Day 9- The End

This is really it. The last post...ever. It's weird to think about. Honestly, I've been delaying this moment all day. But, with a tornado warning in effect until 9:30 pm, I figured I might as well settle in and do some blogging. There's no point delaying it any longer.

Today was great. I feel like you must be getting tired of hearing me say how awesome life is at McCormick. So, please forgive my redundancy...but it really is awesome. I arrived earlier than usual and, thanks to Breanne's recommendation, went in through the back employee entrance where my favorite security guard gladly opened the door for me. No security alarm-mishaps today. (I think I'll be holding on to that one for a while...)

It was still dark when I arrived on the second floor, so I took the liberty of turning on all of the lights and settling in at the desk where Breanne and I stash our things. I snapped a few photos:

Cathy's Kitchen! 

The Party Kitchen... Pre-Party-ing

Those stickers that come on bananas...all stuck to one of the cabinets

At around 7:30 JoAnne arrived to start prepping for Descriptive Panel , so I jumped in and put myself to work. Descriptive Panel is fun because it's non-stop action from 8 until almost 1. It was especially awesome today because JoAnne let me write on the official charts! So these charts are the charts that she uses to note the changes to the products after light or heat tests. They use them at each interval of the process, to say if the product has faded or if the aroma is weaker or if the consistency is thinner...pretty much any change from the control needs to be written down....and I was lucky enough to be able to do that! JoAnne even helped me describe the changes in the products so I would understand exactly what I was writing.

I helped out with panel until it was time for our presentation at 10:30. Remember how we gave the run-through to JoAnne, AuBrei, and Steph yesterday? That was great practice for the big presentation today. 8 people, all of whom we'd worked with during the past two weeks, came to hear what we had to say. And, weirdly enough, I found that I was kind of nervous. I wasn't nervous the day before, but I really wanted to do well for the important people coming today. 

We held our meeting in the conference room attached to Cathy's Kitchen (see the first picture). And although I was nervous at first, it went fabulously! It was, in truth, unlike any presentation I have ever given before. At various points throughout the presentation, our audience would start talking to each other about the information we'd presented. They would start throwing ideas around or asking so-and-so about this trend or that trend, or what data does McCormick have about this or that. They're extremely creative people and they were so enthusiastic about everything they were hearing. 

They also really enjoyed the goodies we'd made for them. All in all, I felt very proud of our accomplishments. Everyone congratulated us and appreciated the time we'd spent pulling everything together. It was such a wonderful feeling, but I sure was exhausted after all of that adrenaline coursing through me during the presentation!  

The two of us congratulated ourselves and returned to the kitchen to help with the end of the Descriptive Panel. During some of the down time while we were waiting to switch out the samples, I measured butter (flashback to a week 1 activity for me) and washed dishes (so many dishes!). There were so many bowls that needed to dry, Steph had to perch them all rather precariously against each other so they would fit on the counter. 

It was a really quiet day in the offices today. We were super busy, but there weren't a whole lot of other people milling around. Amanda (I know...introducing a new name on the last day...sorry about that) popped in to say that we could taste a wedding cake she was practicing on. Apparently she's making the wedding cake for Cathy's daughter and they had a tasting yesterday, but had lots of leftovers. Leftovers? Not a problem. 

The cake was a butter cake with a raspberry and cream filling. It was light and not sickeningly sweet. I took a piece home with me, too. I mean, honestly, it was just gonna sit in the fridge all weekend so why not?!?

As if that wasn't enough to make me happy, Steph made a pasta salad with pretty much everything we had left over in the fridge from the week. 

I'm a big pasta salad lover. And it seemed only appropriate that I would be fed lunch on my last day, as I had pretty much every other day of this adventure. What can I say? I've been pretty spoiled for these two weeks. 

After we cleaned up from Descriptive Panel and ate lunch, Breanne packed up for the weekend. She gave me a copy of Memoirs of a Geisha before she left, which was totally sweet and thoughtful! Last week I'd mentioned that I'd never read it and she said that if I was studying Japanese, I had to read it. You have to believe me when I say that Breanne is great. I couldn't have ended up with a better intern-buddy. 

It was sad watching her go, but we've promised to keep in touch, so I hope that we will make that happen.   Then I made sure everything was good to go before I said goodbye to JoAnne, AuBrei, Steph, and Nancy. 

It didn't really feel final as I walked away from 211 Schilling Circle today. I don't know what it is, but I seem to be subconsciously  refusing to believe that it is over. This part of my life has come to a close and there is no way to go back. It's scary when you think of it like that. But I know that this isn't all bad. Actually, it's mostly good. I mean, I've had a whirlwind, exciting two weeks. It was more than I ever could have expected, and opened my eyes to all of the possibilities in the world. I made friends and formed relationships with people I didn't know before. I dove into the opportunities presented to me, and did everything to the absolute fullest. 

Before I arrived at McCormick, I had wondered if I had chosen the right place. I had pondered what might have happened if I'd gone somewhere else. But now, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. 

Tonight I say goodnight for the last time from Spiceland. My adventures here may have come to an end, but my adventures in the real world have only just begun. Who knows where I'll end up next?

Til then. 

Day 8

I love McCormick. Would you like to know why? In truth, there are many reasons, but today I have one reason in mind. At 6:45, I went to pull my car out of the driveway so my mom could get to work, and guess what happened? It died...in the exact same place it's died for the past 3 days. I'm not even kidding. I have become so conditioned to dealing with a dying car that it was mere routine to go get Poppy so he could bring his jumper cables and get my car started again. At this point, I have to admit that it's pretty funny. I mean, how could it be that I would have a week-long car problem during one of the only weeks I actually need my car? Pretty darn hilarious. (Or at least it will be when we look back at it.)

Because of the many car-related stresses in my life, I was not in the best state of mind when I arrived at work this morning (though I didn't set off any security alarms today, so that was a plus!) And yet, as soon as I arrived on the second floor and greeted my co-workers, everything changed. Suddenly, my mind was so busy with all of the things going on that I didn't have time to fret over my perpetual car troubles.

Today Breanne and I had to do a run-through of our Pinterest presentation, so we finished that up this morning, splitting up the slides between the two of us, and going over it a few times.

As we were working, JoAnne came and asked us if we were going to say good-bye to Paddy with them. Today was Paddy's last day, and it was actually very sad. Steph made these Chocolate Merlot bundt cakes and the sensory department made a beautiful breakfast spread for her with bagels and muffins and fruit salad. They put it on a cart and Steph rolled it over as we trailed behind.

Needless to say, Paddy was touched by everyone's thoughtfulness, and a bunch of employees showed up to snack and wish Paddy well. Being that I'm on the brink of a rather large good-bye myself, I found today to be particularly meaningful. It's just so hard to leave something you love. It doesn't matter what age you are. Change isn't easy, especially when you are cared about and care about those who you have to leave. The people at McCormick are extremely close, too. So for them, the loss of a co-worker is much more than that.

After the farewell soiree, the presentation run-through went well. Breanne and I got some suggestions from AuBrei, Steph, and JoAnne about what to perfect for tomorrow, but other than that I think we're good to go!

After the run-through, AuBrei took us to the Company Store!!! It was so exciting. At least, it was exciting for me. It was basically a small warehouse room with shelves of discount spices and I bought a HUGE container of cinnamon. Literally, if anyone needs cinnamon for the next 10 years, I think I have you covered.

Please note the embarrassingly large bottle of cinnamon

So that was fun. Definitely a necessary stop during my adventures in Spiceland. :)

I forgot to mention earlier that I didn't have to worry about lunch today (shocker). As we were on our way to the Company Store, AuBrei stopped in the party kitchen to taste the Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas they were trying. We had run the buffalo chicken quesadillas as a Panel some time last week and they were making some changes that they wanted people to try. (It's a rough job but somebody has to do it!)

So there were three different recipes. The first one honestly brought tears to my eyes- it was SO HOT! I'm not sure if my tongue was numb to the pain after that, but the other two didn't taste nearly as spicy to me.

Once I finished off my plate (and had a spoonful of the lemon mousse they'd made- see why it's the party kitchen? They always have awesome food!) I wasn't the least bit hungry, so I didn't have to worry about lunch. It felt so official tasting the different chicken versions, though. That's one thing I really love about this job. So that was lunch- sorry for going out of order!

The afternoon was much quieter than the morning. Honestly, it felt like a Friday, that's how quiet it was in the office. I guess people were at meetings or in different buildings, or something. I have no idea what it was, but after 1:30 it felt like there were 5 people in the building! That actually worked to our advantage, though, because it gave Breanne and I time to make our second treat for our presentation tomorrow without being the way of anyone in the kitchen.

The Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars had a few more steps than the Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies, so we split up the work.

Yummy, yummy! Blueberries!

Breanne hard at work, layering the cream cheese filling on top of the graham cracker crust we made the day before

Somehow, despite the fact that both of us are educated, intelligent young women, we completely forgot to put the lemon juice in the filling. SO, Breanne hurried and juiced the lemon and kind of poured it over the filling and then mixed it in a little. By this point, we'd already begun layering the blueberries on top, so everything got a little more blended than it should have.... But, hey, that's half the fun of cooking, right? Making it your own!

Sprinkling the streusel topping over the batter

After our slight modification, we popped it in the oven and set the timer. Since it was a Thursday afternoon, we were relegated to the conference room attached to Cathy's Kitchen. Cathy's happens to be my favorite kitchen. (Perhaps I've mentioned that before) Plus, look what she offered us when we arrived!

She was going for a Ravens color. I think she nailed it. Purple cupcakes. See why Cathy is the greatest? I brought four home with me. It's really silly not to take the baked goods she offers. Whatever people don't take home gets thrown out. And we wouldn't want to waste all that deliciousness, would we?  

Since Breanne had to work on compiling info from the focus groups, I busied myself with tasks Steph and JoAnne assigned me. JoAnne needed little soufflé cups labeled with numbers for Descriptive Panel tomorrow (when the trained panelists come in). So I labeled those and then had to make some charts for JoAnne's shelf-life tests.

After that, I set up the trays for tomorrow morning. (It's a shame I only have one more day. I'm really getting the hang of it now!) And Steph asked if I could make the edamame for tomorrow, too. (Though I'm not totally sure what we're using edamame for...guess I'll find out!) It was great having the kitchen all to myself. I've always found cooking and baking to be really relaxing and rejuvenating and there's something about being able to cook in a big kitchen that just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I was in heaven. 

Breanne came in to chat a little while later and take a break from her note-compiling and snack on some of our left-over blueberries. These blueberries were so good! They were just from Giant, but they were some of the sweetest blueberries ever! And since we didn't use all of them for our bars, we left the rest out in a bowl as afternoon snackage. 

The two of us get along so well. I'm really going to miss Breanne once I leave. It's been so nice having her there. We have such a good time together. We even have little inside jokes now. Who knew I'd be lucky enough to have such a great fellow intern! Ah well. I don't want to dwell on sad things now. (That's better saved for tomorrow's post, right?) 

Steph was sweet enough to save a bundt cake for Breanne and me. And, you know, I never get tired of seeing baked goods with my name on them. 

There's something so heart warming about seeing that Steph saved something for us. I remember the thrill of having an aloha paradise bar with my name on it on the first day. I still get that same excitement over a week later! I think it's just something about having someone remember you, that really gets me. It's so nice, and will be something I will remember fondly about this internship, and Steph, for a very long time.

