Boxelder Beetles to Beat the Band

Dateline: Summer 2026. Here’s another backlog blog item that is getting posted today as part of my obsession with chronicling the goings-on of the Roediger House. This past summer brought a new pest to my yard, and to my awareness: boxelder beetles.

I don’t need to know where these have been all my life but once they started invading the space, they quickly grew into teeming hordes. (We also had a brief invasion of kudzu beetles—also a novelty for me—but that proved more short-lived.)

Once I did my internet research about these boxelder beetles, I first tackled them with the insecticide that I had handy. After that I went with a more natural beetle deterrent, and for quite a few weeks it was my regular mission to stomp them everywhere they were spotted.

That went on for a while, mind you, although after my initial full-frontal attack on them, the pesky remnants who thought they’d be allowed to live quickly learned of a different reality. By late summer, they gave all indications to make me believe we’d achieved full eradication, but I’m sure I’m just fooling myself.

Meal No. 4213: Chicken Shawarma Caesar Wraps

Dateline: Mon 28 Sept. September’s end represented a four-day work trip to Virginia, and there was just enough leftover chicken shawarma available before I left that Monday to throw together an easy and increasingly frequent (and varied!) lunch meal: chicken shawarma Caesar wraps. In addition to that well-spiced and nicely diced chicken, there was shaved Asiago and parmesan, some crushed croutons, chopped Romaine lettuce, and the crowning touch of just enough homemade creamy Caesar dressing. As I have practiced and improved the roll-and-tuck of large flour tortillas, and decided the right technique for finishing these in a skillet, a rather pleasing simple meal emerges and offers up an enduring satisfaction.

Meal No. 4212: Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma

Dateline: Sun 27 Sept. After a most enjoyable weekend of houseguests at the end of September, it was nice to wrap up the gorgeous day that Sunday afternoon with an early start to a Mookie evening. It’s always a good time with that rascal, even if we had to endure him without his better half, Kristen. For our supper, knowing I had to clean out the fridge before heading out of town for the week, we fell back to a faithful new favorite: sheet pan chicken shawarma, with plenty of garlic and red onion. I’ll jump on any excuse to thrown in roasted spiced broccoli and cauliflower, so those were the tasty sides.

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"Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma," by Sam Sifton of New York Times Cooking. [Updated 23 January 2024]

Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

Dateline: 26 Sept. The annual pilgrimage of dear friends Margaret and Tathy to Winston-Salem to fully immerse themselves in the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors had the bonus not only of dinner together on their final night, but also the special fall-anticipating dessert we had: apple crisp cheesecake bars. This is one of those special-occasion dinner appenders that brings such satisfaction, both to chef and diners. We partook of these while visiting post-supper in the north parlour, part of a great evening of conversation and catching up.

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"Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars," from Meghan McGarry of ButtercreamBlondie.com. [Published 03 October 2014 / Updated 09 December 2023]

Meal No. 4211: Brunswick Stew

Dateline: Sat 26 Sept. The end of September is a mixed bag for me: we have moved officially into Fall and sometimes the cooler weather gets an early start. But the final weekend of the month was so glorious and mild and sunny that we could not have asked for the annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors to be any more perfectly timed. And that’s what brings the yearly joy of visiting festival-goers Margaret and Tathy, who use the Roediger House as their homebase while they fully immerse themselves in writers and what those authors have to say about the words they’ve written and the thoughts they have thunk.

We revel in the chance to supper with them, and the change of seasons put me right back into a mood for Brunswick stew. It was hearty and soul-satisfying, and well-accompanied with sweet skillet cornbread.

That was the afternoon when Scarlett made her 4th rat kill, as this little bugger tried to dash for safety across the rear property line and she was on him in a flash.

Meanwhile, Sumner was keen to cling to me at various times of the day, such as this pre-dinner moment when he let me know our papa-son solitude was to be a centered on a fully-invested belly rub.

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Brunswick Stew derived some inspiration from the following:

• "Get a Husband Brunswick Stew," by RAKESTRAW on AllRecipes.com.
• "Amelia's Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew," by Peach822 on AllRecipes.com.

Sweet Southern Cornbread adapted from "Golden Sweet Cornbread," from bluegirl on AllRecipes.com.

Meal No. 4210: Herbed Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs on Caesar-Dressed Greens

Dateline: Fri 25 Sept. It only took a small sale price to entice: then into my shopping cart went the value-pak of chicken thigh fillets. When it came time to decide on supper for the final Friday of September, I got a hankering to herb and spice those rascals and pan-fry them in grapeseed oil. They turned out great! Once the salads were dressed with homemade creamy Caesar, these tender morsels brought a satisfying flavor punch that suited all comers.

Meal No. 4209: Sausage and Egg Wrap

Dateline: Thur 24 Sept. As long as I’ve been messing around with making burrito-shaped wraps, mostly for chicken Caesar wraps, I figured I’d try it out for a breakfast-style burrito. That’s what the early meal was back on September 24: scrambled eggs, a pan-seared sausage-onion mix, a bit of cheese, some black beans, and a smattering of corn to bulk it up, all rolled up in an oversized flour tortilla that was skillet-toasted and then greedily consumed. With a bit of salsa.

Meal No. 4208: Cuban Pork Sheet Pan Nachos

Dateline: Wed 23 Sept. On the Wednesday before last, the amiable Amy made it a joyful evening, with her weekly visit and a chance to see if she doesn’t mind tasting whatever the latest offering is from the ol’ Roediger House kitchen. And thanks to a late afternoon meeting for me, we had to go with one of our faithful stand-bys: Cuban pork sheet pan nachos. Now, mind you: we do not scrimp on these. They are abundantly cheesed and also sport plenty of black beans and shoepeg corn, along with fresh-chopped onion. And did I mention all that cheese? But it’s still not enough dairy, because my sour cream dollop is always sizable, and plural.

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Sheet Pan Nachos loosely inspired by "Loaded Sweet Pork Sheet Pan Nachos," originally credited to Elyse Ellis and updated by Steph Loaiza of Six Sisters Stuff. [Published 14 March 2018 / Updated 17 December 2024]

Butterscotch Bourbon Praline Ice Cream

Dateline: Sat 19 Sept. The time was ripe for a return of UNC chum Chris a couple of Saturdays ago, and it was yet another fine visit. After our supper together, I wanted to offer up a special dessert of some sort, and I used this as the excuse to try out a butterscotch bourbon praline ice cream...with butterscotch sauce to boot. It’s not anywhere near my most favorite ice cream but every wild once in a while something like that has to make it into one of the dessert offerings. And as long as we were running this track in the ice cream circuit, why not go the extra mile with homemade butterscotch sauce?

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Slightly adapted from “Butterscotch Bourbon Praline Ice Cream," from Rebecca Blackwell, who blogs at Of Batter and Dough. [Posted 30 May 2017 / Updated 28 July 2026]

"The Best Butterscotch Sauce," from Barry C. Parsons of RockRecipes.com. [Printed 21 August 2016 / Updated 27 March 2026]

Meal No. 4207: Bacon Gruyère and Caramelized Onion Quiche

Dateline: Sat 19 Sept. It was a second night in a row for a reunion of UNC Tar Heels around the table, back on Saturday the 19th. Fellow alum and fellow Golden Fleece argonaut Chris was amenable to a return journey over to the Triad for a delightful evening of visiting and hanging out and, of course, some suitable grub. Without heading to the grocery store, I realized early in the day that I could pull this off with a bacon Swiss Gruyère quiche, with a base of caramelized onions, along with sliced tomatoes as a cool and refreshing side. It was all helped along, methinks, with a harbinger of the coming fall: apple cider doughnut loaf cake. This sweet side-ride has only shown up here a couple of times before, but it is appreciated with each return.

Also: this dear little hellion Scarlett is a mess:

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Recipe based on "Bacon and Caramelized Onion Quiche," from Kelley Epstein of Mountain Mama Cooks. [Published 11 April 2011]

"Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake," by Sarah Jampal. In Bon Appétit, September 2020, p. 56, 57, 76. [Published 14 October 2020]

A Swarm of Sheriffs

Dateline: Thur 30 July. You may ask yourself: who is this deputy sheriff and why does she look so angry as she pounded on the back kitchen door?

So I’m digging back into the archives to tell about this unusual development from the summer. It was an evening that, as bedtime approached, the pooches were getting their last run around the driveway and yard before heading in for the night. We had just gotten them to the crates, and the front doorbell was ringing, and the back door was getting knocked on, and then the back doorbell was ringing.

As I discovered later, after looking at the security video, the property was swarmed by deputies from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

This was during the International Black Theatre Festival, which it’s an honor for Winston-Salem to host every other year, and there is always a heavy presence of law enforcement while it’s happening. Apparently, these deputies had either spotted or had reported to them that a drone was flying over what they said was “restricted airspace” over downtown, and they were absolutely certain that we were the ones doing it.

I could only laugh. I don’t even play video games, much less have a remote control for drone flying over places that no drones are supposed to be flown. The angry deputy at the back door could not betray her disappointment that she had not marched straight up to the scofflaw’s doorstep, and I’ll tell you: she wasn’t very nice at all. But the bearded gent who talked to me at the front was perfectly decent. I had to laugh again when they asked if I knew of any neighbors who had drones. We ain’t that kind of neighborhood, as I made clear when rattling off the catalogue of who actually dwells on this block.

Meal No. 4206: Chicken Caesar Wraps

Dateline: Fri 18 Sept. Once again a couple of Fridays ago did the afternoon bring about the much-anticipated return of my UNC college buddy Kelly, back in our neck of the woods and willing to venture over to Winston-Salem in the midst of terrible thunderstorms and downpours...and in spite of a hatred of driving. We made the most of his brief visit, centered on a simple meal of chicken Caesar wraps and broccoli-and-bacon salad. There was almost enough discussion time but I’ll be happy when we can connect up again before long. Also: while I don’t think I came close to nailing it, I should note that the broccoli-and-bacon salad hadn’t been on a menu here in almost 10 years. Crazy.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]

Adapted from "Broccoli Salad," by Carolyn Purpura Mackay. In Cook's Country, August/September 2012, p. 7.

Meal No. 4205: Soy Sauce Garlic Ramen Noodles

Dateline: Thur 17 Sept. After a few days on the road working hard up in Virginia, it was reason enough for the simplicity of the viral ramen recipe a couple of Thursdays ago, once I was back home again. Perhaps too heavy a hand poured when I put in some dark soy sauce, as indicated by the saltiness, but it’s always a tasty meal in a jiffy.

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Based on "Viral Ramen Noodles," from Brian Gerwig [NC]. Instagram Profile: g_bque. [Posted 15 May 2024]

Carrot Cake, Eggnog Ice Cream, and Big Mama's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

A couple of weekends ago, we wrapped up our days off with a birthday gathering, which was perfect for bringing out a hearty celebratory dessert consisting of an amazing moist carrot sheet cake that just can't be beat. I also had two different ice creams. One of those has long been a faithful go-to: eggnog ice cream. But the other was a creamy variation on vanilla ice cream, from the delightful Jocelyn Delk Adams, whose recipes have found their way to my kitchen before [like this, or this, or this]. I was looking to up the cream content, and achieving something much more rich, all while still maintaining a good vanilla wallop. As for the gathered crew: I reckon we were all glad for how well all those desserts worked together for the good of the kind humans enjoying time in this treasured sanctuary. Or at least to goad our stomachs to push out a little further into this poor troubled world.

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Based on "Copycat J. Alexander's Carrot Cake," from Jamie Lothridge of MyBakingAddiction.com. [Updated 19 April 2019 / 20 April 2026]

"Eggnog Ice Cream," from Bi-Rite Creamery's Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones, by Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press (2012), p. 186-187.

"Big Mama's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream," from Jocelyn Delk Adams of GrandbabyCakes.com. [Posted 15 May 2025 / Updated 08 July 2026]

Meal No. 4204: Brunswick Stew for the Crew

Dateline: Sun 13 Sept. It’s my fault if by now it’s unclear to regular readers that there is unparalleled joy in the core crew gatherings, as happened back in the middle of the month. Amy and Gern and Kristen and Mookie bring all the best spirit and camaraderie to the dinner table and then to the man cave once we shift into hang-out time. That night we had hearty bowls of Brunswick stew, which has been missing from the rotation for over three years. This was one of those times that seconds were unabashedly scooped out and only a single portion was left over. I’ll assign that a designation of success.

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Brunswick Stew derived some inspiration from the following:

• "Get a Husband Brunswick Stew," by RAKESTRAW on AllRecipes.com.
• "Amelia's Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew," by Peach822 on AllRecipes.com.

Meal No. 4203: Souvlaki-Style Chicken Kebabs on Caesar Salad

Dateline: Sat 12 Sept. Long ago I left behind pretense about what constitutes a true Caesar salad, and for me it’s enough to know that I made a delicious creamy Caesar dressing and I’ll let it adorn whatever lettuce or spring mix or greens I have put in a bowl and ordained as “salad.” A couple of Saturdays ago, my Caesar-dressed spring mix was heavily laden with wonderful grilled souvlaki-style chicken kebabs (well, I de-skewered the morsels of chicken to put atop the salad). All that good marinade boosted that nicely-grilled chicken breast, and to me salad is always pleasing.

