Cheers for Sugar Baby Watermelons

This little sugar baby watermelon was delicious. It arrived the week of the Fourth & unfortunately got "lost" in the back of our fridge. It was "found" Tuesday night, amazing how that happens. Anyway, I suppose it was meant to be because I could not imagine it being any better. It actually changed my opinion of this fruit. We enjoyed it as dessert Tuesday & Wednesday, but by Thursday I got creative & made the little treat to the right.

Super simple - only a few shakes of ice, watermelon pulp, & a jig of citrus vodka. Served in a chilled glass with a twist of lemon. It was nice end to a hot summer day!

Back in the Saddle Again...

Here we go again! I am a lot of things, but a quitter is not one of them. I have to say thank you to my darling friend Jennifer who actually checks my blog frequently & lets me know that I "had to", "need to", and "absolutely MUST" get back to the blog! Now I - a CPA, wife and mommy to 3 pups have a lot on my plate, but my friend Jennifer's plate is in total abundance! She handles it with grace. Therefore I have no excuse - I am back!
If you have a chance, a box of tissues & want reassurance that amazing, traditional families still exist please check out her blog - www.elisvalley-perfectlove.blogspot.com. It is nice to have friends you can actually admire!!!

Now I actually have resources to make this into what I always wanted - a simple, rant free, no-pressure cooking blog. The idea of having a witty repertoire every time I shared a recipe encouraged my avoidance of this blog! So with that being said I am back - hope you enjoy! No witty repertoire guarantee here.
CSA Boxes - Thanks to another dear friend, whom my husband has named Chefie, (aka Katherine) I have developed a jealousy for fresh, local produce. Chefie is an amazing local/organic cook who lives in the Atlanta / Decatur area. Living where she does farmers' markets, butchers & direct from the farm options are in abundance. I was ridiculously jealous of the weekly Community Supports Agriculture (CSA) boxes she received at her home! I was even more jealous of how inventive her cooking was due to the random veggies delivered to her door. OK - long story short I found Grow Alabama. They are a CSA group who now deliver boxes of organic, Alabama grown produce to ME!!! Check them out - www.growalabama.com.
This was our first delivery - silver level. I called the next day and bumped us to the gold level. I have since heard that our first week on the silver level was sparse & a rarity. I now have to agree. On the gold level we have always received more than 10 varieties of items.
Here is our second shipment - so amazing!


Ok - I promised I wouldn't rant, but I have - so if you are actually still reading this - here is our new favorite chicken recipe. I have learned that if you post on a cooking blog you actually have to name your recipes. I am going to go ahead and admit that I am a sentimental kind of gal & even cheesy at times (only when it comes to things like this) - so please don't hold the names of my recipes against me (they all have a meaning). OK without further ado here is the first:

Janna's Chicken (2 servings)
2 banana peppers, seeded and diced
1 vidalia onion (or sweet onion), diced
2 chicken breasts, skinless & boneless, grilled & halved
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1 & 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium (separated, use 1 cup in the beginning & 1/2 for the later)
1/2 cup white wine
Dash of Salt & Pepper
Dash of Herbs de Provence
4 slices of Brie Cheese cut in half
Saute the peppers and onions in oil and broth - cook down for 30 minutes - add wine, herbs, salt & pepper and chicken to mix. Bring to a simmer & then top chicken with cheese, allow to melt and serve topped with onions and peppers.

NY Part 2 & Missing Halloween

Dining in Manhattan...
is a vacation by itself. I will not bore you with the many places we ventured. However I will highlight the places I think you should try. Gemma was our hotel's restaurant. This is not the typical hotel restaurant (it is at the Bowery Hotel which should explain things) - this is a very "it" restaurant at the moment. Serving "new Italian" & it is very tasty. Jonathan enjoyed a spicy sausage pizza & I had diver's scallops with polenta & black truffles - great wine list & cool surroundings! This is a spot for people watching or if you are staying at the Bowery - otherwise there are others you should definitely visit instead! We did this trip with no reservations so the night we arrived we were exhausted and the staff at the Bowery fit us right into Gemma (otherwise there was no way). No complaints!
Artisanal - We have become obsessed with French food since we visited Boston late November / Early December 2007. Jonathan had been to Artisanal many times many times before & it was on my must list for this trip. It did not disappoint! I enjoyed a wonderful organic mozzarella appetizer followed by pumpkin & wild mushroom risotto! Jonathan enjoyed Steak Frites and the most amazing cheesecake he said was only topped by the one made by my mother (hence she has promised to make one this year for Christmas)!
PO -

Rustic Northern Italian that Mrs. Zagat say is a must and I agree! I enjoyed a wonderful lamb panini and Jonathan enjoyed the house spaghetti - both were the best (tired of the word amazing). Is a wonderful place for a late lunch on the weekend. To get in on the evenings will most definitely require reservations way ahead of time but worth the planning!

Le Gigot - amazing French food not far from Po, still on Cornelia Street in the West Village. I enjoyed awesome oysters from Long Island and great lobster over shrimp risotto. Jonathan enjoyed a wonderful roasted poulet. It was our favorite meal by far (he even went back 3 days later - so jealous)! The staff at Le Gigot was so friendly - making the dinner even better.

Bar B & Grill - Wonderful place for brunch in the East Village. Cool atmosphere and great food! We enjoyed very much and honestly wish we had come upon this place several days before we did. Perfect stop in place for drinks, appetizers and dinner. I must also recommend Tapeo 29 - rustic Spanish tapas and a great brunch!
Wonderful trip - as always!!!


OK enough NY talk - I totally missed Halloween and I am honestly upset by it. I missed out on Jack O Lantern carving, passing out tricks or treats & the party my friends John & Ridge were hosting. I knew I had been lucky lately & feeling great so the headache / aches I started feeling at noon Saturday only got worse. Hence I went to sleep early & if any one wants candy - I have a ton!!! I had a cute setup for the kids - next year...

NY Part 1

It is amazing how one place can change your spirit, totally rejuvenate your soul - NYC is that place for me. I had the luck to spend several days there during the end of October. Even with a little rain my husband and I had the best vacation. We have been enough times to miss our favorite spots & look forward to new places. I could go on for hours & hours, but the following were our favorite (old & new) from October 2009.

The Bowery Hotel was terrific, wonderful & our new favorite of all time! The hotel, the staff, the food & drinks were the best. It is located in the East Village which is best for us. We have always gravitated towards the Village in general and getting to stay in that area was a tremendous plus. I highly recommend The Bowery Hotel.

Central Park you have to experience it!!! The walks, the people, the saxophone players, & the beauty. It is an amazing way to spend a morning, afternoon, or day. Here are a couple more pictures...

Love October

Fall has arrived - nothing like the first smells of the season. The crisp air, pumpkin pie, leaves falling - I love it. However as a real life check -- (I am a CPA - October 15h deadline is the BEAR) I will post something next week when life has hopefully calmed down. Just a preview to my frame of mind but would fondue be bad for Christmas Day?