Hello Ladies,

I'm so happy to have everyone stop by to visit. I seem to have hit a hot topic with the Bacon. That's really kind of ironic, because I eat very little Bacon myself. If I do get a taste for some "real" Bacon, I generally use the Microwave, since I like it crispy, with very little grease, however, I usually use either Morningstar Farms or Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon from day to day. Whenever I'm fixing Breakfast for a large number like this morning, then I do bake it, and it almost always is a hit here at my house.

Amanda, welcome to the Forum. Hope you can find something that you might want to use, and I also hope that you'll share a favorite recipe or two with us whenever you'd like. Tell James, that from one Southern Boy to another, the best Biscuits are Gravy in this area at least, are up at the Terry House Barbecue on Fisher Ferry Street in Thomasville. They serve Breakfast till l P.M. Tuesday-Saturday, and to 10:30 on Sunday, and I also recommend the Breaded Tenderloin, absolutely the best I've ever had! Loflin's in T'ville is also quite good and they serve Breakfast all day Monday-Saturday. Down there in Denton, I usually go either to Rick's or to the Classic. Thanks again for stopping by my Friend and I hope to run into you at the Barbeque Festival in October.

Here's a little something else that I often fix for Breakfast that you all might like. You can create fabulous homemade muffins with just a pinch of spice and can have them in the oven in just 10 minutes.

Spiced Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

2

cups Original Bisquick® mix

2/3

cup milk

1/4

cup butter or margarine, melted

1

egg

1/3

cup sugar

3/4

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2

teaspoon ground ginger

1/4

teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4

cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except blueberries. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm, if desired. Makes 1 Dozen.

Have A Terrific Tuesday,

Phil

Hi there Phil,
Thanks for the heads up on a couple of diners over in Thomasville, James and I have not ventured over there to eat yet or even really looked around the shops. As he comes homes every 3 weeks for a weekend we are often running around like 'headless chickens' doing errands.

One of the great things about living in this particular neck of the woods, there are many towns and cities close by all within a short driving distance.

We have eaten at most of the BBQ places here in Lexington and have our favourites - Cookes and Hendrix. Hendrix opened only a couple of months ago on Highway 8 travelling towards Southmont and their little round potato filled pom poms (can't remember their proper names, sorry) are delicious at both Cookes and Hendrix. I enjoyed their BBQ homemade sauce. Lexington BBQ was dry and awful and I wondered what all the hype was about and completely disappointed.

Depends when in Oct the BBQ festival will be and if James has that weekend off, I heard about it last year but had no one to go with - I much prefer to have company at these sort of venues.

James has introduced me to Southern style cooking especially with green veges which is fairly similar to what I was use to back in NZ.

However a few that I would never had had a chance to try e.g. aligator, frogs legs, quail, elk, catfish, king prawns (shrimp), squid, antelope, llama, fried green tomatoes, (never thought of this back home, was usually made into relish - kind of sauce of pickle) ocra etc

I have found another way to cook Grits that James also likes.. I cook it in milk rather than water and add sugar which is like a dessert for me and James still adds his dollup of butter. We are both happy.

When I cook cabbage I will dice up bacon with it (lightly cooked cabbage with very little water but fast on high heat)- James loves it this way.

Amanda

Hi Amanda,

Hope you both will get a chance to come up to the BBQ Festival. I missed the Old Time Thresher's Reunion back in July for the first time in many years, due to my foot Surgery, so I'm hoping to get to come to the BBQ Festival again this year. Here's the link for more details...

I'm afraid that I agree with you about Lexington Barbecue #1. It's not what it once was. I personally like Speedy's out on Old Hwy 52 and for Sliced Barbecue, Smokey Joes' on further downtown on Main Street in Lexington. If you ever want to try both Lexington style and Eastern style Barbecue side-by-side, you need to go over to Prissy Polly's over on Hwy 66 in Kernersville, NC.

I haven't been to the Hendrix in Lexington yet, but I've eaten at their BBQ Restaurants in Salisbury, NC and Spencer, NC. Matter of fact, back in the late 80's, while Hendrix in Lexington was still called Whitley's, my ex-wife and I used to eat Barbecue there every Sunday. We attended Beck's Lutheran Church over on Beck's Church Road in Lexington, so after Church we would go by Whitley's to eat lunch and then stop by to visit her Grandparents down off of Hwy 8 next to the PPG plant. Those delicious little Tater Puffs are called Tater Tots by the way, at least around here. They have those at the Terry House as well.

Speaking of Spencer, NC, by the way, if you go down there for some Barbecue, be sure and stop in at The NC Transportation Museum. It's a fascinating one-tank trip, well worth the $10 entry charge, and in October, there's a Autumn Excursion planned by train up to Roanoke, VA, on the 29th and then down to your old stomping grounds, Toccoa, GA, on the 30th, for the Harvest Festival. I made the trip the last time they went and we had a ball.

Have A Blessed Evening My Friend,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

This classic Piccata reaches a new peak with the marvelous addition of mushrooms. This is a favorite in our family. Serve with rice and a green salad, like the one below, if desired.

Mushroom Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together flour, salt and paprika. In a separate dish or bowl mix together egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then in seasoned flour.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter or margarine over medium high heat. Saute chicken pieces until golden brown. Add mushrooms and onion and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl combine the broth, wine, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and let chicken mixture simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 6.

A delightful side dish recipe that will work with a variety of meals, this tangy Mediterranean Herb Tomato Salad is a real treat to the palate. Healthy and flavorful, the fresh herbs and juicy tomatoes deliver a fantastically light salad.

Mediterranean Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 5 heirloom tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, and all the fresh herbs. Drizzle in dressing and toss well to coat.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about an hour to allow the flavors to marinate.

Have A Delightful Week,

Phil

Hello Friends,

With all the talk about Bacon and Barbecue recently, I felt like I might have been neglecting my Vegetarian friends, so here's a lttle something special just for you. Tender squash, gooey cheese, and crunchy crackers make this a memorable meatless and hearty main course. This is also a great dish that can be made with low-fat ingredients and is still just as good.

Yellow Squash Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 35 buttery round crackers, crushed
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serves 8-10.

For a little variety, while the Peaches are still in Season around here, I also threw together this perfect summer salad with some ripe peaches, baby spinach, and roasted pecans covered with some delicious Poppyseed Dressing.

Spinach Salad with Peaches and Pecans

Ingredients

• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons pecans
• 3 ripe peaches
• 6 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons poppyseed salad dressing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange pecans on a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, until they just begin to darken. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Peel peaches (if desired) and slice into bite-sized segments. Combine peaches, spinach and pecans in a large bowl. Toss with dressing until evenly coated, adding a little additional dressing, if necessary. Serves 6.

Poppyseed Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon grated onion
• 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2-1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 20 seconds. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds. Serves 10-12, but refrigerates well.

Have A Terrific Week,

Phil