Oh my gosh, this is brilliant.

Now can it come to my city?

Posted by QSMama at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What's up with the difficulty of planning meals and shopping lists when there are little kiddos around? Grocery lists become just one more bit of proof that I can't think through anything from start to finish these days. I try, really I do, but it's just frustrating. And that's before the shopping trip, which always ends up feeling like a freakin' marathon event.

Jessica Ashley, better known around the blogging world as author of the Sassafrass blog, knows your pain. And mine. She's got a great post at Strollerderby today. It'll make you think, Okay. It's not just me. And then she links to inspirational posts from bloggers who do manage not only to get it done, but to blog about how they did it, and how we can do it, too. (Props. Mad props.) There's CityMama, and Foodmomiac, and Adventures of Bittyman, and An Ordinary Mom, and Mommy Cracked.

There's more inspiration for you here at Quick Serve Kids...scroll down and look under "More, Please" on the right-hand side.

Lately I've been using my iPhone (what is it NOT useful for?) to keep a running grocery list that I'm sure to have with me. That image above is my most recent version. (Too bad the phone can't help me make better blog graphics. Sigh....) As you can see, it's, um, pretty short. From there, I'll grab two more kinds of groceries: staples we always keep on hand (cheese, pasta sauce, fresh fruit) and things that look good at the moment or inspire some thoughts for that night's meal. The cart is never full, though. I like to keep it fresher than that.

What's your strategy for keeping the pantry and fridge reasonably stocked? Or do you let take-out take care of it?

Speaking of this whole struggle, this is probably a good time to catch up on our family's own quick-serve trend--which is sharply away from quick-serve patronage. It's not part of any kind of campaign, or really anything purposeful at all. For a while, Chick-fil-A, Panera, and a couple other concepts were figuring into our mealtimes once or twice a week. Lately, though, we're doing a lot of home cooking. I like the variety, and home is snuggly and relaxing when it's 20 degrees outside.

If we do go to a chain these days, it's Chipotle. There are more locations near us now, which makes it convenient (which, duh, is our point). The food there is fresh and delicious, the wait time is near zero, and I love love love the natural and organic consciousness that company is pushing. Go here and click on Manifesto. Note as you read that this quick-serve chain actually recommends you read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. How's that for confidence in its mission?

Hint: Next time you're at Chipotle (what? you haven't been? GO!), ask for the Parents' Menu. It's a slip of paper with suggestions for scaling down the chain's menu to feed kids appropriately. How cool is that? Instead of supplanting their menu with chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese, as if kids shouldn't like Southwestern food, Chipotle helps you instead plan a kid-sized version of a normal meal.

Sweet. We actually visited Chipotle two days in a row recently. But mostly, lately, we've been doing a lot of cooking at home. It just feels right.

Hmmmm, why all the pickiness? Why the strange domesticity?

Could it be...

I'm nesting?

Posted by QSMama at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

As a special treat, we stopped into a Great Amercian Cookie Company and got Baby A and, ahem, ourselves cookies. There was a giant floor poster depicting the company's partnership with Disney Princess characters, which are appearing on mini-buckets and kids' cups. The poster looked a lot like this, only even more enticing, if you can IMAGINE that:

[image thanks to the Great American Cookies site]

Do you know what that does to a kid who spends her days dressing like this? And rearranging furniture to build "carriages" to take herself to "the grand ball" where she can "find her prince and fall in love and get married"? * mom shakes fist angrily at Disney *

Oh YES YOU DO KNOW, if you've ever raised a two- or three-year-old.

So even though she got a cookie embedded with yummy colored chocolate drops (which we'd already handed her before she spotted the poster), do you know what kind of shape she was in when we left the store? This kind of shape:

In all fairness, that picture was taken a few weeks ago, but you get the idea.

Good thing there was a display of ginormous pumpkins nearby to distract her from her decidedly un-princess-like breakdown.

Posted by QSMama at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

See the orange lanterns in this picture? That's the bar at the coffeeshop nearest our house. It offers caffeinated beverages, interesting people, and a speedy wireless, making it one of my favorite places on earth. For a part-time WAHM who doesn't much like to WAH, it's an oasis. An oasis with lattes and pastries, which beats the kind with water and dates any day.

Baby A was ready for preschool early, so we stopped by this coffeeshop to share a toasted English muffin with cream cheese and drinks—milk for her, a double latte for me—before parting ways for the morning. She stayed in her seat for a while, but soon wandered a few steps away to the barstools, hooked her foot into one, and started pulling herself up to the seat.

I was close enough to catch her in case of a wholesale backwards tip-over. But she's climbed up many times before, so I just sat, watching. You know when your kid first tells you, "Go stand over there and watch! I can do the monkey bars all by myself!" And you have to swallow hard and let her, even though you're not sure how well things will go once those little hands weaken and lose their grip? It was one of those moments. (And there are so many, aren't there? Please, SOMEONE, comment to say "Just wait until she asks for the car keys!")

Seated in the chair next to the one she was scaling was the father of an eight-year-old girl. He's quiet, a transplant from San Francisco who rides a skateboard. We first spoke with when our daughters played together the one morning it snowed last winter. They were so sweet to indulge a toddler who was starstruck that a "big girl" would teach her to make snowballs.

