Here are some pics from the event! I didn't get to many good ones on my camera, but this gives you some sort of an idea of what it looked like. :)











Since the project is done, all Casey and I have left to do is manager training, and just learn as much as we can in the last two weeks we have here. I am excited to expand more on my managerial skills and learn how they do things here (I now keep wondering how my school works!) Its gone so fast (I know I've said that so many times but it really has). This has been such a memorable summer, truly one that won't be forgotten.

We're all in the business of food...

...so I thought you all might appreciate my new & improved food blog: Nosh Shots!

Warning: do not read on an empty stomach unless you have immediate access to food!

Any suggestions, comments, or thoughts are always welcomed and appreciated.

ENJOY!

- Casey

Foxwoods + Six Flags = Best Day Ever

What do you get when you start with a tour of the F&B branch of a casino, add roller coasters, a waterpark, and, of course, tons of great food?

My idea of a perfect day.

Sadly, I did not opt to bring my camera into Six Flags and as such have no photo documentation of the delicious turkey leg, ice cream cookie sandwich, or fried dough that were consumed within the park. You'll have to trust me when I tell you they were delicious in the way only amusement park food can be: guilt-free, hands-on messy, and oh-so reminiscent of the vacation outings of my childhood.

Nonetheless, I offer you these pictures of desserts (we sadly did not get to sample) in the Foxwood bakery. Don't they make gambling look tempting, if just to get these mouthwatering morsels for free? 

Don't blame me for your debt or weight gain. I'm just the messenger.

;)

- Casey

Six Flags

This week was our trip to Six Flags New England. I had been looking forward to this trip all summer. While we where there we went on many of the roller coaster and thrill rides that the park had to offer. Also we went to the water park and rode many of water slides that where at this park. This day was a good chance for us to get away from work and was as fun as I had hoped it would be

Derrick

six flags and fun!

Well Friday was just awesome because we got to tour fox woods (casino in CT). I had never stepped in a casino before so it was all very new to me. We got to tour all of the BOH operations and learn about how much business it does. I can't believe how much business they do, and how many people come through there every day. There is so many different aspects to hospitality and this is very fast paced. The chef showed us all the restaurants as well as the bakery and production line that makes all the sauces and soup. I was surprised to learn how much fresh food and unfrozen meat they use. It was a great tour. After the tour Derrick, Casey, Eric, and I all headed to six flags for the day! I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to roller coasters but they all forced me on and I'm glad they did. You really can't beat the thrill of a coaster :)

other fun activities- Casey and I also went to Newport on Saturday! it was awesommeee. We finally got to hit a beach and go to some cute little stores, as well as a very good restaurant. Finally to top off the fantastic weekend, we all went blueberry picking Sunday! There is only 3 weeks left, and I can't believe it.

Meg

A Taste of Asia

Well the day FINALLY came, Casey and I had our luncheon we had been planning for the last month. I can't believe it's already over! We spent the first two days planning and making ALOT of phone calls (those two days were so needed) we had a couple scares and worries, but once it came to it, the day turned out perfect! :) Derrick was a HUGE help in the whole process (thank you!! :) and very glad to have him there. We had a large last rush of putting up all the decorations, for example I put up a huge line of dragons and almost got electricuted (I think they were really trying to breath fire). Some other decorations included, flags, fans, Chinese decor, and parasols. The food was delicious and we got so much great feedback. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone that came and for all the help we got from the UCONN staff, we couldn't of done such a great job with out you! Pictures to come soon!

def. one of the coolest things I've done

Meg

Thank you!

ありがとうございます！谢谢！ 감사합니다！

  To everyone who helped: whether by cooking, prepping, printing, planning, providing your expertise and advice, or just stopping in for lunch today - THANK YOU.  I dearly hope everyone enjoyed our luncheon and am so thankful for all the support the both of us have so generously received from you all. Your feedback is important to us - so if you didn't get a chance to fill out a comment card or chat with us today, let us know. 

  I can't believe it's over! But I'm so pleased with the way it turned out, and know that we couldn't have done it without you all.

Mahalo nui loa!

Casey

A Special Invitation...

3 Days?! 

  Yes, after five weeks of planning and much anticipation, the week is finally upon us. Our luncheon is this Wednesday, July 22 in South Dining Hall from 11am-1:30pm, and our theme is A Taste of Asia! You can expect to enjoy some seriously delectable dishes, including pad thai, egg drop soup, garlic naan, and navatran (vegetarian curry). If that's not exciting enough, there's also going to be the Frozen Slab Ice Cream Bar featuring UConn's famous Dairy Bar Ice Cream, all while the sweet sounds of China's Twelve Girls Band play in the background. We'll be running around the next couple of days finalizing all the details and making sure everything is perfect...so we hope to see you there!

events galore

After working the farmers market I started realizing I REALLY like catering and events. I know it is a lot of work and crazy hours but if you love your job you can't really pass that up, and I can tell everyone I worked with this weekend does. Casey and got to see both views by spending a little bit of time in the office with the coordinators and setting up/working the actual event. The event we worked on this weekend was a wedding. I enjoyed every minute of helping set up, seeing the happy people come in, and plating and helping serve food. I thrive around people and just enjoy hospitality!

Weekend fun- Friday- COSMIC bowling, and hanging out with fun people


Sunday- Casey and I got the chance to do a little walking/hiking along one of the trails here in Connecticut. Someone suggested to go to the airline rail trail, which is a trail that stretches all across CT. We got a lot of good exercise in (and a lot of bug bites) but it was a peaceful afternoon. Here are some pics along the way

Off to the Races

This past Friday Eric and I went to Lime Rock speedway. We had made this trip last year and had a really good time, so when the races came back this year we decided to go back. The day was full of many different races and race classes. These classes include the Formula BMW Series, Atlantic Series and the La Mans Series. The whole day was a lot of fun and was definitely worth the trip. The only down side was that we did not put enough sun screen on and paid for it in the end

Derrick

cater, v. (kāt′ər)

Def.:  1. To provide food service for: a business that caters banquets and weddings.

  2. To attend to the wants or needs of.

  Over the past three days I've learned about how UConn defines catering. Sure, their main duty is to provide food - but they also arrange everything from venues to decorations. It all begins with the very first call to reserve a date, and only after many phone calls and emails is a menu decided on, created, and delivered. The many people an event plan must go through first (holla at Helen, Peter, Regina, and Kathy!) before becoming a reality is surprising; the total number of people involved in carrying off a 1.5 hour event is much higher than one might expect.

  I was able to experience two very different events this week: one, a dinner banquet with a farmer's market theme; the other, a wedding reception. Both required early set-up and lots of flowers and food, but one was for 400 teachers while the other was for 100 adults and 30 kids. Even with previous catering experience, I still found myself amazed at the feeling of accomplishment one experiences every time an event is completed. It's that feeling that makes this business so appealing...this is why I love hospitality!

management and events

Well the weeks just keep getting faster and faster. So far this week we have worked as managers and worked in catering.

management- There is definitely a lot of walking around and making sure things are running smoothly. South is such a large location it is always a good idea for a manager to be out on the floor. I can imagine it gets even crazier during the school year. The second day the manager we worked with showed us a lot of information about the student workers and student managers. I didn't realize students had the chance to become managers, which I think is a great idea. It gives a student a chance to see what its like to be a manager and if they decide to become one, it gives them seniority. I enjoy being a manager and the multiple duties that come along with it. We all decided that we would rather be doing that instead of sitting at a desk all day long. You definitely need to be a people person, which i am! :)

catering- The event theme was a farmers market. Casey and I got to set up the pamphlet/info station and the dessert station. We had a lot of fun decorating the dessert station and putting our creative sides in. I really enjoyed putting up the decorations and loved the theme! We also helped here and there with the other four food locations putting baskets, plates, and napkins, where they needed to go. After the set up we sat down with the managers and they went over the details of the night and where they were placing each employee. After the managers meeting we did some more setting up and once all staff arrived there was one more all staff meeting and it was time to start the event. During the event Casey and I manned the dessert station. We set up ice cream, whipped cream, candy, hot fudge, and brownies. While the dessert section was closed I helped clear off tables and bring stuff back to the dish room. I had so much fun doing this today and I am really excited to spend the next two days doing it as well. It was crazy we had to do so much setting up for an event that only lasted an hour and a half. I definitely learned a lot from today’s event and I think it was a great place to start.

the best part was being able to eat the left over food ;)

Meg

and the results are in

So... I completed my first solo shift as an assistant manager, it was a fairly uneventful night with very few problems. The few difficulties that I faced where inventory related and where easily solved. I am excited to get another chance to work by myself and thankfully that chance will be coming soon, as I will be working at North West again this Friday.

Derrick

Times flying by...coffeee and fireworks

I can't believe we are already a month in, like the title time is just flying by. We had a good rest of the week and the best part was we got to drink coffee all day long! To say the least I was pretty caffeinated on Friday. It was a lot of fun though because we got officially trained as baristas! (Watch out Starbucks) We learned how to make lattes, cappuccinos, and chais. I kept forgetting to mention it earlier but the chais here are delicious. I think if I lived around here I would come into one of the campus coffee shops and get one...yes I am a student still?

On Saturday I went to Coventry to see the fireworks and better yet went out on a kayak to see them. It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve done because you can see the reflection of the fireworks in the water as well as in the sky. It is also really entertaining because you can hear the boom of the firework echo everywhere. It was a little disappointing because it started to rain, so they only lasted 20 min. There is a big fireworks show in Columbus called RED WHITE AND BOOM and I thought they were quite comparable. All and all a great time!

Dear Connecticut

*please stop raining

Love, Megan

First Shift

Tonight is my first night running the dining hall without another manager to guide me, I am excited to put all the things that I have been learn to the test. It is going to be a slow night being that we are only serving 190 students but it will still be a good test as to how well I can perform with out supervision. I will write again in a few days to let every one know how things turned out.

Derrick

Deer and Fishes and Bears, Oh My!

   Yesterday we took a trip down to the mall and ended up at Cabela's. Never having been to one, I had no idea what to expect; I certainly did not think that you could have so much fun in a hunting/fishing/outdoor merch store. With a realistic mountain populated with taxidermic (?) animals and a waterfall in the middle of the building, a walk-through aquarium, a cafe, and a full-size plane hanging from the ceiling, this was more like a museum than a retail operation. And even better yet, unlike most museums, it was free! 

  Some pictures to give you an idea:

 

The aquarium:

Very large catfish: 

They have a "gun library":

View from the second floor:

The Africa exhibit:

Aaand in front of the store:

Now if only I was into hunting...

Adventures away from Storrs

Destination 1: Fowler (FreshPoint) Produce 

Events: History of company, anecdotes, tour of refrigerated storage units

Took away: Farming and the produce industry are very unpredictable, fickle operations. A lot of experience and hands-on training seem to really be the only way to successfully run a business. 

Cool fact: Becoming a locavore is something everyone should strive to become. By buying locally grown (read: not necessarily organic, which, in CT, often means not local as organic is difficult for New England weather and therefore also means more $$), you are not only supporting the local economy and preservation of farmlands, but are reducing your carbon footprint, and, ultimately, getting a better quality product. The shorter distance that tomato needs to travel from farm to your plate, the more time it can spend on the vine getting delicious and the less chemicals it needs to be sprayed with. And by buying local, you keep your money local. Win-win-win. 

Destination 2: Omar Coffee

Events: Sampling of coffee, tour of process from bagged green beans to roasting, testing, grinding, flavoring, and packaging.

Took away: Coffee roasting and grinding isn't very difficult; you just need the right equipment. I want to try roasting my own coffee someday...

Cool fact: After roasting, coffee gives off a good amount of CO2. If your bag of coffee is particularly round or inflated, that means it was packaged too soon. Also: Kona coffee is the only US-grown coffee. Buy US-made products and support Hawaii's economy at the same time! Did I mention it's also delicious? Again, win-win-win!

Tours

This week has been pretty busy with putting our final menu together and entering it into the system. We made lots of phone calls to people and set up things we are going to be needing in a couple weeks. Casey and I went to the catering unit and found some Asian decorations but it wasn't enough so we went online and found some really cool stuff. I am really excited and feel like the whole project is coming together. I hope the day of the event runs smoothly and nothing to crazy happens! I think it will be a lot of fun and def. a day to remember.

Today we went on a tour to Fowler produce and Omar coffee. Both of the tours were awesome and extremely informing. I really enjoyed the Fowler tour because we had a produce company we used to buy from where I used to work and the things he showed us made me connect what I used to do at my old job with that produce company. I also think that its great that they have so many local farmers and are supporting the businesses in this area. A lot of people aren't doing that and it's great to see such a big company putting forth the effort and it just shows that it is possible to support "the little guy" and still be doing ok. The Omar tour was great as well. I love coffee and we got to see the process of how the coffee comes in, checking it, roasting it, grinding it, and packaging it. I had been on a tour of another company and it was quite similar except this was much larger. There are a lot of factors I learned from touring these two buildings and things I would of never expected to happen. We are also working in one of the coffee shops this week and that should be a lot fun! (and getting extremely caffeinated in the process)

Meg

Looking ahead

I am excited to begin next week’s schedule most of my time is spent at McChman with Eric. Over the course of the week we will be serving the basketball camps, a group totaling over 700 kids. I have never severed a group this size during my time here at UCONN and it should be a fun and interesting experience. Also this week is our trip to the casino for our first field trip of the year, I attended this trip last year and I am excited to see what has changed since then

The Week Ahead...

...looks very, very promising. Megan and I are moving right along with our luncheon planning and have already inputted all ingredients and recipes for our menu into FoodPro. On Wednesday the plan is to take a tour of the Omar Coffee Company's plant in Newington, which should be both fascinating and relevant as we are working in the coffee shops on Friday. As a coffee drinker myself, though I am not "addicted" as many of my peers are, I do enjoy a good cappuccino or thai iced coffee once in a while. I am excited to learn about everything from the beans to espresso to how to properly make a drink. All I can say is that by the end of this, Starbucks better watch out!

