I Really Could've Used That Hour

It was a busy, busy weekend... every six months like clockwork (pun intended) Mike brings out his ladder so that we can move the clock forward/backward. While I change the battery and set the new time; Mike dusts the window ledge, the hanging light, the corners of the entryway ceiling, and washes the window. He's a keeper!!




Anyone remember my recent post about homemade fries? I decided I needed to make some, so... I invited the family over (not everyone could make it). It was a very busy Sunday, I attended two three-hour blocks of church meetings then came home to make the fries. Here are the before and after pictures of the fries. They are so yummy!!










Whenever our family comes over the children always end up in Grandpa Bears music room. They love it!! There are so many fun things to play with in there. The drums are probably the favorite... but then the microphones are a big hit as well. I laughed on Sunday as Avery called to Mike from the music room, "Grandpa, Grandpa come turn on the music." There are so many cords, and switches, and... stuff!! I didn't even know which one to turn on. Then Mason made me laugh, it seemed he was playing weather man as I heard his voice over the mic saying, "it's going to be sunny today." and then... "it's going to be windy today." Even cute little Jane discovered her voice over the microphone. Little Sander just watched... I'm sure in another year or two he will be drumming and singing as much as the rest of them.

My Take On The Cake, or... Food For Thought?

Between a previous post and the statuses that my mother, sister and niece posted on their facebook pages, there were several comments/opinions about my dads birthday cake. So I decided to share my "take on the cake".

I work with customers five days a week. It is important to keep the customer happy. I think we do a pretty good job of it. We have a menu at the deli where a customer can literally design their own sandwich. All they have to do is fill it out and we make it for them. Of all the delicious choices that are on our menu, once in a while someone puts an X in the box for bread, meat and cheese... and that's it. When that happens we call the customer by name ('cause it's on the paper as well... or it should be) and say, "you only marked meat and cheese, do you want any mayo? mustard? veggies?" Almost every time they say, "ooohh yeah... I forgot. I do want some tomatoes, lettuce..." you get the idea. Case in point. Just today my co-worker showed me a customers sandwich order. The customer had picked his bread, meat and cheese and then X'd only sprouts in the toppings category; that was okay, except, in the column next to the list he wrote the words... load me up, I love veggies. Okay. We are not mind readers, did he mean load him up with... sprouts? It turns out he wanted all the veggies, he just didn't X them on the paper. On the other hand, sometimes when we question people they get a little rude and may say something like, "if I had wanted that I would have marked it." My policy is this... it's always best to ask.

So, this brings me to my dad's cake. If you read my previous post you know the story... and it is a funny one; I'm still giggling (out loud) when I think of it. But the fact is that somebody made a mistake. I think there are several people responsible here:

1. The person who took the order. After finally getting the correct spelling established, this person should have started over on a brand new order form and filled it out without any flaws. Instead, the order was put in as written, which included the mistakes.

2. The person who decorated the cake. At some point that person should have questioned the validity of what was written on the paper. I've ordered many cakes at this bakery and every time they have asked for my phone number. Why didn't the decorator call and double check?

3. The person who handed the cake to my mom and took her money. I understand that employees don't always know what to do in certain situations... so ask someone. Certainly there is always a manager on hand to answer.

4. And speaking of the manager... I feel it is important that the manager know what happened here. Because I can guarantee it's going to happen again; and it might happen to one of you.

I love this bakery. I will go there again. My mom will go there again. So will a lot of you. I understand that "accidents happen", I just don't think a consumer should have to pay for "accidents" like this. In this case I think: we should have had our cake (for free) and eaten it too!

Seriously; my parents are the best of the best. Dad at 75, just as silly as ever and mom can still throw a great party!

A Shout Out For Cupcakes

My friend Ashley over at Lovely Lorraine's Cupcakes is have a blog contest and I wanted to give her a "shout out" on my blog. Check it out; the contest ends on July 5th. I've tried the cupcakes in the photo and can I just say... FABULOUS!!! I seriously want to be a cupcake maker.

Ode To Five-Alls

'Twas three days before Christmas and we were out on the town;
It was slick, it was snowy, and I was scared I'd fall down.
We were meeting our kids at Five-Alls, what a treat!
For it has always been our most favorite place to eat.
As parents it has been our wish from days long past;
To share this with our children, and we did it at last.
It was hard to find parking but we finally succeeded;
But walking to the restaurant some snow shoes were needed.
Then came Andy and Kristin and Jeff and Melissa, there was Jeremy and Emily and of course little sister.
We toasted, we ate, we laughed.... we ate more;
By the time that we finished my tummy was sore.
And as we were leaving out into the night;
I heard Mike say, "cross that off the bucket list" and we drove out of sight.

What Are They Thinking!?!

I am pretty observant about the circumstances of the food that I'm eating; who prepared it, where it was prepared, are hands washed....you get the idea. I work part-time as a manager in a food establishment and I am always watching my fellow employees and making sure that things are done correctly, and the fact that I recently took the food handlers test has made me even more observant and insistent that things are done right.

Last week while traveling to St. George I stopped at a well known fast food restaurant in Beaver. I watched the workers preparing the food, running the register, and so forth....after eating I went to order a shake for Caitlin, when the young man brought it to me I noticed some foreign-orange-miniscule-object on the rim of the cup. When I pointed it out to him he dumped it out and started again, at which point I took the opportunity to kindly ask him why none of the emplyees were wearing gloves, much to the mortification of Caitlin, Chris, and Chelsea who were sitting at a table nearby. I thought it was a reasonable question?

I was eating at a popular restaurant one day when I saw an employee (from the kitchen) enter the restroom wearing an apron. A few minutes later the employee emerged from the restroom still wearing the apron and went back to the kitchen. Employees aren't supposed to wear their aprons in the restroom.

Friday morning I was shopping at my local grocery store. I went to the butcher block to purchase a rump roast. I love purchasing meat from the butcher block, I feel like I'm in Mayberry or in Sam's Butcher Shop on the "Brady Bunch". The butcher was weighing out the meat (no gloves) and talking to me, suddenly he took his baseball cap off of his head and rubbed his hand vigorously back and forth several times over his crew cut and then put his cap back on. I was shocked. If he's going to do that right in front of a customer, what's he doing when we can't see him? Fortunately he had already put plastic on my roast and he used the other hand to wrap the white paper around it. I ask you, what's a girl to do? I mean do you suggest to a butcher (who has tons of big knives) that he should not rub his head and wrap meat at the same time? Do any of you have any eating out/grocery store horror stories?

Mindy Mints

Referring to my previous post "I've Been Tagged" here are the Mrs. Cavanaugh's Mindy Mints that I said were an indulgence (I'm treated at least once a year by my Husband or Father). Lucky for me my Dad treated me for Easter.