Home Eco Cookery Exam

DublinArnie

Hey, i'm cooking a fish dish for my Home Eco cookery. Any tips on how to gain and prevent losing marks during the cookery? I'm doing SeaFish Cakes with a salad.

marko747

Do u have To do it? I'm doing no.5. Something for a party. Just my teacher said the fish dish is very hard to do. :-)

DublinArnie

My teacher said the fish dish is the easyiest one XD. You jsut have to make Fish cakes and a salad which will only taka 5 mins XD. and you know what sucks .. I only have 2 practice days .. ._. This really sucks, I don't even know the recipe yet.

marko747

Funny how different teachers say different things :-P the salad shouldn't be that hard. Yeah in our school we only get to cook every second week. They timetabled us at the same time as the other 3rd yr class. It's really **** cause we get like no practise. :-( are u gonna keep on home ec next yr? I can't wait to be finished with it! I like the theory but the sowing.....well let's just say that went badly lol :-P

DublinArnie

I did Childcare instead of sowing .. my teacher thinks boys can't sow so no point xD. I'm doing TY but the choices for 5th year indicate that I can't do Home Eco ... I want to do Physics/Chemistry ... and Home Eco is in the same row ... so I have to ditch it XD. Sucks but it has to be done. The bright side is im going geography so that should be a handy 100 points in my pocket

marko747

aw cool! only one girl in my class done it. the rest of us were stuck with sowing. your teacher could be right! i know i can't sow!!! we havn't had to make our subject/year choices yet. but i don't think ill do Ty. yeah geography is so simple! you don't do any study and you walk a A. 10 minutes before the exam does me grand!

marko747

just picked iced lemon traybake for my cookery should be nice and easy my folder for the craft due tomorrow so gonna do that now!

ellie182

Just, for the love of God, CLEAN YOUR DISHES WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED. Maybe it was just my inspector, but she gave people the dirtiest looks when their utensils and dishes and whatnot were still a bit dirty looking or even if they were still wet.
Also keep your workspace as neat as you can. I know it's hard when you're under so much pressure trying to get everything done, but it really does look better on your part and it shows you're not a complete mess.
Try your best to waste as little food as possible. If you're, say chopping up vegetables and you know you're only going to need half the pepper, put it back in your bag. Because the examiner checks your bin when you're finished and wasting perfectly good food, like the half pepper (even though she knows well you'll just throw it out at home) shows that you're being economical. And it IS home economics, after all.
I'm sure your teacher will tell you this, but if something goes wrong or doesn't taste right or is burned or you don't have enough time or something, write it in your evaluation. They can't take marks off you if you acknowledge it. But if you burn it and you know well that it's burned, you could lose loads of points. Be honest, basically. They won't care as long as you tried and realised your mistake.

Don't be too worried about it, or you'll mess up. My examiner was really nice, even if she was a bit mental, but remember that they have no reason to not want to give you marks. It's their job to give you the marks you deserve, not be horrible.

DublinArnie

Thanks for the tip, just did practice today, everything went well . It's hard to know when carrots etc are done cooking ... I started smelling tar o.0 so I presumed it was done.

Jijsaw

Making chocolate cup cakes with chocolate icing, it's grand but yeah I wish I could of done the childcare project but oh no I had to sew, instead of doing sewing though I knitted a teddy bear

spurious

DublinArnie wrote: »

Thanks for the tip, just did practice today, everything went well . It's hard to know when carrots etc are done cooking ... I started smelling tar o.0 so I presumed it was done.

For your carrots, do a bit of a practice at home.

If you cut them into pieces that are all roughly the same size (which might mean halving the wider bits), they will cook evenly. Then it's a matter of getting them boiling, take one out and check it after 5 minutes, another after 7 minutes, another after 10 until you work out how long to boil them so that they are done the way you want them.

If on the day of your exam you make sure you cut your carrots as close as you can to the size you practiced with, you will know exactly when they are done.

You'll be fine. Just don't do like one lad from our school did and use your tea-towel to clean a spillage on the floor.:eek:

DublinArnie

spurious wrote: »

For your carrots, do a bit of a practice at home.

If you cut them into pieces that are all roughly the same size (which might mean halving the wider bits), they will cook evenly. Then it's a matter of getting them boiling, take one out and check it after 5 minutes, another after 7 minutes, another after 10 until you work out how long to boil them so that they are done the way you want them.

