Unless I was laid up with some injury or illness, I would never let anyone do my grocery shopping. Yet, I see all these huge carts going up and down the grocery aisles as store clerks fill the orders. But how do they know what looks good and feels good, and how do they know about special markdowns? I go to the grocery store for inspiration. This week, for example I was in Kroger’s, and they had … [Read more...]

My wife Nancy has become quite the “canner”. We have more Mason jars in our basement than Wal-Mart. Regularly, Nancy cans jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, pickles, doorknob peppers, pickled okra, beets and whatever our gardens produce. She is also into jams and jellies and put up 9 pints of peach preserves that were simply delicious. She calls it her “Liquid Gold”. Really yummy. I recently gave her an … [Read more...]

About once a month we do take out for Chinese. Our go-to place used to be Flaming Wok – great food, good prices and super quick turn-around, but The Wok is no more. Some brilliant real estate agent decided he could sell that entire strip of property on 29 north as a site for a hotel, so they didn’t renew the lease for the established Chinese restaurant. That was about nine years ago, and the … [Read more...]

I believe I’ve got the “wing thing” down pat – wings as in chicken wings baked in the oven, not fried. I’ve tried probably a dozen recipes and the one below is tried and true – a keeper. I enjoy wings, even though they are probably more expensive – pound for pound – than a rib eye steak. They sell for just under $4 a pound, and you probably only get a third of that in meat. But they are tasty, … [Read more...]

In the never-ending battle for truth, justice, and a wide variety of entrees for dinner, one dish is often overlooked. Cornish game hens. They are easy to prepare, delicious and not expensive. The only problem is that they are always frozen hard as rocks, and you have to plan ahead to enjoy them.  I suppose you could put them in a bowl of water and defrost in one day, but they take at least two … [Read more...]

I do a Mexican dish at least once every two weeks, and the entrees are easy – Burritos, Tacos, Mexican Casseroles, Tamales, etc. but I struggle sometimes with side dishes other than Refried Beans and a platter of tortillas and salsa. Last week, I tried something different. I did a Mexican Mac and Cheese. It was pretty good, but then how can you go wrong with Mac and Cheese? I made my Mac and … [Read more...]

There are 4 different cuts of ribs on a hog – Baby Back Ribs, Spareribs, St. Louis Cut Ribs and Rib Tips. They all come from the rib area, below the tenderloin and just behind the Picnic and Shoulder Butt sections. But there is a world of difference in the four cuts. Baby Back Ribs have become extremely popular with home chefs and at many restaurants. They are fairly tender, easy to cook and … [Read more...]

I have to brag a little. This week I made a dish that was so delicious that if I had ordered it at a fine Italian Restaurant, I would have left an extra tip. I did a Chicken Marsala that was fabulous. I try to cook and eat chicken as often as I can. It’s way healthier than beef and pork, but it’s sometimes a struggle to keep the menu fresh. I hadn’t done Chicken Marsala in a while and we still … [Read more...]

I made a fun dish last week. I made a BLT Mac and Cheese Casserole. One thing that encouraged me to experiment was our abundance of cherry tomatoes (the tomato part of the BLT). It fairly easy to put together and rib-sticking good. Here’s my take on BLT Mac and Cheese Casserole. For starters, boil a pound of elbow macaroni and drain. Next, stick a pound of bacon strips in a 375 oven till … [Read more...]

It’s a day I await – a celebration, in fact. The “First “Mater Sandwich of the Year” day. I rank it right up there with New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July. The actual day varies from year to year - depending on when that first plump tomato is picked from the vine. We have had cherry tomatoes and some smaller slicer tomatoes for a couple weeks, but on Monday, July 7th, one of my Better  Boy … [Read more...]