tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90831155672344264932024-02-19T05:19:38.706-08:00SactoFoodAndInsuranceSactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-50965861243065740122012-02-23T18:53:00.001-08:002012-02-23T18:55:43.738-08:00Mimes and InsuranceSo the Yelp event was awesome. But, I'm also an idiot. As someone who basically speaks for a living, I was dealing with a slightly hoarse voice as of late. The crazy volume levels at Oz Korean BBQ have left me almost completely without a voice. I've been miming my way through insurance today when I wasn't at home resting.<br />
<br />
When I DO speak, I sound like someone who has been smoking for 50+ years. Not a very pleasant phone voice, at the moment. So I'll be doing my best to not talk (which is a challenge for me) and relax my poor, strained vocal chords a bit. In the meantime, trying to pantomime my way through my last appointment of the day should be interesting!SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-62284892697094905522012-02-22T08:44:00.000-08:002012-02-22T08:44:48.312-08:00My first adventure in ElitenessIt should come as no surprise that I'm a big fan of food. I'm also highly opinionated about food! Ask any of my co-workers in the deep, dark insurance mines where I reside most of the day, and they'll point you in my direction if you're looking for a good place to eat. So, not surprisingly, I've taken to <a href="http://sacramentosamb.yelp.com/">Yelp</a> like a fish to water. So much so, that I've been Yelp Elite for the past two years<br />
<br />
I'm ashamed to admit it, but despite being an Elite member for 2011 and 2012, I've never actually taken advantage of any of the perks that come with it. They'll often put on events and gathering of various types, and they always seem to fall on days or times that don't work out for me. What a waste, right?<br />
<br />
That streak stops tonight!<br />
<br />
Tonight's event takes us to Oz Korean BBQ, a place that I've been meaning to try for quite some time. Grill your own delicious meats right at your table? Yes please! And to be able to do so for free with additional goodies thrown in for good measure? You might need to pinch me, because it sounds like I might be dreaming.<br />
<br />
So if you happen to be a member of the Elite community yourself, give me a nudge and say hi! I'm always happy to meet other foodies. As long as you don't mind that I'm staring down grilled meats while I speak with you, of course.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-79184503002659356662012-02-16T13:30:00.000-08:002012-02-16T13:30:23.479-08:00Things I'll splurge onJust like with cars, clothing, or for folks like myself, food and insurance, people are always willing to spend a little more for certain things. They'll pay more for quality, or for a specialty item, or for an awesome personal agent (wink wink, nudge nudge). In my case, one of the things I'll splurge on is cookware.<br />
<br />
My recent obsession has been with Le Creuset cookware. Non-stick stuff drives me batty since it gets damaged so easily and in the long-run, you can potentially endanger your food and your own health if the non-stick materials start to flake or if you overheat it sans food. It's not likely, but it can happen! Plus, I've run through skillets like you wouldn't believe. Le Creuset ends all of this insanity. Plus, it's beautiful!<br />
<br />
Presenting, exhibit 1: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/8k4c4e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/8k4c4e.jpg" yda="true" /></a></div>My awesome fiancee got me my very first Le Creuset item for V-Day. You wouldn't think that this would be an ideal gift for a guy in his twenties, right? Well, for this guy, it was. I was bouncing off of the walls. I'm thrilled with it, and I'll probably be using this as long as I'm cooking. These suckers last.<br />
<br />
And don't think this will be the last! My registry is chock-full of these, and I'll be supplementing my collection to fill in any gaps after the wedding.<br />
<br />
Everyone has their thing! In my opinion, the quality and longevity makes this pay off in the long run. Now, I hope you feel this way about your insurance too, but I'll forgive you if you're not quite as obsessed as I am.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-53090394072499482822012-02-10T12:09:00.000-08:002012-02-10T12:09:06.426-08:00RecommendationsEither in the land of the foodies, or when dealing with insurance, the power of the recommendation is an amazing thing. Many of my clients come to me via referral, and I'd imagine that the same can be said for any given restaurant. Sure, clients come about by other means as well, just as folks will occasionally wander off the street into a restaurant, but it's not nearly as likely.<br />
<br />
