Good ol' Customer Service

I have to admit, there are times when I think customer service is dead in this country. Well, maybe in the whole world. Who knows? In my day job, I am an Administrative Assistant and we focus on providing people with good customer service but when I'm on the other end of the phone, as a customer, it seems obsolete. Until Monday.....

I got a Keurig coffee brewer for Christmas and when we were on vacation, I got a text message from my daughter that it died. Well, we didn't bury it or anything but only about a tablespoon of coffee would come out when she tried to brew a cup. Now, my first thought when I got the text message was, "What the heck am I going to do about it from Arizona?" but she was just asking if the problem happened to me too or was this a new problem? It was a new problem and imagine the dismay of my friend and her mom who were house sitting and were all ready to have a hot cup of coffee at their every whim. Sorry Nora! :o(

So, Monday I called the 800 number in my owner's manual. They took all my basic information and I held for a minute for a service person but unfortunately, there was no one available to walk me through a few 'things' like poking certain parts in my machine with a straightened out paper clip. High-tech, I know. :o) I told them I would call them back the next day because I wasn't sure when I would be home. Tuesday I called and got lots of please, thank yous and ma'ams and after it was decided that my machine was not repairable, the service person said they would be sending me out a new, NEW, not refurbished, brewer by FedEx Ground. After I picked myself up off the floor, I thanked the young man repeatedly and said I knew a lot of people that had gotten Keurig brewers because I always raved about mine. I told him I would be sure to pass on what wonderful service they also offer. So, there you have it. Did you hear it? I just brewed me a nice hot cup o' Joe.....and I lived happily ever after. hehe

And what goes great with coffee? Buttermilk pancakes of course!! When we were on vacation, we went to Blueberry Hill Restaurant in Las Vegas. We had been there in 2009 and the pancakes were so good, it stuck with me for two years. Not literally, but you know what I mean. lol We went there for breakfast and after I got home, I checked to see if there was a recipe for their buttermilk pancakes. I found one and happened to have all the ingredients I needed. That was a shock right there since it requires buttermilk!!!

I slopped me some butter on there and some syrup and yum, YUM! They were delicious! And now they're gone. You country-cousins might think "What's the big deal?" but this city girl has only ever made pancakes with a mix. It is a big deal. :o) Here's the recipe I used:

Buttermilk Pancakes from Food by Yahoo! Shine!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flower
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or sour milk) **this cook (I use the term 'cook' loosely) didn't look up what that meant!** lol
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Desired fruit options (optional)*
Desired syrup (optional)

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, use a fork to combine egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy). If desired, stir in desired fruit. (I made mine fruitless.)

**I'm going to type the rest of the recipe under protest, to be legit and provide the entire recipe but honestly, even "I" know how to make pancakes!! As I typed most of the info below, I was saying DUH under my breath! lol

For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet, spreading batter if necessary. For dollar-size pancakes, use about 1 tablespoon batter. (Yeah, right!) cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm. If desired, top with syrup. Makes 12 standard-size pancakes or 40 dollar-size.

OH....I made two batches. The first one, well, the griddle was too hot and um, yeah, I'm a great cook. I told you that, right? Hey, the smoke alarm didn't go off so I think I did okay. Anyway, the batter was a little thick. On the second batch, I added a little more buttermilk and a little bit of water. I would say you could either increase the buttermilk to 1 3/4 cups or use what the recipe calls for and add a little water to the consistency you like. I think it was so thick, that's why the first batch burned. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!