By request, a pumpkin cheesecake! Halloween is already here, but this would be good for Thanksgiving, too.
You've got two versions here. A more normal version with a cookie crust and a lower carb version with a nut crust. Both are pretty high calorie, despite the artificial sweetener instead of sugar. Beware, but eat up.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Serves 8
Crust
1 cup crushed ginger snaps
1/2 cup slivered almonds, finely chopped or ground
4 tbsp melted butter
or, alternately...
1/2 cup slivered almonds, finely chopped or ground
1/2 cup pepitas, finely chopped or ground
3 packets Splenda
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
4 tbsp melted butter
Filling
2 lbs cream cheese or neufchatel cheese *
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
18 packets of Spenda and/or Equal, divided
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp bourbon or vanilla extract
* Neufchatel cheese makes a slightly less dense cheesecake. I like it better for this particular cheesecake.
Directions
Soften cream cheese by leaving it at room temp for 30 minutes prior to mixing.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For best results, grind the nuts and/or seeds in a food processor or clean coffee grinder. If that's not possible, chop them as finely as possible with a knife.
Mix all crust ingredients together. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a spring pan or pie plate. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, taking care not to burn it.
Remove crust from oven and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl or using a mixer, mix cream cheese, bourbon or vanilla, 12 packets of sweetener until smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing each in very well.
Scoop about one cup of this white cheesecake filling out and set it aside for later.
Add pumpkin, ginger, and the remaining sweetener to the filling in the mixing bowl (not to the stuff you set aside) and mix well. Carefully pour and spread the pumpkin cheesecake filling over the crust.
With a spoon, drop blobs of the reserved white cheesecake filling onto the pumpkin cheesecake filling. When all the white filling has been added, use the spoon to gently swirl the cheesecake to give it a swirled, marbled look.
Bake the cheesecake for 45-55 minutes. Just until the center of the filling has set up. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife around the edge to separate the cheesecake from the pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool before removing the pan rim. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.
Note: You can make this in a pie plate or even small ramekins or desert bowls. If you do the ramekins or small bowls, they cook a lot faster. Start checking at 25-30 minutes. I made four mini-cheesecakes and they took about 40 minutes.
Nutrition
Assuming a serving size of 1/8th of the cheesecake. Nutrition calculated using neufchatel cheese rather than cream cheese
Cookie crust version, Calories 383, Fat 28g, Carbs 23g, Fiber 2g, Protein 11g
Nut crust version, Calories 336, Fat 29g, Carbs 8g, Fiber 2g, Protein 12g
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Tilapia with Fennel and Crookneck Squash en Papillote
I learned this method of cooking, years ago. Think of it as steaming, but taking it to the next level. It has a nice presentation that people aren't used to, cleanup is easy. And, most importantly, it tastes great.
The term en papillote (meaning "in paper" or "in parchment") is a method of steaming that concentrates the flavors of foods so much more than traditional steaming does. After all, most of the typical steaming that we might do results in dumping plenty of flavor down the drain. Not so, here. With this method, we wrap the food in it's own pouch or envelope of paper and bake. It's quick and easy and, in the end, you haven't really lost any of the steaming liquid.
You may have seen fish cooked in large foil packets, turkeys in oven bags, or even those plastic bag pot roast roasters! Similar in concept. Keep the heat and moisture in. A controlled, stable cooking environment is the surest way to make sure you can actually eat the food you're cooking.
Here's what I made, tonight...
Tilapia with Fennel and Crookneck Squash en Papillote
Serves 2
Things you'll need
Parchment paper, cut into two 12" x 12" squares or aluminum foil
Kitchen twine (not needed if using foil)
Ingredients
1/2 lbs tilapia fillets
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp orange or lemon juice
1/2 fennel bulb
1 yellow crookneck squash
1 clove pressed garlic or garlic powder *
salt to taste (kosher or course sea salt, preferred)
* I actually prefer to use garlic powder (not garlic salt) better than fresh garlic. The food will not cook for long, and fresh garlic can be very strong when steamed for only a brief time. But, if you're a stickler, eat up, stinky.
