chef

For six years now, my son-in-law, Kevin Petersen, who is married to my daughter, Corrie Petersen, has been truly the wind beneath her wings. Corrie has been going to college to get her Batchelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN), and since the Guiness Book of World Records calls that the hardest degree to get (I fully agree with that assessment, by the way), she has truly needed that wind beneath her wings. In addition to going to school for her degree, Corrie was also working fulltime as a CNA. Kevin was her cheerleader, chef, housekeeper, shoulder to cry on, advisor, and her encouragement when she didn’t think she could go on. While these things are admirable, they often go unnoticed by the rest of the world. While they are all cheering the accomplishments of the student, they tend to forget that support person who is always there in the background to keep that student from stumbling and falling. Nevertheless, Corrie needed Kevin to be there for her, and he was totally dedicated to her and her every need.

Kevin often set aside his own goals and dreams to help Corrie meet her goals, dreams…and deadlines. That meant no vacations for the past six years. Corrie’s school went year-round, so there were no real breaks. Kevin took care of things on the home front…the pets, cars, house, and meals. He kept things quiet during the days when she had to sleep, because she worked all night. He spent many a night and day alone, because she had to study. Kevin’s support of my daughter was the ultimate show of love, and it makes me very proud of the man she married. Kevin and Corrie love to go camping, but over the last six years, there wasn’t really any time to do that. In addition to everything else going one, Kevin and Corrie had 3 grandchildren (2 more on the way) and their two sons get married, during those six years. Life doesn’t get more hectic than what these two wonderful people were going through, and I know from hectic times in my own life…you can barely think straight when you have everything going on that Corrie had going on. Nevertheless, Kevin was there…holding her hand and more importantly, holding her up.

Now that Corrie’s schooling is finished, and she is working in her dream career…nursing, things have finally settled down. Don’t get me wrong when I say that Kevin is done with the schooling support, because that in no way means that his “support team” duties are over. Those will most likely always be there, because sometimes in nursing, you lose a patient, or one has an outcome that leaves the permanently disabled, or sometimes the fight for the life of a patient is just a difficult one…even when you win. Those are the times when you need your support team a lot. I know that Corrie will always have that great support team, because she has Kevin…the wind beneath her wings, and that will make her road so much easier. Still, the “wind beneath her wings” duties have settled down some, so Kevin and Corrie have been able to go camping twice this summer. They have also had time for a leisurely dinner here and there. They finally have time to be a couple again, and that has been such a blessing for them…and a blessing for this mom and mother-in-law to watch, because I love these “kids” who will always be my “kids” so much, and I want their married life to be filled with every blessing God has to offer them…including a few moonlit nights by the campfire. They deserve so much happiness, and I’m glad they are getting just that. Today is Kevin’s birthday. Happy birthday Kevin, and thanks for taking such good care of my daughter!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

They say that genius can be the closest thing to crazy, but I don’t really know how true that is. Sometimes I think that when a person is a genius, people drive them crazy. It’s the novelty of the thing, I suppose. People find out that the genius has a super high IQ, and they all seem to want something from them. Many people don’t really care about the genius as a person, just about how they might be able to make money off of them somehow. Not every inventor is a genius, but some of them are, as are some mathematicians, doctors, teachers, writers, and many other people too.

Sometimes the demands placed on these geniuses gets to be so heavy, that they might just snap. I don’t mean that they might go insane, although some of them have. The thing that seems to happen most, however, is that they might just decide to disappear. Several geniuses have simply vanished, including William Sidis (who graduated from Harvard at 16, only to go into hiding, going from city to city and job to job), JD Salinger (author of Catcher in the Rye, who left Manhattan in 1953 to live on a “90-acre compound” in Cornish, NH. He remained there until his death in 2010, at age 91, saying he loved to write, but publishing was a terrible invasion of his privacy), Ettore Majorana (a theoretical physicist was considered one of the most deeply brilliant men in the world by Enrico Fermi, creator of the first nuclear reactor. One day he drained his bank account and simply vanished), David Thorne (an architect received so much attention for his work on jazz giant Dave Brubeck’s house in 1954, that he changed his professional name in the ‘60s to Beverly Thorne, got an unlisted phone number, and didn’t “resurface” until the 1980s), and Nick Gill (who at 21, was the youngest-ever British chef to win a Michelin star. He seemed destined for a life of fame and fortune and was hailed as a culinary genius. One day he told his brother he was going to disappear, and to “please, not look for him,” never to be seen again).

