Category Archives: Recipes

Easter Entertaining

Time to get your eggs decorated and get in the Easter spirit— literally…(didn’t think I’d be talking holidays without some spirits, eh?) I have some really unique and delicious cocktail ideas I want to share. See the video above for all the creative ways kids (and adults) can enjoy the holiday!

Decorating eggs can be the most memorable part of an Easter celebration— and Dudley’s Spraytastic is a new egg decorating kit available at Walmart. You can use this on hard boiled eggs or Walmart’s Easter Decorating Eggs. It’s easy to use and fun for the whole fam. It’s an airbrush inspired color spray so you can make really cool and unique decorated Easter Eggs. Just fill with the dye– pump— and spray. You can color mix and layer the sprays….And you can spray a single egg or an entire basket full! And when you’re entertaining for the holiday weekend, the sprayed eggs make a gorgeous centerpiece!
http://www.dudleyseaster.com/spraytastic.

The only downside to egg decorating is the mess that sometimes happens! I like to call it artistic expression that just needs a wipe down! Dudley’s Spin an Egg takes care of that problem with this spinner— kids just push down on the button and watch their egg spin while coloring! It’s as easy as that!
http://www.dudleyseaster.com/whereToBuy/

Dudley’s also has some other specialty egg dyes— Majestic dyes create beautiful pearlized eggs with no mess.

Puffy Strings of Color is one of my favorites— and it’s the newest way to decorate. Once you’ve dyed your Easter eggs, use the Strings of Color and applicator to make fun designs.

And Color Burst creates this speckled effect on eggs. It’s like magic! Also a little tip, if you add vegetable oil to the dye, you can create a totally different look.

You can go to http://dudleyseaster.com/ for a look at all of these Easter products!

Now that the kids are entertained, let’s talk adult beverages…

I love making a signature cocktail when I entertain– so treat your Easter Guests to the Diplo Daiquiri this Sunday! It’s made with Rum Diplomático which is from Venezuela and recognized as one of the finest rums in the world. The Diplo Daiquiri doesn’t even require a blender— just pour 1 ounce of Rum Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, and half an ounce each of simply syrup and lime juice. Shake and pour, garnish with a lime wheel. The Reserva has a smooth and elegant finish– you can detect a bit of maple syrup, orange peel, licorice and notes of sweet toffee fudge. http://www.rondiplomatico.com/

Amarula Cream, knowns as the “Spirit of Africa” is the second largest cream liqueur in the world. In South Africa, it’s typically enjoyed neat or over ice. For Easter, try mixing it into your coffee at brunch or sip it after dinner with your dessert. https://amarula.com/

Some of my most treasured memories are from the semester I spent in Spain, stretching out long afternoons with incredible Spanish wines! If you’re looking for the perfect Easter treat, try a cold bottle of dry Spanish Rosado. Spanish Rosados are typically made from Tempranillo or Garnacha grapes— they have bright, fruity and floral notes, making them easy to pair. El Coto de Rioja Rosado will quickly become a favorite among your family and friends. This totally transports me back to Espana! http://www.winesfromspainusa.com/

And finally we have the Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2012 made from 100% Sangiovese, this wine is fresh and elegant. The taste is medium bodies with silky tannins and a long lasting finish. This wine is perfect to pair with any lamb dish you are serving for your Easter Sunday celebration. http://www.avignonesi.it/

Happy Easter!

*This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

Diplo Daquiri

2015-04-01 20:48:53

Serves 1

A light and refreshing rum cocktail

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Ingredients

One ounce Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
orange peel or lime to garnish

Instructions

Pour over ice and enjoy!

Notes

Great Tip: To make your own simple syrup, just boil one part water with one part sugar. I'll make it with 1 cup each of water and sugar--- boil until it reduces down a bit and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

By Parker Wallace

What's on Parker's Plate? https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/

Chicken Tikka Masala

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Traditionally, Chicken Tikka Masala is marinated in a yogurt blend to tenderize the chicken. I didn’t have any on hand, so I made do without and the finished product tasted so authentic and delish! When I was at the farmer’s market the last time, I picked up a box of Chicken Tikka spice mix— normally I always mix my own spice mixes, but this looked so, well, authentic, I decided to give it a shot.

