dughlas

I have not but it sounds like something I would like.

I'd like to propose another name for the business instead of the foodtruck or foodtruck catering. I think "Take A Chance Foodtruck and Catering" has more gravitas and better describes the business. Jim took a chance starting the business and again on each of the boys when he asked them to join him. Each of the boys took a chance too when offered, to improve their situation.

His catering business is where Jim can offer a more varied menu. Adding different items or tweaking some of his usual by adding horseradish cream sauce for the roast beef, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetable sides. I found it was little things that changed everyday things folks were used to into something special. Jim will need to think of himself as an executive chef and the boys as sous chef and line cooks. Again, it's in his catering that he can find satisfaction by cooking the special items. He might also want to consider having one of the boys or finding another to specialize in the baked items. Specialty baked items at holidays are another way for him to expand. Many folks want to prepare their own holiday cookies meals but don't want to or don't feel comfortable baking cakes and pies plus he could add holiday cookies to those meal boxes instead of buying something. Again it's the little extra that sets his business apart from others.

Mmm, homemade maple syrup on pancakes or waffles. Molasses on creamy grits.

The business is growing well. I apologize but food trucks and catering are an area of interest to me since I've done catering in the past and logistics interest me. I am presuming that the majority of the cooking is done in a kitchen in the building not in the truck. That only made to order foods such as sandwiches and breakfast foods are being prepared in the truck. It would be far more efficient to cook the items for meals and portion them in a kitchen and then use the truck oven to keep things heated to proper serving temp. The same for soups and chili. Those should be prepared each week in large quanities that can be stored in the cold box. Only the what is needed for each day would then need to be reheated. Most soups that Jim would be making actually benefit from that resting period as flavors meld and develope. The boys don't want to be boiling and mashing potatoes in the truck. Sides ideally should be prepped for serving from a steam table. It makes service faster. A requirement for a food truck. One other thing. I know the businesses at the park are Jim's primary customer. Has you considered moving the truck to another more populated area on Saturdays. A more limited menu of sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs with his side salads or french fries and desserts might be popular near a playground or park. It would get his truck added recognition and the truck is afterall a portable restaurant. That's what local foodtrucks here do. They have a regular location during the work week then shift to someplace else on the weekend. I hope you see all this as interest in your story not criticism. You make me think about how I would go about things if it was my foodtruck business and I can't help but share my thoughts. I am enjoying the story.

Quality and convenience help Paul. Also, customers tend to stick with who they know unless something sends them away. His customers believe Paul delivers quality for price. The one caveat I would offer is Paul shouldn't change his daily menu too much. People tend to be creatures of habit. We like consistency. Look at the things you buy at the supermarket. It's usually the same basic items time after time. I suggest Paul have a daily "blue plate special", i.e., fried chicken on Monday, meatloaf on Tuesday, ham on Wednesday, roast beef on Thursday, fish and chips on Firday. That you'll find it some most diners do and Paul's foodtruck is in essence a mobile diner. His customers will learn his menu and know what day their favorite is served. That doesn't mean he can't add an remove items. Many places make seasonal adjustments. Menu changes can be tricky and cause customers to look elsewhere. The team's earlier research at other local eateries is a great way to get an idea of what most folks in your area like to eat. Then you work to adapt your recipe for those things so that yours becomes the one people prefer.

The pancake is more an English tradition I think. The fasnacht is a deepfried doughnut but without the hole. It was the long ago practice to serve them plain then spread with butter and molasses. That's a bit messy so it's more common now to have them coated in either granulated or powdered sugar. There are still some older folks who remember eating them with molasses when they were kids and that's what they prefer.

G'day y'all the morning dawned clear and crisp, very autumnal. The pup and I had a very pleasant walk. Luna was hanging full and bright in the early morning sky. Her light cast moon shadows across the landscape. I hope to complete the outside chores I'd planned on doing Thursday before that day went askew. Blessed be.

I've begun imagining you in a red and blue spandex suit ... hmmm, mmmm ...

Sounds similiar to a fasnacht that PA Dutch eat on the Tuesday before Lent. I would also mention the pork and sauerkraut served at New Years.

Some of the PA Dutch here ferment it in stoneware crocks.

I definitely agree. Here our foodservice inspector would never allow them to cover two of the three bays in the equipment sink. Each bay serves a separate purpose, wash, rinse and sanitize. I think Jim having been a dishwasher would know that.

There are disposable wooden plates intended for one time use. There are also compostable fiberboard containers that are microwaveable that would work well for all of Jim's menu. My local foodtrucks use them.

I'm not fond of the way most sauerkraut is served in the US. I prefer it cooked with apple or onion to cut the sourness. As a kid we would put ketchup on it. Now I'll put a spoonful of apple butter on it. I much prefer German red cabbage.

I know major appliances are becoming difficult to get though some of the more expensive models are available.

Wow. No thank you. Not fond of sauerkraut though with the other ingredients to balance the sour this might be okay. Of course the sodium levels put far off my approved foodstuffs list.

I don't think so. I thought of that but they usually have a more curved under cupping to the petals.

I was going to say obviously it's a flower but what seems obvious may not be so. Still, I think it's a flower and I guessing a small four petaled one. There's not enough of the neighboring leaf to offer help. The other thing is you have flowers in your garden I'm not familiar enough with to recognize at this level of detail. Oh, I do like the photo. The level of detail in the subject against the blurred background is striking.

I've always been fond of this piece. I saw him perform it live in Trenton, NJ many years ago.

Me too. Not knowing why he'd been taken there was worrisome. The only calming thought was that April wasn't going with him. I understand he is doing much better this morning.

So do you get 3 pints of Guinness and a ginger hobbit with every serving of po-tay-toes?

G'day y'all. The day has dawned wet and chill though the forecast is for it to clear and be dry. I hope so. I'd like to do some work outside to prep for winter. I had planned to do it yesterday when the weather was perfect for what I planned. Oh well ... I also have a late morning appt with my optometrist for a glaucoma test. I don't show any symptoms but dad has it and the doc would like to have a baseline to compare against in the future.

Subway bread has five times the allowable amount of sugar by law.

Well loosen your tie and you might feel more comfortable ...

This was a day I hope not to repeat. The day started well enough. The pup and I went for our usual morning walk. It was nice. On the way home we stopped at Starbuck's for a caramel latte and a breakfast sandwich. It was a triple star day so there were bonus stars to be had. We also ran the car through the carwash. Got home right around 8am. About 8:20 as I was about to get in the shower my phone chimed with a text. It was dad's caretaker/companion. Dad was on the way to the er by ambulance could I meet him at the hospital? After a rushed shower I headed to the er. There's ongoing road construction between me and the hospital so it took longer to get there. Parked my car in the designated lot for er patients and headed inside. I had no idea why dad was here, was it his heart, back or hernia. Each had potential. I went to the checkin desk and told them who I was and that I was told my dad should have arrived via ambulance about 20-30 minutes prior. Well they checked their system and dad's not there. Okay. Since the place was empty they allowed me to sit down and try to find out what was going on. I texted my dad and his caretaker (she has a day job as assistant to the administrator of the memory care unit at a local facility and they had just opened a new building and were moving patients in). No answer from either so I called dad's cell phone. It seems that when the er doc saw the results from an mri he had done Tuesday evening he said you need to see a neurosurgeon. He called a local neuroscience practice and was able to get dad an immediate appt and since he'd arrived by ambulance they packed him off by cab to the specialist. So off to the neurosurgeon's I went. The thing is I passed that office on my way to the hospital as it's less than a mile from where Thistle and I walk each morning. When I arrived dad was already in an exam room answering preliminary questions so the receptionist took me there. Now dad already has severe stenosis of the lower spine but the mri showed compression fractures to two of the vertebrae in his lower back (likely the result of stepping in a hole in my yard two weeks ago when we were grinding brush) just above one he broke in 1952 when he was ejected from a car during an accident. The neurosurgeon called his back a mess and offered four options. A brace to stabilize his back for the next 4-6 weeks while his back heals; physical therapy for the pinched nerves though with his current pain level probably not something he could endure; an outpatient procedure to insert a small needle into the injured vertebrae to inject a cement to stabilize them and finally the least advisable, surgery (because of his heart he takes blood thinners, he's 86 and this would be major surgery with no guarantee of a positive result). Dad opted to try the brace. An appointment was made for an evaluation and fitting for 3:30 this afternoon. Meanwhile dad needed to consult his family doc about pain meds. We got back to dad's from the neurosurgeon with about 30 minutes to spare before we needed to leave for the noon appt with his family doc. Accomplished that with a prescription increasing his pain meds. Got him home again with a bit over an hour before we needed to leave for the 3:30 appt so I ran home to my house to let Thistle out and have a little lunch. Then back to dad's and off to the orthotist for his brace. The guy was very good and explained about the brace and had one that wouldn't require customizing. He brought one in and showed it to us and helped dad put it on. Typically once the brace is on the patient feels immediate relief. About one in fifty cases the pain in the leg intensifies. Guess which group dad belongs in. Yep, he experienced additional pain and numbness in his leg. He wanted to try walking in the brace because sometimes walking helped ease the pain. So we walked out the hall then started back. We'd gone maybe 100 feet and I had to go get the wheelchair the pain was so bad. We had to wait a bit while the guy helped another patient. While waiting I asked dad how tight he'd pulled the brace (the brace wraps around the torso and secures with velcro, then two cords, one one each side, are pulled to cinch the brace tight). He told me he pulled it as tight as he could. I asked if he thought it might be too tight. When the orthotist was with us again we asked if that might be the problem. So he helped dad take it off and reapply it without cinching it as tight. Well that made a considerable difference. Dad was able to walk further without difficulty and was more comfortable. The trick was to initially only wrap it around his waist to fit, not to wrap it snug, and then cinch it snug with the cords. Fortunately, we left with dad more comfortable and wearing the brace. Hopefully between the support of the brace and the medication he'll be comfortable while his back heals. It was along day I left this morning just after 8:30am and got home a little before 6pm. I'm tired, my head aches and Thistle missed me.