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Alabama ‘Friendsgiving’ diners tip Waffle House waitress $1,125: ‘Normalize being kind’

Source image: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/alabama-friendsgiving-diners-tip-waffle-house-waitress-1125-normalize-being-kind

A Waffle House worker in Alabama received an unforgettable tip after a group of friends banded together to spread some generous holiday cheer.

Tanya Ragsdale of Cullman, a north central city in Alabama that’s roughly 50 miles north of Birmingham, shared a Facebook post revealing the “Friendsgiving” occasion that she and her friend group celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 19.

The group went to the Waffle House near Highway 157 in Cullman at 6 a.m. — and wound up tipping their waitress a remarkable $1,125.25 on a $74.75 bill.

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Ragsdale, 44, told Fox News Digital that her Friendsgiving group started their generous tipping tradition in 2021. 

They don’t announce their intention to do so beforehand. 

“We sit wherever the host sits us, so that it is random,” Ragsdale said. 

“We don’t know the waitress.”

Ragsdale and her friends each contribute $100 to the Friendsgiving meal and tip.

“I plan to make this an annual event.”

This year, 11 friends joined Ragsdale to take part in the special holiday occasion.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESTAURANT STAFF RECEIVES $2K TIP WITH A NOTE LEFT BY ‘REGULAR’ CUSTOMER 

“I plan to make this an annual event,” Ragsdale told Fox News Digital. 

“My hope is for it to reach other friend groups to do the same and normalize being kind,” she also said.

A Waffle House waitress in Cullman, Alabama, received a generous "Friendsgiving" tip that amounted to $1,125.25 from a group of friends who wanted to spread holiday cheer every year around this time.

A Waffle House waitress in Cullman, Alabama, received a generous “Friendsgiving” tip that amounted to $1,125.25 from a group of friends who wanted to spread holiday cheer every year around this time.
(Google Maps)

Julia Ellison, the Waffle House waitress who received the four-figure tip, told Ragsdale the money will help her provide for children over the holidays.

Ragsdale said she could relate to Ellison because she worked as a waitress before going to college.

TEXAS RESTAURANT PAYS SERVER $2,000 TIP AFTER CUSTOMER ALLEGEDLY LEFT FRAUDULENT PAYMENT 

“I’m a nurse practitioner [now] and my presence here is to nurture folks,” Ragsdale said.

A group of friends surprised a Waffle House waitress in Cullman, Alabama, with a very generous "Friendsgiving" tip. Tanya Ragsdale (shown on left, wearing white dress) told Fox News Digital that this is the second time she and her friends have surprised a restaurant server with a large tip.

A group of friends surprised a Waffle House waitress in Cullman, Alabama, with a very generous “Friendsgiving” tip. Tanya Ragsdale (shown on left, wearing white dress) told Fox News Digital that this is the second time she and her friends have surprised a restaurant server with a large tip.
(Tanya Ragsdale)

Fox News Digital reached out to Ellison for comment.

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Last year around Christmastime, Ragsdale and her group tipped a local Cracker Barrel waitress $575.01 after paying their $24.99 bill.

Ragsdale said she appreciates that she’s able to form “a friendship” with the servers her Friendsgiving group helps.

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They, in turn, express their gratitude.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/alabama-friendsgiving-diners-tip-waffle-house-waitress-1125-normalize-being-kind

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Dave Portnoy blisters WaPo ‘hit piece’ with viral statement announcing the ‘death of honest’ journalism

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy released a press release blasting a recent Washington Post “hit piece” against him.

Portnoy’s statement accusing the outlet of causing the “death of honest and fair journalism” in attacking him with “untrue narratives” went viral on X Friday, receiving millions of views in hours and prompting a social media pile on of the Washington Post.

In the statement he posted to X, Portnoy explained his side of a recent feud between him and the outlet over a story the Post published. The piece reported on criticism advertisers and pizzerias got for working with the mogul for his upcoming “One Bite Pizza Festival” in New York City.

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dave portnoy and the washington post

Bartstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy responded to a Washington Post hit piece on him with a press release he published to X Friday. ((Fox News/Getty Images))

The piece, published by Post reporters Tim Carmen and Emily Heil Friday, described Portnoy as someone who “has been no stranger to controversy.” It mentioned his history of “sexist” and other insensitive comments, as well as allegations of sexual impropriety. 

The statement from “Team Portnoy” opened, stating, “Today marks the official death of honest and fair journalism in America. Emily ‘Caught Red Handed’ Heil and Tim ‘Probably An Ugly Loser’ Carman of the Washington Post put the final nail in the coffin with their weak and dishonest hit piece against David S. Portnoy and his One Bite pizzafest.”

The letter continued, explaining how Portnoy “caught wind of this hit piece” before it was published. It claimed he noticed that “Heil started reaching out to advertisers and pizzerias to try and shame them for participating in what will be the greatest day in the history of pizza.”

Portnoy’s feud with the outlet went public when he called Heil and argued with her over her intentions in publishing it.

Taunting the reporters, Portnoy’s letter continued, “It had already been a rough week for Portnoy, who’s been having trouble finding his coffee in his colossal new Miami mansion. And now he had to deal with this.”

