We are finally recovered from Thanksgiving (I think). It was a wonderful time with fabulous friends and I bet you want to hear all about it. Lets do it!

Just between you and me, I had no intention of hosting Thanksgiving Dinner, but when bestie Diane said she was coming home, I knew that called for something special. We bought the turkey, planned a few dishes, invited a few friends, bought a case of bubbly. Then our incredible friends from Black Tie Barbecue told me they were holding a smoked turkey with my name on it, I decided to go ahead and roast the turkey we had at home and freeze the meat for the Christmas party nibble ingredients.

Do you remember the photo of those smoking turkeys? Unbelievable.

There were seven of us at dinner and then some other friends stopped by for dessert. Diane’s beau, Jonathan, really outdid himself and spoiled us by showing up with luscious goodies like homemade Parkerhouse rolls, fresh cranberry sauce, twice baked potatoes, a pumpkin cheesecake, roasted brussel sprouts, and our new friend Jay came laden down with a wonderfully tasty pumpkin ginger soup and marvelous green beans ladled with a walnut sauce that had us all elbowing each other for the spoon. Of course there was that smoked turkey that was out of this world. I am not kidding when I tell you that the turkey was so good, not only did we get no photos of it, but there was only enough leftover to make one sandwich. Seriously.

Eric and I teamed up to make a pumpkin pie, two types of dressing and a gingered sweet potato mash. Our sweet friend Christy brought a delish black eyed pea and beet salad that I loved. So yes, there was plenty of food to be thankful for. And we were.

Before dinner, I asked everyone to jot down what they were thankful for on a post-it note and stick it to our fire lantern. Have you seen these? They are so cool.

I decided to keep the table simple this year. A burlap runner ran down the length of the table and gold chargers were layered with our plain white dinner plates, topped with soup bowls and my new linen napkins embroidered with a “D” for dinner (or Davis, either way).

But first, there was popcorn. In the new popcorn machine. Just like at the movies!

Isn't this fun? Just like the Pilgrims!

A very happy reunion indeed.

Eric and I were so happy to have Diane with us, even for only one day.

And so was Jonathan...

Table is set. With little notes of gratitude for each guest as place cards.

Post-it notes and paper lantern for later in the evening.

Jay and Jonathan get acquainted.

Sweet Christy

Okay, everyone, to the table!

Black Eyed Peas and Beet Salad

Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

Mmmm, twice baked potatoes.

Those green beans and walnut sauce...

Roasted brussel sprouts. Yum.

Oh so good Parkerhouse rolls. Homebaked by Jonathan.

Eric carving the turkey we roasted. I'm telling you, the smoked turkey from Black Tie BBQ was GONE in 60 seconds.

I would post pics of dressing and sweet potatoes, but you know what those look like.

Dinner polished off, we sat around and visited until it was time for dessert. Our good friends Johnny P, Barry B as well as darling neighbors Tracy, Denise & Rick showed up for the post game festivities.

Um, Oscar is not allowed on the furniture. Well, maybe just today, with Tracy and Colin.

So sweet having Diane and Jonathan with us.

Sharing a laugh with Rick, Denise and Diane.

Mr. Barry Belcher, caught on film.

And then it was time to light the lantern and send it off with all of  thanks for the year. Um, I’m not sure what the fire code is for this type of thing, so maybe we didn’t actually do this…

We may or may not have lit the lantern...

And maybe we didn't release it into the sky...

But our friends sure seem tickled.

Barry and Christy cuddle in the front yard.

Diane and Jonathan.

And around 11pm, everyone left for their respective homes and Eric and I assessed the aftermath.

Not too bad...

It was one of my favorite Thanksgivings to date. Great food (most of which I did not have to cook), fabulous company, a case of bubbly and a fire lantern that we may or may not have set on fire and let loose.

Perfect.

Hope yours was as much fun, Darlings.

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Josh Groban – Thankful

Happy Monday to you all. I hope your weekend was stupendous. The weather in Atlanta was ridiculously beautiful and we had lots of fun.

Friday night, Eric and I had ourselves a little date night and went to see the movie Red. This was a hoot. Lots of things blowing up and Helen Mirren as an assassin. What more could you possibly ask for? After the movie we ducked into Fox Grille at Atlantic Station for a drink and to catch up on all the games. Did you see the Yankees against the Rangers? Unbelievable.

