Event One

My name is David Stanton.I am taking FCS 325 this semester.Our first event was a fiesta theme.The decorations for the event were great, and think the people who worked on it did a great job.I am not big on decorative creations.Our first event was a good event. I thought at first we would problems with people not understanding how to use certain equipment, and felt that people would be confused on what to actually do in a kitchen.

I was glad to hear that Mrs.Waits had planned to do a test run. I did not get a chance to show up to the test run.The test run gave the teams the opportunity to test out all of the equipment needed for this event, and also gave them a chance to see how the recipes would come together during the preparation stage.I was on the dessert team, and I heard they had several problems during the test run. They managed to get everything  to turn out great for the event. I think Sarah did a great job. I enjoyed how everyone worked as a team during the event.The event actually was run better than some food establishments that I worked for over the years. I feel like the next event will be a great event.

Event One – Fiesta

Hello my name is Jada and part of the Jacksonville State University’s Quantaty foods class. I started this class this semester wondering what is was going to be like and I was a little concerned because besides my wedding I have NEVER had to cook for 100 people.

Our first class we discussed our first event and Ms. Waits explained what was to be expected for this course and I have to admit at first I was extremly nervous, especially if I was to serve.  It took us a little while to decide what we were going to do what we wanted from our events but we got there. The monday before our big event we a mock run to ease everyones worries, but for some it made us more frantic. I was part of the dessert team and I believe we made that dessert three times(not including the time I made it  at home).

For some reason, that monday the custards wouldn’t set and we couldn’t figure out why, so after almost four hours we decided it was a faulty oven and not us or the recipe. So the dessert team decided to come back that tuesday and try it again, but with no prevail. This time, it was a faulty mixer and sarah and I dropped a some egg shells(ha,ha we know better now!) After that we were going to botch the whole dessert and do something else but Ms. Waits pursaded us to give it one more try the day of the event. So we decided we would get to the kitchen at about 7 that morning of the event to try one last time and thank goodness it was a hit!!!!! I couldn’t have be more happy that that darn dessert worked.

This event really made me confident in that unknown kitchen and really excited about how my team come together in the mists of stress and failure, and we rocked that dessert!!!!!!

Event one

My name is Kayla Bates and I attend Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. I am pursuing a degree in Family and Consumer Science Education. Signing up for Quantity Foods, I was so excited; something that I truly enjoy. I have participated in events outside of school that involve planning and coordination, but nothing like what our professor Mrs. Waits prepared us for.

We were broken down into groups that compiled our menu. I was placed into the appetizer group.  The goal of this class is not only to get the feel of making foods with large quantities but make them healthy as well. So as a class we voted on themes and dishes. The fiesta was the first theme and the dishes were a work in progress as we discussed them through blackboard, keeping health in mind.

Though test runs and everyone helping along the way with the budget, time and decoration the day of our event came quickly. I was not able to go to the test run that prior Monday so the following Tuesday I stopped by to see what I might be able to do to help out before the event. All the ingredients had been purchased and because our appetizer was so simple, I went ahead and made the entire quantity. I feel this was the best option because I had the time and the “Mexican caviar” truly was better in taste after setting over night.

So when the day of the event came ,my teams work was cut down drastically because of the preparations I had made the day before. I think it was a good thing because it was our first event and help was needed in all areas. I helped in the kitchen some in the beginning but, I ended up spending most of my time taking money at the door. I feel like I was able to see the best of both worlds. Everyone in the kitchen really came together and all of the servers did as well. I am so proud of the quality of work that was produced in both places.

Our dishes were tasteful as well as very presentable. I feel that as a team we did GREAT! I hope our next event more people come to see what JSU can really turn out. I know I am personally so proud and honored to be a part of the Family and Consumer Science branch at JSU, and would like everyone to see what we have to offer. Our next event is approaching fast and I know after the preparation of our wonderful professor we can only advance from where we started.

Event One: Fiesta

My name is Leah Couch and I attend Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. I am pursuing a degree in Dietetics. Signing up for Quantity Foods, I had no idea what I was getting into.  I thought it would be just a bunch of bookwork and maybe one or two field trips to the cafeteria. Man, was I wrong.  The first day of class, we were handed a syllabus and as I was looking at the different grades we would be getting I noticed that we were going to be having “Events.” I just sat there thinking “What the heck are these events?” Are we going to be attending different types of Quantity Food events and writing papers on them? I had no clue. So as the class continued, Mrs. Waits (our teacher) finally explained what these “events” were.  Our class would be planning, organizing, budgeting, cooking, hosting, and so on one event per month for fifty to one hundred faculty and students at JSU.  Let’s just say, I was scared out of my mind the first day!  I had no experience whatsoever in this area.  I was just hoping someone in our class did.

The goal of each event was to plan a menu including appetizer, entree, side dish, dessert, and beverage. However, planning the menu was not all we had to do. The menu had to be healthy! The idea is based on “Eat This Not That.” We had to take regularly eaten unhealthy foods and transform them into something healthy and just as tasty.

We decided our first event would be a Fiesta.  We would take traditional Mexican food and somehow make them healthy.  The final menu ended up being: tortilla chips and a healthy bean/tomato dip, turkey tacos with a side of a vegetable mix, and an orange custard.  The whole meal ended up being around 600 calories! I thought it was amazing considering we had an appetizer, entree with a side, AND a dessert!

We planned out the event through emails, discussion boards, phone calls, and just one or two actual class meetings. The class did a run through of the event the Monday before it was to take place  just to make sure every kink possible was worked out.  I was not able to attend this.

The event was held on September 23rd, 2009 at 12 p.m. on JSU”s campus in Mason Hall Room 118.  It was actually a bigger success than what I thought. Many of the faculty members attended and they seemed to enjoy themselves.  I was on the entree team and I helped prepare the turkey for the tacos and put the lettuce on the plates.  We had a pretty good assembly line going.

At the next event, which is “Home Cooking for Homecoming”  I hope to see just a little more organization and more students at the event. We have done more to advertise for it this time so I’m pretty sure we’ll have a better turnout.  I am looking forward to the meal we have planned!

Event 1: Viva Fiesta!

Event one was a total success; even though I got sick on the day of the event.  All of us working together as a team is what made the Fiesta a smash. I enjoyed working in the test run and getting feed back from the staff on the different courses of the meal. The critics really helped the test run team decide on what to keep and not to keep on the day of the event. I know it was scary at first for the dessert team because the ovens in the Quantity kitchen DID NOT WORK! The Sunrise Custard was becoming a bit of an obstacle, but the dessert team pulled it together and found away to serve the delicious dessert!

Ole Ole! From the Instructor…

Let’s be honest here.  As a brand new instructor at Jacksonville State University, the task of helping a class of 20 students plan, budget, theme, decorate, cook, serve, clean, and blog about an event for 50 people (plus 50 more off-campus) seemed more than a little challenging!  To top it off, they must remain conscious of nutritional values, target audiences, marketing efforts, and product quality after transport.

But I was very fortunate to be given a classroom full of hardworking, eager students with the right attitudes and the right work ethics to get it accomplished.

I simply cannot stress enough how incredibly impressive this bunch was during the first event.  Most of the students in the class had never even stepped foot into a commercial kitchen prior to the event.  Also, the nature of this course is hybrid, so they must be truly diligent in order to stay on top of budget deadlines and discussions with their team members.

But they pulled it off beautifully – the decor consisted of original art from one of our own classmates, the dessert was tested no less than three times prior to the big day, and everyone actually chose to dress alike for professionalism.

Even in the week prior to the event, students were in the kitchen – they tested, re-tested, prepared, and scrubbed to make sure that everything was good to go on the big day.  And wow….they blew me away.

As the teacher, it is always rewarding to see your students perform well.  But in this case, I truly felt privileged to be a part of their efforts.

I can’t wait to see everyone again at our Home Cooking for Homecoming event at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22nd in Mason 118!

~Fiesta~

My name is Lauren Collins. I am currently pursuing a Dietetic degree at Jacksonville State University. My FCS 325 class, Quantity Foods, has been assigned to plan and budget three different events where we serve healthy three- course meals. Our goal is to take traditionally unhealthy meals and find or create a compatible healthy (or healthier) version. My classmates and I are to prepare, cook, and serve these appetizing and nutritious meals. This class requires a great deal of teamwork and creative planning.

Our first event took place on September 23, 2008. I was extremely nervous prior to this event; likewise, so were many of my classmates. Our teacher Mrs. Lindsay Waits divided us into four teams — my team was assigned to the entrée. I thought ground turkey tacos seemed like a great idea because it was harmonious with the theme, “Fiesta!” Also, it is healthier than the traditionally served ground beef tacos. Finding the right recipe sometimes can be the most difficult part. First, you must identify your target group (guests) and then think of foods that will be pleasing to them. 

After doing a great deal of searching on the internet, I found a recipe that I felt would be sufficient. After receiving approval from the class, this recipe was to be applied in the kitchen – and WOW, was I nervous about this. I had never cooked for a large quantity of people or used a commercial kitchen! 

After attending our test run, a great deal of this uneasiness began to fade. I had overall idea of what to expect and how to actually go about cooking this entrée in a quantity food setting, without the pressure from the quests waiting to be served. Furthermore, this enabled us to improve the outcome tremendously!

Finally, the day of the event was a huge triumph, everyone stayed positive, and willingly helped one another. I was very impressed with the overall teamwork exhibited in this first event. Everyone contributed to our success— from decorating, preparing, cooking, serving, washing dishes and cleaning. Hopefully, the knowledge we have gained from this past event can enhance the efficiency and quality of our future events, we have high expectations to live up to in my opinion!

Our Fiesta Event

Hello Blogosphere, my name is Kim and I have been given the task of blogging about our first event in my Quantity Foods (FCS 325) class at Jacksonville State University.  I remember the first day of class, I had no idea what to expect, but after class got started, we spent the entire class time getting to a little bit about our fellow classmates, and then we were off to talking about the requirements for the course. 

I soon learned that we would be responsible for planning three events on campus throughout the semester and one much larger event at the culmination of our course.  I immediately began to get worried, because even though I have done a fair share of entertaining and planning events for corporate functions, I usually get everything catered.  This time, I knew that it would be a lot more than just deciding what to serve and placing an order.  Our class had now become the caterers! 

By the end of class, we had planned the theme for our first event and now, it wwas time to get our menu together.  So, we spent the next week talking to our respective teammates about the items we that we were considering to present to the class.  On  our next class meeting, we had to vote on all of the menu items that were presented from each of the four groups and we ended up with a spectacular menu.  But then, I found out that we had a certain budget to stay within and fortunately Mrs. Waits saved the day for our group.

After the ups and downs of planning the event, the big day finally came.  I arrived at around 9:30 to help prepare and since I had been feeling under the weather, I was directed to help Vanessa with her amazing decor. The room looked absolutely beautiful and some classmates were already in the kitchen chopping and prepping food for the main event.  I could not believe how the room was transformed from our regular classroom with white walls to what looked like a Mexican oasis, everything from the colors to the original pictures that were hung on the wall.

I was not able to stay for the full event, as I found out the next day that I had the flu, but I heard such great things about the food, the service, and even the event that a few student went to the following day.  I’m totally confident our next event will be amazing as well and if you missed the last event, make sure you purchase a ticket and don’t miss our next one.

Kim J

Our First Event

My Name is Christi Jackson. I just want to share my experiences with this course thus far. When I walked in the room on the first day of classes I was not sure what the class would be like. We spent three long hours discussing the semester requirements and how the class was going to work. I left feeling excited as well as overwhelmed.

We prepared in class, on discussion boards, and through emails for the first event. We covered every detail of how the event was going to go. We started with theme ideas. We worked through food purchasing and even roles in the kitchen. We even read chapters in the text book to prepare us and learn things about the kitchen and food production. YES, I ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK! lol. But I learned some pertinent information from it.

On the day of the first event I was very nervous. I arrived to very busy students performing many different tasks. I quickly washed my hands, put on my apron and joined in the chaos. It was good Chaos. I assure you. We worked as a team to chop, cook, plate, serve, and clean up in a matter of about 5 hours. I caught a glimpse or two of the smiling faces of some of the people in attendance as they left the event. Our event had been a success! As I dried and put away the last glass, I had a chance to reflect on how we(the class) surprised ourselves on working so well together and making our ideas a better reality than we had imagined.

I can’t wait until the next event!

My Experiences of Our First Event

My name is Emily and I am a student at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Al. I am majoring in Family and Consumer Science Education which is the primary reason as of why I am currently taking the “Quantity Food Production” course.

Prior to the beginning of this semester I was not exactly certain as of what to expect what we were going to do in this course. Throughout my entire duration of being a student at JSU I have been residing in a dorm room as well as spending a large amount of my time generally studying for my typical college courses, which has caused me to have little experience of in-depth cooking besides making a batch of cookie or brownies for a small amount of people while back home for a weekend. (There is not any cooking equipment allowed or provided in the dorm besides a microwave).

While at our first class meeting I became quite nervous when we were originally informed about our duties of feeding fifty people for each of our events, but when we were later informed that we would actually be feeding one hundred people my fear truly became overwhelming.

For our first event which was titled a “Fiesta” the class worked together to design a twist toward learning how to eat tasty food in a healthier way. I was excited when I first found out that I was in the appetizer team for our first event because I though that it would be a nice and smooth start to the semester. However, I have learned that an appetizer is a very important part of a meal because it is the first impression!

After discussing back and forth as of what type of an appetizer the team felt would work the best for our first event we came down to deciding on using a recipe that was originally discussed among another team. The recipe is titled “Mexican Caviar”…it may pull you away from wanting to consume it due to the word “caviar” included in the title, but I reassure you that the general ingredients are chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic cloves, corn and two types of beans. While I am overall a dull eater, the appetizer that we decided to go with turned out quite delicious. Not until realizing how much better it tasted after storing the appetizer in the refrigerator over night.

The class is truly working very diligently on doing our best toward learning the vital information that is needed in the culinary atmosphere. Last but not list, I have to say that while having to undergo a test run the monday before each event (while spending our personal time in the kitchen for several hours) may become stressful, it truly makes a huge difference of the final product that will be given to the guests to consume. I am certain that most of the things that I will gain through taking this class will be beneficial for my personal and career future.