Since this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I'm going to advertize.
I have a fan page on Facebook, if you want to check out my sales, promotions or just look at some delicious food!
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=296528947024321&id=148466799637¬if_t=share_comment
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Running in circles
Well, my goal was to lose 4 to 6 pounds by today. I've lost 2.
I need to workout but I am so tired I can't stand it.
I just wish Sorcha would sleep so I can sleep. She's sick and hasn't been sleeping much lately. Its driving me up the wall.
And since the holidays are coming up, I'm doing more "heavy" baking. Like right now I'm doing a "Test This" sale for my business where you can test out a newer version of my Sweet Potato Cheesecake, my Pumpkin Cheesecake and some Apple Honey Butter.
And guess who will also be "testing" them...
I am my own worst enemy when it comes to losing weight.
I need to workout but I am so tired I can't stand it.
I just wish Sorcha would sleep so I can sleep. She's sick and hasn't been sleeping much lately. Its driving me up the wall.
And since the holidays are coming up, I'm doing more "heavy" baking. Like right now I'm doing a "Test This" sale for my business where you can test out a newer version of my Sweet Potato Cheesecake, my Pumpkin Cheesecake and some Apple Honey Butter.
And guess who will also be "testing" them...
I am my own worst enemy when it comes to losing weight.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Food Presentation
If you plan on eating at a restaurant anytime in the future, or working at one, I have tips on how your plate should look.
First off, stop putting stuff on the rim of the bowl or plate. The rim should be 100% clean. No fingerprints. No oils. No herbs. No sauces. I don't care what the dish is, the entire rim should be clean. It is no longer the 90's, stop sprinkling parsley all over the rim of my plate. Its tacky and messy looking.
Unless you ordered cold food, such as a cold soup or salad, all of your food should be piping hot. This means it was just made, not sitting around waiting for someone to order it.
Every single bite of food should be fresh. I know chain restaurants have to have their stuff shipped in frozen to maintain a "standard", but it doesn't mean it should taste like it was heated up in a microwave. The perfect example is Olive Garden. Have you had their bread sticks? They taste the EXACT same as the Great Value frozen garlic bread sticks at Walmart. Only saltier. Someone needs to take away their garlic salt. Seriously. No one likes that nasty crap. Garlic is cheap, people. Chop some up, put it and REAL butter in a pot and let them meld together on a low heat. Then brush the butter on the bread. The flavor is so much better!
Meat should be juicy. Marbling on a steak is fantastic! Hunks of fat are disgusting. All fat should be trimmed from chicken. Chicken fat is some of the nastiest shit you could get. No one wants that. Hell, no one wants fat surrounding their meat. No matter what meat I order, if I have to cut fat off the outside of it just to get to the actual meat, you can bet I won't eat it.
Vegetables should not be mushy. Green vegetables should not be that weird Army green. This means they were over cooked. This means they have little to no dietary benefit. This means they should be sent back.
I know a lot of people that won't send back food for fear of what the server or cook will do to it. When you walk into any dining establishment, there should be a Health Code grade displayed. If its hidden somewhere to the point that you can't immediately see it, walk out. If the score is below an 85, walk out. If you don't see a "ServSafe Certification" sign anywhere, walk out. I am ServeSafe certified. This means I know at what temperature foods should be held before, during and after being cooked. I know what diseases are contracted from what foods. I know to what temperature every food should be cooked to to properly kill bacteria (I completely ignore it when I order my rare steak!). I also know proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures, not only for me but also for foods, food preparation surfaces, floors, dishes, cookware, ranges, grills, friers, ovens, hoods, ect. That means I know how to keep a standard to prevent food poisoning.
Is your waitress/waiter smacking gum, taking a long time to get to you, or have an attitude or keeps chatting with coworkers/patrons with complete disreguard for their customers? Then they may do something to your food because they don't care about their job.
Do you see other tables sending back food? Then you probably won't be happy with yours either. Its usually a sign of cooks that also don't care about the quality of the food they're putting out.
There is a huge difference between a cook and a chef. Don't let titles fool you. A chef is passionate about the products they produce and will do everything in their power to make you happy. A cook, even if they have culinary training, doesn't give a damn. And it won't take long to see the difference.
One last thing. Stop going to all of those chain places. Look for a hole in the wall spot. They are usually producing some of the best foods you've ever had. If you see a place you'd like to try, look them up online. If they have fewer than 3 restaurants, check out their reviews. Then try them for yourself. Sometimes they're amazing and you wonder why you never tried them before. Sometimes you wonder how the hell they're still open! I've had both experiences. And one of those places is one of my absolute favorites! The one where I had THE WORST SERVICE AND FOOD OF ALL TIME, they are now out of business. They were also left the tip "Your "chef" should learn to cook"
First off, stop putting stuff on the rim of the bowl or plate. The rim should be 100% clean. No fingerprints. No oils. No herbs. No sauces. I don't care what the dish is, the entire rim should be clean. It is no longer the 90's, stop sprinkling parsley all over the rim of my plate. Its tacky and messy looking.
Unless you ordered cold food, such as a cold soup or salad, all of your food should be piping hot. This means it was just made, not sitting around waiting for someone to order it.
Every single bite of food should be fresh. I know chain restaurants have to have their stuff shipped in frozen to maintain a "standard", but it doesn't mean it should taste like it was heated up in a microwave. The perfect example is Olive Garden. Have you had their bread sticks? They taste the EXACT same as the Great Value frozen garlic bread sticks at Walmart. Only saltier. Someone needs to take away their garlic salt. Seriously. No one likes that nasty crap. Garlic is cheap, people. Chop some up, put it and REAL butter in a pot and let them meld together on a low heat. Then brush the butter on the bread. The flavor is so much better!
Meat should be juicy. Marbling on a steak is fantastic! Hunks of fat are disgusting. All fat should be trimmed from chicken. Chicken fat is some of the nastiest shit you could get. No one wants that. Hell, no one wants fat surrounding their meat. No matter what meat I order, if I have to cut fat off the outside of it just to get to the actual meat, you can bet I won't eat it.
Vegetables should not be mushy. Green vegetables should not be that weird Army green. This means they were over cooked. This means they have little to no dietary benefit. This means they should be sent back.
I know a lot of people that won't send back food for fear of what the server or cook will do to it. When you walk into any dining establishment, there should be a Health Code grade displayed. If its hidden somewhere to the point that you can't immediately see it, walk out. If the score is below an 85, walk out. If you don't see a "ServSafe Certification" sign anywhere, walk out. I am ServeSafe certified. This means I know at what temperature foods should be held before, during and after being cooked. I know what diseases are contracted from what foods. I know to what temperature every food should be cooked to to properly kill bacteria (I completely ignore it when I order my rare steak!). I also know proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures, not only for me but also for foods, food preparation surfaces, floors, dishes, cookware, ranges, grills, friers, ovens, hoods, ect. That means I know how to keep a standard to prevent food poisoning.
Is your waitress/waiter smacking gum, taking a long time to get to you, or have an attitude or keeps chatting with coworkers/patrons with complete disreguard for their customers? Then they may do something to your food because they don't care about their job.
Do you see other tables sending back food? Then you probably won't be happy with yours either. Its usually a sign of cooks that also don't care about the quality of the food they're putting out.
There is a huge difference between a cook and a chef. Don't let titles fool you. A chef is passionate about the products they produce and will do everything in their power to make you happy. A cook, even if they have culinary training, doesn't give a damn. And it won't take long to see the difference.
One last thing. Stop going to all of those chain places. Look for a hole in the wall spot. They are usually producing some of the best foods you've ever had. If you see a place you'd like to try, look them up online. If they have fewer than 3 restaurants, check out their reviews. Then try them for yourself. Sometimes they're amazing and you wonder why you never tried them before. Sometimes you wonder how the hell they're still open! I've had both experiences. And one of those places is one of my absolute favorites! The one where I had THE WORST SERVICE AND FOOD OF ALL TIME, they are now out of business. They were also left the tip "Your "chef" should learn to cook"
What grinds my gears
I've had a hankering for a salad lately. Not just any salad, but a Caesar salad. Its my favorite.
And while I was making it, I started thinking about all the Caesars I've had at different restaurants. And most of them just piss me off.
A Caesar salad is made with the light green/white part of the Romaine lettuce. Its a very crisp salad and therefore uses only the crisp part of the leaves.
The dressing should be on all the leaves, but should not be so thick as to make the leaf droop or overpower the freshness of the leaves.
Croutons no bigger than your thumbnail should be scattered throughout the salad.
There should be curls, or at the very least, shavings, of fresh Parmesan cheese topping the salad.
That is a Caesar salad. The dressing should be made from scratch, because the ingredients aren't very expensive and it taste a million times better than any bottled mess.
Isn't that simple?
Then why do so many people get it wrong?! Stop sending me a dark green salad weighed down with brown goop! Or a dark green salad with croutons the size of my ear, no dressing and extremely stale fake cheese on top!
Is that asking too much? I've made the salad myself a billion times, so I know how easy it is! Stop fucking it up!
And while we're on the subject, stop making any salad at all with HUGE pieces of lettuce, spinach, mescaline, frisse, or any other greens! Everything in a salad, including toppings, meats and other veggies, should all be fork friendly. That means you shouldn't have to cut it up in order to put it in your mouth. (exclusions can be at a fine dining restaurant where they bring, say, a Caesar salad where its rolled whole leaves of Romaine and its dressed properly for the sake of presentation-but this is rare)
Oh, and quit bringing me salads the size of my head unless it's my entree! If I'm having several courses, I don't want to fill up on salad and feel like I've wasted money on my main course. Stop bringing my salad before my appetizer. And if you see that we're still eating our appetizer, do not bring me my salad. Or if you've mixed up the order, wait until I've finished eating my salad before bringing my appetizer. And the table should be cleared off before setting my entree on the table.
Just because you are working at a family/casual dining restaurant, doesn't mean you can forget proper serving etiquette. You depend on tips, and to get a great tip from me, you better be on your game. I shouldn't go thirsty. I should go hungry. And I shouldn't have to wait until my meal is over before you finally decide to ask if I want the bill. Before I'm through eating you should ask if I want dessert or coffee. If I say no, then bring me the bill! It should be my choice of when I leave, not whenever you feel like doing your job!
I've waited tables. I know what its like to be slammed, and I know what its like to have a super sluggish night. And I know how to keep every customer feeling like they are my top priority. I won't hesitate to give you a 1 cent tip to show you how horrible you are at your job.
I also won't hesitate to give you a 20% tip if you're on your game!
And while I was making it, I started thinking about all the Caesars I've had at different restaurants. And most of them just piss me off.
A Caesar salad is made with the light green/white part of the Romaine lettuce. Its a very crisp salad and therefore uses only the crisp part of the leaves.
The dressing should be on all the leaves, but should not be so thick as to make the leaf droop or overpower the freshness of the leaves.
Croutons no bigger than your thumbnail should be scattered throughout the salad.
There should be curls, or at the very least, shavings, of fresh Parmesan cheese topping the salad.
That is a Caesar salad. The dressing should be made from scratch, because the ingredients aren't very expensive and it taste a million times better than any bottled mess.
Isn't that simple?
Then why do so many people get it wrong?! Stop sending me a dark green salad weighed down with brown goop! Or a dark green salad with croutons the size of my ear, no dressing and extremely stale fake cheese on top!
Is that asking too much? I've made the salad myself a billion times, so I know how easy it is! Stop fucking it up!
And while we're on the subject, stop making any salad at all with HUGE pieces of lettuce, spinach, mescaline, frisse, or any other greens! Everything in a salad, including toppings, meats and other veggies, should all be fork friendly. That means you shouldn't have to cut it up in order to put it in your mouth. (exclusions can be at a fine dining restaurant where they bring, say, a Caesar salad where its rolled whole leaves of Romaine and its dressed properly for the sake of presentation-but this is rare)
Oh, and quit bringing me salads the size of my head unless it's my entree! If I'm having several courses, I don't want to fill up on salad and feel like I've wasted money on my main course. Stop bringing my salad before my appetizer. And if you see that we're still eating our appetizer, do not bring me my salad. Or if you've mixed up the order, wait until I've finished eating my salad before bringing my appetizer. And the table should be cleared off before setting my entree on the table.
Just because you are working at a family/casual dining restaurant, doesn't mean you can forget proper serving etiquette. You depend on tips, and to get a great tip from me, you better be on your game. I shouldn't go thirsty. I should go hungry. And I shouldn't have to wait until my meal is over before you finally decide to ask if I want the bill. Before I'm through eating you should ask if I want dessert or coffee. If I say no, then bring me the bill! It should be my choice of when I leave, not whenever you feel like doing your job!
I've waited tables. I know what its like to be slammed, and I know what its like to have a super sluggish night. And I know how to keep every customer feeling like they are my top priority. I won't hesitate to give you a 1 cent tip to show you how horrible you are at your job.
I also won't hesitate to give you a 20% tip if you're on your game!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Weightloss
Well, last week I didn't post and it was stressful as hell. This week isn't shaping up any better. I did lose 2 pounds, but I think I've gained it back. So my goal is to lose 4 to 6 pounds by next Tuesday to get me back on track.
What a day
So yesterday was my son's very first field trip. He begged me to go. His reason?
"Cause I love you"
Who can say no to that?
I wanted to say no. I kept going back anf forth with it. Eventually I decided to go, and I took my mom and daughter with me.
It was fun. We went to a farm, the kids pet the animals and learned about how pumpkins grow and all that.
Then I left there, and was trying to get on home so that I could get my daughter fed and down for a nap before I had to pick Ian up from school. I admit I sped. And I got pulled over.
No biggie.
But it was a county cop, then all of a sudden a state patrolman came up to my truck too. He very kindly reinstalled Sorcha's car seat. I thought that was nice of him.
Then I got called to their car...
I was fucking ARRESTED!
They told me my licenses were suspended! I had no clue!
So I was cuffed and carted off to jail. They told me that it was a ticket that I didn't pay from 2007. I told them I knew exactly what they were talking about, and I HAD paid it. TWICE!
At the jail I was explaining it to the clerk and the booking officer (they were all very nice) and they didn't understand how I was still being charged.
It was a super scary ordeal, and I was so thankful to walk out of that place.
So I got home and we looked it up. The Department of Driver Services showed one citation on my driving record. I have the recipt from where I paid it. So I called them first thing this morning and they said that it was the ticket I got back in 2007. So I looked in my receipts, and TA-FUCKING-DA I have the "Notice of Withdrawal of Suspension" dated 2 days before they "suspended" my license.
So I had to go down there and show them the paper. They apologized and corrected THEIR mistake.
But I'm still out $250, and have a record on file, and have to go to court, AND am still being charged $1930.
So now I have to go to the court and straighten them out so that all I have to pay is my speeding ticket.
Why am I having to run all over creation and bust my ass when it was their fuck up?
Needless to say, it was a shitty start to the week.
"Cause I love you"
Who can say no to that?
I wanted to say no. I kept going back anf forth with it. Eventually I decided to go, and I took my mom and daughter with me.
It was fun. We went to a farm, the kids pet the animals and learned about how pumpkins grow and all that.
Then I left there, and was trying to get on home so that I could get my daughter fed and down for a nap before I had to pick Ian up from school. I admit I sped. And I got pulled over.
No biggie.
But it was a county cop, then all of a sudden a state patrolman came up to my truck too. He very kindly reinstalled Sorcha's car seat. I thought that was nice of him.
Then I got called to their car...
I was fucking ARRESTED!
They told me my licenses were suspended! I had no clue!
So I was cuffed and carted off to jail. They told me that it was a ticket that I didn't pay from 2007. I told them I knew exactly what they were talking about, and I HAD paid it. TWICE!
At the jail I was explaining it to the clerk and the booking officer (they were all very nice) and they didn't understand how I was still being charged.
It was a super scary ordeal, and I was so thankful to walk out of that place.
So I got home and we looked it up. The Department of Driver Services showed one citation on my driving record. I have the recipt from where I paid it. So I called them first thing this morning and they said that it was the ticket I got back in 2007. So I looked in my receipts, and TA-FUCKING-DA I have the "Notice of Withdrawal of Suspension" dated 2 days before they "suspended" my license.
So I had to go down there and show them the paper. They apologized and corrected THEIR mistake.
But I'm still out $250, and have a record on file, and have to go to court, AND am still being charged $1930.
So now I have to go to the court and straighten them out so that all I have to pay is my speeding ticket.
Why am I having to run all over creation and bust my ass when it was their fuck up?
Needless to say, it was a shitty start to the week.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Fall Festival
Yesterday I was part of my son's school's Fall Festival. It was my first big event!
I worked my ass off every single day last week making crafts and food for it. I had such high hopes of making a killing!
It was a flop.
The best thing about it was I was able to really get my name out there and people seemed really excited about how delicious my food is. And I even had repeat customers!
But I didn't sell even half of what I thought I would, I got very sunburned, even though I was sitting in the shade, and my son decided to run off and then my daughter did.
My husband and I took the kids down to tell the announcer that we were marking everything to half off (so we could get more business) and we let the kids get in a bouncey house. Well we stood beside it and Jason let me look at a video of Ian climbing the rock wall (my 5 year old is a dare devil and went all the way to the top!) and then we told the kids to come out so we could go back to the booth (my mom was watching it for me). But only Sorcha was in there.
We went around to all the bouncy houses, the rock wall, pony rides, train, all of it looking for him. Then Jason was yelling for him. Know where he was? UP AT MY BOOTH! It was a terrifying experience. Apparently he didn't see us standing in the front of the bouncy house, so he took it upon himself to go looking for us. Leaving his not even 22 month old sister to fend for herself.
He got a whipping. And yelled at. And a hug.
And I had to force myself not to cry.
Then Sorcha ran away from my mom and was trying to get to the play area. Thankfully Mom caught her before she went too far.
I swear, my kids are gonna make me old before I hit 30! (Which, btw, I just turned 27 last week. And I feel 40)
I worked my ass off every single day last week making crafts and food for it. I had such high hopes of making a killing!
It was a flop.
The best thing about it was I was able to really get my name out there and people seemed really excited about how delicious my food is. And I even had repeat customers!
But I didn't sell even half of what I thought I would, I got very sunburned, even though I was sitting in the shade, and my son decided to run off and then my daughter did.
My husband and I took the kids down to tell the announcer that we were marking everything to half off (so we could get more business) and we let the kids get in a bouncey house. Well we stood beside it and Jason let me look at a video of Ian climbing the rock wall (my 5 year old is a dare devil and went all the way to the top!) and then we told the kids to come out so we could go back to the booth (my mom was watching it for me). But only Sorcha was in there.
We went around to all the bouncy houses, the rock wall, pony rides, train, all of it looking for him. Then Jason was yelling for him. Know where he was? UP AT MY BOOTH! It was a terrifying experience. Apparently he didn't see us standing in the front of the bouncy house, so he took it upon himself to go looking for us. Leaving his not even 22 month old sister to fend for herself.
He got a whipping. And yelled at. And a hug.
And I had to force myself not to cry.
Then Sorcha ran away from my mom and was trying to get to the play area. Thankfully Mom caught her before she went too far.
I swear, my kids are gonna make me old before I hit 30! (Which, btw, I just turned 27 last week. And I feel 40)
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