Raines Realm

Have you ever had that moment where you just finished cooking dinner after a stressful, hectic, crazy day, and its much later than your family's normal dinner time, and as you triumphantly announce that its ready, you realize that the table has not been set? Now dinner is getting cold while everyone pitches in, grabbing the plates, saucers, flatware, glasses, napkins, and condiments. Dinner is now cold. What's the solution? Everyone knows that I am a big planner. I am a firm believer that meal planning can make life so much easier. And meal planning is crucial for this habit to work. Its best if you know what the next meal is going to be, or at least have a basic idea of what it will consist. You can find more information on meal planning and prep  here . After you clear the table following a meal, set it for the next meal. Simple right? At minimum, put out the plates, saucers, and cloth napkins. Then, if you have children they can put out the flatware and condiments whi...

We've all heard the saying, "we eat with our eyes". Well, restaurants have started taking it to the next level. If you've noticed the dimly-lit, cozy atmosphere in restaurants replaced by bright, unflattering lights, you can blame social media. As the quest to be "Facebook famous" grows, more people are searching for that perfect dining photo. Restaurants have picked up on this and are attempting to cash in on the free advertising. This means brighter lighting for higher quality phone camera shots. Some restaurants are taking it a step further with food photography classes on a weekly basis. Specialized plates are being utilized that allow even the most amateur photographer to produce high quality images. With all of this focus on photography, expect your dishes to be dressed up a little fancier than usual. Extra garnish, elegant presentations, all of the bells and whistles to make them camera-ready. Some restaurants are tring to encourage thi...