Final Blog!

I Don't Think We're In Kansas Anymore..

                What a week, what a summer! Starting my blog with a Wizard of Oz quote, so of course I had to end it with one as well! This has been one whirlwind of a summer with so many opportunities and experiences that have proven beneficial for the our special event, The Original Rules of Break Fast! It was a great learning experience, and looking back was a fun night! This event was the fruit of all our labor, and it was great night!

Chicken and Waffles!

                Monday Bri and I spent all day preparing for the event. By the end of the day, I had written around 6 to do lists, and we began preparing our final presentation. We spent a lot of time preparing and figuring out what things we could do, and when. We were very productive as we planned for our event.

                Tuesday was a day full of productivity as well. We made work schedules for our event, we prepared the decorations, and even ended up in the bakery helping Adrianna prepare items for our event. We helped prepare the whole wheat cinnamon rolls, rolled the whole wheat pizza crust, and while Bri helped with decorations, John, Adrianna and I all worked on preparing the peach tart. John truly helped us make sure all the advanced prep was on schedule, and going smoothly! Mason, one of the Hot Foods Cooks, truly helped us through this production. As did all the other cooks! This event truly worked because of how everyone came together and helped us get our project of the ground!

                Wednesday was the big day! I was super stressed, (as per usual) and we had prepared so much the previous days, that we had to play the waiting game to set everything up. Sam, one of the supervisors, was another person who was quintessential to the success of our night. She truly has a vision for decorations, and helped us make sure everywhere was staffed. I don't think enough thank yous will ever be enough to show how grateful I am for all of her help.

                The food was a hit, and we had over 200 guests come! We had a breakfast for dinner event, and people seemed to really like it! Some of the hits were the chicken and waffles, whole wheat pancakes, mixed berry syrup, an apple bacon breakfast pizza on whole wheat curst, and a steak and egg breakfast taco! Our prized dessert was the Peach Tart that Mary helped us create! It was so exciting to see that this recipe was added to the KU Dining recipe repertoire.  Because the food was such a hit, the waffles went like hot cakes, and with an hour left of dinner, we had one pan of waffles left, and not more to prep. We used a frozen waffle, and we had no more left to make! We had to think on our feet, and decided to make waffles with the waffle irons that are put out for breakfast. Mason made the mix, and I jumped in to make the waffles. We kept food on the line, and had enough back up pans to get us through dinner! Other than that, there were no major hiccups throughout the night.

                I can't believe in the  blink of an eye, this internship is over. Eight weeks seems like a long time, but this adventure feels like it lasted all of a week. How did it become the end of July? How did 8 weeks pass so quickly, and how did I get to learn so much in such a short time. I had a truly enriching and inspiring summer, and am excited to see what is too come!

 

Week 7 at KU

 WEEK 7 has come and gone, and I cannot believe it! We have been working hard tying up the final aspects of our Special Even Dinner, and obtain managerial experience. This week also contained barista training, which was by far one of the most fun things I have been able to do! It was so informative and ended with a tour of a tour of the factory where KU buys their coffee from!

Thanks Bri! Order Up!

                By no means am I a coffee drinker, I think I have had less than 5 coffee drinks in my life, but this informative training was so much fun! I learned how to make Freshens Smoothies, espressos, Americano drinks, iced coffee drinks, how to brew coffee in large urns, and finally how to steam milk to make cappuccinos and  lattes. I thought learning to steam milk would be difficult, but using the steam wand was much easier than anticipated. It is all about wand placement, and steaming to 140 degrees. But I will say, latte art is much more difficult then baristas make it look. When I tried, the 'leaf' ended up as more of a blob, thankfully this drink had whipped cream on it to cover up my masterpiece! 

The tour to the Roasterie, which is a Kansas City based company, is who KU buys their coffee from, and we were fortunate enough to tour the factory. This tour was super informative as well; from the roast types, how to properly brew your coffee, and proper storage. This tour made me really wonder how long the tour guide's coffee routine was in the morning, based on how he described proper brewing techniques for coffee!

                Bri and I also were able to meet with the Service employees to discuss and inform them of what is happening this coming Wednesday. It was great to be able to inform them and make sure they were all on board of what is going to be taking place. And we also experienced managerial  roles, shadowing both Travis Fell and Kory Norman. On Monday, we will be able to experience General Manager, Mark Maranell's, position.  These experiences were insightful on what it is like to be a manager, and about different manager styles. It was important to learn about others,  in order for me to learn about myself.

