A number of years ago, there was a saying or an ad someplace that said, “Real men don’t eat quiche.” Being a real man, I didn’t eat it, though my wife Nancy loved it. However, being an amateur chef, I had to try my hand at a Quiche Lorraine and my version turned out so well that Nancy thinks it might even be better than her recipe. The word “quiche”, or so they believe, comes from the … [Read more...]
Goldenrod Gets a Bad Rap
The Virginia roadsides are erupting in gold. Gold as in goldenrod, a valuable wild plant that thrives in meadows and on strips of land where fescue is not prevalent. But the lovely plant gets a bad rap. It is strictly a myth that goldenrod pollen causes allergies. The real culprit is ragweed, which is pollinated by wind rather than insects. Ragweed has tiny inconspicuous flowers that produce … [Read more...]
Free Fishing Days
So maybe you haven’t gone fishing in a while because you don’t have a license and it would cost you twenty-five bucks or so. Well, if you wait a few days, you can give it a shot for free, and the Virgina Wildlife folks figure that might get you hooked. During the three days of Sept. 27-29, no fishing licenses of any kind will be required for recreational rod and reel fishing in both fresh … [Read more...]
Don’t Forget Saltwater Catfish
A new saltwater fishery is emerging, and charter boats are taking advantage. Many Chesapeake Bay captains are now doing exclusive trips for the prolific blue catfish which have become deeply embedded in many of the tidal rivers. One captain and crew returned with over 50 delicious cats on a morning trip. Blue catfish aren’t supposed to be in the lower tidal rivers, but they are and they are … [Read more...]
Beach Music
It was Beach Music and we owned it. Those of us who lived in Virginia or the Carolinas, or those who may have vacationed in those spots in the late 50’s and the 60’s, remember Beach Music. We remember beach clubs and dance halls along the oceanfront at places like Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach in SC, or in Atlantic Beach or Carolina Beach in North Carolina and, … [Read more...]
Thistles: A Beautiful Weed
I have a love/hate relationship with thistles. The “hate” part comes back when I fly fish Mossy Creek. The stream is especially productive in September when leaping grasshoppers miss their mark and plop in the stream – to the delight of some large brown trout. But fly casting involves back casts where you flip the line backwards to load the rod, only to see the line settle in the stream with no … [Read more...]
Too Much Fertilizer
I think I used too much fertilizer last winter. I knew the plow guy was coming to till my garden, and I wasn’t sure if I needed to scatter more nutrients, but I did anyway. If some is good, more is better. Right? This summer I have lima bean bushes that are waist high and nary a bean. Not even one, I think there’s enough nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in my garden to build a decent … [Read more...]
French Onion Cubed Steaks
Cubed steaks represent a great value in the meat department. An affordable cut of beef - usually top round or top sirloin – the extra lean cubed steaks have been flattened and pre-tenderized with a textured tool or machine. By pounding or running the meat through a tenderizer, the tough muscle fibers break down, but they can still give the old molars quite a workout – they’re still … [Read more...]
Ball Park Grillmaster Franks
If I even think about a hot dog, I’ve got to have one in the next few days. Same with Fried Chicken, but when a plump hot dog dressed with mustard, onions and chili enters the mental picture, it’s all over. Get me a dog! There are only a few really good places to get hot dogs in Charlottesville – Jack N Jill and Dairy Queen come to mind, but since it was Labor Day Weekend, I figured I’d have to … [Read more...]
James River Cellars and Jimmy O
There must be a million wineries in Virginia. Well, maybe not a million, but there are certainly a bunch of them. I have been to many and have yet to have a bad experience. Virginia wineries turn out some great wines. On Labor Day, we visited a new winery for us - James River Cellars in Richmond, Glen Allen, actually. We took the short road trip to see Jimmy O, one of the last performing … [Read more...]
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