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Photo of the Day: Little Peach Cakes
Robin Sue rocks - everything I have made from her site has been awesome!!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
When we went a few years ago, we were also on a tight budget. My husband and I decided to attend the dreaded time share presentation - we received either discounted or free passes to a variety of shows for attending. I think it was worth the 90 minutes of our vacation for the savings - but we are good at saying "no" so there was not the worry of purchase!
One of my most favorite memories was breakfast in Paris - it was so beautiful and well done, I actually thought I was in Paris for a bit - our kids were about the same age as yours when we went, but two boys so they stayed back at our place while my husband and I went, our hotel had a Tasty Kreme and they were just as happy with that.
Fremont Street is something both of your kids will enjoy - it's an incredible experience for free! http://www.vegasexperience.com/
There's a lot of free stuff to do, just google before you go and get ready to be super hot - we live in Florida and everyone told us it would be a different "hot" not as bad as here, but hot is hot~!!
Served: (More) Lessons Learned
Loved the burger comment - I work with a lady and she always says "call it what you will, but a shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich"... I just sent this to her!
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Grilled Cheese?
Well, I guess grilled cheese is better than tuna fish...
Photo of the Day: Little Peach Cakes
Robin Sue rocks - everything I have made from her site has been awesome!!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
When we went a few years ago, we were also on a tight budget. My husband and I decided to attend the dreaded time share presentation - we received either discounted or free passes to a variety of shows for attending. I think it was worth the 90 minutes of our vacation for the savings - but we are good at saying "no" so there was not the worry of purchase!
One of my most favorite memories was breakfast in Paris - it was so beautiful and well done, I actually thought I was in Paris for a bit - our kids were about the same age as yours when we went, but two boys so they stayed back at our place while my husband and I went, our hotel had a Tasty Kreme and they were just as happy with that.
Fremont Street is something both of your kids will enjoy - it's an incredible experience for free! http://www.vegasexperience.com/
There's a lot of free stuff to do, just google before you go and get ready to be super hot - we live in Florida and everyone told us it would be a different "hot" not as bad as here, but hot is hot~!!
Served: (More) Lessons Learned
Loved the burger comment - I work with a lady and she always says "call it what you will, but a shit sandwich is still a shit sandwich"... I just sent this to her!
French in a Flash: Pain au Chocolat Cinnamon Rolls with Crème Fraîche Icing and Walnuts
Fabulous story and recipe - thank you so much!!
Meat Lite: Moderately Meaty Cassoulet
This sounds awesome and definately something I will be able to make. Thank you!
From Hedge Fund Manager to Pizza Delivery Driver
I think it's on "Slice" because he is now a pizza delivery driver. And I think people are angry because of the way the story is written - his wife still has closets full of clothes and jet ski's and many items that might have been sold to help with their new lifestyle - maybe the people donating the money to the private school should have paid it towards the unpaid mortgage instead. I would think having a roof over your head and consistency in where the children living would be more important to their education than private school. Just my opinion. The story certainly doesn't show them in a very good light.
Reducing Food Costs: Cooking with a Friend
colts, we've been doing this as well with my mom and dad. Since my son moved away and i'm still used to cooking for him and all his friends, I freeze the leftovers and invite my mom and dad over for dinner every Sunday and she takes home all my frozen leftovers. She hates to cook but is a great bargain clothes shopper so she brings me clothes, I give her food - win/win!!
Reducing Food Costs: Cooking with a Friend
Sounds like a great idea! My son does this a lot with his friends in Brooklyn. When he lived in my hometown, I would cook a cheap chuck roast in the crockpot and send it over to him - he had a big soup pot and he would call his friends and they would all bring whatever vegetables they had and make a big pot of vegetable soup - they would live on it for days at a time.
Falls Church, VA - favorite restaurants
Gosh, after reading the menu for the Dogwood Tavern, I think I might have to plan a trip north to visit my cousin that lives there!
St. Patty's Day Eats: What are you making?
We put the corned beef in a cooking bag, add some Guiness beer, baby carrots and red potatoes and let it cook.
It is awesome if I do say so myself!
What are your strange, secret and personal cooking tips?
Savour, can you post your chicken schnitzel recipe? And Healthygirl, just ask your mil for advice. She will be so happy - trust me on this as I am the mother of two boys!!
Celebrate Pi Day with Pie
We celebrated Pi day at my school today. The kids all made shirts like QT - Pi and we had pizza pie in every math class. Last year we did real "pie" and it was too messy so we stuck with pizza this year.
