Tree Rat and More Excitement!

Squirrels are so cute…aren’t they!?  Of course there was that family of squirrels that raised a family in the space above our living area.  Expensive removal process!  Not so cute!  They regularly raided our bird feeder for about 3 years in a row…and then that generation failed to pass on the necessary training or ‘smart genes’ to subsequent offspring…and there was ‘general human/squirrel peace in our yard for 3 + years in a row.

Recently however, those little ‘tree rats’ decided to declare war!  We were chatting with friends Bob and Teresa in our living room when Bob exclaimed “There is a squirrel in your screened porch!”

The squirrel was a bit panicked as he couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten into the porch in the first place… After chasing him out through an open door, we discovered that he’d eaten or clawed his way through a large section of screening in order to gain access to the porch.  You can see the tree rat’s hole in the photo as I’d covered it with a board and pushed our deck storage bin up against the screen.

Laurie had been keeping the bird seed for our deck mounted feeder in a container like this one in the screened porch.  It was closed tight and it is heavy duty plastic, much like the lid of a bucket of paint.  The little tree rat not only destroyed our screen but he gnawed his way through the top of the bucket to get to the seed…and to add insult to injury, he then peed in the seed!  We now keep the seed in the house behind solid doors and windows.

The hole still isn’t fixed… All contractors are just too busy to respond quickly to a small job like this one.  Using trivets to level off the storage bin and then covering the remaining openings with boards and bricks, we did the best we could to fortify the damaged screen against further attacks by our furry trouble makers.  So far, so good…

Continuing with the fun involved in home ownership… Our lawn service rang the doorbell on one recent morning to point out to us that we had a leak at the junction where our water comes into the house from the village’s water service.  He also told us that if the break was on the street side of the connection, the village would repair it at no cost to us.  However, if the break was on our side, get out the wallet!

So…a crew of 4 with a large backhoe showed up the morning after I’d called the problem in.  We watched as our tension over the potential expense rose exponentially. 

This wasn’t a simple process… First the crew moved all of our landscaping rocks away from the area where they would have to dig.

Then came the backhoe…digging deep enough that one of the crew could feel down into the hole and determine what the problem was.  Thankfully he determined that the break was on the village’s side!  He found the problem and repaired it as much by feel as by sight…although they did manage to bail out much of the water that pooled in the hole.

When they were done with the repairs, they filled the hole as much as they could and spread some straw to soak up the mud and prevent erosion.  The crew leader told us that they would put the rocks back in a couple of weeks after the newly filled hole had settled.  The instructions were that if they hadn’t returned in 2 weeks, give them a call.  We were out of town traveling and we’re approaching 4 weeks since the repairs were made…and a call will be forthcoming.

Our only concern is the impact of the damage done to the root system of that tree might have…time will tell.  

I included this photo for 2 reasons.  First – It is my favorite cold breakfast cereal.  Second – This may be the last box of Kellogg’s Special K Honey Oat Cereal left on the planet!  Kellogg seems to have discontinued this version and when I searched the Internet a few weeks ago, the best I could come up with was a single box of cereal…for almost $20.00 plus shipping!  Time for change…sadly.

With all the home construction going on around us, we haven’t seen many deer lately so Laurie was really happy when she spotted this doe and her brand new fawn in our back yard.  Laurie took these photos through a window and between the slats of the deck railing.  Mom was eating our greenery and the fawn had lunch at its favorite source of nourishment… Great to see them!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Hodgepodge – Italian, Mexican and Celtic

In this post we visit a local Italian restaurant, a Mexican ice cream parlor and enjoy a loaf of Celtic bread…

This is Vittorino’s, an Italian restaurant that is located in Loudon Tennessee on TN Hwy 72.  Given the Covid-19 pandemic, we hadn’t eaten here in well over a year.  FYI, another Vittorino’s is located in downtown Sweetwater Tennessee.

Vittorino’s in Loudon is located at the end of a strip shopping center.  This allows for plenty of light as there are windows not only across the front of the restaurant, but also along the side.  The impact is that it’s a bright and cheery place with lots of wood décor and furnishings lending warmth to the dining area.  There is an outdoor dining area as well...

This lovely and very tasty appetizer comes with the meals.  Basically it’s pizza dough sprinkled with herbs and parmesan cheese, then baked and served with a nice marinara sauce.

Laurie ordered something new for her.  This was the Veal Pizzalola…slices of veal sautéed with white wine, garlic, olives, capers, herbs and fresh tomatoes served over linguine.  She enjoyed it very much but it was too much food so I had to finish off the remaining veal…

FYI…Vittorino’s offers 14 different specialty pizzas and 15 different calzones in addition to all of the basic pasta offerings including 7 different seafood entrees.  They also serve Pollo Tipico…a rolled flour tortilla with chicken and vegetables covered with cheese.

I ordered one of my usual Italian favorites…the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.  It was good with lots of pasta and chicken, but I would have liked it better if it included a bit of garlic or perhaps more Italian herbs for a pop of flavor.

The Vittorino’s Italian Restaurant in Loudon Tennessee is located at 2761 TN Hwy 72N.  Phone: 865-986-6822. 

After dinner with friends Bob and Teresa one evening, we impulsively decided to stop and try out a new ice cream parlor that had just opened in Lenoir City Tennessee.  This is a La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor, part of a loosely connected chain of ice cream parlors that originated in Mexico and have since spread into the southwestern USA…and now into Tennessee. 

I took this photo as Bob and Theresa were placing their orders.  The interior is bright and cheerful…and they were quite busy.  

Once Bob and I were back outside on the bench in front of La Michoacana, Laurie took this photo of the 2 senior citizens noshing down our cups of ice cream.  Laurie and I thought that the ice cream was good, but it seemed a bit sweeter than we are used to.

As you can see from the photo, this particular La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor is located at 123 East Broadway/US Hwy. 11 in Lenoir City Tennessee.

Since I’m bouncing around as regards types or ethnicities of cuisine, why not end with a 2 lb. loaf of a Celtic bread.  Struan bread was originally created by Celtic peasants, some claim it was in Ireland and others say it was in Scotland.  In any case, it is a harvest bread. 

In Scotland, the tradition was that on the eve of St. Michael’s feast, the oldest daughter in each household prepared the bread from harvest grains.  In this case the House of Douglas Bakery used wheat, oats, bran, bulgur, rice and quinoa but in those early days it probably included barley, wheat, rye and oats, or whatever was available.  After being milled, the grain was soaked in milk.  Usually unleavened, the bread was sweetened with honey…then brushed with a mixture of eggs, cream and butter.  Sometimes it was sprinkled with oats or caraway seeds.

We will tell you that the House of Douglas’ version of Struan bread was just excellent!  It toasted well, held up to ambitious sandwich creations and both the flavor and texture was spot on.  We bought this loaf of goodness at a farmer’s market in Dandridge Tennessee but their bakery/store is at 3323 Cosby Highway in Cosby Tennessee.  Phone: 423-487-4434.  The bakery’s website is at Bakery | House of Douglas Bakery | United States.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A New Bakery – Truly out in the Country!

Laurie spotted a post on our ‘Nextdoor’ neighborhood website, (ie. Local Facebook), that was all about a new bakery in nearby Sweetwater Tennessee.  Since bakeries are a weakness, we couldn’t resist checking it out…and boy did we ‘check out’ when we were there!  

This is the setting for Grain Bin Commodities!  It is a very pretty area and the bakery is really out there in the countryside.

This is the front of the store on Holt Road…located west of I-75.  This is a family operation for sure…and a labor of love too.  Callie Brackett and her family own and operate the bakery as well as an adjoining dairy farm.

Love those repurposed bins!  Check out all the goodies in the display case… The bakery’s theme is “Baked goods made with love”.

This is definitely a busy bakery.  Four ladies were busy creating goodies for their customers.

Not everything is about baked goods.  An assortment of farm house style gift items are offered for the discerning shopper.

…and there was this display of goodies to go.  We ‘limited ourselves’ to ‘only’ 3 items, the candied pecans, southern pecan bread and the Fire Crackers.  Those spiced up crackers are downright addictive!

Before we finished shopping in the bakery, we took the opportunity to explore the family barn that’s right next door. 

As you can see from the photos, that barn is full of antiques, collectables, architectural items and home décor.  I was drawn to those arched windows in the second photo but fortunately, we don’t have any place where could use them…

The complete offerings by Grain Bin Commodities were still being developed during our visit.  A new patio next to the bakery will be complemented by that pizza oven when it’s completed.

Yes…we did buy ‘just a few’ of the cookies that were on display in that big display case!  Nice variety of good cookies and ‘cake pops’.  When we got home we decided to share them with our neighbors rather than completely pig out on our own…

When we got home from Grain Bin Commodities, we arranged our purchases for this ‘group’ photo.  I think that perhaps we lost a bit of self-control!  In addition to fore mentioned cookies, crackers, nuts, etc. we added a couple loaves of bread and a bag of caramel corn.  Yikes!

Grain Bin Commodities is located at 5215 Holt Road in Sweetwater Tennessee.  Phone: 865-599-9001.  The website for this growing local business is at www.GrainBinCommodities.com.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave   

Finally…Back to Corner 16!

Given the fact that we’ve had our Covid-19 vaccines plus the reality that restaurants have opened up, we finally have been able to go out and re-visit restaurants here and there in East Tennessee.

This is Corner 16 at Bob Kirby Road next to Middlebrook Pike.  The restaurant offers indoor dining, a full bar and lounge area and curbside pickup.  In addition, this family friendly restaurant has an indoor-outdoor patio with fire pits and live entertainment on weekends. 

The bar and lounge at Corner 16 are separated from the dining room and there is plenty of space between tables.  The décor is a combination sports bar and warm industrial…

We were dining with Laurie’s sister Bonnie and her husband Bill.  Whenever we’re out in a restaurant with Bill, a number of appetizers are always ordered. 

We started out with the Bacon Wrapped Brisket Burnt Ends. ($13.00) They’re served with a Tennessee Whiskey Bar-B-Que Sauce.  In our opinion, the burnt ends weren’t genuine burnt ends but rather just standard cuts or pieces of brisket.  The bacon gave the meat most of the flavor as we thought that the brisket itself was a bit dry and 'chewy'.

Our next appetizer were the Fried Green Tomatoes. ($9.50) The tomato slices are dipped in buttermilk, then dusted with seasoned flour and deep fried.  The finished product is topped with fresh grated Asiago cheese and is served with garlic peppercorn dressing.  We’d ordered this appetizer previously and it was as we remembered it…very nice indeed!

Our third appetizer was the Pretzel Sticks and Beer Cheese. ($10.00) We also asked for a mustard sauce on the side.  We really enjoyed this appetizer but we thought that $2.50 per pretzel stick…even with the beer cheese…was a big over-priced.

After sharing all of the appetizers, the ladies decided to split an entrée.  They chose the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich with onion rings as their side. ($11.00) The BLT comes with a half-pound of thick sliced special house bacon, lettuce and home grown tomato on grilled Challah bread with Sriracha mayo.  The sisters agreed that it was a very good sandwich…

For his meal, Bill ordered a Corner 16 Burger. ($13.75) As you can see this huge sandwich includes 2 fresh ground beef burgers on a Brioche bun.  It also comes with 1000 Island Dressing, American and pimento cheese, sliced bacon, lettuce, tomato and pickle.

Construction of the Corner 16 Burger doesn’t have to end there.  For an upcharge, there are 12 alternate sauces, sliced jalapenos, caramelized onions, a fried egg, sliced avocado and more that can be added.  There are a number of sides that diners can chose to accompany their burger and Bill ordered the sautéed mushrooms.  He was very happy with his choices!

I ordered the Rocky Top Hot Brown for my meal. ($12.00) Grilled Challah bread was topped with roasted turkey and thick sliced special house bacon, then topped with Mornay sauce, a fried egg and tomato. 

I’ve had several versions of a Hot Brown sandwich over the years, but this one came up a bit short.  There wasn’t enough Mornay sauce on it and the turkey was a bit dry.  It just didn’t measure up to what I’d expected.  For my side dish, I ordered the Smokehouse potatoes.  The waitress told me that they were cheesy…but I didn’t asked enough questions as this side also contained onions, not one of my favorites.  My bad!

Lest you take the negatives listed above and assume it was all negative, I will assure you that we’ve been back to Corner 16 again since this visit.  Laurie and I repeated with the Fried Green Tomatoes, then she ordered the Roasted Turkey and Dressing ($13.50) and I ordered the Grilled Ale Chicken. ($14.50) Her meal was very nice and the dressing was excellent.  My chicken was moist and flavorful…really, really good!

There are 2 Corner 16 Restaurants in the greater Knoxville area.  This particular location is at 1640 Bob Kirby Road in Knoxville.  Phone: 865-801-9101.  Website: Home - Corner16.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Breakfast in Tuscaloosa plus Home Cooking

It’s hard to believe that we did so much on our short trip to Mississippi with Laurie’s sister Bonnie and her husband Bill.  But, after our exploration and many experiences, we were headed home.  Since I don’t eat breakfast early on days when I have a long bit of driving to do, we held off on our morning repast until we reached Tuscaloosa Alabama.

This is the Metro Diner…after a bit of research, our choice for breakfast.  It wasn’t right off the Interstate but then again, if I can find a local restaurant with a good reputation, I will always opt for ‘local’.  Metro Diner is located in a strip shopping center in an area full of retail stores and services.

It was late on a Sunday morning so Metro Diner was busy as expected.  However, our wait was fairly short, about 10 minutes.  The serving staff was obviously short-handed and they were running fast in their effort to keep customers happy…

As we waited, I did note this framed photo on the wall.  The Food Network’s Guy Fieri has featured Metro Diner on his show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”.  That necessitated a bit of research when I started writing this post for my blog site.

First of all, Guy ate at a Metro Diner location in Jacksonville Florida.  Secondly, Metro Diner is part of a family owned chain of like named diners.  The Davoli family opened the first restaurant in Florida in 1992.  They have obviously been rather successful as there currently are 58 Metro Diner locations, mostly in the Southeastern USA.

When Bill eats breakfast out, he has to have a short stack of pancakes as a ‘side dish’.  They really looked good to me...but I resisted.

I don’t have too many Metro Diner breakfast photos to show you…as we all ordered Eggs Benedict of one style or another.  The options were Classic Eggs Benedict, Fried Chicken Benedict and San Francisco Benedict.  The latter offering includes sliced avocado as well as Canadian bacon.  I had the chicken option...and it was yummy!

That huge pile of hash brown potatoes on our plates was challenging to say the least!  It was all good and it’s safe to say that none of us went away hungry.  Despite the food overload, I did stay awake as I drove us all the way home to East Tennessee…

FYI, service was excellent despite being short staffed.  Our waitress was a blur of cheerful and helpful motion.  The Tuscaloosa Metro Diner is located at 1800 McFarland Boulevard East.  Phone: 205-464-9428.  The corporate Metro Diner website is at https://metrodiner.com/.

…now for a couple of meals we’ve recently enjoyed at home.

Actually, this first meal…was just for me.  Making use of leftovers just isn’t Laurie's thing.  In this case, my breakfast couldn’t have been much simpler.  When Bonnie and Bill were here after our trip to Mississippi, they had picked up one of their favorite prepared brands of dinner rolls...

After they departed for their journey home, I still had a few small Sister Schubert Parker House style yeast rolls.  I cut them in half and fried them in butter and then topped them with some shredded cheddar cheese plus a couple of easy-over fried eggs...with a little more cheese.  Hey, I know that it wasn’t the healthiest breakfast but it was satisfying and it tasted good!

This is one of our ‘go to’ dinners and it’s also one of my favorites.  Basically it consists of boneless chicken thighs baked in ‘enhanced’ cream of chicken soup.

Laurie starts by seasoning the chicken thighs with cracked pepper, garlic and onion powder.  In a separate bowl she mixes a family size can of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup with about a half can of half and half milk.  Then she pours the mixture over the chicken, ensuring that it completely covers it.  Before putting this entrée in the oven she tops it with Italian seasoning or, if the mood strikes her to do something different, she substitutes with poultry seasoning.

We usually serve it with rice, placing a couple of thighs over the rice and then ladling the ‘enhanced’ cream of chicken soup over the top.  I of course, sprinkle Tabasco over the top for a bit of heat… In this case, we sided this household standard dinner with a serving of peas.  

That’s all for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave