Quoting Ruth Haffly to Sean Dennis <=-
ice cream cup at Sam's Club's cafe.
We used to do that until we saw them putting the mix into the machine.
It didn't look appealing and was somewhat less than a 100% on the Dept
of Health grading so we stopped getting ice cream there. Plenty of
other places in town to get it.
JIM WELLER wrote to RUTH HAFFLY <=-
ice cream cup at Sam's Club's cafe.
We used to do that until we saw them putting the mix into the machine.
It didn't look appealing and was somewhat less than a 100% on the Dept
of Health grading so we stopped getting ice cream there. Plenty of
other places in town to get it.
Most fast food soft ice cream dispensers (and soft drink fountains
for that matter) are rarely cleaned internally and almost always
dirty and moldy. Besides soft ice cream is actually heavily aerated
low fat ice milk and not nearly as tasty as real ice cream. Some of
them can't even legally be called ice milk; they must be labelled
frozen dairy dessert"
Quoting Dave Drum to Jim Weller <=-
Most fast food soft ice cream dispensers (and soft drink fountains
for that matter) are rarely cleaned internally and almost always
dirty and moldy.
Beg to differ. They (the "soft serve" I scream machines) are cleaned daily. When I was fresh out of the Navy and working in a fats food
place one of my duties at closing was to drain and disassemble the
soft serve machines then wash and sanitize the parts while another
minion cleaned the reservoirs and internal passages with hot water and anti-bacterial soap.
To be sure I checked with a grand-niece who works at a local Dairy
Queen and the process is pretty much identical to what we did in the
early 1960s.
soft ice cream is actually heavily aerated
low fat ice milk and not nearly as tasty as real ice cream. Some of
them can't even legally be called ice milk; they must be labelled
frozen dairy dessert"
ice cream cup at Sam's Club's cafe.
We used to do that until we saw them putting the mix into the machine.
It didn't look appealing and was somewhat less than a 100% on the Dept
of Health grading so we stopped getting ice cream there. Plenty of
other places in town to get it.
Most fast food soft ice cream dispensers (and soft drink fountains
for that matter) are rarely cleaned internally and almost always
dirty and moldy. Besides soft ice cream is actually heavily aerated
low fat ice milk and not nearly as tasty as real ice cream. Some of
them can't even legally be called ice milk; they must be labelled
frozen dairy dessert"
Ruth Haffly wrote to JIM WELLER <=-
It's not caught when the Health Dept. inspectors come around? I've also read that the ice in soda dispensers is full of bacteria so I always
get (if self serve) or order my drink without ice. I get a full cup
then, instead of one that's 2/3 ice, 1/3 drink.
It's not caught when the Health Dept. inspectors come around? I've also read that the ice in soda dispensers is full of bacteria so I always
get (if self serve) or order my drink without ice. I get a full cup
then, instead of one that's 2/3 ice, 1/3 drink.
I see that sort od "breathlessly sensationalised" article from time to time in my news feeds - sort of "Consumer Reports" with an axe to
grind.
The truth is we are surrounded by and filled with bacteria. They are a part of life itself. The most common bacteria in ice/ice machines is Mycobacterium Legionella is among several bacteria that have been
isolated from ice machine water dispensers and ice. While the presence
of these bacteria, listed above, in ice is generally not a significant risk for disease transmission, those who are severely ill, immunocompromised and bedridden are at most risk. -- cribbed from:
http://terramarra.com/pathogens-ice-maker/
As to ordering drinks without ice - I figured that out many, many
years ago. The drink is dispensed cold from the apparatus - so why
does it
"need" ice? Other than tradition and for profit enhancement, that is.
Quoting Ruth Haffly to Jim Weller <=-
ice cream cup at Sam's Club's cafe.
We used to do that until we saw them putting the mix into the machine.
It didn't look appealing and was somewhat less than a 100% on the Dept
of Health grading so we stopped getting ice cream there. Plenty of
other places in town to get it.