                Friday, Christine, Bri and I traveled to Kansas City to visit the Roasterie and Boulevard Brewing Company, and we were able to try some authentic KC BBQ!! I had a pulled chicken sandwich and let me tell you! This was absolutely delicious!! I joined the clean plate club, and I was stuffed! It was so yummy! We waited on line for roughly 40 minutes, starting outside and making our way inside, but it was so worth it! By the time we left, Joe's Kansas City BBQ, had put a cooler of water with cups outside for those waiting to get inside! We then went to the Brewing Company tour, and it was so interesting. I did have to wear a blaring tag stating I was under 21, but it was still so interesting to learn of the malting process, fermenting, bottling, and history of the company!

                This Saturday, Bri and I went the Grand Opening of the DeBruce Center, where the Original Rules of Basketball are held, and there was a celebration of the opening of the building, and to celebrate the Rules. It was a fun and festive event to celebrate KU Basketball and its heritage!

     This next week is the last week here in Kansas! I can't believe how fast time has flown, but I am anxiously waiting for our event! 

Week 6 at KU

            It has been quite a week here at KU! Jam packed with supervisory experiences and a farm tour! We put in long days with the supervisors and learned the responsibilities of the supervisory role. It was a very informative week, learning a lot about what the front and back of the house supervisors do on a daily basis.

            I began my week with the Front of the House Supervisor Sam Norman. I learned about schedule writing, checking on employees, and checking the quality of the food out on the line. This experience was a great learning experience because I learned what it means to be a supervisor. Sam truly stressed the importance of team work in an establishment as big as Mrs. E's. I learned that people respond best to working toward a team goal, and by using words such as Mrs. E's, we, us. By cultivating a team environment, everyone is willing to work in an efficient manner to accomplish what is needed.

            Bri and I also were able to talk with Keith Lake, Manager of The Market, which is a retail location in The Union. We learned all about retail dining; the importance of easy to read menus, product pricing, and limited time offers. Wednesday was a fun field trip day! We visited a farm in Rich Hill Missouri, traveling with Sysco and Capital City Produce. The farm we visited was run by a Mennonite family, who supplies Capital City Produce. We learned how they farm, and create large production outputs and their farming procedures. Then a huge storm hit, so one of the farmers and his family graciously opened their home to us, and fed us lunch. After lunch, we visited a local shop where their produce and other jarred items were sold. This farm tour showed not only where the produce comes from, and how the labor is done. This was a family operation, and how the farms are passed down among the family.

            Thursday was another day of supervisor experience, this time I shadowed with Morning Back of the House Supervisor, Brian Lane. This time I learned what the morning responsibilities, including turning on equipment, writing schedules, and things of that nature. His management type was about making sure that the employees enjoy the environment in which they work, but are still accomplishing what needs to be done. Friday, we walked over to North College Café, which is located in another resident hall. This is a smaller operations, as it feeds less students during the school year. They were cooking for a smaller group of adults, so needless to say, it was much more calm in the kitchen, but still hectic! This weekend Bri and I also had the opportunity to gain supervisory experience both for the brunch and dinner shifts in the back and front of the house. The weekends differed greatly from week day service, as the amount of customers drastically dropped.

            Our special event dinner is quickly approaching! We are tying up loose ends, and working hard to finish everything on time. Time to start getting excited! Sorry there are no pictures this week, I will definitely add some next week!

Testing 1,2. Testing Here at KU

   This week was focused on projects, projects, projects, projects! Our main focus was testing recipes for our Special Event Dinner! I definitely did not know how much went into writing and creating a recipe! The Executive Sous Chef Travis Fell and Production Supervisor Mary Pouy were a vital role in helping Bri and I in developing recipes for our dinner. We ended up creating a nifty pizza pie, that is still a surprise for all of you reading! We tried different variations before finding just the right balance of ingredients to make a delectable dish! We also tested different variations for a special dessert!
   This was a very fun week as we kept testing recipes. There were many things that went into testing that I sure never would have thought about! The more precise a test recipe is the more precise it will be as it is scaled up to feed 500 people (or more). Everything needed to be weighed, measured, and weighed and measured again to ensure accuracy! (You can say we may have messed up a few times!) Or more than a few! Bri and I in the kitchen, watch out! It's definitely is a show! It is a fun time with a lot of laughs, and a lot of doubts if we did something right! We spent a lot of time in the bakery testing, stirring, baking, and taking things out of the oven way too early. Fun fact: Timers on the oven are not an indicator of done-ness.
  On Thursday, we spent some time on Thursday at the DeBruce Center, where the Courtside Cafe is located. We met with Cynthia Faircloth, who is the manager. We learned about how the establishment was built, as it is a new building, and how all of the eateries were chosen and created. It was really cool to see the  creativity that went into customizing the concepts to what people want to eat! We then spent Friday morning with Chris Johnston, who is the manager of the Satellite Operations. We learned of all the preparations for the Grab-n-Go items that are sold around campus. We learned of the challenges of all of the deliveries that are made daily, and the challenges the drivers face in order to get the food safely to each location. We went on a tour of all the different locations on campus, and learned of the challenges each location faces, because many of the shops are small and have limited space for storage. There are also the challenges of the amount of traffic each location receives, and the amount of sales they receive. These tours and meetings are enlightening because there is so much planning and execution for these plans to make everything run smoothly. There is so much that goes on that I never would have even begun to think about!

