The Problem With Spring Semester

Being in the Northeast, snow is expected. So we have our shovels and salt ready. We have our warm clothing and waterproof outerwear to deal with the low temperatures. And we expect things to keep going.

But then there's a snow day. I don't get these days anymore, but I used to. When I was in grade school, and even then it was only for extreme conditions. If our elders marched through blizzards, then we could put up with a few inches and go to class.

But things have changed. Global warming... lack of salt... things. Since I've been upstate I've noticed it more. When I went to UAlbany, we had one snow day, and they it was for afternoon classes. Still had to trudge out to my morning classes. This season... heck the last two weeks alone they've had what... two? Three?

Lucky.

Or are they? I only say this because I am having the same problems at SCCC. These winter storms have been hitting early in the week, cancelling either one of the classes I am taking this semester. Cake Decorating has been dealt the worst of it - we've only had ONE class so far - and that was the "first day." I have that in quotation marks because technically the real first day of classes was a holiday so of course no class.

Plain bad luck.

How will they make this up? Two labs now we've missed and they're the foundation classes for the rest of the semester. Sure, I may have a leg up because it's piping and frostings which I have plenty of experience with, but it's sucks for those who don't. So we have to do it on our own at home, and I guess they'll have to cram the rest in the remaining weeks.

Still sucks.

And I am pretty sure there are a few people in my class that will be demanding a refund.

Okay, rambling post somewhat food related done. Time for lunch.

Oh, and I do have Food Prep tonight. We make soups tonight. Excited!

Cookie Decorating Class at the Library

 

 

In the ongoing City Wars, Troy has shown once again why it's better than Albany -

 

Free cookie decorating classes.

 

At the library.

 

FREE COOKIES!!!

 

Thanks to a program called The Community Art$Grant from The Arts Center of the Capital Region (and the New York State Council on the Arts), the Lansingburgh branch is holding free arts & crafts workshops for the public. Sadly, I found out too late for some classes (Embroidery, Zumba), but I was able to sign up for cookie and small cake decorating classes taught by Becky from Sweet Sues here in Troy.

 

You sign up online, and all you need walking in there is a sugar craving and big imagination. Becky was great, and demonstrated how to use Royal icing and some designs before the group went and made their own Halloween themed cookies. Supplies were limited (understandable, considering budget restraints and holding the class in a library instead of the bake shop), so people were walking over to the other tables asking to borrow a color.

 

Working with the icing was a lot more difficult than I thought it would. Those cooks on tv make it seem so easy... but in reality what should have been smooth lines turned into shaky squiggles. The pressure I applied to the bag kept changing, so the thickness varied. I know now that I should probably prop something against my wrist so I can have a steadier hand when outlining.

 

I waited until M got home a few hours later before we dove into my creations. The sugar cookie/Royal icing pairing was way too sweet for me. I think I'll need to use a butter or not-so-sweet sugar cookie when I make some in the future. And trust me, I will. I gotta work on my icing skills.

 

Next Tuesday Becky will be teaching the small cake decorating class, but as mentioned before, due to limited supplies she's thinking it will most likely be cupcake decorating. Which is completely fine by me - I am all about the free learning. You can still sign up for the class - just head on over to this link and sign up!

 

See you there!

Is It Kosher?

Why yes... it is.

It is a common misconception belief in my class that food will help retain the audience's attention. I can tell you that this is not true at all- I don't remember the content of any presentation where they gave me food. There may have been talk about vaccinations, but I'm not entirely sure. There was a lot of candy, that's definite... and a lot of time for me to figure out the pattern in which to eat this candy (but don't tell everyone, my OCD is still on the low)

Back to the picture above. This day was an exceptionally long day, so long that I started losing my mind and now I have a tumblr page. Near the end of one presentation, they started distributing food, which I paid no attention to... until these chips came my way.

I've never really had good experiences with kosher food. I worked at a facility that was Kosher and the bringing of non-Kosher food was a big no-no (but we did it anyways). The meals they provided always seemed to be missing something (coughcoughflavorcoughcough) and almost always undercooked (especially the chicken). These chips? Okay, but it seemed very taste muted.

I ate my handful and refused additional helpings. My classmates on the other hand, kept on eating.

Obviously, hunger beats out taste any day.