Saturday, Eric had a haircut scheduled, so we had a cup of coffee together and off he went. I went across the street to take pictures of our neighborhood park being landscaped by our wonderful neighbors. When he returned, we picked up Valerie and took the MARTA to the Little Five Points Halloween Parade. This is always a a great time, with loads of costume ideas to be inspired by.

Eric, Valerie, Curtis, Me at the parade

All ages enjoy the parade. Even little pups.

I love all the colorful costumes.

These giant puppets were fascinating.

Another giant puppet.

Glad to meet him in the broad daylight....

If Mad Max built a Barbie Dream Car, this is what you would get.

Kiss and this clown from a video game. Is that right, Eric?

My favorite photo of the day.

I didn’t know this guy, but I loved his costume. It was simple, but cool. I caught his eye right before I snapped this photo and he got into character for me. Afterward, I introduced myself and showed him the shot. His name is David and he was feeling a bit under the weather on Saturday, but couldn’t miss the parade. I just love the look of him zoning out as he is surrounded by this crowd. Thanks, David!

When the parade ended, Curtis was meeting some friends, so Eric, Valerie, Leila and I all hoofed it to Pure in Inman Park for some mexican food. We saw our friend Katie there (hi Katie!!) and dined on some scrumptious dishes. I had a salad that had so many chips, guacamole and sour cream, that I’m sure cannot be counted as health food, but it was so good. We ordered two types of queso but were too full for dessert.

Valerie and Leila picked up Leila’s car and Eric & I headed back to the MARTA and home. For kicks we watched a zombie movie and called it a night.

Sunday we had planned to smoke a pork butt and have some of our besties over. Eric started the grill at 10 a.m. and rubbed the pork with an amazing secret rub that smelled so good. I whipped up coleslaw, cupcakes (with peanut butter chips, iced with dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt), and homemade cornbread. Clint made some delicious macaroni and cheese and thanks to our good friends Doug and Sharon of Three Sisters Vineyards, we drank up a bit of wine I had leftover while I was pouring for them last Thursday night at Aqua Vino (more on that Wednesday). For an appetizer, I broke out the Pretzel Crisps (more on those tomorrow), luscious dip made by Wesley and everyone devoured everything. It was all so yummy.

Pretzel Crisps and Dip. Hand model - Jay.

Eric pulling the pork.

Pulled smoked pork. So delicious!

Matt and...

Clint. Two of my favorite...

Cupcakes!

Dinner guests included not only Clint and Matt, but Teague, Curtis, Jay and Valerie. The conversation on polygamy was riveting and the wine flowed.

I love all our darlings. They make life fabulous.

See you tomorrow!!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Loverboy – Working for the Weekend

Going out to eat can get expensive, yes? How can we offset those costs?

Does This Look Like You? We Have A Solution

My very smart friend and neighbor, Jay, emailed me the other day with a solution.

Since your blog does venture into you visiting restaurants, have you ever thought about a post about coupon/gift certificate sites in Atlanta?
 
I use www.halfoffdepot.com, regularly, have used www.groupon.com, www.halfoffgreen.com, www.halfoffbuys.com, www.scoutmob.com, www.restaurant.com, www.livingsocial.com, www.mydailythread.com and more.
 
The woman that runs www.atlantaonthecheap.com mentions many of these, but she doesn’t cover just restaurants, and it is the sole purpose of her blog. Also, she can’t cover nearly the number that are released by something like Half Off Depot, she just highlights their big deal of the day.
 
I follow many of the links above, including Concentrics restaurants and Yelp, on twitter. Great place to find discounts at some Atlanta restaurants.
 
Not sure it fits with what you are doing, was just a thought I had. But man, there are great places to save some dough on Atlanta restaurants!

Thanks, Jay!

I use www.scoutmob.com on a regular basis. I like that all you have to do is type in your telephone number and they text you the deal immediately. Easy peasy. I also really like www.opentable.com because of the rewards. You may not get an immediate deal on dining, but the more you book with them, the more rewards (i.e. dining gift certificates) you get. This is a great one for all you executive assistants out there, booking dinners for your bosses – why not get a little reward for yourself in the process? www.yipit.com is another site I like that goes to almost all the other sites and lists the deals for the day.

So get on out there and start saving, you smart cookie! And again, thanks, Jay!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to The Stylistics – Betcha By Golly Wow

I live in the greatest neighborhood in the world. Our neighbors are all close friends and the parties are almost continuous. Especially when the weather turns nice and we are all roused from our hibernation of the winter.

This past week was a divine dinner held at the home of our friends Dave and Sue.  Dave, a pastry chef, and his charming wife Sue had conjured up the perfect warm weather meal, a deconstructed salade nicoise. This was the ideal foil for the sweltering late spring we have been experiencing.

I had visited their home before, but never in the daylight. I was thrilled to stroll through the backyard garden with a pre-dinner cocktail.

A Lush City Escape

I Especially Loved The Tangle of Wildflowers

One Perfectly Dewy White Iris

As Eric and I took in all the deliciousness of the garden, we chatted with friends Teague and Valerie & Jay, who had just landed from a Vancouver, B.C.  That is a testament to the wonderful parties in our neighborhood – even a 3 hour delay couldn’t prevent Jay from being there.

But dinner was calling and I didn’t want to miss a thing!

A Most Colorful Fork Supper for 12

The bounty of the buffet was astounding.  Tons of perfectly grilled vegetables including shallots, yellow & red peppers, artichoke hearts and the best green beans I have ever eaten. Anywhere. Dave – I need that recipe!  The tuna was just-right pink in the middle and the potato salad was scrumptious. Set off with a great collection of wines. Add sparkling conversation and you have a first rate dinner party!

Sweet Hilton Raises A Glass

Everyone Gathers...In The Kitchen Of Course!

Hilton and Sue Smile For The Camera

No One Could Ask For More

Bing and I Share A Giggle

Valerie and Hilton Take It All In

Our Dynamic Host & Hostess, Dave and Sue

Dessert was vanilla ice cream covered with coffee and Kahlua, with chocolate coconut cookies nestled on the side. Scrumptious! So yummy, in fact, I didn’t get a shot. Oops!

Antique Bowls Lined Up For Dessert

Rick and Bing Look On As Dave & Sue Assemble The Last Course

Another stellar night in our little corner of the world.  Many thanks to Dave and Sue for their incredible hospitality. We had an amazing time!

xoxo, Patti

New Feature!  Blogging Music!

Today, blogging to “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga

The best thing about having a blog is the opportunity to toast those you love best.  So if you will indulge me this lovely Monday morning, I would like to tell you about the party we attended Saturday night.

Adorable friend Valerie graduated from Georgia State and we all gathered to celebrate her accomplishment. Our sweet hostess Denise even made a sign:

Congratulations, Valerie!

Jay, Valerie’s sweetheart and best friend had arranged the most wonderful day for his girl on Saturday.  A mani/pedi came to pamper her at the house, but before Valerie’s spa day began, Jay pulled out a tiny, velvet box, declared his love for her and proposed!  Do you have goosebumps? Me, too!!  We all heard the news when we arrived at the party and made Jay & Valerie tell the story a million times during the evening. You know we girls can’t get enough of these romantic stories!

The keg full of Blue Moon was tapped, the bbq Jay and Curtis had spent all night smoking was brought out for ‘que sliders and our friends and neighbors showed up with scrumptious sides. Our host Rick even made the most amazing homemade cinnamon ice cream for ice cream cones. Yum!

But the star of the night was Valerie, glowing and smiling all night long.

And now for the photos!

Newly Engaged Jay & Valerie

Our Star Enjoys A Plate of BBQ With Leila and Shane

In addition to the bbq, Jay and Curtis had also made three different types of wings as well as making the sauce themselves – 4 kinds!

Carrie Admires Valerie's New Ring

Dave and Ryan Catch Up

Merryl Checks Out Valerie's New Rock

Marcus and I Enjoyed Rick's Cinnamon Ice Cream Together

Taruan and Shawn Pose for Photos

Jill and Benoit Share A Moment

Sierra Guards The Keg

Cutie Pie Heather, Who Introduced Valerie & Jay

Curtis, Eric and Joel Take A Break & Have a Laugh

The Always Impeccably Dressed Chioke

Taruan Tries His Hand At Spades

Teague and Bill Exchange Stories

Our Wonderful Host, Rick, Regales Eric With A Tale

Our Beautiful Graduate, Valerie, Takes It All In

Benoit and Michelle Enjoy The Evening

Crystal and I Pause For A Hug

Leila Signs The Facebook Tee We Brought for Valerie

The Bar Is Open!