Found this at the Farmer’s Market

So glad I did! If you make your own mix, there are a ton of recipes out there— it’s usually a blend of cumin, coriander, ginger, mint, garam masala, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder. I did a little research on the origin of Chicken Tikka Masala, (I used to be news reporter, so color me curious!) and this is an interesting tid bit from the Food Detective’s Diary:

To fathom the extraordinary fable of Chicken Tikka Masala, we should travel to 5000 years ago when tandoor clay ovens were invented. Locals were beginning to raise chickens at the same time and realized both made an awesome combination. But the small bite sized pieces which we now call ‘Tikka’ came into existence- thanks to the nitpicking of an emperor, Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in South Asia was so sick (or afraid) of choking on the chicken bones, he ordered his Punjabi chefs to remove the bones before cooking the meat in the tandoor. The resulting delicacy was called – Joleh, Persian for Tikka.

Delicacy indeed!

I squeezed the juice of 4 lemons, mixed with the spice mix, added a few squeezes of ginger and garlic paste from my favorite Gourmet Garden products and cut up an onion. Then, I sealed it all in a ziploc and let it marinate for 3 hours. Boom.

You could skewer the chicken and grill it, but #aintnoonegottimeforthat so I threw those bad boys on my stove top skillet and in 10 minutes they were done. That fast, that perfect! I served it with some roasted potatoes and asparagus— my man was HAPPY. And so am I, to share the recipe with you!

Chicken Tikka Masala

2015-03-30 16:37:52

Serves 4

Quick and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

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For the marinade

1 package of Chicken Tikka Masala spice mix (or make your own-- about 1/4 cup of spices total)
1 package of boneless chicken tenders
juice of 4 lemons
1 onion cut up
2 Tb fresh ginger (I use the fresh paste from Gourmet Gardens)
2 Tb fresh garlic (paste from Gourmet Gardens)

To cook

1 Tb butter
1 Tb canola oil
Chopped cilantro for garnish

For the marinade

Mix marinade ingredients together and coat chicken. Place in a ziploc baggie and chill in the fridge for 3 hours.

To cook the Chicken Tikka Masala

If using a grill pan, heat up the butter and oil on medium high heat.
Add the chicken but don't crowd the pan.
Cook for 5 minutes on each side.
Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.

By Parker Wallace

What's on Parker's Plate? https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/

Spring Reset to Health: Grilled Spiced Grapefruit Ricotta Dessert and Chinese Chicken Salad with Mandarins

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So, it’s that time of year….y’all know what I mean. The holidays have been over for almost 3 months, but those skinny jeans are still hanging in your closet, feeling decidedly UN-skinny. You’ve been slacking on your workout and damn, it’s almost tank top weather. Time for a ~~detox~~ Healthy Spring Reset.

No need to do the Master Cleanse for 17 days– yup, did that. (Never again!!) It’s just a matter of swapping out some fries for a scrumptious salad– and passing on the chocolate cake and going with grilled what? Grilled grapefruit, lovelies. It’s a thing. And it’s GETINMYMOUTHRAWTNOW kinda good. Like, I am kind of obsessed with it right now. This is my first time trying Wonderful Sweet Scarletts Grapefruit and I’m hooked– so sweet, so juicy! These are a new brand of Texas Red Grapefruits, launched nationwide in November. I remember being a little girl and my Mom would sprinkle sugar on grapefruits to get me to eat it—- you don’t even need sugar, they are so sweet! The Texas climate has warm days and cool nights, so they are getting some of the sweetest, premium grapefruits around.

And the lavender honey sounds fancy, but it’s super easy. Just grab a lavender plant from the grocery store or a local florist, pop a few buds of lavender in some honey and let it soak for an hour or so. Didn’t know you could be so fancy, did ya??

OK, onto the salad next…

Chinese Chicken Salad with Peanut Ginger dressing and Wonderful Halos

This is one salad I can actually stand. I hate salads, people. For real. I know, I know, I’m like the 1% of chicks who chooses NOT to eat salad. So when I do, it’s got to be really freaking good. This one is really. Freaking. Good. It’s one of those, ‘slurp it off the plate with your tongue’ yum. The Wonderful Halos add the perfect, citrus element to this sweet and savory salad. And they’re only in season until April, so you still have a few weeks left to enjoy these sweet, seedless mandarins.

Another Go-To in my pantry now is Great Grains Granola in both Super Nutty and Blueberry Flax. Pop it on some Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit and call it breakfast. Or a snack. I keep some in a ziplock in my purse for those times when hunger starts gnawing and you really want to pull over and hit a drive thru! They’ve got 26 grams of whole grains per serving and are made with real fruit, nuts and oats. Try this granola– you’ll find in most grocery stores.

And try these recipes– I guarantee those Skinny jeans will be feeling skinny again very soon!

*This is a sponsored post, but all of the opinions are my own.

