Brunch Leftovers

On Sunday morning, we went up to South City Kitchen Vinings to have brunch with our recently-engaged friends Ryan and MacKenzie!

They were in Marietta for a wedding, so we were glad to get a chance to meet up. And at one of our favorite brunch places, no less. I think Ryan said it gave him "a yummy."

I should have taken a picture of the table. We had two orders of pancakes, one waffle and one fried chicken over collard greens and mashed potatoes. Guess I had a hungry hungry hubby.

We enjoyed hearing their engagement story, seeing MacKenzie's b-e-a-utiful ring, and just catching up on movies, trashy television (we told them about My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding), cats, etc.*

*Within that "etc." was geocaching! Ryan recently completed a mission, if that's what you call it.  Wikipedia says it's called logging a cache. (It also very helpfully points out that it isn't an Olympic sport. Yet!) So, Ryan recently logged a cache. I  promise we didn't laugh about it later, Ryan. It really does sound cool!

Later that night, we logged a cache, too. Double rainbow!

 

 

Congratulations again, R & M - thanks for brunching with us!

Menu Monday

Tacosagna

We have some veggies from the Statesboro Farmers Market to add to our dinners this week! 

• Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Butter Beans & Roasted Potatoes
• Grilled Pierogies & Kielbasa
• BBQ Chicken with "Fried" Okra & Rice
• Grilled Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki 

Last night we had Publix sub-lixes! Have you tried any good recipes lately?

Maconga

Today we went to Macon, G-A. It's the half-ish way point between Statesboro and Atlanta, so we met my parents and Meema for some general hanging out and fun.

We ate lunch,

did a little shopping,

did a little dancing,

{i think this requires a "one embarrassing picture of me on this blog" i.o.u.}

wondered if Toby and Rocco might like one of these doggy...coats?,

and ate again!

(Bang Bang Shrimp and a Watermelon-tini. Mmmmmm. A summer dinner match made in Bonefish heaven.)

Now...live from Atlanta, it's Saturday night! Have a good one. :)

Fritti Farewell

We went out to dinner tonight for Amy & Kevin's last night in town.

This time, I got pictures of people!

 Katie, Amy & Kevin

Andrew, Me & Rachel

Kelsey's spot at the table fell in the in the middle of the pictures, so we had to take another of course!

Rachel & Kelsey

Now...I have to say. Juuust across the way from us was Chef Kevin Gillespie (of Top Chef fame)! He was enjoying a nice, quiet dinner. We maintained our composure and didn't act like goons and try to covertly get him into the background of any of our pictures or anything.

(This would be called a "fail," by the way.)

We'll miss you Amy & Kevin!

Menu Monday

Panzanella...mmmm.

Here are this week's good eats!

• Sloppy Buffalo Joes with Chips & Fruit
• Veggie Lasagna (You can make this with any veggies you want, as long as you stick to the same quantity. We like onions, mushrooms, spinach and zucchini.)
• Chicken Cordon Bleu with Sauteed Zucchini & Rice Pilaf
• Asian Steak Salad with Mango
• Taco Lasagna (A tried and true fave!)

Weekend (No DeLoreans)

We've had a pretty low-key weekend here in the big city. Andrew is serving as home base for some of his co-workers that are at an out-of-town trial, so we've had to stick pretty close to home (and the office, unfortunately).

But, we managed to throw in a few fun things. Yesterday I got started on laundry while Andrew worked, and we had a late lunch at Tin Lizzy's--the home of one of my favorite adult beverages: Sangrita! (Sangria + Margarita)

Just as we were finishing our drinks lunch, the skies opened up. Of course we had parked afar and didn't bother to bring an umbrella, so a second round of drinks was obviously in order.

We waited it out, and when the covered patio started to feel more like a sauna than a restaurant, we headed for the law office. Now that's a buzzkill!

Saturday night we went to The Treehouse for Allyson's birthday! (Allyson & Andres had a big weekend...birthday and first Father's Day for Andres!)

Andres & Allyson

We skipped going out afterwards because we are old people and preferred to go to bed at 10:30. :)

Today was not only Father's Day but Groundhog Day. It once again began with me doing laundry while Andrew worked.

But, this time we went to La Tavola to eat instead of Tin Lizzy's! And the cycle was broken. Andrew took great care to make sure he didn't order a "girly-looking" drink.

Better luck next time.

We got groceries and came home to watch the Braves.

I've spent the afternoon trying to get our 400+ honeymoon pictures in the correct order. I switched cameras mid-week (and then switched back--which totally messed up the numbers on the back), and they came back from Walgreen's in only loose order anyway. But, obviously they have to go into the album in the order that they were taken!

The weather, our bathing suits, and the restaurants in the background are a big help in the ordering process. Otherwise, I only took about 247 photos of pools, ocean, trees by the ocean, sunset over the ocean, etc. I'm not saying if you've seen one you've seen them all, but you know...

Just a note: Looking at pictures of your Jamaican honeymoon is an outstanding way to make the approaching Monday seem even more dreadful.

And just because this blog didn't exist when we got back, I'm going to share a few! Sorry if these make you depressed to go to work tomorrow, too.

The Montego Bay Airport - Also a buzzkill.

Final notes:
My brother got into a car accident on Friday (ironically right in front of the dealership where he got his car), and as you can see from this picture, it was bad.

We are very grateful to say he is only slightly banged up but otherwise just fine!

Happy birthday and Father's Day to my dad, and happy Father's Day to Andrew's dad!

ATL Party

Amy and Kevin over at hitched & happy have made Atlanta their home for the last few years, but soon they'll be making a big move to Chapel Hill. They just returned from a month-long road trip, which you can read about on their blog, and once Rachel and I got an idea of their pre-move schedule...we knew a party must be thrown!

{The way the sign is tilted in this picture makes me dizzy. Anyone else? Maybe it's the polka dots.}

Although we're sad to see them go, we were happy to have an opportunity to collaborate on food, crafts and puns (you'll see)!

Katie, Kelsey & Rachel
{why so blue?}

We gathered on Sunday afternoon for a party featuring ATL-themed food and drink (only appropriate), with a little "Carolina" thrown in for good measure.

I took an excessive amount plenty of pictures of the food, but I put my camera down to enjoy the party and didn't get any of people! This seems to be a flaw of mine. (See also: Tim's graduation) I think, or at least hope, that Amy got a few.

{So really, this post is going to be more about the food and decorations than the people at the party. But in real life, the party was more about the people than the food and decorations!}

The Food

I was also quite excited to pull out all of my...I mean, our...serveware that was so generously gifted to us for our wedding. This is my equivalent of the husband's prized baseball card collection. Unfortunately, I can't add to my collection for $3 every time I pass the registers at Target, dangit.

(Still on my want list: this napkin holder. What's the traditional gift for the first wedding anniversary again? Oh yea. PAPER.......)

Rachel and I found these cute mini chalkboard signs at Michael's. The picture on the box shows them stuck down in a flower arrangement to indicate a table number (very cute), but we opted for mini terracotta pots (with florist foam in the bottom) topped off with moss.

When I tied on the raffia bows, I asked my sweet husband, "Aren't these PRECIOUS?!" He said, "O.M.G. They are so cute it KILLLLS me!" Spousal sarcasm aside, I have a deep love for raffia bows. And if the raffia is red? My oh my.

Now, for the puns. You need at least a working knowledge of Atlanta to think these are clever. (Then again you may also have to be ever-so-slightly corny.) If you don't know Atlanta, just go back to looking at those precious raffia bows!

The Food:
Piedmont Pork (BBQ Sliders)
Little Pita Points with Hummus & Veggies
OTPeanuts
Chipps Plaza
Peachtree Treats
Carolina Blue-berry Skewers

I also have to take a moment to give special attention to one of the Peachtree Treats. Amy's sister Katie and her roommate Kelsey made the cutest little sweets. Behold: Georgia peaches.

Yall. They are peach-colored, peach-shaped Rice Krispie Treats! With leaves! On a stick! So cute.

But, we couldn't stop with just the food.

Beverage Selection:
Sweetwater Brews
Gone with the Wine (oh so self-explanatory)
MARTAritas (Amy's specialty!)
World of Coke

We had a lot of fun planning, and I hope we gave A & K a fun reminder of their time in ATL!

(Andrew would want me to add that a DeLorean pulled up on their street as we were leaving. And, yes. It had wing doors.)

Menu Monday

Good Monday morning! Hope you had a good weekend. We had a fun party yesterday with some fun people that I wanted to recap last night, but the law profession came a'calling. We're down to one functioning computer, so blogging had to take a backseat. We know what pays the bills around here.

This is the mushroom and herb strata from last week. I didn't really know what a strata was when I made it the first time. I guess I'd say it's like a savory bread pudding? This recipe tastes great, but if you're a texture person...proceed with caution.

Anyway - here's what we're having for dinner this week!

• Grilled Chicken with Panzanella - Panzanella is one of my favorite summer dishes. In Athens, I used to make it just to have in the fridge for snacks. (Warning: It's not really bathing suit season friendly since its main ingredient is bread.) You just need cubed crusty bread, your favorite veggies (grape tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, herbs, etc.) and a vinaigrette. Stir it all up.
• Asparagus & Ricotta Pizzas
• Spaghetti (They don't all have to be creative...)
• Chicken Sausage over Chickpeas with Chard and Pan-Roasted Tomatoes

Happy Birthday to You

happy birthday to you

happy birthday, dear Rachel

happy birthday to you!

The Write Stuff

I had to share these super cute notecards that Rachel and I found at Michael's over the weekend.

It's a box of 40 cards with 40 envelopes and was only $9.99! (Currently on sale at JoAnn for $6.99...even better!) They're actually supposed to be for making more elaborate, scrapbook-style cards, but I like them just the way they are.

The card peeking through the front window was only a glimpse...

Look at all this cuteness!

I will say that I'm pretty guilty of buying pretty stationery* and then hoarding it. Or using the "less cute" ones first. (Sorry in advance if you get a note from me on one of the striped cards from this box.)

Awhile back, I was set on getting some flat correspondence cards with my married monogram on them. You know, for all the correspondence I do. Crane has the prettiest ones, but I totally fell for the "Priced from" trick. $94 for 25 cards?!

I think people would prefer if I just sent them one of my 25cent Michael's cards with $3.50 inside. :) This may be a job for Etsy!

On another note about something pretty:

We have bloomage!

Of course the centerpiece is holding out...

Figures.

Hope your week has gotten off to a good start!

*Remember you write a letter on stationery.

Menu Monday

Well, can you believe that this week's dinners will take us through the first full week of JUNE? As in, the year is nearly half over? 

• California BLTs with Roasted Red Potatoes & Fruit (This dinner recurs when we need to use up the rest of a package of bacon...luckily, it is also easy and deeelicious.)
• Mushroom & Herb Strata with Salad
• Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Corn & Lemon-y Roasted Green Beans
• Baked Chicken & Pastina with Garlic Bread & Salad (Modified to use more than a half cup of chicken. This was on a "Cook with your kids!" episode, but we each require more than a quarter cup of chicken for dinner.)

Red, White & Frosted Orange

I seem to recall that last time we were left to our own devices for an entire weekend, we pretty much just ate our way through it. Old habits die hard, I guess!

We had a restful Friday night and lazy Saturday morning at home before heading to Fellini's for lunch. We haven't tried Antico, which is the best pizza in Atlanta by all Facebook and Twitter indications, but the white pizza at Fellini's is my current favorite! (Andrew gets the Special.)

White Pizza...mmmm

Luckily, we were both able to finish our slices before this crazy woman with a Hello Kitty backpack came bounding in and rearranging the tables to accommodate her party of 25, which she had not bothered to call ahead for. No biggie. Except she hit me with a chair.

Then, we moved on to Pike to look for some flowers for our balcony! We asked for a little help just to make sure we were getting the right type of easy-care plant for our space (R.I.P. Bromeliad), and before we knew it, the guy had planned a small garden that would have needed at least a three foot wide container.

Little Red Wagon full of Little Red Flowers

We told him thank you very much for the help and bought the red geraniums we'd had our eye on since the start. He did help us choose some little white verbena to go around the edge! I'm proud of our work. Please no bets on how long they will stay alive.

We've got about four more little bloom pods (official name) on there. I hope they actually decide to open!

After planting our new flowers (which is quite a challenge in an apartment, by the way), we had plans for an early-ish dinner at Local Three!

We've been trying to get a reservation for awhile but prefer not to eat dinner at 5 or 9, which would inevitably be the only times available on the nights we wanted to go. But, we planned ahead this time and got a normal reservation time. I refrained from taking photos of our food, but we gave it two thumbs up!

We started with duck fat fried hushpuppies with sambal aioli. Then, I had some housemade mozzarella with sweet corn and pickled onions (which was de-lish), and Andrew was a bit more adventurous with something he's wanted to try for awhile now...roasted bone marrow. I was much less adventurous--as in, I couldn't even look directly at it. It looked like steak Jello, people! He proclaimed it to be amazing, though, so to each his own [bone]. For our entrees, he had a duck meat loaf over some amazing mashed potatoes, and I had flat iron steak with unbelievably good chimichurri and three bean salad. For dessert, we had some mini portions of key lime pie bars and a fresh strawberry curd shortcake. How's that for a meal???

You'd think that today we'd want something light for lunch. I directed us here:

Yes. The Greazy V. (Gotta use the 'z'...not "Greasy V.") And, it was delicious in an entirely different way.

Wha'did we have, wha'did we have?

Ahhh, the F.O.!
(That's a Frosted Orange if you're not familiar.)

Of course, we felt totally energized after and were thrilled to go to the grocery store. In repentance, we did get lots of fruits and veggies for this week.

Hope you've stayed cool this weekend! I know we sure didn't. :)