Kind of Reminds Me of “Tom Sawyer”
Slappy Cakes Restaurant
I believe that most adults have read the famous Mark Twain novel “Tom Sawyer” at some point during their school years. But for those that didn’t have that pleasure, I’ll share with you a memorable scene. In this scene, Tom has been punished for one of his many naughty deeds, and was assigned the job of whitewashing his aunt’s picket fence. True to form, Tom persuades his friends that it’s fun to do this chore, and cons them out of money and treasures for the privilege of doing this job for him.
And why should I think of that story at this time? Because I just saw a funny story on Woman’sDay.com about DIY restaurants. Yes, people are actually paying to be able to sit down at a table, or stand at a grill to cook their own food! The places range from do-it-yourself pancakes to Bloody Marys.
I suppose there are a few reasons why this concept works. Essentially it removes what may be the more difficult or tedious parts of cooking for some people. They neither have to plan a meal, shop for ingredients, nor prep the meal. Plus, it turns the process into a social event.
I think there’s a business opportunity here for complete DIY cooking party kits. Think of all the time folks would save in party preparations, if all they needed to buy was a kit of prepped ingredients. Then when guests showed up, all we’d have to do is hand them a cooking apron and tell them to get to work. What fun!
Mark Twain was a smart man.
Photo courtesy of SlappyCakes.com.
Thoughts on Super Bowl Food
If You Can't Take the Grease, Get Out of the Party
It’s kind of hard to avoid hearing about great ideas for a Super Bowl party during the week leading up to the big game. You probably know that the usual menu consists of high fat and high salt items that many people would feel too guilty eating in one sitting on a regular day. Walking into a Super Bowl party and surveying the feast you might see any and all of these possible snacks: chicken wings, ribs, chili, chips, dip, nachos, guacamole, pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, hoagies, cheesesteaks, barbecue, sliders, hot dogs, or add your favorite here __________________. Don’t forget the buckets of beer to wash down all these goodies.
It’s pretty easy to speculate that the reason for this particular menu is that Super Bowl Sunday is the day for manly men. Grunt. And no manly man is going to want to go anywhere near a salad on that day of vicarious sweating and tackling. However, I would guess that many women welcome, at least secretly, the license to indulge in food at a Super Bowl buffet that they wouldn’t normally dare to order for themselves in public. The tradition of this party gives license to guilty eating.
And that’s okay as far as I’m concerned. If you’re a little more aware of your diet choices the rest of the year, why not enjoy those guilty pleasures? As a matter of fact it annoys me when I see segments on tv that talk about healthy eating strategies for a Super Bowl Party. If you really can’t bear the thought of eating the high fat buffet, either don’t eat anything (nobody is watching what you put into your mouth) or skip the party altogether. There’s no good reason to be the wet blanket on everyone else’s fun.
Now bring on the nachos and guacamole.
Help for Your Sweet Tooth
If you ever considered taming your sweet tooth, help may be on the way. There’s nothing like a little fiscal incentive to make any change possible, and the declining supply of sugar is driving up candy prices. So don’t be surprised when the next time you go to purchase your favorite candy, the package is smaller and the price is higher, according to a recent Nielsen Co. report.
Don’t blame me for trying to sugar coat the news.