South

Southern Heart

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

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I am a Southern girl, born and bred, and I am proud of it. In the South, we grew up knowing trust in God, family and country were three of the most important things to take care of in life, and when one of those got out of balance, the others were soon to follow. We were taught to respect our elders, appreciate our relatives, (even if they’re a little crazy), and good friends and food go a long way to make a good day great. Old dirt roads are best enjoyed on the back of a pick up truck, and front porches were made for rocking chairs and long late night talks. Fireflies were made to catch in mason jars and catfish were made to fry up for dinner. Sweet tea is made only when the sugar is poured before the tea gets cold, and chicken is best served fried with a side of mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits…oh, and with an apple pie for dessert.  “Yes ma’am,” “No, ma’am,” and The Pledge of Allegiance isn’t just polite, it’s expected, and being a sass mouth is just plain rude…there can be found a hickory switch or two for that one. Barefoot and swimming holes are sought for in the summertime and wintertime is simply harder to find. Thanksgiving is for pumpkin pies, turkey and dressing, and Christmas is for gatherings of family and friends to remember our Savior’s birth and sing of that glorious story. Being from the South makes up who I am, and even if I wasn’t born here, I don’t think you could drag me away. It’s in my heart, and it’s here to stay.

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If you aren’t from the South, don’t like the South, or you’ve never been here, that’s ok. You may be proud of where you’re from, too. You don’t have to love my home, and I don’t have to love yours, but I will try to respect it; that’s just the Southern way. 😉 It bothers me to no end those who ridicule the South by saying we’re less educated or less cultured, because our dialect is a little different than theirs, or because we didn’t grow up where they did. I won’t spend a lot of time here on that soapbox; however, I don’t believe it’s from whence you came that makes you smarter or more stupid than the next guy; it’s all in how you act, react and treat your fellow man that will determine your intellect or lack thereof.

I am so thankful to be from the South, and I can’t think of many other places I’d rather live. I’ve been to many other states, and I’ve yet to find an area I like more. So, if you’re from the South, “Welcome Home, Ya’ll!” and if you’re not, “Come on back to see us soon!”

Daily Prompt: South

Wednesday’s Ode #19

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

  Shrimp and grits at Madison’s Restaurant, Highlands, NC

I just love shrimp and grits! I know, I know, this is really just a Southern thing, but I am a Southern girl; so, I guess it fits. I have to say, if you haven’t tried shrimp and grits, you must give it a try. Actually, you must give it at least two tries, because shrimp and grits can come in so many different styles, and it takes a bit to realize which style you might like. 🙂

There are two main preparations for shrimp and grits. What I will call the Louisiana-style usually has a lot of sausage, spices sauce and tomatoes added to the dish, and, what I will call the “Southern” style, has more grits and shrimp. My favorite style is a little less Louisiana-style and a little more Southern style. Both are really good, it just simply depends on your personal preference. For this post, I will be referring to more of this Southern preparation. 

If the restaurant we visit has shrimp and grits, you can just about bet that it will be part of my order that day. It is very rare that I won’t order it, unless it is a restaurant at which we often eat, we will be visiting again soon, it’s not the style I prefer, or it’s just an “off” day for me, and I plan to try them later. I love shrimp and grits that much!!

My favorite preparation is the kind in which the grits are freshly stone ground, cooked to perfection with a texture which is both creamy and gritty with just a touch of cheese. The shrimp are blackened just a bit and sautéed in a sauce of just the right amount of buttery sauce and spice. …Mmmm, this post is making me hungry! 

Now, yesterday, I had a new kind of shrimp and grits, and the grits just won me over! The menu read “pimento cheese grits,” and when the plate was set before me, I was surprised to see the grits had a fried batter around them! Oh. My. Word! They were delicious!! These grits had actually been cooked thoroughly and then “pattied” and fried to a yummy perfection! I am sorry that I didn’t take a pic of them before I devoured them! At another restaurant, several weeks ago, in Charleston, SC, I had a dish of shrimp and grits that was also scrumptious. This dish I did capture a pic, and you can see it below. The chef prepared it by sautéing the shrimp in a lobster butter sauce. Oh. Wow. It was yummy! 

So, as you can see just by the two photos I have included, as well as, these different descriptions, shrimp and grits can come in a variety of ways, but you will never know which you like best until you try it! So, be adventurous. Try a new dish, and, if at first, it isn’t so wonderful, just simply try, and try again until you have reached the plate you just can’t live without!! Lol. 😉  

Shrimp and Grits at The Oyster Room Restaurant at Foley Beach, SC (near Charleston, SC)

Wednesday’s Ode #14

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

   
I absolutely love the North Georgia mountains! There are so many things to see and enjoy there! My husband and I love to take “road trip dates” and drive through the small mountain towns, stopping to peruse through an Antique shop or two, or taking a refreshing hike to see a waterfall, or even finding an old gravel State Forest road and attempting to get lost in the Cohutta Wilderness Area. We’ve had so many memorable trips and adventures. A few of our favorite drives and “pit stops” are the Richard B. Russell Parkway, Popcorn Overlook, Minnehaha Falls, Highway 197 and the Mark of the Potter, and Highway 60 between Dahlonega and Blue Ridge. 

  

We love all the little towns of North Georgia like Dahlonega, Clarkesville, Hiawassee, Ellijay, Young Harris, Clayton and Helen. We try to go apple pickin’ in Ellijay in September (just not on the Apple Festival weekends, because we’d like to avoid the crowds!) and pumpkin searching at some of the local farms later in the fall. (We don’t usually go to the more commercialized ones, because it’s just too busy. 😉 )

  
We love the Mark of the Potter on Highway 197, which is an old grist mill that still has water running through the basement. It is now a potter shop, and I can absolutely spend hours in there…and it’s not a really big shop! Our boys love to go there, because the river runs behind the mill, and they provide a fish feeder for a $.25 handful of feed. The trout are huge! My husband loves to go there, as well, to peruse through the shop, but he loves most to stand on the back deck and look at the waterfall and Soquee River. It is simply a “must see” when you’re in the area. We, also, love to go to the little town of Dahlonega. The downtown square is something to experience. There is an old General Store that still serves 5-cent cup of coffee and has a pianola, or a player piano, which you can sit in the rocking chairs and listen to for another $.25. There are little shops all around the square where you can purchase homemade fudge, chocolates, ice cream, woodworking, potter, artwork and more. There are restaurants all around the square as well. It is a delightful little town. They have many festivals and events throughout the year; so, if you want to join in the fun, or you’d rather avoid the traffic, like us, you’ll want to check the calendar.

   
 In Young Harris, Georgia, one of our very favorites restaurants is located. It is called Brothers (at Willow Ranch), and it could be best described as a locally owned Longhorns Steakhouse. Oh, my goodness! It is soooo good! Of course, they have steak, chicken, beef brisket, burgers, and they also have pasta, fish and all kinds of veggies and desserts. Every meal is served with yummy yeast rolls and honey butter, or regular, if that’s what you prefer, and they have the best sweet tea (aside from my house, as my boys say!) Have I made you hungry yet?? Another great thing about this restaurant is as you enter and leave, the mountains surround you to one side; so, the view is spectacular! Also, if you’d like a little resort living, the Brasstown Valley Resort is located right across the highway, and that place is awesome, especially at Christmas time!

Another little town we love is Ellijay. This town has special meaning for Joey and I, because for two and a half years of our dating, we lived two states apart and would meet in Ellijay every Saturday just to spend the day together. It was about an hour’s drive for both of us, and we would meet just as soon as I got off work on Saturday mornings, and we’d stay till we had to say our very last goodbyes on Saturday evenings before I would be late for my curfew! There are so many antique shops, restaurants and, now, retail shops in the area, it is a great “day trip for two.” As I mentioned before, they have the Apple Festival in the fall, and along the way to Ellijay, there are a few places to find pumpkins, too. If you’d like to take a nice hike, or simply drive to see a beautiful waterfall, Amicalola Falls is not too far from the downtown, and if you need a Walmart, Longhorns or a few other more “modern” conveniences, they’ve got that, too. We absolutely love Ellijay!

   
 The North Georgia Mountains are a great place to come for a vacation, a short visit, or just a day trip to get away. It definitely won’t be the place you’ll find big citylights and the hustle-and-bustle of that city life, but if you’d prefer to kick back and breathe a little fresh air, this is the place to be!