I tried New Mexico food in Socorro - Not Mexican

My first taste of New Mexico food was in Socorro at this little mom-and-pop restaurant. It was different than Mexican food and it wasn't Tex-Mex. My daughter politely told me that New Mexico food is specific to the state. It has a Southeastern influence, and certainly Mexican, but also some chuck wagon and (I'm told) that New Mexico food also has some Mediterranean influence.

Whatever you want to call it, the food was delicious. If you want to get an idea of the difference, this New Mexico cookbook a cheap Kindle version and there's a free sample from the Kindle version.

The sopapillas there are my daughter's favorite. These aren't the deep fried flat tortilla that you get around Knoxville. Instead, these were lighter, thicker and puffier than the Mexican variety. We still drizzled honey on them though. I was also told that some sopapillas have a filling inside.

Dining at local restaurants is part of what makes road trips fun. If it were possible to make my life one long Great American Road Trip, then I would. It was very nice of the owners of El Sombrero Restaurant in Socorro to let me film for this YouTube video.

If you are looking for the best crab cakes, you need to head to Maryland!

You may not know it, but I’m a Maryland crab!  That’s right, I was born in Baltimore and lived there the first 10 years of my life.  Even after moving to New Jersey we continued the trek back and forth between home and Baltimore since most of our relatives lived there.  So, to put it bluntly, I know crabs – I know how to pick crabs and I sure know how to eat them.

My parents had a summer home on the Chesapeake Bay on an island.  Tilghman Island is a small fishing village and when I say fishing it’s basically crabs.  It used to be just a place for the locals until someone from New York went there, found all the great seafood places, wrote about it the Times and all the tourists started heading there. 

Fast forward many years and now there are 2 million dollar homes on that island and even the tiny remodeled homes are going for unbelievable prices.  There are several outstanding restaurants and you can’t beat Tilghman for southern hospitality.  You might not believe it, but they have quite a southern accent!

He's not a real crab so he can't pinch!

While you can buy crabs in many places, the Maryland Blue Crab is known far and wide.  The Eastern Shore of Maryland isn’t the only place to find a great seafood restaurant.  I came across an article that lists the top 15 restaurants serving the best crab cakes in Maryland.  Instead of reinventing the wheel listing them I am providing the link right here.  Remember, we all have our opinions of what is the ‘best’!

If you live in or near Maryland or plan on visiting – you might want to sample a few crab cakes.  I know that my mouth has been watering since I clicked on the link!  I wish it wasn’t such a long ride or we would be on the road right now!

Just a few steamed crabs waiting for us to pick for crabcakes

A great crab cake starts with fresh crab meat.  The best way to get that is by catching the crabs yourself, steaming them, picking them and then making crab cakes.  Since that isn’t possible for most people, you can buy crab meat in your local grocery store. The recipe for crab cakes is right on the pack of Old Bay Seafood Seasoning. 

I won’t say that store bought crab meat will taste as good as Maryland crab meat, but if you can’t get to Maryland using store bought crab might be as good as it gets.

Link to the article:  www.onlyinyourstate.com/Marland/Best-crab-cakes-maryland/

Photos belong to AbbyG

How to make the perfect burger!

Get out the grill, clean it off and start cooking…it’s that time of the year and I would like to share some burger secrets with you! Anyone can make a run of the mill burger. Slap a hunk of ground 'who knows what' into a patty and toss it on the grill right? Wrong. It is the 'who knows what' part that is scary, and there is more to it than just tossing it on the grill. Here is how to make the perfect burger.

The Burger:

• Buy ground beef that has no more than 15-20% fat. You want ground beef with a little fat content, but you don't want to buy ground beef that looks white, that is basically all fat. 
• Put the ground beef into a large bowl. This is where you can add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, teriyaki sauce, seasonings and whatever else you like.  Get a good size handful of ground meat (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound) and form it into a ball. Don't overwork the meat or you will get a tough burger. 
• Now take that ball of ground beef, lay it on a piece of waxed paper. Use your finger tips to flatten out the burger to an even thickness. You aren't finished yet. In order to eliminate the hump in the middle of the cooked burger, you have to flatten out the middle of the burger to where it is lower than the edges of the burger by about 1/3 of an inch. Following that method, the burger will be flat after it is cooked. 
• Now you have a tray full of burgers and you can cook them in a frying pan, or in your oven's broiler. But, the best way to cook a burger is on the grill.
• Get your grill up to temperature, about 350 degrees, put those bad boys on the grate and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Turn them and let them go another 5 minutes. Since it is advised that we should only eat well done ground beef, you will need a thermometer to check for internal temperature, which should be 160 degrees. 
• Don't smash your burgers down with a spatula; you don't want to lose the flavorful juices. If they aren't up to 160 degrees yet, keep cooking and checking them.

The Bun:

That's it for the burger, now we will talk buns. I don't like the wimpy burger buns that most people use. I prefer the larger buns so that the bread is sufficient size for my over-sized burgers. Toast your buns right on the grill for a minute (check them!) and they won't get soggy when you load them up with ketchup, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Or you can just eat a burger with ol'ketchup, which is how I prefer them.

You may not believe this, but all of a sudden I’m craving a burger....think I'll go light up the grill!

Burger Photo: https://pixabay.com/en/burgers-grilling-good-mat-hungry-813407/

Grill Photo belong to AbbyG

Easy Wasys to Save Money at Restaurants

Whether you are going out to dinner locally or you are on vacation and dining out, we all love to save a few dollars on our meals by getting free stuff.  As soon as I became a “Senior Citizen” I began exploring ways to save a few dollars on restaurant meals.  Here are a few easy ways we all can do just that:

I love that word!

Save Money at Restaurants by Asking for a Discount:

Many restaurants offer senior discounts although they might not advertise that fact.  Therefore, the best advice I can offer is for you to speak up by asking the restaurant directly.  If you want to call ahead of your visit to find out you certainly can do that.  If you plan on dining out whether a particular restaurants offers a discount or not then wait until you get there to ask.  Asking is free!

Save Money at Restaurants by Joining E-Clubs:

Here is another popular way to save money while dining out.  Many restaurants offer membership to their e-clubs.  All you have to do is go to the website of a restaurant and check it out.  If they do have an e-club, just sign up and start the benefits rolling your way.

To help you out in this I am providing a link to a website that has done all the hard work.  They have an alphabetical listing of *restaurants that offer e-clubs*.  Just scroll through and find your favorites or any you would like to try.  Click on the link to the restaurant of your choice and follow the instructions to sign up.  The more you sign up with the more money you will save!

Save Money at Restaurants by Joining their Birthday Clubs:

The birthday clubs are something you can sign up your whole family for.  Example:  My husband and I both are signed up with IHOP’s Birthday Club and we each get a free short stack on our special day. (Although IHOP isn’t on the attached list, you can go to their website and sign up for their birthday club.) You usually get an e-mail from the restaurant telling you how to proceed.  Be sure to take the e-mails to the restaurants with you if so stated in their message.

I am providing another link with an alphabetical listing of *restaurants offering Birthday Clubs*.  Be sure to click each link and follow the instructions. 

If you favorite restaurant isn't on either of the lists, go to their website to find out if they have e-clubs or birthday clubs.  Be sure to pass this information along to your friends!

Saving a few dollars, getting free stuff or a discount, it all adds up.  Its fun tracking down these savings so get busy and enjoy!

Check out Starbucks' Website for Free stuff!

Photos:

http://pixabay.com/en/business-sale-person-technology-742611/

http://pixabay.com/en/starbucks-coffee-green-white-logo-463689/

Yogurt at the Orange Leaf in Farragut

My family went to the Orange Leaf Yogurt in Farragut this evening. Our first visit won't be the last. The cheery interior is a bright orange and perky lime combination. It's refreshing and relaxing. A single TV on the wall is surrounded but a set of four couches and a center table. It reminds me of a living room that someone else has to tidy.

Orange Leaf yogurt

The yogurt was great! There is a whole wall of flavors to choose from. Lemon, mango, peach, orange, chocolate, pistachio and vanilla are only a few flavors. Toppings include strawberries, blueberries, nuts, candy pieces, sprinkles, chopped candy bars of various types and lots more.

Simple is the name of the game here. Walk in and pick up a cup or cone. Step over to the yogurt wall and pull the level for the flavor that you want. Add toppings. Repeat as desired. Weigh the bowl and pay at the cash register. Sit down and enjoy your treat.

The Orange Leaf staffperson who worked tonight was friendly and peppy.

Alligator Tail at Uncle Bucks Grill

I couldn't resist playing a joke on Hubby when he I visited Uncle Bucks Grill a few months back. If he didn't have a sense of humor, then I might have been in trouble. It all revolved around an appetizer that I ordered with lunch.

Alligator Tail at Uncle Buck's

Our afternoon began innocently enough. We walked into Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tennessee to look around. Hubby announced that he was hungry almost the minute we walked in the door. He had to step away and asked me to order iced teas.

That's when the thought hit me. Why not order the alligator tail appetizer? We talked about trying it but hadn't gotten around to ordering the dish yet. Today would be the life changing day!

I asked the server to keep it on the down low when he brought the dish out.  This way, my husband could try the food without preconceived bias.

Hubby raised an eyebrow when he came back and saw the plate. He asked what it was but seemed reassured when I replied "chicken". (We have each heard stories about how one meat or another was passed off as chicken. Hubby really didn't seem to believe me but played along.)

He took slowly took one bite, then another. Then he pronounced that Uncle Buck's Grill makes the best "chicken bites in Kodak".

That meant that it was confession time.

"Honey," I said hesitantly, "Those aren't chicken bites. They're alligator."

It took a few seconds for what I said to kick in. I think he was waiting for a punchline that didn't come. It was a relief he laughed and shrugged his shoulders. He liked the alligator bites appetizer as much I as enjoy his sense of humor. The twist to the meal gave us something that we still laugh about.

However, you know what they say about paybacks? I'm waiting for a moment that is sure to come. If he sits something strange down in front of me and declares it to be chicken, then I'll know that I'm in trouble!

Our travel themed graduation party food and origins

We used a travel theme for our daughter's graduation party. She received the book "Oh, The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss for her high school graduation. Little did we know that she would take the book so seriously. Our travel theme graduation party rocked the food and shined the light on her personality.

Dishes were selected that represented her favorite places from road trips or vacations. The tables were decorated with brochures that were picked up along the way. The song "I've Been Everywhere, Man" by Johnny Cash literally played in the background. It was a lot of fun.

Each food item had ties to the places that she has visited. Here are some of the dishes and beverages that we chose and why.

Cheese straws by Salem Baking set my mouth on fire

Salem Baking Company has a long list of products that sound tempting. I was shopping at The Market in Maryville, Tennessee just before lunch time. They have an entire section of products by Salem Baking Company.

A box of aged sharp cheddar petite cheese straws caught my eye. The box was $3.99 and tax. It's a little higher than I normally go but I decided why not? I picked up the cheese straws, paid for everything  and headed to the car where Hubby and Daughter were waiting.

We broke into the 2.5 ounce box of cheese straws. Then we broke into the drinks that we had with us. The cheese straws had a good flavor until it was overpowered by slow burning heat. Talk about an unwelcome surprise!

I read the ingredient list a little closer. There was an ingredient that I overlooked before decided to buy the cheese straws. Guess what that ingredient might be? If you said habanero chili powder, then you have it right. Wow. The cheese straws should be renamed to cheese firecrackers!

If you like hot spicy foods, then these might be for you. They weren't for me.

One easy sugar cookie recipe; 10 different varieties

Every year, my family makes hundreds of cookies for family and friends. We have an easy sugar cookie recipe that adapts well. A few tweaks can yield ten different types of cookies or more. Baking the treats is a full day of work but we always have a good time. 

You can use almost any basic recipe that your family likes. Our favorite easy sugar cookie recipe is found on this blog link. It lends itself well to each of the varieties that are listed here. The adaptations should work for just about any recipe.

The golden rule of recipe tweaking:

There is one firm rule when tweaking a sugar cookie recipe. When adapting the recipe, you must exchange dry ingredients for dry and wet ingredients for wet. This means that if you want to use a tablespoon of espresso, then you will need to cut back on another type of liquid.

Our fake champagne punch recipe

All weddings need a good punch recipe. Champagne and other alcohol concoctions are popular but not everyone can drink them. We opted for our fake champagne punch recipe for the wedding of my daughter. Not only is it deceptively easy to create but some people were unable to tell it from the real thing.

I like everything to be easy. Weddings are stressful enough without a recipe that requires lots of mixing or dealing with sherbert or frozen lemonade. This fake champagne is as simple and as tasty as it gets.

