Almost Gone! A Local Landmark...Hall's TN Hwy 322

Our entire neighborhood and, for that matter our entire quasi-retirement community, has changed dramatically in the almost 16 years since we moved to East Tennessee from Mt. Prospect Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.  I say quasi-retirement because although most residents are either retired or are still working but nearing retirement, there are a growing number of family's that have taken advantage of our open (no gate or age limit) community as it has expanded.  

In any case my point is that change is inevitable.  We can either roll with the changes or we can give ourselves ulcers fretting over what used to be... This is a post about what is close to becoming a special place 'that used to be'.

The building is fairly non-descript.  The sign reading "Hall's" is actually written in cursive, something that is now longer included in curriculum of many schools. (Our youngest grandson uses an app to translate the notes we send him in cursive) Yep, those are gas pumps and we know folks who won't eat at any place that pumps gas....and Hall's does serve food.  In this case the pumps are no longer functional.

Thanks to "The Connection", our village newspaper, I have this photo of the Hall family.  From the left we have Will and Kari Hall Phillips, Erin Hall, Kelly Hall, Helen Hall, Charlie Hall, Chris Hall, Jennifer Hall, Ryan Hall and CJ Hall.

Charlie and his bride, Helen, bought this building back in the mid-1960s and in 1965, it first opened as a local grocery.  Hence it's alternative local name, "Charlie Hall's Grocery and Restaurant".  

Customers order at the counter and when your food is ready, the friendly staff or family member brings it to you.

There is a lot of seating at Hall's.  The restaurant is a landmark, a meeting place, a family place for the community.  It's frequented by truck drivers, construction workers, farmers, and retirees from nearby retirement communities.

When larger grocery stores opened in the area, Charlie decided to focus on the restaurant business...a smart decision that allowed he and Helen to raise their family and put two sons through college.

Laurie and I stopped by for a late breakfast, falling directly between the early morning breakfast crowd and the lunch rush.  Note some of the grocery style racks along the walls and at the back left of the last photo above.

Hall's isn't open on Sundays or holidays.  But every Sunday and holiday, the Hall clan traditionally gathers here for a family dinner. 

When's the last time you saw a sign like the one shown above?  A breakfast platter for $5.49!  

We skipped the breakfast platter special, going our own way instead.  Laurie ordered the biscuit and sausage gravy with bacon and an over medium egg.  That gravy had a little bit of a bite to it and, as per Laurie, the bacon was perfect.  

I ordered 2 slices of toast with 2 over medium eggs, a large sausage patty and hash browns.  It was all good... Want to guess how much our breakfasts cost?  With tax but before our tip, the ticket came to $14.00.

We do love the old time ambiance and more importantly, the feeling of family and community at Hall's.  Charlie is 82 or 83 now and he's lost his fight with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.  It was strike and deal with TDOT or have the right of eminent domain used to take the property.  Charlie has sold the property and the end of a community landmark and anchor is near.

As with most government projects, this highway 'improvement' project has taken a long time to come to fruition.  First funded in 2014, it's been in the works for about 11 years now.  For videos about Hall's Restaurant and it's approaching demise, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr4tQJDNtp8, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPJ1YlWY0Mw.  You'll meet Charlie, Helen and a number of loyal customers.

Halls is slated to close on July 24 of this year.  Laurie and I plan to enjoy a couple of Hall's famous burgers before then.  Hall's is located at 4500 Sweetwater Vonore Road near Madisonville Tennessee.  They are open from 5 AM until 3 PM Monday through Friday and from 6 AM until 3 PM on Saturday.  Phone: 423-442-3083.

I thought that I'd end this posting with a silly photo of a silly dog who desperately wants a belly rub from Laurie!  Fiona lives next door to us with her buddy Shrek.  The only thing that Fiona likes better than a belly rub is a treat...

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

More Ready-to-Eat Entrees + Beauty

We are continuing to explore easy to prepare meal items.  In this edition, there were no losers among our selections, although we do have favorites.  Goal = meals with little, zero or minimal preparation... Snacks count too!

We bought this pack of 18 Stonefire Mini Naan Originals at Costco... As described by Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads, these mini naans are "delicious, fluffy, versatile and downright unforgettable, it's made to upgrade every meal, from breakfast wraps to midnight snacks".  Laurie and I concur and we've already used them with breakfast eggs, garlic dip, Bar-B-Que and more

Instant pulled pork!  The downside is that there isn't any 'bark' from smoking the meat.  The upside is that you have 2.5 lbs. of pulled pork to do with as you'd like.

Del Real's carnitas/pulled pork is not strongly seasoned so the good news is that you have multiple options with the 'right' addition of seasoning or sauces.

