Now here’s some Holiday ideas a Real Man can use! CNN’s Eatocracy recently posted a note about new gift guide. Kevin Diedrich is the bar manager at Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen in San Francisco. He offers five good options in the list:

Give the gift that gives all year: Sign them up for a [...]

1. Follies Extra: A Multitude of Uses for Beer (Besides Drinking) This entry is part of a series, Follies 2011» While...

After mind-altering, tough negotiations that lasted less than 30 seconds we now have set the date for our annual family outing to the Texas Renaissance Festival: We’re going on October 22. It’s a long day, starting before 5 A.M. and ending sometime short of midnight; at least it’s traditionally that. I do the driving [...]

1. Bye-Bye Lamar, Hello Lamar: The Trip Home to Texas With all the celebrating and visiting over, it was...

With all the celebrating and visiting over, it was time to head home to Texas. We made breakfast at Marilyn & Lee’s place (Thanks, folks! We owe you.), a breakfast casserole that we’d put together the evening before. While the casserole heated we loaded the car and chatted with our hosts. Peeps, the peach-faced [...]

1. Road Trip! Los Angeles, Here We Come The American Chemical Society is holding their annual Spring...
2. Scattering to the Winds: California Pizza Kitchen, then Home By early this morning, the Symposium gang had scattered...
3. Florida, Day 5: The Great Warbird Hunt and Home Again Grumpy wasn’t so interested in bouncing off the walls...

Sunday afternoon we all convened at the Thiebaud Auditorium (in beautiful, downtown Lamar) for the Big Event. And I mean ALL. Over 110 folks, or nearly everybody who’s anybody in Barton County, MO (and for miles around). At least five generations were represented, including a small army several of my cousins of all degrees [...]

We’ve had all the hot days and no rain we can stand. We’re on the road to Lamar, Missouri, birthplace of “Give’em Hell Harry” and a large number of like-minded folk, many of whom are relatives. We expect cool mornings, great food, unbelievable tales (and believe me, nobody will be believing them), fishing attempts [...]

I enjoy good Indian food. Like many Americans who appreciate this great ethnic cuisine, I only had experience with the food here in the States. Authenticity is tough to judge without visiting the motherland, of course, and I have been fortunate to go “over there” [...]

1. Mama Roux: So Good There’s A Song About It, Sort Of… This entry is part of a series, Austin Scene» I...
2. Restaurant Reviews: Urbanspoon Rocks! Some of you may have noticed a new feature...
3. Dinner for One: Sometimes the Good Stuff is Right Under Your Nose This entry is part of a series, Austin Scene» The...

These days it’s popular, at least in certain circles, to say you’re a locavore. I’m okay with the idea. Shoot, I enjoy fresh produce and locally grown (or hunted) meats as much as anyone. I never thought that I was participating in social activism when I shopped the farmers markets in my area, or [...]

Grumpy wasn’t so interested in bouncing off the walls this morning. (Sometimes I wake up Grumpy, and sometimes I let her sleep..) Indeed, she wasn’t really interested in getting up after yesterday’s long day of fun and frivolity. Besides, it’s hard to get motivated when you know you’re on your way home from a [...]

1. Florida, Day 1: Flying, Three Birds Tavern, and Apple Pork Chops Saturday morning, way too early, we oozed out of...
2. Florida, Day 2: Way Too Many Fishies, and an Unforgettable Spanish Meal Image Courtesy Kari Sheppard, ShepArt Studio The original Sunday...
3. Florida, Day 4: Harry Potter, Archaeology Gone Bad and Seuss Madness All I wanted to do was sleep, just a...

Tuesday afternoon was quite cloudy, and by the time we returned to the Islands of Adventure the air was quite a bit cooler. Bearable. Not cool, mind you, but not scorching. We parked and made the long trek to the Port of Entry, where we showed our tickets once again. It’s an easy process [...]

1. Florida, Day 4: Harry Potter, Archaeology Gone Bad and Seuss Madness All I wanted to do was sleep, just a...
2. Florida, Day 2: Way Too Many Fishies, and an Unforgettable Spanish Meal Image Courtesy Kari Sheppard, ShepArt Studio The original Sunday...
3. Florida, Day 1: Flying, Three Birds Tavern, and Apple Pork Chops Saturday morning, way too early, we oozed out of...

All I wanted to do was sleep, just a wee bit more. Another forty winks; is that too much to ask? But for the first time in our decades of marriage PJ was up Very Early and bouncing off the walls to get going. Harry Potter beckoned, and she couldn’t wait a moment longer. [...]

1. Florida, Day 1: Flying, Three Birds Tavern, and Apple Pork Chops Saturday morning, way too early, we oozed out of...
2. Florida, Day 2: Way Too Many Fishies, and an Unforgettable Spanish Meal Image Courtesy Kari Sheppard, ShepArt Studio The original Sunday...
3. Florida, Day 3 (Part Deux): The Winding Road to Orlando and Supper at Emeril’s By mid-afternoon on Monday we were tooling down the...