This is Why You NEVER leave the Tip and Total Lines Blank on a Credit Card Receipt…

ReceiptEvery time I eat out at a restaurant with anyone that pays with a credit card, I always watch them when they sign the receipt. If they don’t fill in the TIP and TOTAL lines, they get a lecture from me. They have come to expect it. Even if you leave a cash tip on the table, you ALWAYS need to fill in the TIP line, either with $0.00 or I sometimes use a line through the space. Then complete the TOTAL line even if it’s the same as the sub total! Why bother? Because if you don’t take the little bit of time necessary to do this, anyone can fill in a number in the TIP line and complete the TOTAL and YOUR credit card will be charged for the amount. Don’t think it could happen?

My mother took me to lunch on April 10th. The subtotal on the receipt was $15.37. She left a $5 CASH tip on the table. Pretty generous for a restaurant where you seat yourself and a waitress appears twice. Once to bring the food and once to drop the check on the table. When we went to the counter to pay, I got distracted looking at a flyer for guitar lessons on the window and didn’t watch her sign the receipt. A fact for which I am deeply sorry, but she had heard the lecture before. When her credit card statement came, there was a charge for $20.37 from that restaurant. After we left, they had removed her receipt from the register, filled in the TIP line with an additional $5 and completed the TOTAL. It is blatant FRAUD! She refuses to report them to the credit card company because she feels (in her own words) “like she was taught a lesson.” Completely setting aside the fact that my mother is a senior citizen, the fact that this establishment would take advantage of ANYONE in this way angers me beyond words. She did agree to let me take a picture of the receipt and gave me her blessing to do this post so it might “save someone a hassle in the future.” Unfortunately, I have been advised against publicly disclosing the name of the pizza place (as much as I REALLY want everyone to know who they are) because she won’t report it, so identifying parts of the receipt are blacked out. Please share this post, tell people you know and for goodness sake, don’t make the same mistake she did!

Wineberry Walnut Zucchini Cake with Orange Nutmeg Buttercream Icing

WineberryCakeSlice(W)(Web)-8x10As part of our effort to provide Recipes For The Harvest, this simply amazing recipe not only gives you the perfect excuse to use the zucchinis that grow prolifically in almost all home gardens, it has the added benefit of sneaking vegetables into your families diet and, trust me on this one, they won’t mind a bit! It is also a scrumptious alternative to using Wineberries rather than for the traditional jam recipe. If you don’t have Wineberries, you can very easily substitute Raspberries (red, black or gold). It will be a little sweeter end result, because you won’t have the distinctive tang that the Wineberries add to this remarkably moist yet heart cake, but we are all about using what you have! Then the addition of the zesty Orange Buttercream Icing with just a hint of nuttiness perfectly compliments the sweet and tangy cake that it envelopes. Click on the picture or HERE for the complete recipe and instructions.

Owl Egg Mold Project

EggOwl2(Web)(RH)I saw this guy online and couldn’t resist trying it. Click HERE to see how it turned out…

Work in progress…

I have completed much of the work to move the projects and recipes from the main Rooster Hooch site over here. I’m sure there are still some glitches and broken links, so feel free to comment or send me a message letting me know of any problems you might encounter. Thanks for stopping by!

Migration in Progress…please be patient.

I am in the progress of migrating the How-to and DIY stuff from the main Rooster Hooch site. There are bound to be some glitches and broken links until everything is smoothed out. Thank you for you patience.