  I  recently discovered the book "Best Food Writing 2008" edited by Holly Hughes. Such renowned food writers as Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, and Alice Waters have all contributed, and include topics ranging from cloned animal meat to cultural cuisine to the 101 easiest summertime recipes. As the back cover says, "whether you're a gourmet, a gourmand, or merely a hungry grazer, you'll find plenty in these pages to pique your curiosity, provoke your opinions, and just plain tickle your taste buds." A great summer read indeed!

Now let's just hope the weather gets the memo that it's summer,

Casey

4th of july weekend

Well last week was a great week and it was topped off with the perfect 4th of July weekend! We got Friday off and went out on Eric's boat and did a little tubing. It was a little short lived because it started to rain (crossing my fingers it was the last of the crazy rain this summer) but it was a lot of fun. We even got some ice cream from the ice cream man. We went back to Eric's house and he made a delicious meal and just sat around and talked. On the 4th we went over to one of the assistant managers house's where they were having a BBQ. They live right on lake and we were able to go kayaking to another party where we played horseshoes and had more food! We wentback to the other house and hung out and ended the night with a fire and smores, like I said the PERFECT 4th of July :).

This week we will be working with chef Rob more to plan and order our items for our dinner and we are also going on a coffee tour and working in the coffee shops. I am really excited about this because I love coffee and I have been on a coffee tour before and it was interesting to see the process of making coffee.I am interested in seeing how others do it as well. I can't believe we are heading into week 4 because it is just going so fast! New people, activities and adventures everyday.

Meg

4th of July

Hello everyone happy 4th of July. We had a very good time over the course of this holiday weekend. We started of by going to Crystal Lake and Friday with Eric where we spent our time tubing and riding the boat around the lake. Unfortunately it started to rain so we had to leave early. After the lake went to Eric’s house and had a BBQ, all of the food was very good and we all had a really good time. Then on Saturday Casey, Meghan and my self went to Alex and Andy’s house where we hung out and the lake all day. We went to several BBQ and went kayaking. I had a very good weekend and was glad to get of Storrs and do something fun.

Derrick

Happy July!

  Despite losing MJ, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Mays in the past few days, life somehow went on and here are some recaps:

    -  spent two mornings in the bakery...not enough time!

 - made and helped prep for French and Italian breads, fudgy brownies, white streusel, pineapple upside-down cakes, strawberry bread pudding, olive bread, cinnamon apple strudel, etc.

   - have spotted aforementioned items in actual dining halls for dinner

   - baked, frosted, and decorated a pink-marbled yellow cake

  - learned how to use different icing tips and practiced writing and making flowers,  leaves, borders, and other details

 - took many pictures of above foods for my food blog, check them out at http://cmfooddiaries.blogspot.com/

   - discovered the salads at the Student Union Market...the house and Pacific Rim are delicious

   - participated in a start up, lock-out, and run of FoodPro

   - worked in the catering office and sat in on a meeting with the executive chef

  - spent the day in the BOH at Chuck & Augie's, the Student Union's restaurant - tour, salads and all

 - had lunch at C&A's; ordered the chicken quesadilla special - huge portions, awesome guacamole, hot and crispy jalapeño poppers...true comfort food

   - rediscovered how amazing and refreshing iced tea is at C&A's

   - have been crossing all fingers and toes for good weather this weekend and the holiday

  This week could not have gone by any faster. When we get off work it feels like we just arrived; our time is jam-packed full of interesting, engrossing work (and lots of food!) Hopefully we'll get a chance to go back. This week is cut short because of the 4th - lots to look forward to this weekend and next week, including the lake, a field trip, and working at the coffee shops! 

Stay tuned for more delicious updates,

Casey

cakes, breads and sweets

This week started off great with two days in the bakery! It was so much fun. We had an early start at six and for the bulk of the day helped make bread and form it. I have never really worked with bread before so it was a lot of fun learning the process and how to properly knead it, it's a lot more difficult then looked. We also got to make some other desserts like brownies and bread pudding. We also learned how to properly use the machines in the bakery which can be very dangerous. The machines there can be very large and need to take proper precautions when using them. The ovens were very large too, I was interested in those because I had never seen a walk in oven before. The next day was even better because we got to see a cake demonstration/promotion and got to try them all as well :) We even got to make and decorate our own cakes. I now have confidence that I could go home and decorate some for family or friends. The cake promotion was awesome to watch, with about 6 different cake batters and 4 brownie mixes to choose from. It made me think about how to switch providers within companies and how the whole process takes place. I really enjoy baking and this just gave me a view to seeing what working in a bakery is really like. The whole time while we were there we were munching on bread, muffins and sweets (no problem with me :) )

This week we also did some computer work with the computer manager which was a little hectic and confusing. Its harder for me to grasp the technological side of it all but it was very informative. This weekend is the 4th of July and we are all really excited for fireworks/cookouts/lakes.

Meg





cake I made!