Game Night

As much as I like playing around Atlanta, one of my favorite things to do is to invite friends over for a game night. I have my go-to favorites, but I recently wanted to try something new. I stumbled upon something called Morphology and thought it sounded like a good party game.

Once I actually sat down to play it with friends, I was a little overwhelmed by the directions. There were a lot of rules, and that can get kind of confusing...especially after a couple of beers. We decided to stick it out and we were so glad we did!

First, you divide into teams. Then, each team member takes turns drawing a card. The rest of the team has to guess the word on the card, but rather than acting it out like in charades, your team guesses the word based on what you build with this:

The next part is what made the rules sound so complicated. Before the selected team member builds their object, they have to roll the dice to determine the circumstances in which they build. Each number dictates different conditions for playing. The good news is that the folks at Morphology included a cheat sheet right on the board!

Once we got the hang of this, we ended up having lots of fun! Everyone let their creativity out, and hilarity ensued.

I definitely recommend this game. It's a little different, but I think once you give the rules a chance it ends up being really entertaining!

What's your favorite game to play when you host game night?

Disclaimer: Morphology offered me a complimentary game in return for editorial consideration, but everything in this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Cooking for Gringas: Platanos Maduros

It's time for another post in my new favorite series:

A plantain is a fruit that likes to impersonate a vegetable, and it resembles some kind of banana mixed with a potato. They can be served a million different ways, but one of the most common ways is sweet and fried (as though they were after my Southern heart). Their versatility allows them to accompany an array of dishes, and they're guaranteed to dazzle dinner guests by introducing them to exotic flavors that they may not be accustomed to. Best of all, they're pretty easy to make!

First, buy some plantains. There is much debate surrounding yellow versus green plantains. I've found that green plantains are more savory and more difficult to peel, while yellow plantains are more sweet and easier to peel. Regardless of your preference, you need to allow 5-7 days for the plantains to ripen. The Spanish word maduros actually means ripe. And we're not talking about a-few-brown-spots-ripe; your plantains need to be nearly black, like so:

To cook three large plantains, you will need 1/2 cup of canola oil and 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar. You can make more or less plantains; my skillet just happens to hold three.

 

Next, peel your plantains. Unfortunately, this isn't as easy as peeling a banana, but slicing off the tips is a good trick to get you started. Once peeled, slice the plantain into 3/4-inch thick slices, on the bias.

                      

  

Pour the brown sugar into a small bowl and give the slices a toss in there. You don't have to coat each slice in brown sugar; just a little dusting will suffice in order to improve the caramelization process.

Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's nice and hot, gently place your slices in the skillet. The key to the plantain-cooking process is to be gentle. If your plantains are as ripe as they should be, they'll be very delicate...and you don't want to mess up that pretty shape that you created with your perfect bias slices! I've found that using plastic tongs helps (metal is too harsh and a plastic spatula is too cumbersome).

As your plantains cook, minimize contact between slices. That brown sugar is going to make for a sticky situation. You'll know it's time to flip them over when you can see the crispy caramelized bottom creeping up the sides of each slice, like so:

When you flip them over, they should look just slightly crispy, like this:

Our perrita gringa recognized this smell and, the eternal optimist that she is, truly believed that today was the day she would finally get to try platanos. Wrong.

Once both sides are cooked evenly, drain over paper to cool/get rid of some of the grease. Make sure it's parchment or wax paper, and not paper towels, like I used the first time I made these guys.

Rookie mistake.

Have you ever had plantains before?  What's your favorite plantain dish?

Judging a Book By Its Cover

My husband and I were grocery shopping today when a certain snack sparked an interesting debate. Before I get into it, allow me to give you a little background information. You see, I'm a firm believer in the "girls need protein too" philosophy. Protein is necessary to build muscle, and muscle is good. I cringe every time I hear a woman say that she doesn't want to lift weights because weightlifting will "make my arms too big." False. You're not going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger circa 1992 from doing a few skull crushers. Exercise is good for you. Trust me - I've taken MANY classes on exercise physiology.

A lot of my friends are following the Paleo Diet, which gives me hope that protein is trending upward. The Paleo Diet basically encourages eating like a caveman: more meat, more produce, less modern crap. It makes sense; these foods provide the basic nutrients our bodies have needed since the dawn of time. I like this diet because, contrary to most diets, it encourages fat. After all, fat is important! Saturated fats can improve lung function, omega 3s improve brain function, and they help your body absorb other nutrients. I can get behind this because it's about being healthy, not just being skinny. That's not to say that I'm a Paleo follower. I enjoy the occasional processed food, and I really like baking. But I have a lot of respect for people who are following this plan, and I've been trying to eat more protein myself.