Although we'd set the timer on our cheesecake bars, Breanne and I were in the other room and we didn't notice when the timer went off. I only realized that the time was up because I had to go in the kitchen to get something (I can't even remember what anymore) and noticed that the timer was off! We had a mini panic as we hoped we hadn't completely ruined the recipe. Luckily, everything was just fine. I'll be sure to take a picture tomorrow. We had to cool it on the counter for an hour and then put it in the fridge for an hour after that.

Since we couldn't very well wait until tomorrow, Breanne and I tried it and it was GREAT! It's so light and fluffy and summery. Mmmm.... I'll post the recipe link tomorrow when I take a pretty picture. (Fingers crossed it looks nice!)

It was a lovely day. I found that I wanted to stay as long as possible. I guess I'm just having difficulty adjusting to the idea that this wonderful experience is coming to such an abrupt end. But I don't want to dwell on it tonight. Instead, I'd like to hold onto the happy memories of all the fun I had today.

Til tomorrow.

Day 7- Time really flies!

Let me tell you about my morning! This morning I had to leave early with Mom because my car was still in the shop. So, we left on time and she decided to go the way I usually go because she was going to drop me off early and then come back and pick me up at the end of the day. Since she had to wait for me yesterday, I didn't want to make her have to wait for me again today and she was getting out earlier than I would anyway, so it just worked out to have her have the car.

Everything was going great. The route I take to get to Hunt Valley is pretty direct, so it was all fine until we got behind this farm equipment. Naturally, thinking our slowed pace was because of the tractor, we commented on how we hoped he would pull off soon. I mean, really, I have never understood why tractors think it's okay to drive at rush our when people in cars are trying to get to work. But I digress...

So we blamed the tractor for about three minutes until we came to a complete stop. Glancing ahead of us (which was, admittedly, difficult because of said tractor) we suddenly realized that the tractor was the least of our problems. In front of us stretched a long line of brake lights, all at a standstill. Excellent.

At this point in our drive, we were committed to taking this route. Unlike on our normal route, we didn't know any other variations on this one to get us there faster. We were stuck. The reality of our situation sunk in slowly. Mom was worried about getting to work on time. I was hoping I'd get to work early to help Breanne with some of the stuff we were trying to do for our Pinterest project. It was not good.

We sat. We inched forward. We sat some more. We inched forward again. The next thirty minutes passed like this. I am not kidding when I tell you we were beyond frustrated. But there's something sobering about seeing car hoods completely obliterated from a high-velocity impact. The accident that had caused the back up looked pretty bad. I always feel sorry for the people involved when you see a thing like that. It really makes you realize how little your problems are. A delay? That's nothing. Two people were in an accident this morning. That's the kind of thing that really matters. And I hope they're alright.

Putting that behind us, we drove on to McCormick. Mom drove me up to the front doors so I could see if they were open. And then things got interesting.

So, the first set of doors were open. I walked through and tested the second set of doors. (these are the ones that lead to the inside of the building...you know, the ones that actually matter.) I tugged on the doors, but they were locked. I tugged again, you know, just to see if maybe they'd been stuck the first time I tried. Bad idea.

The second time I pulled on the doors, I set off some kind of alarm and the entry way was filled with this annoying (and mildly embarrassing) buzzing sound. A little red light began to flash next to the door. I didn't dare move. At first I was horrified! What had I done?! Surely I was all over the security cameras at this point. They probably thought I was trying to break in and steal secret spice recipes or something. I could imagine the police being called and a big scene ensuing all because I had tried to get to work early! What was I going to tell my coworkers?

But then I had a great idea. If the alarms were going off, then surely, the security guard would have to come and investigate the situation. They wouldn't want something really bad to happen, right? So they'd have to arrive shortly.

Wrong. I waited a little longer. Still no one. What was I supposed to do now? Mom was still waiting outside in the car because she didn't want to leave until she knew I had gotten in. So I walked out and told her what was going on. But she was short on time (because she had to be at school soon) and couldn't hang around for that much longer. I was running out of options.

Luckily, as I was explaining what was happening, an actual McCormick employee approached the building. This was my big chance! I talked to Mom until the woman got close enough to the building, when I bid my mom farewell and followed this woman inside.

"I wonder what that beeping noise was about." She said to me as we walked through the front lobby. "I have no idea! That's so weird, though." I replied without hesitation.

I was just glad to be inside the building.

Once I walked up to the sensory department, I acted like everything was completely normal. There was really no need to relive the embarrassment of setting off the security alarm. And besides, there was baking to be done!

Breanne and I made the first of our two Pinterest-inspired desserts that we will give out during our presentation. This morning we made the Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies. And let me tell you, these were...oh so good. They have to be the chocolatey-ist, most  gooey and wonderful cookies ever!

Look at 'em baking...so sweet!

They were easy and super fast. Literally, they took 10 minutes to bake. If you're interested, here is the link to the recipe. 

http://www.divine-baking.com/2011/04/deep-dark-chocolate-cookies.html

Although the directions were pretty thorough, we made a few modifications. We ended up making them smaller (which was good because you could really only handle that much chocolate in a small package). And we decided that we would take them off of the pan a little earlier next time so they wouldn't stick as much. But honestly, nothing could detract from the awesome end result. 

Please make them. You will not be sorry.  Just make sure you have plenty of milk nearby! :)

After the cookies were finished, we started working on the blueberry cream cheese bars, but the groceries hadn't come in yet with most of the things we needed, so we were only able to assemble the graham cracker crust. That will be waiting for us tomorrow when we get in.

At nine we left for the TIC building for the days' focus groups. These groups weren't quite as exciting as last week's, but I still really enjoyed it. I got to take pictures of the spices the consumers brought in, as well as a final activity that they did with product labels. There were four sessions, each about an hour and 15 minutes each, so we worked all day.

