Tumultuous Tuesdays - Picture Heavy Post

Today was a rough day, and not just because I got my first kitchen injury! (More on that later)

I know that I've only been in classes for 2 weeks, and that today was only my second day in the kitchen, but I was feeling really down on myself today.  I just kept judging myself and was feeling like I couldn't do anything right, even though everything that Julie and I made came out very well.

Today we were making specialty cookies, and unlike yesterday, each pair was making something different!  This has it's good and bad points - good, because the entire kitchen isn't making the same thing so you get to see different finished products, but bad because you aren't making everything and can still get tested on it on the practical at the end of this module.  So yeah, there's a good chance that I'll be making my own test batches on the weekends - I hope that everyone likes care packages!

Julie's and my assignment was to make cream cheese brownies and cinnamon cookies - yum!  I've never made cream cheese brownies before and was very satisfied with the finished product.  And even though I kept doubting myself and making stupid mistakes, our instructor loved them and we got the thumbs up.  Here are pictures of some of the products made today:

Our Cream Cheese Brownies

Cinnamon Cookies!

 

Delicate Butter Tea Cookies Sandwiched with Raspberry Jam

 Linzer Tortes and Cornmeal Pistachio Lime Cookies

Double Chocolate Macadamia Chunk Cookies

Macaroons, Russian Tea Cookies and Mexican Wedding Cakes

Spritz Cookies

Raisin Spice Bars

 

Sugar Cookies

Ginger Snaps and Shortbread

 

 Pinwheel Icebox Cookies

That's a lot!!  Another benefit of everyone making different cookies is that instead of just taking home what you made, we all share and get to fill our Tupperware containers with a little bit of everything.  

As I mentioned at the beginning of  this post, yes, Brooke Safety is alive and well.  I nicked the base of my left thumb with a knife while cutting butter today.  Now don't worry -  I'm perfectly fine, it's barely an abrasion, but you know how the most superficial cuts always look the worst - it wouldn't stop bleeding!  So I had to embarrassingly walk up to Chef Katie and tell her that I cut myself.  She pointed me toward the first-aid station and told me to clean up the cut, put a band-aid on it and a finger cot.  Now if you've never had the pleasure of wearing a finger cot, let me share this picture with you:

Yes, that's right - it looks like a tiny blue condom, and I had to wear this on my thumb all during class.  At least I wasn't the only one - I definitely saw a couple other people with blue fingers during the day.  Oh well, at least I got my first kitchen injury out of the way - that's the spirit right?

Before I sign-off for tonight, I want to send a special message out to my wonderful friend Monica: Thank you for making my day special and for reminding me that there are people (that I don't get to see often enough) that love me very much.  Thank you for the box and for the gifts - I can't wait to use them :)