Fast Food Favs

Alright people, you know that I love Chick-Fil-A. I talk about it all the time because I think the food there is just so darn tasty. Now, I am pleased to announce a new set of delectable dishes on the CFA menu. They’ve always had brownies and milkshakes at this place, but now they have a few new additions that are truly divine. If you’re sweet tooth is yearning for some good eats, Chick-Fil-A may have the perfect options for you. Here’s a look at some of the new desserts at Chick-Fil-A so you can get your grub on the next time you’re there.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Most fast food restaurants sell really crappy cookies, if they sell any at all. The ones from McDonald’s might as well be called cardboard chip cookies, and the ones from Jack in the Box are barely cooked. I’ll admit that the ones at Subway are good, but those are about the only exception…until now. Chick-Fil-A has come up with an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe that you just have to taste to believe. The cookies are soft without being undercooked, and they are filled with chocolate chunks and oats. They aren’t oatmeal cookies. They just have oats in them. Those little oats create the perfect texture in every bite.

Banana Pudding Milkshakes
This isn’t the first time that Chick-Fil-A has come out with the banana pudding milkshake, but it is the first time I had the balls to try it. I am always hesitant about desserts that claim to taste like other deserts because they never really do. Key lime pie yogurt tastes more like diet lime soda yogurt, and I feared the shake would be the same. Luckily, it wasn’t in the slightest. This shake tastes just like banana pudding, and it even has bits of wafer cookies in it (or something that tastes like wafer cookies). It is extremely delicious, and I have eaten it for breakfast far too many times on its own. I would recommend it to anyone.

Ice Cream Sundaes
I don’t know if Chick-Fil-A’s sundaes have been out for a long time, but this is the first time I have noticed them on the menu. You can choose to get a brownie sundae or a chocolate chip cookie sundae, depending on what you are in the mood for. The sundaes consist of the cookie/brownie, soft serve ice cream, chocolate syrup, whip cream, and a cherry. If you can schmooze with the people behind the counter a little bit, you may be able to convince them to heat up the brownie or cookie before making the sundae. That, combined with the cold ice cream, makes for one amazing desert.

Other Options
If you don’t think you will like any of the options listed above, you can always get one of the classic Chick-Fil-A desserts. You could get a fruit cup, a bowl of oatmeal, a fruit and yogurt parfait, or a milkshake (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or cookies and cream). These are all really delicious, but I don’t think they’re quite as good as the new additions to the menu. You can give them a try and see for yourself.

Now that you have inspiration for your desserts in the future, you might as well test one of these bad boys out and see what you think. Pretend you’re a pharmacy tech doing an “experiment” for the greater good. Grab a milkshake on your way home from work, and let your taste buds sing their approval to you. You should be pleasantly surprised by the wonder to come.

The Asian culture is somewhat stifled here in America because of the influx of Mexicans in the country. As a result of that, most native Asians have to make due with whatever Chinese or Thai food restaurants they can find in their area, even if they’re run by a bunch of white guys in plaid jumpsuits. If you are having trouble finding good Asian fast food around you, you might just have to get creative with the American stuff. You can add just a little bit of flavor to an otherwise American dish and totally transform the way it tastes. Here are some ways to add new life to your favorite fast food to make it more Asian than American.

Seasoning Sauces

Asia is home to an array of specialty sauces that you can add into your meat and pasta dishes. These seasoning sauces provide an extra spice or sweetness to whatever food they are worked into. They obviously will not pair well with everything, so you may want to taste your sauce before you add it into a dish. I don’t think you’d get much out of soy sauce on a Big Mac. Test out whatever you want, and then you can see what it will work well in. A simple teaspoon of sauce may be all you need to get the taste of Asia in your meals.

Spices

Some spices from Asia are already popular in America, but there are some that are not used often outside of Asian cuisine. You could try out an assortment of spices in your dishes to see what you do and do not like. Some of these may be a little spicier than you are used to, depending on what you get. You will just have to experiment with some different recipes to see what you like.

Noodles and Rice

Noodles and rice are used in tons of Asian dishes, and they could easily be used as side dishes to American fast food. This will provide a slight variance to the American noodles and rice you may be using for other recipes at home, and it will make you feel like you are actually making a cultural contribution to your diet. You can buy sets of rice cheaply online, and then all you have to do is cook them in water. You can figure out how to work them into your meals from there.

Dessert

If you can’t find a way to work in Asian flavor for the actual meal, you can always use a dessert of some sort to tie everything together. If you have a favorite dish from your home town, whip it up to go along with your Whopper and French fries. Desserts can pair with just about any dishes, so you don’t have to worry much about compatibility. As long as you like the way something tastes, you can use it to add some Asian flare back into your American meals.

There are plenty of other Asian ingredients to mix into your recipes for an instant change in taste. Think of this like a forensic science experiment of sorts, but less crime and more brine. You just have to play around with some of the options around you and see what works for you. You might have fun with this process if you let creative juices flow. Take a look at some of the suggestions above, and see if you can use them to bring a taste of home into your foods.

If you’re a fast foodie like I am, you know how expensive eating out can get after a while. This is especially true if you eat fast food multiple times a day. Rather than shelling out your entire paralegal salary to pay for burgers from Jack in the Box, you may want to figure out a way to get the food you want at a cheaper price. There are several ways to go about this, and you may not have to make any sacrifices at all to fulfill them. You just have to adjust the way you order to provide the best deal possible. Let’s explore this idea a little further so you don’t end up in debt because of your diet.

Buy as a Group

You can usually save money on fast food if you get it with someone else. For instance, Burger King usually runs a special every few months that offers a free chicken sandwich with the purchase of a chicken sandwich. If you can find someone that likes to eat that, you can each pay half of the price of one sandwich. Sonic has the brown bag special, which has two burger combos for one low price. If you have a friend to eat the other one, you can each save money on food. Fid a buddy that loves fast food as much as you do, and then you will be able to get the food you want at a price you can afford.

Find Creative Alternatives

In some cases, you can change the way you order your food to get a lower price on it. Let’s say that you want to get a burger and fries for you but a friend wants a drink and another sandwich. You can get a combo for one of the sandwiches to cover the drink and the fries, and then you can get the other sandwich on top of that. Pairing meals together in this way can greatly reduce the money you pay for fast food, as long as you put the right menu items together.

Sign up for a Newsletter

Sometimes you can get freebies and coupons through your email if you sign up for an account with a fast food restaurant. I can’t think of any programs like this off the top of my head, but I know I’ve seen them before. You basically give the company your name and email address, and then you can get special offers right in the mail. The restaurant does this to entice people to come in, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the experience. You just have to give up a little information about yourself as a tradeoff for some great opportunities.

Complain

I know this sounds terrible, but you could actually save money by complaining about your food. I wouldn’t suggest doing this every time, but once and a while it may be alright to act pissed off (even when you’re not). If you are going to do this though, you might want to call the company, rather than complaining in the store. That way you avoid causing a scene for no reason. The restaurant will probably send you coupons in the mail, and then you can use them when you get to the restaurant.

Saving money on fast food is simply a matter of thinking outside the box (and the bun, if you must). You don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy what you eat. You just need to look for creative alternatives for your purchases. Take a look at the tips above, and you should be eating your way to a skinny wallet in no time.

If you are going to spend your software engineer salary at a fast food restaurant, you need to make sure you are getting a good experience. For me, the ideal experience involves really tasty food with some really tasty sauce to go along with it. Every restaurant has some sort of sauce to call its own, and that sauce dictates the kind of experience you can have with the restaurant. You might as well make sure that the one you choose to enjoy is going to be delicious. Here are some of my favorite sauces from fast food restaurants so you know what to look out for. You may find one of them to be the perfect fit for your taste buds.

Arby’s Sauce

It is no secret that I love Arby’s, and one of the main reasons I love this place is because of the Arby’s sauce. This sauce is kind of like barbecue sauce, but it has more of a kick to it. It’s thin like hot sauce, but it still has a tang that goes perfectly with roast beef and curly fries. I use it on my sandwich and my fries any time I eat at Arby’s, and I really don’t think I could eat a meal from there without it. You can get small packets of sauce to take home with you, or you could just pump out bowls of it when you dine in. That part is up to you.

Chick-Fil-A Sauce

Chick-Fil-A Sauce is sort of like sweet honey mustard, but it doesn’t have that mustard taste to it. It pairs well with chicken, fries, hash browns, and even pigs in a blanket. No, Chick-Fil-A doesn’t serve pigs in a blanket. I just tested that out on my own one day and really liked it. You won’t find any of this sauce out on the counter, so you will need to ask for it by name whenever you get your food. One lick is all you need to go bonkers for this stuff. I love to eat mine with chicken minis, but you may like it on something else. One thing is certain though – you will enjoy it no matter what.

