Cabbage Patch Kids celebrate 35 years in Georgia

Forty years ago, art student Xavier Roberts began experimenting with clay sculpture, “needle molding” and quilting techniques taught to him by his mother to produce a soft doll that resembled a baby. He called them “The Little People” and sold them at regional craft fairs, where he explained to buyers that he found them in a Cabbage Patch. He passed on instructions when he sold the Little People that those who “adopted” them had to be good parents.

The Little People were later sold in retail shops, each coming with a birth certificate and adoption papers. Then Roberts granted a licensing agreement to Coleco Industries of Hartford, Connecticut, in which Coleco would use the trademark “Cabbage Patch Kids.” In 1983, Coleco’s toy version of the Cabbage Patch Kids was introduced to the public.

To say these adoptive dolls took off would be a grave understatement. The Cabbage Patch Kids became the best-selling baby doll of all time, causing chaos during the holidays as parents stormed retail stores trying to buy the last one. Over the years, more than 140 million “adoptions” of Cabbage Patch Kids have been made worldwide.

If you think the Cabbage Patch Kids craze has lessen over time, here’s something to ponder. About 250,000 visitors come to Cleveland, Georgia, every year where at the BabyLand General Hospital new Cabbage Patch Kids are born. Visitors can visit the hospital for free and enjoy the store and this Saturday, Sept. 8, Original Appalachian Artworks (Roberts original company) and Wicked Cool Toys (the current licensee) are celebrating the birthday of the Cabbage Patch Kids. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be free activities for children and free cupcakes and ice cream while they last. Prizes will be awarded all day and the grand prize will be a one-of-a-kind soft sculpture Little Person signed by Xavier Roberts, commemorating 40 years of delivering babies.

Want to experience the World of Cabbage Patch Kids and BabyLand General? Check out this video.

Weird, Wacky and WIld South is written by travel and food writer Chere Dastugue Coen.

Cool off in Cave Spring, Georgia — and enjoy the history, food and shops of this quaint town

Cedar Creek in Rolater Park

There’s a reason for the name Cave Spring, Georgia. In this tiny hamlet 16 miles south of Rome lies a cave with — you guessed it — a lovely spring pouring forth. The Creek and Cherokee tribes were attracted to Cave Spring for its delicious waters, which later lured in European settlement (much to the detriment of the tribes). Today, the quaint town tempts tourists with its boutiques, antique shops, bed and breakfasts and restaurants.

If the weather’s hot, you can slip into one of the largest swimming holes in the state. Spring-fed waters pour into a stream that feeds a 1.5-acre swimming lake that's available for visitors and residents alike. And you can bring jugs to the spring-fed Cedar Creek and fill them up with that pure water or visit the cave the gave the town its name. The spring offers 2 million gallons of mineral water a day.

 

Home of Avery Vann

Historic buildings abound, including the 1838 Hearn Academy, the Hearn Inn and the 1851 Cave Springs Baptist Church, all situated in Rolater Park (where the cave is located as well). There’s also the old Georgia School for the Deaf and the two-story log cabin that belonged to Cherokee Avery Vann.

For those who love a little scare, some of these structures are reported to be haunted, including the School for the Deaf and the Cave Spring General Store, the latter of which has a very strange story. Even the cave is said to still be occupied by invisible entities. For a story about ghostly experiences in Cave Spring, plus some eerie photos, visit the Haunted Deep South blog.

This weekend (June 9-10, 2018) is the Cave Spring Arts Festival, with artwork for sale in Rolater Park. While you're there, be sure and visit Linda Marie's Steakhouse on the square, a delightful restaurant that serves up delicious food — it's popular with the locals so you know it's good — in an historic building.

Linda Marie at Linda Marie's Steakhouse

Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by food and travel writer Chere Dastugue Coen who loves caves, good Southern food and a lively ghost story. Cave Spring had it all.

Cheering for beer this month in Roswell, Georgia

Photo courtesy of Visit Roswell GA CVB

We love craft breweries, especially ones sporting creative names. Here are a few we discovered in Roswell, Georgia, with some fun events coming up this month:

Abbey of the Holy Goats

Kathy Davis owns this small craft brewery, a product that resulted after years of pondering whether to own a goat farm or brew beers. Guess which won? Davis and her beers with names such as The Lazy Goat and Ghost of the First Order have nabbed accolades at brewing competitions, including second place in Georgia State University’s Business Plan Competition.

Abbey of the Holy Goats will celebrate its first anniversary from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 14 with a beer and chocolate pairing. Taproom Only releases include a Coffee & Chocolate Chevre Noir, a Cherry Chocolate Red Strong and a Licorice Brown Ale.

Gate City Brewing Company

Another brewery with a birthday is Gate City, which will celebrate its third anniversary with a “Birthday Weekend” Feb 9-11 with nightly bands, food on-site, special release packaged beers and anniversary tees and glassware. Entry is free.

