Bette's Kitchen

a personal look into dining

Wonderful Weekend in Asheville… delicious cuisine! March 28, 2010

For a quick vacation, we visited Asheville, NC this weekend.  We were thrilled to find a dog-friendly hotel, near downtown.  The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we decided to head to Roan Mountain for the day.  While it is about 1.5 hours from Asheville, it’s worth the trip.  The views are spectacular!  The hiking is not too strenuous, and you can go as far as you’d like!  We’re planning to return sometime, perhaps when the rhododendron bushes are blooming!

Saturday evening we had a wonderful time walking around downtown Asheville.  We decided to try the Laughing Seed Cafe for dinner.  The restaurant is completely vegetarian, with several vegan and gluten free options.  We were extremely pleased with the quality and flavor of our meals.  Chris had the whole grain risotto, and I had the wild mushroom enchiladas.  Both were delicious!  Next time, I would like to try the Tico Burrito… it sounds scrumptious!

For breakfast on Sunday, we decided to dine at one of our favorite establishments in Asheville, Early Girl Eatery.  One reason that we love this place is their commitment to high quality local produce.  These folks are passionate about their ingredients and you can taste it!  ”Made from scratch” is their motto, quite refreshing in my opinion.  To learn more about the owners, John and Julie Stehling and their amazing restaurant, click here.  After sipping on coffee for about 20 minutes (btw so pleased they had soy milk as an option for me), we finally picked our breakfast orders.  Chris chose the Early Girl Benny: grit cakes topped with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and a scrumptious tomato “gravy.”  I went with the Omelet Special, containing portobello mushrooms and goat cheese.  I must also mention that mine came with home-fries (so good) and a made from scratch biscuit.  My mouth is watering just remembering it!  Although my dish isn’t on the everyday menu, Early Girl consistently has specials that are quite spectacular.

 

SNOW! February 3, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Bette @ 3:40 pm
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Although this post is more about SNOW than cooking, I had to write it!  In central North Carolina, we are not accustomed to receiving much any snow.  Thus, even mere flurries are exciting!  Last weekend, when we received 5 inches (roughly) in our area, the roads were a mess, everything closed, and the local news provided non-stop coverage.  Our family had a blast, especially our pup, Agnes.  Here are some pictures of the fun!

Quick and Easy Recipe:

Chris made Snow Cream — a favorite treat!  We did not have any sweetened condensed milk (the preferred ingredient), but he was able to use evaporated milk, sugar, and flavoring.  We had three varieties: coconut, vanilla, and maple (using maple syrup).  Quite tasty!

 

 
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