apply, develop or incorporate this and/or how does this influence your professional goals?

I will be giving cooking demonstrations and grocery store tours in Dallas for a small group of family members next week. I'm super excited about this :) 

After the final event was over I showed my aunts how to juice wheatgrass and explained to them the health benefits. They were really open to all of this information and excited to learn more about healthy plant-based cooking. We had fun:

CHALLENGES

3. Describe: What did you find especially challenging or difficult in the kitchen this week?

Since we had a holiday on Monday we had four days to get ready for the event. Tight. Deadlines.

4. Reflect: What might you do to meet and overcome these challenges or difficulties?

I believe that if you prepare ahead of time and have all of your details figured out things go smoothly. 

In the end everything came together and our friends and family were very happy and impressed with our event! 

This is my last highlights and challenges entry and I want to thank you for stopping by to read my blog. It's been intense, but I loved the experience!!! 

I will leave you with a group photo of my class. This was taken right after the final event. Love to you all.

NE Highlights and Challenges | Week #21

This is a class assignment that I write about at the end of each week called Highlights and Challenges. If you are new to my blog I am enrolled at The Natural Epicurean Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas and this is my online journal (among other things!).

At the request of our macrobiotic chef instructor, this weeks highlights and challenges will be different that my previous posts. 

We are to create a Spring menu (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for someone who needs to lighten up their meals, or a Spring menu for a wedding. I will be creating a Spring menu for someone who needs to lighten up their meals. 

Before I get into the Spring menu I'd like to share all the great photos of the macrobiotic recipes we made this past week. So much good food!

That last photo is Chef Rachel getting the perfect shot of our food on our last day of macrobiotic class. It was a great day and we sat together and ate for the last time as a group.  

Macrobiotic Spring Menu 

Breakfast 

Miso soup 

Lemon and ginger tea

Lunch

Edamame and chickpea salad with lemon miso dressing

Sweet vegetable drink

Dinner

Sushi with sweet and sour burdock, carrot, green onion and tofu

Dessert

Kanten with pear juice and lemon

That's all for this week! Hope you stop by for another visit next week. It will be my last post of highlights and challenges. My culinary training ends with our final event next weekend!!! It's going to be a blast :)