A little hiccup with my day today. My partner and I made the wrong thing on Friday and things kinda were messed up today. We were supposed to make croissant dough on Friday and prep or start the puff pastry if we had time. Unfortunately, we did the exact opposite. Lucky for me, my lab partner didn’t show up today and even luckier still someone else’s partner didn’t show so I shared her dough. So, I guess I owe her tomorrow. Since my lab partner didn’t show, I had to do her clean up job. I hope she remembers this for when it’s MY turn.

The first time I ever made croissants, I was very green, even more green than I am now. I didn’t understand how the butter (fat) was supposed to work (I think one time I just melted the butter into the dough, DOH!). Last time I think I worked with too soft a butter and it just oozed out of the dough… YUCK! Now, I know better… I hope! =)… Today’s croissants were huge successes, I’m proud to say the came out almost perfect. I had a small size difference to what I was supposed to get, but not too shabby. The look and even taste was great. I had to stop myself from eating them all… So much butter! I wonder what adventure tomorrow brings me.

So, if you take a look at my photo albums you’ll see some new pictures. Yesterday, we made these great apple-pecan muffins, and omg were they good. Good to eat, good to look at. It’s really great when you get praise from your Chef. He actually used the word “beautiful.” My lab partner made chocolate-honey muffins. So, why didn’t Adam make the chocolate item? I can’t exactly answer the question, because I don’t really know. Usually, I’d be the first to jump at anything chocolate. But, I decided to broaden my knowledge for non chocolate items. However, chocolate will always be #1 for me.

Today, my lab partner and I worked together, astonishing isn’t it. But, I’d have to say it turned out well. Take a look at the apple nut muffin pictures. Can you see the swan in the cake? I caught Chef eyeing our cake a couple times, heh. He seemed to like the swan and the defined lines. Some groups had better swirls, but I like our swan. =)

Have you checked out my chocolate strawberries? I’ll make some for you for a small price. j/k … for now. LOL

I miss the old days of Tae Kwon Do. I forget how I got here, I think it was Yahoo!’s Buzz Searches, but I came upon the The World Taekwondo Federation. I wish I was affiliated with this group… I mean come on. WTF.org!!! Damn how lucky to be WTF.org. WTF?! AHAHAHA WTF that’s funny. I don’t even remember what my school was affiliated with, if any… I’m probably not registered anywhere… Which is probably a good thing, now that I think of it. WTF?!

GRRRRRRR!!!! Today, my scones burned. I’ll take the blame since I was supposed to check on them. However, I thought my partner was checking on them because I was doing all of our dishes, wrong. At the same time she lightly burned her biscuits. So, she took mine and used them as her own. I think Chef knows somethings up, ’cause he saw the burnt biscuits. He better not think it was mine. On the good side, he loved the biscuits.

What makes things worse? My brother just IMed me and said he just met Martha Stewart at a private party in his visit to Italy. I’d SO want to meet her! Martha’s my sort of hero =( …Well, minus the whole insider trading thing =P. …ARG I’m so pissed right now.

Well, my first section at PCI is over. I hope I did well in the multiple choice questions. It was a little confusing. There were a few questions on things we talked about maybe once; some not at all, but it was right next to something in the book that was talked about… Can anyone tell me how many teaspoons in 1/3 cup?

I’m pretty sure I did well on the practical. As you can see in the pics in the photo album, I’d have to pat myself on the back. HA. I’d have to say the FoodNetwork saved me. In cutting the sponge cake you’d think it’s obvious on how to cut it straight, but n00b pastry chefs don’t know that sort of thing; unless they got lucky, got help, have done it at home, or watch too much TV (like me). Oh well, I tried my hardest, and I think I did rather well. Yay, me…

So, in case anyone has been reading the San Jose Mercury News, or something like that, you’ll see in the Business section today, on the very top in big bold letters, ”EA plans to lay off hundreds”. While it says only 145 from Redwood City and the rest worldwide, I happen to know a few of those ill-fated ones. What really gets me is that it reads, ”We are still hiring while we are doing these layoffs.” [So, in your face!] So, that’s why I haven’t received a call back yet, not that I’d want to come back at this point in my life. In a way I’m very happy I found something I have a passion for and will attempt to make it my livelyhood. But, on the other hand, I wish all who was effected good luck to whatever path they decide on taking. It’s a real shame too, because EA is the biggest video game producer in America (I believe… or at least that’s what they kept telling us in the lame meetings I never went to…). I know many people who wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. Anyway, GL guys… (and girls, though I don’t know any effected but I’m sure there were…) … I digress, good luck!

So, Thursday the whole family is going to the airport and flying to Europe… Let me rephrase that. The whole family, but me, is going to the airport and flying to Europe. My dad’s cousin has an art thing in Italy, and my family is going to go see it, and of course I can’t go. Sure, everyone else took time off from work and school. But, right now, I can’t sacrifice that sort of time. It’s about 3 days off I’d have to take off. Actually, it wouldn’t work out anyway, I think my final is Thursday. Man, and I wanted so much to go too.

There’s only a handfull of places I’d like to go in my life time, Italy being one. I must go to Italy to see if I really do like the food, since if I were to ever go into culinary like my brother (unlikely), I’d want to be Iron Chef Italian, like Kobe! I’d want to go to France, mostly for the food too, but it’d be closer to my new future forte, baking and pastries. The Netherlands, ’cause it’s half home (and the Red Light District, j/k ha). I’d want to go to HK, or somewhere in China or Taiwan, just because. And probably Japan and Korea. So, who wants to take some time off and go travel with me after I graduate? Heh… …I suppose I’ll have to wait until I retire.

So, this Saturday I had hockey and I thought we played well. Too bad we didn’t convert the game for 2 points. Anyway, during the game I was crossedchecked high, fell back snapped my neck, and bruised both elbows. What sucks the most, I have a game today and I’m thinking I shouldn’t play in fear of making it worse. Maybe I’ll dress and warm up like the pros do (heh), then sit on the bench. Bah, I hate being ”day-to-day.”

AH! I finally found the definition to ”Hat Trick”… I know I’ve talked about it in the past and really haven’t given an explanation. But, then during the Sharks game today the commentators talked about the origin of the term. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear what it was, as I was on the phone. So, a quick Google for keywords I DID hear and I get my results I was looking for. So here, I give you the hat trick. I <3 wikipedia... Edit: 1/29 1:37AM ::: Let me rephrase. Duh, I know WHAT a ”Hat Trick” is with hockey. I just never knew where it came from, the phrase’s origin if you will… So, there. =P

As seen on my Friendster…

Ah, the good old days.