Biscuit Head and the Biltmore

We started the day with an incredible breakfast at this hole-in-the-wall spot called Biscuit Head. Surprisingly, they don’t open until 8:00a.m. However, the folks were waiting for the door to be unlocked.

Left to right: medium 🍳 eggs, 🥓 bacon, sausage gravy and top right, Heidi had fried green tomatoes, bacon, 🥚 eggs and a biscuit.

Never had gravy quite like this. The sausage was a bit spicy. I had trouble finishing food.

Coolest thing of the day, The Jam Bar. All home made jams. The Berry Bomb 💣 on a biscuit was outstanding!!!

The Biltmore is a piece of 🖼 artwork nestled in the mountains near Asheville. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour.

The gardens are gorgeous!
A chocolate dipped waffle cone with some Biltmore ice cream.

Asheville: The South Slope

What a 😎 cool spot in North Carolina!?! The South Slope has breweries as well as restaurants and entertainment on a Sunday night.

We started with some drinks at Catawba Brewery. (We had a list from Heidi’s cousin Kristie Farmer and her husband , Ed.)

Heidi loves being a Grandma and vacationing in new places!
The Peanutbutter Jelly Time was a raspberry and Peanutbutter combo.

After Catawba, we made a great decision and went next door for dinner at Buxton Hall BBQ. It was fantastic!

Smoked kielbasa sausage and pulled pork. The Lima 🫘 beans and corn pudding were excellent.
Banana 🍌 Pudding 🥧 pie with brown sugar meringue. Holy Cow!!! It was incredible!

We want to go back to Buxton Hall tomorrow for the strawberry 🍓 pie!

Wicked Weed Funkatorium.

We also hit up the Funkatorium, Hi-Wire and Ben’s Sake Bar for flights and reggae! We topped off the evening with $10 unlimited passes at the Level 256 Arcade. Frogger, Galaga and a dozen different pinball machines.

Day 1 in Asheville’s South Slope was a Hit! Tomorrow, The Biltmore Estate!

Embrace the Pace: Nappanee

With a high population of Amish and horse and biggies, the town of Nappanee in Elkhart County, Indiana has adopted the theme of “Embrace the Pace.” As well, I have good information that “Embrace the Pace” was the name of a fine lager beer served at “The Rue” on Highway 6 that needs to be brought back to the circuit.

On Wednesday Jay, Mike and I had breakfast at Renee’s. This 🥓 bacon, sausage, mushroom 🍄 and 🧀 cheese omelette with wheat toast and hash browns was superb!

I actually arrived late on Tuesday and my friend Jay Heckaman bought me a pizza from Bourbon Street 🍕 which was delicious. Also, Sweet G’s ice cream was fantastic, however, those situations were about me eating and we get no pictures. My bad.

In the picture below, Jay, Mike Wagner and I enjoyed an Old Style (Chicago’s beer) at Murphy’s Bleachers in Wrigleyville before the Cubs/Rays game…because it just felt like the thing to do. Located on the corner of Waveland and Sheffield Avenues, how can you go wrong!?! Dating back to Ball State basketball 🏀, have been going to games together for 40 years!

Coolest shop in town. 😎 Your wife would love this place.
I used my bachelors as well as my Masters 📜 degree in order to cross the street.

🍫 Chocolate covered 🥓 bacon and a Dog N Suds root beer from Veni’s Sweet Shop. I may try to make this myself!
Nappanee has an Artsy vibe with street sculptures and outside wall paintings.

Instead of working, Jay and his son Kyle sat with me for nearly two hours. They were great hosts!

Thursday’s breakfast came from Main Street Roasters Coffee Shop in downtown Nappanee. It was a bacon, egg and cheese on an Everything 🥯 bagel. 💥

Finally, the appropriate joke for the trip is:

Why did the chicken cross the road? 🐓

To prove to the raccoon 🦝 that it could be done.

Will Hackman Makes Walt’s Diner

A lifeline goal has been reached as The Chevrolet Legend, Will Hackman, is being featured on Walt’s Diner. This is the same guy that would take ham to the Wild Game Feast just to make sure that there would be something he wanted to eat.

Will Hackman was digging the baked beans 🫘 at the family reunion Sunday.
Rae’s plate: Clockwise starting at 1:00. Hush puppy, fried blue gill, pasta salad, lasagna, corn pudding, cheesy potatoes. Blackberries and strawberries 🍓 on the inside.
These cream cheese cookies with sprinkles, compliments of Heidi Sue were the bomb 💣!!! Not one was left. And how about the flower arrangement!
The Hackman side. Richard and Nina, Arlene, Betty and Jerry, Will and Linda. And descendants.
The Melloncamp side. Rhonda, Barry, Nina and Sharon. And descendants.

It was a beautiful day in Grassy Fork Township at the annual Memorial Day/Indy 500 party this past weekend. Richard ramrodded the fish frying, Heidi was a wonderful hostess and everyone enjoyed the food and camaraderie with four generations of family in the house.

On a side note, Bruce Stahl won 🏆 $17 in the Indy 500 pool as he drew Josef Newgarden for the win.

Augie’s Mussel Bar

Welcome to Old Alexandria, Virginia and Augie’s Mussel Bar!!!

Nice 🖼 artwork on a wooden wall of Augie’s.
Great photo by Ashley Burcham. Check out the deer 🦌 under the tree in the shade and the Washington Monument in the background of Arlington National Cemetery.
The kids at Augie’s still loving each other.
A Limburgse Witte with an 🍊 slice. One of the “Bad Habits” the students and I refer to. A Belgian 🇧🇪 🌾 Wheat!!!

Bella came over and asked “What is that?” I said “ Limburger Witte.” She quickly replied “No, it’s a Bad Habit.”

All these books are about Lincoln. Across from Ford’s Theater at the Peterson House where Lincoln actually died.
Brayton got this “Bustical” bacon cheeseburger with onion straws! Looks Bustical to me as well! I couldn’t even get my mouth open wide enough to take a bite of this one.
Jumbalaya! 🔥 🔥 Spicy in a good way! I had to dab sweat from my brow! Andouille sausage, 🍤 shrimp, chicken 🐔 with penne 🍝 pasta.

Next 🛑 stop, Ghost Tour.

Hamilton’s: D.C.: Packer Bar

After a long day that started at 1:30 a.m. for most, Hamilton’s was an awesome finish to an eventful day in Washington D.C. Thanks to Jessica Fritz for finding this spot!

Hamilton’s: A Green Bay Packer bar in Washington D.C. 👀 Look next 🚪 door, The neighboring bar is named The Alibi!
The Rodeo 🍔. 🥓 bacon, cheddar, 🧅 onion straws and BBQ sauce. On a toasted bun. Go, Pack , Go!!! And tater tots!

Cooper, Brayton, Wintin in his Packers shirt, Brody and Craig.

Lutheran Central 8th grade trip!

Happy Mother’s Day 2023

Saturday afternoon Heidi let me know that I was in charge of the menu and cooking the Mother’s Day evening meal. I told her I had been thinking about it 🤔 to which she wasn’t convinced. Finally, I stated “How about grilled chicken 🐔 and baked potatoes 🥔?”

Ironically, this morning this picture came up on Facebook memories five years ago.

Billie, Walt, Heidi and Nina.

The caption below it said I was fortunate to have these mothers in my life and that I was in charge of “the grilled chicken and baked potatoes.”

So, I guess we have a tradition going here. For more irony, I just happened to wear the same Columbia shirt as we worked around the house today.

Grilled chicken marinated in 🧄 garlic salt 🧂, pepper and Olive Garden Italian dressing, asparagus from Nina’s garden, grilled peppers, and an awesome baked potato 🥔.

The flavor today was outstanding! I nailed the 🐓 chicken, the potato with shredded cheese, bacon 🥓 and sour cream was the best and Heidi mentioned that grilling the orange and yellow peppers was a “great idea!”

Vanilla Bean 🫘 cheesecake drizzled with caramel and a lemon cake cookie from Nina.

For dessert 🍨 we had a Vanilla Bean cheesecake from Aldi’s which was delicious and Nina made lemon cookies from a cake mix. The 💣 Bomb!!!

Liam, Heidi, Sophie, Andrew.

Happy Mother’s Day to Billie Mae, Heidi, Nina and Kiley!!! I love you all.

🥓 Bacon, 🥑 Avocado, Cheese Turkey 🦃 Burger 🍔

Ground 🦃 Turkey burger 🍔 with 🥓 bacon, cheddar, avocado 🥑 on a toasted whole grain English muffin. Heidi added some 🧄 garlic powder, Frank’s Red 🥵 Hot and mozzarella 🧀 cheese to the ground turkey when she pattied them up. The toasted English muffin really topped it off.

Bacon, Avocado whole grain toast.

The flavor on both of these was tremendous! This healthy eating has me really branching out! That Heidi…What a woman! The healthy eating was all her idea!

Healthy Eating: Day 6

On the Mayo Clinic Diet I have cut out beer, soda(caffeine), minimum dairy, limited sugar and whole grain bread only, so limited gluten. The six day results are all positive.

Today’s breakfast was and 🥚 egg white, 🫑 peppers, spinach, Morning Star veggie sausage, and cheese 🧀 omelette.

The fresh ingredients along with a Morning Star veggie sausage.
It looks like the Smokey Mountains in the background.
I added some Frank’s Red 🥵 Hot sauce to liven things up!
🥑 avocado spread flavored with Everything Bagel on whole grain toast on the side with refreshing 🍋 lemon water.

With this start, I am ready for the Crossroads Musicfest 🎼 in Seymour tonight. The talent is outstanding!!!

Baked Fajitas

Baked Fajitas

After some family members have had some ❤️ heart and health issues, As well as a wedding to look good for in October, Heidi has put us on the Mayo Clinic Heart Healthy Diet.

Tonight’s feature of Baked Fajitas was fantastic! It consisted of: Chicken 🐓, 🫑 peppers, 🧅 onion, 🥑 avocado, a dollop or two of sour cream(supposed to be limited dairy) on a whole grain tortilla.

We grilled last night and I am sorry to add that I didn’t photograph the grilled 🍍 pineapple, which was delicious! Maybe next time?