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A Touch Of Coffee

Wednesday, October 7th, 2015

Good Morning Darlings!

I am so grateful for my life. It’s a life filled with love and laughter. And sometimes gifts in the mail.

I LOVE gifts in the mail. This week, I received a fabulous coffee maker (!!!!) from Touch Coffee & Beverages. This machine is a total Betty – gorgeous! And I couldn’t wait to take her for a spin. The package arrived in the early evening, but that did not deter Eric and me from drinking ALL the coffees. We can sleep when we’re dead.

A little background on our new family member (coffee makers are integral to a household, yes?) She came stocked with 3 types of coffees inspired by L.A. iconic landmarks. Now that I don’t live in Santa Monica any more, I can truly appreciate her beauty. The L.A. Coffee capsules are engineered to allow 30% more coffee – WAKE UP Y’ALL! This could replace the ubiquitous Coffee Bean & Leaf stops we used to crave when we lived in the City of Angels (Starbucks is so passe’).

Shall we take a look at our new kitchen art? So pretty!

20150922_190551

 

Close up!

Close up!

We already own a Keurig and the Touch claims to brew faster, so it was fun to put them to the test.

How did they do? Well, the Keurig does take longer to get ready to brew and the Touch is instantly ready – you just hit the button, choose the size coffee you want and it is done! But, if you wait for the Keurig to be ready and then brew them side by side, the Keurig is faster. Basically, the Touch beats the Keurig hands down for speed. And who doesn’t need their coffee in an instant in the morning? And I love the L.A. Coffee pods. My favorite is the Beverly Hills. It’s a nice medium roast with a hint of sweetness to it.

And I really love the design. It outshines our Keurig in good looks. And it fits with all our other appliances – how did the nice folks at Touch know?

Some facts about the Touch:

  • The brewer is ready to start brewing in under 20 seconds after being off all night.
  • The hot water has more contact with the coffee grounds, which ensures that all of the coffee flavor is extracted. Other machines take much longer to warm up and then shoot water through the coffee grounds too quickly, so you end up throwing away untapped flavor with the used capsule. Even with a slower, more deliberate brew, when factoring in the warm-up time, the Touch still turns out a cup of joe in a fraction of the time.
  • You can now brew larger cups of coffee without sacrificing flavor. Customize your coffee experience by choosing from five cup sizes (6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 ounces) and three brew strengths (mild, medium or bold).
  • Its removable 90-ounce water tank has a greater capacity and is shorter in height than its counterparts, meaning you will be refilling less often, and it will be less awkward when you do.
  • Touch’s single serve cups are larger than traditional K-Cups, allowing more coffee grounds. More coffee means bigger, bolder flavor

Verdict: I am in love with my new Touch coffee maker. Do you need one? Of course you do! Go out and buy one right now and we can be twinsies!!

xoxo, Patti

 

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Brunch Time

Monday, August 24th, 2015

Good Morning Darlings,

Brunch is my favorite meal. And since it really only makes sense two days out of the week, you can really make it special.

At our house, brunch can turn into a 7 hour affair that can become quite raucous. But we like that kind of thing.

What to serve? Champagne is a must. Cava and prosecco are perfectly budget conscious replacements. Just think bubbly. Then you can add orange juice for a mimosa, peach puree for a bellini and anything else that strikes your fancy. A bloody mary bar is always appreciated, too. Fill bowls with olives, onions, stalks of celery and let your guests build their own. Add worcestershire sauce as well as salt and pepper or hot sauce to top off the fun.

This is the time to break out your best everything – china, wine glasses, flatware, napkins. You can arrange some pretty flowers around the table, making sure not to create an arrangement that is so high your guests can’t see each other from across the table. Hydrangeas set in a pretty bowl would be nice this time of year.

Lovely hydrangeas

Next – what will you serve? I like to try and keep it simple, with a make ahead menu that will allow me to spend more time chatting with my guests instead of feeling like a slave in the kitchen. A few weeks ago, this is what we served for a group of 6:

Mimosas

Starbucks Coffee Cake (it’s so easy and delicious!)

Chipotle Candied Bacon

Hashbrown Casserole

Fresh Strawberries

Coffee

Notes on the menu:

Coffee Cake: Next time I make this (and I WILL make it again – it is so good) I will line the pan with aluminum foil so it overlaps the edges and I can lift the entire cake out. Not lining the pan caused the cake to stick to the bottom because it was so moist. I know, first world problems. I also made this the day before the party.

Chipotle Candied Bacon: I prepped two pans of the bacon, set on cookie racks sprayed with Pan and then wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge the night before. The next morning, I took them out so they could come to room temperature and popped them in the oven with the casserole.

Hashbrown Casserole: Not sure what went wrong, but I’m thinking I didn’t cook it nearly enough as the potatoes weren’t particularly crunchy, which I would have liked. My guests were super polite and ate it anyway. Lol.

Brunch is such a fun and economical way to get friends together. If everyone brings a bottle of bubbly, your cost goes way down, while the fun stays waaaaay up. If you don’t bake, pick up a coffee cake or bagels from the store.

It’s all about having fun. Don’t stress out. 🙂

xoxo, Patti

 

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Magical La Hacienda

Monday, September 15th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

Eric and I have been so busy this summer that there’s been no time for a getaway.

We remedied that this past weekend at La Hacienda.

Our sweet friends, Ed and Tera Hattaway, are the owners of this Shangri-La.

Define Shangri-La:  Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, and particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.

My view from inside the pool!

My view from inside the pool!

Because you are my darlings, I am willing to share La Hacienda with you. Brand new, magical, marvelous. Step in and allow time to slow down. We spent over 6 hours between the pool and hot tub and at the end of the evening, we fell into the deepest sleep in the most comfortable bed. When the sun rose, Ed and Tera were in the kitchen whipping up a delicious mexican brunch of machaca. What’s machaca? It is a yummy beef dish, topped with a sunny side up egg. Refried beans, fresh fruit and piping hot coffee completed the meal.

This could be your breakfast!

This could be your breakfast!

I almost hate telling you about this slice of heaven. Less for me…but more for you!

xoxo, Patti

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Delicious Summer Evenings

Friday, September 12th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

The nights are getting cooler….NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I’m not ready for summer to end. I never even made it to the beach!

But, I did hit some swell parties and fun places.

Here are just a few.

1. Piedmont Park Arts Festival VIP Party – business partner Carrie and I schmoozed our way into this one. And it was a doozy. Marvelous food by Chef Shane at Ocean Catering Company and a virtual who’s who in Atlanta. And us. We had a ball.

 

Hanging with Chef Shane!

Hanging with Chef Shane!

 

2. Sister Hazel at the Buckhead Theatre. Ooh, this was another VIP that Eric and I got in to.  I hadn’t been to the Buckhead Theatre since it had been the Roxy Theatre. This was a blast. We were invited by our friends Cyndi and Sally, who are the superstar concierges at Pinewood Studios.

 

 

3. Dragon Con. I wait for this every year and it never fails to thrill. The costumes this year beat out anything I had ever seen. I was beyond excited to meet Groot. How cool is this?

 

How was your summer?

 

xoxo, Patti

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July Fun

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

How has the summer been treating you? I can’t believe it’s already mid-July – how can that be?

I thought we could catch up by sharing our summer fun photos so far.  I would love it if you shared yours with me, too!

Oooh! Woody Harrelson was spotted on one of Atlanta Movie Tours outings! How fun is that?

Atlanta Movie Tours has been taking up my time and I apologize for not making time for us to get together. But…Woody Harrelson!!

It was so great having our dear friends Rick and Denise visit us for July 4th. It was one wild weekend!

My sweet Eric put together a paella for 40 on the 4th. It was deeeeeeeelicious.

We discovered, Bartaco – which feels like being at the beach in the middle of Atlanta. Check it out.

My new favorite place – Bartaco Atlanta

Jane had a very special birthday and we were so excited to celebrate with her at the Greystone Building at Piedmont Park. Under the stars, at a very posh, catered affair. It was swoony and a perfect way to fete one of the loveliest people on earth.

 

Those are the highlights of July so far – how has your summer been?  I would love to hear what you’ve been up to!

xoxo, Patti

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A Jaunt to New Orleans

Monday, May 19th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

Every once in a while girls need a couple of days away. What better place for fun, food and cocktails than New Orleans?

My dear friend and business partner, Carrie, and I set out for a two day trip to catch the movie tour with our friend, Jonathan at New Orleans Movie Tours. Since we are both big American Horror Story: Coven fans, we were so tickled to visit Miss Robicheaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies.

All that sightseeing made us hungry – and thirsty! We headed over to The Irish House, owned by my buddy Chef Matt Murphy, formerly of the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. The Irish House is warm and inviting, just like Matt and his lovely wife, Alicia. We were greeted by friend Kris, whose company does the PR for The Irish House. Kris ordered Carrie and me a couple of Iced Irish Coffees and they were so yummy!

Inside we were treated to a bunch of delicious small plates. Scotch eggs, shepherd’s pie, wings and a super cocktail named Strawberry Fields. On the weekends you can catch live Irish bands. When you are in NOLA, you must swing by and have a pint and a plate.

While we were catching up with Matt and Alicia, Matt told me a very special story. One of their young daughters had been suffering with rheumatoid arthritis. Every morning Matt and Alicia would massage her legs before school so she would be able to walk comfortably. Alicia started doing intensive research to find a better way to help her little one. She discovered that a gluten-free, paleo diet would cure her and within two days of changing her diet, their sweet daughter was running and playing like never before. Alicia was so inspired, that she opened FARE. FARE is an adorable shop on trendy Magazine Street providing salads, soups, side dishes, healthy snacks, fresh baked goods, juices, smoothies, tea & meals that are ALL made in-house and are Paleo, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory, and all-natural with a variety of vegan and nut-free options…it also happens to be delicious!

Boy, is it delicious! I tried the cinnamon roll and the date balls. Amazing! And all painted pink! Adorable! The shop matches Alicia’s personality, sweet and bright. Not only is this a must do in New Orleans, but you will be doing something wonderful for yourself.

Here are some tips for your next visit to New Orleans:

Accommodations: Hotel Modern – a fab spot with reasonable rates. Ask for Miss Scarlett.

Eat: The Irish House – try the shepherd’s pie
FARE – Good for you healthy treats

Drink: The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel

Sightseeing: New Orleans Movie Tours – This might be the most fun thing to do in NOLA. Truly. It’s a blast.

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Pass The Mortons

Friday, February 14th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

As you might or might not know, I live in Atlanta.

Right now we are being sieged with Snowmygawd 2014 Part 2 Electric Boogaloo.

As in stuck in the house.

However shall we amuse ourselves?

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Snack Bracket 2014

Sunday, January 26th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

It’s Grammy Day, and that means staying home and texting snarky fashion comments with Holly & John. We will whip up something fun to munch while watching, but it is not our biggest food day of the year.

What’s the biggest food day, you ask?

Posted in Appetizers, atlanta, cooking, entertaining, Events, Holidays, Hospitalityaholic, party, Recipes, Television | 2 Responses »
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Lap Dances, Mutant Flowers and a Snow Yeti…um, Owl

Tuesday, December 24th, 2013

Good Morning Darlings!

Merry Christmas Eve to you and your loved ones.

2013’s Black Tie Gala is now behind us and I thought I would share some photos with you.

What is going on here?

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Chow Bing Giveaway Winner!

Monday, May 20th, 2013

Good Morning Darlings!

Who was our winner?

 

Click to continue »

Posted in Hospitalityaholic | 1 Response »

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