This past weekend was filled with yummy food and fabulous friends.

And zombies, of course.

No, not dining with zombies. Zombies in the morning on Atlanta Movie Tours Big Zombie Tour (shameless plug!) After the tour, Eric and I grabbed a couple of beers at No Mas Cantina to celebrate Cinco De Mayo and then later that night, bestie John came over and cooked for Melanie and me while Eric had a guys’ night out. Sunday, Eric grilled fabulous pork chops and we drank wine at our house with Rick, Denise and Melanie.

Photos!

John's perfect baked brie en croute with walnuts and apricot preserves. OMG so good!

Mel's marvelous salad!

One amazing plate. Shrimp pesto pasta, garlic bread and Mel's salad.

John made cinnamon bars! My new favorite!

I found the recipe for these cinnamon bars on Foodgawker and sent it to John. He promptly spoiled me to death and made me a batch on Saturday night. I love my besties.

You can find the recipe here.

Make them and be a hero to everyone. Seriously.

Melanie, showing great restraint.

Oops, guess I forgot to shoot the dinner on Sunday. I couldn’t see past those cinnamon bars.

Oh, and we saw The Avengers on Friday night. In 3-D. Now I want shawarma.

What is shawarma, anyway?

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Til Tuesday – Voices Carry

Day Three of our glorious visit to The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte.

Today we are talking more about dining options at the hotel.

High on the 15th floor of the Ritz, sits Urban Sip. A veritable oasis of vino (and scotch!). 90 fabulous wines by the glass and 35 types of scotch are on hand for your imbibing pleasure. There is also a full bar, but we settled in with a gorgeous Pinot Noir. Chef Jon delivered the most gorgeous charcuterie and cheese tray to our table and in we dove. Plus, they brought us what was the best bread I have ever tasted. I was so enamored, I forgot to ask about it.

Just a few of the marvelous wines at Urban Sip.

My handsome husband.

We both got all dolled up for our big night out.

Bountiful delights with the most incredible view.

Shea, the charming Assistant Food & Beverage Director, stopped by our table to say hello, and Pia, our server, took the best care of us. It was over way too soon, as we had dinner reservations at BLT Steak.

From the 15th floor to Lobby Level, we were greeted at BLT Steak by Patrick, our server, and Keith Hensel, General Manager.

Glam, glam, glamorous BLT Steak!

Keith was so gracious to send out a lovely charcuterie plate to us – you can never have too much meat! This platter included a fantastic and spicy chorizo that we both loved.

Charcuterie Platter at BLT Steak.

Next up, were the famous BLT popovers – they were gigantic! Love them!

BLT's world famous popovers.

Tuna tartare is one dish I can never pass up. BLT does it right and serves it with homemade waffle chips. The surprise ingredient? It was topped with housemade crispy onions. Oh.My.Goodness!

Isn't this tuna tartare presentation lovely? It was so good.

Keith swung by to discuss entrees with us. You don’t see dover sole on a lot of menus, and Keith said it was wonderful. He’s the expert – I went with it. Eric decided on the veal chop. We chose the jalapeno mashed potatoes for our side, but Keith spoiled us by bringing out the roasted brussels sprouts and the roasted corn. I could have eaten a ton of that corn, filled with bacon.

Dover sole in a butter, caper and lemon sauce was over the top - in a great way!

Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes, BBQ Corn with bacon & chives, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with bacon

While enjoying a luscious red wine, Patrick asked if we were ready for dessert.

“Oh, we just couldn’t!” we exclaimed.

“How about you take a look at the dessert menu?” asked Patrick.

Well, golly, we didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings…

That was my excuse. And they had Crepe Souffle on the menu. What?

So, Eric ordered that. And I went for the Carrot Cake with Ginger Ice Cream, because I love all things ginger. Remember that year I was a redhead?

Carrot Cake with Ginger Ice Cream. And Cream Cheese Frosting.

That cake tasted like moist carrot cake wrapped in a cinnamon roll, and I can never resist a cinnamon roll. I die.

Apparently, I have a hard time with temptation. But we’ll save that topic for another day.

Crepe Souffle. With Passion Fruit.

I have no clue how they make this, but man oh man, it was scrumptious. Rich and light at the same time. Gorgeous.

And we sipped on lattes. Oh, those lattes were yummy.

Wait – we haven’t had enough to eat! Wait – are you kidding me? Because Patrick delivered 2 perfect bites of brownie deliciousness.

Two tiny bites of heaven.

Shame on Patrick. It’s all his fault.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Sorry, Patrick.

Returning to our room, we were greeted by two swoony lemony/white chocolate/walnut cookies and a lovely note from Chef Jon Farace.

I still haven’t figured out how we can live full time at The Ritz-Carlton, but I’m working on it.

Probably best for my waistline for now.

A million thanks to every single person who made this trip so very special: Bonnie Crail, PR princess extraordinaire, Dan & Whitney at the front desk, Michael our bellman, David the sweet GM, Sarah who drove us to the dive bar in the swanky hybrid BMW house car, Sade Ann at Bar Cocoa, Chef Jeannette at the Cocoa Lab, Chef Jon who sent cookies and Chef Jon at Urban Sip (along with Pia and Shea), Lindsay & Courtney who took great care of us during tea, Anne, Dee, Dearest and Jodi at the Spa, and Patrick & Keith at BLT Steak. If I am missing anyone, I certainly apologize, because everyone we met was remarkable.

Again, it’s the people. Without the amazing staff at The Ritz-Carlton, you would only have 4 pretty walls.

But we both know it is SO much more than that.

Have a wonderful weekend, Darlings!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to James Taylor – Carolina In My Mind

Today we have our new friend Kristen aboard to talk to us about hosting a St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Thanks, Kristen!

How to Host a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Commemorating the feast of the patron saint of Ireland is now a fun tradition on our shores, with many people holding a St. Patrick’s Day dinner at home as a light get together. This formerly solemn tradition has found new ground as an exciting occasion to have friends and family celebrate the rich traditions of the Irish. Here are a few ideas on how you can host a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner that is fun and beyond the usual:

Try an Irish pub theme. As many who have travelled to Ireland have discovered, visiting one of the pubs while you’re there is part of the whole experience. For a fun, casual get-together, throw a St. Patrick’s Day dinner with an Irish pub theme. Serve Guinness beer, Ireland’s most famous drink, to the adults and chocolate mint shakes for the kids.

St. Patty's Day is for the whole family!

Prepare traditional Irish pub fare like corned beef with cabbage, or lamb stew. Dessert could be mature Irish spiked coffee and chocolate stout cupcakes. Don’t worry; the alcohol will be cooked out of these tasty treats.

Make it all about the food and drinks. If your guests are currently following the ’foodie’ movement all over the world, this is an adventurous opportunity to introduce them to Irish cuisine. Tell guests to bring an open mind and a daring appetite. Start with simple Irish potato soup, then offer fried cabbage, a colcannon (stew) and finish with Irish potato candy.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Is the Way to Go!

Celebrate with the kids. As mentioned previously, a St. Patrick’s Day dinner is usually associated with a lot of alcohol and not for children. Change that and have a dinner with the children in mind. Keep them involved by creating a kid-friendly menu. Make green milkshakes, soda bread and chocolate mint cookies for dessert.

Offer all the guests green hats that the kids can decorate for the adults to wear. You could play a Riverdance group contest wherein the children compete and the adults serve as judges. Stage a leprechaun hunt with a prize for the child who finds the leprechaun first. Make children look forward to the holiday with a few activities and food to enjoy.

Things to remember:
Send invitations early. St. Patrick’s Day parties are popular, so send invitations to friends and family about two weeks in advance. Ask them to RSVP so you know the number of people to expect.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patty’s day! Hang four-leaf clover banners, place a pot of chocolate coins, and play Irish music. Ask visitors to come in green and encourage them to wear costumes. Remember that a party is a treat for all the senses, and when you have all these covered, you’ll have a shindig to remember.

Hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner will be fairly easy with these tips in hand. Try these ideas for your dinner and find a jolly good time for everyone!

