Gingerbread ArtAnnual holiday tradition tests culinary students’ skills

They’re charming, innovative, whimsical and too beautiful to eat.

The gingerbread house project at GTCC has become a holiday tradition among its culinary arts students. Each year students enrolled in the Baking I class are required to make a gingerbread house either on their own or with a partner and then display it for public viewing in the Joseph S.

Koury Hospitality and Careers Center on GTCC’s Jamestown Campus. This year approximately 50 gingerbread houses were on display from Dec. 2 to Dec. 9.

They are culinary works of art. Each gingerbread house must be at least

12x12, 100 percent edible and constructed with royal icing or

caramelized sugar. Students also are evaluated on their piping techniques, overall precision and appearance, and quality of the gingerbread and icing.

Instructor Michele Prairie says the fun holiday project gives students an opportunity to test the baking skills they’ve learned in class, from making the dough and designing the house to whipping up icing and practicing frosting techniques.

“A lot of the students have never made a gingerbread house before and it’s a new experience for them,” Prairie said. “Many of the

students are excited to make another house with their family and start a new holiday tradition.”

One of those students is Vivian Neal of Greensboro.

“This is the very first gingerbread house I’ve made, and I’m 55 years old,” she laughs. “I’m excited about it. It’s like you’re making your own little doll house.”

Neal enrolled in GTCC’s Culinary Arts program after losing her job at an automotive lab where she worked for more than 21 years. Now she’s embarking on a second career. Cooking, she says, has always been her passion, and the gingerbread project has become the perfect creative outlet for her to sharpen her baking skills.

“It is a lot of fun,” she says. “And it’s work, too.”

Neal and her classmate, Teresa Herbin, have created a GTCC gingerbread candy store. They transformed ice cream cones into Christmas trees, decorated the roof with colorful Skittles and sprinkled coconut for snow. They spent close to 15 hours constructing the edible confection.

“I think we’ve given this little house all the little love to fix it up,” Neal said. “I don’t know if it’ll be the best, but I’m real excited about doing this, and I’m real excited about seeing the outcome of our gingerbread house.”

No matter the outcome, Neal plans on making the gingerbread house an annual tradition in her home.

“It’s my first (gingerbread house), but it’s not going to be my last,” she said.

IN THIS EDITION:Gingerbread ArtHoliday RecipesGTCC Avionics to Assist NORAD December 24th Edna’s KidsHoliday Safety Tips Soldier Care Packages

Articles and Photographs by Carla KucinskiDesign and Layout by Cheryl Hemric

Things happen for a reason.

That’s the philosophy Phillip A. Evans has held onto as he navigated the twists and turns of his life. Growing up in New Jersey, Evans was headed down the wrong path and imitated the environ-ment he grew up in. Fighting, selling drugs and stealing ruled his life, so much so that he was expelled from mul-tiple schools because of his behavior.

Those poor decisions, he says, is what eventually brought him to Guilford Technical Community College.

“I knew there were only two choices left for me: prison or getting killed,” Evans said.

Despite his struggles, Evans believed those same difficulties also motivated him to change the course of his life. And it began with getting his GED.

Evans, 21 of High Point, completed his GED at GTCC in only eight weeks and graduated in June from GTCC’s GED program.

The youngest of six siblings, Evans is the first in his family to go to college. He’s currently pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Recording Engineering through GTCC’s Enter-tainment Technology program.

“I don’t plan on stopping after that,” Evans said. “I plan to keep going.”

GTCC gave Evans drive and focus and unlocked new doors for him. Once he began his curriculum classes, he was hooked and wanted to learn more.

“It’s been keeping me on the right path,” he says. “Before I came to GTCC, I just didn’t care. Now I see I have more things to lose if I kept that attitude.”

One of those things is his three-year-old son, Jakel; he’s the other motivating factor in Evans’ crusade to succeed. Evans wants to be a positive role model for his son, someone that Jakel can look up to. He says he wants to show his son “what I did, what I’m doing, and what I’ve become.”

“For my son’s sake, I changed my life around,” Evans said. “I want to show him a beautiful mind is a wonderful thing to have. I want to show him knowledge is power.”

At GTCC, Evans enjoys the hands-on approach of the faculty and said his confidence has grown and his speech and grammar have improved. He was even selected as a student speaker at the GED graduation in June where he shared his life story. In addition to pur-suing his associate degree, Evans also works 20 hours a week in the Advising Center on the High Point Campus, which he says is his way of giving back.

“I can now help other students,” he says.

A lover of music, his dream is to one day open his own recording studio. With Evans’ determination, there’s no doubt he will succeed.

Starting in 2014, there will be a new GED® test.

The current version - the 2002 Series GED® tests - will expire at the end of 2013. This also means that students’ scores will expire too if they have started but not finished and passed the GED® test by then.Test-takers who have started the 2002 Series have until the end of 2013 to

complete and pass each section. If they do not do so, they will have to start over with the new 2014 GED® test beginning January 2, 2014.

The 2002 Series of GED® tests are currently offered through all 58 of North Carolina’s community colleges, including Guilford Technical Com-munity College, which administers the test at its Greensboro and High Point

campuses under its Adult Education Department. Currently, the college is the only testing site in Guilford County.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/ged-testing2 to learn more about the GED test or call an extension below.

From Greensboro: (336) 334-4822 ext. 53107

From High Point(336) 454-1126 ext. 55066

Student Spotlight: Phillip A. Evans

Earn Your GED Today at GTCC

Holiday Safety Tips

Edna’s Kids Brings Joy to Many

Students Send Care Packages

With the holidays upon us, many people will be leaving home to visit family and friends. Be sure to keep your home protected while you are gone.

• Consider automatic timers for your lights.• Ask a neighbor to watch your house.• Stop delivery of your mail and newspapers.• Keep the house locked and the blinds in their normal

position.• Don’t turn the heat off. Pipes could freeze and burst.

It could take days for anyone to notice.

Staying safe while shopping:• Store purchases out of sight in the vehicle. • Don’t display a lot of cash.• Keep your purse/wallet in your possession. Don’t put

them on counters or leave them in a dressing room.• Park in well-lit areas and look around to see if any-

thing looks out of the ordinary.• Be alert.

Winter Weather - Before you get on the road: • Check the weather• Tell others about your plans and planned route of

travel. Let someone at your destination know what time to expect you.

• Make sure your vehicle is prepared. Check tires, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, battery is fully charged and your spare tire is properly inflated.

• Consider putting emergency supplies in your car such as blankets, sand, water, a shovel, jumper cables or other items you may need

• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and keep it close. Take a vehicle charger if you have one.

Winter Weather - On the road:• Keep your gas tank full, or at least half full • Give yourself extra time• Leave more room between vehicles• Stick to well-traveled roads• If possible, travel during daylight hours.

Winter Weather-Emergency driving tips:• Stay with your vehicle. If you get stuck or slide off the

road, remain with the vehicle and call for assistance.• Don’t spin your tires. Try to slowly ease out in the

tracks you made going in if you are stuck. If you need traction you can use the floor mats, sand or kitty litter or gravel.

• Don’t try to get out if another vehicle is approaching because they might not be able to avoid you.

Tips Compiled by GTCC Risk Management Health and Safety

Edna’s Kids is an annual Christmas drive that provides gifts for children of low-income, single-parent students. GTCC Counselor Ednalyn Hurley created the program in 1994 after learning from a single parent student that she could not afford Christmas gifts for her children.

“God put it on my heart to help children,” Hurley said.

Every year, Hurley gathers the children’s wish lists from their parents and then distributes the lists to sponsors. The drive culminates with a Christmas party on the Jamestown Campus, giving families an opportunity to meet and thank the sponsors and sponsors the chance to meet the families and see the lives they’ve impacted, especially the children.

“My joy is seeing their little faces light up,” Hurley said.

On Dec. 11 members of GTCC’s Student Veterans Association assembled 26 care packages that were shipped to soldiers in Afghanistan for the holidays. The care packages contained items such as books, snacks and socks as well as a handwritten note thanking them for their service. The project was featured on WGHP Fox 8’s evening newscast.

While children around the world will be nestled in their beds on Christmas Eve anticipating Santa Claus’ visit, David Mayers will be in the cockpit with eggnog in hand, tracking Santa’s journey.

Mayers, an assistant professor in GTCC’s Avionics program, has been tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve voyage every year in collaboration with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which has been tracking Santa for more than 50 years. According to NORAD, its tracking Santa outreach effort is expected to reach more than 20 million unique visitors on the www.noradsanta.org website.

“I will be working with NORAD, but I will be doing my personal touch by using school equipment -- shhhhh

-- in order to track Santa on the glass cockpit using the latest in GPS and RA-DAR,” said Mayers while slugging back a hefty mug of eggnog.

NORAD recruited Mayers 10 years ago after he discovered an anomaly in the GPS Geostationary satellite tracking system on Christmas Eve 2003. The anomaly was a Doppler effect which was caused by something traveling faster than the satellites - Santa Claus. This made him globally known for his expertise in tracking Santa. In 2012 he was part of the NORAD team that developed and installed infrared and transmitters in Rudolph’s nose, making it 10 times brighter and allowing the elves – and Mrs. Claus – to remain in constant contact with Santa, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Santa Claus reviewed his Dec. 24 flight plan with NORAD in September and met the operators who will be on duty that night, including Mayers, whom Santa personally thanked for his advanced knowledge in avionics and helping him feel safe and secure while delivering toys around the globe.

“Our No. 1 priority is keeping Santa safe,” Mayers said. “Since Santa’s track-ing has been boot-jacked by Edward Snowman -- formally CIA and NSA (North Pole Santa Associate) --- we are now providing extra security on the systems with a triple layer of passwords. Remember, if you input a password be sure to delete all your cookies first.” Mayers goes on to say, “If you wish to track Santa on Christmas Eve, you do need to close all windows, restart your computer and just believe.”

GTCC Avionics Professor Assists NORAD with Tracking Santa

Festive Holiday Recipes!

Cookie Dough Truffles

• 1/2 cup butter, softened• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract• 2 cups all-purpose flour• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)• 1-1/2 pounds dark chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped

Directions• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light

and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternating with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

• Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

• In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls in coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed pa-per-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 min-utes. If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in the refrigerator. Servings: 5-1/2 dozen.

Recipe from “Taste of Home,” December/January 2005.

Contributed by a GTCC Staff Member

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1 1/2 cups sugar• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened• 1 large egg• 1/4 cup molasses• 1 package raisins (optional)

Directions• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk

together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

• With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

• Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 table-spoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

• Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.

Recipe from “Everyday Food,” December 2005. Contributed by a GTCC Staff Member

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDPermit No. 1434Greensboro, NCPO Box 309

Jamestown, NC 27282

Prep: 1 hour + chilling Yields: 5½ dozen

Prep: 1 hour, 30 minutes Yields: 36 cookies