Charity’s Blog

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!

Day 1: Arrival in Damascus 

What a wonderful day for a journey!  The weather was beautiful & warm. I turned on my audio book, rolled down my windows, & enjoyed my long trip alone to Damascus, VA. There was very little traffic and the scenery was something I can never get enough of. 

Damascus isn’t a big town, but it is a bustling one. Being a town that the Appalachian trail goes right through, means there are lots of hikers. Not only that, it’s called “Trail town, USA” because there are many more trails connecting here. 

I’m staying at Crazy Larry’s cottage. It’s right next door to his hostel. Hostels are like big bunkhouses. Multiple people, you may or may not know, staying in the same rooms.  I opted for the cottage with a private room & bath. My room has a beautiful, cherry 4 poster tall bed, just like my Aunt Zanny used to have in the hills of Kentucky. The cottage is clean & well kept. The hostel, on the other hand, is made for hikers on a budget. Crazy Larry has free food on the porch for any hikers needing it. A stack of clothes by the door in case they need to borrow something while they do their laundry. You see, most hikers only have two sets of clothes with them: hiking clothes & sleeping clothes. Inside, Crazy L’s filing system was covering his kitchen table with his laptop but he seemed organized enough. He had my reservation so that’s all that mattered to me. As he walked me over to the cottage, he fired up a joint. “Hope you don’t mind the weed,” he says. “I smoke this shit all the time now. It’s no worse than a beer.”  I shrugged & told him it was his house, I’m just a guest. (It’s legal in VA)I guess what I didn’t see inside the hostel, according to a new friend I made, was the pile of pot on the counter!   Anyhow, Larry is cool. Older guy, used to hike & raise hell.  Now he runs this business, doesn’t raise much hell anymore but doesn’t put up with any crap either. 

I met three thru hikers right after getting settled in: Alley Cat, Tunes, & Twister. We had a great dinner together and swapped hiking stories. They are zeroing tomorrow and headed out Monday NOBO (north bound). I leave tomorrow, shuttling up trail and hiking SOBO (south bound) back to Damascus. I should pass my new friends Monday sometime. 

One other lady I met was Firewalker. She earned her  name in a unique way. She was about to walk through a portion of the Smokies when she came upon a group doing a controlled burn. She was told she couldn’t pass for 24-48 hours. She wasn’t having that and insisted she would go through. After much persistence, they finally called ahead to tell the others of the very stubborn woman. They told her to give them a couple hours and they’d let her through. As she finally made her way through, she walked among the charred, burning ground cover. The only thing not sizzling was the trail. Her biggest worry was how to tell her husband she earned the name Firewalker 

Day 2: Leaving Damascus: into the woods I go, to loose my mind and find my soul

I awoke from a decent night sleep early, as I tend to do. There was a cafe down the way that opened at 7:00 am and I wanted to beat the crowd. Such a cute place with local art work on the walls and tables made of old sewing machine bases. 

This bustling town of an evening is definitely sleepy at 7am. So peaceful in its valley, surrounded by mountains. As I enjoyed my breakfast sandwich & dirty chai from the Main Street Coffee & Cream, I watched the sun rise up over the mountains and shine on the sleepy town. The warmth awakened one hiker at a time as they started to emerge from their different hostels and sleeping rooms. 

When I arrived back at my cottage kitchen, I ran into Alley Cat where we talked hiking gear and hiking stories. Such a unique community to walk into. They’re such an accepting group. Live and let live all the way. 

I talked with Crazy Larry before leaving. It was his birthday today and hikers called best wishes to him as they passed. I sat on his comfortable, cluttered, welcoming front porch waiting for my ride. 

Gypsy pulled up in her little SUV to shuttle me to Massie Gap where I’d begin the hike. It’s the second time she’s shuttled me and such a nice lady. She and her other half, Lone Wolf,  thru hiked years ago and now shuttle other hikers. I told her how I couldn’t find a hiking mate this time around. She insisted that next I call her!  She’s always looking for a reason to get out and hike. Nice offer, and I might, but she’d probably hike circles around me!  I’m not the fastest hiker you’ll ever meet!

She dropped me off at my starting point, which had a pit toilet, score!  Massie Gap is in the Grayson Highlands State Park. The land of the wild ponies. I happened upon 3 of them as they grazed on the grass. They walked close but they weren’t rude or pushy, as I hear they get further into hiking season. Like any other wild animal, they’ll figure out where the treats come from even if feeding them is frowned on. 

The views in the highlands were more than I could have wished for. I could see mountains on top of mountains on top of mountains. Simply breathtaking.  I didn’t think I’d get out of that section just because I kept stopping to enjoy the view. I passed tons of thru hikers, some day hikers, a trail runner passed me. The age limit here is, well, kind of like a board game: from 0-99. Not sure the oldest hiker’s age but I know he was in his 80’s and still going strong!

I found a campsite after hiking 9 hours, 29,000 steps & 10 miles. Set up my tent, cooked dinner, made some hot tea, built a fire, and…….. realized I forgot my spoon!!  My meal of mushrooms, spinach, chicken, & rice was delicious!  I ate it with the lid of my coffee cup. A girl has to eat and I was NOT wasting that grub just because of no spoon!

As my fire dies down, it’s almost hiker midnight, 8:30, and it’s about time for bed.  I’m pleased with my journey and progress so far. Tomorrow should be a little easier. I have a lot of downhill ahead of me. However, downhill has its own set of issues too. 

So goodnight peaches. I’m off to dream of ponies and hills. 

Day 3: Just keep hiking, just keep hiking

Last night was my first night ever to sleep completely alone in the woods. I’ve been alone in my tent but with hiking companions a stone throw away. Last night, no one close enough to throw rocks at but close enough to hear me yell if I needed something. 

I slept well. Typical night in a bear taco(sleeping bag). I woke every hour to turn, then go back to sleep. Nothing weird or scary happened. Nothing to freak me out. Such a nice night. In fact, about 5am nature came calling and I had to get out of my tent. Since there wasn’t anyone close to me, I didn’t have to travel far into the woods to find the perfect tree. When I looked up to return to my tent, I was in utter awe at the sky. It was a clear midnight blue with a million stars shining down. They were so close, and so big, I felt I could touch them. The Big Dipper was to the north hanging there as if waiting for God to grab the handle and scoop all the other stars up. If you ever have the chance to look at a clear star filled night at 5100ft, seize the moment. 

Finally around 6, I decided to emerge from my tent, retrieve my food, & make some well deserved coffee. I sat in my tent facing East and watched the sun crest over the mountains. What a fantastic way to start the day!  I’ve done some yoga stretches (thank you Allison Crim) and now time to pack up and hike on!

It was an easy(ish) hike out. I stopped at a spring to refill my water bottles and ran into my shuttle driver, Gypsy!  She was shuttling someone else & decided to do a hike if her own up to Buzzard rocks. Gorgeous view. She was there when I made it to the top and took some photos for me. 

I passed so many hikers today and I’d say half were solo women. Lots of dogs, including one little Yorke who’d walked almost the whole 500 miles! 

As the trail neared the Virginia Creeper Trail, I walked along a river until I came to a foot bridge. I crossed the river by using that bridge but at that point, I lost my white blazes! (White blazes mark the route of the AT. They are placed on trees at eye level along the trail). I could see a parking area under the bridge and people so I decided to go down. It was such a steep decent, I had to scoot on my bottom 1/2 the way. I got down there to realize it was not where I was supposed to be. Then came the tricky part, getting back up the hill. I made it & stayed on 2 feet the whole time. I’m just glad no one was watching!  Graceful, it was not. I found the trail again and passed Alley cat. On up further I saw Tunes & Twister. I passed a man and woman  the man had his pack and hers, probably 30# each, and she followed behind. By the look of her, I hope they were just shooting for the next road crossing and a ride someplace. I think the hills got the best of her today. 

The last push of my day was tough. Very steep mountains but the bright spot was I’d be at my next camp spot soon. 

Now I’ve gotten my water for the morning, had my dinner, and I’m once again tucked into my bear taco. I might sleep all the way through tonight. I hope. Rain is coming about 2am. Which means by last 4 miles will be wet ones. 

Today was 32,000 steps, 12.2 miles, & 11 hours of hiking. 

Sleep well, peaches. I know I will. 

Day 4: Walking in the rain

Luckily the weather man was off a little so I awoke to a nice day with no rain. I could feel it was coming though. So I packed and left camp about 8. It was a down hill trek for most of it. Then about 9:45 it started to rain. 

I got out my map, because in my mind I was only 4 miles from the end. What I didn’t realize is when I plotted this trip last year, I had planned on ending before Damascus, not IN Damascus. As I fixed my mistake, I now had an additional 5 miles to walk in the rain before my hot shower and my reward Diet Coke. Which is funny because I don’t even really drink soda anymore!  That’s a total of 9 miles for the day and I wasn’t sure what terrain I was in store for on the AT. No service to call a shuttle. Dwindling energy to do many more climbs. Then I remembered the Virginia Creeper trail. I’d been walking above it for sometime. I found a way to cross to it and walked my remaining 5 miles in to town on a down sloped trail instead of the ups and downs I was sure to be ahead of me on the AT. I was afraid of what time I’d arrive back in town if I took that route!

The scenery was beautiful despite the rain. I crossed many pretty foot bridges and hiked along the river the whole time. It was too wet to get any pictures so I’ll just have to rely on my memory. 

I did pass a few hikers today but I think a lot are holed up in hostels waiting for tomorrow’s clear day. When almost to town, a lady shuttle driver stopped to see if I needed a ride. I was less than a 1/2 mile away at that point so I declined. I was soaked anyhow and her van was really nice. 

I got to Crazy Larry’s and found my room. This one even nicer than the first one. An immediate hot shower, hot tea, and a sit down were in order. 

So to sum up this trip, I’m sunburned, sore in places you didn’t think could be sore, don’t know if my feet will ever fit back into my shoes, and so empowered and happy that I did it!  I didn’t know if I could hike solo. Part of the downfall is not having anyone to share in the ups & downs (literal and figurative) or the gorgeous views or funny trips & falls. Sometimes it’s enough to be the only one to see these things. I’ll treasure this time and my first solo hike. 

I always say my parents raised me to be fearless, so fearless is what I’ll be. 

See you soon, Peaches. Hike on. 

-Charity 

9 miles & 22400 steps

Think back to when you met your dearest friends. Was it easy? Was it hard? I met one of my dearest friends when she moved in down the road. I took her a pie to welcome her and she thought I was crazy. We’ve been inseparable ever since!

They say it is easier when you are a kid. As a kid you just start with a question like, “What’s your favorite dinosaur?” and you are in! As an adult, its a little tougher. If you ask someone about their favorite dinosaur, they might think you’re a little strange.

One of the things I love about my little café, is how it brings people together. We have regular customers who come in and have gotten to know other regulars. I love to hear them calling their greetings to each other from across the room. Sometimes they’ll even pull up a chair or share a table.

Earlier this week, I was privileged to watch a new friendship bloom. The dining room was full and finally a table opened up. The next party in line was a single lady but the table could seat 4 people. She went to the two ladies behind her in line and offered to share her table. They agreed and by the end of the meal they all exchanged phone numbers!

I have such a great group of people who dine with us and I’m honored to call them my friends. Thank you for your kindness to others as you walk through my doors.

Below is the recipe for what my family had for dinner tonight. I hope you enjoy!

Stay Peachy, friends!

-Charity

*** Cafe update: The patio hasn’t been open lately due to weather. I do have heaters out there but it can be a loosing battle if the wind is too cold. We’ll open it back up as soon as we can.

***Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! Our dinner will be Friday, February 11, 2022. Reservations are booking up fast! Call soon to put your name on the list. 317-825-0669

Crack Chicken Pasta One-Pot-Meal

• 1.5 – 2 pounds Chicken
• Olive Oil
• 1 package of Ranch Mix
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 pound pasta (I use bow tie)
• 1 cup Shredded Cheddar
• 1 block cream cheese
• 1 cup Spinach (or more if you really like spinach!)
• 6 pieces crumbled, cooked, bacon

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Use a 12-14″ covered skillet, pour a drizzle of olive oil in the pan, and heat on medium. Cook the chicken till done. To skip this step, buy a bag of diced cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken.

After chicken is done, add Ranch mix, broth, and pasta. Cover and cook until pasta is done. Add cheese, cream cheese, bacon, and spinach. Stir till cheeses are melted.