Author’s Bio:
Kristen works as a freelance writer for Backyard Ocean, an online store for above ground swimming pools, inflatable pool toys, and accessories. This year, she’ll be hosting a Backyard BBQ Bash for St. Patty’s Day.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to River Dance!

This month our Cookbookery Club chose The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook. It included recipes for all things southern and delicious.

Eric and I chose to fix refried blackeyed peas – with meat and without. We also made an apple cake that was pretty darn tasty.

The group convened at Michelle and Byron’s sweet home and we got to cooking, and eating and drinking. Not in that order, mind you.

Appetizers were deviled eggs made from Stephanie and Reeves’ chickens. Really fresh eggs. And topped with homemade pickles. You know, as a child, I never cared for deviled eggs – now, I can’t get enough of them.

I wish you had taste-o-vision!

It’s not southern, if there’s no liquor. Or likker – take your pick.

How do you spell southern? B O U R B O N, that's how.

Bryon assembles the banana pudding, while Charlie supervises. And eats cookies.

Michelle and Byron's lovely vegetable gratin.

Nanner pudding is ready!

Our refried blackeyed peas. With and without chorizo. Lovely and, well, brown.

Byron baked chicken in Cheerwine. Have you ever heard of Cheerwine? It’s a regional soda from North Carolina. Either way, this chicken was delicious.

Cheerwine Chicken!

Sweet Stephanie and Reeves. I just love these two.

Charlie's Okra Gravy - this was good eatin' y'all. It was served with skillet cornbread.

Byron's luscious fried catfish. Light as air.

Served with:

Stephanie & Reeves', "I'm sure I've died and gone to heaven" pimento cheese hush puppies. OMG.

We had plans to put everything on the table, but decided at the last minute to add another table to hold all that amazing food.

See? Just like Thanksgiving. In March.

Southern Food + Bourbon + Cookbookery Club Members = Very happy Saturday night.

Our group. Fun fun fun.

Oh, and that Apple Cake? Here’s a photo and the recipe. Enjoy!

You might want to add some whipped cream to make it pretty.

This gives directions for homemade applesauce. I just used the jar kind. And omitted the walnuts.

Ingredients
2 1/2 c All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
1 Stick Butter, melted
2 c Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 c Applesauce*
1 c Black Walnuts, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 10 in tube pan.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice together in a medium bowl.
In mixing bowl beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg and then applesauce.
Add flour mix to mixing bowl and blend until smooth.
Fold in walnuts and scrape batter into tube pan.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes in pan then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Glen Campbell – Southern Nights

My birthday is Monday and starting today the celebrations start.

Today, pedis with bestie Holly at Spa Sentio.

Friday, Eric has an entire Patti-Day and Night planned (I LOVE surprises!)
Saturday, we are off to The Next Cool Event VIP Gala (do you have your ticket?)
Sunday, Bestie John is giving me a party – Soul Train Style! I love love love Soul Train.
Monday, we are hosting a tiny dinner at the house.

And since Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, I might be mixing up some cajun cuisine and cocktails. Definitely some cocktails.

Look! There I am!

Here’s a few ideas!

Russian VooDoo
2 oz. Russian Standard Vodka
1 tsp. orange marmalade
4 raspberries
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup

Muddle the raspberries and simple syrup together. Combine the remaining ingredients with ice, shake well and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with raspberries.

Crescent City
1oz CAMUS VS Cognac
1 oz scotch
.5 oz red wine
.5 oz cinnamon syrup
1 oz passion fruit juice
1 cherry
Combine all ingredients with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a cherry.
*Recipe courtesy of Matt Seiter of Sanctuaria in St. Louis, MO (original cocktail name, Uncommon Ground)

Fat Tuesday Ginger
1 oz Frangelico
1 oz SKYY Infusions Ginger Vodka
4 oz ginger ale

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail glass and serve.

Now, what to cook? Eric seriously loves gumbo. So, maybe some gumbo, overflowing with fresh seafood. How does that sound?

Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Recipe courtesy Celie Robin
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Olive oil, for sauteing
1 1/2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped
1 cup celery, cut crosswise into 1/3 (use the middle 1/3 only) and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
6 cups baked okra, sliced 1/4-inch thick and baked for about 10 minutes in baking pan
Roux, recipe follows
6 tomatoes, roughly chopped
Stock, recipe follows
1 pound shrimp heads reserved for stock
2 or 3 crabs, cleaned,and chopped into chunks
Lemon slices
Chopped green onions
Serving suggestion: with rice or as a soup

Directions
Coat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with oil and cook the onions until translucent. Add the celery, garlic, bell peppers, and okra. Add the roux and mix thoroughly to pick up all the excess oil in the pot.

Next add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. When mixed, strain the stock and add it to the pot, mixing thoroughly to prevent lumps. Cover with lid, bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes. Clean the shrimp and saute in a separate pan to get rid of any excess moisture. When they have turned pink add the shrimp and crab to the gumbo. Cook for 10 minutes. Lastly, add lemon slices and chopped green onions

Roux:
1/2 cup flour
Olive oil
Combine the ingredients in a separate pan. Brown on a medium high heat until it turns light brown.

Stock:
9 cups water
Shrimp heads
1 stalk celery
1/2 lemon
1 bay leaf
3 basil leaves
Creole seasoning (recommended: Dash)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine ingredients in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour.

Yield: 6 servings

How will you celebrate America’s Foodiest City? If you are lucky enough to be in New Orleans next week, you must stay at The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, or at least stop by and have a drink in The Davenport Lounge. Jeremy Davenport’s band is a blast from the past. Wear your Mad Men best and feel utterly sophisticated.

Sigh…I love New Orleans!

Think you know all about The Crescent City? Take this quiz and see!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Jeremy Davenport – Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans

Cast iron cooking is second nature to most southern cooks.

I have not been one of those cooks.

A copy of The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook was sent to me, and even though I have a very nice cast iron pan, I was a bit skeptical. I never even use that thing – it makes me nervous! My mama’s cast iron pan always seemed to be rusty and weird. So, I have kept mine in the cabinet and every once in a while I take it out and admire it.

That is all going to change!

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook is chock full of great ideas for using your cast iron pan – whether it is a family heirloom or new.

Last Saturday night I dragged it out and made deep dish pizza in it. I was worried about the pizza sticking – but it did not. It slipped right out of that Lodge skillet and didn’t need a bit of cleaning.

It might be magic. It’s definitely my brand new favorite.

Here’s what it pretty much looked like. I didn’t follow the recipe entirely, because I’m a rebel, Dotty…

Here is the recipe from The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, so you can take that skillet out and actually use it.

Skillet Cauliflower-Feta Pizza
Serves 2-3

1.5 cups white flour
1 tsp rapid rise yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
3/4 cup warm water ( 110F)
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
3/5 cups cauliflower florets (8 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Canola Oil
1 TBSP sesame seeds
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 oz asiago cheese, shredded
.5 cup fresh parsley or basil

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer fitter with dough hook. Stir in honey, warm water and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Knead or mix in the bowl, kneading in extra flour if needed to make a soft, barely sticky dough. Place the dough into a well-greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume.
3. Toss together all the veggies and remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. The cauliflower should be soft and golden brown. Allow veggies to cool slightly.
4. Lightly grease your Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet with canola oil and sprinkle the bottom with sesame seeds. Punch down the dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Shape dough into a large round. Press the dough into the bottom of the skillet and up the side about 1 inch. Top with roasted veggies, cheeses and parsley. Bake until the crust is crisp in the center of the pizza and the cheeses are melted and golden, about 30 minutes.
5. Tilt the pan and use a metal spatula to transfer the pizza onto a cutting board. Cut it into 6 wedges and serve.

Now, what else can I make in my skillet? I’m using that thing for everything from now on!

Um, if you are wondering what to buy me for my birthday 18 days from now, here’s a hint!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Zac Brown Band – Chicken Fried

When our sweet friend, Stephanie, asked Eric and I to join her Cookbookery Club back in December, we were thrilled. The premise – choose a cookbook and allow everyone to prepare a dish, then get together and chow down.