Taco Bell Mild Sauce

I’m not a huge fan of hot sauce, but I do like the way the mild sauce tastes from Taco Bell. This is a lot thinner than most Mexican sauces that I have tasted, and it has just the right amount of spices to punch without knocking me out. Some people may prefer the taste of traditional salsa, but I don’t mind the fact that it’s not super authentic. The tacos in the place aren’t exactly screaming “south of the border,” so I think everything works really well together.

Jack in the Box Sun Dried Tomato Spread

The sun dried tomato spread from Jack in the Box is featured on their grilled turkey and cheddar sandwich. This is one of the only things I will eat on the menu because I’m not a fan of their hamburger meat. The sun dried tomato spread tastes kind of like Thousand Island dressing, but with more of a tomato-y background. It works really well with the components of the sandwich, and I would imagine it would work well on other sandwiches you make at home. I have never tried that, but I think I may actually do so now that I have put it in my mind. Wish me luck

KFC Pepper Mayonnaise

KFC pepper mayonnaise may not sound very delicious, but I can assure you that it is. It kind of reminds me of ranch and Caesar dressing, but that may just be based on the way it looks. It’s not overly spicy, and it works really well with most of their menu items, or at least the ones that contain lettuce. If your restaurant sells any sort of wraps or KFC snackers, you should be able to get a taste of this special sauce. Mine no longer carriers it, so I have to miss out on all the joy. Woe is me, woe is me.

Test out some of the sauces above for yourself, and see what you think. Your taste buds are in for a real treat.

I recently came to the realization that I have never made a list of my “fast food favs.” That is the title of this silly little blog, yet I have never really shared what I like to eat with all of you. Today, that is all going to change. That’s right, I am going to reveal all of the best meals in the fast food joints I frequent, with the hopes of encouraging you to try at least one of them on your own. I can’t guarantee that you will like the same foods that I do, but I can hope to inspire your eating in the future. Here is a list of some of my personal favorite fast food meals. Use its powers wisely.

Arby’s

When it comes to Arby’s, you can’t do any better than the classic roast beef sandwich. I almost always get a #1 combo with curly fries and a sweet tea, but I do occasionally upgrade to a larger version of that same sandwich. All it has on it is roast beef, but it tastes so damn good with the bread, fries, drink, etc. If you really want to push this meal over the top, you need to put some Arby’s sauce on the sandwich. Use a little for your fries as well, and you are sure to be in fast food heaven.

Wendy’s

At Wendy’s, I try to keep things healthy. I almost always get a Pick 2 order with a baked potato (just butter and cheese) and an apple walnut chicken salad. The salad is small enough to be considered healthy but still large enough to fill me up. It has grilled chicken, cranberries, walnuts, bleu cheese (which I take off), and pomegranate vinaigrette dressing. Doesn’t that sound divine? The baked potato is a lot more fattening than it should be, but that is because of the way I set mine up. Lots of cheese, lots of butter…lots of clogging in my arteries, I’m sure. (Don’t tell my pharmacy tech)

Chick-Fil-A

I only eat at Chick-Fil-A in the mornings because that is when they have my chicken minis. These are little bitty chicken sandwiches, made with a cute roll with honey butter on top of it. I get the four count #2 with a large lemonade or sweet tea, depending on what I’m in the mood for. I also get a combination of sweet tea and lemonade at times, which is really unique and tasty. If you are going to try this, you could just eat it on its own. I like to spruce mine up a bit though. I use Chick-Fil-A sauce to do this, and I dip both my minis and my hash browns in it. All of this goes together brilliantly, and it can honestly cause an orgasm in your mouth if you let it.

Subway

There are plenty of sandwiches that I like to eat at Subway, but my favorite is probably the meatball sub. It’s cheap, it’s delicious, and it’s really filling all at once. I will get a six inch or a footlong, depending on what I am in the mood for that day. I put mine on Monterey cheddar bread and then get Monterey cheddar cheese on top. Mozzarella also works well on this, but only a few Subways have that around the country. With all of that in place, I have the sub toasted. Then all it needs is a sprinkle of parmesan to be pure perfection. I usually pair this with Doritos and a Mr. Pibb, and I’m good to go.

Try out some of the foods above and see if you like any of them. Hopefully I have opened your eyes to your new favorite meal.

Michelle Obama isn’t what you would call a “normal” first lady, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Yes, she and her husband gave the Queen of England an iPod for a present, but not all of their decisions have been bad. Recently, Michelle decided to tackle one of the really really really really really important threats to the country – king sized candy bars. Yes, I know how scared you were of them. I was too. No worries though – Mrs. Obama has put an end to their production. Thanks to her, there will be no more king sized candy bars in America here in the near future. What a relief! What a relief!

