McDonalds: "We Don't Sell Junk Food"

“know what Hanna, if you don't like the food there, simple solution, EAT WHERE YOU DO LIKE THE FOOD. I don't like salads, but I don't go and try and make salad restaraunts look bad. You come off as a spoiled brat saying things will have to be my way or no way.”

“you know....if you don't like it, don't eat it...I am PROUD to work at the number 1 restaurant chain in the world!”

“Don't worry Mr. Thompson; no intelligent person is going to listen to a snotty little brat begging for attention and egged on my her idiot mother. When I want a Big Mac, fries and a chocolate shake no words from a rug rat is going to affect my decision.”

"Those were the tamest comments I could find" was the follow up statement from the mother of a 9 year old girl.  The girls remarks to the CEO of McDonalds about advertising junk food to children have gotten fervent McDisciples up in arms defending their favorite physical manifestation of their own disgusting existence.  

Being that I take info from sources both progressive and conservative this story comes from The Christian Science Monitor:

The mother of a nine-year-old girl who addressed McDonald's CEO Don Thompson at a shareholder’s meeting about the corporate practice of using toys included in meals as a means of getting kids to eat unhealthy food says there has been an enormous backlash in comments against her child from the brand’s supporters.

From the brands supporters?  I had no idea that McDonald's had evangelical supporters who care so much about their fast food company of choice as to send hate mail to a child.  Are there really people out there who care so much about Big Macs that they support the rights of a company who is openly poisoning them over a child who just wants to spread some common sense?! 

Margaret Meade once said, “It is easier to change a man's religion than to change his diet.” Amen to that, sister!

The sad truth of this statement does not escape me.  People get stuck in their routines and get addicted to certain chemicals very easily.  If your routine is to allow a teenager to deep fry and "grill" your dinner each night and said dinner is filled with chemicals, genetically modified organisms and corn syrup galore, sometime's it becomes easier to denounce God than to start eating healthy.  

So what was it that Hannah said to the McDonalds overlord that enraged his followers to such an extent?  

“Something I don’t think is fair is when big companies try to trick kids into eating food that isn’t good for them by using toys and cartoon characters," Hannah read. "If parents haven’t taught their kids about healthy eating, then the kids probably believe that junk food is good for them because it might taste good.”

“It would be nice if you stopped trying to trick kids into wanting to eat your food all the time,” the younger Robertson continued, still reading from the statement. “I make cooking videos with my mom that show kids that eating healthy can be fun and yummy. We teach them that eating a rainbow of fruits and veggies makes kids healthier, smarter, and happier because that is the truth.”

 “First of all, we don’t sell junk food, Hannah.”

~McDonalds Corporate Stooge  also known as CEO Donald Thompson

Kia Robertson said that she never imagined how vicious McDonald's supporters would be in their responses to her supporting her child’s decision to make her beliefs known to corporate America.

“People have been really rough on us over this, saying I’m a bad parent and accusing me of just doing this to promote my business,” Kia said. “Some of the things they wrote to Hannah directly via our website are just too vile and ugly to repeat. She hasn’t seen any of those, but it’s frightening to see people writing to a child this way. I guess being behind a computer, people feel like they can be that way to a child.”

First off, even if this was a way of promoting her business, it doesn't make the message any less relevant.  

Second this 9 year old girl is smarter, healthier, and more well adjusted than most anyone who eats at McDonalds on the regular, but definitely more so than those who attacked her.  

Third the people who did attack her truly deserve the diseases they are surely working on day in and day out.  

Turning the other cheek, being the bigger person, I think not.  Any one who would attack a 9 year old girl truly deserves whatever they get.  

Monsanto: Just the Facts... and My Opinion!

Monsanto Company

On Saturday May 25th thousands if not millions of people around the world took part in a March Against Monsanto.  The event took place in over 400 cities spanning 52 countries.  This was truly a world wide demonstration against one of the most evil corporation to ever exists.  Of course main stream media completely ignored the protests, Facebook censored images from the marches and the general public were too busy being fat and lazy to take notice.

Since the protest went down there has been an even more damning story to come out to the public about Monsanto.  Apparently in Oregon fields are being found with genetically modified wheat. The cause being Monsanto testing GM wheat in neighboring fields.  The GM wheat then pollinates other wheat in the area and ends up turning a perfectly healthy plant in to a genetic monstrosity.  The major issue beyond health concerns to be considered here is that many countries in the world who import wheat from America are now considering canceling their orders due to a concern over the GM crop which has not been approved by any agencies what so ever.

So my contribution to this movement is a detailed description of just why Monsanto is so evil.  Many people make profound claims with very little information to back it up, and when an intelligent reporter wants to make a movement look bad they can easily edit together a bunch of participants who just have no idea why they think GMO and Monsanto are not good for the world.  So here are the reasons why Monsanto and the GMO that they create are no good for the United States or the Global Community in general.

