Little Chef

Do you have a little chef? If your kids are anything like mine they love to help cook. Well, they try! Using the big utensils is a bit of a challenge for those little hands. I found this website  food network during my search for kid sized utensils.
The Food Network Store features awesome items from a company by the name of Sassafras. Sassafras makes The Little Cook Tool Kit. It is priced at less than $20. It has received good reviews and is recommended by 95% of its reviewers. So we tried it. And my little guys love it! They are able to help and use little cooking tools that are just the right size for them, it is adorable. I highly recommend this item. The holiday season is upon us and this would make a great gift for your little chef.


The Food Network Store also offers a wide variety of items from cook books to kitchen ware and recipes.
cookware Visit this link and see the cookware available at The Food Network Store. Any order $99 or more gets free shipping, tis the season! Also if you are looking for simple solutions to meal time or kid friendly recipes browse the sites cookbook selections. Teach your little ones about different healthy foods with the Sesame Street C Is For Cooking book. It is bound to catch the attention of any little one. What child does not love Sesame Street?
It is very important to get your child involved in what they are eating. Give your child healthy choices so they can develope healthy eating that will last a lifetime.

The Food Network Store is guaranteed to make a happy shopper out of you. The search by Food Network Host option is great. If you love Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen or another host from The Food Network you can search them by name and find great recipes and cookware. Fantastic site! Happy shopping!

Closing Time!!

So it is late and you are hungry! And you just have to have a specific something from a certain restaurant. But you now that closing time is soon. The question is do you still go to get the specific something from that certain place at the end of the night? Well, the answer is yes and no. As long as you are aware that sitting in a restaurant after it has closed is not cool! It is likely that your server has been there most of the day, they are tired and still once you have left they have to clean and close the restaurant. This server is also more than likely to be a college student, mother/father working the opposite shift of their spouse, someone with a second job trying to make ends meet or all of the above. So when you decide that you JUST can't have anything else to eat, but what that specific place offers - keep those things in mind. Yes, you can go and get something to eat, but be considerate enough to get it to go. Don't hang around the restaurant for an hour after it has closed. And if you MUST, tip your server very well.

Did you just snap your fingers at me?!?

To state it plainly for those who don't already know it, snapping your fingers at anyone to get their attention is rude. Granted there are times when people are just not being attentive, but those are not the moments I am speaking of. What I am talking about is when your waitress or waiter is taking another tables order and you are snapping your fingers as if they are just ignoring you. NO, it is not okay. There is nothing that important for you to be so rude. Get it together people! Common courtesy is a must when you are in public. Don't embarrass your friends and family because you think that your waiter or waitress is somehow a lesser being than you. Just because they are serving you food and drinks doesn't make them your servant. Treat thy neighbor.....

Your way !

Okay, so you want it your way. While the chef, who has trained to prepare an impeccable dish for you has provided YOU with perfection, it is not good enough. If you are That person then you should never go out to eat. Stay home and cook your own food. It is not necessary to act like an arrogant jerk because you are dining at a 5 star restaurant. Be considerate!

How to tip your waiter or waitress.

Picture this you go into a restaurant and your dining experience is remarkably good. The hostess was prompt in seating you (at a table that is not next to a bathroom or kitchen), the restaurant is clean, the waitstaff is pleasant, your waiter/ess is attentive and knowledgable, the food is prepared just the way you wanted it and the atmosphere is inviting. Now your bill is dropped off and you aren't so sure how to tip your waiter/ess. This is a common dilemma among restaurant patrons. Some patrons might even ask their waiter/ess "how much of a tip should I leave you?" while this is considerate, it is a very uncomfortable situation. The customary tip is 15%-20%, but if your server was exceptional you may leave more and vice versa. Some cell phones have a tip calculator in the tools area of the phone which is very convienient. Please keep in mind that a waiter or waitress is paid a minimal 2.15 per hour and does not have the benefits of sick leave, paid time off, maternity leave and minimal benefits may be offered in a corporate restaurant (if any at all). Also many waiters and waitresses are college students, mothers who must work opposite shifts from there spouse because daycare is to expensive or they would prefer to raise their children rather then put them in daycare, retirees that are trying to make ends meet or a struggling mother or father's second job. Now if the service that you received from your waiter or waitress was not good (i.e, slow, continually empty glasses, you didn't get what you ordered or they had an attitude) then tip accordingly. But you should keep a couple things in mind: 1. we are all human(unfortunately, for a waiter/ess if mess up anything you might not get a tip and 2. this could be your child one day working to pay for college. Oh, just one more thing if you are in a hurry or have any special food needs due to allergies make sure that you server knows this immediately.

From a customer's perspective.

I am interested in getting the customer's perspective of their dining experience. Starting from the host greeting you, to you paying your bill. Why, might you ask? Well, being in the restaurant industry for some years I find that there is a common denominator that is not given much thought, the customer's perspective. Most restaurants do things according to what has worked in the past, but without the "true" input of the patron how can they improve the dining experience? Here is your chance to make your thoughts about your experience known, be honest! This is not some comment card at a restaurant or a manager rushing over to say "how was everything this evening?" with the server that waited on you standing in ear shot. If you want the restaurant industry to improve so that your dining experience can be the best you've ever had then add your thoughts?