Morning Has Broken

It is a glorious Fall morning here in Middle Georgia today. This is my absolute favorite time of year here. I lived in Central Florida for about 16 years before moving here and the one thing I missed there was the beautiful change of seasons, particularly the Fall. The crispness in the air, the changing leaves...the air even smells differently this time of year. It is invigorating. Middle Georgia has a fairly temperate climate. We do get extreme heat and extreme cold, but for short periods, and the Fall and Spring here are marvelous.

This kind of weather makes me want to get out in it. One of the places I totally love to visit this time of year in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Last year they added so much to the already existing and beautiful gardens. They even have a "cooking garden" which features the vegetables of the various seasons. They invite guest chefs in to demonstrate those seasonal jewels. It is really interesting, beautiful and peaceful.

My sister Dayle and I took an overnight trip to Atlanta just to visit the Botanical Gardens. We had a wonderful time enjoying the lovely weather and the beautiful botanical displays. The Annual Orchid Show (which usually takes place in the Spring was going on at the time, and we really got a thrill at all the beautiful varieties of orchids we saw there.

We had a wonderful time that day at the gardens. They have a fantastic raised walkway that wanders through the trees at 40 feet in the air. There are all kinds of separate gardens from roses to ponds filled with fish and some of the biggest bullfrogs I have ever seen.

So, if you are looking for a wonderful day trip in the Central Georgia area, seek out the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. You won't be disappointed.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Butternut Squash Soup

1 Butternut squash, about 2 pounds, halved and seeded
1 Vidalia onion, quartered
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and quartered
Dash Hot Sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups chicken broth (I use Swanson's)
Salt
Ground black pepper.
1/2 cup fat free half and half

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 F. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the squash cut-side down on the baking dish and arrange the onion and potato sections around it. BAKE for 60 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove the skin.

In a food processor, or large blender, blend together the squash, onion,potato, hot sauce, curry powder, and nutmeg. Add the chicken broth as needed to thin the mixture.

Transfer the squash mixture to a large saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the remaining chicken broth. COOK for about 5 minutes, or until warm. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the half and half just before serving.

This soup is actually even better the second day!

Calories per serving.... 116 A glorious low-calorie, good for you soup!!!

Kayaking 101

Last month, while visiting Okaloosa Island, Florida, my daughter decided we should take the girls and go kayaking. I encouraged them to rent a Kayak and go to Crab Island, a huge sand bar between Ft. Walton Beach and Destin. They had a fabulous time paddling over to the sand bar and catching hermit crabs and playing in the fabulously clear shallow water. It is an amazing place.

They were so excited about the fun they were having that they came back to get me and insisted that I join them in kayaking over to the island.

I was really hesitant to get in a kayak because of an experience I had several years ago while vacationing in Savannah. My husband and I visited a water sports store one afternoon, and there was a flyer posted about a "free rental" of a kayak to try it out and see how you liked it. We decided to give it a try and made an appointment to meet the people in Brunswick for a trial run.

It was a lovely, sunny April morning when we arrived at the docks in Brunswick for our introduction to kayaking. It was a little cool, and I had dressed warmly in jeans, two shirts, socks and sneakers. We were outfitted immediately in large "May West" type life jackets. Then we were shown assorted kayaks that were displayed along the entire length of the dock. My hubby went off to try one on, and I picked one that looked appealing to me. I am a tall (5'10") woman, and I was a little worried about fitting into the kayak. I stood in the small, narrow craft and lowered my body down into the hole for seating. I was surprised at how roomy the boat actually was.

My pleasure was short-lived however when I tried to get up out of the kayak. I tried to bend my knees up and stand, but my legs were so long that I could not bend them to get out of the hole. No matter how I tried, I couldn't seem to extricate myself from the boat. I finally had to turn the thing over on its side and wriggle out like a worm. And that was just the beginning of a humiliating day.

I had someone tell me after getting out of the kayak that you needed to "measure" the opening and choose a kayak according to the length of your legs. Would have been nice to know that before I got into one. But, after a little reassurance, I climbed down the dock ladder and entered a kayak which was more suited to my size.
I paddled around for about 15 minutes in the backwater at Brunswick, before heading back to the dock to meet my husband. We wanted to try a ride on top kayak for two.

