I like a 29-inch inseam on my trousers. I hate it when pants drag along the ground and become tattered, though that’s what most of the young men today seem to prefer – ragged pant bottoms. But it’s hard to find pants with 29-inch inseams, most are 30-inches or more, So, get them altered, right? Not if you want to pay a tailor almost as much for hemming as you did for the original price of the … [Read more...]
Tuna Pasta Salad
It went against everything I hold dear and sacred, but one night last week I decided to make Tuna Pasta Salad for dinner. Not as a side, mind you, but as the main course for dinner - quite a commitment for meat and potatoes kind of a guy. But why not? On a hot summer night, a refreshing pasta salad fits right in. The salad turned out very well and even passed the “Nancy test”. If she’ll eat … [Read more...]
Bloomin’ Hastas
I love to order Bloomin’ Onions when I go to Outback. Their Bloomin’ Fried Chicken is pretty good, too. Currently, we have a little “Bloomin’ of our own happening in our yard. Nancy’s hastas are in full bloom. Hostas are popular, easy-to-grow perennial plants prized for their lush, decorative leaves in shades of green, blue, gold, and variegated patterns. They thrive best in … [Read more...]
End of an ERA
I have noticed that the number of brands offered at big box stores like Wal-Mart and large grocery chains like Kroger’s have been shrinking. I used to be able to buy Close-up toothpaste at Wal-Mart, but no more. They carry just three or four of the most popular brands, but dozens of varieties among these brands, such as Crest. It’s hard to find Mrs. Myers soaps, and certain soft drinks, like RC … [Read more...]
Pi-Napo: Authentic Neapolitan Pizza
The Italians take their pizza seriously. Each region cherishes its own version with different doughs and sauces, but always with fresh local ingredients and baked with loving care. Perhaps the most noted pizza region in all of Italia is Napoli, better none in America as Naples – the home of authentic Neapolitan Pizza. In Old Napoli, as Dean Martin would say, the pizza is prepared in a round shape … [Read more...]
Happy As a Happy Clam
Lots of great restaurants have come and gone in Charlottesville. It’s a tough business and the competition is intense. One of the restaurants that I truly miss is the old Happy Clam. Originally located on 29 N at the site of the old Flaming Wok, Happy Clam had kick-started in Fredericksburg, did well, then decided to expand to Charlottesville. It was an instant and huge success. I don’t … [Read more...]
Surfs Up
If you like to dig your toes in the sand and heave a line out into the crashing waves, you’re in luck. Now is the best time of all to surf fish. Why? Because the list of available fish to catch is longer than at any other time of year. Pompano are running, plus there are blues and Spanish Macs prowling the surf. All the bottom fish – croakers, sea mullet, spot and flounder - are available, and you … [Read more...]
On Blueberry Hill
We had great musicians and recording stars in our time – Elvis, The Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Ray Charles and many others. One of the greats who received little fanfare but sold a zillion records was Fats Domino. His mega hit – Blueberry Hill – was one of the great love songs and slow dance records of all time. Born Antoine Caliste Domino Jr., … [Read more...]
The Trouble with Trees
A yard full of trees is a blessing – and a curse. In the early spring, trees are among the first to spring to life, first with tiny buds, then leaves. As summer approaches the leaves create a blanket of welcomed shade and the branches of the trees become homes for birds and highways for squirrels. So, what’s not to like about trees? For one, they get old and begin to die and that’s the … [Read more...]
Bread Pudding
Somehow, I had managed to find two partial loaves of white bread in my stash, and both were over a week old. Usually, I’ll toss stale bread like that out for the birds, but I had a better idea. Bread Pudding! Bread Pudding was a favored dessert in our house when I was growing up. Mom also made good use of old bead and we loved it. Sometimes we’d have it warm, like a pie, but I enjoyed it cold … [Read more...]
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