If on the day of your exam you make sure you cut your carrots as close as you can to the size you practiced with, you will know exactly when they are done.

You'll be fine. Just don't do like one lad from our school did and use your tea-towel to clean a spillage on the floor.:eek:

Woow, smart idea. I need to try that, my cookery is on the 26th April so loads of time to prep. Thanks for the tip . I never thought about that. Oh my lol, that lad was brave .

eille123

i'v task 2 which is make a savoury and sweet dish using fruit and veg. any ideas of wat i could make? i was thinking soup and apple tart?

spurious

eille123 wrote: »

i'v task 2 which is make a savoury and sweet dish using fruit and veg. any ideas of wat i could make? i was thinking soup and apple tart?

They sound fine. I tasted a strawberry and rhubarb crumble the other day in our school that was absolutely lovely, so if you can manage crumble that might be an unusual option. Whatever you choose, have a couple of practice goes at home with it to check your timings etc..

eille123

thanks spurious! would crumble look messy served on a plate?? would it b better cooked and served n a small dish?

spurious

eille123 wrote: »

thanks spurious! would crumble look messy served on a plate?? would it b better cooked and served n a small dish?

Yes get one of those small little dishes you can get sometimes in the pound shop - ideally with a lip or handles so that you can get it out of the oven easily.
Something like the one in this photo, but smaller : http://www.summerillandbishop.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_40_27.jpg
You can serve it in that dish and let them taste it from the dish. Crumble is very hard to make attractive on a plate.

eille123

ya thats what i was thinking! thank you

Millem

eille123 wrote: »

thanks spurious! would crumble look messy served on a plate?? would it b better cooked and served n a small dish?

Ellie apple tart will take too long! I would would also suggest a crumble. You must have a combination of 3 or more fruit and veg. Also they must be fresh not frozen. If making a crumble use real butter and brown sugar to get the best results and also I think they look great in individual ramekins, which are very cheap around €2 for 4 in €2 shop http://www.heatonsstores.com/NI/Product/Round-Ramekin-Set-of-4/266354/4006000000

Jijsaw

Can anybody tell me what the heck the design brief is for the sewing/practical. I can't find it anywhere and my folder is due tomorrow

Jijsaw

I found something in my Home Ec book is it:

"Make and decorate a craft item suitable for your bedroom for a textile"

Millem

Jijsaw wrote: »

Can anybody tell me what the heck the design brief is for the sewing/practical. I can't find it anywhere and my folder is due tomorrow

Here is a link to an outline of a craft project. It doesn't have to be this long it is just to give you a guideline. Some pages will be irrelevant to you depending on the craft chosen!
http://www.trionoide.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/craft-folder-2012.pdf
The design briefs are all the same just worded differently! There are a lot if marks going for the evaluation so you should really do this well but it does not need to be 3 pages. Make sure for possie solutions you name the item and craft e.g solution 1 I could make a beanbag using patchwork solution 2 I could make a cushion using hand embroidery etc. one solution must be the craft you made. You must draw out these solutions.

cfc.forever

Done the cooking exam, I done cupcakes. The exam went very well and the examiner was really nice! Don't worry about it guys, you will be grand!

Jijsaw

^ I'm making cupcakes as well Does anybody know if you can use an electric mixer with a stand instead of a handheld mixer. Will you lose marks if you use an electric mixer on a stand while everybody else is using a handheld electric mixer?

DublinArnie

Doing Seafood pie is so annoying, I should of never chose the number, of well, i'm sure i'll get at least 75% of the marks on the practical, it's next week : x.

Millem

Jijsaw wrote: »

^ I'm making cupcakes as well Does anybody know if you can use an electric mixer with a stand instead of a handheld mixer. Will you lose marks if you use an electric mixer on a stand while everybody else is using a handheld electric mixer?

Yes you can mixer with stand as you still need to use your judgement and need to stop it and scrap etc. it is still a skill!

eille123

thats for your advice millem! used it yesterday and did apple crumble! i was wondering how many marks would I lose for cutting my thumb when chopping apples! i ran it under tap,told examiner,got plaster and there wasnt much blood or any blood on food! I also included that i should have took more care with knife in the evaluation. would like for an A in this subject as i got it in the pre however i'm worried now

Millem

eille123 wrote: »

thats for your advice millem! used it yesterday and did apple crumble! i was wondering how many marks would I lose for cutting my thumb when chopping apples! i ran it under tap,told examiner,got plaster and there wasnt much blood or any blood on food! I also included that i should have took more care with knife in the evaluation. would like for an A in this subject as i got it in the pre however i'm worried now

Ellie don't worry hygiene and safety is 10 marks everything is taken into consideration eg cutting towards you , closing oven door with foot etc and then marked out of 10

dee_mc

eille123 wrote: »

thats for your advice millem! used it yesterday and did apple crumble! i was wondering how many marks would I lose for cutting my thumb when chopping apples! i ran it under tap,told examiner,got plaster and there wasnt much blood or any blood on food! I also included that i should have took more care with knife in the evaluation. would like for an A in this subject as i got it in the pre however i'm worried now

You won't lose marks for cutting yourself, don't worry about it.
As another poster mentioned above, it's not all about doing everything perfectly, it's about knowing when you've made a mistake, taking steps to correct it, acknowledging the mistake in your evaluation, and pointing out how you could have avoided it, all of which you did so it sounds like you're on track for your A!

eille123

thanks millem and dee mc! hopefully it will be okay. Done now and im just happy its finished!

Millem

eille123 wrote: »

thanks millem and dee mc! hopefully it will be okay. Done now and im just happy its finished!

Don't worry honestly you will be grand! 50% is done and dusted now so just focus on written for now, keep practicing short questions.

sotisme

Hi just wondering if you'd lose marks for dropping the vegetable peeler on the ground? I didn't know what to do so I picked it up, rinsed it under the tap and dried it (I didn't have time to fill a basin of soapy hot water just to clean it) I then continued using it... Hope that is ok?

Also I was really panicked and behind my timeplan and told the examiner to taste it before realising I hadn't garnished my soup! So as she was taking a spoon, i was pouring in a swirl of cream and a few leaves of parsely! And my mint garnish looked dead

Really disappointed with my cookery as I got an A in the mocks but think I'll do worse in the actual JC as in the mock it was all based on the written exam!

dee_mc

Sotisme, I would'nt worry about it, at least you washed the peeler! Honestly wouldn't worry about it, i'd say you're grand! X

Millem

sotisme wrote: »

Hi just wondering if you'd lose marks for dropping the vegetable peeler on the ground? I didn't know what to do so I picked it up, rinsed it under the tap and dried it (I didn't have time to fill a basin of soapy hot water just to clean it) I then continued using it... Hope that is ok?

Also I was really panicked and behind my timeplan and told the examiner to taste it before realising I hadn't garnished my soup! So as she was taking a spoon, i was pouring in a swirl of cream and a few leaves of parsely! And my mint garnish looked dead

Really disappointed with my cookery as I got an A in the mocks but think I'll do worse in the actual JC as in the mock it was all based on the written exam!

Honestly don't worry! I wouldn't dock any marks for dropping a peeler! I'm sure you did great don't get bogged down in end product as its only 20% your written work is 30% and the implemention (making dish) is 50%! I have seen people burn buns and still come out with Bs! Remember there is only 1 examiner and 10 students she can't see everything!

soniaxox

I was just wondering could they dock you alot marks for burning rice. My rice was slightly burnt and you could taste it . I included it in my evaluation but I ran out of time so I don't think I explained it.

I burnt my finger while trying to salvage the rice , but I didnt tell the examiner , instead I tried to cope with the pain but eventually the pain got too much and I had to go over to the first aid box, I think she saw me but I'm not sure. I also made a few mistakes with my wash up, I didnt use wash-up liquid because I couldn't find it,and I was out of time.

I was disappointed overall and felt a bit crappy because everyone else did so well.

sotisme

Ok, thanks a mill guys, it means a lot

dee_mc

soniaxox wrote: »

I was just wondering could they dock you alot marks for burning rice. My rice was slightly burnt and you could taste it . I included it in my evaluation but I ran out of time so I don't think I explained it.

