What not to buy...

I feel like a big grump ass, but I'm not having very good customer service experiences these days.  I think, because it has been my professional life for so long, that I'm especially affected by BAD customer service.  I've worked hard and I rock it out.  I bleed good customer service.  I have a great work ethic and I want everyone else to as well.  When I receive EXCEPTIONAL customer service, you better believe that I reward it.


FedEx and UPS have been on my shit list for months.  They keep walking through my lawn.  I've phoned the headquarters, we've spoken to the drivers directly and they continually walk through my lawn.  I know it sounds petty, but we had to spend a lot of money to have our lawn renovated.  It was a young lawn and it didn't survive last year's drought.  I know that saying "a lot of money" is relative, but when it has to come out of the savings account - to me it's a lot of money!


The lawn is coming along swimmingly and we are spending a lot of time and money keeping it watered and fed.  You know, except for the track from the street to the porch that's used by FedEx and UPS.  I do have a sidewalk, mind you.  AMPLE sidewalk, as a matter of fact.  There's no need for them to walk through the yard.  I actually had to laugh in the face of the last guy because he said he does it so he doesn't have to turn around.  I'm not sure why the position of his truck is relevant to walking through my lawn.  After all, my house is always on the same side of the street!?


You probably wonder why I get enough shipments to have them wear down my lawn.  We order a lot from Amazon.  We pay for a prime account and take advantage of free shipping on things like cat food, cat litter, energy bars, protein powder and random other crap that we can get a good price on.  We may have more deliveries than most, but that shouldn't be bad - should it?  I think it's people like me who are helping these companies grow!


We were recently in the market for a specific type of light in the kitchen.  There was a sad little fixture above the sink that provided very little light.  The position of this fixture was directly above the sink, but not centered in the area.  We needed a fixture that mounted on the side vs. in the center.  After many trips to Lowe's and Home Depot - evening buying the "wrong" thing, we found the PERFECT light on Amazon.


We ordered and had it installed right away.  It was cheap in both price and manufacture, but it filled our needs.  There were definitely some issues in the metal manufacturing process, but we overcame it.  It filled the right area with light.  It really was PERFECT for what we needed.


A few weeks ago, a light bulb went out on one lamp and we replaced it right away.  Shortly after installing the new bulb, the light went out again... and then back on... and then out.  I think you understand.  We removed the lamp from the track and did what tightening we could.  No change.  At this point in time, when the fixture is in use, one lamp goes on and off.  


Since it had been just over 3 months, I figured I wouldn't have an issue getting this resolved.  I reviewed Amazon's policy and after 30 days any product issues are the responsibility of the manufacturer.  This is what I expected, so I contacted the people at Royce Lighting.


As a matter of fact, here's my exact message:

Hello!

We had a beautiful Royce Lighting Fixture installed over our kitchen sink a few months ago.  We purchased it on Amazon.com and a receipt is attached.  I also included a photo.

We LOVE the light.  It is perfect for what we needed, versatile and provides tons of light.  We are so happy with it.

Last week, we thought a bulb went out in one of the lamps.  On the picture attached, it is the lamp to the far right.  We replaced the bulb and, after a few days, it went out again.  This time, however, it came back on shortly after.  It continued to go on and off intermittently.

My husband tightened the cap at the top, but the problem continued.  He also removed the problem lamp completely and refitted it, in hopes that it was just a bad connection.  Unfortunately, this single lamp is still going off and on intermittently. 

Can you possibly advise a solution to our problem?  The other two lamps on the fixture have not had this issue.

Kindly,

Jennifer F

The next day, I was excited to have received a message.  Until I read it:

Hello

 Unfortunately we cannot be of assistance . Since the item was purchased thru Amazon, you need to contact them directly. I believe you have to "log-in" to your account, and go to "contact us" and find the returns or defective link. It sounds like the item may be defective, and it should be covered under whatever  Amazon's return policies may be. I do apologize for any inconvenience

Regards,

Rachel Ojani

Rachel M.  Ojani

Nationals Customer Service Associate

Murray Feiss | Monte Carlo Fan Company | Sea Gull Lighting | Royce Lighting

Business Units of Generation Brands

301 W. Washington Street

Riverside, NJ 08075

nationalscs@generation-brands.com

That's right, I copied the entire e-mail, signature, terrible grammar and all.  I was MORE THAN A LITTLE SURPRISED that this e-mail didn't say,  'Yes, ma'am, we'll get a replacement lamp out to you right away!'


So, despite what I knew about Amazon's policy, I had no option other than to contact them.  I just forwarded Amazon the e-mails above with a brief explanation.  


