Shootin' the Hooch

I love the beginnings of Summer.

It's hot and my pale skin soaks up every last drop of sunshine, everyone wants to play outside late into the evening, and we spend every moment possible on the lake and in the river.

If you live in or around Atlanta, Shootin' the Hooch in your kayak or on inflatable tubes is an event that you must participate in at some point to escape the Georgia heat. It is something I have done every summer for as long as I can remember and each trip is just as enjoyable.

You can head North and rent $3 tubes in Helen and float through the German inspired town meandering by bars and restaurants to be picked up by a shuttle bus at the end. The river is cleaner up North but also very shallow. If you head this way remember river shoes because you will ground yourself at some point or another. Which may mean you get left behind - never on purpose of course!

The other option is to stay South, bring your own tubes and coolers, and hop in the river to float through Roswell, the Vinings, and Buckhead. Make sure to get extra thick tubes just in case.

Going this route you will pass under 285 and see a different part of the madness of city life.

And realize it really is possible to get away right in the middle of it all. 

If you choose to kayak and want a longer paddle through town make sure to put in farther up stream where the river is deeper. We have decided to float from these points and it is slow moving without oars.  Check out the float times from each of the drop in locations, you can leave a car for the day for $3 at both the drop off/in spots. 

But on a beautiful day with friends and drinks in tow (literally) there is no better, almost FREE summer activity.   

 If you do take longer than a 3 hour trek, just remember this is Georgia in the Summer and there's a good chance that a sky like this,

 will quickly be this..

 but wait it out because that sun will be back and hopefully the rain will get that river moving.

What a (jet) DRAG

Earlier this week I made my way out to the airport where I so often find myself but didn’t board a plane for a quick trip into the sky. Instead I kept my feet planted firmly on the ground and did my part to drag a Boeing 757 at Tech Ops in the name of cancer research.

Teams of Delta employees, family +friends, and cancer survivors had arrived from around the country to Atlanta for the 5^th annual Jet Drag competition. 

My mother, the event planner of all things FUN had the team to beat. “Hope on a Rope” had won the last place trophy three years running and weren’t about to be stopped now!

Groups of executives, ramp rats, or those extra cute little “Hope on a Rope” flight attendants pulled the jet 20 feet out of the hangar in a race of speed. Groups cheered, dressed up in matching outfits, and enjoyed grits, bar-b-que, and a live band all afternoon.

 The event had an amazing turnout and raised $1.3 million dollar for the American Cancer Society. I am so proud of my mother, her hard-work, and all of the teams that participated. The fastest time was a male group from Salt Lake City that pulled in an impressive 8.15 seconds.

We never stood a chance...

We will be doing it again next year so if you have any interest in jet draggin' for a good cause - let me know! 

Shakin' my knees

Despite a rainy start, Shaky Knees ended in Atlanta on Sunday with the best line up of the weekend and the summer sunshine. It was a beautiful way to go out.

Shaky Knees brought great acts in for the weekend: Modest Mouse, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The National, Alabama Shakes, Cage the Elephant, Local Natives, Wild Belle, The Lone Bellow, Violent Femmes, Blitzen Trapper, Deer Tick, Mason Jennings, Man Man, Dawes and more.

It also had great shows for late night sets played around town. Man Man at the Earl on Friday and Spoon at Center Stage, Lord Huron at Terminal West, and The Lone Bellow at Vinyl on Saturday night. It was easy to jump around town to see your favorite acts in an intimate setting and overall a fantastic weekend for music in Atlanta. It inspired us to get serious about #thefamilyband and I am going home and picking up my mandolin everyday again... or trying to.

Shaky Knees was moved from Masquerade Music Park to Atlantic Station this year. Since Friday was a constant downpour of rain (because when is it not raining during festival weeks in Atlanta?), the concrete blessed us with a lack of mud and thanks to a friend that lives in Atlantic Station we had a rain delay hideout/crash pad/grub joint/free parking spot and beer all weekend long.

But it was a parking lot in the middle of the city. And while these views are hard to hate on too much...

I missed the festival feel of open fields and dirt and grim. Yes, I am going to complain about the lack of grim. When the sun shown down on the parking lot on Sunday, we began to FRY. (P.S. I loved every moment of the heat and still didn't get tan lines) but needed to shade my pale companions - in the shadeless parking lot.

Looking extra overheated a trip to Target made all right again in the world of the music festival and that is what Shaky Knees was in an summary. A parking lot that saved you in the rain and tore you up in the sun. But either way there was a restaurant, clothing store, or friend's house within minutes walk away. Maybe it did have it's benefits after all.

and the music more than made up for it. Shows were great, the atmosphere was perfect, and have I thanked you for the lack of EDM acts? Because that was wonderful.

