Week 2 in Wyoming

Day 7 and 8: Off

So we went shopping in Cheyenne :)

Day 9:

                To start the day off, we had our weekly meeting with all of the managers to discuss things that were coming up and any issues.  It seems to me that near the end the same problems were being discussed with everyone having their own opinion on how to fix things.  This seemed to really frustrate some people, though I realize this will happen with just about any management team.  After our meeting we followed one of the cooks around for awhile so he could show us around the kitchen a little more.  He had to get the meals ready for the daycare kids, so we started trying to get our own feel for the kitchen.  We did this by going through a safety and sanitation checklist to see what hazards we could find in the kitchen.  Then, we were able to meet the front of the house manager.  We sat down with him and the back of the house manager to discuss how to better organize the MSDS binder.  It had been really hard to find a chemical in the past because it had no real order to it, but we went through and alphabetized it. 

                Then we really were able to get messy doing prep!  We got to make the lasagnas for the next day, and Sara was able to see why I always wear an apron when in the kitchen.  After that we helped with a little bit of prep for dinner.

Day 10:

                Sara and I were able to have some fun bagging cookies or the kids that are going through orientation.  We really enjoyed this because we were able to actually do something useful.  Also, we have now set a new record for bagging cookies the fastest ever!  When we got back upstairs, we were able to do more prep for the next day’s recipes.  We do our best to try to help out who ever needs it, but everyone seems to kind of want to just stick to the way that they are used to.  At the end of the day we get to see how the place is cleaned up for the next day. 

                During some of the down time that we had, we were able to test out our recipes that we have been working on for our project.  My yakisoba really needed some work, but I cannot wait until I get to try it again!

Day 11:

                Inventory!  What an adventure that was.  We started out with the assistant manager helping us learn how to do it, but then she cut us loose.  We did our best to try to figure out where everything was located.  The worst part was the freezer!  We went and got our winter coats to wear while we did it.  We had been doing the freezer for about 45 minutes before one of the managers came and told us that we could turn off the fans that blew cold air in the freezer!  I couldn’t believe how much easier it was when the sir wasn’t blowing in our faces!  We did have to ask for help from people every once and awhile, but in the end we passed with flying colors.  It was really nice to once again be doing something useful. 

Day 12:

                Today was a pretty good day.  We got to work with a different cook who actually let us get involved more!  I still had to do some prep in the morning because they were short staffed.  Then we got to observe the Mongolian Grill in action.  They have a grill to make fresh Mongolian stir fry to order!  After lunch we did a little bit more prep to help out.  For dinner, we actually had a chance to carve the meet for the students!  This was actually pretty difficult as the pork was starting to dry out.  By the time I finally got the hang of it, it was time for my dinner break.  We did meet with our internship coordinator and one of the managers in a weekly evaluation to tell them what they can do to improve the program, and they tell us what we are doing right and wrong. 

                It has been great getting to know so many people.  When we aren’t busy, Sara and I go around and talk to the employees about their experiences.  Each employee of course has their own opinions on how they would change things around a bit, which we have been taking into consideration. 

Day 13:

                I really enjoyed the work that we were able to do today.  We went to Acres, which is the student run farm that provides some of the produce that is served in the dining hall.  We were able to plant some of the food that the students were going to be eating!  Sara and I got really muddy and sunburnt by the end of it!  It was great to see all aspects of where the food comes from.  We were able to plant some onions, peas, and leeks.  The people that worked there were really nice and we are hoping that we will have to opportunity to help them out again.