Motherly Law

Tis the Season: PSA on Female Drinking and Driving

In a Flash

One minute you're having a blast and not thinking about the grand scheme of life and perhaps being a bit reckless in your revelry and the next minute something happens that changes lives forever. It's like when you're watching a movie and everyone is having a great time laughing and full of bliss and life is just perfect, but you know something bad is about to happen to end all that happiness because you have the benefit of observing the whole scene from the outside, plus the soundtrack usually gives it away too. This is what having too much to drink and then choosing to drive home could look like.

A Focus on Women    

Much of the emphasis on drinking and driving has traditionally been put on teens and men. However, this is an issue that can affect both female and male; both young and old, including parents.

While both parents should use extreme caution when drinking and getting behind a wheel, this post is focused on women who have a drink and drive later. In 2008, women drivers who were drunk were involved in 1,837 road deaths.

A mom is less likely to take risks when his or her children are present than after a night of fun out on the town with friends, coworkers or a spouse. And generally, a mom out of the house without her children wants to relax, cut loose and perhaps have a drink. I certainly understand that and consume in a drink or two when out with my friends or my husband.

Consider these scenarios: a woman out to dinner with her friends misjudges how much she had to drink or how it affected her; or stops by for happy hour with co-workers at a bar on the way home and has several drinks on an empty stomach; or mom and dad leave the kids with a sitter and go out to dinner for a much needed date night and a bottle wine. These situations are probably easy to imagine because you have more than likely experienced them first hand.

In each of these scenarios, there is the possibility that the person will drink enough to become intoxicated and unfit to drive a vehicle. And in each case, the person is highly likely to drive home anyway. This issue is a problem at any time of the year, but here we are just a few days from New Year's Eve; one of the most alcohol saturated nights of the year. So, I thought this was especially on-point this week.

Women and DWIs

The number of women arrested for DWIs and/or involved in alcohol related accidents has dramatically increased over the years. The Century Council reports that in the 80s women accounted for only 9% of those arrested for DWIs, but from 1997 to 2007 that number had risen to 29%; and in the past decade has increased to 36%. So, what is causing this increase?

The social culture of our country and the role of women has changed significantly since the 80s. More women have full-time jobs in addition to the family duties at home. The pressure to be a super mom often manifests itself through alcohol consumption. There are books, blogs, twitter handles, and twitter parties devoted to a mom's need for a drink at the end of the day.

While our society has become more accepting of mom's Facebook post or tweet suggesting that she can't wait for her #wine, women are still quite adept at hiding actual addictions to alcohol and drugs. Most women are multi-taskers by nature and it appears that drinking is one of the things that women can do without anyone at home or work really noticing.

Studies show that women arrested for DWIs tend to be middle-aged or older, more educated and single, separated or divorced. The average female first time offender is 31 years old.

Affect of Alcohol on a Woman's Body & the Law

Addictions are one thing (& quite another blog post) and driving after drinking is quite another. It doesn't matter if you are drunk every night or once a year, women must be cognizant of that fact that our bodies are not the same as a man's and the effects of alcohol can be different too.

Women have less body water to dilute alcohol as it passes through the digestive tract; less of the liver enzyme, dehydrogenase, that metabolizes alcohol; and are therefore, more exposed to the alcohol and its harmful effects longer than males. Source: The Fix

Alcohol is tricky; its effects can depend on weight, gender, genetics, amount of food consumed, amount and type of alcohol consumed, medications taken, lack of sleep, stress levels etc. What many of us don't realize is how much {or how little} alcohol our bodies can handle when it comes to being intoxicated and unfit to drive, depending on all of these factors and more.

Blood Alcohol Level (BAL), or Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), means the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws that say a person is too intoxicated to drive when his or her BAC is .08 % or higher, which is .08 g of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.

When you drink an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol goes from your stomach into your blood, then to the liver heart and brain. Alcohol is not digested, but absorbed. Interestingly enough, an older adult consuming an alcoholic beverage raises the BAL 20% more than it does for a younger adult. However, a younger person with a .10 % BAL has a significantly higher risk of being involved in a fatal crash than an older adult with the same BAL.

As noted above, women have less water in their bodies, but they also have more fat. Alcohol does not enter fat cells as easily as other types of cells, which mean that the alcohol stays in a woman's bloodstream longer. And this can mean that a woman may still be drunk at the end of the evening out with friends, even though she stopped drinking long before.

Even our states of mind or menstrual cycles can have an affect on our level of intoxication. In fact, if it's a person's intention to drink to get drunk, it will take that person less alcohol to feel the impairment, as is also the case with a person who is overly tired or overly stressed. We can't fool our bodies.

The Scoop

As my husband's family has joked about for many years now, "Tis the Season" to drink during this month of holidays. Whether it's a cocktail over apps, a glass of wine with dinner and liquored up coffee or cocoa or simply 2 glasses of wine during a meal with friends or a beer on an empty stomach or an overly exhausted parent consuming one cocktail, we need to think twice before consuming alcohol and getting behind the wheel.

