Review: Ike’s Chili at 5941 E. Admiral Pl Tulsa, OK 74115

I had the opportunity to each lunch at Ike’s Chili this past Tuesday, 7-26-11.  This was the first time I had been to this restaurant.  My father had always raved about how wonderful the food was there.  As a matter of fact, he says it’s the best chili he has eaten.  Needless to say, he had built it up pretty good for me.

We arrived at Ike’s at around 12:45pm.  My first impression was that I probably wouldn’t have stopped here if I hadn’t been strongly encouraged by my father’s praise.  The restaurant is a tiny shop in a run down strip center.  The parking was tight and crowded.  To be honest, it looked a little scary.

When we went into the restaurant, all except two tables were filled.  It is a very small place.  I was surprised by the number of men in suits eating there.  You could tell that word on this place was out in the corporate world.  We found a table and grabbed the paper menu’s that were already at the table.  I was glad that the menu’s were clean.  I kind of wondered if they would have chili spots all over them since they were just paper. 

Our waitress stopped right away and was super friendly.  After she took our drink order, we asked her opinion about serving size.  We were trying to see if a “regular” or “special” were the right size for a average serving.  She said that the regular was pretty small and that she would go with the special.  Her advice was spot on!  The special size of the “Three Way” was perfect.

As stated above, I ordered the Three Way, which is spaghetti, chili, & beans.  They offer the choice to add onions, peppers, & cheese if you want.  I choose to add some cheese to mine. It arrived VERY quick. The cheese came on the side so I could add as much or as little as I wanted to my lunch.  The food was delicious.  The temperature was hot but not so hot that you couldn’t dive right into eating.

When it was time to leave, the waitress had left the ticket on our table after serving our food, we walked to the counter to pay.  The gentleman that rang us up was very friendly.  He took our compliments in stride.  We told him that we were from out of town and stopped there because of the high praise from others.  He joked with us that they are looking to open franchises in other towns.  It was friendly banter but a smooth way to let us know of the opportunity. 

I will definitely go back to Ike’s when I’m in Tulsa.  It had great food and great service.  I hope that they make a go of franchising the business but I doubt that a new place could hold the charm of the original.

I'm so excited!!

I'm so excited!  I've been selected to attend the Women of Faith conference this fall in OKC for free.  I applied through Booksneeze.com, which is one of the sites that sends me books to review.  I'll be posting facebook updates during the sessions and blogging about what I learn/see.  That is what I have to do to earn my tickets.  Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself.

This is the first time I've ever been selected to blog about something this big.  Here is a preview video about what the weekend will include.

If anyone is interested in going, please give me a call.  Perhaps we can ride together.  At the very least, we can talk about what and who we are excited about seeing there.  I'm really psyched to see Lisa Whelchel, homeschool mom & former "Facts of Life" actress, and Andy Andrews, author of "The Final Summit." 
Have any of you out there ever been to one of these before?  Let me know what you think.

Book Review: "PrayerWalk" by Janet Holm McHenry

  Let's start by saying that, yes, I could use some more prayer walking in my life.  I need more of both, the exercise and the praying.  I'm not always faithful with either of them.  I requested this book from WaterBrook Multnomah publishing hoping that it would give me the motivation that I was lacking.  Unfortunately, at this point, it doesn't seemed to have worked out that way for me.
  I enjoyed this book.  The author gave very good and sound advice.  As a health care professional, I often find myself critical of books that promote an exercise program.  They either are to hard for the average person or they just give unrealistic pictures of success.  This book has kept it real.  It doesn't claim to be the be all, end all of programs.  It just claims to be a great way to get healthy and grow closer to God.
  I think this is a great book for those out there that are just needing a little push.  It teaches you that small changes over time lead to big results.  It also shows the reader that through God, all things are possible, even (gasp) weight loss.
  The only problem I had with the book is that it seems like a no brainer.  Do you really need to read a book about praying while you walk?  I know that's just my jaded persona coming out.  Sometimes it's the obvious things that are the easiest to overlook.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Book Review: "A Place Called Blessing" by John Trent, PhD with Annette Smith

     "A Place Called Blessing" is a fiction story based on the non-fiction book "The Blessing" by the same author.  Since I've not read "The Blessing," I had no preconceived notion about what this book was going to contain.  What I found was a wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness, strength, & hope.
     The story centers around a young man named Josh.  It follows Josh through his troubled childhood and into his adult life.  If gives a very clear picture of why we should never judge a book by it's cover.  You never know what is going on inside of a person or what has driven them to be the way that they are to others.  It shows us, in story form, how important one person can be in another persons life.  You could be the lifeline that a stranger or acquaintance clings.
     I found that this story also made me think about all the things in life that seem like coincidences but in reality are part of God's plan.  I've had a few of those moments that seem like impossible realities.  Those times when you just sit back and say "no way!"  Those are times that we need to seize and explore.  They are gifts from above.
     This is a great book to spend a day reading.  You'll find yourself uplifted and motivated to be a blessing to others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”