Our Hostess With The Mostess, Denise

Host and Hostess Rick & Denise Pose On THE Party Deck in Our Neighborhood

Jay With His Fun College Buddies, Brandon and Jared

Curtis and Merryl, Having a Great Time

Joel and Denise Take A Moment

Chioke, Through The Palms

The Giant, Delicious Cookie - We Are So Proud of You, Valerie!

Jay Presents His Fiancee' and New Graduate, Valerie

A Very Happy Couple

Time To Cut The Cookie

Everyone Was There To Applaud Valerie

Ryan And Chioke Stop To Visit

Valerie's Future Sister-In-Law, Heather, Poses With The Grad

Me, With Our Darling Valerie

Cutting Up With Valerie, Chioke and Byron

Byron Gets Smooched By His Sweetie, Michelle

Eric Practices The Neighborhood Handshake With Ashley and Valerie

Jared Enjoys A Blue Moon

Bubbly Miss Keely and Our Buddy Joel

Gorgeous Michelle Always Brings Sparkle To Our Parties

Jay and Valerie, I cannot tell you how thrilled everyone who loves you are for your happiness.  I know there will be tons of parties this summer, but the magic of this special night will not be duplicated.  Best wishes to you both, I love you!!

xoxo, Patti

Who else saw Iron Man 2 this weekend? Show of hands? Me, me!! A group of our besties got together and caravaned to the drive-in to enjoy the late spring weather and have a little cookout (any reason for a cookout with our friends!) We joined our friends and neighbors, Jay & Val, Chioke & Taruan and Jay’s sister, Heather, and had a blast.

Jay and Val had obviously done this before and brought a portable grill, all the turkey brats and potato salad. I brought cole slaw, chips & spinach dip, Italian sausages and a lobster tail. We all parked next to each other (that was a feat – it was packed!) and got to grilling. Val also made sangria and the fun began.

Chef Jay Firing Up The Grill

While the food was grilling, we visited, snacked and caught up with each other.  Everyone else there had the same idea – it was amazing the amount of people with grills and fancy set-ups we saw.  Big groups of folks, just hanging out and enjoying the weather.

This is really best told with photos.

Lots of Folks Had The Same Idea

The Back of the SUV Makes for a Great Serving Area - Pre-Dinner Treats

Darlings Chioke & Taruan

Jay Takes A Break From Cooking To Visit With Me

Nom, Nom, Nom - It's a Cookout, Y'all!

Sweeties Heather and Val Enjoy A Sangria

This Saturday is Val’s graduation party – but more about that later! Congrats, Val!

We Are Still An Hour From The Start of Iron Man 2, But Having Fun

Our Funny Cooler and the New Radio Eric Picked Up for Tonight - You Can Wind It Up! Isn't That Cool?

A little backstory on that cooler. It’s brand new, but our neighborhood can be rough in patches, so Eric deduced that a crummy looking cooler wouldn’t get taken. My incredibly smart husband!

Men, Men, Men...Manly Eric and Jay - What's Happening, Guys?

The sun started to set and we snuggled into our seats with our plates of yumminess.

Food Is Ready!

Eric and Taruan, Pre-Movie

Is It Time for Iron Man 2, Yet?

And suddenly, it is ridiculously cold! Who expected that? Why, Jay and Val, that’s who.  They brought blankets for us all. You all are the greatest! Thanks.

Taruan Finds The Back of the Escape Makes a Great, Uh, Escape!

But Not Before Posing With Me and Val...

The sun goes down and I snuggle with one of Val and Jay’s blankets and get ready for the previews. Don’t you love previews? Me, too.

Preview For Shrek #15, Or Something - How Many Shrek Movies Have They Made Already?

And then, it’s time for Iron Man 2. Oh, boy, it was good. Full of fun. So go see it, if you haven’t already. And under the stars, it was even better. And with great friends, it was the best.

The movie was over and no one was ready for the party to be over, so everyone popped over to our house to watch Betty White on SNL. Which, I bet, might have been the most watched SNL ever.  Hilarious.

Hope your weekend was as much fun.

xoxo, Patti

Listening to Lady GaGa while writing this post. Still reeling from her amazing concert on 12/28. So, when I saw an ad for a new Wii game, “Just Dance“, I knew this would make for a great party evening.

With the snow keeping the majority of our neighbors inside recently, I decided to make a few calls last Friday and invite a few buddies to come by, and, well, just dance.

