Cooking with love keeps the Hounds healthy and happy. Huddleston Elementary cafeteria manager Patti Carabajal pours her heart into every meal for the wee bits that pass through her lunch line.
Growing up the oldest kid in a family of seven, it’s always been in her blood to love cooking and putting recipes together.
“From as long as I could stand on a milk crate or stand on a stepping stool, I was cooking at home,” said Carabajal.
She has fond memories of her grandmother waking up at the crack of dawn to put homemade biscuits on the table.
“I remember a lot of the recipes,” she said. “The love that you can feel when your mother’s making stuff and your grandparents are making stuff for you, it’s a passion to want to share a little love.”
One of her most unique career opportunities came when she lived in Illinois and worked at Medieval Times. Hard work took her from wench to being the first woman in the history of Medieval Times promoted to food and beverage manager. She supervised a crew of 150, and she was there 7 years. Along the way she met celebrities like her high school crush Donny Osmond and NBA legend Michael Jordan.
Eventually, the time came to move, and 22 years ago her family relocated to Fayette County. That old hometown feeling brought her in, and she’s made herself a vital part of the community.
She was a school bus driver for 8 years, and it helped her find a passion for working with kids.
“With the school bus, you’re the last person they saw before they went into school for the day, and, when you drop them off in the afternoon, you’re the last person that gets to say have a good day,” she said. “It makes an impact because not everybody comes home to those rosy castles and dream homes.”
She believes in positivity and showing kindness to everyone, even strangers.
“It’s how you bless people in small ways because you never know what somebody is going through.”
When the opportunity to join the school nutrition program and use her cooking expertise popped up, she jumped at the chance. You can teach the kids life skills and help them learn manners.
“This is where they learn to start making healthy choices for the rest of their lives.”
Lunch doesn’t happen by magic. With the help of her wonderful staff, tasks begin at 7 a.m. It includes things like preparing vegetables one tray at a time so they can be served fresh. The options are delicious, and students have been in love with orange chicken and chicken and waffles, along with a lot of other classic favorites.
“Every day is familiar, but it’s not the same every day,” she said. “That makes it interesting all the time.”
It warms her heart to be welcomed by the students, and she even got to sign yearbooks last year.
“My why is the kids. They bring you joy,” she said. “They don’t remember what you say, they always remember how you made them feel, and that’s the biggest impact you can make.”
“The Honor Role,” the first official podcast for Fayette County Public Schools, features employees, rotating through key stakeholders, including teachers, staff, nurses, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. Join us as we dive in and learn about their journeys, their inspirations, and their whys.
Episodes are available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and promoted on the social media channels of Fayette County Public Schools.
Episodes will also be available here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2200811.
