It was a summer day on Jennings Street in Beckley, WV. The guys were trying to rustle up enough players for a baseball contest in our version of Yankee Stadium. We found 4 available boys, obviously not enough for a ball game, but there were 4 girls up the street playing hopscotch. I conferred with Carolyn Meadows, manager of the Hopscotch team and we came to terms. If the boys played a few games … [Read more...]

I was with my long-time fly-fishing buddy, Tom Reisdorf, last weekend and produced a Hash Brown Sausage casserole I was cooking for our breakfast. “Those are the same hash browns I use for my potato salad,” he said. They were Southern Style Diced Potatoes. I had bought them in a hurry at Food Lion, not realizing at the time that they were diced potatoes instead of shredded, my usual choice. … [Read more...]

Ground Pork is one of the best buys in the grocery store. It generally sells a for about $3.99 pound and it’s 100% edible – no waste whatsoever. And because it’s been ground, there is enough fat added to keep the pork moist and flavorful, unlike many dry and flavorless pork chops and loins. But when I’m planning out my meals, I often forget about it. Last week, I was searching for an … [Read more...]

Aldi’s is my grocery store of choice when I want to save money. It’s hands-down the least expensive, but when I want a little variety, I like to stop by Food Lion. Their meat department is especially diverse. Last week, I poked around in their meat case and saw a package of boneless rib-eye pork chops, and they had been marked down. That was an easy choice. I fried the tender chops and they … [Read more...]

You can fry chicken – or anything for that matter – in a typical non-stick pan. But if you want only the best fried chicken – it’s got to be in an iron skillet. The thick iron keeps the heat at a constant temperature, unlike thinner metals which can get too hot or cool too quickly. The old cast iron skillet prevents that. Just gradually increase the temp until it’s medium hot, then fry, baby, … [Read more...]

Nancy wanted some more oatmeal. She eats it often for breakfast, so I bought her a box when I went to the store. Except, I bought old fashioned oats – the original whole grain variety and she likes the oatmeal you can cook in a couple minutes. So, I went back and bought what she wanted, but now I was the proud owner of a box of Old-Fashioned Oats, and I eat eggs for breakfast. I probably should … [Read more...]

I was going to make a big pot of chili and thought about some sort of side dish – other than oyster crackers - and saw a recipe for broccoli cornbread. That would work. I tried it and it was good. But the best part of this discovery is that this recipe can cover lots of bases, simply by substituting for the broccoli. For example, instead of broccoli, put a can of chilis or jalapenos in the recipe … [Read more...]

I cook Tex/Mex entrees several times a month and always struggle with the choice for a side dish – other than chips and salsa. This week, I concocted a Tex/Mex Pasta Salad, and it turned out well – a perfect complement to the Mexican Lasagna that I had also prepared. Here’s how I went about it. First boil a box of rotini and keep it al dente. When it cools, add one 10-oz. can of red … [Read more...]

I like making muffins as a breakfast side but recently decided to switch gears and make cupcakes instead. I made Apple Pie Cupcakes, to be exact and they were yummy – and “easy as pie” to make. There are only 4 ingredients – a can of apple pie filling, three eggs, a box of yellow cake mix and a jar of cinnamon sugar (or blend your own). Start by opening a can of apple pie filling, then chop … [Read more...]

I think I’ve printed his recipe before, but it’s Soup Season, so repeats are in order. On a recent chilly night, I had a hankering for some tummy filling Potato Soup and went to my old standby - Hash Bown Potato Soup. It was delicious, as usual, easy to put together and we wolfed it down. Here’s how. Combine 1 (30-oz.) bag of frozen hash browns, 1 C diced onion, 4 C chicken broth, 1 can … [Read more...]