This game is hilarious. Not only is it a blast to play, but even more fun to watch.  There were six of us gathered at our house around 9pm and the fun started.  Taruan, Chioke, Eric and I took to the living room floor and got moving. I believe we started with “Hot and Cold” by Katy Perry.  You just follow the dancer on the screen and do what they do. This sounds so much easier than it is.  But in no time, Taruan, The Dance King, was killing. He was trouncing all over everyone. He could not be beat. Val and Jay joined us a bit later and the party was in full swing.

All that dancing works up an appetite, so I pulled out the homemade twix bars I had made the night before and they were devoured. Time to mix a few adult beverages and back to the dance floor.

We didn’t stop until 2am, when I decided to whip up some biscuits and sausage gravy. Not everyone eats pork, so I put out some raspberry/jalapeno jelly and the beloved honey bear. Chioke had the grand idea to slather the biscuits first with the jelly and then the sausage gravy.  Across the table I asked him how he came up with the idea – “Greed,” was all Chioke said, with an evil little smile.

If you had tasted it, you would agree that a little greed can be a very good thing indeed.

Four more shopping days until Christmas! So exciting!

This weekend was a bundle of fun.  Friday night my darling and I spent the evening in, watching movies and cuddling up on the couch. Perfect time!  Saturday was Val and Jay’s White Elephant Party. You know about White Elephant parties, right?  Everyone brings an inexpensive gift and puts it under the tree.  Then a corresponding number goes into a hat for drawing later.  You all draw numbers (although Jay and Val did theirs a bit different – they put everyone’s name into a hat and then drew them for picking a gift), pick a gift, unwrap it and decide whether you want to keep it or trade for a gift that someone else has.  It was just a blast.  All our neighbors were there (I seriously love walking to and from these parties!), the food was great and the gifts hilarious.  Sorry, but some of them were fairly NSFW (not suitable for work viewing), but I did take plenty of photos.  Take a look:

Curtis and Shannon Compare Notes

Me, With Justin, The Christmas Elf (Actual Size, 6 Feet Tall...)

Two Gorgeous Faces - My Eric and Our Sweet Friend, Leila

Justin and Chioke Share A Laugh

Best Buddies Patti and Chioke

Jacqai, Sarah and Our Host For The Evening...The Always Fab Jay

Is Eric Really Surrounded By Twinkling Lights Or Are Those Just The Stars In My Eyes?

Adorable Hostess Val and Equally Adorable Neighbor Tiffany

Hey Look! Eric Gets Every Flavor of MD 20/20. Party!

One of Those NSFW Gifts - But They Sure Made Everyone Laugh!

After all the gifts were opened, Chioke asked if I would go with him to pick up Taruan from his office party. Now, if I haven’t mentioned it, Taruan is an interior designer for Bill Johnson’s Studio. I have been a fan of them since way before I met Taruan, so to be able to take a peek inside their holiday party was too much. They have designed all the coolest restaurants in Atlanta…and beyond. The party was held at Bill’s home in Midtown and was totally fab. As I was being taken as a guest, I know you will understand that I did not feel that it was appropriate for me to bring my camera. So, alack and alas, no photos. But I did have a great time and finally(!) got the opportunity to meet the wonderful Sharon Severance, who I have been corresponding with for a long time. Everyone was so warm and open and I really enjoyed my glimpse into how the other half parties.

At around 11:30 p.m., the music really started pumping at the party with Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”…it was almost enough to make Chioke, Taruan and I stay, but after a quicky dance in the vestibule, we popped out of the front door, giggling and just generally having a ball. I proclaimed that I must hear more Michael Jackson music in the car and when Chioke turned on the radio, low and behold…there was MJ singing “Off The Wall”…it was a Christmas miracle!

Back at Jay and Val’s we partied some more with our fab neighbors and then ducked home for a bottle of champagne. Joined by Taruan, Chioke and Tracy at around 1:30 a.m., we enjoyed some bubbly and watched SNL. By 3 a.m., it was time for bed.

I’ve saved the best photo of the evening for last. Here is a picture of our friend and neighbor Shane, with the best gift of the night – The Grill. Now he can finally pursue his dream of being a rap singer. Kudos, Shane!

MC Shane

I hope the holidays are giving you belly laughs!

xoxo, Patti

For all of you that do not live in Atlanta, I have to tell you that you missed a great time yesterday in Cabbagetown. Chomp and Stomp is just the southern social event of the year. I rode over early with Crystal and Teague so we could help Miss Lisa set up at her booth. The top was off the jeep and the day was warm and sunny. In November!

We arrived and I helped Miss Lisa with her sign for the day. She decided on selling locally made snap-when-you-bite-them hot dogs and beautiful white bratwurst.

You know what? I have so many photos, I believe I will let them tell most of the story. And away we go!

Miss Lisa's Specials of the Day

Those Gorgeous Brats

Miss Lisa & Mr. Bob Share A Moment

Mr. Bob is a restaurant reviewer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, so we kinda have to hide his face. You would agree his is a great face, if you were to meet him.

There were a slew of celebrity judges on hand to judge the chili (and there was a LOT of chili to judge). There was Kevin Gillespie, of Woodfire Grill , who might very well go all the way on “Top Chef,” Kevin Rathbun, who slew Bobby Flay on “Iron Chef,” Scott Serpas, Shaun Doty , Joe Truex and certainly not least of all, Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman and Finch.  Some fun shots for you:

Chefs Gillespie, Serpas, Doty, Hopkins and Rathbun

Chili to be Judged

Chef Gillespie Takes a Moment for his Fans (me!)

As exciting as mingling with celebrity chefs is, there was also live music and other celebrities as well. Hollis Gillespie (no relation to Kevin, I believe) is a famous author who is about to have her books adapted into a television series. She is seriously hilarious and took a moment to let me be photographed with Lary, her bff and herself.  Go buy one of her books!

Hollis, Me and Lary

And of course, lots of friends and neighbors were there, too.

Leila, Val and Jay

Val, Me, Leila, Miss Crystal

Val and Me Before We Entered the Toilet Plunger Relay Race

Yes, Miss Val and I entered a relay race – I called it the Toilet Plunger Relay, Chomp and Stomp called it the Cornholing Relay Race. One member of the team holds a toilet plunger between their legs and runs to the next member, who is holding a roll of toilet paper between her legs – #1 has to use the plunger to thread the toilet paper onto the handle of the plunger. It was fun. We didn’t win, but we laughed – a lot! Oh, and we had to do it while holding a cabbage on our heads. Pretty!

Now for the main attraction – The Cabbage Shredding Contest.  Our bestie Teague has won this competition 3 years in a row.  First, there were two heats to see who would battle Teague for his crown. Then it was time for Teague to show em how it’s done. Little Michelle handed us her ball point pen and we all wrote a big  “T” on our palms to show our support. Teague was clearly in the lead when all of a sudden, he dropped his cabbage! We all gasped and waited to see what would happen next. Teague, the consummate professional, just popped over the table, grabbed the cabbage core and once again took the crown! We all howled with joy! Wooooooo Hooooo!!! I even got some cool action shots. And I won’t even make you wait to see them.

Teague Was In It To Win It! Look at the Cabbage Flying!

Our King and Queen

As Teague’s motto goes – “Today We Slaw!” and slaw he did. He most certainly did.

Besides cabbage and chili everywhere, there were some other food vendors (besides Miss Lisa and her awesome dogs and brats). Lets take a look, shall we?

Perla, One of Miss Lisa's Coffee Girls

Nobody Can Resist a Corndog!

Funnel Cakes! Fried Dough! Nom, Nom, Nom...

After all our darlings filled up on chili and beer, Pie Queen Crystal and Cabbage King Teague (foodie royalty!) invited us all back to their house for a bonfire.  Miss Lisa was so sweet and gave me a bundle of bratwurst and buns to take to the bonfire and I added some blue corn chips.

Miss Crystal grilled the brats while we all warmed ourselves by the fire. They were insanely tasty and everyone gobbled them up.  Then Becky and Tim introduced us to a twist on an old favorite – ‘smores.  They took two slices of Italian bread, brushed it with olive oil and salt, grilled it, spread it with a nice smear of Nutella, roasted a marshmallow and slipped it between the two pieces of grilled bread. It was heavenly. Tim called it “Italian ‘Smores,” I said it should be called “It’s A’smore.” Whatever you call it, I can tell you what it tastes like. It tastes like you need one more.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, It's A'Smore!"

By this time I was pretty beat and ready to hit the sack. Eric and I bundled up and walked home as our shoes crunched the dried, fallen leaves underfoot.

I am going to leave you with a quote from Mr. Tim’s blog :

I hope you live where you love and if you have a longing to be somewhere you’re not I hope you find your way there.

For me, that place is Atlanta.

xoxo, Patti