I don't think we learned about Pi back in my day because I had no clue what they were talking about!
Falls Church, VA - favorite restaurants
Here are some more:
Oh, http://www.pie-tanza.com is in Falls Church City, and is really good. http://www.dogwoodtavern.com is a small sports bar kind of place in FC City, and the food is quite good. http://www.clareanddons.com is a very casual spot with a laid-back atmosphere-- food is decent to good.
Falls Church, VA - favorite restaurants
I posted this on my facebook to a friend that lives in Falls Church and this is what she wrote:
Absolutely! One of the best restaurants in Falls Church is a Vietnamese place called http://www.foursistersrestaurant.com. TO DIE FOR. Also, any of the http://www.greatamericanrestaurants.com are great for delicious American fare & great service-- good for picky eaters, too. Will try to think of some more...
Changing your mind about a restaurant...after you've arrived.
I think it might be helpful if you have a free moment to maybe send them a note and say exactly what you've put on here. They may have great food and just bad business sense. Or they may have suck food and bad business sense, but I think I would at least give them the opportunity to prove themselves.
I would send a letter with some recommendations, and then try back in a week or two maybe during the day for lunch.
You've got to feel sorry for people trying to start a business right now in this economy, i'm sure they would welcome the advice.
Disturbed by near-slavery in Florida's tomato industry
In defense of "slavery" in Florida, there are many fair and honest tomato/potato farmers that do pay their workers an honest wage. My ex-bil came here from Mexico with nothing and worked for Taylor Fulton Packing House. They provided housing, benefits, and even a company truck at one point.
I realize this is not the case for all workers, but please don't stop buying tomatoes because you think they are all coming from a slave labor camp. I spent many a Christmas holiday at these camps visiting my sil-bil and they were nothing like the one described in this article. Yes, this work is back breakingly hard, but they are treated fairly, at least in my area of Florida and if everyone stops buying tomatoes, they will have no job at all and then what?
Inexpensive International Food - Help!
Due to new food safety laws, we are not supposed to serve food that is prepared by random school families so I either have to get local rest. donate at a low cost or make it myself in the school kitchen.
I just received an email from a local italian place that will give me a pan of lasagna that will feed 20 people for $75. I think for cost involved, I might just buy frozen ones from Sams Club, even though they won't taste nearly as good!
One of our school parents own a Thai rest. so I might see what they will sell me at a discount.
We have our Hispanic Heritage Festival in the fall and serve traditonal Spanish foods at that time, otherwise I would just do some easy tacos! I'm thinking of the following menu:
Lasagna from Sams, salad, italian bread and a small cannoli
General Tsao chicken or maybe orange chicken, fried rice, egg roll and a fortune cookie
Moussaka, greek salad, pita bread with maybe some hummus and a small piece of baklava.
Now I just have to figure out if I can make this happen for $5 a dinner!
"Sticky" subject ... giving "bites" ... how to handle?
I don't mind sharing, but only if the plate is divided up before dining begins. I will not drink out of someone's water bottle, cup or straw and will not eat food if it is from someone's plate after the fact. Just a quirk of mine!
Eat for Eight Bucks: Gravy Cheese Oven Fries with Roasted Garlic
Coming from Pittsburgh, I must say there is nothing better than french fries and brown gravy - but this looks heavenly!
Pantry 'Ghosts': Do You Have Them?
Before you donate your ghost items to the food kitchen, please check the dates on the cans and packages and if they are way out of date, just throw them away.
We do a food drive every year at my school and I am shocked at what people will send in. Just because people are in need does not mean they should eat nasty outdated food.
I was amazed at the variety of things people did send in - right down to a box of hair color and a bottle of KY~!!
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
My husband has been hit by that Ed. He feels guilty that he is spending money to start with when so many of our friends don't have jobs and then tries to cut back when we are out, not so much because he is cheap, he is usually a way overatipper, but feels guilty that he shouldn't be spending the money.
I on the other hand, will try to save the economy the best I can, and am on my way out now to buy baby shower gifts and then take my parents out to dinner.
Everyone, share what you have!!
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I think I can solve the problem - just move to Florida - there's no need to worry about a coat, buy a house while you're here, they are very cheap right now and sooner or later the economy will come back and you will be happy that you did it.
And, there are tons of "early bird specials" to be had this time of year so we barely have to tip!!