Lunch today was ordered by Kevin. I'm not sure what his official title is, but he takes care of everything we need when we're in the TIC building. We had a taco bar from Qdoba, and it was actually really yummy! While we were getting lunch, Kevin and I were talking and I found out that he had gone to a local boy's private school. This really is a small world.

There's something to be said about making connections with people. Some of my favorite people I've met at McCormick have been because we've been able to bond over a shared experience or interest. It's really helped me to acclimate to my new environment, and is definitely something I will keep in mind for the future. The more willing you are to open up and talk to people, the easier it is to find a niche to yourself.

The McCormick employees that sat "behind the scenes" with us were hilarious today! Debra is definitely one of my favorites, but you can tell they all work together often and they were cracking jokes and laughing like they'd all grown up together or something.

One thing I learned today is that if someone says a product would be good for camping, you should probably stop your work right there. It's "the kiss of death," as Debra put it. This is because camping is a great idea to many people, but few people actually carry out their camping dreams. So hearing this is not good. Who knew? I learn so much every day. It's amazing!

On another note, I feel like I'm really getting the hang of choosing the right clothes to wear in the morning. I even found a skirt in my closet today that I'd never worn before but that was perfect for work! Of course, I get the knack of it two days before I have to leave.... :(

So, just two more days left. I cannot believe how fast this whole project has gone. I don't like to think too far ahead because doing that forces me to think about the crazy week we'll have next week, what with the Senior Project Luncheon (I think I'm making a prezi for that), Prom, graduation parties.....it's all a little overwhelming. So let's not think about that just yet.

For those of you who have been reading since the beginning, I thank you for your continued support! Just two more posts to go!

Sleep tight.

Day 6

I'm not really sure how to start this post. Actually, I've put off writing this update so that I could try to think of the best way to begin. I'm just not as inspired today. I don't know what it is. But I'm hoping I might find some inspiration as I go along. So here goes...

This morning there was some issue with an ingredient that didn't come in. I offered to go pick it up, but because I'm only 18, no one felt comfortable giving me the company credit card. I get it, but I found myself feeling a little disappointed that I couldn't be of more help. I always try to be helpful, but I guess I can only do as much as they're comfortable with. And I understand that. I just try to make myself useful as much as possible, ya know?

After it was settled that Steph would run back out to the store, Breanne and I got to help set up for Panel. I started setting up the cups incorrectly so AuBrei had to tell me the right way to do it. Here's what it looks like when it's all set up and ready to go.

Cool right? I think it looks pretty official.

I hit a stumbling block when I almost botched the data today, which was kinda scary. I didn't realize that the panelists were tasting two versions of a product and so I went to throw out the first sample when I was supposed to keep it in front of that panelists' silver dome shaft until the second version was returned. Luckily, AuBrei was there to tell me when I was messing something up. She was really nice about it too, so it made me feel like she really wanted me to learn. But still, I felt so bad for not knowing how to do everything already. I try to be very on top of what I am doing, but panel today seemed like one learning experience after another! But I guess you have to learn some time, right? 

Oh! I should mention here (well, I should have mentioned it earlier...) that I didn't have breakfast this morning for two reasons. 1) I wasn't hungry by the time I had to leave this morning and 2) I knew there would be something to eat when I got to work! I'm telling you, this is pretty nice not having to worry about where  my next meal is coming from! Sure enough, Janice had a huge box of Kashi Go Lean bars to share with us. I helped myself to one and it was actually really tasty. 

The eating continued after Panel, when Steph and AuBrei said we could try the food the panelists had eaten. I ate most of that. I figured that counted as breakfast. A very strange breakfast indeed. 

Not long after, Breanne and I stayed behind while everyone went out to lunch. We bought lunch from the cafeteria, which was fun because it was the first time that either of us had to use our own money to get lunch. So far we've been so spoiled! Lunch (for both of us) was a Portabello Ciabatta. 

The bread was really good. I was expecting more of a Panini vibe, but still, it was tasty. And I always feel a sense of personal accomplishment when I have an entirely vegetarian meal. As far as selection was concerned, the cafeteria had a wide variety of options to choose from. I think McCormick employees are very well taken care of. :) That said, I was surprised at how quiet the lunchroom was, even at the peak of lunch time. (c. 12 o'clock). My guess is that a lot of people are like us, and have to buy their lunch very infrequently. That, or they packed their own. (Though the cafeteria prices were very reasonable.)

One of the nice things about actually having a lunch time was that Breanne and I were able to talk and get to know each other more. All in all, we got along really well today (and everyday, to be honest). We have very similar tastes and likes so it makes it a lot of fun to have her around. I am not sure my experience would be as enjoyable without her. It's so nice to have someone close to my age to attend meetings with and chat with and generally share my experiences of internship with. Never underestimate the value of a friendly face!

After lunch, Breanne and I worked on our Pinterest presentation for about two and a half hours. We're giving the preview on Thursday and the real thing on Friday, and tomorrow we have Focus Groups all day, so we're really coming down to the wire on this one. Half of our problem is that it takes SO LONG for us to do anything on the computers. We seem to have one computer problem after another. Our issues are so frequent that they're almost comical! (I had to laugh at us a few times today.)

We did, however, decide on what we're going to make. We picked two items, one slightly more complicated than the other. The more complicated one is Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. The less completed one is Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies. (Those look AMAZING!) Both of these recipes were from Pinterest, so we're keeping the Pinterest theme going in every aspect of our presentation.

Once we figured out what we were making, we were able to work through an outline and generate charts with the info we gathered from our survey. It was a bit of a long process because our assignment thus far has been pretty vague, so we've had to kind of widdle away at our goal and keep ourselves on track. I appreciate how much freedom we've been given. It's nice to know that Nancy trusts us to run with the project. (Though I guess that does add some pressure- who knows what she's expecting us to churn out!)

At three o'clock we had tasting for the company store. Today was oils and vinegars, which sounds harsh at first, but was actually way better than you'd think! I ended up with two bottles of flavored oils at the end of the day.

These were awesome! Honestly, I could not stop tasting some of these oils- they were that good. Tasting for the store might be one of my favorite activities since you get exposed to a whole range of tastes you might otherwise never experience, and you usually get something to take home with you. It's a win-win situation. (Then again, I'd have a hard time finding something at McCormick that wasn't a win-win situation.) 

I am continually impressed by the genuine nature of the people I work with everyday. Cathy (the one who bakes delicious things!) was so tickled when I asked about the shower she'd had for her daughter this weekend. And AuBrei volunteered to take Breanne and me to the company store on Thursday when she heard that no one was really available to do that. People are just honestly good people here. I'm not sure you get that everywhere, but I'm certainly glad I found it here. 

On another note, I bumped into a SPSG alum today on my way in. Shaniqua Jones, who graduated last year, is interning in FSS (financial sharing services...or something along those lines). She's doing something with accounting. As it turns out, we're on the same floor! Small world, eh? I tell ya, there are so many SP/SPSG people linked to McCormick, it's crazy! 

One of the things that amazes me about my time at the office is that it seems to just fly by. School has never gone by as quickly as work, and sometimes I've been at work for a lot longer than a school day. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's the variety of activities that I do in a day that makes it go by so much faster? Or the sheer amount of knowledge I am acquiring? I really couldn't tell you exactly what it is. But it's unbelievable how the day is gone before I know it! 

Tomorrow is Focus Groups (at normal times...no ending at 8pm!) so I'm really looking forward to it. If they're anything like last week's then I know I'll have a great time! Plus, they're giving us lunch, so what could possibly be bad about that? I'm really looking forward to an awesome day!! 

Til then.

P.S. I think I found my inspiration while typing this post. It's amazing what a little writing will do! 

Day 5

I do love Fridays. This was such a nice day. I began today very uneventfully. (Thank goodness). The other day, JoAnne said they were doing Panel all morning and that she could use the extra help setting up, if I wanted to come in earlier. I figured, why not? So I arrived in my Casual Day clothes, ready to kick off  my 5th day on the job!

Breanne wasn't in yet, so I left my things at her desk and helped set up the kitchen. I realized that it would probably make more sense if I took a picture of the space to show you.

My home away from home

I'll try to explain how we set up for Panel. (I wish I'd taken one when we were all set up and rolling, but that wasn't really an option.)  We place trays in front of each of the silver domes. The domes can be opened on both sides, so we open our side, slide in a tray, and the people on the other side then open their dome and take the tray with whatever we've placed on it.

Today's Panel was special because it was for a group of specially trained tasters. They've been through the training sessions I attended with AuBrei yesterday and come every other week or so to taste the different things the Sensory Department prepares. 

Today we had 12 panelists (which was apparently a lot) and 9 or so different foods to prepare. Steph, JoAnne, Breanne and I got into an assembly line of sorts. Two would prepare the dish, while the other two would fill samples and set up the trays. Setting up the trays was a process in itself, as there was a control sample and then two test samples that we had to place correctly on the tray before sliding it through.

The walls aren't very thick between the kitchen and the tasting room, so we has to be a little less chatty than usual as we prepared things for this special panel.

The testing room!

Some of the items on the menu today were pink and purple noodles, gravies, sauces, and rice seasonings. It was so busy. As soon as we were finished with one round, we had to start the next one. 

At 9:30, Breanne and I went to a meeting with Debra from marketing. She was so fascinating. She talked about how they take an idea from and initial concept and make it into a real product. It was really enlightening to hear her talk about the processes they go through when developing a product. Everyone in the building is involved and sometimes it can take a number of years if they need to patent something or work out kinks in production. 

She was so well spoken and clearly passionate about what she does. I could have listened to her all day! But we had another meeting with Mike (who I am pretty sure is also on the marketing team, but is in a different area from Debra). He was also a wealth of knowledge and I very much enjoyed listening to him. I walked away from those two meetings feeling like I'd learned a lot about areas that I had never once thought of before. It's really crazy how interconnected everyone at McCormick is when creating a product. It requires the pulling together of many great minds to produce a successful product! And everyone is important. 

After the meetings, we went back down to the kitchen to help with Panel. Breanne left early today, so it wasn't long before it was just JoAnne, Steph, and me. I didn't mind the hush of the kitchen today. Hardly anyone came in, and they started Summer hours today, so most people left early. Although quiet days are somewhat less exciting, I find that they give me more time to get to know my colleagues.

After Panel was over (at around 12:30/ one o'clock ish), Janice popped in from the party kitchen (where she was playing the radio...see what I mean, always something!) to tell us that she had salad if we wanted any. And, once again, my lunch was provided for. :) I'm telling you, these people are awesome! While I was eating my salad, we chatted about the things I want to do in college. (though now those things are becoming a bit blurry). I really enjoyed talking to her because I'd never had the chance to have a one-on-one conversation before.

Personally, I love making friends and so having the opportunity to talk to all of the people that I respect and admire was great. Cathy was in today too, so of course I stopped by her kitchen and talked about weekend plans. And, although I didn't realize this until later, I completely forgot to tell her my opinion of the mocha cupcakes!

I realize it may seem that there was a lot of socializing today, but never fear! I was hard at work. Have a look at the pile of dishes! We didn't realize the dishwasher was empty until I'd cleaned most of them. I think my arm muscles are definitely going to grow because of this internship! Those pans were HEAVY! 

All in a day's work.

Today was somewhat serious, but JoAnne and Steph had a way of making everything fun. They were great. Everyone was, actually. I've already begun to find myself getting sad about leaving them. I feel as if I've just begun to know everyone and feel comfortable. It feels like a second home, in a way, so it's really depressing that I'll only be with them for another week. 

Nancy has mentioned my coming back a few times, and I think I'll bring it up with her next week. Unfortunately I won't have a chance until Tuesday, but it can wait, I suppose. It's just that I could really see myself working here. It's a balance of scientific and creative, which is so cool. Preparing for Panel required us to measure things like butter and water on a scale. We needed the grams to be as close to accurate as possible so that the recipes would turn out as similarly as possible. I loved it. I know many people may not think of me as a science person (and I'll admit physics is not my forte) but it was exciting. It felt very professional and official. What can I say? Science is cool and also happens to be a huge part of McCormick. 

After work, I stopped by school to drop something off, chatted with some of my most favorite teachers, and then picked Mom up so we could go out to eat.  Today we went to the Paper Moon Diner. (If you wanna know more about that, check out my other blog.) It was a relaxing way to end my day and start the weekend. 

I'm glad for the weekend, but next week is going to fly by, what with it being a four day week and everything. I just don't want to wish the time away too fast. 

Day 4 (is it really day 4 already?)

Remember how awesome yesterday was? Let's reflect for a moment on the complete amazement and excitement with which I approached my keyboard last evening, eager to share my experiences with the world! (Well, maybe not quite that many people but you get the point.) Yesterday was sublime. I was on cloud nine (and apparently have begun to rhyme. haha)

I woke up this morning, knowing that today couldn't possibly be as thrilling, but I had no doubt that I would still enjoy myself. I went through my usual morning routine: shower, breakfast, dog walk, etc. Everything was just as it should be. Because I had come home late last night, I had to move my car out of the driveway so that Mom could leave for work this morning. I started the car on the second time, but that wasn't completely out of the usual. I mean, it's an old car. Sometimes it takes a try or two to get it going. Once the engine was rumbling, I backed up out of the driveway and into the road. I had done a surprisingly good job of getting my car close to the opposite curb as I waited for mom to pull out. That's when it happened.

All of a sudden, without any warning, my car died. The engine stopped, engulfing me in a silence that stung of failure. My eyes darted to the headlight switch, which was turned to "on." I had not turned on the headlights to back out of the driveway. My lights had been on all night.

I burst into tears. Before Mom could drive off I jumped out of the car. (I can only imagine what she was thinking at this point.) I explained what happened between sobs. I felt so stupid. How could I have done that? Actually, I know exactly how. It was late last night when I got home, and I was tired and clearly had turned off my brain.

So I called my dad and he said he would call a towing company to come and jump my car. But then Poppy came and said he could do it. So he pulled his car up to mine and got out to get the cable. Somehow his car managed to lock itself so that when he went to open the back door, it was locked. This was turning into quite a comedy. Poppy had to go back inside for his spare set of keys, and Mom had to keep an eye on the clock because she had to get to work on time but needed to make sure I would be okay before she left.

Poppy returned and connected the cars and we spent most of the next ten minutes attempting to get my car to start. I have to admit, I had my doubts. I was so shaken about the whole thing. It was such a  relief when the grumbly engine on my car finally roared to life. It worked just in the nick of time, too. Mom was able to leave for work, I called my dad to tell him we were back in business, and I was reminded by everyone not to turn off my car for a while.

To be honest, I left my car on until I departed for work, and only turned it off once I was happily in my parking spot.

The moral of this story, while slightly off-topic (sorry about that), is that I have an awesome family. Poppy was fantastic to come over and help me. And everyone was really concerned about my well-being. It was amazing how everything came together right at the perfect moment. I was so grateful. I still feel badly for stressing everyone's morning. It was not how I had planned it.

Setting the, shall we say, excitement of the morning behind me, I gladly got in my car and went to work. When I arrived, Breanne set me up in Cathy's Conference Room to help organize the notes from the Focus Groups. As I was typing, Steph came by to say she'd made Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.

A mid-morning snack? Yes, please! I don't usually eat things with peanut butter (just not a favorite of mine), but this was darn good!!! I went back for seconds, which made the ladies in the kitchen happy. Steph had put the pan in what I like to call the "party kitchen." I have dubbed it thus because all of the ladies in that kitchen get along really well, and they're always making something exciting. (Perhaps I've told you about the party kitchen before. I'm feeling a strange sense of deja vu, so I apologize if this is redundant.) But anyway, the party kitchen ladies told me to take as much as I wanted because they eat all day and they don't need to eat it. Trust me, they did not need to tell me twice! If I've enticed you enough with my description, the recipe is below. It's super easy!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Peanut-Butter--n--Jelly-Bars

Cathy and I chatted while we worked. I actually really liked being in that room because I had a ton of natural light and everyone came into to Cathy's kitchen to use the Keurig coffee maker, so I got to meet a lot of people.

At about ten, AuBrei called Breanne and me to come to the kitchen and help set up for Panel. Panel is when the lucky workers of McCormick get to stop by the sensory kitchen and taste whatever product Steph is whipping up. Yesterday (I started typing Thursday evening, but am finishing it Friday morning) it was Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas with Blue Cheese dressing. The tasters sit in these little booths (I'll try and take some pictures today) and answer questions up on a computer screen. In the kitchen, we prepare the food, place it on a tray and slide it through to their side. They slide it back when they're finished.

It was awesome to be a part of this because I finally got to cook!!! We had a little assembly line going with Steph and I cooking the chicken, AuBrei measuring and filling the quesadillas, and Breanne delivering the quesadillas to the trays and sliding them into the booths. It was fun!

