Sunday Fun!

October 23 was another day of football Sunday and yet again the weather was pleasant. The day started off with me going to a breakfast restaurant called Oasis located on Main Street in Fond du Lac. This family restaurant has been around for awhile and the crowd shows how good and friendly the place is. The workers constantly filled coffee cups and water, and they made sure we had all the things we needed. I decided to get a sirloin steak with American potatoes and sunny side eggs along with wheat toast. I recommend this meal for anyone looking for a hearty meal and to start the day off on a good foot. After breakfast I decided to go for a walk by the lighthouse to burn off the food I just finished and enjoy the fresh morning breeze. Then I figured I would do some homework before all the football games started up for the day. It didn’t take me long to finish my assignment for the week ahead, and by then, the Chicago Bears game was starting. This was a special game because Da Bears were playing in London, England against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is the fifth year the NFL picked teams to play overseas to bring more awareness of American football. From the start of the game to the very end Da Bears played a good game, although at the end they almost lost but the defense picked up to save the game to win. I jumped in joy; this put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Later in the day I started my first indoor soccer game at the Oshkosh YMCA. I was looking forward to playing because I haven’t worked out or played soccer since the beginning of August. I played with some of my housemates and friends; the name of our team is the Rockies. We have a solid team because we previously played with each other and we are pretty skilled as well. As the game started we took the early lead, then the other team tied us. We once again pushed ahead to score two more goals, by half we were ahead three to one. We felt pretty good about our lead going into the second half. Once the second half started the opposing team scored with some unfortunate goals, but we redeemed ourselves to score two more goals to win the game. The final score was eight to six; this was a good start to the season. These games are played every Sunday afternoon at the YMCA, if you are interested in playing on a coed soccer team there is always a league starting for people of all skill levels. Well, that pretty much wraps up my Sunday Fun, stay tuned for my adventure next week.

Ciao,
Lee IV

ALL White ALL Green

For the first time in my life, I mowed the lawn. I always wanted to when I was younger but we had a company to take care of the lawn for my family. This time I was paid to rake leaves and mow the lawn. It was a sunny autumn day; a light jacket is all I needed to wear. It took me only about forty five minutes to mow everything and put the leaves in a pile. I hope I will be able to do this again, especially if I get paid. Later in the day I watched the Wisconsin Badger and Michigan State University game. I’ve been a Michigan State fan since I was in sixth grade, so of course I wore my MSU gear. This was a huge matchup because Wisconsin had a higher ranking and it was MSU’s homecoming game. The start of the game was not looking too good for the Spartans, but MSU defense picked up the intensity to bring them back into the game. The crowd was ecstatic to pump up their team to victory. At the end, MSU beat Wisconsin with a Hail Mary as time expired; I jumped in joy yelling Go Spartans! Afterwards I decided to go out and still wear my MSU gear — a lot of people made fun of me but I didn’t mind. I’m a true fan, plus it is all fun and games. My next blog will be about my Football Sunday fun, so stay tuned!

Cheers,
Lee IV

Happy Friday!

Like I promised before in my last blog, I was going to tell you the results of our midterm for Hot Sandwich class. Our midterm felt like being on a television show on the Food Network because we had to present our entrée sandwich in front of three judges, then at the end we were critiqued on our food. This brought a little more intensity because we wanted to make sure our entrée was impressive enough to see whose sandwich came in first. The name of my entrée sandwich was the Awesome Blossom burger in a Panini form. I must say it was tasty! After we presented our sandwiches we all came together to hear what the judges had to say about our food. They went through each person and told what they liked about the food and some improvements we can change. The judges were overall impressed with our food, and then our standings were given to us. Two honorable mention awards were given, and I received third place with fifty points which was given to the first through third person. I was enlightened that my entrée placed; I felt this was something I would like to add to my recipe book in the future. We are looking forward to more opportunities like this to improve our cooking.