Don't let this happen to you. One careless mistake after a night of fun and laughter can fracture your world and forever alter the lives of your kids, spouse and perhaps someone else's family forever.

Think ahead, think twice, monitor the number of drinks you have consumed and don't be ashamed to call a cab, your spouse or a friend to drive you home. We must also not be timid about telling a friend that is clearly too drunk to drive that you are taking her keys and offering a ride, having her spend the night or calling a cab.

This is something we can control, whether before or after the drinks have been drunk. Drink responsibly; drive sober or not at all. Over and out...

Anna

 

Rules of Etiquette: Devotee or Renegade?

Tasty Chicken

Last spring my mother-in-law came for a visit. At that time, Darling 1 was not a fan of chicken {he has since reformed his eating habits}. The first night "Bebe" was here, we served grilled chicken for dinner. Once we sat down and said a prayer, Darling 1 went to work eating his chicken. I noticed right away, but didn't say a word.

After a few bites, Darling 1 said, "This chicken is delicious. Thank you so much for making this nice dinner, mom and dad!" We thanked him and kept eating. A few minutes passed and Darling 1 said, "I don't really like chicken, but I'm just saying that since Bebe is here."

We had a chuckle over that statement, but again I thanked him for eating the dinner and being nice about it rather than making a fuss and refusing to even take a taste.

Please, Thank you and Excuse Me

"Remember your manners!" This simple phrase is a piece of basic wisdom gained from many years of experience as a social being that every well-intentioned parent imparts upon his or her child when the child is off to school or visiting grandparents or having a playdate at a friend's house, etc. A parent hopes these mere three words will be impressed upon the heart of the child even though the parent's shrewd words often fall on deaf ears. This phrase has been repeated for many, many generations and is often one of our first lessons in life.

"Please", "thank you" and "excuse me" are among the first words a child learns to say. A child quickly learns that a sweet as honey "pease" earns him or her a special treat from a proud and beaming parent. A "thank you" gets an impressed and pleased reaction from grandma or the lady giving out the free cookie at the grocery store or the waiter at the restaurant or mom or dad. And "scuz me" generally earns an amused response

When teaching children to be polite it's all about a trained response. If you ask and respond nicely, you'll usually get what you want whether it's a turn with a toy, a bit of chocolate, a big smile, a new trinket, etc. With toddlers it's as simple as that. It gets more complicated as a child ages.

Variable Manners

My mom's family comes from rural Oklahoma and good manners meant a warm greeting, an invitation to dinner and a good conversation. My dad's family is most immediately from very urban Dallas, TX, and further back than that from deeper south where etiquette was more important and more formal.

I grew up with very different sets of manners and rules, depending on the company. My parents were firm and set rules for us to follow. My brother and I were always polite and followed the rules {well, except when being sassy to our parents for which we were disciplined for, but it never really did much good. I'm still sassy}, but our home was a casual environment.

We were not especially schooled in the proper way to set a table or etiquette at a fancy restaurant {because we never went to fancy restaurants}. It mattered not whether our forks or spoons were on the wrong sides of the plates or whether we put our glasses on the coffee table without a coaster or whether our beds were properly made or whether we used a salad fork to eat our chicken. I doubt we even knew the difference between the two. In fact, I doubt we even had two different sizes of forks with which to eat with.

We were well versed in how to act in public and while visiting grandparents and while at school under the care of our teachers, etc. We did not play in and around the clothing racks in stores. We were not loud or out of control hanging off carts at the grocery store. We were quiet, respectful and obedient while at school. We were on our best behavior while visiting grandparents, being careful to follow the rules set there.

As adults, my brother and I are still a mix of being down home comfortable, relaxed and warm and being polite, respectful and doing our best to follow the rules of etiquette appropriate for the moment. I think my parents did a good job.

Subjectivity of Etiquette

Good manners are subjective in my opinion. There are many schools of thought regarding proper etiquette for any situation. Regardless of whether you follow Miss Manners, Judith Martin, or are staunchly loyal to Emily Post or another etiquette evangelist, there are also regional, cultural, professional, political, and even religious rules of etiquette to consider.

Frankly, I think following any set of rigid rules of etiquette can actually have the opposite effect than what is intended by the one so intently being well-mannered. That is to say that often the etiquette follower conveys an air of stiffness or inflexibility or even haughtiness about them. This, in turn, can make others feel uncomfortable or confused or even ashamed.

I think that proper etiquette, or good manners, in general, should mean that you're making those around you feel welcome and included regardless of their appearance, their own manners {or lack thereof}, their interests and knowledge {or lack thereof} or anything else about your guests that may not fit within your idea of what is proper. And that is something which comes easily to some and awkwardly to others, but in this instance it truly is the thought that counts; the trying to be warm and inclusive that matters.

The Scoop

Believe me, no one will remember whether you set the table correctly, but they will remember your big smile, hearty laughter, firm handshake, gentle hug and genuine spirit.

Tomorrow I'll be reviewing a new book on basic etiquette and simple grace, Where Is Your Mother? by Ava Carroll-Brown and on Wednesday I'll have a Q & A interview with the author. Over and out...

