From My Kitchen To Yours

If you are in need of a comforting breakfast food or afternoon snack, try making my easy homemade granola.

Granola Goodness:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together in the bottom of a very large mixing bowl:

¾ cup veggie oil
½ cup honey

Mix in and coat with sweetened oil mixture the following:

4 Cups oatmeal (not quick cooking)
2 Cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 Cups nuts (suggestion 1 cup slivered almonds, 1 cup walnuts)

Spread the raw granola on a large baking sheet (line with parchment paper if available).

Bake for a total of about 22 minutes.
Stir the mixture after 10 minutes and then again after another 8 minutes.
*Every oven is different and you may need to adjust the mixing and cooking times as the granola burns easily!

At this point your home will smell of sweet, irresistible granola, but you’re not finished.

Cool the granola in the sheet pan. If you prefer the oats to cluster together, do not disturb until completely cooled.

Mix a few handfuls of your favorite dried fruit. I like to use dates, golden raisins and cranberries, but feel free to get creative… my friend Annie adds white chocolate chips!

Store your Granola Goodness in the refrigerator if you plan to eat within a few weeks. I keep large batches in the freezer.

Enjoy on top of vanilla yogurt or ice cream! Caryn, Tanai and Lindsay pass on the yogurt and eat the Granola Goodness alone.

Moms-Before You Slip into Your New Year's Eve Party Dress, Dash Over to the New Year's Eve Morning " Good Life Jam Session" at Whole Foods Market

I know my mom had to have been in pretty good shape to chase around my brothers and I for the past 27 years. From our first steps to our first job, she has been there for it all. I am sure she would have loved to get some great tips and talk with other moms about parenting throughout some of the more "trying" years. Now, Whole Foods Market in Buckhead is offering

an awesome event, perfect for moms vowing to stay healthy and sane in the new year.

Boost your energy level for New Year’s Eve night and jump start your 2009 commitment to good health by joining Whole Foods Market Lifestyle Consultant Candice Hood from 9 – 10:30 a.m. this Wednesday morning at the Whole Foods Market Buckhead “Fit & Fabulous Mommy Club.” Each week focuses on a different topic and always includes a workout session with a top Buckhead trainer, a cooking demonstration and an empowerment session. Leave the frou-frou frock at home and dress in warm athletic wear. Reserve your spot for this free event at fitandfabulousmommyclub@gmail.com or at Customer Service.

Whole Foods Market Buckhead: 77 West Paces Ferry Road, NW; 404-324-4100.

Chef Party at El Taco Sunday

Feeling a little let down now that all the holiday parties are over? Don't despair! There's a great party on Sunday night at El Taco - and you're invited. A while back, Kirsten Ott from The Sunday Paper named her top 25 chefs in the city and Shaun Doty has invited them all to come celebrate with him. And you know there's nothing more fun than partying with a bunch of chefs!

Sunday night, Dec. 28, starting at 9 p.m. El Taco will be serving $1 tacos and $2 beer. No deals on the FroMos though - boo! Nevertheless, it will be tons of fun. All the chefs have been invited and we know for sure that Joe Truex/Repast, Craig Richards/La Tavola Trattoria, Micah Willix/Ecco, Shane Touhy/Dogwood, Riccardo Ullio/Beleza, Cuerno, Sotto Sotto and Fritti and of course Shaun will be there.

I can't wait!

Marlow's Tavern in Northlake Opens its Doors on Christmas Day!!

There’s nothing like family. Since we all live so far apart, it’s always a treat to have everyone in one place. I find though, that no matter how much we chat and visit throughout the year, for some reason, when we all get together, everyone reverts back to their role; just like when we were growing up. The youngest becomes the baby (even though she is 25 years old!), the oldest becomes the boss of everyone and the men always get together to do something that will ultimately crown the manliest among them. Sometimes it’s funny to sit back watch the whole thing play out; other times, it’s exhausting and I need a moment to get away!

So, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be grateful to know that Atlanta’s favorite neighborhood spot, Marlow's Tavern Northlake, is providing refuge on Christmas Day by opening the doors from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For those of us needing a moment of solitude before sitting down to dinner with our favorite aunt and least favorite cousin, this is exciting news!

