Week 5

Hey Hey!

It's week 5 and still so much more to learn. I got to spend this week at Cross A. This is going to be the first retail operation to open on the Cross complex. Cross A is home to Credo, Glow (Top 8 allergen & gluten free), and Milkflower. It was an amazing opportunity to learn about what goes into making and preparing a business for operation. The week was spent preparing to open all while construction was still finishing up in the area. Due to some delays, Credo will be the first operation to open.






























To start the week I learned about all the tasks and paperwork a general manager has to do to get an operation started and running. I learned a lot about scheduling and the intricacies of making schedules around college life. Next I spent time with the kitchen manager. His job was very different from the general manager. He makes sure the food is ordered and being prepared uniformly in the kitchen. He also has to make sure that the food is being made with quality and following the health code in the restaurant. Teaching employees how to plate meals and use different equipment.

To prepare for opening, a couple of soft openings were conducted this week. This was a vital part of getting ready to open and provided lots of insight about being prepared for all things. In preparation for this, it was discovered that some of the equipment was not working as expected. This is where I learned the importance of having heat sensors and thermometers on a flat top and that all hood vents do not work equally. I learned that if you want to have a certain look to your kitchen, it is best to consult a kitchen consultant for equipment and design ideas but alas the show must go on. As a manager I learned the importance of being flexible, problem solving, and good communication.

In addition to my time at Cross A this week I also presented my In-service at this weeks managers meeting. As an advocate for people with celiac disease and food allergies I was excited to be able to present on cross-contact and food preparation.

Next week Credo is finally opening. I am looking forward to seeing Credo in business and learn new management skills. Hopefully Glow will be open soon too!

Week 4

Hey guys,

I can't believe this is already the end of my forth week here (half-way through my stay here). It was a busy week with lots of fun activities. Dot and I each led an Allergy Awareness booth this week. On Tuesday we set-up at the Rock Garden. Luckily for us we had nice weather for being outside. During the event we had lots of samples for students to try: Mushroom Bulgogi Tacos (pictured below), Asian Hummus Platter, Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies (pictured below), and Green Tea Lemonade. The event not only helped spread awareness about food allergies and the services Dot provides to students on campus with special dietary needs, but we even had some students stop by to try mushrooms! We had lots of positive reviews on the food. I really took this time to learn as much as I could for my event on Thursday.

Wednesday was spent preparing for my event on Thursday. As this is my first event and my business plan project for this internship I spent a lot of time going over my packing list, checking my handouts, and trying to make sure I was prepared for all possible scenarios. Dot has done many of these events and is able to make it look very simple.

Thursday, it was time to see all my hard work and preparation in action. We finished some last minute printing (the printer was being fixed yesterday afternoon) and packing in the morning. Then it was time to head to Couch to pick up my food order and take inventory that everything was their. Everything looked great (thanks to the kitchen staff!) so we packed all of the event equipment onto a catering truck to transport it to the Union. Lucky we were inside because it was starting to mist outside. We got their ahead of schedule giving me plenty of time to set up (pictures below). I had fun spending the day in the Union talking with students. We got a lot of positive feedback on the food: Vegan 3 Layer Dip and Puppy Chow. I was pleased with how well the Puppy Chow went over as that was part of my recipe development/modification project. Some of the students had never had Puppy Chow before since it is traditionally made with peanut butter, butter, and milk chocolate (each a top 8 allergen). Over half of the recipe cards were picked up and by the end of the event only 1 serving of Puppy Chow and 5 servings of dip remained. Even more importantly, we had many students who came and talked to us about their food allergies and where able to learn about the services Dot provides on campus. Additionally, we also saw lots of other students reading the posters!

Next week I am off to check out what is going on at Cross. Hopefully Glow (top 8 allergen free/gluten free) will be able to open soon!

Week 3

Hello again,

This week started with a holiday (Labor Day) which means it was a short week. Still there was lots to get done. I started my week working on projects for the Food Allergy Fair coming up next Thursday. There is a lot of planning and organization that goes into and event like this: making signs, creating handouts, ordering food, ect.

Additionally, this week I had the opportunity to go to Cate. Even though Cate food services has shut down Housing & Food services is still using the kitchen. This is where  all of the premade meals you see around campus for Cow on the Fly are prepared.  I had fun working with the staff and helping to prepare some of the items for the days deliveries. Located just north of Cate is the freight farm.

Freight Farm

I had the privilege of getting a private tour and learn about the freight farm first hand! This freight farm was installed two years ago and was the first one of its kind in Oklahoma. Right now the freight farm is used mostly to produce green leafy vegetables and herbs. The freight farm was designed for sustainability and is able to recycle water used to irrigate the plants.
Look for these leafy greens at the Cross salad bar coming soon!

I ended the week learning how Freshens, Couch Express and Xcetera are manged and the different needs they meet on campus. I was excited to see that all the smoothies at Freshens are gluten free (even the chocolate chip cookie dough). In addition, different blenders are used for smoothies containing peanut butter (peanut butter is is also kept away from the rest of the ingredients) to avoid cross-contact for people with peanut allergies. Couch Express is a very popular place for grilling cheese sandwiches and fresh cookies on the south side of campus. I even had the opportunity to learn how to make these popular grilled cheese sandwiches! Xcetera, a convenience store located on the first floor of Walker Tower has a diverse selection of convenience foods and household necessities. I was excited to see an assortment of gluten free options from snacks, bread, and frozen meals alon with shelves of Made in Oklahoma products (see pictures below). Xcetera strives to have food available to meet the needs of all students. While here I learned a lot about putting out fires and behind the scenes work that goes into managing these establishments (budgeting, scheduling, maintenance, training, and other paperwork).