To his left on another barstool was the father of a three-year-old girl who is just a few weeks younger than Baby A. He's a part-time barista at this place and full-time high school band drum line consultant. He's also a great artist and a master of fine arts, to boot, whose works are hanging in the shop's gallery right now.

And walking behind Baby A at that moment, on his way to the sugar and cream counter, was a third dad. He and his girlfriend or ex-wife, I'm not sure which, share custody of a gorgeous two-year-old with black curls to her shoulders. He was alone this morning.

So A. hoisted the top half of her body onto the chair, her feet pedaling briefly in the air as she worked her knees up to the seat. The barstool made a tiny screech. And at that moment each of those three dads threw out an arm to guard her. Three hands were suddenly in the air at her back, just in case.

The scene lasted two seconds, but the picture of it will stay in my mind for a long time. She was fine, of course, my surefooted little climber, and I had to fight the impulse to apologize to those guys, or thank them, or something needless like that. They were just doing what came naturally, and that's what was so awesome. They turned back to their coffees, Baby A sat down properly, and that was that.

To me it's all proof that it really does take a village to raise a child. Or, as our friends who own another local coffeeshop like to say, it takes a coffeeshop to raise a child.

Posted by QSMama at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Oops, took a little posting break there. We've been spending lots of time outside this week (more on that tomorrow), and when we weren't doing that we were plowing through a new stack of library treats.

And I've been trying to work a little less and pay more attention to myself and my child. When The Wonderful Husband got home last evening, I actually left my iBook closed on the counter, left the iPhone tucked away in my purse, and went for a run. Oh. My. Gosh. That felt good.

But because the hamster wheels in my head never stop spinning, I have been thinking about posting this week, and here are the results.

Yesterday we picked up TWH at noon and went to lunch together. We tried to go to an awesome Middle Eastern deli just down the street from his office, but the line was out the door. (Did I mention it's awesome?) So we went to Chick-fil-A instead. It's among my favorite quick-serve places, but yesterday it felt like such a letdown. I was so in the mood for something different and home-made, not something that's the same every time and everywhere—ever feel that way? But it worked fine, and while we were eating a very kind hostess (or it might have been the owner-operator, not sure) stopped by our table to ask how we were doing and offer to re-fill our lemonade.

I've posted before about how much I like Chick-fil-A's dining room hosts. Again yesterday it was such a nice touch. She gave Baby A a toy cow, and A, who wasn't much interested in her food yesterday, pretended to feed her fruit to it:

Earlier in the week, we did our stock-up trip to Trader Joe's. Yes, I know I keep going on and on about how great it is to encounter a stepstool in a restaurant bathroom. It makes a parent's back so much happier, and with all the icky news about low hand-washing rates, we need all the help we can get, right?

Besides, it makes them so dang proud. Baby A was thrilled to see that Trader Joe's had put a stepstool in the bathroom (which, of course, we have to visit EVERY time because she likes how the pedal-operated trash can works). See the grin?

And, finally, from a weeeknd foray into Five Guys...remember when I mentioned that place's five-dollar bit of marketing brillance? Here's the pictorial evidence I didn't have when I posted about it. Now, thanks to the iPhone (LOVE it!), here's the evidence:

** "Today's potatoes are from Rigby, Idaho." **

Nice touch, right? Makes you feel like you're eating something local—local to someplace, even if it's not your place. Makes you feel like maybe people dug and raised those potatoes, rather than Acme Potatoe Conglomerate Incorporated.

Back tomorrow with more....

Posted by QSMama at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you catch this story about Milkshakegate, or whatever, at an Orlando McDonald's restaurant? There's a slideshow here if you want all the visuals.

The story goes that a customer saw McDonald's employees pouring liquid into a milkshake machine from a bucket labeled "Soiled Towels Only." She reportedly snapped a picture with her mobile phone and sent it along with a complaint to McDonald's Corporation. There are varied stories about who sent what reply and when—I won't try to figure them out here—but one point is clear....

Continue reading "Bucket Full of Trouble" »

Posted by QSMama at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever wished your restaurant server could read your mind? This video from CNN shows a new wireless technology that keeps servers in constant contact with their tables. (There's a brief ad first.)

I can see the advantages, but I sorta feel sorry for the servers, too. When I was waiting tables, I would have hay-ATED to have this. Put yourself in the server's place: Can you imagine if your entire section decides to leave at the same time and every table is calling for their check? What if the kitchen is backed up—not your fault? Who do you go to first?

BUT—from the manager's and customers' point of view, this product has a lot of appeal. You can imagine why: When you feel like you have control over the retail experience, your perception is more positive.

I've posted before about how some quick-serves, like selected Chick-fil-A and Carl's Jr. locations, have hosts and hostesses in the dining rooms, filling up drinks and fetching things like napkins and forks. For parents, that's a dream—it's so nice not to have to take your toddler out of the high chair just to go get another napkin. As quick-serve restaurants take on more characteristics of the fast-casual environment (limited table service, more complicated menus, etc.), technology like the one shown in this video will make more sense in the fast-food setting—and that can be enormously helpful for parents.