For this meal, Laurie paired some of Del Rio's pulled pork with one of Stonefire's mini-naans, adding a simple salad as her side.  She used BBQ sauce with her pork and she liked it a lot! 

We've enjoyed a couple other meals using Del Real's carnitas/pulled pork.  No surprise that I toasted a bun, covered it with shredded cheddar cheese, nuked it in the microwave and then slapped a couple of over medium fried eggs on top!  Great breakfast!  This product was purchased at Costco.

I don't know if its any healthier or worse than the salty snacks that we usually go for, but lately we have kept some sliced stick salami and pepperoni in the fridge...along with sliced sticks of cheese.  Cabot Creamery's 3 year naturally aged cheddar is one of our 'go to' cheese options. It has a distinctive flavor and it holds up well when sliced in 'sticks' or strips.  Yet another Costco purchase.

We have never found a garlic dip that was worthy of the name...until now!  Most anything labeled as containing garlic here in East Tennessee barely qualifies as 'garlicy' in our estimation.  A bit of Toom Garlic Dip and we knew that we had a cure for those pesky vampires.  I'll bet you can guess where we bought it!

Yes, this bag of Daphne's Beef and Lamb Gyro Slices was indeed purchased at Costco.  It contains 2 packages of meat.  I chose to heat up the meat in my frying pan with a little butter and pepper.  We both like a little char on our gyros.

It is hard to find gyros, (lamb and beef combined), anywhere here in East Tennessee.  We were very happy with the way that Daphne's gyros turned out.  Laurie plated her gyros on another one of those mini naans with mixed greens and cherry tomatoes.  The tzatziki sauce was very nice but lacked the garlic hit that we were used to back in Chicago.  We'll add garlic to the sauce/dip the next time.  The brand was Hannah's Tzatziki - Greek Style Yogurt Dip.

I thought that I'd end this post with a non-food photo.  That very pretty and delicate looking flower above is from a Spotted Wintergreen...a native wildflower that some bird...or more likely the wind, probably planted for us.  This small perennial evergreen herb is native to eastern North America and Central America.  Lucky for us, this plant is very tolerant of acidic soil and shade...both of which describe much of our backyard everyday.  The Creek Indians called it "pipsisikweu", which translates to "breaks into small pieces".  This was because it allegedly had the ability to breakdown gallstones.  Another use by Native Americans was to use it's leaf tea to treat rheumatism and stomach problems.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Home Happenings...plus Nature

In the last post, it was all about family visiting our home.  This post is all about the nature around our home, a short woodland path and of course, food!

Our Virginia Sweetspire has finally shown it's beauty after a couple years with little going on.  This southeastern native grows in moist, wet areas and in upland locations.  It is known for those clusters of white drooping fragrant flowers in the spring.  In the fall, the leaves are supposed to turn orange, red and yellow.  This bush can be invasive but we have it contained in a small area.

We are readying for a big neighborhood garage sale.  While going through our piles and accumulations of 'stuff', Laurie came across a bird bath that we'd 'retired' from service.  Since our loropetalum bushes have been cut down to a reasonable size, the bird bath can now join our concrete rabbits by the front porch.  The birds will be very happy... 

We recently purchased 2 bushes like the one shown above.  Laurie has them in planters on either side of our front porch entry.  Mexican heather, aka false heather, is a small evergreen shrub that is native to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.  In climates like ours here in East Tennessee, it will have to come indoors in the winter as it does not tolerate freezing temperatures.  It should bloom for most if not all of the summer...

I noticed that our purple iris 'crop' is doing well this year...and spreading too!

Somehow this small azalea bush has survived it's less than ideal location next to our back deck.  Too much shade and less than ideal soil and it's still rewarding us with it's bright and colorful blooms. 

This photo is one of my favorite views from our home.  It was taken from the front porch looking back along side the house...and into what looks like a dense lovely woods.  It currently serves as a refuge for our neighborhood fox den and as an occasional place for deer to bed down.  The wooded lot (one of the few remaining) next to us feeds into a wooded common plot between houses.  The photo was taken  in the direction of that wooded bit of land.  

Laurie's latest project is a joint effort with Terry, our new neighbor who bought the new home behind us.  The project involves the construction of a woodland path through the common ground behind our house...a bit of a hill involved...so that we and Terry can easily walk back and forth between our homes rather than driving several blocks to visit... You can see the beginnings of the path just behind the big tree in the upper portion of the photo.

The ladies recruited a local 17 year old high school junior to build the path.  Alejandro worked hard on the project, even picking up bags of mulch and wood chips for the pathway itself.

This photo shows the placement of the stepping stones leading up the hill from Terry's home to ours.  Wood chips and mulch were added later.  For safeties sake, both ladies have walking sticks leaning against trees at either end of the path.  The next step will involve the creation of a woodland garden using plants that are native to East Tennessee. 

Now for an evaluation of two 'prepared' food items from grocery stores... 

During a recent food exploratory adventure at Costco, we noted these Jamaican Style Spicy Beef Patties.  We like spicy and we like to have 'easy meals' in the refrigerator or freezer.

Well...These spicy beef patties (sort of like empanadas) were not spicy and, as a matter of fact the beef filling was a bit mushy and flavorless.  Disappointing for sure!

Since I hate wasting food, I decided to try to improve on those 'spicy' Jamaican Beef Patties.  Consequently, I cut one into strips, fried them in a bit butte, slathered them with sharp cheddar cheese and then topped that creation with an egg.  I added Tabasco after tasting one of the strips.  Sadly, this updated creation did not help this product!  

I am determined to try again.  There has to be a way to make these beef patties more tolerable!  My next attempt will involve spicy taco sauce.

Onto another prepared 'convenient' food item.  We purchased this bag of Rosina Grande Italiano Meatballs at our local Food Lion store.  They are made with beef, pork, Romano and Ricotta cheese...with some Italian seasonings.

Note: This was a high risk purchase as Laurie generally doesn't like meatballs... She really can't explain why as she likes hamburgers as well as pork.

Winner, winner, Italian style dinner!  The top photo shows Laurie's dinner before adding parmesan cheese and the second photo shows my dinner after adding the cheese.  The meatballs have a nice flavor and they are firm, not mushy.  They paired well with the pasta.  Even better, sliced in half and placed on a nice bun, I was able to use the remaining meatballs for a couple of good sandwiches!  We will buy these again!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Family Visit continued...

...and the family visit continues.  Cousin Nathan, my mother's oldest brother's son, and his wife Janice recently spent a couple of days with us.  FYI, Nathan 'caught' Janice while he was serving in US military in the United Kingdom...or did Janice 'catch' Nathan?  Those Scottish women are pretty determined and very focused!  I should know given Laurie's Scottish heritage...

In my last post, we'd done a little shopping at Everhart Lumber, a furniture and decor store in Tellico Plains Tennessee.  Out next stop with any first time visitors in Tellico Plains was at the Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center.  This photo...with a handsome fully restored 1934 Plymouth as our backdrop...was taken in Building 2 at the Museum.  From the left, Nathan, my better half Laurie and yours truly.  Janice took the photo.

Among other items, Building 2 features over 400 antique telephones, 16 old-time manual telephone switchboards, a complete local moonshine still, commemorative Harley motorcycles, antique tools, and a plethora of early Appalachian homesteading artifacts.  It also offers a shopping opportunity, "The Museum Marketplace".

Laurie took this group 'selfie' in Building 2 of the museum.  From the left, Janice, Laurie and myself.  Nathan is in the back.  Our backdrop is just a portion of the more than 800 unique telephone insulators on exhibit.

Thousands of collectors covet old or antique glass insulators.  There actually is an annual National Insulator Show.  This year it will be held in June in Marlborough Massachusetts.  

I didn't take any photos in Building 1 of the Museum.  The varied displays in Building 1 includes a wide variety of items, including 350 historic firearms, antique coins and currency, office machines, and Native American artifacts.  This building also features a shopping opportunity..."Timeless Treasures".  

The Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center is located at 229 Cherohala Skyway (aka TN Hwy 165) in Tellico Plains Tennessee.  Admission is FREE!  The museum is open 7 days per week from March through December.  Phone: 423-253-8000.  Website: https://www.charleshallmuseum.com/.

Our next stop was at the Old Order Mennonite Community Farm Market near Tellico Plains.  The market is owned by the local Mennonite community and it's one of three such markets located within a reasonable driving distance from our home.  A wide variety of produce and other items are grown, raised or built by members of the community.  In addition to the produce (amazing!), they also sell jams, jellies, pickled just about everything, honey, molasses, baked goods, wooden tools, soap, and much more.

Laurie just had to stop at the greenhouse shown above.  This time of the year she always 'needs' more plants...especially herbs.  Tomato plants of various types are a big seller at the market.

Entrepreneurial...a good way to describe the members of this community!  Furniture is available in addition to all the other items for sale.  Oh yes, do you like to eat rabbits...or just have them around?  They are also for sale...as are rabbit hutches. 

Laurie snapped this photo of a Old Order Mennonite carriage moving along one of the roads near the store.  

Keep in mind that the store only accepts cash.  Don't expect air conditioning or fans...there is no electricity.  Hand cranked adding machines are used at checkout.  It is important that shoppers/visitors need to respect the modest dress code that is posted on site.  Also no photos of community members...

