Our Frugal Trip to Asheville: Part 1

So, Chris and I went to Asheville last week. We left on a Wednesday and stayed in Asheville until Saturday. We had a wedding to attend on Saturday and then I got to spend some much needed alone time with my mother that night.

Where we stayed: The Princess Anne Hotel

This hotel is a quasi Bed and Breakfast. This means that they serve you a gourmet breakfast, but you don’t have to eat with a bunch of strangers. They just have a set time that the food is available. The hotel has 16 rooms. I absolutely loved this hotel. They had a wonderful breakfast selection every day. I fell in love with their homemade granola and fruit. They had a wine and cheese selection every afternoon. They put homemade biscotti and chocolate in our room every day. They also try and use local and organic foods for the breakfast and recommend restaurants that do the same. The hotel was rather old and a little bit creaky, but I never thought it was overly loud. Also, the location was perfect. I think it was about a 3 minute drive to downtown. You could totally bring bikes and go that route.

So, for the frugal part….They had a mid week special that had been going on since March. I called the manager to see if I could receive that deal as well. She emailed me back saying no problem, I’ll take 20% you’re your stay. She attached an already adjusted bill to the email. I totally believe that this hotel was worth every penny and would gladly stay there again, especially in March or April.

Here’s the website: http://www.princessannehotel.com/

So, I was looking for a recipe to go with all this free saffron rice that I received from Harris Teeter during triples.....

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon-style prepared mustard
8 teaspoons curry powder
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, honey, mustard, curry powder and cayenne powder. Mix well. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour honey/mustard mixture over chicken. Cover and place in refrigerator. Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

3. Remove dish from refrigerator and bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake about 15 minutes more, or until done and juices run clear (baking time will depend a little on how thick your chicken breasts are).

This is a recipe that you can prepare the night before and just stick it in the oven about 30 or so minutes before you are ready to eat. I fixed this with Saffron rice and Maple Dill Butter Carrots.

Restaurant Review: Flying Biscuit

Earlier this week some friends and I decided to try the new restaurant in Cameron Village called The Flying Biscuit. Here's what I thought:

On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best, I would give this restaurant about a 6. I will tell you this before I start, I do have high standards when it comes to restaurants because I want to pay for something that I would have difficulty recreating at home.

I enjoyed my meal. I had a salad with chicken, moon dust potatoes, cheddar cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I also had two of their famous biscuits, which were light, fluffy, and not greasy. I thought that the salad was pretty good. The potatoes on the salad were great and something that I have never tasted before. I thought that they went well with the dressing. I gave them a few points for that concept.

I thought that the service (or at least our waitress) was just ok. She forgot some things and didn't seem to want to bring us more biscuits. She would disappear from time to time. I didn't think she was dreadful by any means, just not outstanding.

I did like the atmosphere of the restaurant. I liked the color scheme, it was very bright. I felt that it wasn't stuffy and rather friendly. No complaints on that part.

In conclusion, I believe that The Flying Biscuit was pretty good. I would need to try more menu items to make up my mind totally. I would go back, if nothing else for the biscuits. The prices are also pretty good and match the portion of food that you receive. I don't highly recommend this restaurant as I would others in Raleigh, but I would say if you are in the mood for comfort food or a good biscuit, then give it a try.