So, I come to you with a request: recommendations. Sure, if you happen to be a client of mine, I always appreciate if you send someone my way, but what I'm really looking for here is a food recommendation or two.<br />
<br />
Here's the situation: date night Friday has become a weekly deal with my fiancee. I happen to love it, because on top of spending some quality time with her, it gives us a chance to try out new places around town. Our goal is to avoid repeats if we can.<br />
<br />
So here's what I'm looking for! Any restaurant in the Sacramento that you feel would be date night worthy. We're open to the whole gambit of things, be they dressy, hipster, dive-y... pretty much anything you can imagine. I think we just want the food to be awesome. Recent trips have taken us to Selland's Market, the Magpie Cafe, the Shoki Ramen House and Paragary's, if you need an idea of what we like.<br />
<br />
Heck, if anyone is super-fast, I'd even appreciate a recommendation for this evening!SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-11564985419098710522012-02-08T18:29:00.000-08:002012-02-08T18:29:55.060-08:00On BurgersSometimes when I get really hungry working in the deep, dark insurance mines, I daydream about food. A thought came to me earlier today: to me, one of the great, unappreciated forms of art is the hamburger. Yes, just about anyone can make one, but to make one WELL is the trick.<br />
<br />
Is calling a burger a form of art a little much? Maybe, but consider the sheer variety in what you get when you talk about a hamburger. You could be talking about anything from a McDonald's Happy Meal cheeseburger to a Double Double from In-N-Out, to a local monstrosity like the Squeeze with cheese from <a href="http://www.thesqueezeinn.com/">The Squeeze Inn</a>. The differences are vast!<br />
<br />
Just this weekend, I visited a place called <a href="http://www.nationwidefreezermeats.com/">Nationwide Freezer Meats</a> and I experienced one of the better burgers I've had in quite some time! The bun was delightfully toasted, the veggies solid, and the meat itself was incredibly tasty. It's the last part that makes me wonder about the term "art". I just couldn't put my finger on why it tasted so good. If given an exact method to recreate it, I somehow doubt it would be the same. Did it have something to do with the spices used? The seasoned grill? The quality of the meat? I'm not sure if' it's really any of those. It's that certain intangible quality of the burger that made it work, if you ask me.<br />
<br />
So, work of art? Maybe you disagree, but think back to the last REALLY good burger you had. Put yourself in that moment and reconsider things. You may see things like a certain food-crazed insurance guy.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-76592766941149847562012-01-31T17:26:00.000-08:002012-01-31T17:26:59.765-08:00What Would Work For You?I've been musing on this thought for the past few days, but my question is tough for me to answer. The reason? I'm incredibly biased. Being an insurance guy, it's tough for me to put myself in non-insurance guy shoes, so to speak.<br />
<br />
So I'll ask you the question: what would make you interested enough to get a quote for auto or home insurance?<br />
<br />
Yes, I know. Insurance is boring. Most people don't want to talk about it on a day-to-day basis unless something brings it front-and-center in your mind. A bad claim, or a large increase in price, for example. But what would make you investigate on your own?<br />
<br />
For example, if I treated you to a delicious meal from one of Sacramento's gourmet food trucks while we discussed the quote, would it be worth your time? If I made a donation to a charity for the opportunity to quote, would THAT be worth your time?<br />
<br />
In all seriousness, it's one of the things I've never been able to figure out. So, you tell me! Heck, I might even see about making it happen for you if it's reasonable.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-13671422123937625282012-01-26T15:01:00.000-08:002012-01-26T15:02:17.621-08:00A Recurring Food Truck Lunch Stop: How Does It Happen?Having my time split between running around the office and running to various appointments and meetings, my food truck time has been WAY down as of late. And frankly, that saddens me. I love me some trucks. <a href="http://www.miniburgertruck.com/">Mini Burger Truck</a>, <a href="http://drewskis.com/">Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen</a>, <a href="http://wichonwheels.com/">Wicked 'Wich</a>... I miss you all!<br />
<br />
And the worst part about this for me? Having to watch them all stop at other offices all week long. I work in an office building with hundreds of insurance-related employees, and presumably, they get hungry on occasion! I know I sure do. But thus far, our experience with food trucks has been minimal. Back when we had our old building manager, they kicked a truck out without hesitation.<br />
<br />