It isn’t known, as to why these geniuses would decide that they no longer wanted to be a part of the world, nor are they to only people to do this by any means. Nevertheless, they seem to have one thing in common, their genius skill or knowledge seemed to take over their whole life, and people wouldn’t leave them alone, but rather hounded them unmercifully. I think I can understand how that would be enough to make someone want to disappear, but most people don’t actually go so far as to take that step. It is a rather extreme step to take, and for all we know some of these might have been killed or committed suicide. The sad reality for these genius minds is that the fame and constant pressure of celebrity was too much for them, and they just checked out, because the burden of knowledge was just too much for them.

Working in a fast-food restaurant is often how someone gets started in a career in the culinary arts. Of course, that is how lots of kids get started in the work world too. My niece, Andrea Beach is an excellent cook and baker, and she really wanted to be a chef and even wanted to go to Culinary School, but like many people with that dream, she later became discontented with that line of work. Once you have been around restaurant life, you know that you will be working long hours, late at night, for people who are seldom satisfied, and somehow always think it is the fault of the chef. You might think I am talking about a chef that isn’t very good at his or her job, but I’m not. That is how it is for every chef or cook I know. People go out for a meal, and they somehow seem to think that if they don’t complain about the meal, they aren’t sophisticated enough…and I’m very serious about that.

This was the world Andrea found herself, and she suddenly knew that it was time for a change. So, this single mom took a leap of faith and switched careers. Now she works at Ace Hardware. This was a career move sent to Andrea by God…literally. She loves her job, and her stress levels have dropped dramatically. The hours are better, which has made it possible for her to spend more time with her son, Topher who is a junior in high school. That last year of high school is so important to a student, and Topher is such a good kid. He and his mom ae best friends. She loves that the hours are better, as is the lower stress atmosphere.

Now that Andrea’s stepdad, Mike Reed is getting ready to retire, Andrea and Topher are looking at this being their last year in Rawlins. Now that her mom, Caryl Reed and Mike, are moving to Casper, Andrea is ready to start a new life in Casper as well. Andrea is listening to see what God has in store for her next. Planning a move to a new city without a job or anything can be stressful, but Caryl and Mike have an apartment above their barn on the ranch they are moving to, so Andrea and Topher will have a place to live right away. Of course, a lot will depend on what Topher’s plans are for the next year too. College could take him a totally different direction, so time will tell. Nevertheless, Andrea knows that she wants to be in Casper, at least for the near future. After that…well, who knows. She is listening to hear Gods plans for her and Topher’s future. She loves the Lord and trusts in Him completely. In the very near future, Andrea is looking forward to the vacation trip to Montana and Yellowstone with her mom, Caryl and Topher. That should be a great time for all three of them. Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My grandma, Hattie Byer was the only grandmother I had while growing up, because my dad’s parents passed before and shortly after I was born. Grandma was a multi-faceted person, probably by necessity. She and my grandpa, George Byer had nine children…seven girls and two boys. As a stay-at-home mom, grandma was the main disciplinarian in the family. Grandpa worked long hours, and while he could discipline the kids, he truly had a soft heart, and I think it pained him when he had to impose discipline on his kids. I think that happens a lot. In my family, I was the disciplinarian too. My mom, Collene Spencer has told me of some of the times she got on the wrong side of her mother, with negative consequences. Lets just say that when your brother is getting in trouble, you best stay out of it, because sassing your mom is never a good idea.

Grandma was also the family chef. She made the best of so many dishes. Her Potato Pancakes have never been beaten, and yes, I’m biased, but so is every other person who has ever had them. Her Potato Milk Soup was heavenly, and her Oyster Stew was loved by many. Of course, it was my grandmother’s good cooking that created all the good cooks in the family. She taught her girls, and her boys too, to cook and they were and are still very good cooks. They don’t make exotic dishes, they make good old fashioned “Comfort Food,” and nobody makes it better than they do. Grandma could make a great mean out of almost nothing, and during the Great Depression, that is just what she did, as many a hungry guest can attest. Grandma always had extras at the table in those years. People instinctively knew where they could go to be welcomed to dine at a moment’s notice. None were turned away, and all ate to their fill.

