Maybe you’ve seen these, but I had not. I was in the plastic storage bag aisle and on the bottom row were packs of Ziploc Zip ‘n Steam Bags. They looked interesting and I bought a pack. You can either heat or reheat your food (especially veggies) in these Microwave Cooking Bags. They combine the taste and nutritional benefits of steam cooking with the ultra-convenience of a microwave … [Read more...]

  All hot dogs are good, but really great hot dogs have great chili. The best hot dog chili I have ever had is made at Jim’s Drive-In in Lewisburg, WV. They have been making their chili from the same exact recipe for over 75 years. It’s so good, that I – among many – will drive 50 miles out of the way just to get a couple of Jim’s Drive-In Hot Dogs. I have made homemade hot dog chili in … [Read more...]

  Black walnuts. That’s what friends are for. A few weeks back I was chatting with my long-time friend, John Williamson, when the subject of black walnuts arose in the conversation. I remember cracking with a hammer, or trying to crack walnuts on a log in the backyard of a neighbor’s house, who happened to have a black walnut tree. Breaking the shells of these tough devils is like … [Read more...]

Attention sausage lovers (and by sausage lovers I don’t mean fans of Jimmy Dean), if you like the old-fashioned sausage like your Grandma made in the kitchen, there is one product you must try. It’s Spencer Sausage and I’ve only been able to find it on the Outer Banks and in the far eastern part of North Carolina. When Nancy and I were at Nags Head last week, I made a special trip over to … [Read more...]

Loyal CvilleBuzz reader, Cheryl Seiber, was in a panic when she couldn’t find her beloved Racconto Spicy Pizza Topping at Kroger’s, so she went out immediately and bought 8 jars from, Meijer, a local grocery store. She was afraid they may discontinue it everywhere - you know, with the broken supply chain and all. Cheryl says the Racconto is the secret to making the best Muffuletta Sandwiches this … [Read more...]

My Grandmother, Mama Ida, rarely used the word “potatoes.” Rather, she always said “Irish Potatoes”. I didn’t think much of it until a few weeks ago when I was in Wal-Mart and needed some potatoes. While poking around, I saw a 5-pound bag of White Potatoes. Maybe this is what Mama Ida meant by Irish Potatoes. White Potatoes. My recent potato buying experience has been limited to – in no … [Read more...]

One of my daughter’s friends, Rene Fay from New Orleans, gave me a box of Slap Ya Mama Cajun Fish Fry mix for Christmas and I knew immediately what would happen next. A catfish fry at the Brewer house. Fresh catfish are hard to beat. They are raised in small farms and delivered to grocery stores fresh and ready for the frying pan. They are usually, but not always, available in the Kroger’s … [Read more...]

Have you been to the grocery store recently? If so, you have noticed that many of the shelves are empty and the food on those non-empty shelves are at higher prices. Sometimes, significantly. If you’d like to save about $2,700 a year for an average family, buy -or dust off - your FoodSaver. I had a FoodSaver a number of years ago and used it fairly often, then it went ka-putt. I bought … [Read more...]

“Hi, I’m Mike Lindell, the Pillow Guy.” Who doesn’t know Mike Lindell? He’s on TV every 15 minutes hawking his sheets and pillows, mattress toppers, robes… and slippers. Yes, slippers. “I guarantee these will be the most comfortable slippers you’ve ever owned,” Mike promises. And he’s right! I now have a pair of his slippers and they really are the most comfortable slippers I’ve ever … [Read more...]

  I am a pyromaniac. I go to their meetings. “My name is Jim and I like to poke around in fires and watch things burn.” If there is a campfire around, I am attracted it to it like a moth to a glowing candle. Fires, especially outdoor campfires, and fire pits are fascinating. I drive my wife, Nancy, crazy because I can’t leave a fire alone. I am forever adding more logs and poking … [Read more...]