by | November 3, 2010 · 1:46 pm

An Army of One…God, that is.

Back to the basics…or at least one of the reasons for this blog.

My formative years were full of instruction in the ways of legalism an legalistic thought.  Because of this, my view of the Body of Christ was limited.  To me, if you weren’t Baptist (Independent, that is) you were probably not going to heaven.  At the least, and I do mean very least, if you were not Independent Baptist, or if you used any translation of Scripture other than the King James Version, you were a liberal awaiting the chastising hand of God.  I did not work well with other denominations.

Since that time, I have learned that the Christian church is not limited to Independent Baptists,

…but is comprised of many other denominations, also.  Some of these denominations I have yet to even learn of, for there are so many smaller ones in other places of the country and the world.  It is true that denominationalism (the tendency to seperate into various factions) has hurt the Church.  The unbelieving world has used our schisms as evidence that the True Faith is not even real.  Some even say that the many different, competing, and even warring denominations are proof that Christianity is nothing more than man-made.  That being said, however, just because people within the Body of Christ choose to operate differently in their own context, one should not automatically assume that Christian group “A” is that much different than group “B,” at least not until the particular core elements of the faith are examined.  For that matter, just because a congregation claims to be Baptist, does not mean that they hold an orthodox view of Christianity…just look at that group from out west that protests funerals (I will NOT associate with them!).

Well, in an effort to battle against the legalism and denominationalism of my past, I continue to reach across the divides to other brothers and sisters in Christ with an offer of fellowship and understanding.  Does this mean that I have become Ecumenical? No, it does not.  What it does mean is that I want to reunite family.  I want to consolidate forces.  I want to bring healing and strength back to the Army of God which needs to unite in spiritual battle (and I did say, “spiritual”).  This applies even to churches within the same denomination who may fear competition (competition is not a good thing in this case).

In our community of Lookout Valley, there are several churches of various denominations.  Most are very supportive of each other, but a few still maintain strict adherence to the Doctrine of Separation (see my post on this doctrine).  The ones that feel freedom in Christ to participate have come together each year to hold a community Thanksgiving service.  Today I met with a small room full of other pastors in order to plan for this service.  Present were Baptists, Church of God, Assembly of God, United Methodist, and Presbyterian.  Not an unkind word was spoken.  Each shared in prayer for our community and for each other.  Coffee was even provided by Troy Walliser, the pastor of Lookout Valley Baptist, who has a taste for the “foo-foo” stuff (I just had to get that in).  We had a good time and look forward to worshipping together on the 23rd of this month, along with our congregations.

Why do I bring this up?  I say all of this because Christians have a common Enemy.  That enemy, Satan, is always in the process of uniting his forces in league against God’s church.  The battle lines are drawn on many different fronts and his forces are continually amassed and reinforced, waiting for orders.  The school prayer thing is just another example of a unified front.  It is at this time when the true believers in Christ Jesus, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, put on the whole armor of God and come together to make a stand.  The example of Nehemiah 4 is alway relevant.  Our forces will never be more than Satan’s.  We will always have to come to the aid of our fellow soldiers in their time of need.  But just as that is true, so is it also true that where we gather to stand against an enemy attack, “the Lord our God will fight for us.”

I thank God for the pastors of Lookout Valley who know that though we may have our differences, we are still on the same side.

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by | November 1, 2010 · 10:44 pm

Don’t Give Up On Her Yet

Some people want to say that America has seen her best days. Some want to say that God is done with America.  Some want to give up hope that this nation can ever see a revival of morality and a return to its founding principles.  Some Christians say that we should just abandon ship and only focus on the Ship of Zion.  Well, if America is “going to h*** in a hand-basket,” then we need to do what only a people with a will can do…get out of the basket!

To be able to elect who we want to lead our country is an unbelievable privilege.  Just stop and think about it.  How many countries have come and gone which had a form of government which was set up to be “of the people, by the people, and for the people?”  How many billions live in subjection this very moment to a dictator or tyrant, or even a king?  We have been given a sacred treasure in our Constitution, one which was purchased with the lives, fortunes, and sacred honor of our founding forefathers.  Are we to treat such a priceless gift with flippancy and disrespect?  I hope not, but so many do.