Mentioning the phone call, the statement added, “So he called up Heil to confront her and caught her red-handed in a lie where she denied saying anything negative about Portnoy in emails. (She would later clarify that she only tells negative lies about people as a reporting tactic. As if that was supposed to help her case somehow.)”

Returning to the piece itself, the statement read, “It was mostly the same old tired, reused, and untrue narratives about Portnoy. Although they did make the groundbreaking investigative discovery that he sometimes takes more than one bite in his pizza reviews.”

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The text added, “no pizzerias or advertisers decided to pull out of Pizzafest.” 

X users weighed in on Portnoy’s post, with many siding with the Barstool owner. 

The Federalist senior contributor Rich Cromwell read the post and declared, “This is art.”

Publicist and conservative Beth Baumann posted, “This is the best press release I’ve ever read and I’m a publicist. Lol.”

Neither The Washington Post nor the two reporters who wrote the piece about Portnoy immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

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Strawberry Jell-O pie that’s simply delicious: Try the easy recipe

For the strawberry lovers who are on the hunt for an easy-to-make dessert, this simple strawberry pie is just the thing.

Besides simplicity, Cara Lanz of midwesternhomelife.com says this pie is a delicious dessert dish.

“The only hard part about making it is waiting for it to set up in the fridge,” said Lanz, Minnesota.

This recipe takes mere minutes of prep time and, to Lanz’s point, the fridge does the work.

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Grab that pint of strawberries and attempt this amazingly easy dessert.

No Bake Strawberry Jell-O Pie by Cara Lanz of midwesternhomelife.com

Makes 8 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

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Chill/set time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

whole strawberry jello pie

Sink your teeth into this soft and delicious strawberry pie made with Jell-O. (Cara Lanz, midwesternhomelife.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 oz. box strawberry Jell-O

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  • 4 cups sliced strawberries, plus more for serving, optional
  • 9″ graham cracker crust (store-bought or homemade)
  • Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Cara Lanz, midwesternhomelife.com

Plop a dollop of whipped cream on top of this sweet, strawberry after-dinner treat. (Cara Lanz, midwesternhomelife.com)

Directions

1. Mix water, sugar and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Stir for one minute. Remove from the heat.

2. Add the strawberry gelatin and stir until it has dissolved, about 2 minutes.

3. Let the mixture cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

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4. Stir in the strawberries. Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust.

5. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 2 hours.

6. Serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

This original recipe is owned by midwesternhomelife.com and was shared with Fox News Digital.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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Lifestyle

Pumpkin tiramisu, turkey pot pies and more: Here are delicious fall recipes to celebrate the season

Celebrity chef George Duran kicked off the first day of fall on “Fox & Friends Weekend” with some autumnal-themed recipes on Saturday, Sept. 23. 

Duran joined the “Fox & Friends Weekend” crew to reveal three recipes that feature fall ingredients. 

“Kids love sweets during the fall,” said Duran. 

He enlisted the help of special guest Rex Hegseth – son of co-host Pete Hegseth – to create the first dish, an “out of this world” variation on tiramisu. 

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Instead of using ladyfingers, as in a traditional tiramisu recipe, Duran substituted Nilla Wafers for a more kid-friendly option. 

For a fall twist, Duran mixed coffee with coffee creamers flavored with pumpkin spice and apple crumble.

Fox & Friends team, plus Rex Hegseth, an 8 year old boy, with George Duran

Chef George Duran joined “Fox & Friends Weekend” (including special guest, birthday boy Rex Hegseth) to show off some fall recipes. (Fox News)

“Because of the pumpkin purée or apple crumble flavor, it kind of adds more of a dimension to it, and kids can really help with that,” he said. 

Shifting to appetizers, Duran explained that “fall to me is about the taste of potatoes.” 

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Little Potato Company, he said, has pre-packaged small potatoes that are ready to eat after a quick trip to the microwave or air fryer.

“I like to spend more time with my family and less time cooking,” said Duran. 

“In five minutes, you take these bags, you can microwave them and you have cooked little potatoes.”

bags of Little Potato Co. potatoes

Little Potato Co. sells potatoes that are easy to prepare for a hearty fall meal, said Chef George Duran during a “Fox & Friends Weekend” appearance. (Fox News)

“You don’t have to peel them,” he said. 

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The Little Potato Company also sells pre-seasoned, microwaveable potatoes. 

“It’s the big thing — it’s a hardy fall thing.” 

“Instantly, you have these herbed potatoes you can actually serve to your family,” said Duran. 

George Duran and the Fox & Friends weekend hosts with pot pies

In addition to the first day of fall, Saturday, Sept. 23, is also “National Great American Pot Pie Day.”  (Fox News)

Turning to a main dish, Duran noted that in addition to the first day of fall, Sept. 23 is also “National Great American Pot Pie Day.” 

To mark the occasion, Duran made mini pot pies — with a fall twist, of course. 

“It’s the big thing — it’s a hardy fall thing,” he said. 

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Instead of using the oven, as is traditional, Duran cooked his pot pies in the air fryer using a puff pastry crust. 

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“Taste this fall vegetable pot pie,” he said.

“You don’t have to just use chicken. I’ve used turkey, because it’s the holiday.” 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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