Math Makes Sense Again!

I'll admit it. Somewhere around the eighth grade I lost my math mojo. 

I was fine through algebra. But the minute I hit geometry, I mentally slammed into a wall. Hard. Because I never "got" how to solve the formulas, not a single cotton-pickin' one. 

So I became afraid of math, avoiding it like the plague. Even when it came to something as simple as converting feet into inches. I left those calculations up to my genius hubby, who whizzed through college trig and calculus.

When I enrolled in the ECC baking program this fall, it never dawned on me that I would need math. Yet we use math every day! 

In the kitchen we need it for scaling (measuring) ingredients. And in hospitality math class we're learning to use math to figure out nifty things like how much broccoli we need to order for a party of 500, when comparing EP to AP. (EP means "edible portion" or what is left of a fresh produce item after loss from trimming; AP means "as purchased.")

Too, we're learning how to figure out equations like this:

<<A 2-1/4 oz. portion of peas is to be served to each of 95 people. If each bag of frozen peas weighs 5 lb., how many bags are needed?>>

Answer: 

1) 2-1/4 = 2.25 oz. x 95 portions = 213.75 total oz needed

2) ounces to pounds divide by 16 so 213.75 oz. = 13.359375 lb.

3) 13.359375 lb. divided by the 5 lb. bag = 2.671875 lb. needed

4) we round up in ordering, so we need to order 3 bags

Cool, huh?!

So far I have perfect scores on my math quizzes. Here's hoping I don't slam into another mental wall! 

(Alison -- THANKS for sitting next to me in class! You're a great study partner!!!)