My John Hancock??!!

Prepare yourself for a hell of a blog...

Life is good. Life is great. Much has changed since the last time I posted. I LIVE ON AN ISLAND NOW. How many people can actually say that they have lived/ live on an island? Okay, it is probably more than I think, but it is exciting, anyway. Not only did I move from West Ashley in Charleston to Johns Island, twenty minutes closer to the resort and to a nicer apartment, I live on Stardust Way. I always knew I was a fairy princess, and now my address proves it:

Haley Rehberg
10 Stardust Way Apt. E
Johns Island, SC 29455

The front of the apartment. We are on the bottom floor. Also, imagine a pink and white geranium plant to the right of the door that I bought to make it more home-y, and my mother proud.

The living room, and the kitchen barstools. (Young Life shoutout on the couch...)

The kitchen, obviously.

My room, pre- second bed.

So, the "season" at Kiawah is here now. Cisco Systems was here last week for a meeting. VIPs, which is every guest really, are in house all the time. Expectations are always high in everything we do, which can be stressful. Changes are happening, with people moving around, getting married, etc. It's nuts. Jasmine Porch is getting busier by the night. And, with Nick, the Sous Chef at Jasmine, now gone, things are challenging in the Pastry area. There isn't a ticket machine at my station, and I have to rely on the people on the line to relay my orders. Nick was awesome at looking out for us in the back, and I didn't know anything other than him being at the front. Well, now, it's crazy; tickets and orders are lost in translation, and it's busy. All of this is a recipe (ha) for a hair-pulling Haley at times, but I love it, nonetheless (though I miss Nick, at the same time).

Thursday, March 24, 2011
*Pecan Pie
*Unmolded Bread Pudding.
*Pecan Tuile.
*Dipped Pretzels in Chocolate.
*Lime Chantilly.
*Key Lime Pies.
*Mac. Baskets.
*Made and Baked Scones
In JP:
*Flowers for Lemon Cake.

Friday, March 25, 2011
*Baked Scones.
*Sorbet Baskets.
*Watched Temperance assembly Lemon Cake.
*Lemon Tuile.
*Dough Sheeter for ?? My note is failing me. Cookies or Pecan Pie Shell?
In JP:
*Cut Cake.
*Assembled Flowers.

Saturday, March 26, 2011
*Scones.
*Pecan Pies for 60 (banquets).
In JP:
*Breaded Green Tomatoes.
*Wrapped and Froze Chicken Wings.
*Piped Cheese in Olives.

Temperance made this cake for two of the servers, who are moving to Asheville and getting married. We will miss you, Matt and Denise.

Sunday, March 27, 2011
OFF
One of my best friends in the world and fellow Thomasvillian, Tyler Rogers, came to Charleston with some of his medical school friends to run some obstacle course 5K. I, of course, worked on Friday and Saturday, and we met up at the Charleston Market on Sunday. We walked around the Market, explored downtown on foot, and then ate lunch at a Greek-style grille on Kings Street. Tyler, thank you for coming to visit and for lunch. I enjoyed catching up and meeting your friends. Oh, and I miss you!

Blurry pic but a pic of "sweethearts," my mom's response to me sending her this picture.

Erin came to pick me up on Sunday night, and then we went to pick up Heather. We met Robert downtown on Kings Street for delicious sushi. (Also, important to note was the sugar and spice martini I had, made with habanero-infused vodka. Soo different and good.) After sushi, we made a couple of drink stops before heading to Wild Wings Cafe on Market Street to dance the night away to Plane Jane (or is it Plain Jane), a cover band. What a great night.

Monday, March 28, 2011
OFF.
Can you spell lazy? I can. H-A-L-E-Y. Wait, four loads of laundry... that's productive, right?!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Temp. off.
*Bourbon Anglaise.
*Baked Scones.
*Caramel Sauce.
*17 Pecan Pies.
*Creme Brulee Base.
*Chocolate Chip Cookies.
*Mac. Baskets.
*Lemon Lace Tuile.
*Pecan Tuile.
*Unmolded Bread Pudding.
In JP:
*Pulled Cilantro.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Temp. off.
*Assembled Lemon Cake. I actually made the cake by myself for the first time. Insert scared picture of me here. How did it turn out, besides the mama-jama layer size?!

The whole cake, cut.

Cake slice. I think it looks great for my first five-layer cake!

*Lemon Lace Tuile.
*Pecan Tuile.
*Dipped Pretzels in Chocolate.
*Baked Creme Brulee.
*Mascapone Whip.
*Chocolate Chip Cookies.
*Made Scones and Baked (using mashed, canned sweet potatoes).

Thursday, March 31, 2011
4pm- close.
*Tart Dough on Sheeter for Easter Cookies.
*Made and Scooped Peanut Butter Cookies.
In JP:
*Stuffed Quail. Ew.

Friday, April 1, 2011
4pm- close.
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS.
*Tuile.
*Scooped Takeaway Cakes for Erin.