Spring Reset to Health: Grilled Spiced Grapefruit Ricotta Dessert and Chinese Chicken Salad with Mandarins

Ingredients

For the Grilled Grapefruit

2 Wonderful Sweet Scarletts Grapefruit (peel sliced off with a paring knife) and cut into thick slices
1 Tb olive oil

For the Spice Mix

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt
sprinkle of cayenne

For the Ricotta Yogurt

1 cup Ricotta (full fat)
2/3 cup Greek Yogurt

For the Lavender Honey

1/3 cup local honey
3-4 lavender flowers (soak in honey for one hour and remove)

For the Chicken Salad

1 cup diced chicken
3 cups butter lettuce
1 cup dry coleslaw cabbage mix
2 Tb each of mint, basil and cilantro chopped up
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Handful of snow peas
5 Wonderful Halos mandarins pulled into individual pieces

For the dressing

2 Tb garlic chopped up
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 Tb Rice vinegar
1 Tb fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tb soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup mandarin juice
1 Tb honey

Instructions

For the Grilled Spiced Grapefruit

Spread the spice mix on the slices of grapefruit and heat up oil in a grill pan.
Put slices of grapefruit down on hot grill pan and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Add some more spice mix to the flipped side.
Mix ricotta and yogurt together.
Top with grilled grapefruit and Drizzle with honey.

For the Chinese Chicken Salad

Whisk dressing ingredients together.
Toss with lettuce, slaw, chicken, crushed peanuts, fresh herbs and mandarins.

https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/spring-reset-to-health-grilled-spiced-grapefruit-ricotta-dessert-and-chinese-chicken-salad-with-mandarins/

The Bra Blog….National Bra Fit Styling Month

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OMG, I’m taking a picture in my bra…. OMG, I love this new bra! …. OMG, are you looking at me in my bra?

Let’s be real, ladies. Bras need to fit perfectly. Or you get that weird alien looking chesticle thing happening….

Katie Holmes on a bad bra day…

I had a wardrobe malfunction recently on a shoot where I was not only wearing the wrong bra, but the wrong shirt….so, there you can see the microphone cord and the bad bra. Suh-weet. Nothing like a nationally televised segment with lumpy boobs to motivate you to get a better fit, right?

Wardrobe Malfuntion!

Enter Intimacy. Their timing couldn’t have been better! Not only did they ask me to be a Brand Ambassador, they just launched National Bra Fit Styling month to help women find solutions to everyday bra fit issues. Throughout the month of March, you can donate your old bras in support of Free The Girls at any one of INTIMACY’s 16 store locations across the United States, receive a complimentary bra fit styling session, and shop their new spring collection.

I had never had a bra fitting before and this was a really great experience– seems like it might be awkward, but it wasn’t at all. Their sales staff talks to you about your style, your wardrobe and what kind of bra you usually wear. There’s no tape measuring or sizing in the traditional way you might think. They’re just that good! Intimacy caters to every woman, regardless of shape, style or size. Intimacy promises: For every woman, we will find the “perfect fit”.

Per the experts, “It’s very important to wear a properly fitted bra for several reasons which include preventing breast sagging and harm, making your clothes look better and making you feel more confident among many others. Also, a woman’s body changes more than six times throughout her lifetime so it’s important that her bra keeps up with her life and changes sizes depending on what stage she is going though. This includes puberty, pregnancy, losing or gaining weight, nursing, menopause, aging and more.”

I learned a few things during my fitting as well— like, you shouldn’t wear the same bra more than twice a week. And you need to hand wash them and let them dry hanging from the center bridge, not from the straps. And believe it or not, a red bra is actually more like a neutral color– you can wear it under a white shirt and not be able to tell it’s red! Who knew??!

After trying on a number of beauties, I found my perfect fit with this gorg Marie Jo bra in blue! (36 C by the way…) Here’s a model in my bra– cuz she’s got that whole “I model underwear on the reg” vibe going on…..(Oh, and there are cute matching panties too!)

So, don’t wait for a bra malfunction, girls…Schedule a fitting at Intimacy– soooo worth it!

*Bra provided courtesy of Intimacy, but all opinions are my own.

St. Patrick’s Day Sips, Snacks & Style

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If you’re local in Atlanta, the GO-TO spot for the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day is Shamrock The Station, in Atlantic Station. We’re talking, bring the whole fam for face painting, cookie decorating and a whole pot of gold kinda fun! And, if you’re a foodie, you’re in luck. Literally! Check out the food and drink specials from Meehan’s and The Pig and the Pearl Smokehouse and Raw Bar….

