The Second and Third Week

So last week the Keto Cheeseburger spinach casserole:

Cheeseburger Spinach Casserole

Ingredients:

1 #10 Aged cheddar cheese

1 #10 Artichoke hearts spp

2-3 head/bag Cauliflower spp

6lb (68) ground Beef spp

2-3 bunch/bag Spinach spp

2 green bell pepper, diced

3 Tbsp Garlic powder pp

3 Tbsp Badia season-all

• Preheat ovens
• Fine-medium dice the vegetables (easier to eat, and deal with)
• Cook the ground meat
• Add everything to a food safe bin to thoroughly mix
• Pour into casserole pans, cover with foil. (or use roasters)
• Check temperature for 165F, should be hot and bubbly, taste test, addend seasoning if needed
• Once done, or near done, take foil off and (add parmesan and Panko if ya got it), brown the top

Going for 1 roaster/pan, about 50 + servings

Clean griddle, mixing pan, cutting board, counters, oven/stovetop, utensils, floors, take trash, pack all in vehicle, along with tools.

***PP= per pan/pot, SPP=split per pan/pot

Wednesday

Chili -80 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup Oil /pp

5 Onion, medium chop /spp

2 tbsp + 2 tsp Salt /pp

1/2 tsp pepper /pp

1/4 cup Garlic /pp

1 tsp Cayenne /pp

1/8th cup Paprika/pp

1/8th cup Cumin/pp

1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes /pp

4 Diced tomatoes

3-4 #10 Beans (see below for meat and no meat options, or split extra beans between them to stretch another 19 or so servings)

Add a can of Chile verde /pp

Added meat-6 lbs gr meat/donated

Serve with shedded cheese (do it ourselves, ask me why)

Sour cream

Bread

In one pot 

2 cans beans, 2 cans tomatoes

In another pot

1 can beans, meat, 2 cans tomatoes

Saute first 8 ingredients until transparent and aromatic-two pots

Add next 4 ingredients, including pre-cooked meat if adding.

Bring back to boiling (about 30 minutes).

Clean griddle, mixing pan, cutting board, counters, oven/stovetop, utensils, floors, take trash, pack all in vehicle, along with tools.

Then Thursday ended up being about what fresh donations had to be used, and not the cabbage roll soup.

Ham and Potato Soup

1/3 cup oil

5 packages pre-cooked ham sliced (pound each), diced/spp

1/2 cup flour/pp

1 cup powdered milk/spp

12-16 cups hot water/pp

1/4 cup broth powder /pp

red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon/pp

10 pounds potatoes, diced/spp

8 carrots/spp

2 onions, diced/spp

Threw oil into pots, used two, chopped veggies, sautéed until transparent, then add the flour, mix well, let it cook off 5 minutes.

Add in 4 cups water /pp, stirring well and add dry milk powder/spp, stir well and add the rest or the water. 

Bring to a boil, then let it go another 15 minutes or until everything is cooked-through.

Today was a new week.

IRISH STEW

2 beef roasts, diced

1 cup flour

salt

pepper

10 pound bag potatoes, diced

1 head cabbage, diced

4 onion, diced

8+ carrots

broth powder

garlic 

16 cups hot water

Same as the others, 2 pots. Sautéed, cook, then move it into roasters to stay hot

Tomorrow is supposed to be 

Shepherds Pie

3 boxes mashed potato flakes

7 + pounds ground meat

1 #10 creamed corn

2 bags peas and carrots

butter

dry milk

Shredded cheese

Gunna pre-cook the ground meat, split it between two pans, mix in the veggies, stir, top with mashed potatoes and shredded cheese-per Rose.

Bake about 35-45 minutes until they get bubbly.

The Org leader may be my volunteer helper , so exciting!

