I was musing today about what nourishes me.

And not just food. Things that feed my soul. A gorgeously set table always puts me in the best mood.

Wouldn't you like to join this party?

An adorable puppy is good for anyone, yes? How can anyone resist a basket of puppies?

A basket of cute.

Personally, time spent exclusively with my love Eric and our two pups, Oscar & Karen, are times cherished. We are all so busy these days that the luxury of one night of delivery pizza and pjs sounds divine. We had a night like that last night and I’m still smiling.

Last week I had the opportunity to host a group of friends for dinner to celebrate our dear Kathy’s birthday. Two of these ladies I had not seen since high school, so when they arrived, there was lots of squealing and hugging. Lasagna always makes everyone happy, so I put together a roasted veggie lasagna with a lemon bechamel sauce. Good Golly, it was delicious. Of course there was lots of garlic bread along with a fabulous antipasti platter that Kathy put together. The bubbly flowed and after dinner I brought out the white cake filled with lemon curd and frosted with Seven Minute Frosting.

Kim, John, Kathy, Sherry and Me. Citrus High School alums from... some time ago.

It was a perfect evening. I never took one photo of the food or the table.

What’s feeding your soul these days?

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Chicago – Old Days (this is for you, John! xoxo)

Last night I helped Swoozie’s celebrate their 10th birthday and it was so much fun. Their Chastain Square store is huge and filled with anything you could ever need for a party.

I also had the pleasure of meeting my co-Swoozie Party Expert, Kat, who writes Buckhead Betty on a Budget. Love it! And her. She is way adorable.

Look! It's the Buckhead Bettie line for our Buckhead Betty on a Budget!

Wendy from Atlanta Events joined us as well. Wendy is one of the most delightful people I know, always upbeat, always happy.

Kat and Wendy

And, I cannot forget my fab friends that came out to help celebrate. Besties Lisa, John and Danny were there and wonderful Lauren and Randall came out for a glass of bubbly and just in time for the confetti drop. So much more fun when someone else is cleaning up. Eric swooped in at the end of the evening and whisked me away to a romantic pasta dinner, where I filled him in on the details.

Kat, Lisa and Me, loving Swoozie's!

Amy, Marketing Director for this particular Swoozie’s, and I are whipping up something fantastic for you all in the future, so stay tuned.

In the meantime – more photos!

Lisa and me - love this bowl!

Princess Time for Wendy and me!

Lovely Lauren and me.

Ashley and me. Check out the confetti in my hair. Fun!

Me, with my darling besties, Danny and John.

Thanks to everyone that joined us. And many thanks to Swoozie’s!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Pink – Get This Party Started

This past weekend was my birthday and there were no shortages of celebrations. Friday night was The Cafe at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, Sunday night was pizza and beer on the porch, but Saturday was most special. My sweet bestie, John, cooked a fabulous meal for 12 of us – at my house, so I never had to leave. The party just came to me. Yay!

John decided on a La Dolce Vita theme, with all Italian cuisine. It was divine. The planning started weeks in advance, with John allowing me final say on the menu. I felt so pampered. The menu was as follows:

Aperitivo

Savory Caramelized Onion Cheese Cake with Apricot Glaze
Assorted Crackers
Red Grapes
Green Grapes

Pan Seared Polenta with
Creme Fraiche
Chives

Antipasti

Pesto Insalata with Three Cheese Tortillini

Piatto Principale

Lasagne with Baby Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms

Dolce

Chocolate Raspberry Panna Cotta

Sambuca
Amaretto

Not only did John plan the menu, design the invite and gather the guests, but he came up with the most gorgeous table idea that my love Eric carried out. Sunflowers and a boodle of candles filled the table, making everyone feel like they were in Tuscany. Eric also served as John’s sous chef for the day while I went out shopping and lunching with Holly. It was the perfect birthday.

John arrived mid afternoon laden with food, platters, and more food. Eric and he got to working. There’s nothing like a man in the kitchen to make a woman smile. I’m lucky that not only my husband, but my best friend are both super cooks.

The men take over.

Eric's spectacular table!

John prepares the polenta.

Pan searing the polenta

The polenta started the evening and let me tell you…they were a slam dunk. I honestly could have eaten just these all night. But I had to pace myself.

