Two years ago, we celebrated in Orlando at Disney for my very first visit.

Last year, we trekked out to Kansas City to watch the ball drop.  An excellent time was had.

THIS year, Kev + I are the hosts and we’re ringing in the New Year in Atlanta!  (Expectations are high.)  Sooooo, we’ve decided to celebrate with Yacht Rock at Park Tavern!

If you’ve ever seen Yacht Rock perform, you KNOW that we’re in for a great time!

And, Park Tavern is an awesome place to celebrate any holiday.  PT always throws a solid party…

NYE with Yacht Rock is an all-inclusive event.  Drinks and food are covered all night and into the wee hours of the morning.  There will be live music with Yacht Rock Revue & Atlanta’s best DJ spinning in the Piedmont Room overlooking the Midtown skyline.

Highlights include:
- Open bar: premium liquor, beer, wine and champagne
- Live music + NYE countdown with Yacht Rock Revue
- Gourmet food including hors d’ouvres, carving station, NYE specialties along with plenty of sides + salads to keep your energy up and dancing into the New Year.
- Sushi display
- Toast & get toasty with smores for dessert
- Midnight breakfast buffet including all your favorites + fresh Krispy Kreme donuts
- Photo booth
- NYE favors
- Champagne toast at midnight
- Coat check

This party is where it’s at on Saturday, so get your tickets NOW: NYE w/ Yacht Rock Revue!

***BONUS***  LOOK FOR ME AT PARK TAVERN totally rockin’ out to Yacht Rock…

…and I will give a fist pump + one of these super rad Q+DD koozies to the first three people who wish me a “HAPPY QUICK + DIRTY DIRTY NEW YEAR!”

Your drinks have never looked so fashionable…  I can’t think of a better way to toast 2012!

Q+DD koozies: so hot right now.

See y’all at Park Tavern!  Wishing a fun NYE to all! 

xx, L

Here’s me two weeks ago with 8-months-prego Anjali as we were celebrating her pregnancy in DC.  Check out our awesome traditional outfits:

She had two parties that weekend (one a religious Indian ceremony + the other a Western baby shower for friends).  Anj spent the weekend opening gifts and chatting with folks who can’t wait to meet her little bundle of joy arriving in late August.  I spent the weekend supporting her (SO excited to meet the baby!) + sipping on Captain Kurt’s custom adult beverage he created for me over the weekend entitled: “All My Friends Are Pregnant + I’m Getting Drunk.”  Witness:

Here’s what was in it: Bols Genever (about 2 ounces), lemon juice (about .75 an ounce), a splash of grenadine + two drops of cherry bitters.  Shaken and strained and topped with blood orange soda.  Sweet, sour + pink…just like my iPhone case.

Drinking these over the weekend was delightful.  Bring ONNNNN the babies, I say!!

Anyway, over the past few months I’ve thrown a handful of baby showers + attended a number of others.  While I am still really uncomfortable setting foot into Babies ‘R Us (OMG – that place is s.c.a.r.y), I can tell you what My Breast Friends is, I can recommend bella bands + maternity jeans, and I consider myself to be an expert on fun baby shower games. 

Let’s take Anj’s shower for instance, because it was recent + she had a slew of fun games.  First was the Never Have I Ever College Fund Game that I thought was super cute.  All you need is a decorative piggy bank + shower goers who are willing to donate their wallet change.

Everyone goes around and says baby shower-related (+ appropriate) Never Have I Evers like “Never have I ever changed a baby’s diaper” or “Never have I ever given dirty looks to a crying baby on an airplane,” etc, and those who have done that walk up to the piggy bank and drop in wallet change to start the baby’s college fund.  Here’s Anj with her baby’s piggy bank:

Although it’s not actually a game, I thought this was a really sweet idea: Anj’s sister put out a baby’s bedtime book + pens for shower goers to flip through and write a note to the baby.  Such a thoughtful little keepsake for folks to work on over the course of the shower.

Another one of the baby shower games that I think is a big hit is Guess How Big Momma’s Belly Is.  We purchased string from Michaels + passed it around to everyone with a pair of scissors.  Shower goers cut the string to the length that they thought was Anj’s belly circumference.  Then, everyone measured their strings around Anj + the shower goer who cut the string closest to the size of her belly won a prize. 

We also had a station running for shower goers to personalize onesies for the baby.  We purchased paint pens + markers and iron-ons (we set up an iron and ironing board for those) from Michaels to encourage folks to be as creative as possible. 

Shower goers ate, drank, chatted + made adorable onesies (in a variety of sizes) for the baby.

This one was mine. 

We hung them up with twine and clothespins in front of the area where Anj would later open her gifts.

This was another onesie I loved…

Finally, we did not play this game at Anj’s shower, but I have to admit that it’s my favorite.  I call this one: Identify the Poop!  To set it up, all you need is a variety of candy bars + diapers.  Open the diapers and inside of each one place a different candy bar.  Write a number outside of the diaper corresponding with the candy bar within it, i.e. Milky Ways in diaper #1, Twix in diaper #2, and so forth.  Microwave the candy bars until they are melted.

Have everyone gather around and pass out the candy bar-filled diapers + pens and paper.  Shower goers have to taste each one and try to identify which candy bar it contains.  Whomever is the most accurate gets a prize.

It’s a total blast + SO funny!  And, definitely not for the squeamish…

That’s all I’ve got for now.  There are several more babies on the way, though, so Aunt Lindsay may have more to share in months to come.  In the meantime, I’ll be sippin’ my pink martinis + jet-setting to meet new additions to my friend’s growing families…while tightly holding on to my B Braithwaite mayorship.

xx, L

Last night, I had the pleasure of hosting Dinner Club and we had the best time!

Brief DC history lesson: back when Lindsay first invited me to Dinner Club (2008?) the tradition was that the hostess would send the recipes the next day to the members and somewhere along the line that fell by the wayside.  Last night we decided to reinstate that practice, and I thought while I’m sending the recipes to my girls, I’d share some of them with you too!

Here are my top 3:
1.    Rosemary Cheese Crackers
2.    Mushroom/Artichoke Crustless Tarts
3.    Curried Couscous

Rosemary Cheese Crackers (appetizer)

I LOVE a good ol’ southern cheese straw, but these are in it for extra credit with rosemary and a punch of spice. I love them on their own, but topped with green pepper jelly and a little dollop of goat cheese….heavenly.

They are relatively easy, too!

Ingredients:
2 cups (8oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp. sea salt (coarse) and more for sprinkling on top
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Cream the cheese and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer (I used my hand mixer and brute strength) until smooth and well combined.   Stir together the flour, rosemary, salt, red pepper flakes and cayenne in a separate bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Turn the dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper.  Roll into a log shape and wrap the dough in the paper and refrigerate for several hours (I think overnight is best) until the dough is firm and slice-able.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the log into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange them on a baking sheet.  Prick the center of each cracker several times with a fork and sprinkle your coarse sea salt on them.  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until they are golden brown around the edges.

You can serve them room temp or slightly warm, but let them cool a good amount before serving them.  Top ‘em off with your green pepper jelly and your goat cheese and voila!

Tips:
1. I know I said it before, but you HAVE to use COARSE SEA SALT.  Otherwise they won’t come out the same.
2.  You can store them for up to 3 days in an airtight container once they’re made or frozen and re-heated in the oven for a few minutes before serving
3. The dough can actually be made a day or TWO in advance!

Mushroom Artichoke Crustless Tarts

This recipe comes from my mom’s bestie (and excellent cook!) Caren –and they are delicious and SO SUPER EASY. They were a BIG time crowd pleaser and took absolutely NO time.

Ingredients:
1 c mushroom (chopped)
1 can artichoke hearts (chopped)
12 oz cottage cheese
2 egg whites
1 egg
2 c cheese (I mixed asiago, parmesan, romano, mozzarella, and sharp cheddar, but I think anything would work)

Mix everything together in a big ol’ bowl.  Overspray mini-muffin tins with Pam, sprinkle parmesan on top and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Serve warm or room temp.

Tips:
1. None.  This was ridiculously easy.

Curried Couscous

This is a DK specialty that we ate every day at the beach so I wanted to make it for my girls!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tb butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts
1/2 cup small diced red onion

Place couscous in a medium bowl.   Melt butter in the boiling water and pour over couscous.  Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper.  Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix with a fork.  Add the carrots, parsley, dried cranberries almonds scallions and red onions.  Mix well and taste for seasonings (sometimes I like more pepper in mine).

Serve at room temp (or cold!)

Tips:
1. I made a double recipe (it makes a TON) but if you’re going to do that, be sure to make each batch separately.
2. This needs to sit about a day for the flavors to be fully “synergized” so make it a day ahead

And there you have it!  I hope you enjoy!

xx, L

But before we return to our regularly scheduled LK programming, I have a BIG THANK YOU for everyone involved with, everyone who donated to, everyone who supported and everyone who attended Camp Dance. I couldn’t even begin to start naming names – but just know I appreciate you so much.

It was INCREDIBLE.  Absolutely incredible.

I loved everything. The switch from the Zoo to the World of Coke was a game-changer – everything was so fun and peppy and whimsical and the WoC staff was INCREDIBLE.

The caterer was Bold American (I heart you, Mo!) who knocked our “camp” theme out of the PARK with  mini-fluffer nutter sammies, brie grilled cheeses, loaded baked potatoes, sliders and the clear winner of the night – CORN DOGS.

The corn dog is the new tater tot

and the desserts – oh the desserts!  I don’t even know where to start.  Witness:

I think everyone had an amazing time – I know I did because I was so busy dancing, I didn’t take a single picture. Thank goodness Greg was there!  Here are a few snaps:

G + me before the party started (dress is Halston Heritage)

Cutie Jona Sheer mixing a cocktail in "Taste It"

people filing into the WoC

M.F.E.O.

Proof.

Party people in the house.

Kraselsky women (and Dr. Amy) on the dance floor

Handsome men everywhere!

"The Beverly" and vodka, anyone?

It’s looking like we raised in the neighborhood of $85K for Camp Twin Lakes and we couldn’t be more excited!

Thanks again to everyone!  I can’t WAIT for next year….

xx, L

The caterer is making bazillions of tiny grilled cheeses, the band is tuning up, and the World of Coke is getting ready for the BEST PARTY OF THE YEAR! (do you have your tickets?)

(Personally – I want to know what it’s like to mix a cocktail with any Coke product from anywhere around the world!)

It’s been an incredible ride chairing the event this year and I have SO appreciated all the love and support. Particularly from my bloggy buddies:

ATL Events (Thanks, Wendy!)
Chicks In Atlanta (Thanks, Becky!)
Date Night Mag (Thanks, Jaime!)
Buckhead Betty…On a Budget (Thanks, Katherine!)
The Social Butterfly (Thanks, Jaimi!)
Daily Candy (Thanks, Hess!)
AOL Atlanta’s Best (Thanks again, Hess!)

And check us out on almost every event listing in town: Creative Loafing, 91.9 FM WCLK, Access Atlanta, Atlanta Buzz, Going.com, Eventful, Yelp, Patch.com Buckhead, Zvents, Entertainment.Georgia.com, Atlanta INtown

I’m just ready for the event to GET HERE so we can PARTY!

If you haven’t gotten your tickets already, click HERE for tickets!

If you can’t come, you’re dead to me. No, not really. (Spring weekends are tough!)  I do hope that you’ll consider making a donation, though!

Remember: every single dollar counts. Just $10 will sponsor a child’s 3 meals for the day, $35 will sponsor maintenance of the pool for a day, $75 will feed an entire cabin lunch, $85 sponsors one full day of horseback riding, $250 provides 10 life jackets for the canoeing program, $550 will sponsor an entire week of camp for a child, $1000 will sponsor a shade tree at camp Will-A-Way, and so on….  Whatever your budget, you can make a BIG impact in the life of a very deserving child.

No pressure, of COURSE – but if you would like to - please consider making a donation.  You can view my personal page by clicking here: http://bit.ly/CampDanceLauren

Thank you, thank you thank you THANK YOU!

xx, L

P.S. to our loyal and wonderful readers - thanks for bearing with me these last few weeks and months!  Back to normal ASAP after Saturday! (DK is coming in town and I’m taking the day off to have a spa/shopping day on Monday.  I’m sure I’ll have LOTS to tell…)

The rehearsal dinner was at the Peachtree Club, on top of the 999 Building, and we met the bridal party and friends for drinks and dessert following.   If someone can think of something better than enjoying a cocktail, a Swedish Fish, and this view…

…I wish they would tell me what because I can’t think of much.

The wedding was outdoors at Greystone in Piedmont Park and though I felt I had been there before from Lindsay’s awesome post (see it HERE) this was my first time to experience this remarkable venue for myself!

Greystone's east facade

You know how I love a good wedding!  I recycled a dress, but got to take these bad boys for their inaugural spin:

Badgley Mischka. Style: Lissa. Color: Platinum.

Jen looked absolutely stunning in a J.Crew bridal gown, the bridesmaids wore g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. dresses by Carol Hannah (Charleston native and my Project Runway all-time fave)

and Sun in My Belly knocked it of the park with the catering!

We after-partied with the happy couple at Einstein’s on Juniper…

2nd Grand Entrance of the evening!

(where I may or may not have had a slider or two…) and I woke up just dying to share this fantastic weekend with our readers!

Congratulations Jen and Pat…and thanks for a lovely weekend!

xx, L

formal J+P

They are pretty rad.

And, they’re BACK with an even more impressive YouTube invite for their 8th Annual Turduckenfest!  Please enjoy:

Paul has some pretty sick dance moves, eh? 

Slick + I are making the trip to NYC next weekend to take part in the festivites, but unfortunately – y’all aren’t invited, that is unless you can make sides?! 

xx, L

Truly, I felt like it was a special wedding.  But then again, Leslie is one of my oldest and best friends and I think just about everything she does is amazing

So it’s nice to have confirmation from a reliable source.  Please see the spread on Leslie and Jarrod’s wedding on Weddings Unveiled…Completely Unveiled.

Click HERE.

Katie Stoops photography did what none of our iPhone cameras were capable of (duh)… capturing this truly, truly special wedding.

Photography by Katie Stoops

I’m begging you to check out the whole spread for the deets.

LOVE.  Just love.

xx, L

Taverna Plaka

I hadn’t been to T. Plaka in maybe five years + I’d completely forgotten how much fun it is!  After the three hours we spent there, I’m convinced that it should be on everyone’s list for a bachelor/ bachelorette party, places to go when you have friends in town, or special (fun NOT romantic) occasion!

Dana had about 20 people out to celebrate with her + even before we could order drinks and get a bit crazy, one of the belly dancers brought her up on top of the table to get her Greek grove going!

happy birthday, dana!

The energy was great!  Then, all of the ladies were called up to participate in what to me seemed like a big Greek hora around the restaurant while everyone clapped + danced to traditional music.  Paper napkins were thrown everywhere with shouts of “OPA!”

OPA!

And, Ouzo shots…don’t forget those bad boys! 

"shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots - 'erbody!"

 By this time, we’d all worked up an appetite…  T. Plaka’s menu is pretty extensive, so my end of the table decided to do the $25 per person Mezedes: special chef menu for parties of two or more with all plates served family style.  It was the easiest choice + seemed like a good way to taste a bunch of dishes.

The first thing they brought out for the table was do-it-yourself hummus.  Slick worked on ours + it was super delish!  Fingers in the bowl + all…

Then, they brought out a cold spreads platter (eggplant, red pepper and cucumber spreads) and a Greek village salad.  All were sufficiently yummy, but we didn’t focus on them long because the flaming cheese (saganaki) was next! 

The server lit the cheese at the table + set it down while it was still flaming a bit.  It was pretty exciting to watch when you were a few drinks in…  M. Reynolds, Slick + I really enjoyed the cheese, but Cute Cari and Jordana described it as a “cheese version of tofu” – way too bland for them.  That was fine, though, because it meant more for us!

Before we knew it, the rest of the meal was out on the table + we were overloaded with delicious plates of spanakopita, chicken and beef kabobs, gyro meat, rice pilaf, and moussaka. 

They were all really good, but we had to finish them fast because Dana was back on the table in the blink of an eye dancing + holding an adorable Sugar Sugar birthday cake!  Sugar Sugar cakes are the very best in town + Dana’s was even better (if that is even possible) as it was accompanied by some of T. Plaka’s seriously scrumptious baklava.

Shortly thereafter, T. Plaka turned into a full-on club bumping Usher + Kesha tunes.  I think we were all caught a bit off-guard when the traditional Greek music transitioned to Top 100, but we embraced it for approximately 15 minutes before we called it an Ouzo-laced evening. 

T. Plaka is way more fun than I’d remembered it + I can’t wait to throw a party there or take friends who are in town.  With so many restaurants in Atlanta that seem like carbon copies of each other, T. Plaka is the perfect place to spice up your routine! 

Opa + happy birthday, Dana!

xx, L

Taverna Plaka
2196 Cheshire Bridge Rd. NE
Atlanta, GA  30324
404.636.2284
www.tavernaplakaatlanta.com

Duh

…but I must admit, I have not even cracked our current assignment, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

As one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs says, “I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

Luckily, my book club ladies’ love is unconditional and they didn’t appear to judge me one bit when I managed not to read a single sentence of last month’s book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, even though I hosted the club at my condo.

Luckier still, the group is comprised of some pretty spectacular chefs! So while the girls were discussing Steig, I found myself face first in all their delicious offerings.

The Club and The Carnage

There wasn’t a bad dish on my coffee table that night, so I BEGGED the girls to send me their recipes ASAP so I could share them with you now…almost a whole month later. (please refer to the Burroughs quote above.)

Anyway, better late than never!

Buffalo Chicken Dip a la Jen DiLorenzo
1. Mix: One pound chicken (cooked and shredded) and one bottle of your favorite wing sauce and layer in your oven-safe serving dish (like a Pyrex)
2. Mix: one small bottle of Ranch dressing and two blocks of cream cheese
NOTE: It mixes best if you warm the cream cheese in the microwave (be careful not to overheat!)
3.  Layer cream cheese/ranch mixture over chicken mixture
4.  Cover with shredded cheese (Jen likes Monterrey Jack).
5.  Bake at 350 until cheese is melted…and serve!

Avocado and Serrano Salsa a la Ellen Terchila
Ingredients:
1/2 Cucumber, diced
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 red onion, diced
2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 Lime

In a large bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients.  Toss well.  Gently stir in the salt, pepper, and lime juice (take care not to let avocado get mushy!)
Serve immediately or cover and put in fridge for up to 1 day.  Return to room temp before serving.

BONUS: Ellen notes,  “I learned that this also makes a fabulous “day after” sandwich by toasting two pieces of whole grain bread, scooping on a delicious helping of the salsa, and a slice of Havarti cheese…just saying.” (You are so adorable, E)

Last but not least…

Spicy Corn + Cheese Dip a la Shanon Perry

Ingredients:
1 bar of cream cheese
1 4-5 oz package of goat cheese (S likes to get the kind that has the seasoning in it, but get what you like)
4 cups of sharp white cheddar cheese
2 regular sized cans of white corn kernels (drained)
5 fresh jalapenos – remove the ribs and the seeds, then dice into small pieces (you can obviously adjust this to your own palette)
3-4 scallions – finely chopped
S says that the following ingredients are estimates…she just likes to add and taste as she goes and suggests you do the same.
2 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp of Mexican Chili Powder

Add cheeses and corn to an oven/microwave proof bowl. Warm in the microwave for about 2 minutes to soften the cheeses.  Stir in remaining ingredients, but keep aside enough cheddar to sprinkle over the top of the mixture.  Once you’ve sprinkled the rest of the cheddar over the top of the mixture, then put the bowl back in the microwave for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted on top and the mixture is heated through – OR – you can place the bowl in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so.

Serve each of these with your favorite chip…pita chips or Fritos scoops have been tried and were proven to be a success!

I can’t tell you which was my favorite…they were ALL delicious! It’s always good to have a good go-to dip, so next time you have to bring an app or a side, try one of these!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta dip! (couldn’t resist.)

xx, L