Most fast food soft ice cream dispensers (and soft drink fountains
for that matter) are rarely cleaned internally and almost always
dirty and moldy. Besides soft ice cream is actually heavily aerated
It's not caught when the Health Dept. inspectors come around?
Ruth Haffly wrote to Dave Drum <=-
There are times when short cuts probably are taken, but not on a
regular basis. Somebody, not wanting to do the dirty work involved in a full clean up may just do a quick wipe down and let whoever has the job the next day/night do the full clean up. Probably rare but undoubtedly happens from time to time.
JIM WELLER wrote to RUTH HAFFLY <=-
they generally don't take machinery apart.
A lot of the exposees are from
disgruntled ex-employees who post their own photos on social media.
That's far less likely as water and ice don't have nutrients so
germs or mold can grow. The ice would be made from tap water, which
of course is chlorinated and germ free.
On 09-18-21 16:06, Sean Dennis <=-
spoke to Ruth Haffly about Re: ice cream dispensers <=-
So, like
Dave said, be careful about the stuff you read about fast food places because while it may be true, the sensationalized stuff is the
exception rather than the rule.
Dale Shipp wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
That seems to be a good admonition about many things these days.
Most fast food soft ice cream dispensers (and soft drink fountains
for that matter) are rarely cleaned internally and almost always
dirty and moldy. Besides soft ice cream is actually heavily aerated
It's not caught when the Health Dept. inspectors come around?
They do sometimes. But they generally only hot a place once every
12-18 months unless a place has a poor previous inspection. During
Covid routine inspections in Yellowknife were put on hold from March
2020 to July 2021. They only followed up on public complaints (which
were few). They did start inspecting places in July as sitdown places reopened. But they look for surface dirt and odours; they generally
don't take machinery apart. A lot of the exposees are from
disgruntled ex-employees who post their own photos on social media.
RH I've also read that the ice in soda dispensers is full of bacteria
That's far less likely as water and ice don't have nutrients so
germs or mold can grow. The ice would be made from tap water, which
of course is chlorinated and germ free.
There are times when short cuts probably are taken, but not on a
regular basis. Somebody, not wanting to do the dirty work involved in a full clean up may just do a quick wipe down and let whoever has the job the next day/night do the full clean up. Probably rare but undoubtedly happens from time to time.
It's not the ice machines you have to worry about as much as the
nozzles in the soda machines. They get caked with mold very quickly
and if they're not cleaned at night, it can become life-threatening quickly. However, standard procedure is to put all of the dispensing machine's nozzles and related equipment into a bleached-based
sanitizer solution overnight, rinsing it all off the next morning.
When I was in fast food, I took several sanitation courses required by being in management (and are industry-standard) as well as being a certified mess hall health inspector in the Army (a side job I did
while in the field). The ice machines, for the most part, these days
are self-cleaning unless they're a "manual fill" and that leads to uncleanliness.
That being said, I've never had an issue with getting sick from a soda from a fast-food place and I am deathly allergic to mold. I mean I
can go into anaphylactic shock from being exposed to enough mold. So,
like Dave said, be careful about the stuff you read about fast food
places because while it may be true, the sensationalized stuff is the exception rather than the rule.
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
And thankfully it's a solution that doesn't have any sort of
aftertaste. Steve soaked the tubing for one of my water bottles in a bleach solution once; I couldn't use that one any more. Even after repeated washing, the taste of the bleach was still too strong for me.
I've seen employees dump big buckets of ice into the top of the machine
in more than one place. The buckets look like they've been recycled
from some food product.
That's enough to be wary of quite a few places. Our newspaper in AZ
used to do a monthly listing of the places the Dept. of Health had inspected and their scores--I tried to stick with the A rated places if asked for a suggestion of where to go to eat.
