Biodegradable packaging

While browsing Bon Appetit's site this morning, I found an article about biodegradable fast food bags. You would think this would be a given. How can the bags not already be biodegradable? They are thin paper...not plastic. I did some research and found out that there were newspapers found intact at a NY landfill that were 50 years old. Hmmmm.... You have to wonder if it weren't for some unusual circumstances, because, when we used newspaper in the garden for mulch, it became part of the soil in 3 years time. Maybe they used thicker paper back in the day. Something to ponder, I guess.

One link leads to another and I found the compostable packaging that we had seen at a Heifer International Fair. Their clamshell containers look just like the plastic ones we see every day and they are fully compostable in about 3 months. They are the most innovative green product out there. Simply Amazing. I plan to use these in the cafe. I would be a fool not to!

Consistency and shitty bathrooms

We went to our favorite little haunt, which will remain nameless, and were disappointed for the first time ever. Even as we pull into the parking lot, we are saying "this place is so consistent! Always perfect!" Spoke too soon... our first not-great experience and I am not going to write on it because we have had so many great times here and I don't want my first review to be a bad one. And... I think it was the bartender's fault mostly... why sour the place because of one person and a flat, uninteresting dessert tray?
So, we left after one not yummy cocktail and went to have a margarita at the reliable Border. We didn't eat and the drinks were good, but I want to touch on just one thing... the bathrooms.
The Border packs 'em in 7 nights a week. The service is great, the food is good. Money is being made here. Why are the bathrooms so awful? You walk into a 2 foot wide space and if there's anyone else in there, you begin an uncomfortable dance to squeeze into one of the stalls without knocking someone into the sinks. The sinks, mind you, that are circa 1964. The color on the walls is nasty, the counter top old and wretched. Why won't the owners invest some money in a bathroom remodel? Seriously, why? Are your customers not worth it? Surely, this would be the ultimate in customer service...

The Kennel Shop Augusta, ME

Great store! All the stuff you love about Petco and PetSmart(except the treat bar), without the inflated prices. And... a nice bonus: the employees actually know something about the products they sell.

We were sent to this store in Augusta by the breeder that we got our American Bulldog from. We were greeted immediately as we walked in and the entire staff was available to us, as needed. They didn't stalk us around the store, but were available to us readily when needed.

The girl who helped me pick out dog food was honest and told me that we did not need the most expensive food for our pup, instead showing me a mid-priced meat based dry food.

Ginger picked her own toys and cost us an extra 50 cents at checkout by eating a treat from a bucket within her reach. We bought her a collar, leash, two toys, a 16 pound bag of food, that one extra treat... all for about $60.

They even let us use their restroom, after my explaining that the three hour car ride was murder. Thank goodness for employees that understand good customer service can sometimes mean breaking some rules. See my kids yellow eyes? Yeah, thanks!

**** Good selection

**** Good prices

*****Yummy treats

*****Great Staff

Good for the soul, bad for your ass..

This recipe is from Pillsbury. You will not need a Monkey, but, if you have one, he will enjoy this yummy doughy goodness as well.

This is a great breakfast, dessert, or anytime snack. It's ooey gooey goodness will knock your socks off if you are a sweets lover. or alive at all. It's that good. For your soul...not for your ass...or your thighs...or your waistline. But, hey, it is delicious. Make it once every couple of months and call your best sweet lovers over to devour it with hands dripping buttery sugary yumminess. They will worship you like a god.

INGREDIENTS
1/2
cup sugar
1
teaspoon cinnamon
2
cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2
cup chopped walnuts, if desired (we dont do the nuts or raisins, because of fussy children, but I would love to try a pecan version)
1/2
cup raisins, if desired
1
cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4
cup butter or margarine, melted
DIRECTIONS
1.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan.
2.
In large plastic food-storage bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.
3.
Mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
4.
Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

YUMMY!

*****ooey

*****gooey

*****inexpensive

****easy

Hersheys All Natural Extra Dark w/ Pomegranate Pieces

NOT YUMMY!

Do not buy these unless your taste buds are used to only eating crappy food. This is the worst chocolate I have ever tasted. The chocolate by itself is flavorless and the texture is just not right for dark chocolate. Those "pomegranate" pieces have no taste of the fruit and they just destroy an already lame chocolate experience.

I grew up on Hershey products and have only recently been seeking out and sampling the rest of the chocolate world. I have come to dislike Hershey a great deal. This bag of nasty was the last straw. I will not be buying any more of this junk food.

Sorry, Hershey, you've lost me. This is from a long time fan who has spent a vacation in Hershey, PA. I used to wear a silver kiss around my neck. We used to be so good together...

Not Yummy

*Flavor awful

*Texture all wrong

*$3.99 out the window

Fat Tuesday at The Border Grille and Bar

What a great time! I took my fam to the Border Grille and Bar in Leominster for the Fat Tuesday Prime Rib and Seafood buffet. We arrived at the very start of this event (5pm) and the place was already starting to fill up. The hostess was very friendly and gave us all beads, masks, and shiny plastic coins. (I thought maybe they were to pay for the meal, but I was mistaken) Since we are a family of five, we were seated at a large comfy half circle booth. Elbow room with this clan is hard to come by, and this was a refreshing change from the tiny tables most restaurants offer.

Our waitress arrived soon after we sat and took our full order immediately. Half way through the drink order, she realizes that the eldest might eat her if she doesn't take his meal order, too, so she asks my permission to take the full order from him and we all agree that we are ready. A relief because the eldest was ravenously hungry and irritable. Middle man, Hubs and myself chose the buffet, while the eldest had his usual boneless buffalo and fries. The little guy had his predictable tenders meal. What is it that makes kids order the same thing no matter where you take them? At least it's easy to please them! After all, even the Sole has chicken tenders!

Our drinks arrived quickly. I had the house margarita on the rocks with salt. It was perfect. Hubs had a beer. The eldest had the first of 5 cokes. (he keeps the waitress running cokes all night and she is a good sport...only having the shocked look after the first two) Middle man ordered a coke and when she brought it and realized that it was a kids coke with a cover and straw, she immediately said she's be right back with "the right size". He's almost 13, so this little gesture is meaningful, especially from this "hot waitress". The little guy has OJ, as always.

Before we have two sips of our drinks, the boys meals arrive and we head off to the buffet.

Middle man is first in line and it's great to see him try all kinds of things he has never seen before. We start with Crawdads, catfish claws, Louisiana chicken, spicy shrimp, creme pene with crayfish, red beans and rice and baked oysters. The crawdads were lame after having lobster for breakfast the day before, but they sure were good looking. The creme pene was terrific, as was the red beans and rice. Everything breaded lacked flavor. The catfish was boring (maybe a sauce could have been offered) and the baked oysters were very bland. On the bright side, everything was cooked perfectly. EVERYTHING.

On the second trip, we tried Crayfish bisque, smothered prime rib, seafood gumbo, Cajun beef tips and some more of the favorites from the plate before. The bisque was chunkier than I thought bisque was supposed to be and had a strong odd flavor. The beef tips were yummy and the prime rib was made even better by the sauce from the beef tips. The gumbo was super.

The little guy and middle man had clown sundaes. Another fun tradition at the Border.

All in all, a great meal. We tried some new foods and enjoyed some old favorites. Malik the magician was entertaining and the waitress was sweet and on the ball.

The cost: $80 before tip. The buffet was $13.95 for adults, $7.95 for kids. Of course, we'd like it to be cheaper, but Fat Tuesday only comes once a year and it's worth it. Any time the whole fam can eat dinner out (drinks included for hubs and I) for under a hundred dollars is good.

*****Comfortable seating

****Good buffet choices

*****Good service

****Affordable

Yummy!