Just an Old Sweet Song, Keeps Georgia on my Mind

The Haynes/Mitchell clan traveled down to St. Simons, GA this past weekend to take part in the typical Memorial day activities:  boating, beach, booze and BBQ.  It was one of the best vacations I've had in awhile.  Suffice it to say, its three days later and I'm still suffering from some serious post-Georgia depression.  We did so much but at the same time it felt so relaxing.  Here's synopsis of the highlights.  (If you want to just get the visual, you can skip to the bottom)

Food:

We spent a good bit of our meals at the house.  Kath was taking full advantage of her new kitchen and Big T was grill master, Laura and I acted as sous chefs. Below are some of the delicious recipes that made an appearance at our dining room table.  When we weren't all wearing our chef's hats, we bee-lined to Barbara Jeans for the best pumpkin and jalapeno corn bread in the world, went to the 4th of May Cafe for their pecan waffles, satisfied our sweet tooth at St. Simons Sweet Shop, had breakfast and lunch at The Lodge, and an amazing BBQ event at Rainbow Island (also the site of the impending Anderton/Haynes nuptials (!!!!)).  

Recipes:

Burnt Broccoli 

Challah French Toast Casserole

Crispy Edamame (Nom, Nom, Nom)

Egg Casserole (I didn't eat this one because there was bacon in it, but it looked yummy.  Dish can be made without the piggies)

Grilled Asparagus

Mexican Salad (This is just a variation. It's the first thing my mom ever made my dad, so it's been around in the familia a long time)

Activities:

Our mornings started out at the gorgeous Cloisters on Sea Island, zumba-ing with the ole' folks, taking yoga classes, going for runs, and getting leg massages by weird pulsating machines.  Our days were filled with: a dolphin watching tour, walking through Redfern Village, hitting up my favorite store Duchman's, going to East Beach, kayaking through the marsh, a night out at Ziggy's, drinking vino around the fire pit, a family beer pong tournament (I dominated - thank you IU), hanging with Hillya, games of Scrabble, hammock lounging, laying out by the pool, and sitting outside watching our special visitor, Tropical Storm Beryl.

The best part of all was just spending quality time with the most important people in the world to me, in one of the best places! Hope you guys all had an equally amazing Memorial Day weekend, remembering all those who have defended our country.  If you find yourself in St. Simons one of these days a) let me know, I will join you, and b) you should definitely check out all the places above.

xo

Clockwise from top: Thura & Matthew getting ready to boat, Momma and G-Momma dolphin gazing, pit stop for some candy in Redfern Village, the rents on Rainbow Island, kayaking through the marsh, me and sissy on Sea Island 

 double rainbow, rainbow island BBQ, old school Mercedes, late night camp fire, Georgia sunset in our backyard

lounging on the hammock, soon-to-be Andertons at the location of the party, sistas grabbing italian ice, me and Gma

All Hale Kale

After a short hiatus, kale has made its way back into the kitchen at 5D.  Just before I left work yesterday I stumbled upon the below recipe.  I've been wanting to try the Trader Joe's version for sometime, and knew this was just what the detox doctor ordered after a weekend full of eating.  The salad was made in less time than it took for my rose petal face mask to dry, and is filled with an abundance of nutrients.  What else could you ask for?

Kale, Cranberry, Chickpea, Edamame Salad

Ingredients

Dressing
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced or crushed
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad
4 cups finely chopped Tuscan kale, ribs removed (this is about 4 ounces of kale)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup dried cranberries, such as Craisins, soaked in boiling water to hydrate
1 cup edamame beans, cooked and cooled
Mint
Basil
A few carrot shreds (if you have them, for color)
Garnish: Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a large salad bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Into the bowl throw the kale, chickpeas, cranberries and edamame. Mince a handful of mint and a handful of basil leaves and toss them in, along with some carrot shreds, if available.
3. Toss salad well to combine, and garnish with cherry tomatoes.
4. Serves 6 as a side salad, or 2-3 as a main dish for kooky kale-lovers (THAT'S ME)

AFTER

BEFORE

Tuesday Tunes

Sorry I didn't get to post my typical tunes yesterday, 'twas a busy day at work.  Even though it's only a three day week, it seems like its been taking forever and I am in desperate need for some serious music to get me through the hump day.  Hope you enjoy the (random) playlist :)