This is truly an old-time bucolic scene.  It's the peaceful looking valley just below the store where the people live and work.  The Old Order Mennonite Market near Tellico Plains Tennessee is located at 1472 Fairview Road.

We loaded up at the market.  Heirloom tomatoes, pickled beets, fresh bread, jalapeno cheese rolls and Laurie's favorite granola mix...2 big bags of it!  To see photos of the market, go to the following post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amishmennonitetn/posts/the-tellico-community-farm-market-in-tellico-plains-tennessee-is-such-a-pretty-p/479923548199930.  If you go to https://www.visitmonroetn.com/farmers-markets, you can view a calendar that projects what produce you can expect to find at the market on a month to month and week to week basis.

When we got home, the exhausted shoppers took a break on our screened porch overlooking the patch of wooded common ground behind our home.  Photo by Nathan as were most of the others in this posting.

Nathan had very fond memories of my mother, his Aunt Beth.  We gifted he and Janice with a couple of my mother's woven wall hangings or couch blankets as well as this ceramic/pottery bust of Grandma Estelle Sibbald Weed.  My mother did an excellent job of capturing my grandmother's features.

This final photo was taken by guess who?  Nathan at least warned me that he was taking a photo so although I'm giving him that 'walleye look', at least I'm not frowning.  Here I am in our bonus room at action central.  Computer, printer, TV, Radio/CD player and lots of family artifacts...what more could a fellow want?!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Food, a Purchase, and More

You knew that I wouldn't stay away from one of my favorite topics...food...for very long.  No restaurants this time though!  This isn't one of my more cohesive themed posts, that's for sure.  In addition to food, I've included a birthday photo, the latest photo of the new house diagonally across from us, a cat and a club meeting, featuring a plethora of mostly old guys.

You may or may not recall the side dishes of "Mexican Street Corn" that both Laurie and I had with our meals at Bonefish Grill.  Waste not, want not!  Add cream cheese and some seasoning to the leftover corn, then side it with a little fried deli sliced chicken and then add to easy over fried eggs.  It was a substantial and satisfying start to the day.

Here is yet another makeshift/make-do breakfast.  We'd made a quick meal using some pasta, garlic butter sauce and canned chicken (drained, seasoned and fried in butter).  Since there were leftovers, all I had to do was reheat the pasta and chicken in a frying pan and then add a couple of easy over eggs. 

Laurie has been working on weight loss and lowering her A1C as well.  She's been using Mounjaro and her appetite has been significantly reduced.  This is an example of one of her smaller and healthier meals.  Half a ham and cheese sandwich and 2 slices of locally raised tomato, a little blue cheese dressing and fresh basil.  She has lost a lot of weight!

Moving back to the not so healthy, we spotted a new cookie shop in Farragut's Turkey Creek shopping area.  It's name, as you might guess from the box, is Crumbl.  Our feedback is that while the cookies were tasty, they were also small...and at about $2.90 each with tax, they were ridiculously expensive.

Laurie and I love gyros, schwarma, donair, al pastor or doner kebab, whatever name you prefer.  We purchased these pre-packed gyros at Costco...and we were hopeful.  Good gyros are hard to find around here.  I heated them in a frying pan with a little butter...grapeseed oil would have worked to.  After browning them up a bit and frying some pita bread that we'd purchased at Food Lion, we plated them over cucumber slices and diced tomatoes.  Laurie added sliced onion to hers...  

This was my serving of gyros.  We had also purchased a big tub of tzatziki sauce while we were at Costco...and we both lathered it on!  Of course I added Tabasco to my serving.  Conclusion...this was a very satisfying gyros experience and we'll do it again... 

I'll bet that you'd never guess what this group is all about... Note the age of the attendees as well as the preponderance of males.  It is a meeting of the Knoxville Philatelic Society...i.e., stamp collectors.  While it is a satisfying hobby, most stamp collectors are old guys.  In addition any stamp collector that started out collecting stamps as a long term investment has been badly disappointed.  Unless you bought high end stamps, (like the upside down US Airmail), this is a satisfying hobby with no hope for a financial return.  Despite this fact, it is estimated that there are about 5 million stamp collectors in the USA. 

I think that Laurie likes my stamp collecting efforts.  It 'keeps me out of the bars' and she has come to an agreement with me that whatever I spend on stamps...she spends an equal amount on stuff she wants.

We love cats and dogs...but we like them best when they belong to other humans.  This is "Tiger" and he belongs to our friend Glen.  Laurie took this photo the last time we paid Glen a visit and went out to lunch.

I'll end this post with an important milestone.  Our friend and neighbor Sue recently celebrated a significant birthday.  We were happy to be part of the celebration... Happy Birthday Sue!  We're looking forward to our next outing with you and Steve.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave