Internship Reflections

My internship ended over two weeks ago and while I search for a new job, I can't help but reminisce about what I will miss most. As you read, perhaps you will understand why this was the best summer ever, and why it might be difficult to incorporate it into my resume.

1. Friends and Coworkers.All the inside jokes will live on in infamy. I will never again think of CPR, velociraptors, or turtles without laughing my head off.

2. FETCH! Kids
I really wish I could tell you all about these six fabulous kids, but I'm afraid I cannot. Since these episodes will not air until next September, I can only tell you that I'm going to miss everything about them.

3. Nicknames and Public Service Announcements
One of the FETCH kid's nicknamed me Allyoop. Whenever he saw me, I was treated to the following public service announcement:

Allyoop, score. Hey kid's basketball is fun, but do you know what isn't.......drugs.

and

Step on a crack, break your mother's back.
Turn around and smoke the crack, break your mother's heart.

and

Smoking causes cancer so don't.... smoke.......tumors.

4. Unusual Errands
When I signed of for this internship, I could never have imagined I'd hear these words:

"Please zip over to Dave's Soda and Pet City to purchase a scorpion"

5. Unique Tasks--Chicken Guard and Personal Assistant

Goal: "Do whatever it takes to keep this chicken sitting right there."

This included:

• - Sitting on a barrel for 3 hours
• - Overcoming a fear of bird beaks
• - Making friends with the chicken and naming her Henrietta
• - Hand-feeding her corn on the cob
• - Overfeeding her to the point of complete exhaustion
• - Running interference between curious children and Henrietta
  

6. Seeing New England upclose and personal
Before this internship I had seen much of the Massachusetts coastline, but not much else. After 12 short weeks this summer, I can honestly say I've seen Massachusetts.


7. Incidental Art
This was simply a piece of poster board that was used to absorb the extra paint while I modified a costume for one of the FETCH kid's.

Please indulge my internal psychologist and tell me what you see in this ink blot. (if you say Easter Egg, we can no longer be friends.) ;)


Conclusion:
Walking out the front doors of WGBH after the wrap party was one of the hardest thing I've ever done. With all honesty I can tell you this job was by far the most work and the most fun I've ever experienced. Like I've been telling all my friends all summer, the only way it could have been any better was if I got paid. ;)

Kibble Crunch Cookies - Part 2

Armed with my kibble of choice (Cocoa Puffs and Corn Pops),

I developed three Kibble Crunch Cookie prototypes.

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PROTOTYPE #1

First I started with my favorite oatmeal and peanut butter cookie recipe. After replacing the oatmeal and chocolate chips with cereal kibble the recipe looked like this:

Cream together:

• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 c. peanut butter

Add:

• 1 c. Cocoa Puffs
• 2 c. Corn Pops

Mix well. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned about 10 to 12 minutes.

Result: Typical cookie with little crunch surprises in every bite. Not bad as a first attempt, but I wasn't sure it would appear kibble-esque enough for the TV cameras, so time for attempt number 2.

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PROTOTYPE #2

This time I modified my mom's Rice Krispy treat recipe. Since it worked with one cereal, I figured it would work for another.

• 3 cups Cocoa Puffs Cereal
• 6 cups Corn Pops Cereal
• 1 cups brown sugar
• 1 sticks of butter
• 1/2 cup Karo syrup
• 1/2 can condensed milk

Pour cereals into a large bowl. In a separate pan combine brown sugar, margarine, and Karo syrup. Boil 3 minutes. Add condensed milk. Boil three more minutes. Stir into cereals. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax or parchment paper. Wait until cool and eat.

Result: Tastes a lot like a caramel popcorn ball, but it's definitely more kibble looking than last attempt, though one observer said it looked more like dog vomit.

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PROTOTYPE #3

I wanted to improve the flavor of attempt number #2. I also wanted to see how it would look if it was made entirely out of Cocoa Puffs. So say ba-bye to the butter and condensed milk, and say hello to chunky peanut butter.

• 3-4 c. cocoa puffs
• 1/3 c. Karo syrup
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. chunky peanut butter

Pour Cocoa Puffs into a large bowl. In a separate pan combine brown sugar and Karo syrup. Boil 3 minutes. Add peanut butter. Stir into cereal. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax or parchment paper. Wait until cool and eat.

Result: By far the best tasting of the attempts, but it truly looks disgusting.

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I brought all three of my attempts into the office to let the powers that be decide which one deserves the spot light as THE Kibble Crunch Cookies for the episode. Any thoughts about which ones you think are most appropriate for the spotlight?

Kibble Crunch Cookies

Kibble: coarsely ground grain in the form of pellets (as for pet food)



Have I mentioned how awesome my internship is? Seriously it's the best. My assignment this weekend is to create Kibble Crunch Cookies, which should appear to have been made using Kibble, yet must be edible, delectable, and generally agreeable for a child's discriminating pallet.

Quite a tall order, yet one I will gladly take on. After all I am after the person who attempted making Peanut Butter Bacon Bread. If anyone could do this it would be me.

It's recommended that I use cereal as the kibble which makes sense. I mean referring to the basic definition above cereal is kibble, but I wouldn't recommend you telling your kids that. Coco Puffs and Kiks are probably my best bets as stand ins for kibble. The recipe itself needs to be light on the flour because I don't want anything masking the kibble texture, and flour might make it look cakey.

Someone suggested marshmallow treats, but I think I need something more transparent than marshmallow. I'm toying with something akin to my mom's rice krispy treats that are made using karo syrup. I'm also thinking peanut butter might be a nice touch. Well off to the store I go to buy a ton of cereal, karo syrup, and peanut butter.

I'll let you know how it goes. If the end product is edible I'll post the recipe. Wish me luck.

Tuxedo at a Square Dance

While driving ridiculous speeds along I-84 from NYC to Boston at 1 AM, downing Diet Cokes, and rocking out to hard rock, reggae, and 90's favorites (I still can't get "but you said he's just a friend" out of my head) I had some time to contemplate this trip from which I was returning.

Imagine yourself dressed to the hilt in a ball gown or tuxedo headed to a "fancy" event. You check and recheck your hair or makeup while you travel. You take every precaution that you'll arrive on time, and then upon walking through the door you discover you are at a square dance, and everyone else is wearing jeans. Can you say awkward? Good, I knew you could.

That would my experience on Monday. I went in to NYC for an internship interview for a children's television production. After listening to some very sage advice I made sure I looked as professional as possible. I purchased a suit, straightened my hair, and even had a manicure. I arrived 15 minutes early, only to discover that I was WAY over-dressed. Everyone else in the office was wearing jeans, t-shirts, and khakis. I looked like a lawyer, ready to serve papers. I'm just hoping that the suit wasn't a deterrent, and I still get the internship.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, and I'll keep you posted on the result.