My friend Kathy and I signed our girls up for cooking camp once again because they loved it so much
last summer. Last summer, the camp was all about French food and it was phenomenal.
This summer, the camp was all about baking - cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, etc. And Briana did enjoy the camp ~ which makes me happy. But there were issues. Big issues.
The cooking academy changed ownership at the beginning of the year - and I could tell a huge difference from the minute I walked in the door. It isn't even close to the caliber that it was last summer. Last year, the girls ate off of fancy plates and this year, they ate off styrofoam/paper plates. Last year, they had recipes printed out on fancy paper and this year, the recipes were e-mailed out with writing and stains on them (no kidding). Last year, the instructors wore chef coats and this year, just regular clothes. Last year, there was one instructor (the owner) and a couple of assistants and this year, one instructor (not an owner) and no assistants. You get the gist. The camp was a little less expensive than last year but not by much. Sadly, I didn't get my money's worth.
Day 1 ~ Briana was all excited to get going. Unfortunately, Chani was sick Monday and had to miss class, but Bri still enjoyed herself...
They made different kinds of cookies ~ I think cooking wise, it was her favorite day...
Day 2 ~ Bri was all smiles because Chani was coming that day...
She was so happy when C arrived...
Day 3, they made cinnamon rolls and biscuits. The instructor is actually in the background. The woman talking to Bri was the instructor for the afternoon session (Bri didn't attend afternoons)...
After camp that day, Bri really wanted some ice cream (she didn't eat much of her rolls or biscuits), so I obliged...
She had a quiet Minecraft afternoon...
Day 4 ~ we were up and ready to go...
All the campers showed up at 9AM, but the instructor didn't. The person that had been instructing them the previous three days had the day off and another chef was going to fill in (I only knew this because Bri had told me). We waited 35 minutes in the heat and no one ever showed to open the business. We finally all went home.
The girls made the most of the wait - still smiling luckily...
As I was driving home, I received a call from one of the owners saying the chef that was coming to teach got into a car wreck (she was ok luckily). The owner didn't get wind of what was happening until right before she called me. I can understand that things happen, but only having one instructor and no one else scheduled to open the shop in case something like this did happen is not good business practice. She tried to get me to put Bri in another class, but I asked for a refund for the canceled day (which I am still waiting to receive).
So instead of camp, Bri and I went home and I pulled out a bird feeder craft for Bri to paint (and I helped her assemble)...
It turned out so good. I was so proud of her paint job!
And finally Day 5 (Friday) ~ it was the last day of cooking camp and also sleepover night at Chani's house! Bri was so excited...
Kathy could have just picked up both girls on her own and brought them home after camp. But, Bri was feeling a bit uneasy about not seeing me after camp. So, I met her after camp to see what she had cooked that day and to ease her unsureness. I was prepared to have lunch with her, Kathy and Chani and was even willing to drive over to Kathy's for a little while if need be. But as soon as B saw and talked to me, she was ready for me to take off. I think she just wanted to lay eyes on me after camp. I was ok with that if it made her feel more comfortable.
So, I saw them off from the parking lot...
They got to Kathy's and immediately started playing...
Kathy got them matching nightgowns ~ so adorable...
While Bri spent the night with Chani, Doug and I had a nice dinner out with some friends.
Doug and I picked up Bri the next day (she had a blast), and she was tired! But, she didn't nap at all that day (Saturday) and that surprised me. She and I just laid around watching Harry Potter movies. She went to bed early and zonked as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The sleepover was awesome, but the cooking camp was sadly not up to expectations (even though Bri enjoyed herself).
I did e-mail the corporate office yesterday and reported the experience that I had with this particular location. I received a swift response and was told that they are going to look into the matter. I don't have issues with the company itself ~ I believe it is a really a good company. I think this is an ownership/management issue at this one particular location - a location that I don't plan on visiting again unless there are some drastic changes made.
Just to show you what I received on Monday ~ this is just one of the recipes I received via e-mail...
This is how the recipes looked last year...
Pretty different huh? Seriously, it is a real shame. :(