These were amazingly delicious!

Our friends started to arrive. Clint and Matt were first, gifting me with the most gorgeous candlestick holders we immediately placed on the table. Then Holly, who brought me the most perfect personalized note cards ever. Another swell gift from Holly were the note pads that read “Patti’s Party Planning”!!! I can’t wait to write all my thank yous…which reminds me….

Danny (who brought Sambuca!), Holly and Clint visit.

Crystal slices up the bread for dinner.

My buddy Allen arrived with the most wonderful gift, too. He made a chicken pot pie from scratch! I adored this gift and cannot wait to eat it.

Allen and Me

Next course featured the savory cheesecake with caramelized onions and apricot glaze. Stupendous.

Isn't this beautiful? Just like being in Italy!

Three of my favorite men. Eric, Clint and Matt.

Glasses were filled and refilled, laughter and scrumptious aromas filled the house.

Holly and Clint.

Mr. Jaunty Clint.

Lisa tells one of her wonderful stories to Crystal and Bob.

While Holly and John catch up stoveside.

Time for everyone to take their seats.

Antipasti is next – this was fantastic. Filled with everything good. Tortillini, mushrooms, mozzarella balls, artichoke hearts, green beans and asparagus. All bathed in the most luscious pesto ever. John, you are amazing!

Antipasti - topped with proscuitto. Deeeeelicious, y'all.

Lasagne - the main event.

I actually believe that the conversation came to a halt during the lasagne course. Everyone was too busy digging in to this marvelous creation to utter a word. Yum.

But eventually we all came up for air and the room continued to hum.

A table full of happy friends.

Crystal and Holly enjoy a laugh.

Are we too full for dessert? Not a chance. John prepared the creamiest panna cotta topped with fresh raspberries and complimented with chocolate sauce. He hit this one out of the park. Truly.

The perfect end to a perfect meal.

Dessert was accompanied by a brandy snifter of either Sambuca (with the three traditional coffee beans floating for good luck) or Amaretto. I chose the Amaretto.

The party was a wild success. John, you are the most fabulous friend and this was the most fabulous birthday dinner. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to The White Stripes – We Are Going To Be Friends

Yes, this is my birthday week, but last week we feted our darling Danny at McCormick and Schmick’s with some yummy seafood. There were 10 of us and we just gathered, drank, laughed and enjoyed our plates of seafood. I think the photos (snapped by our friend, Eric Rice) say it all.

A special menu with a special message for our birthday boy.

Our group

Holly, Eric and Me

My sweeties John and Danny

My boys and me sharing a giggle.

Patrick and Andrew.

Eric, Danny and Bruce

Bruce, Danny and Sweet Rose

It was a fabulous night with some of my most favorites!

Happy Birthday my darling Danny! I love you!!!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Johnny Cash – Oh Danny Boy

I love when I can match my friends up for any particular reason – professional, personal or whatever. And a couple of weeks ago I was able to do just that with John and Clint. John called me with a request for Cartoon Network goodies for a child he had adopted for Christmas. Clint is a bigwig at the Cartoon Network. Voila!

For the hand off of treats, I thought I would put together a little pasta for everyone. After all, John & Danny were just returning from Florida after Thanksgiving and Clint had just made the trek back from their mountain cabin. The fact that they were both willing to stop by our place after all that driving warmed my heart. So, I in turn, thought I would warm their bellies.

Fab friend Tami H. and her wildly popular blog, Running With Tweezers, came to my rescue. She had just posted about a whole wheat past dish with poppy seeds. And the nice folks from Jovial Pasta had just sent me some of their fabulous Einkorn whole wheat pasta to sample, so this was kismet.

I made a few adjustments to Tami’s recipe (I didn’t have proscuitto, so I subbed bacon and I didn’t have green onions, so I sauteed some regular onion with the bacon to sweeten it) but the end result was insanely tasty. At first you are thinking, “hmmm, that’s unusual.” But by the end of the bowl, everyone is so happy they are ready to do it all again.

Thanks, Miss Tami. I now know what that jar of poppy seeds in my spice drawer is for. Yum.

