Privacy Policy/Terms of Service

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

GritsAndGouda.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

If you click on these links I may earn a small commission. Because of this, I can continue to bring you Southern shortcut recipes at no cost to you.

Privacy Policy

As the owner of this website (gritsandgouda.com, referred to as the “Site”), Grits and Gouda understands that your privacy is extremely important. This Privacy Policy describes what information we collect from you via the Site and how we use and disclose such information.

What information is collected and how do we use?

• Information You Voluntarily Submit to the Site: We may collect personal information from you such as your name or email address. For example, you may voluntarily submit information to the Site by leaving a comment, subscribing to a newsletter, or submitting a contact form.
• Information We Collect from Others: We may receive information about you from other sources. For example, if you use a third-party software through the site, they may transfer information to us for fulfillment.
• Automatically-Collected Information: We automatically collect certain information about you and the device with which you access the Website. For example, when you use the Website, we will log your IP address, operating system type, browser type, referring website, pages you viewed, and the dates/times when you accessed the Website. We may also collect information about actions you take when using the Website, such as links clicked.
• Cookies: We may log information using cookies, which are small data files stored on your browser by the Website. We may use both session cookies, which expire when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which stay on your browser until deleted, to provide you with a more personalized experience on the Website.

Different ways we collect information are detailed below. We reserve the right to change this list in our sole discretion.

Our use of cookies

We use cookies for the following purposes:

(a) Authentication: We use cookies to identify you when you visit our website and as you navigate our website;

(b) Email: We use cookies to help us to send relevant emails to users who have subscribed to our email list;

(c) Security: We use cookies as an element of the security measures used to protect user accounts, including preventing fraudulent use of login credentials, and to protect our website and services generally;

(d) Advertising: We use cookies to help us to display advertisements that will be relevant to you; and

(e) Analysis: We use cookies to help us to analyze the use and performance of our website and services;

Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can, however, obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies via these links:

(a) https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en (Chrome);

(b) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-preferences (Firefox);

(c) https://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/cookies/ (Opera);

(d) https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies (Internet Explorer);

(e) (Safari Apple Support)

(f) https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows–10-microsoft-edge-and-privacy(Edge).

Please note that blocking cookies may have a negative impact on the functions of many websites, including our Site. Some features of the Site may cease to be available to you.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyze the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies. The information gathered relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website.

Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

Advertising

Display Ads

Raptive Advertising

CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a Raptive (“Raptive”) is a service provider of this Site for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and Raptive will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Raptive’s data usage, click here: https://raptive.com/creator-advertising-privacy-statement

Comments

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to save your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

FOR EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA RESIDENTS

If you reside in a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), then under the GDPR and applicable data protection laws you have the rights, among other things, to access your personal data, have us erase it, and/or restrict its further processing. If you wish to access or delete your personal data (if any) maintained by us or Google Adsense related to advertising on the Site.  If you wish to see a list of the advertising partners we work with or change which of those partners track your behavior using cookies, click the ad preferences icon. (Available in the EU.)

EMAIL ADDRESSES

We may collect your email address, but only if you voluntarily provide it to us. This may occur, for example, if you sign up to receive an email newsletter, or enter a promotion. We will use your email address for the purposes for which you provided it to us, and also from time to time to send you emails regarding the Site or other products or services that we believe may be of interest to you. You may opt out of such email communications at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” button in the email.

We will not share your email address with any third parties.

If you are a resident of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), please refer to the section below entitled “Additional Rights of EEA Residents.”

REGISTRATION OR ACCOUNT DATA

We may collect other information from you when you register with our Site in order to use various features. Such information could include your name, birthday, postal code, screen name, and password (if applicable). As you use the Site, we could collect other data that you provide voluntarily (such as comments that you post).

We may also collect information about you through other methods, including research surveys, social media platforms, verification services, data services, as well as public sources. We may combine this data with your registration data in order to maintain a more thorough profile.