1) Brokenhearted by Karmin (RAWsession version)

2) Sunchyme by Dario G

3) Breakin' A Sweat by Skrillex & The Doors

4) The Veldt by deadmau5 (Tommy Trash Remix)

5) Punching in a Dream by The Naked and Famous

Brussels Sprout Pesto Pasta

Last night I was feeling lazy and didn't want to go on a grocery run  to cook dinner.  I decided to go on a hunt for a recipe that included only what I had on hand.  Thanks to Epicurious and Pinterest all you have to do is type in the ingredients you have and you are bombarded with a slew of options, never having to leave the confines of your cozy apartment. I'm not a huge fan of pesto, but am a fan of trying different things.  When I saw a pesto that was brussels sprout based instead of the usual basil, I was sold.  The following is what ensued:

Brussels Sprout Pesto Pasta

2 Cups of Brussels Sprouts
1 Package of Tofu Shirataki Noodles (or you can use regular spaghetti)
1/4 Cup of Slivered Almonds
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Lemon
*The recipe called for Parmesan cheese but I didn't have any.

Add-Ins:
1/4 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 Cup of Broccoli
1/4 Cup of Cauliflower
*Capers would have added a nice saltiness had they been on hand, but please see above regarding laziness.

On a greased cookie sheet put the add ins on and season to taste.  Put in the oven and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Steam the brussels sprouts in a sauce pan with 2 cups of salted boiling water.

Once the brussels sprouts are tender and a bright green, put them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer them to a food processor with the garlic and olive. Blend well.  Add in almonds, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Puree until a smooth consistency.

Next prepare the shirataki noodles.  Rinse well.  Then you can either put them in the microwave for 2 minutes on high or on the stove stop to get all the moisture out.  This step is crucial since it is what eliminates the smell that people often complain about.  They are SUCH a great alternative to pasta though, so I'd highly recommend the substitution. 

Mix everything together in a bowl.  Pour glass of wine.  Turn on Glee. Vi-ola!!

Thank Gawd I'm a Country Girl

Did you hear? We are going to Nashville this weekend, ya'll!!  Here's a little inspiration for what to pack if you are heading to the Grand Ole Opry during the day or dancing away to Nashville's next Zack Brown Band at Tootsies or Roberts at night.

Thank Gawd I'm a Country Girl by meghan-haynes featuring leather boots

Tuesday Tunes

This weekend we are celebrating the last single days of Ms. JPF by heading to the land of cowboy boots, mullets, tractors, whiskey and fried food, a.k.a Nash-Vegas!!!  Obviously I could not be more excited, the hick inside me is bursting at the seams.  Here are some tunes to pump anyone up for a trip down South!

1) Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith

2) Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owen

3) Whiskey by Jana Kramer (may recognize her from one of my fave shows, One Tree Hill)

4) Song of the South by Alabama

5) Springsteen by Eric Church

Weekend Wandering

I was looking forward to this weekend since it'd been a while since I've been both in the city and here without visitors. It was packed with reconnecting with old friends and lots of food.  Bare with me for all the reviews!  Friday we had a happy hour to welcome Brian to NYC at Brinkley's.  The bar was adorable with its checkered floors and beach cruisers hanging from the ceiling.  The food was better than your typical "bar food".  They served brussel sprouts and kale, so that should tell you something.  It's a great spot in SoHo if you are looking for after work drinks and good noshes.

A day of art

Saturday morning one of my faves from the Bodega house came to visit from New Jersey. We started out taking SoulCycle with Emily.  Nothing like creating another SoulLover, bouncing around to awesome tunes, and sweating out the vino from the night before. After class we picked up Chopt' and sat in the grass in Union Square. Since it's been raining for what seems like an eternity, I needed to get some much needed Vitamin D.  Next, we strolled over to the west side and came across a group of people throwing paint against a wall. Trottski and I were intrigued so we wandered over to see what was going on.  It was part of a three day interactive project called Art in Odd Places (AiOP) put on by students from the Parsons school along 14th street between 6th and 7th Avenue, encouraging the public to take the time to appreciate art and its effect on social interaction.  We passed four of the exhibits but the best was embracing the five year old within and throwing paint around.  Continuing on down 14th street, we also wandered into a modern art exhibit called Open Your Eyes by Roy Nachum.  The exhibit is presented in four parts but the most interesting aspect was that on each canvas, under the paint, was a poem written in braille.  I would highly suggest everyone check it out over the next month.  After a lovely walk on the Highline, I dropped Trotta at Penn and then headed over to the rooftop of Centro for some lounging, wine, and Westville.  If you haven't been to one of their three locations, you should get there stat.  Their wide variety of vegetables are all incredible, it's always hard to pick a favorite, and their veggie burger is one of the best in the city.  The night was capped off with Flavaboom on the walk home.  It may not hold a candle to 16 Handle, but it satisfied my sweet tooth.

AGK w our romantic dessert

Sunday started with brunch at Peels with AGK.  We split an egg white omelette with spinach and onions, and the build your own biscuit with eggs, pepper jack and avocado.  Both were amazing but the biscuit brought me right back to my childhood, it was flaky, buttery and delectable. Because I couldn't be with my momma on her special day, AGK was gracious enough to let me order some monkey bread in her honor (she always made it for us growing up) and we topped it off with a Bloody Mary (her favorite morning cocktail), Lady and the Tramp style.  The restaurant has a warm farm-style feel to it, which naturally appeased the country girl within me.  After brunch, we bounced around SoHo for hours of shopping, stopped by a street fair, and did the usual Sunday shop at Trader's.

Last stop on the weekend express train was dinner at Saxon + Parole with Brian and Kurbs.  We each got a Sunday night bevy but Brian's Manhattan with a side of accoutrements took the cake for presentation.  The restaurant is well known for their cocktails so I'd recommend going back with a big group for a fun Saturday night out or for their Bloody Mary bar at brunch.   The food shouldn't be discounted either.  For appetizers we shared the beet salad and asparagus topped with a poached egg and truffle hollandaise, both scrumptious.  Then for our main course, we got the butternut squash risotto and fries.  The restaurant takes your typical recipe and adds a unique flare to it, exemplified by the risotto, made with barley and kale chips, and the blue cheese mayo and chilli ketchup sauces that accompanied the fries.  The second amazing meal of the day on Bowery.

It was a fun filled weekend to say the least.  Hope you all had a good one and Happy Mother's Day again to my momma!!

Over the bridge and through the streets, to the five boros we went

Me and the rents in Astoria Park

On Sunday my parents, AGK and I participated in the TD Bank Five Boro bike tour.  We joined 31,996 other participants as we pedaled 42 miles through, you guessed it, the five boroughs of NYC - Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and good-ole Staten Island.

AGK - so strong

This is my second time doing the event, and I loved it just as much as the first.  Like last year, we hopped on at the entrance to the Central Park, bypassing the crazy crowd down in Battery Park and soared through the course with ease.  The ride is a great way to experience different areas of the city that New Yorkers may not be typically subjected to.  The rolling hills and beauty of Central Park, the gospel singers serenading us in the Bronx, Astoria Park in Queens, adorable Williamsburg and Dunbo in Brooklyn, riding along the BQE, and the fabulous Verrazano Bridge (a.k.a. the death of my legs) all offered a unique experience.  However, the scenery that you bike through is only a part of the fun.  The other participants provide just as much entertainment.  Such as, but not limited to: the elliptical bikers (click here to see what I'm talking about), the woman biking next me in four inch heels (you can read about her journey here), and everyone's favorite weatherman, spotted by my momma, Al Roker.

Our swag

The Five Boro bike tour celebrated it's 35th anniversary this year and the event organizers have worked out almost all the kinks.  It is one of the most well run events I've seen, with hundreds of volunteers along the way cheering you on, directing you through the next wide turn, and warning you of the dreaded potholes.  They even offered a three day bike expo at Pier 36 this year rather than the usual pick up your packet and run from Eastern Mountain.  The only problem they have yet to perfect is getting all 32,000 participants on the Staten Island Ferry efficiently.  Again, we were at the front of the pack so we walked on, returned our bikes, and had bloody marys in hand by 1:30pm.  Others were not so lucky and were stuck on Staten Island waiting until after 7pm.

The experience is one that I think everyone should try at least once.  Catch ya in 2013! Check out more images from the ride below.

Images from the race: fuel, under the bridge in Astoria, riding the BQE, LARA, halfway point, finish line & view of Verrazano

Tuesday Tunes

I'm feeling very energetic this week, so this weeks playlist may be a little aggressive for your ears this early in the morning, but hope you enjoy!

1) Five by DOSVEC - Mylo, Freesol ft. Justin Temberlake, Calvin Harris, & Archie V Remix

2) Pressure by Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji - Alesso Remix

3) D.A.N.C.E by Justice - Mstrkrft Remix

4) Whistle by Flo Rida 

5) Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Myndset Remix (since we're going to the concert tonight!)

B-Bar: Not the One on Bowery...

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day. My usual week day morning meal includes greek yogurt, granola and a banana or oatmeal with a scoop of peanut butter.  I've been getting a little bored with the combinations lately so I was ready to try something new.  In swoops my lovely sister to the rescue, who sent me the following recipe that is easy, delicious and healthy.  It's a combination of some of my favorite elements.   Bon Appétit!

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars aka "B-Bars"

2-3 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1 1/2 Cups of Quick Oats

1 Cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

1/4 Cup of Raisins or Craisins

Cinnamon to taste

* I also added a smidge of vanilla extract

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees

2) Mix all ingredients together well. 

3) Put mixture in circle shapes on a greased cookie sheet. 

4) Bake for 30-35 minutes

Makes 15 cookies/bars at about 60 calories per serving.

Bouncing Around Broadway

Two weekends ago, I went with the Weiss gals to see Ghost The Musical on Broadway.  As a huge fan of the movie version, I was anxious to see the new theatrical production.  The show has been getting a lot of flack from critics for focusing on the big budget production rather than the story and I tend to agree.  The lights and special effects were incredible but, to me, took away from any substantial character development.  In every scene from the movie you could get the sense of love between Sam and Molly, but the musical didn't have the same focus.  All of this is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, it was extremely entertaining.  Molly's voice was incredible, Oda Mae Brown was hilarious, and Sam wasn't too terrible to look at either.  If you are a lover of special effects and pretty lights, its worth checking out; if you are looking for the same romantic love story from the movie, I'd just log into Netflix and park it on the couch with Demi, Swayze and Whoopi.


This weekend my family was in town and we checked out Death of a Salesman starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield.  I think Hoffman is one of the best actors of our time and I've loved Garfield since his breakout in The Social Network.  Neither of them disappointed, which is corroborated by the fact that both received well-deserved Tony nominations last week for their portrayals. The play, written by Arthur Miller in 1949, is a timeless story of a traveling salesman and his relationships with his two sons.  It has been revived four times on Broadway and been made into a major motion picture.  Since I had never seen it before, I don't have anything to compare the production to but I thought the way the flashbacks were portrayed, the staging and the acting were all phenomenal.  It's a dark story at times, but Hoffman, Garfield and the other characters all evoke a plethora of emotions throughout the performance.  I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a good Broadway play, but act fast because it's only out for a limited time!   

Disclaimer: this review may be slightly skewed since we met Andrew Garfield after the show and he is pretty much the cutest thing in the world.  Also spotted outside were Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber.  Love celeb spottings :) 

Playbill signed by my love

Tuesday Tunes

Another Tuesday Tunes brought to you on a Wednesday.  It's been a gloomy and rainy couple days here in the Big Apple, which has brought inspiration to today's playlist.  Fingers crossed for sunnier weather for the five boro bike tour and my family's visit this weekend!!

1) Set Fire to the Rain by Adele (Plastic Planes Remix)

2) Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo' Ole

3) It Will Rain by Bruno Mars

4) Come Clean by Hillary Duff (Laguna Beach anyone?)

5) Starships by Nicki Minaj (This was on in my spin class this am. No relation to rain but does inspire a mid-week morning dance party)

*Also, it's been brought to my attention that if you are getting this via email you may not know there are links to the songs in the list.  If you visit the blog's site directly, you'll see the links to YouTube.

xoxo