1 large white grape juice
1 2-liter bottle of gingerale

Chill unmixed overnight. Pour each bottle into punchbowl. Stir it a couple of times with the ladle and serve. If using an institutional size grape juice, then you will need to add another bottle of ginger ale to the champagne punch recipe.

Nashville Tea is another punch recipe that was suggested. This is a fruit mixture with very little "tea" in it. The mixture is popular in Nashville and other parts of Tennessee. It is something that I would consider for an afternoon tea party but not for the wedding. I ruled it out because it was more complicated, more expensive and didn't work as well for what we wanted.

The fake champagne punch recipe was well received. So much so, that I wrote this article to share my "secret" with everyone who asked about it. Let me know if you try it. Your guests may enjoy it as much as ours did.

Why I bought a wedding punch bowl from eBay

Only farmers markets carry lettuce like this

Have you been to a Knoxville farmers market this spring? I visited the one at the Laurel Church of Christ on Kingston Pike yesterday. It is open on Tuesday and Friday from 3:00 - 6:00 pm. The unseasonably warm temperatures are making produce ready to harvest a little earlier than usual. The Knoxville farmers market we visited was full of straight from the garden goodness.

Romaine lettuce from Knoxville Farmers Market

There were plenty of juicy ripe strawberries available yesterday and rhubarb to go along with the berries. Several booths had garlic, carrots and radishes. 

At least two vendors had vegetable and other garden plants available. If you like fresh eggs, artisan baked bread or cheeses, then you won't be disappointed.

Red lettuce from Knoxville Farmers Market

I picked up two of the largest heads of lettuce at the farmers market that I have just about ever seen! Given the size the $3.00 price tag made each of them a bargain. 

We put a can of soda by them so the photos could better give a sense of scale. Pints of strawberries were going fast at $4.00 each and the tomato plant was only $1.50.

Farmers markets in Knoxville can hold bargains and are fun to visit. Bring a reusable tote or other sturdy bag. You will want lots of space so you can carry all the goodies home with you. Market Square Mall will have a 'mini-market' set up during the Rossini Festival. 

Look for other markets in Farragut and scattered about town. This Examiner series has the inside scoop on the locations. You may not find heads of lettuce that are this big at every farmers market in Knoxville, but it's a safe bet that you won't walk away empty handed.

Forbidden City Chinese Buffet in Chattanooga good food reasonable prices

Forbidden City Chinese Buffet in Chattanooga has good food at a reasonable price. At least that's the story on the day we were there. This fairly new Chinese restaurant is at 2273 Gunbarrel Road on the Hamilton Place Mall side. Dress is casual.

We picked up coupons for $1.50 off an adult buffet from the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. These helped make the meal more affordable. The flier included multiple coupons and we were allowed to use two of them on the same visit.

The buffet consisted of the traditional choices but there were more of them. There were chicken skewers, Chinese spare ribs, both egg and spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, sauteed green beans, General Tso Chicken and more.  Specialty items included lobster with scallions, deviled crab and stuffed scallops. American fare at Forbidden City Chinese Buffet included selections like pepperoni pizza, beef filled pastry and apple pie.

Forbidden City Chinese Buffet in Chattanooga also had a grill area. This included small steaks, thinly cut beef and chicken, shrimp and vegetables. There were four different types of soups and an impressive sushi bar.

Food quality was good and the dishes were flavorful. I thought the spring rolls were better than the egg rolls. The wonton soup was tasty. My favorite part of the dinner was the meal that was cooked at the grill. It included the beef and chicken plus cabbage, bean sprouts and broccoli. Teriyaki was my sauce of choice. The end result was good.

All the staff we encountered at Forbidden City were friendly. Our personable server did an excellent job. She double checked that we could use both coupons and cheerfully said they would be allowed. We made sure to mention this at the cash register during checkout.

One thing that I didn't like at the Forbidden City Chinese Buffet was the lack of hot water in the bathroom. When I turned the faucet to hot no water came out. Only the cold side worked on the day that we were there. The manager did act like he would check on it when I reported the issue. This soured what was an otherwise good visit to the Forbidden City Chinese Restaurant in Chattanooga.

After the discount the cost for our visit was about $25. It seems reasonable for the wide array of food and in comparison to the other restaurants in the area.

My rating:
Two stars because of the lack of hot water. Otherwise the visit would have merited four stars.

National Coffee Day get free java from Krispy Kreme

Did you know that on National Coffee Day you can get free java from Krispy Kreme? It's a fun way to celebrate the day. Hubby is a huge coffee drinker who thinks that nothing is better than free coffee. Unfortunately, we're on vacation at a theme park and can't take advantage of this special offer but you can.

National Coffee Day 2011 is on September 29. The free 12 oz. cup is their way of recognizing National Coffee Day and introducing their new House Blend. Not all Krispy Kreme locations are participating but it looks like most are.

You do not have to make a purchase to get the free cup of java. Just walk into the doughnut shop and ask for a cup. Of course, it would be hard to walk out without one of their confectionery treats. The website does say that staff will be happy to suggest the perfect doughnut to go with the coffee. However, the purchase isn't required.

Get the details on the You Tube site for Krispy Kreme.

Free coffee is a fun way to celebrate the National Coffee Day. It's sure to help people wake up in the morning and put smiles on lots of faces. Have fun!

where to find Tennessee restaurant scores online

Good news. The Tennessee State restaurant health department restaurant scores are back online. You can now find them at  http://dogwood.healthspace.com/tdh The scores were removed for awhile and many people are glad to see that the site is up and running. This is a tremendous service to people who live in Tennessee and to those who visit.

Health department scores can range from 100 to 70 or below. At 70, the health department considers a place to be unsanitary. Many people consider a score in the upper 80s or better to be good. Few restaurants will ever get a perfect 100%.

Restaurants are lose points for both critical or non-critical violations. Non-critical violations can include but are not limited to mislabeled containers or a dirty floor. Critical violations may include (but are not limited to) food storage issues or problems with sanitation.

Two Knoxville news stations that keep track of Tennessee State Health Department restaurant scores are linked below.

WATE Food for Thought
Volunteer TV

Read more on our previous article.

Where to get free food on your birthday in Knoxville

Here is a list of where to get free food on your birthday and how to do it. This year I received several restaurant coupons for my birthday. Best of all, each of these restaurants are in the Knoxville area.

Freebies and deep discounts are always fun to redeem. Some of the ones on the list below expire sooner than others. Watching expiration dates is a must. All of the Knoxville restaurants shown here required me to sign up on their website or to like them on Facebook.

Since I write so many reviews about places in Knoxville signing up to the sites is a no-brainer. When I subscribed I suspected there would be coupons. I didn't know about the birthday offers.

All of these arrived by email after I signed up to their website. The only thing left to do was to print the out and redeem them at the restaurants
.
Are you ready to find out where to get free food on your birthday? Here you go!

Jason's Deli - $5 off of any item
Marble Slab Creamery - Buy 1 medium or large cone or cup and get one free
Chili's - Free brownie sundae
Famous Dave's - Free $10 entree
The Melting Pot - Free chocolate fondue for two
Waffle House - One free waffle
Texas Roadhouse - One free appetizer
Baskin Robbins - One free 2.5 ounce scoop
Ruby Tuesday - Free burger and fries

Many thanks to each of these businesses for the free birthday gifts. I'm looking forward to redeeming these coupons around Knoxville. Hope to see you soon!

My visit to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Knoxville

Hubby and I decided to try Ruth's Chris Steakhouse during the first annual Knoxville Restaurant Week. Everyone in town has heard the buzz about it at one time or another. The romantic setting by the water is enticing.We've talked about visiting the place for awhile but it was the $5 donation to the food bank during restaurant week convinced us to give it a whirl.

Making reservations through Open Table was nice but the visit to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Knoxville wasn't quite what I expected.

The restaurant markets itself as a fine dining experience (aka expensive). Open Table gives the pricing structure a $$$$ which indicates that meals for one with drink and tip are usually over $50. A $35 set menu was available during Knoxville Restaurant Week. We decided to have a good time and were open to ordering from the main menu.

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse has a set menu for $39 and change.

Free ice cream at Ben & Jerrys -- Oh no. It's closed

Oh no! We just found out that my favorite Ben and Jerry's ice cream location has closed. The students I spoke with said it had been gone about a year. This is proof that I must get to Knoxville more. The shops that are open are in Sevierville and in Gatlinburg. That's a little far to go for free ice cream today but it'll be fun to remember when we go to Sevierville ext.

In the meantime, I'll have to console myself with a vanilla shake from Long's Drugstore. They only make my favorite milkshakes in the whole world. Some sacrifices you just have to make. :)
______________________________________________________________________

Just a reminder. You can get free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's today. How's that for a cool treat? I'm going to go try a new flavor. It should be fun.

Plus, Ben and Jerry's in Knoxville is just down the street from Long's Drugstore. They've got a $5 for $10 gift certificate available through Half Off Depot. I can buy the certificate through the link in the sidebar and head on over for lunch.

Ben and Jerry's will make the perfect dessert. They'll be giving out free cones all day. It should be fun.

Today is shaping up to be a much better day than yesterday. I'm so glad.

Tennessee restaurant health dept scores offline

Tennessee restaurant health department scores can once again be found online. The new website is great news for anyone who eats in restaurants these days. A lot of people place a priority on health scores received by their favorite eatery. When the website was down the only way to find out about the scores was to call the restaurant and hope for accurate information. It was not the best situation.

Kudos to the State of Tennessee for once again making the restaurant health information available online.

The above was updated on 9/10/11.

The Tennessee restaurant health department scores are offline. A statement has been released. Blog follwers know that linking to the health score is an important part of our review. We hope that the State of Tennessee will be able to get the website up and running again.

If you want the score you'll need to call the county in which the restaurant is located. The health department map may be able to help you out.

Top 5 pizza places in Knoxville, TN

When it comes to pizza Knoxville delivers. Nothing else can make the entire family happy. This article is a good reference. If you aren't sure where to order we can help. Here is a list of our choices for the top 5 pizza places in Knoxville, TN that includes big box and locally owned. What's your favorite?

Top pizza places in Knoxville #1
Tomato Head - Downtown
Always a hit. The Tomato Head is popular for all ages. Plus they deliver, cater and offer gift cards. You can even order online. How cool is that?

Top pizza places in Knoxville #2
Mellow Mushroom - Cumberland Ave./UT Area

This popular restaurant is right on the strip. It's a popular spot for UT students to meet with friends and family.  As with any place on the strip parking is sometimes a challenge. Don't let that stop you from trying their terrific pizza.

Top pizza places in Knoxville #3
Roman's Pizza - West Knoxville
179 N. Seven Oaks Rd. NW
Knoxville, TN 37922
Phone: 865.539.1784

This has to be one of our all-time favorites. The Italian pies are authentic and always taste great. We didn't find a website for them. Use the contact information above.

Top pizza places in Knoxville #4
Pizza Hut
Sometimes you can't beat a big box pizza place for value and delivery speed. Pizza Hut is a nationwide chain that allows you to order online and delivers a good pizza.

Top pizza places in Knoxville #5
Papa John's

With 10 restaurants in the Knoxville area there sure to be one near you. It's another nationwide chain that brings a good pizza to your door.

Three Rivers Cornmeal Now in the Obituary Section

I am shocked to learn of the death of Three Rivers Cornmeal. Shocked and angry. For 75 years, Three Rivers Cornmeal has been a staple in the homes of Knoxville. Almost 4 generations of happy Southerners grew up on the corn meal and passed that preference on to our children.

Using Three Rivers Cornmeal was a source of pride among the people of the South. We are a people who still believe in Sunday covered dish dinners and all-day-preaching with dinner on the grounds. We are a people who believedd that almost any illness can be cured with stuffed eggs, fried okra and cornbread. And we believed that the cornbread had to be Three Rivers Cornmeal.

It's not that other cornmeal isn't good. It's just that they aren't as good. The cornbread made by the competing companies just doesn't have the same texture or flavor as Three Rivers Cornmeal.

Our happy allusions were shattered this week. That's when word broke out that the J.M. Smucker's Company perceived back in March that Three Rivers Cornmeal was on life support and decided to pull the plug.

But Southerners still believe in hope. Those of us who don't have hope believe in corporate greed. Three Rivers Cornmeal has a solid base of fans who love the product and would buy it under almost any circumstances.

Bigger companies have gotten started from less. This might be just the occasion for someone to buy the recipe and start another Three Rivers Cornmeal.

Read more in Mary Constantine's article in the Knoxville News Sentinel.