Enjoy your holidays and meet me at Marlow’s tomorrow!

Marlow's Tavern Northlake: 4156 La Vista Road, 678- 987-1197.

Coming Soon-Marlow's Duluth

I drove to Duluth on Monday to check out the newest Marlow’s Tavern location. The new space looks fabulous! The walls are adorned with flat screen TV’s and framed black and white photographs. The booths and tables are installed and ready for the first diners. The open kitchen sparkles in the back of the space, and the lengthy bar is ready for its first patrons. So get ready for Tuesday January 20th when the new Marlow’s opens its doors!
Marlow's Duluth:
1950 Satellite Blvd, Duluth, GA 30097
www.marlowstavern.com

We've Lots Up Our Sleeves For a Fun New Year's Eve!

Raise a glass of bubbly and say "So long!" to 2008. Here's to Atlanta's fabulous restaurants for offering plenty of ways to wine and dine while ushering in 2009! Make your way to one of these dining destinations for a fabulous New Year's Eve celebration!

Aqua blue at 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886

Dogwood in the Reynolds Condominium Building at 565 Peachtree Street, NE; 404-835-1410.

Eclipse di Luna Miami Circle at 764 Miami Circle;
404-846-0449.

South City Kitchen Midtown and Vinings: Visit the Midtown location at 1144 Crescent Avenue; make reservations at 404-873-7358 or the Vinings location at 1675 Cumberland Parkway. Make reservations at 770-435-0700.

La Tavola at 992 Virginia Avenue, NE. Make reservations at 404-873-5430.

Marlow's Tavern: There are five locations in the Atlanta area: Alpharetta at 3719 Old Alabama Road, 770-475-1800; Kennesaw at 745 Chastain Road, NW, 770-425-8777; Midtown at 950 West Peachtree Street, 404-815-0323; Vinings at 2355 Cumberland Parkway, 770-432-2526; and Northlake at 4156 LaVista Road; 678-987-1197

Morton's Steakhouse - There are two locations in the Atlanta area: Morton's in Buckhead is located in the Peachtree Lenox Building at 3379 Peachtree Road, NE,
404-816-6535 and downtown in the SunTrust Plaza Building at 303 Peachtree Center Avenue,404-577-4366.

Toulouse at 2293 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-351-9533.

Woodfire Grill at 1782 Cheshire Bridge Road, NE;
404-347-9055.

DailyCandy Definition

The Tasty De-Lie perches precariously on the scale of justice, between the common little white and the sink-your-teeth-into whopper. One more bite and the scale will tilt, and not in your favor! You can’t hide a calorie from The DailyCandy Lexicon.

Tasty De-Lie: n. The false belief that Tasti D-Lite is healthy.

All I Want for Christmas is an Urban Composter

So, I set out to buy my master gardener mother some goodies for her Christmas stocking and I end up adding an urban composter to my own Santa list. That's what a trip to Farmer D's brand new store will do for you. It's like when you go to Michael's and you start imagining yourself as an artist and get all inspired to create some beautiful things. At Farmer D's you'll get excited about gardening, creating a sustainable environment in your own little world.

The store is located on North Druid Hills at Briarcliff, sharing a door with Avril's car wash. When I walked up, Farmer D was there proudly showing a lady a large barrel of worms squirming around in some very rich, dark brown soil. She seemed duly impressed so I oohed and aahed too. Inside is a beautiful store with tons of merchandise - all organic. You can stock up on Farmer D's own brand of biodynamic fertilizer, buy gardening tools, browse the book section, and check out cool products that you never knew existed - like an urban composter. This thing is small for us city dwellers and pretty much does the work for you - automatically churning your waste every four hours and providing you with beautiful soil every 2 weeks! Did I mention I want one of these???

I got my mom a cool wire bird feeder and some suet for inside it, seeds for some hearty lettuces, a homemade reusable produce bag, and a book on composting (hee hee!). Farmer D's store is open every day. I recommend checking it out. And if you get that composter, call me so I can come over and see it work!

Parker's on Ponce Brings White Oak Pastures Beef To the Table

Downtown Decatur is DeKalb county’s favorite location for unique shops and locally owned restaurants. Independently owned steakhouse, Parker’s On Ponce, is one of our favorites. Parker’s On Ponce is known for serving a traditional steakhouse menu in modern environs. In their effort towards supporting local food, the steakhouse uses grass-fed beef of Georgia’s own White Oak Pastures. The dinner menu sizzles with steaks ($15-$52) ranging from flat iron, filet mignon, New York strip, Kansas City strip, ribeye, and a “Porterhouse Steak for Two.” A wide variety of non-steak entrees ($14-$19), appetizers ($7-$14), and soups and salads ($6-$15) round out the offerings. An extensive wine list, custom cocktail menu and microbrew list pour on plenty of holiday cheer for sipping and toasting by the stacked-stone fireplace! Open for lunch and dinner.

Parker’s on Ponce : 116 East Ponce de Leon Avenue (between Church Street and Clairmont Road on the Decatur Square); 404-924-2230.

Eat Drink Learn at Woodfire Grill

Monday night Citysearch hosted an incredible Eat Drink Learn event at Woodfire Grill. Chef Kevin Gillespie paired five amazing appetizers with five wines that were perfect for dishing up at home for your own New Year's Eve party.

We enjoyed crab salad profiteroles with Georgia caviar, beet salad with fried goat cheese, grilled Vietnamese beef, potato leek shooters, apple bacon grilled cheese bites and chocolate fudge. Everything was delicious but the resounding favorite was the grilled cheese. We couldn't get enough!

After the event, Citysearch Editor Jonathan Baker shared his thoughts on the event -
"This was my personal favorite of all the events we've done so far this year. People could not stop talking to me about how good the food was, and a few of our guests ended up ordering dinner because of that, which wasn't surprising. The food presentation was perfect-- the silver spoons that held the Vietnamese beef to the toss-em-back crab and caviar puff pastries...it was exactly what we were hoping for. And I think I personally turned a few fellow Malbec drinkers into big Barbera fans thanks to that sampling. The crowd was bigger than expected and was a colorful range of folks from nicely dressed young professionals, to established media personas, and hiply-bearded musicians. The staff did an incredible job handling an unusually high amount of people for that space. It far exceeded expectations."

At the end of the evening, Whole Foods donated gift bags for five lucky winners that included chocolate truffles, holiday lip balms and scented travel candles. The vanilla peppermint candle smelled so good I decided to pick up a few for last minute holiday gifts.

If you missed this event, don't despair. Woodfire Grill is hosting a blind wine tasting tonight that is sure to be a fun time. Held during regular dinner hours (5:30 - 10 p.m.), guest can blind taste eight red wines for $15.

Happy Holidays Atlanta!

Photographed above: Caryn, Lindsay, Meryl, Marissa, Tanai, McCall, Hollie, Melissa, Sheena and MacKenzie

Happy Holidays everyone! The ladies of Atlanta Dish got together last night for a holiday dinner at Allegro. There was so much great Italian food we were rolling to our cars after dinner. We started off with champagne to celebrate a wonderful year at MLA and then came the wine, Nebbiolo to be exact. It was hard to choose since Allegro’s wine list features several wines from different regions in Italy, but Melissa did a good job.

Lindsay liked it!

We tried a little bit of everything from the menu including…

Caprese di Allegro

Sapori Italiani

Risotto Pescatore

We wish you all a happy holiday and a great new year. Thanks for reading!

Allegro is located at 560 Dutch Valley Road, 404-888-1890.

DailyCandy Definition

When the food on your plate is too pretty to eat, it's just darn foodilicious, according to The DailyCandy Lexicon. So, what's a diner to do? Ooh, aah, capture the moment with your camera phone then eat up... it won't stay hot forever!

Foodilicious: adj. a term describing really attractive food.The holiday party buffet was so foodilicious no one wanted to be the first one to disturb the teriyaki tree or fondue and fruit bouquet.

Hungry for Holiday Food

I went to the first of several holiday parties this weekend and man, the food was good. One of the reasons I love this time of year is the party food. Seeing family is good and presents are great, but holiday party food is by far the best.

