Asheville

Restaurant Review: Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC

March 5, 2020 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

We had the chance to finally try Early Girl eatery on our weekend trip to Asheville. I’ve heard many good things about the restaurant and we all enjoyed it very much!

We arrived for lunch and were seated immediately. The parking lot was full of early voters, so parking was a little tricky, but it worked out for us eventually.

The food was great! Some at our table got breakfast that is served all day and I got lunch food. My fried chicken featured 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and was served with green beans and fried squash and zucchini. Everything was just delicious. The green beans were fresh, crispy and salty good! The chicken was amazing and what a generous portion! The best thing I had was the zucchini and squash. Just like mama made!

My daughter got the fried chicken sandwich with french fries. The sandwich was huge and the fries were amazing.

My breakfast loving son got the biscuit french toast which was another amazing dish. Scattered with sweet apples and topped with a whipped cream, it was like a decadent dessert.

The interior of the restaurant is like a mid-century farmhouse. I loved the vibe! I can’t wait to visit again!

Recipe

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

December 27, 2019 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Christmas morning is probably the only morning that I’ll prepare a delicious and indulgent breakfast casserole. I’ll pull bacon and eggs together on special occasions: a niece spending the night, overnight guests visiting and the like, but the rest of the year we eat cereal or just wait for lunch hours to roll around.

This casserole is super sweet and decadent. The kids loved it. Christmas is a time for happiness, that’s my only excuse for making this delicious sugar bomb!

I originally found this recipe on the Cooking Channel.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 (12.4-ounce) cans Pillsbury(R) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

6 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups maple syrup

Icing, from cinnamon rolls package

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13 by 9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish.
Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls and set the icing aside. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and place the pieces over the butter in the dish.
In medium bowl, beat eggs. Beat in the heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla until well blended. Gently pour the mixture over the roll pieces. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with 1 cup maple syrup.
Bake 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove covers from cinnamon bun icing and microwave on Medium (50-percent), 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle.
Drizzle the icing over top and sprinkle with powdered sugar. If desired, spoon the syrup from the dish over the individual servings. Serve with the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup, if desired.

Recipe

Grab and Go Breakfasts

October 11, 2019 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

We’ve all heard the mantra: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But for me, morning is the busiest time of the day and it seems I’m always just too late to do anything more than grab something as I head out the door. These yummies can be eaten on the fly, so don’t skip breakfast when you can eat it on the fly!

BACON BISCUIT CUPS

INGREDIENTS

- - 2 tablespoons milk
  - 1 large egg
  - 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  - 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese ( 2 ounces)
  - 1 green onion, chopped
  - 1 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits
  - 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

GARNISH

- sliced green onion

DIRECTIONS

Beat cream cheese, milk and egg at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Stir in cheese and green onion.
Set aside.
Separate biscuits into 10 portions.
Pat each portion into a 5 inch circle, and press on bottoms and up sides of greased muffin cups, forming a 1/4 inch edge.

PUFF PASTRY CHERRY BLOSSOMS

INGREDIENTS

- puff pastry sheet
- pie filling, of your choice
- egg wash ( one beaten egg)
- turbinado sugar
- glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Cut your sheet of puff pastry into squares. I cut down the 3 vertical marks that are previously there. I was left with 3 strips. I cut each strip into 3 squares. They are not perfectly square, but that’s o.k! You can make yours larger if you like. Take one of your squares and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Don’t use more than that, or you will have a mess.
Grab two opposite corners and pull up to center and pinch together.
Do the same with the other corners. Now, pinch closed two seams and leave two open.
Lay your cherry blossoms on a parchment lined baking sheet.
If you don’t have parchment paper, grease your pan lightly.
Brush with egg wash.
Sprinkle sugar over pastry.
Bake at 375 degrees until very golden.
15 to 20 minutes.
Don’t worry if a bit of your filling runs out.
You can take a knife and push it right back inches.
Prepare the glaze while the blossoms are baking . . .Mix confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla.
Make the glaze the consistency you like.
Once the blossoms have finished baking, glaze them while still warm.

The dishes below aren’t mine, and haven’t been tested by me. BUT they sound delicious. I’d love to hear it if you try any of these!

APPLE SANDWICHES WITH ALMOND BUTTER AND GRANOLA

These are great little sandwiches on the run that are packed with protein to keep you full until lunch. From Garnish with Lemon blog

Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats

The ultimate make-ahead healthy breakfast. Just don’t forget your spoon! This recipe from Kristine’s Kitchen Blog

Charlotte · Clarkesville GA · Denver · Hickory · Myrtle Beach · Nashville

Best of Restaurants: Breakfast

May 27, 2019November 21, 2021 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

The most important meal of the day, yo

Eggs Benedict and Strawberry Nutella Crepes at Croissants Bakery in Myrtle Beach

**Eggs Benedict, Potato Casserole and Ambrosia**

Biscuits and Jelly from Loveless Cafe in Nashville

Acai Bowl with Fruit from Bowl’d Berries in Denver, NC

Hashbrowns from Hart and Soul Cafe in Hickory, NC

Ham, Cheese and Mushroom Omelet from Sautee Trail Cafe in Clarkesville, GA

Eggs Benedict at Bistro La Bon in Charlotte, NC

Biscuits and Gravy from Watusi in Hilton Head, SC

French Toast from Citrus, the Diner in Denver, NC

Nashville · Places · Restaurants · TN

Travel: Nashville, TN

September 4, 2017 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

My kids and I took a trip to Nashville, TN last year to see Avenged Sevenfold in concert. It was our first trip with just the three of us after my divorce and it was mag.ni.fi.cent. We had the best adventure ever! We leisurely toured the city and busied ourselves with shopping, fun and food in the city that friends recommended we hit. Here’s a snapshot of our long weekend. Or as I like to call it, the best road trip ever.

So, the reason we visited this awesome city: A7X. Avenged Sevenfold. The band that bridged the communication gap between myself and my daughter after that divorce. Yeah, I love them. So, they get top billing in this blog post.

We had great seats. The best I could find. We caught one of Johnny’s guitar pics at the end of the night. Yes!!

Airbnb

We booked our apartment through Airbnb, and it was so much better than a cramped hotel room. The owner told me that the apartment was formerly owned by Kris Kristopherson. Pretty sweet!

The Grand Ole Opry

“The Show that Made Country Music Famous” began in 1925 and is the longest running radio broadcast in US history. It is a weekly music stage concert that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. I’d call it the hub of Nashville.

Parthenon

Built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, the Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Today it serves as a museum with tons of sculptures and portraits, but truly it is a wonder in itself. Don’t miss the huge statue of Athena that culminates this gorgeous tour.

Loveless Cafe

This one is a little ride outside of Nashville proper, but go on and make the drive. It’s worth it. We waited about 30-45 minutes, and really, it was just breakfast. But you still gotta go. I mean, it’s good breakfast. Don’t get me wrong. And they ply you with biscuits and jelly. Still..eggs, bacon, grits…it’s breakfast. They do have a cool store, but by the time we were done eating I was peopled out.

Pancake Pantry

If you visit Nashville, you must visit the Pancake Pantry, dubbed Nashville’s best pancakes. Founded in 1961, lines are usually long and you’ll wait, but it will be worth it. It’s an institution here. They get their special blend of flours from local sources and make their batters and syrups with a secret recipe fresh daily.

Mafiaoza’s Pizza

After the amazing concert, we decided to go get some pizza at this late night joint. Luckily for us, they were open and kind enough to serve us. I’m sure we looked like death warmed over. All I know is my mascara was all down my face and I was drenched in sweat, I could barely hear the waitress from the loud concert and we were all shaking with hunger. Smart move, not eating before the concert.

Anyway, we ordered the pie and laid our heads on the table like heathens until it got there. It was delicious, with a soft crust and tangy sauce. We’ll have to go at a more decent hour next time.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

Nashville’s coolest and most delicious ice cream…as far as I’m concerned. It was blazing hot in Nashville when we were there, so we ducked into Jeni’s while shopping for a snack. What we found were fancy flavors and ice cream made with the finest ingredients. Perfection. The purple here is wildberry lavender. I *think* the one below it is Savannah Buttermilk. Read between the lines, that one was less memorable!