All I asked Santa for this year was for a little less chaos and busyness. You can imagine the pressure the jolly ole elf is under now, so it’s up to me to make a few changes.
Despite the overwhelming busyness I wanted to take the time to post.
From our home to yours Audley and I wish you a warm and cozy holiday filled with joy.
“Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out
Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about”
To say we have been rather busy lately is quite an understatement.
You see, fifty-seven days ago, I was playing around on Realtor.com just as I have for the last several years, pondering the possibilities of the many listings that were up at the moment, when something caught my eye.
I mean something REEEE-ally caught my eye.
So, I did something that I had never done in all my years of looking; with Audley’s guidance I reached out to a VA lender for a preapproval.
“Well the names have all changed since you hung around
But those dreams have remained and they’ve turned around”
Fifty-five days ago, we canceled our weekend plans and took a little road trip into Alabama. There, we looked at two houses. One was trashed and definitely showed what a little staging for the internet can do. The other was nearly perfect; close to everything we had in mind for a home.
“Who’d have thought they’d lead ya
Back here where we need ya”
Fifty- four days ago we made an offer on a house, wrote an earnest money check, and the very next day it was accepted.
We were under contract with “closing in thirty-five days.”
{GULP}
Thirty-one days ago, I accepted a position to teach pre-k in a newly established Christian Academy this coming autumn.
Twenty-four days ago, we met with our realtor in the small town of Scottsboro, Alabama to close, and at the same time became first time homeowners.
“Yeah we tease him a lot ’cause we got him on the spot, welcome back
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back…”
Fourteen days ago, we moved to Stevenson, Alabama, just 3 miles from where Audley grew up and where we moved away from almost exactly ten years ago.
“…And I know what a scene you were learning in
Was there something that made you come back again”
There is a lot to the hows, whys, and whats of all this, but the Reader’s Digest version is Audley changed industries back in December and works from home, when he is not traveling. After nearly 27 years of moving with power company and paper mill construction, we have been given the opportunity to control our own path.
“And what could ever lead ya
Back here where we need ya”
We decided the time was right to purchase a home, but with the market what it is, this was not so easy. We looked near Atlanta (where we had been living). We looked in South Carolina (to be near our grandbaby). We looked in Tennessee. We looked in Alabama. But we weren’t serious until the right property became available. We really wanted out of the city, we wanted property, preferably not new construction, and a ranch style. We wanted character and potential. Something move-in ready that we could add our own spin on to turn into our home.
Who knew where it would lead us?!
The craziness, busyness, chaotic mess of the last fifty-seven days was an answered prayer in so many ways, especially with the ease of purchasing our first home. We stayed within our budget, worked with a great realtor and lender, and found what I hope is our forever home!
And the song lyrics scatter throughout my post? As we were driving on I-24 with a moving van, our pups and kitty I was listening to a 70’s station on Spotify. The theme song to “Welcome Back Kotter” by John Sebastion began playing on the radio. I laughed as I thought back to all the times we’ve left this area to chase our dreams, only to return.
“Yeah we tease him a lot ’cause we got him on the spot, welcome back
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back”
God sure does have a sense of humor.
March has arrived and so have all the beginning signs of spring, at least here in North Georgia! One of my favorite things to do in the spring/summer/fall month is hit up our local Saturday market to shop from area farmers and support local vendors. It’s so much healthier than big box stores and great for the local economy! One particular vendor has become my favorite stop on market Saturdays: Sugas Pimento Cheese.
Created by Chef Stacey West (a graduate of Atlanta’s Le Cordon Bleu College) these delicious flavors of pimento cheese have become high demand items at the Cartersville Market as well as other metro-Atlanta markets and retail stores. If you want to grab your favorite flavor of pimento cheese on Saturdays, you have to go early because they will sell out! They’re that good!
Already a huge fan of Chef Stacey, I was excited to learn that she has opened a restaurant in Powder Springs, Georgia that features many of her pimento cheese flavors in classic, mostly Southern dishes. Recently Audley and I ventured out to find this new eatery and indulge in a unique and delicious luncheon!
Suga’s Cheese Shoppe and Cafe was a concept born from having customers asking for creative ways to pair Chef Stacey’s pimento cheeses or use in recipes. This sweet little restaurant seats on a first come, first serve basis, and on the Saturday we visited it was quite obvious that word is already spreading about how scrumptious the dishes are. We were chatting with some ladies while waiting on our table, one of which drove across Atlanta for lunch with a friend because they had heard how wonderful everything was!
Before I continue you should know, Audley is very picky about cheese. In fact, he doesn’t eat any cold cheeses unless they are paired with flavorful fruits or spreads on a charcuterie board or melted on a sandwich. Pimento cheese does not fit into either of these categories. I felt like I was dragging a puppy into the vet as we walked in.
Once the menu hit our hands, I saw a spark in Audley’s eyes.
I heard a “hmmmm” escape his mouth and wondered what was going on in his head.
He gave me a snarl when I ordered Smoked Gouda Mac Balls as he dislikes most all pasta even more than cheese. They arrived piping hot to the table and I hear “well those smell good!”
I told him I wasn’t sharing, but Audley grabbed a fork, cut into one of the mac balls and swiped it through the thick marinara sauce on the plate.
He ate two of the three served with our appetizer.
The gouda mac balls are made with gouda and pimento mac n’ cheese, with a deep-fried panko crust and served with the previously mentioned marinara sauce. The outside was crispy while the inside was creamy and rich. They really were absolutely delicious!
We each chose something different off of the menu for our main entree; I ordered Shrimp Scampi after hearing it was Chef Stacey’s favorite dish, and Audley ordered a crispy chicken sandwich.
We both made really great choices!
The shrimp scampi is made with pesto and feta pimento cheese (which is spectacular) with a creamy white wine garlic sauce on a bed of thin angel hair pasta. Audley needed a second, third and fourth taste to decide it really was quite delectable.
Audley’s chicken sandwich had the largest chicken breast I have ever seen on a sandwich with lettuce, pickled red onions, house sauce and of course pimento cheese. Served with fries, there was no way someone would leave without being full.
And Audley LOVED it, pimento cheese and all.
In fact, he didn’t want to share.
After all of that, what is a couple stuffed full to do?
We ordered dessert of course…. something we could share.
Chef Stacey did not disappoint.
Somehow, we found a little more room to take in a slice of pimento cheese cheesecake.
More specifically Pimento Cheese Cheesecake topped with whipped cream and strawberries.
We ate it and Audley proclaimed it better than a certain commercial cheesecake restaurant.
All of a sudden, my skeptical husband was sold on pimento cheese in recipes.
Amazing how these things happen.
Even more amazing is that Audley has picked several other things off of the menu he wants to try, and soon. This especially includes the Black Truffle Pimento Cheesesteak and Oreo pimento cheesecake.
Take time to add Suga’s Cheese Shoppe and Cafe to your weekend ramblings this spring and summer. Not only will you enjoy a whole new culinary experience, but you’ll be also supporting a small local restaurant and that is a huge reward in itself!
And Audley said he will gladly accompany you.
Suga’s Cheese Shoppe and Cafe
4456 Marietta Street, Suite 110
Powder Springs, Georgia 30127
Closed on Monday & Tuesday
Happy New Year and Happy Ground Hog’s Day as well! As has become my tradition, I took most of December and January off to enjoy family time and organize myself for this new year! We are welcoming February with high winds, rain and a nice little cold front here in North Georgia. While Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow up north, General Beau, Georgia’s own groundhog apparently did not.
{Rumor has it he wasn’t awake enough to see much of anything!}
Regardless of whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring, the American calendar does confirm we have 6 weeks until the official first day of Spring. Whether it’s rainy, snowy or just plain ugly as winter days can often be, winter is not the most popular season.
With that in mind, I thought I would share Fifteen ways to brighten up your winter days.
1. Plant winter color – pansies, violas, crocus … all of these beautiful options are delightful in a couple of porch or patio containers during the season when everything is so dreary looking.
2. Go for a winter walk or hike. Bundle up if you must, but even just a few minutes in the outdoors on a sunny day improves your mood drastically!
3. Make a savory pot of stew. Simple, filling, homey, cosy … a pot of stew not only warms you up (and lasts through a couple of meals), but evokes wonderful memories of winter at home.
4. Plan out your spring and summer gardens. While you’re at it, order a few seeds as well!
5. Refinish a piece of furniture. Hit up a thrift store or Facebook marketplace and find an inexpensive project piece to keep you busy.
6. Open up the curtains and blinds and let the light in. Natural light (not the beer) is a known mood booster!
7. Set aside a few minutes daily for quiet time. Whether you read, close your eyes while listening to classical music, or really enjoy sipping your morning coffee choose a time of day for refocusing your mind and disconnecting from everyday stress.
8. Volunteer. Shelters and food kitchens all over are desperate for help right now. Even just one afternoon a week can make a huge difference in someone’s life, including your own.
9. Visit a local museum or other historical venue. This is a great way to get to learn your community or region. You might be surprised at what you find out about where you live!
10. Grow indoor plants or try your hands a forcing a bloom or two.
11. Visit the Georgia Coast. Carry a bike, a beach picnic, and enjoy a romantic weekend away in the Spanish moss of Jekyll Island.
12. Have a tea party for one or for several, it really doesn’t matter. Just turn off your phone and television, light some candles, find a Nancy Meyers inspired (think The Holiday, It’s Complicated, Father of the Bride, or Home Again) playlist on Spotify, and serve up a delightful afternoon of “chick” food, tea and conversation or a good book. There is no wrong way to enjoy tea!
13. Have a winter picnic. Pack plenty of blankets, and get creative with your menu. From a location where you can build a bonfire to soup served straight from the thermos there are many ways to enjoy this unique picnic.
14. Exercise. Winter is a great time to begin an exercise program. Not only will it boost your endorphins and your mood (‘happy people don’t kill their husbands” …. name that movie), you’ll feel better in the spring and summer when you bring out the shorts.
15. Set your goals for the year. I made this last for a reason; not everyone has goals or even knows what their goals are! For some people this is high priority, for others it is not, and guess what?! That is perfectly alright! The United States is a fast-paced goal driven society, but sometimes just living in the moment and seeing where it takes you is just as satisfying as checking off something on a list.
Is there anything different you would add to this list? I would love to hear your ideas!
Until next time, create a bright spot in your little corner of winter.
Fiddle Dee Dee by Jennifer Jones 