Kansas City Christmas 2016: Robert, Rebecca, Jennifer, and Sherman

Big Daddy Rob Jones hosted the event in the Embassy Suites Hotel. The evening’s main event was an interactive murder mystery set in an early 1900’s Speak Easy. Many of the employee’s attending took the theme to heart and dressed in costumes reminiscent of mobsters and flappers. Even our resident St. Nick (Sherman Dodd) came in a red three piece zoot suit with a matching hat!

The after dinner entertainment began with an employee from each table chosen to be a character in the storyline. Each table team was provided with a full bio of the character/suspect. A detective was on hand to interview the suspects and provide clues. Funny money flowed so you could “buy” information from other teams to identify the prime suspect, motive and opportunity.

Characters included:

• Trish Fish/Girl Friday – Brenda Willette
• Doug Graves/Rival Mobster – Cesar Correa
• Genocide/Assassin – Christina Glenn (Guest of Cindy Miles)
• Rat Finkle /Snitch – John Anderson
• Gus the Milkman/Secret Bootlegger – Michael Bradley
• Sylous/Smut Magazine owner – Shawn Clayton
• Scott Free/Playboy – Howard Owens
• Eric/3^rd Left Hand Man – Jacob Dick

A special mention is deserved by Big Ears John Sortore and Crazy Sherman Dodd for receiving extra attention. Both were randomly pulled from the crowd to be questioned as potential bootleggers. Sherman’s “interrogation” by singer and actress Amanda Lay was a memorable part of the evening.

The team who identified themselves as The Real Mob was able to solve the mystery. The killer was…..Eric – Jacob Dick!

Kansas City Christmas 2016: Robert & Randy with his 10 years of service award

$25 Prizes were awarded for participation including best dressed, worst guess, best actor and best actress.

Other awards for the night included:

• Randy Draper: 10 year service award
• Mary Powers: 2^nd Runner Up and recipient of $500.00
• Scott Davis: Grand Prize Winner of $1000.00

Thank you to the KC Christmas Party planners for such a fun evening!

Special thanks to Larann Lackey for the great photos of the event. Additional photos can be found on our company Facebook page.

By Guest Writer: Melissa Anderson; Houston’s Director of Pricing & Programs

The post Happy Holidays from KC! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Turkey is the star of the show

How do you get ready for serving up Thanksgiving dinner?  Prepping means different things to just about everybody; some may think prepping means picking out a restaurant that will be open on Thanksgiving day, others may plan out an elaborate meal, and there are probably a great many people who fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.

My own prep starts just a couple of weeks before the holiday, when I work diligently (and creatively, I might add) to make meals out of the items I already have in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.  Beans pair well with pasta, a can of diced tomatoes, scrambled eggs, and crushed corn chips on the top…right?  Well, when clearing out the pantry one will do what one has to do!

After my pantry is cleared out I have plenty of room to shop for my Thanksgiving dinner items.  Preparing a list will help you to ensure you have everything you need when Thursday rolls around.  Don’t forget to add necessary spices to your list, or food items that your guests can snack on while your turkey is cooking on the big day!

Whether you use a frozen turkey or splurge on a fresh one, proper storage is imperative.  Fresh turkeys should be stored in your refrigerator for no longer than 2-3 days; frozen turkeys will need a full five days to thaw in the refrigerator depending on its size.  (NEVER thaw a turkey on the counter or in the sink—doing so puts you at greater risk for foodborne illness.  If you must “quick-thaw” your turkey, put your turkey in a bath of cold water in your sink and change the water at least every 30 minutes to ensure your safety—and only use this method if absolutely necessary!)

Make your pies ahead of time

Some prefer to cook many of their side dishes several days ahead of time, freezing what they can and keeping chilled the rest.  White wine or champagne should be placed in the refrigerator (I do this early so I don’t forget.)  Chopping onions and celery and baking your day-old bread for the dressing, cooking yams or sweet potatoes, even boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes a few days beforehand can save you precious time and allow you to spend time with family and friends on the day of the holiday.  Bake your pies the day before so they are fresh when they are served.  If you are brining your turkey you should also make sure to do this the day before.

On the morning of Thanksgiving, your attention should be given to your turkey.  Remove it from the brine or give it a good rinse and rub it with your seasonings of choice.  Preheat your oven to 325°F, then stuff the turkey with your prepared dressing, and place in a roasting pan (or roasting bag if you prefer).  How long your turkey bakes depends on its size, but a general rule is to roast it for about 15-20 minutes per pound for a stuffed bird—a 20-pound turkey, then, should take about 5-6 hours to cook.  If you are not using a roasting bag, don’t forget to baste about every 30 minutes or so.

Don’t forget to set a pretty table!

While your turkey cooks, go ahead and set your table.  For me, half the fun of the Thanksgiving meal is getting out the tablecloths and linen napkins, using the best china and glassware, and adding candles and a centerpiece to my table.  Make sure you have plenty of room for your guests by adding a leaf to your table if you have one, or by using a second—or even third—table if necessary.  A “kiddie table” is always a hit for the younger guests!

A roasted turkey should always sit for about 15 minutes before carving.  I use that time to make gravy and to heat up any casseroles or other side dishes that have already been prepared.

When all the food is heated and your turkey is carved, this is where the real fun begins.  Put it on the table, serve up your wine or beverage of choice, and dig in!

How do YOU prepare for your Thanksgiving holiday?

The post It’s Turkey Time!! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

One thing to remember when planning the place settings for your restaurant is that there is a proper way to set tables, and although there are variants, straying too far may produce the jarring effect that you are best to steer clear of.  Will the restaurant offer formal or casual (informal) dining?  More formal dining requires more utensils—from plates to glassware to flatware—to complete a meal.

Below are diagrams for both formal and informal dining.  Use these guides as a starting point to equip your table as shown, and then take away the items that won’t be needed throughout the course of the meal.  Keep in mind, too, that if food will be delivered to the table from the kitchen, dinner plates may not be needed, and the same is true for salad and/or soup bowls.  Clutter could detract from the overall dining experience, so less is very likely to be more; if you don’t need it, remove it.

And finally, here are some tips I garnered from FE&S Magazine on how to manage place setting wares in your restaurant:

1. Don’t under-buy for the needs of your establishment.  It is simply too difficult to navigate the busy times or special events in the restaurant. Utilize consistent and efficient inventory management.  A good rule of thumb is to have wares for about 1 ½ times the seating capacity on hand.
2. Portion and table size are important.  Consider these while choosing tabletop items.
3. If you choose to go eclectic, remember that it is a style, not just a throwing together of different pieces.  Choose items with color, texture, and flow in mind.
4. Trendy is great for accent pieces, but functionality trumps all.  Thinking long-term may keep you from being overly trendy but it will help you to cut down on costs in the long run.
5. Always, always, always make sure your tabletop pieces are handled correctly—from the dishwasher to storage, from the kitchen to the dining room—for the best staying power of your place settings.

The post Setting the Table for Success appeared first on Houston's Blog.