Here’s the recipe straight from the Running With Tweezers blog. You have got to check it out.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Prosciutto, Poppy Seeds & Green Onions

serves 4 as a small main course

recipe adapted from a dish at SPQR in San Francisco

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti or bucatini (I used Jovial Einkorn Whole Wheat Pasta)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 pound good quality prosciutto
4 – 5 green onions, chopped on the bias
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Start a large pot of salted water on to bring to a boil. While water is coming up to temperature, roughly chop the prosciutto into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Have your green onions and poppy seeds measured out and close at hand, as well, to assemble the dish. When the pasta is cooked al dente, reserve about 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta.

- In a large saute pan, add your chopped prosciutto and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and allow to melt. Once melted, add in the pasta and reserved cooking liquid. Toss thoroughly together and then add in the green onions and poppy seeds. Continue to toss together on medium-low heat for a minute or two to heat it all through together. At this point, grab a bite and taste for salt & pepper then adjust accordingly. Serve immediately.

This is the photo from Tami’s site. Mine was not as pretty. But it sure was good!

Photo Credit: Tami Hardeman

If you would like to learn more about Tami and how she makes everything look so gorgeous, you can check her out at this weekend’s Lavish! Unconference in Atlanta. Tami and all the other panelists have a plethora of fabulous things to share with you.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Poppy Mercury – Badai Asmara

I love the holidays. I love get togethers. And food. So get togethers revolving around food, friends and the holidays are the greatest.

Our besties, Crystal and Teague, throw a big Friendsgiving party every year. It is for friends and friends that are basically family. This year about 40 friends (some old, some new), got together for the annual pot luck. Crystal and Teague provide all the meats and this year that meant pork shoulder and two turkeys! Everyone else brings the sides and desserts and a beverage. It is the best fun and a sure sign that the holidays are under way.

Enjoying the crisp, autumn weather.

I brought my mother’s sausage, raisin and cornbread stuffing, although Eric says I can’t really call it my mom’s anyone because I have made so many changes to it. Anyhoo, I still consider it Mama’s dish, because she is the inspiration for it and no holiday would be complete without it.

There was oyster stuffing, more stuffing, a stuffed pumpkin, macaroni and cheese, fresh baked rolls, gooey cake, cobbler, brussel sprouts, ethnic dishes from South America, all kinds of stuff. Lets look at the photos.

Crystal takes a small break

Getting cozy by the fire.

Crystal, Holly, Me

Holly, Danny and Eric share a huge laugh.

And are joined by John.

Jeff tends to the fire.

While Michelle and Stephanie catch up.

There are always the cute couples, too.

Byron and Michelle

Colin and Tracy

Danny and John

Some of the guests were neighbors who moved away, but are still close to our hearts.

Mike, Oliver and Amy

I learned that Oliver is quite the photographer. Look at this fab photo he took with my camera.

What an eye!

And then there was the incredible bounty of food..but not before going around and saying what we are thankful for.

Giving Thanks

More giving of the thanks.

And now, the food!

There was beet salad

Cranberries

The turkey was delicious...

...as was everything else...

Our friends Tim and Becky enjoy the fire.

And Tracy caught up with her college professor!

It was a perfect night. Thanks a million, Crystal and Teague, for always kicking off the season in the most scrumptious way.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to The Jungle Book Soundtrack – That’s What Friends Are For

Poor Eric has been on crutches this past week due to a bad ankle, so he gave Danny a lesson on balancing on crutches when we arrived. Hilarity ensues.

Danny had never used crutches before. It's kind of a balancing act.

Our John is a seriously amazing cook. He goes to such lengths to make sure everything is perfect. Me, I put a drink in everyone’s hand and hope they don’t notice the dust bunnies under the kitchen table. I mean, really, why would I sweep the floors?

Anyhoo. On this crazy cold night we were treated to a warm-your-tummy-and-soul meal. We started with some gorgeous brie and crackers, and a gorgeous glass of red. Danny had built a huge, crackling fire in the fireplace (our fireplace only burns candles…), so this was a gigantic delight.

I think I surprised John here, cooking away.

Dinner started with a delectable butternut squash soup. Just perfect for the season. So yummy.

Butternut Squash Soup. The perfect autumnal dish.

The soup was accompanied by really tasty, crusty bread. Just the thing for scooping up the last of the soup.

Our salad course was a chopped veggie salad that included cucumbers, tomatoes, mushroom and topped with fresh feta cheese. So good.

Our sweet Danny.

Nom nom nom...chopped salad!

After the salad plates were cleared, we took a break. It’s always good to get up and move around during a multi-course meal. John and I took to the kitchen while Danny & Eric talked video games.

John and me, cooking up some fun together.

It is always fun to be in someone else’s kitchen as the helper. I cut up the rosemary polenta(!!), while John fried it to get that crispy exterior. Short ribs were already out of the oven and the spinach and gruyere stuffed vidalia onions were waiting to be plated. This was some serious comfort food, my darlings.

Happy campers.

Even happier when we got to dig in.

Ohhhh, I can’t eat one more bite…..so we watched the Halloween episode of Family Guy. Hilarious. And we digested. Because there was more to come.

How beautiful is this pound cake with berries and fresh whipped cream?

Once again, John outdid himself. We were simply wowed. And on top of it all, he sent us home with leftovers. Which we devoured last night. And it was almost as good as being there with John and Danny.

You all are the pinnacle of greatness. We love you both!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Queen – You’re My Best Friend

This past weekend we were so happy to host a dinner party for my bestie, John. Conjured up by his sweetie, Danny, we planned and plotted to have 10 of his favorite friends gathered to fete our darling birthday boy.

For this occasion I decided to leave the table bare (I tend to forget how pretty it is…) and set it with silver chargers, white plates, white napkins nestled into silver napkin rings and a small arrangement of white and red roses. It was elegant without being fussy.

Simple Is Sometimes Best

John knew he was joining Eric and me for dinner, but didn’t know there would be six others! So he was very surprised when he walked in. Everyone pitched in to make it a fantastic night. Patrick and Andrew picked out the red wines, Rose chose the bubbly and Danny ordered the yummy ice cream cake. Bruce and his Eric (two Erics in the house this night!) took a ton of photos. Holly baked the most delicious pastries filled with brie & caramelized onions and another filled with cheddar & bacon. She also brought dips, bagel chips and yummy baby carrots for dipping. Eric and I were responsible for the main course, which was:

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Steamed Green Beans Dressed with Butter & Lemon

Au Gratin Potatoes

It was such fun. Eric started everyone with a simple cocktail of Canton liquor (ginger flavored), splash of gin (or vodka, depending on preference) and topped off with peach juice. A couple rounds of these were consumed while we chatted and waited for Danny and our guest of honor.

Eric, John, Rose & Bruce

When John and Danny arrived it was more cocktails and all of the goodies Holly prepared. Patrick set out the red wines (with a descriptive list!) and we opened them to allow them to breathe.

My Co-Conspirator, Danny!

A Bevy of Beautiful Red Wines

One of the highlights of the evening was Eric’s custom wine charms. As in the past, we used tags purchased from the office supply store (remember when we first used them here?) Eric created a special one for everybody. Mine was a heart (awwww, so sweet!), Bruce had a Captain America tag, Danny – a lover of video games – had a charm with a Playstation controller on it, a Rose for Rose – you get the idea. This really puts a fun spin on things. Even when a glass got broken (oops, that was me!), the charm stayed intact. Opa!

The Wine List - With Descriptions. I Loved This Idea!

My Gorgeous Besties, Holly & John

Plenty Of Time To Pose While The Roast Is Resting

A Handsome Trio - Patrick, Andrew & Rose

Finally, dinner was served and we all took our seats. The food was served family-style on platters. Only one problem – when serving 10 guests, the trays get too heavy to pass. So both Erics took a platter and served everyone. Thanks, gentlemen!

Bruce and Eric Are All Smiles Tonight!

Andrew and Patrick At The Table

Another Fab Eric For Me To Pose With - Yay!

BFFs Forever!

Holly and Bruce, Looking Marvelous

All this heavy fare usually makes one want to sit and rest. But not John and me! Nope, we were up for some dancing – to ABBA!

Dance Like There's No One Watching....Even If There Is

While back at the table, Patrick educated the others on the virtues of wine…..

This One With Beef, This One With...More Wine....