We may use your personally-identifying information for a variety of our internal business purposes, such as creating a better user experience for the Site, diagnosing and troubleshooting malfunctions on the Site, better understanding how the Site is used, and making personalized recommendations to you.

If you are a resident of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), please refer to the section below entitled “Additional Rights of EEA Residents.”

RETARGETING ADS

From time to time, the Site may engage in remarketing efforts with third-party companies, such as Google, Facebook, or Instagram, in order to market the Site. These companies use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to the Site. This means, after visiting the Site, you may see an ad for our services. However, your personally identifiable information is not used by any remarketing service other than to present you offers from the Site. We use the following third-party service providers for remarketing:

Facebook: Opt-out of Facebook remarketing here
Google: Opt-out of Google remarketing here

SPONSORED CONTENT TRACKING PIXELS

This Site may engage in sponsored campaigns with various influencer networks, brands, and agencies. All sponsored content is duly disclosed in accordance with the FTC’s requirements. From time to time, these sponsored campaigns utilize tracking pixels (aka web beacons), which may contain cookies to collect data regarding usage and audience. This information is collected by the sponsoring company to track the results of the campaign. No personally identifiable information collected by the Site is used in conjunction with these tracking pixels.

NEWSLETTERS

On the Site, you may subscribe to our newsletter (if applicable), which may be used for advertising purposes. All newsletters sent may contain tracking pixels. The pixel is embedded in emails and allows an analysis of the success of online marketing campaigns. Because of these tracking pixels, we may see if and when you open an email and which links within the email you click. Also, this allows the Site to adapt the content of future newsletters to the interests of the user. This behavior will not be passed on to third parties.

THIRD-PARTY USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

The Site may share your information with third parties when you explicitly authorize us to share your information. Additionally, the Site may use third-party service providers to service various aspects of the Site. Each third-party service provider’s use of your personal information is dictated by their respective privacy policies. The Site currently use the following third-party service providers:

• Google Analytics – this service tracks Website usage and provides information such as referring websites and user actions on the Websites. Google Analytics may capture your IP address, but no other personal information is captured by Google Analytics.
• MailerLite – this service is used for delivery of email updates and newsletters. MailerLite stores your name and email address for purposes of delivering such communications.
• The Site may use other software to aid in processing and creation of contact forms, such as MailMunch. These service providers pass information directly to the Site and nothing is stored on a third-party server as a result.

At this time, your personal information is not shared with any other third-party applications. This list may be amended from time to time in the Site’s sole discretion.

Except when required by law, Kathleen Phillips & Co. LLC. will not sell, distribute, or reveal your email addresses or other personal information without your consent; however, Kathleen Phillips & Co. LLC,  may disclose or transfer personal information collected through the Site to third parties who acquire all or a portion of our business, which may be the result of a merger, consolidation, or purchase of all or a portion of our assets, or in connection with any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding brought by or against us.

WHAT RIGHTS WE HAVE OVER YOUR DATA

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

MEDIA

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

EMBEDDED CONTENT FROM OTHER SITES

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

ANONYMOUS DATA

From time to time, we may use anonymous data, which does not identify you alone, or when combined with data from other parties. This type of anonymous data may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses. Examples of this anonymous data may include analytics or information collected from cookies.

PUBLICLY VISIBLE INFORMATION

If you create a user profile on the Website or leave a comment, certain information may be publicly visible.

SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION

At no time should you submit sensitive personal information to the Website. This includes your social security number, information regarding race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, criminal background, or trade union memberships. If you elect to submit such information to us, it will be subject to this Privacy Policy.

CHILDREN’S INFORMATION

The Website does not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 16. If a parent or guardian believes that the Website has personally identifiable information of a child under the age of 16 in its database, please contact us immediately at info@pinchofyum.com and we will use our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

ADDITIONAL RIGHTS OF EEA (EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA) RESIDENTS

If you are a resident of a country in the EEA, you have the rights, among others, to:

(i) access your personal data

(ii) ensure the accuracy of your personal data

(iii) the right to have us delete your personal data

(iv) the right to restrict further processing of your personal data, and

(v) the right to complain to a supervisory authority in your country of residence in the event that data is misused

If you believe that our processing of your personal information infringes data protection laws, you have a legal right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority responsible for data protection. You may do so in the EU member state of your residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement.

CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most recent version of the Privacy Policy will always be posted on the Site, with the “Effective Date” posted at the bottom of the Policy. We may revise and update this Privacy Policy if our practices change, as technology changes, or as we add new services or change existing ones. If we make any material changes to our Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, or we are going to use any personal information in a manner that is materially different from that stated in our Privacy Policy at the time we collected such information, we will give you a reasonable opportunity to consent to the change. If you do not consent, your personal information will be used as agreed to under the terms of the privacy policy in effect at the time we obtained that information. By using our Site or services after the Effective Date, you are deemed to consent to our then-current privacy policy. We will use information previously obtained in accordance with the Privacy Policy in effect when the information was obtained from you.

Updated May 26, 2022

CONTACTING US

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the practices of this Site, please contact us at gritsandgouda@gmail.com.

Or write to us at:

Grits and Gouda
1034 Main ST #161, Gardendale AL 35071

First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, “Tags”) may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser’s cache. The "help" feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser’s cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at All About Cookies.

Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.

Photo and Content Sharing Policy

My content is copyrighted material. It is not legal to share it on websites or by any other media without my permission.

Photo Use

You may share one photo per recipe post as long as you prominently link back to the original post with a do-follow link. Do not share more than one image from a post without my explicit permission (email me). Do not republish the recipe itself.

Using our pictures and photos to promote something else: You must request our express written permission beforehand. We do not allow our photos to be used as clip art/stock images/illustrations unless we've negotiated the licensing details and compensation.

Recipe/Article Use

You may not republish our recipes or articles. We do not allow other websites or publications to publish our recipes or articles without explicit permission. Our content, including photos, recipes and articles are copyrighted material.

Content Syndication

We only allow our recipes or posts to be syndicated with our explicit, written permission and almost always with a do-follow link back to my site. Syndicated means re-published on another website either exactly or in similar voice and tone.

For questions that are not answered above, email us at kathleen@gritsandgouda.com.

Terms of Service

b. Process. To begin a claim, you must first send a letter describing your claim in detail, including your name and contact information, your legal claim, the specific facts giving rise to your claim (including the date(s) and amount(s) of any relevant transaction or interaction with us), and the requested relief, to 1034 Main Street #161, Gardendale AL 35071. You and We agree to attempt in good faith to negotiate an informal resolution of your claim. If a resolution is not reached within thirty (30) days, you may commence an arbitration action as set forth herein. The arbitration will be conducted by JAMS, an established alternative dispute resolution provider. Disputes involving claims and counterclaims under $250,000, not inclusive of attorneys' fees and interest, will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and procedures available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-streamlined-arbitration/; all other claims will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures, available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-comprehensive-arbitration/. JAMS's rules are also available at www.jamsadr.com or by calling JAMS at 800-352-5267. If JAMS is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. You may choose to have the arbitration conducted remotely, based on written submissions, or in person at a mutually agreed location. We will be entitled to make an offer of judgment in the arbitration proceeding. If the offer of judgment is not accepted, and the award is not more favorable than the unaccepted offer, you will be solely responsible for all costs incurred by Us after the offer of judgment is made to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

c. Fees. If the arbitrator finds that you cannot afford to pay JAMS's filing, administrative, hearing, and/or other fees, and you cannot obtain a waiver from JAMS, we will pay them for you. If the arbitrator determines the claims are frivolous, you agree to pay Us our attorneys’ fees and costs in the arbitration, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

d. Authority of Arbitrator. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, will have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute related to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this Arbitration Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. The arbitration will decide the rights and liabilities, if any, of you and Us. The arbitration proceeding will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties. The arbitrator will have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim. The arbitrator will have the authority to award monetary damages and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under applicable law, the arbitral forum's rules, and these Terms (including the Arbitration Agreement). The arbitrator will issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and Us.

