Let's Eat Out! at Panda Express

      If you love Asian Cuisine, you need to take a trip to Panda Express at 1528 E 17th Street here in Hutchinson. This past Saturday, at noon, I decided to head out to check out the menu selections, the restaurant, and the customer service.

     As I entered the restaurant I was greeted with "Welcome to Panda Express". The young woman behind the counter was friendly and prepared my meal with a smile. I found a place to sit right around the corner from the counter and across from the drink machine. The restaurant was clean and neat. Obviously this was making an impression on those dining in because every person I observed cleared their trash from their tables and disposed of it after they ate and before they left. The drink machine was clean and tidy, and dispensed ice in mass quantities on demand. It was a hot day Saturday, having available ice and a working air conditioner was great for those dining inside.

     I had the honey walnut shrimp bowl on top of fried rice, and also asked to try a sample of the Pacific chili shrimp. If you like spicy you'll love the Pacific chili shrimp. It was a little too spicy hot for me, but by the time I had finished my sample it didn't seem quite as spicy as that first bite. Next time I may try a bowl of it.

     The honey walnut shrimp was amazing, if you like your Asian food sweet then this is the dish for you; with the flavors of the honey sauce, the crunch of the walnuts and the moist shrimp combined with the fried rice was delicious. I also had an order of cream cheese rangoons. They were crispy on the outside, warm and moist on the inside. I paired my order with a Coke. My meal was fresh and flavorful. It was a great value for a full meal at around $10.

     Between the atmosphere and the food, truly a relaxing lunch on a Saturday. If you haven't been to Panda Express yet, check them out, you'll enjoy your visit.

CFTC-McPherson

     The rain stopped just in time for the Thursday night Concert For The Cause in McPherson. I almost hate to say this because I don't want to jinx it, but much like The All Schools Day Parade, Concert For The Cause in McPherson has never been rained out. Now fingers crossed that the streak continues.

      Denny Bruce and friends took to the stage on Thursday. Bruce has a lot of friends, who knew the stage could accommodate so many musicians and instruments. There were nine band members, hailing from various locations all over Central Kansas plus their instruments. The band seemed to have plenty of room to play and sing, the sound was amazing as it rang out clean and clear across the lot at Hopps Sno Shack. Bluegrass never sounded better.

     The McKinney Sisters from Moundridge provided wonderful harmonies when they sang together. Their voices blended beautifully and I just got lost in the music when they sang. If you haven't heard them sing and play, you're in for a treat. Check out YouTube for their videos and listen to them sing. You'll be hooked.

     Generally the concerts end at 9:00 pm but on this night the band kept playing and the crowd showed no sign of leaving.

     Thursdays concert was a benefit for The McPherson Hospital Volunteers. The volunteers prepared hot, buttered popcorn and their raffle featured a variety of jigsaw puzzles. Of course, the Sno Shack was hoping with business as the icy goodness of unique sno cone flavors was enjoyed by all. The girls preparing the sno cones worked hard keeping up with the orders. I started counting the crowd and once I reached 200, I stopped. The crowd came and went all evening.

     This coming Thursday Sam Unruh will entertain the crowd with his red dirt country sounds and 4H of McPherson will be the charity for the evening. Bring your chair and join the fun at Hopps Sno Shack.

CFTC-McPherson

     Thursday night in McPherson, Kansas and time for the third edition of Concert For The Cause. Tonight's show featured Robin Macy, one of the founders of The Dixie Chicks. She was joined on stage with band members Kentucky White and Darren Wilcox.

     The trio played a variety of country/western, western swing, bluegrass, and red dirt tunes. One of my favorite songs of the evening was the song, "You Take The Town" from Macy's CD, "Songs From The Garden". This was a project that she said dates back eight years. Macy's voice has this old world quality to it that reminded me so much of the country western songs I've heard from the era before I was born. She sings beautifully.

     On this night The Girl Scouts were the chosen beneficiary for concert funds. Macy donated the proceeds of all CD's sold on this evening to The Girl Scouts, McPherson chapter. In fact, in honor of the evening, Macy wore her Girl Scout sash complete with merit badges and even told the crowd about what badges she had earned as a girl. She also played the Girl Scout song from when she was in Girl Scouts.
   
     This coming Thursday, Hopps SnoShack will host the next CFTC event in the 2016 summer series, featuring Denny Bruce and friends which will benefit The McPherson Hospital Volunteers. Remember to bring your lawn chairs and join in the fun at 7:00 p.m.

   

CFTC-McPherson

     This past Thursday, Concerts For The Cause in McPherson held its second show at Hopp's Sno Shack. Over 150 people came and went throughout the evening as Jeremy Hanna treated the crowd to a wide range of guitar music.

     Incidentally, Hanna played a 12-string guitar which was awesome. Most of the songs he played were of his own creation. He did do a few covers, as well. The event was to benefit Circles of McPherson Kansas. The crowd dined on snow cones and fresh popped popcorn as they mixed and mingled.

     The next Concerts For The Cause Event in McPherson will be held this coming Thursday at Hopp's Sno Shack and will feature Robin Macy, who is one of the founders of the Dixie Chicks. She will be joined on stage by band members Kentucky White and Darren Wilcox. This show will benefit the Girl Scouts. Don't be late, the show starts at 7 p.m.

     CFTC would like to thank the sponsors of these great concerts in McPherson. These business's, along with other anonymous donors, make Concerts For A Cause possible in McPherson.