Menu & Food Safety

Drafts of new menu

In the past week things have really been picking up here. The data collecting, analyzing and meetings of the previous weeks have set us up to design and create the new menu. I’ve never done something quite like this before so it’s a great learning experience for me and something that has been on the back burner for over a year now for them. Needless to say, my laptop has become my best friend, we are inseparable, many hours in front of it typing, designing and revising.

Me styling food for menu pictures

Laura has been working with me on this project, making the long hours fun and filled with laughter. We seem to get a little silly towards the end of the night from the intense time and focus we’ve been giving to this project. When I first met Chris and Laura in February, we “clicked” right away and now working alongside them, God is confirming that I was to serve in Albania, though the enjoyment and progress of the projects I’m working on. Praise God!! He is Good! I love Chris and Laura’s heart for God and there have been some good teaching moments too. I’m learning a lot from them and my eyes are being opened to new things.

Toni & I facilitating the Food Safety Class

                       In addition to the creating a new physical menu and critiquing the flavor of the food, I have been focused on food safety. It’s pretty funny because back home one of the phrases I get teased about saying a lot in the kitchen is, “Did you wash your hands?” and one of the first things I do here, is take the servers and cooks through a food safety class. Using a projector, the online presentation I had to complete to renew my food handlers card and Toni, the restaurant manager translate it in Albanian. The class lasted less than 2 hours, covered basic food safety information and brought up some good conversations between the employees.

Alesund, Norway

I’m really trying to make a good push to get some big things done before my little stint in Norway, in a week. I’m extremely excited about that opportunity. Among several reasons, for one, I’ll be putting on the chef hat more so than the business hat and have a change in scenery, boats, water, snow topped mountains, ahhhhh… It will be the third language I hopefully get to learn too!

Ok back to Albania, lots of stuff to do, God give me the wisdom, knowledge, energy and waking hours to complete the work I’ve started, may it be of high quality and bless The Stephen Center for years to come. Amen!

And thank you to those who took my little survey :)

God Bless,