Written by Patti on January 30th, 2017
G’day Darlings!
Last week we were invited to celebrate Australia Day with our friends Liz and Vance at their swanky midtown pad.
I have to admit, I didn’t even know this was a thing. But it is and it was delicious!
Liz and Vance served Australian Meat Pies, which are scrumptious. Topped with mashed potatoes and minty mashed peas, they made a hearty meal on a very cold night.
Pics!
Our sweet hostess, Liz and me – all smiles with them every time we get together.
Yummy meat pies.
With Jen and James.
For those of you in Atlanta, the Australian Bakery is our go-to for these treats. Buy in bulk and freeze them, because you are definitely going to want more once you try them.
Big thanks to Liz and Vance for hosting and darlings, I promise to get a better camera pronto!
xoxo, Patti
Posted in atlanta, dinner parties, Dinner Party Ideas, party | Comments Off on Australia Day Party!
Tags: Australia Day, Australian Bakery, Meat Pies, Minty Mashed Peas
Written by Patti on January 17th, 2017
Good Morning Darlings,
Today, I’m handing over the reins to my good friend, Travis at Wanderlust Atlanta. If you aren’t reading his blog, you can start now! He’s always up to fun things to do and fun places to see.
He is starting a new series called, “Top 10 Atlanta Restaurants “By the Numbers”.
Number one is, of course, One Midtown Kitchen.
Read all about it here.
Try a new restaurant tonight! New Year, New Tastes.
xoxo, Patti
Posted in atlanta, Restaurants | 2 Responses »
Tags: One Midtown Kitchen, Top 10 Atlanta Restaurants By The Numbers, Wanderlust Atlanta
Written by Patti on January 2nd, 2017
Good Morning Darlings!
Happy 2017 to you all. Hope your celebrations were fabulous and safe.
We threw a tiny party for 8. The menu:
Cheese & Salami Platter with Sea Salt Crackers & Holman & Finch Semolina Bread
Caviar Service with fresh buckwheat blini, sour cream and chives
Veggie lasagna
Salad filled with olives, artichokes, bermuda onions topped with a lemon basil dressing
Garlic Bread
Assorted Cupcakes
More than our share of Segura Viudas Cava
Table Decor provided by my friends at TLC Rents. I chose a purple and gold theme. Purple tablecloth with a gold sequined overlay. Purple napkins. Tons of votives. And for extra interest, small plastic dinosaurs were placed all around the table. Always opt for whimsy when you can. Look around the house – you will surprise yourself.
Since our party was so tiny, I decided not to post any photos of the guests. But – you can see the table below.
It’s like you are right there next to me!
Tell me about your night!
xoxo, Patti
Posted in atlanta, dinner, dinner parties, Dinner Party Ideas, entertaining, Holidays, Luxury, party, vegan | Comments Off on Happy New Year!
Tags: 2017, New Year's Eve, New Years Eve 2016, NYE, Small dinner party, Veggie Lasagna
Written by Patti on December 29th, 2016
Good Morning Darlings!
NYE 2017 is just days away – how will you celebrate?
We will celebrate in a very different way this year. A tiny little fete’ for 8.
If you have been following me for any time at all, you know my absolute go-to for bubbles is Segura Viudas Brut Cava. Honestly, it’s as tasty as wines that are 3 times the price and its $8 price tag allows me to buy in bulk (truly, I have 3 cases at the house – you never know who will stop by!) My friends can always count on me to provide them with a glass of bubbles. Life is a celebration, drink it in. Does that sound cheesy? It’s okay to be cheesy!
When the lovely folks at Segura Viudas got in touch about their new Reserva Heredad (SRP $25), I jumped at the chance to try it. Look how fancy the bottle is!
THE Drink for NYE 2017
With only a few faves gathering, a few bottles are affordable and why not spoil your besties? We will be feasting on roasted veggie lasagna bathed in bechamel sauce, yummy garlic bread, crisp salad, caviar and a surprise dessert.
The pop of Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad will be our soundtrack as the clock strikes midnight.
It should be your go-to, too! Happy New Year!!
xoxo, Patti
ps – Check out the fabulous music video on their site. It will get you all revved up to party! 🙂
Posted in atlanta, cocktails, dinner parties, Dinner Party Ideas, entertaining, Luxury, party, vegan, Wine | Comments Off on Ready, Set Bubbles!