Anna

Supersized Everything: A Big Fat Lawsuit {On a Soapbox}

Disclaimer

I should probably start with a disclaimer of sorts. This post may step on a few folk's toes; rub some the wrong way; and ruffle a feather or two.

So, here's my disclaimer: I have been many sizes in my life, ranging from so tiny that the smallest sizes I found were too big and my mom had to take them in to well, let's just say, not small. I understand how difficult it is to lose weight having tackled that task many times, and I realize that it's sometimes out of the control of a person due to side effects from medications, illness, etc.

 

Frivolous Feud

I found this lawsuit to be ridiculous and overly litigious. This lawsuit is not really about overweight people. Look closely and you'll find it's really about a cantankerous, sour, unhealthy man.

Back in 2009, a portly gentleman, Martin Kessman, went to his favorite White Castle burger joint in Nanuet, New York, ordered his sack of aforementioned burgers and went to choose his seat. Upon noticing that there were only booths with affixed seats and no tables and chairs, he attempted to wedge himself into a booth to enjoy his meal.

Apparently, his protruding belly made this a difficult task. He left angry and embarrassed. This gentleman wrote a letter to the corporate office, demanding that White Castle do something about this issue. He said they sent back a letter saying they intended to remedy the problem and sent coupons for free burgers. They say they sent him a letter with the locations of other White Castles in the area that are equipped with tables and chairs.

Meanwhile, this poor gentleman robbed of his "right" to enjoy his White Castle along with other diners, did not stop eating the beloved steamed burgers, he simply sends his wife to get them for him.

Seeking Damages

Fast forward to September 2011, the disgruntled gentleman has filed a lawsuit against White Castle for failing to provide seating that will accommodate his rotund body. He claims it's not just about him, but also for pregnant women and disabled citizens. He has lodged his legal argument based on his alleged right to have a place to sit and enjoy his meal. Kessman contends that White Castle's seating arrangements infringe on The Americans with Disabilities Act.

So, how big is Mr. Kessman? He states that he's not humongous, weighing in at 290 pounds. The Plaintiff is asking for larger seats and an undisclosed amount of damages for his troubles. Kessman says that he can comfortably fit in other fast food restaurant seating and simply wants "to sit down like a normal person."

Drawing the Line

Sorry. I still say it's overly litigious. What if White Castle granted Mr. Kessman's request for larger seats and then a tiny person... um, I mean a height challenged person comes in and finds that the giant seats are far too large and there is much too much distance between the fixed seat and the table and this person also makes a stink about it? What then? Will White Castle and other restaurants have to have designated seating? "This area for those over 200 pounds." "These tables for those under 5 feet, 2 inches tall." "This section for persons over 6 ft tall." And so on...

And in my opinion being fat is not a disability. I think that to call it a disability is demeaning to those who truly are disabled in some way. Now, I can see where it could be a handicap. Being overweight does make it more difficult to move around, in general, and can make someone feel and look awkward and clumsy. Regardless, this scenario does not make it reasonable to sue a business.

If this lawsuit is allowed to move forward and if Kessman receives damages because he wasn't able to comfortably fit in a fast food restaurant dining booth, then what is the limit? Where do we draw the line? If we each think about it, I bet we could each come up with a way in which we were wronged that comes as close as this case does to being legit.

The Scoop

I've said before, I'll say it again. Our court systems are clogged; our state and federal budgets are stretched to the limits; there are legitimate cases where real civil wrongs have been committed that should go to court, but lawsuits such as this one, waste time and energy and already strained resources {tax dollars}. Mr. Kessman, I have a few solutions to suggest: Take your business elsewhere, go on a No-Fast-Food diet or both. I bet you'd be happier and healthier if you'd drop this whole matter.

He says he was mortified that he couldn't fit into the booth properly. Well, I wonder how he feels now with all of the media attention that he brought upon himself? Over and out...

Anna

Love: Friday Night

We LOVE the pizza and the chocolate chip cookies and the photo booth at Pizzeria Lola. We come here to celebrate happy things. Tonight we celebrated making it through the first week of Kindergarten.

Things are going well with school; he is getting more comfortable every day; and today he got a classroom recognition for being a friend to a fellow classmate who was sad today. Yay!

 

*If you live in the Twin Cities and haven't been to Pizzeria Lola, get ye there fast! It's the best! And clearly this is not our first time in their photo booth.

Over and out...

Anna

The Luxury of Choices: Resources for a Free Meal

A Story that Stuck

Several years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Susie Larson speak on raising grateful kids. She's the kind of speaker who makes you laugh and cry and think really hard about your own life. Susie said a lot of profound, funny, interesting, thought provoking things that night, but what has stuck with me and what often comes to mind is a story she told about her family's hardships that had befallen them after a series of illnesses and incidents out of their control when her kids were young.

Susie told about a trip to the grocery store during that time with her 3 young boys in tow. She said that on such an occasion after they had gotten into their car they prayed and prayer of thankfulness that this week they had food to eat and that they had choices of what they would eat at each meal.

This is not such a profound story. This is not so utterly remarkable. And yet this is the story that I often hear in my head and share with my kids. They were thankful they had choices of what to eat for dinner. This is such a simple thing that many of us will never even contemplate our meal choices, nor consider these choices a luxury.