Peanut executive pleads the 5th and "the walk of shame"
Pooch - that made me lol - you are exactly right!
I personally hope they arrest him and the only food he is given in jail is peanut butter products. Never knowing from one day to the next which came from his plant...
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I took a "coat check girl" job last night in New York at one of the steak houses because I am in need of some extra cash. Going from an office job to behind the scenes at a restaurant was a complete eye-opener. I am a very thrifty person and I never check my coat, always hanging it on the chair behind me, unless I am attending an event where everyone checks their coat - and even then I can't recall even tipping one dollar, although I probably have, because I never paid any attention to the coat check people. I can tell you that it is a tough job. I worked very hard to keep the coat room organized and took special care of people's things. I tried to return their belongings as quickly as I could when they returned with their tags. It was pouring rain last night, so people had a lot of bags and wet umbrellas that they wanted to store. It was amazing to me how many people checked two umbrellas and a heavy attache in one bunch, and tipped $1. One group checked 10 huge umbrellas together in one group, then tipped $5, which was at least better than nothing. I am sad to say that most of the women, if they were alone or with other women, did not even tip me $1. The men were by far the most generous tippers, some tipping $5 and one fellow $10. Even thinking about the $10 tip makes me appreciate this guy even more, because he must have a better understanding of what it means to be a coat check person than I did before I took this job. I can tell you that every dollar is greatly appreciated. I worked solely for tips, and the restaurant took 20%.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Oh, I knew that! I passed it and desperately wanted to go, but it was out of our budget and my family would rather have burgers than French cuisine!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
He also has a Fleur De Lys at Mandalay Bay where Burger Bar is. It's located down in the main part of the casino....and trust me on this, it is outstanding. Pencil it in for your foodie visit.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Really? I thought that he worked out of his San Francisco Fleur de Lys, that's what they said on Top Chef: Masters! I'm surprised. Either way, I'll have to tune in, he's an excellent chef.
Thanks for the help again, Kathy!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Yeah, Vegas is still working on that "family" thing. But I knew Burger Bar wouldn't disappoint. If you watch Hubert Keller's cooking show on PBS on Saturday mornings you'll probably catch a glimpse of the table where you were sitting.
Now you're a Vegas expert!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of good foodie news to bring back! Here's a basic run-down of where we ate and what we did (major shows, not counting the walking around the strip and seeing all of the hotels/casinos). Here's a few thank you's first and then a list!
@kathyvegas - We went to the Ellis Island Brewery our second night and it was very inexpensive, but also very busy! It was just down the street from our resort which was wonderful, but we weren't too impressed by the food. It was good for the price, but we had some dry tasting meatballs and overdone steak. My prime rib was excellent though, thanks for the suggestion! Traffic was ridiculous, but we managed to get to both Trader Joe's on Decatur and Whole Foods on the strip, both were great. We ate at a Korean BBQ on Spring Mountain that was delicious as well and ate at The Burger Bar (which was our best meal in Vegas honestly). Red Rock Canyon was BREATHTAKING, but we made the mistake of not bringing food and were quite hungry when we got back to town...after a long detour from taking "the scenic route" back near the lake.
@floridayaya - My parents went to our time share presentation and we ended up getting free tickets to see the V Variety show at Planet Hollywood which ran for at least $50 otherwise, so it was a good deal. The show itself wasn't that impressive, but it was free, so that was nice!
@QueenHerm We were already planning on going to The Burger Bar, but it didn't disappoint! It was absolutely delicious.
Now that those thank you's are out of the way, here are the restaurants we went to:
- Ellis Island Brewery & Casino: Prime rib with mashed potatoes and green beans. DELICIOUS for me, but my family didn't all enjoy their meals. Decent service even though it was busy!
- Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay: Hands down best burger I've ever had. I had a turkey burger with caramelized onions, baby spinach, swiss cheese, and aioli on ciabatta. I couldn't decide between sweet potato fries and zucchini sticks, so the waitress immediately asked if I wanted half and half. Filling, well priced, and absolutely scrumptious.
- Random places in the food court at MGM Grand since we went to a TV screening and received a stack of coupons for food (buy one, get one free, etc.)
- Sonic Drive-In on West Flamingo: Standard fast food, but it was our first Sonic experience since there aren't many in New York. The day we went there, one opened in my home town, so that was surprising! Delicious drinks, I'll give them that.
- Woo Gai (not sure of the name actually) on Spring Mountain: Not much selection at this Korean BBQ buffet, but we got to cook at our table and had delicious bulgolgi! Decently priced.
- Plate Plate Plate buffet at Stratosphere: Some food was alright, but most of it was nothing better than a Ponderosa. Turkey was very dry. We wished that we hit more buffets, but we had a free coupon after seeing a show there since it was a package deal.
- Various places in the food court at the Fashion Show Mall: What could be expected from a mall food court. The lemonade at Hot Dog on a Stick was delicious though!
Next time, we will definitely hit better places. No one in my family cared about anything other than eating a meal and having it be inexpensive, so I'm hoping to go with friends and fellow foodies next time so I can REALLY experience Vegas. To me, Vegas wasn't a great choice for a family vacation even though we did have fun.
Shows Seen/Activities:
- Penn & Teller: EXCELLENT! Hilarious and captivating.
- V Variety Show: Mediocre. Some was interesting, but the whole time the hosts poked fun at a guy being 'gay' even though he was with his wife and made jokes at him and even called him up on stage.
- American Superstars tribute show at Stratosphere: Mega fail show. Hands down terrible...I can't even put into words. The Stratosphere itself had a wonderful view and my brother went on that terrifying ride that makes you look like you're plummeting into the ground, but the show was bad. Not worth the money in the least!
- TV Screening in MGM Grand. For free, we were able to see the pilot of a new show (Accidentally on Purpose) and for completing a survey, received a envelope full of coupons! Great deal and a nice way to spend some time inside after it being so hot.
- Red Rock Canyon: Worth the drive and absolutely breathtaking!
- Fashion Show Mall: Great way to spend some time inside and shop NOT on the strip!
We did a lot more, but honestly I am tired of typing. Thanks for the tips, everyone!
Coat Check Tipping in the Recession
I have worked coat check for five seasons and it does upset me when a number of people do not check their coats but what is worst is checking your coat and not tipping. The coat check staff hustles for those tips and we deserve to be treated as generously as the wait staff. I work coat check because I need that extra money to survive. Giving up my evenings to hustle for a job is upseting when the night is not lucrative. I get home about 1 or 2 in the morning and must wake up at 6:30 to go to my full time job. So for those who tip I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Perhaps someday I will get out of my own economic crisis that I have been dealing with for the past 13 years. Coat check staff get paid a very small hourly wage, just like a server.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
For listing of weekly advertisements on special offers, would like to recommend this site -
http://www.bizymoms.com/weeklyads/index.php
Great site with loads of information on products and services offered and discounts offered
Grilled Cheese?
Honey I'm making you a grilled chesse if you're making me tacos. :-)
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
It's all good.....you'll see...have a great time & report back when you come home. I want to hear about where you decided to eat.
Photo of the Day: Little Peach Cakes
I looked at the webpage for the pics,...needless to say im still drooling!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Thanks to everyone that has posted since last time I commented! When I made this post, I didn't expect the overwhelming response...it is definitely appreciated.
Over the course of the week, we will try to visit as many of the suggestions given here as possible! The only one I'm going to say no to is @lollie's suggestion for David Copperfield since we have seen him before and it was overpriced in Upstate NY, so I can't imagine how it would be in Vegas!
Again, thank you everyone and if anyone else has suggestions, feel free to drop them by. I will ask, @kathyvegas - other than the prime rib, do you have any recommendations food wise at the Brewery?
Grilled Cheese?
@betteirene I wont be able to make either without giggling ;-)
Photo of the Day: Little Peach Cakes
Ignore my post! On further inspection of these I realized they were something completely different and even more fantastic than the cookies I was thinking of.
Photo of the Day: Little Peach Cakes
These are popular Serbian cookies and can be found on Palachinka and Cafe Chocolada blogs however, these ones look quite impressive as well!
Photo of the Day: Little Peach Cakes
Robin Sue is not only a cook - she's an artist!!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
I definitely recommend Wolfgang Puck in MGM Grand...decently priced, but really good quality food.
Also, David Copperfield was an interesting show, but I do think it is overpriced so don't go unless you want to splurge.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
@ Alyse...one more cool place to eat very close to where I believe you'll be staying (walking distance even)...Ellis Island Brewery & Casino. You can not beat the prices for dinner there for the entire family. Prime rib with all the fixin's for all 4 of you would be under $50. And dinner there includes their own microbrew beers and rootbeer that they make on site. They have a large menu and it's all very reasonable, there's something for everyone there, including BBQ. We love it there and take out-of-town guests there a few times a year.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
I'm not familier with where you'll be staying, but if your resort has a concierge, ask them for delivery places that they like in that neck of the woods. There are literally hundreds of interesting smaller restaurants all over Las Vegas. There just might be a few in walking distance to your resort. You might find a gem that you'll be recommending to all of us when you get back. And you might even be very close to some interesting grocery shopping if you'll be cooking in. If the grocery store that your shuttle goes to is an Albertsons, Vons or Smiths it'll have everthing you'll need to prepare a great meal or two. As far as the strip buffets they are all the same...and you really must experience one while you're here. The best buffet is a free one. Or a half price one. Check for coupons at the players' club counters at each resort.
You may not need a rental car for your entire stay with your shuttle service (even your shuttle driver will be happy to point you to some great dining deals, ask him for some suggestions). Taxi service is very good here, so are the buses, they run 24 hours. Other than Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon, a side trip to Chinatown might be interesting for some cheap shopping and very reasonable dining. Sam Woo Barbecue is very good there as well as a large number of other smaller restaurants & noodle shops all clustered together in a larger, very Chinese, very cool shopping plaza. It's just a few blocks from the strip on Spring Mountain at Arville.
My best advice is keep Googling--you still have plenty of time to Google the different resorts (don't miss Mandalay Bay, the Venetian, the Bellagio the top of the Stratosphere as well as an entire afternoon and evening at Fremont Street). Also Google the restaurants' individual web sites-they have the coupons and deals on their own web sites. Also, print out some user friendly maps for reference.
There are sites like http://www.easyvegasdeals.com/ that might have dining deals you can take advantage of.
I honestly think you'll find you won't need to plan out evey day...once you get here you'll quickly get into the flow of things and see that it's an extremely user friendly place to explore. Info will be available everywhere you look.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
floridayaya -
From what I know we haven't heard about any timeshare presentation. What company do you go through? I'll have to check in with my parents to see if we have received any info...surprisingly, I'm one of the 'kids' doing all of the research since I'm the foodie of the family. I heard about a delicious crepe restaurant in Paris, so I'm thinking I will try to drag everyone there and I have also been told we HAVE to go to Fremont street, so that is on the itinerary as well. We're from Upstate New York, so I'm sure this new sort of hot (without humidity) will take some adjusting too! Thanks again for all of the suggestions.
orchidgirl -
Thank you for the suggestions! I'll check them all out, do some more googling, and hopefully find some great places. I'm not sure if we'll rent a car after all, but if we do maybe some dim sum will be in order!
QueenHerm -
Thanks for the tip! Did you have any shows you did enjoy or ones that we should avoid? None of us are big show goers, but we might see one just because it's Vegas.
Also, for anyone who might be able to answer...is it 21 and older on the floor? I don't want to be carded constantly since I'm not quite of age, so our family might split up when necessary.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
kathyvegas - Wow, thank you SO much for all of the help. A few quick questions...do you recommend us renting a car or relying on taxis since our resort offers a shuttle to the strip and a grocery store (not sure which though). I know Vegas traffic can be a bit unsettling for tourists, so I don't want to run into a lot of issues driving and wasting our vacation time. I'd love to hit TJ's or Whole Foods, but it's not worth it if we're driving in bad traffic for an hour or something like that.
I will do a lot of googling to see what I can find out about the various restaurants and their deals, etc. I want to go to Fleur de Lys, but my family probably wouldn't be up for high end French cuisine, especially at the cost that an entree runs there. Hubert is one of my favorite chefs, so it's a bummer; we'll just hit Burger Bar instead!
Do you have any personal favorite order-in places (delivery) or restaurants in general? I know you're a native, so any food or entertainment recommendations would be excellent. Everything you wrote was fantastic, but we're just trying to plan out some sort of schedule. We may visit the Hoover Dam, but do you have any other ideas aside from the Canyon for trips also? Thanks again!
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
For entertainment - there is a discount ticket booth by the Fashion Show Mall (much like TKTS in NYC). If you're there on a weekday I bet there are deals to be had. I personally have been more entertained by all the free stuff to see inside the hotels than any shows we've gone to, though.
Las Vegas Dining Out on a Family Budget
Budget?! You just take your lil' "bugdet" and bet it all on black to win! $HIGHROLLA$
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Well, I guess grilled cheese is better than tuna fish...