(I lost my Wednesday and Thursday helpers when I took the job-they have lives they had to get back to)

But another Org lead in charge of another division may be my Thursday volunteer occasionally, so also fun, probably doing

Sloppy Joe 

2 #10 cans tomato sauce/ketchup

1 #10 can diced tomato

2 onion, diced

2 bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup + brown sugar

1/8th cup dry mustard

12 pound ground meat

1/8th cup Worcestershire

NEXT WEEK

I take a course and so will not work that Tuesday, but my kitchen volunteer that day has reign- she will be doing a goulash

My schedule keeps changing , menu-wise, that I am just not sure yet.

Still have a lot of ham and corn tortillas, thought of doing that as a casserole with veggies and cheese

#10 of chick peas, I will make a creamed pot pie type thing with

2 more roasts that will be another stew

3 or 4 chickens to roast

Fruit I will probably make 2 or 3 cobbler pans of

The finish of the First week and Onward!

I will say the first week was not my finest hour, but come on, it was edible.

Going through bunch of items that get donated or are filling the freezers from previous sales or something.

Second meal was Loaded Dogs 68

9 packages
4 cans of an inexpensive chili to go on the dogs
1/2 - #10 can sauerkraut or equivalent

8.5 packages buns
serve with cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup

Third meal was using up left over dogs 4.5 packages in jambalaya and using the nutripacks (13), adding seasonings, tony's and 2-3 #10 diced tomatoes in two pots, then moved to roasters after brought to boiling for 20 minutes.

I am seeing the groove of the job. I am understanding why people say I am organized. Gave my boss reports with goals and other paperwork, got paid, to be a contract chef. Wooooooo!

So I write a grocery list for the store, and on the other side a grocery list for silver city donations kept there, and there is a list of items that need to be pulled from the freezer to defrost, and a list of items in the fridge to use, and to think about things to use with them- like all the dressings I see in there- I think there will be marinated peat in the future.

March is coming up, there will be a lot of cabbage.

The nutripacks , I will reduce how much I use in a meal, but I Still plant to use at least 2 packets each week, so it will be fun making all of these recipes based on so many factors.
I want to cry, actually I did cry, earlier. I thanked fate for finally giving me the job I needed, the job that is my calling. It actually feels right, comfortable. I just hope they suffer through my experimental recipes while I adjust my serving issues, it is a steep learning curve, I am learning super quick.

Not just the food. Evidently you got people who run off with a girl that is just terrible for them, you got mental guys who really need to stay on their medicine, alcoholics, abused, timid, everyday people who could be anyone you know, anyone I know, me, you...they are every person on earth, with every great quality, every fault, every love, and every shame as any of us have ever had throughout our lives. And now I get to play a positive part in their life. That makes me cry too.

I love making these lists, I love making menus, I love knowing the future essentially, and this is how I get to do it in my own little world, and if there is left over, I may even get to make a donation and bring some home for dinner!

I cannot believe this

K, so next week, if all goes well, I just made all my lists, so I have a 3 day weekend of no worry, and the menu is...
Tuesday-A keto Cheeseburger Spinach Casserole, with cauliflower, and bell peppers
Parm and bread served on the tables
Wednesday- Chili, served with Bread now, but eventually maybe crackers or rice, too
Thursday- Cabbage Roll Soup With Nutripack Rice

Then the week after that, I hope, will be the quesadillas trays, and then probably get into more Irishy stuff like Colcannon and Rumble de Thumps if leftovers

All this stuff based around meat we have in freezers!

I love planning this way, I think I got it. I can't believe I am allowed to be happy for reals?

First Official Day

Food Whatever course lined up!
This WAS my first day, left on time, got shopping done almost before I was even scheduled to, got to the coakplace an hour early, used that hour to set everything up and just left the cooking until my partner for the day came in. She brought her chopper for our trinity of vegetables in our first dish together!
My traditional first dish is New Orleans Red Beans and Rice with Sausage and bread, it just happened, so now it's what I do for cooking trials.
I made the -rookie- mistake of adding the cooked rice to the pot. Just got solid by the time we served, coulda added 10 cups water probably, make it a soup, OOPS. See, I just wanted to keep it all hot and together.
My volunteers are the best, the one I know so far in the kitchen has lots of fun ideas and I appreciate alternate taste testers!
It -just- seemed to be enough, but that was only thanks to one of the volunteers Thinning it with our hot water pot- so many thanks!
The other volunteer suggested something for some items in the freezer, I plan to make a recipe called after her, a mixed fruit cobbler! I hope she likes it and surprises her :)
I am such an idiot with communication still but I nervously baby anyway, and get cottonmouth, and then can't get to my water.
Was also so busy trying to get things rearranged, stocked, noted for future use that I also didn't communicate much because I was really trying to make sure everyone had what they needed.
I forgot BUTTER. I need to add that to my grocery list for tomorrow! Then pull out the frozen ones to use for that cobbler.
So much cleaning but it seemed A LOT Easier today for some reason!
My stomach is still turning somersaults and I am taking several different pills to keep from being sick at work pepto is one! Third week, I really look forward to not feeling like this, figure it may take a month, but hopefully not three.
I've been averaging about 20 minutes after time, to slowly figure out what to do, what needs to be, and trying to remember all the donated items I was supposed to get.
It's intense. I think it's gunna be fun. I hope people enjoy the food.
One of the Meal guests probably thinks I am a total flake because her voice and mannerisms remind me of my best friend who lives nowhere near me (Susan), so I always look up!
Also ran out of my normal allergy pills, so come the afternoon I start to get insanely itchy. Fun!

Menu:
Vegan Red Beans and Rice (Sausage donated was cooked and served on the side), and bread

2/3 cup oil/pp
bunch of celery (3-4 cups?), sliced/spp
4 red bell peppers (I know, I dislike green), chopped/spp
6 cups chopped onions/spp
1/4 cup garlic/pp
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt/pp
1 tsp gr black pepper/pp
1 tsp cayenne pepper/pp
3-#10 cans Red beans, or about 18-20 normal size cans/spp

1-2 pounds of dry rice cooked separate, and not EVER added to the beans, just hold separate next time!
I would like to do this the beginning of every new month of my days! Until I get it right by the residents!

The Second Week of the Dream

This second week, I started spotting chinks. I'd already written up a report, job description, check list, and had started converting recipes in my head.

The Menu for the second week of training (as with first two, not my recipe, but my alternatives in parenthesis)

1/28/20
Chili

4- 3lb ground meat packages (or 2-#10 cans added kidney, black, or northern)
2-#10 pinto
2-#10 hominy (drain, but reserve to thin if needed)
2-#10 diced tomatoes
4 frozen onion veg seasoning packages
6 regular chili seasoning packets
6 mild chili seasoning packets
1 ??? (can't read my own writing)
2 tubs sour cream (or a silken tofu sour cream)
6 loaves $1 bread
2 large packages of shredded cheese (for the condiment table)

This was made in two pots, the ground meat getting cooked on a flat oven griddle, everyone added to pot until bubbling.

1/29/20
Posole

4 packets of chicken thighs
8-#10 cans hominy
3 small can Chile verde 11oz
3 packets frozen onion blend
3 packets menudo seasoning

Split between 3 pots, the chicken is diced, cooked on the griddle, and divided between the three, along with everything else.
Cook until boiling. (180)

1/30/20
Johnny Marzotti (Spaghetti with shaped pasta)

4 frozen onion packets
4- 2lb bags rigatoni
4- 3lb ground meat
1 bottle of Italian seasoning
2- #10 marinara
4- #10 diced tomatoes
lid of garlic (1/4 cup?)
lid of salt (1/4 cup?)

The pasta was boiled in one pot. Meat cooked on griddle, added to two pots of sauce heating to boiling on stove top. Once everyone up to temp, dump and mix in Chaffing pans, cover with foil, then lid.

I was also given the tip on how to create a
Chicken Alfredo, it was something like
2- #10 cans cheese
5 packages of chicken thighs
garlic
salt
Italian seasoning
2 huge frozen broccoli packages
4- 2lb bags pasta

Make in three pots.

