I recently received a wonderful compliment on my wife. We were taking turns expressing what the other does really well while admitting to what we find as our own short-comings. I complimented Jess' ability to be able to throw a meal together in a flash and it still have a delicious and homemade taste. Though I spend time in the kitchen and enjoy cooking I wasn't expecting this as my compliment, "You're a really good meal planner. You can just open a cookbook and find things that will work. You're also not afraid to try a new recipe." WHOA!
Now, I've never been much of a planner. I also tend to cook the same things over and over again (I'm talking to you baked chicken), so the trying new recipes seems like a rare occurrance. However, it was fitting on this night. I was browsing the recipes in last month's "Real Simple", here I'll admit it is my subscription and not Jess', and came upon a 25-30min. recipe for tomatoes with cheese and pasta. Super delicious, super easy and makes a serving of four that comes out to a price around $3.50 per person. It is possible to come out cheaper as I was using fancy speghetti, fresh mozarella and a la-de-da blend of parmesan and romano cheese. I think it was quite tasty.
*Edit 6/24/11 - I misquoted my wife. I am not a good "meal planner", I do however pick out good recipes.*
Over last weekend we also enjoyed a nice night of ribs to celebrate father's day. Before dinner a storm had passed through, and as it ended we heard piddle-puppy (their dog with a weak bladder) letting out an alarmed bark. Jess' family goes to the door to see what is going on and immediately go outside, my curiosity is too much to resist and I follow suit. Piddle-puppy is running circles around a small black dot barely moving on the ground, as we get closer it becomes clear, this knot of fur crawling around is a baby raccoon! The dog hadn't harmed it, but we believe the storm winds had blown it out of a tree. I took the task, nay, the honor, of putting the little one back in the tree. Such a cute creature, I wish that I could have kept it and had a pet raccoon. I mean, most animals bath themselves in someway. What about a pet that could wash it's hands before every meal?! That's just awesome. As I held the tiny creature, my heart melted when those dexterous fingers wrapped around mine and I felt it's weak grip. God doesn't lie when he says he will use the weak to humble the strong. I hope it survived. Jess' family hasn't heard or seen from it again. However, if they do, I may have to start up my own wildlife shelter. I think my wife will be okay with that so long as I don't bring in any opossums. (She doesn't like rat-like, hairless, tails.)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Back Streets, and Good Eats
Here in the South, Bar-B-Que is kinda a big deal. Even with the recent showdown in Garden and Gun magazine between shrimp-n-grits and pulled pork b-b-q, with congrats to shrimp-n-grits, you just can't beat a good plate (or sandwich) of Bar-B-Que. I don't have anything against big chains, I really can appreciate a Smithfields chop sandwich from time to time. Really, I don't have much against anyone so long as they don't skimp with the amount of meat per serving. I am the reason America is obese.
Recently, while in the rural areas of Jacksonville (NC), I was directed down a side-street and told to keep my eyes keen for The Lickin' Pot. I had already driven by 2 other Bar-B-Que joints, both on a fairly busy highway and looking in very good condition. Pulling up to The Lickin' Pot completely shattered that image. No bright red tin roofs, no log cabin exterior, no professional signage and no discernible parking as I could tell. This wasn't a business, this couldn't be, I'm in a residential neighborhood. The words painted on the side of the building and the rag tag street sign were proving me wrong.
A small white house sits about 30 yards off the side of the road. "The Lickin' Pot' is painted across the front. As you pull in there is an alcove with a sliding window on the side; painted there are the words "Drive-In Window". Just as it says, you pull up next to the building and butt the front of your car against the building, and then you back out. Though, this sure isn't Sonic. Curious about where to park I pull around back on this half gravel/half crab-grass driveway and parked next to a beat up bicycle with my front tires resting inches from a rusted out shovel. I see a car and the sign on the building said open, so I approach the screened porch to find a latched backdoor and walk around to the front. I look through the screens and notice all the patio furniture looks like it was grabbed during a weekend of yard sale hunting. I feel a grin coming on, cause I finally get a whif of the food, and just the look of this place starts to remind me of home.
