The Simple Note

 My first trip to a cabin was well spent with a great group of friends and...ladybugs! 

Our cabin was located in Blairsville, Georgia (to me an unheard of place). It was so beautiful! You'd think by now I would have mastered the art of "car sickness", but I am not there yet. That night, on the way in, I had to close my eyes as we took on those curves. Or maybe it was because we got lost and couldn't find our cabin! I always tell myself to bring some type of motion sickness medicine and NEVER do!

We ate at The Sawmill Place one of the best breakfast restaurants I've been to! Their hospitality was even better! Not to mention, they have some amazing apple butter worth trying. They serve sweet potato pancakes with house pecan butter! I even attempted to get the recipe, it was that good!

One of the second best parts of the trip was our visit to Odom Springs. We tasted their specialty wines during our visit. They have the kindest staff! My favorite wines were the Sweet Sam and the Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Visit their page to see their wines.

 Entrance

The Cabin 

Our cabin was beautiful! Three floors filled with pure coziness! We called this cabin the Ladybug Cabin because we kept finding ladybugs throughout. Apparently, ladybugs gravitate to warm environments during colder weather.

The Last night: Pajama and Arts and Crafts 

Feel free to leave me a note! 

Xx,

Whitney 

It's already hard to not enjoy a loaded potato skin. But when it's combined with the goodness of a Philly Cheese Steak, what could be more perfect? I've got in the habit of "naming" my food, for my "imaginary" restaurant purposes. So this dish, I am sure will be a winner. Whether you choose a plain Philly, provolone cheese or no peppers, you can't go wrong with a loaded potato skin!

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 F.

2. Prepare potatoes by piercing each with a fork a few times. Rub with salt and wrap with foil. Place potatoes in oven and bake until softened, about 50 minutes. 

3. Heat oil (or butter) in a large skillet over medium heat. Combine sliced (lengthwise) red peppers, green peppers, onions, and garlic. Season with garlic and onion powder. Cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. 

4. In same skillet, cook steak. Cook time depends on personal preference. I cook the steak to medium which takes about 6-7 minutes. (Rotate during the cooking process about 1.5 minutes per side). Remove from skillet and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. Slice steak against the grain, lengthwise. 

5.  Slice each potato in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out 1/4 of the flesh of potato. Brush the insides and outside skin of potato with melted butter. Space each potato on baking sheet. 

6. (Optional) Broil skins of potato (before stuffing) for additional crispness for about 2 minutes. 

7. (If you skipped step 6): Fill each potato skin with cheese (bottom), peppers and onions, steak, and more cheese (top). Place in oven and cook until cheese is melted. Remove and top each with 1 teaspoon of sour cream and sprinkle with green onions (or parsley-pictured). Serve immediately.

Let me know what you think! 

One of my all time favorites is cooking. I love to get in the kitchen and make the smallest thing out of a few ingredients. What I love even more is exploring local spots that add their own "zing" and "zazz" to their dishes. I visited a few new restaurants this past month and I would recommend them to anyone that has a love for comfort food.

Backwoods Bistro located in Tallahassee, Florida was the perfect brunch spot. 

 I ordered a "Not Your Plain Ole French Toast" with a side order of Fried Gouda Grit Cakes. 

Their food was absolutely amazing. If you love a good breakfast dish, this restaurant is one to try. One thing that I loved most about Backwoods was that the food was fresh and the service was even better. Check out Backwoods Bistro Menu. I can't wait to go back and try some of their dinner options. 

The Flying Biscuit located in Atlanta, Georgia. One word: Wow. I went here for a brunch date with a friend. We haven't seen each other in about 2 years, so it was nice to catch up. Our wait time was about 25-30 minutes, but the line continued to grow. This was a great option that was light, but filling. The menu has many options for every type of eater!

I ordered a single oatmeal pancake (pictured left) with a side of peaches and the Hollywood Omelet. I must say, the pancake was not what I expected, but it was pretty good as a healthy option. Another plus was a Gluten free omelet option! Check out the Flying Biscuit's Menu. 

Taqueria del Sol located in Atlanta, Georgia has been added to my top picks for Mexican food. So good, so cheap and so worth it. This is a great quick dinner option, but also one to try if your area in the area. 

Can you believe I actually enjoyed the Veggie taco over the Brisket taco?  They were both equally good, but the veggie taco had some flavors that blended so well and made me want another! This spot was another with long lines, but worth the wait. Check out Taqueria del Sol's menu here.

Have you ever tried any of these spots? Any places you recommend I try?