Your New Favorite Holiday Recipe

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

I love candy. Sweet, sour, chocolate, caramel … I love it all. While I try to stray away from my sweet addiction more often than I indulge, the holiday season is the one time every year during which I allow

Cracker Candy
Photo and recipe from AllRecipes.com

myself to just go for it. Between holiday parties, family get togethers, and the overall Christmas spirit, I feel like I’ve always got some type of treat in my hand. But there is one that outshines all others (at least

in my opinion) and it’s not something you can find in any store. Have you guys had cracker candy yet? You make it with saltines! I don’t remember when or where I first tried it but I do know that I’ve been obsessed ever since (there’s a pun in there but I’ll let you figure it out). Anyway, I’m sure there are a ton of different versions of this but I love this recipe from AllRecipes.Continue Reading

50 Thoughts Everybody Has While Grocery Shopping for Thanksgiving

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

This is it people. Thanksgiving is next week and it’s time to get everything you need to create an amazing feast for your M&D Logo - just platefamily. I know that the holidays can be a stressful time so I thought I’d spend a little time today to bring some humor into the planning process. Below, are 50 thoughts every person has while grocery shopping for Thanksgiving.Continue Reading

10 Thanksgiving Hacks for Your Best Turkey Day Yet

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

In just two short weeks, we will all be knee deep in turkey and carbohydrates. I couldn’t be more excited, though for me, the excitement is geared towards the carbs (I’m not 12246734_10154327565770898_7143389020818750825_nreally a turkey fan). Anyway, as fun as it is to stuff our faces alongside our loved ones, preparing the feast is always a challenging and time consuming task. In an effort to help make things just a little bit easier for everybody getting ready to feed their families, I wanted to share 10 Thanksgiving hacks to help you host your best Turkey Day yet.Continue Reading

The REAL Way to Enjoy “Fun Sized” Candy This Halloween

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Why are the mini versions of candy bars always called “fun sized?” Who wants a tiny candy bar? Giant versions … now that is fun. I mean if you think about it, it makes

Grown Up Twix
Photo from Epicurious

perfect sense: mini versions for children and extra large versions for us grown-ups, right? Well, if you agree with me then unfortunately, it’s going to be tough to find extra large varieties of some of our favorite Halloween treats but fear not because we can make them ourselves.Continue Reading