Tag: food

Sweet Pea Specials

Since switching to a vegan diet I’ve become a frequent diner at Sweet Pea Cafe in Tallahassee. I have favorite dishes—the Caesar Wrap is one, and Rancheros is another, but I give a thumbs up to everything on their menu. It’s all vegan, all the time.

The specials board never fails to make me smile even if I’m not enticed to try what’s listed. I’m a messy person and sometimes the special isn’t suited to dining in one’s car.

Today’s specials were particularly inventive.

The BBQ Streisand was tempting, but I could well imagine the resulting bbq splotches on my tee shirt.

If you live anywhere near Tallahassee pay this little unassuming cafe on Tharpe Street a visit. Tell them Leslie sent you.

Peace, people!

Tell Me Something Good

This pandemic is rotten, and it’s not going away anytime soon. I’m prone to dwelling on the heartaches. “There’s a Tear in My Beer” could’ve been my theme song, except it’d be a pity to water down a good beer.

Yesterday I was feeling low. Not depressed, just low. And then I made myself think of ordinary day-to-day good things about life right now, things that might NOT have come about had it not been for Covid-19.

One of the best is a group on Facebook called “Tallahassee Foodies.” It was started by a woman who wanted to call attention to good, locally owned eateries. It’s an overwhelmingly positive place for members to ask about specific types of foods available and to share information.

Here are a couple of sample posts from the site:

“This page makes my heart swell when I see it supporting people who need it (fried Oreos, peterbrooke) especially during these hard times of closure, lower capacity, etc.
SO… If you own or know of a good business that is struggling to survive right now, please list them below so we can help them.
So many restaurant, franchise, and bar owners put it all on the line to start their businesses, I want to do my tiny part to help…
Thanks!”

“Y’all. This is probably 5000 Weight Watchers points, but I’ll eat soup the rest of the day so I can eat this. Bacon jam, avocado, and egg melt (added tomato)! Look at those layers of deliciousness! First time I’ve had bacon jam. It had a little kick and now I have to figure out how it’s made.”

From Freshroots Kitchen in Tallahassee

I absolutely love this site and all the good vibes the members are putting out. Any negativity gets shut down quickly. It’s a happy place for me.

What’s happening in your world that’s positive? Something that might only exist because of COVID? Maybe you’ve taken on a role that you’d never considered playing before. Tell me something good.

Peace, people!

Okra, Fried not Boiled

Recently I took part in a silly Facebook game wherein one learned how Southern one might be based on the number of traditionally southern foods one has eaten.

Not to brag, or anything, but I scored 25 points, making me Sho’nuff Southern. Some of the foods listed I tried just for the heck of it and never indulged in them again–namely shrimp and grits which I find disgusting, unlike cheese grits which can be divine, and chicken livers–a delicacy my mama loved and insisted I sample. All I have to say is ewwww.

My daughter noted that fried okra, our very favorite southern food was missing from the list. We made an executive decision to include it and awarded ourselves an extra point for having enjoyed this most wonderful of foods.

Only in the south can one take a vegetable and render it simultaneously delicious and unhealthy by breading and deep frying said vegetable. We do it with squash, as well. Oh wow, I guess fried squash needs to be on the list, too. One more point for me!

I’m fairly adventurous when it comes to foods, or was until I embarked on a plant-based diet, but there are certain foods on the list that I have not and can, with a certain amount of certainty say, will never eat, including redeye gravy, liver mush (!), and pickled pigs feet. I shuddered just typing them.

What foods are typical of where you live? I know I tried haggis when I visited Scotland, and enjoyed scones with clotted cream in Ireland. Mainly there I had the beer, though. That’s an international food I can support wholeheartedly.

Peace, people!

Why Do They Call it Fasting When it Goes so Slowly?

Three days in a row now I’ve had to fast for a morning procedure. Once for blood work, once for an ultrasound, and again this morning for an endoscopy. It occurred to me yesterday as I was having some kind of gel smeared on my abdomen that “fasting” is an odd word for a process that seems to drag on forever. Shouldn’t it be called “agonizing” or “slow mo deprivation?”

I decided to look up the meaning of fasting as it pertains to food. People fast for religious reasons as a means of showing restraint or abstention. Basically it means to hold fast or firm against the temptations of food, to be immovable in one’s resolve. Okay. I can get behind that. I just wish there was a way to make fasting go faster.

Send me some good vibes this morning. I’m hoping the doctor finds what’s causing my gastric distress so I won’t have to fast any more for a good long while.

Peace, people.

What About the Zombie Apocalypse?

On Tuesday morning I had an ultrasound procedure to determine if my recent medical issues were actually the diverticulitis that I’d self-diagnosed or a result of a faulty gallbladder. No big deal, but I was required to fast from midnight until after my 10 a.m. appointment.

During an average night I get up at least twice to potty and get a drink of water. Afraid that I’d forget the “nothing by mouth” order I taped a hastily written note to my bathroom mirror:

Of course Studly Doright found the note hilarious.

Thank goodness, though, for my foresight because at 3:49 a.m. I had a glass of water in hand and only my note prevented me from taking a big drink. Take that Studly!

As I drove to the imaging center I pondered that note. What if, God forbid, some tragic accident had taken both my life and Studly’s life before we returned home that day. Whatever would investigators make of the cryptic “No food or water!!”?

Might someone have thought I was starving in spite of the abundance of food in our pantry? Perhaps they’d believe I’d penned a note crying out for help because my husband had forbidden me access to our food supply.

Then of course my mind pondered how that note might be interpreted by survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Would they think our food and water were tainted? Would some poor survivor pass by the jars of peanut butter and boxes of rice and cereal believing the contents weren’t fit for human consumption? I’d hate to be the reason someone in an apocalyptic situation starved to death. As soon as I returned home I tossed it in the trash. Whew! That was a close one.

Peace, people

So Much Food; So Little Time

My waistline is more a suggestion now, instead of a well-defined feature of my anatomy. Because the pecan

Pie I made for Christmas dinner and the baklava my daughter sent packed in a box of gifts,

Were deemed too tasty to ignore in spite of the calories they boast in abundance. Do I feel a New Year’s

Resolution in the making? Elastic waist pants in my future? A regimen of calisthenics in development?

Ask me in a week or so. There are still gourmet marshmallows wrapped in pretty paper on my kitchen counter.

Calories be damned.

Havana (Florida) Car Show

Studly Doright and I had dinner in downtown Havana, Florida, last evening, and got more than just a great meal. After enjoying a delicious dinner and a glass of wine at The English Rose Cafe we wandered around Havana where an antique car show was in progress. Studly even won $35 in a raffle! Not too shabby.

Studly’s favorite vehicle in the show was the green ‘65 Ford pickup. Can you guess which one I’m fondest of?

If you ever find yourself in the area be sure to stop by The English Rose Café. It’s a little slice of British heaven in the Florida panhandle. (Note: I don’t receive any type of compensation for mentioning Millie’s restaurant—I just really like her food!)

Peace, people!

The Perfect Burger

Our current political scene is so depressing that all I want to do is eat. If I’m not careful I’ll regain the 20 or so pounds I’ve lost in these last ten months. Studly Doright suggested that I write instead of eating. If I can’t enjoy a burger, I’ll contemplate the perfect one.

Studly grills a good burger on occasion. When he buys good ground sirloin and doesn’t cook it until it resembles dried shoe leather his burgers are among the best. He melts cheese on top, then we add lettuce, fresh tomato, a sweet Vidalia onion, mustard or mayonnaise, and our choice of pickle on top of a grilled buttered bun. I add a splash of ketchup to mine and it’s oh so good.

When we eat hamburgers at a restaurant we’re fairly adventurous. I’ll often order one with guacamole and jalapeños. Of course I suffer mightily for that indulgence, but oh my goodness it’s so good.

Studly’s favorite is a burger dubbed “The Lip Smacker” at our local Well’s Brothers eatery. The Lip Smacker features half a pound of meat grilled to perfection and topped with cheese, bacon, peanut butter, and strawberry jam.

Would you eat The Lip Smacker? I won’t, but then Studly won’t even contemplate my guacamole and jalapeño burger. What’s your favorite burger? Are you a plain Jane kind of burger lover, or do you go for the exotic?

Salad Days 

Cleopatra contemplated and thus reflected,
“My salad days, When I was green in judgment, cold in blood”

According to Shakespeare, her dalliances with the emperor were viewed as the flighty romance of her dewy youth,

Would the mighty queen have bothered with something so mundane as a salad? A woman who chose 

Death by asp would not have bothered with a paltry bowl of greens. Pomegranates and honey, beer and bread, 

Figs and nuts aplenty, but salads most likely weren’t on her menu. Unless, of course, it was a Caesar salad. 

I’ve Been Eating on the Railroad

In Monday’s post I recounted the tale of a trip to Birdsong Nature Center outside of Thomasville, Georgia. My friend, Lee Ann, was visiting from Indiana, and we wanted to explore the beauty of nature while enjoying a good hike. Birdsong was the perfect place to indulge our wishes.

Of course after our four mile hike we were hungry, and I suggested that we drive into Thomasville to enjoy a meal at Jonah’s Fish and Grits. Jonah’s is always a great choice. Unfortunately everyone else in the area had the same idea, and the line for Jonah’s snaked down the sidewalk. My first inclination was to go on back to Tallahassee, but on our way out of town we saw a sign for Sass! Sweet and Savory Sisters Restaurant. 


I’d seen their sign before, but didn’t have any knowledge of their fare. I quickly consulted Lee Ann and with her approval I made a sharp turn into Sass’s parking lot. 

Sass is located inside a historic train depot and outdoor seating features a ring side seat to actual train tracks.


Lee Ann wondered aloud if the tracks were still in use. A few minutes later, we got an answer:

​​

I remarked, in a necessarily loud voice, that Sass would be the perfect place to bring someone with whom you didn’t want to make meaningful conversation.

But all joking aside, Sass was a terrific lunch spot. The staff was lively and efficient and the menu included everything my dreams are made of including beignets! 


Lee Ann ordered a strawberry, walnut, and spinach salad, while I ordered a couple of appetizers: mini tomato sandwiches with dill mayo and baked pimento cheese on French bread. And it goes without saying that we enjoyed the beignets for dessert. Oh my!

What a great meal to celebrate our visit. And I highly recommend Sass. Yes, Jonah’s is good, but Sass is its equal. Different fare, but both worthy of a trip to Thomasville. 

Peace, people!