Happy Cheesecake Day!

It’s Friday, so let’s talk food.

It is National Cheesecake Day, so let’s talk cheesecake.

There are many varieties of cheesecake, including baked and unbaked versions as well as regional variations. These include:

• New York-style cheesecake relies upon heavy cream. Usually, cheesecake is made from cream cheese, eggs and egg yolks to add a richness and a smooth consistency. It is baked in a special 13–15 cm (5–6 inches) tall springform pan in many restaurants. Some recipes use cottage cheese and lemon for distinct texture and flavor or add a drizzle of chocolate or strawberry sauce to the basic recipe.

• Sour cream-style uses sour cream instead of heavy cream. This makes the cheesecake more resilient to freezing and is the method by which most frozen cheesecakes are made.

• Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake uses a slightly tangy type of cheese with larger curds and less water content, called pot or farmer's cheese.

• Philadelphia-style cheesecake is lighter in texture, yet richer in flavor than New York-style cheesecake. In the United States July 30 has been unofficially declared National Cheesecake Day.[7] The origins of this unofficial holiday are unknown but in the last few years it has gained in popularity as food blogs have embraced it and The Cheesecake Factory has taken advantage of it to promote its namesake product.

(Thanks Wikipedia!) According to Wikipedia, cheesecake is defined as a dessert with a topping made with soft cheese on a base of “biscuit, pastry, or sponge”. The use of the terms “topping” and “base” remind me of a particularly lively debate that broke out about this time last year regarding the classification of cheesecake as a pie.

Charlottesville is a pie town and with a love of everything pie. Aside from some friendly competitive smack talk about who makes the best pie, the only note of discord I recall had to do with whether someone could enter a cheesecake in the pie competition.

Pie is crust with filling in infinite variations, but is cheesecake pie? It has a crust. It could have a filling similar in texture to key lime pie. Opposition to this classification was fierce. What do you think? Is cheesecake pie?

Since many of us are counting down the hours until Happy Hour, I’ve got a couple of fun variations for you: Margarita Cheesecake and Pina Colada Cheesecake. Oh yeah.

I came across this tasty looking Margarita Cheesecake on http://www.marthastewart.com/. Instead of the usual graham cracker crust, she makes the crust for this lime and triple sec flavored filling with pretzels. The perfect Margarita is a little sweet, a little sour and a little salty and this recipe looks to fit the bill perfectly.

I’m not a cheesecake master, but one of the best things I have ever made was a Pina Colada cheesecake. I made it for the first time to celebrate my sister earning her master’s degree. Even my mother who neither likes cheesecake (nor sweets at all for that matter) was suitably impressed. If my mother is impressed it has to be good!

Again, the crust is a big reason I love this cheesecake. It is made with shortbread cookies and toasted coconut. I also grilled the pineapple for the topping which was well worth the extra effort. (I will share my recipe if you leave a comment below.)

Happy Friday!

Seven Steps to Success

Everybody at Vmeals is highly focused on doing their job well, whether it's calling a restaurant in Houston to confirm a lunch delivery is on schedule or providing an online ordering demo to a client in Chicago.

We want to do a good job and we know you want to do a good job too. That's why we work hard to ensure that every order is exactly right and on time. It makes us all look good.

For all of you kindred spirits out there, I thought I'd share a little bit of success wisdom that was sent to me by one of our team members here. Thanks, Melissa!

Seven Steps to Success:

1) Make a commitment to grow daily.

2) Value the process more than events.

3) Don't wait for inspiration.

4) Be willing to sacrifice pleasure for opportunity.

5) Dream big.

6) Plan your priorities.

7) Give up to go up."

— John C. Maxwell

As if Eating Well Weren't Reward Enough.

What is the most rewarding thing about using Vmeals? A delicious lunch delivered to your office? I’d say there’s a good argument for that. Or maybe you’re just placing orders and Vmeals is easy, convenient and makes you look like a super star. Yeah, that’s good.

There are lots of great reasons to use us, but if you like icing on your cake (um, yes please), then be sure to enroll in VCAP. VCAP is the Vmeals Customer Appreciation Program. We love you – you know we really love you – but we like to show it with a little something extra. For every dollar you spend with Vmeals, you earn a point. Points accumulate and can be redeemed for awesome gift cards or Vmeals credit.

There are other ways you can earn points as well. Introduce us to a great new restaurant in your area that becomes part of the Vmeals network – points. Refer a friend or colleague who gives us a try – more points. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter – surprise “friends only” point specials. We even give you points just for enrolling.

Learn more about VCAP and be sure you are taking advantage of all Vmeals has to offer.

Take a Picture!

Do you have a camera on you? If you have a phone, then you probably have a camera. (I, for one, am really glad there were no such things as camera phones when I was in college. Just sayin’.)

I use my phone’s camera mostly for taking pictures of my food. My husband is not much of a techie or social networking kind of guy (and that’s being generous), so I try really hard not to whip out my phone when we're together to check email or Twitter or update my Facebook status. However, if we are having the rare night out to dinner, I will almost always use it to take a picture.

I think he may find this a little embarrassing, but he indulges me. Why do I do it? Because I love food; I love talking about food and writing about food, and I do have a professional interest in food.

This is Restaurant Week in the host city of Vmeals Worldwide HQ, and the kids are all off at assorted summer camps, so we had the opportunity to try some place new -  and yes, I took pictures. They aren’t good – it was too dark - and by the second course I was so enraptured by my meal I forgot all about my camera phone.

So what about you? We’d love to see your food photos. Post a picture of your Vmeals order on our Facebook page.

3 Things to Consider Before Your Next Picnic

Summer is the time for picnics and parties and food on the go. Who knows more about food that travels well than Vmeals?

We work with restaurants and caterers who are expert in food delivery – that means more than just putting your order in a "to-go" box. When you take food off premises, there are many things to consider that we think about and discuss with our catering partners to ensure the best outcome.Whether you are hosting a picnic or bringing a dish to a neighborhood block party, here are a few things to consider:

Temperature

Temperature is critical to both the safety as well as the enjoyment of food. When you are planning your menu, ask yourself these questions: Does the food need to be served hot or cold? Will it be served immediately or will it be sitting out for a while? Will you need a chafing dish, grill, or coolers? Will it get soggy, limp or melt? Remember those french fries you brought home in a doggie bag? Not good. Food that travels well can brave the elements for an hour or two without diminishing flavor or texture.

Presentation

Let’s face it, you might be able to put together an impressive and meticulously prepared platter that looks gorgeous, but getting it from kitchen to dining table is not nearly as dangerous as toting it across town in your car. I can't tell you how many disasters and near-disasters I’ve had driving with one hand while trying to keep something from sliding, spilling or tipping with the other hand. (You may recall that’s why I moved my Peaches & Cream Cake from a plate to a bowl.) So consider how your food will be transported. Can it be put in a container with walls and a lid like a hotel pan or Tupperware? Can it be securely wrapped with foil or plastic on a tray so that it doesn’t get smooshed or slide away? Can it withstand a little jostling (or a lot, depending on how you drive)?


Serving

At Vmeals, all of our caterers make sure to bring all necessary set ups – i.e. paper plates, napkins, utensils, serving spoons, etc. There is nothing more frustrating than a rocking potato salad and no spoon to serve it or forks to eat it. (Well, a bottle of wine and no cork screw is pretty dang frustrating, too.) My preference is almost always to go with something that doesn’t require utensils. I love finger food! Not only does it cut down on dishes and clean up, but I like to nibble while I circulate – as long as I’m not circulating too far from the buffet.

One item that fits the bill on all counts are bar cookie or brownies. It is hard to go wrong with those. You could try these Blueberry Crumb Bars (seeing as it is National Blueberry Month) or these Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies (which would no doubt make you the most beloved party guest!).

You could always let Vmeals worry about all the details. Just sayin'.

What do you bring to a party?

Stay Cool with Vmeals

I just saw this posted on Twitter today:

 

 

 

 

Typo notwithstanding, I think this forecast is good for most of the eastern seaboard. It is hot out there.

Don’t even think about going out to grab a quick bite – it could be deadly. Thank heaven for a little thing called online ordering. I’m thinking an ice cream bar for the office sounds good right now, don’t you?

 

We may be having a little fun with the forecast, but this kind of heat is truly dangerous. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke can sneak up on you, so take some simple precautions:

• Stay well hydrated. Happy hour doesn’t count. 
• Seek shelter in AC or shaded areas. 
• Do not leave anyone in a car – dog, child, Batty Aunt Ida - ever. 
• If you have to be outside, stick to light colored loose clothing. A hat is probably also a good idea. 
• Check in on your neighbors. If you don’t hear the hum of AC at that sweet little old lady’s house next door, you may want to look in on her.

Stay in, order in, be safe.

 

Festive Foodie Friday 4th Fare!

Still thinking about what to serve up on July 4th? What’s more American than hot dogs? Vmeals partner Candlewick Catering in Richmond, Virginia is offering a special hot dog bar for only $6.95 per person!

Just don’t invite Juliet Lee to your party. She’s been known to down 34 hot dogs in one sitting! Ranked 11th on the world competitive eating circuit, this diminuitive dynamo (5'4", 105 lbs!) could devour a party.

July is also National Blueberry Month, and I personally love to have a good excuse to make something delicious and patriotic - fresh berries, cake and whipped cream will do nicely, thanks. This year I’m going to try this take on the ubiquitous flag cake and bring these beautiful flag cupcakes to my celebration. You know how I feel about cupcakes!

Photo Credit: kellynbakes.blogspot.com

On behalf of everyone here at Vmeals, we wish you a very happy Independence Day. Is this a great country or what?

The Truth About Time Management

I saw the title of an article recently that got my attention: The Ultimate Time Management Principle.

I don’t know if it caught my eye because I am always on the look-out for time management wisdom or because I wrote a post not too long ago with a very similar title (ahem), but when I clicked through to read the article, I was surprised by the “ultimate” tip. It didn’t have anything to do with lists or egg timers or systems. No, it was this simple: tell the truth.

So think about this for a minute. There are obvious time saving benefits to telling the truth. You save creative time and energy NOT making up stories or excuses. You don’t get bogged down in covering your tracks for the fibs, little white lies, half-truths, exaggerations and diverting omissions - and as the author of said article points out - imagine the time you would save if everyone else always told the truth! I know, right?

Sometimes it can be hard to spot the lie and identify the truth. In many offices, It is unnatural not to fudge, shift blame or claim credit that doesn’t really belong to you (or at least, not only to you). To see and speak the truth clearly into any given professional situation can feel dangerous, if not downright reckless. After all, your livelihood is on the line here. You are under pressure to perform, not only your job duties, but your role in the hierarchy. You don’t want to be the one that points out, “The emperor has no clothes.”

Relax. I’m not suggesting you become the company whistle blower or the I’m-just-being-honest guy everyone hates to see coming (unless of course, you really need to be). I am recommending that you consider the very real benefits of honesty.

I have on more than one occasion, failed - at things big and small. There are times when if I had been honest about my ability, my needs, my capacity – I could have prevented some of these failures. When we can see and tell the truth, we can be more realistic about our commitments and better manage the expectations of ourselves and others. I hope you can see how this could be a significant time-saver.

Not every failure can be averted, however, and our reaction to falling short can further compound the misery when we fail to tell the truth about how we failed. We cover, make excuses, point fingers – when if we just claimed responsibility for our own actions and decisions, the cool breeze of lessons learned and new opportunities could alleviate the burn. The truth really can set you free.