Girls Night Out

It is not often I go out without my husband, but sometimes to kibbitz with the girls can be fun.
It was a friends birthday and we met at the beautiful home of one of the honorees friends and supped on selections from Whole Foods. Being a cook myself, I have never really been that interested in store bought prepared foods; but I must admit the selection was quite tasty. The ravioli was stuffed with artichokes and a sandwich of fontina cheese and potobella mushrooms on forccacia bread was delish. The buffet also included a chicken kabob and three kinds of sushi. Our host has an extensive wine collection and the red I drank was wonderful. Dessert was a real treat. It was a chocolate ice from a new outlet of Rita's Ices. It tasted just like a chocolate snowball from New Orleans and I was in heaven.
I was invited to join the girls to go out dancing and I was game. It was a place that people over forty congregate, mostly singles; but I didn't care if I danced with the girls, as long as I danced. Dancing is a passion of mine. It allows me to feel good, it releases any stress I may be having and it is just plain fun. I ordered a drink and got on the dance floor with my girlfriends. I had a ball. I drove home with the top down and thought, I need to do that more often.

Great Weekend 3/09/09

Friday night my family is usually all here.

Except for one daughter, everyone else was out of town. One son and daughter-in-law were gallivanting with the likes of Robert Duval, Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek at a film wrap party, another son marched in a college roomies wedding, another daughter away for a fun weekend in Miami and my grandchild in LA with her Mom!
Not to worry: turned it into a weekend of really good friends.

With everyone feeling the bad economy, friends are who we turn to .Friends are crucial to ones lives and I adore ours.
Friday night we had dinner here with a fav couple! Grilled chicken topped with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese, my own special Alfredo pasta and string bean -artichoke casserole (tastes similar to a New Orleans style stuffed artichoke).

On Saturday we were invited to the mountains and oh what a showplace. It is called Waterfall at Lake Burton, here in Georgia. I don’t believe I have ever seen views on trips to the mountains quite like these! On our arrival we sat on one of the three levels of screened porches and sipped wine. I promptly fell asleep and our host nudged me as I was on the verge of snoring! I promptly excused myself and I was escorted to my private suite, opened the windows facing the lake and took a long nap before dinner.
Hor dourves of a wonderful spinach dip and hummus with fresh pita were next as we sat in front of a blazing fire. Is this heaven? Dinner was fresh grouper; roasted asparagus and a wonderful potato gratin with onions. We ate in the media room watching a Peter Gabriel concert and then watched “Burn before Reading” which was hysterical!
Dessert-chocolate roulade-decadent On Sunday we ate at a very cute café in downtown Clayton and then drove the one plus hours home with the top down. Got home at 5:15 and not a minute too soon as our next engagement was at six.

Another wonderful house filled with good friends and good food. We ate a wonderful vegetarian dip made with peas and walnuts and camelized onions followed by a buffet of Southern fried chicken, a spicy squash casserole, grilled vegetables and corn muffins. Lemon squares, brownies and blackberries filled in for sweets and we were all extremely satisfied.

Don’t think we could have fit in one more activity or another morsel of food.
Great weekend!

I am invited this week to a girlfriend’s birthday party that includes going out dancing…which I love! Stay tuned…

Market at the W-Atlanta, Georgia

Hi Friends,
Yesterday I had lunch with friends at the "Market" which is in the new W Hotel on Peachtree. When ever I go to a new place that I think is special, I like to pass on the good word.
Ladies we have now found a new lunch place. It certainly fits most of our criteria: It is in a convenient location, not too expensive, has excellent food and is a very cool place. Valet parking is free when validated after your meal by the restaurant.
We were three in our group and ordered three different entrees. We had a skate fish sitting in a divine broth, a salad with shrimp dressed in champagne vinaigrette, a sirloin hamburger with handmade fries which was excellent and an appetizer which the three of us split. It was a shaved truffle pizza which we thought was outstanding. Each item was large enough to share. We all dug into a mini cheesecake topped with black cherries with a scoop of red wine ice cream. Whoa!
The piece de resistance was chatting with the chef after the meal. One of the girls in my group was totally carried away with his good looks and actually told him how good looking he was. Like he didn’t know!
I love Jolie Kobe, but for a change this is my new favorite place for lunch.
Enjoy…
Lynda
PS My son, Blaiss has been there for dinner and thought it was excellent as well.