02 October 2011

Happy Fall! It has been a beautiful autumn weekend, and I love the cool, crisp air. Sorry I have not posted in a while, but I have been on the campaign trail. As you may know, I am running for Canton City Council, and so far, it has been quite an experience. I have had some wonderful support and a lot of encouragement, so wish me luck. The election is November 8, and here is my campaign website: www.grantforcanton.org. Also, please visit my Facebook page to "like" and "share" with your friends: Grant for Canton. The last few weekends have been hectic. Last weekend, we had Riverfest, an arts and crafts show sponsored by the Service League. They did a great job, and our Grant for Canton scarecrow won first place. We donated the $100 prize money back to the League for the great work they do to assist the needy children of Cherokee County.

To celebrate the arrival of Fall and cooler weather, I cooked my mother's old fashioned beef stew. My brother, Chuck, is visiting, so I thought he would enjoy it. I made Southern skillet cornbread to accompany it, and a North Georgia apple pie for dessert. All in all, a perfect Sunday Supper for early October. A busy week of work and campaigning ahead...

Hope your early Fall weekend was meaningful and enjoyable!

The Menu:

- Old Fashioned Hearty Beef Stew

- Southern Skillet Cornbread

- North Georgia Apple Pie Al-A-Mode

04 September 2011 – Labor Day Wedding

Sorry for the delayed post, but I was in Perdido Key, Florida over Labor Day weekend for my niece's beach wedding. Yes, so was Tropical Storm Lee! It rained and stormed most of the weekend, but there was a very short break in the weather, and Lori had her sunrise wedding on the beach! It was very windy but very sweet. Congratulations to Ray and Lori Burgess-Osborne! My nieces and nephews were there for the wedding, as well as Jeff and our friends, Kim and Josh, who got married at Perdido about the same time last year. Kim's dad owns Perdido Seafood, so we ventured over to get some Gulf-fresh Royal Red Shrimp and homemade Key Lime pie! Sunday night was a total rain out, so I prepared Sunday Supper in our condo for my nieces, nephews and our friends. The kitchen and equipment was not what I am accustomed to, but I made the most of it! All went well except for a brief, but scary, oil fire! Funny in retrospect but quite alarming at the time! I decided to make shrimp scampi with linguine and asparagus. The fresh shrimp were divine, and it was great to cook for Kelly, Brian, Drew, Kenneth-Ney, Kim, Josh and Jeff. We stuffed ourselves and later had a nice game of team Scrabble! All of us had to fight the storm all the way back to Georgia, but we made it safe and sound. Here's hoping the newlyweds have better weather this week for their honeymoon!

Hope your Labor Day was equally memorable but less stormy!

The Menu:

- Smoked Gulf Tuna Spread

- Fresh Royal Red Shrimp Scampi over Linguine

- Pan Roasted Pencil Thin Asparagus

- Key Lime Pie

28 August 2008

All in all, it's been a great weekend, and it seems like a lot got accomplished. This was a welcome change after the past few weekends. Yesterday, we ran errands and did some shopping. Last night, I made homemade bacon cheeseburgers with oven baked steak fries. It was simple and delicious. Afterward, we watched "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. They were such a beautiful looking couple at that time. Jeff had never seen the movie, but he really enjoyed it. After watching The Help last weekend, we have been seeking more Southern adventure, and Tennessee Williams delivered.

Today, I worked most of the day writing copy and retrieving some old files. I was more productive than I thought I would be. We got some great summer vegetables at the Canton Farmers Market yesterday: okra, cabbage, red peppers, silver queen corn, pink eye peas and watermelon. We also still have some heirloom tomatoes in the garden, so tonight's Sunday Supper was vegetable-centric. I was concerned about what to prepare for dessert, but our dear friend and fellow cook, Wanda Roach, called me this afternoon to tell me that she had made me a pie as condolences for the recent passing of my baby sister, Stacy. She visited a while later to deliver a beautiful butterscotch pie – her most requested! It was amazing – mile high meringue and all! Thank you Wanda and to all of the wonderful friends who sent notes, prayers and other loving thoughts to me and our family. I am truly blessed with an amazing circle of friends and a loving and kind family.

First thing in the morning, I am off to officially qualify to run for Canton City Council in the upcoming election on November 8! I am cooking up some new ideas for meaningful change, and you can find more information on my campaign's website: www.grantforcanton.org.

The Menu:

- Country Style Pepper Steak with Local Peppers and Vidalia Onions

- Fried Okra

- Silver Queen Corn with White Truffle Oil

- Braised Baby Ball Ground Cabbage

- Local Pink Eye Peas

- Jalapeno and Hoop Cheese Corn Muffins

- Wanda Roach's Famous Butterscotch Pie

21 August 2011 – For Stacy Grant Charles

Well this weekend was certainly better than the last one. As many of you know, my dear baby sister, Stacy, passed away last Saturday from ALS, a horrific disease. We will all miss her very much, but we have wonderful memories of her. She was one of the most loving and selfless people I have ever known, and I loved her very much. So tonight's Sunday Supper is dedicated to Stacy Grant Charles!


Stacy loved shrimp, so it was fitting that a friend brought us six pounds of fresh shrimp from the Gulf this week. I bought some local veggies at the Canton Farmers Market yesterday, and we did a low country boil for dinner. I used some of our fresh heirloom tomatoes and basil to make a caprese salad, and we had watermelon for dessert. Jeff's parents and Cory joined us for dinner on the side porch, and it was a good think we were cooking outside with propane because the power went off after a storm.

Stacy's daughter, Kacey, came to visit us last night, and we had a wonderful date night! We started our visit by seeing The Help. It is such a wonderful movie. Afterward, we ate at our favorite Mexican dive and came home to make brownies and play Scrabble on the side porch. It was a wonderful visit, and we hope to do it again soon.

Hoping for a better week ahead...

The Menu:

- Low Country Boil with Fresh Gulf Shrimp and Local Organic Vegetables

- Herirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

- Local Ice Cold Watermelon

07 August 2011

It has been a fun and hectic week. On Wednesday, we went to see Dolly Parton at the Verizon Ampitheatre in Alpharetta. I saw her a few years ago at the Fox, but she was even better at the outdoor venue. She performed for three hours in 95 degree heat and a few wigs. She was dancing all over the stage and played over a dozen instruments. Her voice is still amazing, and it was a great concert in support of her new CD, Better Day. Her Optimism is contagious. As if Dolly is not universal enough, it is, indeed, a small world after all. At the concert, we sat right next to our friend and neighbor's daughter-in-law - Rebecca Johnston! The rest of the week was as odd and busy as Dolly...

On Friday, we had dinner with our dear friends Bill and Sheree Ramsey at Downtown Kitchen. We are very excited that they will be moving back to Canton next month, and we look forward to all of the great dinners, debate, and fun times ahead. I went to the Canton Farmers Market on Saturday, and all of the farmers had okra. I was so excited! I also bought some crowder peas and a beautiful arrangement of sunflowers and zinnias. Summer is progressing way too rapidly.

So for tonight's Sunday Supper, I fried the local okra and cooked the crowder peas from the Farmers Market. I also found some local corn and paired the veggies with a Lee Brothers recipe – marinated flank steak. The most amazing course came with dessert! I picked some more fresh figs from the backyard and prepared an amazing fig gelato. It was divine – period.

Now, on to another busy week of working, designing, and campaigning. I have received great support for my campaign, and the committee volunteers are amazing. I am humbled, honored and privileged to have such great friends and community support. We all have a collective appetite for advancing Canton in a productive and effective manner. I love this town.

"When I'm inspired, I get excited because I can't wait to see what I'll come up with next." Dolly Parton

The Menu:

- Bourbon and Soy Marinated Flank Steak

- Local Fried Okra

- Flip Corn

- Cherokee County Crowder Peas

- Backyard Organic Fig Gelato

31 July 2011

It has been a fun and interesting weekend. Last week, I officially announced my candidacy for Canton City Council – www.grantforcanton.org. I'm sure it will be an interesting experience, so wish me luck! For tonight's Sunday Supper, I made a quiche from local farm eggs I bought at the Canton Farmers Market yesterday. The eggs are beautiful, and I buy them from the same farmer every week. I added heirloom tomatoes and basil fresh from the garden. I am trying to find a way to use all of the tomatoes, and I have also been giving a lot of them away. Also, I used the first figs of the year in a salad and a rustic fig tart. It was a simple, but delicious, garden to table supper.

Please visit and "like" my campaign's Facebook page – Grant for Canton. I'll be cooking up some fund raising events in the weeks ahead, so sign up to receive email alerts on grantforcanton.org.

Hope your Sunday Supper was equally enjoyable and a lot less political!

The Menu:

- Heirloom Tomato and Basil Quiche

- Baby Spring Lettuce with Figs and Virginia Sweet Tomoatoes

- Rustic Fig Tart

10 July 2011

Yes, as my dear friend, Helen Spears, reminded me on Facebook, my last Sunday Supper post was on Memorial Day weekend. I was out of town on business most of June, and Jeff and I took a cruise at the end of the month through July 4th. So, it was nice to be home for the weekend to enjoy a true summer supper. I went to the Canton Farmers Market on Saturday, and found some great local, organic produce. I bought peaches, lady peas, patty pan squash, and watermelon. In addition, our heirloom tomatoes have ripened, and we have a ton of four different varieties. The basil is also prolific, and that is a good combination. So for tonight's long awaited Sunday Supper, I focused on the local produce and items from the garden. It tasted just like Summer! I actually found a recipe for Tomato Lemonade and used some of the heirlooms and Virginia Sweets to make a signature cocktail to accompany tonight's supper. It was delicious! In addition, I pan roasted some chicken breasts with a tomato and basil relish. I used the local Georgia peaches to make a cobbler, and Jeff made homemade vanilla ice cream to accompany. I did not get a photo of the ice cream, but it was divine! Cory joined us for dinner on the side porch, and now we are preparing to watch True Blood. All in all, a great weekend!

I have a very busy week ahead at work, and I wish you all a great one!

Summertime, and the living is easy...

The Menu:

- Pan Roasted Free Range Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Ginger Relish

- Organic Heirloom Caprese Salad from the Garden at One Britt

- Local Lady Peas

- Baked Patty Pan Squash

- Cornbread

- Georgia Peach Cobbler with Homemade Dominican Vanilla Ice Cream

- Tomato Lemonade Cocktail