Dockside Grill And A Trip To Nebraska For A Special Event – Day 1 to Cape Girardeau, MO And Supper At Top Of The Marq

Our daughter Kathy and her boyfriend (fiancée) have been together for several years and have now decided it’s time to get married in Sioux City, IA and since she wanted me to walk her down the aisle, I thought we should go.  We opted to drive rather than fly and go to their house in Hartington, NE first to have a look at their home renovations before going to Sioux City - about an hour east.  It’s over 1000 miles to their place and in our younger days we would have made it a two trip but not anymore so we decided on three days at about 350 miles each day.

But before leaving for the trip on Monday, we decided to eat out on Sunday to prevent a kitchen clean up and to have leftovers for supper.  Since it was Fathers Day, to beat the crowd, we headed up early to Dockside Grill At Tellico Marina which is a place we really like and I’ve blogged about before and it’s only about 10 minutes away.  We got there about 10 minutes after they opened and at least five tables were already full.  Since it is owned by the same person as Countryside Restaurant, I can go there and get my favorite, awesome, fried catfish which I did for this meal and the only protein side dish they had was baked beans so I got two of them.

That is two giant pieces of fish and I ate about ¾ of one and about ¾ of one of the beans so plenty left for supper and maybe for breakfast as well.  Can you believe they serve all of that food for $15 especially at a place like a marina.  Bev had a smoked, fried boloney sandwich with tater tots at $11 and Pat had the catfish PoBoy with mac & cheese for $12.

And now for the trip.  We took our normal route to the Northwest with the first six-hour leg taking us to Cape Girardeau, MO and since there was no reason to get there early and we were gaining an hour, we left home around 11am Monday and left Cindy, Pat, and the pups in charge on the home front.  The drive went smoothly except in rained for about 2/3 of the trip which lowered the temperature to 62F and we were both dressed for 80F – I didn’t bring any clothes with long sleeves but Bev said she may have a light jacket in the big suitcase if we can dig it out.

That first night of the trip, we stayed at The Courtyard By Marriott in downtown so we could just walk across the street and eat at the 4.7 star Top Of The Marq restaurant .  We got there shortly after five and it was pretty empty but by six, the place was humming. 

From this 7^th floor restaurant, the muddy Mississippi River could be seen out the window.

Bev enjoying a cocktail.

They specialize in Social (small) Plates and I went with one of them while Bev ordered an entrée.  She decided to get risky and order Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps: sautéed Thai chicken, carrot sticks, chopped cucumber, chopped cashews, green onion, served in romaine boats, sweet chili sauce, peanut sauce, $19.Turns out to be a worthwhile risk as she really enjoyed it.

I had the Hangar Steak: medium rare, sliced, marinated hangar steak with chimichurri and two bean citrus salad, $17.  I thought mine was very good and satisfied my desire for plenty of protein.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/22/25 event date

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas And Black Beans

Instead of a weekly get together for cards, it is now monthly but it still includes supper and for this meal I was looking for dishes high in protein and can be cooked in advance or while we are playing cards.  As luck would have it, two of my blogger buddies had recently posted dishes that fit the bill.  Dennis posted a recipe for Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas on his “Ask Chef Dennis” blog which contained chicken and dairy for the protein.  And for a side I went with Pam’s recent post for Spicy Black Beans from her “For The Love Of Cooking” blog where the beans are the protein source.  Cindy made the enchiladas and I made the beans (the easy part by far).

Day Trip To Crossville For Bird Houses And Lunch With Friends

Several years ago, at an RV rally in Crossville, TN, we bought a few bluebird houses from a representative of the Cumberland County Bluebird Club and we stationed them around our property.  Since bluebirds are very territorial, it is suggested they be placed at least 100’ apart, which we did.  Starting last year, tree swallows took over some of the houses and since they are bug eaters, we decided to welcome them.  The swallows are also territorial so they also need to be spaced out but after some research, I learned they can co-exist in close proximity with bluebirds and the houses for the two of them can be 25’ apart.

With this new knowledge, we decided to make a trip to Crossville to get six more houses from the bluebird club along with two of the predatorproof poles for our on hand bird houses – the ones the snake invaded.

Since we were going to Crossville, we didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to see friends Diane and Milo so we arranged the visit around their schedule then we met for lunch at the Beef & Barrel Restaurant & Lounge.

We got there early and were the only diners at that time (Pat still using a walker from her knee replacement).

