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[nicolette2413]

*Sigh* I finally caved and made an Instagram account

[robbyd1991]

Bout time.

[nicolette2413]

Good Bye Chicago

I was laying in my sleeping bag on the crappy air mattress on the floor Friday night. My apartment was 80% packed and loaded into the U-haul. I had said good bye to my awesome pack of weirdos and classmates. The contents of my fridge had been donated to my neighbor. And I was worrying myself sick…

OMG… WHAT THE HELL HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?!?!?!?

I have no job tomorrow. I have no more GI Bill. I have no income what so ever come tomorrow morning. What am I going to do? What did I do, quitting my job and going off to play with flour and sugar? Should I have just stayed in my safe life, where I knew all my bills would be paid? What if I fail at this? What if I can’t do it in the real world?

Then it comes. The phone call. And it made me believe in myself again. It made me push all the doubts that were eating away at me aside and realize that I have already succeeded. I have already left my comfort zone for the entire last year, and done something most people only dream of. I chased a dream. It help get me through the scary, jobless night and see that I can do anything I put my mind to. (and reinforced what my mom has told me all these years…come on, we know mom is always right, but we don’t always listen).

Thank you, for being proud of me and supporting me through all this. For listening to my constant self doubts, and pointing out why my logic wasn’t valid. Thank you for the things you said, they touched me deep in the heart and will stay with me as the journey continues. Thank you for supporting this insane idea from the beginning and always being sure this was the right plan, even when I wasn’t. Thank you for being proud of me and for calling to tell me, when I was in a very scary, dark moment of worry. Thank you for being my best friend, cheerleader, provider of logic, and general sounding board for all things great and mundane.

I hope that one day, I can repay the huge debt I owe you and make that perfectly timed phone call right when you need it most.

Tank and I say good bye to the empty apartment. Last time I ever have to switch from the Red Line to the Brown Line at Belmont. Fully loaded U-Haul!

[robbyd1991]

Great job! You are an amazing person and will be an unbelievable chef! Go get your dreams and make them work you. Whomever was your caller just proved that the amount of belief in you is huge! I could not be more proud of you!!! I'm honored to have you as my best friend.

[nicolette2413]

Yes, I have fridge artwork. We learned the basics of airbrushing and this was my practice piece. More to come with some sculptures in the next post!

[robbyd1991]

are those birds? Hahaha

[nicolette2413]

Hey…lay off my birds! They are just REALLY far away!!

[robbyd1991]

Will do. Hahaha.

[nicolette2413]

Yes, I have fridge artwork. We learned the basics of airbrushing and this was my practice piece. More to come with some sculptures in the next post!

[robbyd1991]

are those birds? Hahaha

[nicolette2413]

Ogres have layers...Just like these cakes!!

I just spent two weeks making some very delicious layer cakes. These would be used for parties or for dessert tables at big functions. Or they can be made and eaten in your jammies as you watch Once Upon a Time, we don’t judge.

Hazelnut Daquoise (cake) layered with orange marmalade, buttercream, and a layer of caramelized hazelnuts. Covered and decorated with coffee butter cream. Totally delicious.

Almond cakes layered with lemon curd, apricots, caramelized almonds and buttercream. Covered and decorated with fondant.

Almond cake drizzled with strawberry syrup and layered with buttercream, fresh strawberries, and caramelized almond chunks. It was covered in buttercream and topped with a disk of marzipan. And that really made this cake awesome!

The best and worst part of these two weeks…I was at a table all by myself, no partner. Down side - had to do all the baking, dishes, and cleaning by myself - hello crazy stress rush. Up side - I got to take two of each cake home at the end of the week. No sharing! :-D ( ok, so I did share with the fire station down the street and my neighbors… but I COULD have kept them all to myself hahahaha)

[robbyd1991]

Looking yummy as always.

[nicolette2413]

The End is in Sight. Wait, Why is There a Light Down There?