We have a new building manager, and he's shown that he may be a little more open to things, but the question remains: what are the steps to make it happen? I, sadly, don't have the pull to get mass E-Mails sent out to the building. I can probably get clearance for a truck to make a lunch stop, and we're not in Sacramento city, so timing won't be an issue... but how can I get them the exposure they'll need to make it a SUCCESSFUL stop? I don't want this to be a one-time thing! I want this to be so awesome, that trucks want to stop by every week.<br />
<br />
So, food truck owners, employees and enthusiasts, I ask for your help. How can I make this happen?SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-20340674219358241082012-01-24T22:01:00.000-08:002012-01-24T22:01:27.229-08:00Food InsuranceIf a thing so wonderous as "food insurance" existed, I would buy a truckload of it.<br />
<br />
I'm always terrified that when I try creating a new dish, it will end horribly. I always fear the worst for whatever reason. So if this mythical "food insurance" existed, and I could pay to prevent my food from coming out as a wreck, I would do so pretty much every time.<br />
<br />
Sadly, I just have to cross my fingers and hope. For example, this evening, I created my first pork roast! Things ended up pretty solid, but I was worried the whole way through. I still don't fully trust myself in the cooking world, I suppose. However, the pork ended up tasty and tender with a pretty good sear. I also went with a veggie/apple mix that was first sauteed, then baked with the roast. Some rosemary sprigs went on top to add a bit of flavor, and it all worked nicely.<br />
<br />
So I guess I technically would have ended up over-insuring my food? It figures, given my profession and overall nervous tendencies when trying to make food I haven't made before. But oh, what I'd pay for that peace of mind.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-9074453863272200382012-01-19T12:17:00.000-08:002012-01-19T12:17:10.425-08:00The value of an insurance advisorIt's been a strange start to the year! Historically, I've had a pretty loyal client base, but recently I've seen a wave of cancellations. This isn't all that strange, as people cancel all the time for a variety of reasons. They sold their home, they moved out of state, their situation changes and another company is better suited... that happens. But to switch 6-9 months after the intial sign-up, with no real issues or complaints? This is new to me.<br />
<br />
I don't fault my clients for this. In the end, they act in their own best interest, and I can completely respect that. But for so little time to pass, it leaves me with a big question: what exactly IS the value of my service?<br />
<br />
I suppose that answer varies from person to person. For my (obviously biased) part, I'd gladly pay for a go-to person I can count on as opposed to having to count on a call center exclusively. To put this in food terms, I'll pay extra to get a great meal from a local restaurant, even though I could go next door and get a similar fast-food meal for a lot less. But, I suppose that there are reasons the fast-food places thrive.<br />
<br />
It makes an insurance guy wonder. Do folks at small burger joints get a bit offended when they see people walk down the street to get a McDonald's burger? Different priorities for different folks is what it comes down to, I suppose.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-23072291706800362422012-01-12T12:39:00.000-08:002012-01-12T12:39:32.603-08:00The post-Holiday food lullEver make the mistake of stepping on the scale right around the end of December, or the beginning of January? Boy was that a mistake I wish I hadn't made.<br />
<br />
So for the last week and some change, with very few exceptions, it's been food lock-down. Healthy options, no burgers, lots of fruit, etc. This doesn't sound so bad, but I apparently get a lot less creative with food when I'm aiming healthy. I have eaten the same low-fat burrito 4 times since the beginning of the year. That's a ton considering that I've taken 7-8 lunches at work!<br />
<br />
My last trip to the scale wasn't quite as painful, so things are looking up, but man, I can't wait for this self-imposed lock-down to ease up a bit. Insurance guys need fuel, and I understand that the best fuel is a nice, juicy cheeseburger. That might not be coming soon, sadly.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-48850487170835837202012-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:002012-01-10T15:44:45.527-08:00Hand insuranceFunny enough, it looks like my family has decided that enough is enough. As you may have read in several of my earlier posts, my left arm seems to take a beating when it comes to cooking. I've sliced myself several times by several different means, be it by knife or mandolin slicer. I had a couple scares, and I ruined a couple of towels!<br />
<br />
So this Christmas, by family gave me a wonderful gift: the gift of hand insurance.<br />
<br />
Is there such a thing? No, not really. But there is such a wonderous tool as the <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13882894">cut resistant glove.</a><br />
<br />
Apparently, my family knows me well. And they want me to have all 10 fingers intact for my wedding this year. I tried it out yesterday, and though I haven't accidently chopped myself yet, I feel a heck of a lot better about things. I was starting to get a little gun-shy (knife-shy?) when mincing onions or dicing a potato or two, and this restores a bit of confidence. It does feel a little odd though. It's like preparing food while wearing a mitten! But if that's the cost of keeping all of my digits intact, so be it.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-56747237148398867412012-01-05T16:09:00.000-08:002012-01-05T16:09:26.137-08:00Reasons to review your home coverageTaking a break from my normally not-so-serious posts, I thought it might help helpful to talk about some of the situations I've been running into at work. Hopefully, something like this can help someone out there avoid a rough situation!<br />
<br />
Not long ago I had a client of mine make a claim on their home insurance. Unfortunately, they did not do a lot of research when they put the policy in place. I do my best to cover all of the bases when I start a new policy with a client of mine, but it's impossible to cover every single scenario. They sped through the process a bit, and never really read their policy, and unfortunately, it came back to bite them.<br />
<br />
During this claim, they ran into a limit on their jewelry coverage. Our company has a pretty high amount of coverage, but pretty much every company out there has some sort of limit unless you modify your policy. They did not take the time to go into this initially... and then when it came time for a claim, they were stuck without coverage for several items.<br />
<br />
I, for one, don't want to see ANY clients of mine go through this! Please, take the time to discuss the details on your policy with your advisor! Read your policies, and if you have questions, ask them BEFORE something goes wrong!<br />
<br />
Heck, if you'd like, you can even ask me!SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-28154416182124443752012-01-03T15:53:00.000-08:002012-01-03T15:53:06.915-08:00So what do you get YOUR local insurance guy/foodie for Christmas?Apparently the answer is one of the follow:<br />
<br />
-A apron<br />
-A pizza cutter in the shape of the USS Enterprise<br />
-A Food Network calendar<br />
-A bunch of Pyrex bowls and servers<br />
-Work shirts and ties<br />
-Hilarious pens in the shape of Angry Birds<br />
<br />
Yes, someone actually got me a Star Trek pizza cutter. Yes, I was also thrilled. It's good to know that people know the way to my insurancey/foodie heart though.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-42175728737215924012011-12-15T11:01:00.000-08:002011-12-15T11:01:45.216-08:00The Holiday RebootIt's about that time of year again! Being a commission-based insurance guy, any type of day off is a rarity for me. In the past two years, I've taken a single sick day, and only the sporadic vacation day.<br />
<br />
The end of December, however, is an exception.<br />
<br />
Every year, I take the last few weeks to recharge the insurance guy batteries, so to speak. Mainly, the timing of this is just due to the fact that no one actually wants to talk about insurance during this type of year. But, of course, I have various holiday gatherings to attend as well. Whatever the reasoning, the end result is the same: it's time for some much-needed time off.<br />
<br />
So for those of you looking for your friendly neighborhood insurance advisor, you're likely better off searching hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the area. You likely won't see me around the deep, dark insurance mines for the rest of the year.<br />
<br />
Until we meet again, have a great holiday season! May the rest of your year be filled with family gatherings, friends and of course, great food.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-37912990694787066162011-12-13T11:44:00.000-08:002011-12-13T11:44:59.382-08:00The Office PartyHere in the deep, dark insurance mines, having a holiday party isn't always a top priority. In fact, we haven't had anything other than a last-minute deal at a chain restaurant for years just due to budget restraints. Thankfully, that changed this year.<br />
<br />
It wasn't anything over the top, nor was it held at the actual office (and thank goodness for that! Deep, dark insurance mines aren't generally a party environment), but it WAS a blast. I'm a big believer in fun gatherings outside of work. It's a heck of a lot easier to work with folks if you can laugh and visit with them every now and then without being on the clock.<br />
<br />
To those that generally avoid this type of event, I give you this note: the people that miss out on these parties are often the ones that could benefit from attending them. If you could have seen my workplace on Monday and the sheer amount of laughs, story-telling and overall good cheer that went along with it, you might understand.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-68562999459469594072011-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:002011-12-08T14:07:29.461-08:00The Dreaded Holiday Push-OffIt's that time of year again! Everyone is in full holiday prep-mode (myself included) and people are flocking to the malls to buy presents, look for great deals, get decorations and everything else folks seem to do around this time of year.<br />
<br />
Do you know the one thing people DON'T want to do?<br />
<br />
Talk about insurance!<br />
<br />
Ah yes, the dreaded 1.5 month window between Thanksgiving and the end of the year: every insurance guy or gal's worst nightmare. The refrain we hear over and over? "Call me after the 1st."<br />
<br />
Now admittedly, I can get a little bit focused on the holidays as well, but don't people generally like saving money around this time of year? That's what we're trying to do here, folks! In all seriousness, I'm not at all offended that people would want to wait until January. I might even push some things out until that time of year too. But does EVERYONE have to do it? <br />
<br />
So if you'd like to make your friendly neighborhood insurance advisor a happy person, make their January a little less crazy. Put down the Christmas lights and ornaments for a few minutes and finish up some business sooner than later. Trust me, it will be appreciated!SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-22126664228141855382011-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:002011-12-06T15:48:47.412-08:00SactoMofo 3 RecapCircumstance is a wonderful thing sometimes, isn't it? In this case, the awesome crossing of paths was this: one of the organizers of SactoMofo is my client.<br />
<br />
So, mobile food guy and dutiful insurance advisor I am, I pitched in. So did the future Mrs. SactoFoodAndInsurance! It made for quite the fun morning actually. Running around, strategically placing garbage bins, previewing all of the trucks, and making a last-second stop by a Kinko's to get some color copies made me feel like I was on the Amazing Race.<br />
<br />
And then... the feast.<br />
<br />
The fiancee and I went as a pair, so I was sad to be without a big team for the first time. However, as I was posting signs, I ran into a few friends of mine from <a href="http://sactofoodandinsurance.blogspot.com/2011/06/sacramento-dish-drawl-recap.html">the Sacramento Dish Crawls</a> and we did a quick impromptu team-up. As you may have seen me note before, teaming up is the way to go. Everyone splits up, hits a truck for everyone and meets back up with food in-hand.<br />
<br />
Behold! The spoils of a group working together. We sampled delicious food from the following trucks: Chairman Bao, Hapa SF, An the Go, Bacon Bacon, Cajun Wagon, El Porteno, JapaCurry.<br />
<br />
Some of the big stand-outs of the day? The breaded catfish from the Cajun Wagon was crispy, flavorful and overall delicious! As always, I'm a big fan of the garlic noodles from An the Go. I also sampled a pork bun with what appeared to be curried daikon radish from Chairman Bao, and that was a one-way trip to flavortown. The savory empanadas from El Porteno were wonderful toasty treats for a cool day. Plus, I'm never going to turn down pastry stuffed with beef or mushrooms. Honorable mention goes to the crazy double-barreled-pork-blast-to-the-face that was the pork belly and bacon taco from Bacon Bacon.<br />
<br />
Speaking of honorable mention, I was not able to sample any food from Seoul on Wheels, but a big shout out to them. They broke down on the way, and they got towed a pretty major distance. For them to overcome that and still show up to put on a culinary show speaks volumes of how they run their business.<br />
<br />
The crowds weren't too bad, either! I'm not sure if it was the location or the number of trucks, but everything seemed a bit more relaxed from SactoMofo 1. I hope that it still led to monster days from all trucks of course, but it was nice to be able to avoid multi-hour long lines.<br />
<br />
Overall grade? A+. Great trucks, wonderful folks (both in the trucks and eating from them) and an overall good feeling about the day makes this a must-see event. If you haven't done one of these before, mark your calendar as soon as you see the next one on the horizon. It'll be worth your time and money.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-84730591952097934552011-12-01T11:06:00.000-08:002011-12-01T11:06:12.147-08:00On Renter's InsuranceThe other morning, I heard quite a few sirens when I was getting ready for work. And they were quite close, too! It's one of those things that made me start to wonder if something had gone wrong not far from my house.<br />