When I'm at work, I really try to stay away from carbs, especially gluten. I work 10-hour days at a very physically demanding job, and I need protein to fuel me through the day. If I have too many carbs at lunch, I just want to take a nap, which is not exactly conducive to a productive afternoon full of effective treatment. This brings me to our grocery store debate.

I was gathering ingredients to make an awesome trail mix to get me through my work day: walnuts, almonds, dried cranberries, chocolate chips (What?! I said I wasn't doing Paleo!)...then my husband suggested that I just buy jerky instead.

I didn't respond verbally, but my face said, "Excuse me, but I do not eat jerky."

"What!" he exclaimed. "It's high in protein, low in carbs and calories, and it's nearly fat-free. It's like the perfect snack."

"That may be," I answered. "But I'm a girl."

"Girls can eat jerky too!" my husband argued.

"Right..." I said skeptically. "But I'm not a redneck."

Okay, so maybe those comments were a little judgmental. But can you blame me? Jerky is marketed almost exclusively to men. If any other product followed jerky's lead with a similar ad campaign, I'm sure it would be horribly offensive to women.

{I love you, Dr. Pepper. Why you gotta hate? / via Jezebel}

How am I supposed to be interested in jerky when Bulk Beef Jerky markets for their sampler pack with ads like this?

{via Bulk Beef Jerky}

I don't like seeing the faces of things I'm eating, I hate that font choice, and I'm certainly not an alpha male. And as for my redneck theory? Well...

{via Judged By Its Cover}

...I rest my case. I mean, jerky comes in tins that look like chewing tobacco. Seriously.

{via Snacks2Food}

I've never considered jerky as nutritious, or even as appetizing or edible for that matter, because it's simply never appealed to me. And I don't think it's intended to. I'm not a man, and I don't live on a farm or a prairie, so why would I eat it? I don't think I've ever tried jerky, but the thought of eating it just sounded gross. I just don't think I'd enjoy that texture on any meat unless it was bacon. Whenever I think about girls eating jerky, the only person who comes to mind is one of my best friends. She's raved about jerky for as long as I can remember. Maybe she's a lot less impressionable than I am, and more of an independent thinker. But she's also a physician and an awesome blogger mom, so maybe I should follow some of her independent thoughts?

Okay, so I accept that I happen to be easily swayed by product imaging. What, then, if jerky was portrayed in a different light? Here's the packaging that Jerky.com uses:

{via Moment of Failure}

It's neutral. It's rustic, but appropriately so. Ooo and it's burlap. I do love burlap. But does jerky always have to present as rustic? Could it be, dare I say, pretty?

{via Health-Bent}

That photo is of homemade corned beef brisket, published by a Paleo blog. The recipe looks easy and, as you can see, the results look impressive. Perhaps if I made my own jerky I'd be more inclined to try it?

This final photo definitely sparked my interest. What if jerky was incorporated into other recipes as an ingredient? I can't think of a better example than this:

{via Baker Bettie}

I can't imagine a better cure for a hangover than a bloody mary with some protein. Maybe I've been missing out. Maybe I am just judging a book by its cover.

Have any of you ladies out there tried jerky? Are any of you fans of jerky? What do you think - should I try it?!

Happy MLK Day!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

{"Homage to King" by Xavier Medina-Campeny / image by Louis Delsarte / via Sidewalk Radio}

Freedom Park is the largest public park in Atlanta, spanning 210 acres of linear green space. It links landmarks like the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic site to neighborhoods like Little Five Points and Inman Park. The park also features several permanent art installations. The sculpture "Homage to King" was created in 1996 in honor of the summer Olympic games. It's located at the intersection of Freedom Parkway and Boulevard, just west of the Jimmy Carter Center and Presidential Library, and just north of the King Center. It's one of my favorite pieces among the installations. I love how the hand reaches out towards the skyline, reminding us of what an impact one person can make.

Thank you, Dr. King, for everything you did for mankind, for our country, and for Atlanta.

Atlanta Underground Market at the History Center

As I'm sure you well know by now, the Atlanta Underground Market is one of my favorite local foodie events. It's such a wonderful way to showcase up and coming chefs, caterers, and bakers, and it's always fun to get food lovers together. We're just good people, if I do say so myself.

I haven't written about the event in a while, but I just couldn't help myself when I heard that January's evening market was to be held at the Atlanta History Center. One of the largest history museums in the nation, the History Center sits on 33 acres in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood. It also includes Margaret Mitchell House, located in Midtown. The main property houses historic gardens, the Centennial Olympic Games museum, as well as exhibits on the Civil War and Southern crafts. It also includes incredible ballrooms like this:

As you can see, this particular Market drew quite the crowd! I didn't take too many pictures (or sample too many items), but I just wanted to share a few with you.

One of my absolute favorites, gluten-free guru Dr. Sweets brought a doughnut with several sauce options. I tried the chocolate sauce and the orange-rosemary sauce. The combination of richness and fresh citrus was definitely a good choice to compliment this treat.

Next, CC Brazilian Sweets offered several options for dessert. We tried some passionfruit white chocolate pudding. I thought it was just amazing that they were able to pack so much flavor into such a small vessel.

I took a break from dessert and sampled some beef hominy soup from Roadrunners. These folks serve New Mexican food, which I'm not sure I've tasted before. It had a little bit of heat like Mexican food, but it was more rustic and earthy. The lime also gave it a nice kick of freshness. This dish was very unique, and definitely left me wanting to try more from them.

Last but not least, I tried some chocolate something from Sweet Memories. This thing was so rich, but it had the lightest, fluffiest texture. I think I could have eaten five of them. Also, how cute are those little pink spoons? Do these ladies know their target market or what?!

After sampling a few dishes, we decided to wander around the History Center. We only visited one gallery (since our admission included a free pass to come back!), Folk Arts in the South. First, we learned about pottery.

Next, we learned about furniture making.

Then, we learned about the art of making musical instruments...

...like a banjo made from a cigar box? What do you think? Should it be my next DIY project? Ha!

If you're interested in the Atlanta History Center, you should stop by soon. Their exhibit on the Apollo Theater is closing in the near future!

If you're interested in attending an Atlanta Underground Market, visit their website to sign up for emails detailing future private events. They actually have a brunch market coming up on January 29th, but getting on their email list is the only way to find out the location!

Holy Guacamole!

You can never have too much of a good thing, right? Recently, I put that old saying to the test as I sampled all of Uncle Julio's new guacamole menu. I've never eaten so much guacamole in my life, and I must admit, I was okay with it.

{photo by Uncle Julio's / via Melissa Libby & Associates}

I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants. Uncle Julio's is one of my few exceptions. They have two locations in Atlanta, one in Buckhead and one at Perimeter. They can also be found in Boca Raton, Washington D.C., Dallas, and Chicago. When I heard that they were adding some interesting avocado creations to their menu, I knew I had to get in on it!

First up, we had the Roasted Corn and Lump Crab Guacamole.

{photo by Uncle Julio's / via Melissa Libby & Associates}

I'm not a huge crab fan, but my husband definitely liked it! The corn was full of smokey flavor, and a hint of lemon juice added a nice acidic balance to the dish.


Next, we tried the Three-Pepper Spicy Guacamole.

{photo by Uncle Julio's / via Melissa Libby & Associates}

I didn't think it was too spicy, so I think even those of you who are more sensitive to heat would enjoy it! Every once in a while, I got a bite that was more spicy, but the crumbled queso fresco evened it out nicely.

I saved my favorite for last: the Pineapple Bacon Guacamole.

{photo by Uncle Julio's / via Melissa Libby & Associates}

I've said it before and I'll say it again: bacon makes everything better. I've never thought to put bacon in guacamole. I loved the texture it added, and the pineapple made it absolutely addictive. I highly recommend this one...especially when paired with one of these:

{personal photo}

Passionfruit margarita on the rocks? Yes please.

What's the most creative guacamole dish you've tried? Have any of y'all been to an Uncle Julio's before?


Disclaimer: Uncle Julio's offered me complimentary guacamole in return for editorial consideration, but everything in this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Blog-olutions

I'm not too big on New Years Resolutions. Most of mine have always been things that I should probably be doing anyway. For example, every year I resolve to quit biting my nails. This usually lasts until about mid-February (best case scenario, it lasts until March Madness). This year, however, I have two realistic and reasonable goals that I'm really excited about. Best of all, both of these goals will directly affect this little blog!

I will learn how to sew this year.

{from Anthropologie / via Pinterest}

I've always enjoyed art, crafts, and DIY projects, but I've never even attempted to sew. If I remember correctly, I used to beg my mom for help just to sew my ribbons onto my pointe shoes. Any larger task required a seamstress! But lately, I've been reading a lot of blogs where an occasional sewing post pops up. If those bloggers can sew, then why not me?

I will learn how to use a grown-up camera this year.

{from Etsy / via Pinterest}

I use a Sony Cyber-shot camera. It's 14.1 megapixels, and it has a Carl Zeiss lens, but I have no idea what that means. All I know is that it's really hard to take blog-worthy photos with it! I'm in the process of purchasing a used Nikon d40 from a skilled photographer/family member, and I can't wait to figure it out. In addition to helping me create a more photogenic blog, I'm really excited to use it while traveling. My husband and I are planning a trip to Europe in 2013, and it'd be really great to have some photo skills by then!

Did any of you make New Years Resolutions? What about Blog-olutions?