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Pulled from “Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe with Tzatziki,” from Suzy Karedsheh of The Mediterranean Dish. [Published 11 June 2018 / Updated 16 October 2020]

Meal No. 4202: Baked Thighs and Broccoli

Dateline: Fri 11 Sept. Is it a rut, or is it a groove? My happy satisfaction at meal’s end a couple of Fridays ago suggests I’m definitely not weary yet of the simple joys of baked herbed chicken thighs, along with roasted spiced broccoli florets. Deeply rewarding, perhaps all the more so in its simplicity, the plate at supper time was giddily tackled and clean-up was a breeze. That left more time for quiet reading of professional literature in the still summery evening on the driveway.

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Based on "Oven Baked Chicken Thighs," from Joanna Cismaru of JoCooks.com.

Meal No. 4201: Baby Back Ribs

Dateline: Thur 10 Sept. When the pork baby back ribs are on sale, I can’t help but toss a rack or two into the grocery cart. A couple of Thursdays ago, as the lovely afternoon quickly became summer-like, it made ribs seems suited to the weather. Ah, but I do have a fondness for slow-roasting these in the oven and tried out a different recipe for ‘em, much to my delight and satisfaction. To keep the focus on eating more ribs and not crowding up my plate or stomach, I tossed canned green beans into a pot with a few seasonings and let them serve as momentary distractors between eager bites of tender morsels of meat.

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"Tender Oven-Baked Barbecue Ribs," from Holly Nilsson of Spend with Pennies. [Published 05 May 2024]

Oatmeal Pizookie with Eggnog Ice Cream

Dateline: Wed 09 Sept. Another special evening with Amy at the house was a fine reason for a dessert that would not bore anybody. I had a few balls of oatmeal skillet cookie dough remaining, but I had to make a fresh batch of ice cream if I was going for another pizookie evening. And ice cream is a must for that. It occurred to me that maybe eggnog ice cream could still be complementary to the oatmeal and cinnamon of the ramekin-baked cookie, and it was. We rather enjoyed this treat for the brief moment it was before us...and then suddenly gone.

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"Eggnog Ice Cream," from Bi-Rite Creamery's Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones, by Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press (2012), p. 186-187.

Adapted from "Mini Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookies," by Lindsay Landis of loveandoliveoil.com. [Published 21 September 2015 / Updated 22 November 2019]

Meal No. 4200: Chicken Shawarma

Dateline: Wed 09 Sept. It might be safe to say that sheet pan chicken shawarma has found a receptive audience here at the Roediger House. As we reached the milestone of the 4,200th meal since the “new” kitchen was completed in 2009, and with the dear delight of Amy on hand, that’s what the mood and moment called for. Marinated in spices and garlic, supplemented by red onion wedges, and baked to juicy perfection, these thigh fillets were graciously supplemented with herbed roasted whole green beans and cumin-coriander-spiced cauliflower florets. We operated with gusto.

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"Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma," by Sam Sifton of New York Times Cooking. [Updated 23 January 2024]

Meal No. 4199: Spiced Chicken Tenders on Caesar Greens

Dateline: Tue 08 Sept. September in general is a rewarding time of year to reach, with its gradual easing back into the routines of work and travel, while the weather often serves up gorgeous days and a release from the oppressive heat and humidity of summertime. Mind you: I still note with dismay that it signals the approach of winter, and I do not like that. While the front end of the month still found me at home, rather than on the road, I was focused on mostly healthy meals. The Tuesday following Labor Day gives us one of those examples: a handful of spiced chicken tenders, pan-seared and then diced, to adorn a spring mix of greens, topped generously with homemade creamy Caesar dressing.

That morning brought me face-to-face with another spotted lantern fly, perched on the Toyota badge on my trunk. We have not yet been inundated with these invasive hellions—at that point I was probably spotting one about every 3 or 4 weeks. And killing every one of ‘em that I can. This one met a speedy demise. (Since that day, there's been an uptick in finding smaller ones already dead out on the driveway near the tree line.)

That evening was lovely for another intense downtown stroll, this time clocking in at 5.7 miles in a wide southside circuit that took advantage, in part, of the Salem Creek Greenway.

Meal No. 4198: Chicken Caesar Wraps

Dateline: Mon 07 Sept. The grand evening with Kristen and Mookie over Labor Day weekend offered us a great time to visit and a promise of hearty portions when supper was served...but enough of that rotisserie-style whole chicken was left over to be perfect for another round of chicken Caesar wraps. That’s what occurred back on Labor Day itself, a gorgeous partly sunny day with temps topping out at a most delightful 81°F. Well-packed with wrap fixings, tightly rolled, toasted on three sides in a skillet, and handily consumed without the need or bother of utensils. After settling in for an evening movie via streaming, it was time for the blast of an evening walk, topping out at 5.5 miles at a healthy pace.

Meal No. 4197: Caesar-Dressed Greens with Spiced Chicken Tenderloins

Dateline: Sun 06 Sept. As our early September heatwave broke at last by Sunday of Labor Day weekend, it felt like a good night for a light supper. I made some fresh creamy Caesar dressing and spiced and pan-seared chicken tenders. They were especially perfect on the salad once the bowls were filled and set before us.

That evening was another good one for a fast-paced extended downtown stroll! But boy howdy was I pretty sweat-soaked by the end.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]

Cinnamon Oatmeal Pizookie with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

Dateline: Sat 05 Sept. The Labor Day Weekend evening with dear friends Kristen and Mookie allowed for time upstairs after dinner, a mix of music and tv and a bit of pool playing. We took a break for sampling a new dessert option: a baked ramekin with a cinnamon oatmeal pizookie, topped with a generous scoop of brown sugar cinnamon ice cream. I could see a reason to repeat that treat, easily.

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Adapted from "Mini Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookies," by Lindsay Landis of loveandoliveoil.com. [Published 21 September 2015 / Updated 22 November 2019]

"Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream," from Heather Tullos of SugarDishMe.com. [Published 11 September 2015 / Updated 14 June 2019]

Meal No. 4196: Rotisserie-Style Chicken

Dateline: Sat 05 Sept. It’s a fun night when Kristen and Mookie come over for dinner and hang time, as happened on the Saturday evening of Labor Day weekend. We had us a proper good meal, too: rotisserie-style whole chicken made easily in the Instant Pot, plus herbed roasted haricots verts and stovetop stuffing. I also whipped up a little batch of Alabama white sauce, which pairs exceptionally well with that tender juicy chicken. We didn’t leave much behind, that’s for sure. Which is why a brisk walk on a long loop around town was needed before bedtime.

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Guidance from "How to Cook Instant Pot Whole Chicken - Rotisserie Style," by Sheena Strain from noshtastic.com (formerly glutenfreepressurecooker.com). [Printed 08 January 2018 / Updated Online 21 January 2023]

"Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning," by Judith Hannemann, The Midnight Baker. [Published 22 March 2017]

"Alabama Great White Sauce" (p. 362), in Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Boston: The Harvard Common Press, 2003.

Meal No. 4195: Chicken Shawarma Caesar Wraps

Dateline: Fri 04 Sept. The very last of the sheet pan chicken shawarma I’d made at the start of September was just what I needed once we reached the first Friday night of the month: with chopped Romaine, shaved parmesan, homemade creamy Caesar dressing, and a couple of burrito-sized flour tortilla wraps, it sure made for a delicious dinner.

Meal No. 4194: Mushroom and Shallot Salisbury Steak

Dateline: Thur 03 Sept. Events over on the campus of the University of North Carolina during the opening days of September waylaid a planned get-together for UNC chums back on the first Thursday of the month. I was certainly disappointed that we had to postpone but it was an excuse to pivot to a fun meal that I've only made twice before: mushroom and shallot Salisbury steak. Elevated well beyond anything you'd get at a roadside diner in a rural enclave, pushed to a dreamy fine-dining experience, this hearty take on a basic main item was a glorious scene-stealer on the plates that night. Of course, the roasted haricots verts were nothing to sneer at, and some leftover cumin-coriander cauliflower florets were welcomed guests, too. It was a scrumptious meal with all the right feels.

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”Mushroom and Shallot Salisbury Steak,” by Jesse Szewczyk. In Bon Appétit, October 2024, p. 18.

Meal No. 4193: Chicken Shawarma on Caesar-Topped Greens

Dateline: Wed 02 Sept. The bigger better idea I had for dinner on the first Wednesday of the new month was too much prep and too much food once I could find my way to the kitchen that afternoon. An easy fallback revealed itself in the tucked-away leftovers of the previous evening: chicken shawarma. A fresh batch of homemade creamy Caesar dressing and a new tub of crunchy greens were the waiting bed bowl for those baked and spiced thighs. This alternative was not a runner up nor second best.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]

Meal No. 4192: Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma

Dateline: Tue 01 Sept. As a new month rolled over and signaled that summer was on its way out, the punched-up heat reminded us that some gasps are hot even when they are aren't the last. The treks outside with the house pooches were less extended. And when suppertime approached, I really liked the idea of leaning in on a delicious chicken shawarma recipe shared with me by my college buddy Kelly. The chicken was abundant and wonderful, so all that was needed with it was spiced roasted cauliflower florets. Freely adding to my plate a third piece of that tasty dark meat was a happy indulgence.

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"Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma," by Sam Sifton of New York Times Cooking. [Updated 23 January 2024]