The Restaurant Menu Highway...

I’m an English major and an editor.  I work with words daily.  I love adjectives, and I like to think I know how to use them.  “Edible product” corporations know how to use them as well.  Modifiers including, but no limited to doused, drenched, slathered, and smothered permeate commercials and menus everywhere.  This post stems from a radio advertisement I heard yesterday from the advertisers at a very popular food chain.  It featured “skewers smothered in sauce.”  Since when did that kind of hyperbolic modifier heighten appetites?  

A nationwide waffle eatery takes its adjectival employment to the extreme.  This chain offers potatoes that can be scattered, smothered, covered, and/or chunked in additional to various other descriptive versions.  As if the simple carbs of poor-quality white potatoes aren’t bad enough, this joint gladly tops this side choice with fat (fried onions), more fat (cheese), and even more fat (sausage gravy).  How ‘bout them adjectives?

...pick your potato adjective

But this should be something that can be easily avoided… barring any cravings or out-of-necessity nourishment when this chain is the only option… at the last exit on the highway… and the next exit isn’t for 100 miles…  Other wise be sure to steer clear of this road hazard!

The tricky adjectives sneak their ways in with “Prius-like silence” under the guise of foods that sound healthy.

Too many people think they are making a healthy choice when taking the salad exit off the restaurant menu highway.  The trouble is this exit still typically leads them into Calorie township, a part of Sugar city, which is in Saturated Fat county.  The salad is usually doused in dressing!  Solution? A helpful tip when deciding on an entree salad from a restaurant is to order the dressing on the side.  But that’s old hat.  Take it a step further and keep the dressing on the side.  Simply dip an empty fork into the dressing each time before you fill it with more salad and when the salad plate is empty, be amazed at how much dressing is left in that ramekin!

...some salad with that dressing?

I want to be healthful…aka full of health… which is not what I’m full of after downing smothered spuds or a soaked salad.  No one is safe when an eating establishment is permitted to prepare sustenance, so the best option is to stay local!  Leave the car in park and explore the world of healthier culinary adjectives with every home-cooked meal.

Vacation Bites...

I just got back from a few days off from work and spending some time at the beach.  I experienced great weather and the relaxing euphoria of sunshine, sea breeze, vocal seagulls and rolling waves.  What’s more?  I love indulging in snacks and “once-in-a-while” foods while I’m on vacation including Annie’s Graham Bunnies, Back to Nature lemon cookies, fresh apricots and juicy peaches. 

Vacation is a great time to relax from work of all kinds.  I live a very healthy lifestyle, including a fairly strict food intake, nine days out of ten.  When I know vacation is coming up, I start saving that “tenth day” so I’m eating healthy 100% of the time before vacation.   It’s my justification for pigging out for a few days straight… and it’s worth it.  Let’s face it, everyone needs vacation from work, and everyone also deserves the chance to indulge the palette. 

Sweet snacks on the beach, boardwalk pizza, salt-water taffy, and homemade ice cream, were had by all… or maybe just me.

Those quintessential treats are rudimentary to a successful beach trip, and new discoveries keep things exciting.  I love sampling fudge and picking out fresh taffy on the boardwalk.  My favorite new find was at George’s Ice Cream Shop in Ocean City, NJ.  I’ve been very familiar with George’s Candies all my life because of their macaroons.  A few years ago, George opened an ice cream shop next door to his candy shop that dips some fantastic homemade ice cream.  There are some inventive flavors: Macaroon, S’mores, Motor Oil (Dark Choco Cream with fudge swirl and espresso beans), and my favorite: CAKE BATTER.  Whenever a shop has cake batter, I have to sample it to see if it’s worth having a whole dish.  This was worth it. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation time for many reasons, but the food is always my favorite part of getting away.  I am happy to have found a great new ice cream parlor and excited to have some treats to last throughout the rest of the week. 

Great food during a great vacation – the cherry on top of my cake batter sundae.