I cut into the front door and take in the smokey smells and sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen. The foyer/lobby/waiting area is about 6 foot by 10 with four seats for waiting customers. Just as the lack of cars proved, I'm the only one here. A stout black man swings around the corner with a smile on his face and starts with introductions that disarm me and sets me right at home. He doesn't recognize me and asks if this is my first time, I assume this was due to my lost look as I searched for a menu. I confess my first-timer status and his smile grows as he opens a menu as he breaks down the categories. I can't give much detail here as my brain turned off when he said "pork ribs" and "Mama's homemade sauce". THAT. I WANT THAT. I ordered up some mac-n-cheese and collard greens for sides. He swings around the corner to put in my order with "Mama", the cook, and comes out just as quick with my sweet tea.
While waiting on my order I let my eyes wander over the walls in the waiting area. Newspaper clippings of the business, sporting events, fliers for local churches, a poster for a girl that looks about 13 trying to start her singing career; they all cover the walls. I grab up a menu and browse through and start to read "The Story of a Dream" and how the business came to be:
Through much prayer and faith, and from the sound of it, a lot of patience too. It's not till after I left that I felt the desire to ask more questions, a delay that I now regret, between those lines seems to lie a much greater story. I will however put this absent-mindedness to the arrival of my plate. A fold over to-go tray that, when opened, revealed a pile of meat and sides. I was expecting a little less from this little family run shop, boy, that was a reminder not to underestimate others. The pork ribs sat piled upon each other covered in sauce. I picked up my first bone and (oh sweet heaven) the meat slid off! With a bit of excitement, I ignored the fork on my plate and just picked up the meat with my fingers and dove in. Tenderness of meat was no factor here, chewing this would have been easy for a toothless baby. The meat had enough browning to still taste the smoke, taming that smoke was "Mama's" sauce. It was clear enough by the smell this had vinegar as it's base and the taste was just as true. Flakes of cayanne floated through the sauce, but there was just enough red of the tomato to mask those flakes and even thicken the sauce. The consistency was wonderful. A sauce that clung to the ribs with just enough fluidity to drip like paint from a brush. Thick paint that stretches so slowly you have that sliver of hope you'll catch it before it hits the floor, but slick enough to go ahead and drop.
Whilst suckin' on a bone, I turned to my sides, set down the bone and picked up my fork. The mac-n-cheese was all it should be, creamy yet clumpy with stretches of cheese trailing the fork. The collards were a thing of heaven. I've had a few, and many have had some sort of bacon or bacon fat cooked into them, I've even seen them with peppers mixed in from time to time. Vinegar is a given. These however, were chunked with peppers that provided enough of that vinegar bite that I didn't have to add a bit. To my surprise, no bacon was visible. Instead, there were chunks of pulled Bar-B-Que mixed in. Each bite was the right amount of flavorful, an I still had two ribs to go (5 in total).
This was a meal that ruined me for the day. How could someone eat this good and go about his or her day without a nap? Sadly, that was my fate. To anyone in the Jacksonville area with time to kill and an longing for good food in a non-traditional environment, find The Lickin' Pot. They are located at 573 Rhodestown Rd. Jacksonville, NC. Their hours are seasonal, but during the spring and summer they are open Tue.-Thur. 6A-8P; Fri.-Sat. 6A-11P; closed Sunday and Monday. If they weren't so far away, I'd definitely take up their catering service.
Support your local stores, but definitely find The Lickin' Pot while in Jacksonville. Enjoy Ya'll.
Recently, while in the rural areas of Jacksonville (NC), I was directed down a side-street and told to keep my eyes keen for The Lickin' Pot. I had already driven by 2 other Bar-B-Que joints, both on a fairly busy highway and looking in very good condition. Pulling up to The Lickin' Pot completely shattered that image. No bright red tin roofs, no log cabin exterior, no professional signage and no discernible parking as I could tell. This wasn't a business, this couldn't be, I'm in a residential neighborhood. The words painted on the side of the building and the rag tag street sign were proving me wrong.
A small white house sits about 30 yards off the side of the road. "The Lickin' Pot' is painted across the front. As you pull in there is an alcove with a sliding window on the side; painted there are the words "Drive-In Window". Just as it says, you pull up next to the building and butt the front of your car against the building, and then you back out. Though, this sure isn't Sonic. Curious about where to park I pull around back on this half gravel/half crab-grass driveway and parked next to a beat up bicycle with my front tires resting inches from a rusted out shovel. I see a car and the sign on the building said open, so I approach the screened porch to find a latched backdoor and walk around to the front. I look through the screens and notice all the patio furniture looks like it was grabbed during a weekend of yard sale hunting. I feel a grin coming on, cause I finally get a whif of the food, and just the look of this place starts to remind me of home.
