Sometimes the easiest part of preparing a meal is the main course, or even the dessert. There are so many go-to dishes that an at-home chef has lots of choices. Side vegetables can be a little more difficult. Sometimes the plate needs a little color, sometimes a little pizzazz. My daughter, Laura, introduced me to a great dish that is easy to prepare, inexpensive, tasty beyond what’s expected and … [Read more...]

“Eat mo’ chiken!” That’s what the cows on the Chick-fil-A commercials advise. And the bovines are right! Especially if you’d like to get the needle on the bathroom scales heading the right way – down! I weigh myself daily, and with few exceptions, when I eat chicken for dinner the previous day, I lose weight. But chicken every day gets old, even fried chicken, which won’t allow you to lose … [Read more...]

A scary looking fish called a snakehead showed up in the Potomac River watershed about 10 years ago. They began biting hooks and lines and made numerous appearances in fish surveys. With all the negative publicity and hand-wringing by various game biologists, one would have though the Martians had landed and were eating our babies. Snakeheads, they said, were prolific breeders and would compete … [Read more...]

My old gas grill died last week. At the end, it had fewer jets working than the candles on a toddler’s birthday cake. After a brief ceremony – recalling some really great outdoor meals and a few I’d rather not mention -– the grill was laid to rest. We like to think it’s in a better place – without bird droppings. I am now the proud owner of a new gas grill with 4 burners – and they all work. It … [Read more...]

Keeping The Deer At Bay   No deer allowed! Don’t we wish that’s all that was necessary, to put up a sign in our yards and gardens instructing the deer to stay out? Unfortunately, deer can’t read, but they sure can eat. Our flowers, vegetables and shrubs can attest to that fact. So what –if anything – can we do to assure a few fresh flowers and vegetables each spring? Personally, I … [Read more...]

I am aware of a certain fish that you can’t buy in a store, yet there is no more flavorful fish found anywhere. Furthermore, they are basically free. All you have to do is catch them, or have someone catch them for you. The fish I speak of is a bluegill, which is classified as a game fish in Virginia; therefore they cannot be sold commercially. Bluegills, sometimes referred to as “bream” in … [Read more...]

  Most wanna-be chefs are familiar with rack of lamb – a great entrée for a fine Sunday dinner. And who doesn’t relish a standing rib, beef roast? But fewer chefs experiment with another great cut of meat – rack of pork. On a typical stroll along the meat aisle at the local grocer, seldom do you see a rack of pork. Yet, one day I did. It looked fantastic, and it was on sale, so I bought … [Read more...]

  Many Boomers lived in an era call BT. Before television. In the late 40’s and early 50’s, there were only a handful of TVs in the entire United States. I think the White House had one, and maybe Clark Gable, and that was about it. My family had a Philco radio. It was the center of our family and social life. We kept the radio in the kitchen so Mom could listen while she was fixing meals … [Read more...]

  I am a hunter, and I have always believed that if you kill a bird or an animal, you should eat it. Most of the game I have harvested through the years has been delicious – birds such as quail, pheasant, ducks, grouse and doves are delightful; likewise, venison, rabbits, squirrels and bear. Geese, though, are not among my favorites, yet I really enjoy a spirited goose hunt. Some of my … [Read more...]