Brunch

I cannot believe I am turning my back on Ria's Bluebird Cafe or even the American Roadhouse and going somewhere new for brunch, but I am. Betsy and I are going to try this place tomorrow. They claim to have this amazing vegetarian "pork" sandwich, but I am that much of a vegetarian that I don't like or want pork of any kind, even fake pork. So I don't know why I am trying it. I drove by it one Saturday morning and it was packed. I had not had breakfast and almost turned around and went back. For some reason it is beckoning me. Full review to come. I think I am going to get the omelet of the day and French toast. Yes, I already know today at 7:30 what I want tomorrow for brunch. I think I even have an outfit planned too.

http://www.homegrownga.com

UPDATE:

We went. At first it seemed very Hole-in-the-Wall. Kinda Jim's Grill Hartwell, GA Hole-in-the-Wall. But then I noticed Art on the Wall. For sale. I like places that display local art and offer artists a place to sell their stuff. Our waiter was young-ish and offered advice on what to get and I like that. Now that I am a waitress myself, I pay attention to things like this. I offer suggestions too. Because I am vegetarian I have not had over half the stuff on our menu, so I make stuff up. But I think this guy was the real deal. Betsy and I both got coffee, served in those diner type mugs with the little cups of half and half. I have had better coffee, but it was not horrible. We both got the omelet of the day, Arugula, Mushroom and something. Betsy got the cheese grits per the honest waiters suggestion and I got the French toast. Betsy said her grits were "to die for" and we both enjoyed our meal. What I loved even more was the price! $6. I think the coffee added another $2 to the bill, but we had like 3 cups each. Delicious brunch at a lovely price. Fun art and inspiring company. I will go back. And if you are looking for brunch or lunch and are near the Capitol, Braves Stadium, Oakland Cemetery or just lost on Memorial, you should go.

Chocolate

I have had German Ritter Sport Chocolate before and was not impressed. I really do not like milk chocolate. There is some Swiss Milk Chocolate out there that is without a doubt outstanding, but as a general rule, I am not a fan. But Dark Chocolate, I am a connoisseur. This Ritter Peppermint or "Pfferminz" has to be what Peppermint Patties taste like in Heaven. I have seen Ritter at Target, but not sure if they have this Peppermint kind, but within the next 24 hours I want to find out. If you see it, get it.

Furniture

I am completely in the wrong field of work. I seriously need to be in some sort of creative design career. If Interior Designers were not a dime a dozen I could be one. One of my 100 dreams is to decorate a whole house, a big, old, rambling one. I would put crazy loud expensive wallpaper in the foyer. I would go to flea markets and get rare finds and use antiques. I would take a trip to Southern France and buy Limoges and tapestries and I would love every minute of it. I would swing by Vietnam for fabric for silk curtains and bedding.

My old condo once was described as, "a page from a Pottery Barn catalogue" and that tore me apart. I wanted to stay away from typical design, mix all sorts of eras and fabrics and textures and not be oh so Ethan Allen Pottery Barn predictable. Boring. My current home is "Bungalow on a Budget" and is nothing like what I would really do if I had the money or the desire to invest my money in this little home. My ten year plan involves a lot of travel, and furniture is at the bottom of my needs list right now. Yet, I love to look, to dream, and still need functional spaces in my home. I needed a desk chair. I bought a lovely wicker bottom one at the antique auction but failed to sit in it before paying $14 for it and discovered it is rickety. I hit up Ballards. And so should you. Don't buy everything in the store. Do not buy their artwork. Although I love their vintage map of Africa and I think they are going to carry a new Penley line (great local Artist). I purchased my porch furniture cushions there, a few throw pillows and recently got this lovely dining chair for my desk. Retail $273. My price $65. Ballard Backroom is a full of wonder place for furniture, indoor and out.

Mother came along with me, won the best bargain and got this lovely upholstered bench in a pale sage velvet for less than $90. Retail $661.

And not long ago I got a hutch for the boys' room, still in the box for $20. No zeros at the end. Yes, $20. It retailed for over $400. New. In the Box! All wood. 3 drawers, two shelves, beadboard inside.

Disclaimer: Ballard Backroom is hit or miss. I used to get the name messed up and called it Ballard Backyard for years. There are two outlet locations in the Atlanta area. The Roswell location is much larger and has a wider selection of clearanced merchandise. www.ballarddesigns.com

Quinoa

Quinoa is gluten-free and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids and is therefore a unique complete protein among plants. And it is incredibly good. It is prepared the same as rice. 1 C. Quinoa to 2 C. Water. Boil. Cover. Simmer. 12-15 Minutes. Done. Fluff with a fork. Then I add things like this:

Then I pour on a simple oil and vinegar dressing. You can make a garlic dressing with one clove garlic and 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 olive oil in a processor. I am a huge fan of Apple Cider Vinegar and EVOO sans the garlic. Be sure to drain those black beans and add lemon juice to your avocado. I think I must be of Mediterranean decent. I could eat like this all the time and never tire of some variety of this dish.

Bread

I do my very best to cut out all flour and stick to Ezekiel bread for morning toast and for occassional sandwiches. Yet, I recently discovered these and although made with Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour, which is terrible, I figure life is short and these are a decent alternative to the more horrible stuff that is out there. They are 100 calories, have 5 grams of fiber, and no high fructose corn syrup (but that is only because they are made with Sugar). Yet, they are perfect for homemade tuna salad or blackbean burgers with Swiss cheese or portabello mushrooms with roasted red peppers, feta cheese and a bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. I like them much better than ordinary sliced bread and are much better than a carb loaded bun. They come in other varities too, such as Rye and Whole Wheat.

Lips

I bought a few of these Yes to Carrots Lip Butters at Walgreen's when they were on sale for .99cents and used them as stocking stuffers for Christmas. Getting one of each for myself too. I say you can never have too much chapstick. There really is no replacement for it. Maybe Vaseline. But plain ol' lipstick make dry lips worse, typically and my personal choice, licking your lips makes dry lips way worse. Gross, but true. I kinda have a lot of lip, so I stash these tubes all over the place. In the car (take caution doing this in the ATL), handbag, desk drawer, bathroom drawer, nightstand, cosmetic bag, vanity drawer, and overnight bag to name a few. I think somebody should invent a no melt kind for those of us who live in blistering hot cities. But I have found that these hold up fairly well to the heat. In addition to the Lip Butters (basic chapstick with hints of carrot, mint and stuff like that), they have Lip Gloss and Lip Tint. The Gloss is in a thick tube and is minty and goes on thick. It is good stuff. I like adding the Tint on top of my lipstick.

They are 95% organic, 5% cancer causing really bad stuff. Kidding. It looks like they are 5% stuff that is really necessary to make all the organic stuff stick together. The main ingredient in the gloss is actually what appears to be Castor oil. I have seen and even tasted it in other organic lipsticks. Origins used to use it. But they failed to cover up the harsh taste of Castor oil, Yes to Carrots covers it nicely with Peppermint Oil. I don't really care one way or the other about how organic one product is versus the other. I honestly don't care if it is tested on animals or not either. Well, maybe if they tested it on little sweet kittens that might be disturbing or West Highland Terrier Puppies. And just how do you test lip gloss on a rat anyway? These are things I don't want to even think about.

Target also carries this line and if you swing by the clearance sections at the end of the cosmetic aisle, you just might find a variety of this stuff marked with that lovely orange sticker and get it 75% off! These sets retail from $10-$12. I got mine for $2.49.

La Croix

I am a huge fan of this stuff. It is something refreshing and cold on a hot day, even straight from the can. I like to keep the fridge stocked and grab one on my way out the door. They are calorie-free, sugar or sweetener-free, sodium-free, and caffeine-free. So what is in it? Refreshing, good, lightly flavored, pure sparkling water. They come in Pure Sparkeling, Berry, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange and Cran-Raspberry. I am a fan of Lime, Berry and Grapefruit. They are also great for making cocktails. If you are into that sort of thing. I also like to make my own Orangina by mixing a can of Orange LaCroix with fresh squeezed OJ. I also dilute my cranberry juice with LaCroix Lime. You can also use the Lime LaCroix, a tiny bit of simple syrup (and I mean tiny), a dallop or 3 of rum, a few sprigs of mint and Voila! a Mojito. Enjoy in your Tervis Tumblers. No sweat. No calories.

Wallets

I have this wallet and it works! It has an accordian fold inside for cash, checks and receipts, and a zippered pocket for change. It also has 8 slots on each side for credit cards and identification and your library card! Of course, I mostly just throw it all in and zip it up, but it has the potential to be very organized and about once every three months, I do so. It is colorful and unique and durable and fun. Check- Out Girls think it's, "cool". I lost her once in the Kroger parking lot and someone turned it in. I think it was a heavenly host of angels and I am grateful. I have been very attached to her ever since. www.pylones.com

Music- Kelanie

I love the heart of this worshipper. Her music speaks to me like no other. Her latest CD did not leave me disappointed. I play it over and over again and feel something sweet and powerful each time. It is an invitation and an encounter and just such a sweet one. You can get it on iTunes. She is amazing. It will change you. www.kelanie.com

Nail Polish

Laura sent this is the mail. In a plain manila envelope. No note. I wondered why in the world she sent me nail polish. Then I turned it upside down. I laughed out loud, plopped my feet up on the coffee table on the front porch and now I have shimmery deep red toes. The color is fun. And the thought involved in this sweet gift, priceless. You see, I am a waitress, sorta, well...not really. It's pretty. I recommend it.

The ATL

365 Things to do: a site featuring something to do in the city each and every day

Dandelion Root

Angelique calls this her Beauty Pill as it reduces facial puffiness. It is an herbal diuretic. It was used back in the 10th century for inflammation. It aids in digestion and is a source of potassium. There is even evidence that it normalizes blood sugar. I take it for the puffy face problem. I think it works!

Nightcap

Angelique calls Calcium, Magnesium and D Complex her "little cocktail". I call it The Answer to All Life's Problems. Recently, well maybe for a couple of years now, I have had trouble sleeping. I just don't get sleepy and don't rest well. I don't really have insomnia, but something is not right. For the past few nights, I have been taking it too and I am a believer! I take it a little before bedtime and I am not sure if it is my long days or The Cocktail, but something took the edge off and put me in a deep, peaceful, heavy sleep. I am already looking forward to tonight.

3 Day Tour of the ATL...outside the ATL

My friend Maggie is coming to the ATL! Maggie is from Ireland, lived in England and is coming to Atlanta! Maggie knows her stuff and I don't think a trip to the The Varsity is going to impress her very much. Therefore, I am planning ahead for her October visit, doing research, making lists and attempting to put together a Red Carpet Tour of the ATL for the Well Travelled Woman. Maggie and her Brit friend, Jessica arrive on a Monday. I am considering whisking them away to Tate Mountain for a night. Just one hour north of Atlanta (or thereabouts), Tate is located near Jaspar, and is a little slice of heaven.

After a night of a barefooted dinner on the porch at Tate and a breakfast of omelets and English Muffins, I am considering taking them to the best outlet mall shopping this side of the Mississippi- North Georgia Premium Outlets. It is about 30 minutes from Tate and is a pleasant experience during the week, but never on the weekends. I hear Varsity Jr. is coming there, so if they have to have it, we can go there for a Frosted Orange and sip on those while in Off 5th.

If we can't go up for our mountain outing we have an incentive to stay in the city on a Monday night, Evening Brunch at Rosebud Atlanta. Located on N. Highland Avenue, Rosebud uses local and regional ingredients. I am getting the fried egg tostada with heirloom tomato pico de gallo, guacamole and salsa roja and a housemade Bloody Mary. And yes, I plan my meals months in advance. I think I might even already have an outfit in mind too.

We can also swing by The Porter in Little Five Points to make my European friends feel a little at home. It is no Guinness at Bushmills Inn, but it is close as we can get. And there's always The High. But I am not a huge Dali fan and that is all I see still running in October that looks interesting. Plus, there are only a few moments when you can actually enjoy being outside in Atlanta and October is one of them.

October weather in Atlanta is usually quite glorious. With Highs in the low 70's and low's in the 50's and average temperatures in the 60's, it is a great time to live and be in Atlanta. And the perfect time to spend the day at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.



The Botanical Gardens are a great place to stroll and relax, take a small picnic and a wonderful place for a photo op. It is a beautiful, sweet smelling place to spend the day, to sit and journal and be with friends. Their concerts in the garden are a beautiful experience with nature, art, music under a canopy of pale stars right in the city. If you live or work in town, I recommend getting an Annual Membership and going for a stroll during your lunch hour or better yet, spend a Saturday. For under $100 you can take your brown bag lunch there about once a month for a year. Lunch with the butterflies does you good. Disclaimer: I don't think they really let you eat and bring a bunch of food. For some reason I just always have to have food of some sort on my person. So be discrete, clean up after yourself, take your garbage with you or place in proper receptacles and don't tell them I sent you.

If we can't get enough of nature from the Garden's, I think we may head south to Serenbe for a day. I am completely cheating again, by taking my friends out of the ATL during our 3 day tour OF the ATL. To me, it still counts since we are still in Fulton County. But, seriously what else is there to do in the city? Aquarium, maybe. World of Coke, no. Shopping? Who needs Phipps if you hit up the Outlet Mall? Serenbe has great specials during the week. We can even stay the night at the Inn and have dinner at The Hil for $169 (double occupancy-rooms are $109 with $60 receipt from The Hil). We could arrive in time for an afternoon stroll, freshen up at the Blue Eyed Daisy and head up to The Hil for dinner. Enjoy a farm to table breakfast the next morning and have an easy drive up to Hartsfield Jackson for their Thursday departure. It's no London Eye or Buckingham Palace, but it is a Frosted Orange and discount shopping, what more could a girl want?

Art by Kelly Rae Roberts

Her stuff is now mass produced and sold in girly Gift Shops all over the place now, but I like it. I want to create my own piece, statement and prophesy. I think I will. http://www.kellyraeroberts.com/

Art by Claire Hollywell

I went to Mission School with this lovely lady. I love her work. It makes me cry. It moves me. Empowers me. Humbles me. Ignites me. Grieves me.

http://www.chollywell.zenfolio.com/

Originals and Prints for Sale

Tumi Sale

New without Tags- All Original Wrapping Inside/Brand New Tumi Sample

Style: Similar to the Ashley Collection City Satchel made of Napa Leather, but this one is a silky nylon, Leather Trim

Color: Carnelian (Orange) with Gold Buckles and Zippers

Retail: $349

For you: $99

It is a lovely bag. Pictures don't do it justice. I picked up two on my way down to Fernandina. One for you and one for me. jgracedavis@hotmail.com

If you are an out of town friend, residing in the United States of America, I will ship it to you.

Traveling with Pomegranates

I visited the Ponce de Leon Branch once again, to return the Half Broke Horses book and got sucked back in to the big shelves in the middle with all the brand new books. I was going to just return my book and leave. I don't like being obligated to return something by a certain date and don't want the words "Library" on my already overwhelming, growing To Do List. But the word is there. On Wednesday. I found this Sue Monk Kidd book there on the shelf, begging me to take it home. Pomegranates. Sue. Due back next Wednesday. Impending fines. Stress. Obligations. But new and hardback and co-written with her daughter, Ann.

Mama used to read to me from The Guidepost, most nights honestly. I think she herself liked to read the inspirational stories and used it as just a filler to get me to go to bed. I know I would do the same. Just read to the kid till she falls asleep and you may as well read something you enjoy instead of having to do all the B'rer Fox and B'rer Bear and B'rer Rabbit voices. Exhausting. So I got Guidepost. Sue Monk Kidd was a regular contributor and her tiny square picture showed a woman that looked a little like my mother and a little like Kathy Oliver, but you don't know her. Sue lived in Anderson and her biography told us that and she had two children, Bob and Ann, her daughter just a little older than me. She wrote about being a nurse, and wife and mother. Her husband's name is Sandy and I thought about Sandy Moore every time she would mentioned him, but you probably don't know him either, but he is sweet. So I imagined her Sandy to be sweet as well and loyal like orphan Annie's dog of the same name. Evidently, I did have a vivid imagination growing up, or perhaps I was just very bored because my mother read to me from a magazine. But, growing up I felt like I kind of knew this woman, who lived in the nearby town. Mom saw her a few times in the mall. She recalls one time in particular where Sue was angry and was walking far ahead of her husband and daughter at a fast pace and it was clear that she was mad. So, after the mall spotting I just imagined Kathy Oliver walking ahead of Sandy Moore all in a huff while little orphan Annie just sat there in her red dress with that shaggy dog. Wow. That is such a tangent. But pretty true.

So I got the book. It is good! I am enjoying it. Almost finished. I read her others as well. In this one, she and her daughter visit Rocamadour in France which I find so incredibly ironic because Mother and I have been there too!! It is about their travels and their finding themselves and their relationship. I can't say Mother and I found ourselves on our journey to Rocamadour. We didn't pray to the Black Virgin. I just prayed to Jesus to get us home because we flew over on buddy passes. But the book is good. Nice. Well written. Contemplative. Sweet. The fight in the mall musta blown over, because they now live in Charleston and she writes a little about that too. The marsh, the birds, the beauty. I like those parts. I think you will too.

Half Broke Horses

As my life is settling back down a little, I am falling back into my glorious routine of book reading. I think I have shared before, my love to read and snuggle up with a good book, far surpasses my love of the remote and reality TV. Despite a pretty steady love affair with the DVR and Housewives drama, I love to check out 4 or 5 books and read a chapter in each, decide on one, read until I feel like I can take a break, then choose a second to open and read until I need a break from the drama unfolding and then open a third and so on, taking breaks to nourish myself with meals in between.
Not long ago, I was in the library, the Ponce de Leon branch and a total stranger lady in a cardigan with glasses on a chain around her neck came up to me and said, "What is a really good book that you just LOVED that you have read lately"? At first I was a little surprised to have a stranger just come up and talk to me and then I just stood there with my mouth open as if she had asked me what is my favorite flavor of ice cream. Where do I begin? Then I started to blush a little as the last book I read was that kinda brainless one I bought in Publix- "Happens Every Day". If you want a morning of brainless, reality book reading, get it. But I could not tell the lady in the cardigan that I like brainless grocery store books. I tried to recall the last piece of true literary genius I had read, but by then she was handing me a stack of stuff off the New Books area and telling me what was good and how she didn't like smut. Oh well. So I withheld my suggestion of the new Emily Giffin book, which I have yet to read, and told her about Kaye Gibbons. But I felt so inept that I could not even think of a single book or title or anything good, and I wanted to ask if she had seen Bethenny Getting Married! or Top Chef, Washington, D.C., but I refrained.
I left her standing in front of the Fiction "G" and I left with her recommendation, Half Broke Horses. There is a second book by the author, Jeanette Walls, which is on my list The Glass Castle: A Memoir. But she insisted I read this one first. The book is a memoir of sorts. Written by Walls, but in first person, from her grandmother's perspective, based on stories her grandmother and mother verbally passed down. It is an interesting view into the world, about 100 years ago, set in the West. It reminded me a little of Granny Davis and her stories of riding bareback and life in the early 1900's and poverty and The Depression that came later on. It is all quite fascinating as it is all true and set in a day and place that I never knew. It makes me want to go out West and saddle up a horse and eat biscuits and jerky, even though I hate jerky. Walls grandmother is a fascinating, wild and crazy character, set in her ways and stubborn and a product of her upbringing. It is a very good read. Makes me want to write a similar "true-life novel", but not about me. That would be boring. Any volunteers?

Body Butter

My friend Jen in Seattle sent me this. I love it. I have this Coconut & Lime one. It is made with real coconut and lime extract, as well as Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter and Safflower Seed Oil. "Shea Butter can naturally improve skin tone, re-hydrate skin, promote cell rejuvenation, improve skin elasticity and lessen the appearance of wrinkles and stretch marks". And it smells good. In addition to the body butter Tree Hut also has scrubs, lotions and washes. Distributors include Kroger and Publix. I am all for good beauty products available at the grocery store. Two errands in one. www.treehutshea.com

Cloudland Canyon State Park

I went here last weekend with the family. Dad rented a cabin for us all. Carla brought the Publix Deli and a small produce stand and a good time was had by all. Mom & Dad brought a puzzle and I brought Skip-Bo and everyone was entertained. Mapquest says it is a little over two hours from Atlanta, but it took me much longer than that for some reason. It is up 75N, but then really an hour off the Exit. So prepare for that if you go. But the cabins are fine. Two Double Beds in each bedroom. Clean. Linens provided. And then there is The Canyon. The views are quite amazing and the 4.5 mile hike around the rim of the Canyon is one of the best hikes I have ever been on. But then again, I have not been on many hikes now that I think about it. Except in Europe and you know those are way better. But you hike through lots of wooded areas that are shaded and breezy with expansive views over the Canyon, it is very secluded and sometimes with the huge roots and large tree cover, it feels a bit like Narnia.



The Park Guides state that the hiking trails are strenuous, but I think that word might be a little harsh. It is a nice little work out. With fun trails. Nature. Scenery. Green. Lush. 2,000 miles above sea level. It would be worth a trip. Rent a cabin with friends and hike both the East and West Rim Loops. Take a board or card game. Eat peaches on the backporch. They have a coffee maker. What else could you need? Don't forget your iPod. All Canyons need a Soundtrack.