That sounds perfect for us! Of course we would love to join!

Our first month we cooked from the Momofuko Cookbook. Eric and I had just been asked to join that afternoon, so we brought wine and beer. Everything was delicious. At the end of the evening, a new cookbook is decided upon, but instead of choosing a book to cook from, we decided on a Robert Burns Scottish Dinner. With Haggis.

Uh oh. Haggis. I’ve never had it, but wowza, does it have a bad reputation. I smiled and offered our house for the next month.

All I could think about for the next month was how I was going to have to be polite when it came my way. I would eat a tiny bite and proclaim “how interesting!”

I love to be proven wrong.

It was up to me to set the mood. In my mind, Scotland is dark and brooding (maybe I read too much Macbeth as a girl…), so a black and red table seemed suitable. I wanted place cards, and the only really Scottish icon I could think of was the Loch Ness Monster, so Eric fashioned all the place cards with Nessie on them, with a lovely Celtic font.

Our table. Um, it's not blurry, it's just the fog from the Moors.

Everyone gets their own LNM- Loch Ness Monster.

Eric and I were in charge of the Colcannon – a yummy dish of mashed potatoes, cabbage, fried onions and butter. Lots of butter. It seemed like we were getting off easy, so I attempted to make Scotch Eggs. Have you ever had Scotch Eggs? Bless their hearts, they are a heart attack waiting to happen. You take a boiled egg, enrobe it in sausage, dust it with flour, dip it in raw egg and breadcrumbs – then you fry the whole thing. Is it good? OMG, it is SO good! I even attempted to make a vegetarian Scotch Egg for our darling Stephanie, by using 2 veggie patties. Of course I fried hers first. It was a bit awkward, but she was sweet enough to say it was good.

Scotch Eggs - You truly only need one half. It is so rich.

Colleen, Charlie and Byron enjoy the Scotch Eggs.

Stephanie and the vegetarian Scotch Egg

While we munched on the yummy kale chips Stephanie and Reeves brought, Byron browned toast points to serve with the Potted Meat he made to share. Potted Meat – that’s a funny name for a delicious food. Essentially, Potted Meat is pate. There was Rabbit, Mushroom and Chicken Liver – all incredibly tasty. My favorite was the Rabbit. Sorry, Bunnies.

Potted Meats and Toast Points. A snack fit for a king.

During this time of munching, Charlie was steaming the Haggis and Reeves was frying the Salmon Patties. We learned that Charlie couldn’t find a sheep’s stomach, which traditionally is how Haggis is served. He also omitted one of the sheep’s organs, but I just can’t remember which one right now. Maybe the heart. So his version was for beginners. Like me. Earlier in the day, at brunch with my favorite chef friend, Jeffrey, he gave me this advice, “think of haggis as eating meatloaf.” And you know what? That was darn good advice.

Before you know it, the Salmon Patties were fried and Charlie was unmolding the Haggis.

Reeves makes Salmon Patties.

Charlie is about to unveil the Haggis!

So? Are you dying to see it? It’s almost Haggis time!

Charlie's beautiful Haggis! Robbie Burns would be proud.

And Reeves’ gorgeous Salmon Patties were freshly fried.

Reeves' Crispy, Delicious, Salmon Patties.

And then there was the Colcannon that Eric and I had made.

Mashed potatoes, cabbage, fried onions and butter. Nothing to dislike here.

Oh, are you wondering how I liked the Haggis? Oops, sorry!

It was wonderful. Rich, meaty and scrumptious. In fact, it was so good, I asked if I could keep some and use the Colcannon on top to make a type of Shepherd’s Pie for the next night’s supper. How was that? Awesome!

Ready to eat!

Digging in.

Colleen and Byron seem to be having fun.

Reeves joins Eric at the other end of the table. Hi Guys!

After dinner, Colleen offered us all the butteriest shortbread ever, while Eric brewed tea and we all retired to the living room. Um, those shortbread cookies were so good, they were gone before I could snap a photo. Trust me on this one.