My grandmother was a woman of small stature, just 5′ in her tall days. I’m not sure where her height came from, because her sisters were certainly much taller than the was. Since I have no idea how tall her mother, or grandmothers were, I guess it might be quite normal for her to be short. Still I have often wondered how she
ended up so short. By the time I really gave much thought to her height, she had shrunk some, and probably stood 4’10” tall…or short, as it were. She didn’t need to be real tall to catch Grandpa’s eye, however. He was in love almost immediately. Grandpa stood over 6′ tall, so there was quite a contrast there, but they always made a sweet couple, and Grandpa was always proud of his beautiful wife. Grandma was a multi-faceted person, who could handle many things, and we have all always been very proud of her too. Today would have been Grandma Byer’s 112th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven Grandma. I know you and Grandpa are having a wonderful celebration. We love and miss you very much.

I suppose that most of the time, when someone sets out to invent something, they have a specific plan in mind, but maybe not. A number of inventors were trying to invent something completely different from what they ended up inventing, or they weren’t trying to “invent” anything at all, but ended up making something very cool.

One day in 1853, a chef at the Carey Moon Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, named George Crum was at work, and making a meal for a customer. Apparently this customer was rather picky, which I can understand when it comes to certain things. The customer had ordered a plate of fried potatoes, and since my mom, Collene Spencer often made fried potatoes when I was a kid, I can attest to how great they tasted. Fried potatoes, however, must be correctly cooked to be really good, and I suppose that there are many differing views as to which way of cooking them is correct. Sometimes, its just a matter of personal preference.

Chef Crum fried the potatoes in the way he had always done so, but found that he was apparently unable to please this particular customer. Anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant knows that it is really frowned upon to have food sent back to the kitchen. The chef is given a goal of almost reading the mind of the customer…and expected to get it right. I know that this can be difficult from my own experience. I love what I would call extra crispy bacon, but when I tell them extra crispy, I usually end up with bacon that is floppy and, in my opinion, disgusting. I have long since learned that if I want to get truly crispy bacon, I must tell them that I want it burned. Only then will the bacon come out “crispy” enough for me, which, by the way, never has any black parts that would indicate that it was burned.

On this particular day, Chef Crum was having a bad day, at least from the perspective of pleasing the customer, who sent the potatoes back many times, asking that the potatoes be thinner and crispier. Finally in a fit of temper, Chef Crum sliced the potatoes insanely thin and fried them until they were “as hard as a rock,” before sending them back out to the customer. To his astonishment, the customer absolutely loved the potatoes, and wanted more. Now, for anyone who likes potato chips, the request for seconds comes as no surprise, because it really is hard to eat just one potato chip, as the saying goes. Since that day, I’m sure that these new fangled potatoes were a menu favorite at the Carey Moon Lake House. They must have been, because as we all know, they are still available to this day, and they show no sign of losing their popularity now either.

For some time now, my niece, Andrea Spicer has been a chef. She has cooked at several restaurants. These days she is at the Best Western Hotel in Rawlins, and she has been for quite a while. All her hard work is paying off, because she is in line for a promotion to the position of Assistant Kitchen Supervisor. I know she will get the promotion, and I am so happy for her. This is the work she has dreamed of, and the only work she has ever wanted to do.

Of course, for Andrea, there is nothing more important than her son, Topher. They are truly best friends. Since his birth in 2005, Topher has been Andrea’s world. Andrea loves spending time with Topher, and says he couldn’t ask for a better kid. She feels very honored to be his mom. Topher has been her purpose in life for almost 14 years now, and he makes her more proud of him every day.