I exited my kayak and climbed up onto the dock while my husband and the employees picked out a kayak for us to use. Kevin got into the kayak at the end of the dock before I did, and held out his hand to assist me into the front of the boat. I don't know if you have ever seen one of those things, but they really don't have "sides" to hold onto or anything. The tide had gone out and the top of the dock was several feet from the water. As I stepped down off the dock and put one foot into the kayak, my husband said, "Just reach back and grab the side and sit down." That was a lot easier said than done. As I went to reach for the side, I lost my balance and went headlong into the bay!

As I said previously, I was dressed for the cool air, but the water was even colder. I had on a hat, sunglasses and all as I tumbled into the drink. Funny thing is, the hat and glasses stayed on as I bobbed around in the May West. I am a good swimmer, and besides I had on a vest, so drowning was the least of my worries. I was worried about just how I was going to get back up onto the dock in all my clothes with no ladder to assist. Just as I was feeling most embarrassed a handsome young man came paddling over and offered to assist me....aauuuggghhh. I politely declined his offer and swam over to the dock.

I knew if I was ever going to be able to get out of the water I needed to shed my heavy shoes and the hat and glasses. I pulled them all off and threw them up on the dock where a 100 pound girl employee was running up and down saying, "Just grab my hand and I'll help you out." I could just see me grabbing her hand and pulling her into the water with me. "No thanks," I declined politely. "I'll figure it out."
I managed to lean to one side and throw one leg around one of the dock supports. I then pulled my self up with some difficulty, looking like a drowned rat. I lay on the dock for a few minutes to regain my composure before lifting my dripping body and heading for the building to shed my vest.

That was one humiliating day for sure. I was a shivering mess and ready to head home. I hadn't gotten into a kayak since then.

So, you can understand why I might not want to get into another kayak when the girls were pleading for me to join them. I finally relented, however, and we actually had a wonderful time paddling over the the island. We got lunch at the little floating restaurant before paddling back to return the kayaks. I am glad my daughter talked me into getting back into the boat, as we had a wonderful time, and created some great memories.

So, a few things to remember if you are going kayaking:
1. They are very tippy
2. Wear a life jacket
3. Make sure if it is not a ride on top, you measure to make sure your legs
will not make you a prisoner!
4. Have fun!

Riding the Rails in Apple Country

Autumn is fast approaching. Last Fall I went to the North Georgia Mountains with the kids. We had made plans to spend a week, and one of the things we made reservations to enjoy, was the Pumpkin Express. It is a lovely train ride through the mountains, alongside the river to a pumpkin field. Each person who takes the ride gets to choose a pumpkin from the field and bring it back on the train with them. The children loved it, and so did the adults.

With SIX pumpkins between us, and the girls were only going to carve two, I hunted a recipe for fresh pumpkin. And, boy did I find a good one. This recipe would not be the same with canned pumpkin, so use the fresh. It is worth it.

First, slice your pumpkins in half and roast in the oven at 375 degrees until soft when pierced with a meat fork. Let cool and remove the flesh from the shell.
After it cooks, proceed with the following recipe for
PUMPKIN CASSEROLE

Ingredients

* 2 cups pumpkin puree
* 1 cup evaporated milk
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup self-rising flour
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 pinches ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and ground cinnamon to taste. Spoon into a casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Believe me, your family will never want pumpkin pie again after they taste this delectable dessert!

We stayed in a lovely three story cabin with a lake at the bottom of the hill. The girls went fishing in a canoe and had a great time. We also took a day to go to Mercier Orchards and get great fresh apples. We bought bags and bags of apples, and when I got home I made apple butter. The great part about making apple butter yourself, is you can add just the amount of spice and sugar you prefer. I actually do a lot of "tasting" because different apples produce a different taste, and you need to adjust spice, brown sugar and white sugar to find the exact taste you are looking for.

If you want the easy way out, quarter the apples and cook them overnight on low with just a little apple juice in the bottom of a slow cooker. By morning they will have cooked down and you can run them through a "ricer" to get the seeds and skins out of the mixture. Then, place the applies in a dutch oven on medium heat and begin adding your sugar and spices. I like to use brown sugar and white sugar as well as nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon. You can add a couple teaspoons of lemon juice as well. I always add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, as this tends to intensify the sweetness.

Here is an easy recipe for those who would rather freeze than can their apple butter.


Ingredients

* 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 4 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Whatever you do, make sure to take a ride to some beautiful area when the leaves turn this Fall. It is good for the soul to see all the beauty in nature and breathe in that fresh mountain air. Have fun.

A Blast From The Past

Two long blasts from her whistle and the Archery Explorer left the Cordele Station in Southwest Georgia. In vintage 1949 cars two hundred seventy-five passengers settled into comfortable air-conditioned seating as wide-eyed children blew their souvenir toy train whistles and the train rolled down the tracks toward its first destination. Conductors in period uniforms roamed the aisles punching tickets. Time travel had begun for my four-year-old granddaughter and me.

The smell of hot dogs, barbecue and popcorn wafted through the train from the club car as we picked up speed. Scenic country farms and shady pecan groves slid past as we rolled down the rails. Our first stop was Georgia Veterans Park, where we picked up additional passengers. Once they were safely seated we were off again. Crossing beautiful Lake Blackshear we saw moss draped cypress trees lining the expansive shoreline. Fishermen in small boats peacefully awaited their catch.

We arrived at Americus Station at noon, where antique trolleys awaited to take us up the hill to the quaint town above the tracks. Americus is home to Habitat For Humanity, the Habitat For Humanity Global Village, and Habitat's International Headquarters. Our destination was the Windsor Hotel. Built in 1892, the Windsor had recently undergone an eight million dollar renovation to restore it to the luxurious and glamorous state it had enjoyed during the Victorian Era.

We took the elevator to the second floor for a Southern style buffet in the elegant Grand Dining Room. Under crystal chandeliers we were treated to Southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and coconut cake.

Following our delicious meal we decided to stroll the antique-filled lobby before making a detour through the Information Center and Gift Shop. Americus is located just minutes from the Andersonville National Historic Site and National Prisoners of War Museum, and some of the history buffs aboard decided to remain behind to picked up on the return trip. The rest of us climbed aboard the trolleys and headed back to our time machine.

Two blasts of the whistle and we were off to Plains, home of former President Jimmy Carter. We were told by our volunteer aboard the Georgia Veterans Car to keep an eye out for Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, who could often be seen riding their bicycles around the town, followed, of course, by a large black limo. It was nearly ninety degrees outside, however, and we decided it was unlikely anyone as smart as the Carters would be riding a bicycle that day.

As we pulled into the Station at Plains, I was impressed with how little it had changed in fifty years. With a population between six and seven hundred, only a handful of period storefronts lined the narrow street. There was also a lovely B&B and had a very nice antique mall. Our conductor told us we must try the home-made peanut butter ice cream at Plain Peanuts.

As we exited the train, my granddaughter said, "Grandma, I smell boiled peanuts. Can we get some please?"

"Sure honey," I said. "Let's follow the smell."

We eventually located the tiny country store where were handed a small cup of roasted peanuts to pour over the top of our peanut ice cream. The ice cream was a soft serve masterpiece and the salty peanuts atop the smooth, cold treat delighted the palate. The perfect treat for a hot Georgia day. The tiny store was filled with every kind of peanut treat and souvenir you could imagine. Although the smell of the boiled peanuts was tempting, we decided to save that treat for a cooler day.

After our snack, we took a quick spin through the local antiques store marveling over hand-sewn quilts, carnival glass, and numerous antiques. Then, the train whistle sounded signaling our departure was imminent and we again boarded the Archery Explorer. Our engine pulled us down the tracks to Archery, boyhood home of Jimmy Carter, barely a wide spot in a contry road. The only home we saw in Archery was that of Jimmy Carter. There was a tiny country store with an antique gas pump out front surrounded by fields of corn and cotton. Life in this rural Southern culture revolves around farming, church and school, and after visiting Plains and Archery,you could understand President Carter's graciousness and soft spoken Southern manners.

The "All Aboard" sounded one final time. The train now reversed direction heading ack toward Cordele. We would only be stopping to pick up passengers who had remained in towns along the way. Baby boomer grandparents who had brought their grandchildren with them to enjoy this blast from the past, shared childhood stories as we traveled the tracks homeward.

The scenic excursion train is one of only a handful still operating in the United Stats, and offers a glimpse of the South as it used to be. As we pulled into the Station I felt like we had steppped back into a simpler time.