I burnt my finger while trying to salvage the rice , but I didnt tell the examiner , instead I tried to cope with the pain but eventually the pain got too much and I had to go over to the first aid box, I think she saw me but I'm not sure. I also made a few mistakes with my wash up, I didnt use wash-up liquid because I couldn't find it,and I was out of time.

I was disappointed overall and felt a bit crappy because everyone else did so well.

It sounds like you got a bit stressed out, but don't worry about it, it's all over now!
The lack of washing up liquid is a bit of a problem but you would have lost very few marks for this, assuming the examiner even noticed.
Re burning yourself, the fact that you got a plaster or spray (even if it wasn't straight away) indicated that you knew what to do in the situation. Ideally this should have been mentioned in the evaluation, but again negligible marks to be lost.
Re burning rice, again ideally you would have acknowledged it in the sensory analysis section of the evaluation, and suggested how you would avoid burning it when cooking rice in the future. It sounds like you made some reference to it in the evaluation so again, only negligible marks to be lost.
Remember that the examiner isn't marking you in comparison to the others who cooked on the day: she is expected to mark you (and everyone else) according to the scheme, so it shouldn't make any difference to your individual mark if everyone else performed really well (or indeed, really badly!). I know on a personal level you feel you failed in comparison to your group but (a) you didn't do so badly!, (b) everyone dwells on any little mistake they make in the practical exam, and (c) it sounds like you completed most or all of your written work, which is very important for your final mark. So, put it down to experience, be glad you've a bit of your Junior Cert behind you now (yay!) and move on!

Best of luck in the rest of the exams

General note: for other students who can't find equipment e.g. washing up liquid, don't be afraid to borrow from the student next to you: as soon as you notice it's missing, borrow the bottle, squeeze a little bit into a cup, return the bottle. Or ask the student assistant. Also, if you cut or burn yourself, get it dealt with straight away or it'll just stress you out!

DublinArnie

Just did my last practice before the actual exam, it went well. I'm pumped for Friday, the day of the practical, hopefully all goes well. Good luck to everyone eles and good job whoever managed to do it . Some guy in my class is skipping the practucal, looks like he's losing 20% for JC.

dee_mc

DublinArnie wrote: »

Just did my last practice before the actual exam, it went well. I'm pumped for Friday, the day of the practical, hopefully all goes well. Good luck to everyone eles and good job whoever managed to do it . Some guy in my class is skipping the practucal, looks like he's losing 20% for JC.

Wow why is he choosing to miss the practical?! Mental!

DublinArnie

dee_mc wrote: »

Wow why is he choosing to miss the practical?! Mental!

Yea, he said he won't come in. He only did like one practice out of 6 we had in school, he doesn't know the recipe and what ingredients he needs. He misses school alot and we got a new teacher recently(other teacher is pregnaunt) so yea, he's doomed.

dee_mc

He's only doomed if he decides to miss his practical! I'd advise him to cobble together a bit of written work, practice his recipes at home (even just the once) and make up a basic time plan; even if he feks up on the day, he'll do something right, therefore he'll pick up some marks! Hate to think of someone opting out of the most generously marked portion of the exam

DublinArnie

Guess what, the guy actually came in but he didn't finish his dish. Oh well. Just finished my cookery and we were let home early=D. Everything went perfect, the only bad thing I think I did, I dropped a carrot twice somehow but I washed it. Everything went to plan and finished early .. hopefully 18-20% in my pocket now =D not to mention my childcare project is amazing . It was fun. Home Eco for the win

dee_mc

DublinArnie wrote: »

Guess what, the guy actually came in but he didn't finish his dish. Oh well. Just finished my cookery and we were let home early=D. Everything went perfect, the only bad thing I think I did, I dropped a carrot twice somehow but I washed it. Everything went to plan and finished early .. hopefully 18-20% in my pocket now =D not to mention my childcare project is amazing . It was fun. Home Eco for the win

Well done Dublin Arnie! The poor carrot, at least it got thoroughly washed
Glad the other guy showed up, even if he didn't finish at least he's picked up a few marks! Good luck with the rest of your study and exams

tr0llface

Had the exam two weeks from today and it went well but I spend most of my time afterwards freaking out about if I had written everything in the evaluation at the end :S
Hopefully it'll be grand.

marko747

Had my practical Tuesday last week. I was happy with it. I made a chocolate cake. It was for task 5. :-)