I wish someone had made these cinnamon-bun ebelskivers that the Bay Area Foodie writes about. The pictures alone make my tummy rumble.

The guys at Hedonia solve the ugly cheese ball dilemmia every host faces (Mom, I hope you're reading) by using all white cheeses and rolling pecans into the mix - yum. Great idea and I know guests would be asking for the recipe.

I have another party on Wednesday of this week. Can't wait to see what they serve!

Food Photography Workshop at Eclipse Di Luna

I want to extend a huge thank you to Frank and Max of Atlanta Photography for teaching the MLA team the tricks of photographing food last night. Eclipse Di Luna was the perfect restaurant to practice taking photos in dim mood light. I quickly discovered that shooting food has unique challenges, and I was not using my point and shoot camera to its full potential. With a few tips on restaurant lighting, camera angles and composition, our photographs drastically improved. The top take away from the workshop was to turn off your flash! From now on, the MLA team and I are ready to take food photos with confidence.

www.atlantaphotography.org

www.eclipsediluna.com

Michael Pollan Does Atlanta

Georgia Organics has just announced their 12th Annual Conference and Trade Show will feature Michael Pollan, renowned advocate of local and sustainable food and best-selling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food and The Botany of Desire, as the keynote speaker.

This year’s conference will be held at Agnes Scott college near downtown Decatur. Activities will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 20 and from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. Highlights will include local farm tours, educational sessions on whole farm planning, mushrooms, intensive urban agriculture, urban homesteading, children’s and farm-to-school tracks, and trade show exhibits, in addition to farm-fresh food prepared by local chefs for the popular Organic Banquet.

Early registration for Georgia Organics members begins January 7, 2009. Preference will be given to members of Georgia Organics; those interested in becoming members can click here. To be a sponsor or exhibitor, click here.

Craft and Flip: First Bites

I am not a chef groupie. When you work with chefs for a living you quickly realize that they are people just like us. So I leave the celebrity chef worshipping to others. Then how did I end up at both Craft and Flip on their opening nights with all the other sycophants? Coincidence and happenstance, my friends. I swear.

Craft exceeded my expectations which were admittedly low after (not) enjoying many other "celebrity chef" restaurants in town, both recently and in the past. It's a great looking restaurant and the food was spot on. Being with a group of six I tasted over 20 items and nothing failed. My favorite dish: braised beef short ribs. Fork tender, juicy, full of flavor - I believe the whole table (except the vegetarian) proclaimed it one of the best dishes we tried.

Flip was also a winner. The restaurant is hip and fun and the food was delish. We tried the lamb burger, bun mi burger and pork belly with cheese burger. And the fries. And the nutella milkshake. But the winner was: sweet potato tots with blue cheese foam. YUM.

Now that I think about it, the Craft short ribs and the Flip tots would make a great combination. Maybe Chefs Tom and Richard can talk about that. I might even consider becoming a groupie if that happened!

Dark Knight DVD Launch Event at Blockbuster in Brookhaven

Last night I attended the Dark Knight DVD launch event at Blockbuster in Brookhaven from 10 p.m. to midnight. Rock 100.5's Tim Andrews entertained customers with Dark Knight trivia,

Reese's peanut butter cup-eating-contests, and a Heath Ledger scavenger hunt. Prizes included a Dark Knight poster and a Blu-Ray system with Dark Knight DVD. Customers waited patiently in line until midnight so they could purchase the DVD. If you haven't seen it yet, go to your nearest Blockbuster and get a copy!

Toys and Birthdays and Bears, Oh My!

This week is packed with fun events that sure to be beneficial for everyone. Check out these parties at Greazy Spoon's very own Marlow's Tavern and Aqua blue for a good time or a good cause!

Toys for Tots at Marlow's Tavern Midtown

Why toy with a good thing? Last year's Toys for Tots drive at Marlow's Tavern Midtown was such a hit, the Marines are back for more! Grab your friends and have fun picking out some of the hottest new toys, then take the whole kit and caboodle to the Marlow's Midtown drive on Thursday, December 11 beginning at 6 p.m. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve members will be filling their "sleighs" with the toys to deliver to area children who would otherwise go without. What's in it for you? The warmth of knowing you'll make a child smile -- and a cup of cheer for you. Marlow's knows you really want to play with that toy yourself, so they'll give you a ticket to trade for a free glass of house wine or beer when you hand over the toy (one ticket per customer). And aren't those Marines fantastic, serving our country abroad and right here in our community? Be sure to say "thanks" while you're there!

Marlow's Midtown: 950 West Peachtree Street; 404-815-0323.

Marlow's Tavern in Kennesaw Turns 1

Proud parent Marlow's Tavern is planning big times to celebrate the first year of its Kennesaw location. Each time you enjoy a lunch or dinner special at Marlow's Kennesaw through December 10, you'll receive a raffle ticket to redeem for a glass of house wine or draft beer (one per ticket holder) at their anniversary party on Thursday, December 11. Drop your ticket in the hopper for a chance drawing to win one $30 Marlow's gift card each week for one year (one card may be used every seven days; gratuity not included). Party starts at 7 p.m. and runs full steam until 10 p.m. with passed hors d'oeuvres, drink specials and live entertainment.

Marlow's Tavern Kennesaw: 745 Chastain Road, NW; 770-425-8777.

Teddy Bear Brunch at Aqua blue

Hand-in-hand with the medical science of healing comes the soft hugs of a teddy bear to raise the spirits of a hospitalized child. Aqua blue in Roswell wants to help bring smiles to the faces of the young patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta by collecting new teddy bears at a Teddy Bear Brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 13. Each family that brings a new teddy bear, with tags still attached, will receive a "blue chip" card for each child, good for a complimentary meal from the children's menu on their next visit. On the Teddy Bear Brunch menu: carved ham, London broil with Marsala mushroom sauce, roasted turkey with giblet gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed vegetables, macaroni and cheese, house and Caesar salad, a variety of fresh sushi, chicken fingers and desserts. Scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, pancakes, biscuits and sausage gravy, home fries, fresh fruit and assorted pastries round out the menu. $19.95 for adults and $8.95 for children four to 12; children under four eat free. Call 770-643-8886 for reservations.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing health, hope and happiness to children through philanthropic and volunteer support for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Aqua blue: 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886.

DailyCandy Definition

This time of year, thoughts turn to visions of sugarplums dancing in sleeping heads. Good thing, because if you believe in fridea, we think you’ll be out on the lawn, making a clatter – and we bet The DailyCandy Lexicon will back us up.

Fridea - n. the belief that greasy onion rings, quesadillas, fried pickles, and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches make sensible bedtime snacks.

Please Fasten Your Seats Belts and Put Your Seat Backs And Tray Tables in the Upright and Locked Position…

I love when people know how to party!! Any good party planner knows that the tone of the party is set long before guests begin arriving. That’s why I knew that I was in for a trip when I received my invitation to the Concierge Society of Atlanta’s holiday celebration, which was fashioned to look like an airline ticket. The theme for the event on Thursday, December 4, was “Fly Away with CSA” and the attire was “70s airline chic” …oh, the possibilities were endless.

Needless to say, those wild and crazy concierges did not disappoint. Everyone really got into the spirit!! I don’t think I have seen so many afros since the last time the hubby made me watch Pam Grier (the only woman we have agreed he may leave me for; even though she is twice our age)in Foxy Brown. From the bad wigs and stewardess uniforms (yes stewardess, not flight attendant), to the bellbottoms and flower shirts, I felt like I was in an episode of That 70s Show, minus that adorable Wilmer Valdarrama.

We played games for delicious prizes like dinner for two at City Grill and $50 Visa gift cards before drawing the winner of the door prize – two airline tickets to San Francisco (courtesy of Airtran Airlines), three nights in the Hyatt and a $300 transportation credit from Boston Coach. Although I left without the trip to Frisco, as we Californians call it, the swag bags were no consolation gifts. How could I complain about gifts from Dailey’s, Eclipse di Luna, Morton’s, Uncle Julio’s and Bliss Spa. Peace and happiness; good stuff.