The biggest news for Andrea is that she has started a quest to a healthier life. She started her journey with the Keto eating plan, and in short order, she has lost over 30 pounds!!!! I think for any Chef, the hardest thing to do is to lose weight, because you are always around food. That makes Andrea’s success even better. Keto is an easy plan to follow though, and you never feel hungry or deprived. It is the plan I have been on for over a year and a half, so I know how Andrea feels about her new lifestyle. There is nothing quite like the rewards that come from perseverance and hard work. I am so proud of Andrea’s hard work, and so happy for her with her success. Keep it up Andrea!! You look great!! Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

Much as changed for my oldest grandchild, Chris Petersen over the last year. He has grown up so much. Chris and his fiancé, Karen Cruickshank got engaged and they are expecting a baby girl the 1st of June. These are exciting times for the whole family. With this baby girl, my husband, Bob and I will become great grandparents for the first time; our daughter Corrie Petersen and her husband, Kevin will become grandparents for the first time; and of course, Chris and Karen will be first-time parents. It is such a big change for all of us, and one that we can hardly wait for. Changes like that are among the greatest blessings in life. We have looked a the ultrasound photos, repeatedly, trying to envision exactly what she will look like. The ultrasound can only tell you so much about what he baby looks like…even the 3D ultrasound. Of course, new technology brings with it an even better picture, but the 4D ultrasound is more expensive. One day it will be the way it is always done, but that day in not today, so we will have to wait a little bit longer to really find out what our little baby girl will look like.

With his growing family, Chris decided that the time had come to buy their home, so he found a cute little condo to buy, and he and Karen have been busily decorating it, and preparing the second bedroom for their new little addition. Buying a house is, as we all know, a really big step. Nevertheless, often the house payment is less than rent would have been. That is exactly what happened with Chris and Karen, so that has helped when it comes to the extra money to get things ready for their little girl. Buying a home is a big step, but it is also an exciting step, and Chris is no exception. Owning his own home as made him feel more like an adult, with a sense of pride in ownership.

A few months ago, Chris landed his dream job. It’s funny, as a chef Chris expected that his dream job would have been in a restaurant, but that was not the case for Chris. Chris found his calling in the health care industry…not as a CNA, nurse, or aid, but rather as a chef. Chris works at Mountain Plaza Assisted Living, and he really loves it. Being a chef in a assisted living facility allows him to not only cook, which was his chosen career, but it allows him to have a positive effect on the lives of a really great group of people. After serving the meals, Chris gets to go out and visit with the residents, and that has been a great opportunity for him an a great perk for the residents. I am very proud of all of Chris’ accomplishments, and I’m very proud of the impact he has on the lives of those around him. for Chris, it has been a really big year. Today is Chris’ birthday. Happy birthday Chris!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My niece, Andrea Beach loves to cook. She works at the Turnbuckle restaurant, located in the Best Western Hotel in Rawlins, Wyoming. There are just two chefs that cook there, the Head Chef and Andrea, so she is basically running her own show a lot. My sister, Caryl Reed, says the Turnbuckle is the best restaurant in Rawlins, so working there is an honor for Andrea. She loves to be creative with her cooking, and would love to go to Culinary School someday, but for now, she is happy being able to cook in a great restaurant, and share her creativity with the guest there.

While a person’s career is important, it is still…a job. A person’s life is their family. Andrea has a great son named, Topher, and he keeps her busy with his activities. This month Topher is playing soccer, so you guessed it…Andrea is a Soccer Mom. Over the past few years, that term has become almost a household word, since it was used during the McCain/Palin campaign for the presidency. Most of us hadn’t really heard much about that term, unless of course, they were soccer moms. Being a Soccer Mom means more than just showing up at the games for Andrea. Soccer Moms usually have to bring the treats after the game (I guess they still do that), but since Andrea is a single mom, she is Topher’s full time cheerleader and his home coach, as he practices his skills. Topher is Andrea’s whole world, and she really wouldn’t know what to do without him. She is a good mom, and she has raised a great kid. Topher is very blessed to have Andrea for a mom.

Andrea rents one of the apartments owned by my sister, Caryl Reed and her husband, Mike, who are Andrea’s mom and step-dad. It works out really well, because Caryl and Mike are living in one of their apartments too, while they build their retirement home here in Casper, Wyoming. For Andrea, this is ideal, because that means Topher’s grandma and grandpa are in the same building. When she has to work nights, Topher can just go to his grandparent’s apartment. And when she gets off work, it’s not far to go to pick him up and go home. Andrea also helps Caryl and Mike out, by acting a part-time apartment manager for them, when they are out of town. It’s a win-win situation for all. For Andrea, life stays pretty busy, but I think she likes it that way. Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

Kevin, Josh, and Chris paintball fightingKevin 3For some time now, my daughter Corrie Petersen, her husband, Kevin and their boys, Chris and Josh have loved camping. They camped on Casper Mountain, where the boys used to play paintball, and at Alcova Lake, where they liked to fish. The boys all love fishing, and while Corrie would rather take pictures, they find the lake to be a very relaxing place. This year, however, has been a little bit different for them. While they are still camping at the lake, fishing, taking pictures, and just enjoying the three day Memorial Day weekend, they are one short, because Chris moved to Sheridan, and couldn’t get off work to go along. That is what happens when kids graduate from college, and start their adult life and their career. Their priorities are different now. They have their own plans and dreams. imageWhile they truly miss going camping with the family, that simply isn’t to be right now.

Corrie and Kevin are very proud of the accomplishments Chris has made, and of his job. Chris is a chef at the Open Range restaurant in the historic Sheridan Inn, in Sheridan, Wyoming. Chris loves his job, and he has made lots of friends in Sheridan. As graduation neared, he decided that for now at least, he wanted to stay in Sheridan, so the family is trying to reinvent their camping trips around the reality of being one short. They understand that Chris is not that far away really, because Sheridan is only about two hours from Casper, but when they are camping and he isn’t there, it might as well be a thousand miles away. Being one short is still being one short.

For Corrie and Kevin, this is the beginning of change. Before long, Josh will be through with college and on to his career too. The boys will marry and have families of their own, and the camping trips will again be reinvented to being two short. I hope they will still go out and do the things they love to do, and that on occasion one or both of the boys will join them and later, bring their families too, because the memories they will have of the whole family camping and fishing IMG_8300Jumping Joshtogether will be priceless later on in their lives. I know, because I remember them from my childhood. For me the chances to go camping…or anywhere else with my parents are in the past. I would love to be able to go back in time for a little bit, to roast marshmallows over the campfire and sing campfire songs with the whole family. The memories are sweet, but they make me lonely for my parents too. I hope Chris and Josh will try to get together with their parents once in a while at the campground. They will never be sorry they did, because the memories will be with them forever.

Christopher in clothes basketChris in bootsA little boy I once knew, who is no longer little, is graduating from college today. How can it be? The years have literally flown by. He was the child who first made me a grandmother. My little Christopher Todd Petersen, who arrived on his great grandmother, Joann Schulenberg’s birthday, changed my world…adding such a wonderful new dimension to it. My heart was filled with joy.

Chris had such a cute smile, and he made the cutest faces. He soon wowed us with his ability to make all the animal sounds on demand, and made us laugh as he emptied out any box or basket of its contents so he could climb in a sit a while. He was all boy…and the culture shock I had never experienced before, because I had daughters…well, believe me when I say, “Boys are very different from girls!!” I don’t mean just physically, but in every aspect of their being, from the physical…to their personalities. Nevertheless, having three grandsons and one granddaughter has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life, a blessing beyond words.
imageimage
Fast forward now, a little over twenty years, and suddenly that little boy is graduating from college. His dream is to own his own restaurant, and who knows, maybe even a chain of them. He is graduating as one of the top of his class from the Culinary School at Sheridan College. Even that seems like it flew by. Literally, it seems like yesterday that he headed off to college, calling home often to tell everyone just how homesick he was, and now he emerges…a man, with a degree. He is a chef…not a cook…a chef, with all the respect that goes along with that title. He has made good friends in Sheridan, and for now, has decided to stay there to live and work in a fine dining restaurant called Open Range which is located in the historic Sheridan Inn. Chris loves working there and tells us his coworkers are great.

He is living his dream. He has been very blessed to be able to work in such a restaurant before his degree work is even complete, and today Open Range becomes very blessed to have a chef working for them who has earned his degree, and brings with him the prestige that his degree carries with it. With his skill level imageimageand attention to detail, Chris will be bringing with him a level of recognition that Open Range can be proud of. It is a win-win situation for both of them. Chris has really taken to the style of creativity that is vital to fine dining, and he will be showing that great skill level to the people who live in and visit Sheridan in the future. Congratulations Chris!! Your hard work has paid off. We, your family and friends are so very proud of all your accomplishments. We wish you God’s very best in all your future endeavors!! We love you very much!!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives
Check these out!