Holen One Farms Dipping and Glazing Sauce - Yum!

I love to try out new barbecue sauces and was excited to get the products I ordered from Holen One Farms. In addition to the Holen One barbecue sauce (dipping and glazing), they also have a marinade which I hope to try out tomorrow with steaks and a rub I want to check out on a smoked Boston butt.


First I fired up with the Portable Kitchen (PK grill) and got out my new Cusinart silicone basting brush which is so much nicer than the bristle brushes which always manage to end up stuck somewhere not so special. The Cuisinart grill brush is a tad large for the boneless, skinless chicken breasts or looks so, but it worked out fine. I just didn't dip as deep. It's great, also, for bigger barbecue saucing jobs too, of course.

Often I marinate my chicken to ensure moisture and to add some flavor, but I wanted to get the full flavor of Holen One Farms barbecue sauce. So, I just sprayed the grates with a little Pam grilling spray and put the chicken on.

This is a tomato based sauce, so I didn't sauce the chicken beforehand like a marinade. A lot of folks make that mistake, and they have chicken that's no cooked in the middle and burned on the outside as that sugar in the sauce can scorch in a heartbeat.

With these smaller pieces of chicken, I grilled one side until I could see a white color coming up the sides nice and then sauced the up or raw side. The chicken in thin slices like this is close done when you see the cooked part coming up the sides.

I flipped all the chicken with the raw and sauced side down and grilled for a couple of minutes while saucing the grilled top sides with grill marks. Then, I made one last flip for under a minute just to set the sauce on the first grilled side. That was over on a low heat part of the grill as I usually offset coals to do these kinds of tricks that make the grilled foods both taste better and look prettier.


Here's the grilled chicken lathered with Holen One Farm barbecue sauce right ready to come off the grill.

The sauce smelled so good (along with the charcoal) that the dad-person wandered over to see what we were griling up, and he stuck around to try the new bbq sauce as well. I forever grill up more than we can eat, so visitors are always welcome.

My teen son was the first to check in, "Hey, this is good sauce." His Dad then took a couple of bites and said, "Yep. It's a winner."

Holen One Barbecue Dipping and Glazing Sauce is a very nice all-purpose and company barbecue sauce. The flavor is clearly a bump up from mass marketed barbecue sauces at the grocery store, but Holen One did not go over the top and add too much heat or other strange ingredients that put it in a niche category. It appealed to my son who likes mild, his dad who goes medium, and I'm a hot sauce lover but thought this was one fine barbecue sauce.

That's another for the barbecue sauce favorites list which is slowly growing. There are loads of barbecue sauces out there, but I find few that rock the whole house. Holen One is a score!

Got a Quickie Reipce Featuring French's (mustard etc) - Enter to win by 10-31-09

Karen contacted me from French's. Yes. The mustard folks, but they have other great products too.

My son just discovered French's spicy mustard. Now, I've had that FOREVER, becuase I like some zip to my mustard. He just had not given it a try. I guess we were out of garden variety yellow mustard, and he tried the French's brown mustard on his brats. He is now a BELIEVER. Yep. He is going through my mustard fast.

Karen just wanted to let me know about a contest featuring French's products, and I was thinking some of my barbecue fans might have some good sauces featuring mustard - spicy or not. OK. It's kind of a South Carolina thing (that mustard barbecue sauce), but I'm betting some of ya'll use a little mustard as a secret ingredient. I know I do - like in my barbecue baked beans.

Sorry the notice is short. This has to be knocked out by Halloween 2009, but here are the general rules. Might want to double check the site links for more details. I don't think I'll be able to get it together this quick, but I'll bet some readers can, so knock us out and share your recipes too. That's always fun!

Each Recipe for the French's Contest Should:

Be original, unpublished, and created by you;
Include at least one French's product;
Include no more than 8 ingredients(with the exception of salt, pepper and water…those are freebies);
And be prepared and ready to serve in no more than 1 hour.

For recipe inspiration and giveaways, check out the French’s Facebook page:

Recipes will be evaluated on appearance, creativity and overall deliciousness and must be submitted by October 31, 2009 online at French's.

Five finalists, determined by online voting and a judging panel, will compete in a LIVE Cook-Off event to be held in New York City for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $25,000!

Chef Hymie Grande Makes Some Great Barbecue Sauce

I fired up the PK charcoal grill to try out my latest barbecue sauce - Chef Hymie Grande. His barbecue sauces caught my eye, because they are the first to carry the American Diabetes Association seal. Although, I do not have diabetes, I have high tri levels and some family memebers with diabetes. Gotta keep an eye on that.

Chef Hymie Grande barbecue sauces are vegan friendly. I am very not vegan as anyone will know who reads my blog or web site Yes You Can Grill. I aim to please though, so it would nice to have a good vegan barbecue sauce in the arsenal though I slathered mine on meat, of course.



Chef Hymie has three barbecue sauces out and a ketchup coming up soon which I look forward to trying out. The one I'm using on this grill time is the New Mexico Sweet Barbecue Glaze which is billed as having a "mild, earthy flavor." He also has a medium and hot version (and I do love hot).

I've heard people say that Chef Hymie barbecue sauces taste kind of smokey, and that always makes me nervous. I've had way too many barbecue sauces and dishes with fake smoke added, and I must say that Liquid Smoke tastes like . . . well . . . Liquid Smoke. It's kind of like plastic flowers. They're OK I guess and have a place on the market, but I'd much rather have real than fake.

Since the Chef Hymie Grande sauces are all natural and don't even include high fructose sugar plus are made in small batches, I quickly set those worries aside after reading the side of the bottles. But, it's still all about the taste. So, even if it's a good idea, the barbecue sauce has to pass the taste test to survive around this house.



Chef Hymie barbecue sauce is medium as far as texture. It's not as thick as Kansas or Texas barbecue sauce, but it's not thin (and made as a mop sauce) like many North Carolina pork barbecue sauces. Also, the color is darker than the typical barbecue sauce, so don't think I burned my barbecue chicken. I didn't. Trust me. I seldom do that, and when I do, the dog is very happy.

I brushed Chef Hymie Grande on the boneless chicken strips right near the end of the grilling time. That's one grilling mistake many folks make - using barbecue sauce as a marinade or rubbing it on too soon. Sauce goes on the last five minutes or so - just enough time to heat and set the bbq sauce.

Everything looked great, and Chef Hymie bbq sauce smelled fabulous. But, again, it is all about the taste.

I had to taste test the grilled chicken, and . . . wow . . . great stuff. I was sure Chef Hymie had a hit with his new barbecue sauces. I never say that though. I served the grilled chicken up, and the kid and the dad-person both thought Chef Hymie Grande sauce was a score. I hold it neutral until I get reactions from the family and friends. But, I usually nail it.

While I don't normally think of New Mexico as a barbecue sauce state, I'm giving that second thoughts. I adore Chef Matt's sauces out of Arizona (close), and Chef Hymie Grande ranks there with the best. I feel a road trip coming on, but New Mexico/Arizona sure is a haul. The barbecue sauces are great though, so I may have to put that on my to-do list.

If you want to check out the sauces, then see Chef Hymie Grande sauces at Open Sky. He really does have top notch barbecue sauce. I'm very impressed.

Instant Fire Every Time with FlameDisk - Easier Than Charcoal

If you've ever been frustrated trying to start charcoal, the FlameDisk may be just what you've been looking for. FlameDisk is an alternative to charcoal, but it can be used in your old charcaol grill that may be sitting there gathering dust if you've had bad grilling experiences.

All you have to do with Flame Disk is open it up and light it. That's it. You are grilling in seconds and with no pain. Plus, you do not have any clean up with FlameDisk.

FlameDisk is perfect for tailgating, but it's fine at home for barbecue parties or whereever you may want to fire up a grill. It's really a very simple grill accessory, but it does wonders for those who may be a bit grilling challenged.



Above you can see the FlameDisk in my Weber Smokey Joe. It's a perfect fit in my tailgater grill, but it can be used in larger charcoal grills too.

If you want to read more about FlameDisk, see my FlameDisk review at Yes You Can Grill, or you can find Flame Disk at my Yes You Can Grill Store.

I've always said that there's a grill to match every personality and taste. In this case, it's not a grill, but FlameDisk could certainly make grilling easier and more fun for many who have had a hard time getting the hang of outdoor cooking.

FlameDisk is nice, too, for pros when they don't want to have to think too much. You see the easiest pork chops I've ever grilled. Yep. It was a breeze to grill with FlameDisk, and there's no mess to worry about other than the dinner plates which are still sitting in the sink.

Eli Honored at RiverPark Cooleemee - Bull Hole - NC

It was a family trip out to the Bull Hole in Cooleemee, NC today where Eli was honored for saving a drowning teenager earlier this year. That happened when I was hosting a Carolina Cook Out through Food Buzz (an online foodie site). Those who follow my blog will likely remember that Eli went into the Yadkin when he heard the kid yelling for help, and the two boys were swept down the river. It was 20 minutes before I knew, for sure, if he made it out or not. He did. And, the other young man was fine after a trip to the hospital.


This was the 8th year for the Catfish Fry at Riverpark, but it's the first time I'd heard about it and got a chance to go. The Cooleemee Historic Society contacted Eli and invited him and the family out for the event which featured catfish (of course) and also bluegrass music.


Eli is kind of shy, but he got up and accepted his award for being a hero, and he thanked the RiverPark crowd and told them that the catfish was great. It was too. The three Rons (Bivins, Shoaf and Web) can sure fry up some fish.


The family enjoyed the catfish and fixings as well as the bluegrass music. The band was really good, but I didn't catch the name of the group. Maybe someone will know and can add that in the comments.


I was very proud of Eli as you can see. I still get chills when I think about him going in the river that day in May. The Yadkin was raging with waves that looked like the ocean or fast whitewater and not a slow, sleepy river like usual. I've never seen it like that before or since, and I've been down at the Bull Hole off and on since high school.

The Bull Hole is absolutely beautiful and one of my favorite places. I'm glad it's a park now and that folks can enjoy it.

Guy Fieri Needs to Head on Out Here for Some NC Barbecue

Keaton's Should Be on The Must-Visit List for Guy Fieri - Don't Ya Think?

Doesn’t Guy Fieri have the coolest job around – hosting Diners, Drive-in and Dives? If you haven’t seen the show, he visits little eateries all over the country to get the best food in town (including barbecue). The show is not gourmet now. Fieri really does visit the little joints that draw the locals. So, if you’re looking for good stick-to-your-rib eats, you should check out the TV show and take some notes.

Guy has been out in California lately crowning the “Next Pork Personality.” Seems they had a pig grill off, and Kristina Vanni of Hollywood won with her Spicy Asian Pork Tenderloin with Pear Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Baby Bok Choy. What? Haven’t tried those yet? Well, you have to remember this is California barbecue we’re talking, so they do things different out there.

I am wondering if those pear mashed potatoes taste anything like the ones my sister made for Thanksgiving with applesauce. All I will say is that they did, indeed, look like mashed potatoes, but putting gravy on them was not such a great idea. It would rank right up there with gravy on ice cream which is about the only thing we don’t gravy up here in the South.

In any case, I’m glad that we have all kinds of barbecue all over this country and something to appeal to every palate. I'll have to get out to California one of these days and check out what they're doing in those parts.

Around here, of course, barbecue is pork served on a white bread bun with a vinegar based sauce. And, it’s some mighty fine stuff even if folks from other parts of the country often just don’t know what to make of pig pickin’ North Carolina BBQ with vinegar mop. Generally it grows on them, or I guess they move away – one or the other.

Then, there’s also Keaton’s Barbecue in Cleveland NC (sort of – really it’s in the middle of nowhere) which is chicken, and it’s barbi-fried. Yep. They fry it some way but not Southern with a thick coating and then they get it lathered up with a thin barbecue sauce that sinks to the bone. It used to be the thing to slip off from high school now and then and get some Keaton’s chicken, although I won’t confess to involvement or not in such truancy.

I’m sure it’s getting old out there in California what with the great weather and all, and I think Fieri needs to road trip on out here to North Carolina and dive some barbecue joints. Heck, he won’t even have to visit three states to get his cue. In fact, he might start a Hatfield and McCoy feud again if he doesn’t showcase eastern AND western style North Carolina barbecue. Yes. There is a difference. Just ask anyone who loves NC barbecue. And, then Guy really does have to round that out with Keaton’s chicken, because it’s just the best barbecue chicken ever.

If Guy needs some tips on NC barbecue, he can give me a call (-: I can hook him right up and also round up some camouflage pants and a ball cap if he doesn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb. He can also practice saying “ya’ll,” although most people from other parts of the country just can’t manage to pull that off very well. Ya’ll know what I’m saying – wink.

So, any great barbecue dives from your neck of the woods that you think Guy needs to check out? If so, drop a comment. Maybe we can turn him on to some good ones. But, then we might have to wait in line at our favorite barbecue joint. Hum. Maybe you should just whisper in my ear and keep our secrets.

Another Rainy Day for the Barbecue Master and Family

I have some new barbecue sauces from Demon Pig that I can't wait to try out, but it's still raining here in the not-so-sunny South, and my nose is still running too. Bummer. Not a good way to celebrate hump day.

This seemed a better day for chicken pot pies (Marie Callender's are definately the best), but I can still dream of a beautiful outdoor grill room with counter space, wine racks and maybe even one of those cool outdoor fountains. Ah heaven.

In the meantime, I've been shopping, since I don't feel up to doing much else. And, online shopping is so easy. Gotta love it.

In addition to some new sauces coming (including Wild n Mild which the hunters who read my blog will love), I'm also waiting on Grill Floss (no kidding) and a Cuisinart silicone basting brush. So, be sure to check back soon, because I'll have some new flavors and new barbecue toys to talk about and some ideas for the holidays.

John Boy & Billy's Grillin' Sauce Saves the Day

I must confess that John Boy & Billy saved the day here, because I feel like crud (although I'm pretty sure it's not the swine flu), and it's raining. It's a toss up as to which is pouring down harder - the rain or my snot. Bummer.

The kid and I had a wonderful smoked pork loin on the PK grill two nights ago sauced up with John Boy & Billy's Grillin' Sauce. I wasn't sure what two radio hosts based out of Charlotte, NC and known for comedy might come up with as far as BBQ sauce, but this was the real deal and no joke.

The taste of John Boy & Billy's Grillin' Sauce is kind of medium as far as texture (thicker than most NC sauces but not as thick as Texas barbecue sauces). The sauce also has a little zip but not enough to put off my mild loving son. He's just not into hot when it comes to food. Girls? Hum. Well, the hot ones do turn his head. He's 16 years old for the record. His sauces - make 'em mild.

Overall the verdict is that John Boy & Billy have a great balanced Grillin' sauce and that's coming from hot Momma and mild Kido.

Having been up most of the night, since it's hard to sleep when you can't breathe and with the chicken thawed in anticipation of grilling along with the rain pouring down (even though I do have porches), I just was not feeling that grilling thing happening. On the flip side, I sent the kid out to get Chinese last night (though did not feel up to eating myself), so I wanted real food but did not want to work too hard at it.

I confess that I plunked the chicken in a pan lined with tin foil (to reduce clean up) and dumped on John Boy & Billy's Grillin' Sauce. There is no rule that says you have to use grilling sauce or any kind of barbecue sauce on the grill, so in the oven went the chicken and sauce at 350 degrees for around an hour - give or take.

Even feeling awful and even having done nothing special to the chicken other than saucing it with John Boy & Billy's Sauce, dinner came out great. My kid had seconds and then thirds. I could taste the bbq sauce even with the nose running and giving me fits, and it taste great after not having been eating much.

I won't bless ya'll with photos of chicken in a pan lined with tin foil. The barbecue sauce gets much thinner when dumped on baked chicken so does not look too gourmet, but hey that's OK. Good barbecue sauce is good sauce. And, you can use it in baking or in the crock pot in a pinch. Today was a pinch, and the food was great if not exactly pretty. A cute bowl could have fixed that, but it would have been one more thing to wash when I doubt the dishes are getting done tonight anyway.

Someone told me that John Boy & Billy mentioned me on their show when I ran for mayor and tied the old guy who held that spot forever - amen. That puts me in good company as the radio boys tend to favor NASCAR guys and wrestlers (called wrastlers in these parts). Well, I hope they said something good about me. I didn't ask. Some things I do not need to know. Really, they need to have the Grill Girl on the radio show some day. Don't ya think? I'm at least as hot as their sauce and can wrastle if necessary.

Pig Pen's Original Seasoning Sprinkle is Great as a Barbecue Rub Too

I have been in a "trying new barbecue stuff" mood lately, and so I grabbed some Pig Pen's at Food Lion. It was with the barbecue sauces and rubs, and since it was dry, I figured it was a barbecue rub. WRONG! Well, it turned out way right. There are times when not being able to see that well comes in handy. This was one of those times. Other times it does not work out so well, so I am trying to learn to use my progressive bifocal glasses, although they make me seasick and walk geeky.

I brought home Pig Pen's Original Seasoning and lathered up my pork loin. Those pork loins were on sale this week at Food Lion, and it's hard to pass up pork loin which is fabulous slow cooked on a grill.


When I opend up the seal on Pig Pen's, I noticed right off that it had a zip. That's fine by me, but my younger son does not like foods too hot, so I went easy on the rub on the pork loin.

That pork loin was smelling like heaven as it was cooking, and my mouth was watering. It takes a while to slow cook a loin, so the kid and I were getting quite hungry, but good food is worth waiting for - and this was massive pork loin.

That pork loin was some of the best I've had. The Pig Pen's gave it just enough zip to make it stand out big times. So, then, I had to round up my reading glasses and get a handle on this new and fabulous grilling rub.

Well, the joke was on me. Pig Pen's is really a seasoning sprikle kind of like a seasoning salt but zestier. The other joke is that the guy who makes this lives right in my home town. How random! I don't know any guy who goes by Pig Pen, so I am going to have to ask around. This is not a big area. It can't be that hard to find the Pig Pen guy.