Economic Crisis

The truth is that the face of need is changing. Many of our neighbors have experienced the devastation of foreclosure. Many of our friends and family have suffered from job loss due to our economic crisis, including my own family. These are people who work; these are people who contribute to their communities; these people are upstanding citizens, but due to economic hardships beyond their control, they have lost their jobs, their homes and much more along the way.

Loaves & Fishes

In our community there's a nonprofit organization called Loaves & Fishes who serves free healthy meals to anyone who is hungry and in need of a free meal, no questions asked. In the Twin Cities you can go to one of the 9 dining locations throughout the Twin Cities for an evening meal. {Days and times vary with each location, so check website for schedule.} You can find out more information about meal locations, ways to help, etc. at www.loavesandfishesmn.org.

Loaves & Fishes believes: "everyone is entitled to a meal with dignity. Respect for others and self is the only requisite at our sites." A need for a warm, nutritious meal transcends socioeconomic, cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Everyone can fall on hard times and everyone must eat to survive.

Basic Resources

If you are not in the Twin Cities, there are a number of other organizations in other locations that provide the same services as Loaves & Fishes, and some are even similarly named organizations. You can find these services by running a search "loaves and fishes program" + the name of the city. The phrase "loaves and fishes" seems to turn up a good number of free meal programs in many large cities across the country, which makes sense considering the origin of the term.

Another good resource for finding information about such programs is a church. Most churches keep lists of resources for those who are looking to meet their family's basic needs regardless of religious affiliation or complete lack thereof. Again, in the Twin Cities, the Basilica of St. Mary's St. Vincent de Paul organization is an excellent place to start if in need of basic resources.

The Scoop

If you are in need of free meal, there is no shame in that. Everyone needs to eat to live. You may be in a situation where you need one free meal to get you through the week and that's it; or you may need to frequent the Loaves & Fishes dining locations often for a month or two or maybe even a year. That's alright. If you are not in need of a free meal, perhaps you can help those who are by volunteering at a free meal dining site near you. Over and out....

Anna

You might also like:

When Insurance Fails: Resources for Free Vaccines

Giving from the Heart: Tips for Raising Thoughtful, Generous Kids

Hunger Pangs: Finding Ways to Help from Around the Globe

Lex Naturalis: An Adventure Out in the Country

Summer Diversions

This week's homeschooling posts are interrupted by an adventurous interlude. As every Wisconsinite will tell you, the State of Wisconsin is known as "God's Country." And after the evening I had in Wisconsin, I'm hard-pressed to argue with that statement.

Late afternoon on Tuesday, we packed up the car and headed to a farm near Stockholm, WI. I've wanted to do this for the last 6 years. I don't know why it's taken us so long to actually do it. We opted to take the WI side of the river road and were met with one of the most beautiful drives we have ever experienced.

There were row, upon row, upon row of tall green and golden corn stalks, 
alternating with dizzying ups, downs and arounds through steep hills and valleys of thick, dark, lush woods. All of this above the glittering, gleaming, stream of lakes that begins as the Mississippi River, becomes Lake Pepin and eventually becomes the Mississippi River again. The tiny, quaint villages of Maiden Rock and Stockholm were almost too charming to believe. We passed signs for fresh eggs, maple syrup, berries and more. We were in love with God's Country and talking about buying a farm and becoming farmers {I'm not kidding}.

A to Z

Why go to a farm in WI on a Tuesday evening? Well, for pizza, of course. We were headed to A to Z Produce and Bakery where, in their words, "We grow vegetables. We bake bread. We make pizza." They do indeed make pizza...on the farm every Tuesday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. from March through November. Every week the menu board reads a little differently, depending upon what's available from their farm. They use their own vegetables and process their own meats.

A to Z Pizza Farm is run like a well-oiled machine. When you arrive, you give your order to Pete after perusing the chalkboard menu of choices for the evening. Pete gives you a number and a time to be standing near the ovens waiting on your pizza {and he sounds pretty serious about the time thing}. I, being a rule follower, was standing waiting for our "Margharitta" pizza with orange, green and red tomatoes, garlic, basil and mozzarella 5 minutes before it came out of the outdoor brick fire oven, per Pete's instructions.

Bring It In, Take It Out

Here's the thing about A to Z, they supply the pizza and the box. That's it. The would-be diner supplies EVERYTHING else and you take EVERYTHING, even the pizza box, with you when you leave. We brought a quilt and chairs, ice cold water with orange slices, the makings for my take on a Caprese Salad, fresh peaches, dark chocolate chip cookies and flasks of ice cold milk, plates, napkins, cups and flatware and water spray bottles with fans, balls and bubbles. Some brought folding tables and chairs, colorful table clothes, jars of flowers, instruments, games, wine, beer and whatever complimentary foods tickled their fancies.