I forgot to have the server get a pic of us at the table but we spent the first 20-30 minutes visiting before we got around to ordering.  I couldn’t find a decent menu pic on line so I took my own pics of it – still not great but better than online.

Bev and Pat each had a Reuban Sandwich with one side.

Diane ordered the Chicken Pesto Sandwich and a side.

Milo chose the Patty melt with a side.

And to maximize my protein and minimize calories, I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich and a side of Steamed Broccoli.

I ate all of the broccoli and less than half of the meat from the sandwich – no bread.

The Verdict:

I believe everyone enjoyed their meals and we enjoyed the visiting even more.

Bird Houses

Following the meal, we drove to the upper end of the Fairfield Glade community to pick up the bird houses and poles which filled up the back of our car.  In addition to the predator guard, they have an easy installation system where a piece of re-bar is driven into the ground then the aluminum pole just slips down over it.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/17/25 event date

Smothered Mediterranean Pork Chops, Karen’s Salad, And Posting Philosophy Addendum

Our kids, Rhett and Beth, gave us some special Iberico Pork from Spain’s Campo Grande for last years Christmas and we are just eating the first of it. From the web: “Known as the "Wagyu of pork," Ibérico pork is a premium meat from black Iberian pigs native to the Iberian Peninsula."  Renowned for its rich marbling, buttery texture, and nutty flavor, it is sourced from humanely raised animals with a traditional diet of grass and acorns.” For this meal, I selected a four-bone rack of pork chops which I cut into individual chops.  I looked around and found several recipes but smothered meat and pork is always a favorite of ours so I used the recipe for Smothered Mediterranean Pork Chops from the “A Labour Of Life” blog.  

Lakeside Tavern and Weight Loss

You may recall that for Christmas, I gave Cindy and good friend, Kathy, five free lunches and today was number four.  Cindy had never been to Lakeside Tavern located on Fort Loudon Lake between home and Knoxville – about a 40 minute drive – and the rest of us have always enjoyed it with our last visit being Nov 2025 which I blogged about.

This is us at our table and a shot out the window showing the outside dining area (87F was too warm for us) and a cove of the lake.  

As usual, we began with an order of their delicious Colossal Onion Rings for the table but we didn’t think they were quite as good as we remember from our last visit.

Pat ordered the Chicken Tenders – “Fresh, hand-breaded chicken tenders fried crisp and golden, accompanied by our honey mustard dipping sauce. Served with French fries. $14.99.

Pic missing - Not sure how, but when I got home and looked at my pics, Pat's meal and mine were missing, which I hate as mine was beautifully plated.  Learned lesson:  Always look at my phone to be sure the pics are there before sticking it back in my pocket.

Cindy had the Salmon Avocado Salad - Fresh, cold-water salmon grilled to order. Served over farmers’ market greens tossed in our classic vinaigrette dressing, with avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños, sautéed mushrooms and feta cheese. $17.99

Kathy opted for Southwest Egg Rolls - Grilled chicken breast, sweet corn, black beans, red pepper, onions, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses inside a crispy wonton wrapper. Served with avocado-ranch dipping sauce. $13.99

Bev just had a small Caesar Salad  - Romaine, parmesan cheese, garlic croutons and home-made Caesar dressing. $6.99  Then she ordered a Chicken Pasta Combo to go to have for supper.  No pic of it.

I went with the Ahi Tuna Salad Sashimi-grade Ahi tuna, encrusted with black pepper, lightly seared and served over mixed field greens tossed with classic vinaigrette, red onions, cucumbers, Mandarin oranges and pickled ginger. Accompanied with a side of soy-ginger sauce. $17.99

pic missing.

Everyone enjoyed their food as well as the ambience, and the view.  My food was good but the salad needed a little more dressing – something I rarely ever say.  While I enjoyed this visit, next time, we'll pick a different time so it will be less crowded and quieter, I believe I would rather go there around 1pm (got there at 11:45am this time).

Weight Loss

One of the downsides of taking weight loss drugs is that it can result in loss of muscle mass if you don’t get enough protein.  To help with that I have been drinking a protein shake each day.  I’ve settled on Fairlife’s Core Power shakes which contain 42 grams of protein or about half of the 100 grams I want to take in each day.

As long as I can remember, I have loved store bought chocolate milk and I still do so after trying the three Core Power flavors, I’ve settled on chocolate.  As it turns out, I really like it and may continue with it after I quit taking the Zepbound.  I’m well pleased to be down 40 lbs. in 3½ months – the weight is coming off faster now that I am alcohol free.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/11/25 event date

Eliza Comes For Steak And WVU Baseball

We hadn’t seen Eliza and family for a few weeks and I have been wanting to cook some steaks (my needed extra protein) so we invited her to bring her family and come on down for Sunday supper.  Her she is at eight with her wide blond hair.