I cut into the front door and take in the smokey smells and sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen. The foyer/lobby/waiting area is about 6 foot by 10 with four seats for waiting customers. Just as the lack of cars proved, I'm the only one here. A stout black man swings around the corner with a smile on his face and starts with introductions that disarm me and sets me right at home. He doesn't recognize me and asks if this is my first time, I assume this was due to my lost look as I searched for a menu. I confess my first-timer status and his smile grows as he opens a menu as he breaks down the categories. I can't give much detail here as my brain turned off when he said "pork ribs" and "Mama's homemade sauce". THAT. I WANT THAT. I ordered up some mac-n-cheese and collard greens for sides. He swings around the corner to put in my order with "Mama", the cook, and comes out just as quick with my sweet tea.
While waiting on my order I let my eyes wander over the walls in the waiting area. Newspaper clippings of the business, sporting events, fliers for local churches, a poster for a girl that looks about 13 trying to start her singing career; they all cover the walls. I grab up a menu and browse through and start to read "The Story of a Dream" and how the business came to be:
The dream started back in 1975 in a small town in Pennsylvania. Rose was selling dinners on the side of the road. The dream was delayed but no forgotten, it was reborn when Rose and Robert dug the first hole in 2002. Robert put the dream on hold yet again in order to help the Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans.
With help from friends and family, Rose and Robert believed God's promise that He would give them the desires of their hearts. So it was through much prayer, faith, and perseverance that the dream has become a reality.
Through much prayer and faith, and from the sound of it, a lot of patience too. It's not till after I left that I felt the desire to ask more questions, a delay that I now regret, between those lines seems to lie a much greater story. I will however put this absent-mindedness to the arrival of my plate. A fold over to-go tray that, when opened, revealed a pile of meat and sides. I was expecting a little less from this little family run shop, boy, that was a reminder not to underestimate others. The pork ribs sat piled upon each other covered in sauce. I picked up my first bone and (oh sweet heaven) the meat slid off! With a bit of excitement, I ignored the fork on my plate and just picked up the meat with my fingers and dove in. Tenderness of meat was no factor here, chewing this would have been easy for a toothless baby. The meat had enough browning to still taste the smoke, taming that smoke was "Mama's" sauce. It was clear enough by the smell this had vinegar as it's base and the taste was just as true. Flakes of cayanne floated through the sauce, but there was just enough red of the tomato to mask those flakes and even thicken the sauce. The consistency was wonderful. A sauce that clung to the ribs with just enough fluidity to drip like paint from a brush. Thick paint that stretches so slowly you have that sliver of hope you'll catch it before it hits the floor, but slick enough to go ahead and drop.
Whilst suckin' on a bone, I turned to my sides, set down the bone and picked up my fork. The mac-n-cheese was all it should be, creamy yet clumpy with stretches of cheese trailing the fork. The collards were a thing of heaven. I've had a few, and many have had some sort of bacon or bacon fat cooked into them, I've even seen them with peppers mixed in from time to time. Vinegar is a given. These however, were chunked with peppers that provided enough of that vinegar bite that I didn't have to add a bit. To my surprise, no bacon was visible. Instead, there were chunks of pulled Bar-B-Que mixed in. Each bite was the right amount of flavorful, an I still had two ribs to go (5 in total).
This was a meal that ruined me for the day. How could someone eat this good and go about his or her day without a nap? Sadly, that was my fate. To anyone in the Jacksonville area with time to kill and an longing for good food in a non-traditional environment, find The Lickin' Pot. They are located at 573 Rhodestown Rd. Jacksonville, NC. Their hours are seasonal, but during the spring and summer they are open Tue.-Thur. 6A-8P; Fri.-Sat. 6A-11P; closed Sunday and Monday. If they weren't so far away, I'd definitely take up their catering service.
Support your local stores, but definitely find The Lickin' Pot while in Jacksonville. Enjoy Ya'll.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Smile, It's Over Now.
Day 100/100
A picture of you smiling.
How can I not be excited that this thing is done with? The 100 daily photos was a little less monotonous than I expected, but still dragged at points. It was definitely interesting and at some spots a bit tricky to come up with a picture. There were times that a picture was worth a thousand words and I was left speechless. Other times, the picture would inspire an extra thousand or so out of me. I definitely think that this is a fun challenge and if I had it to do over again, well, I wouldn't let it take over my original blog. However, I found that this challenge did help give me some direction. As much as this blog is randomized and victim to my whim (and lack of dedication to regular posting), I think the direction of a post a day helped a good bit.