Once all of the employees had come by, Steph asked Breanne and I if we wanted to taste them. We had a meeting to get to in the T.I.C. building, so we kind of had to rush, but it was great! I'll say that I thought the spices were a little hot, but it was lunch time and I had meetings scheduled until 3:30, so I happily scarfed down my quesadilla. (Once again, I didn't have to worry about getting lunch. I could get used to this!)

It's really sweet because if there's leftovers, Steph will make them for the other people in the sensory department who weren't around, write their names on it, and leave it in the kitchen for them. She did that with the Aloha bars for us on Monday, and I just think it's the nicest thing!

So, with full bellies, Breanne and I drove over to the T.I.C. building. (But, on that note, I was thinking it would be way better if everyone just walked over to that building. Sure, you'd have to leave yourself about 15 minutes, but it's close enough and it would be way better for the environment. Just a thought.) We were worried that we'd be late, but we were two of the first people there, so it was fine.

As it turns out, Nancy had brought some subs and things from Wegmans. I wasn't very hungry, (remember, I'd just had a quesadilla), so I just had some strawberries. This meeting was about the data we'd captured from the Focus Groups the day before. (Though that seems like a really long time ago.) When we walked into the Create-It room, everything was set up like this:

From left to right: Laura and Breanne perusing the board.

The post-its we generated the day before were all put up on the wall of white boards, and the woman leading the meeting, Amy, had written a few goals up on the board.

Peter, Nancy, and Melissa looking at the other side of the board.

The Create-It room is awesome. There's this really cool swirly glass light outside of the door, and when you walk inside it's extremely light and spacious. (They even have sky lights.) It would be a really great room to have to work in because it's so cheery. You feel like you could get a lot done in there. 

Amy walked us through the goals on the board, which were basically to focus in on what Millennials want and how McCormick can find its niche with the Millennials based on their behavior. Then, for the next two hours or so we did something called "path mapping." I'm not sure if anyone knows what that is, so I'll briefly explain it. 

We started out with everyone going to the post-its and picking out a theme that was prevalent in all of the groups. So, one post-it might say, "they're using Pinterest to find recipes." This was a behavior that was true across all of the Millennials, so we'd move that post-it to another board with the aim of getting 30 post-its on the new board. 

Then, we had to organize the post-its based on what they talked about. So we made little clusters of 3-4 post-its, which we then had to label with a title. Once each cluster had a title, we generated questions based off of the titles of the clusters. The questions are going to help Nancy so she can create studies of Millennials that will answer those questions. 

It was a very structured, but also very creative process. It became clear to me that Amy had a lot of training in guiding people through that kind of process. I was, admittedly, a little nervous about being allowed to participate in such an intense and important process. For some reason, I've been having difficulty getting over the fact that they actually like to hear my opinion. But I really need to get over that because a lot of the post-its they picked for the top 30 were ones that I had written. I felt kind of honored when they would pick one of mine, especially if it was one I had been less sure about when I wrote it down. I think it just goes to show you that everyone brings a different perspective to the table. One person's contributions do actually mean a lot in this setting, so not participating would do more harm than good. 

The two hours went by really quickly. I guess when you're using your mind for other things, you don't have a lot of time to watch the clock. Breanne and I cleaned up and then I went to AuBrei's panel-training session. 

The panel we did earlier that day was with untrained McCormick employees. The goal there was to say "Do they like it, yes or no?" On Fridays, however, there's a trained panel that comes in to evaluate specific tastes. Before they can do that, they have to learn how to taste. AuBrei has a session with about 10 people Tuesdays through Thursdays. They've been learning since April (I think). The end goal is to get all of the panelists to be rating the spices the same way. They need to have corresponding numbers so that McCormick can trust what they're saying. The scale they rate the spices on is a 1-10 scale. They need their numbers to be within a two to three digit range (ex: between 4 and 6) or else the data isn't useful. 

During the session, AuBrei would pass around "references"- liquified spices or items to smell in plastic cups. Today was all about spice blends, so she would ask "What are the attributes of curry powder?" and they would look on their list and say "Heat, sweet, soapy," etc. 

We went through a lot of spices. 

Some of them were things I had never heard of before. Carvone, anyone? Eugenol? Actually, I thought they should make eugenol into a perfume. It smelt so good! I need to look that up cause I don't know what it is, but it sure smelt good! There was another taste/smell called "Green." What does green taste/ smell like? Absolutely nothing. I was really struggling to get anything on this one. At first it reminded me of grapes, but the second time I tried it it was just kind of...green. I'm not sure I'd be the best trained taster.

The sessions last for two hours and the trainees are paid, so that's nice. I should also mention the frequent use of saltine crackers to cleanse the palate between tastes. I never realized how helpful that is!

When AuBrei and I got back to the office, Steph told us we had to go taste chocolate chip cookies (from Cathy's kitchen, of course!). It was a challenge, but someone had to do it. It was kind of funny because as I was in there, people were joking about how hard their jobs are. You know, that's one thing about McCormick employees: everyone is always happy.

After that the day was pretty much over. As I was leaving, Cathy sent me home with two versions of mocha frosting to try. One was the mocha they currently use, and the other is the mocha they want to try to use.

I liked the one of the left better. Though I didn't think it tasted particularly mocha-y. I was getting more of a maple vibe. I'll have to tell Cathy today.

Speaking of going in, today is Casual Day! Yay! It's like free dress at school, only it actually is free. I'm looking forward to it.  I think it should be a pretty light day. There's a couple of short meetings scheduled, but other than that I'll just see where I'm needed.

Happy Friday! 

Day 3

So today was pretty much the best day ever. The hours were kind of weird, which meant that I didn't get home til nine, but I LOVED it. I actually had so much to say that I spent a whole hour telling Mom about everything that happened. I hope I remember to type everything up!

My hours today were 11 to 8,  give or take the time I spent setting up this morning and cleaning up this evening. We had Focus Groups today, which made the hours a little weird because they scheduled the groups at the convenience of the consumers.

Focus Group is when you get a room full of about 12 people and talk to them about a specific topic. Today's Focus Group demographic were Millennials, or people aged 21- 34. We had 3 groups that lasted an hour and a half each. The first group were single Millennials who live on their own. The second group were young mother Millennials with kids at home, and the third group were Millennials in committed relationships (either married or living with a significant other) but without kids. The variety of people who came in today was so fascinating.

Nancy, my mentor ( I don't think I've mentioned her name before, but it's Nancy and she's awesome.) moderated the groups. She had asked all of the Millennials to do some homework. Basically they had to prepare their life journey through cooking. The way people discussed their journeys was actually really neat. Some people brought in pictures, other people made collages or posters. They could present in whatever way they wanted and it was cool to see how some people interpreted the task.

While they were talking, Nancy would interrupt to ask a question or open a topic up to the rest of the group to weigh on in. These were the questions I thought were the most interesting because you got a feel for the larger demographic through the way that they responded. You could definitely see differences between the groups.

The single Millennials were generally adventurous. They had a real desire to learn more and to develop their skills. I think you could say that the desire to grow and to learn was a constant amongst all of the groups. A love of breakfast for dinner was also pretty popular. Anyone a fan of that? I know I am. And to see the way that some of them really jumped on the idea of eating breakfast for dinner- it was fantastic. One group talked about how easy it is, and another about how it's better for dinner because they don't have time in the morning.

One of my favorite things about today was that we were sitting behind a window that we could see out of, but they couldn't see into. So the consumers were talking to Nancy, but it felt like they were talking to us. Sometimes a person would come in and be really quiet for a while until it was their turn to present and then they would flourish and completely come out of their shell.

The goal for today was to screen a bunch of people to use as Millennial consumers for different products/ ideas McCormick will be coming up with. At the end of each session, Nancy asked the consumers to get into small groups, discuss a common problem and come up with a solution. It was fascinating because some groups came up with some really awesome and insightful ideas.

There were little nuances that appeared in each group that were just so interesting. After each group we discussed the Millennials and the things that jumped out at us. During the sessions, we had this post-it assignment. I'm sure those of you who really know me know how I adore post-its. Post-its = Love.

Melissa, one of our colleagues, set up 3 mega post-its labeled "validations" "aha" and "questions" They were color coded, so during the session, we would write something on a post-it and stick it to the mega post-it as data collection for later. (By later I mean tomorrow, when we are going to process the data that we captured today.)  It was awesome. And you know, I really felt involved today. It was crazy for me to think that these adults actually wanted me to participate! I know, I probably shouldn't be so surprised, but it just really shocked me.

The first time I went up to post a post-it I could feel my face was hot and I was so nervous. I tentatively pressed the sticky side of my post-it to the mega post-it and walked back to my seat, glad that the room was dark so that no one would notice how relieved I was to have broken the ice and jumped into the post-it work. Once I'd done it the first time, I was a post-it writing fiend! I tell ya, I was on a roll.

Another job of mine was to create a diagram of the table when the Millennials sat down. At the beginning of the session, I would draw the table on a big post-it and write all of the names of the Millennials according to where they were sitting at the table. If anyone said something particularly shocking or interesting, I would also write that underneath of their name so we could remember it when discussing them later.

Today really opened my eyes to the possibilities that are open to me in the work place. In my search for a career path over the past few years, I struggled initially until I decided that I wanted to be a writer. I love to write, and I love different languages, so I figured those were good things to go on. But today I decided that I want to interact with people. All of these people had stories, and to allow them to tell their stories was thrilling. I love interacting with people. I need it. I don't want to be stuck in a cubicle all day, or isolated in a room by myself all the time.

That said, I also know that I love to write. Writing needs to be a part of my job because it's something I have a deep passion for. I feel very comfortable with writing, and would love to be able to do that every day. So, can I find a job that will allow me to write, cook, talk with people, travel, and speak multiple languages all at the same time? Probably not. I just don't know what to do.

Today was completely exhilarating and interesting! I found a real excitement watching Millennial trends and questioning why they were doing what they were doing. There is something so...gosh I don't even know the right word....so fantastic about being that person behind the scenes who can listen to customers' opinions and formulate ideas based on what they want. I can't even fully articulate how marvelous it was.

Oh! Also, these Millennials were very inspiring. Being at the beginning of my adult life, I could look at many of their experiences as possibilities for my future food life. Listening to them made me want to cook more often and to be more creative! (And actually I'm already planning on making dinner Saturday night. Stay tuned, maybe I'll post some pictures.)

Although there was no fun food to test today, we were fed a delicious lunch and dinner, and I made friends with the woman who works at the front desk of the T.I.C. building. When Breanne and I came in today, she exclaimed, "The girls are here!" Tell me a greeting like that wouldn't make you want to smile. The people at McCormick are the nicest people ever. Then again, I'd probably be nice too if I worked with food! (But a quick note on our meals- the salad we had for lunch was beautiful and so tasty and really easy to do at home. It had feta cheese, cranberries, caramelized walnuts, and this sweet and slightly tangy dressing. Seriously delicious. I want to remake one at home, now.)

Awesome. Today was awesome. I've run out of positive adjectives at this point. The only problem I'm having now is that I don't know what to do with my life. But, oh well. I mean, I have some time to figure it out. CMU is perfect for me so whatever I do, I'll be getting a great education. What that education is going to be? Maybe a little writing, a little talking....we'll cross that bridge later.

Tomorrow is going to have big shoes to fill after all the fun of today. Luckily I have more Focus Groups to look forward to next Wednesday. I can't wait!  

But for now, I'm off to bed. :)