Give me a break.

The Theory behind the Ban

The reason that Michelle Obama put a ban on king sized candy bars is because she thought that it was impacting the obesity rates in America. By depriving people of the chance to eat a large candy bar, she thought she would stop them from eating as much. While I respect that theory, I think it is a total load of crap. It is the same as trying to reduce tobacco usage by lessening the number of cigarettes that come in a box. Would that stop smoking? Nope. People are going to do what they want to do. That is why I think this is all a load of crap.

The Problems with the Ban

One of the main problems I have with the ban is the fact that it isn’t going to change anything. People who have been eating king sized candy bars will just buy two smaller candy bars to fill their chocolaty needs. This will help the economy a bit, so I don’t mind this issue from a financial standpoint. Nevertheless, the big reason why Obama wanted to ban the candy is to prevent people from eating it. That’s just not going to happen.

Another problem I have with this ban is that it comes across as a form of unnecessary control. Why should the government try to stop people from eating what they want to eat? If they want to get two Big Macs and stack them on top of one another, they’re going to do it. Why would the government have a say in that? If this country truly is based on freedom for all, I think that includes the fatties among us that want to satisfy their crunchy cravings. Maybe that’s just my opinion.

At the end of the day, there are more important things to be worrying about than king sized candy bars. Does the government really have that much time on their hands, where they can sit around and spend taxpayer dollars just to chat about Twix and Butterfingers? I would focus my attention on something a little more significant, like – oh I don’t know – the f*cked up state of the economy. I guess chocolate is just more interesting to some people.

The Solution for the Ban

If you really want to “stick it to the man” now, buy out all of the king sized candy bars you see and keep them stored away. Then when the ban officially goes into effect, you will have a stockpile of yumminess to pull from. You may even be able to sell the candy you have stocked up for a profit because of the reduction in supply. I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to buy a Ferrari with the profits, but you may be able to buy a few extra regular sized candy bars.

I’m honestly not a huge fan of the Obama administration, but I’m not a total hater either. I just think that there are more important things to worry about than how much caramel we are all scarfing down. What’s next, a ban on double scoop ice cream cones?

Shoot, I think I just gave someone an idea…

We’ve all seen those diet crazy food gurus that profess their colon cleansing diet is the best of the best. Colon cleansing detoxification is designed to remove toxins in the body and cleanse the system from the inside. Many people find this to be a bit excessive because they do not see why colon cleansing would make a difference. You may be one of those people. Before you turn your nose up at the idea of colon cleansing though, you need to think about the actual benefits that this could provide. By eating fast food, you are stuffing your face with tons of toxins that your body needs to get rid of. Colon cleansing can have that process along. Here is a look at some of the advantages available to you if you decide to go through this procedure.

Mood Changes

Colon cleansing can happen in many different ways, from an invasive medical process to a daily cup of tea. No matter how you decide to go through the detoxification, you will be able to see changes in the way you feel over time. Toxins sit in your body, mainly around the intestines and the colon. These toxins can actually weigh down your insides and make you feel angry, depressed, or upset as a whole. If you get rid of them, you can improve your attitude and even sleep better, all through a simple process you thought was unnecessary.

Weight Loss

You can lose weight through colon cleansing detox as well. This process gets rid of some of the toxins that make you heavier, and these can block your digestive track so fat does not pass through easily. That fat will settle in other areas without you ever realizing it. Whenever you eat fast food, the fat in the food only add to your weight and the amount of toxins in the body. You need proper cleansing to get rid of that. If you combine this process with a simple workout routine, you could get rid of a lot of the Whoppers hanging out around your hips at the moment. Your body will look better in no time.

Energy Improvement

When you have a ton of toxins hanging out in your body, you don’t have as much energy as you should to move throughout the day. This will make project management difficult on levels, and it will prevent you from doing the things you want to do throughout the day. If you go through a good colon cleanse, you can get your body in shape so you can start using your energy properly. You will feel more alert, more efficient, and more enthusiastic throughout the day after your cleanse, and who knows what can come from that? You might be a superhuman robot and not even know it because your circuits are clogged with toxins. Not likely, but it is a far far far far far away possibility.

Final Thoughts

Colon cleaning is not necessarily a costly process, and it can do wonders for your body if you allow it to. All you have to do is adjust a few of your habits and you can see a dramatic change in the toxins levels you carry with you. If you go on a healthy diet or start exercising regularly, this will improve even more. Your body is not up to par in its current state, but it could be with a little bit of work. Make a plan and stick to it if you want to see a positive transformation in yourself. You might not even remember having all those toxins when you get done removing them from your insides.

I can’t seem to get lucky with fast food restaurants nowadays, or customer service in general really. First there was my mayhem with McDonald’s, then my horror with the hair dresser, then the trouble with the transporters, and now a blunder with Burger King. When am I going to catch a break? Ugh. I don’t know if that will ever happen, but I again felt like venting. I hope you enjoy my frustrations, because I damn sure don’t. Here’s what happened…

I have been protesting Burger King ever since they got the new thick fries that I absolutely despise. My husband and I decided to give them another shot because we haven’t eaten at the one in our new city (we recently moved). The building looks great and we always see people there, so we assumed the experience would be positive as a whole. Hmmm, wrong!

We get in the building and told the lady at the counter we would take a minute to figure out what we wanted to order. She stared at us the whole time we reviewed the menu, and then right when we went up to order, she started talking to the manager about nonsense. After we waited for about a minute for her to get finished, she finally moseyed over to help us out. Here’s what our order consisted of (we were ordering for my father-in-law too):

• A Whopper combo – small, no pickle or ketchup, meat patty well done
• An Original Chicken Sandwich combo – medium (they didn’t have large, even though it’s on their menu), plain and dry (no sauce or veggies)
• A BK Chef’s Choice combo – medium, no pickles or onions, sub ketchup and mayo for the sauce
• Two Hershey’s Sundae Pies
• All of the fries well done

It may not be the easiest order in the world, but it is far from complicated. My husband and I saw the people in the back putting the Whopper together without cooking the meat a second time, so we said something about it. The cook then proceeded to put the meat in the microwave, not the broiler like he should have. The lady at the counter got an attitude with me when I said something about it, and nothing was right after that.

The drinks at the restaurant all tasted like poorly flavored water, including the sweet tea, the root beer, the Dr. Pepper, and the HI-C (yes, I tried them all). We waited around for a long long time for our order, even though we were the only ones in the restaurant. When we finally got the order, my fries literally sagged because they were barely cooked. I asked the girl if they were well done, and she flat out lied to my face that they were. I told her I needed them redone because they weren’t crispy at all, so she rolled her eyes and then grudgingly shluffed off to put the fries back in the fryer.

When I started looking over the order a little closer, I realized that my Chef’s Choice burger had the advertised sauce on it, not the ketchup and mayo I had asked for. I went to the front to say something about it, and everyone tried to go to other areas of the restaurant so they wouldn’t have to deal with it. I finally got someone to hear about my problems, and I got all of my food fixed.

To end this lovely experience off on an equally great note, my husband and I got home to find that our chocolate pies were frozen solid. We couldn’t even eat them. The whole experience was just a nightmare, and it solidified my protest against BK once more. Thanks for letting me vent about it. Hopefully you won’t go through anything like this in the near future.

I love Chick-Fil-A, and I probably write about it a lot more than I should. The reason why I include this restaurant in so many of my posts here is because it truly sets itself apart from other fast food restaurants. The quality and care in every Chick-Fil-A restaurant is nothing like that of McDonald’s, Burger King, Sonic, or any other place like that. I always leave CFA with a smile on my face knowing that I am eating good food and I received good service. If you haven’t been to Chick-Fil-A before, you really need to think about going there in the near future. Here are a few reasons why.

Healthier Food

If you need to get fit for your FBI training or your midnight mall runs, Chick-Fil-A may be able to help you out. The chicken at Chick-Fil-A is cooked in peanut oil, not the standard grease that most fast food restaurants use. That is why the chicken has such a unique taste to it. Peanut oil is a lot healthier for the body than traditional frying oils, so the food in this restaurant is as healthy as it can be. If you have no time to cook but you still want a healthy meal to eat for lunch, this could be a great place to start. Most Chick-Fil-A restaurants have a poster on the wall that highlights different meals you can get for less than 500 calories total. You can refer to that poster to get the perfect healthy snack for you.

More Professional Atmosphere

The people that work for Chick-Fil-A are required to use what they call “elevated language.” Rather than saying “Pull around to the second drive thru window,” they say “It would be our pleasure to serve you at the window.” Little phrasing like this makes a big difference in the quality of service that the customers experience as a whole. The atmosphere is professional and high-class, even if it is still a fast food restaurant at the end of the day. I like to feel like I am important when I give money to an establishment. I always feel that way at Chick-Fil-A.