In the meantime, I will continue to use Pig Pen's Original as a barbecue rub but also as a sprinkle as intended for all kinds of foods - really anything that you might hit with seasoning salt of some type.

Yum! I am tempted to go get another slice of that pork loin with Pig Pen's, but I just came off that winter Consumers Digest grill project where I put on 10 pounds or so. I dropped that (or most of it), so I will hold myself back. But, I can tell you that was sure a good loin.

Never Been to a Redneck Grill Party? You're Missing Out.

Folks do things different in the South and that includes barbecuing. Actually barbecue is slow smoking pork, and grilling is putting anything else on the grill and cooking it. But, we done figured out that the rest of the country don't know no better.

If women are involved in the barbecue party planning, there will be some decorating. If the flowers are not in bloom - no problem. That's what plastic flowers was made for. Other favorites are flags and mostly American and plastic yard birds are also pretty darn popular.

Now, if guys are taking care of the details at the barbecue, you will not have decorations and maybe not napkins. That's what pants are made for.


The best Southern grills are homemade. They are made out of all kinds of stuff, so recycling is alive and well below the Mason/Dixon as is dumpster diving. Most common of the homemade barbecue grills or barbecue smokers are ones made when your oil tanks go to leaking or if you come across a big old barrel that ain't good for much else.


If you have to bring in a store bought grill down South, that's no problem. Most everybody has a pick up or a relative with one. But, some Southern men figure it's too much trouble to unload the grill, so they just fire up in the bed of the truck. This is not FDA approved or recommended but no casualties have been reported to date.


The older guys will, if they get a chance, supervise at the barbecue. After all, they done their dues. Old fellows, however, are not content to go plop down in a lawn chair. Oh no. They figure they better offer up some advice so end up spending as much time supervisiing as they would have grilling. It's just a guy thing I guess. Tell a woman not to worry about cooking, and she mostly won't unless something catches fire (also known as "afar).


The longer a redneck barbecue lasts the more fun is had and the better (or worse) the dancing gets. In fact, a redneck party can last until the cows come home at which time they have to be milked, of course, as things like that just can't be put off to another day.

If you are not sure if you throw redneck barbecue parties, check out Are You a Redneck Grill Guy or Grill Girl at Yes! You Can Grill. Of course, you probably already know, but it's still fun to peek, and you can email in your other redneck party notes if you like.

Lexington, North Carolina Barbecue Festival 2009

It's time for the Lexington, NC Barbecue Festival again. It's an annual event scheduled for October 24 this time, and this is the 26th year. One of the highlights each year is the pig themed sculpture made of sand. It's always impressive.


Yum. The barbcue sauce is simmering and ready to be poured on the slow cooked pork which is served on white bread buns with slaw. They also have curly pig tail fries to round out the signature festival meal. But, there are lots of other great foods at the Lexington BBQ Festival.


There are many artists and craft folks at the BBQ festival each year, so it's fun to do some holiday shopping while enjoying the barbecue pork.


I always look for the fresh made bread at the Barbecue Festival and take home a loaf or two for supper or for the next day. Hard to beat home baked bread.


Last year it rained for the 25th annual Lexington BBQ Festival, so everyone is hoping for sunny skies this year.

For information and tips on the Lexington, NC Barbecue Festival, check out Yes You Can Grill - my grilling web site.

Free Johnsonville Brats T-Shirt - Tailgate Season 2009

We love grilled brats around here, and my favorite brand is Johnsonville. They don't try to make and sell everything under the sun. Johnsville sells sausages - period. And, darn good sausages.

Grilling bratswurth (or bratsworth) is very simple, but the type of sausage you buy does make a difference in terms of how you grill your brats. If you're not sure how to grill brats, then check out my Grilled Brats Guide.

It's always nice to be styling when grilling at home or when tailgating at a ballgames or NASCAR race, so start saving your Johnsonville labels. If you collect four proofs of purchase, you can mail those in for a Free Johnsonville T-Shirt. Details on the deal are in the right hand corner currently.

Get yourself a free t-shirt and enjoy some tasty grilled brats. That's a real win-win!

Rib Eye Steak on the Weber Kettle Grill with Steak Fries and Salad

The kid and I had an evening to ourselves, so I decided to toss some rib eye steaks on the Weber grill. Honestly, it's hard to beat a Weber 22 inch charcoal grill for taste, and Weber grills are very forgiving. You have more head space, good ventilation, and nice control with the top and bottom vents.

Some folks don't use charcoal, becauce it's harder to start, control, and to clean up the grill. But, if you buy a chimney starter, then you'll have red hot coals in less than 10 minutes. Honestly, I can't believe I ever DIDN'T use a chimney starter. As far as control, Weber grills are much easier to use than most, and almost everyone can master charcoal grilling with a Weber. Clean up on a gas grill can be rather messy too, although some models like the Big Red by Char Broil are self cleaning. Personally, I can deal with a little mess to get that great charcoal taste.