Each group, some families, some couples, some friends, some girls' night out groups, etc., picked a spot amongst the trees, near the pastures, between the barns, next to a green house, beside an old chicken coop, close to the goats or near the cows, in the sun or in the shade. We chose an open spot for the boys to run and play ball, but didn't think of the hot sun that came out soon after we had settled our gear and set up camp. Next time {oh yes, there will be a next time}, we'll choose a place in the shady glade.

The Report

The pizza, salad, peaches, refreshingly cold and slightly citrusy water, warm melty chocolate chip cookies and ice cold milk made a wonderful outdoors meal. We enjoyed seeing the cows, pigs and goats and exploring the farm buildings and gardens. The ants did try to take over my bottle of balsamic vinegar in the picnic basket and a spider almost dropped on my head, but other than that, I survived the country meal.

Here's the down low, if you decide to go. When the ingredients are gone, whether it's 8 o'clock or not, the pizzas are done. So, be sure to arrive fairly early. We got there around 5 p.m. and got the 63^rd pizza made that night. By the time our pizza was ready, 20 minutes later, the numbers being given out were in the 120s. They sell about 350 pizzas on any given Tuesday night. The pizzas range in price between $24 and $28 and are large. Our pizza loving family had plenty of food with just one pizza. In case you are wondering, there are 2 bathrooms, one modern and one not too bad for an outhouse kind-of bathroom, but I lucked out and got the modern bathroom when it was my turn in line.

The Scoop

We came away from A to Z, hot and sweaty, full and satisfied and very happy to have a most lovely drive home back to the city. But, we're still talking about a farm. If I were you, I'd find an open Tuesday evening to go out to the farm for pizza. Homeschooling posts will return on Thursday. Over and out...

One more photo must :

 

 

http://www.atozproduceandbakery.com/

Anna

 

 

Small Scale Adventures: Discovering What Your City & State Have to Offer

All Gates Lead to Texas

We live near enough to the MSP airport that we can hear all the planes taking off and landing just about every hour of the day and night. As I write this very sentence I'm listening to what sounds like a jumbo jet taking off on its way to somewhere.

When Darling 1 was younger, we had an inside joke about the airplanes taking off. Every time we asked him where one of the ascending planes was headed, Darling 1 would always say, "Texas"; which has always been his destination when flying.

We rarely go on vacation, and when we do leave town it's usually to go to Texas to visit family. And truth be told, even those trips are few and far between. It's not that we're opposed to travel or can't steal away from work and the daily humdrum for a trip to refuel or get our fill of family fun. No, it's simply a matter of cost.

Staying in the Budget

The price of airfare or gas, hotel, meals, boarding the dogs, entertainment, etc. adds up quickly. This is not a cost that fits into our budget. That doesn't mean we don't get out of the house and have adventures. We do.

We happen to live in a metropolitan area with no shortage of things to do, but I've also lived in smaller, more rural areas, too. And, really, the same rules apply. No matter where you live, there are adventures to be had; exploring to be done; food to be tried; and lessons to be learned. I firmly believe this, and have been putting this tenet into practice my whole life.

Life's an Adventure

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my family loved to go on mini excursions throughout the state of Texas during my childhood; all of them involving food along the way. As I got older, I did the same with DH.

Since meeting over 16 years ago, DH and I have lived in 4 states and had 7 different addresses {before meeting me, DH had lived at one address for most of his life}. In each of the areas, once the boxes were off the truck, we started exploring. We've found amazing hole-in-the-wall joints, parks, shops, bistros, bakeries and whole neighborhoods that locals didn't even know about or hadn't bothered to try.

The point is this: You can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one just by trying a thing or two you never have, even if it's in your own neighborhood, city or state. We often do this as a family: a trip to a new café or an excursion to the Iron Range or Duluth or an apple orchard, a berry patch, a farmers' market, a fest of some sort, etc. We may not be able to afford a trip to Florida, New York or Hawaii, but we can create fun memories and family traditions no matter where we are.

The Quest

My mom was visiting from Texas last week. I had a writing assignment involving cookies. So, last Friday, the Darlings, my mom and I piled into the minivan and set out on our hunt for fabulous cookies. A few days prior to this I had tweeted and posted on Facebook asking for opinions about the best cookies around. I got a great response to my query; ah, the power of social media....but I digress.

Based on those suggestions and my own knowledge of area baked goods {which is pretty darn good}, with GPS app and notebook in hand, we headed off on our quest. We visited 7 locations in 6.5 hours. We were quite determined in our search, but we had lots of fun with much laughing and a bit of a sugar high by the end.

Our adventure took us to locations and 'hoods I'd never been in the 8 years of living in the Twin Cities. Not only did we try new bakeries, we also found other shops, restaurants and areas that I've heard of, but never knew exactly where they were; or some places I hadn't heard of, but looked interesting enough for me to take note of to go back another day. All in all, it was a day that we will all look back on with fondness and chuckle about.

Local Exploring

Now a local quest doesn't have to take 6 hours or involve going to so many locations, but the beauty of it is that you can choose to go or do whatever you want to do and spend as little as an hour or as much as a whole weekend or however much time you have. It could even be an ongoing excursion; say, once a month, visit a new pizza joint or a different museum in the area.

The Scoop

If you don't have the funds or time to leave on a jet plane don't despair. I'm betting there's a thing or two you haven't experienced in your area. There's no time like the present. Now go find an adventure.

If you need help in finding things to do in your area, remember the Internet is your friend. You can find just about anything on the World Wide Web, but another great resource is any printed publication about your area. I would love to hear about your exploring. Drop me a line if this or something else inspires you to go on an excursion.

Oh, and if you live in the Twin Cities and want to find out more about adventures I recommend, check out WCCO's Best of Series for some of my articles and many other Best of Resources. The one that took us all over town tasting cookies will be up in early May. Over and out...

Anna

You might also like:

Blowing Bubbles in the Wind: Giving an Idea a Chance at Life

Gastronomical Adventures: Favorite Eats Part 1

Culinary Adventures: Favorite Eats Part 2

Lowering the Bar: Fewer Expectations & Finding the Positive

Date Night

Last night DH and I had a date night and went to dinner. We didn't go to one of our favorite little South Minne eateries or even try a new one on our list. Nope. We went to ...Red Lobster.* Yep. Red Lobster. Neither of us had set foot in a Red Lobster since college, where it was actually considered one of the nicer choices in town; and we haven't missed it. So why on earth would we want to go to a Red Lobster when we have so many choices available to us here in the Twin Cities? Well, when I was in Nashville at Blissdom Conference, I won $40 in gift cards and received a $20 gift card in the goodie bag. And I'm a sucker for free stuff.

DH & I laughed about it, but then we decided to take a trip down memory lane and go there with our gift cards for dinner. Plus, we used to love those cheesy biscuits, and we were curious what we would think of them now after so many years of exposing our palates to really great food.

When we pulled in the parking lot, we were surprised to see it was almost completely full. We were even more surprised to find that there was an hour wait for a table. So, we sauntered over to the bar and waited our turn. We ended up getting seats at the spacious bar and decided to stay there to eat our meal.

The Positives

The service was friendly and attentive. Our bartender, Quinn, was quick to suggest staff favorites on the menu and ever ready with a smile. We found that we enjoyed sitting so close together chatting at the bar. And yes, those biscuits are still just as tasty. The rest of the food was subpar, but we weren't expecting much. And the best part is that 60 bucks goes pretty far at Red Lobster so our whole meal, drinks and all, was covered by our gift cards. And our bartender/wait staff even got a 40% tip since we were eager to use up our gift card amount.

We chatted and people watched and we met a lovely couple, who were also on a date night. Greg struck up a conversation as soon as they sat down at the bar to await their table. Greg and his wife, Kari, had gone to a firing range prior to dinner as part of their date. I peppered them with questions regarding the firing range, their interest in firearms, etc. Apparently, they own a few guns, usually locked in a safe, but Kari didn't know how use them. So, they decided to kill two birds with one stone... or bullet so to speak, and turn it into a date night outing. Greg said "it's like going bowling. Just something to do." I suppose so; even though I have never thought about going to firing range for any purpose. They were an interesting, funny and talkative couple.

Lower Standards

On the whole, we lowered our standards and our expectations in going to dinner at Red Lobster. But this was something we were prepared to do in order to get a free meal. In so doing, we were pleasantly surprised by a few points of the evening: great service, tasty biscuits and meeting interesting bar mates. These positive experiences made the whole experience worthwhile.

This is often the case in politics, as well. This week, I'll be writing about contacting state and federal legislators and constituent services. Many times we must lower our standards and/or expectations when choosing a candidate to vote for or when "our candidate" doesn't win the election. Yet if we are willing to do this, we might find that we are pleasantly surprised by the leadership qualities, strength of character, voting patterns, constituency contacts or relationships built by such a lawmaker even if their politics is a bit {or very} different from our own.

Just Call Me Pollyanna

Of course, this is the "Pollyanna" "glass half-full" "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" kind of approach, which is how I tend to view politics. I am often disappointed, as I will explain later this week, but I truly want to believe that our elected officials from city council on up the chain of command to U.S. President honestly has each citizen's best interests at heart and everything he or she does is in furtherance of the welfare of his or her fellow Americans.

Call me what you will: naïve, a bleeding heart liberal, ignorant, romantic, dreamer, wishful thinker or just plain dumb, but the truth is, I don't want to change how I view our elected officials. I prefer to have a positive, but educated opinion about our countrymen and particularly the leaders of our country. They might just live up to my standards and affirm my belief in our government.

The Scoop

Tomorrow, Monday, is President's Day; a holiday for many of you. I will be posting some trivia about our U.S. Presidents, the history of the holiday and any other interesting tidbits I dig up regarding President's Day. On Tuesday, I will have a guest post from a U.S. Representative regarding constituent services. Over and out...

Anna

*To those of you who love Red Lobster: No disrespect is meant regarding our general avoidance of such restaurant. It's not just Red Lobster, but most chains, in general, that we avoid. It's simply our opinion that we can eat much better food in other restaurants in our metro area....well, really everywhere, not just in our Twin Cities. Refer to: Gastronomical Adventures: Favorite Eats Part 1 for my admission to being a food snob.

