A Butcher Shop that is a cut above the rest!

DOUBLE DD Meats

An AMAZING Butcher Shop, and a throwback to the way things used to be~ 

A local butcher shop, located in Mountlake Terrace, WA is the best, kept secret for many Northwest customers. Double DD meats, has customers from as far away as Oregon, Eastern Washington, and Canada. Now, you might say, that is a long way for a piece of meat, however it goes way beyond the meat. The manager, Kim Nygard and her staff treat each and every customer like part of the family. They know each customer by name and many of them already know what they want before they come through the door. Double DD Meats offers some of the most plump pork chops, rib roasts, freshly made chorizo sausage, gourmet cold cuts or what's reputed to be the state's finest selection of hot sauces.

At Double DD Meats, you can’t beat the quality, price, and selection and not to mention the friendly, down home family feeling that you get when walk in the door. The fresh cut deli meat is better quality than the average super market, but you will also save money on the cost, as Double DD Meats tend to be cheaper.

Store owner Les Palaniuk was 17 when he took his first job at the Double DD. It was 1955, and the butcher shop — named for original owners Dan Murray and John Dallas — was in its third year. He worked his way up from "cleanup kid," he says, and bought the place in the mid-1980s.

Daily operations are slowly transitioning into the warm and friend hands of Kim Nygard, the only one of his children interested in continuing the family business. One of the things I like best about this warm, family business, is the constant buzz behind the counter from the staff asking” Do you need anything else” or “Who can I help next”? It is nothing unusual to walk in the door to find people crammed in the door, as they wait to be helped. 

Double DD meats are also known for having between 13,000-14,000 bottles of variety sauces on the shelves. You will find a variety of sauces, some which may offend some, whiles others find humor in the unusual bottles. 

The shop's 2,500 varieties of hot sauces constitute most of that stock, as well as 800 types of barbecue sauce, 250 marinades and at least 200 flavors of dry rubs. There is truly no place else, within Washington State that can compete to what this store offers. In this economy, when I asked Kim how she was doing, she replied, we are holding our own, we are doing ok”. That is because customers love what they have; they love the family-friendly customer service, and feel that the girls behind the counter care about what they do. Among the many types of sauces and marinades offered within the store, Double DD meats welcomes new products to be sampled in the store, allowing the locals to sell their products. 

There are novelty shirts on the wall, vintage signs on the wall and hot chili peppers all over the store as well as novelty jewelry. If you are looking for gift ideas for the hard to find person, this is a great place to look. Occasionally, Double DD meats will have live BBQ demonstrations outside the store, with samples, recipes and more.

You will be able to recognize those regular customers because they are the ones who will go behind their cheese counter to pick out what they are looking for. There is truly nothing else like this butcher shop as they offer anything and everything. 

Double DD Meats also offers freezer packs sold in bulk, which includes a variety of meats, which customized and packaged just for you. The largest pack is 115 lbs. for $269.

In 1990, the strip mall was destroyed due to arson. Double DD Meats was closed for 20 months during the remodel and expansion. The store was affected by the recent earthquake, which shattered many of the sauces, throwing them to the ground. Still, Kim makes light of the situation, with good humor, as you will see a picture at the counter, showing what really happens when you make her made. Everything is done with good humor in mind, which makes this a fun place to shop. Still, after the multiple, alliterating events, customers still show their loyalty by coming back. The ladies offer great cooking suggestions, and tips as well as offer recipes to match the meat. I love the fact, they know what they are talking about and I trust them!!!

Double DD Meats specialty truly is about sausage. “ Each Wednesday morning, the shop produces 400 pounds — 25 pounds each of 16 varieties — of plump specialty wieners. The choices from among 50 recipes vary from week to week. They usually sell out by Saturday”.

I have been a Double DD Meat customer for the past 13 yrs. The staff has watched our kids grow up as well as I have watched some of their kids grow up, and now are working in the shop. 

Check out this wonderful hidden secret! If you want something special, for the upcoming Easter, this is the place to go. If you want something great for a family-get-together, this is the place to go. I encourage doing so as soon as possible. I promise, that once you do, you will wonder how you ever missed them. Double DD Meats is truly the last of it’s kind, and a place that reminds me of my southern roots. Take the time, to check them out. Double DD Meats is truly a wonderful butcher shop and variety store.

They are located at 5602 232nd St SW # 104, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-4659 or online at http://doubleddmeats.com/

 

Once you do, please come back and share your comments. This place is AMAZING! Once you try them you will agree!

THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE

MOVIE REVIEW

“THE LINCOLN LAWYER”

Director: Brad Furnman

Cast:  

Matthew McConaughey

Marisa Tomei, John Leguizamo, Ryan Phillippe,

Michaela Conlin

Michael “Mick” Haller is a slick, confident defense lawyer who operates and conducts business out of his Lincoln. This is a GREAT movie. With the way movie prices have gone up, and the whole “Movie Experience” has changed, it makes it difficult to know which movies are worth the high price.

The story line was simple to follow, but kept you engaged in the story. Mick’s normal clients are “gutter-variety” criminals. However, he lands a client with so much money that it changes his entire career, not to mention his way of thinking about the entire criminal system.

What makes a GREAT movie experience? Does the $20 for a ticket price make it better? Does the plush seats, multiple speakers and larger screen make the experience? It seems as though the 3-D is what is hot these days, but does that really make a difference? Perhaps some of these things can create a better, more entertaining experience. I remember many years ago, that going to a movie with the family or as a date, would be the cheaper thing to-do. I realize that things change, but in this economy, who can afford these prices. 

The theatres are not making the money; they make their money from the concessions that are sold. I wish that the movie-watching people would protest the theaters and let Hollywood know that we, the public don’t care about the “Movie Experience”. What we want is good, entertaining movies.

The Lincoln Lawyer was that movie. It was not high tech, or 3-D. It did not rumble my seat during the high points of the movie. What it did give me was pure entertainment and a movie that I really enjoyed. Granted, I went to a matinee, which if we are looking at prices, were still high for a morning showing.

I watched this movie at the Regal, Alderwood Mall 7 theatre, close to my house. This theatre is one of the older, but recently remodeled theatres. I would encourage anyone looking for a great movie, but not looking for all the latest-greatest high tech features, to see this movie.

Matthew McConaughey does an outstanding job, and yet ladies, he has one scene where he takes his shirt off. This movie show-cases what he can really do as an actor. The rest of the cast does a wonderful job supporting him as well as the story line. I liked the fact that there was no nudity, no fowl language, and no excessive shooting or blowing up things. If that is what you look for in a movie, don’t go to this one, as you will be disappointed.

You see, we don’t need all the high tech, 3D, and loudspeaker features in a movie on top of the over-priced ticket, just to get in.  Last week, our family went to a movie at the Regal Cinemas, Everett Mall 16 theatres. There was no indication that the movie was in the high cost, plush theater until it was too late. The new company who took these over is RPX. I can’t remember the movie, the price was $50 for a family of four and as far as the movie experience for that price…NOT WORTH IT!

The bottom line is that in today’s economy, people, families and friends are looking for fun things to do, and can not afford these theatre prices. The only people who benefit is Hollywood.

If you don’t like the high, over-priced tickets, please STOP GOING! Send the message to Hollywood that this is not ok, and they need to cut back to.

Until next time…..pick your movies carefully!

Back To School With Success!

It’s time for “BACK TO SCHOOL”

Since it’s back to school time for so many people, I thought I would offer tips on how to stay organize and start the year off right. Whether you have a senior going off to college or a young one first starting, being organized is the key to a successful year.

Tip #1: Money Saver Tip:

There are many stores having sales, but are they great deals? One way to save money is to take the school list and go through your supplies at home. You would be surprised on how many items you already have at home. 

If your student is going to Elementary school, don’t feel you need to get everything on the list. The large quantities of supplies being requested are so that the school can add them to their “community closet”. Your student doesn’t really need to take all of what they request. Save money, give your student ONLY what they need and nothing more. Once you have gone through your supplies at home, go shopping. 

Recycle last years binder, and backpack. If they are in good condition, don't toss them out, reuse them until you need to replace them. Reuse last years dividers by simply relabeling the tab for the new subject. Last year, I saved almost $100 on school supplies simply by going through our supplies at home first!

Some of the local grocery stores have better deals on the basic supplies over some of the large stores such as “Office Depot” and even “Costco”. It pays to shop around. Don’t be in a hurry for those supplies, you will find the deals along the way.

Tip #2: Organization Starts With The Binder:

When organizing your student’s binder, pick up the plastic dividers that have pockets, and tabs on them. Have one tab for each subject and one tab marked “homework”. When the teacher gives them an assignment it goes into the pocket. When the assignment is complete, the student puts it back into the pocket, so they know where to find it. Once the teacher returns the paper, they put the paper behind the “homework” tab for later review. These can be labeled with a P-Touch label maker for a cleaner, neater, more organized look.

   

Using dividers with tabs, Post-It durable Index tabs to flag important 

thin

gs or chapters in a book, will help your student start the year off right!