Monsanto Is...

 

... and of course the rest of the world, but considering Europe has banned GMO and in Hungary they went as far as burning GMO fields, it is the US that needs the most luck in this fight right now.

The New Format

So, it's been a while since I posted to Another Way to Eat.  The reason being, I haven't been eating out very often.  However with the recent March on Monsanto this past Saturday I started to get the idea of changing the format of this blog.  Sure, reviews of eateries are nice, and I sure will keep it as part of the blog, however what the main focus will be from now on is any story that's related to food that I deem interesting.

So with that said, stay tuned for four new blogs this evening involving Monsanto, McDonalds, Burger King and as out of place as it seems, Guantanamo Bay.  Remember just because super markets and restaurants choose to sell inferior food products doesn't mean you have to buy them, there is always another way to eat.  On top of that never let someone tell you eating healthy cost too much, because the cost of not eating healthy in the long run could be your health or even your life.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

I drive by Carrabba's more or less every single day.  The facade never really beckoned to me and I really never considered stopping by.  That is until Laura's uncle mentioned that he had visited one of their locations and that they had some really good food.  Sold!

We took a three minute ride around the corner and showed up to Carrabba's this past Sunday night.  Walking in to the place I was pleasantly surprised, the place is very nice, the lighting is dim and the decorations are not overwhelming.

Our waiter was kind of an idiot but that made no difference once we got our food.  Whenever I am trying to new ethnic restaurant, Italian in this case, I normally go with a specific dish to test it out.  For instance any time I am trying a new Chinese place I go with Sweet and Sour chicken.  As for Italian though the obvious first choice is Chicken Parmesan.

Laura went with the Manicotti and her uncle chose a seafood pasta dish which seems to be escaping me right now and which I cannot find on their online menu :(  Long story short though, everything was incredible.  The Chicken Parmesan was crispy, had the perfect amount of sauce and cheese as well as just the right amount of pasta.

After having a decent mozzarella stick appetizer as well as my fare share of the complimentary bread and butter I could barely finish my entree.  Which of course meant I had an incredible lunch the next day.  Both Laura and her uncle also loved their meals, I tried some Manicotti and was very pleased with it.

If it weren't for just how dumb our server seemed it would have been a near perfect meal.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

IHOP Restaurant

Since moving to Austin, Laura and I have made a few trips to local IHOPS in our area.  Each and every time I have been left with a feeling of despair and utter hopelessness for the international house of pancakes.  This past weekend all of those negative feelings were replaced with much warmer, brighter, happier ones.  The reason, location, location, location!  We had been eating at one a bit south of where we live, and it was a disgrace.  The layout felt like a cafeteria the waiters were pathetic and the food came out cold!

Having decided to finally check out the location closer to home I was excited to be there the second we walked in.  This place looked like an actual restaurant.  My initial feelings were definitely justified as our waitress was incredible and the food came out warm to boot!  Woo hoo, everything you could ever ask for from an eatery.  

This is not to mention the fact that I stumbled across my definitive breakfast.  What they call the Split Decision is exactly what I have been looking for my whole life.  Two pancakes, two pieces of French Toast, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, and two eggs.  My meal beat out the 2-2-2 by an additional 4 items!  

Laura's uncle chose the 2-2-2 so I specifically got to see how much more I was offered in my Split Decision and was extremely happy about it.  Laura went with just the OG French Toast meal and the baby happily slept in her car seat as we all enjoyed our late breakfast, early lunch... brunch!  Which BTW is the reason I have been MIA in regards to AnotherWayToEat, new born babies are not very good dining companions.  However now that she is almost 4 months old she is the most amazing little companion to bring just about anywhere. 

She loved Cheesecake Factory, the painted ceilings were beyond interesting to her.  Outback Steakhouse and BJ's Brewhouse were also very fun outings.  She loves seeing new places and meeting new people, she is so aware of her surroundings and more than comfortable sitting on someones lap right at the table.  She just wants to be a part of the group!  

IHOP was actually the first place that she got a little cranky, but even that only lasted a few minutes before we got her to fall asleep for the majority of the meal.  

A meal which was totally fulfilling and a complete redemption for how I felt about IHOP and why I hadn't bothers to review them in the past.  Every aspect of the meal was perfect, especially the blueberry and strawberry syrups which I complimented my french toast with.  The old fashion syrup did not disappoint either when added to my pancakes.  

While there are a ton of places to choose from for breakfast, IHOP is a classic option.  I just wish they had the same service in each location, but at the very least I found one near me that I can trust at this point and I know which one to avoid at all costs. 