 



I am excited to apply the knowledge I have learned thus far to the allergy Free booths we will be presenting around campus next week!

Week 2

Hey!

This week I was had the opportunity to spend half of my week learning how
Couch Restaurants is run. Couch Restaurants is a very impressive operation
and an integral part of the student meal plan here on campus. Couch
Restaurants is home to 14 different restaurants all offering all you can eat meals.
As this is an important part of the student meal plan, I was most excited to learn
about the ways in which food allergies and other dietary restrictions were handled
within such a large operation. Within the main dining area there is a top 8 allergen
and gluten free buffet section and dessert cart. In addition to safe options at most
restaurants. For an in depth look at foods that may meet your dietary needs you
can check out  http://www.ou.edu/housingandfood/dining/fitter-foods.

One of my favorite gluten free meals of the week from Couch Restaurants was a ham sandwich from Dot’s Deli.

In addition to learning about the food preparation, I spent time in the stockroom
learning about ordering, receiving, and inventory. I also spent some time in the
kitchen cooking and improving my knife skills. I really enjoyed getting to talk to
many different members of the staff and learn about their different jobs.

Additionally, we participated in SWEEP on the Walker Adams Mall. This was a
great opportunity to inform students about the resources available for students
with food allergies, intolerances, and other special dietary needs. In addition,
we were also able to educate students about the freight farm on campus and
provide students with arugula that had been harvested from the freight farm.  
It was fun being out and talking with the students for the afternoon.

Finally, this week I had some time to work on my business plan. I was able to
test my recipe in the kitchen at Couch Restaurants and put together some of
the handouts for the event. My business plan is really helping me learn how
much goes into all the fun events you see walking around campus.

This week went by incredibly fast. I feel like I have already learned so much.

Week 1

Hi guys, my name is Ashley. I am the new dietetic intern at OU Housing and Foods. I am so excited to be here working with everyone in the department. I have heard a lot of good things about how the department has been working to provide allergy free options to students on campus. Providing safe options for people with allergies and other nutritional needs is very important to me. My  passion to become a dietitian came from my own diagnosis of celiac disease. Finding out I had celiac disease turned my life upside down but also gave me a new perspective on food and a passion to help others with food allergies, food intolerance, or other autoimmune diseases navigate their new world.

It's my first week here and I have already gotten the opportunity to help with food allergy projects including updating the list of gluten-free options on campus, compiling lists of ingredients used in recipes to provide to students Dot is assisting, and assessing recipes for modification to make them safer for students with one of the top 8 allergens, gluten-free, or vegan. I have learned a lot about Dot's job and I am very impressed. She helps all the OU students with allergies or medical food intolerance's find safe food to eat on campus, even those non-common allergies.  In addition to making sure food is free of allergens, it is important to make sure all food on campus is being made safely (there are a lot of people to feed on campus). Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet Kevin Barker (Director of Business Operations) and go with him to learn about the safety measures put in place to make sure all the food served on campus is the highest quality.

My time here with OU Housing and Foods is off to a great start! I can't wait to see what next week will bring!

Week 7 & 8

The end has come… the end of an era, if you will.  These last two weeks have been dedicated to finishing up projects and tying up loose ends. So basically a lot of looking at my computer screen.  I did get to spend some time in Union Market and Starbucks, to get a look into the retail side of our food service operations.  I got to do a real coffee tasting, which as a coffee fiend like myself, was the most exciting way to spend my last day. 

My coffee cupping selection

I just want to take a second to thank each and every person that has shown me such kindness and patience over the last 8 weeks.  I have truly had such a wonderful experience and met some of the nicest people.  From my first time in the kitchen, up until this very last day, I have been met with the very best  OU Housing and Food Services has to offer.  I was so blessed to be placed here for my food service management rotation, I really couldn’t have asked for anything better.  Y’all are making it really hard to leave, but you’ll have a new intern again soon.  

Week 6

Another big project week over here; this time getting ready for my employee in-service presentation.  Sometimes public speaking makes me uneasy, but I love any opportunity I get to do it because it means more practice.  Having good communication skills is so important in the nutrition profession since we are constantly educating all kinds of people on all different platforms.  In order to actually be effective, you have to know your audience, as well as your material.  And you know what they say, practice makes perfect.  Luckily, this presentation went really well and everyone was courteous, paid attention, and hopefully learned something, which makes my job a little easier.  There’s nothing worse than giving a presentation when no one cares or pays attention.  

Some other highlights of the week include spending some time over in Wagner dining and checking out the freight farm.  Wagner dining was a great experience for me since it was the athletic dining area and sports nutrition is my ultimate goal.  It provided me with a different view into what could be my future career, so I’m very thankful I got to learn more about it and some of the challenges they face.  The freight farm was another super cool experience because I had heard so much about it, but never actually seen it.  Well it really lived up to its name, since its actually in a freight container! It’s interesting to see how urban farming has grown and evolved over the years.  Having growth up living on a boat with a mother who loves to garden, I look out for unique ways to grow food, and this one was definitely unique. 

All the lettuce growing and thriving

The pink grow lights used, looks like a lettuce dance party

One of the growth columns, notice how the plants grow vertically, so cool!