Drat. The local farm where I have been buying cage-free eggs is and has not been not delivering. That’s because the chickens are molting and apparently their hens cannot lay eggs and molt at the same time. So we were completely out of fresh eggs. I don’t mind regular eggs, except they are not as firm and flavorful as local eggs. The cage-free part is irrelevant. I just like the cage-free … [Read more...]

Fire up the grill and get some steaks going. We do a lot of that these days as more and more of us stay home to eat. The only problem with grilling, though, is the clean-up and preparation of the grill. First you scrape and scrape, then you burn off the residue, then you spray Pam on a hot grill and hope for the best. My son-in law, Brent Ham, says I have been doing it all wrong. Brent says … [Read more...]

When we were packing for Hawaii last year, I discovered my only pair of tennis shoes was falling apart. Literally. One sole came completely off. Since some walking was required on a few of our Aloha State excursions, I went shopping for a pair of casual shoes. I shop for shoes only when an existing pair falls apart. My wife, Nancy, however, likes to shoe-shop on any day of the week ending in … [Read more...]

  Kroger’s had some ribeye steaks on sale last week. I glanced at one of the three-packs and noticed a lot of marbling in the steaks. Always, always buy steaks that are well-marbled. That was my Daddy’s advice and he was right as usual. I didn’t pay much attention to the price per pound, but I think the package was about $24, so $8 a steak wasn’t bad. I decided to freeze one steak and have … [Read more...]

  For 11 months a year, we are forced to buy fresh peaches that are anything but. They are likely imports from Mexico or South America that were picked months in advance and stored in cold lockers. These alien peaches are as hard as rocks and tasteless. But now, fellow peach aficionados, our time has come. The white peaches are in season and many local and regional orchards are bringing … [Read more...]

Nancy sent me to the store for some canning lids for her pickles. She said she wanted lids for wide mouth jars. Naturally, since it’s the middle of summer, everybody else in Charlottesville wanted canning supplies as well. I scanned the near-barren shelves and finally saw a couple packs of Ball One-Piece Leak-Proof Storage Lids. I bought two 6-packs. But that’s not what she wanted. She wanted … [Read more...]

Nancy and I are blessed with a sprawling, tree-shaded patio in our backyard. Since the grass wouldn’t grow among all the tree roots, we poured concrete and created a nice outdoor room, which we thoroughly enjoy. But! Here comes summer and 90 degree weather, which makes sitting outside beside our new goldfish pond– even in the shade – not so enjoyable. Christmas before last, Nancy had the … [Read more...]

  Lawd, poison ivy will make you itch. Thanks, Coasters, for that warning. Last weekend, I brushed up against one of the little three leaf devils and found myself a’scratching the next day. But not to worry. I have a quick cure to relieve the itching from a poison ivy attack. It’s called Melaleuca Oil, a tea leaf extract from certain tea trees in Australia. During WWII, every … [Read more...]

Sometimes if we’re pressed for time and have guests for lunch, I’ll make a run to Sam’s Club, pick up a container  of  Sycamore Farms Chicken Salad, a couple avocados and a pack of freshly-baked croissants and we’ll have that for a meal. If we’re really pressed, we’ll pick up a carton of their Amish Potato salad and – voila!  A fancy, delicious and really easy lunch. I have been really … [Read more...]

The day I thought the governor might just close down all the grocery stores, I made a blitz through Food Lion and bought a grocery cart load of what I thought I would need in the coming weeks. As I passed by the bread aisle, I picked up two loaves of Food Lion White Sandwich Bread and stuck them in the freezer that evening. Fortunately, the grocery stores remained open, and I didn’t really need … [Read more...]