Preparation
Thinly slice the fennel bulb horizontally into slices. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the fennel in boiling water for 4 minutes and then drain it.
Thinly slice the crookneck squash into disks.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cooking
It really looks nice with parchment paper and twine, but if you want to try it, it will taste the sae with foil. If you like it, you can buy the paper later.
Lay the sheets of parchment paper on the counter. In the center of each, make a gentle mound of half of the squash disks. Top the squash with a fillet of tilapia. Drizzle the fish with a tsp of olive oil. Sprinkle garlic over the top. Mound the drained fennel on top of the fish. drizzle with the juice. Salt and pepper.
Bring the four corners of the paper to the center, gather them, and tie them closed at the top with a length of twine. Tie a bow, maybe. Spread the paper a bit, so they look attractive. Note that the bundles should have plenty of air space over the food. Do not gather them tightly to the food. The bundles should be as large as possible.
Place the bundles on a cookie sheet and place them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. They should puff up big and full. They paper will also turn a little brown. Don't worry, it looks good that way. Remove from oven and place one each on a dinner plate.
At the table, remove or cut the twine just before serving, allowing each person to actually open up his or her own packet.
I ate it with a spinach salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Favorite Combinations
So, that's one simple recipe, but the combinations you can use are many. Here are a couple that I've made.
Shrimp, julienned carrots and colorful bell peppers, green onions, sliced garlic, and butter
Delicate white fish, lemon juice, julienned leaks or peppers
Chicken breast, lemon grass, kafir lime leaves, minced basil leaves, thai chilies, coconut cream.
Notes
When you cook your foods en papillote, make sure to start with quick cooking foods, cut small in quick cooking pieces. If the foods are longer cooking (like fennel, potato, etc.) you can blanch them ahead of time.
When you choose your meat, keep in mind that the meat will not brown much. Fish, pork, chicken breast, and shellfish tend to look good when cooked this way.
Err on the side of a little too much liquid in the packet. Better a little too moist than dried out.
The term en papillote (meaning "in paper" or "in parchment") is a method of steaming that concentrates the flavors of foods so much more than traditional steaming does. After all, most of the typical steaming that we might do results in dumping plenty of flavor down the drain. Not so, here. With this method, we wrap the food in it's own pouch or envelope of paper and bake. It's quick and easy and, in the end, you haven't really lost any of the steaming liquid.
You may have seen fish cooked in large foil packets, turkeys in oven bags, or even those plastic bag pot roast roasters! Similar in concept. Keep the heat and moisture in. A controlled, stable cooking environment is the surest way to make sure you can actually eat the food you're cooking.
Here's what I made, tonight...
Tilapia with Fennel and Crookneck Squash en Papillote
Serves 2
Things you'll need
Parchment paper, cut into two 12" x 12" squares or aluminum foil
Kitchen twine (not needed if using foil)
Ingredients
1/2 lbs tilapia fillets
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp orange or lemon juice
1/2 fennel bulb
1 yellow crookneck squash
1 clove pressed garlic or garlic powder *
salt to taste (kosher or course sea salt, preferred)
* I actually prefer to use garlic powder (not garlic salt) better than fresh garlic. The food will not cook for long, and fresh garlic can be very strong when steamed for only a brief time. But, if you're a stickler, eat up, stinky.
Preparation
Thinly slice the fennel bulb horizontally into slices. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the fennel in boiling water for 4 minutes and then drain it.
Thinly slice the crookneck squash into disks.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cooking
It really looks nice with parchment paper and twine, but if you want to try it, it will taste the sae with foil. If you like it, you can buy the paper later.