IHOP

Potbelly Sandwich Shop Good Vibes Great Sandwiches

Until just a moment ago I would have sworn that Potbelly Sandwich was a single location.  Laura and I have been there twice now over the past few weeks and it just seems like a small mom and pop sandwich shop.  It reminds me of a NY deli as the sandwiches they make are nothing like the rest of the chain sub restaurants we've all been to.  So until I checked out their website I truly had no idea that they have locations in 17 states.

Until we found Potbelly I would have said the Which Wich is the best chain sandwich place I'd ever eaten at.  I cannot stand Subway and there are no Quiznos near us in Austin.  As of today my whole idea of chain sandwich quality has been completely shifted.  Potbelly Sandwich makes the absolute best sub's of them all.  Sure I've had better subs from deli's in New York and Philadelphia but that's not even close to a fair comparison considering the best deli's in the world are located in the north east.

As far as the menu goes it seems somewhat limited, they don't have any specialty sandwiches, they all seem pretty standard, an Italian, Turkey with cheese, Meatball etc.  However the specific menu item that called out to me was the Mediterranean, which was by far the most unique sandwich they offer.  It contains Zippy Hummus, Feta, Artichoke Hearts, Crispy Cukes and Roasted Red Peppers along with Chunks of Chicken.  I go with the whole wheat, in a big size, which is only a dollar extra than the small size bread.

All of their sandwiches come toasted, and they offer some delicious smoothies and shakes to add to your meal.  When you're going out with your meal they offer small containers of cholula hot sauce, which is one of the best in the world and their veggie sandwich, which is what Laura goes with is amongst the best she has ever had.  Not that it is hard to mess up lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers and pickles, but what makes it so good it the actual bread they offer it on.

Each time we've been there we went with the same exact order, our sandwiches of choice with a chocolate shake and a strawberry smoothie, and each time they have left us absolutely satisfied and craving more.  Laura has been craving it constantly and since she just had a baby three weeks ago we can't blame it on pregnancy anymore.  We can without doubt claim that these cravings are due to just how delicious Potbelly Sandwich Shops food is!

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

Maharaja Indian Cafe Authentic Indian Food

One of the first places we tried to eat at when arriving in Austin was a small out of the way Indian restaurant. I have no recollection of what it was called or even where it was since the entirety of the city was a mystery to us at the time, however what I do remember is walking in to a sweltering hot location with no AC in the middle of July that smelled horrible.  Laura and I made a quick about face and haven't thought about Indian food since.

That is until this week's copy of The Austin Chronicle came out with a cover proclaiming "It's a naan issue".  The last time I had good Indian food I fell in love with naan, it is such an incredible flat bread and I truly enjoy tasting each cultures different take on before meal snacks.  Naan is easily in the top three along with of course Italian bread and tortilla chips.  So when I came home from work last night and we had spoke earlier in the day about going out for dinner the first thing I did was scour the Chronicle to see what their recommendations were.

Naanfull is the location that made the cover and at only 12 minutes away from were we live I considered going their first, but Laura was starving and not quite as excited about Indian food as I was so we chose the slightly closer location to be our first Indian experience together and work up from there.  Maharaja Indian Cafe is literally across the street  from the library we frequent but because it is hidden away in a little nook of a small shopping center we had never noticed it before.

When we entered, the first thing I thought was that it looked very well decorated and did not have any unpleasant odors, two great benefits.  I had read that it was run by a husband and wife team but I didn't expect them to literally be doing everything from seating us, to taking our orders, delivering our water, cooking our food and serving it to us.  It took a little too long to get our water when we initially sat and I mentioned to Laura that they definitely need to hire a waitress to handle the dining area.

This got me a little worried as I was already nervous that Laura was not going to like the food and that now the service wasn't even great, but after we put our order in and got a moment to speak with both husband and wife we found out just how pleasant and friendly they actually are.  They were very gracious hosts with humble intentions and sincere hospitality.  We got to enjoy watching some very trippy Indian music videos while waiting for our meals to be served and all in all it didn't take very long at all from the time we ordered to the time we received our food.

As you can already imagine we definitely ordered some naan, I went with a classic chicken curry and Laura chose two vegetable samosas, which according to the menu contain potatoes and peas stuffed in a deep fried crispy pastry.  My meal came with white rice which we split and as always I also tried some of her samosa.  To start with though my curry was perfect.  Not too spicy, but it definitely had a kick to it, and large chunks of chicken rounded it out.  The naan was terrific on it's own and especially dipped in my curry sauce.  Lastly the samosa was exactly what Laura was hoping it would be and anything she couldn't finish I was more than willing to help with.

I was extremely happy to have chosen such a nice establishment to bring our business to, the couple who own it are so pleasant that even if the food had been terrible I probably would have written a good review just based on their personalities.  Lucky for us the food was delicious as well and we went home with a small to go bag and a pleasant new culture to make regular visits to.  Chinese used to be our "exotic" culture of choice but I think after last night we may be moving slightly west on the globe.

Maharaja Indian Cafe