Hella Lotta Vanilla

And, helloooo Friday. I haven’t worked on a Friday since last year. Har har, betcha never heard that joke before. Going in today was a struggle, to say the least. The silver lining was the fact that it was the last workday before the weekend. An honest-to-goodness Saturday-Sunday weekend that I haven’t enjoyed in ages (wedding time off requests totally don’t count). 

Besides being the inaugural Monday-Friday workweek of the new year, this was my first week at my new job. Brigid McCarthy, pastry chef extraordinaire. Just kidding, I’m not Brigid McCarthy anymore (damn it, why can’t I remember my new name?) And like anyone would mistake me for a pastry chef. But I do work in a restaurant. On the pastry team. So there’s that.

I was very comfortable at my old job, but sometimes throwing yourself into a new challenge promotes growth. That’s what I read on Pinterest, so it has to be true. I miss the environment and team where I used to work, but am excited about what’s to come at my new place. Which has already schooled me on some common sense. Which, in my defense, is not that common. 

Take me, for example. I’m minding my own business, scaling out the ingredients for a cake. I see that the recipe calls for 20 ounces of vanilla. I do a double take. That’s a hella lotta vanilla. Think of a measuring cup you have at home that measures out 2 cups. 20 ounces of vanilla is that…and then some. Like I said; a hella lotta vanilla.

The sous chef comes over to my station once I have everything scaled out and ready to go. She turns to walk away and then turns back. And does a double take. "What is that?" She asks, pointing to my quart container full of vanilla. "Um, the vanilla?" I’m not even capable of answering the question, let alone making this cake. She laughs and points at the recipe; apparently I was one line off when reading the measurements. 20 ounces of milk needed, and for the vanilla? Two tablespoons. Two tablespoons is a little less than 20 ounces. Just a little.

No harm done; I hadn’t started mixing anything, the vanilla could get poured into a squeeze bottle and used just as easily, and the cake ended up being fluffy and moist. Just call me cake boss.