True, it's probably limited to individual places instead of the chain
as a whole. Trouble is, if just passing thru an aarea, you don't know
how good a place is unless you can see its inspection report. We've
been in some that could definatly have done better on cleaning the
public areas but the food was the usual chain quality (or lack
thereof).
Quoting Sean Dennis to Jim Weller <=-
A lot of the exposees are from disgruntled ex-employees
Sometimes that backfires because it's a setup.
it's the soda machine dispensing nozzles that are notorious
being at room temperature constantly damp, and usually full of
sugar and other nutrients that mold and bacteria just love.
That is indeed the usual culprit. The commonest problems of all are employees working while sick and/or not hand washing sufficiently,
food left at room temperature too long and vermin and insect
infestations.
Quoting Ruth Haffly to Jim Weller <=-
I've also read that the ice in soda dispensers is full of bacteria
That's far less likely as water and ice don't have nutrients so
germs or mold can grow. The ice would be made from tap water, which
of course is chlorinated and germ free.
But if the insides of the machines aren't cleaned out regularly, the
ice can pick up nasties from that and dispense it. I'll continue to get
my drinks ice free.
And thankfully it's a solution that doesn't have any sort of
aftertaste. Steve soaked the tubing for one of my water bottles in a bleach solution once; I couldn't use that one any more. Even after repeated washing, the taste of the bleach was still too strong for me.
If they're using quat sanitizer (contains quaternary ammonium
chloride) on food surfaces, that's bad. That not only has a bitter
taste, it can make you very ill. It's hard to mix the two up but some people manage it just fine unfortunately.
I've seen employees dump big buckets of ice into the top of the machine
in more than one place. The buckets look like they've been recycled
from some food product.
Those recycled containers are better to use for ice than a bucket you
get at a hardware store. Food-safe plastics don't impart any nasty flavors to what's being held in them. For food storage, I use the
five gallon buckets from Tractor Supply Company as the ones from
Lowe's and Home Depot are not food-safe.
That's enough to be wary of quite a few places. Our newspaper in AZ
used to do a monthly listing of the places the Dept. of Health had inspected and their scores--I tried to stick with the A rated places if asked for a suggestion of where to go to eat.
The health department scores are very subjective and should be taken
with a grain of salt (couldn't help it). If you have a lazy
inspector, the place can get an A and have mouse droppings behind a
grill.
True, it's probably limited to individual places instead of the chain
as a whole. Trouble is, if just passing thru an aarea, you don't know
how good a place is unless you can see its inspection report. We've
been in some that could definatly have done better on cleaning the
public areas but the food was the usual chain quality (or lack
thereof).
Most of the time, the dining room is a foretelling of what the kitchen
may look like but if you go into a place just after a rush, that may
or may not be true, especially at night. These days, with the poor staffing that a lot of eateries have, I guess you'd have to trust your
own judgement.
I've also read that the ice in soda dispensers is full of bacteria
That's far less likely as water and ice don't have nutrients so
germs or mold can grow. The ice would be made from tap water, which
of course is chlorinated and germ free.
But if the insides of the machines aren't cleaned out regularly, the
ice can pick up nasties from that and dispense it. I'll continue to get
my drinks ice free.
It's the drink machine nozzles that are the potential health threat.
As Sean pointed out "soda machine dispensing nozzles that are
notorious being at room temperature, constantly damp, and usually
full of sugar and other nutrients that mold and bacteria just love."
Better you should get your ice drink free!
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
Not being a worker for one of those places, I've no idea what they're using. Hopefully they keep a sharp eye on which container is which when they grab the one needed for sanitising.
Its been so long since we got them, I don't remember where we got the buckets we keep our wheat in. I know they are food grade--and they have spinner tops--much easier to open than the tops that came with them.
We've had our mill for about 13 years and bought the buckets early on;
we usually order 25 or 50 lb bags of wheat.
An inspector of that quality should be inspecting other job offers.
Most are pretty good but every so often we walk into one that looks
like it could use an overhaul. Lately we've ordered the food to go,
taken it out to our camper to eat.
