Mega Church Says Schweppe Prices Are Lowest: Part 2
Jan 31First Baptist Church of Geneva’s facilities manager, John Harper, made it a point to examine every aspect of Schweppe’s service, products, and prices. Although he appreciated the service, he knew that in order for the relationship with Schweppe to continue, he would have to be convinced that their prices were competitive.
“I performed due diligence and really examined the prices we were getting and the prices that Schweppe’s competitors were offering,” he said. “I was thoroughly convinced early on that we were getting the best prices possible from them.
John adds, “I still periodically call around to check the pricing of Schweppe’s competitors. Schweppe almost always has the best prices on everything we need, which is one of the reasons that we’ve stuck with them for so long. I’ve not found anyone that can beat their pricing.”
In addition to major kitchen equipment (Schweppe provided kitchen appliances for the new campus in 2007), Schweppe regularly supplies furniture (such as tables and chairs), a variety of kitchen supplies, and disposable paper goods. Schweppe account rep Mike Singleton says, “The amount and types of supplies they order from month-to-month can really vary for a number of reasons, including special events that they often have. We have to anticipate their needs in order to be certain that we have everything in stock.”
Mike says that John and the rest of the FBCG team are very easy to work with. He especially appreciates the fact that John is always very organized and professional.
John adds, “Another reason that we’ve had such a long relationship is that they have excellent customer service, they’re very helpful. Whenever I need something, all I have to do is call. Another reason is product availability. They nearly always have what I need in stock, but the few times they haven’t, they’ve worked hard to get it for me right away. I would highly recommend Schweppe to others for three basic reasons: pricing, customer service, and availability of stock.”
So, you see, people that are diligent price shoppers, buy from Schweppe. You should too!
Mega Church Says Schweppe Prices Are Lowest: Part 1
Jan 23Founded in 1894 by Swedish immigrants, First Baptist Church of Geneva, IL (FBCG) has been part of the fabric of the Fox Valley community for nearly 120 years. With over 3,000 parishioners that regularly attend one or more of 6 weekend services on 2 different campuses, FBCG is currently undergoing significant growth; it is one of the fastest growing churches in the Chicago area…and they LOVE Schweppe.
To keep up, facilities manager John Harper know that he needs to stay ahead of and anticipate the needs generated by that growth—this means working with partners who are as flexible and proactive as he is.
“When I started working here a few years ago, our church already had a long relationship with Schweppe in place,” he says. “I knew the administrators were happy with the service and prices, but I wanted to know for myself.”
How did Schweppe help? Stay tuned for part 2.
Top Ten Cookbook Alternatives
Jan 19With print books going the way of cassette tapes, it’s time to rethink amassing a vast collection of cookbooks. Aside from taking up space in your bookshelves, they tend to get messy and take up precious counter space when you’re trying to prepare a meal. So here are 10 good alternatives to a print cookbook.
1. Websites
There’ are 1,000s of recipe and cooking tip websites to choose from. Search engines do a good job of ranking them, so start with the first 10 that come up, then choose 2-3 that you like best and bookmark them.
2. Online Videos
One of the things that YouTube does very well is visual demonstration—perfect for learning cooking techniques. Watching a video of someone creating a dish from scratch is a good use of video, but learning preparation and cooking techniques is even better. There are a few videos on the Schweppe website:
http://www.schweppeinc.com/blog/index.php/category/video/
3. Ingredient Packages
This is an excellent source for recipes. It also put you ahead of the game. You probably bought the ingredients in the first place because you like the taste. Manufacturers/packagers want you to buy more, so they’ put their very best recipes on the package.
4. Friends and Relatives
You can go the traditional route by asking friends and relatives to give you their recipes. Or you can do something really cool like create a “Friends of XX” recipe blog or even a wiki—surprisingly simple to do. You can also share recipes on Facebook.
5. Experiment
Alter the recipes that you already love for the sake of variety.
6. The Library
In addition to allowing you to borrow instead of buy cookbooks, most libraries have a ton of online resources that you can use.
7. Keep it Simple
If you stick with 3-4 ingredients that have a rich history of blending well, you really can’t go wrong; i.e. green beans, boiled potatoes, chicken, and stock.
8. Recipe Swaps
If you’re a member of a group that meets regularly, consider having a recipe swap where everyone brings or emails a favorite recipe.
9. Ask Your Kids
If your kids eat over at friends’ houses often, ask them what they like and get the recipe.
10. Ingredient Lists on Prepared Foods
Look at the ingredient list on prepared foods that you like—particularly frozen meals. Then try to recreate it yourself.
With all of the resources available now, there’s almost no reason to buy a cookbook—other than the fact that it’s much more fun to look to curl up with a full color cookbook than a black and white printout. Research shows that it’s also much easier to review large amounts of information in book form than it is from a computer screen.
Tips For Fixing Cooking Mistakes
Jan 17Wait! Don’t throw those burned cookies away, don’t give the overly dry meat to the dog…it can be saved. Here’s how.
Mushy Pasta
If you’ve overcooked the pasta, just sauté it in olive oil or butter until it regains a sturdier consistency.
Over-Baked Cookies
Put crusty cookies in a sealed plastic bag or container with a few apple slices or a slice of bread wrapped in a paper towel. The cookies should be fresh as a daisy in 24 hours. Five seconds in a microwave works if they will be eaten right away—otherwise it only makes matters worse.
It’s Burned
First, scrape the burnt food that separates easily from the pan into a clean colander. Don’t scrape too hard because you don’t want anything charred in the colander. Then rinse the food under cold water till the water runs clear. Once that’s done, put it into another pot along with a little olive oil or margarine and cook it long enough to warm it back up. To remove the charred remains from the pot, boil with 2 cups water and one cup vinegar. The burned food should wash off easily.
Torn Pie Crust
Make a patch out of dough and place it on the torn area. Brush around the patch edges with lightly beaten egg white and lightly press it onto the main shell. The egg white keeps the filling from seeping out.
Dry Meat
Pour the drippings into a pan, add stock, and bring to a boil. Then slice the meat, place it in a roasting pan or casserole dish, and pour on just enough stock to cover the meat. Cover the pan and place it in a warm oven for 5 minutes. The meat will regain some of its moisture.
Too Salty
This is tricky. The only way to reduce saltiness is by adding sugar or vinegar—if you aren’t careful, it will only make matters worse. Now that you know this, be very mindful when you add salt to a recipe. Always start with less than the recipe calls for and add more to taste.
Too Sweet
Add a little cider vinegar, lemon juice, or a dash of olive oil.
Too Bland
Instead of risking the whole recipe, remove a small part of it, and experiment with different seasonings.
Broken Eggshell in the Food
Use another piece of eggshell to fish it out—it seems to attract its comrade.
Stale Bread
This works amazingly well. Put stale bread in a slightly damp paper bag (closed with a twist tie) and put it in a 325 degree oven until the bag is dry.
Bad Coffee
If the coffee is bitter and you don’t want to brew another pot, just add a pinch of salt.
Ok, so now that you’re an expert on fixing cooking mistakes, you might want to arrive a few minutes early to all of those dinner parties you’re sure to be invited to.
Comfort Cuisine Saturdays
Jan 11Have you been keeping up with our seasonal promotions? We’re you here during Summer of Speed, Big Ten Fall, or Holly Jolly Holidays?
The fun doesn’t stop at Schweppe! Our new seasonal promotion is called Comfort Cuisine!
Watch the backs of our invoices for Schweppe Family Comfort Food Recipes! We will be sure to post each recipe on The Back Burner for your repeated access as well.
Every Saturday during the promotion will be Comfort Cuisine Saturday. We will offer exclusive one-day-only deals, small random giveaways, free popcorn, and on scheduled Saturdays, cooking demonstrations by your friendly store supervisors Jean Chmura and Brian Schweppe! Here is the schedule and menu:
1/14 – 9:30 AM – Noon : Danish Ebleskivers, Pancakes and Waffles
2/4 – 9:30 AM – Noon : Stuffed French Toast
2/25 – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM : Induction Cooking featuring Chocolate Dipping and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
3/3 – 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM : Knife Skills featuring Fresh Mexican Salsas
Important Note! On Demo Saturdays, customers will have an opportunity to donate to Feed My Starving Children!
Professional Kitchenware for Life!
