The folks up at Forest Lakes are heartbroken as their go-to pizza shop – End Zone – has shuttered its doors. From all of us closer to town, we heartily recommend Vocelli’s to our northern neighbors. A superior pizzeria, the Vocelli’s crusts are always delicious and perfectly cooked. We especially enjoy their thin crust pizzas, and their toppings are spot on. Their salads, however, are special. … [Read more...]

I can’t remember if I’ve printed this recipe before, but I figure if I can’t remember, you won’t either. Plus, this is worth a repeat. It’s super easy and beyond delicious. It’s Hash Brown Potato Soup. With the morning thermometer now dipping down in to the 40’s, this is a perfect time to break out the Crock Pot for some steamy hot, rich and creamy Hash Brown Potato Soup. Here’s how. Combine … [Read more...]

I just ate the best BBQ sandwich I’ve had in my life, and I’ve eaten a lot of BBQ. A North Carolina native, I ate BBQ instead of Pablum when I was a baby. I love Eastern NC BBQ, I love western NC BBQ, South Carlina BBQ and I’ll even eat Virginia BBQ if there’s nothing else. But the sandwich I just fished was the best ever, and it was just an afterthought. I had cooked a Baby Back Rib in my … [Read more...]

Nothing hits the spot like a warm muffin and a cold glass of milk, particularly when fall arrives and ice clings to your windshield. Muffins are generally healthy; they taste great and they’re not all that hard to make. One of my go-to recipes is this one for Apple Sauce Muffins. I made a batch this week. Yumm! Heat the oven to 375 and spray a muffin tin with a little Pam. I then take a … [Read more...]

I found a recipe for pork loins that is so easy and so good, fellow cooks should keep it a secret. If our guests and family knew how little trouble this was to put together, we would lose all respect. So, keep this recipe for Italian Pork Chops under wraps. I bought a half pork lion because it was on sale. I figured at least 3 meals and got to work. I cut four ¾-inch loins for the two of us, … [Read more...]

I cooked some fried chicken breasts last week that would rival Chick-fil-A. It was crunchy, juicy, and delicious and it all started with split chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in. Those neatly trimmed, pre-packaged chicken breast loins are expensive, and they can be fairly tasteless. A far better buy – and a better cut, I think – is a package of two split chicken breasts with skin-on and bone-in. … [Read more...]