More Attentive Staff Members

There are always several people at the counter waiting to take orders at Chick-Fil-A. Rather than having to wait for someone to come around from the back to help you, you can get served right when you want in the door. The staff is always attentive to your needs, and they are constantly looking for ways to improve your experience in their restaurant. I have written about crappy fast food service before, and I can honestly say that I have never had an experience like that at Chick-Fil-A. I don’t know what the managers do to make their workers so darn awesome, but I’m glad they do it.

Better Menu

The menu items at Chick-Fil-A may be simplistic in nature, but that is because they taste so good on their own. This is not a place that has to go through a bunch of gimmicks to get customers coming back for more. They rely on simple, effective menu items to keep their customers loyal to them. As long as you like chicken, you can find something to love about this menu.

Funnier Mascot

If you cannot think of any other reason to love Chick-Fil-A, do it for the cows. They want you to “Eat Mor Chikn,” so you might as well give them the benefit of the doubt. I love this restaurant to death, and I literally eat there every day that they are open. If you go in there a few times yourself, you will soon see why I adore Chick-Fil-A so much.

Until now, the only small pieces of chicken that you could get at McDonald’s came in the form of the chicken McNuggets. I’m not a huge fan of those in the slightest, but my husband is. Thus whenever Mickey D’s came out with their new chicken McBites, we were excited to give them a try. The results of this trial were a little less than thrilling, and quite frankly, I don’t want you to go through the same disgusting experience I had. Spare yourself the trouble and just get something else on the menu. Here’s why…

What Are Chicken McBites?

The McBites are McDonald’s feeble attempt at popcorn chicken. They are much smaller than regular chicken nuggets, and they have a different kind of breading. I think the breading is the same as that of the chicken selects, but do not quote me on that. The chicken is served in a little box that has a handy flap on the top to hold sauces. That is about the only redeeming feature of this menu item, and it is far from something I couldn’t live without.

What I Hate about the McBites

The main reason why I hate McBites so much is because they are mostly made of breading. They have very little chicken inside of them, and what little bit there is doesn’t taste very good. When I buy a chicken product of any kind, be it a sandwich, a nugget, or something in between, I expect to taste more than just the breading when I bite into it. Don’t you? That would be the same as getting a sausage link that was all skin or a crab that was all shell. I just don’t think there is a lot of value in the food.

Another thing I hate about McBites is the fact that they cost a whole lot of money. I don’t mind paying good money for good food. I’m far from what you may call a cheapskate. Nevertheless, I think the prices for the various sizes of McBites are absolutely ridiculous. You can either pay $2 for about five kernels of chicken, or you could pay $6 for a Chinese takeout size. There is nothing in between. Thus I had to pay a whole lot of money for chicken that I didn’t even eat. Sounds like a bunch of bull to me.

How to Make McBites Taste Good

If you find yourself trying the McBites despite what I have to say here, you at least need to make an effort to jazz them up a bit I would recommend getting a lot of your favorite dipping sauce because you are going to need it to mask the flavor. You could also try adding the bites to a salad doused in dressing or a sandwich caked in mayonnaise. Do whatever you have to do. Just don’t get your hopes up about eating them on their own. The results are not going to be pleasant.

Conclusion

It is entirely possible that you will think the chicken McBites are the best food invention since the McRib, but I just don’t think so. In my opinion, they are tasteless balls of breading that someone is trying to pass off as chicken. If you don’t mind spending your money on that, so be it. I just don’t want to be a part of the experience. If I were you, I would avoid wasting a single dime on the McBites so McDonald’s isn’t encouraged to keep them as a permanent menu item.

Is it just me, or are the people working at fast food places getting dumber by the day? I don’t like to condescend to people, nor do I like to judge others based on their actions. Nevertheless, I can’t seem to walk out of a fast food restaurant nowadays without feeling like my IQ dropped 40 points inside. I know I’m not alone in this feeling because my husband experiences the same thing. What is happening? Why are food prices going up and intellectual standards going down? I just don’t get it.

The Problem

I think that the main problem is that the smart people in the world don’t want to work in fast food. I sure as hell don’t. That was the one sector of the job market I told myself I would never work in, and so far I have succeeded at that. However, the reason I didn’t want to work in fast food was because I knew I would be smarter than most of the other people working around me. There may be the occasional genius just trying to earn an honest living, but most of the people in fast food have hamburgers for brains. At least, that is what I have seen.

