First Watch Review

I have written a few blogs. I just have not released them yet because I'm still adding. However, today I did visit a place that has recently arrived in the Greenville, NC area. I have heard several good things about the place so today was my day to try it. This place was First Watch.

When I am trying a new place for the first time. I notice the little things  How the people act  how the food was and of course the cost. I also notice how food is displayed, how often I get checked on and what the place looks like inside.

First question I always get is. Was the food good? I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. If you know me I judge hard. Lol and I will take points off for things that are important to me. Therefore, I like to explain why they got the score which I will at the end. I got the Skillet Hash Parma. This has potatoes, sausage, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and two cheeses. On top they put two eggs just the way you liked them cooked. This was served with fresh fruit and multi grain toast with preserves. The Parma was amazing. I could not eat it all, so there was plenty. The toast was different to me. I want sure about the multi grain but it actually tasted really good  I know there are people that could not have ate it cause of the actually grain pieces in it. It was loaded with a lot of butter and I had to wipe some of that off. I know I shouldn't complain about butter. I'm from the south but it was caked on and I wanted to taste the toast. It was that thick. Plus they had provided preserves and this had to be tasted on the toast right? The preserves were on point  Not too sweet but sweet enough to taste like strawberries. Perfect. The fruit ended up being about 4 pieces. But I really wasn't  expecting that on my plate because they did not say that on the menu. It was melon and pineapple and was fresh. The Parma was delicious cab I say that again? As I said before I did bring some home and shared it with my granddaughter and she loved it too. With this I had coffee to drink. We all know how I LOVE coffee. The coffee was a little disappointing. Let me add they only had regular sugar and Stevia. I really don't like Stevia so I used regular sugar and creamer. It was really strong flavor. I don't like dark black coffee. So this is why I say yuck. If you like really strong after taste coffee, you will like this. I am a medium roast and smooth after taste coffee drinker. They give you water as well. This saved my day. Lol  I also ordered the million dollar bacon. Everyone I talked to told me this was a must try. They were correct. This was so good. Most of the time I don't get appetizers cause then I can't eat my food. But this was really good and worth the extra.

Before we get to the big question about cost I want to talk a little about service and atmosphere. We had the most wonder waiter. He did make sure we had everything we needed  The place was very busy, yet he kept up. Also, he was such in good spirits  A little boy beside me was playing tic tac toe and he stopped to play with him. Engaging and acting disappointed when he clearly let the little boy win. It was actually so sweet. This young man really needs a shout out. So kudos to you young man. Now atmosphere. The place has the design of a farmhouse. The food is suppose to be healthy but presented as if you were on the farm. Lots of laughter and families were having a good time. The place was clean and all the workers were attentive and doing their job and doing it well. This place is very pleasant and feels like home with a crowd of course. Lol.

Time to talk money. I have heard some say it was pricey so I am going to give some comparisons. It is higher the McDonald's and Burger King. Compared to Denny's and IHop? Well, it would depend on what you order. The special is the grand slam at Denny's and it is about $8. So yes it is cheaper. However if you order the skillet and compare it to First Watch's skillet. It is a little over a dollar more at First Watch But you don't get fruit, preserves or toast with Denys skillet. The food at First Watch is suppose to be healthy and fresh food. Also, First Watch does have a plate that has the regular breakfast. Such as eggs, meat, toast and so on. This runs about $10.50. So no it is not a $5 breakfast. And it can be as much as going to IHOP or Denny's  Again. If you get extras like I did. It runs a little more. Just like when you ask to add pancakes at IHop's. Lol So, I honestly have to compare it to one of these places. Except they have much healthier choices and fresher food. Which you can tell by the taste. This does not mean I don't love breakfast at either of the other two places.

Now.. would I go there again. Final answer... yes  I really want to try the cheesy grits  Lol but I agree with the fact it isn't somewhere I would go everyday. Just when I want to have breakfast, brunch or lunch with someone special like today. I loved the atmosphere and I really enjoyed the food. I may get another form of drink next time

The reason they got a 4 and not a 5 was. It is hard to be perfect. Lol but the coffee was a huge issue for me. Also the fruit supplied really should have been left off or at least presented a little better.  And the butter issue.  Just put that on the side. Cause seriously that was way to much butter for this southern girl.

I would recommend the place  I think you would enjoy it and find it wonderful and the food delicious. You should always try new places. You never know what you may find.

Traveling help

A lot of people comment about us traveling. I have people that follow along and really enjoy seeing where we will go next. I do not always show where we are but I always try to share experiences that are fun and exciting. 

One of the questions I get asked often is "How can you afford to travel." When traveling, it is easy to end up in the "tourist trap" areas. These are the most fun-packed "looking" areas and they always have some of the most exciting things to do. I have enjoyed some of these places and would even go back to some of them. I am not saying to never go to any of these places. What I would suggest is finding the places you really want to see. Make sure it is something you would be interested in completely and then pick a few of those places depending on your budget and enjoy. I would never recommend that you go to all the fancy locations in that area. I would not even suggest you do over three. The reason is that these places are made to please the senses and look pretty, have interesting things, and even encourage you to up your packages to see 5 other things. I personally have found that this can be tiring and also way over what I really wanted to spend. I also have found that some of the places I would not have spent the money if I had researched a little more. You do not want to spend your vacation or travel time extremely tired because you are trying to see it all. So keep that in mind. If there is more that you really wish to see. Make sure you allow time for another trip and enjoy the one you have for now. 

