Archive for March, 2010

March 20th, 2010

World Class BBQ Cookoff

by LanaJoy

Today my accomplice and I went to the Smoke on the Water USA BBQ Championship in North Little Rock. You can visit their site at www.smokeonthewaterbbq.com.   My only goal was really to try and stalk the people who are on the TLC show BBQ Pitmasters.  I spotted one tent from the show, but alas the main star of that team had only sent some of his minions and was not to be found (trust me I looked).  But here is his tent.slap yo daddy resave

There were lots and lots of competitors out today, braving the oncoming rain to compete for all the prize money.  I was amazed to see some of the setups up close and personal.  I have no doubts whatsoever that most of these fancy grills cost more than my car.

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smokin butts resaveBy far the cutest tent of the day went to Southern Gal Smokers form Ligon’s BBQ in Marvell, Arkansas.  It was adorable with all the little pink decorations.  I tried to eat some of their BBQ but sadly they were out by the time I made it over there.

pink tent resaveThere were several teams who brought elaborate trailers, smokers, trucks, and anything else that you could possibly ever need to smoke some meat.  And quite a few of these also brought some humor to the competition with these team names and logos.

butt rubbers resaveeuporkia resaveguilty as charred resavepigs gone wild resaverub me raw resaveswine crew resaveWe were finally able to get some pulled pork sandwiches at a tent that belonged to a team from New York of all places.

desperado bbq resaveThe meat was very juicy and had a decent flavor, but I personally think it was slightly lacking in the smoke department.   They also had a good sweet sauce to go with it, and overall I can’t say I was disappointed with it but I would be somewhat surprised if I were to find out they had won anything.

But it had a good family atmosphere with rides and games for the kids, and live bands all day for the adults.  We had a good time, ate some pretty decent BBQ and got to see all of the time, effort, and money these competitors put into their BBQ.  It really makes me want to venture to more of these events.  If only I can ever be a judge……………..

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March 20th, 2010

What Do You Say?

by Dena

This week my sweet little mother-in-law, Ninny, said goodbye to her younger sister. Both women were like their mother, often described as “saintly, yet tough”.  They have left a legacy of devotion and love to their families that can’t be replaced, only hoping to be duplicated down the line.

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March 18th, 2010

Varsity: DeKalb, TX

by Dena

One of the goals of our website was to find out of the way diners and restaurants that weren’t part of a chain and write about them. I’ve come to realize that many sound the same.  How many ways can you write about a chicken fried steak? Is there really a difference to be found?

I would say a most certain YES.  I came to this conclusion a  few days back when we found ourselves in DeKalb, Texas.  It’s very much the kind of town where the churches outnumber the restaurants, but it does have a few little cozy places to grab a burger and a soda.

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You might even see a few people on horseback as you cruise town looking for a bite to eat.

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We stopped to eat at a little place called Varsity.  Once we got inside, we saw it wasn’t as little as we had thought judging from the outside.  We got our usual type of orders, with only Boo branching out.   She got a Philly Cheesesteak and sweet potato fries. Both were delicious. (Of course I tried it!)

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Rod got the burger he had been craving.  I think its called the Varsity Burger, and it was met with approval from Rod, who as I have said before, is a very discriminating eater.

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I got the chicken fried steak.  And then it hit me, wow, we write about chicken fried steak a lot…………how many different ways can I explain it?  What makes it different?  First of all, every little place does something a little bit different in terms of breading, and frying etc.  But what really makes each place special is the nuances in service, the people you see, the managers, and the ambiance.

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That home-grown feeling is what we are looking for when we try these places, and this one had plenty of that (and a good chicken fried steak to boot!)  The manager came over to visit with us as she did the other patrons.   In talking to her we found out that they have Friday Night Fish Night (YEAH!!) and a breakfast buffet on Saturday.  Of course, we plan to sample the fish as soon as we can.

I love that we are going out of our way to try places that are locally owned.   You just can’t get the food or the service in a chain that mass produces and covers their servers in flair!   I hope that you find yourself trying the same when dine out.   If you are in DeKalb, try The Varsity.   And if you find yourself missing a dining partner, email me because I would gladly go back!

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March 17th, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Go Green

by Dena

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March 15th, 2010

Joy Bakes a Cake–Coincidentally Our First Recipe with Alcohol

by LanaJoy

Once upon a time I had a recipe for a delicious Irish creme bundt cake.   Then I moved, and the recipe was in the wind, but luckily, it was also stored in my head.  So just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, here it is!

First of all, you will need the following:

  • 1 box of devil’s food cake
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 c. of oil
  • 1 1/3 c. of Irish cream liqueur
  • vanilla extract
  • cinnamon sugar
  • chopped pecans
  • 1 can of chocolate frosting

ingredients resaveCombine the first 4 ingredients just as you would a normal cake.   Be advised that y0u don’t have to buy the super fancy Irish liqueur, the cheaper version will be just fine.  (Don’t worry, all of the alcohol bakes out)   Add 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract.  Now, for the cinnamon sugar and chopped pecans, I honestly didn’t measure.  I just added enough until it suited me, but it was roughly 2 teaspoons of the sugar and about 3/4 c of pecans.  Then you pour it into a well greased bundt pan and bake at 325 for about 40-45 minutes.

When it has had time to cool off, take your can of frosting, and place it in the microwave for approximately 20 seconds until it is at a pourable state.  Then stir in 1/2 tsp of vanillla, 1 tsp of the cinnamon sugar and about 1/4 cup of chopped pecans and drizzle over the cake.   It is very pretty, fairly simple, and totally delicious!  Just remember not to let the kiddies lick the spoon unless you want them to have an early bed time!

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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March 14th, 2010

Fit For A Queen

by Dena

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Well, this weekend was Mother’s birthday weekend, and we threw her a birthday celebration.  Per her request, the main dish for the meal was chicken spaghetti, that has been previously posted on here, with garlic biscuits on the side.  Of course it’s not a birthday party without cake, and we indulged Mother in several varieties so that she could have a good sampling of things that she liked.

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Joy was in charge of the salad and the relish platters, and she did her absolute best to make them as decorative and Martha-like as possible.  And then she made sure to tell everybody that she was in charge of it so that everybody could fawn over her decision to stick onions in a vase.

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However, the big hit of the party was neither salad, cake, nor the main course.  It was the delicious cheddar biscuits that our niece Whittney (also the organizer of the party) had made to serve on the side.   They are fairly simple to make, and thankfully they had the good sense to triple the recipe because the 20 people at the party motored through them!  Pictured below is the starting point of the glaze that goes over the top, and the glaze being drizzled over the top of the hot steamy biscuits.

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To get some of these you need 2 cups of Bisquick, 2/3 cup of buttermilk (the buttermilk makes ALL the difference on these, don’t sub with regular milk). and 1 1/3 cups of finely grated sharp cheddar cheese.  Mix all three ingredients together, and be mindful that Bisquick can sometimes run a little dry, and you may need to add a little more buttermilk if you feel like it’s not quite moist enough.  Drop them by the tablespoon on a cooking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes at 350.  When they come out, while they are still hot and steamy, brush over a glaze of 1 stick of melted butter, 2 tablespoons of parsley and 1 heaping tablespoon of garlic powder.

These were so good, our dad ate 4 and actually told one guest to ignore the bread sticks and just have the biscuits!  Overall the party was a great success with lots of great food and gifts, and we couldn’t wait to share this recipe with  you all so that  you could devour a pan yourself!

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