Kung Pao is a supposed favorite, I may make an authentic Tofu version.

The program iss to help homeless, and those who are food-challenged, not able to provide all the time, and it also allows people to come together for a family-type meal, relaxing, sitting down out of the elements, lets our guests socialize in a non-judgmental atmosphere as long as everyone is respectful.
During the training period I was confused about making the food to spec, then allowing it to sit on a counter for 30-45 minutes, before serving. So the last day o my training, I was told it was my show now, so I changed the signage on the spot and had people come eat the fresh food instead of waiting. Essentially giving the community 1 1/2 hours to be served and enjoy their lunch time.

I have been working on detailed recipe/instruction sheets. I hope they will work, they are not on the scale I am used to.

So SCARED and TERRIFIED but this what I want to do.

Is it about to come true? Interview and first two days.

Friday at 5pm, I realize a message was missed, get back to them, it is a potential job. In the area I think I know, and believe may be what I was meant to do. Spend the rest of the day updating resume.

Saturday I meet with the person to talk to. Probably good at sabotaging my own interviews, but hopefully gets seen as endearing and not idiotic. Spend the rest of the day looking up a donated meal pack the group was given, they cannot seem to get through it, and I just cannot imagine having inedible food that is technically edible. Such a Challenge!

Monday I clean house and make sure there is food for the next day when I get to volunteer and shadow the current person holding the job. Take care of dog, she'd been feeling ignored, rains coming so cabin fever isn't lessened, either.

Tuesday. Feels different than the last job. Tense but not not stressed. So many more people. I think this is my dream job. Will do it again tomorrow, but pretty sure I'm in, probably shadow next week three days, too. Then it would be paid.

Gotta work out details-
how to not get spillage in my vehicle transporting and how that will work
working out having a menu
getting through donated foods
reducing meals from 2.60, or 2., or 1 per person to 1 dollar or less per person.

1/21/20 Tuesday was Cheesy Broccoli Bacon, in each of three pots:
1 #10 can cheddar cheese
1 #10 can water
2 bag frozen home fries
2.25 bag hormel bacon bits
1 onion, diced
1 capful stock (1/2 cup)
1 capful seasoning (1/3 cup)

Add everything together heat to temperature.

Wednesday got a taste of shopping for a 1$ per person meal, taco soup, day beginning at an 8:30am meet at grocer, left the center about 1:15pm.
So, I think this is going to be it. So I have started writing down notes on things people have commented about or there seems to be confusion about, or to make things more clear. So if I do a 5 hour shift, it will only be about 12.50 per hour, which for the driving around done, normally a chef would charge more like 20.
Doesn't matter. I want to learn how to do this, I enjoy working with people in the community who I get, and guessing they probably get me, too!
There is an hour for shopping, two for cooking at church, and two hours for arriving, setting up, and cleaning.
The drive adds another hour to my entire shift, but again, this is my opportunity to make others happy, to fill their bellies, this is my dream, this is what food and nutrition in high school set me on a path for.

1/22/20 Wednesday taco soup
So for a non-vegan taco soup for 100, grab 3 huge pots, I mean HUGE, in each pot put:
4 huge things of ground meat, 5-10 pounds each, not sure
1 #10 can pintos
1 #10 can whole corn
1 #10 can diced tomatoes
3 large cans black beans
bag of frozen onion mix
9 pack ranch powder seasoning
9 pack mild taco powder seasoning

Cook the ground meat, with or without some of the seasoning, then. add everyone together and heat to temp, 180f, about 30-45 minutes

So exciting.
Also must mention there are several entities under one roof. An advocate in one room, Two resource assistants in another, a store manager, a resident manager, myself-as chef, and the lady who brings us all together. So that is a lot of minds to get along. Very interesting, and a very tight space in some respects.
I wanna scream for joy but Im still too scared and being cautious.