The Solution

What can we do to change all of this? That’s a good question. I think one of the easiest ways to fix this whole situation is to look for good managers. A good manager can literally transform a way a restaurant works, and he or she will not settle for anything less than perfection when it comes to the staff. There are so many business administration graduates without work right now, and they all have backgrounds that suit management positions. If fast food restaurants could scoop those people up and sacrifice a little bit of money to pay those workers properly, I think we would all have a better experience in a fast food restaurant.

I also think that people should have to go through more training before they can work on their own in fast food. I get really frustrated when someone doesn’t know where the button is for a common item on the screen and he or she has to run to the back just to get someone to help out. I know that fast food work isn’t that hard and it is something that people just learn as they go. Nevertheless, I don’t think people should be thrown on drive thru the first week of working at a place unless they’re just incredibly fast learners.

The Exception

There is one exception to this problem, and that comes from Chick-Fil-A. I have never had a bad experience at Chick-Fil-A, and I literally eat there every morning. I have eaten in multiple restaurants in multiple cities, and I have nothing to complain about any of the experiences I have had. The workers are always polite, efficient, attentive, and coherent. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

What is the secret to Chick-Fil-A’s success? Their high hiring standards. Most of the people working in the Chick-Fil-As I have been in were college students or older people who have already been in the work force. They are good at their jobs, and they know what it takes to help their customers. Chick-Fil-A also employs elevated language, meaning that people say, “May I refill your beverage?” as opposed to “Do you want a refill?” It’s little things like that that make a big difference in the end. If all fast food restaurants worked like Chick-Fil-A did, I don’t think I’d have a problem eating out anymore.

If you are anything like me, you may love the taste of a good baked potato. There is nothing like a huge, soft, buttery baked potato to send your mouth into a food loving frenzy. Wendy’s has some pretty good baked potatoes, and until now, that has been my go-to place for my baked potato cravings. However, I have found a new place for my mouth to call home now: Pizza Time. I know that sounds crazy, but they have some amazing baked potatoes that you have to see (or taste) to believe. I wanted to share my awesome discovery with the world in the hopes of getting other people to enjoy the potatoes I have grown to love.

The Size of Pizza Time Baked Potatoes

When I say that these potatoes are the size of dinner plates, I mean that. These things are huge, and they are enough to fill up two or three people if you wanted them to. These aren’t your standard rinky dink potatoes. They are true monsters, but delicious ones at that. I worried that a baked potato of that size may not get cooked properly, but I have never had one that wasn’t completely soft on the inside. If you want to get a whole lot of food in one setting, this is definitely the way to go.

The Toppings on Pizza Time Baked Potatoes

You can get just about anything you want on a baked potato from Pizza Time. I always get a chicken and broccoli baked potato with cheese and bacon on top. All of the ingredients are warm and they just taste so good with the backing of the potato. If you wanted to get some sort of barbecue or pizza flavoring on the potato, you could get that too. It just depends on what you are in the mood for. You could, of course, get just a plain baked potato, but that takes away the fun of these things. You need to at least look over the toppings and try to find something you can eat.

The Price of Pizza Time Baked Potatoes

In my area, the baked potatoes are $7 a piece. That may seem like a ton of money to pay for a potato, but you have to think about what you get. You basically get the equivalent of a full combo meal from a restaurant within that one potato. The potato itself can act as the fries, and then the toppings can act like the actual food for the meal. I never finish my whole potato, just because it is that massive. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that could eat one of those quickly in one setting and still be hungry in the end. When I say that these things are worth the money, I mean it. The $7 will be well spent, even if it turns out to be a splurge for you.

If you have been looking for a great baked potato to munch on, Pizza Time is the place to go. They have tons of different options to put on them, and they are guaranteed to fill you up. As long as you fulfill the minimum order requirements in your area, you can get one of these bad boys delivered right to your house. Then all you have to do is eat and enjoy. With the right toppings, this could easily be a meal for you to enjoy. You won’t want to go back to your Ramen Noodles after that.

Perhaps you are puzzled by the perplexing pattern of P’s I put in this post’s title. Hmmm? Are you? If my purposeful placement of alliteration didn’t attract your attention to this post, it must have been my mention of Pizza Hut pizza. Isn’t it awesome? I rated it at the top of my top 5 pizza places list for a reason. It is absolutely amazing. If you want to get as much enjoyment out of Pizza Hut as I do, you need to get the perfect pizza to send your taste buds into an orgasmic explosion of flavor. The tips below should help you understand your options so that you can piece together the perfect pizza pie for you.

