Carrie took a trip to South Carolina a few months ago, and brought me back a large bag of stone ground grits, a food I love but is impossible to find in Oregon where we live. When we were looking for something to make for dinner the other night she found this recipe. Most traditional shrimp and grits recipes include a spicy andouille sausage, so this was a surprisingly lighter alternative with bacon instead.
Read moreOn the Road: Distillery Tours Day Four
On our fourth and final day touring distilleries in Kentucky we visited two extremes as far as age. We started at one of the newest and high-tech distilleries in the state, Town Branch, and ended at the oldest continuously operating distillery in the state, Buffalo Trace. The contrast in methods is striking, but the process is the same.
Read moreOn the Road Review: Wallace Station Deli, Versailles Kentucky
Wallace Station was featured on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" and was one of the places I most wanted to visit while we were in eastern Kentucky
On Old Frankfurt Pike outside of Versailles, KY is a small deli next door to a historic Bed and Breakfast. Smack dab in the middle of horse country, this little deli is serving up some great food to great acclaim.
Read moreOn the Road Review: Ramsey's Diner, Lexington Kentucky
It frankly surprised us how hard it was to find a place open for dinner on a Sunday night in Lexington. Kentucky still has quite a few blue-laws on the books, and many places don't seem to think it is worth it to only be open for a half day on Sunday.
Read moreOn the Road: Distillery Tours Day Three
Our third day meant three more distilleries, although we didn't have time for guided tours of any of them. We left Bardstown headed for Lexington and some time at the races at Keenland race track. We watched a couple of races and took in the raceday excitement before heading out for our first stop, Wild Turkey.
Read moreOn the Road: Distillery Tours Day Two
Day Two started out at Ambassadors Day at Makers Mark. More than 5000 brand ambassadors showed up for a special day of self guided touring and the first annual Handcraft Festival showcasing local artisans from Louisville to Lexington and all points south and between.
Read moreOn the Road Review: Mammy's Kitchen, Bardstown Kentucky
Mammy's Kitchen is a great small town restaurant with awesome food
We were driving through downtown Bardstown tonight looking for someplace to eat and stumbled on Mammy's Kitchen. I have never had a happier accident. Our server greeted us with a smile, and was quick with our drinks while waiting for us to decide on our order.
Read moreOn the Road: Distillery Tours Day One!
We started out the day at the Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, KY. It was a great experience, and a great chance to try some Bourbons that are not generally available in Oregon.
Read moreOn the Road Review: The Brown Hotel
When you look up places to eat in Louisville, KY the Brown Hotel is always at the top of the list. The hotel originated a sandwich that has become the official dish of Louisville, the "Hot Brown".
Read moreReview: Mountain Dew is back to basics!
was at Safeway today and found a welcome site. According to the distributor that was sticking the cooler, the return of 12oz bottles is the beginning of the return of the original Mountain Dew recipe, once again made with sugar instead of HFCS. Evidently, the success of the "Throwback" labels have convinced PepsiCo that getting rid of HFCS makes sense, probably a welcome word to the shareholders with the current price of corn.
Read moreReview: "Gun Power Screwdriver"
This arrived today, and I had to smile. A 3.5v power screwdriver in the shape of a handgun. It works fairly well, but doesn't have much power. It will be fine fora home screws, but won't have enough power to drive into hard woods.
Dinner Tonight: Stifatho (Traditional Greek Stew)
I found a great Paleo friendly recipe for a classic Greek stew called Stifatho, and decided it would be great to try for dinner tonight. The great flavor of beef combines so well with the traditional Greek spice combination of cinnamon and cloves that I am amazed they are not used more in savory American cooking. The sweetness of the spices is cut by the slight acidity of the tomato sauce, and complimented by the currants and feta. Give this a try folks. Healthy and amazing flavor combined to create Fat Boy Heaven.
Read morePhoto Review: BJ's Brewhouse
We went out for my birthday tonight with the family and decided to try BJ's Brewhouse in Hillsboro.
Read morePhoto Review: Wong's Chinese Restaurant in Hillsboro
We were looking for somewhere new to eat, and decided to try the food at Wong's Chinese in Hillsboro.
Read moreReview: Triple C Designs "greenBoom" Portable speaker
I recieved this months sampler from BirchBox, and was pleased to find that I recieved this small portable speaker form Triple C Designs. A small 2" cube that packs a decent wallop for such a small speaker. Carrie and the kids were amazed at the sound volume and quality as well. For $29 you aren't goinf to find a better marriage of form and function to pump your toons around the house or the yard this spring and summer. Check this thing out folks, you won't be sorry.
Triple C Designs Portable Speaker | April's Box | Birchbox:
Triple C Designs Portable Speaker
Dinner Tonight: Super Fast Corned Beef Pasties
Pasties are a traditional cornish hand pie made popular in the mining and timber towns of early America. Most often containing beef or pork along with root vegetables like rutabaga, potatoes, and carrots pasties were something that could easily be prepared and carried to work for a filing lunch on the job site. In the U.S. they are most commonly found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other northern states.
Read moreHow-To: Setting up a portable store with your iPad and Square
Dinner Tonight: Chicken Cutlet with Cheesy Grits
Chicken Cutlet with creamy, cheesy grits.
I was looking for something to make with the amazing Stone Ground Grits that Carrie brought me back from her trip to South Carolina last week, and decided that since the kids didn't like shrimp I would need to avoid the old standby. I decided on a pounded and breaded chicken cutlet with creamy, cheesy grits that I made with smoked cheddar. AMAZING! Talk about Fat Boy Heaven on a plate, this was it.
Read moreGreat resource has new look! TVFoodMaps.com
The redesign of TVFoodMaps.com makes finding great new places easier.
TVFoodMaps.com is a great resource for those of you who are looking for a new dining experience, or anyone who loves food TV shows. Featuring locations and information from more than 30 TV shows about food and travel, TVFoodMaps is the perfect companion for your next road trip or night out.
Read moreGetting out of town: Skamania Lodge
The views of the Columbia from our room at the famous Skamania Lodge.
About an hour outside of Portland, OR is the historic Skamania Lodge. It has been a legend of the Columbia River Gorge for years, and is a great weekend getaway. My in-laws sent us away for a night as our Christmas present, but with our schedules we couldn't get away until now.
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