Ruth Haffly wrote to JIM WELLER <=-
Most of the time I'll just go for water, anyway. If a drink is included with the meal, I'll get it, but with no ice. Just personal preference.
Sean Dennis wrote to Ruth Haffly <=-
Most of the time I'll just go for water, anyway. If a drink is included with the meal, I'll get it, but with no ice. Just personal preference.
A lot of fast food places will give you a bottled water if you ask if
you want a safer option.
Dave Drum wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
And charge you for it. I typically order water in restaurants as my beverage. And if ordering in a fats food drive through I am careful to specify a "glass of water" so I don't get a jug of Dasani or something
and a charge for it. Bv)=
Sean Dennis wrote to Dave Drum <=-
And charge you for it. I typically order water in restaurants as my beverage. And if ordering in a fats food drive through I am careful to specify a "glass of water" so I don't get a jug of Dasani or something
and a charge for it. Bv)=
Not all of them in my experience but that may have changed with the
times.
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
We usually take the time to eat in the camper but get back on the road again quickly. Eating in the restaurant makes us tend to linger and if we've got miles to make, we'd rather eat in the camper. Occaisionally we'll eat in the truck while driving but not that often as towing
requires more attention than just driving.
We looked at buying one when we came back from HI but it didn't have
the side curtain air bags. Ended up getting the Focus that was a lemon instead; we traded it on our first Escape just after paying it off 2
1/2 years later. We called it the "out of Focus). (G)
we've got miles to make, we'd rather eat in the camper. Occaisionally we'll eat in the truck while driving but not that often as towing
requires more attention than just driving.
I will eat in the car on a trip but I tend to try to find a quiet spot
to eat in silence to give my mind time to relax so I can concentrate
on the driving ahead.
We looked at buying one when we came back from HI but it didn't have
the side curtain air bags. Ended up getting the Focus that was a lemon instead; we traded it on our first Escape just after paying it off 2
1/2 years later. We called it the "out of Focus). (G)
My Versa had side curtain airbags. They saved my life when it was
wrecked in my head-on collision in February 2019.
I was looking at a 2021 Versa but now that I have a power scooter, I
will need to buy something that can handle a 500-pound tongue weight
on a Class III hitch. Maybe once I get my own place and can have more than one car I'll get another Versa again.
Title: Creamy Mushroom Garlic Chicken
Categories: Poultry
Yield: 4 Servings
4 Boneless; skinless chicken
-breast halves
1 tb Vegetable oil
1 cn (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream
-of Mushroom with roasted
-garlic soup
1/2 c Milk
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
Sounds like a workable idea--something you can go thru a drive in
window for. We can't, while towing, so usually go inside and get out quickly. Our local Chick-Fil-A's have gone to a double lane drive thru
and vehicles are still backed up well onto the road at the older establishment at lunch time. Even so, once you do place your order,
it's out fairly quickly.
Sean Dennis wrote to Ruth Haffly <=-
I am considering a full-size pickup as if I am planning on buying a
travel trailer, I could use use the extra power and room in the bed to stick a generator in there so I can use A/C on hot days. This is all subject to income, of course.
lot (or even along a quiet side street next to the restaurant) so I can pull out easily. Even though I will be pulling a small trailer that doesn't mean I'm going to be doing fancy manuvering (sp) for no reason.
Sounds like a workable idea--something you can go thru a drive in
window for. We can't, while towing, so usually go inside and get out quickly. Our local Chick-Fil-A's have gone to a double lane drive thru
and vehicles are still backed up well onto the road at the older establishment at lunch time. Even so, once you do place your order,
it's out fairly quickly.
I am considering a full-size pickup as if I am planning on buying a
travel trailer, I could use use the extra power and room in the bed to stick a generator in there so I can use A/C on hot days. This is all subject to income, of course.