Lay the sheets of parchment paper on the counter. In the center of each, make a gentle mound of half of the squash disks. Top the squash with a fillet of tilapia. Drizzle the fish with a tsp of olive oil. Sprinkle garlic over the top. Mound the drained fennel on top of the fish. drizzle with the juice. Salt and pepper.
Bring the four corners of the paper to the center, gather them, and tie them closed at the top with a length of twine. Tie a bow, maybe. Spread the paper a bit, so they look attractive. Note that the bundles should have plenty of air space over the food. Do not gather them tightly to the food. The bundles should be as large as possible.
Place the bundles on a cookie sheet and place them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. They should puff up big and full. They paper will also turn a little brown. Don't worry, it looks good that way. Remove from oven and place one each on a dinner plate.
At the table, remove or cut the twine just before serving, allowing each person to actually open up his or her own packet.
I ate it with a spinach salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Favorite Combinations
So, that's one simple recipe, but the combinations you can use are many. Here are a couple that I've made.
Shrimp, julienned carrots and colorful bell peppers, green onions, sliced garlic, and butter
Delicate white fish, lemon juice, julienned leaks or peppers
Chicken breast, lemon grass, kafir lime leaves, minced basil leaves, thai chilies, coconut cream.
Notes
When you cook your foods en papillote, make sure to start with quick cooking foods, cut small in quick cooking pieces. If the foods are longer cooking (like fennel, potato, etc.) you can blanch them ahead of time.
When you choose your meat, keep in mind that the meat will not brown much. Fish, pork, chicken breast, and shellfish tend to look good when cooked this way.
Err on the side of a little too much liquid in the packet. Better a little too moist than dried out.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Coconut Cream Cheesecake
Coconut Cream Cheesecake
This one might not be for everyone. Coconut cream is damned good, though.
Not everyone can envision coconut and cheesecake together. I not only envisioned it, I dreamed it. I woke up, wrote it down, and made it a few days later. And, it was good.
Crust
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 oz shredded, unsweetened coconut
3 packets Splenda*
3 tbsp melted butter
Filling
1 lb cream cheese, brought to room temperature
2 large egg
12 packets Splenda (or the equivalent of about 3/4 cup of sugar, if using another sweetener)
Topping
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coconut cream
6 packets Splenda (or the artificial sweetener equivalent of 6 tbsp worth of sugar)
* One Splenda packet roughly equals one tbsp of sugar, as far as sweetness goes. Use any sweetener you like. I prefer the Splenda packets because they have hardly any maltodextrin, where the Splenda Granular contains 1.5g of carbs per tbsp. Not a lot, but it's still "sugar" where I don't want it.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put slivered almonds and shredded coconut in a food processor and pulse until it's finely ground. Add Splenda and melted butter and process until it looks like damp sand.
Press the mixture into a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a mixer, cream the cream cheese, eggs, and Splenda together until smooth. Pour the mixture over the crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
Set the cheesecake aside and raise the oven temperature to 425. After it's cooled for 15 minutes, spread the sour cream topping over the cheesecake. Bake for 20 minutes. Chill well before serving.
Per slice (1/8th of the cheesecake)
338 calories
31g fat
7g carbs
1g fiber
10g protein
This one might not be for everyone. Coconut cream is damned good, though.
Not everyone can envision coconut and cheesecake together. I not only envisioned it, I dreamed it. I woke up, wrote it down, and made it a few days later. And, it was good.
Crust
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 oz shredded, unsweetened coconut
3 packets Splenda*
3 tbsp melted butter
Filling
1 lb cream cheese, brought to room temperature
2 large egg
12 packets Splenda (or the equivalent of about 3/4 cup of sugar, if using another sweetener)
Topping
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coconut cream
6 packets Splenda (or the artificial sweetener equivalent of 6 tbsp worth of sugar)
* One Splenda packet roughly equals one tbsp of sugar, as far as sweetness goes. Use any sweetener you like. I prefer the Splenda packets because they have hardly any maltodextrin, where the Splenda Granular contains 1.5g of carbs per tbsp. Not a lot, but it's still "sugar" where I don't want it.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put slivered almonds and shredded coconut in a food processor and pulse until it's finely ground. Add Splenda and melted butter and process until it looks like damp sand.
Press the mixture into a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a mixer, cream the cream cheese, eggs, and Splenda together until smooth. Pour the mixture over the crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
Set the cheesecake aside and raise the oven temperature to 425. After it's cooled for 15 minutes, spread the sour cream topping over the cheesecake. Bake for 20 minutes. Chill well before serving.
Per slice (1/8th of the cheesecake)
338 calories
31g fat
7g carbs
1g fiber
10g protein
Notes About Cheesecakes...
On sweeteners: Use any sweetener you like, even sugar. I see no need for sugar. I like Splenda, usually. Some adults can tell the difference, but my kids can't. They get enough sugar elsewhere...
On Splenda: One Splenda packet roughly equals one tbsp of sugar, as far as sweetness goes. Use any sweetener you like. I prefer the Splenda packets because they have hardly any maltodextrin, where the Splenda Granular contains 1.5g of carbs per tbsp. Not a lot, but it's still "sugar" where I don't want it.
On crusts: I love graham cracker crusts, but they are a dime a dozen. They are easy. If you'd like to use graham cracker crust, go for it. In any of my recipes, you can use sub the shown crust for this one...
Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons sugar
Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter.
Press into bottom of the spring pan.
Hmmmm... prebaking the crust? Prebaking the crust does make it a bit crispier. Some like that, some don't. I'm torn. I like it both ways. I also like a thick crust that's moist. The best and most decadent crust is a doubled up graham cracker crust recipe, not prebaked.
Baking Times: Scour the internet and all your cookbooks, and you'll see a huge range of cooking times. 20 minutes to an hour! But, the temperatures and ingredients are basically the same. What gives? Don't know. I've tried mine at 50 minutes and 20 minutes. Basically the same, you just have to wait longer. What's the good news? Cheesecakes aren't picky. Especially if you top them with a sour cream topping to cover any cracking in the surface.
Water Baths: I guess if you want a tall and perfectly uncracked cheesecake, try a water bath. Also, try someone else's recipe.
On Splenda: One Splenda packet roughly equals one tbsp of sugar, as far as sweetness goes. Use any sweetener you like. I prefer the Splenda packets because they have hardly any maltodextrin, where the Splenda Granular contains 1.5g of carbs per tbsp. Not a lot, but it's still "sugar" where I don't want it.
On crusts: I love graham cracker crusts, but they are a dime a dozen. They are easy. If you'd like to use graham cracker crust, go for it. In any of my recipes, you can use sub the shown crust for this one...
Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons sugar
Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter.
Press into bottom of the spring pan.
Hmmmm... prebaking the crust? Prebaking the crust does make it a bit crispier. Some like that, some don't. I'm torn. I like it both ways. I also like a thick crust that's moist. The best and most decadent crust is a doubled up graham cracker crust recipe, not prebaked.
Baking Times: Scour the internet and all your cookbooks, and you'll see a huge range of cooking times. 20 minutes to an hour! But, the temperatures and ingredients are basically the same. What gives? Don't know. I've tried mine at 50 minutes and 20 minutes. Basically the same, you just have to wait longer. What's the good news? Cheesecakes aren't picky. Especially if you top them with a sour cream topping to cover any cracking in the surface.
Water Baths: I guess if you want a tall and perfectly uncracked cheesecake, try a water bath. Also, try someone else's recipe.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Crazy Eights
RedLefty started this thing.
I doubt there will be anything stunningly important revealed.
Facts:
1. I lived a year on Borneo. Actually, it was Brunei. Everyone called the nearest city Brunei Town. That's because no one could pronounce Bandar Seri Begawan.
My family was there while my Dad worked on a big construction project. I was 7 years old. It was hot and there were lots and lots of monkeys and orangutans.
2. I love roadside rest stops. I have fond memories of them from my childhood. The whole family stopping for a picnic and a little time to explore and stretch our legs. The family used to drive a lot when I was a kid. Lot's of camping and cross county vacations.
I still stop at virtually every rest stop along the way, even when I don't really need to. Gotta check it out.
3. I love coffee. At any given time, I have about 5 or 6 different types of beans handy in my cupboards: Henry's Blend, a local store's Moka Java, Espresso beans, something mild like a breakfast blend, and some sort of decaf, just in case someone wants it.
I almost always have something new, too. Something someone recommended or something with an unusual name. I just finished off a can of French Market coffee (with Chickory). I love the idea of it more than the coffee itself. I've had a lot of fun in New Orleans, where I originally had that coffee.
To make the coffee, I have a drip machine, two French presses, two different type of espresso makers, and an ibrik.
4. I was called a metrosexual the other day. That made me happy. I'd actually like to be a little more metro.
Habits:
1. I only shave every three days (ha!). It's to look cool, not to save money. Unfortunately, grey hair isn't so cool. I used to be able to go four days...
2. When a woman walks by, I always maneuver myself to walk through her wake. I need to know how she smells. Thank God women don't smell bad. Ever. Though most are uninteresting, smell-wise. But, sometimes... amazing. (sigh...)
3. I never take notes. It's not to say that I shouldn't take them, but I don't. In meetings, I hold a pen and my pad of paper to make people feel more comfortable. No one ever says anything worth writing down.
When I study, I do take notes. But, I never look at them again. I do keep a separate little pad of paper handy. Like a study todo list, but the actual notes usually get tossed. I can't read them, anyway.
4. I read up to five books at a time. I keep one in the car, my gym bag, my nightstand, the living room, and one in my laptop bag. Sometimes months can go by with one or two of them, but I always know where I am in them.
When I was packing for Virginia, I found a book that I'd misplaced about a year ago. Cool. I picked up right where I left off.
I doubt there will be anything stunningly important revealed.
Facts:
1. I lived a year on Borneo. Actually, it was Brunei. Everyone called the nearest city Brunei Town. That's because no one could pronounce Bandar Seri Begawan.
My family was there while my Dad worked on a big construction project. I was 7 years old. It was hot and there were lots and lots of monkeys and orangutans.
2. I love roadside rest stops. I have fond memories of them from my childhood. The whole family stopping for a picnic and a little time to explore and stretch our legs. The family used to drive a lot when I was a kid. Lot's of camping and cross county vacations.
I still stop at virtually every rest stop along the way, even when I don't really need to. Gotta check it out.
3. I love coffee. At any given time, I have about 5 or 6 different types of beans handy in my cupboards: Henry's Blend, a local store's Moka Java, Espresso beans, something mild like a breakfast blend, and some sort of decaf, just in case someone wants it.
I almost always have something new, too. Something someone recommended or something with an unusual name. I just finished off a can of French Market coffee (with Chickory). I love the idea of it more than the coffee itself. I've had a lot of fun in New Orleans, where I originally had that coffee.
To make the coffee, I have a drip machine, two French presses, two different type of espresso makers, and an ibrik.
4. I was called a metrosexual the other day. That made me happy. I'd actually like to be a little more metro.
Habits:
1. I only shave every three days (ha!). It's to look cool, not to save money. Unfortunately, grey hair isn't so cool. I used to be able to go four days...
2. When a woman walks by, I always maneuver myself to walk through her wake. I need to know how she smells. Thank God women don't smell bad. Ever. Though most are uninteresting, smell-wise. But, sometimes... amazing. (sigh...)
3. I never take notes. It's not to say that I shouldn't take them, but I don't. In meetings, I hold a pen and my pad of paper to make people feel more comfortable. No one ever says anything worth writing down.
When I study, I do take notes. But, I never look at them again. I do keep a separate little pad of paper handy. Like a study todo list, but the actual notes usually get tossed. I can't read them, anyway.
4. I read up to five books at a time. I keep one in the car, my gym bag, my nightstand, the living room, and one in my laptop bag. Sometimes months can go by with one or two of them, but I always know where I am in them.
When I was packing for Virginia, I found a book that I'd misplaced about a year ago. Cool. I picked up right where I left off.
Friday, October 12, 2007
REAL Indian Food
So, the new girl at our table is something. She's new in the 'new to job' sense. Plus, young.
We're all chatting about food, restaurants, diets, etc. Indian food comes up and she says 'How come there's no REAL Indian food?'. Blank stares. 'You know. American IndIans?'
Other than the word 'real,' we're not too ludicrous yet, right?
'I don't know if the food would be all that popular,' I say.
Look of shock. 'What?!?!' She asks.
'Have you had it?'
'Uh, hello? We all have. Every Thanksgiving...'. she reponds.
More blank stares. Only this time they were leaning toward shocked stares. Plus, there are those of us who are struggling not to laugh.
My friend, Tony, decides to play along. 'Dude (he's 25), if I could get stuffing any time of the year, sign me up!'.
'See?' she says.
She's really cute, so no guy at the table wants to mock her too much, but it's too much for John. 'What would the waitresses wear?'
'You know,' she responds, 'like squaw outfits.'
She's ABSOLUTELY serious, by the way.
'Everyone loves turkey and cornbread. Where do you think that all comes from? They saved our asses! That's where!'
Paul. 'Maybe the kid's menu could fold into a Pilgrim hat.'
Outward laughter now.
'Well,' she states, 'it's better than all those casinos!'. Pause. 'And, everyone eats, not everyone gambles.'
Everyone sort of nods.
'They could at least serve it IN the casinos,' she adds.
She's like a twenty-three year old, five foot two, blond, female Kramer. It was the 'toss your own pizza restaurant' come to life, right in front of us.
'So our Thanksgiving foods are their native foods?' I ask.
'Not EXACTLY. We brought food and they brought food.'
'I'm thankful to whoever brought those little marshmallows,' I say.
Tony. 'AND the stuffing!'
Michele, the only other woman there, asks 'was it buffet style or did they just pass the dishes around?'
The new girl shrugs. One of the many details left out of the history books, I guess. So no one knows. But, it's something to ponder.
---
Blogged via Blackberry, where backspacing is more trouble than it's worth. Please forgive any typos.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Bootcamp Challenge
The hardest 3 miles, ever. Walking ain't easy at the moment.
It's amazing how much harder you run when a drill sargeant is screaming at you and calling you a pussy.
I still sucked, though. 3 miles in 26 minutes, with an official time closer to 31! My own fault, when it comes down to it, but I started 5 minutes and 30 seconds behind the pack. Couldn't even see one of them. Luckily, I passed a lot of them up.
My feet hurt. I had to run two mles to GET to the race. Again, my own fault. Let's call it an extensive warmup. Too bad those miles weren't timed, because they were my fastest ever, I'm sure!
--
Blogged via Blackberry, where backspacing is more trouble than it's worth. Please forgive any typos.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Okay. No more boo hoo.
Bob, G, and RL, you guys will hear no more whining here. Sure, I'd rather be at the other place, but I'll take on the challenge. From the food, workout, and the fun perspective. Make the best of that Holiday Inn.
This (i.e., the last five days) has been my first break from lifting in almost a year. I was sick once, but I only missed that Wednesday's workout. Big whoop. I think I even caught up.
On Monday, I did a short workout and then took the rest of the week kinda easy. I always meant to workout. Every night, I skipped it.
Tomorrow is the 5k obstacle course at the Marine base. I was tapering...
This (i.e., the last five days) has been my first break from lifting in almost a year. I was sick once, but I only missed that Wednesday's workout. Big whoop. I think I even caught up.
On Monday, I did a short workout and then took the rest of the week kinda easy. I always meant to workout. Every night, I skipped it.
Tomorrow is the 5k obstacle course at the Marine base. I was tapering...
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Virginia
Sunday morning, I'm off to Leesburg, VA for a week. A solid week of color application and theory and production document workflow.
For those of you blissfully unaware of what that means, color application and theory is a fancy way of saying "knowing how to help my print shop customers get the color quality that they expect from my color laser printer." Production document workflow is basically following a "document" through it's lifecycle, from the point in which it's dreamed up, to the point in which the postman sticks it in someone's mail slot. All the steps in between are important and need to be studied and fine tuned for cost effectiveness and efficiency. I already do it. Whole freakin' studies I do. Now, I get to get all the learnin' on the aspects of it relating to color documents (vs monochrome documents such as invoices and bank statements). It will be interesting, yet boring at the same time (unlike this paragraph, which is only one of those things).
So, I'm good for learning, but I'd just mentally adjusted to the living conditions. It's not like a hotel, rental car, restaurant, room service situation. It's a campus in the boonies, where you and 1,000 others are secluded for the week. Luckily, it's got a gym. A good one. Plus, I just found out that several friends are going to be there at the same time. Cool.
Suddenly, as soon as I make my head clear and decide that this week will actually be good, I get the email. The campus has been booked solid, so I get to room at the local Holiday Inn. But, the email says, it has free WiFi, a heated pool, and fitness center! Yay!
Crap! Now, the situation goes from bad to worse. My friends are at the campus, no rental car still, shuttle service between the campus and hotel, and set times for coming and going. Plus, 45 minutes to an hour of wasted "shuttle time" every day. Not to mention that I still have to eat at the campus, as it was made very clear that no other meals will be covered. Totally pissed. Holiday Inn fitness center? Treadmill...
If they would have told me yesterday, I could have talked my way into getting some other sucker booked at the hotel instead of me, but as it's Friday tomorrow, there's no time to notify anyone else of the changes.
Fuck
For those of you blissfully unaware of what that means, color application and theory is a fancy way of saying "knowing how to help my print shop customers get the color quality that they expect from my color laser printer." Production document workflow is basically following a "document" through it's lifecycle, from the point in which it's dreamed up, to the point in which the postman sticks it in someone's mail slot. All the steps in between are important and need to be studied and fine tuned for cost effectiveness and efficiency. I already do it. Whole freakin' studies I do. Now, I get to get all the learnin' on the aspects of it relating to color documents (vs monochrome documents such as invoices and bank statements). It will be interesting, yet boring at the same time (unlike this paragraph, which is only one of those things).
So, I'm good for learning, but I'd just mentally adjusted to the living conditions. It's not like a hotel, rental car, restaurant, room service situation. It's a campus in the boonies, where you and 1,000 others are secluded for the week. Luckily, it's got a gym. A good one. Plus, I just found out that several friends are going to be there at the same time. Cool.
Suddenly, as soon as I make my head clear and decide that this week will actually be good, I get the email. The campus has been booked solid, so I get to room at the local Holiday Inn. But, the email says, it has free WiFi, a heated pool, and fitness center! Yay!
Crap! Now, the situation goes from bad to worse. My friends are at the campus, no rental car still, shuttle service between the campus and hotel, and set times for coming and going. Plus, 45 minutes to an hour of wasted "shuttle time" every day. Not to mention that I still have to eat at the campus, as it was made very clear that no other meals will be covered. Totally pissed. Holiday Inn fitness center? Treadmill...
If they would have told me yesterday, I could have talked my way into getting some other sucker booked at the hotel instead of me, but as it's Friday tomorrow, there's no time to notify anyone else of the changes.
Fuck
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