it has been an INSANELY busy week here in northeast texas! We had our elementary Thanksgiving Feast today & it went fantastic! I was really stressed and worried about it, like, having nightmares about it and had knots in my neck from the tension stressed.. but.. it all went very very smooth. I have tons of pictures and updates, but those will have to come later next week. Just wanted to pop in and say "I'M STILL HERE!" just been a wee bit busy the last week so haven't gotten around to posting much.
lots to tell, lots to say, lots to discuss.. so until next week - hope yours is lovely my friend
-Sara
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
just one of those days..
so today is going to be more of a rambling/griping type post. So here lately, I have gotten bit by the "I want to be a SAHM (stay at home mom) bug" and I've been fighting through it. BUT, there have been some instances happen at work the last few weeks that have REALLY tested my patience & resolve to just not up and quit. I know I can't do that, wouldn't do that is more like it, but today I just need to get it all out so I can get back to whatever it is I'm doing.
We have a big feast coming up, the school's annual Thanksgiving Feast, for the community. It has been run differently every year (so I've been told) and so administration has their ideas about how they want it to run. Fine & Great.. then just TELL me how you'd like to do it, please don't ask my opinion then shut it down. It's not like this is my first rodeo. This is what I make my living doing. This is what I went to school for (not really) and have worked almost 10 years doing, the catering aspect of it.. not the school service part. I feel very much like I am just a pawn, a face, a puppet. I've not been able to have control over my own kitchens.
I was given the task at the beginning of the year to cut out budget WAY down.. 2 years ago they came in -$80,000 & last year cut that back to -$40,000 - this year they want to break even!! BUT - they've tied my hands. They want to serve a $5.00 meal for $2.75 & you CAN NOT MAKE MONEY DOING THAT. We are not on the school lunch program, which means that we get to make up our own menus and such, BUT we don't get any $$ from the government for our food. So we have to be completely self sufficient. I have tried cutting back as far as I can go and we are still coming in -$1200 a month. Last week, I made the decision to pull the milk from the lunch service. We would only serve milk @ breakfast (it currently costs us $700 a month & we don't make anything off of it) and the students still have a choice of juice, water, or kool-aid for lunch & it would save us roughly $400 a month - well the elementary got wind of this and essentially threw a hissy fit about their "babies not getting milk". 1. IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW I RUN MY BUSINESS - you have no idea the kind of pressure I am under to get this budget down. 2. IF YOU DON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT, THEN THE KIDS WON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT!!!!! if you don't know anything about business or food OR BOTH then stay the hell out of my kitchen. Seriously. So, needless to say, I got a call from admin this morning saying we have to resume our "milk sales" - I hadn't even pulled the milk yet.. they didn't even give it a chance before they started bitching. Sorry for the language, I'm THAT irritated today.
So.. I can't make food cuts, I can't make beverage cuts.. therefore I can't make budge cuts. simple enough? I'm keeping track of everything so hopefully at the end of the year when we are WAY over budget I can present my nice little notebook to the board stating just this. Let me have the kitchens, really have them, without anyone else's input, and the budget will balance OR pony up more money for the food. Either way, today I realized that this "job" isn't a "job" for me, it is simply to put into place what the admin wants. I don't know if I can do that. I know I "can" do that, but I am miserable. I work here because the hours are good & I get summers & holiday's off - I am a paper pusher, not a chef, not even a cook!! I know I should shut up & be happy with a decent pay check & I am trying, I REALLY REALLY am - that's one reason I am writing. Maybe if I get it out in the open then I can see this job for what it is, the means to an end. One day I will be able to be a SAHM, this is just a filler until I can get there.. right?
-Sara
We have a big feast coming up, the school's annual Thanksgiving Feast, for the community. It has been run differently every year (so I've been told) and so administration has their ideas about how they want it to run. Fine & Great.. then just TELL me how you'd like to do it, please don't ask my opinion then shut it down. It's not like this is my first rodeo. This is what I make my living doing. This is what I went to school for (not really) and have worked almost 10 years doing, the catering aspect of it.. not the school service part. I feel very much like I am just a pawn, a face, a puppet. I've not been able to have control over my own kitchens.
I was given the task at the beginning of the year to cut out budget WAY down.. 2 years ago they came in -$80,000 & last year cut that back to -$40,000 - this year they want to break even!! BUT - they've tied my hands. They want to serve a $5.00 meal for $2.75 & you CAN NOT MAKE MONEY DOING THAT. We are not on the school lunch program, which means that we get to make up our own menus and such, BUT we don't get any $$ from the government for our food. So we have to be completely self sufficient. I have tried cutting back as far as I can go and we are still coming in -$1200 a month. Last week, I made the decision to pull the milk from the lunch service. We would only serve milk @ breakfast (it currently costs us $700 a month & we don't make anything off of it) and the students still have a choice of juice, water, or kool-aid for lunch & it would save us roughly $400 a month - well the elementary got wind of this and essentially threw a hissy fit about their "babies not getting milk". 1. IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW I RUN MY BUSINESS - you have no idea the kind of pressure I am under to get this budget down. 2. IF YOU DON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT, THEN THE KIDS WON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT!!!!! if you don't know anything about business or food OR BOTH then stay the hell out of my kitchen. Seriously. So, needless to say, I got a call from admin this morning saying we have to resume our "milk sales" - I hadn't even pulled the milk yet.. they didn't even give it a chance before they started bitching. Sorry for the language, I'm THAT irritated today.
So.. I can't make food cuts, I can't make beverage cuts.. therefore I can't make budge cuts. simple enough? I'm keeping track of everything so hopefully at the end of the year when we are WAY over budget I can present my nice little notebook to the board stating just this. Let me have the kitchens, really have them, without anyone else's input, and the budget will balance OR pony up more money for the food. Either way, today I realized that this "job" isn't a "job" for me, it is simply to put into place what the admin wants. I don't know if I can do that. I know I "can" do that, but I am miserable. I work here because the hours are good & I get summers & holiday's off - I am a paper pusher, not a chef, not even a cook!! I know I should shut up & be happy with a decent pay check & I am trying, I REALLY REALLY am - that's one reason I am writing. Maybe if I get it out in the open then I can see this job for what it is, the means to an end. One day I will be able to be a SAHM, this is just a filler until I can get there.. right?
-Sara
Monday, November 10, 2014
Soup & Sister Act -
The temperatures are finally starting to fall (no pun intended) here in Northeast Texas so that means soup/stew season is here! I made a big pot of Homemade Chicken & Dumplings last night, YUUUUM! Didn't take a good pic once it was bowled up, but here it is still in the pot:
I DO make my own dumplings since I started using this specific recipe. It tastes like the dumplings you get @ Cracker Barrel & it's DELICIOUS! Now when I make "chicken & dumpling soup" which is basically chicken noodle soup with dumplings instead of noodles, then I used canned biscuits cut up, but they just don't do the trick for this thick hearty recipe. People don't realize how simple it really is to make your own biscuits or dumplings & it just adds to the taste & flavor of the stew.
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| Homemade Chicken & Dumplings |
Tonight is a toss up between Taco Soup (we're having it at work today) or Lasagna Soup with Cheesy Yum - Both are heaven in a bowl, so I'll post pics & let ya know tomorrow which we end up having. Do you have any good soup/stew recipes you'd like to share?!
On a non-food note - last week Kelvin won tickets to go see Sister Act, the musical! It was a good night out for us, especially since we don't get many of them EVER. Some good friends of ours kept Fenway so that we could go. We have gotten really blessed to have friends that are more like family to us here, we would be lost without them!
The musical was good, but wasn't exactly what I was expecting. We had both thought that it would be the same music & songs from the original movies (sister act & sister act 2) but it wasn't. The premise & story line was the same, but it was all different songs & music. The acting was wonderful & you really can't beat seeing something live on stage. The energy & power that the singers have is incredible.
The holidays are approaching very quickly! We will be busy at work this week preparing for our annual community Thanksgiving Feast to be held next week before school lets out. Fingers crossed for a smooth couple of weeks!
Hope you are all doing well - share those recipes if you've got any -
-Sara
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
going to the chapel.. as a bridemaid
This weekend was the "official" wedding for Koy & Chelsea (Kelvin's little brother & my brother-in-law & new sister-in-law) - They have actually been officially married for a year, but wanted to have an actual wedding.
I was a bridesmaid & did the catering, Kelvin was the best man, & Fenway was a flower girl
The venue was beautiful & so were the bride & groom! It was SOO cold on Saturday though, that part sucked. We hired a nanny for the day to keep Fenway so that Kelvin & I could actually spend time with everyone & not be chasing her around everywhere. BEST MONEY WE WE'VE EVER SPENT!
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| Fenway hanging out with Taylor (her nanny) while we're all getting ready |
I loved my dress. It was a classic 50's vintage feel & the makeup artist did my hair and makeup perfectly with the style. It was nice to really feel beautiful for a day - Kelvin looked smashing as well
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| don't we clean up nice?! |
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| prettiest little flower girl ever! |
I'll have more pictures when the actual wedding photos come in, so far from what I've seen they have turned out beautiful.
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| Back down the isle - |
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| beautiful brothers |
All in all it was a fantastic day. Wanted to say congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Koy Atkinson
- may your life be filled with joy & happiness (and babies!!) love you both
-Sara
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