Heidi Wintin says “A mighty fine meal, if I do say so myself.” Sophie and I concur.

Slice a chicken 🐓 breast and fill with Philadelphia Chive and Onion cream cheese and wrap with bacon. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Spray the asparagus with olive oil and season with garlic salt and pepper and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Sauté sweet potatoes 🍠 in butter and add a pinch of salt and pepper. When it is a little brown push the sweet potatoes to the edge and melt some more butter and add brown sugar. Then mix that all together.

As a special treat tonight, we got to use real plates and silverware because the dishwasher was fixed.

By the way, how about this beautifully decorated kitchen table that Heidi’s cousin Sarah’s husband Chuck Hinton made for us!?!

Can you hear the Christmas 🎄 music 🎼 in the background? Heidi love’s Christmas!!! And it not even Thanksgiving until Thursday!

Can you see the steam coming off of these luscious chicken thighs? This is my version of Jamaican chicken. The crazy part is how tasty it is!

With Nina having shoulder surgery this week, the Sunday family meal responsibility came to Heidi and myself.

I trim the skins off the thighs and season them with Creole spices, garlic salt and applewood rub. Place them in a pan and slice a stick of butter on top. They are smoked in a pan on the Weber grill with charcoal and apple 🍎 wood for the smoke flavor on indirect heat for about 40 minutes . They are ready when the internal temperature is 165.

Throw in the sirloin 🥩 steak, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, and the asparagus and everyone is 😃 happy. ( Bob Evans is a “Go To” at our house.)

A JayC cherry 🍒 pie and some ice cream and even Nina thinks we did a good job,

Whoa!!! This is for sure a step up from Texas Road House. Firstly, they had Sam Adams Octoberfest on draft. Delicious!

For an appetizer we had the Wild West Shrimp 🍤. Very good with some spice and ranch dip.

Bruce predetermining the stuffed mushrooms 🍄 and they were incredible!!! You must get these garlicky and cheesy treats.

As an entree’ I enjoyed the Parmasean Encrusted 🐓 chicken, sirloin done medium well and a baked potato 🥔 with bitter, sour cream , 🥓 bacon and 🧀 cheese. Outstanding!

The house made chips were also over the top!

When you go Christmas 🎄 shopping in Clarksville this holiday season, you might want to check out Longoria 🥩 Sreak House!!!

As you dodge the “Road Apples” on Highway 6 in Nappanee, be on the lookout for Ruhe 152 across from Heckaman Insurance in downtown. It is a hip micro brewery bringing big city food to Amish Country.

Jay had the grilled salmon over rice and Brussel sprouts. It was the healthier choice.

I had the spicy brisket with shredded cheddar on the 🥨 pretzel bun. The was tender with a little heat.

The chef does a wonderful job and the bar has plenty of options.

No picture, however, Andy Mitschelen let me taste his PB & J Tater Tots. I will get them next time! Tater Tots drizzled with fresh ground peanut butter and whatever fruit jelly is in season.

Located on the Hamilton/Tipton county line near Atlanta, Indiana is Lisa’s Pie Shop. It is a tradition for me to stop in on my way to Nappanee to visit my college friend, Jay Heckaman. This trip was for his daughter, Kaitlyn’s wedding.

There are Blue Ribbons covering the walls from all of the prizes their pies have earned.

You have to purchase the entire pie 🥧 so I settled for a cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing.

The bottom of this sweet creation had a brown sugary stickiness to it that was delectable! I ate it while driving and had the cream cheese icing smeared on my face as well as my sweatshirt.

The inner circles were also very tasty.

Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Brownstown is a solid spot for us to dine. Friday was All Saints Day and Grandparents Day at Lutheran Central School. There was basketball 🏀 practice after school and then I met Heidi and Sophie for dinner. I was the first one there so I started with a XX Amber and a frosty mug and wound up with this beautiful experience.

It was delicious! The ice in top just set it off! Somewhere in that clump of ice is a lime that truly adds to the fun.

