{"id":1872,"date":"2014-04-21T18:40:20","date_gmt":"2014-04-21T18:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=1872"},"modified":"2014-06-02T18:23:00","modified_gmt":"2014-06-02T18:23:00","slug":"compass-keeper-debbie-cathey-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/compass-keeper-debbie-cathey-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Compass Keepers Club: Debbie Cathey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"D.<\/a>This is no ordinary cafeteria. When you are eating at John B. Dey Elementary School under Debbie Cathey\u2019s watch, you are eating in a caf\u00e9. The food alone, tells the story.<\/p>\n

You won\u2019t find any Saran-wrapped hamburgers or prefabbed salads on Cathey\u2019s line. When it comes to food her philosophy is simple: presentation is everything.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I won\u2019t eat it, I certainly don\u2019t expect them to eat it,\u201d Cathey said. \u201cIf we are serving hamburgers we are putting the patties down in beef stock and then making the burgers on the line so they are fresh, hot and appealing. That beats wrapping it an hour in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n

For 15 years Cathey has been chopping, slicing, dicing and saut\u00e9ing her way through the Dey kitchen as the cafeteria manager. Her spunky personality and edgy look break the mold of the \u201clunch lady,\u201d Dey staff members say, but it\u2019s her dedication to the school that really sets her apart.<\/p>\n

She ensures there are foods that meet the needs of students with specialized diets, and makes certain there isn\u2019t a lack of funding in a school account to prevent a child from eating. From special events like a colleague luncheon to helping third graders jar strawberry jam as part of an economics project, Cathey has a large impact on her school.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe takes personal interest in the well-being of our students,\u201d said Dey Media Specialist Susan Hardesty. \u201cShe goes out of her way to make the cafeteria experience a great one for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if it\u2019s her kind heart that she\u2019s known for, it\u2019s her food that makes her famous.<\/p>\n

A teacher once asked Cathey, \u201cDid you bring this stuff from home?\u201d<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t help but laugh out loud.<\/p>\n

\u201cI use all the things I am provided here, nothing different than anyone else, I just add my own twist,\u201d Cathey said. \u201cI guess some people just take things as they are given and serve them that way, but I like for us to put our own special touch on things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take grilled chicken for example.<\/p>\n

Sure, it would be easy enough to warm it up, toss it on a bed of lettuce and call it a salad.<\/p>\n

Cathey though, will have no part in that. Instead she adds lemon juice, pepper, a dash of seasonings, pops it in the oven and then adds tomatoes, onions, vinegar, oil and garlic. Next she places the chicken on a bed of spring mix. Suddenly, salad is the best seller.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a chicken paillard salad of sorts,\u201d she said. \u201cColor, flavor, aroma, those are the things that make food appetizing. It takes a little more time but it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her creativity in the kitchen seems boundless. From sweet potato salad to veggie chips, people line up to get a taste of her caf\u00e9\u2019s fare.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Cathey noticed that school staff members were drinking tea and coffee during the day, but leaving the water jug untouched. She took stock of what she had in the kitchen and began adding fresh fruit slices and ice to the water. Suddenly, they can\u2019t keep the jug full.<\/p>\n

Then there are the students. A big fan of the Farm to School initiative which focuses on increasing the amount of fresh Virginia-grown fruits and vegetables schools serve to students, Cathey looks for ways to entice Dey students into trying something new.<\/p>\n

Something like Kale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s something children aren\u2019t familiar with you have to do something to make them want it, so I\u2019ll give them a taste, tell them to come back and let me know what they think,\u201d she said. \u201cDoing that, I almost always win them over.\u201d<\/p>\n

With kale, Cathey made chips and put them on top of burgers. The students raved.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho knew?\u201d said Dey Principal Beth Bianchi. \u201cShe has this way of making everything look and taste amazing and the children and staff love it. I try not to brag on her too much because I don\u2019t want another school to steal her, but I think she is a real treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Already, Cathey gets approached by division principals with an occasional request to cater parties or special events. Most times she turns them down. Her focus is on Dey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very fortunate. I have a great crew, I couldn\u2019t do what I do without them,\u201d Cathey said. \u201cThey always want to go over and beyond for our students and staff. We have fun thinking up news way to surprise them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compass Keeper Q&A:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What is your pet peeve?<\/strong>
\n\u201cMicrowaved food. I don\u2019t believe in microwaves.\u201d<\/p>\n

What food do you like most?<\/strong>
\n\u201cI love fresh flavors and trying new things. It\u2019s hard to have just one favorite because I am always doing something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

What food do you like least?<\/strong>
\n\u201cWell I can tell you there were no Happy Meals in my house!\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the key to introducing new foods to children?<\/strong>
\n\u201cAlways make it look good and make it fun. Kids can\u2019t resist trying something that seems fun and different.\u201d<\/p>\n

*Do you know someone who should be featured as a Compass Keeper? Send your nomination to news@vbschools.com<\/a>.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is no ordinary cafeteria. When you are eating at John B. Dey Elementary School under Debbie Cathey\u2019s watch, you are eating in a caf\u00e9. The food alone, tells the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1872"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2039,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872\/revisions\/2039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}