Four Fast Weeks!

        We've hit the halfway point, and I can't believe this internship has gone by so fast! It has been four action packed and educational! This week began with a day in Hot Foods and Line Service! This was an intense day that was fast paced! I learned how the food is prepared, and properly stored until serving. This production was down to the science, as we started dinner menu items at around 10 AM! Line service was also fast paced, while I was serving dinner. I was alerted that the meal we served was one of the most popular meals during the school year.  Sesame chicken and white rice was indeed popular during the summer as well!  

Lunch!

                Tuesday was our first field trip! We traveled to the Sysco Warehouse in Olathe, Kansas. This is the distributing location where KU receives their food orders from. This building was massive. The length of the hallways were incredible, multiple football fields long. The aisles where the inventory was stocked were super long as well. Some of the lights were turned off, because they are motion censored, and those were endless as well! Another neat part of this tour was the tour of the freezers. There were I think 4 different temperature freezers, all with specific items. The freezer the ice cream is stored in is negative 20 degrees (we didn’t go in that one , the 0 degree freezer was chilly enough!).  After the culmination of the warehouse tour, we went upstairs and were provided lunch by the Chef! We were able to see the test and production kitchens! Here recipes were generated, and tested for restaurants, schools and other food businesses.

The salad we ate for lunch! (So yummy!)

Our friends from Sysco, courtesy of Bri

New Student Orientation, courtesy of Bri!

                Wednesday we met with the Sport's Dietitian, Aaron Carbuhn. We learned about a day in his life at KU Athletics, learned of the projects he is working on, and saw the workout facilities for the KU Athletes! This room was massive! This was a very beneficial meeting because having an interest in sports nutrition, and seeing what he does was awesome!  We also spent ample time working on the many projects we have, especially our dinner! Thursday Bri and I worked with Christine at the KU Dining Services table at the New Student Orientation.  An hour has never passed so quickly! We were answering the questions of students and mostly parents, on how meal plans worked and the different locations of KU Dinging! It was great to see so many excited first year students eager for the start of school! It reminded me of my orientation and how overwhelming it was!  After orientation, we were able to begin testing recipes for our special dinner. Who knew what went into creating a recipe! So much trial and error. It was exciting to try new things, and watch the reactions of the different people who tried our "creation".

                Friday was a large project day! We spent a lot of time in Mrs. E's working on our projects! It was a beneficial time in order to get a good start on the projects.  We met with Christine for our Friday Lunch, and then met with RD Cheryl Wiley to do a walkthrough of one of the retail locations were we assessed the sanitation.  We then met with Mary to discuss what products we needed in order to further our recipe testing! I am excited for next week to test, test, test!  

This is Where the Magic Happens! Week 3 at KU!

Basil from the Rooftop Garden that we later used to make Pesto!

   I think it is crazy to think about how going to a catered event, I never realized how much work was put into a one hour event! This week I was fortunate enough to learn and experience the intense work that the kitchen and service staff put into an event to make it the best it can be. I have a new appreciation for the work that is put into events,and am grateful to have had this work experience!

Rooftop Garden 

  As mentioned in previous posts, I thoroughly have enjoyed the time I have spent learning in the Bakery, and that is where we started on Monday. We also worked up on the Rooftop Garden, that Executive Chef Janna Travers runs. There are many herbs and hot peppers growing up there! The primary crop is basil and this is used to make the Rooftop Pesto that graces the menu throughout the year! Bri and I were able to help transplant basil into their pots so that they could grow and soon be harvested. It was so awesome to see the initiative to use house grown vegetation in the products! Bri and I started our time helping prepare dessert orders for the New Student Orientations that occurred last week (there were either 4 or 5, I am not sure of the exact amount!). We helped prepare 12 sheet pans of brownies! (That was 6 dozen eggs we used!) We helped put together other orders as well for the orientation's breakfast, such as muffins, and we helped begin to prepare Rice Krispie Treats. We also met with Executive Chef, Janna Travers, and learned about catering as a whole, how menus are put together, the importance of budgeting, and what happens when everything does not go as planned.This meeting was very informative, and really helped set forth my new perspective on what catering really is. I learned the importance of preparatory work, so that as much as possible that can be done ahead of time is one of the best things one can do for themselves in the world of catering.

  Tuesday was a very intense day! We worked on the Hot Foods Side of the Catering Kitchen, and worked hard to fulfill orders for the orientations throughout the week! This preparation was definitely something that I was not used to! Creating enough food to feed around 500 people! We helped tray up chicken for the event that was occurring that day. and help prepare the food for travel, as the even was held in the ballroom of Union. We learned how food is labeled so the right amount gets to the right area at the right time! We then headed upstairs with Harley and the food to deliver the food for the event. Once the buffet tables were open, servers would come back to the kitchen with empty trays and we were responsible for giving them full trays for the attendees! It was so crazy to see that after the doors were open it took 8 minutes for everyone to make it through the lines and be seated with their plates of food!! I was SHOCKED! We then were given our lunch break after the event, and it was TACO TUESDAY in the Market! I was very excited! We then headed back to the kitchen to help with the prep list for the upcoming events. This meant helping make and tray up 60 pounds of pasta! Try to imagine what that looks like.. I never thought I could, but that was 11 hotel pans full of pasta! It was a lot! Then we were tasked with making quesadillas,  600 to be exact. Yes you read that right! Catering really is an art mixed with science and math in order to make sure enough food is produced in an efficient amount of time,and making sure the food is prepped in advance, but will not spoil before the event.
   Wednesday we met with John Whittington, General Manager of The Underground. We learned how this retail location is run, including how the franchise Chick-fil-a is run on campus. We learned how this operation was run, and how it is done so in a State Building. We then met with Karen Cross, and learned about Micros, the system used to program the swipe cards for meal plans, and how the cash registers are programmed. We ended the day meeting with Kaidee in Human Resources. We learned about the hiring process and learned the dos and don'ts of resumes.
   Thursday, I observed at Impromptu Cafe, and worked with Kim Nixon, the manager. I learned how restaurants are run, and what their methods were for running the establishment. I have never worked in a restaurant establishment before, and it was interesting to see what happens behind the scenes. Friday, it was my turn to work with the Catering Staff in the front of the house, and learn about the service portion. I met with Catering Manager Robert Pierrelee, and learned how he got his start in the world of catering, and how he coordinates all the events that occur throughout the year! He said figuring out the schedules is like a puzzle and that is why he really enjoys what he does.
  Well, it has been a really fun week, and I have learned a lot! I am excited for next week and what is to come!

Week 2 Here at KU!

                This week, we got to get our hands dirty in the kitchen! This was a fun filled week, where I learned a lot about food service! This internship opportunity is the first time where I have worked in the field of food service! I have learned about food service in the classroom, and it is great to be able to apply what I have learned in class in the field!

Mrs. E's Dining Hall

                I began my week at the receiving end, where I helped received the daily shipment of food. I then check in the food, put a date on it, and put it away in FIFO (first in, first out) order to ensure the proper food was used to prevent spoilage. Judy and then pulled food from the freezer to thaw it in the refrigerator. These items were tagged and dated to denote when the food was pulled, when the food was to be used by, and for what meal. Then Bri and I were able to attend a meeting for how Camps and Conferences are met with before they arrive in order to make sure all of the camp's needs are met.

                On Tuesday, we were able to attend a procurement meeting. We witnessed and were able to taste test different products that were being thought about being added to KU's dining inventory. There were different Hormel products. Attendees discussed price points, and whether or not the price was better than the products that were currently being used. Bri and I also were working hard planning our special event dinner that will be held in late July! We are very excited to be planning this dinner!

Finished strawberry shortcake, Bri and I helped make!

               Wednesday we got to get our hands dirty and began helping prepare foods! We started in chill foods. We helped slice and dice vegetables, set up the salad bar! Maria was very nice and very helpful in explaining different procedures and what her daily schedule entails. That afternoon, I worked in the dish room during the lunch rush! There were so many working parts of the dish room, and so many plates coming down the conveyer belt! I don’t know how they keep up during the school year, with serving as many meals as they do!

Fresh Flowers from the Farmer's Market

                I think Thursday was my favorite day so far! We were able to work with Monica, one of the bakers at Mrs. E's! it was so exciting to help in the daily production! We helped make caramel bars, pizza dough, and the shortcake for strawberry shortcake! I love to bake, and to be able to help out was awesome! It was really a lot of fun and I learned a lot. In the afternoon, I worke with Judy, and learned how to cashier! Students were able to swipe their cards, there were cash transactions and credit card transactions!

Local Potatoes

        Friday, Bri and I continued to work on our menu for our dinner! After meeting with Christine for lunch at Mrs. E's, we met with Travis to see whether or not our menu was feasible! Saturday morning, Bri and I went on an adventure Downtown, and walked around the local Farmer's Market. It was really neat to see all of the local produce. There were a lot of root vegetables and fresh cut flowers!

    Next week we will be heading over to the Union, where we will be working with Catering! It has been an eventful an educational week, and I am looking forward to next week!  

Week One at Kansas University

     This week has been so fun, yet filled with so much information! This week we were introduced to many people, all holding different positions throughout KU Dining. We met with different supervisors, general managers, and managers; I was enlightened to the necessity of having every link of the operation moving smoothly in order to result in the best possible outcome!
    After Christine picked us up on Tuesday, she brought us to the Kansas Union, where the Administration of KU Dining is housed. We were invited to a luncheon where we were introduced to many of the supervisors, general managers, and managers in which I referred to above! Bri and I introduced ourselves, as did everyone, and the lunch was filled with conversations about how we liked KU thus far, and what

Photo courtesy of  Cheryl Wiley

are plans are for the future, and why did we apply for the NACUFS Internship. We also formally met with Sheryl Kidwell, the Assistant Director of KU Dining, and this meeting was followed by a meeting with the Director of KU Dining, Mark Petrino.
   Wednesday was an introduction to the Retail Dining aspect of KU Dining. We spent the morning with Alecia Stultz, who gave us an over view of the Retail Dining Facilities, what she does on a daily basis, and a tour of most of the Retail Dining Facilities on campus. We ate lunch and were able to view the original rules of basketball! This meeting was then followed by an overview of Residential Dining at Mrs. E's, where we met with Mark Maranell. We discussed the daily operations of Mrs. E's and even got to sit in on a meeting of the supervisor staff of Mrs. E's.
   Thursday was an introduction to the business operations of KU Dining! We met with Mindy Pendreigh, the Dining Systems Administrator, who explained to us the use of CBORD, the program that is used to do everything! This program is where food orders are placed, where their nutrition facts can be generated, where recipes are revised and stored, and essentially anything else you need it do (that what it felt like!). It was an amazing program that is what also programs the University's access cards, allowing students to enter the Residence Halls, and even pay for their laundry! Then we met with Lisa who is the Business Manager, and she explained budgeting. We also had Orientation with Cheryl Wiley, in regards to safety training when we work in Mrs. E's dining facility. Then, we joined Christine at a meeting for KU Fights Hunger, which is an organization that emphasizes the food insecurity on campus.
   On Friday, we began our first steps in following the flow of food throughout the Dining Hall. We started in the Ordering and Receiving Department. I worked with the Procurement Supervisor, Devin Waugh, while Bri worked with Judy in Receiving. I watched as Devin went through his morning routine of inventorying the stock. This then led to placing an order, through CBORD, and then he taught me how he forecasts meals. This is done two weeks in advance, so we were forecasting the meals for the week of July 4th. This was interesting, as there is no real formula or science on how to forecast  the different meals. Devin usually compares the actual meals served from the same date last year, looks at what is on the menu, and what camps are present at the school. Then you have to make a rough estimate on how many people you think will come! Then on Monday, Bri and I will switch and I will be working with Judy, and learn what is done when an order comes in! To end the day, Bri and I traveled down to Oliver's (another Residential Dining Facility), where we met with General Manager, Jim Shilling and he explained the operation of Oliver's and how it is a more traditional cafeteria style. He then showed us the floor plans for the NEW Residential Dining Facility! It was so amazing to see the plans for what the new features of the facility will hold! Jim is a true Lawernceian (I'm not sure how to spell that, but that is the name of someone from the town of Lawrence), and provided us with a grand tour of Lawrence, both from a historical standpoint, and where the best places to go and hang out at or grab a cup of coffee! It was a great day to end the week!This week has been a lot of fun! I am excited to see what the next couple of weeks will hold,and am eager to learn more!