What a Mess! A Challenging Event!

Everyone encounters challenges in their lives... This post is tied to the challenges presented by our accumulation of 'things', 'stuff', and 'excess' that we've gathered over 46 years of marriage.  Adding to our 'excess', are items that came from my mother many years ago.  In an effort to declutter a bit, we decided to participate in our local neighborhood garage sale.  So much effort already...and so much more to do before the sale in early June.  Hopefully our marital union will survive the stress and trauma!

The first step was to post larger items on Facebook Marketplace just to clear space for all of the other 'stuff' we want to sell.  We posted 6 larger items... 

First there was this 'loveseat' sofa.

Then there was this large buffet that came from Rich's Department Store in Atlanta.

Plus there is this antique cherrywood rocker that we purchased many years ago.  It's from the late 1800s.

This solid oak possum belly baker's table and hutch was purchased at the same time at the cherrywood rocker.  Both purchases seemed rational at the time...

This more rustic antique rocking chair came to us through my mother's estate.

While we have had a couple of inquiries about the baker's table/hutch combination, that's been all the action we've had in the first 3 or 4 days on these furniture items.  We have managed to sell three of the larger items so far.

Neighbors purchased two of these types of almost never used deck lounge chairs.  They were used once or maybe twice and had spent the rest of their life with us in our storeroom.

A master gardener who has done a lot of work for us snatched up this dresser as it filled a need for her.

If you've ever been to an estate sale or an auction, you will have noted that no one wants chinaware.  We have had this nice set of Mikasa for more than 40 years.  It was rarely used and since we retired and moved to East Tennessee it hadn't been used at all.  As expected, we didn't get very much money for the set, but we did manage to sell it through Facebook Marketplace.

Then there is the rest of the 'stuff' that needs to go...to find a new home.  It's an eclectic grouping of odds and ends, collections and past activities or hobbies.  

For years we've been moving and storing this assortment of dolls and doll clothes that my mother had acquired or actually made.  

For several years in a row, Laurie and I headed to Northern Michigan or Ontario Canada for backwoods fishing adventures.  It had been 20 years since we headed north to go fishing although I did go fishing here in Tellico Lake many times earlier in my retirement.  We found the slickers and wet suits in a box we'd been moving from place to place.

I have very little hope that we'll find buyer for these remnants of a set of Czechoslovakian china that my great aunt had willed to my mother...at least 65 years ago.  I suspect that we'll end up just tossing it out.

Antique canning jars, a nicely framed print, folders, a classic candle holder, a pair of painted antique candlesticks, a signed Brooks Robinson baseball, a collectors plate, a set of German steins, a Tiny Tears doll and boxed toy trucks for kids or collectors.  These are just further examples of the mish mash we'll be offering at the sale.

In the preceding photos you will note a couple of items that were also in other photos.  We keep moving things around looking for the 'right place' to display them for sale.  Disorganization is still our condition...although we have priced more than half of what we're going to try to sell.  I still haven't addressed my fishing tackle (4 boxes) or my 9 fishing rods and reels.  Then there is our golf equipment!  At least 4 bags with golf clubs, balls, etc., plus extra clubs.  In addition, there will be a lot of clothing offered for sale.  The question is, how much can we sell vs. how much do we end up delivering to local charities?

Just click on any of the photos...

Thanks for stopping by!  Wish us luck as we'll need it!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A New Dining Experience - Even Better, It is Italian Cuisine!

Laurie and I are always looking for a new dining experience within a reasonable driving distance of our home.  'Reasonable' is of course a relative term, but in our case we define the word as about 30 - 35 minutes, with 40 minutes pushing the envelope.  Of course, if we're out exploring an area or shopping somewhere further from home and its time for a meal, our 'reasonable' definition doesn't apply.

We now have several good to very good 'American' and Mexican restaurants in the area, a nice Thai dining destination and, most recently, a reliable Indian restaurant was added to the mix.  What we've really needed is a good Italian restaurant.  As luck would have it, a new Italian dining destination recently opened in Lenoir City...about 20 minutes from home. 

Fork and Vine took over the space previously occupied by Joe's Italian Cuisine.  Joe's had shown promise but the consistency of both food and service was an issue.  Just how new is Fork and Vine?  There is a sign on US Hwy. 321 but the only Fork and Vine sign on the building at this point is that very temporary one above where Joe's sign was located.   

Outdoor patio dining is available at Fork and Vine.  It's surrounded by trees on 3 sides and its far enough from US Hwy 321, that traffic noise isn't too bothersome.

Fork and Vine is not a huge restaurant.  As you can see, the dining arear is long and narrow.  Seating is a mixture of 2-seat tables, 4-seat tables and bar stools in front of both the bar and the stone pizza oven.  We arrived early for dinner but before we left, Fork and Vine was very busy.  My only negative is that the 2-top tables are a bit too narrow to be really comfortable.  Another 3 or 4 inches in width would make a truly positive difference.  

Do you remember when any semi-upscale or fine dining restaurant automatically offered bread without charging for it?  Well, Fork and Vine does!  The bread was crusty and nice and the oil and herb mix was excellent.  It was so good that we were given a second helping of bread and dipping oil.

Before I get into the food itself, I thought that I'd provide the introduction provided by Fork and Vine as regards their menu and approach to Italian cuisine.  Will the restaurant live up to their introduction?

"Inspired by generations of Italian cooking, our menu features handcrafted dishes prepared with passion and authenticity.  From rustic, wood-fired pizzas to perfectly seasoned seafood and savory pastas, every plate is a celebration of flavor and tradition.

Experience the rich tradition of homemade Italian cuisine, where every dish is crafted from scratch using time-honored recipes and the finest ingredients.  From fresh, hand-rolled pasta to slow-simmered sauces, every bite is a taste of Italy's culinary heritage."

Given all the bread and oil, (another reason restaurants don't offer it gratis any longer), I skipped the appetizers but as this was our 'early' Mother's Day dinner (by two days), Laurie ordered a cup of the Italian Wedding Soup...with meatballs, spinach, pasta pearls and broth. ($5.00 cup/$9.00 bowl) She really enjoyed it!  I tasted it and I thought that it was very nice...

There are 9 'shareables'/appetizers on the menu.  They include: Burratta and Ciabatta with roasted tomato jam; Drunken Mussels with vodka, white wine, basil, garlic, tomatoes, onion, banana peppers herb butter and sliced Ciabatta, and; Clams Casino, baked clams topped with bacon crumble and lemon herb compound butter.  Six different salads are also on the menu with a couple of them being 'dinner salads'.  One of them is The Palermo with mixed greens, fresh mozzarella, banana peppers, black olives, croutons, tomatoes, ham, capicola, pepperoni and salami tossed in Italian vinaigrette.

On to our entrees.  This was Laurie's Vodka Di Gallo with Italian Sausage. ($16.00 without the sausage and $22.00 with it) It is fresh Creste di Gallo pasta with pink vodka cream sauce, onions, basil and mushrooms.  Chicken, meatballs and shrimp are also options with this pasta. Laurie really enjoyed her entree although she thought that the sausage would be cut up and in with the pasta.  Still...winner, winner!

Laurie had a tough time deciding what to order.  One of her other options (perhaps next time) was the 1809 Risotto...creamy parmesan risotto, mushrooms, seared scallops, limon wine cream and herb broccolini.  If Laurie's sister Bonnie and her husband Bill were here, Bill would definitely have ordered the Ciopinno Lenoir...with mussels, clams, shrimp and fish simmered in a robust tomato broth served with grilled Ciabatta.

My entree was the Pistachio Chicken. ($24.00) This included fried chicken cutlets (a whole breast), goat cheese, pistachio crumble, and lemon wine cream sauce, served with risotto and herb broccolini.  The chicken was moist, the breading just right and the lemon wine cream sauce put this dish over the top.  I'm not supposed to eat greens but I did consume 4 pieces of the tasty broccolini.  The one downer for me was that the risotto had mushrooms in it and I just don't like mushrooms.  They should be listed in the description. I'll have to see if any options are available on our next visit.  In any case I was very content.  I actually took half of one of those breasts home for breakfast the next day.  I also scored one of Laurie's sausages!

In total Fork and Vine offers 10 pasta dishes, 8 entrees and both 12" wood fired pizzas and assorted flatbreads.  Plus there are a number of Chef's Features.  The current specials included 2 more options for an appetizer and 3 "Main Courses", one of which was the Warm Langostino Lobster Rolls.  I was surprised that Laurie didn't chose this for her entree...

It was Laurie's Mother's Day treat and she wanted dessert.  She chose the Tiramisu...made with lady fingers, coffee and marscapone. ($10.00) She really liked it.  I tasted it and concurred with her, it was very good.

I was going to skip dessert.  Options included Peanut Butter Explosion, Red Velvet Cheesecake, a Tuxedo Bomb and a Fried Strawberry Cheesecake topped with white chocolate, kiwi lime and raspberry sauces.  The 'explosion' and the 'bomb' were loaded with too much chocolate for my taste and I'm not into cheesecake.  Many of you are probably saying "How can there be too much chocolate?!"  

In any case, as Laurie was waiting for her dessert, the chef stopped by and asked about the food.  When I told him that I was skipping dessert for the reasons stated above, he pointed out that the "Chef's Features" included a dessert.  Shown above, this was my Limoncello Marscapone Cake. ($12.00) It was excellent and my opinion was supported by Laurie too...

Service was competent and pleasant.  The chef stopping by was a plus.  The food was very good, some of the best we've had in the Knoxville area in recent years.  We will return...and we will bring others with us.

Fork and Vine is still waiting for a liquor license but you can bring your own adult beverage for the time being.  The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday (11 AM until 10 PM) and for brunch/dinner on Sunday (10 AM until 4 PM) This restaurant is located close to I-70, right off US Hwy 321 at 131 Kelsey Lane in Lenoir City Tennessee.  Phone: 865-317-1098.  They do not take reservations.  Website: https://fnvlenoir.com/, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Fork-Vine-Lenoir-City-61568667290284/.

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...The Last Chapter

...Yes, our family visit has come to an end.  My cousin Nathan and his better half, Janice, have returned to the comparatively frigid north, up in the Great Lake State of Michigan.  But before they departed there was a bit more exploring to do and a lot more food to consume!

For dinner we took Nathan and Janice to our favorite Mexican Restaurant in nearby Madisonville Tennessee.  Sol Azteca is in a non-descript building located at the bend of US Hwy 411 and an overpass so the restaurant doesn't exactly stand out to the passerby.  

Janice posed for Nathan standing beside this imaginative "Day of the Dead" figure.  At my stage and age I don't celebrate this particular holiday...  I would prefer "Day of the Living" or "Rejuvenation Day".

Sol Azteca is a large restaurant and we weren't the only customers having a late dinner.  Nevertheless, this photo gives you an idea of the decor in the dining room/area.  

Sol Azteca makes the best Chorizo and Cheese Dip that we've found anywhere in the area! ($10.99) I borrowed this photo from a previous post because by the time we remembered to take a photo all we had to show of this appetizer was a bowl scraped clean of any contents. 

Here are two of our entrees... Laurie only ordered a simple quesadilla.  Note how 'small' the portions were!  I have no idea what the name is of the first entree shown above.  

But the second one was mine.  It was the Burrito San Jose...a big burrito filled with pork and steak and then topped with chorizo sausage, then sided with Mexican rice and cheese covered refried beans... ($13.25) It was a 'meat lover's burrito' for sure!  I managed to consume the burrito and all that meat...but failed when it came to the 80% of beans and all of the rice.  Excellent!

And of course, we had to have a photo of Nathan and Janice at Sol Azteca.  Other than Laurie's sister Bonnie and her husband Bill, we don't get too many visitors and we really enjoyed Janice and Nathan's time with us.

Sol Azteca Mexican Grill is located at 4263 US Hwy 411 in Madisonville Tennessee.  They are open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.  Phone: 423-545-8080.  Website: https://solaztecamexgrill.com/.    

So...what else did we do and where did we go?  

One stop was in Lenoir City Tennessee where we spent quite a big of time looking for deals at the Good Neighbor's Shoppe.  This upscale and well run store offers nice recycled clothes for both adults and children, books, jewelry, furniture, home decor items and more...at great prices.  Check out this charitable retail operation at https://www.gnshoppe.org/.

Next it was The Shoppes on the Square in downtown Loudon Tennessee.  This store features individual booths that offer clothing, collectables, furniture, antiques, art, books, decor and much more.  Website: http://www.theshoppesonthesquare.com/. 

Our final stop for the day was at the Sweetwater Valley Farm complex near Philadelphia Tennessee.  Hence the photo shown above!  This large dairy farm offers tours of the farm's operations including milking and cheese making.  This tourist attraction also features a restaurant that served a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches and dairy products; a gift shop and; a cheese shop with samples and a number of other gifts.  We loaded up on a variety of cheeses... Website: https://sweetwatervalley.com/.

If you haven't been exposed to enough food already, you might appreciate this photo of Nathan's that caught yours truly in the process of grilling some nice big pork 'steaks' slathered with Famous Dave's Rich and Saucy BBQ Sauce.   

Yes, this is a sight that Laurie and I rarely see... Sunrise over Tellico Lake.  We normally go to bed late and get up late...8:30AM or 9AM.  But, Nathan and Janice had a long drive ahead of them...all the way home from Loudon County Tennessee to Genesee County Michigan.  They had to get an early start and Laurie took the opportunity to take the photo.

But, we were responsible for making their trip home a tad longer!  We'd touted the Buc-ee's travel center in Richmond Kentucky...and apparently Janice and Nathan had carefully listened to our favorable comments.  They'd never been to a Buc-ee's.  Later we learned that this stop added 1 1/2 hours to the trips duration. 

Buc-ee's stores are not your traditional gas station/quick stop along the highway.  The stores are huge and the variety of items is stunning.  Just the food selections offered will blow your mind.  No trucks, clean bathrooms and low gas prices.  You can learn more about Buc-ee's at https://buc-ees.com/.     

...Nathan and his bride finally made it across the Ohio/Michigan state line.  The lighting was already dimming.  Note the almost bare trees while here in East Tennessee, we were pretty much 'greened out'.  Laurie and I do like Michigan, especially in the summer.  I was born there, I regard Jackson Michigan as my 'home town', and I lived in the state for the first 25 or 26 years of my life.  I graduated from Michigan State University and we have enjoyed a number of vacations in this, the Great Lakes State.   

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

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

More about the Family Visit...This Time its Lakeside

...continuing with a recent visit by my cousin Nathan and his better half, Janice.  We'd been out driving around, exploring and doing a bit of shopping.  Then Janice requested an opportunity to be down by Tellico Lake's shoreline just to enjoy the views and the relaxing impact of being next to a large body of water.

Always trying to please any visitors, I opted to visit a local bar and restaurant on the shoreline of one arm or bay of Tellico Lake.  Might as well enjoy some refreshments and an appetizer or two while enjoying the lakeside ambiance... This is The Mudpuppy Restaurant in Vonore Tennessee.  The restaurant literally floats on the lake.

Mudpuppy is not just a restaurant!  It is part of what was formerly knowns as Sequoyah Landing...which also includes a 200 slip commercial recreational marina on Tellico Lake and it features upscale rental cabins, pontoon rentals and fuel sales...in addition to the Mudpuppy Restaurant.  Sequoyah Landing Resort has been renamed as the "Cherokee Outdoor Resort" and, in collaboration with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, a major expansion is planned. 

Note: The marina is located right at the one of the head of navigation for commercial barges and larger yachts on Tellico Lake.  Several major boat and watercraft manufacturers are located close by this location.

I borrowed this drone photo of the cabins available for rental by folks on vacation who want a lakeside location...that's located close to boat slips, boat rentals and a restaurant.  It doesn't show in this photo but guests can see the Smoky Mountains from the cabin's lakeside porches.

OK...back to The Mudpuppy Restaurant.  This is a view of the bar.  Lots of TV screens and apparently a popular place to down a brew (or something stronger) while relaxing or watching a sporting event.  

This view is looking from the water's edge back through the indoor/semi-outdoor dining area at the Mudpuppy Restaurant.  Given that this large crowd was here mid-afternoon on a weekday in late April before the boating season really begins, speaks to the popularity of the restaurant. 

Nathan doesn't exactly pose his photographic subjects.  I don't know who that grumpy looking old man is but at least Laurie was happy!  Underneath that grumpy look, I was smiling...it was just internally... 

The good news is that neither Janice or Nathan were smiling when this photo was taken...so I feel vindicated given my photo.  Janice wanted a lakeside experience and you can't get much more 'lakeside' than in this photo.

 Others stopped by looking for a snack or appetizer at the Mudpuppy.  This female duck (or hen) didn't seem at all bothered by those big carp cruising around underneath her.  I can tell you that carp like these have broken many of my fishing lines over the years...making off with hook, line and minnow.

Time for some food and beverages!  Keep in mind that this was just a 'mid-afternoon snack'.  We started out with this giant Bavarian Pretzel accompanied by beer cheese and a mustard dip. ($15.50) Adult beverages were served as well... The pretzel was very nice indeed...even if it seemed a bit pricy.

If deep fried pickle chips are on the menu and my better half is present, you can count on an order of pickle chips!  In any case, these were our Mudpuppy's Crispy Fried Pickles with ranch dressing for dipping. ($9.50) They were better than average.

What the heck!  Let's order just one more appetizer/snack item... For one member of our group, this is the favored treat.  These were our Loaded Cheese Fries. ($12.00) This heap of seasoned French fries was smothered by the Mudpuppy Queso, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and scallions...and then topped with sour cream.  I will admit that I really enjoyed this heart stopping appetizer!

This was our first visit to the Mudpuppy Restaurant and there is an extensive menu to explore during future visits.  To view the menu, just go to https://www.mudpuppyrestaurant.com/menu.  To learn more about the Cherokee Outdoor Resort in Vonore Tennessee, go to https://cherokeeoutdoorresort.com/.

I thought that I'd end this post with a water view up stream on Tellico Lake as seen from The Mudpuppy Restaurant.  Being lakeside is so calming... That lone boat speeding up the lake will soon be joined by many others as the boating season is almost upon us.

Tellico Lake is part of the Tennessee Valley System of dams, power plants, reservoirs and locks.  This portion of the lake is fed directly by the Little Tellico River as it flows from the Smoky Mountains.  From the lake adventurous boaters could conceivably cruise to the Gulf of Mexico, the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, Minnesota, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and even to Lake Champlain and beyond.  Tellico Lake itself is 33 miles long and has 357 miles of shoreline. 

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

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave