inspiration

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 19 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Afton Pub & Pizza in Concord, NC. This family owned restaurant offers a complete list of Italian dishes, specialty pizzas, sandwiches and a variety of appetizers. 

Dora here. Afton Pub & Pizza (Pub) is the sister to Afton Tavern (Tavern), my go-to restaurant (read favorite). From the picture, you might be able to tell it’s tucked in a mixed residential/retail environment, a fabulous, relaxing place to hangout on the weekend or stop by for dinner on your way home from work. While we visit the Tavern for our favorite salads, the Pub is all about the pizza for us. 🙂

We start with Garlic Knots. Warm fresh baked dough, drizzled with garlic butter, flaked with parmesan cheese and served with marinara sauce. These garlic knots were large, soft, and full of garlicky flavor and the marinara sauce complemented well. They were outstanding and I could have made an entire meal just eating them. 

Garlic Knots

Dora here. Me too! Buttery. Soft. Doughy. Lick-your-fingers for the last speck of parmesan delicious!

We followed that with a Ryan’s 4 X 4 pizza. Pepperoni, bacon, prosciutto, and a ton of cheese including mozzarella, parmesan, Monterey jack, and cheddar with a hint of red sauce. This pizza was great, cooked perfectly, and loaded with ingredients. This thick crust pie is the best that we have tasted since living in North Carolina.

Ryan’s 4×4 Pizza, extra parm on hubby’s side

Dora here. Everybody has their favorite pizza, right? I’m a Chicago style pizza fanatic, but good luck finding a deep dish like that here! The Pub’s 4×4 comes in a close second. Thick and cheesy, with just the right amount of dough to cheese ratio, and I really appreciate that it’s not heavy on the marinara. Totally satisfying for those pizza cravings, and of course, we brought much of this big boy home.

We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

What’s your perfect pizza?


Afton Pub & Pizza Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Reading: MUST-HAVE HUSBAND by Ginny Baird

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
Amazon Buy Link

The Cover Story~
MUST-HAVE HUSBAND
Fall for Love. Take a Chance…

City girl Connie Oliver has a hard time hanging on to men, grooms in particular. Just nine weeks before her wedding, she’s seen another one slip away. To make matters worse, her ailing grandfather’s eightieth birthday is approaching, and he has one final wish: to see his last granddaughter married in the historic wedding gown that was first worn by his late wife and has been a family tradition for years. When her sister takes Connie on a girls’ getaway in the wild to soothe her latest heartache, she quips that Connie wouldn’t know a decent man if he fell on her. So, when a handsome stranger drops out of the trees, Connie’s got to wonder whether he’s some sort of madman – or an answer to her prayers.

Rugged outdoorsman “Mac” McCormack is down on his luck after having just lost his camping store in a forest fire. So he hits the trail to forget his woes and plot his next move. Little does Mac expect the fates to deliver an angel with a predicament in need of his skills. With Connie desiring a groom and Mac requiring a down payment, their meeting seems fortuitously timed. But how far will Mac be willing to go once he learns play-acting for the Olivers is not such smooth sailing? Despite the mishaps and mayhem that ensue, can Connie and Mac achieve an authentic happy ending? That all depends on whether both of their hearts can take a chance.

Sharing my takeaway~
After her latest fiance dumped her (#3 or 4?), Connie Oliver needs a groom and a wedding to satisfy her beloved grandfather. Mac McCormack needs money to rebuild his camping store after a forest fire destroyed it. Their cute meet in the wilderness extends to Mac masquerading as her fiance in exchange for enough money to begin the rebuilding.

“Sometimes you had to make sacrifices in order to achieve your goals.”


This was the first book that I’ve read by Ginny Baird, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Tagged “A sweet, traditional PG-rated romantic comedy” perhaps I should’ve, but this was laugh-out-loud funny! 

At 113 pages, including previews of other books, Must-Have Husband is a quick read, definitely PG but not in a turn-the-page-quick kinda way, and not heavy or meaty in plot or character development or even romance. I would’ve liked more pages, more time for the romance to develop. But I’ve been in a reading rut lately. Sometimes you just need something different, you know? This short read was the perfect prescription for me.

Because of its petite size and zippy dialog, it’s a light, fun read to while away an hour or so. I’ll definitely look through Baird’s other books for more laugh-out-loud enjoyment!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was offered free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review.