Tags: Bubbles, cava, New Years Eve 2017, Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad
Written by Patti on November 7th, 2016
Good Morning Darlings,
Halloween is now behind us and Thanksgiving is a few weeks away. For me this means lots of dinner parties and when you are invited, I know you always want to arrive with a gift. You cannot go wrong with wine (unless, of course, your hosts are recovering alcoholics, allergic to grapes or are staunch beer drinkers who never drink wine – know your audience, darlings.)
EOD Cellars Wine is a charity wine that is made possible through a partnership with Tackitt Family Vineyards and the EOD Warrior Foundation. Profits from the wine sales go directly to the EOD Warrior Foundation, which are used to help current and past EOD warriors and their families. EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disarming and disposal of bombs. EOD technicians are highly-trained military members serving in the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force who are responsible for disarming, rendering safe and disposing bombs. The EOD profession is one of the most dangerous occupations in the military.
EOD Wines
Over Black Friday weekend, Tackitt Family Vineyards will be offering free shipping on all of their fantastic and award winning wines, including those with the EOD Cellars label, making it even easier to give the gift of wine this holiday season. Enter ‘EOD’ for the promo code in the coupon block to get free shipping.
For those giving wine gifts this year, it’s a good idea to keep a few etiquette tips in mind, including:
- If you are not familiar with specific taste preferences of those you are giving the wine to, it’s always best to stick with classic varieties. Giving someone a simple white or red wine is usually a safe bet.
- Don’t expect the host to serve it that night or right when you give it to them. They may have other plans in mind, and it is your gift to them. They can stash it away and serve it when, and to whom, they wish.
- It’s a good idea to stick a note on the bottle, letting them know you put some thought into the selection. If you are choosing an EOD Cellars Wine, for example, it’s a nice touch to write on there that you thought they would appreciate the selection and the mission.
- You may want to give something with the wine, with good options being to consider pairing it with a good chocolate, cheese, Spanish olives, dried fruits, or almonds. Another nice option is to pair it with a special hand painted wine glass or small wine pairing book for their collection.
- Wrapping it in a wine bag is optional, but if you choose not to use one, then it’s a nice touch to add the hand-written note and a ribbon or bow.
I love the idea of wine gifting with a purpose. Later this week, I’ll be discussing some of my favorite local Georgia wines.
Tis the season!
xoxo, Patti
Posted in cocktails, dinner parties, Dinner Party Ideas, entertaining, Etiquette, party, Thanksgiving, Wine | Comments Off on Gifting Wine
Tags: EOD Cellars Wine, Holiday gifts, Hostess Gifts, Tackitt Family Vineyards, Wine Etiquette
Written by Patti on October 25th, 2016
Good Morning Darlings!
I love Halloween. Not only is the dressing up fun, but CANDY! And not only candy, but all kinds of adorable treats.
This past weekend we went to a Halloween Baby Shower for our friends Laura and Evan. That was a first. Tons of fun. Our fabulous friends, Paige and Alex dressed their 3 yr. old son, Lucien up as Michael Meyers. Which I thought was hilarious.
Here’s our photo together.
How awesome (and scary) is this little killer?
Are you looking for a new, easy, adorable recipe to feed your party guests? How about this Hocus Pocus inspired smores pop? The folks at Delish have got it going on.
I need these. Well, I don’t actually NEED them, but I sure would love to have one. 🙂
Love these!
Let me know if you make them and how they turn out!
BOO!
xoxo, Patti
Posted in atlanta, Autumn, baking, Dessert, entertaining, Halloween, Holidays | Comments Off on Hocus Pocus – Yumtastic!
Tags: Delish, Desserts, Halloween, Hocus Pocus, Mini Michael Meyers, No Bake, Treats
Written by Patti on October 24th, 2016
Good Morning Darlings!
Eric and I recently visited Escape The Room, right downtown on our beloved Peachtree Street. It was an hour of finding clues to unlock the locks that held us captive. We had one hour.
Good thing that door opens automatically after 60 minutes. We did not solve all the clues.
Sleuthing is thirsty work. We hopped across the street to Alma Cocina, for the Lay of the Land margarita and some chips & salsa.
The bartenders are new. Kit is the only one who knew how to make it! Luckily for us, Kit had returned to Alma as Beverage Manager and was in the house to whip up said Lay of the Land margaritas. They are spicy and sweet all at the same time.
Lay of the Land and chips & salsa consumed. Now what?
We spied a gentleman at the bar enjoying a giant ice cube and a shot of tequila. Kit, what’s that?
It’s THE CUBE! Ice cubes made with fresh ingredients and paired with a shot of different tequilas to enhance the experience.