<br />
That train of thought suddenly brought me back about 5 years when I was living in an apartment. On my way home, I noticed a pretty pronounced plume of smoke from my neighborhood. I then started to panic. I had been cooking in a crock pot that day! What if it shorted out, or boiled over, or did something else to cause a fire? Could my split-pea soup end up destroying the place I lived and all of my things?<br />
<br />
Luckily enough, my long distance vision wasn't so great and it ended up coming from down the street. Still, it got me thinking! What if it had been my place? How would I even replace my wardrobe, which was now filled with suits, slacks, button-down shirts and other insurance-guy apparel? Or my pots, pans and other food-guy accessories?<br />
<br />
The answer was simple: I wouldn't be able to.<br />
<br />
Being a fledgling insurance guy at the time, my cash reserves were not so great. I would have been in a very tough spot! So the next day, I practiced what I preached and got myself a modest renter's insurance policy. Nothing outlandish, but something that would make sure that my most important items were covered. Thankfully, it was simple and inexpensive. If my memory serves me correctly, it ended up being about $20 per month.<br />
<br />
So ask yourself the same question I did: how would you replace your belongings if something DID go wrong? If you don't have a good answer either, strongly consider protecting yourself. Consult your favorite insurance advisor and see if they can come up with a good plan for you.<br />
<br />
And oddly enough, if you don't have an insurance advisor, I happen to know a pretty good one. Go figure, right?SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-71422729950768814102011-11-29T15:46:00.000-08:002011-11-29T15:46:02.773-08:00SactoMofo Part 3: Revenge of the San Francisco trucksI've been hearing quite a bit from friends, clients and pretty much everyone else that knows of my love of food: SactoMofo is returning.<br />
<br />
This Saturday the 3rd, starting at 11:00 am, the trucks will be meeting in downtown/midtown Sacramento. And I am EXCITED!<br />
<br />
However, I have a problem. Last time, I was able to meet up with several family members and friends, and we used an old trick: divide and conquer. Each of us went to a single truck, bought enough food for everyone, and met back up.<br />
<br />
The problem? I don't have a group. YET.<br />
<br />
That's where you come in, Sacto foodies! Would you like to join your resident insurance advisor and food truck junkie for food truck domination? Comment, E-Mail or Tweet at me, and we'll round up a posse. I guarantee you that this is infinitely better than trying to take on 4-5 lines in a day.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-74648132268512278282011-11-26T15:56:00.000-08:002011-11-26T15:56:40.626-08:00LemonsThanksgiving is always a time for reflection, and though it can be a bit of a cornball activity, I did happen to think of some of the things I'm thankful for. It shouldn't surprise most folks that one of the things I'm thankful for happens to be a food item. What might surprise you is WHY I'm thankful for it.<div><br />
</div><div>I am thankful... for lemons.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Strange, right? Well, it is. And strange on several levels, in fact. Let me enlighten you a bit as to what I'm talking about.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Though I do enjoy the occasional lemon-flavored item, it's not just the food I'm speaking of. My family has a strange tradition that started roughly 5 years back. I'm really not sure how or why it began, but two of my younger cousins and I ended up up sitting around in the living room, tossing a lemon back and forth. Over time, it evolved into multiple lemons and more family members. There are only two rules: throw it softly, and if a lemon starts to become "juicy", it is retired. Bizarrely enough, many of my cousins look forward to this each year. If I'm being honest, I look forward to it, too.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Now, you might ask yourself, why would I look forward to this? It's strange, yes, but this activity is always accompanied with a rare form of belly-laughter. Maybe it's the absurdity to it that people enjoy. Perhaps we enjoy the occasional missed catch that leads to a lemon head-shot. In my case, I think it's the joy of seeing several of my teenage and relatively mopey cousins put down their phones and just spend time with family for a while. Whatever it is, everyone involved seems to have a great time.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekends! I hope you've managed to spend some time with family, lemons or not.</div>SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-79454727731522704152011-11-22T13:19:00.000-08:002011-11-22T13:19:01.280-08:00Freaking OnionsI did a test run of my green bean casserole today, and for the life of me, I still cannot get the baked onions to come out right. They always burn. Curse you, Alton Brown!<br />
<br />
Does anyone out there have a good method for doing a baked onion ring? I won't stoop to the canned french fried onions, nor do I want to do a deep-fried variety either. Are there any other options out there beyond baking? Or is baking a good method, and I'm just doing it wrong?SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-27263610461893224832011-11-17T14:18:00.000-08:002011-11-17T14:18:31.798-08:00Getting excited (and nervous!) about ThanksgivingI'm not sure why, but I'm getting exceedingly excited about Thanksgiving this year. Not only the eating, but the cooking! I actually offered to take on the whole meal for my father's side of the family (which is quite a large group), but I ended up just taking on a few of the sides. It looks like I'll be making the potatoes and gravy and green bean casserole. All from scratch, of course!<br />
<br />
In addition to being excited, I'm starting to get a little freaked out. I've only ever tackled a single project at a time for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty confident I can pull things off, but if things go awry, there goes a good chunk of Thanksgiving dinner. <br />
<br />
Any recommendations? I don't want to stress out, get careless and slice my left hand again.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-64231416032267529752011-11-15T11:40:00.000-08:002011-11-15T11:40:07.310-08:00The "New Guy Ceremony"Whenever we get a new person working here in the office, I always extend the offer to take them out to lunch as a "get to know you" type situation. I think it helps the newbies feel welcomed and hopefully works towards a friendlier environment as a whole.<br />
<br />
This all sounds very nice, but I have to admit that a lot of it has to do with my undying love of food.<br />
<br />
Am I being slightly self-serving? Perhaps. Everything I said earlier is true. It helps the new person feel included. I'm sure it helps! But basically, I'm just coming up with excuses to have an awesome lunch. Today's lunch will be a jaunt to one of my favorites: <a href="http://caferolle.com/">Cafe Rolle</a>. I'll admit, I always get weird looks when I mention that it's French food, but most people are converts after they try it.<br />
<br />
So, welcome to the insurance mines, new guy! I hope you don't mind that I'll be utterly silent when the food hits the table.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-2634153038326629292011-11-10T11:22:00.000-08:002011-11-10T11:22:12.658-08:00Food Truck Q&AQ: How do you know when you frequent food trucks too much?<br />
<br />
A: When one of them Tweets at you and asks where you've been recently!<br />
<br />
Hilariously, this just happened to me. Equally hilariously, it completely worked. I wondered to myself, "Wow, when was the last time I managed to get some food from there?" and now I've been checking my schedule to see when I can hit them up next.<br />
<br />
Oh you clever folks over at <a href="http://wichonwheels.com/">Wicked 'Wich</a>. You'll get my money, I just need to find you!SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083115567234426493.post-44565779523413063642011-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:002011-11-08T13:16:49.440-08:00More Charity Interactions!Just when things wrap up for the Making Strides charity event for the American Cancer Society, it looks like I'm back on the charity front! No bake sales this time around, but I'll be helping to support the American Cancer Society yet again. This time it's for their Relay for Life event in Elk Grove California.<br />
<br />
I'll be working with the Re/Max Gold Elk Grove branch this time around, and we'll be doing things a bit differently. This time, insurance is actually going to be involved! And you can be too, if you'd like.<br />
<br />
Here's how it works: <strong>I'll be donating $5 to the American Cancer Society per quote for car or home insurance during the months of November and December. Just make sure to mention the Relay for Life in Elk Grove. </strong>I'll do my best to earn your business of course, but the quotes are no-obligation. If you don't like what we can do, the money is still donated regardless.<br />
<br />
It's an awesome cause, so if you've been at all curious about working with me in the past, now would be a great time. Post a comment, Tweet at me @sactofoodandins or E-Mail me at <a href="mailto:Sactofoodandins@gmail.com">Sactofoodandins@gmail.com</a>, and we'll see what we can do.SactoFoodAndInsurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02598434798139610767noreply@blogger.com0