Don’t give up on America, guys.  The journey is not over. This nation is not like all of the ones which have come and gone.  We are unique in our founding, our foundations, and our Founders.  The United States is not like any nation before it, and there is none like it today.  We have the rarest of abilities in that WE can decide who will lead us.  WE can decide what laws we will accept.  WE can decide the moral direction of this nation, for WE are the power and the authority to whom our leaders are accountable.  God, through His providence, allowed our founding fathers to create a Constitution which spells out the divinely given rights of the people, not of kings.  WE ratified our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  WE elect those to whom WE give the authority to govern.  WE can decide when enough is ENOUGH.

God-fearing men and women forged an uncharted, untravelled path when they chose to wade through the pain and suffering of building America.  They fought for freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  The took what was NOT and brought it into BEING.  What is NOT right now, can BE AGAIN.  All it will take is the same level of sacrifice that our forefathers were willing to give.  The United States, “one nation under God,” does not have to cease to exist, or continue to decline….WE can decide right now that WE will begin again as WE did before, so help us God.

What is the answer?  Revival.

The reason we need revival can be found in Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”  Are the righteous in authority?  They could be.  They should be.  Otherwise the people will mourn.

Who are the ones in authority?  Well, in one sense, it is people like our President, or our congressmen, senators, or judges.  The context of this verse of Scripture would definitely imply that.  But, again, America is different.  We the people have no king or dictator.  No princes rule over us.  We are ruled by Law.  We are self-governed.  WE are in authority.  So the question then is this:  Are the people of the United States righteous?  The answer to that has to be an unquestionable “no.”  If the government, then, is of the people, and if the people are wicked, the nation will mourn, not rejoice.

Turn, therefore, oh citizens of this great land.  Turn back to the paths from which you have strayed; to the paths hewn from the wilderness by honorable, moral, God-fearing men and women.  Walk in those paths and follow in the footsteps of those like Washington and Lincoln.  We don’t need to see every man and woman in the country turn to Christ as their Savior.  Not every founding father was aborn-again Christian.  However, the overwhelming majority were men and women who knew that this great nation did not come about by chance, nor simply by the strength of men, but by the Providence of a guiding Hand.  Turn, therefore, back to the God that brought this nation into being, and can just as easily revive it from the dust heap of irrelevance. “WE THE PEOPLE” are in authority, so WE need to get our act together and elect men and women who will do what a righteous people demand.  It can start with just a few.  It can start with YOU.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov’d homes and the war’s desolation;
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

(4th verse, National Anthem)

P.S. For all of you who doubt that the founding of this nation was based on the faith of Christianity, please refer to the above verse, and the comments from the Supreme Court in The Church of the Holy Trinity vs. The United States, 1892.  Oh, how far we have come.

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by | October 31, 2010 · 11:14 pm

Do Your Duty…Vote…or NOT!

This Tuesday will be the day we go to the polls to vote.  Unless you were one who voted early, Tuesday will be the day you should do your public duty as a citizen of the United States.  VOTE!

But WAIT!!!  Do you know what you are doing?

Do you know who you are going to vote for?  If not, why? If you go to the polls November 2nd just so you can push a few buttons, or check off a few marks, what good did you do?  If you only go to fulfill a responsibility, without knowing any details, what kind of steward of this blood-bought gift are you?  If you don’t know the difference between liberty and liberalism, democracy and democrats, or socialism and social networking – DON’T VOTE!  Just stay home and watch Oprah or Dr. Phil.  When others are heading to the polls that evening, just veg out while you enjoy another episode of some cake-baking, tatoo-designing, dance-off competition.

For over 200 years men and women have been shedding their blood for the freedom we enjoy.

More will die to preserve it in the future, that is, if we still have freedom to defend.   In the last two years, and a little before, our freedoms have been as expendable as toilet paper.  The future of our nation is looking grim.  The rights afforded in the Constitution,  especially those in the First Amendment, are being destroyed for the sake of power and control, while the ignorant are enjoying the cheap door prizes.  If the uneducated, illiterate, uninformed and apathetic continue to vote for more government, all so that they can receive more “freebies” and food stamps, not to mention tax-payer funded health care, then blood was shed in vain.

Stay at home, ye who do not know what is going on.  Stay at home, all ye who voted just because we need “change” in the White House.  Stay at home all ye who said “anything is better than what we had.”  Please, for the love of God and country, STAY HOME!  Let the people who have strong ideals go vote.  Let the mature, the concerned, the alert, the forward-looking, the reader, the listener, the active citizen (as opposed to the apathetic moocher) go vote.  We know the importance of what we are doing and take it seriously.  We can handle the responsibility…Yes, we can!

People all over the world would, have, and will die for the opportunity to have what we have.

Take it seriously.  Make yourself a student, at least a “C” student, of what and Who made this country a “shining city on a hill.”  Read the Constitution.  Read the Bible.  Take responsibility for your own actions.  Know what the candidates truly stand for, then make a decision.  But if you’re wondering if it’s worth taking the time to drive to the poll…if you have to watch CNN right before you walk out the door to help you decide who to vote for…please, we’ll send you a “I Voted” sticker, just stay home.  It’s your patriotic duty.

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by | October 29, 2010 · 10:32 pm

Old Navy Smiles

 

It’s always great to meet nice people. This lady and I really hit it off this evening. We got along so well, and funny thing, my wife didn’t even mind that I was talking to her. Amazing!

You see, this just goes to show that you CAN go out in public and talk about the Lord without making people angry. This lady (I never got her name) was so gracious and kind. She let me talk and never tried to interrupt. All the while, she had such a pleasant spirit about her. I would bet she is a Christian.

By the way, as Annie would say, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” So, I will walk out of Old Navy wearing a smile, while at the same time happy I met a new friend and have a couple of new shirts. That means I nearly have a new wardrobe.

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by | October 29, 2010 · 9:29 am

Dinosaur Bones Found on Moon!

What would be the impact on our philosophical, religious, and even evolutionary theories if bones from large reptiles were found on the moon?

Who would be most shaken up?  Would you lose your faith in God? Would you have to rethink your science?  What would it do to you? The fact is that if it would change your core beliefs, then maybe you should re-examine them right now.  You don’t know what may happen just around the corner that could turn your world upside down.

Well, to be honest, this was originally just a test to see what kind of headline really catches people’s attention.  Did it yours?  If so, then why?

Even if dinosaur bones were found on the moon, or even if alien people landed on the White House lawn (really, could they even do that without getting pegged by surface-to-air missiles?), Christianity could stand the test.  As a friend of mine, Steve Castlen, put it:

No it wouldnt shake my faith because:
1. The creation itself still needs a “Creator”.
2. The fine-tuning of the physical laws still needs a “Tuner”.
3. Moral laws still need a “Law Giver”.
4. The historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection still stands.
5. And all life, even alien life cant come from non-life.

So, what do you think?  There is coming a day when the Bible predicts that the lies from the Enemy would be so strong that “even the elect” would have a hard time not believing them:

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. – Matthew 24:24

Give it some thought.

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by | October 28, 2010 · 11:22 am

When you hear the sound of the trumpet…

Last night I had the honor to participate in an event of community prayer.  I was invited to speak by Shelton Brown, a student at Soddy Daisy High School.  If you don’t know what happened, a whole bunch of people gathered together in the park to celebrate our right and freedom to pray, even though it was recently mandated that prayer be stopped before football games.  This meeting was organized by students who decided enough was enough.

In my closing remarks (I spoke for 7 1/2 minutes) I brought up the story of Nehemiah, specifically a part in chapter 4, verse 20.  Nehemiah, in response to threats from enemies intent on stopping them from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, set people on the wall as lookouts.   Being that the wall was big and spread out, and being that there were few people, Nehemiah came up with a plan.  He said :

The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.  Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there.  Our God will fight for us.”

To me, and I am just little ol’ me, there should have been a lot more people present last night.   Why?  A trumpet was sounded for the body of Christ to come to the aid of not only Soddy Daisy, but for all of Hamilton County.  An attack on our freedoms, as both Christians and Americans, has come to our soil.  Why is it that our schedules and programs and our own sections of the wall are more important than stopping the enemy somewhere else?

Last night was your typical “Wednesday night prayer meeting” night.  Besides the fact that prayer is rarely the object of attention at most of these meetings, what would have been wrong with jumping in the church bus and heading to where the trumpet was sounding?  Where there may have been 500+ at this event last night, there should have been 1-2000.  Why were they not there?  Because it was more important for local congregations to remain safe and snug in their own little sections of  “the wall.”  Here was a prime example of LEGALISM in action, for many did not want to participate in an event that featured speakers that weren’t of a particular denomination.  Here was a prime example of LAZINESS, for it may have been difficult to get people together to go somewhere on a weeknight, especially if it wasn’t to Ryan’s or the bowling alley.  Here was a prime example of DENIAL, PRIDE, and APATHY, for there were others that did not attend because they either didn’t think there’s a problem; it wasn’t their idea; or they just really didn’t care.  Folks, what has been “typical” needs to be trashed.

This past Sunday I told my congregation that I would be in Soddy Daisy on Wednesday night because a trumpet had been sounded.  I went to stand in the gap with my brothers and sisters that cared enough to make a public stand against the tyranny of a few over the wishes of the people.  In the future, when other trumpets are sounded,  I pray that the churches of our county and our country will rally together in defence of the few walls we have left in this nation that, for now, claims to be “under God.”

May our God truly fight for us, for we don’t seem to want to fight for oursleves.

…Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. – Nehemiah 4:14

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by | October 21, 2010 · 1:51 pm

Anthony’s Appetite #3 (The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe)

I love BBQ.  As a matter of fact, I think that when God told the Apostle Peter to eat the stuff that was on the sheet that was lowered down, BBQ sauce must have been included.  It had to come from God as a thing ordained from Heaven.  Consider the following words from Acts 10:11-13

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!”

At first Peter was not about to do this thing, for on that sheet (I think it was the first picnic sheet) were things formerly unclean, presumably including pork.  God then says to Peter, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”  Folks, let it be said,

“If to God you want to be true, eat everything with Barbeque.”

Alright, so I won’t get an “A” in biblical hermeneutics, but hopefully you get the point.  BBQ must be ordained by God, so we must try to eat it everywhere we can to find the best to recommend.  With that, here’s a suggestion.

The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe

If you are ever at the foot of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN (right next to the Incline Railway), stop by The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe (thepurpledaisy.com). My wife and kids and I went there last week and left pretty happy.  Let me tell you about some stuff we ate.

Q-Dog

Have you ever heard of a Q-Dog?  Well, it was pretty dang good.  It consisted of an all-beef, grilled hot-dog, covered with barbecued pork and slaw, with a pickle on the side.  I loved it.  The slaw was good, too (if you like coleslaw on a BBQ sandwich, you’d like it on the dog).  The cost ($4.50) was a little more than a regular hot-dog, but i’twere the toppings that made the difference.  You could eat it with a fork, but I preferred to man-handle it.

 

Now, speaking of just good-ol’ barbeque (I think it looks better spelled with a “q”), the sandwich was a lot better than the one I had not too long ago at Bones’ in East Brainerd (no offence, Bones’).  The meat was tender and moist, with a good smoky flavor.  My wife ordered a regular size one, and I got the last bite (for the blog’s sake).

For dessert, Valerie and I shared a banana pudding.  Again, it was not like my granny in Alabama used to make, nor like the big-armed grannies at a few homecomings, but it was good.  What made it a little different was that it seemed to be freshly prepared for the customer at the time of order.  The reason I say this is because of how the actual pudding was at the bottom, but the vanilla wafers and whipped cream were on top.  The whole thing couldn’t have been made too much earlier, because the wafers were even still crunchy.  It was served cool, not warm.  I prefer warm, but oh well.

Now just a couple of other things to mention.  First, let me tell you about the baked beans.  They were a dish to themselves – really.

Baked Beans with "Stuff"

As you can see from the picture, these weren’t your ordinary baked beans.  They had “stuff” in them.  A bowl of them thar’ beans and some cornbread and you’d be set, I’m tell’n ya’.  How’s that for colloquial?

 

The atmosphere of The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe was fun and unique, too.  Just take a look at the table and chairs in the corner.  There is seating inside and outside.  They serve Coke (hallelujah!). But getting in and out of their parking can be a little tricky, depending on which way you exit the lot (FYI).

Well, that’s about it for this addition of Anthony’s Appetite.  Who know’s where I’ll end up next.  Until then, give this little locally-owned cafe a try.  The even have a neat website if you want to plan your culinary adventure beforehand.

God Bless BBQ!

P.S.  My only complaint was that there was no Brunswick stew.  But you know, nothing wrong with doing only what you do best.

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by | October 11, 2010 · 1:29 pm

Atheists on Christianity

You know, I was just watching some videos of atheists firing all their best shots at Christians and the belief that there is a God. One such video that you could watch on YouTube is of a debate put on by ABC. The Christians were Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, but I can’t (or don’t care to) remember the names of the others. If there was anything more evident than anything else, it was the snarky, condescending, teenager-ish, even (may I dare say) “b***hy” attitudes of the atheists.  Typical of people that hate being told what to do (just like juveniles that argues about everything, even when they know they’re wrong).  It really just made me sad.

Then I looked down at my shirt…

At this moment I am wearing a T-shirt that shows all of the more common, recognizable religious symbols of the world. In the middle is a cross, the symbol of Christianity. What a stark contrast to all the others is the cross. A symbol of death for crimes not committed. A symbol that used to stand for shame, but now for the One who bore our shame. He didn’t have to, you know. What other symbol represents that?  What other symbol offers forgiveness from the very One that suffered unjustly?  What other symbol cries out, “Agape!“

Atheism and all of its relatives are on the march, emboldened and encouraged by a world that wants to have it their own way. They are vicious and brash.  They have a chip on their shoulder because of all that “sinner” stuff, you see.  “Even if there is a God, who are you Christians to say you have the only way,” they ask.  But you know what, this isn’t Burger King, “this is my Father’s world.” His rules apply. He will have the final say. And, just like my shirt says, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.”

Just say’n.  What say ye?

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by | October 9, 2010 · 12:15 am

Anthony’s Appetite #2

When I envisioned a blog written by a recovering legalist, I never had “food critic” in mind.

But guess what?

Of all the things I have written so far, I have had more responses to what I thought about food than anything else!  Cool, huh?  I eat for other people’s reading enjoyment.  What could be better?

Last night was one of those nights where everything goes according to plan, just not your own.  We ended up at a restuarant all the way out in East Brainerd (that’s a part of Chattanooga, for those of you who don’t know), which is a good 30 minutes or more from our house.  Long story short, we decided to go to a place called Bones’ Smokehouse (9012 E Brainerd Rd).  A friend of the family, Kimberly Cobb works there as a server (so go there and ask for her, but make sure you leave a good tip).

When it comes to BBQ places, I have just a couple of things that I always ask for, 1) a simple pork sandwich,  and 2) a bowl of Brunswick stew.  Now, sometimes I also like to eat chili, so in this case I ordered all three, just for my loyal reading audience.

Let me tell you what I thought.

First, the chili was really good.  Of course, I make the best chili known to man, so if  there’s a quality chili anywhere I like to know about it.  This chili was pretty darn good, I must say.  It was full of meat, both pulled pork and beef.  There was not a lot of beans, but enough to let you know they were there.  The flavor was rich and not tomato-y.  As a matter of fact, there was a particular spice that I sensed that characterized the chili, but I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was (which will drive me crazy).  As a whole, it was a more peppery chili (as in black pepper), but not a hot chili.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone, and wouldn’t mind having more.

 

Chili with onions and cheese, Brunswick Stew, and a pulled-pork sandwich

 

Secondly, the Brunswick stew was absolutely divine (humanly speaking, sense I am not convinced Divinity eats Brunswick stew).  Just like the chili, there was nothing watery about this stuff.  It was stocked full of veggies like corn, peas, green beans, celery, chunky tomatoes, and those little lima beans.  The meat was good, smoked, pulled pork that was as tender as butter on a biscuit.  Overall, however, it was the smoky flavor that brought it all together into a taste combination that would make you want to close your eyes and say a simple “thank you” to God for taste buds.  Personally, it brought back childhood memories of cold mornings and the cozy smell of a warm fireplace.  Good, good stuff.

Thirdly, there was the sandwich. Didn’t like it.  Enough said.  Nothing special in the flavor department and a little dry.  Considering the rest of the food, maybe they were having a bad day.