e. Waiver of Jury Trial. You and We hereby waive any constitutional and statutory rights to sue in court and have a trial in front of a judge or a jury. You and We are instead electing that all claims and disputes will be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement, except as specified in Section (a) above. An arbitrator can award on an individual basis the same damages and relief as a court and must follow this Agreement as a court would. However, there is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review.

f. Waiver of Class or Consolidated Actions. Except with respect to Batch Arbitration (as defined below), all claims and disputes within the scope of this Arbitration Agreement must be arbitrated on an individual basis and not on a class basis, only individual relief is available, and claims of more than one customer or user cannot be arbitrated or consolidated with those of any other customer or user. In the event that this subparagraph is deemed invalid or unenforceable neither you nor We are entitled to arbitration and instead claims and disputes will be resolved in a court as set forth in these Terms.

g. Batch Arbitration. You and We agree that, in the event that there are fifty (50) or more individual requests for arbitration of a similar nature filed against Us within an approximately (30) thirty-day period (or otherwise in close proximity) regardless of the state(s) in which such claims are filed, JAMS will administer all such similarly situated arbitration demands on a collective basis as a single, consolidated arbitration (subject to a single set of fees, proceeding schedule, and, if required, hearing) before a single arbitrator in accordance with the requirements outlined elsewhere in this section, provided that – in the event that the arbitrator deems it impracticable or inequitable to administer all such claims collectively in a single arbitration – (s)he may group demands for arbitration into groups of not fewer than twenty (20) matters, plus a remainder group as needed (or as otherwise deemed by the arbitrator to be practicable, equitable, and in best keeping with the spirit of this provision) and arbitrate each group of matters as a single, consolidated arbitration (either structure a “Batch Arbitration”). You and We agree (1) to work with JAMS in good faith to facilitate the resolution of disputes on a Batch Arbitration basis and (2) that requests for arbitration are of a “similar nature” if they arise out of the same event, agreement, or factual scenario and raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. Disagreements over the applicability of this Batch Arbitration process will be settled in a single, consolidated arbitration proceeding that includes all affected parties and is resolved by a single arbitrator subject to the requirements of this section. This Batch Arbitration provision shall in no way be interpreted as authorizing a class or collective arbitration or action of any kind, or any suit or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims, under any circumstances other than those expressly set forth in this section.

h. Severability. If any part or parts of this Arbitration Agreement are found under the law to be invalid or unenforceable, then such specific part or parts will be of no force and effect and will be severed, and the remainder of the Arbitration Agreement will continue in full force and effect.

i. Survival. This Arbitration Agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with Us.

j. Modification. Notwithstanding any provision in these Terms to the contrary, We agree that if We make any future material change to this Arbitration Agreement, it will not apply to any individual claim(s) for which that you had already provided notice to Us.

Consent to Data Collection. 

These Terms of Service incorporate our Privacy Policy, which discloses how we, our vendors, and our service providers collect and use data when you use the Site and/or mobile applications.  You hereby consent to the collection and use of data by us, our vendors, and our service providers as described in the Privacy Policy (including any links to other policies therein).  You can revoke this consent at any time by following the opt-out instructions in the Privacy Policy or clicking the provided links on the Site.  

Limitations on Liability

You understand and agree that, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we, or our vendors or service providers (collectively, “we” or “us”), shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from your access to or use of or inability to access or use the website.  in no event shall the aggregate liability of any of us exceed the greater of (a) the total amount paid or payable to raptive by you for the website during the six-month period prior to the act, omission, or occurrence giving rise to such liability; or (b) one hundred u.s. dollars ($100). the limitations of this subsection shall apply to any theory of liability, whether based on warranty, contract, statute, tort, or otherwise, and whether or not the parties have been informed of the possibility of any such damage, and even if a remedy set forth herein is found to have failed its essential purpose.