Charity’s Blog

Day 1 Mountain Harbour Bed & Breakfast to Dennis Cove to Moreland Gap Shelter

  I’m at it again. Back on the Appalachian trail for my 2nd solo hike. 💪🏼. All in all, this hike wil be about 25 miles with 5437 ft ascent and 5067ft descent. The highest point along the route is at 4200 ft above sea level. 

  This hike has been planned for quite awhile. I was supposed to have completed it in April. As some of you know though, my son and I were in a car accident in March. With a broken hand and a messed up back, hiking 25 miles in the mountains (with a 30 pound pack) was not going to happen after a month’s time of healing. Fast forward to October and the hand is healed but back still gets tired some. I just didn’t want to miss my mountain time this year. 

I headed out Sunday morning to Roan Mountain area, TN to stay at a bed and breakfast that someone told me about 6 years ago. For 6 years, I have dreamed of these people’s breakfast because it is known all up and down the  Appalachian trail as the BEST breakfast spread on trail.  I decided to stay here for the night and start fresh Monday morning. I usually opt for a private room when I stay at these hostels but this time I stayed in the hostel which is like a bunk house for hikers. Multiple beds in a room and we all share a bathroom or two. It wasn’t bad. It, by far, was the cleanest hostel I have ever been in.  The wood floors in the loft area I stayed in literally shined. 

But breakfast…..  OMGoodness!  These folks had muffins, French toast (served with local syrup and pecans), tomato pie, egg soufflé, potatoes, all the meats, fruit, a beautiful braided pastry, breakfast quesadillas, biscuits, gravy, apple butter, coffees, teas, & juices. It was the finest spread I’ve seen except my momma’s holiday breakfast spread!  Let me repeat…. MOUNTAIN HARBOUR B&B if you need a beautiful place to stay on the mountains. Their private rooms looked very nice too if you aren’t into the $30 bed 🙂

While there, I met a flip flopper  (a hiker who started at the middle of the AT, hiked all the way to Maine, then went back to the beginning in Georgia and will hike back to the middle). His name is Waterboy. Quiet guy with plans to do the PCT trail when he finishes this. Also met Sarge. Ex-Marine who is out here to, as they say, loose his mind and find his soul. Sounds like he has been a mentor to different people on the trail who failed to test gear out at home before coming out here.  This morning at breakfast, met a couple from Missouri. They gave me their real names but she described themselves as June Cleaver & Evil Knievel and now that’s all I remember!  They are about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary!  Congratulations Ms Cleaver and Mr Knievel. 

  The owner of MH, Dave (an ex marine, California native) shuttled me to my starting point at Dennis Cove.

I started hiking south and stopped a short 6.4 miles at my first campsite. It’s kind of early but I was afraid if I hiked on I’d be stuck between good sites to hunker down. I had a fire, ate dinner, and hit the sleeping pad by 8pm. 

  It was a good night. The frogs sang to me all night, no bears stopped to say hi, and it didn’t rain. However, I did figure out I probably wasn’t ready to venture back out to sleep on a thin air mattress again so soon. 

Day 2 Moreland Gap Shelter to Walnut Mountain

Waking up on a hard ground when your’e over 45, might be ok for some but this lady says it’s for the birds. At least this time around. I was apprehensive about taking this trip anyhow since my accident was just 6 months ago. So much could go wrong and there aren’t a lot of rescue points. I had a scare last night as I was walking for water. The source was 100 yards down hill and I slipped on a small stick that rolled under my feet. Luckily, I went down gracefully and didn’t cause any damage. 

Today I had my coffee (instant) and some delicious oatmeal (pour water in it to set) to start my day. I stopped every hour to take off my pack and rest. 

The views were gorgeous. You’ll see pictures but without feeling the breeze and hearing the stillness, it’s hard to for you to get the full feeling of it. 

After walking about 7 more miles today, I was at my last bail out point before committing to the rest of the hike. 

 I decided that I’d seen beautiful views, pretty water falls, and recharged enough that sleeping on the ground one more night wasn’t necessary. So I called in the Calvary (a local shuttle) to come get me. 

I’m now back at the hostel chilling for the night. 

It’s been another great experience. I’m glad I came. I’m also glad I know my body’s limits and know when to push or when to be sensible. 

All in all, it was 14.3 mile hike, 45,000 steps, and one night on the ground. 

Till we meet again, Appalachian Trail. It just might be in my camper next time 🤣

Stay Peachy, friends!

-Charity (or as my new trail friends, who have given me a trail name call me- Peachy!)

Mountain Harbour Bed & Breakfast

I spent this snowy, cold Sunday binging on cooking shows and movies. Nothing can inspire a cook more than other cooks – or chefs. I watched the season of The Bear on Hulu, some Gordon Ramsey episodes, and the movie Julie & Julia.

The Bear & his staff are very loud and passionate about their work. Everything revolves around the restaurant and family. Can I tell you how true this is? I mean, maybe not always the loud and the foul language, but the revolving around food and family. It truly is where we come from. We want everything perfect and when it doesn’t go that way, it is upsetting. We show our love by feeding you all. If we fall short, it is almost like we’ve betrayed your trust. So we try our hardest to fulfill our duty to connect the food of our dreams to your tastebuds. Every day brings on new challenges and opportunities to connect with you.

Now Gordon, he seems to have many different faces. Whether he is dealing with a failing kitchen, a struggling staff, or children, we always see a different side of him. The one constant, though, is that he is a rock star in the kitchen. He wants the best quality out of anyone around him. I get that. We don’t have the name calling, but we do strive for the quality!

Julia Child. Wow. Say no more. She inspired so many people. If you haven’t seen Julie & Julia, it is about a lady named Julie who writes a blog. The blog is about her working her way through Julia Child’s cookbook. No one has loved food and the pleasure it brings, like Ms Child. She was in love with food, Paris, her husband, and life beyond measure.

The last chef? Charity? Not on TV, not in the movies, and no famous cookbook. BUT I have the heart of Julia, the devotion of Gordon, and the drive of the Bear to please your palates; to make you feel like family every time you come in. That is my goal. That is my purpose in this community.

I’m looking forward to a new week of cooking and creating for you.

May your beef bourguignon be well seasoned, your souffles not deflate, and your pasta stay al dente.

Stay Peachy, friends!

-Charity

Julia Child’s Braised Cucumbers

1 huge cucumber (or 2 regular sized)

1 tablespoon butter

1 dash salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pinch dried mint

Peel cucumber. Cut into quarters and remove seeds. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Melt butter in a pan and add cucumber. Cover and cook about 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir in salt, lemon, and mint. Cover and cook another 2 minutes.

‘Tis the season for the men (and women) of my family to head off into the woods to hunt. Now, before you start in on “we should get our meat from the grocery store like everyone else”, please know that we hunt smart, safe, and only kill what we eat. That, however, is a different topic for a different page.

I’m talking today about the many memes and shirts and cartoons out there that show sad, crying women who ‘loose’ their husbands from Oct to Dec during hunting season. I’ve never really bought into that. You see, my husband was a hunter when I married him. I’m happy he has something he enjoys doing and I’m ok that I do not have to be a part of it. Trust me, if I’m in a tree stand, there will be no deer approaching! I CANNOT sit still! So, there goes the first option for me on how to deal with hunting season. There will be no hunting for me. That doesn’t mean you can’t join your man or woman who enjoys it. Just remember this if you do decide to join them, it is their time. It is their peace and their enjoyment. If you aren’t in it to really enjoy it with them, leave them alone. Let them have this.

So, what do I do? I find my own peace and enjoyment. I might go to a festival with my mom or friends. I might plan projects to complete that I know my husband would want to help with but I choose to do alone. This weekend, I hooked up the camper and came out to enjoy some quiet time in the woods. He enjoys his thing, I enjoy mine. **If you aren’t quite this adventurous, start out small. Take a book or a magazine to a coffee shop and try 30 minutes of quiet time.

When the kids were younger, this was a little more difficult. Now that they are teenagers, it is much easier to find me time since they have their own schedules. Doesn’t mean the 30 minute phone call from my 18 year old didn’t brighten up my whole day yesterday though. I think he is bound and determined to make me learn about cars whether I want to or not! So, mamas of littles, hang in there. There will be a day you can enjoy a shower without someone asking where their shoes are through the door. Once again, another topic for another day.

So, to my husband who supports me in my independence and doesn’t expect me to stay at home waiting on him to finish his hunting trip, THANK YOU! If any of you ladies out there see yourself as ‘hunting widows’ (and want to change it because some people are ok with it), give me a shout! Maybe we can have coffee or I can give you a ‘me time’ challenge to spread your wings.

Stay Peachy, friends!

-Charity

Venison Stew

• 4-5 lb Venison Roast
• 3 cups Water
• 1 package of dried onion soup mis
• Diced Carrots and Potatoes

In crockpot, place all ingredients. Cook on high for 8 hours or until roast is tender and at least 145°

So, I’ve been having trouble thinking of blog topics. What would you all like to know? Send me a Facebook on Instagram message and give me suggestions! I can write about anything, I just am not sure what interests you!

Today, I’ll tell you the story of the bird. During one summer of college, I was staying with some friends. There was a pet bird in the house. Now for the life of me, I cannot remember if this was my bird, my friend’s bird, or just kind of a community bird. It was a ‘few’ years ago. Anyhow, the bird. He got out of the cage and was flying around the house. We were trying to catch it and that bird ran right into the wall behind the toilet and FELL IN! Knocked him plum out! I scooped up the bird and did tiny compressions on his chest. I felt terrible and did not want this bird to have drowned in a toilet! What a crappy way to go. Finally he started breathing again. Whew! Saved him. So I wrapped him in a towel and we both were calming down after all of the excitement. That’s when it happened. The phone rang and gave the dang thing a heart attack!

Stay peachy, friends!

-Charity

Easy Chicken Nachos in a pinch

• Tostitos of your choice
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Taco seasoning
• Cream cheese
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream, tomatoes, jalapenos, salsa, other nacho toppings.

Spread the Tostitos on a baking sheet. Set aside. Take the meat off the bones of the chicken and toss with taco seasoning. Spread over chips. Chunk up the block of cream cheese and drop on the chicken. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350° until cheese is melted . Serve with all the toppings.

A few weeks ago, I made a little sign and hung it in my café kitchen that said Thermometer or Thermostat? No one has asked me about it until yesterday. My 15 year old son worked and asked what it meant.

I told him a few weeks ago, I was listening to my morning devotional podcast. (Big Life Devotional with Pamela Crim) Her devotional had a part that really stuck with me: “are you the thermometer or the thermostat in your life?” It simply means we are in control of our surroundings. Do we want to react to the mood and vibes of a day and only be a thermometer? OR do we want to be thermostat and set the temp/mood for the day? I put the sign up as a reminder to myself to be the thermostat every day.

Our business, like so many, has a lot of different personalities in it. These personalities come at us as team members and as customers. It can be easy to react to everyone, but why? Continue to have your thermostat set to KIND. It can make such a difference in someone’s day. Mainly yours!

Stay Peachy, Friends!

In case you haven’t noticed, everyone seems to be hiring these days. It isn’t something that is isolated to just one line of work either. If you drive down the street, you will see multiple signs and banners waving hopefully at you begging to get your attention. A great discussion these days is about where are the workers hiding. I seriously do not think everyone is sitting at home. I have put a lot of thought in to this subject. People may be sitting at home, but I truly believe they are working from home. I’d say these are a majority of the millennials. Others, our Baby Boomers, have retired or cut their hours down a great deal from 2 years ago. That leaves us with our young adults. Some of my greatest workers are my teenagers. However, they have this thing called school and limited availability. Not to mention, that doesn’t help out the non food related establishments. Can’t really put a 16 year old running a press or driving a fork lift!