I grill our steaks to medium or a tad to medium well with the tips here in my Grilled Steak Guide. They turn out perfect every time. Well, I did burn the steaks once when I got sidetracked hanging clothes on the clothesline. Not a good plan - that. But, if I watch, even a little bit, I never have any problems with the Weber.

As for the steak fries, they can be done on the grill. They work best packed in tin foil with butter. Cheese can be added to for those who like cheese fries. But, I did these in the oven, since I was tired. They are the Food Lion brand French fries. I wasn't sure how they'd taste, but they were just as good as they look. I find a lot of the Food Lion brand products to be solid. We especially like the cubed hash browns grilled.

I cheated on the salad. Just bought a bag. Very easy. And, salad always goes great with steak.

It's often tempting to just heat up a pizza or something when it's just me and my 16-year-old, but a grilled steak dinner like this one doesn't take much longer than a heat and eat meal - and sure does taste better.

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Grilled Apple Jack Chicken at Blue Ribbon Diner in Mebane, NC

Today we took my son back to college, and we stopped at Blue Ribbon Diner in Mebane, North Carolina. It's right off I40 and about 20 to 30 minutes from UNC-Chapel Hill. If you're headed up I40 from Greensboro to Chapel Hill, you get off the Mebane exit and then turn left. The restaurant is about 1/3 mile on the left. And, they have a sign on the highway too. It's easy to find.


The original Blue Ribbon Diner is in Burlington which is a little further South of Chapel Hill. Business was so good at that restaurant that the two men who opened up Blue Ribbon decided to open the second location.

Jennifer, our waitress who was absolutely terrific, told us that she used to eat at Blue Ribbon when she was a kid. "It got hot standing outside in line," she told us. And, she's glad they opened up a second diner so that they can feed all the folks looking for a delicious diner meal.


Although, Blue Ribbon is called a diner, it's heavy on the burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches with the specialty being the grilled chicken sandwich (more about that later). They also sell a lot of the "Dirty Dog" which is a big weiner with chili, cheese, bacon and slaw. The guys thought that sounded good and may order the big hot dog next time.

In diner tradition, Blue Ribbon has blue plate specials ranging from chicken fried steak to homestyle meatloaf. Sunday is the day for chicken pie, and if I had not eaten so much barbecue over the winter and put on a few pounds, I would have loved to have tried that with the two Southern sides. I saw some of the sides go by, and they looked great. They included traditional dishes like mashed potatoes, fried okra, pinto beans, and blackeyed peas. Yum.

I'd also note that most of the sandwich plates came with unlimited french fries. I had plenty, but that might be good news for those with big appetites. They're kind of thick steak fries with a bit of crinkle. Ours were piping hot and nice and crisp.


Here's a fried chicken sandwich. I tried a bite of that. Very tasty. And, the toppings (lettuce and tomato - although you could get gravy on there if you wanted) were super fresh. The tomato looked like local home grown, and the lettuce appeared to be fresh off a full head of iceburg.


I had to try the diner specialty - the grilled chicken sandwich. Jennifer told me that it had a fabulous apple jack sauce on it and that the chicken was sweet but not over the top. She was absolutely right. The balance was perfect. Plus, the chicken was moist and juicy. It was one of the best grilled chicken sandwiches I've ever had at a restaurant. I usually grill chicken at home.

If you're ever on I40 between Greensboro and Raleigh, then check out the Blue Ribbon Diner. Or, take a side trip and check it out. The grilled chicken sandwich is out of this world, and the other meals passing by looked great too.


After that fun lunch, we headed on to UNC-Chapel Hill where I helped the kid move his stuff up to the 10th floor of Morrison. There are more people in his dorm than in our home town. He does have a good view of the trees which will make him feel more at home I hope, and he has a suite with 6 roommates and a living room.

Grilled Burgers and Hot Dogs at the Woodleaf, NC Tomato Festival

Today I went to the Woodleaf, North Carolina Tomato Festival at Unity Presbyterian Church. They've had the festival for quite a while now, but this is the first time I'd had a chance to go.


They had tomato sandwiches (of course). Sadly, I am one Southern girl who does not like tomato sandwiches.

One year, my Dad had a bumper crop of tomatoes. Mom declared that we would eat tomato sandwiches all summer and made us all big, drippy tomato sandwiches slathered with mayonnaise. If there's one thing I like less than tomato sandwiches, it's tomato sandwiches with mayo. The bread gets all soggy which I think is my main problem.