Before I get to that though, I have to insert the most recent Pizza Hut commercial into this post because the song has been stuck in my head for days. I felt like getting it stuck in yours too. Why? Because you can get “Any pizza, any toppings, any crust…”

Now replay that a few times until you start humming it under your breath. Did you do that? Good. Now we can start talking about the pizza.

Choosing Your Crust

The crust of your Pizza Hut pizza is going to set the tone for every bite. It is the foundation for the flavor, and it is not something you should just pick on a whim. There are four main types of crust to choose from at Pizza Hut, aside from the promotional crusts that they bring out on occasion. Here is a breakdown of each crust so you can figure out which one you will like the most:

• Pan: Somewhat thick but still crispy, with an airy quality to every bite (my personal favorite)
• Hand-Tossed: Pretty much your standard pizza crust – not too thick or too thin
• Thin: Super thin and crispy, with hardly any crust around the edges
• Stuffed: Thick and filled with mozzarella cheese

You can also find whole grain crusts and other specialty items in certain parts of the country, but those are the main options you have to choose from. Think about what you like to eat and then you can select the crust that best suits your munching desires.

Choosing Your Toppings

The toppings you choose to get are entirely up to you. You just need to know your options. Here is a look at all the toppings Pizza Hut has available at the moment:

Meat

• Pepperoni
• Ham
• Beef Topping
• Italian Sausage
• Chicken
• Bacon
• Anchovies
• Pork Sausage

Veggies and Fruits

• Black Olives
• Green Peppers
• Jalapenos
• Mushrooms
• Pineapple
• Red Onions
• Roma Tomatoes

You can select whatever combination of toppings that you like, or you can choose to go with plain old cheese pizza. It’s up to you.

Choosing Your Sides

If you want to have the ultimate Pizza Hut experience, you need a set of sides to go along with your pizza. You can choose to get a salad, breadsticks, cheese sticks, mozzarella sticks, cinnamon sticks, chicken wings, garlic bread, or the ever-so-mouthwatering Hershey’s chocolate dunkers. Pizza Hut usually has some kind of special running where you can get a side, a drink, a pizza, or some combination of all that for a discounted price. You won’t have to use your entire forensic science technician salary just to pay for a pizza. Find the perfect meal and you’ll be on your way to hunger-fulfilling heaven in no time.

I have had a really hard time keeping my fast food crunchy recently, so I thought I would share some tips I have discovered along the way. Most fast food is cooked in oil of some sort, and the grease from that can cause foods that should be crunchy to get soggy and soft. This can literally ruin a meal if you have a long drive to get it home. Instead of letting that happen though, you need to carefully plan your fast food packaging while you are at the restaurant. That could change your food for the better. Here are some tips to ensure that your food is crispy when you get it home.

Leave the Bag Open

Most fast food places will fold the top of the bag over when they hand you your food because they want to keep all of the heat in. This is fine in theory, but it can cause a lot of moisture to build up in the bag. Once that happens, your crispy BK fries are nothing more than slopping potato strings. If you can keep the bag open while you drive home, you will be able to get enough air to the food to keep it crispy. It may be a little cold when you get home, but you can always pop it in the toaster oven if you need to. At least this way it will seem crisp and fresh when you go to eat it.

Avoid Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are particularly bad about trapping in moisture. The best example I can think of is for Taco Bell. They always seem to put their food in a plastic sack rather than a paper bag, and that plastic sack will turn a hard taco to a soft-bottomed mush ball in a ten minute ride home. I always ask for my tacos to be put in a box instead, and I now don’t have the problem of getting a soggy taco when I go to take a bite. If you can avoid plastic bags on a regular basis, you will have the best chance at maintaining the crunchiness of your food.

Get Toppings on the Side

Sometimes the sogginess of a sandwich does not come from the grease but rather from the toppings that you have on the sandwich. A tomato can easily destroy a sandwich by leaking liquids all over the bead. If you leave it on a bun long enough, it will make the top and bottom soaking wet. You can always ask for your toppings to be put on the side to ensure that you get the least amount of sogginess possible. This is mainly the case for sauces and veggies because cheese shouldn’t be too much of an issue. People may look at you strange for asking for toppings on the side, but they aren’t the ones that have to eat the food. You do, and you have to find a solution that suits your needs.

Conclusion

You can’t always avoid getting soggy food from a fast food restaurant, but you can damn sure try. If you make an effort to keep a food item as dry as possible on the road, you should be able to enjoy what you eat when you get home. If you want to avoid all of this entirely, you could always just eat at the restaurant. Seeing that most people don’t have the time to do that though, it may be in your best interest to follow the tips above whenever you go to a fast food restaurant.