Tuesday’s Treats #65

April 25, 2017April 23, 2017 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Pig Tails

Location: Flowery Branch, Ga

This is a cool little dockside restaurant at Aqualand Marina in a little town called Flowery Branch on Lake Lanier. On cool spring and summer days, this is a great outdoor restaurant. If it’s a warmer day, it’s still nice, as there are plenty of ceiling fans and wall fans on the property. If it’s raining outside, it is a open, canopied patio; so, you’re still covered. (See what I did there. Lol.😂) It really does have a great atmosphere, and the scenery is beautiful, as you can see the lake from your table.

The food is yummy. Start out with the Fish Tails (fried grouper fingers) made extra crispy. The pictures here are of the 3 Sisters burger, with smoked Gouda, pimento and fiery ghost pepper cheese and the Brisket Philly. The brisket is delicious and so is the burger. To be honest, the day we had these, I think maybe they were just “getting into the swing of things for the season,” because things weren’t exactly A+. The service was great, but they seemed to be struggling in the kitchen. However, the brisket was still incredible, and the next time we went a few days later, everything was awesome!

Along with the brisket philly, they have a brisket plate with a 1/2 or full pound order and a great chicken club brioche, complete with pepper jack cheese and smoked peppercorn bacon. It was so good! Oh, they have about four homemade BBQ sauces from which to choose, too…yum!

So, if you’re out for the day on Lake Lanier, and you’re looking for a great place to get lunch, bring your boat into the marina and stay awhile. If you’re closer to Hidden Marina, check out their sister location Fish Tales. It’s just as good.

Check out the menu, hours of operation and location here.

Tuesday’s Treats #44

November 29, 2016December 12, 2016 / The WheatandTares

The Blue Otter Restaurant & Sportsbar

The view here is spectacular! The restaurant is located right on the side of the highway, facing Lake Chatuge. The food is really good, too. I’d have to say it wasn’t awesome, but the view made up for the lack of luster. We had burgers, wings, pizza and a buffalo chicken wrap, all served with fries, onion rings and Tator tots (you choose one)…true Sportsbar type variety. The sweet tea was good Southern style sweet tea, and the cherry cokes were true Roy Rogers, grenadine and all. 😉

The Hiawassee burger is good with bacon, pickle slices and BBQ sauce. It comes with ranch dressing, too, but I had it omitted. The wings were yummy, and my son ordered them with hot sauce; so, they were fire producing! Haha. The pizza was more bread than pepperoni and sauce, but the taste was good. The last time we went, our party got the big “Kitchen sink” pizza, with all the toppings, and it was loaded and yummy! The chicken wrap and ranch dressing was average, not really spectacular.

The atmosphere inside is really cool, but because it was such a beautiful day, we sat outside on the deck with a gorgeous view of the lake and mountains. The waitress seemed a little distracted, which made her a little on the slower side, but she was really nice. Everything was really good, and we will be back, I’m sure.

Here is their website for location and more information.

Fog & Hugs

January 21, 2015January 20, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

JGrizz said the other day, “Ya know, mom, fog is like a great big hug…like a great big hug from God.” As I looked out across the water, with the fog hovering like a blanket, I couldn’t deny the closeness, the feeling of being embraced by the fuzzy white haze. Then I turned my thoughts toward heaven and thought of how much He loves us, and how much he blesses us everyday, even in the smallest things, just to show us He cares.

If we will but open our eyes to see, we will realize He sends little “hugs and kisses” from heaven all throughout the days, weeks and even years of our lives. It may be in the gentle smile of your newborn babe as he looks at you with his innocent love. It may be in the beautiful sunrise breaking through the trees, sending a tense warm to your face. It may be in the joyful giggles of your little girl who wants ‘just one more’ push on the swing. It might even be in the quiet reflection of your teenage son as He ponders over the fog settling upon the waters and believing God has sent him a hug.

We drove across a dam early one morning, and it was so foggy, I could hardly see to drive. All of a sudden, I saw a rainbow, as my eyes followed its path, I realized that we were going to drive right through the rainbow, almost as if it were a tunnel! It as one of the neatest things I’ve ever seen! (In the last pic below, but wasn’t real clear on the picture). Going through, I had this thought, “Aw, thanks God! You sure know how to make a girl feel loved and blessed!”

He sends us visual messages through so many venues. All we have to do is step back, take a deep breath and really see Him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” It’s true, and He doesn’t hide when we seek Him. He always keeps His promises. All we have to do is look for Him.

So, next time it’s foggy, don’t get scared or annoyed, just wk outside for a moment; let it surround you, and receive your great big hug from God. 🙂

Along the Shoreline

October 11, 2014October 13, 2014 / The WheatandTares

Things seem more at peace along the shoreline…

Breathe It All In

September 8, 2014September 8, 2014 / The WheatandTares

We had had such a busy week. We had so much to think about and to get done. I had been sick for about 3 days already, just feeling real crummy, but the boys were taken care of for the day; so, Joey and I decided to take off for a little day trip. We went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants in a small mountain town, and while there, we called some long time friends to come join us. They were busy, too, but we decided to drop by after lunch to see their new house being built. She apologized for her “no makeup attire,” and I insisted it didn’t matter. We all sat in camp chairs on the unfinished back deck overlooking Lake Chatuge. The breeze was blowing softly, making the temperature, on this hot summer day, feel more like a nice fall afternoon. While sitting there, enjoying one another’s company, her husband said, “You wanna go out on the boat?” The thought bounced around our little circle, as we each thought of all the agendas we really needed to finish, but the lake was calling. So, we set out on our spontaneous journey. It was such a beautiful day. The breeze continued to gently blow and pick up speed as the boat did. The sky was a brilliant blue with big, puffy white clouds. The lake reflected the majestic mountains surrounding us, and all of us forgot about the cares of this world as we sailed on through the cove. Our friends’ grown daughter and her one year old son had joined us, and as I watched him toddle onto the boat and his only worries were of “driving the boat with Poppa,” I was reminded that this is what it’s all about. You just have to take a minute to breathe it all in – the mountains, the lake, the suntan lotion, the cheese puffs, and the cool mountain air. As we stopped for ice cream and pizza (yes, in that order! haha), and we enjoyed our food and fellowship, I was once again reminded that we all need to stop and enjoy what life has for us. We can get so caught up in the demands and desires of tomorrow that we simply miss the love, friendship and fun that has been placed right here in front of us. So, next time the world seems to be closing in on you, and the weight is so heavy that it’s getting hard to breathe, STOP. Look beyond the agenda. Call a friend. Get to a lake, a waterfall, a mountain, or even the countryside, and take a minute to breathe it all in. Remember, these are the important things of life: faith, family, friendship, and fellowship…these are the things that will last.