We needed THE CUBE. I tried the cube made with pineapples and Eric chose the cube made with coffee and maple syrup.
Our cubes and tequila shots.
They come with tiny little spoons to break up the cube after you pour the tequila in. Or you can shoot the tequila and wait for the cube to melt, but that seems silly.
Go see Kit at Alma. Get THE CUBE. Impress your friends. Be cool.
xoxo, Patti
Posted in atlanta, cocktails, Restaurants | 1 Response »
Tags: Alma Cocina, Date Night, Escape The Room, Kit, THE CUBE
Written by Patti on October 21st, 2016
Good Morning Darlings,
Happy Friday!
It’s always a hoot when things in the kitchen don’t go as planned. Eric and I got a wild hair last weekend to try and whip up homemade fritos to go with chili. The New York Times had what looked like a super easy recipe with basically three ingredients.
And ours looked pretty close to the ones pictured in the Times.
Here’s their photo:
New York Times Fritos (on the right)
And here’s ours:
I seriously have to use a better camera, y’all.
Perhaps I should have laid mine out on pretty polka dot wrapping paper?
Anyhoo, Frito Lay doesn’t have to worry about going out of business. We immediately went out and bought three bags of real fritos. We had friends coming over! We couldn’t feed them these homemade things.
But we did – just so they could see what the homemade version tastes like. And you know what? They ate them, because they are awesome people. Polite to the max. It was the first attempt. We can get better.
Popping out to the store is so much easier and tastier, though.
What are you cooking this weekend?
xoxo, Patti
Posted in Appetizers, baking, Chili, dinner, entertaining | Comments Off on Frito Fail!
Written by Patti on October 13th, 2016
Good Morning Darlings!
It’s always fun to see what’s going on in other parts of the country. Especially for Halloween.
At the Bellagio and Aria in Las Vegas they are making this October deliciously scary. Take a look:
How can he be so skinny and be made of chocolate?
All chocolate! The pumpkins AND the zombie!
ARIA’s main showpiece is a 200-pound, six-foot-tall male zombie made out of chocolate and rolling fondant. Due to his bold, statuesque position near the shop, guests are encouraged to take goosebump-worthy selfies with him if they dare. Another sight to behold is the life-size skeleton perched in a chocolate electric chair. This design took the team more than 70 hours to complete, using approximately 130 pounds of white and dark chocolate.
From gory and gruesome body parts to whimsical cakes and pastries, the displays cater to every guest, no matter how they prefer to celebrate the holiday. Executive Pastry Chef Claude Escamilla and his talented team worked diligently for eight months to create more than 45 festive showpieces that place the undead at center stage. With a year of planning, countless sketches and hundreds of ideas from skilled pastry artists, the final display showcases their hard work through a cake closely resembling human flesh, tombstones straight out of a horror movie and many more hair-raising pieces.
“I was very much inspired by my favorite TV program, “The Walking Dead,” said Escamilla. “When I was watching the show, I kept thinking about how I could take the characters and turn them into life-size creations for the holiday.”
So you KNOW I’m loving Chef Claude’s creations.
Shall we visit Las Vegas? Hmmm?
xoxo, Patti
Posted in Dessert, Travel | 1 Response »
Tags: Aria, Bellagio, Executive Pastry Chef Claude Escamilla, Halloween, Las Vegas, Zombie Chocolate
Written by Patti on October 12th, 2016
Good Morning Darlings,
My friends are so fab. They always know the cool places to go and the fun things to do.
Travis suggested we all go see the Sleepy Hollow Experience at Serenbe Playhouse. Oh, this would be perfect to kick off the Halloween Season. And truly, it was. You follow the actors through the woods as the play unfolds and it is incredible. The actors, the sets, the costumes and the Headless Horseman – you heard that right – all thrill.
Selfies while waiting for the play to start.
If you get there a bit early, you can grab a bit at The Hil, Serenbe’s cozy restaurant on the, well, hill. We stopped in for a cocktails and the charcuterie platter before making our way to the middle of the field (it’s seriously in the middle of a field, so be prepared to drive your car on only dirt roads).
The Sleepy Hollow Experience.
I really need to get the camera on my phone fixed.
Anyhoo, if The Sleepy Hollow Experience is not sold out, go. Go – gogogogogogo. It was the best. And before you leave the field after the play, look up. All the stars are visible in that expansive field. It’s gorgeous.
xoxo, Patti
Posted in atlanta | 1 Response »
