Holiday Gift Cards-BRIO!!!

It's that time of the year where you get great deals on gift card purchases. I just received this one in my in box.
Purchase $100 in gift cards and receive $20 bonus.
See details below
http://www.brioitalian.com/giftcards.html

Follow then on twitter
@BrioItalian

Cheers

$32 for a spa manicure & pedicure, rejuvenating sugar/salt scrub, and mini massage at Duafe Salon & Spa ($65 value)

I have never been to Duafe Salon & Spa  but had to share what sounds like the latest GREAT deal from KGB Deals!!!!

See link below:
http://www.kgbdeals.com/atlanta/?id=2127

SMYRNA BEER FEST!

We've attended last year and had a really fun time. Lot's of beer to taste and it's usually pretty warm out so stay hydrated and have a designated driver.
See here for more information!

http://www.smyrnabeerfest.com/

Morningside Summer Block Party!

Description



Join your friends and neighbors at the inaugural Morningside Summer Block Party on Saturday, August 28 from 12:30-9pm for a day of fun in the sun!






The event will be held in the parking lot behind DBA Barbecue and El Taco at the corner of Highland and Amsterdam Avenues--rain or shine. The gates open at 12:30pm and we'll be selling food from DBA, El Taco and Mali Thai along with ice-cold cocktails and Abita beer all day.






Tickets are $5 in advance (plus $0.99 service fee) or $10 at the door; children 14 and under are free. A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to firehouse station #19 in Virginia-Highland.






LIVE MUSIC LINE-UP:


Mudcat 1-2:30pm


East Ponce Soul Faction 2:45-4:15pm


The Hollidays - 4:30-6:30pm


The Oliver Wood & Joe McGuinness Band 6:45-9pm






There will be a children's area open from 1-6pm with games and activities to keep the kids busy. Sorry, no pets allowed.










Notes


Event occurs rain or shine. Must be 21 and over with valid ID to purchase alcohol--you will be carded. Parking is available on the surrounding streets, the parking lot directly across the street from San Francisco Roasting Co. and at Grace Lutheran Church across the street.

Click here for tickets!
 
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/122484

Enjoy Half-Price Lasagna to Celebrate National Lasagna Day on July 29th!

Check out BRIO special here:

Enjoy Half-Price Lasagna to Celebrate National Lasagna Day on July 29th!

The pic above is not the lasagna but their salmon...yum!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lunch cravingggggggg....

Do you ever just craveeee something fattening and NOT healthy? Well that was me today!
I had a chicken cheese steak and fries!!!!! Oh it felt good while I ate it but now I am miserable and sluggish*o*
Thank goodness I don't get these cravings very often.

ATLANTA RESTAURANT WEEK!

Here's your chance to have a three course meal at a fixed price! If you're like me there are tons of restaurants you want to try in Atlanta but you don't have the time or maybe it just doesn't fit in your budget at that moment.
Well here's a chance to mark it off your list:-)
See here:
http://www.atlantadowntown.com/fun/restaurant-week

Tomato Tart-Glamour Mag

I found this quick and easy recipe in glamour magazine.
I was not sure how it would taste because the cook time is 35-45 minutes and I was thinking tomatoes in the oven that long......really?
To my surprise it was sooooo good. I will definitely serve this as an appetizer for an up coming dinner.
Here yeah go.....
1 puff pastry sheet-thawed
Tomatoes(I used 2 large and one small)....I used tomato from my garden...yum!
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Thyme(Fresh)
Parchment Paper
Cookie Sheet

• Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Put the thawed puffed pastry sheet on the parchment paper
• Put the tomatoes on the puffed pastry sheet in rows. Do not over lap the tomatoes as this could make it soggy.
• Pull leaves from the thyme twigs and toss them over the tomatoes
• Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes
• Lightly sprinkle the black pepper over the tomatoes
• Cook on 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown
• Sprinkle the sea salt over after it's cooked

BEFORE

AFTER

PAPA Chow

On our way home from the airport we were quite hungry and decided to try one of the many restaurants that we have seen on Camp Creek. We decided on Papa Chow because the sign said they had stir fry. I was honestly thinking it might be like Chow Baby (http://www.therealchowbaby.com/), maybe because of the name but it was not.
Basically you go to the counter order your food, take a number and they bring the food to you.
I ordered the shrimp teriyaki. The presentation was nice but the food was not so good. The teriyaki was wayyyyyy tooooo sweet. I am usually a teriyaki fan but this was not good at all. I had plenty of shrimp and a nice size at that but just TOO sweet.
As hungry as I was I only ate half of my plate.
My husband had the Pad Thai Noodles with Tofu. He enjoyed his food.
Something that irritated me a bit is the fact that they were sweeping around us while we ate and mopped the floor with BLEACH while we ate. I was so annoyed luckily we were wrapping up and I was way too tired to complain. I may just drop the manager a note after I complete this review.

I will not be returning :-(

Here's the info:
http://www.papachow.com/index.html
3830 PRINCETON LAKES CT STE 900
ATLANTA, GA 30331
(CAMP CREEK MARKETPLACE - NEXT TO WALGREEN'S)
404-629-2575 (main)

2010 World Cup-Where to Watch...

Here's a good list that METROMIX Atlanta has put together.
Have fun and enjoy the games!
http://atlanta.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/article/watch-the-world-cup/1996337/content

Slow Cooker-Pot Roast

I found myself on www.allrecipes.com while in search of a slow cooker recipe for wings.

I came across this http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Awesome-Slow-Cooker-Pot-Roast/Detail.aspx?prop31=8

recipe for pot roast. So glad I did because there was virtually NO prep time and it came out really good.

I cooked it on high for 5 hours and I added baby carrots the last two hours. I was a little concerned that the carrots would be too soft bu they were perfect.
I served it over rice with green peas on the side.
From now on this will be my "I can't decide what to cook Sunday" go to recipe.

Savannah,GA

I still need to add photos but here's the review.

Here is where we stayed,ate and played:

Stayed at
Holiday Inn Express
SAVANNAH-HISTORIC DISTRICT

199 EAST BAY STREETSAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31401UNITED STATES
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/savannah/savex/hoteldetail

The room was nice ,clean and comfortable.
The staff from the front desk to the valet to the breakfast dining attendants were great!
We were directly across from the river walk. The only time we drove is when we went to Tybee Island.
The gym area is small but had exactly what I needed and at the time I went in there was only one other person there. After I worked out I walked straight out to the roof top desk to catch a breeze.
The complimentary breakfast was plenty. Normally when they saw complimentary it's cereal,muffins and fruit..not here.
More like biscuits and gravy,eggs,sausage,bacon(hubbie loved that) and I'll stop there:-) you get the picture.
I would definitely stay at this hotel again.

Where we ate:
The Wilkes House
http://www.mrswilkes.com/


We have been to Savannah several times and never ate here. We had been to Lady and Sons(Paula Deen) http://www.ladyandsons.com/
a couple of times but kept hearing about The Wilkes House and made it a point to go this time.
First advantage was there was not the long wait or stand in line to make an appointment to come back and eat as we have experienced at Lady and Sons(Please don't get me wrong I wanted to go so I went through that in order to try Lady and Sons and the food was good).
We waited about 30 minutes. Keep in mind we were in line about 15 minutes before they opened.
The food is served home style meaning you are seated at a big table with people you don't know and all different types of food is already at the table waiting for you. You then pass the food around as if you were at your own family gathering.
Man oh man sooooo much food! We attempted to try everything but that was a FAIL. We were too stuffed.
I kinda liked sitting with people that we didn't know because we all had something different to add to the conversation when we were not stuffing our faces.
So very glad we walked there because we were able to stroll back and let the food begin the digestion process.
OHHH I almost forgot they don't take PLASTIC...no credit cards! Yeah we found out when we pulled out the VISA! They guy at the front was so nice he was like oh you can just bring it back later today before we close and that's exactly what we did because we had no cash or checks on us:(

The Crab Shack-Tybee Island
http://www.thecrabshack.com/
I can't remember how I heard about this place but after seeing the web page it sounded like fun, plus Rachel Ray has a segment on the site from when she made a visit:-0
We had raw oysters and each had the low country boil.
The oysters were big and pretty good.
The low country boil was good but I would have liked more seasoning.
I will say the low country boil here was better than the one I had on the River walk at The Exchange Tavern.
The day we went in it was not too busy. We were seated right away and our server was really attentive.
Outside does have a small area with alligators. I sure kids would get a kick out of this us not so much.
Ummmm would we go back? Yes if we were staying on Tybee no if we were staying in downtown Savannah.


The Exchange Tavern on River Street
We actually stumbled across this place while walking on River Street. The menu looked good so we went in.
We were seated quickly at a nice seat upstairs.
Our server was good.
I had the low country boil(I was on a mission to have a REALLY GREAT one....but it didn't happen) and a spirited drink called the Fire Fly. The drink was delish. The Low Country Boil was not so good. The food was on the luke warm side and the seasoning was close to none.
My lunch mate had a fried seafood platter and enjoyed it.
IF I went back I would have something else on the menu.

Where we played:
Ghost Savannah
We did the haunted pub crawl
http://www.ghostsavannah.com/
It was fun and funny at times. We also learned a little history. Each bar had a specialty drink or you could order from the menu.

Our favorite and last stop on the tour was a place called Jen and Friends Martini Bar.
The martini's were delish!!!! We actually stayed here for another hour or so after the tour ended.
I keep getting error messages for the website(jensandfriendssavannah.com) so here's the address and phone number:
7 E Congress St

Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 238-5367
They're on myspace...just found this.....http://www.myspace.com/96780064

I hope this information is helpful.

Shame on me.....

I can't believe that I have only blogged once this month! I have pics and reviews of Savannah that I need to post.
I am hoping to take some time over the next week and get them posted.
The weather here has been wonderful. I had to completely cut down my rose bushes back in November when we were doing some renovations BUT they are coming back full and strong! I am sooooo delighted because I just knew they were not going to come back.
Seeing as it's the only thing I have planted and not killed I was not happy about cutting them down.
I'll have to take pics and post as they grow bigger and bigger and bigger.....ummmm wonder if I have any before pics???


Cheers

Fruit Parfait....just winging it

When I originally set out to make this recipe I was using a recipe I found in my Sunday Paper coupons for Yoplait Blended Strawberry Yogurt. I went to the store to pick up the ingredients and #1 the store didn't have the yogurt listed on the coupon #2 they didn't have the chocolate waffers called for in the recipe so I had to improvise.

See how I improvised below:-)

1 container of Yoplait whips light and fluffy strawberry mist(low fat mousse)...Dang that's a mouth full!

1 banana cut in small pieces

1/2 cup of fresh strawberries cut in small pieces

10 vanilla wafers crumbled



I cut the fruit in small pieces because I wanted to use these small glasses I have and make just enough for my Hubbie and I.

After making it I have decided the next time around to slice the bananas and layer them so that the yogurt does not slide down.

Her goes pretty simple:

vanilla wafers on bottom layer,bananas,yogurt then strawberries, then repeat.On the very top of the parfait I placed the top of one of the bigger strawberries tops that I cut off.
 
We enjoyed this after meal as a dessert!
I'll make it again and probably make different variations.

Food 101-Brunch

I had the pleasure of enjoying brunch here with a group so we were in a separate dining area. I say that up front because we had two people assigned to us so when I say the service was excellenct I can't speak for "normal dining" area.
Here is what I ate:
LOW COUNTRY SHRIMP & GRITS with Andouille Sausage and San Marzano Tomato Gravy.

The food- Good but the portion size was small.
Service-Excellent(The food was broought out nice and hot and the drinks were constantly being filled)
Price-Good(I beleive I paid $15.00 plus tax)
Interior-We were in a private closed off dining area that was comfortable. I would recommend this area to others.
Would I go back? Yes this time maybe trying dinner.


Restaurant Info:
4969 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342-2680 (404)497-9700
http://www.food101atlanta.com/

St Patty's Day Parade-Atlanta

Click below for more details.....
http://entertainment.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-ga/events/show/102334185-128th-annual-st-patricks-day-parade

Slow Cooker-Paprika Chicken

I am so proud of myself for sticking to my plan of trying recipes from this book. Here's the latest creation.

Paprika Chicken


Ingredients:
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
• salt and pepper

• 1 1/3 tablespoons Hungarian paprika, divided

• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom & garlic soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
Directions:
1. In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine onions and mushrooms.
2. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper and one tsp paprika.
3. Place in slow cooker on top of the vegetables.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the cream of mushroom soup and remaining 1 tablespoon of paprika; pour over chicken.
5. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours.
6. Remove chicken from slow cooker and keep warm.
7. Strain and defat cooking liquid.
8. Stir sour cream into liquid and serve hot over chicken.

I used bone in chicken and just removed the skin.
I also added 1 garlice glove minced  to the can condensed cream of mushroom soup  since I couldn't find the soup as listed.
The recicpe was simple to prepare.
The taste was bland to me. Maybe I should have used more salt and pepper, not sure. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I thought the sauce might help, but no. I doubt I will be making this again:(

Find and buy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 Tickets at Ticketmaster.com

Find and buy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 Tickets at Ticketmaster.com

Find and buy Atlanta Thrashers Tickets at Ticketmaster.com

Find and buy Atlanta Thrashers Tickets at Ticketmaster.com

Slow Cooker-Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I was attracted to this recipe becasue there are only 5 main ingredients, the last two are use as needed...I used them:-)

Prep Time: 15 minutes


Cook Time: 9 hours

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 cup purchased sweet and sour sauce

3/4 cup purchased barbecue sauce

1-2 Tbsp. cornstarch, if needed

2 Tbsp. water, if needed

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked. If you'd like a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to the liquid; cover and cook 10-15 minutes until thickened. Serve over hot cooked rice or couscous. 6 servings

I cooked this on high for 5 hours and it was perfect. My Hubby loved the sweetness of the chicken.
I also added 1 bell pepper cut into chunks.
I served it over uncle ben's already cooked basmati rice(see pic) below. I was not sure how the rice would come out seeing as it's already cooked and all you do is pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds. To my Hubby and My surprise it was good!
I'll be picking up more this weekend.

Yes, I'll make this again!

Cheers

 

http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenrecipe1/r/sweetspicychix.htm

Slow Cooker-Sunset Chicken

Here's another recipe from Sandra Lee that I tried a couple of weeks ago but I am just posting....bad
blogger:-)
Sunset Chicken


5 quart slow cooker

4 mixed bell peppers cut into thick strips

2 lbs chicken breast tenders

salt and pepper

2 tbsp salt free citrus herd seasoning

1 cup Catalina dressing

2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate,thawed



1. Place bell peppers in bottom of slow cooker

2. Season both side of chicken tenders with salt,pepper, and citrus herb seasoning. Place in slow cooker on top of bell peppers

3. In a small bowl,stir together Catalina dressing and orange juice concentrate. Pour in slow cooker over chicken.

4. Cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours.

I actually used bone in chicken breast(it's what I had in the house) and cooked it for 6 hours on low.


I served it over rice.


The prep time was fairly quick. Less than 10 min.


The dish is quite tasty. I would definitely make it again but this time with the tenders just to see how it comes out.

Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade slow cooker recipes 2.

Buckhead Restaurant Week

Here's a great way to try a new restaurant and have a three course meal at a fixed price.
How does one choose with so many good offerings?


http://www.brwatlanta.com/



Cheers

Another Smoothie Creation

The green monster smoothie has inspired me to try my hand at making more smoothies but still sticking with the green veggie concept. This past weekend I picked up some plain soy milk instead of vanilla and frozen pineapple chunks.
Here are the ingredients:

1 cup soy milk



4 ice cubes(from an ice tray)


8 frozen pineapple chunks


1/2 of a banana


1/2 cup spinach

The result was still green(see below) but it had a different taste. I enjoyed it and will make it again adding another 1/2 cup of spinach. I still want to get as much green veggies as possible in yeah know:-)

Half Off Depot

Here's a great site for half off deals. I know there are a few sites with half off deals for restaurants but this site also has deals on Fitness, Hotels and the Aquarium in addition to restaurants.
Check the link below for more details.
Happy Shopping.......

http://halfoffdepot.com/atlanta/all-products


Cheers

Wildfire Atlanta-1/2 off starters

Seems a lot of restaurants are doing this now to attract the after hour crowds. I guess it's a win win situation for the business owner and customer.
Here's a link to WildFire Atlanta for more information.
http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/events-news/join-us-half-price-starters-every-week-night-wildfire



Cheers

Green Smoothie-Part II

As I wrote yesterday my green monster smoothie was more like a purple monster smoothie(see previous post for pic) 
Today my hubbie made the smoothie(with full ingredients not half as I did yesterday) and well......shaking my head, his definitely looks more green than mine. Have a look for yourself

He did a great  job and it was still tasty! I will definitely be making this in the mornings at least for the next couple of weeks because my chocolate GNC Shake was getting a little boring AND this taste a little better.

Green Monster Smoothie?

I have heard so much about this smoothie that I decided I was going to get the ingredients this weekend and try the darn thing.
Welllll my green monster smoothie was more like a purple moster smoothie(see pic below).
I have to say that I only used half of each ingredient listed becasue my hubbie was already gone for the morning and I didn't want to end up with too much.
The smoothie was quite tasty. I didn't even taste a hint of the spinach which is what I most afraid of when setting out on this adventure. I am going to try again tomorrow without cutting the ingredients in half and see how I make out.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups spinach

1 cup silk vanilla light soy milk

1/2 cup blue berries,raw

1 banana

1/2 cup ice

I have seen different variations of this recipe so don't be surprised if you see it elsewhere changed up a little.

"ZING ZANG ZOOM"Circus-Discount Tickets

From the Travelzoo Newsdesk:




ATLANTA--FEBRUARY 18, 2010-- This weekend only, see Ringling

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's "Zing Zang Zoom" in Atlanta

starting at $7.



The following ticket prices are available at half off:



- Upper Level ... $7 (reg. $14)

- Upper Level ... $11 (reg. $22)

- Lower Level .... $14 (reg. $28)

- VIP Lower Level ... $30 (reg. $60)



The above pricing is valid for these shows at Philips Arena:



- Friday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

- Saturday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

- Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m., 4 p.m.



For more information and to buy these tickets, click below.

Enter the code "ZANG" in the promo box. Additional fees of

$3.75-$4.75 per ticket and $3.60 per order will be added.

http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/72096169-755522/

BONE HEADS-YUM!

Today I treated myself to a quiet lunch for one at Boneheads in the Perimeter. I have eaten here before but never blogged about it.
I went around 2:30pm so it was nice and quiet.
I had the grilled Salmon with the pineapple salsa. The sides were yellow rice and black beans with corn.

• Overall the food was good. The rice was a little dry.
• Service-Well you go up to the counter and order and then they bring the food to your table. The food came quick and I honestly can't even remember the person I ordered from.
• Price-Good $
• Interior-I would say maybe 6-8 booths and the rest are small tables. I was a little cold inside and had to put my coat back on.
• Would I go back? For sure.....although I dodn't order it this time  I really enjoy their shrimp soft tacos

Ohhh the only thing not good about going here is the parking. Should you fnd yourself there at lunch time you may have a difficult time finding a close parking spot. My office os close by so on warm days I walk over.

Bone Heads
4511 Olde Perimeter Way
Atlanta, GA 30346
(770) 206-4800
http://www.eatboneheads.com/index.aspx

Let it snow let it snow let it snow.....Update

So if you didn't hear, it snowed here in Atlanta-yay!
I sooo enjoyed looking at the snow. In the area where I was it was not quite enough for a snow man but the kids I saw running around outside didn't care.
The ONLY down side was the next morning there was ICE everywhere. Most schools completely shut down.
People who did go into work including myself had a VERY slippery drive.

A road that normally takes me 10-15 minutes to travel on took about 45 minutes. Not only was I looking out for my car but I was looking to make sure the cars in front of me were not slipping and sliding all over the place.
Driving on ice is not fun at all!
The weather is calling for a light snow again this week.
We'll have to wait and see.

Let it snow let it snow let it snow......

.....well so far the jokes on us here Atlanta! We were expecting snow today but so far it's been snow flurries spotted here and there:(
Most of the schools in Atlanta and the surrounding areas closed  early in anticipation of the snow.
I am from Texas so it's not like I have been around snow my entire life but it would be nice to get a little snow here, just enough for it to stick.
I am not giving up yet. My fingers are still crossed for some of the white stuff to fall and stick.

Chappy Lips.......awwwww relief

I left the house this morning without my chap stick and I REALLY needed it because the weather was brutal and my lips needed relief so I found myself in walmart looking for chap stick. The first thing that caught my eye was the package....purple is my favorite color:-) After reading the description I decided to give it a try  and I am glad that I did. I LOVE this stuff. So smooth and silky! The tube is actually like a lipstick tube which is pretty neat. I will be leaving this tube in the office and purchasing another for the house....yes I will finish my "old" chap stick that I left at home.

My First Egg White Omelet

Here is where I went:
J. Christophers

(678) 213-0312
1675 Cumberland Pky SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
http://www.jchristophers.com/

Here is what I ate:
The Goddess
Menu Description-Hold the yolks! An egg white omelet with diced tomato, spinach and Feta cheese. I added oven roasted potatoes and wheat toast.
I really enjoyed the omelet!I never had an e gg white omelet but I always wanted to try so I thought what the heck, it's a new year. I am so glad I did becasue I enjoyed it and I will order it from now on as I know it's a healthier option.

I sat at the front bar for breakfast. My server was friendly. The food came out hot and fast. They kept the coffee coming which is a plus in my book. I will definitely go back.Oh if you're going on a Sunday morning I rec you get there no later than 10am. I watched this place get packed quick!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I resolve to blog more in 2010!!
I know that sounds simple right but as much as I eat out and try new recipes I have the hardest time logging on and getting it done.
I don't usually do "New Year's Resolutions" but I figured what the heck.


Good luck to me:-)