I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT!

Last week I forgot to do a blog! Opps! I had a really hectic week last week and I guess I just forgot about it. I also started getting sick last week and it got worse this week so I haven’t quite been myself. But anyways, last week, I finished the research paper!!!!!!!!! It was the best day ever! I am so incredibly relived to have it done. My mom helped me out a lot and we worked all weekend and pretty much redid the paper. It was a lot of tedious and hard work but it paid off hopefully and it now done and I am so much happier! Also, last week I finished the econ paper, which was also tedious and hard. It is so tough but once it is over it is the best feeling to have. It really is. I hope I get a good grade on them because I certainly worked hard on them. So we never got the Southern Living magazine that had the red velvet cupcake things that I talked about last week in my blog. So I am hoping I will get to borrow the magazine from my grandma or something because we never got the magazine which we usually get every week. Our time line is due after the break and I am planning to work on that next. And since I forgot my blog next week I am going to do one over the break, which hopefully will have some good recipes that I got to try. Then again, it maybe times that I just sleep and rest. I shall see!  I am so thankful that the paper is over and I am so pumped to start cooking again!

Are we there yet?

All my blogs are all starting to sound the same. I am sorry for whoever has to read them because once again I have purely worked on my research paper. I still have so much more work left to do but Mrs.Price has helped me so much and is making really breaking it down. I have got to cook this week but last week I helped my mom cook different cakes for the Nicaragua bake sale. I helped her cook two pumpkin spice cakes, coconut pies, and two pound cakes. There might have been one more but I’m not sure. Over thanksgiving I was looking at the Southern Home Christmas magazine edition and I found a lot of stuff I am going to try over the holidays. But one I really wanted to try was red velvet cupcakes. I promise after next weeks, these blogs could get a little bit more interesting, sorry! Homework is just taking over my life again. I also really want to do something with my hospitality team but just think right now is to hectic for me and everybody so I might wait until next semester. Last week I did really enjoy Mrs. Stellar speaking and sharing her website thingy. I had no idea she did all of that. She is pretty amazing in so many different ways. Who knew she was such a good photographer, could make handbags, and collects antiques? She seems like such a diverse and talented woman. To bad I can’t have her as a teacher. Anyways, here is a picture of the red velvet cupcakes and if anybody has any other good Christmas recipes, just let me know! 

Almost.....There..!

This week has been more of working on the research paper. I still have a lot to go because I haven’t got to work on it as much as I would like to because I have had a lot to do in other classes this week. Unfortunately thanksgiving is going to have to be a working time for this paper. I am so ready for it to be over with so I can really get back to cooking. I really miss it and am so excited when I will actually have time to do it. As the year progresses, I have figured out that the board was right , I had way to much to do. At first I though that was untrue and kind of crazy but now I see all that has to be done and I have not even done everything on the timeline. I’m not sure what happens when I haven’t finished those task…..but hopefully I can get a lot done next week. I want to take another cake decorating class probably in January when a lot of stuff calms down and college applications are done. I have four to do by December 1^st, yay! But I think before the break if all possible, I would like to help Mrs. Halla or bring the hospitality group to the soup kitchen so we can help others during the holiday season especially. Once again I am counting down the days until this research paper will be over so I can start cooking more! I cant wait :) 

Veggie Tales

This week during senior project we got our research papers back. It was kind of brutal but it was expected. I got back a lot of comments and suggestions which is helpful and I have a whole lot of work ahead of me. Also during class, we went over how to do fancier blogs or what not. I am not very computer savvy but hopefully I can figure it out. Since I still have not got to cook anything this week, I cannot include any cool pictures. Also, I am going to get the video for the cooking section I did for the Update. Later when my mom can help me, I am probably going to add the pictures that have been taken so far of my cooking and cake decorating class. But something I do want to try to cook is sweet potato soufflé. I saw it in one of my healthy cooking magazines I get in the mail and I really want to try it. I like sweet potatoes and they are healthier so I definitely want to try it out. Since thanksgiving break is coming up, I am hopefully going to get a chance to cook a lot of things. My mom is also doing this fundraising thing for Nicaragua where she is cooking a lot of different types of cakes for families at Oakbrook to order for Thanksgiving. I am going to help her cook for that so I can provide a service this month and plus, I can just help my mom. Last year she had more 14 pound cakes to make in one weekend. So I want to get past my research paper I get on to what I really like doing. The sweet potato soufflé looks like this:

Relief

This week for senior project I continued to do and work on my research paper. The cooking segment I did for the update I wrote previously about was shown in chapel this week. It was very awkward to embarrassing to watch myself, but I got a lot of encouraging comments afterward. I unfortunately have not got to cook anything in quite a while because of school and the paper and I miss it greatly. Cooking is one of those things that collects my complete attention and distracts me form everything else but for the past month I simply just have not had time to do the fun part of my project. But this week during senior project, we sate down with Mrs. Zion about all the stress and anxiety we have been experiencing and why we have not particularly had a super fun start to senior year. It was very helpful and reliving to know that our teachers care and want the best for us. I am very thankful to have them. They are going to work it out so everything wont be due all on the same week and other things like that. Since we do not have our rough drafts back yet, I am hoping to take advantage of that time and try some new recipes for thanksgiving!

Research Research Research

This week during senior project, I have focused on my research paper. The rough draft was due today (Thursday) so everyday this week for many hours I have worked on my rough draft. It is extremely rough, but at least I have a part of it done. So for whoever reads it, I’m sorry about all the mistakes and grammatical errors, I know I still have a lot of work to do. Also this week, I did something with my hospitality group. The German people came this week and they all had a big soccer game after school with a lot of students from Oakbrook. Mrs. McDonald asks me to provide the pizza and drinks for the event. So I got a small group from the hospitality club and we set up teas and two jugs of Gatorade. I also ordered the pizza and pretty much organized a lot of the stuff. Mrs. McDonald of course paid for it and told me all what she wanted. It turned out very successfully except the pizza guy was a little frustrated that I wanted to order 25 pizzas all on that day. But it got here eventually and turned out well. Next we will probably go to the soup kitchen and help out. But all during this week, I focused on the research paper. I am pretty much convinced that I should be a vegetarian but am a little tired of reading about it. 

Work Work Work

This week has been really rough for me in senior project because I have not got a really good grasp or start on my paper.  Since I am in the AP class we sort of have to set our own dead lines and agendas for the paper and I am not very good at that. We I have so many other things due sooner I put the paper last. So this needs to change so I am going to set dead lines for myself and use extreme discipline to follow them. We are supposed to put our thesis in this week’s blog:

Adopting a vegetarian diet, though initially more expensive, results in long term health benefits by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and a number of other serious health concerns.

Since I am in the beta club I volunteered to be the group leader for the hospitality club. It is very similar to my senior project because it is basically doing different things with food and serving others with it or gong to the soup kitchen and that kind of stuff. So I though I could be the leader since it went along with my project. I have the biggest group and the most parent volunteers. It was a bit more responsibility than I was expecting but I am going to try and lead it.  I think that the first thing I want to do is go the soup kitchen with the group. I defiantly need some more ideas though. As far as the cooking is going at home, it’s great. (That my favorite part about my project). 

Research Paper

This week during senior project I worked on figuring out how to start the research paper. Since I am in AP English, I haven’t got a really got a good start on it yet. Mrs. Zion gave me some of the other class’s tips and worksheets for the research paper from Mrs. Steller’s class and they have helped me a lot.  So now I am starting the note cards with all the sources I gathered. It is a long but necessary process. I am learning a lot more about vegetarians and their lifestyles. Also, this week we had a class discussion on the abstract we did for Monday. I also have been planning a meal to make this weekend. I have not had time or the supplies this week to do anything during the week but part of cooking is still planning, which also takes time.  I am getting recipes from one of my healthy cookbooks and doing a raspberry sorbet type ice-cream.  During this time while we are focusing on our research paper I am not able to do as much cooking as I hoped to do. Also, during this week I scheduled to go help assist a cookie decorating class for Halloween at Foxfire. I am enjoying researching vegetarian diets a lot and am glad that I was still able to do this subject. 

senior retreat

This week was the senior retreat! From Sunday to Tuesday we were at the senior retreat.  It was a lot of fun and I had a great and amazing time. We did do an commercial type thing for our senior project to inform next years seniors. I also got to see my mom cook all the meals for the trip. I did not help her this time but I saw all she had to do and what it involved. She was very stressed and busy all the time. But the trip was a lot of fun and I had a great time with my friends and teachers. Also this week, I am redoing my thesis for my research paper. Mrs. Zion helped me a lot and helped me figure out a better and more specific angle to go by while still studying vegetarian diets.  My new thesis is :

Adopting a vegetarian diet, though initially more expensive, results in long term health benefits by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and a number of other serious health concerns. I am thankful for her help and am so glad I can still study that subject.  We also are reading a new book called Exploring Faith and Discipleship by selected readings. Also this week was my last cooking class but I did not get to go because I had an English Paper and test the day after we got back from the retreat. So unfortunately I did not get to go but I can reschedule and do a make-up class with her. And I am going to visit Liberty tomorrow and spend the weekend up there so I will probably not get to try anymore recipes unfortunately. But next week I plan to start strong and get a lot done! 

Thesis Sentence failure and Cupcakes!

This week in senior project we turned in our thesis and four sources. I had changed my topic to rather vegetarian diets are healthier than other diets and found 5 good sources with the help of Mrs. Price.  I decided my view opinion was that vegetarian diets were healthier than other diets because of various things such as it lowers cardio vascular disease, different types of cancer, and lowers obesity and cholesterol.  And the other side was that vegetarians do not get enough protein from the meat and often vegetarians just eat junk food instead of a health meal with mean. But I got a C because my topic appeared to be broad and not arguable.  So I am back at square one tying to find another topic.

Also this week I had my third week of cake decorating class. We learned how to fill cupcakes and make different kinds of flower, designs, and leaves. It was a lot of fun again. We learned a lot. Then after the class, Mrs. Halla, my mentor and I went to her house and finished decorating all the cupcakes to give to the class for Natalie’s birthday. It took a lot of time but it was fun to use our creativity and try new and different designs on the cupcakes. It was fun to experiment and try everything we have been learning. I am already excited about next week. 

Proposal Week!

This week was our proposals for our project. It was one of the most nerve-racking experiences. I was so nervous and intimidated by it. I wanted to fix food for the board to convey my passion to them. So coming up with what to fix was first. I decided on caramel drizzled spoons to put in coffee, sweet potato bread with pineapple butter, iced coffee (cappuccino tasting), and crock pot cookies. Preparing this took my whole weekend but it was worth it in the end. Hopefully it paid off. Besides cooking, figuring out what to say and how to convey how passionate I was about my project was another task. So I made note cards and practice a lot saying my proposal to myself. But the proposal really was not that bad, it was not an intimidating atmosphere, and the board really was there to help! As hard as that was for us to believe, it was true. They gave me suggestions and were only there to encourage and help me, it was a pleasant surprise. So I feel like it went fairly well and am looking forward to any conversations to be had with the board members in the future. Also this week, I had my second cake decorating class and we decorated our cakes with all the tricks and rules with learned last week. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be but it was also a lot of fun. I made a cake with a fish on it! But now in senior project, I am focusing on the research paper and finding resources and writing my thesis. I changed my topic and decided to write about rather vegetarian diets are healthier. This has actually been a subject that has always fascinated me. I once tried to be a vegetarian for a week and it was difficult.  I have a lot of work to do for the paper and could use as much help as possible ;)

Hello!

 This week I had my first cake decorating class. It was so much fun and I learned so much! She taught us how to make the right icing and what kind of icing you need for what you are decorating. We had to buy a cake decorating kit and bake cookies for this class so we started using the tools and learned how to use certain tips to decorate with. Cake Decorating is going to be so much harder than I thought it was going to be and it will be the most time consuming type of cooking. I already have homework for this class; I have to bake a cake with pudding filling in the morning and ice the outside. For a beginner like me, this is going to take a while. Fortunately, I like cake decorating. I also learned that cake decorating is going to be expensive. There are so many tools and appliances involved with cake decorating. The class was fairly cheap but the beginning kit for the class was expensive. I am very excited about the rest of the classes. This week I also made cake-like brownies for an event Mrs. Price is having. I made a sample set for her and gave the rest of the brownies to the senior class. Everyone seemed to like them so I was happy about that. I actually just found the recipe on the internet. My proposal is next week and I am super nervous and I want to make food for the board, so I am still deciding what to fix 

2nd week of senior project

Hello! This week we have been working on our proposal alot. It has been a pretty difficult process getting all your idea condensed to one proposal. I did struggle with it a bit but it was easier and more clear after the help of teachers. I have also made a meal for one of the families in my mentor's church. Unfortunatly i was babysitting and couldnt personaly deliver it to them but i got to see a picture of the family enjoying the meal which was very satisfying. I have also made chocolate scones, these chocolatey bar type things, and an orange-cranberry  cake. I then put it in the senior lounge and let the seniors enjoy it. It has really helped with the diffrent comments and reactions towards it. I know what not to fix as much. The favorite of the class was the most unhealthy chocolatey bar type things. I have also taken one of my cooking classes at Fox Fire. It was the teen cooking class and we made homemade chicken fingers, homemade brownies, rosmarry potatoes, veggies, and mac and chesse. It was quite delicous and i learned alot. Also, the teacher offered if i would like to come assist her with the next class she has for kids. I could help her and be her assistant for diffrent classes for kids at Fox Fire which i defently plan on doing. Also i got good suggestions from Mrs.Twecksbery(sp?) about trying to cook healthy dishes like casaroles and maybe being able to sale them and give them to families. That is also something i would like to try to do. I do have several healthy cookbooks i am planning to try recipees from this weekend :)

CookingforAmandaPerry

Hello there :)  I am Amanda Perry, and i am a senior this year and i want to learn how to cook and serve others with various types of food. Cooking is something i have always wanted to learn how to do. My mom has never been intrested in it and i know i love to eat so cooking automatically attacts me to it. I also like to serve people, i love going to Nicaragwa and seeing the faces of those i help. So if i could incorperate helping others along with cooking, i know i am going to love my senior project. i am planning on taking several classes such as cake decorating, and then a more advanced cake decorating with fondont and then a teen cooking class as foxfire. Desserts and baking are my favorite and first choice but i want to learn how to do many diffrent types with my mentor and other experianced mothers. I want to try to make at least 75 diffrent recipees, prepare a luncheon for the teaches, make meals for families who need a little help, and for my hungrey friends and classmates. I hope to get most of my most honest reactions from my friends and classmates. But cooking is something i have been doing over the summer and i know i want to persue.
For my research paper i have had to narrow down several choices, all from eating disorders, to obesity in America, to food safty. I think i want to focus on food saftey, such as things ranging from genetically modified food, vegetarianism, herbal supplements, or local food movement. Hopefully that will workout. Alrighty, bye!