For dessert, I asked for banana pudding. Frankly, it was not really up to the standards of home-made, but it was alright.  When it comes to banana pudding, unless a granny makes it, or it is part of a homecoming dinner at an old-fashioned Baptist church, you might as well forget about finding perfection at any price.

All-in-all, the best tasting food came in bowls.

Thankfully, they serve Coke!  What’s even better, they use the small crunchy kind of ice you can munch on all day long.  That’s good stuff, too.

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by | October 6, 2010 · 11:17 am

Anthony’s Appetite

OK, so here’s something different…..food…..the kind I eat.

Well, I won’t say that it is all that I eat.  What I will say is that over the last week or so I have had a few culinary delights that I would like to share – not literally, of course.

If I had a seperate blog, I might just become a food critic.  That would be fun.  The only problem is that my weight would get completely out of hand, my cholesterol would go through the roof, and my bank account would be depleted.  Being Andrew Zimmer must be fun.

I love coffee. I love coffee.  Did I say I love coffee?  If I had the choice to just sit down and have a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze for a while, it would NOT be at Starbucks.  Why?  Too dang expensive and the only black coffee they ever sell (usually) is Pike’s Peak.  I hate that stuff.  It’s just too bold – and they say it’s medium.  No, for just a good cup of coffee in a relaxed friendly atmostphere, just go to Cracker Barrel.  That’s right, that over-priced, country-style tourist trap that sells pretty good home-cooked-like food.  I love Cracker Barrel.  Their coffee is not intense, but smooth and always predictable.  Besides, you get FREE REFILLS!

Coffee at Cracker Barrel


Now, when it comes to dessert, I have a favorite to which nothing can compare.  I have even driven all the way from Kentucky just to have a slice.  What is it?  It is the closest thing to pie perfection that could ever be created.  It is LEMON ICE BOX PIE from The Country Place Restaurant.  Folks, don’t let anyone fool you, there is no substitute for this to-die-for dessert of the gods.  As a matter of fact, the last pastor’s breakfast for Hamilton County Baptists was held at The Country Place Restaurant.  I did not order bacon and eggs, nor biscuits and gravy, I ordered a cup of coffee (free refills) and LEMON ICE BOX PIE!  I love the creamy, heavy texture, and the graham cracker crumb crust.  The topping is substantial and a perfect complement to the filling which is, I think, loaded with Eagle Brand milk.  Sweet, creamy, and lemony.  You HAVE to have coffee with it.

Lemon Ice Box Pie at The Country Place

If you want to go to some place a little out of the way, but different, why don’t you try Flavors of Italy.  This is a neat little place in Soddy Daisy, Tn.  It is family-owned and the husband, which is the main chef, is literally from Italy (they even go back there every year).  Eating at this little restaurant (www.flavorsofitaly.org) is like eating at their house.  They have menu, but the real menu us the one they bring and place on a stand next to your table – written on a dry-erase board.  Everything is prepared fresh daily.  There are things that are on the menu that you won’t get at Olive Garden or Provino’s.  Valerie and I went there for lunch the other day, and man, what a dessert we had!

Italian Cream Cake at Flavors of Italy

Flavors of Italy has a wonderful Italian Cream cake that literally “takes the cake.”  Drizzled with raspberry sauce and garnished with raspberries and a little sprig of some kind of of flower, the presentation was lovely.  This cake was tall, generous, home-made, well presented and very, very good.  What’s even better, it was only about $5.  Well worth it.  And oh, I would seriously recommend the Italian espresso.  I could have drunk several of those – no bite, smooth, rich, and wonderful without sugar.  It all looked so good I couldn’t wait to eat before I took the picture.

What a Dilly


Of course, you may be thinking that all I eat is desserts.  Well, both of the ones I have just mentioned are better than the “real” food that I had at the Piccadilly.   I was forced by my wife to buy a “dilly meal.”  Let me tell you something, the food wouldn’t have been so bad if the coffee cups had been clean (which is why I ended up getting a foam cup); if the coffee had been worth drinking; if the booth backs had not been dirty; and if the percentage of elderly to youth had been less than 95-5.  I did not get a dessert, because that would have cost too much.  I did get to try one of the kid’s chocolate pudding, the kind that is supposed to look like mud under the gummy worms.  Fruity chocolate – yum.

I think that nothing is better than home-made cornbread.

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