Ground turkey has no calories. It’s like eating air. You could eat five packages and not gain an ounce. Ground beef, on the other hand, is like eating Fried Lard. You will gain weight if you eat any of the fat-infused beef and your bathroom scales will make snide remarks as you approach. In an attempt to eat a couple bowls of chili and not have to loosen my belt buckle, I decided to make a … [Read more...]
Maybe The World’s Best Pizza?
Would you drive 40 miles for a pizza? I think you might if you ever tasted a pizza from the wood-fired ovens of The Shack, a quaint pizzeria in Staunton. Last weekend, we took our daughter Laura to The Shack in Staunton upon her birthday request. She said it was good and was it ever. The Shack is located one block outside of mid-downtown Staunton. The cozy restaurant (only 8 tables) features … [Read more...]
Old Businesses of Charlottesville
Rio Road Gulf In the 1960s’, Charlottesville had no mega-gasoline stations – Wawa, Sheetz, Liberty and such. There were only mom-and-pop stations that sold Amoco, Esso, Pure or Gulf gasoline. Most had 2 garage doors where they did mechanical work. Our gas station of choice was Rio Road Gulf at the corner of Rio Road and Rt. 29 N. The station was located in what is now the upper corner of … [Read more...]
It’s Never Too Cold to Fish
It takes a tough son-of-a-gun or a lifelong Canadian to brave the weather we’ve had and go fishing, but the few that did have had some exciting catches. Big bluefins, for example. Off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, the giant bluefin tuna continue to attract lots of attention. The ocean temperature around the Chesapeake Light Tower is currently in the low 40s, presenting a unique … [Read more...]
Old Businesses of Charlottesville
The Spudnut Coffee Shop The Spudnut Coffee Shop was a Charlottesville institution, at least as famous as Monticello. People of all walks of life flocked to the small cinderblock building on Avon Street each morning to satisfy a craving which only a Spudnut could satisfy. Not long after I moved to Charlottesville, I noticed the new shop and the interesting name. What’s a Spudnut? I … [Read more...]
Blue Jays: My Nut-Aholics
I was out and about last week, stocking up on birdseed with 3-inches of snow and ice still clinging to the grass in my yard. I always have sunflower hearts and premium birdseed from Sam’s Club, but I bought a 5-pound bag of nuts and berries as a special treat for my mockingbirds, woodpeckers, titmice, and blue jays. I have a small gang of blue jays, maybe 5 or 6 birds, and they know somehow … [Read more...]
Signs of Our Times
Timberwood Grill
It’s been a while since we last ate at Timberwood Grill at Hollymead. There are so many restaurant choices these days that it takes a while to make the rounds, but a group of us decided to spend last Saturday night at Timberwood’s. I was most disappointed. The server was marginal at best and the food not up to snuff. It may have been partly my fault, because I usually order a sandwich or a … [Read more...]
Toys of My Life
Toy Soldiers One of the great toys of my life was a set of toy soldiers my Daddy gave me when I was about 7 or 8. Daddy was an FBI agent and was often away from home, usually just 2 or 3 days, but on one occasion he was gone for a couple of weeks. I was thrilled to see him when he finally came home, but he brought me a special present, a set of lead WWII toy soldiers. There were about a … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Spareribs
“Daddy! You’ve got to try this recipe. We used short ribs and they were the best I’ve ever tasted!” That was an email I got from my daughter, Angelin, after she and her husband Brent had just wolfed down every morsel from this Slow Cooker Ribs recipe out of Taste of Home. I think what makes them so good is both the tenderness from slow cooking and the sauce made with a … [Read more...]
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