A Very Oily and Musical Easter Weekend

Roadie work is glam!

Over Easter weekend, we had two gigs in North Georgia. (Did you know I’m a roadie for a band? I’m positive I've mentioned it before. If I haven't, well, I roadie for a band.) Anyway, given the opportunity for two back-to-back shows in one of the most beautiful parts of Georgia, and the unbelievable luck of getting into a cabin for the weekend for free, we decided to make a weekend of it!

Most of the time, roadies
appear to look like this.

We drove up Friday night, the boy and I got there first. We ran around the cabin, checking out all the rooms, playing ping pong, getting in the hot tub. I love hot tubs. I mean, I LOVE them. I used to think they were something for the rich, something for the playboys and playgirls of the 70s. That was before I injured my shoulder. Now, I live and breathe by the hot tub. Thankfully, I have access to one pretty much anytime I need it. Back to our exploration. This cabin, well, was n-i-c-e NICE! It was three stories, three bedrooms, I don't know – 4, 5? maybe 6? decks, a sun-room, the aforementioned ping pong table and hot tub, and so much more! I had initially believed that I would want the upstairs bedroom. Pam wakes up early. However, I saw the stone shower in the downstairs room and promptly claimed it! Wow! FANCY! Totally worth the risk of waking up before I’m ready...

Oh, and the view was breath-taking. Drivin' n Cryin' asked “Have you seen the Blue Ridge Mountains...” well, I have - I do live in Georgia – but they never look quite like this where I live!

Morning.  In the mountains.

By the time Pam and Ric got there, we were pretty much settled in, relaxed (I was already in my pjs), and ready for the weekend ahead! How incredible to just be able to hang in a place with loving people and be yourself. There's so much to be grateful for.

Downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia

Saturday morning, we awoke and ate a homemade breakfast. The boys went off to play golf and Pam and I went to downtown Blue Ridge to shop and explore. First, we went to Mercer Orchards and bought jams, jellies, and various fruit-butters. Downtown Blue Ridge is all independent shops and amazing, unique finds. There was one store, though, an oil store, that caught us both off-guard and won our hearts and our bellies forever.

Oils for days. 

We looked in the window, and thought, well this is odd - but intriguing - at the same time. We entered. Why is all this olive oil and vinegar in these containers with little throw-away shot glasses next to them? Do they really expect me to do shots? Well, as a matter of fact, they do expect that. And do shots we did! We were in there for almost an entire hour and barely wanted to leave when we did! The owners, Tom and Donna, are so nice and full of information. And we couldn't stop tasting! That night, as we were setting up for the show, the boy ran over to the olive oil shop to buy some, just from us talking about it!

The gig that night was incredible. Music is always a spiritual experience for me, but you add the backdrop of the mountains and some fresh, non-city air, and I’m in heaven. The next morning we woke up and had another big homemade breakfast, and we were off to the Easter Sunday gig that was about an hour away. I think we were all sorry to miss church on Easter Sunday (I was, anyway), but there's something very spiritual about waking up in the mountains, communing with friends, and having love all around you that kind of makes up for it.

Grill-Man

The next Friday, we had another show in Blue Ridge. This time, we just drove up for the show and back.  Tom and Donna from the Olive Oil shop came! During the show, the boy and I were able to talk to them about how to make chicken and veggies on the grill using what the boy had bought. We decided we would try their suggestions the very next day! A rare Saturday off, and even rarer to have an early spring day with no rain - we took advantage of the day and grilled our chicken and zucchini and squash. It was delicious!

For those of you who grill, it's simple. For those of you who don't, ask someone who knows how to grill, and then follow the application instructions! I don't really understand grills. He did all the actual cooking – er, grilling.

The types he bought were the pomegranate-quince vinegar, which we used on the veggies, and the wild mushroom and sage infused oil for the chicken. I simply brushed it on at each stage of cooking – er, grilling – starting with the first flip of the chicken. He put the veggies on a piece of aluminum foil and I brushed them down a few times.

On the grill.

The flavors were not over-powering, but they were there. It was subtle and sweet.

I had never known about flavored oils and vinegar before, and I feel as though my life was not complete! Now, with this knowledge, I fully intend to budget out for these types of things. Food tastes better, and the health benefits are out of this world! If you live within the range of Blue Ridge, I would certainly encourage you to budget your money, as well as at least an hour, and get in that store!

Dinner is served.