Takin' a bit of southern goodness home with me...

I LOVE Cracker Barrel restaurants! The problem is the "closest" one to me is in Boise, Idaho (which isn't at all close to where I live or travel to). Soooo, I decided to do a little digging and see if I could re-create some Cracker Barrel goodness after I return home from my southern vacation.

Jackpot! I found some copycat recipes at Recipe Lion!

While waiting in the gift store last weekend I spotted jars of their Fried Apples. They looked delish!!! I wanted to try them out at dessert time....but after eating dinner, I just didn't have room. I'm planning to indulge tomorrow night when I make my last (sniffle, sniffle) visit before heading back home.

They sell them online too, so if when I become addicted I can always have them delivered. Although shipping takes time...I may need to cook my own! If you want to start enjoying these asap as well, here is the copycat recipe compliments of Recipe Lion! Yea!

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Fried Apples
Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients

6 large tart green Granny Smith apples
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt bacon drippings.
*Bacon drippings adds a crisp flavor to this copycat fried apple recipe.
2. Pour apples evenly into the skillet. Sprinkle with lemon juice, brown sugar and salt.
3. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, until apples are tender and juicy.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

enjoy re-creating what you love in your own kitchen!
-dw.

Restaurants giving back....

If you are a Veteran or active military person you could be eating for FREE this Thursday (or other specified date) in observance of Veterans Day!

Here are just a few of the places giving back a little something for those of you who fight to preserve our freedom...

Click on the restaurant links to get more details about participating locations and specific dates and times.

Outback Steakhouse: Free Blooming Onion

Famous Dave's: Free meal from special menu.

Applebees: Free entree from special menu.

Chili's: Free meal from special menu.

Little Caesars Pizza: Free Crazy Bread at Bremerton, WA location
(Due to franchising, other locations may not be participating.)

Golden Corral: Free Buffet on 11/15.

Thank you all for the dedication you've displayed, the sacrifices you've made, and the freedom you've fought for. God Bless you and your families.

enjoy the gratitudes you so deeply deserve.
-dw

Say it isn't so.....

Forbes announced a new list of companies in dire financial struggles and while reading through it my heart sank. Eastman Kodak, Applebees, and US Airways were just a few of the companies named. While the appearance of US Airways name on the list was of little surprise to me (I still recall the horrible service we received back in 2007), I was very sad to see the other two there.

The digital photography craze has been difficult on a lot of companies close to my heart, but the camera industry probably most of all. It has been costly for them to make the transition from film to digital. And while I too have switched completely to digital photography, the past five digital cameras I've purchased have all been Kodak. What can I say, I'm sentimental that way.

As for Applebees financial struggles, I was a little more shocked. Their restaurants (at least in my area) always seem to be pretty busy. They say the financial shortfall is due in part to their slashed prices to draw customers in (it has worked on me). I can completely sympathize with that, but their idea to turn things around has me baffled. They now say they are looking at remodeling their restaurants in hopes of boosting patronage. How is that going to make me want to eat there? ...Enjoy their food more? ...Make dining out fit into my budget more often? The logic is completely lost on me. I do not decide where I want to eat by asking myself or my friends, "Who has the nicest looking restaurant?" That seems so absurd. I get the old adage, It takes money to make money, but in a time of financial struggle, heading to Pottery Barn to redecorate my office doesn't seem like the solution to getting more work!

But hey, that's just my opinion!

Other restaurants seem to be trying more creative solutions during these hard economic times. USA Today reported Burger King will try to increase sales in South Beach...by adding BEER to their menu at their Whopper Bars! They will make the addition in mid-February and may expand into other areas such as Vegas after that. Now the catch phrase is likely to become, "Would you like beer with that?"

enjoy the companies you love, and support them; don't assume they will always be there.
-d.

Eat This...at Panda Express

I love the Eat This, Not That books by David Zinczenko (Editor of Men's Health Magazine). I appreciate the help it gives me in knowing the best...and worst...menu items to order when eating out. Today I checked out my favorite shopping mall eatery, Panda Express.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my choices here are usually pretty good. However, I was very dissapointed to learn that my side of steamed rice is a very high calorie choice. The side dish suggested is mixed veggies (90 calories), but with both main dishes already containing veggies, I will most likely pass.

One of my favorite dishes is listed as a calorie nightmare, but it certainly doesn't come as a shock. Orange Chicken, with all it's breading and deep frying, came in at a scale sinking 500 calories. (Note: It is the only item on their menu containing Trans Fat.)

My other two favorites, however, scored very well; Broccoli Beef and Mushroom Chicken together with mixed veggies total only 350 calories.

As for my usual side of steamed rice? At 380 calories alone, it is NOT a good option. I'll add on a bowl of Egg Flower soup instead (only 88 calories) and make it an even lower calorie meal overall!

Knowledge is Power.

enjoy the food even more knowing it's a good choice for you.

-d.

I took on a new role this week. There is a great new site called http://www.myzip.net/ and they are searching for a blogger in every city to write about their hometown. I am the new Lynnwood 98037 blogger! Check it out to see if your city has a representative yet...maybe they are looking for YOU! Here is my first blog entry....

Kudos to great customer service

With so many great restaurants to choose from in Lynnwood these days, eating out seems to be more an everyday occurrence than the special treat of years past. Lines out the doors and waits up to an hour and a half for your beeper to go off are becoming the norm.
So, with all the choices we have, how do we decide where to go? What makes a restaurant the most worthy of our time and hard earned money? Great food is the obvious criteria, but is closely followed in my book by excellent customer service. Now I realize we can't punish an entire restaurant based on the skill or mood of a single employee, but how a restaurant handles errors, excessive waits, cold food, and such are what truly identify their customer service code.
I can't count the number of times I have voiced a courteous complaint only to hear, "Oh......." A long pause followed by the handing over of the bill and a quick exit. It's not like I am expecting a lot. I merely wish for an apology and an assurance that the next time I come, I won't encounter the same problem. I point it out, they fix it...everybody's happy.

This week I chose to dine with my adult daughter at PF Chang's for lunch. I have been there a couple times and love not only the food, but the attentive staff as well. We ordered, we ate (the food, as usual, was excellent), and then we waited. And we waited. The to-go box we'd requested never arrived. After ten or more minutes I went up to the front counter and asked if I could please get a bill as I needed to leave soon. A gentleman quickly approached and confirmed that I was waiting for a bill and a to-go box, to which I replied, "I'll leave the food, I just really need to pay and leave." He returned promptly with bill in hand and introduced himself. He said lunch was on the house and as I looked down at my bill it read, Balance Due....$0.00. I was shocked! I have had cold food in restaurants and have still been charged for it. I have waited over 30 minutes for my order to be taken with barely an apology. And for this little lapse in attention, I was receiving my lunch for FREE?

How can they stay in business with that kind of customer service code? Well, that is simple...they gained my respect, they re-gained my loyalty, and they re-affirmed that they are a top-notch place to go to receive wonderful food and above-and-beyond customer service. They have proven they truly care about their customers. And in exchange for that, here I am spreading the word. Not because they asked me to or expected me to, but because I feel they earned it! They deserve all four stars! Hats off to manager Jody Senyohl and his staff...well all except for that MIA waitress.

I think the P.F. in P.F. Chang's must stand for People First!

-d.