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

You all know how much I adore living in Atlanta. It’s a town filled with surprises. We are genteel, we are foodies, we love a parade, we love a spectacle. Sometimes we like  it rough.

Saturday night was one of those rough nights. Besties Crystal, Teague, Denise, Rick, Eric and I all packed up the food and tailgated before the Atlanta Rollergirls bout at the Shriners Temple. This was my first time seeing the Rollergirls in action, and what a treat it was. But first, we must eat.

Hanging With Denise and Crystal Pre-Game

Crystal prepared the yummiest homemade pimento cheese sandwiches (and I thought I didn’t care for pimento – I had just never had homemade). She also stopped by Popeyes Chicken for some crunchy chicken fingers. I made pound cake soaked in limoncello and Denise whipped up a gorgeous salad. There were chips, pretzels and salami, too. And of course, the cooler was filled with beer. A coconut rum with pineapple & orange juice cocktail completed the bar.

Pimento cheese sammies

Bless the Rollergirls, they allow you to bring your own coolers into the venue, so you are never without libations. I can appreciate that. So after getting pleasantly full on tailgating fare, we loaded up the cooler and made our way to the auditorium.

The Dirty South Atlanta Rollergirls

You have to appreciate all the contradictions of the evening. Here are a boodle of women all out for blood, circling a track in a room adorned with castle walls and chandeliers. It’s like the Princess Death Match. The crowd is also immensely diverse. Old, young, big, little, hip, nerdy – all converging for an evening of fun. And you might think in a room with so many tattoos that tempers would flare. Au contraire. While waiting in line for the ladies room, one of the referees very politely asked if she could cut in line so she could get back to calling the game. Everyone quietly stepped aside and let her pass. I can’t recall a more genteel group in recent memory. But that’s our Atlanta, full of surprises.

Some more fun shots of our evening out.

Crystal and Teague enjoy the game.

Our Atlanta Rollergirls beat the ladies from North Carolina soundly. We even saw a nosebleed. But the most fun for me were the names of the players. There were Celia Fate, Demi Gore, Wheeling Jennings and Nora Gretz. Aren’t they creative? I bet they throw one heckuva party.

And between bouts, there is live music, The King of Pops popsicles, and fun shopping. Something for everyone. I nabbed a Mexican Chocolate popsicle from the King of Pops and was very happy. Drippy, but happy.

Live music between bouts in the courtyard

All walks of life enjoyed the evening

Signing autographs for the fans

And then it was over. We only had tickets to the first bout so off we went. The last bout is September 25, so if you want to enjoy a fun, unusual night out, get your tickets NOW…..they sell out like crazy.

My love, Eric, as we pack up to leave

Everybody has a little freak in them....

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Elton John – Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting

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