Next month – the Southern Foodways Alliance Cookbook. Any Southern Cooking is good cooking in my book. Can’t wait!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out

Today is our sweet Holly’s birthday and last night we celebrated by watching the Golden Globes and eating lots of comfort food.

I am lazy today because Eric has the day off and we are going to the theater to see The Artist. But I wanted to share these pics of our fun time last night.

Lasagna and garlic bread with lemon layer cake were balanced beautifully by John’s fresh spinach salad with a gorgeous raspberry vinaigrette. Add lots of yelling at the tv and you’ve got yourself a party.

We started with the Peppermint Pattitini’s from this post on New Year’s Eve. Oh, they were so good! If you make them yourself, I would use just a smidge less peppermint.

Top with whipped cream for extra calories. It's a party, y'all!

Extra sparkly is needed when celebrating a birthday.

My three favorites.

Then we started with John’s lovely salad. I could eat this everyday.

John's Beautiful Salad.

And of course, the lasagna.

Lasagna makes everything better.

After we watched part of the Golden Globes, it was time for cake. This was a white cake, with lemon curd filling, 7-minute frosting and a fancy “H” for Holly crafted from butterfly sprinkles. It may not look like it came from the bakery, but it was made with love.

Happy Happy Birthday Holly! You make everyday special by just being you.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Rare Earth – I Just Want to Celebrate

OMG – it is Golden Globes Day! My Superbowl!

This is so much better than the Academy Awards because all the celebs are drinking it up and you never know what they will say. It’s my favorite!

It’s also bestie Holly’s birthday, so Eric, besties John & Holly and I will be eating copious amounts of lasagne, garlic bread, bacon petit fours made by my friend Brandon at Bear Maker Bakery (bacon petit fours y’all!!) and a layer lemon cake, all washed down with champagne, cocktails and Whopper candies. Then we will scream at the television and critique all the dresses. I am SO excited. God bless Eric, who I am sure will eat with us and then excuse himself to play video UNO or watch a Star Trek episode or four.

While I am getting ready, I am letting my buddy, Katie, in NYC, take the wheel and whip up some awesome cocktails for your viewing pleasure.

How do you celebrate the Golden Globes?

With the Golden Globes just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how and where you’ll be spending the star-studded evening. Whether you’re planning to throw a Hollywood-worthy bash for your friends or you anticipate watching the event curled up on your couch, we’ve got the perfect cocktails to compliment your night. Each of the following creations pays homage to some of this year’s nominations. We assure you that you’ll have the perfect drink in hand no matter which television show, movie or actor gets your vote! Cheers!

One of this season’s most talked about flicks was Brad Pitt’s box office homerun (pun intended) Moneyball. Nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Drama category, it’s no wonder our boy Brad is still regarded as one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. Celebrate one of the year’s best movies with this baseball inspired cocktail.

Um, hello, Brad Pitt!

Take Me Out To The Moneyball-game
1 oz. Frangelico
2 oz. Wild Turkey 101
1 oz. Amaretto
.25 oz. squeezed lemon juice
1 pinch salt
4 oz. soda water
Handful of Cracker Jack, finely crushed

Rub half a lemon around the rim of a glass and place into crushed Cracker Jack to coat the rum. Combine Wild Turkey, Frangelico, Amaretto, lemon juice and salt in a shaker. Mix and strain into a glass with rocks and top with soda water.

As a fan favorite, Glee continuously scores nominations due to its high energy musical numbers and unique style. Nominated for Best Television Series in a Comedy or Musical, we predict the Glee Club will be taking home the gold(en globes, that is). Applaud, do a dance, give your best jazz hands, go-all-out (you get the picture) …with this delicious Glee-inspired Moscow Mule.

Oooh! Glee! My favorite!

Musical Mule
1.5 oz. Russian Standard Vodka
1 lime wedge
5 oz. Regatta ginger beer

Build cocktail over ice in your Russian Standard Copper Mug Add 1.5 oz of Russian Standard Vodka
Squeeze a wedge of lime
Top with 5 oz of Regatta ginger beer

My personal favorite movie of the year was Bridesmaids, and I’m glad the critics agree. Kristen Wiig proves she’s the ultimate comedic force as she shows she’s got what it takes to captivate big-screen audiences in this years biggest comedic hit. Wiig wraps all of her highly-regarded SNL characters into one to create Annie, the ultimate (is that the right word? I’ll let you be the judge of that) maid of (dis)honor. Celebrate the hilarious romp that’s nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Comedy category with this delicious cocktail.

Bridesmaids!

Bridesmaid Margarita
2 oz. CAMUS VS Elegance
1 oz. Sweet & Sour Mix
1 oz. Grand Marnier

Combine all in a shaker with ice; strain into a small rocks glass with salted rim. Garnish with a lime wedge

It’s no surprise that American Horror Story has been nominated to take home the coveted titled of Best Television Series in the Drama category. The series drew consistently high ratings for FX, ending its first season as one of the highest rated new cable dramas of the year, and if this bone-chilling series wasn’t scary enough, check out this ghastly cocktail we’ve mixed up using Lucid Absinthe. Take a sip, if you dare!

Everyone loves American Horror Story.

Supernatural Sip
1 part LUCID®
1 part White Creme de Cocao
1 part Coconut Milk
Drizzle of Black Sambucca

Combine LUCID, White Creme de Cocao and Coconut Milk in a shaker filled with ice. Shake till Frothy and strain into a short rocks glass over ice. Drizzle Black Sambucca down the side of the glass until it floats on the bottom and diffuses through the cocktail.

And last, but certainly not least, an ode to the smokin’ hot actor that’s nominated for two awards, Ryan Gosling. Need I say more? I didn’t think so.

They should just give every award to Ryan Gosling. That would make me happy.

The Heartthrob
1 oz. Russian Standard Vodka
1 1/2 oz. Lucid Absinthe
1/4 oz. Siracha Hot Sauce

Shake all ingredients well with ice.
Top with Killian’s Irish Red Beer and a hot pepper

Thanks so much, Katie!!

Let me know your plans for tonight.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to The Beatles – Birthday Song (Happy Birthday Holly and Marcus!!)

My resolutions have lasted about one split second.

Well, there’s all that lovely wine leftover from the Christmas party. And red wine is supposed to be good for you, yes? And one little Krispy Kreme donut couldn’t hurt, could it? Or two?

But, golly, I couldn’t eat three of those beauties, that would be just terrible of me. So Eric and I saved two, with the intention of recreating the Lutherburger.

What’s a Lutherburger? Why, it’s a nasty little recipe using Krispy Kreme donuts as hamburger buns.

For shame.

But, yummy!

For extra health points, we used ground turkey. I’m sure that offset the bacon, cheese and donut buns, right?

Here’s what mine looked like:

Mmmm, bacon. And donuts....

And here’s Eric’s heartstopper:

Not too extreme, since it's turkey. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Do you have some Krispy Kremes laying about? Some ground turkey? Good, lets move to the kitchen and help that heart attack along.

The Lutherburger
From here on out, named The Ericburger
Serves 4

4 Krispy Kreme Donuts – Stale is fine
1 lb of ground turkey (or beef, if you are feeling really dangerous)
1 tsp minced jalapenos
1/4 cup minced onions
3 slices bacon – cooked
1.5 tsp paprika
1 tsp powdered garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup cheese of your choice

First – slice the donuts in half like you would a bagel. Place in toaster oven, cut side up. Toast til golden brown. Remember, when you place the burger on the bun, the cut side will be the outside of the bun (this will keep the whole thing from disintegrating).

Mix all the other ingredients except cheese and bacon together and form into patties. Eric’s tip: put an indentation in the middle so it doesn’t puff up and make the burger uneven. Fry or grill burgers.

Then, as they are about done, divide up the cheese among the 4 patties so it may melt. Place bacon on top (1/2 slice for each burger) and eat really fast – this is going to melt like crazy.

Hurry up!

Think about eating nothing but salad for the next 6 weeks.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Elton John and Kiki Dee – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart