Marlene

Actually, I thought the restaurant handled it at the time, with the fact that they did not present him with a check. If the owner/chef was not a "friend" would he have expected the owner to call him and apologize?

Ok, maybe this is weird, but very simple. Spagettini, tossed with butter, garlic, parmesan and sour cream.

Pastry. Mine never comes out right. I too have a fear of deep frying. And I won't light the bbq. I'll cook on the bbq, but only if someone starts it for me!

My son is 9 and generally eats what we eat. The rule is, he has to try it before complaining about it. And there is always something he likes with dinner, either potatoes or vegetable, if he doesn't like the main course. I do not make special meals for him, if he doesn't eat dinner, he will sure eat breakfast in the morning! (although I might let him have something "healthy" as a snack later.) He loves McDonalds and pizza of course, and he gets to choose a junk food dinner about once every two weeks. We have also taken him with us to fine dining establishments from the time he was about 5 years old. When he was younger, we brought something to entertain himself with, colouring etc. so the adults could dine in peace since he always finished first. The benefits of doing this have paid off in that he knows how to act in a restaurant, and is willing to try different things on the menu. In fact the other day, he ordered (and ate every bite of) was escargot, and poached salmon. Neither of which I've ever made. I think if you don't cater to the "pickiness" (the old, they'll eat when they get hungry bit) and expose them to new opportunities and choose not to battle them over what they will and won't eat (they have so little choice control in their lives as it is), they'll come around on their own.

I am allergic to mushrooms and have an anaphalatic (sp?) reaction. I have the same reaction to penicilin get hives when I eat blue cheese. All three are in the mold/fungi group. My son was allergic to milk (not lactose intolerant) when he was a baby and we used soy formula for almost 2 years, gradually mixing in more and more milk into the formula. He can have milk now, just not major quantities of it. He has several friends at school with allergies, the most common one being peanuts, and those kids bring their epi pens to school with them. One friend in particular seems to be allergic to wheat and gets migraines when he has milk products. It's made for some adventurous cooking when Ryan has these friends over! I end up making breads, pasta etc by hand with special flours for Justin. There are definitely more "allergies" with kids these days!

It's annoying when a tip is added to your bill in advance, i.e. room service in hotel, or in a restaurant with groups over six. Since they have already added the tip, does the server then worry about offering good service which is what tipping is all about isn't it? And what about the new concept of tipping at an all-inclusive resort? Yes, I know, these people make like six bucks a day maybe, but it kinda takes the meaning out of all-inclusive doesn't it?

A bag of Lay's Hot BBQ potato chips.

Rahcel, I've got an even better "pigs in blanket" receipe. Try these for appetizers next time: 1 tube refrigerated cresent rolls 24 miniture smoked saugage links 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup chopped nuts (omit for allergies if necessary) 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons brown sugar Separate crescent rolls into triangles, cut each lengthwise into 3 triangles. Place a sausage on the long end and roll up tightly. Set aside. Lightly grease or spray with pam (ok ok, but it works!) Combine the remaining ingredients in an 11x7x2 in baking ban. Arrange sausage rolls seam side down in butter mixture. Bake uncovered at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. (incredible)

Are we our brother's keeper? Or just big brother? Speeding is relative....What is speeding in North America is a fine for going to slow on the Autobon in Germany, LOL.

Actually Tommy, you shouldn't "assume" anything. Office buildings are not generally places where consumers go to spend money, and offices are unlikely to go bankrupt with a non smoking rule as could be in the case of bars and restaurants when patrons go elsewhere. In Toronto, a number of office buildings provide separately ventilated smoking rooms indoors for smokers, usually in the concourse area somewhere. There are a number of people with asthma in the world, but I don't see anyone banning cars, or buses or other things that put pollutants into the air, making it difficult for those people to breathe. Having said all that, I still think it comes back to basic freedom of choice, for smokers, non smokers and business owners. It's legal and we are a democracy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the real point is that we live in a democracy, and as such under both the Canadian and American Charter of rights, do have what is known as Freedom of Choice. While smoking may be bad for you, and the people around you etc, the fact is, it is still legal and consumers spending money should have a choice of whether to patronize a smoking or non smoking establishment. Why can't bar owners and restauranters choose one or the other, or offer a separate area for smokers. I live in Ontario, Canada, and our smoking bylaws in this province are certainly not equal across the board. In Toronto, you can have a separately ventilated area for smoking in dining rooms, and places can declare themselves a bar and permit smoking,but no one is allowed in under 19. In Mississauga, the same rule, and yet right beside Mississauga, in Oakville, there is no smoking, period unless your business is a bingo hall (go figure). In Burlington, no smoking in dining rooms, but ok in bars. The result is, smokers spend their money elsewhere, so businesses lose. When they make smoking illegal, fine. But there isn't any government I know of who is willing to give up the huge tax revenues generated, so they shouldn't be controlling your freedom of choice.

Butter Tart Squares These are distinctly Canadian. Base 2 T brown sugar 1-1/4 c flour 1/2 c butter Filling 1-1/2 c brown sugar 1/4 c butter, melted 2 eggs, beaten 1 T white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c raisins Preheat oven to 350. To make base In a small bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Then blend in flour. Mixture will resemble very fine crumbs. Lightly grease a square 9x9 in. pan.(I use a square springform pan) Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Prick with fork in a few places. Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove from oven. Filling Soak the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, until they become plump. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling, drain raisins and add. Pour over base. Bake for 35 minutes approximately until top is brown. Remove to wire rack, and let cool. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. When cool, carefully remove from pan. This is why I like the springform pan, because the top on these squares can crack quite easily. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG793 )

Butter Tart Squares These are distinctly Canadian. Base 2 T brown sugar 1-1/4 c flour 1/2 c butter Filling 1-1/2 c brown sugar 1/4 c butter, melted 2 eggs, beaten 1 T white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c raisins Preheat oven to 350. To make base In a small bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Then blend in flour. Mixture will resemble very fine crumbs. Lightly grease a square 9x9 in. pan.(I use a square springform pan) Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Prick with fork in a few places. Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove from oven. Filling Soak the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, until they become plump. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling, drain raisins and add. Pour over base. Bake for 35 minutes approximately until top is brown. Remove to wire rack, and let cool. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. When cool, carefully remove from pan. This is why I like the springform pan, because the top on these squares can crack quite easily. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG793 )