I heard back from Amazon right away and, I'm right, it's past 30 days and is out of their hands.  This was no surprise to me.  That's why items come with what is called a manufacturer's warranty.  Thankfully, Amazon was willing to go above and beyond what was required for them and send out a new light, allowing me to return the original one.  They didn't have to do that.  Granted, it came with a "return it in 30 days or your credit card will be charged" clause, but I can handle it.  As far as I'm concerned, they are meeting me MORE than half way.  Go Amazon!


I'd never purchased from Generation Brands before, but now that I know they are the parent company to Royce Lighting, Murray Feiss, Monte Carlo Fan Company and Sea Gull Lighting I can be certain not to purchase from any these companies.  I mean, not only do they not honor their stated manufacturer's warranty, but we are dealing with electrical products.  Serious injury could result to someone or the home where these are installed if something goes wrong.  


Oh, I know you're wondering if I responded to Rachel and I did:

I contacted you per Amazon’s policy.  After 30 days, any manufacturing defects are the responsibility of the manufacturer. 

Your unwillingness to stand by your product is extremely disappointing.  I suppose if you don’t believe that your product should last more than 4 months,  I will make sure not to purchase it in the future.

Thanks for your time.

Kindly,

Jennifer F

Now, I've gotta go order some stuff online so that I can get UPS and FedEx on video and put it on You Tube.

Stay tuned!

Clay Botanicals

I've long wished for artistic ability.  The truth is that I just have none.  I'm a creative black hole.  


... but even my inner artist is shocked by these realistic clay flowers.  


Recently, I spent a mini weekend in Paducah Kentucky (LOVE) and at J. Nichols Clay Botanicals.  All photos are used with permission by Paducah Photographer, Brad Rankin.


Jimy Nichols creates these breathtaking florals out of Kentucky-Tennessee clay.  He makes each element, including the pot.  

Foxglove

Can you even believe these details?

Tulip.  I'm in love.

If you are anywhere within a days drive of Paducah, Kentucky - go now and go often.  It's amazing.  The energy is like no other place I've experienced.  

Summer of '87

I recently entered a contest on a website that I frequent. It's to win free make up, so don't get too excited.


Funnily enough, I rarely participate in these contests, so I actually submitted for LAST WEEK's contest. I'm a huge dork.


Regardless, the memories made me laugh and I want to remember them forever. So, I'm BLOGGING, which I don't do enough and I hate people that have blogs and never blog.


I hate myself.


Here's my story.

It was the summer of 1987. I was spending a few weeks at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin on some lake in Alabama.


It was an important year for me, musically. I was 11, heading into the 6th grade and music was my life. I brought my "jam box" and some cassette tapes with me to Alabama that summer. Debbie Gibson's "Out of the Blue" is the album I played over and over. Even though I haven't heard the sound in years, I can still remember the clack-clack-clack that the cassette tape made indicating it was time for me to hit eject and flip that baby around.


I sang along and I sang loud. I wouldn't discover until years later how terrible of a singer I actually am.


... but, you see, the summer wasn't all about Debbie Gibson. I was at a crossroads in my life both musically and romantically. I was hearing bands like Def Leppard and Guns 'n Roses on the radio and MTV. I was falling in love with the long haired rock 'n rollers. I was anxious for the release of Def Leppard's Hysteria in just a few shorts weeks.


Then I saw them. The two boys at the cabin next door. They had long hair... and guitars... and I was IN LOVE. I would linger outside all day just to catch a glimpse of them. They would always walk side-by-side with their guitars over their back, long hair glistening in the sun.


I longed to be cool enough to be invited to hang out, but I was an 11 year old chubby kid from Indiana with red, wild natural curls. These boys were older, wiser, more mature. I have no idea how old they were and I didn't care.


... but we had a connection. Music! I just KNEW these guys would LOVE me if I had that gosh darn Def Leppard album. I just KNEW that they would be totally enamored with me if I were blasting "Pour Some Sugar On Me" on my little black Emerson jam box instead of "Shake Your Love!"


Frantically looking through my tiny suitcase style cassette holder, I longed to find something cool enough to play. I had to get their attention! Bangles. Tiffany. Michael Jackson. Richard Marx.


I knew I didn't have a chance. I just spent the summer getting as close to them as I could as often as I could. My aunt knew what was up. She knew I was experiencing some serious unrequited love. Summer came and went and so did I. I left the lake before the boys and my Aunt later wrote me a letter saying that they started playing their guitars and singing outside in the evenings.


It was a good thing I had returned to Indiana. I probably would have just died.


My summer hits:


"Shake Your Love" Debbie Gibson


"Heaven is a Place on Earth" Belinda Carlisle


"I Think We're Along Now" Tiffany


"Faith" George Michael


"Pour Some Sugar on Me" Def Leppard

That's All, Folks!

Stop and Shop has pork shoulders on sale for .89 a pound this week! Come on kids, when nearly any kind of protein is .89 a pound, it's compulsory to buy it. Even if only for the challenge!

Thankfully, I have what all pork shoulders want... an Original Bradley Smoker. If you want to know more about the Bradley, check out their website.


If there is any portion of your mind that thinks you can benefit from one of these, go for it. There will be no regrets. The OBS will only set you back about $300, but it will soon pay for itself turning cheap cuts of pork into a freezer full of the BEST STUFF EVER.

Think about everything you can smoke - turkey, chicken, ribs, sausage, brisket, salmon, salt, nuts and so much more. You can even cold smoke, which imparts flavor without cooking. Think ham or BACON!

As much as I'd love to write the entire blog about my love for my OG Bradley Smoker, this is about .89 pork shoulder.

If you've never purchased a pork shoulder (or pork butt or Boston butt), it could be something that you think you want to shy away from. It's not pretty. It's topped with a layer of fat and skin and, truthfully, may be the only piece of pork in the entire case that allows you to visualize it as still being part of Porky Pig.

Buy at least 2. I should have purchased 3 because Philip (proclaimed pork shoulder hater) announced plans he had made for the pulled meat I was about to score.

Put them in some type of marinade or dry rub 24 hours before t-time. You can buy something off the shelf or search the Internet for one of the endless recipes. Score the fat without cutting into the meat and get the party started.

My butts were supposed to go into the smoker early Sunday morning for slow, all-day cooking, so I started my marinade process Saturday AM. Philip thought ahead about the weather, though, and learned we were forecast for an entire day of rain on Sunday. Plan B! We were thrust into getting the meat on the smoker PRONTO. Mine only had about 5 hours with the marinade, but I had no other options. This is probably a good time to mention that you can't use your OBS indoors.

My larger butt (heh) was given my favorite traditional dry rub method. It's a secret, though, so don't even ask.


My smaller butt (heh heh) was my guinea pig. A wet marinade. Cubano style. Mojo, baby. I like to think of it as practice for my next purchase - the Cuban cooking vessel, La Caja China.


My smoke was a mix of apple and hickory. I know, right. The idea of pork smoked with apple and hickory just made you salivate. It's okay. I did, too.


I smoked for about 5 hours before I had to pull it and finish in the oven. The picture above shows the process only after a couple of hours. For those of you who aren't familiar, you CAN (and should) finish the entire cooking process in the OBS. You just can't do it if it's raining. So, instead of pulling an all-nighter with my smoker on the deck, I brought them in, wrapped them in heavy duty foil and put them into a 200 degree oven.

This morning, I awoke to pure happiness in pork form.

The BBQ style is above and the Cuban style is on the right.

After it was cool enough to handle, I gave my hands a surgeon's scrub and went to work. The top layer of skin/fat is super gross, but it comes off in one big hunk. The bone slips out of the shoulder and the meat is left to pull with little other cleaning needed. Sometimes you do have to remove a bit of fat or gristle. Just try not to think about it.

The finished product is WORTH it.

Pizza Stuffed Peppers

Recently, I was looking online at recipes and saw two that caught my eye. One was a pasta adorned with pizza type toppings. The other was a stuffed pepper. They both had characteristics I liked, but some I didn't. For example, I'm not a fan of big greasy, meat-packed stuffed peppers at all.

Tonight, I decided to take what I liked about them and make my own recipe. I bring to you, Pizza Stuffed Peppers!

Pizza Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers – red, green, yellow or orange

1 25 oz jar spaghetti or pizza sauce

½ pound deli sliced pepperoni

½ pound orzo pasta

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp each black pepper, basil, parsley and oregano

½ tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 350°

Prepare the peppers to your desired serving style – cut top off and seed or cut in half and seed. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the peppers for 3 minutes. Remove and drain well. I cut mine in half, to allow for more portion control. Plus, you aren't then limited to one color of pepper!

Add pasta to water, boil for 7 minutes. Drain well.

In non-stick pan, cook pepperoni over medium heat. Cook to varied degrees of doneness – some slightly cooked and others crispy. You'll see I have some barely cooked and others really crispy! Rough chop the pepperoni.

In large bowl, combine orzo, pepperoni, seasonings, onions and garlic. Add ½ - ¾ jar of pasta until it’s moist, but not soupy.

Using a small spoon, stuff peppers with filling.

Top w/ a tablespoon of leftover sauce and a piece or two of pepperoni.

Bake for 1 hour.

I have to say, Philip was not a fan of the pre-cooked pepperoni, but I loved it. Plus, it rendered out a lot of fat that would have been sitting in the bottom of the pan. Gross.

You could add your other favorite pizza type toppings, too! I actually snuck in a jalapeno, chopped fine. It was great!

Here's To You!

Excuse my absence for the last couple of months. I've been unusual on the inside.

You know, not quite feeling myself and not at all inspired. I think it rained for two months here on Long Island, but the sun has since come out and the beautiful days have been more frequent.

So, this blog is for my boy. It's a little dedication to Harold Bogart Fallis, who left this world on June 14th. Harry, your dad and I will never forget you and the joy that you brought us for the last 6 years. We're so glad you came into our lives and can't imagine out future without you. We miss your voice, your stripey belly, the middle-of-the-night games of fetch, your after work belly rubbing routine, the good care that you took of us and so much more.

Our hearts will never be the same, Harry.

Beef Veggie Soup

I've really been hungry for some good beef vegetable soup!

We were back in Indiana last week and twice passed the exit to my favorite source of beef vegetable soup, The Overlook Restaurant. Philip and I lived near here when we lived in Bristow. Many Sundays found us heading down I-64 for a late lunch.

For Philip, it always started with a bowl of beef vegetable soup. I would taste it and be jealous, making a note to order it the next time. The next Sunday would come and I'd order it and love it, but it would just be too much on top of all of the other great things I had to have!

The Overlook is known for their homemade salad dressings, jams, biscuits and pies. Those homemade goodies on top of the fried pickles, chicken livers and mushrooms with horseradish sauce just never allowed much soup.

Driving by that exit last weekend made me think of that beef vegetable soup. It was soup, but it was still so hearty - fully laden with beef, corn, lima beans, tomato, green beans, potato and anything else they could think of. After putting a couple of saltines in it, there became few things that were more tasty.

Waking up this morning to a cold rain made it easy to start a pot of soup. I wanted to tackle this one from the bottom up, even though I've never made it before.

I started with what was called a 7 bone steak. I'd never really used this cut of meat before, but it looked like it offered a good balance of bone, meat and fat. I didn't want a fatty soup and I didn't need the 3 pounds of meat offered up by the chuck roasts.

Out came one of my favorite kitchen essentials... my Le Creuset dutch oven. I heated it over medium high and tossed in my 'steak' sans seasoning. I wanted to get some good browning.


After it was browned to my liking, I added my veggies and water to start my broth. It wasn't rocket surgery - just a quartered onion, a few cloves of smashed garlic, peppercorns and parsley. I added about enough water to cover. Here's what it looked like before the water went in.

I brought the contents to a boil and then turned it down to a simmer. I let it simmer for about 4 hours. If you let it boil for the next four hours, your broth will be cloudy. Immediately, the house smelled SO good. It was hard for me not to get myself a bowl of my half finished broth. Here's what the broth looked like after about an hour.

After about 4 hours, I removed the bones and meat that had fallen off. I put it on my cutting board to cool while I strained the broth. So far, so good!!

The rest went pretty quickly and I don't have any pictures, but it's pretty straight forward. I added a little olive oil, a chopped onion, celery stalk and garlic into my pot. I stirred and allowed these to cook while I peeled and cubed my potatoes. I tossed them in with the other veggies and allowed them to brown a tad. To this, I added a quart of store bought beef stock, a large can of tomato juice and a quart or more of my homemade broth. The store bought stock is beefy and salty. My broth was full of freshness and the two of them came together well to make a good base for my soup.

I added the reserved meat, some Worcestershire, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and a little dill and thyme. I let this simmer for about a half an hour until the potatoes were tender. That's when I added my favorite veggies - lima beans, corn, green beans, diced tomato and carrots. I also added half of a large can of tomato puree at this time.

I had Philip taste it and he thought it was a touch bland, so I beefed up the salt, pepper and spices. I also added a touch more of Worcestershire sauce and (my new secret ingredient) Heinz 57. I needed a little spice and a little tang and this did it for me.

It's so freakin' good! Seriously. I just put away two bowls!


I'm so glad I made it and I have heaps of leftovers that should freeze beautifully!

I like it when a plan comes together!