The last two visits I have had the Monterrey 🐓 Chicken. The rice and beans are good, however, the 🍄 mushrooms of this dish make the meal!!!

And the way they can put a brown spot on the liquid cheese 🧀 is incredible.

Heidi and I get home from NOT seeing Elton John (He called in sick for the concert.) and we are unloading from an overnight road trip (Stream Cliff, Christmas gift shopping, Apple Buzz at the Oaken Barrel, Big Joe chairs for the Lutheran Central reading nook, etc) and Nina let’s us know that lunch is ready.

Chili soup and peanut butter pie is the menu.

I add shredded cheese 🧀 and Bugles. (It would usually be corn chips) Here in southern Indiana , pasta is part of the chili recipe. Spaghetti today and some times it may be macaroni. It jut depends on what is in the cabinet.

The 🥜 peanut butter pie was outstanding! The powdered sugar/peanut butter crumbles on top is the meringue had a sweet crunch to it and sets this pie apart from any others. Of course it was baked this morning so it was fresh!

I’ll probably have dinner at the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Soup Supper so this foodie thing just seems to go on forever. I tweaked my back last week and I do have intentions of jumping onto the exercise band wagon soon to off set all of these delicious calories.

Apple Buzz 🍎 🐝 is a seasonal beverage served each fall at the Oaken Barrel Restaurant and Brewery in Greenwood. Their motto is:

” We brew it. We drink it. We sell what is left.”

The first time I had one there was a line 25 people deep just to but a case.

To show what a team player Heidi is, they were sold out of bottles to go so the only way to enjoy one was to drink a pint in the bar. 🍺

Just look how thick this brew is. All the apples used for Apple Buzz come from Adrian Orchard on the south side of Indianapolis. When they run out of cider from Adrian, they stop brewing Apple Buzz.

Heidi and I were on our way to see Elton John in concert. (Bucket list item for Heidi) Ten minutes after checking into hotel, we find out Elton is ill and no concert tonight. Oh well, just some quality time with my lovely wife and dinner in Greenwood.

Twigs and Sprigs Restaurant is located in Commiskey, Indiana at Stream Cliff Farm and Winery. It was our last stop on the Southeast Indiana Wine 🍷 Trail.

The spinach and artichoke dip with the freshly toasted French bread 🥖 was outstanding!

The triple grilled cheese on sourdough with 🥓 bacon and 🥑 avocado with a 🥗 salad and herb chips hit the spot.

Heidi and debated if there was room for the blackberry cobbler and ice cream and fortunately, the answer was “Yes.” We shared it and both left satisfied with the decision.

It is a cozy little spot with several opportunities; from wine tasting and lunch to the herb shop and beautiful flowers. We also highly recommend the wine tour. We received two wine glasses and a wine bottle tote bag being dedicated to the tour.

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Sunday night dinner is a tradition with the Hackman family. Nina creates a masterpiece and any child, grandchild , etc. that can make it will be well fed.

Before Heidi and I were married I volunteered to bring mashed potatoes 🥔 to Thanksgiving for her family. I put three or four containers of Bob Evans mashed potatoes in a crock pot and topped it with some salt and pepper and a stick of butter and they were a hit. Compliment after compliment was thrown my way throughout the dinner. I just smiled and said “Thank You.”

After a while Heidi couldn’t take it anymore. She said ” My goodness. They are Bob Evans mashed potatoes. Quit telling him how good they are.” Bob Evans has been a staple with us ever since.

Tonight Nina fixed this delicious Salisbury Steak (glorified hamburger she called it) and Bob Evans mashed potatoes. Her gravy was simply beef broth, onions and mushrooms 🍄 and thickened up with corn starch. Just look at that 🍄 mushroom hanging on the the edge of that piece of meat!

I was like warm about something Heidi fixed for dinner one night and she stated, ” I bet if my Mom fixed it you would try it!” Of course I would. Because whatever Nina Hackman fixes for dinner is golden.

The best news is that this picture is tomorrow’s lunch.