As our guests got up and started moving about the cabin, my Eric and Andrew visited out on the front porch, when Andrew told a story about making mint tea for his family. “We have mint”, my Eric countered, ‘I would love to have you make some for us, if you would like…”

Andrew, looking adorable in my yellow apron, did just that.

Too Cute!

And it was delicious with the birthday cake.

Full of Special Wishes For The Coming Year

Watching John Make His Wish

We ended the evening by playing Lets Dance on the Wii…even shy Bruce got in on the action.

Dancing Up A Storm

While our darlings watched, looking most amused.

Oscar Cozies Up To Patrick, Andrew & Rose

In the wee hours after midnight, everyone sauntered home, sated and happy.

Happy Birthday my darling friend! I love you!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to ABBA – Does Your Mother Know

Last week I prepped for our Pad Thai dinner with John, John, Danny and Ken. Let me show you how everything went.

The table dressings – I wanted a masculine feel, with a little bit of an Asian influence. This is what I came up with.

For The Boys

Heavy wooden placemats were set on two overlapping white tablecloths.  Striped napkins set with chopsticks and red candle holders completed the mood.

My husband Eric is such a love. He got the pad thai started while I served up bbq on rice crackers, with a dot of hot sauce for those that dared.

Mr. Amazing - Worked All Day, Cooked All Night

We all gathered in the kitchen, naturally, and visited while Eric stirred and John and I put the sauce together.

John and John

Danny and Ken and Oscar Relax Before Dinner

It’s always great to have new folks to the house. John told me he had attended culinary school in Switzerland, so we had tons to gab about.

Patti And Ken

And then it was time to eat!  Thanks, Honey!

Eric's Yummy Pad Thai

No talking with your mouth full!  Time for dessert!

Homemade Brownies Topped WIth Homemade Caramel Ice Cream

Thanks, Guys! Can’t wait to do it again, next time not on a school night.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back In Town

This past Saturday night was the last stop in my birthday celebration tour.  And what a night it was!  My darling bff, John, took to the kitchen and whipped up the most amazing meal ever. I’m serious. If we could have had some judges there, he would have won a James Beard Award. And there was also a fabulous gift for yours truly!

The Maestro at Work

Plus, this was the first time seeing John’s new place, which is super chic, of course.  John, Danny, Eric and I gathered in Alpharetta for my last birthday hurrah of the year. It was the greatest time, we ate, we drank, we laughed – hard.  Oh, and the food, that swoony meal? Here are the photos!

First up, individual shrimp cocktails:

I Love Having My Own Little Serving!

Second course, steamed mussels in wine. Honestly, haven’t you had mussels in restaurants that come out all dried out – yeah, me, too. But these mussels were perfection. Every bite a juicy, plump morsel from under the sea. Spectacular.

Just Beautiful

I was even allowed into the kitchen to help a bit!

John and Patti, BFFs

After we had savored every last bite of those incredible mussels, we took a break and let me open my present. Yay, presents!

Look at the Size of That Bow and Box! Yippee!

And as John and Danny have impeccable taste, their present was so beautiful. They know me so well. And all of this came with cards that made me laugh so hard I almost…well, never mind. LOL

Hello Beautiful!

This decanter weighs a ton – it is so fabulous and I cannot wait to use it! Thank you my darlings!

Back to the dinner now!  Third course – bay scallops gratin. Individuals. Yumtastic. Take a look.

Oh.My.Goodness!

Really, this was unbelievable. The scallops were huge and perfectly cooked. The topping was sheer indulgence.  After this course we all needed a little break, because there is MORE TO COME!

Danny and Eric Ready For the Next Course By Playing Xbox

And John cooks on….

Our Chef For The Evening!

Two more courses, y’all.  And did I tell you the champagne flowed? Oh, yes, it did. I felt so pampered! What’s next, you ask? Why crab cakes, my darlings!

One Pristine Crabcake

At this point, we have almost fallen into a champagne and seafood coma. And really, would there be a better way to go? I think not! But there’s dessert….

White and Milk Chocolate Strawberries, Hand dipped By John

Pinky swear, I don’t think Caligula ate this well. This was one of the most spectacular dinners anyone has ever prepared for me. And since it was so obviously prepared with such love and care, you could taste it.

John, you are a constant joy to me. Thank you so, so very much! I love you!

xoxo, Patti