I am starting my final pastry program today, L'Art du Gateau, and I have very mixed emotions. Sadness, is not one of them. When the last program ended, several people were “sad” to leave and “sad” that we wouldn’t see each other again… Maybe I’m broken, but my main feeling is “WOOT LET’S GO!” I am nervous about having to really, seriously start a job hunt in this new world. And I am excited for my new life to finally start ( yeah, yeah, I know it started when I moved here and started school… But it didn’t start start 😎). I’m extremely happy my time in Chicago is coming to an end. It’s a great place to visit, but not where I want to live. I’m also feeling a bit overwhelmed today. Not really sure why on that one, but it’s mixed in the batch. Wish me luck today, I have to sit through orientation for the third time. More posts and pictures to come over the next 4 months. 😀

[robbyd1991]

You are almost there. No one can stop you! Stay positive and stay humble! Or as Steve Job's says: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.

[nicolette2413]

Hello Gâteau ;-)

So the last section of my pastry journey started three weeks ago. And as usual, i’m late in writing. I would make a horrible journalist! Good thing that’s not my job. :-)

Week one was lots of lecture about color, style, ingredients, and running a business. Along with some basic kitchen stuff (exactly the same as Pastry). The one really cool thing we did was create matching fondant colors to color samples from the paint section. It was pretty neat, and I found out I have a pretty good eye for colors. (question: have any of you taken the BuzzFeed color tests? I gave them a shot after this and I can se all the shades! Woot eye balls!!)

Week Two we started working with gum paste and fondant. Mostly fondant. We also made some sugar and shortbread cookies for alter in the program to practice frosting them. They were plain and boring, so no pix. With the fondant we worked on modeling, we made a flower, a bear and a baby. They look kinda creepy but I’m still proud of them!

Week three we started working on Celebration Cakes and gum paste flowers. We made some seriously awesome stuff this week! Just look at the pix!

Top: Tulips, Middle: Moth Orchids, Bottom: Poinsettias

Tiffany Cake… Yes, like the jewelry store! Lots of fondant, gum paste, and 50/50 mix. It was a bit frustrating but fun. I learned the paneling method of covering a cake, and tho it’s a bit more involved, I like it better than the normal draping form the top method. I’m quite proud of my non-lumpy job :-)!

Next week we are doing more celebration cakes, and pictures will follow!!

[robbyd1991]

Love the Tiffany Cake!!! Great start. Keep it up.

[nicolette2413]

LET THE JOB HUNT BEGIN….again, for the millionth time in recent history….*sigh*

[robbyd1991]

You will get it and get the one you want!! Take it over and dominate!!

[nicolette2413]

2 out of 3... One more to go...

I don’t tend to rant, but tonight I’m gonna make an exception. After a crap-tactic start to the day, it just got better in the evening. I had my second run in with … Let’s just say… an ethnic male, who seemed to dislike women with opinions. It was awesome. Got called a faceless American asshole this time. Last time it was being called a dick. I wonder what it is about my personality that insecure men seem to dislike? Weird… Oh right, I stand up for people around me so that everyone gets a fair shake. And I support following the instructions we are given. I wonder if I can get called another name in the next program? Get my clean sweep? *Sigh* Why can’t I just let people fend for themselves? I never learn…

[nicolette2413]

So it turns out that the guy mentioned above has been going to the administrators making statements that he is the one being bullied. Ugh. So I had to give an official statement to the powers that be, so my side of the story is documented. How childish.

[robbyd1991]

Ugh what an ass. I hope it all works out.

[nicolette2413]

Me too. Something “happened”. He’s been weirdly non-hostile (not quite friendly, tho). And actually helpful during cleaning… Freaky.

[robbyd1991]

That is freaky. Maybe the chef had the "come to Jesus" talk with him and he gets it now. Glad it looks as if you will not have to worry about him, at least through this part of school.

[nicolette2413]

2 out of 3... One more to go...

I don’t tend to rant, but tonight I’m gonna make an exception. After a crap-tactic start to the day, it just got better in the evening. I had my second run in with … Let’s just say… an ethnic male, who seemed to dislike women with opinions. It was awesome. Got called a faceless American asshole this time. Last time it was being called a dick. I wonder what it is about my personality that insecure men seem to dislike? Weird… Oh right, I stand up for people around me so that everyone gets a fair shake. And I support following the instructions we are given. I wonder if I can get called another name in the next program? Get my clean sweep? *Sigh* Why can’t I just let people fend for themselves? I never learn…

[nicolette2413]

So it turns out that the guy mentioned above has been going to the administrators making statements that he is the one being bullied. Ugh. So I had to give an official statement to the powers that be, so my side of the story is documented. How childish.

[robbyd1991]

Ugh what an ass. I hope it all works out.