Saturday, March 14, 2026

A Record-Breaking False Spring

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The false spring that's played out over the last week was record-breaking on a couple of days, and as it came to its triumphant end on W...
Friday, March 13, 2026

Quanto Basta and Unneighborlyness

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Oh, Quanto Basta: our longtime across-the-street Italian restaurant! Over the years, we have gotten to know not only the fine folks who work...
Thursday, March 12, 2026

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Toffee Cookies

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'Tis true I was once a much more frequent baker of cookies, and it was regularly to the joy of the household and often to the benefit of...
Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Creamy No-Bake Cheesecake

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Saturday night's supper did a number on all three of us so I'm sort of glad that the dessert I'd prepped was a light one. Or at...
Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Meal No. 4057: Bacon Egg & Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

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Saturday was the final full day of Eastern Standard Time for the outgoing winter months, and it was another Holly Avenue crew at the dinner ...
Monday, March 9, 2026

Meal No. 4056: Grilled Pork Kebabs with BBQ Glaze

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After an almost-full week of work down in southeast Georgia, it was pretty nice to be back in place at home this past Friday. Friend and nei...
Sunday, March 8, 2026

Meal No. 4055: Spiced Pecan & Blue Cheese Salad with Chicken

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February exited the scene on a Saturday this year, and it turned into a lovely late winter day. I'd hoped to work out an evening for a s...
Saturday, March 7, 2026

Meal No. 4054: Baked Herbed Chicken Thighs

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When Friday night rolled around a week ago, it was the end of a busy stretch of days. But hunger struck early that evening and so I went ahe...
Friday, March 6, 2026

Copycat J. Alexander's Carrot Cake

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It seems to me that the only J. Alexander’s Restaurant I’ve ever encountered was up in Winchester, VA, and I might have eaten there two or t...
Thursday, March 5, 2026

Meal No. 4053: Penne alla Vodka

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A dinner gathering of four on Thursday of last week featured penne alla vodka and homemade garlic breadsticks. A bit oversauced on the penne...
Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Meal No. 4052: Skillet Beef Stroganoff

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The comfort of the latest Amy convergence last Wednesday was a chance to see if she’d be pleased at the reappearance of skillet beef strogan...
Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Meal No. 4051: Cheddar-Crust Chicken Pot Pie

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As we approach the almost exact 40-year mark of knowing one another, my good friend and fellow UNC alum Kelly found his way back over to the...
Monday, March 2, 2026

Meal No. 4050: Meatloaf Minis

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Last Monday's dinner for three of our Holly Avenue crew was pretty scrumptious: mini meatloafs, roasted spiced potatoes, and roasted her...
Sunday, March 1, 2026

Cinnamon-Chai Oatmeal Cookies

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After having been jovially admonished the previous Saturday, when I conducted my final all-day seminar with this final cohort of aspiring ad...
Saturday, February 28, 2026

Meal No. 4049: Egg Drop Soup

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Rather recently , but for only the second time, I made egg drop soup. It was good that night earlier in the month, but I was anxious to try ...
Friday, February 27, 2026

Meal No. 4048: Sheet Pan Beef Nachos

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Last Saturday was a full workday for me, spent with the incredible group of people in the latest—and final— cohort of masters students in Ed...
Thursday, February 26, 2026

Meal No. 4047: Soy Sauce Ramen Noodles

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Although I'd spent the final two days of last week in Virginia for work, I was glad to return home last Friday night in time to make sup...
Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Meal No. 4046: Deviled Chicken Thighs

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Has it really been almost four years since I made the house standard affectionately known as deviled chicken thighs? That's what the b...
Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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Last week's Monday evening dinner of burgers still allowed for a fun little dessert to be served, and that night I went with an old-fash...
Monday, February 23, 2026

Meal No. 4045: Mushroom & Swiss Burgers

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Our Holly Avenue collective gathered once more last Monday night, and after a lovely sunny February day, I felt like grilling. The go-to in ...
Sunday, February 22, 2026

Meal No. 4044: Cuban Lechón Asado

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Those 99-cent Boston butt pork roasts are hard to walk past when I spy them on sale at my local Harris Teeter, and then I cannot ignore the ...
Saturday, February 21, 2026

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake

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It's been over two years since I made the rock-solid RockRecipes.com version of red velvet layer cake, and this past Valentine's Da...
Friday, February 20, 2026

Meal No. 4043: Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

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Under the sunny skies and welcome warmth of this most recent Valentine's Day—quite conveniently falling on a Saturday—it was four at the...
Thursday, February 19, 2026

Meal No. 4042: Tomato & Corn Pie

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After a good full week of work in southern Georgia and after belatedly letting it catch my eye that this past Friday the 13th was also Natio...
Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Meal No. 4041: Baked Chicken Thighs and Two Sides

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As a mid-day meal before I tossed my bags into the car and headed down to southeast Georgia on Sunday a week ago, I put oil-rubbed and herbe...
Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Meal No. 4040: Spaghetti with Homemade Beef Sauce

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Just before leaving town to work a stretch of days in southeast Georgia, I needed to knock out some items from the fridge, and that helped s...
Monday, February 16, 2026

Meal No. 4039: Deviled Beef Short Ribs

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On Friday a week ago, the homestead enjoyed a shifted timing for the regular visit of Amy for dinner and hanging out. My grocery trek earlie...