Ultimate Grilled Cheese and Ham
After a week of hard work at both our jobs, me as a REALTOR and my wife as a music teacher we decided to have a spa / pajama day at home...
top of page
Recent Blogs
David Locke
- 2 min
PF Chang's Coconut Mojito
My wife and I are not huge chain restaurant fans. We usually like to support local businesses, but one chain restaurant we sometimes visit is PF Changs. A few years ago we sampled a Coconut Mojito, and it was marvelous. A year or two ago my wife and I were on date night and because the restaurant was at capacity due to COVID rules we sat by ourselves at the bar. My wife ordered the famous coconut mojito. To our delight as I began to try to figure out the concoction the barten
David Locke
- 2 min
Peppermint Ice Cream - A Locke Christmas Eve Family Tradition
My first taste of peppermint ice cream was at five years old in Kindergarten at Concord Elementary in Anderson, SC. My teacher, Mrs. Bice, had made this ice cream for us in an old-fashioned churn filled with starlight mints. To a child it was a delight, very different from store bought and oh so Christmasy. Fast forward twenty-five years to another Christmas when I received from my parents a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. The next Christmas, along with my double chocolate cake, I
David Locke
- 1 min
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
This recipe is so easy, so quick and so amazing! I got this recipe from Ina Garten and it’s quickly become a favorite for my real estate business’s wine tastings. Simply cut 3-5 washed acorn squash in half. Take care not to slice your hand off! I use a Japanese nigiri knife. Then, with an ice cream scoop take out the seeds. I slice a tad of the bottom of each squash half off so it will lie flat, being careful not to pierce the interior cavity. Then, place each half on a cooki
David Locke
- 1 min
Amaretto Side Car
This drink is completely surprising! My wife was skeptical till I made her this concoction and she fell in love. The amaretto sidecar could not be easier… Disarronno is an almond flavored liquor from Sarronno, Italy, hence, “di” or “of” Sarronno. Mix 2 ounces of Disarronno, 3/4 ounce of the orange liquor Grand Mariner, and 3/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Before you mix the ingredients, ice down a coup glass with a heaping scoop of ice to let the glass chi
David Locke
- 2 min
To Die For Blackberry Cobbler
One of my wife’s favorite things is the blackberry cobbler from a restaurant called the Purple Onion in Saluda, North Carolina. Now I’m not just crazy about cooked fruit but this is something that would make you slap your mama. My wife has asked for this for almost every one of her birthday meals. Her birthday is early August when the blackberries are almost the size of chicken eggs in South Carolina. Both my wife and I have experimented with this recipe till we have it down
David Locke
- 1 min
Summer Grilled Peaches with Goat Cheese, Honey and Cashews
Summer and it’s bounty all in one bite? It has to be these grilled peaches that I developed for my real estate business’s wine dinners. This
David Locke
- 1 min
Patsy’s Most Perfect Overnight Turkey Brine
I must admit I think that turkey is my least favorite protein but this overnight turkey brine makes it one of my favorites! Brining a turkey sounds very intimidating but it could not be easier. All you need is a bag, a cooler and three ingredients. This brine uses two quarts of apple juice, and no, it does not give the turkey an apple flavor in any way. You need a medium size cooler and some type of bag like a clean garbage bag, Ziploc bag or brown baking bag. Allow your turk
David Locke
- 1 min
Let Go of the Turkey Elsa! It’s COVID Season
Let’s face it we are all done with this COVID season! This Thanksgiving will certainly have to be different for many families. We will only be feeding my parents and our family of four. I must admit Turkey is my least favorite protein and it requires hours of labor for reasonably tasteless and dry poultry no matter what you do. I always feel like both me and the bird are tortured! Turkey Trauma One time I cooked enough turkey for an event for 150 people only to carve them ope
David Locke
- 1 min
Pam’s Eeeeezy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
My friend Pam told me about this recipe and I’ve modified it just a bit, but it is so wonderful to throw a few things together and have a great meal for my wife and kids after a hard day. Simply add chicken breast to your Instant Pot with Taco Seasoning (I make my own) and a Ranch Packet along with one can of Rotel (I added this, but you could certainly omit) and 1 cup of chicken broth. (If you omit the Rotel then add 1 more cup of broth). Cook for 25 minutes at high pressure
David Locke
- 2 min
An Easy Weeknight Salad- The Burratta!
The ingredient you choose will make a difference so the fresher the better and spring for a really good, sweet and thick balsamic.
David Locke
- 2 min
The Vesper - The James Bond Drink
This cocktail, right out of 007, will leave you stirred for sure and maybe even shaken, the Vesper, mentioned in Casino Royale...
David Locke
- 2 min
Cream Cheese Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Cream cheese ain't just for your bagel! This recipe was concocted by my wonderful wife using a base recipe from Ina Garten and then adding her own mushroom sauce. It was a great weeknight meal! I asked her to share it with my amazing followers. Ingredients 2 chicken breasts 4 oz. cream cheese (room temperature) ¼ cup mozzarella cheese ¼ cup parmesan cheese 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon Spicy garlic seasoning 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
David Locke
- 2 min
PF Chang's Coconut Mojito
My wife and I are not huge chain restaurant fans. We usually like to support local businesses, but one chain restaurant we sometimes visit is PF Changs. A few years ago we sampled a Coconut Mojito, and it was marvelous. A few weeks ago my wife and I were on date night and because the restaurant was at capacity due to COVID rules we sat by ourselves at the bar. My wife ordered the famous coconut mojito. To our delight as I began to try to figure out the concoction the bartende
David Locke
- 2 min
Fig, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Ciabatta Pizza
I can remember the first time I had a fig with eidetic clarity. I was five years old, and my grandfather, SB Owen, had two bushes out by the small barn by the farm house. He pulled one from the bush and cut it open with the Case pocket knife he always carried. I can remember thinking it looked almost like the inside of some animal and had a texture like nothing I’d ever eaten. I think I spit it out! Thankfully, since then, my pallet has become more sophisticated, and I realiz
David Locke
- 5 min
The 22 Essential Kitchen Tools
My cousin, a friend and follower, recently asked my top ten kitchen tools. She has a smaller kitchen in her Florida home and space is a premium. Here are my top twenty-two tools that everyone needs from a travel camper to an apartment to a gourmet kitchen. These are the things you really can't live without. I've left out my baking supplies because that can be Pandora's box and really has no end. The top three are the most essential. 1- Chef's Knife The single most important p
David Locke
- 2 min
Julia Child's Gratin Dauphinois- Easy Scalloped Potatoes
Gratin Dauphinois sounds like a mouthful to say, but it is an amazing mouthful that is for sure.
David Locke
- 2 min
Hollandaise - The Only Reason to Eat Asparagus
Like a kid that won't eat steak without ketchup I won't really eat asparagus without hollandaise. So what is it?
David Locke
- 2 min
Making Easy Cremé Brûlée
The creamy rich custard and sugared crust was something so special because I didn't think I could make it. Oh, how wrong I was!
David Locke
- 3 min
Easy Instant Pot Carolina CocaCola BBQ
Few things are as ingrained in the Southern consciousness as Bar-B-Que!
bottom of page