To Red Lobster: We were ever so grateful to have these gift cards & partake of this meal free of charge; and we thank you for that. It was a clean, well run restaurant and pleasant dining experience, as stated above.

**The photo is NOT an example of lowering expectations, but simply a date night photo from long ago.

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Childhood Memories

Ah, the sweet childhood memories of eating new foods and favorite foods with my family. My dad loved to take me and my brother to little hole-in-the-wall joints. Several of these are listed below in my favorites. There was one place in Three Rivers, Texas, that I remember going to with my dad on the days he let me go to work with him. The only thing I remember about this place is that there was a juke box playing music, and I got to order Big Red to drink. If you aren't familiar with Big Red, it's a red-colored soda pop, which I'm pretty sure was just red sugar water, but it was a treat! These eating adventures with my dad led me to be passionate about the food I eat; and has resulted in many foodie quests of my own.

Faves from Places I've Lived + One Bonus

Let me preface this list by saying some of these restaurants I haven't eaten at since I was a child, but the fact that they are still around after 25 to 30 years since I've been there tells me they've still got it. {Arranged by state}:

Texas

• Sevi's Burritos {Wichita Falls. The BEST and LARGEST tortilla you will ever eat. Definitely get a burrito if you go. My fave: potato, egg and cheese and a dash of the mild, homemade hot sauce. This one is from our college days. I know this one's still good; I ate here for my birthday in October. Note: You get a free burrito on your birthday. Did not know this in college!}
• Chili Dog {San Marcos. The last time I ate here was in college when DH & I were traveling through, but it's a favorite childhood memory. My dad's friend opened this place over 25 years ago. My brother and I used to get to help fill the soft drink orders and we loved it. The chili dogs are amazing, but I always loved the Frito pies. The fajitas with fresh pico de gallo are outstanding, too. This place is {or was} literally a small trailer converted into a kitchen. The secret to the chili dogs is the chili!}
• City Market {Luling. This place has been open forever as far as I can tell. My dad used to take us to City Market for sausage. I have never been a big fan of sausage, but I always ate this sausage. It's set up like a butcher shop. So, don't expect much in the way so service or even plates. They serve up your meat order on butcher paper, your sides in Styrofoam cups and throw in few slices of the essential to any BBQ meal in TX white bread. This place is an institution.}
• Grin's Restaurant {San Marcos. Grin's is the site of many family and friend gatherings. It was a perennial favorite for our family. They're known for their large, juicy, tasty burgers, but the nachos have my heart.}

I could go on for hours about places in Texas where I spent the first 22 years of my life, but I'm moving on now:

Oklahoma

You would not expect to find the best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. in Oklahoma, but it's true. Look no further, these two restaurants are hands down the best Mexican I have EVER eaten; and trust me, I've eaten a lot of Mexican food. As soon as you are seated, you will be served warm, freshly made corn ships, salsa, queso and flour tortillas. Don't go starving; you'll more than likely have to wait for a seat.

• Chelino's Mexican Restaurant {OKC Bricktown location. The atmosphere is party-like and full of Mexican art, music and décor. Chelino's is also located on the canal area of bricktown in Oklahoma City, which adds to the festive mood, but I started eating there long before there was a river running past the back side.}
• Ted's Cafe Escondido {OKC. This restaurant is smaller and the wait was legendary. I think it's been re-done since we lived there, and is probably larger, but in any case, the food is worth the wait!}

Iowa

• Miles Inn {Sioux City. In Iowa, we discovered something called a tavern. It's similar to a sloppy joe, but so much better. We tasted many, and then we found Miles Inn. Miles Inn is really a bar; and not even a very nice bar, but a dark, old, smoky bar full of dart boards, small tables and bar stools, but doesn't matter. You won't even notice where you are if you have a beer {with green olives; it's a local thing & essential}, a tavern with cheese and pickles {or 2} and a bag of Old Dutch Dill Pickle Chips in front of you and are seated at a small, wobbly, Formica table with 4 or 5 of your buddies. One word of caution: don't use the bathroom there. It was a warning passed on to me by a friend, and one I adhered to all the times I went there.}
• Pierce Street Coffee Works {Sioux City. The sign may say coffee works, but go for the food; the bread selection is wonderful, the interesting sandwich combinations and endless options for building your own make this a standout in my mind when it comes to sandwiches. Yet, I also love their Rosemary Pasta Salad. Then again, their blue cheese salad was always a delight too. And the cakes.... oh, their luscious fabulous, homemade cake selection is to die for. We eat here every time we return to visit friends.}

And lastly, the Bonus Favorite Pick......

• Il Gattopardo {NYC. It was the first meal that mom & I ate when visiting the Big Apple this summer. We would have never known about it, but our Concierge at the Hilton New York set us up. Every bite was delectable. The service impeccable. The ambience a combination of Italy and Manhattan. It remained our favorite even after eating a number of fantastic meals in New York. Just don't ask for the dessert to go.}

The Scoop

There's nothing more disappointing to me than to have eaten a mediocre meal when I know I could've eaten a really great meal. What's your favorite restaurant? Please leave a comment with your own favorite dining spot, no matter where you live or where the restaurant is located. Over and out...