Other upcoming events at Gate City include:

Mardi Gras (Tuesday, Feb. 13), a New Orleans-style 7-piece jazz band performs and Big Easy dishes will be served.

Valentines Dinner on Feb. 14 featuring a four-course dinner with your choice of beer or wine pairings. Call to book reservations at (770) 910-9799.

From the Earth Brewing Company 

This craft establishment is the baby on the block, opening in November, 2017. But they haven’t wasted time. Beer Guys Radio voted From the Earth Brewing 2017’s Best New Brewpub in Georgia. And they offer live music every Thursday in February.

Variant Brewing Company 

This craft brewery was also recognized by Beer Guys Radio with five awards, including third place for Best Overall Brewery. Variant also took the People’s Choice Award for their Midmorning Imperial Stout at the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting. Variant will host a Super Bowl party starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. Visit the website for additional details.

And if that’s not enough to make you want to haul off to Roswell, the Sixth Annual Roswell Beer Festival will be Saturday, March 24, in the Historic Town Square. All proceeds help the STAR House Foundation, providing after-school tutoring and mentoring programs for at-risk children throughout North Fulton County. 

The Roswell Beer Festival begins at 2 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m. and there will be more than 300 varieties of beer as well as food and music.

Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by award-winning travel and food writer Chere Dastugue Coen, who loves every kind of Southern spirit. 

Don’t cry for me, Vidalia!

            There’s a region in Georgia that will make you cry.

            Actually, it’s like a good love story. Oh so sweet to the taste but invariably causes tears.

            We’re talking about Vidalia, Georgia, and the surrounding 20-county region of south Georgia that produces the sweetest onions in the country. These delicious onions produced by a unique combination of soil and climate produce exquisite dishes because of that fine marriage of sweetness and tangy.

Vidalia Onion Festival

            Visitors can enjoy these fabulous onions during the 37th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival April 24-27, 2014, in Vidalia. There will be carnival rides, band competition, a folklife play taking the stage for the 10th year, street dance and much more. On Sunday it’s the third annual Golden Onion Cooking Competition between 12 of the state’s finest chefs with the first place winner taking home the Golden Onion trophy along with a cash prize.

            Past winners include Chef Hilary White, owner and executive chef of The Hil: A Restaurant at Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., for her recipe “Caramelized Vidalia Onion Fritter, Serenbe Farm Vegetable Slaw and Mustard Vinaigrette,” and Chef Daniel Chance, executive chef of Campagnolo in Atlanta for his recipe “Scallop Stuffed Vidalia with Onion Purée.”

            For more details, including a complete outline of each day's festivities, visit: www.VidaliaOnionFestival.com.

            I was fortunate to visit the area during the harvest of those famous Georgia onions and I not only watched those sweet onions being harvested but sampled an array of dishes that incorporated them, including a cheesecake topped by carmelized Vidalia onions! These unique onions are perfect in a variety of dishes, especially where something sweet yet tangy makes all the difference.  One of the many products I sampled while in Georgia was Braswell’s, which creates delicious jams, marinades, vinaigrettes, relish and much more, packaged in Italian glass that resembles the old jam jars (hey, I’m using mine for glasses!). My favorite since I’m a fan of the Vidalia onion is Braswell’s Select Vidalia Onion Relish, and I nabbed this nifty recipe incorporating that relish off their web site. To find a market close to you that sells Braswell’s, visit http://www.braswells.com.

That's me with Yumion the Onion!

Turkey Sliders with Vidalia Onion Relish
2 pounds ground turkey
1 jar Braswell's Select Vidalia Onion Relish
16 slider rolls
Lettuce

Tomato

            Directions: Place ground turkey in a medium bowl and gently fold in Braswell’s Select Vidalia Onion Relish (over mixing will make sliders tough). Roll 2 ounces of meat mixture into a small ball and flatten to make patty. Grill, flipping once, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (about three minutes per side). Place sliders on warm buns and top with lettuce, tomato and your favorite condiments. Makes 16 sliders.

 And here’s the 2013 Golden Onion winner Chef Daniel Chance’s recipe.

Scallop Stuffed Vidalia with Onion Purée

1 Vidalia onion

1 U-10 scallop

2 anchovy filets

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon pickling spice

1/2 stick butter (cold)

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

            Directions: Cut top and bottom off onion and peel. Strip layer by layer until interior is the same size as the scallop. Carefully cut out the core of the onion leaving a two-layer onion ring. Season the scallop with salt and pepper and insert scallop in the onion ring. Separate onion trimmings and place 3/4 of them into a sauce pot with the anchovy and clove of garlic.  Sauté with butter. Take remaining onion and place in non-reactive bowl. Heat vinegar, sugar, water and pickling spice in second sauce pot. Bring to a boil then pour over chopped onion in bowl. Heat frying pan and sear scallop in-onion with olive oil creating a hard sear on both sides and set aside. Place sautéed onion, anchovy and garlic in blender and purée (add cold butter). Plate onion purée. Place seared scallop in the center and pickled onion on top. Use green onion tops (if available) for garnish.