Furthermore, after a week of midterms and new classes starting it is already the weekend. TGIF, I can’t complain since it is a time to relax and enjoy being away from school. On Friday, October 21, my weekend started with me running errands, paying bills and buying some groceries for the following week. Then for supper I went to Rocky Rocco’s, part of my free pizza for a year. I won this certificate a year ago from a raffle I entered. I always enjoy Rocky Rococo’s pizza because of the toppings they offer and their crust is really good. Later that night, I decided to attend the Marian’s University Hockey game at the Blue Line Hockey rink in Fond du Lac. They played against UW-Stevens Point, part of Marian’s first preseason game of the year. Although Marian has a young team, they played a tough physical match against the talented UW-Stevens point team. Throughout the games goalies from both sides saved a lot of tough shots. The final results were Marian ended up winning five to four, a close match-up to the very end. I recommend for anyone looking for something to do on the weekend to check out the Blue Line schedule for Hockey games, from high school to semi-pro games. There are even open days for ice skating for people of all ages for an admission fee of five dollars. I wonder what else the weekend ahead holds for activities? Well stay tuned until next time!

Cheers,

Lee IV

Midterms Already?!

I can’t believe how fast the semester is going; it is already been eight weeks into the semester. Thus far I am enjoying my classes. One of my classes ended; now I have two more classes added on. My midterm exam for my Meat, Fish, and Poultry class went better than I expected. I learned a lot from various cooking methods to different cuts of meat. We were evaluated on our knowledge in the kitchen by having a set of recipes and doing them in a timely matter, and then afterwards we were given a written exam. As I finished the exams I realized how much information I learned from the start of the semester. This is why I feel the Culinary Arts program is where I belong because of self-fulfillment and the people who are in the program are awesome, our bond has grown since I started in January 2011.

Furthermore, this week is club week; people from all over MPTC are representing their clubs. This is a good chance for people to meet new people, and the opportunity to join clubs that catches their interest. At the same event people are able to sign up for a raffle prize to win gas cards, and other great prizes. I am actually part of the culinary club serving as Treasurer. I started with this club last semester, and I already experienced a lot of new things I haven’t done before. Basically the culinary club is open to all people no matter what program they are going for. We do numerous events such Fondue Fest, various dinners, and other special events. These are great ways to network and meet people throughout the community and statewide. We fundraise for a trip to either Chicago or Germany, this is how I got involved traveling with the group back in May 2011. There are so many things we do as a group, if you are interested in joining or wanting more information you can contact me or visit the culinary corner by the cafeteria to catch the updated news.

Back to the ranch on October 19, in my baking class we finished making our breads. My partner and I made a Honey Oatmeal Bread, and it turned out really good. Every time fresh breads comes out people quickly purchase these breads and are gone within a day. This is something different that I would like to add to my future restaurant to make fresh bread from scratch to incorporate with my cuisines. In my afternoon class for my hot sandwich class we had a midterm. We are judged on a hot sandwich entrée; basically we had to choose a meal that can be used in a restaurant. Well that’s all for now because now I have to start my midterm. On my next blog I’ll tell you the final results!

Tschuss,
Lee IV

Bears Sunday!

October 16, was a brisk sunny day which was perfect for autumn weather. The day began with me working at Qdoba for the morning shift, and then afterwards my girlfriend and I went to Fond du Lac cinema to watch the film Dream House. For anyone who likes to watch a thriller suspense film, this would be the film to watch. I was satisfied with the film, throughout it the film kept me thinking of what was going to happen next and wondering how it would end. I’m not going to say much to ruin the film for you. To catch a sneak peak of the film you can watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi64658457/

Later in the day I did my typical routine schedule of watching my favorite football team Da Chicago Bears play against the Minnesota Vikings. Every chance I have to watch Da Bears I’ll make sure I do because a lot of the Bears games are not shown due to being in a Packers state. Anyways Da Bears played a tremendous game, their defense and offense really picked it up this week. Although the Vikings are not that good this year, I take a win on any given day. This game was a great ending to another weekend, but now it’s time to ready for another week of school and work. Catch you soon for the midterm update!

Adios,
Lee IV

Random Times

October 15, was a random day for me but I didn’t complain. After I finished my shift at Qdoba my friend called me to grab some grub in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. So I figured why not. It’s something to do. We went to a pizza parlor name Cranky Pat’s. This pizza parlor was located in a building on the bottom floor, and was a little small in size. The atmosphere was cozy filled with people of all ages enjoying their food and a night out on a Saturday night. I decided to get a cheese pizza with feta, and my friend got a Po’ Boy sandwich. My pizza was delicious, it had a crispy crust and cheesy topping; I reckon to anyone who loves a burnt edge. I was told the best time to attend this place is around midnight when there is a buffet style setting with all their food with a low cost price value. Once we finished our meal we headed a few short blocks to the Grand Opera House for the Haunted Happy Hour and Spirits of the Grand Tours. This was a guided “Spirit” tour of The Grand where we learned about the people and spirits history. I learned a lot from this tour, I did not realize how many famous people performed at The Grand throughout the years. Politicians, singers, and magicians are just a few of the people who made an appearance and perform at The Grand. Throughout the tour each ‘’spirit” guide told us some of the tale they experienced with ghost or images they saw throughout the years. The tour lasted for forty-five minutes and the cost was fifteen dollars, and I must say this was another event that was worth the time and money. The Grand Opera House offers several other events throughout the month filled with films, receptions, plays and much more! Another day in the making, see you soon!

Boo,
Lee IV

October Fun

October 14, was a good Friday for me. The day started with me going to Red Robin and going shopping at the outlet mall in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I finally had a chance to go shopping for the winter months ahead, and got some great deals on clearance items. I figure the best time to go shopping is in the off season when stores are trying to get rid of their old stocks. Later that night a group of friends from school and I went to Meuer corn maze in Chilton, Wisconsin. Check out the Meuer corn maze at http://www.meuerfarm.com/corn-maze.html.

This corn maze is known for their unique design of local business logos, and is over 10 acres in size. It’s been three years for the Meuer family making these designs for the public to attend. The cost of the corn maze is ten dollars but the money is well spent for an adventure experience. Before starting the maze we were given glow sticks and trivia clues to guide us through. There are two phases of the maze: numbers one to ten, so we went through one through five first. Going at night gives a creepy feeling because the scene seemed to be from a scary film and at any given second a person may jump out trying to scare us. We were brave enough to continue through the path and accomplish the maze. At first the maze was simple as we found our numbers to guide us through, but midway through the numbers got difficult. One phase was so difficult that we went in a circle seven times to wind up in the same spot. Luckily we were determined enough to continue and find our next phase and we did indeed find our next spot. We cheered in joy and continued on.

Throughout the maze we learned answers from our trivia clues that I never knew before. After an hour and half later we finished the maze, and it was a blast, something I will definitely do again. Our adventure didn’t end at the maze, as we continued to grab some hot cider and snacks in the shed area we were in for a treat.
We started to talk to the owner of the farm and he gave us inside look into his products which are made directly from his farm. He gave us a bag of kettle corn he made hours before, during this time he gave lessons about different types of popcorn, strawberries, honey and maple syrup. All of these products are grown on his farm yearly. I couldn’t believe how much information I haven’t learned yet but I’m glad he gave us some useful information. What more could we ask for? Actually he even gave us samples of each of his products, these flavors were amazing. We were so convinced that we bought some of the products because we couldn’t resist. Overall this was an adventure Friday and a good way to start the weekend off. Until next time Ciao!

Cheers,
Lee IV

Great Weather equals Great Weekend

My weekend turned out better than I expected especially with the great weather. My eventful weekend started on Saturday, October 8, with my two friends wedding (Brett Voskuil and Elaina Dixon) in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Things kicked off at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. This was my first wedding I attended when I knew both the groom and bride. The ceremony was beautiful and went smoothly, then follow the reception and dinner at the Range Line Inn in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. After dinner we began to start to have fun once the music and dancing started. The Dj service offered a photo booth which allowed people to take pictures with various props as a memory book for the bride and groom. Everyone was having a blast taking pictures, laughing, dancing, and enjoying the wonderful evening. Nights like these I wish would last forever, but that is why we have to live each moment to the fullest.
The next day on Sunday, October 9, I attended a scholarship dinner at the Heidel House in Green Lake, Wisconsin, hosted by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. Wisconsin Restaurant Association is an organization which helps to ensure the future success of the food service industry through education, scholarship and community involvement. The evening started with a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by an elegant dinner and ceremony. Throughout the night I was able to meet and network with various people who owned businesses and restaurants from all throughout the state and country. I also met students from other schools who are pursuing similar goals as I. Special guest Carlton Curtis, chairman of the Board of Trustees for the NRA Educational Foundation and Vice President of industry Affairs for the Food service and Hospitality Division of Coca-Cola North America spoke in front of us for night. He kept us entertained with his southern accent and gave us updates of the Brewers game, along with his experiences in the industry. After we finished our dinner the award ceremony started, each person came up to introduce themselves and told what their future goals were. Haley Gammon and I were the two people who won a scholarship from Moraine Park Technical College. Haley was awarded the Chef Bill Dougherty Scholarship, and I was awarded the Aderis DeRosa scholarship. I was fortunate to meet the people who awarded me and the person who sponsored me for my scholarship. They are great people with beyond potentials. Overall this was a successful night which made a great ending for the weekend. Like always catch you soon!

Hasta luego,
Lee IV

Go Big or Go Home!

On Thursday, October 6, Instructor Lois Zingsheim had an “ah-ha” moment while laying down for bed. Her idea was to make the largest sub sandwich in the history of Moraine Park Technical College. If anybody knows Instructor Lois once she has an idea she’ll find a way to make it happen. So in her afternoon class her idea became reality as she told her class what was on the agenda for the day. This massive sandwich included roast beef, Ham, turkey, salami, Monterey jack cheese, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, green pepper, and lettuce. Not only did this sandwich sound delicious it was beyond delicious. Cost of the sandwich was $1 for 3 inches and $2 for 6 inches, and the sandwich sold until everything was gone. It didn’t take long for people to try this amazing massive sandwich. In total the sandwich came out to be 432 inches long. I would love to see for someone to top the new record Instructor Lois accomplished. People from all over the school were in awe about this massive sandwich. Without doubt there will be more exciting things to happen in the culinary area, so stay tuned! Until next time Ciao!!
Cheers,
Lee IV

Back to Reality

It’s been two days since the German students left and I miss them a lot. Now they are in the great city of New York for four days, and I’m still in good ol Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. I hope one day I’ll visit New York City; I heard it is a great place to visit. Anyway life is back to normal for me now with the same routine go to school, work, and try to have free time to have fun. At least the weather is beautiful especially since the temperatures are supposed to be near 80 degrees.

This week on Wednesday, September 5, Comedian Chad Daniels came to Moraine Park Technical College during lunch time. Free lunches were offer to students, and the menu was the choice of pasta with marinara or alfredo sauce along with bread sticks, water, and a cookie of different types. The alfredo pasta was really good I reckon. During this time Comedian Chad Daniels was telling his jokes which cover all types of genre from his personal experience to ordinary life in America. I enjoyed his humor, I just wish it could’ve gone longer, but it was enough time before my next class started.

I have another fun weekend ahead filled with a wedding on Saturday. My two good friends are getting married in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I hope the weather is pleasant to make an even better wedding, but if not I’m sure it will still be a fantastic day. Then on Sunday I’m attending a Scholarship dinner in Green Lake, Wisconsin at the Heidel House. This event is sponsor by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. I will be able to meet the people who donated money for my tuition, and thank them for the scholarship I won. I’ll be sure to provide some pictures on my next blog and the typical life of a student at Moraine Park Technical College. Catch you soon!

Danke,
Lee IV

The Weekend Wrap Up

This was the last weekend for the German students being in Fond du Lac, WI. It’s been a lot of fun hanging out with them. I became closer with them and learned more things than the first time I met them in May 2011. We all became family because we all experience the typical life in both countries. The weather was not so good, but that did not prevent us enjoying every moment with them. I came to realize how twelve days can go so fast. At first I thought the German students would be here for a long time, but actually it flew past like a blur.

On September 30, the German students came to Moraine Park Technical College for one last time to finish off their presentation and take group pictures. Afterwards they went to their host house and waited for the weekend activities. For dinner some hosts made some home cooked meal, as for me I went with some people to an Italian restaurant in Fond du Lac, WI named La Sicilia. This restaurant had good foods which are freshly made every day, and was less crowded than Ala Roma. The German student’s enjoyed their pizza and pasta. Afterwards of course we went to Target to get more food and a little shopping. Then we all went to a friend’s house to hangout playing games and watch television. Since we had to wake up early the next morning we did not stay too long. So we had a good night of rest to get ready for our cave tour.
On Saturday October 1, we got up around 7:30 a.m. to get ready for our Cave tour at Ledge View Nature Center in Chilton, WI. The tour was held by an Aussie lady who had an awesome accent and was an excellent tour guide. As we entered the cave some people didn’t last, so they headed back to wait until the tour was done. The brave ones challenged themselves to continue to go through the cave. Some parts of the cave were difficult because of tight angles crawling through. This adventure tour is an amazing sight to see in person, it is amazing the things you see underground. The cave tour took about two hours due to the size of our group. We did not get as dirty as I expected since the cave was dry from the lack of rain throughout the summer. Afterwards we went home to shower to get cleaned up before going to the mall in Appleton, WI. I stayed back to work on my homework and do my guests and my laundry. Once the German students and host came back from Appleton they all came to my house to hangout, play cards, and play pool. We played for a long time, and didn’t get to sleep until late but it wasn’t a problem since we were able to sleep in the next day.

