A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip with a friend of mine to the little town of Helen, Georgia, an Alpine village nestled in the mountains of North Georgia. All the buildings are so European, and the streets are lined with quaint import stores. The Chattahoochee River flows through the center of town, and just before entering the area there is an old granary.
Established in 1876 and still in operation, the old grist mill, powered by the water from the Chattahoochee River, makes the most wonderful stone ground products. Some of my favorites are the course ground self- rising cornmeal, yellow speckled Speckled Grits, known as “Dixie” ice cream, Grandma’s Biscuit and Pancake Mix, porridge, and several other items, are made there using the huge stones that grind the products.
I had not been there in several years, and since my last visit, a general store had been added in the old building. All kinds of items are sold there including a large variety of homemade jellies, jams and preserves, plus all kinds of old sauces.
All of the stone ground products come with a tag of recipes that are so easy to make. I had never made chess pie before, however, the recipe using Grandma’s Pancake Mix is sooo easy and delicious. The local grown grains and stone ground products’ taste are far superior to any other commercial products.
I bought one bag of porridge, made from a combination of corn, wheat and rice. The package has a picture of the Three Bears on it. My 3-year-old grandson, Prince William, is very particular and opinionated about what he eats. I told him the story of the Three Bears and Porridge. He wanted to help me cook and ate a bowl of porridge for the first time, and just loved it. It is quite nutritious, as it contains no additives.
For anyone living within driving distance, a visit to Helen, Georgia is a lovely trip. It’s about 75 miles northeast of Atlanta. If you live in Georgia, most everything is gauged by its distance from Atlanta. And if you live in Atlanta, everything is measured from its distance from Peachtree Street. The main Peachtree Street goes all way from the center of town to Gainesville, Georgia. However, one can get confused because so many streets have names with the word Peachtree in it—Peachtree Circle, Old Peachtree, New Peachtree, Peachtree Battle, among MANY others.
And if you ask directions and the person uses the word “yonder,” that can mean virtually anything. Over yonder, down yonder, over yonder way, yonder past, so on and so on. If you come to Georgia for a visit, be sure to bring a map, and extra clothing. Once you wiggle your toes in red clay or the Chattahoochee River, or eat southern grits, you will want to linger awhile.
Let Freedom Ring!
JUST ME,
AC
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