What we do is search the area and surrounding areas for free or cheaper things to do. I have found I enjoy the $3 museum just as much as the $35 museum. I also am amazed at how little people know about what is in your backyard. So make sure you also check what is around you for day trips. I would recommend you research these places as well. I also search for the most interesting places to visit or unusual places to visit in the area. I was amazed by how much you learn about history, nature, and companies by just visiting these places. I also have found some amazing little quaint things that are surely unique. I love finding these places and it feels sort of like a scavenger hunt. 

Some days when we just want to get out of the house, I will search for an area for free places to visit, museums in the area, most visited places, unusual or unique places. I do not stop here. I look for signs along the way. I also search for town as I get close to them while traveling. We have stopped at so many places along the way to find some really cool places. Every place we have found along the way has not been amazing but they all have been interesting. I also make a note of places that sound really cool. I may want to visit them soon. 

As I write, I can think of so many places I would say to visit if you are in that area. I have memories of my favorite, of course. This is is why I have to say some of the most exciting places were actually accidents or just a sudden stop. So, I would always ask people that have visited the area. Ask me and I will see what I can find or if I have been there and share with you. I also do not mind telling you of some of my favorites. 

As far as food, Make sure you take snacks and food with you in a cooler. If you have room stick it in the back seat or on the floor. It prevents spending money along the way. Food is a big thing in this family. lol So having food on hand is a lot cheaper than stopping at a gas station or out to eat every time you are hungry. We have taken everything from sandwiches to fried chicken. We take snacks such as apples, cheese, nuts, and chips. Be creative here as well. If it is for traveling that day, it will last in a cooler for the day and as long as it is on ice, it will last longer. Ziplock bags are amazing but so are containers. Use these to keep water from getting on your items if you are placing them in the cooler. 

For kids, I always had a Mary Poppins bag. lol, At least that is what my kids called it. The reason it got that name is, it had everything in it. I purchase Dollar Tree craft sets. Make sure they are ones you do not mind in your car. There is some scratch and reveal kits, stickers, and coloring items to choose from. I also got other things like mini-games and cars. Anything they like to play with. Other stores have items that are cheap as well. So look and stock up. I never had play-doh but I did allow glue sticks, balloons and lots of crayons. This all depends on age and what you allow in your car of course. I also would tell my kids to hand glue sticks back to me to make sure lids were on or so I knew where it went. Playing games as you go is good too. There are always ipads and some form of electronic but I wanted my kid's mind to be creative. So we had other things to entertain as well. For older kids. Books, games and some crafts work as well. You know your kid. Pick accordingly. 

I always look at finding these places as an adventure. Finding places reasonable makes the trip fun and relaxing. Ask away if there i thoughts and ideas that you would like to know about. 

Instant Pot Fun

As I am about to start this story. I hear my Mom say "What times we live in, how they are changing".. All the new fancy stuff that comes out is growing every day. I always knew technology was going fast but it seems I can not keep up anymore. And that is so unlike me. lol 

This Christmas my daughter got me an Instant Pot. First, let me add. I was told that it is Instant Pot and not Insta Pot. Actually, I read somewhere where it ask you did you know this? Nope. I did not. lol But I do now. I really still am not sure what I am going to do with this thing. I love my crockpot. I use it all the time. This instant pot thing has me wasting too much time trying to figure it out. lol So let's start the adventure. 

I read the instructions that came with the "said" pot. They are not very clear. I did go ahead and do the test run and of course, the water burned .lol or at least according to the pot. So to run a test run. You put 3 cups of water in the pot and pressure cook it. Well, it wasn't long it started flashing the word "burn". Being the nice Mom I am, I hated to take it back. So I waited another week before I tried actually cooking something in it. My idea was to cook something simple. Potatoes. I wanted to make some mashed potatoes. Simple enough, right? Not in Teresa's world. I got the water in the pot with potatoes. And set it all the setting so it would cook. It was not long that steam started to come out all around the lid. Now if you know anything about pressure cooking. It is literally scary. So I wondered if I should approach the pot at all. After several pondering thoughts and what I call "squirrel moments" (Getting distracted), I went to the pot. I was still steaming all around the lid. I looked up online. This meant the lid was not sealed. I figure I would just unplug and wait and then take the lid off. Which I did without any flying potatoes or burns. The potatoes where done. I took the potatoes and went ahead and made the mashed potatoes. It never pressurized at all. So from this, I learned you do not have to use it for pressure cooking at all. 

After this attempted. I was wondering if I should go back to my crockpot. I waited another week and I then had a wonderful idea. Let my daughter cook for me. So she set up and cooked a roast and then mashed potatoes. First thing she did was forget to close the release switch. Steam was coming out and going hard. It would not build pressure again. lol, Of course, she closed it and it started to cook. It went well from there. 

Now I wonder if I want to attempt again. I have heard so much about ribs and how tender they are. The fun at my house never stops. Let's just hope we do not blow the top off the house. lol I am learning as I go.

Deadwood

Tonight we visited a place that I use to visit often but I moved. I go there at least once a year to a family birthday party. The name? Deadwood. This location has several things. A restraunt called the Smokehouse. A saloon called No. 10 Saloon and other forms of entertainment. For example putt putt, a train ride, ice cream shop, and so much more. I think my favorite part is the fire outside that makes you relax and enjoy your stay  I would recommend this place without even having to discuss the food. However, the food is exceptional. Tonight I had the smokehouse chicken with string beans and mashed potatoes but I can also vouch for the fact thier steaks are tender and juicy. They also have a salad bar that is always fresh and has lots of choices. You could make the salad bar a meal itself.  I hope that some of the pictures taken will show what they offer there. It is set upso that you feel as if you are in the Wild West. Before I wrap this blog up. I want to add that they will be bringing back thier dinner show. This was something I had been to before. It is a must see. But beware you may be picked from the crowd to be a juror and go on stage to help with the show. How fun.

Mom's Christmas Gift

This Christmas has been a tough one. We all have those struggles. I am sure you understand. We started to not give gifts at all. Then my creative side started talking to me. (you knew I talked to myself, didnt you?) I asked what I could give people that did not cost a lot. I took some old pictures and placed them on a collage board for my dad. I had them printed on the board and it looked amazing. These were pictures he had asked for before  Pictures of his Mom and Dad, and his brothers and sister. Of course, searching through old pictures brought up so many memories.  This gave me the idea of making a memory book for my mom.

This is the adventure I brought you here for so let's begin. My Mom loves to read. Also, write for that matter. I wonder at times why she has never tried to have her own book published. I knew that she would love to read my view on some of the memories we shared  So my first idea was just write a few memories and I would be done. Then, I came across so many choices. What memories would I write about? Do these need to be typed, handwritten or what? Should there be some sort of order to this? The questions piled. Lol I have so many ideas but where do I start. Then it hit me.. simple.. keep it simple.. Mom loves simple. First decision was, I started to type the memories but it did not feel right  I wanted more feeling in it . So I decided I would hand write them all. Going back to the simple technique, I grabbed a tablet and started writing. The words flowed and came easy for me. They always do when I love what I am writing about.  Now I have my first memory down. Next one.. I wrote again with ease. Then tears started falling. Not from sadness but from the memories and of course I added my thoughts on them. I had to stop several times just to get it finished  I then decided I would look up some ideas of things to write about. The first idea I found was a list of things you learned from your mother. With this I realized how much I acted like my Mom. I also learned how different we are as well. I also got an idea to write about what I would tell my Mom at this point in our lives. This again made me reflect on my own life. Then I decided I just really needed to get the memories on paper. Back to simple it was. I laughed so hard and i cried hard too. I had the best time remembering and putting this all on paper. I even wrote it knowing others would love to read it so I added what Mom was more then likely saying about this story. Let me add here that there was mistakes while writing but I knew mom would just consider that more personal. I never rewrote a thing. I ended up with a small book. The last section I wrote saying how much I enjoyed all our memories and there was no way to share them all here. I then provided a list of memories (just short phrases) and told her to let's sit and talk about these soon. It took several days to write all this down. I would take the tablet with me everywhere and when a memory came, I started writing.  I put it in a binder and waited.

My Mom absolutely loved the gift. She has told me over and over and over that she loves it and has read it but is now going back to read it again. I think I have already heard more about this gift then I ever have from any store bought item. The most amazing part was writing them. I really enjoyed the adventure of going back in time. Some memories are just ours but most are about the family. I am so thankful for the family I was given. We are not perfect but we love each other and we can tell. We dont have to say it. We can feel it.

To me this was the best gift. I was so excited for her to read it when I gave it to her I could hardly wait for her to finish reading. My next excited will be when we sit down and talk about the extra memories I added. Then we can make more everyday  Who knows, I might give her a few more pages to add to her book.

Life changed

I'm sure several of you have wondered what happened. All I can say is....Life changed.  In so many ways and so much has happened at once. Looking back, I think I should have continued to write about this part of my life. It really could have helped someone. But for now, I may add it to my stories here as needed  I am a firm believer in the fact life's course teaches and directs you. Sometimes we do not understand or like the changes. However, I am not one to sit and wait for life to handle itself. I am a very impatient person. Lol I say that lightheartedly but it is a very true statement. This is not always a bad thing. This helps me fight and stay strong when I want to give up. That is really a good gift to have.

So let's just pick up from here for now. I have just gotten through the holidays and I hope everyone survived them. Is it just me that loves Christmas, Thanksgiving and even bringing in the new year but then want to scream with happiness when it is over. You know the moment when life goes back to normal? If there is a normal.  I am so ready for the normal pace this year more then ever.

This year we did not have a lot to give but one of the things I did for my Mother has been an amazing gift to me as well. I really wanted everyone to know this adventure that took place so I am going to let that be my next blog.

I leave you with the Hope's that you are still here and I plan to post as much as I can. I do not have the time I did before but I hope to a