Why do you think we have so many people wanting to work from home? I’d guess quality of life. Gone are the days where people want to put in 50, 60, 70 hours a week. Gone are the days of the restaurant life where we sit on buckets and eat a quick meal of cold food after a 14 hour shift. Gone are days where chefs yell and scream at the staff. Gone are the days of that terrible work environment where you dread Mondays. Ok. Maybe I should be saying these are things that should be gone! Not all places have figured it out yet. Culture is so important in a workplace. If you run a business or manage people, how is your culture?

An employee has to be a good fit for the business and visa versa. I have had some great people on my staff that would be better suited for a different line of work. If that is the case, tell them! Don’t keep getting frustrated with them. Work with them. Talk to them. Help them to either do better for you or to find a way they can do better for themselves.

Are you looking for work? Let’s talk about interviewing. Do you know how to shake a hand? If not, stop and see me! I’d love to shake your hand! Here are a few other tips if you go into an interview.

• Early is on time, on time is late, (late is fired!)
• Does the interviewer leave you to wait? Don’t be on your phone. Pick up a menu or other literature about the company to look over. (Keep your phone put away, not on the table)
• Be dressed for the job you are applying for. If I want to start you today and you have on sandals and ripped jeans, you are not dressed for my establishment.
• Stand when your interviewer walks up and shake their hand. A firm shake, one pump, not bone crushing but not a limp fish, and look them in the eye.
• Do your research on the company. When they ask why do you want to work here…. have a reason! (make sure the reason is better than “I need a job and I saw the sign”)
• Make eye contact with the interviewer. Not creepy eye contact but eye contact non the less.
• When filling out an application, have a pen and be ready to talk to someone right then if they are available. Your interview starts when you walk in the door to get an application.
• Any question an interviewer asks is part of the interview. Even a simple “How has your day been so far?” This simple question is asking have you been productive, have you slept all day, do you know how to prioritize the important things in your own life?
• When they ask if you have any questions about the company, make sure you have one ready. If all your questions have been answered, say that. You can even ask about the interviewer such as, “What do like best about working here?”

There are so many other tips to a good interview. Podcasts are a wonderful source of information for both the interviewer and interviewee. I hope this has helped.

I love to help, train, and coach. If you or someone you know is looking for a job but are concerned about the interview process (even if it is not with Just Peachy) come see me! I’d love help more people get into the workforce.

Take care all and stay Peachy!!

-Charity

The restaurant business is a crazy, chaotic creature. One day we are up and the other day I’m wondering if I need a second job! That, however, is the view of most business owners starting out. It feels odd to say ‘starting out’ since we have been here almost 3 years now. In the restaurant business, it takes 5 years to get established though. So we are still babies in this industry.

Today was a good day. Busy. Steady. Everyone seemed to flow together nicely in the kitchen and the dining room. It’s always a good day when we are still smiling and laughing as we walk out the door! I hope our guests were as pleased with their meals as we were.

I’ve been experimenting lately with some flavored Cinnamon Rolls. I’ve tried blueberry, black & white (chocolate and white chips), peach, and pecan caramel. So far the blueberry and pecan caramel have been the winners. You’ll have to weigh in on what you think soon! I think tomorrow I’ll try a chocolate hazelnut cinnamon roll. Hmmmm….. and apple and pumpkin season are fast approaching! Those could be some contenders too!

Stay peachy, friends!

-Charity

Grandma Flossie’s Apple Salad

“~she took this to about every gathering I can remember!

6 c chopped apples

1 c mini marshmellows

1/4c chopped celery

1/2 c raisins

1/2 c nuts

Mix these together.

Then mix 3/4 c Miracle Whip, 1/2 c sugar, and 1/4 c milk. Pour over apple mixture. Chill and serve!