[this was my great grandmother’s beautiful tea towel from Guam, bought around 1931]
[new curtains and rug complete the dining room]
[New Year’s Eve party prep]
[which color to choose?]
[NYE sparkles]
[happy 2013!!]
Monthly Archives: December 2012
all is merry + bright
Can you believe Christmas is already over? All that gift buying, trip planning, food prepping, house cleaning, carol singing… and it’s over in a flash. We were blessed with another wonderful Christmas holiday this year. We spent the first part of the week with Craig’s family in Nashville, and then headed home to Atlanta to be with my family on Christmas day. Lots and lots of food was eaten, church was attended, family and friends were visited, presents were given and received, and it was a lovely holiday spent celebrating everything we love most.
Coco was especially excited about this giant candy cane rawhide, which was devoured in less than 5 minutes::
We met Hunter Hayes, Craig’s cousin’s little boy::
We spent Christmas morning with Craig’s family::
And got to hold and stare at baby Bree in her pink Christmas tutu dress and fuzzy boots::
We thankfully had a very easy drive both to and from Nashville::
And came home to this on Christmas afternoon::
Dad fried a turkey (and smoked another one) for our Christmas dinner with Lauren’s mom, dad, and grandmother::
My 3 favorite guys::
Funny bunny added to our tree::
Andrew, Lauren, and their dog Riley::
My homemade popovers::
Mommy and me::
Cheers to you and yours from the Hayes Family!
A Few of My Favorite Things (3)
[stella & dot team holiday party – ice skating at park tavern]
[reindeer treats for coworkers]
[festive paper]
[homemade holiday treats from a coworker]
[fake cardboard doggy teeth]
[favorite bloggers and DIYers! yay for this Christmas gift from the hubs]
[pretty winter sky in Nashville]
Merry Christmas Eve to you!!
recipe:: coca cola cake
I love Coca Cola Cake. If you’re never had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into this sugary sweet dessert, you should try making it. Or go to Cracker Barrel and have theirs, which is even better. It’s a southern dessert and yes, there actually is a whole can of Coke in the recipe. I found this particular recipe on Pinterest, courtesy of a blog by May Flaum. I have to give a warning, though — I followed the recipe exactly, and it still turned out VERY dense like many readers commented on her blog. Her photos of her cake look very fluffy in comparison…. but I made this for a coworker’s birthday last week and despite it being dense, it got rave reviews. Any suggestions on how to make it a fluffier cake are welcome!
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 9×13 pan.
2) Mix:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3) In a saucepan over medium high heat, stir this until it boils:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup Coca Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
4) Take off heat and add that to the flour mix & whisk until combined.
5) Then add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6) Mix, put in pan, and bake for about 30 minutes. Be sure not to over-bake it!
7) When cake is nearly done make the glaze by mixing in saucepan:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Coca Cola
8) Once the glaze boils, remove and slowly stir in 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar until nice and smooth. (You could probably go a little lighter on the sugar, in my opinion.)
9) Once the cake is cooked and out of the oven, pour this warm glaze right over the top of the hot cake!
Let the glaze set and the cake cool for a at least a few minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
restaurant review:: bone lick bbq
Last weekend, we tried out the newest BBQ hotspot in town, Bone Lick BBQ, over in West Midtown. According to their website, Bone Lick started as a pop-up restaurant concept by Executive Chef Mike LaSage at P’cheen in the Old Fourth Ward. I’ve visited P’cheen once and it was fabulous, so this makes sense now. Atlanta Magazine named it #4 in the state and #1 in metro Atlanta. And right now, they are offering a Scoutmob deal for free boiled peanuts when you dine in!
The restaurant is on Huff Road in between Howell Mill and South Atlanta… sort of an off-the-beaten-path location in my opinion, but it’s definitely worth checking out. Their menu is crazy with lots of funny menu item titles. We couldn’t resist “Them Big Ole Totties” — a heaping mound of tater tots smothered in sausage, pulled pork (delicious and smoky), jalapenos (firey), chipotle bbq sauce, and homemade cheese sauce (even better). I also enjoy that you can get “just one rib” on the appetizer menu. Beware, though — they say that much of their menu is on the spicy side, and they’re not joking.
How could we resist this?
They offer lots of entree and sammy choices… one name in particular that I enjoyed was “The Failed Hunter”… vegetarian, of course. We are far from vegetarians, so we did not sample that one. Craig chose the combo meat plate with brisket and pulled pork (and pork braised collards), and I went for the 1/4 rack of spare ribs, which were one of the waiter’s faves. I also couldn’t resist the jalapeno mac n cheese. Both of our meals were spicy but so, so good. It seemed like a TON of food… especially after eating 10,000 tater tots for an appetizer, so we had plenty of leftovers to take home. (yay!)
I was reading through their website while writing this, and saw mention of House Cotton Candy and Funnel Cakes…. WHAT?! I may have been stuffed to the brim, but how did my waiter let me miss out on that?? I’ll be back very soon — maybe just for tots and dessert. Oh — and they have skee ball!!!
My Unofficial Guide to Atlanta:: things to do
Continuing my unofficial guide to Atlanta is a list of some of my favorite activities and attractions. There are so many cool things to do around the city and in outlying areas, so there’s no way I can cover everything… these are just some of my faves. Enjoy!
THINGS TO DO:
Center for Puppetry Arts::
I can’t very well make a list of my favorite things to do in Atlanta and not mention my workplace of more than 6 years. The Center is currently the nation’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to the art of puppetry. There are original performances and guests artists who visit from around the world, a global Museum and Jim Henson exhibits (come see Cookie Monster and Big Bird!), and an award-winning Education department that offers Distance Learning, outreach, and the oh-so-fun Create-A-Puppet Workshop. If you’re around through the holidays, I’d highly recommend seeing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which is based on the classic television show that many of us know and love from childhood. There are shows for families as well as adults (like Tales of Edgar Allan Poe in February 2013) throughout the year, so there’s always something interesting to check out!
Dad’s Garage Theater Company::
Affectionately just called “Dad’s” — this place is legit funny. They offer improv comedy shows as well as original plays and are located in Inman Park, so it’s perfect for a “dinner and a show” date night. The improv shows are our favorite ones to attend — we loved the Japanese-style game show Samurai Davis Jr. and Dim Sum’s Super Mega Happy Fun Time Improv Show!, Invasion: Christmas Carol, and Ask Dr. Frapples (a Dear Abby-style improv show). You can also buy snacks and buckets o’ beer.
Atlanta Botanical Gardens::
Two great times to visit the Garden — Scarecrows in the Garden (October) and Garden Lights Holiday Nights (November/December).
Every fall, tons of local businesses, organizations, and even families create their own scarecrow to be displayed, and it’s a really fun early evening activity to bring your kids to or just visit with some friends. Every Thursday is the Fest of Ale (featuring autumn-themed beer) and local banjo player (and friend of mine) David Stephens performs original songs with his band, Banjolicious. It’s a festive good time to get you in the mood for fall!
A new tradition we started last year is visiting for the Garden Lights Holiday Nights when my family is in town for Christmas. This year, there are over one million lights in the gardens, along with trains, musical orbs (so cool!), and beautiful flowers. It’s like being in an enchanted, glowing forest. You can have cocktails and cider at the Glow Bar and even buy “Make-Your-Own S’mores” kits to toast by the fire pits! Be sure to bundle up — last year, it was freeeeezing!
Piedmont Park::
Our own mini version of Central Park… it’s a wonderful green oasis in Midtown. Although the parking is terrible, once you’re there, it’s such a great place to jog, walk your dog (and visit the HUGE dog park), or just lay in the grass with a picnic lunch. In the summer, you can attend Screen on the Green, where a different film plays on a huge screen out on the lawn each week, and in the spring, the Dogwood Festival is one of the most popular festivals of the year. Last March, we ran our first 5K, the Color Run. It started and ended in Piedmont Park and was a big party of colorful dust!
Zoo Atlanta::
I love the zoo. Not just Atlanta’s, but most any zoo will do. (Like that rhyme?) Watching animals is just so entertaining. In fact, mine and Craig’s first official date was to Zoo Atlanta! I haven’t been in years, but have it on my list to visit in 2013. It’s a smaller zoo than say, San Diego’s, but it’s still a nice place to visit. Two annual events that I think sound really fun are Boo at the Zoo (for kids at Halloween) and Brew at the Zoo (for adults sometime in the fall). Who doesn’t want to play among the pandas and elephants and monkeys?? And they have free parking… a hot commodity in the middle of the city.
Taste of Atlanta Food Festival::
We love food, so a food festival is the perfect place to take my parents when they’re in town. The Taste of Atlanta Food Festival is a weekend-long festival that takes place in October. There were 75+ restaurants, ranging from fine dining to Waffle House, that had booths set up around the streets of GA Tech’s campus, and there were cooking demonstrations throughout the day. With admission, you receive a number of tickets to exchange for food tastings. The cone of pomme frites below was from the JCT Kitchen booth. Yum! Although it’s only once a year and is usually very crowded, I’d go again… who doesn’t love the opportunity to taste treats from some of the best restaurants in town — all in one place?
Food Truck Parks::
There are 2 locations that I love to visit when the weather is nice — Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market on Howell Mill in the Midtown area and Taylor-Brawner Park in Smyrna. The food truck wave hit Atlanta a while ago, and now they’re everywhere… which is not a problem with me. I love the variety of the trucks at each park, and it’s so nice to have an excuse to sit outside with some friends for a couple hours while we try out an assortment of food surprises. The one drawback about the Smyrna park is that it’s only open every Tuesday (now closed for the winter), so it’s PACKED every week with every person who lives within 15 miles of the park, but I guess that means it’s popular and here to stay. Some of my favorite trucks that frequent the parks are Yumbi (a blend of Asian and Mexican flavors), King of Pops (amazingly fresh, all-natural popsicles – esp. the Chocolate Sea Salt!), Sweet Auburn BBQ, and Champion Cheesesteaks (they also have a small restaurant in Smyrna called Roy’s Cheesesteaks, and they’re the best ever).
A Few of My Favorite Things (2)
[o christmas tree, o christmas tree — made by craig’s great aunt]
[my colorful prize from our 3rd annual girls dinner and ornament exchange]
[some merry for the kitchen this season]
[my 2 favorites hanging out before bed]
[first fire crackling on a dreary Sunday afternoon]
[gold mason jar bookends — DIY project success!]
[some of my favorite people with our beautiful 98-year-old great-grandmother, Miss Minnie]
My Unofficial Guide to Atlanta:: the food
I’ve now lived in Atlanta almost 7 years…. just under 1/4 of my life. There are so many hidden gems — fun parks and festivals, eclectic neighborhoods, and even more amazing restaurants. So without further ado, here’s my unofficial guide to the things I love in Atlanta, starting with food. Check them out and let me know what you think!
Great, inexpensive Mexican that’s so fresh and tasty you’d stand in line for 1/2 an hour:: Taqueria del Sol
Multiple locations around town, but I usually visit the West Side spot on Howell Mill. Expect a line that last upwards of 20-30 minutes, but it’s totally worth it. The food comes out almost the instant you sit down, and it’s always piping hot and delicious. I LOVE the Fried Chicken Taco (all their tacos are soft) and the Cheese Enchilada with Beef Red Chili Sauce. No beans and rice needed, but theirs are pretty good if you get them. The Memphis Taco is also a crowd favorite — it’s smoked pork with a spicy jalapeño coleslaw and tequila BBQ sauce. I think Taqueria is the reason I started eating guacamole. Their margaritas are also top notch, in my opinion. Everything is very reasonably priced. It’s one of my very favorite lunch or dinner spots in the city.
Best breakfast all day:: The Flying Biscuit Cafe
My favorite place for breakfast any time of the day. Their famous biscuits and cranberry apple butter are almost good enough to have as a whole meal by themselves, but then you’d miss out on the Creamy Dreamy Grits, Moon-dusted Potatoes, and my personal favorite, the Southern Scramble (farm fresh eggs scrambled with turkey bacon, collard greens, onions, and cheddar cheese). The menu is comprised of unique, healthy options. I’ve not had anything other than the Southern Scramble, but this is a local favorite among most Atlantans. The original Flying Biscuit is down in Historic Candler Park, but they have locations all over the city and out into the burbs – just go early, because there’s almost always a wait.
Finger-lickin’ good BBQ:: Fox Bros. BBQ
Hands-down some of the best BBQ in Atlanta. Located on Dekalb Ave in Candler Park (just south of Little 5 Points), and again, there is almost always a wait because it’s just that good. They have a big outdoor patio space, so it’s great for outdoor dining in nice weather. If you go, you have to indulge and get the Tomminator — tots smothered in Brunswick stew and cheddar cheese. So bad, but so delicious — and don’t try to eat this by yourself. The pulled pork and baby back ribs are among my favorite meals there, and of course I love the mac n cheese and collards to round out the meal.
Best Mobile Pizza Joint:: S & J’s Woodfired Pizza
I may be a bit biased here because it’s owned by a couple friends of ours, but it truly is some of the best pizza around. Sarah and Jonathan (affectionately known as S &J) operate out of a wood fired oven on wheels and can be found all over town most of the year at various festivals and farmers markets. Fresh, local ingredients are used on all of their pies, and their menu changes with what’s in season. One of my favorites is the Sausage and Peppers (tomato sauce with mozzarella, italian sausage and mixed heirloom peppers). The pizza is always piping hot, crispy, and so delicious. Some weekends, we stalk S & J’s on facebook to see what festivals they’re at so we can get our pizza fix. They are also available for catering for your next big event, and I’d highly recommend them (hint, hint).
Hands-down best tapas, especially the B.W.D.:: The Iberian Pig
We are on the dead opposite side of the city from Decatur, but I’d drive there most any day for a dinner at The Iberian Pig. After my birthday dinner there in August, it jumped to one of my very, very favorite restaurants. It’s located in the Square, and there are so many fabulous restaurants and pubs to choose from (Leon’s Full Service and Brick Store Pub are some other popular options). You HAVE to get the B.W.D. (Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Manchego cheese and walnuts), Spanish Tortoloni, and Pork Cheek Tacos.
Take your doggy to dinner (or brunch or lunch):: Tree House
Located a bit off the beaten path in the Peachtree Hills neighborhood, it sort of looks like a treehouse for grown-ups. Dogs are welcome, so it’s a great spot for casual weekend dining with man’s best friend. My favorite times to visit are for a laid-back, weekend brunch or dinner in the summer. I love their English Club Burger (served on a toasted English muffin) and the Artichoke Dip appetizer (w/toasted pita bread) is a must-try.
Best steak in Atlanta with an old-school Buckhead feel:: Hal’s on Old Ivy
My dad loves a good steak, and he’s found the perfect one at Hal’s. We have frequented many a steakhouse in my lifetime, and my dad swears this is one of THE best steaks anywhere. Period. The atmosphere is very old-school Buckhead with a piano by the bar, and they still have a cigarette machine by the entrance. I love their crispy garlic bread and Caesar salad, as well as a new favorite, the fried lobster in butter sauce. The seared-to-perfection steaks are the obvious star of the show, but their Fettuccine Alfredo makes a fantastic, buttery, unhealthy accompaniment. And don’t leave without having the Bread Pudding floating in a rum sauce. To die for.
Creamy Heaven in a Cup:: Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream
Named 4th Best Ice Cream Shop in America by Bon Appetite Magazine in ’09. The original location is a small walk-up shop in East Atlanta… quite a drive for us, but totally worth it. I just learned that they also have a location in Dunwoody now, so folks north of the city won’t be deprived. All the ice cream is handmade and oh-so-creamy, and they’re known for some very quirky flavors thrown in among the classics. I’m not about to try the Avacado, but their Salted Caramel is like Heaven in a cup. The simple, classic Chocolate is also divine. If you’re looking for an after-dinner treat or mid-afternoon snack, this is the place.
Delightfully Delicious Doughnuts:: Sublime Doughnuts
Their slogan is “Eat one that’s worth it” — and I agree that this is it. Located in a non-descript shopping center on 10th St in Midtown, you would never believe what amazing sugary goodness lies inside. For my birthday a couple years ago, I received a box from my coworker Hilary… and inside were Sublime doughnuts spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and every one was a different flavor. Love it!! My favorites are the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Butter Toffee, Orange Dream Star, and the Frosted Croissant… OMG that frosted croissant. Just check out their website – you’ll be drooling in no time. Bring some to the office and you’ll be a hero.
A Few of My Favorite Things
Last weekend, I was reading the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere and came across her posts called “Five Things.” I loved her idea of documenting some of her favorite things each week, whether it’s a beautiful sunset, a delicious home-cooked meal, or a funky piece of jewelry, and just taking time to appreciate the little things that make her happy. A couple years ago, I did a series of 365 photos — one for every day of the year — and it was so fun to look back through those albums of photos documenting the little things. So I’m going to do my take on “Five Things” with weekly posts called “A Few of My Favorite Things.” Enjoy!
[champagne tinsel Christmas trees]
[cork wall – part of our basement bar renovation]
[mini caprese salads]
[giant Christmas tree at Atlantic Station]
[Cookie Monster at the Center for Puppetry Arts (my day job)]
so many holiday parties…. what to wear?
It’s Holiday Party time! That means lots of eating, drinking, dancing, singing, and cute party outfits! If you’re in need of some style suggestions, then read away. The jewelry is from Stella & Dot (of course).
I love a good Holiday Cocktail Party during this time of year… and if I’m not going the Tacky Sweater route, I’d pick something fun and fancy like a bright red or green dress. A statement necklace like the Isadora Pearl Bib looks great over a bold color. I’ve paired it with the classic Glint Flower CZ Earrings, Laurel Rings (set of 3), and Ainsley Bracelet (it’s stretchy!).
Partying with your boss and coworkers this holiday season? Keep it classy with an elegant look — a pencil skirt or simple dress looks great with these silver, sparkly delicates. The Andrea Pendant and Joyce Chandelier Earrings are beautiful in person – so very delicate with the look of fine jewelry. I’d stack a couple of the Radiance Coil Bracelets and finish the look with a great everyday piece, the Stackable Deco Rings.
Have a girls night cookie / ornament / gift swap coming up? For gatherings like this, I like to keep it casual while still being festive. I’d choose some bright skinny jeans (like these red ones from Old Navy, which I personally own in 3 colors) and a comfy sweater or long sleeved top. A long pendant necklace is casual but stylish — my current favorite is the Wesley Pendant from our Holiday Collection. I love the mixed metals, and it pairs really well with the Luna Wrap (which also doubles as a necklace!). Finishing up the look are the Renegade Bracelet, Secret Garden Ring, and Signature Hoops in Gold.
So many of us ring in the New Year with the classic LBD… and now you can add some edge with the Lillith Fringe Necklace. It completely transforms the simple LBD and turns you into a rock star for the night. Finish the look with the Vintage Studs, big Secret Garden Cuff, and Stackable Gem Ring.
hayes everyday 