I came home from work to a new roommate, Jessica, who is from Chicago and will be working at the Atlantic Room, the seafood restaurant at the Ocean Course.

Saturday, April 2, 2011
*Made Lemon Lace Tuile Batter.
In JP:
*Unmolded Key Lime Pies.
*Assembled Flowers for Lemon Cake.
*Cut Pralines for Bread Pudding.
*Cut Lemon Cake.

Lexie, our fourth and final roommate, moved in to Alexa's room. She is originally from PA but goes to school at CofC. She just returned from studying abroad in Spain and will be working for the Recreation department at Kiawah.

My dear friend from SharpTop Cove, Andrew Rabley, came to Charleston from Clemson with his roommates for the weekend. Meeting downtown wasn't really an option with the Cooper Bridge Run on Saturday morning, and Rabley met me at my apartment on Johns Island. We drove out to Kiawah, and I gave him the tour, including the Sanctuary, the alligators at the Nature Center, etc. We made it past the V gate, the second gate to the exclusive part of the island, but it was just to turn around, sadly for Rabley who wanted to see the Ocean Course. We ate at Tomasso at the Turtle Point Golf Course, where the Jasmine Sous Chef, Nick, moved to be the Chef de Cuisine. My poached pear spinach salad and margherita pizza were delicious and the company was delightful. Thanks, Rabley, for coming to visit and for lunch!

Andy, one of the servers, came back to my station towards the end of the night and was talking about how strange of a night he was having. He handed me a dessert menu and asked me to sign it. Apparently, when this guest he was serving has a great dinner, dish, or dessert, he asks the chef to sign the menu, and he keeps it to remember the culinary experience. I guess that's a compliment?! I think he ordered the pecan pie. So, I gave away my John Hancock to a guest because he liked my pecan pie.

Greg, one of the chefs at JP, left Kiawah, and April 2 was his last night. I piped a "We will miss you!" plate and was going to make him a dessert of his choice, but he didn't want anything. Sad, we will miss you, Greg!

Sunday, April 3, 2011
*Dipped Pretzels.
*Unmolded Key Lime Pies, Bread Pudding, and Sweet Potato Pies.
*Cut Lemon Cake.
*Proofed and Baked Slider Buns.
In JP:
*Stuffed Quail.
*Honeymoon Truffle Plate.

I took this picture before I found out that an order is six truffles, not 8237409 million. :)

Kate, one of the JP chefs that I love dearly, accidentally put a split Shrimp and Grits entree on the wrong plates. Delicious dinner for me or throw it out? Um, growing girl here?!

Monday, April 4, 2011
1:30-close. No Temperance. :(
*Milk and Honey Quick Bread and Base. We replaced the scones served in the bread basket at Jasmine with these delicious muffin-ish mini loaves. The response is overwhelmingly great. One guest even asked for the recipe on the first night, and other guests wanted them delivered with room service one night, asking specifically for them.
*Orange Chantilly.
*Dipped Pretzels.
*Made Salted Vanilla Ice Cream Base.
*Made and Baked Creme Brulee.
*Pralines.
In JP:
*Stuffed Quail, which JD, one of the chefs, thinks I should just add to my everyday prep. list. Ha.

I don't think I have posted a picture of our caramel creme brulee dessert. I think y'all have seen all the others. :) Here you go!

Kate made me mahi-mahi with vegetables and rice with this yellow sauce. She is my favorite.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011
1-10ish. No Temperance, again, and a little more prep.
*Lime Chantilly.
*Mas. Whip.
*Mac. Baskets.
*Dipped Pretzels.
*Creme Brulee.
*Spun Salted Vanilla Ice Cream.
*Pecan Tuile.
*Lemon Ricotta Cakes.
*Tuile Batter.
*Key Lime Pies.
*Pecan Pies.
*Milk and Honey Bread and Base.

The restaurant was slow, compared to other nights recently. And so, Frank, let me leave early, but I did a little prep. downstairs to try and help Temperance as much as I could for the next day.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011
OFF.
I am off today, after my eight day stretch. I was supposed to have tomorrow off as well, but Temperance just texted me about coming in. So, I am going to try to enjoy my next few hours off and tomorrow, until I head to work around 4.

A new CIA extern starts in the Pastry kitchen next week. I am excited about her coming. Apparently, she is going to be trained to plate and prep. for Jasmine Porch, and I am moving back to production and Banquets. I am excited about a change of pace, but I really do love JP. I will miss it and the people dearly. Can you believe I have been here for over two months and have a little over two months to go? I'm almost at the halfway point. Life, I demand you slow down. Ha.

It has been raining here lately, but I will take the rain over the snow, which is still happening in APRIL up North. Katy Capers, it will all be over soon. Snow or $50 tank of gas, KC? :) It better not be cold when I move back in June. :)

As Easter approaches, I will leave you with the latest and greatest Charleston church sign:
I hope you didn't give up SOUL FOOD for Lent.

HI ERIN.

Hay Reh