Posted by QSMama at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So recently we were making a five-hour car trip home from Charleston, South Carolina, and dinner time rolled around. Where to stop?

At a drive-in. But of course. And in moments, through the magic of Interstate 95 as it wends through back-country North Carolina, appeared a Sonic Drive-in on the exit horizon.

The Wonderful Husband pointed and said, "Ehh?" I shrugged and said, "Sure. It beats the Lung Wah Chinese Buffet." That is the actual name of a place in that area, and it turns my stomach every time. Note: Don't include body parts in your restaurant name. Mmmmm, let's to go the Leg & Thighery! No! The Spleen Smorgasbord!

We headed toward the Sonic, and Baby A piped, "Is there a playground?" Sure enough, there's an enormous outdoor playground—the kind that sucks your child in for an hour and leads to parents having to inch up a three-story-tall, kid-sized tunnel and pull the child out by the ankle. Yes, I have done that, and I didn't want to do it this evening.

The situation called for a major distraction technique, so we parked in a drive-up slot, turned off the car, opened and sunroof, and let A. violate a big family rule. We let her into the front seat with us. Not only that, we let her stand up and poke her head out of the sunroof.

** FREEDOM! **

Then we set about ordering, and that went pretty easily. TWH had been craving a burger, so he knew what to get right away. The menuboard reminded me about Sonic's Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad, with lettuce, carrots, Colby Jack cheese, grape tomatoes, red cabbage, and croutons, topped with grilled chicken and a black bean and corn salsa and a lone onion ring. I got that, gave Baby A some chicken, tomatoes, and croutons. Then I squeezed on some ranch dressing, and went to town. And you know? It was really good. There was not a brown bit of lettuce. The black beans and corn were great. And I love me some red cabbage.

** Looks good, no? **

** Yeah. Yum. **

** Yes, we ate dinner in this redneck fashion. **

Not exactly Emily Post, but it got the job done.

Strange newly realized fact: Baby A does not like tater tots or French fries. She'll gnaw on a fry or two, but, really, she doesn't care for anything made with potatoes—even my delicious (if I do say so myself) homemade mashed potatoes. For a kid who ate many a sweet potato as a toddler, she sure won't touch one now.

What did she like? The cherry limeade. Is this not pure kid ecstasy?

And, afterwards, contentedness:

That smile says it all: I'd call our stop at Sonic a success. The only real challenge was distracting Baby A after dinner as we drove away past the humongous playground. But we pulled it off: Holy cow, do you see that convertible? Over there? It's so cool!

If this roadfood experience sounds like one that might work for your family, it looks like there will be more Sonics on the horizon. The company recently announced (PDF) that as of the end of its fiscal year on August 31, 2007, it has posted 21 consecutive years of positive same-store sales. Not a bad streak. During the financial year just begun, Sonic plans on opening between 180 and 200 new drive-ins.

Posted by QSMama at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Baby A does pretty well in restaurants most of the time. I won't promise quietude, or lack of motion, because that never happens (unless she's sleeping, and that doesn't happen much, either). But she can usually manage to keep her little hurricane of activity going within the horizontal and vertical space of her chair, or—even better for us—her allotted space in the booth. She never stops talking and laughing, but she rarely shouts these days.

Yet, the usual things restaurants offer to keep kids quiet don't work for Baby A. I'm sure there are many kids who will sit and color with crayons. Mine is not one of them, even at three years old. Seems it's just not tactile enough for her. We read the little placemat cartoon-y things to her, but that takes, what, less than a minute, and it's over.

This post at Foodmomiac mentions one great solution: a small ball of pizza dough, handed out at their local pizza place. We had a similar experience at a nearby Fresh Mex place, part of a small chain that makes tortillas fresh to order. The cooks there handed A. a little ball of tortilla dough, and it was miraculous. She stayed in the booth and worked it and worked it until our food was ready, and even while we ate she took little breaks to smoosh the dough another time.

Of course, it looked like a disgusting ball of fuzz and crumbs before long, and she tried to take a bite once (looking all the while at me like, is this okay? Cause I know it isn't and I'm seeing if you're going to react...).

A simple ball of dough does it for us, and costs the restaurant very little. Or, I'm thinking, if we know it won't harm the table at the place we're going, maybe we could even pack one of those mini-cans of Play-Doh. What are other solutions that help keep your kids seated until the food comes?

Posted by QSMama at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hi, Moe. We've been seeing each other once a month or so for a couple of years now. Gosh, even when I was pregnant with Baby A, I'd stop by and see you pretty often, since you had that one place near my office.

Today you seem to be all over, in nearly every shopping center or mall we visit. No one can say you aren't there for me; matter of fact, you've got 345 locations in 36 states

But, Moe, we need to take a break for a while.