My Posting Philosophy, Marinated Olives And Cheese, And The Snake Does The Unexpected

You may have noticed that I’m not posting as often and when I do it is often more than one topic.  The reason I don’t post as often is that I don’t have as much to write about since we don’t RV and they contain more topics because we don’t cook as many meals that are worthy of a full blog post.  Bev and I are both losing weight and to do that, we cook and eat more meagerly.  But since my blog is my journal and the home for most of our recipes, I want to keep doing it, at least for a while longer - I actually write some posts and don’t publish them to be sure I have the info.  I’ve been taking Zepbound to lose weight for three months (37 lbs so far) and after a recent doctor visit, I realized I was not getting all of the nutrition that I needed (especially protein) so I’ve opted to change things up a little and have my diet be more Mediterranean like (more beans, olives, fish), eating more meat protein, and adding a protein shake each day - not enough protein is why muscle mass is loss when taking the new weight loss drugs. 

Marinated Olives

Hot Dogs And Slaw For Memorial Day

The Memorial Day food question for us usually boils down to “will it be hamburgers or hot dogs for the meal and since we recently had burgers, we opted to go with the dawgs this time.  I’ve mentioned several times that I grew up in an area of West Virginia where hot dogs were topped only sauce (chili), mustard, and onion and slaw was not even an offered option (it is in most places now like the rest of the state).  But not being from that area, Bev and Pat like slaw dogs so the simple menu for just us was hot dogs and slaw.  While I never put slaw on my dawgs, I do like it as a side dish.  The key to a good hot dog is the sauce and we have played with many recipes over the years to have now settled on My Dad’s West Virginia Hot Dog Sauce  which came from the “Tried And True” blog.  Bev omitted the beef broth and changed the cooking method a lot to get the recipe below.  The original recipe and pics can be found by clicking on the above link.   

Takeout-Style Kung Pao Chicken And Such A Simple Shower Fix

Since everyone here but Pat is trying to lose weight, we’ve been trying to cook healthier and lower calorie and this dish seemed to fit the bill.  We rarely make stir-fry but I’ve become a fan of “Serious Eats” and decided to use their recipe for Kung Pao Chicken  and Cindy wanted to cook so she followed the recipe as shown below which we adapted a little but the original can be found by clicking on the above link.

Mashed Potato Pancakes And Oven Baked Ribs

Mashed Potato Pancakes

After our baked steak and gravy meal, we had four cups of mashed potatoes and I decided to turn them into one of my favorite things – mashed potato pancakes.  I looked around the web and found several similar recipes which I combined into the one below.  Since Cindy wanted to cook she took over and followed the recipe.

Baked Steak in Brown Gravy, German Christmas Sausage, and Mexican Out

Whether you call it baked steak, country steak, or steak and gravy, it’s beef comfort food at it’s best especially when served with mashed potatoes and it was a good meal for Pat on her first day home.  She had a knee replaced on Apr 27^th and after a few days in the hospital, she went to a step-down unit until May 8.  She has been doing very well and in much less pain than I was. 

Beef Bone Broth, Gourmet Scrambled Eggs, And Cuban Sandwiches

As in the past, when our neighbors had their beef processed, I ended up with tail pieces (ox tails) and bones which I like to use to make broth and this was the day.  I had 7½ lbs. of bones and I began by roasting them at 400F for an hour.

Then I added them to my 16 qt. pot and added water to about ¾ full.

I cooked them on very low for 21 hours to get this very rich broth.  I had planned to add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot but forgot until too late.

Then I removed the bones and meat (separated it for the dogs) and let it set until the fat hardened on top and removed it.

Finally, it was strained and water added to get enough for 8 quart plastic bags.  But as we bagged it, two of the bags had a pin hole leak we could see and a third one leaked out in the sheet pan that I was about to freeze them on.  I don’t need this frustration so I’ll be buying beef broth from now on.  Since we cook chicken regularly for the dogs, I may still bag up and freeze these small batches of chicken broth.

Gourmet Scrambled Eggs

Recently, we had Creamy Lemon Garlic Salmon & Shrimp And Creamed Asparagus and we had both of the creamed sauces leftover which I used to top scrambled eggs for a delicious breakfast on two separate mornings.

Cuban Sandwiches

Remember our recent Mojo Pork meal, well we had plenty of leftover pork and opted to invite our neighbors down for Cuban Sandwiches.  I made the sandwiches as I had done previously using my yet-to-be-patented panni press.

We served it with the mojo broth from cooking and we thought they were better than the local Cuban restaurant - the mojo pork made a big difference.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/25-5/2/25 event dates

Slow Cooker Mojo Pork, Cuban Black Beans And Rice, And Cindy Flowers

Before I get into the food, Cindy likes to make flower arrangements so she picked the flowers from around our place and made this very pretty one.

Creamy Lemon Garlic Salmon & Shrimp And Creamed Asparagus

When I saw this recipe on Facebook, every word of the title appealed to me and I knew we needed to try it especially since we love salmon and I still had shrimp in the freezer that I wanted to use.  There was no link to another site so I just did a copy and paste of the recipe but changed the salmon amounts.  Since Cindy wanted to cook again, she took over the kitchen and followed the recipe as written.  

At Cindy’s request, the fish came beautifully packaged from the store.

Muffaletta/ Primavera Pasta Salad And Bev Birthday/Pat's Knee

I made a double recipe of this dish six years ago  for a dock party and it was a major hit with our guests – some called it the best ever, so I decided it was time for a rerun but just a single recipe this time as shown below. When I was at the Food City deli ordering the meat and cheese the way I did, the clerk guessed that I was making pasta salad.

Lemon Butter Shrimp with Bacon & Cheddar Grits

We really like shrimp and grits so since I had some shrimp in the freezer and Karen recently posted her recipe for Lemon Butter Shrimp with Bacon & Cheddar Polenta on her “Backroad Journal” blog, a plan was born.  Since Cindy had been wanting to cook, she took over those duties and followed Karen’s recipe except we had no cornmeal and I didn’t want to make a store trip, so we used Quick Grits and made extra to ensure leftovers.  Plus we served more smaller shrimp to use what we had.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

If you’ve been reading this blog awhile, unlike many of you who create dishes, you know I'm pretty well just a recipe follower with the occasional light recipe adaptation until this meal.  Dennis recently posted the recipe for Creamy Chicken Alfredo Lasagna on his “Ask Chef Dennis” blog and the ingredients appealed to me.  We had ricotta, spinach, and chicken that all needed to be used but I didn’t have enough noodles to make lasagna and wasn’t willing to make a store trip so I used on hand ingredients and heavily adapted his recipe.  As it turned out, we had 24 oz of ricotta, only half a bag of spinach (I thought we had 1½), and no mushrooms so the recipe below was born.  You can get the original recipe and pics by clicking on the above link.

Creamy Tuscan Shrimp For Easter Dinner & Romeo

I’m aware that ham or lamb with sides make up the typical Easter meal, but for past several years I haven’t been inclined to go with a traditional meal for certain occasions plus I had some shrimp in the freezer that I wanted to use.  So, I opted to make Creamy Tuscan Shrimp that we had raved about several years ago  and I made extra sauce so we could have it over pasta.  Eliza's family and Cindy's friend Ernie joined us to make a party of eight.

Weight Loss And Lunch At Countryside Restaurant

I have good family genes for a long life but I as I approach my 80th birthday I finally realize I could overcome the good genes with my bad behavior, especially by being way too heavy.  So, I decided to give one of the weight loss drugs a try and my doctor prescribed Zepbound by injection and so far I’m losing four pounds/ week and my clothes are fitting looser.  I’m well pleased with how it’s going and I’m never hungry.  I eat breakfast around 11am and supper around 6pm and I eat whatever I want but I don’t want near as much of it and if I stopped my fermented grape juice intake, my loss would be even greater.

Cindy And I Eat Seafood – Part 2

 We continue our seafood-a-thon into week two with swordfish and tuna.

Swordfish

Our next seafood meal was Swordfish Puttanesca using our go-to recipe which we hadn’t had in a few years and just as before it was delicious and a hit with the three of us - Cindy raved about it, even the leftovers.  I served it over small shell pasta.  

Cindy And I Eat Plenty Of Seafood - Part 1 - Lots Of Pics

As mentioned in the last post, Bev is gone so Cindy and I are having our twice/year seafood-a-thon and it began with the Greek Salmon in the previous post.  We had 1½ lbs. of fish left over and she turned them into Salmon patties using the recipe from “Natasha’s Kitchen”  while we had mid-March snow showers when a cold front went through.