Wednesday, April 27, 2011 6:17 am

"It's just like playing with a fat man's belly," says birthday girl Ovie Hollis as she kneads dough for a pan of her famous biscuits Wednesday morning.

A Cannon County culinary legend is celebrating her birthday today.

Ovie Hollis, queen of the biscuit bakers at Joe's Place Restaurant, said the occassion marks her 28th birthday.

"That fast-aging film you use in that camera may make me look 82, but I feel like I'm 28 and that's what I'm sticking with," Ovie said.

Ovie, a life-long Cannon Countian, has been baking biscuits at Joe's Place for almost 20 years. Prior to that she worked for 30 years at General Electric in Murfreesboro.

Of her widely-acclaimed biscuits Ovie said, "I can't give away my secrets, but the main ingredient in a good biscuit is experience and dedication."

Whether 28 or 82, Ovie leads an active life. In addition to getting up five days a week and baking biscuits at Joe's Place starting at 5 a.m., she is also raising two great granddaughters, ages 14 and 10.