Sunday October 2, was the last day of events for the German students. As I woke up I was shocked to notice the weather outside was finally nice. Although I wish the weather was nicer all week, but I was not complaining. For lunch we went to Qdoba which was delicious, you can never go wrong with freshly made food. Then we drove to Green Lake, WI for our boat tour of Green Lake at the Heidel House. We couldn’t ask for a perfect day for a tour, the breeze was pleasant. We saw some unique houses on the lake, and to see the colors of the trees were remarkable. Afterwards we headed to Instructor James’ house for our Farewell dinner. Since it was so nice out we decided to play some American football in the yard along with some yard games. It was nice seeing everybody having a good time talking to one another and enjoying being outside. Shortly afterwards it was time to eat which was prepared by Instructors James and Bill. They did an excellent job making tenderloins on the grill served with mashed potatoes, roasted corn, and peppers. Then a bonfire was started, we all sat around the fire and started to sing, playing guitars and remembering the priceless moments we had these past twelve days. Towards the end before people started to leave, gifts were passed to the Germans students and instructors for taking part of the exchange program. It was a bitter sweet moment because we were all having a good time, but sad since they were leaving the next morning.

We already talked about our plans when we go to visit them again in May 2012. There is already a countdown starting because we miss them so much. I like to say “never goodbye but instead say I’ll see you later”. Now the next step for the German student is that they would be in Madison Wisconsin then fly off to New York City for four days before flying back to Germany. I’ll make sure to keep their status in my blogs for the upcoming days.Well that’s all for now but more to come!

Merci,
Lee IV

The Days Are Fast

Wednesday, September 28, was a fun, long productive day. It started off with my baking class. We finished making our Danishes and croissants. They came out really tasty and had a nice brown color to them. Learning how to make these pastries from scratch is really cool because I was able to make my own design and flavor. These are one of baking’s most popular selling items. After we packaged them, we put them on the selling rack, and the pastries are disappearing by the moment. In my next food production class we made breakfast sandwiches from bagels to wraps using eggs as the main ingredient. Everyone in class had a unique way of making their sandwiches, and those turned out really good too.

After class we got organized to see what the plans were for the night. We decided we could do a little shopping before we headed to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for dinner. The restaurant we picked was Red Robin “yumm.” I figured this was a good place for an excellent American burger. Some people had a difficult time trying to figure which burger they wanted to try, but when it was time to order they decided. Once the food came each person was satisfied with the food they picked. The burgers were warm, juicy and tasty. I have to say it hard to get a better than Red Robin. Later in the night we came back to my house, played pool, watched television and listened to music. It seemed like everybody was having a good time.

On Thursday, September 29, there was a tea party held for the German students. This event was prepared by Instructor Lois’ production class. They did an excellent job on prepping all the food and drinks. I missed this event because I had to work, but I heard nothing but good things about the tea party. At night we went paintballing at Do It All Sports in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin at night. Some people were a little nervous and chickened out for paintballing, but the brave ones came and played. Twelve of us played, and it turned out to be a good thrill. We split into teams to face one another. The anticipation of getting the first hit or getting hit by a paintball can be exhilarating. After playing five rounds of paintballing we finished early since it got dark outside. We headed inside to turn in our gear and talked about our bruises from the paintballs. We all agreed going paintballing was a good choice and hopefully we can go again.

Now it’s time to get ready for the weekend, which is sadly the last weekend for the German students already. Until then I’m going to enjoy every moment with them and hopefully you enjoy my future blogs.

Sayonara,
Lee IV