It wasn't one single experience that brought me to this point. No, it was a bunch of small things over the past year or so. For starters, I feel stressed and strung-out by the time I leave your place. It starts at the door; I don't like being accosted with a chorus of "Welcome to Moe's!" when I step in. I know, I know. It's not just for me—you and your crew do it for everyone. I know you're just trying to show me some love. But, most of the time, it's obvious the employees don't want to do it, and I don't like feeling put on the spot. [My fault, I know.]
Then we get in line, my family and I, and the ordering process is rocky. The menu—what to say about the menu? It has a nice variety, and I love that you offer vegatarian options like tofu and beans. That's cool. But the names for the dishes are silly and annoying, and they serve only to confuse the process. Now I see that you've posted a survey to rename a bunch of the dishes. But are you enlisting customers to help choose more sensical names? No, in fact, the new options are only more annoying than the originals and less rooted in anything remotely descriptive.

I often order the John Coctostan. Do you know how dumb I feel saying that?

The other day, in fact, that silly name caused a bunch of undue stress. We were in line for lunch on Sunday, and Baby A was on the verge of a low blood sugar meltdown. Tell the truth, TWH and I probably were, too....

Continue reading "Dear Moe: I'm Afraid We're Through" »

Posted by QSMama at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You know what's funny—not funny ha ha, but funny sighhhh?

Yesterday morning I posted about meaning to cook more. Local ingredients, best of the season, blah blah blah. Ten hours later, I picked up a cheese pizza and house salad for our dinner. Brought it home and served it on china plates like I had cooked it or something.

Nothing like a melting-down kid to bring an inspired cook back down to earth. This is when I love having a fast, friendly pizza shop nearby—one that's dedicated to hormone-free cheese and naturally raised meats. It's not a chain, but I sure wish it were. Hint to chains: Parents want speed AND good ingredients. Hop on the train, okay?

We fed Baby A (who is immensely proud to eat "big triangles" of pizza and munch on carrot sticks "just like Ollie the Bunny from 'Wonder Pets' ") and put her to bed, where she stayed, without a peep, for twelve hours, GLORY HALLELUJAH, and emerged her happy and hyper self this morning.

After that kind of good sleep, I'm in a great mood for some Friday Fun. Let's get started.

Continue reading "Lure of the Takeout Pizza" »

Posted by QSMama at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We took A. to hear some jazz outdoors last evening, then took her to "that piggy store," meaning the The Q Shack, for dinner. Rude as it might be, I slipped next door to snag a burger from Five Guys—something I've been craving for weeks. Little Burger (meaning one patty) with fried onions, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and—this is the key part—fresh jalapenos.

Uh HUH.

While I was waiting (only a few minutes, I might add, not bad for a fresh-cooked burger), I noticed a whiteboard with a hand-written note:

"Today's potatoes come from [something, I forget] Ridge, Idaho."

Nice touch, I thought. Today's consumers are more and more concerned about buying locally, for many good reasons. And when you can't buy local, a quick note like that one at least makes you feel like the ingredients were local to SOMEplace, even if it wasn't close to you—like it came from real farmers and real dirt.

What a brilliant, and inexpensive, marketing move. For the cost of a white board and a minute's time, it gives customers the feeling their food came from a place, not a black box, and that's a feeling all chain restaurants would do well to foster. Parents care, more and more.

Is your family trying to buy more local ingredients? Would you like to see more locally sourced ingredients in the restaurants where you take your family?

Before you comment, check out the amazing simplicity of the Five Guys menu. THIS is why it works:

Posted by QSMama at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Whoa, horrible dining experience related by a blogger at the San Francisco Chronicle. And they they left the Burger King bags on the table? How would you have reacted, if at all?

Closest we've come to this is getting Chick-fil-A for Baby A and burgers from Five Guys for us, then eating outside at a cafe table between the two restaurants. Do you ever take other kinds of food along for your kids? On my Parenting Scale of Things, that is overindulgent. How about you?

Posted by QSMama at 03:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A couple of days ago, The Wonderful Husband took Baby A to see the new animated movie "Ratatouille." Afterwards, they went next door to an awesome little quick-serve BBQ place called The Q Shack. (She's had a thing for BBQ chicken lately.)

TWH is holding Baby A in his arms as they place their order. Baby A blurts out to the server,

"Have you got a bunch of rats cooking back there in the kitchen?"

Now, someone from Taco Bell or KFC might have taken that question a little hard. But the server laughed and said, "Let me guess—you just saw 'Ratatouille.' Am I right?"

To which Baby A just laughed, nodded, and hid her face in TWH's shoulder in true three-year-old fashion. Little jokester, she.

Q Shack has turned out to be one of our favorite options for quick and inexpensive family meals out. In spite of being Southern through and through, I don't care much for BBQ—I'm too picky about meat—but the generous veggie-based sides, like cole slaw, collards, and baked beans are perfect. I get a four-side plate (cheap! it's like $3.50), TWH gets a BBQ chicken sandwich, and we make a plate for Baby A with chicken, mac and cheese, and some veggies.

So if you're a meat-eatin' family and your Quicksie is into some of those things, give a BBQ place a try. If you don't have a Q Shack, maybe look for Famous Dave's. One contact who knows the quick-serve industry inside and out told me last week that BBQ is the next big thing in fast food—so your options will probably only grow over the next few years.

Update: Read this food writer's heartfelt review of "Ratatouille."

Posted by QSMama at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

FastCasual.com linked to the results of a quarterly survey by RealPeopleRatings.com, which tracks brand image and customer perception.

The survey names Subway and Cici’s Pizza as tops in customer service in their categories this quarter.

I've posted before about how customer service makes or breaks the restaurant experience, especially when you're juggling kids. How about you? Had any especially good or bad retail service experiences lately, at a Subway or CiCi's or someplace else? Where?

Posted by QSMama at 07:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We had waited our turn at the DMV, browsed the Grand Asia Market next door, and were on our way to Trader Joe's (love that place!) when Baby A said she really, really needed a drink of water, no, she needed a drink of milk. Pleeeease, Mommy, I really need it now.

I bit my lip to keep from saying, "See why I told you to take drink of water before we left?," and chided myself for not taking a bottle of water with us on this hot afternoon. McDonald's was the only place around with a drive-thru—important, because I didn't want to get Baby A in and out of the carseat again. I needed to get on to TJ's.

So we went to McDonald's for the first time, and Baby A pointed out "that clown man," which she knows from TV. More than that, she was mighty confused about the ordering process. It didn't help that there was one broken-down ordering place, then the working one, then two windows.

Baby A: "Mommy, why do we have to pay two times?"

Me: "We don't. We pay at this first window, then we pick up our order at the second one."

Baby A: "Oh. Why?"

Me: "The restaurant thinks that will make the line go faster. Do you think it's helping?"

Baby A, looking thoughtful: "Ummmm. Yes. Yes, I do."

This from a three-year-old's first impression. Want a more scientific view on this topic, and all things drive-thru? See the QSR Drive-Thru Study.

And isn't it nice I was able to get her a cold, fresh, kid-sized drink of milk, in two minutes, without getting out of my car, for 99 cents? Yes, I have my lazy moments. Would've been cool if it were organic milk, but on a hot afternoon I'll take what I can get.

UPDATE: (6/28/07) I remembered this morning that Baby A didn't learn about McDonald's and the Ronald McDonald character from PBS. That was Chuck E Cheese that sponsors a spot on PBS Kids in the morning. Ronald has ads on cable channels, where A. loves to watch "Little Einsteins" and "The Wonder Pets" (which, if you haven't seen it, is just about the most adorable show EVER).

So I've edited this post to take out the reference to McDonald's on PBS. My strong opinion remains that ads DO NOT belong on public television, and I won't vote for a candidate who wants to take public funding away from public TV and radio.

[Image courtesy of McDonald's media web page]

Posted by QSMama at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Spotted in the news this morning that VeriFone has released a new version of self-ordering stations. The iOrder Food Service Kiosk, pictured here, is a self-service station designed especially for quick-serve restaurant (QSR) and convenience store food service operations.

The kiosk trend has been around for more than ten years, but it's been slower-moving than many people anticipated—at least, than the kiosk developers anticipated, anyway. The idea is that customers feel more of a sense of control over the ordering experience, and that fewer mistakes might be made if you eliminate that communications gulf between customer and order-taker.

I once saw kiosks in action at a Sheetz convenience store in North Carolina. I thought the experience was okay, but I didn't have Baby A with me. Had I been trying to control her, it might have been harder to follow the directions. And one elderly woman who ordered after me was clearly uncomfortable with the kiosk experience.

What do you think—Would self-ordering be easier for you? What about when you've got kids in tow? Or would you prefer to have the help of a human being? Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

You've seen a number of posts here about Chick-fil-A. We usually have good experiences there, and while fried chicken isn't something I want Baby A having every day, by any means, it's good to be able to get us some meat and fruit at a decent price. And mmmmmm it tastes good.

So I was glad to read this morning that the company is expanding its Kid's Meal menu, starting today. New choices will include items both new to the chain and those added from the regular menu. For one thing, Baby A prefers the chicken strips to the nuggets (me, too). The strips are dunked in a different marinade from the nuggets, according to our local Chick-fil-A opearator, and the shape is easier for little hands. Now I can order her two- or three-count Chick-n-Strips.

She also loves the lemonade (and gets mad at me when I ask the server to dilute it a little!), so the addition of lemonade to the kid's menu is nice.

Other new items include Milk Chugs (plain and chocolate) and Minute Maid® Apple Juice.

Other kids and family marketing initiatives launched recently by Chick-fil-A include offering a free Table Topper® stick-in-place plastic placemat for infants and installing special dispensers of individual PURELL® Sanitizing Hand Wipe packets at participating restaurants for parents to help their children clean their hands. I've posted about those before.

Chick-fil-A says its Kid's Meal menu will continue to offer Chick-fil-A Nuggets (four- or six-count) as an entree option, waffle fries, kid's size beverage, and a unique premium. Customers may opt for a 3 oz. fruit cup instead of the fries (for an additional 40 cents) and can choose a number of drink options as a Kid's Meal beverage.

Interesting note: Based on sales, Chick-fil-A is now the nation's second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain, with more than 1,300 restaurants in 37 states and Washington D.C. In 2006, Chick-fil-A produced record sales of $2.275 billion. Wow. Never thought my little home-town chain would get so big. And it's still private, and it's getting those sales even though it still closes on Sundays.

Posted by QSMama at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rules for taking little kids to restaurants: Wash their hands before they eat. Don't let them bug the people at the next table. And if my child is with you, try to keep her from eating the crumbly french-fry pieces the previous guests left on the bench seat.

Oh, and watch out for the wild coyotes. Yep, one visited a Chicago Quiznos location last week, spending about forty minutes there before animal control showed up. Restaurant employees named the hungry guy Adrian, and corporate officials put on a funny spin, saying that the coyote's arrival means the chain is succeeding at expanding its customer base.

"This has never happened before," said Steve Provost, Quiznos executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "We can only think that Adrian must have been attracted to our new Prime Rib on Garlic Bread [pictured above] and its above-average portions of meat. One thing is for sure, this coyote clearly has excellent taste."

If you're gonna get animal guests, better a coyote, I suppose, than rats run amok.

Posted by QSMama at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Make sure to catch this post over at Noodad on how to avoid grazing on your child's plate when you're out to eat. Surely that's one of the easiest traps of parenthood—especially when you've paid for a meal your child has barely touched.

That post made me want to reiterate a related point: Why do kids' meal menus have to vary so widely from those of adults? Why, oh why, do they all have to be chicken fingers, cheese pizza, grilled cheese, and fries?

Holy cow, has it been a week since I posted? What can I say? Sickness, total laryngitis (try that with a two-year old!), work crunch (UGH!), mandatory preschool volunteering (double-UGH!), husband out of town nearly nontop...it kinda puts a dent in your blogging.

All of which means I have some great stuff saved up. So check back soon. And if you've come across some kids' menus with more to offer than the usual kiddie fare, please let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back when fast food meant primary-colored plastic tables and chairs bolted to the floor, noisy kids weren't so out of place. It was understood: fast food was for kids, while casual dining on up was for adults...and the occasional, extremely well-behaved child.

Today it's safe to say fast-food—ahem, quick-serve—restaurants are somewhat more adult places. Most chains have seriously stepped up their decor, daring even to put fabric upholstery and flat-screen TVs in the dining rooms.

All of which make the environment a bit less forgiving to food-tossing, loud-talking kids.

Raise your hand if you've struggled to enforce good behavior from your kids in restaurants. Oh, you, too? Uh huh. We've been there, over and over.

In the ongoing search for effective discipline methods, we've been happiest with the Love and Logic series. Have you heard of it? It's not perfect—no "method" applies perfectly to every family—but I love its no-yelling, no-lecturing, consequences-driven approach.

Love and Logic sends a weekly enewsletter. Thought you might enjoy reading this snippet from a recent one:
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Manners Matter

Maybe you’ve also noticed that manners seem to be a rare commodity these days. What a great opportunity for your kids! Since the rarer the commodity the more valuable it becomes, we can give our children a powerful advantage in the workforce...and in life...if we teach them. Listed below are some tips:

Model good manners.

What a bummer. This is the hardest part for me!

Set enforceable limits on behavior by describing what you will do or allow.

"We will stay at the restaurant as long as you guys can sit in your chairs, use quiet voices, and follow directions," is an example of an enforceable limit.

Follow through with empathy and logical consequences.

One mother wasn’t afraid to get serious:

I’d been practicing table manners with my three ADHD boys, and I decided to take them out for a practice session. As soon as we ordered our meals, they started acting horrible. I guess they didn’t believe I’d do anything about it. I said, "How sad, we need to go," and I took them right home. Now they get frequent compliments from others when we go out in public. The cost of that uneaten meal was sure worth it!

— Dr. Charles Fay
Love & Logic
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Posted by QSMama at 05:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

We stopped into Chick-fil-A for lunch. It was one of those last-minute decisions. I was in a bad mood because we unexpectedly had to get two new (large, expensive, ugh!) tires, just in time for the holidays. Let's just say the other driver in the household did something really, um, silly.

So we dropped off the car and went to eat. My mood was not so good. We nestled into a booth and served Baby A her usual (chicken strips, fruit cup), then tucked into our own usuals (classic Chick-fil-A sandwiches) when I realized I wanted a packet of buffalo sauce. Lately I can't get enough of the stuff. Strange. And, no, there's no "Baby B" on the way. It's just a thang.

I jumped up out of my seat and turned to head for the counter—and nearly crashed into an older woman with a gentle demeanor and a nametag that said HOSTESS.

She said, sweetly, "Hi, what would you like? I'll get it for you." Immediately, my mood softened.

"I'd like a packet of buffalo sauce, please."

"I'll be right back with it." And she was. "Thanks," I said. "My pleasure," she said.

What an awesome thing, especially when you're the sole adult eating with young children. It is such a pain to gather up babies and toddlers just to go twenty feet away for the spoon you forgot. Even older kids can get in trouble (or just be obnoxious to other tables) in a matter of seconds.

I'd like to claim this is Southern hospitality, but it's not. If I remember right, it was So Cal–based Carl's Jr. that first put hostesses in its dining rooms—employees, most often women, who were there solely to refill your drink, grab the napkins you forgot, or just ask how your meal is. When Carl's Jr. bought the Hardee's chain, it started putting hostesses in those dining rooms, too. I believe Long John Silver's tried it seven or eight years ago. Now, clearly, Chick-fil-A has picked up on the concept.

And what a great thing. As a parent, I'd love to see more of this.

Have you seen a host or hostess recently in a quick-serve dining room? In what brand?

Posted by QSMama at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Has your family tried one of the Mongolian grill concepts? We visited our local Crazy Fire (no website—how strange!) restaurant today for lunch, and it was perfect.

If you're not familiar with the Mongolian grill thang, you grab a bowl and fill it with your choice of raw ingredients, everything from meats and tofu and veggies to noodles, eggs, ground peanuts, and cilantro. Next, you add a couple of ladles of sauce—I like a mix of ginger-lime and soy, along with a few shakes of dried red peppers.

Then you walk to the open kitchen and hand your bowl to cook who stir-fries your custom meal on a big, hot stone and hands it back to you on a plate with sticky rice. Yummmmy, and healthy.

Baby A liked making her own choices and watching her creation get cooked. I liked that she ate grilled chicken, broccoli, and steamed rice for lunch. And my own stir-fry was delicious.

Give one of these places a try at lunch or dinner. They're reasonably priced, too—our lunch was $10 for two adults and Baby A. Other similar concepts are Genghis Grill and Mongolian Grillle.

On a related note, how cute and kid-appealing are these clothespin chopsticks (above right) from CB2? You can buy them here.

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In today's advertising news: Why?

Posted by QSMama at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Warning: If you're not a parent, or haven't otherwise raised a toddler, don't read any farther. This post contains graphic potty-training scenes.

I mean it.

Okay, you're on board? Here we go. The scene opens in a hip, urban coffee shop. The lights are low. A DJ spins ambient and house tunes as the cool (read: non-parental) clientele hang out before hitting the club and bar scene.

Baby A and I are hunkered down at a corner table, enjoying a rare late-night (read: 8 P.M.) date, munching on biscotti and drinking milk. Suddenly, above the blissed-out music and hushed conversations, A. shouts, in that ear-shattering squeak only little girls can muster,

"Mommy, I have to POOP! Right now! I'm going to go poop! Here I go!"

All eyes turn to our table as A. hops down and sets off running for the restroom. I, of course, follow behind her just as fast as I can, relatively unfazed because, you know, this is just how life is now. It takes a lot to faze me, child-scatological-wise. And, in the big picture, this only makes the bedtime routine easier.

So while I'm squatting in front of her, helping her balance while she sits on the potty, I distract myself by thinking of things I'm grateful for in restaurant bathrooms, now that this is, you know, part of my job.

Cleanliness. Enough said. Little kids wait until the last, harrowing moments before notifying you they need a potty. There's generally not much time to locate and use seat covers. Please, restaurant industry, if you're not keeping your bathrooms sanitary for us adults, do it for kids—and those of us helping the kids.

Gimme room, lotsa room. Until kids are old enough to sit without falling in, we parents must practice a particular type of yoga aimed at keeping the child perched in place without offending the child's No, Mommy, I do it myself sensibilities. It is a delicate balancing act, and we need space in which to perform it, even if it means providing one less toilet. (I know, there are buidling codes and stuff. I'm just sayin'.)

Keep it stocked. It's a huge bummer for an adult with any sense of hygiene to find an empty soap dispenser or paper towel box. It's awfulawfulawful when you can't wash your child's hands after the potty. You have no idea the things they touch.

A stepstool at the sink. Have I not gone on about this enough already?

Thankfully, A. declared herself finished at that point, and shortly thereafter we rejoined the world of the cool with nary a red face. (Amazing how parenting changes you.)

What can you add to my list of restaurant restroom must-haves? Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Baby A discovered a stepstool in the restroom of a quick-serve restaurant. What a wonderful sight! She was thrilled to "do it all by myself." I was thrilled not to have to hold her up to the sink and struggle to wash her hands. Even when they're dry, toddlers are wriggly, slippery, suprisingly strong little creatures.

I recorded the experience (sorry, again, for the low light and lack of sound...it's hard to shop for electronics when your child keeps running to the "Little Einsteins" DVD racks).

Hey! Everyone in the quick-serve industry! These stepstools cost maybe twenty bucks. I'll do that and more in business at your place in the course of a couple of months if you make life this convenient. Parents love little touches like this.

Really. It means a lot.

Posted by QSMama at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I was thrilled to find a stepstool in a restaurant bathroom the other day. I complained loudly several months ago about just how hard it is to wash a toddler's hands in public bathrooms—restaurants included. It's even harder now that she's

(a) bigger, taller, and stronger

(b) by some miracle of nature, spontaneously potty-trained. I kid you not.

That's why I was so happy to find a stepstool in a local quick-serve. This week I'll take the camera in and film Baby A happily (oh, so happily) taking advantage of this franchisee's thoughtfulness.

Chains, listen up! It's small touches like this that bring us families back to your restaurants. What a relief for my post-Target-shopping-trip back.

Posted by QSMama at 06:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Was just about to leave the coffeeshop where I'd been working to grab a quick bite when I came across this.

Good, um, food for thought. Guess it pays to choose carefully.

Posted by QSMama at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Labor Day, everyone. I hope all of you got a chance to rest a bit and spend some family time.

Parent Hacks has a funny (but true) post on Five Trader Joe's Convenience Foods I've Convinced Myself are Economically Worthwhile or are Healthy for my Kids.

(Rumor has it we're getting three new Trader Joe's locations soon. Yayyy!)

I posted a while back about convenience groceries I've realized I'm hooked on.

So what are your Top 5 Convenience Foods/Groceries? Whether it's quick-serve foods, groceries, or some kind of take-out, let us all know. I'm sure we can all use some new ideas!

Posted by QSMama at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Noodad has some good advice today for parents trying to feed kids away from home.

Now if someone can just advise me on how to get a sassy two-year-old to take a freakin' nap...! Comment if you have any pearls of wisdom, or anything that would make me laugh. Keep in mind that the last funny thing I saw happened a few minutes ago when Baby A stripped herself nude, left her bedroom, and walked into the kitchen backwards, on tiptoe, bum-first, looking over her shoulder with a smile to watch my reaction.

I put down my lunch and managed to hold off a smile until I'd picked her up, flailing, and re-deposited her in her bed.

Posted by QSMama at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As Tropical-Storm-or-Hurricane-I-Can't-Decide-Which Ernesto approaches us, I've found a few Fridayish tidbits:

This one's not funny so much as offbeat. Today, McDonald's in the UK starts using McFlurry lids redesigned to keep hedgehogs from poking around inside for a yummy lick.

Seems the little guys kept getting their heads stuck inside the lids and starving to death. The new lids have smaller openings.

Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, told Reuters the organization has lobbied McDonald's for five years on the issue. Reuters quotes Vass as saying she's "delighted that they have at last solved the problem."
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Overheard at a quick-serve Fresh Mex restaurant where we had lunch today: "I wish restaurants would just have a cage where the kids could be locked up and run around and play together without disturbing anyone."

The way Baby A was behaving, I probably would have put her in a cage, had there been one available. But my dream of eating a guacamole and bean soft taco in peace went unrealized.

It was a mom who made the cage comment, by the way, and I could totally see where she was coming from.
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Here's an example of how one family did the fast-food/home-cooking shuffle tonight. The kids were probably happier with what they got—but I have to say the parents' meal sounds fabulous! Sometimes it's so worth waiting 'til the kids go to bed and cooking something more worthwhile for the grown-ups.

Other nights, well, you just don't want to face the pots and pans afterwards.

Happy holiday weekend, if you're having one.

Posted by QSMama at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Slate magazine reviews an array of quick-serve salads. Try before you buy...if only vicariously.

Quick-serves are heavily targeting moms with premium salads like these. Which one is your favorite? Why? Comment and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am not a germ warrior. The three-second-rule? I'm down with that. Germ-free environment? Impossible with kids, and probably not good for them, either. But today my own kid's hands skeeved me out, and that led to an idea.

Baby A and I met The Wonderful Husband for lunch at a restaurant. I'd gathered her from preschool—well, "book camp," where she's "studying" Sandra Boynton's Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!—and put her in front of one of her favorite lunches when I realized I had not washed her hands.

What tipped me off? The brownish grub. The dried paint. The clay under her fingernails. Those didn't bother me as much as the stuff I couldn't see. But have you ever tried to take a hungry child away from a table laden with yummy things, especially to wash her hands? It's ugly.

Then it hit me: Wouldn't it be nice if, on the condiment bar with the napkins and straws and tiny packets of Tabasco (love those, by the way), there were packets of sanitizing wipes? You know, the kind they give you after a meal of crab legs or lobster or BBQ?

They're cheap, and they'd make us skeeving parents Oh.So.Happy.

If I were one of those moms, I'd have a few in my bag, along with Band-aids and Kleenex. But I'm not. And I don't.

Posted by QSMama at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So last Saturday we're in the car around lunchtime when Baby A starts begging for something. It takes us a moment to catch on, but soon it's clear.

"Let's go eat at the Chick-fil-A with the little table. Please? I want to eat at my own little table. Daddy has a table, Mommy has a table, and I have my own table. Please, let's go."

So here's my message of the day to the quick-serve industry: I can't think of a less expensive, less labor-intensive way to get kids and families back to your restaurant.

Forget those million-dollar movie tie-ins! Buy a hundred-dollar table-and-chair set and put it in your dining room.
Keep it clean and in good condition, and I bet you your investment and more that we parents will keep it occupied.

Really: We loved it. A was so proud to do her own thing that The Wonderful Husband and I got to have a few minutes of conversation. That's so worth a $10 family meal.

In fact, there are many little touches that make eating out easier on us parents of little ones, like clean, convenient bathrooms and safely sized portions. Here's another one.

Curious about the URL on the painted table shown here? It's www.prissypots.com. The site says they do wholesale. Another wholesale source for kid-sized tables and chairs is here.

Posted by QSMama at 06:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)