Anna

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Definition of a Foodie

While I'm certainly not a culinary expert, I do fancy myself a "foodie." If you Google foodie you will get numerous, slightly varying definitions, but basically a foodie is one who has an ardent interest in the preparation and consumption of good food. Yep, that's me. I love good food. And again, as I stressed in an earlier post this week, good food is not synonymous with expensive food. You can spend very little and have an excellent meal; and conversely you can have a very poor culinary experience and spend an exorbitant amount of money.

Case in point: in late August, the four of us piled into our minivan and headed north. Our destination was the Iron Range area of Minnesota {Note: an area not known for culinary excellence}, but we took the scenic route in order to make a favorite stop at Lake Superior in Duluth. Along the way, we made a potty stop, and were lucky enough to be approaching an exit with a gas station when Darling 1 announced he really had to go NOW! This isn't often the case.

When we pulled into the parking lot, we passed by a small picnic shelter with a sign out front and a smoking BBQ grill on the side. The sign said something about the day's special being pulled pork sandwiches and cowboy beans. My interest was piqued, especially when DH and Darling 1 exited the vehicle and I got a whiff of that pulled pork, smoking away in the cooker. I said something to Darling 2 about stretching our legs and we went to investigate. By the time, DH and Darling 1 returned, I had the whole scoop. The two ladies cooking were a local catering company who set up in the picnic shelter on weekends they didn't have events. We ordered two blue plate specials for the four of us to split {Note: we should have ordered 4}: pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw, cowboy beans, a bag of chips and roasted corn on the cob slathered with butter. We ate every lick of it and wanted more. It was clear this food was lovingly prepared by these two ladies who really cared about the quality of what they were making, even if they were serving it on the side of a highway in a makeshift kitchen. This whole meal cost less than $20, which is peanuts in comparison to most meals out regardless of quality, but this is one that will always stand out in my memory as one of the best meals I've eaten.

And the moral of the story: you never know where you'll find fantastic food! So, be curious, yet cautious. You know I was cautious. I asked enough questions, looked at the food and their setup before I ordered from the picnic shelter. And be adventurous, which means being willing to try foods you think you might not like, but haven't tried; or maybe you tried it when you were 5 years old; or perhaps you tried it prepared a different way. I say I don't like ham or bacon, which is true for the most part, but I do like prosciutto {Italian ham} and Serrano ham {Spanish ham}; and in the right dish, I've been known to eat bacon too.

Local Faves

A friend who's in MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers) with me and fellow foodie asked me to contribute a list of favorite local dining spots for our MOPS Mother's Night Out Event; and I decided to turn into a post, as well. So, below you will find my top picks, but by no means exhaustive, list Twin Cities' restaurants {Oh, and before you click on any of the restaurant links, mute your sound if you are at work or the library or your child is sleeping, etc. Some of the sites play music}:

• Bar La Grassa {Lobster & Egg Bruschetta, Anything with Cauliflower. The food is fab. The service is so-so.}
• El Meson {Tapas, Tapas, Tapas, Great Wine Selection, Friendly & helpful wait staff}
• Patisserie 46 {Ham & Gruyere Croissant, Chocolate Chip Cookies & Orange Almond Pound Cake and on and on and on. Lovely staff. I go here a lot~ free wifi and good coffee}
• Spoonriver {Anything on the Menu ~ Lots of Locally Sourced Ingredients, heavy on the Veggies. Great for a pre-Guthrie Theater meal.}
• The Zumbro Cafe {Best Coffee Evah, Huevos Rancheros, Cornmeal Pancakes & Meatloaf Sandwich; Family-Friendly; Perfect for Saturday Brunch. Servers & owner are great with kids & have little boxes packed with toys for each table with kiddos.}
• Grand Cafe {Anything on the Menu ~ Lots of Locally Sourced Ingredients. I have never been disappointed here and never order the same thing. I love the Cozy French Café Ambience too.}
• Barbette {Steak Frites, Butternut Squash Gnocchi and a Million Other Tasty Gems! Dark & Cozy; Open Late; Great for Date Nights}
• Victor's 1959 Cafe {Pancakes are the Absolute Best}
• Cafe Lurcat {Impeccable Service, Well-Executed, Delicious Food. Nothing more to say. Try it. Love it!}
• W.A. Frost {It may sound cliché, but it's still Really Good Food and Excellent Service. In winter warm up by the crackling fireplace and in summer linger outside on the gorgeous and spacious patio. You can't go wrong with the food & I have always found their cheese plate selections to be one of the best}
• Jason's Deli {Eden Prairie and a million other locales, but I can't get enough of Jason's Turkey Wrap {low cal, low fat}. The kids love the free soft serve ice cream with chocolate syrup after the meal. Oh heck, the husband and I enjoy that part too! Many items are made from organic products and they pride themselves on being healthy and fresh. Great place to meet for lunch…or dinner!}

The Scoop

These are many of my local favorites, but later today I'll post my favorites from places I've lived. Talk to me peeps! What's your favorite local restaurant? Over and out...

Anna