You will see us next year Shaky Knees.

Beltline Brunching Atlanta

Spring has slowly been creeping in and we have been able to spend a few Sundays brunching in the beginnings of the spring sunshine. I was proudly anointed "Brunch Planner" of the crew - most likely due to the amount of restaurants I veto on a weekly basis (I refuse to step foot in Midtown). Nevertheless, I am very proud and have taken the job seriously as the weather warms and the outside playtime beckons.

The one spot I have visited each weekend is the newly opened BeltLine along the East Corridor of the city. The BeltLine is a multi-use trail that is redeveloping lands around Atlanta and connecting much of the city. It is an amazing idea for Atlanta, which is known for its addiction to cars and can only credit Marta as a transportation alternative.

Seriously, once it took me 40 minutes to fly from Nashville to Atlanta and 90 minutes to take Marta from the airport to my house. But this isn't about Marta, or why they didn't think to build an express train to the airport - how great would that be?

 

The BeltLine runs along a previously used railway corridor and will be a continuous loop that will transverse over 22 miles for running, biking, and skating once completed. There will be trails to connect neighborhoods to the BeltLine and in the future plans also propose a light rail for additional transport.

Although all of these factors make me a strong supporter of the project, the best addition is the space that is being revived. Old warehouses are being developed into establishments such as Ponce City Market - a spot I cannot wait to try and 13 city parks will be expanding the green space of our "City in a Forest."

How great will it be for dinners out on the trolley, runs in the evening, and grabbing drinks and walking home along the BeltLine? Atlanta, you got me falling in love with you all over again.

  

Although the BeltLine isn't finished, we have been able to get to know every brunch spot, shop, and quirky stops along the way. And some of our favorite restaurants are located along the BeltLine and I love any opportunity to go more often.

Start your walk in Inman Park and stop for brunch at Parish. Bring a bottle of wine or order your mimosas and bloody marys and sit on their wooden benches they have set up along the BeltLine. Sit, people watch, and chat your hangovers away. This is my favorite spot along the path and they need more benches already!

Head towards Piedmont Park, stopping in at Paris on Ponce to do a bit of antique scavenging and grab water for your puppies and yourself. There are doggie water bowls and free water (and coffee if you need the boost) for all. If I could only afford one of these beautiful pieces. For now I will just lust over them...

Make your way to Piedmont Park to lay in the sun, grab beers at Parktavern, and throw the Frisbee and stay until evevning. Catch your friends and favorite kickball teams for Sunday games or start an impromptu game of your own. You'll always find others wanting to join in the park.

As the sun sets on your day, walk back to Inman Park and grab dinner and drinks at Barcelona Wine Bar and sit by their outdoor fireplace to enjoy their half priced wine on Sundays!

If it gets alittle chilly, grab one of their complementary blankets and cuddle up with your friends. Enjoy the Spring chill while you can because it won't last long in Atlanta!

What are some of your favorite brunch playgrounds?

Crawfish Shack

 If I had to pick one meal to eat before I die it would always be seafood. Lobster, shrimp, oysters, clams, crab. Gimme. So I knew I had to check out Crawfish Shack after it appeared on Creative Loafing's List of 100 Dishes in Atlanta and best spots for BYOB in Atlanta. A BYOB seafood place? Yes, please. 

Crawfish Shack is a hole in the wall off of Buford Highway right after Aloha plaza in a small shopping center. It is equal parts ridiculously cheap and insanely delicious.We decided to make date night out of it and turned up on a Friday night to a packed house. When you dub yourself a Louisiana Cajun Vietnamese seafood shack you are bound to have many suitors. 

You can purchase soups, dips, or your seafood raw by the pound to cook yourself or stay to drink and wait for your food. The restaurant is decorated like a beach shack with ships and hanging fishing nets. The tables are long benches that would be great for a birthday party to squeeze all your friends in (and probably some strangers)  Guess which we picked?

Cheers! 

Crawfish Shack made the list off 100 Dishes to try because of their Boudin Balls. It is a Cajun dish that I had never tried and it was a bit like a hushpup but less breading, more seafood-y goodness.They also come in a pork variety but were doing seafood here!

They are deep fried and come with a spicy dipping sauce. Obviously naughty for your diet, get them anyways and pop em' with no regrets.

For our meal, we split the Seafood Boil for ONE. It was stuffed with blue crabs, lobster, mussels, shrimp, sausage, and potatoes.

 Yes, this is food that they deem acceptable for one person to consume in a sitting.

I think this place and I are going to have an amazing friendship.

Atlanta Snowpocalypse 2014

It has been an interesting days in Atlanta filled with snow, day long traffic jams, and the beauty of Southern hospitality. I luckily did not spend 20 hours in my car or sleep at Kroger (or the hospital) like most of my other co-workers and friends and cannot entertain you with horror stories that I hope we can all laugh at now.

Instead I managed my way out of the hospital during the "Code White" and slowly trekked home in the ice. SNOW DAY was needed in our household so once all the roomies ventured back into the safety of our abode, we set to work playing, eating, and day drinking. It is important to never forget the true meaning of snow day.

But the snow kept falling into the night causing people to be stuck on highways, in accidents, and in bad situations. However, it turned our yard into a winter wonderland.

On Wednesday it was very obvious we would not be making our way into work that day so we started the morning with a big breakfast and Bloody Mary Snow Slushies while we waited for B to make his way back on the ice rinks we were calling our roads. He had made it to a friend's house the night before thankfully!

We did everything in our power to get rid of the snow plaguing our city. Filling our glasses to the top with fresh snow, adding a splash (or two) of Tit-o's and drinking those snow drifts away.

Goodbye snow, hello day drinks!

Then we took to the streets like kids out of school - sledding on our garbage lids (fail) and frolicking through the snow.

The boys ventured out for essentials since I obviously did not purchase enough Modelo the evening before. Cabin fever was already starting in for me, so I tagged along just to get out of the house.

By mid-afternoon the streets were thawing out but it was still treacherous in others!

Wanting to be (somewhat) productive, B took the time to teach me how to make pasta. He is the best pasta chef in the city so I tried hard to get it right and listen to every instruction. There is no recipe and no list of measurements. He decides everything by texture and experience. Sure, B sounds simple...

Did you know pasta can be made with only flour and egg yolks? When I admitted that I think he knew this was going to be a long lesson but we were snowed in and he was stuck with me!

B grabbed our 00 flour and farm fresh eggs to create our dough. A reference is using 1 egg to 3/4 C flour. 00 flour is the most highly refined flour and is ground into a talc-powder softness. As you can probably tell I learned alot of information on Snow Day!

We  He created a well in the flour and cracked each of the egg yolks into, discarding the whites. The dough is made by slowly mixing to incorporate the flour from the sides into the center of yolks. After it forms the dough must be kneaded to activate the gluten. (So much for cutting my gluten this year...) but at least I was good at this part of the project!

After your sough forms, let the pasta sit for about 30 minutes or the rest of the afternoon as we did. The dough should be tacky but not sticky and not stick to the plastic wrap when you are ready to use.

And then the fun began. We rolled the dough, fortified, folded, ran it through the machine and REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT.

We used KitchenAid mixers for this process which are wonderful! Start with the #1 setting as this will be the widest and slowly work down to your thickness. Make sure to fortify the dough each time by lightly coating it with flour and then wiping it off. It doesn't need to be rubbed in because the rollers will do this but wipe it off because you don't want any excess flour when running it through again. Otherwise it will be cracked and you want a soft velvety texture instead. This also helps if you are an amateur like me to not get the dough stuck on the rollers. 

I watched the master at work and finally pushed him aside when I thought I knew what I was doing. FYI - I didn't. He just made it look so easy!

One of the hardest parts was holding the dough so your fingertips were not touching the sides or creasing the pasta. Plus you have to feed the dough in straight and even so it doesn't crack the edges. If you do that you fold over the opposite direction and create new edges. So, no this is not a fast process.

B cuts each of his noodles. Yes, really. So next time you are at the restuarant think of all the hard work and time goes into EACH. NOODLE. It really is more than putting a pot of water on.

I, on the other hand used the KitchenAid mixer attachment that cuts for pasta of all types. Run it through one time and create perfect little noodles. At this step they are very soft and dough-y so we placed them on a cooking sheet using chop sticks and covered with a towel to keep the moisture in the air from drying it out. 

Next were a few steps I could handle. 1. Pouring wine. 2. Boiling water (B did yell at me for not adding salt - is that a thing you are always supposed to do?) The pasta noodles we made from scratch cooked within minutes so if you make your own make sure to time it right with the rest of your meal.

What a great family dinner and I have to admit I make a DELICIOUS pasta (ok, it was B) but I helped. Don't you think this pasta looks like a heart? Just in time for Valentines!

Happy Snow Day everyone! Pray that it will be our LAST.