It seems that posts on God and faith are largely passed over, but those will not be given up on. Posts on my general emotions and attitude are better left for my journal (which is as sporadically used as Blogger). Family events, travels and general happenings get some notice but definitely won't keep many readers' attentions. I'm not much of a critic, as I tend to sugar coat things. My grammar is atrocious, and if it weren't for spell-check I wouldn't have noticed that "weren't" and "wouldn't" scream how Southern I am. I guess I'll leave the professional blogging to the pros, carry on with my writing, and hope that the few readers I have enjoy.
Enjoy :)
A picture of you smiling.
How can I not be excited that this thing is done with? The 100 daily photos was a little less monotonous than I expected, but still dragged at points. It was definitely interesting and at some spots a bit tricky to come up with a picture. There were times that a picture was worth a thousand words and I was left speechless. Other times, the picture would inspire an extra thousand or so out of me. I definitely think that this is a fun challenge and if I had it to do over again, well, I wouldn't let it take over my original blog. However, I found that this challenge did help give me some direction. As much as this blog is randomized and victim to my whim (and lack of dedication to regular posting), I think the direction of a post a day helped a good bit.
It seems that posts on God and faith are largely passed over, but those will not be given up on. Posts on my general emotions and attitude are better left for my journal (which is as sporadically used as Blogger). Family events, travels and general happenings get some notice but definitely won't keep many readers' attentions. I'm not much of a critic, as I tend to sugar coat things. My grammar is atrocious, and if it weren't for spell-check I wouldn't have noticed that "weren't" and "wouldn't" scream how Southern I am. I guess I'll leave the professional blogging to the pros, carry on with my writing, and hope that the few readers I have enjoy.
Enjoy :)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Facebook or It Didn't Happen
Day 99/100
A picture that was first on your facebook.
Yep, that's me up in the tree. Here I am helping decorate for my wedding that is only a few hours away. We have the hanging lanterns hung on fishing line and we got married in front of a dying tree. Some people had a comment or two on that, but I was focused more on the symettry of the arrangement and the direction of light. We may have been married in September, but that didn't make it any less hot on that particular afternoon, so shade was a needed consideration. I don't think I could properly thank my families for pitching in and helping pull the wedding together. HUGE props to my wife for planning and practically paying for it all. She stepped out on a ledge by marrying me when I barely had steady work and had only a month before got into an apartment (which she signed for since I had no established credit). She's a great woman and deserves all the goodness I can possibly give, and that still isn't enough.
A picture that was first on your facebook.
Yep, that's me up in the tree. Here I am helping decorate for my wedding that is only a few hours away. We have the hanging lanterns hung on fishing line and we got married in front of a dying tree. Some people had a comment or two on that, but I was focused more on the symettry of the arrangement and the direction of light. We may have been married in September, but that didn't make it any less hot on that particular afternoon, so shade was a needed consideration. I don't think I could properly thank my families for pitching in and helping pull the wedding together. HUGE props to my wife for planning and practically paying for it all. She stepped out on a ledge by marrying me when I barely had steady work and had only a month before got into an apartment (which she signed for since I had no established credit). She's a great woman and deserves all the goodness I can possibly give, and that still isn't enough.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
We're Going Out Tonight
Day 98/100
A picture of you and your friends out somewhere.
Halloween night, all the ghosts and ghoulies are running around causing mischief and harassing innocents for candy. I however have taken to a college ritual of sitting around with a bunch of folks that attempt to speak intellectually while their blood/alcohol content is rising. The house was tucked far away and not a quick drive for me, and since I was driving alone, my alcoholic intake was non-existent. It really is a pleasure to spend time with people who can enjoy their drink responsibly. A greater pleasure is when those people do not resort to ghoulish harassment themselves when you choose not to. In typical college fashion, pizza, beer and soda was the evening meal. Drinking games insued and within a couple of hours someone was wearing a beer case as their mask. People can be quite colorful. The Bible warns of drunkeness and shows great detest for fools that ignore wisdom. I guess in that sense, I should pity them, but greater than pity is love. I have compassion for these friends of mine, and hope that in time they too will learn that love covers a multitude of sins. Maybe then fun can be had with less involvement of innebriation, that may even save a few bucks on the beer.
P.S. - "I know that I'm not in the picture. However, I did take the picture, thus proving that I'm there with everyone."
A picture of you and your friends out somewhere.
Halloween night, all the ghosts and ghoulies are running around causing mischief and harassing innocents for candy. I however have taken to a college ritual of sitting around with a bunch of folks that attempt to speak intellectually while their blood/alcohol content is rising. The house was tucked far away and not a quick drive for me, and since I was driving alone, my alcoholic intake was non-existent. It really is a pleasure to spend time with people who can enjoy their drink responsibly. A greater pleasure is when those people do not resort to ghoulish harassment themselves when you choose not to. In typical college fashion, pizza, beer and soda was the evening meal. Drinking games insued and within a couple of hours someone was wearing a beer case as their mask. People can be quite colorful. The Bible warns of drunkeness and shows great detest for fools that ignore wisdom. I guess in that sense, I should pity them, but greater than pity is love. I have compassion for these friends of mine, and hope that in time they too will learn that love covers a multitude of sins. Maybe then fun can be had with less involvement of innebriation, that may even save a few bucks on the beer.
P.S. - "I know that I'm not in the picture. However, I did take the picture, thus proving that I'm there with everyone."
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Gone, but not forgotten.
Day 97/100
A picture of something you no longer have.
The Money Hat. Technically it was never mine, it belonged to my good friend David Ledbetter. This was a wonderful innovation in the world of online gaming. In our moving from apartment to apartment in college the headset for David's Xbox360 broke, never to be worn again. At the time David was working at the local Big Lots and happened upon this wonderfully awful hat. It was originally named the "Ghetto" hat, this was not due only to appearance. We had cut a hole in the hat to slide the remaining part of the headset into the hat and duct-taped the plastic to the inside of the hat to hold it in place. It wasn't untill we started playing Modern Warfare online while wearing this that it recieved a new moniker. We suddenly found our online matches to be more fruitful, our kill to death ratio skyrocketed, and somehow our comebacks to the multitude of 12 year olds became more witty and less crass. With this newfound success the hat was deemed "The Money Hat".
Oh how it is missed.
A picture of something you no longer have.
The Money Hat. Technically it was never mine, it belonged to my good friend David Ledbetter. This was a wonderful innovation in the world of online gaming. In our moving from apartment to apartment in college the headset for David's Xbox360 broke, never to be worn again. At the time David was working at the local Big Lots and happened upon this wonderfully awful hat. It was originally named the "Ghetto" hat, this was not due only to appearance. We had cut a hole in the hat to slide the remaining part of the headset into the hat and duct-taped the plastic to the inside of the hat to hold it in place. It wasn't untill we started playing Modern Warfare online while wearing this that it recieved a new moniker. We suddenly found our online matches to be more fruitful, our kill to death ratio skyrocketed, and somehow our comebacks to the multitude of 12 year olds became more witty and less crass. With this newfound success the hat was deemed "The Money Hat".
Oh how it is missed.
Friday, June 10, 2011
At the Movies
Day 96/100
A picture of your favorite movie.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
I don't know what keeps drawing me back to this movie. Paul Newman's charm probably is the culprit. Then again there is the beautiful cinematography. How bout a story of a man full of potential but hung up by smaller things? Maybe it's the mystery of the man in the glasses. Then there is an indomitable spirit of a jailed man with a mind for freedom. Granted, Luke isn't a stellar role-model, but he definitely falls into the category of "a good guy". Who wouldn't want to hear a story about "a good guy"? In our anti-hero society, Luke stands out as a man who wants to keep living even when most have given up. For those that liked "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" then this is a wonderful mix of the themes of prison story, redemption, failure and success with a nice look at the South.
Oh, and who wouldn't want a body like Paul Newman's in this movie...well, except for the eat 50 eggs scene. Enjoy ya'll.
A picture of your favorite movie.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
I don't know what keeps drawing me back to this movie. Paul Newman's charm probably is the culprit. Then again there is the beautiful cinematography. How bout a story of a man full of potential but hung up by smaller things? Maybe it's the mystery of the man in the glasses. Then there is an indomitable spirit of a jailed man with a mind for freedom. Granted, Luke isn't a stellar role-model, but he definitely falls into the category of "a good guy". Who wouldn't want to hear a story about "a good guy"? In our anti-hero society, Luke stands out as a man who wants to keep living even when most have given up. For those that liked "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" then this is a wonderful mix of the themes of prison story, redemption, failure and success with a nice look at the South.
Oh, and who wouldn't want a body like Paul Newman's in this movie...well, except for the eat 50 eggs scene. Enjoy ya'll.
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