Ahoy Baby Boy!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I co-hosted a coed baby shower for some dear friends who live out-of-state.  Along with our fellow co-hosts, we really wanted to make this shower memorable for Ali and Jason and their soon-to-arrive baby boy.  We went with a nautical theme, as we figured this was perfect for a baby boy (and his nursery is decked out in sea-worthy furnishings as well). 

The shower was at our friends Staci and Alex's lovely house, and between Staci and Heather (the other co-hostess), we were set for delicious food. 

Are your weekend plans rather bland? Spice things up with a cooking class!

If you're looking for something fun to do either with friends or as a date night, then hopefully this post will inspire you! I've been meaning to give The Cook's Warehouse (TCW) a shout out for quite sometime now. My sister turned me on to their cooking classes and I've been hooked ever since... I believe her fiance was a volunteer there which is how she came to know of the place. TCW sells every kitchen gadget imaginable so if you're in need of some Le Creuset pots and pans or maybe a really nice paring knife then you need to check them out, but what sets them apart from their competition is that they offer a wide array of cooking classes taught by some of Atlanta's most accomplished chefs. These instructors own some of the hottest restaurants in town, some of the chefs have made TV appearances, and of course all of them have written a recipe book or two.

Lindsay, A to Z

Callie over at Calliespondence (Catherine and I have told y'all about our dear friend and her stationery before, here and here ) was kind enough to tag us in a trend that has been sweeping the blogging world, the a to z post!

So here goes ladies, all about me!  :o)

A.  Age: 31. As a child, that put me square in the middle of two great decades.... the 80's and the 90's.  Let's just say that I was obsessed with most of the characters in the photo montage above.  Alf, you handsome devil you.... Scott Baio, you were a major crush on Charles in Charge.... and Punky Brewster, I loved your spunk.... and my Converse All-stars "you" designed.   

Katie's Bacon and Brown Sugar Recipe

Calling all bacon lovers… I have a special recipe for you! If you like Bacon and you like sweets then this is a MUST try. And at most it takes 2 minutes to prep and under 20 minutes to cook… this is seriously easy and seriously delicious.

Bunco Go Bragh

Hi ladies! I hope you all have big weekend plans in store.... as for me, I'm gearing up to co-host a coed baby shower for some special friends this Saturday night. I promise to take lots of pictures to share! It's at my good friend Staci's house (she's the wife of one of my husband's fraternity brothers and a fellow Bunco-er to boot) and she's got some great ideas cooked up. We have a nautical theme going (to celebrate the baby BOY), and we hope our guests will enjoy.

But first, I'm in the mood for a little St. Patrick's Day pre-planning.... shall we? :o)

The Perfect Recipe for your Bunco Game Night – Burgundy Mushrooms!

Happy Friday! I'm uber excited to share a really fabulous recipe which came to me via a very dear friend, Lauren. She is actually great friends with both me and Lindsay. We've known this girl forever and she is many fabulous things rolled into one... a wonderful mother, wife, friend, fashionista, purse hoarder – the girl has more pocketbooks than Imelda Marcos has shoes!

She is captain of her tennis team, was voted most congenial for her senior superlative, and some might call her a comedian because she is down right hysterical. But truthfully, I've never really thought of her as a cook until recently. This is ONLY because she is always saying she doesn't care to be in the kitchen much, not because she doesn't make some really yummy things! After trying a few of her recipes out though I think we can add 'cook' to her long list of attributes.

Well, the other night it was Lauren's turn to host Bunco and she whipped out this mushroom dish that had everyone coming back for more. So, for the foodies who read our blog, I encourage you to try this Burgundy Mushroom recipe. It makes the perfect side dish or you can do as Lauren did and serve as an appetizer. It does take some time, a whopping 9 hours to be exact, but trust me, these shrooms are well worth the wait.
 

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I do... next time I hope to blog about a delicious candy bacon that I hear is pretty easy to make. First, I gotta get it from Katie, another good friend and fellow bunco player to me and Lindsay. Wish me luck. ;)

Catherine

Burgundy Mushrooms

4 lbs. button mushrooms
2 sticks real butter
1 liter of burgundy wine
5 cloves garlic peeled
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dill weed
4 beef boullion cubes
4 chicken boullion cubes
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire

Put everything except the salt into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer COVERED for 6 hours. Remove the lid and continue to cook UNCOVERED for 3 more hours.

Add salt to taste at the end of cooking, if desired. The mushrooms will be very dark in color. You can simmer these slowly until you need them. Serve warm in chafing dish, with tooth picks or alongside a tenderloin or good steak. They will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Forlines, Party of Two

Happy Monday, dear readers!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Please excuse my tardiness in getting {what should have been} Friday's post up.  However... I do have a good reason.  I was enjoying a weekend away in beautiful Athens, Georgia.  As some of you may know, this past fall I was elected to one of four spots on my city's Board of Mayor and Commissioners.  I was sworn in in January, and I needed to complete a "Newly-Elected Official" conference to get up to speed on my new position.  Lucky for my hubs and me, one location where the conference is offered is The University of Georgia.  As we are both Double Dawgs (i.e., we each have two degrees from UGA), we jump on any chance to go spend time in what truly is our home away from home.

Break out your heart shaped doilies, it's V Day!

Throwing a party in honor of Cupid? Then check out some of these fabulous, flirty finds! You may just fall in love with them. ;)
Love that blue is the prominent color here, not pink.

You’re invited, now have some cake!

As promised, this post is a follow up to my daughter’s birthday party in which I’d like to give kudos to a few others, besides my MIL, who really made the day special. First, I’d like to give a nod to Callie Burnette, creator of Calliespondence, who was the mastermind behind the invitations. This girl is a whiz-bang with pretty paper. Her stationary creations are simply amazing! All I had to do was give her the theme and she provided me with some adorable options to choose from, but below is what we ended up going with and I couldn’t have been more pleased.

Champagne (need I say more)?

      A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands. 

      Lord Byron

I don't agree with ol' Lord Byron on the exclusivity of this statement, as I think a woman should be seen eating or drinking any food she darn well pleases... as long as she is using her proper manners - this is the South, y'know. ;o)  However, I do agree with the passion for Champagne that his comment reveals.