9/11 and The Hillbilly Snack Shack

Today my thoughts and prayers have been with those loved whose lives were changed forever in a single day. I visited the online memorial for the 9/11 and read the letter written by the foundation's president Joe Daniels. If you'd like to read it the website is  http://www.911memorial.org/commemorating-11th-anniversary-911-0 . Its well written and its hard to add anything to his comments. I was pleased to hear that the day had been honored at Wheeling Park High School.
The hotel where I was working filled that evening with the troop that had been deployed from southern West Virginia. It was heart renching watching these young men bravely going off to defend their country. Many of these young men had never been away from home before this. The hotel staff went beyond the call of duty to ensure that these young people had the best send off we could provide. Each and every soldier was hugged over and over. It was a scary day and the sacrifice was certainly brought home by meeting this troop of brave soldiers.

I lightened my thoughts and mood by stopping in to visit Ed and Tracy McDaniel. Ed and Tracy own The Hillbilly Snack Shack. Ed known as Mac is retired from the military. The two of them had a dream. The Hillbilly Snack Shack is the dream.
It was a good day to stop. They have enlarged their menu and extended their hours starting today. The warmth of the owners fill the restaurant. Their hope is to provide a place for young people and families that is alcohol and gambling free. The prices are already very affordable.

The food is scrumptious! The hoagies are filled with fresh meat, cheese and vegetables. My favorite is the steak and cheese hoagie smothered in grilled onions. Mac slices down the steak and grills it to perfection! It literally melts in your mouth! My other all time favorite item is the Corn Dog. Fried to perfection it brings back memories of every fair I've ever attended without the flies. The hotdog menu is awesome! There is a slaw dog but I'm not sure if its a West Virginia Slaw Dog.

To accommadate the new members of the community they have added the "Oil Field Trash Burger" to the menu. This burger is 1/3 lb. Angus burger, 2 pieces of cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and onions with cole slaw and fries on the side. The menu also includes a variety of salads served with rolls and butter.Kid friendly, there is a children's menu. The extended menu includes dinner items for the extended hours. The Hillbilly Shack is now open from 11am - 9pm, Monday - Saturday. The Hillbilly Snack Shack is located on National Rd. outside of Triadelphia. Visit and like them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Hillbilly-Snack-Shack/237623356285098.   Mac was stirring hot dog sauce when I got there. Here's my recipe though I'd suggest trying his first.   Chili dogs are great for bon fires and cookouts you can make the chili sauce ahead of time and all you have to do is grill the hot dogs long enough to get some deep char marks. They cook up quickly and can feed many!
INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

a pinch of salt

3 teaspoons chili powder

2 1/4 cups water

1 cup ketchup

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cook ground beef with onion in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return to heat. Add salt, chili powder, and beef. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/4 cups water, ketchup, Worcestershire, white vinegar, dry mustard and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid evaporates. (About 30 min.)