All of the CFAs in Johnson City are busy especially the backed-up drive-thrus. It's easier for me to hop out and walk in to the
restaurant than sit uncomfortably in a vehicle. When I'm towing, I
will try to scout ahead a place that has a largish parking lot that I
can park out in the boonies, preferably along the edge of the parking
lot (or even along a quiet side street next to the restaurant) so I
can pull out easily. Even though I will be pulling a small trailer
that doesn't mean I'm going to be doing fancy manuvering (sp) for no reason.
Title: RAVIOLI WITH RICOTTA FILLING
Categories: Italian, Cheese
Yield: 36 Servings
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
We tow the R-Pod with our Nissan Frontier but are looking to upgrade to something about the Ford F-150 size.
We've done that too. Sometimes we've taken advantage of an emptier
parking lot nearby. Other times, like at a truck stop for gas (and
maybe a quick Subway or other quick meal stop), we've parked among the
big rigs. A lot of interstate rest stops have towed vehicles park out
with the trucks so we've eaten a lot of lunch time sandwiches out among trucks too. On our way home from SC last week, another R-Pod pulled in while we were eating so Steve talked with the owners for a bit, gave
them a quick tour of our camper as they'd seen some of his
modifications on the R-Pod forum.
It does take some fancy maneuvering sometimes. We pulled into a small strip mall in MD last month; it had no second exit so Steve had to do a multi (more than a 3 point) point turn to get us out.
My MIL used to do this; she used a tuna can to cut her raviolis so they were big. With all she fixed (sausage, meat balls, salad and bread), I don't think I ate more than 3 raviolis in any meal.
We tow the R-Pod with our Nissan Frontier but are looking to upgrade to something about the Ford F-150 size.
I am looking at several options right now including an actual on-truck camper. If I go that route, I'll want at least a 3/4 ton (5/8 ton)
truck. All of that is still a long way off though.
We've done that too. Sometimes we've taken advantage of an emptier
parking lot nearby. Other times, like at a truck stop for gas (and
maybe a quick Subway or other quick meal stop), we've parked among the
big rigs. A lot of interstate rest stops have towed vehicles park out
with the trucks so we've eaten a lot of lunch time sandwiches out among trucks too. On our way home from SC last week, another R-Pod pulled in while we were eating so Steve talked with the owners for a bit, gave
them a quick tour of our camper as they'd seen some of his
modifications on the R-Pod forum.
Always nice to meet someone from an online forum. I usually will pull into a truck parking spot at a rest area while I'm towing. I look for
the larger rest areas to make sure there's room but if not, I'll pull ahead close to the returning on-ramp though with my disability,
walking long distances isn't easy nor comfortable. If the weather is nice, I will find a picnic bench to eat outside at the rest stop.
I will try to find a Walmart or a Cracker Barrel to spend more time to rest if need be. Sam's Club can be good too if you catch the right
time. I will park on the street at last resort but if I can turn
around and park along the curb to face out before stopping, that's
even better.
It does take some fancy maneuvering sometimes. We pulled into a small strip mall in MD last month; it had no second exit so Steve had to do a multi (more than a 3 point) point turn to get us out.
That's the advantage of a small trailer. A camper can be good also
but you really have to watch your height with those. That's why I
like the smaller trailers.
My MIL used to do this; she used a tuna can to cut her raviolis so they were big. With all she fixed (sausage, meat balls, salad and bread), I don't think I ate more than 3 raviolis in any meal.
Those are a meal unto themselves!
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
My in laws had several of them before they went with the motor homes. I understand that Dad built the first one. We've discussed motor homes or pick up truck campers but like the advantage of being able to drop the camper off at a campground and have the truck for run around, sight seeing, etc. Bryce Canyon asked that we unhitch to go thru the canyon (They had a lot for it.); we did the same (after getting an ok to do
so) at Arches National Park. It made touring the park much easier.
We've eaten at picnic tables in the past but usually stay with the
camper now. The NC rest stops have an area beyond the car park one for towed vehicles; we very often see a car or small truck (not towing)
parked in some of those places. I don't think we've ever had to drive
on for lack of parking but sometimes we've had to park closer to the
exit than we'd planned to.
We've not overnighted in Sam's Club lots but have, in quite a few
Wal-Mart lots. The nice thing about W-M is that it is open late and
early so we can pick up groceries or other neccessaries after getting
camp set up or before taking off in the morning. On our cross country
trip in 2018, I bought 2 or 3 fat quarters (piece of fabric cut 18"x
22") at the various W-Ms we overnighted at. They will be made into a
quilt at some point.
My in laws had several of them before they went with the motor homes. I understand that Dad built the first one. We've discussed motor homes or pick up truck campers but like the advantage of being able to drop the camper off at a campground and have the truck for run around, sight
I was looking at a Lance camper which does not offer prices on its products on its website which means to me "if you have to ask, you
can't afford it". I do like a camper for the reasons you mention,
especially the ones with hydraulic lift jacks so you can unload the
camper with relative ease.
We've eaten at picnic tables in the past but usually stay with the
camper now. The NC rest stops have an area beyond the car park one for towed vehicles; we very often see a car or small truck (not towing)
parked in some of those places. I don't think we've ever had to drive
on for lack of parking but sometimes we've had to park closer to the
exit than we'd planned to.
I get "itchy" being in a vehicle all day and like to get outsice for a little while even if it's only for a few minutes.
We've not overnighted in Sam's Club lots but have, in quite a few
Wal-Mart lots. The nice thing about W-M is that it is open late and
early so we can pick up groceries or other neccessaries after getting
camp set up or before taking off in the morning. On our cross country
trip in 2018, I bought 2 or 3 fat quarters (piece of fabric cut 18"x
22") at the various W-Ms we overnighted at. They will be made into a
quilt at some point.
Unfortunately, in my area, the large increase of homeless people
camping in WM lots have forced all WMs here to disallow overnight
parking.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Cossack Chicken and Mushrooms
Categories: Ukrainian, Ethnic, Poultry, Maindish, East-euro
Yield: 4 Servings
12 oz Chicken boneless & skinless
5 tb Butter
1 Garlic clove minced
1 Onion lg.
1/2 ts Nutmeg ground fine
1/2 c Swiss cheese grated
1/2 c Feta cheese crumbled
3 tb Sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 lb Mushrooms, fresh, washed &
-coarsely chopped
Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-
We do get outside a bit--usually hike up to the "facilities" and, of course walking to the camper. If the weather is bad, we'll not do the first hike and make the 2nd one a fast dash.(G)
Sigh! Most W-Ms are pretty good about letting us stay but we always
ask, just as a matter of course. One, in San Antonio, said we could
only stay a couple of hours so we pushed on a bit more and found one in aquieter town a couple of hours down the road. It gave us a fresher
start to go thru Houston as we were closer than if we'd stayed in S.A.
We do get outside a bit--usually hike up to the "facilities" and, of course walking to the camper. If the weather is bad, we'll not do the first hike and make the 2nd one a fast dash.(G)
One of the joys of having an RV: no long walks in the rain.
Sigh! Most W-Ms are pretty good about letting us stay but we always
ask, just as a matter of course. One, in San Antonio, said we could
only stay a couple of hours so we pushed on a bit more and found one in aquieter town a couple of hours down the road. It gave us a fresher
start to go thru Houston as we were closer than if we'd stayed in S.A.
I think the WMs are friendlier the more west you go. I have stayed in
rest areas, store parking lots, and parked along exit ramps in rural
areas (you know, the exits out in the middle of nowhere). The rest
areas make me a bit nervous with all of the people coming and going
though the parking lots don't bother me at all for some reason.
Title: Country Salmon Pie
Categories: Entrees, Usenet
Yield: 8 Servings
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