Georgia - Peach State

Official State Motto “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation”

Suggested Motto “Peaches, Grits, Coca-Cola”

Two Truths and a Lie

• James Oglethorpe founded Georgia with grand utopian ideals. He wanted the colony to serve as a fresh start for the poor and convicts. To achieve his goals he banned liquor, lawyers, and slavery.

• Georga is home to the world’s largest Titanic museum. The entrance resembles an iceberg which leads to a replica of the doomed ocean liner.

• In 2016, more major films were made in Georgia than California, earning the state its most recent nickname, “The Hollywood of the South."

The Recipe - Peachy Peanut Thumbprints

Georgia has four official state foods. Grits are the “State Prepared Food” and Vidalia onions are the “State Vegetable.” This recipe honors the other two -- the “State Fruit” peaches and the “State Crop” peanuts. I learned that many Southerners enjoy their peanuts boiled, and it is not uncommon for a household to have a crockpot full of steaming goobers. Sounds weird but I have not tried them so I cannot judge.

Instead of boiling peanuts, I ground some into flour and coarsely chopped the rest. The peanut flour formed the base of an egg-less buttery dough typically used for Mexican wedding cookies. Normally the dough would just be baked and dusted with powdered sugar. Instead, I rolled balls into a mixture of sea salt, turbinado sugar, and crushed peanuts before forming a pit for filling. I wanted to make my own jam, but the peach season ended months ago. Luckily I bought a jar of Georgian-made peach butter when I visited Savannah. It had a beautiful deep amber color.

These cookies were far simpler than others but no less beautiful or delicious. The sugary peanut coating made them sparkly and crunchy on the outside, but the inside stayed soft and crumbly. The dough itself is not very sweet, so the peach filling provided the necessary balance for a perfect mouthful. I would gladly make them again. Next time I should also make a pot of sweet tea to serve alongside.

Want to experience Georgia for yourself? Then Teresa recommends ...

I just recently visited Savannah and cannot recommend it enough. The city is gorgeous and my friend and I enjoyed many walkabouts and bike rides through the historic center. I have never seen so much exquisite architecture all at once. Wish I could have stayed a whole week to soak up more of the museums and nightlife. I also loved the beaches on Tybee Island, where we went body surfing, it was such a fun getaway! If you cannot travel and just want to read about the peach state, try Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”.

Time for the whole truth

Georgia is not home to a large Titanic Museum, but Branson Missouri is for some reason. (By the way, you can click on any of the 2 truths and a lie statements to visit the source of the trivia)