Breakfast in Smithfield, North Carolina

Mary and I have been thinking about some of our favorite places to eat. It is very difficult to find a good, let alone great restaurant here in North Carolina. There just aren’t the greasy spoons that there are in the north. So when we do fond a place that is worth returning to, we want to share it.
The Biscuit Stop in Smithfield is such a place. I saw the Biscuit Stop the first week I was in Smithfield in March 2009. The building isn’t much to look at—in fact I was on the cell phone with Mary who was still in Michigan and commented that it was too bad it was closed because it looked like it might have been a great place for breakfast. It looked like it was CLOSED, as in OUT OF BUSINESS. It was a year later before I realized the Biscuit Stop was indeed open. Seems I always drove by after 2:00 p.m. and the Biscuit Stop is only open 5:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.
So it was that I stopped at 6:00 A.M. and ordered two sausage egg biscuits. At that time they were $1.00 each (the price has increased slightly since) and headed to work.
I will say they were some of the best biscuits I have had. Everything about the biscuits is home made from scratch. The mixing of the batter, the adding of the soda and the beating of the eggs are all done like my grandmother used to do. I have been back for lunch several times. The Biscuit Stop has burgers, chicken and pork sandwiches all served with a side. It is a small place that is BIG on value and taste. But drive slowly down Brightleaf because the Biscuit Stop is EASY to miss, even when you are looking for it. They also have some pretty good coffee.

Recently Moved

Guest post from: Natalie Walter

I was moving recently and my sister asked if I was Looking for Oncor Electric in Hillister Texas? It turns out she’d found a good deal online that would work for me and my family’s new house. I was really excited about the move but I was stressed to the max about how much everything was going to cost – there are some things you shouldn’t have to think about but since I was moving because my boyfriend and I had a breakup I had to get a lot of new furniture because he had bought everything for our old house and was planning on keeping it. I can’t believe I let things go on for so long the way they were but I’m just happy that I’m finally moving on with life and getting into something new. I am excited to begin my independence and get settled in my new house so I can’t wait to get in there and get the place decorated. I’m just going to have to do it all really cheaply!

On the road closer to home

We are not straying to far from home these days. When we do, it is usually to a destination we have planned on visiting. Today we stopped by Peaden's Seafood in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Mary and I have driven past Peaden's several times, but we always came by before they open at 4:00 P.M. Last week we decided to plan a trip and try this seafood cafeteria.
Upon entering the resturant, we found it to be very comfortable and family friendly. LIke many eateries, there are photographs all over the walls. They have a long counter up front as a large paqrt of their business is carry-out. Wednesday and Thursday is $3.99 carry out special nights.
We started with the clam chowder and the complimentary hush puppies. The chowder was hot and very tasty. THe bowl was full and the chowder so thick I used a fork. The hush puppies are round, but very good. Mary and I shared the Captain's Platter between us--Flounder, Shrimp, chicken, BBQ, french fries and cole slaw.
The Shrimp was the best of the platter. Done in a light calabash style, it was extremely flavorful. The flounder was also very good, but the deep fried breading sort of took away from the flavor. The BBQ was good. I prefer mine a bit smokier, but the Peaden's vinegar based BBQ sauce was great. The chicken was a deep fried boneless piece. It was good, but it was your traditional fried 1/2 breast chicken. The cole slaw was a mayo base and we both enjoyed it.
Overall it was a very good experience and the service was worth the 20% tip. You can tell going in, Peaden's is NOT the Ritz or a high end establishment. It is a great family place and one of the best values we have found in a long time. The Captain's PLatter was $11.99 and the full bowl of clam chowder was $4.99. We both agree Peaden's is on our "We'll be back" list.

Christmas without Snow?

Mary and I finally took a day trip. It has been awhile as we have been around the stick building since returing from our maiden voyage in July.
We traveled to McAdenville North Carolina which is just west of Charlotte. Our destnation was Christmas Town USA. It waa a great trip. We left the 5er at home since it was a short trip. The town has something like 3 million bulbs and 500 decorated trees!
If you drive, beware it is a LONG line of cars. We entered from the I85 side of town. You can also come from the NC 74 side and the line can be equally as long. The road is a 2 mile drive into downtown McAdenville and winds past the "lake" and out through a newer development of homes. The elementary school is also decked out as the children have EVERY window facing the road decorated.
We had dinner at the Hillbilly BBQ in Lowell just the otherside of I 85 from McAdenville. They had some great prices and excdellent smoked pork with tomato / molasses sauce that is popular in western North Carolina.
Our advice is to walk Christmas Town USA, if nothing else than for the ambiance of the season.
But as good as Christmas Ton USA is, a little snow would have been nice...

Winterized and holed up

We have been doing the hibernation thing here in North Carolina. Though the temperatures have been above 50° most days and the overnight temps have stoppes at 35° or so, it hasn't really felt like winter.
Our transition to less is an ongoing operation. We have hauled nearly 8 boxes of stuff to the Western Harnett Thrift Store in Olivia, North Carolina. We will take another 5 boxes this Saturday. We thought of selling the stuff (books, knic-knacks and more books) but the chore of listing on Amazon, dealing with cheap shipping and packaging just wasn't worth the effort. And garage sales here are about as much fun as root canals.
Besides, there is a deeper cleansing to be found in donating a lifetime worth of stuff. It is a type of ultimate acceptance that the stuff is nothing more than that---stuff. Somethings you had for awhile, enjoyed them and finally set them free.

Trying to Save

Posted by Heriberto Fuentes


We’ve been trying to save money everywhere we can ever since my husband’s hours got cut and it’s harder than you’d think. We did a bunch of stuff upfront to help like selling the third car and taking the kids out of private school but you know, even things like looking into special Amigo Energy rates and bartering for things like braces for the kids (my husband is a contractor) have been helpful. I feel like we’ve reached a point though where there’s not a lot else we can do other than start giving up some of the things we really need. I know that at the end of the day my husband and I would like to have more savings in the bank and I think we’re probably going to have to start using coupons and rationing food like we’ve seen people doing on TV. It’s amazing we’ve ended up here but the construction industry just isn’t what it used to be and it’s going to be an adjustment. There’s nothing we can do!

Remember when plans actually panned out?

Has it been almost 2 months since we wrote? We do know it feels like an eternity. Sometimes we just have to be patient and listen. Since we completed out madien voyage this summer, we have been planning and dreaming. Our intitial plans were Christmas in New Orleans, a visit to the Crossroads in Clarksdale Mississippi and across to Montgomery, Alabama before coming home to North Carolina. Then our plans took an unexpected turn. Mary has been given an opportunity to work with her sister and nieces in the family real estate appraisal business. This will mean relocating BACK to Michigan this summer. When we left Michigan in 2009, it wasn't on very good terms--definately not on our terms. I am still not sure if I was more disappointed or angry about our departure. I believe Mary was shocked, but realized the economy left us with little choice. Now we are returning and I am just a bit nervous. Though we were both born and raised in Michigan, I believe we both dislike what the state has become. The poster-state for unemployment, the target for union bashing ( I am a UNION THUG), and the city no ones knows what to do with--Detroit. But we will be able to access the midwest on a regular basis. Mary wants to see South Dakota and parts west and a Michigan base will allow us the opportunity to do that next summer. We still have our hearts set on the road. Being grounded theses last few months have been difficult. With our new plan of moving back north, we have postponed many of our weekend travels here in North Carolina. But we will be on the road heading throughout Michigan and surrounding areas this summer.