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National Drinking Straw Day

UA — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:21:49 +0000

Happy National Drinking Straw Day! Every year, on January 3^rd in the US, we celebrate the greatest invention since sliced bread. Actually, since the first modern drinking straw was invented back in 1888, it’s probably the greatest invention since the wheel! Since they were invented, drinking straws have evolved into something entirely different. The first drinking straw was made out of dry, hollow, rye grass, but was not adopted fully because it astonishingly made beverages taste like grass! As an alternative to this design, a man named Marvin Chester Stone wrapped a piece of cigarette paper around a pencil and coated it with wax so that it wouldn’t leak. Stone worked in a factory that made paper cigarette holders, so he had access to all of the materials he needed. So, on January 3^rd, 1888, the modern drinking straw was born.

It’s been exactly 124 years, and the drinking straw has changed in its appearance, design, and material makeup. Today, we have plastic straws, glass straws, steel straws, bendy straws, crazy straws, spoon straws, candy straws, mini straws, wide straws, cereal straws, color changing straws, and many more to choose from, all in different colors and sizes. And, to cater to today’s health-conscious citizens, some companies are even selling BPA and toxin-free straws! Essential Safe Products is one such company, which is currently selling stainless steel drink straws, as well as glass drinking straws that are good for the environment.

RSVP Endurance ~ Stainless Steel Drink Straws, Set of 4

Glass Dharma ~ Set of 4 Beautiful Bends Glass Drinking Straws, 9.5mm x 9”, w/ Cleaning Brush

For more information and environment-safe cooking products, visit LiveESP.com!

As for today, please enjoy a beverage with a straw, and celebrate all that this great little invention has become in the past century.

Thank You! From ChefUniforms.com

UA — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:07:13 +0000

This Thanksgiving, we want to show you how THANKFUL we are for our customers. From now until Monday 11/28/11 at midnight EST, “Like” the ChefUniforms.com Facebook page to receive a source code for 10% off of your total purchase + FREE ground shipping on any order over $99!

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with their loved ones, and happy shopping!

Eating with Diabetes

UA — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:30:02 +0000

Today is World Diabetes Day, a day on which we spread awareness of this growing threat to our nation’s overall health. In 2007, Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day. The goal is to educate the public on lifestyle changes to optimize prevention. Each year on November 14^th, the International Diabetes Federation chooses a theme that addresses an issue facing the diabetes community. The date was chosen to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting, of one of the two individuals who conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin back in 1922.

Just because someone has diabetes does not mean they can no longer enjoy eating the foods they love. In order to celebrate this holiday, ChefUniforms.com has decided to give some simple, healthy options when it comes to cooking for that diabetic special someone. As a lover of chicken, I’ve decided to post a simple, yet delicious recipe for an Apple and Thyme chicken that is diabetic-friendly. This recipe is from DiabeticLifestyle.com.

Apple and Thyme Chicken

Servings: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts, about 1/2 pound each, halved and all traces of fat removed
cooking spray
salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 medium Granny Smith or other tart green apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt (if using) and pepper. Place in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
Arrange apple slices over and around chicken breasts.
Sprinkle with shallot and thyme leaves; pour on the balsamic vinegar.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is opaque throughout (cut to test).
Arrange cooked breasts on a platter and spoon apples and cooking juices on top. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve at once.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving:	163 calories (9% calories from fat), 27 g protein, 2 g total fat (0.4 g saturated fat), 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 78 mg sodium
Exchanges:	3 very lean meat, 1 carbohydrate (1 fruit)

For more diabetic-friendly recipes, please visit www.diabeticlifestyle.com.

Thank You Veterans!

UA — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:34:10 +0000

November 11 originated as a national holiday in tribute of Armistice Day (which was the end of World War I). It changed in 1954 after WWII and the Korean War to become Veterans Day, which now honors veterans of all of the U.S. wars.

We want to send a heartfelt “thank you” to all of our veterans, active military personnel, and their families for their service and dedication to our country. Below are ways we’ve found on several sites of how people demonstrate their support and appreciation for these heroes year round, not just on November 11.

Join a program like Operation Gratitude or Soldiers’ Angels. These connect civilians to soldiers deployed overseas…you can greatly improve morale by committing to sending just one letter a week and one care package a month
Frequent businesses that demonstrate support for our troops. Many restaurants and entertainment venues offer discounts to active military and veterans on Veterans Day, the 4^th of July and Memorial Day, but if you dig a little deeper you’ll find others like Home Depot, Lowe’s, numerous travel providers, and cruise lines offer discounts year round!
Support an organization that focuses on helping military families like www.OurMilitaryKids.org, where you can make financial donations or host your own creative fundraisers to benefit the kids of military personnel (also a good way to have fun while educating non-military children about how they can help!)
Volunteer for your community branch of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. You can help out in several ways from fundraising or shelter donations to mentoring to help lead a veteran toward self-sufficiency.
Give Thanks! It may be simple, but it has a profound effect if you take the extra minute to shake a hand and express gratitude and support for someone who sacrificed their life for our freedom!

In what ways do you support our veterans, active military, or their families throughout the year?

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

UA — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:34:53 +0000

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is the time of year when the major breast cancer charities campaign in order to increase awareness of the disease, and also hold fundraisers for research into the cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and hopefully an eventual cure of breast cancer. Over the years this has become a worldwide phenomenon, and everyone has their own way of honoring their loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer, or of celebrating their own ability to survive the disease. Many organizations hold 5k walk/runs, like the American Cancer Society and Susan G Komen.

As you may already know, our sister company, Uniform Advantage took part in this year’s Making Strides for Breast Cancer 5K walk, in order to raise money to fund Breast Cancer research. As it stands, our team has raised over $2,300 for the cause, and after the company matches with its own money, we will have raised close to (if not more than) our goal of $5,000!

Many of our friends and Facebook fans were able to attend the event, and even came to see us as we walked (I’m sure it had nothing to do with the free t-shirts we were giving out!). Here are some pictures we took at the event:

Walking the Walk

Finishing up!

Team UA

To see more pictures from the event, visit our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/ChefUniforms.com

Thank you everyone who came out and for showing your support!

In order to help us reach our goal of $5,000 even faster, please donate here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY12Florida?team_id=994693&pg=team&fr_id=35983

How can you get involved in one of these events? Click on any of the links below (or find any other one of your choosing), and see what you’d be interested in participating in, and be sure to make a donation for the cause.

American Cancer Society

Susan G Komen

Florida Breast Cancer Foundation

National Breast Cancer Foundation

American Breast Cancer Foundation

Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation

Stop, Drop, and Roll!

UA — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:00:14 +0000

Next week, from October 9 – 15^th, we celebrate Fire Prevention Week. This is the time when we spread awareness of fire prevention practices and honor our Fire Fighters across the country. Exactly one hundred years ago, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA) sponsored the first Fire Prevention Day on October 9, 1911. This happened to be the 40^th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, which took place back in 1871, and burned for over 27 hours, taking the lives of over 300 people. In 1922, Fire Prevention day became a week-long celebration of our Fire Fighters and the memory of those who were lost.

Today, schools use this week to teach prevention and fire safety to children. They are taught how to test smoke detectors, how to find the easiest escape route from a building, they learn to always stay low when evacuating, and let’s not forget the good old “Stop, Drop, and Roll!” As adults, we use this week to thank the firefighters in our lives for everything they do. So, if you know any firefighters, be sure to express your thanks this week for putting their own lives at risk to save others.

And, speaking of fires and hot places, be sure to check out our mesh chef coats so that you can stay cool during all of those long days cooking in that sweltering kitchen! And you won’t find a better selection or price than at ChefUniforms.com!

Patriots Run

UA — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:28:23 +0000

This Sunday is September 11^th, exactly 10 years after the tragic events in New York City. All around the country, Americans of all ages will remember those 2,977 people that gave their lives that day. Whether you know someone who passed away that day or not, everyone was affected by it. This is a day when we honor those unlucky enough to be caught up in the disaster, as well as those who gave their lives trying to help others.

In order to commemorate this occasion, 343 cities across the nation will be holding the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run on Saturday, September 10. This event began in 2002, and retraces the final footsteps of a very brave firefighter who was last seen running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel toward the towers with 75 pounds of equipment strapped to his back. Since then, this 5k run has become a yearly tribute to everyone who lost their lives that day 10 years ago, with proceeds going to The Stephen Siller Foundation and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Since the events in 2001, September 11^th has been known as Patriot Day, and is a day of remembrance and commemoration. Everyone has their own way of remembering and honoring people. One way the Government does so is to fly all American flags on Government buildings and the White House at half-staff, as a symbol of respect and mourning. How do you honor those who lost their lives on 9/11? Where were you when the towers fell? Leave a comment below and tell us how you were affected by the tragedy.

The Fabric of Our Lives, with Prices on the Rise!

UA — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:00:19 +0000

Over the past several months there have been numerous articles warning consumers about the increase in cotton prices around the world. Who would have thought such a light, white and fluffy crop would be sticking its sharp thorns into consumer’s wallets at such a rapid rate!?!

A combination of several factors has caused the price of cotton to more than double during the past year. First, there’s the increase in demand for cotton, which has lead to a shortage of crops. Additionally, the increase in demand brought in more competition, and more competition + a shortage means higher prices for manufacturers, and in turn, the consumer. And according to an article in Bizmology this month, the federal government revealed information that an even steeper shortfall in global cotton production is expected for the future. Finally, dismal weather conditions in India, Australia and Pakistan left significant damage to their cotton crops, resulting in an even greater shortage.

What does all this mean? It means that a trickle-down effect will start to impact the price of consumer products over the next year, if it hasn’t already. The New York Times reported that big companies like Levi’s and Hanesbrands have already started to increase the price of their cotton-based products late last year, due to the increase prices on their end. Unfortunately, this cotton shortage may end up impacting everything from your favorite pair of jeans to those comfy coats you wear to work. Hopefully things will start to look up over time, but until then, we wanted to keep you in-the-know!

Brrr…it’s cold out there

UA — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:00:46 +0000

We know the severe winter weather across the country last week affected many of you, so we hope everyone is recovering safely! At ChefUniforms.com, safety is a priority, and due to freezing weather, sleet and snow, we had closed our Georgia Distribution Center for a couple of days last week. Consequentially, this may have affected your order. So we thank you for your patience, and apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. Since some of the ice and snow has melted (see pictures below), we’ve been working hard on getting everything back up and running. Again, thank you for understanding, and you will get your order soon!

Stay warm out there,

ChefUniforms.com

Live from the 2009 NRA Show!

UA — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:55:19 +0000

The team at ChefUniforms.com just completed a very successful trip to the National Restaurant Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The show was an excellent opportunity to connect with some of our existing customers. It is so nice for us to meet them face to face after spending months of only knowing them over the phone or via email. We used the time to express our sincere thanks for their business and to catch up on how they and their families are doing.

Of course, the NRA is also a great place to meet new people and learn about their unique uniform needs. We were definitely struck by how many schools were in attendance. Many of them brought dozens of students with them and it was truly exciting to meet the future Chefs of this country as they are just getting started on their careers in the Culinary Arts. We are very excited about the prospect of providing uniforms to many of these schools next year.

Besides the schools, there seemed to be a very large contingent of international buyers in attendance this year. Latin America was especially well represented and we at ChefUniforms.com were grateful to be fully bilingual. (Ok, we had two really excellent native Spanish speakers and one hopeless gringo who only pretends to understand la lenguage). We look forward to strengthening our international customer base in the coming months.

The highlight of our trip came on Sunday night when we hosted a dinner for some new friends at Gibson’s, one of Chicago’s finest steakhouses. The meal was extraordinarily good and was only overshadowed by the quality of the conversation shared at the table with our guests, James and Victor. We were truly blessed to spend the evening with them and hope to count them among our friends for years to come.

Back at our booth, we received a steady stream of visitors. Many were drawn by the free Chef Baseball Caps that we were giving away, in part because they were such a cool item to own, and in part because we were offering a free restaurant uniform makeover for one lucky winner each day. Stay tuned to this space for news on who we selected as our contest winners!

All in all, the NRA was a great experience for ChefUniforms.com. We were grateful to be there and got to enjoy some wonderful food. Now that we are back, it’s time to nurse our sore feet and hit the gym to burn off all those extra calories we took in.

~ John Janenda
Contributing Editor