Margret Sloan

I wanted to grill some chicken breasts tonight instead of the usual hamburgers or steak, but I couldn’t find any chicken marinade in the pantry. So I got the idea to use regualr Italian dressing. I just poured the dressing straight from the bottle into the Ziploc bag and let it marinade the chicken for about 20 minutes before tossing them on the grill. Wowie! They turned out great!

I fixed my cold pasta salad that I call “Green and White Pasta” and some garlic toast and we were all set. The Green and White Pasta is really easy, too. Just toss some small cooked shells with a handful of frozen baby peas and some bottled ranch dressing. If you like, you can add a little diced Vidalia onion, green pepper and celery - any or all of the three make a nice crunchy addition and keep within the green and white theme.

I think at some point in each of our lives, everyone in my family has worked in a restaurant for some reason or another. I was a bartender and I loved it. Wish I had my own bar, but that’s the middle class American’s dream, isn’t it?

If I could make my dream come true, I would start a new business someplace where I want to live, pack up and leave here. One of the things stopping me is getting all the financing I would need. Banks are harder to deal with every day and I’m not interested in taking on partners. For one thing I want autonomy in making the business decisions and for another I don’t want to share the profits from my own hard work with people who don’t do anything except put in the start up money.

That’s why I’ve been looking into Business Loans online. There is a website, www.advancerestaurantfinance.com, that specializes in small business and restaurant loans. They are more flexible than banks and they have a simple application process that you can start right online. I like the fact that they are located and licensed int he state of California, so I am seriously considering making my dreams come true with the first step of finding the financing I’ll need.

Have seen the tenant build out underway for a few months and finally a banner announcing that a new Mexican restaurant would be opening in a little neighborhood shopping center. And finally last week they changed the banner to say “Now Open” and todays was our first opportunity to stop in and try them out.

There were only a few customers in the restaurant, but at 2:30 it was getting late for lunch - I hope they had a larger crowd during the 11:00 - 1:00 prime time lunch hours. We were seated immediately and a server took our drink order as soon as we were settled in. The menu was well done and had many selections, the food turned out great, and we’ll be going back to La Terraza again soon.

As an adult who grew up eating McDonald’s food, I’ve grown weary of the bland, thin and greasy taste of the burgers from the Golden Arches. About the only reason I go to Mickey Dee’s anymore is to pick up a Happy Meal for which ever grandchild I’ve feeding for the day.

When I want a hamburger I much prefer cooking it myself on the grill. I have a dozen different ways to season ground chuck or ground sirloin, and we both love the taste of grilled meat. But if I don’t have the making of hamburger on hand or am in a hurry, I drive over to the Backyard Burgers restaurant that’s about 2 miles from m house and pick up a Backyard Burger or Bacon Cheddar Burger from their drive through window. If it’s a real splurge, I’ll get onion rings and a milk shake. They make their shakes one at a time using scoops of real Breyer’s ice cream, and they are the best around.

For over 40 years I’ve been drinking all sorts of coffees. From the IHOPS and 7-Elevens to the Starbucks and the Peets and everything in between.

I’ve used instant coffee. I’ve used percolators. I’ve expressed. I’ve dripped. I’ve fresh ground and I’ve store ground.

At the moment I make my own coffee at home each morning with a 4 cup Mr. Coffee automatic coffeemaker. I use a custom blend of 1 part Folgers Columbian and 2 parts Starbucks French Roast. It’s not as bitter as all Starbucks and it saves a little dough. I’m also playing around with the Starbucks Costa Rican - but it is a little bitter and I really can’t taste the citrus they talk about on the bag’s description.

If I’m out and about and start to nod, I’ll stop at a Starbucks and order a tall caramel macchiatto with a double shot of espresso. It’s usually about $4, and after 2 or 3 sips I’m awake and alert again.

What’s your poison?