25 Oct
The Perfect Split Pea Soup Recipe for a Chilly Evening
Jacqueline's delicious split pea soup with Italian sausage
When I think of the holidays I think of soup. And I absolutely love making split pea soup for family and friends. It’s one of those comfort foods that warms the stomach and soothes the soul. If you would like to make this delicious soup, here’s my recipe:
What you’ll need:
12 oz. package of dry split green peas. Wash and drain. (I use Conchita brand but any brand will do.)
Half package of Jimmy Dean Italian Pork Sausage (you may delete this ingredient if you are a vegetarian.)
Half of a sweet onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 bay leaf
3 large, peeled and chopped carrots
1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper
5 cups of chicken stock
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
Directions: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown. Remove sausage. Add onion and garlic to the leftover oil. Heat for about five minutes over medium heat or until brown. Add chicken stock, cooked sausage, split green peas, carrots, salt, pepper, bayleaf and pepper flakes. Bring to boil. Then simmer on low for two to three hours. Stir occasionally.
Sprinkle grated Pecorino Romano cheese and garlic croutons on top (I use Locatelli brand)
Instead of using croutons, I served this soup with crackers. I also served chicken, almond, grape salad on the side.
Enjoy!
Tell Whoever Is Making My Whopper to Suck It
By Guest Blogger, Charlie Pratt
It was my pleasure to be interviewed about drive-thru etiquette by author and blogger, Charlie Pratt (www.charliewrites.com).
It’s been analyzed countless times by those who analyze things that road rage tricks the mind into believing that to be inside one’s car is to be inside an impenetrable bubble in which whatever is said and done there carries no actual consequence in real life. You’ve seen it all before: Guy #1 yells at Woman #1 from the confines of his Lexus. Woman #1, upon observing Man #1‘s irrational fit, decides to return the favor and launches a choleric counterattack, sometimes involving lewd hand gestures and sporadic pointing. This goes on for three to eight seconds before the flow of traffic forces the perturbed pair to simmer down and get to where they’re going.
It set me thinking about the places in which we create a false sense of superiority based on the feeling that we can’t be touched. The road rage issue is common theater; just the other day, I found myself staring at a man in the lane next to me, driving down the highway and waving his arms wildly, giving the double-bird to a dented blue minivan in front of him. I imagine he was under the assumption that the minivan was packed with parents and little children (which, of course, are the natural target for dyspeptic rage and inappropriate hand gestures) but what if the van had been filled with armed thugs? Mr. Rage-y Pants didn’t know, but he rolled the dice anyway.
We generate a lot of nerve when we think we’re invincible, and the drive-thru line is no exception. Restaurants, banks, pharmacies, coffee shops—the great American drive-thru is one of the best places to observe irrational human behavior based on the magic audacity that is gained by simply driving in one’s own car.
Before I began coming up with my own list, I decided to call a professional. Jacqueline Whitmore (www.etiquetteexpert.com), one of the leading experts in the field of modern etiquette, sat down with me to discuss this issue and to find out if there are a few tenets of restaurant drive-thru etiquette that might be gleaned for public consumption.
Pillow Fight: My unfortunate encounter with a Delta flight attendant
This past weekend I was a passenger on Delta flight 1070, from Atlanta to West Palm Beach. When I stepped onto the plane, I asked the lead flight attendant, Nicole J. (real name), where I could stow my laptop case. She told me that I could put it in an overhead bin in first class. Before I placed my case in the overhead bin, I moved a pillow and blanket out of the way to make room for my case. I then took the pillow from the bin and began to walk back to my seat.
Nicole noticed that I had the pillow in my hand and she quickly grabbed it from me. She then said in a scolding tone, “You can’t take that pillow out of first class!” Confused, I asked why and she said, “Because everyone in coach class would start asking us for one and we don’t have enough to go around!” I told her that no one in first class was using the pillow and she flippantly replied, “It doesn’t matter.”
For years, I have been a loyal, Delta silver/elite and Sky Club member and I have never witnessed such rude service from a Delta flight attendant. Nicole’s behavior was not only unnecessary, it made for a very unpleasant flight. Will this incident preclude me from ever flying on Delta again? Probably not. After all, I try not to sweat the small stuff.
Yet, I have to wonder who in the corporate office came up with this “policy.” I understand that the company is trying to reduce costs and therefore reduce the number of pillows on board. However, it wouldn’t have cost this flight attendant nor the airline a dime to allow me to take this pillow back to my seat. In fact, it would have made me a very happy and more comfortable customer. And a happy customer is a return customer.
Something as simple as the “coach customer can’t have a first class pillow” rule will undoubtedly impact customer satisfaction. So be warned — sometimes when you eliminate something small from your company, you end up paying a bigger price in the long run. And in this case, the bigger price could be decreased ticket sales.
HERE IS THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED VIA EMAIL FROM DELTA AIRLINES ON OCTOBER 15, 2009
Dear Ms. Whitmore,
Thank you for your e-mail regarding your recent trip on October 10. On behalf of Delta Air Lines, I apologize for the inconvenience you experienced due to unprofessional demeanor of our employee.
After reading your comments, I certainly understand why you wanted to bring this matter to our attention. We expect our flight attendants to be helpful and professional at all times. I am truly sorry you did not receive the service you expected and should have received.
I also realize the appearance of our flight attendant was unsatisfactory. We want to ensure our crew members present themselves in a fashionable and professional manner at all times. Feedback like you have provided will help us to improve our customer image. I will be sharing your comments with our In-flight leadership team for internal follow up.
As a gesture of goodwill, for lack of customer service, I have added 3,700 bonus miles to your frequent flyer account. Please allow three business days for the miles to appear in your account.
Ms. Whitmore, again thank you for writing. As a SkyMiles Silver Medallion member, we appreciate your business and will always welcome the opportunity to be of service.
Sincerely,
Jerry P. Brown
Coordinator, Customer Care
Why you should never invite your ex to your wedding
Like most women, I usually cry at weddings. I love the music, the romance, the thought of two lives becoming one. But never in my 44 years have I seen a man cry at a wedding (fathers and grooms excluded)…until this past weekend. On Saturday, my hubby and I attended my childhood best friend’s wedding. While we watched the bride and groom take their vows, a man (I’ll call him Joe) suddenly appeared out of nowhere and took a seat beside the bride’s mother. No, Joe was not a brother or a cousin. He was my friend’s EX BOYFRIEND. Right there in front of us, sitting in the FRONT ROW Joe started balling his eyes out and crying like a little baby! Upon first glance, we thought that Joe was just a sentimental guy shedding tears of joy. However, we later found out that he was seriously distraught about my friend getting married.
After the ceremony, I approached Joe in the parking lot and introduced myself. He reeked of alcohol. Come to find out, Joe came to the wedding completely inebriated! He obviously began to drown his sorrows hours before the ceremony. As he was drying his eyes he admitted that although he and my friend dated only two years he was still in love with her and that he was sorry that he let her go!
The drama didn’t end there. At the reception, Joe continued to order glass after glass of wine. After all, there was no charge for beer or wine so he took advantage of the free liquor. His depression deepened and he ended up making a complete fool of himself in front of the bride, groom and everyone else in attendance. A sheer embarrassment!
There ought to be an etiquette rule that states that you should never invite an ex-wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, or ex-anything-else to your wedding, regardless of how much they tell you that they’re over you. Therefore, I’m now officially declaring this a new rule.
Have you ever invited an ex to your wedding only to be sorry that you did? If so, I’d love to hear from you.