I did the logical thing and buried my sandwich under the pecan tree.

The next year, Mom was trying to figure out why a tomato plant grew under the pecan tree. I think that was God's way of telling me something, but I never did get a taste for tomato sandwiches.

But, I will eat tomatoes plain or on burgers or something.


Lucky for me, they had grilled burgers and hot dogs at the festival. They were cranking those out with the help of College Barbecue of Salisbury, NC which is one of my favorite places to eat especially for breakfast.


At the festival, they had fresh produce from Wetmore Farm and also some homemade jams and jellies. I was wanting to get some sweet potato butter, but Carol hadn't made any up yet. So, I'll have to wait on that. I've only had apple butter, so I'm looking forward to trying the sweet potato butter which another lady told me tastes like sweet potato pie.

The Woodleaf Tomato Festival is a small town festival, and I really do mean small town. You head out Woodleaf-Barber Road and then they have some parking in a field near the church. In addition to the food, they have entertainment, crafts, play areas for the kids, and a yard sale.


Here's my mom and step-dad with a giant tomato (-:

Barbecue Master Slips Off to See Julie & Julia

I took myself to see Julie & Julia today at the theatre, since the boys are off on vacation. Although I bribed the younger one to go see Mamma Mia (mainly because all the hot high school girls were there to watch it), Julie & Julia was a "no go" with the guys.

There's been quite a bit of buzz about Julie & Julia, but if you've not heard about it . . . it's a film about a young married girl in New York who decided to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's and blog about her one-year adventure. So, the film is all about food and cooking and these two true stories. There's romance too. And, I would attest that it is definately a chick flick, although some of the older women had talked a couple of older gentlemen to attend the showing today.

As I was watching the movie, I wondered how our life would be if I'd taken up French cooking rather than outdoor cooking. As the mom of two boys, I frankly can't imagine it. They get a tad nervous about squash, unless I bread and Southern fry it. Also, I can't imagine cooking (especially grilling) wearing a string of pearls, although I do have a nice set from my Granny. Nope. Makes much more sense to put on a Harley t-shirt and tennis shoes.

I sure did enjoy the movie. It was fun to see a girlie movie for a change. I thought about some of those great dishes, but I ended up with chicken on the grill. Hard to beat that though.

A Great Six Foot Table for Outdoor Barbecues or Inside Too

When we have big barbecue parties here at the house, table space is always an issue. We have a small outdoor table, a little camp table, and then the grills have side spaces to work. But, all the spaces are small. It's not like you can put a full spread out on any of those.

Our workaround has been to borrow a table from the church and then return it (of course). You'll see a church table at my son's graduation luau above. Now, that's a good sturdy table and something I have been needing.

The issue has been space though. Like many folks, I do not live in a mansion. Finding space for a 6 foot table is a problem.

Fortunately I won a contest at Solutions. This was back when Mug Root Beer gave me some prizes for readers for Father's Day. I was googling up "contest" and "giveaway" and looking for my Mug contest. Forgive me. I just can't help myself. I get excited about my blog and was excited to have the contest and prizes for folks who stop by Barbecue Master. It was while googling that I saw that Solutions had a Father's Day contest too.

Hum. I thought, "Well, I'm having fun with the contest on my bbq blog. I'm sure Solutions will enjoy more stories." I'm generally not lucky at all. But, I thought I'd enter for the fun of it and to support another site hosting an online reader contest.

Well, what do you know?

I WON!

I had not been familiar with Solutions but had looked around when I entered. I knew they had some cool stuff (including grill accessories), so I was all pumped up about $200 in shopping.

I am not a fast shopper at all, so I spent several hours looking at the items at Solutions. One of the first things that went on my list was a six foot table that folded to 3 foot. Oh yes. That sounded perfect for my outdoor parties. It would take a few weeks longer, and it was $5 extra on shipping. I pressed the button and hoped that it would be as great as I thought it would be.



Here's the folding table from the Solutions web site. I do need to snap a photo the next time we are set up in the yard.

First off, I would note that it is a very sturdy table and heavy. I can handle it (and it does have a carry handle when it's folded too), but it's not flimsy. That's good, because a table used outdoors gets pretty rough handling sometimes.

The table looks more white in the photo, but it's actually a gray color. It does not show dirt like I thought it might. Also it's some type of resin I think, so it wipes off better than the old church tables which seem to be some type of fake wood on top and do stain if you're not careful.

The best part, of course, is that that table folds in half. So, it's just three feet wide for storing. I find it fits behind a chair in the game room which is kind of a square type chair. It could go a number of places in my house with it only being 3 feet when folded, but it just really fits perfect behind the chair.

I was really excited with the table and the other items I got when I won the contest at Solutions.com. The other things I got were one of the garden hoses that curls so does not get kinked (and we have not kinked it yet), a long handled grill brush (nice quality and bristles do not fall out like some barbecue brushes), and a measuring cup thing where you pour in the pot licker like when you cook down a chicken and then the grease goes up and you can pour out broth that is healthier.

The one item that I wanted and why it took so long to decide was the brownie pan. It was made kind of like a maze so that the brownie pieces were all basically edge pieces. Now, you will only understand that if you are a brownie fan who loves the edges and especially the corner pieces. The pan was pretty expensive, and I had the other things on my list too. So, I had to decide what I most wanted. I know my homemade brownies would be super in this pan, but they are great in a regular pan as well.

That was my super fun splurge at Solutions.com. I'm sure glad I saw the contest and entered. Everything I got on the prize shopping trip was great and especially the barbecue table which will also be perfect for the Christmas morning brunch I host every year. We were getting really crowded on that as well, so a table will be just the thing for that as well as our outdoor fun.

Playboy.com Names Top 10 Barbecue Joints for 2009

Pork Shoulders Smoking in Durham, NC

I noticed a restaurant claiming to be in Playboy's top 10 for barbecue restaurants, so I had to go check that out. Sure enough. Playboy.com does have a list of barbecue joints across the nation.

Hum. I don't think I'd go to a barbecue restaurant looking for naked women (or anywhere else for that matter), and I don't know that I'd go with Playboy for my restaurant advice. Then again, they do have some excellent articles. I first discovered that when they ran the interview with President Jimmy Carter where he said that he had lusted in his heart. I guess I was in middle or high school, but I managed to get a look at that article, since it caused quite a stir at the time. That's kind of funny, I guess, given that it seemed more shocking at that time than the Clinton scandal did for this generation.

In any case, the list does span the map which probably annoys most anyone who is big on barbecue. Why? Barbecue varies greatly depending on the area of the country. Ribs in Kansas, beef in Texas, and pork in North Carolina are very different. It makes for a strange list as far as lists go. But, at least, they did define barbecue as being something other than cooked over gas or electric (meaning wood or perhaps charcoal I gather).

The only North Carolina barbecue joint to make the cut is Wilber's out of Goldsboro which makes me wonder if the writer tried out the barbecue joints or just picked one well known bbq place from the state. I'm not saying Wilber's isn't great. I'm just wondering how it was deemed the very best across the entire state. There's a tiny blurb about the number of sandwiches sold. Perhaps the list was based on volume of sales. Hard to tell.

I'd say, "Go out and try any of the restaurants listed if you're in the state where you see one." They appear to be the well known barbeque places that you can find listed online over and over. So, you're likely to get a good meal. If you're looking for the hole in the wall or mom & pop bbq places known mostly to locals, then you will not find those in Playboy. After all, you can tell those girls do not eat much barbecue or they would not be so thin.

Feel free to add your favorite barbecue joint in the comments.

Wink's Barbecue & Seafood - Salisbury, NC

I've been checking out some of my old favorite barbecue joints as well as some new ones for my Yes You Can Grill web site. You can grill all the time, but it is nice to take a break from time to time and let someone else do the work. That's especially true of slow smoked North Carolina barbecue.

North Carolina barbecue is pork, and it varies depending on whether you're on the coast (east) or piedmont (Lexington style). The main difference is that east is whole hog with vinegar sauce and piedmont is shoulders with a little tomato (ketchup etc) in a vinegar based sauce (also thin and spicy like the east but with a little red color).


Yesterday we were at Wink's which is a favorite here in Salisbury, NC. It's been around a long time. I remember when Wink's was over near the motel on Innes St. They moved over to a bigger spot on Faith Road just past Lowe's off I85.

They have been and stir are wood burners. They slow cook the pork out back. You can look and see the big wood pile and the pit. That's what we call real barbecue here in NC, and it's getting harder to find it done the old fashioned way but well worth it.


They have a lot of good old Southern side dishes to go with the barbecue at Wink's. My boys always go for the fries, but okra is my favorite when it's done right. It's done right at Wink's. Yum.


Portions are generous at Wink's, but if you have room, they have homemade desserts. You can see here that they have the classic Southern sweets. I need to go one day and just get dessert as I always get too full on the barbecue to have dessert.

For more on Wink's, see my Wink's review and more photos. I'm also adding more barbecue restaurants - mostly in North Carolina for now but branching out as I travel more and can get reviews written up.

Be sure to tip me off to any favorite barbecue joints in your neck of the woods. I'm always on the look out for great BBQ.