Tip #3: Monthly Calendar For Each Subject:

School often hand out planners, however the problem that I have with the planners is that there is not enough room for each class. Print out a monthly calendar for each class and put them in your binder. With the monthly calendar for each class, your student can write the homework for that class. Being able to keep track of what homework, for what class is due is the key to never forgetting what is due. I recommend only printing out 3 months at a time for each subject. When students mark on their calendar due dates, test dates as well as days off, they know exactly what is going on for each class. 

Tip #4: Organizing Your Jump Drive:

Many teachers require students to use jump drives or thumb drives as some call them. The best way to organize the jump drive is to set up folders for each subject. Inside each subject’s folder, create a folder for “notes”, and “homework”. If the student has regular activities such as “Lectures”, “PowerPoint” and “Special Projects” etc, have them create a folder for each one of those as well. Set these up early so that as soon as you begin homework, it has a place to save it to.

Tip #5: Best Note Taking Tool EVER!

Ok, this is my FAVORITE tool ever. Livescribe Inc. is the maker of the award-winning Pulse smartpen, This is a recordable pen that allows the person to record what you hear so you don’t ever miss a word. It is a computer in a pen. 

The notepads are dot style spiral notebooks. When you tap on the words, the pen will play back what was recorded. The pen allows you to download the notes, email the notes and play back the notes for review. The pen is available in a silver Titanium body style as well as the new Echo, which offers a sleek new design. This product is PC/Apple compatible and comes in a 2GB, 4GB and 8GB. 

The 2GB of memory can hold over 200 hours of audio. Actual recording time varies by audio quality setting. As a full-time student myself, I have used this and I can tell you it is the BEST tool for any student as well as a great tool to use in any professional career. I only wish that I had this when I younger and in High School. It would have been a life saver for taking notes in class, making me a better student. 

It can be found at such stores as the Apple Store, Best Buy and Staples and costs between $129-$169. This is a GREAT product and one that every student needs for a success when taking notes. Livescribe can be found on Facebook where they offer great technical support. Check out this product at www.livescribe.com as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/livescribe

This will make a great gift for any student!

Start this year out right! With these helpful tips, your student will feel that they have their best foot forward!

I would love to have you add your favorite "Back To School" Tips, or if you have experienced any of these tips yourself. 

Good luck, and make it a GREAT year~

Get Your Body Back!

IS YOUR BODY READY FOR SWIMSUIT WEATHER?

Despite the weather, swimsuit season is just around the corner~

• Are you ready?

• Have you looked in a mirror lately?

• What are you going to do?

Are you thinking about summer and wondering what you need to do to get into that swimsuit? Well, I have the answer for you. Get fit with Super-Fit.

What is Super-Fit you say?
Super-Fit is an exclusive, 100-member fitness studio. For most people, self-willed exercise routines are short-lived, especially in our fast-paced, time-focused society. Joining a large health club is intimidating expensive, and the personalized attention is inadequate. Private 1-on-1 training is far too expensive and many times by a young, inexperienced trainer.

I too, belonged to a gym and found myself not going, not losing weight and just NOT SATISFIED. I discovered Super-Fit because it was located close to my house, and always wondered who they were, and what did they do exactly, so I went in to check them out. I found Jeff Turner, the owner, to be a breath of fresh-air. He invited me to join them for a free session, and I was “hooked”.

Super Fit is a circuit- training workout. Members work out together as a team, giving everyone support from one another, yet help from the trainers during your workout. The great thing about this program is that everyone is on a different level, however, everyone is there for the same reason, To Get Fit!

I have been going to Super-Fit now for the past three months. I have seen loss of inches as well as I have started to drop the weight. I feel better, and I have a better sense of what I am eating. I have learned that working out is more than just losing the weight; it is about getting healthy, feeling healthy and getting stronger.

Super-Fit has affordable plans. The more sessions you buy, the lower the cost. You can get sessions for as low as $17. Where can you go to get great training for that price? This is full body weight training with tons of variety, a fun atmosphere, and lost of support to help you succeed.

Super Fit has three trainers that will inspire you, Jeff Turner, Linda, and Eddie.

Jeff Turner, Owner /Head Trainer

   Eddie Barruga                                                       Linda Lee                                                                                  

All of them will encourage you, work you and give you that boost that you won’t get anywhere else! This will truly be your last membership that you join, because you won’t want to go anywhere else!

Super-Fit offers a variety of work out times to fit any schedule. They start as early as 5 am and late as 7 pm, Monday thru Friday. They also offer a “Boot Camp” session during the week as well as on Saturday mornings.

Circuit training is the wave of the future because people are tired of trainers at the typical gyms. So what do you do if you don’t live around a Super-Fit? Find a circuit training gym near you. This innovative work out program will give you the help you need!

So, if you are thinking “Yikes! Summer is here, and I am not ready”, then head to SUPER-FIT or you’re nearest circuit training gym, and get your body back!






Visit Super Fit at:

7627 196th St. SW • Lynnwood, WA 98036      
Call: 425.231.1908
E-Mail: turn.fit@verizon.net
Check them out at: http://www.turnsuperfit.com

MOTHER'S DAY – May 9th

Looking for a unique Mother's Day gift idea for mom?  
Consider this!

This time of year so many people are thinking, “What do I give, the mom in my life, for Mother's Day?” Mom’s today are busier than ever with the kids, sports, work, you know what I mean. Mom’s today are also becoming more health conscious, so you don’t want to give chocolate, so what do you give mom these days? Well try something sweet, delicious, creative, and yes even a little chocolate can be included. Surprise her with an Edible Arrangement!

Edible Arrangements are wonderfully unique, and they have something for every budget. Ok, so what is Edible Arrangements? It is like giving mom flowers that she can eat. Edible Premium Arrangements are filled with juicy and colorful fruit bursting with flavor. It’s a healthy, smart gift idea that is perfect for mom.

Edible Arrangements design decorative flowers and stars out of fruit. They use apples, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, pineapple, and more. The fruit can be dipped with chocolate or not. You can add balloons and bears, and they come in a variety of decorative containers. They also offer a variety of arrangements for any holiday or gift idea including corporate or party event. This is definitely something that mom will love and appreciate. 

There are 951 store locations nationwide. They can wire the order for you, or do what I have done, and contact the store directly to place your order. We gave my mother in law one last year because she is limited on what she can eat. This was the perfect gift for her. Today, she still talks about the Edible Arrangement that we sent, and how much she enjoyed it.  All the fruit is fresh and the arrangements are not made until you order it, and they always have a few arrangements in the cooler for last minute gift ideas. 


If you go into your local store, they offer calendars that include coupons each month, which will save you money when you order. I have worked with the Mill Creek, WA store as well as the Thousand Oaks, CA store. I found both stores to be a pleasure to work with. The sales associate in the Mill Creek, WA store was extremely helpful, as I had no idea what I wanted. They were very courteous, and happy, and did a wonderful job. Recently, I worked with Jennifer from the Thousand Oaks, CA store. She was so pleasant to work with and helpful when trying to decide the perfect gift for this year’s Mother’s Day.

So, if you are looking for something special, chose “Edible Arrangements”. If you are looking for something healthy that mom will enjoy, chose “Edible Arrangements”. If you mom is hard to shop for, chose “Edible Arrangements”. I highly recommend this for any occasion, and it is sure to please who ever you give it too!

Try them for yourself, and you will taste what I mean! 

Find a store near you at http://www.ediblearrangements.com

Please share your comments or experience with Edible Arrangements  

Thank you for reading my post!

Who is really teaching our kids? You might be surprised!

I have been struggling since my last post, on a subject that is very close to my heart, and one that I am very passionate about. So, here it goes… Who is really teaching our kids?

Do you have kids that go to public school? Do you like your school, or your school district? When we send our kids to school, we assume and expect that they will be safe. We assume and expect that the teachers are there for the best interest of our kids.  Some might even have sympathy for the teachers because, even though THEY chose the profession, they work hard. What you may not know, is that some of the very people that we have teaching our children, are the same people that are abusing, our kids as well as mistreating them. Edmonds School District has many of these types of teachers, however we don’t want to forget about some of the Administrators that work in the schools either. Edmonds School District has Administrators that are suppose to treat our kids fair, and follow the same level of respect that they themselves expect the students to follow.

What do you think about when you think about a music teacher? This person should be great with kids right? Wrong! College Place Elementary has a music teacher who targets the kids that she doesn’t like. This teacher has refused a child to use the restroom, when she has one in the class, and caused the student to wet her pants in front of the entire class. If parents were to deny children the right to use the bathroom, we could lose our children. Why then, is this ok for a teacher to be allowed to do this, and still be teaching? This same teacher targeted another child by failing her because she refused to sing the solo in the concert. Is this insane? This is music!

Then, at Chase Lake Elementary, there is a teacher that, during a parent-teacher conference, accused the parent’s child of stealing money from her desk, as well as stealing from the other students. This same teacher continued to discuss the fact that the child was mean, and did not have any friends. What is the purpose of a parent-teacher conference? Isn’t it to discuss academics? Well, this conference covered everything except academics. 

Three year later, since the student has left this teachers class, she continues to targets, and harass this student, and looks for anything that this student might be doing wrong. This teacher is the most unhappy, grumpy teacher, and I think this teacher needs to retire. Are these the kind of teachers that we want teaching our children? Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some great teachers in this school district, and if it were not for them, we would have even more concerns on our hands. It is amazing to me that the same mission and values they expect students to follow, these same teachers do not follow, nor do they set the proper example for the students.

So, just when you think this kind of treatment is only at the elementary schools, think AGAIN! There are local high schools that have their issues as well. What is your opinion of a vice principal? Shouldn’t this person set the example and be fair? Well, you would think so, however this is NOT the case either. There is a vice principal at Edmonds-Woodway High School, that took the word of a student that another student threatened him. Now, back in the day when kids had issues, they met behind the school, and within minutes it was over. Now that we are in the “Nanny State”, kids can’t handle issues on their own. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for keeping the school safe, however now, there is a new policy that when a threat has been made, a Threat Assessment, is done at the school level. I understand, and appreciate this as there has been a lot of school violence, however, if you are going to conduct an investigation shouldn’t you be fair and look at both sides? You would think so, but “NO”, common sense has been replaced. This vice principal expelled this student immediately, for a week while they investigated the situation. This would have been fine, if he would have looked at both sides and conducted a complete investigation, but he didn’t. Once the assessment was completed at the school level, the determination was made that this student was a threat, so it was forwarded on to the district level. Due to the tainted and incomplete information from the vice principal, the district determined this student was a medium level threat. Even criminals get a fair trial, but when you are at this high school apparently you don’t. It would have been better for this student to beat him up, and be suspended for one day. This school went even further by calling the parents, and asking to search and inspect the home, with a local police officer and the school administrator before the student could return to school. This family has never had problems with the law, drugs or violence, as well as the student has served over 150 hrs of community service. Since when, do the schools have the right to “inspect” our homes? The answer? THEY DON’T. The parents refused. This student eventually returned to school, however, the damage was done. This student was forced to sign a contract prior to returning to school; he was subjected to daily searched, even though this student has never brought any inappropriate items to school. The contract further continued to contained other items that did not have anything to do with the situation. 

This student missed finals week, his grades dropped, and his reputation destroyed, and still today suffers from the backlash of these events. 

Thank goodness the parents did not back down because they contacted the principal, who actually treats the students as well as parents with respect. This principal recognized that the way this situation was handled was inappropriate, and she reinvestigated the situation. The student was exonerated and the decision was not only over turned but the threat assessment, which was located at the district, was destroyed.

As we all know high school is stressful enough without having these types of situations. This vice-principal did not even bother speaking with the teachers of this student nor did he consider looking at outside activities. This vice principal “profiled” the student. In society today, we criticize people for profiling, and from where I am sitting, maybe we might want to look at where the kids are getting the idea or example to profile. I ask the question again, “ Are these the people that we want to be teaching our kids”? It’s sad, the only person that ran to the defense of this student was one of his previous teachers. Imagine that! One final note on this student, the student that started this, has been expelled multiple times, one recently due to bringing a knife to school, and was caught stabbing a chair. Amazing! The student that the started this issue, the one that the vice-principal defended, shows as being the real problem, and not the accused student.

We as parents have got to be the advocates for our kids. We have to stand up to the schools, and let them know that it is NOT ok to treat our kids the way they do. It is NOT ok, for them for write their own rules. When you are looking at a school district, take the time to investigate the school as well as the district. This is where your child will be spending the majority of their day. When people look for a job, they investigate the company, they interview, and they take the time to think about their choices. Why then, do we not do the same where our kids are concerned?  I personally have met with the Superintendent of the Edmonds School District, and I can tell you it was a waste of time. His job is to defend the parents and students, however he continues to defend teachers and the schools even when they are wrong. We as parents need to be more proactive. Start attending the school district meetings, join the PTA, and find out what they are doing.

Our kids are the future and the teachers who teach our kids will determine what happens. If we want our kids to go to college, then it begins NOW! The experiences and examples that they receive now, will determine if they want to continue on to college.

I know there are many great teachers out there. My daughter has one of the best teachers she has had in a very long time. This teacher is sensible, realistic, and cuts through the garbage when she sees students picking on each other. My son has had teachers that have truly cared about whether or not he get’s it or not. We need more teachers like this. We need teachers who are not going to bring their politics to school and brainwash our kids with their beliefs. Private schools are expensive, co-op schools have their issues too, and not everyone can homeschool, so what are parents to do?

We have to stop the insanity!

I would love to hear your story and or experience. Please feel free to share your comments, concerns or further ideas!

Thanks for reading my blog!