Meehan’s St. Patrick’s Day Drink Specials:

Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks for $6
32 oz beer for $11 and $9 refill in Meehan’s Cup
Car Bombs and O Bombs for $7
Clover Cosmo : Absolut Citron + Cranberry $7
Leprechaun Libation : Absolut, Pineapple, Splash Melon Liquor $7
Shot of Jack Fire $7
$13 double cocktail $11 refill in Meehan’s Cup

Chef Todd Richards from The Pig & The Pearl Smokehouse and Raw Bar will be featuring his famous Smoked Corned Beef Brisket and crispy Brussels sprouts with a mustard jus. Can I get a yum, yum, y’all? He’s promised me the recipe…..stay tuned.

Chef Todd’s Brisket

Pig & The Pearl is 0pen Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday from 11:30am-10pm

Fridays & Saturdays 11:30 am-11 pm

Shamrock The Station fun!

Face painting for the kiddos

outside view of ShamRock Station

Next up, the world’s favorite Irish beer, GUINNESS. Guinness has recently launched GuinnessHooley.com – Hooley being an Irish word for ‘party’ – (like, duh!) where Guinness fans of legal drinking age can find great cocktail and food recipes and beer pairings.

Guinness

On St. Patrick’s Day, over 13 million pints of Guinness are enjoyed around the world. From the iconic stout to the recently released Guinness Blonde American Lager, there is a Guinness beer for everyone this St. Patrick’s Day. Guinness Blonde American Lager, brings together American and Guinness brewing techniques for a distinctly awesome, Guinness beer. What better combo than black with blonde, right? So, check out this modern version of a half and half.

Guinness Black & Blonde

10 oz. Guinness Blonde American Lager
10 oz. Guinness Draught

And, my new favorite bourbon is Bulleit. Check this cocktail out– guaranteed to put a little green hair on your chest….Or get you some green beads. Wait, Mardi Gras is over. OK, it’s really good, just take my word for it. It’s called the Wilde Oscar for a reason….

Wilde Oscar

1 oz. Guinness Extra Stout
1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
.5 oz. Rich Simple Syrup
Dash of Botanical Bitters

Stir all ingredients in an ice filled mixing glass. Strain cocktail over a large ice cube. This cocktail is also delicious when made with the signature Guinness Draught. Garnish with a large orange peel and maraschino cherry.

In its third consecutive year partnering with The Leary Firefighters Foundation, Guinness is continuing its support for local firefighters nationwide by trying to raise $1 million by St. Patrick’s Day. Guinness celebrates those who are Made of More and go above and beyond to help their communities without the expectation of anything in return such as firefighters. Day in and day out, firefighters make tremendous sacrifices for the betterment of others and embody the same spirit and character founder Arthur Guinness instilled into the brand more than 250 years ago.

From now until St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness is raising money for local firefighters with the release of limited-edition firefighter-inspired t-shirts available for a $20 donation at www.GuinnessGivesBack.com. All net proceeds go towards The Leary Firefighters Foundation in support of firefighters nationwide.

Guinness Blonde Logo Now it’s time to get down with some of Ireland’s most delicious and cool products, y’all. They’re from The Irish Store.

The Irish Store Logo

This afternoon, it felt like Christmas, because a massive box with The Irish Store’s USA Deluxe Family Breakfast Hamper arrived on my door step. OMG. It’s filled with just a few of my favorite things– namely, sausage, bacon, cheese and Irish butter. Can anyone say Bulletproof coffee???

Check it out! Pop in the promo code when you order it and you get the 20% discount from $189.95 to $151.95. Deal!

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The Basket Includes, (in addition to the 2lbs of Irish sausages…

1 lbs Cocktail Sausages
2 8oz Black Pudding
2 8oz White Pudding
3 8oz Irish Bacon
1 Pack of Scones
1 x 8oz of Irish Butter
1 Box of Barry’s Gold Blend Tea
1 Jar of Irish Jam
1 Kerrygold Cheese (7oz)

And, now let’s get into some cool style for your St. Patrick’s Day party…The Irish Store is offering gorgeous jewelry and yummy knitwear….

Marcasite & Connemara Marble Celtic Cross – Now $99.95, with 20% promo code discount: $79.95

Marcasite & Connemara Marble Celtic Cross Sterling Silver Trinity Knot Half Pearl Pendant – Now $74.95, with promo code: $59.95

Sterling Silver Trinity Knot Half Pearl Pendant NATURAL Medium Ladies Hooded Zip Coat – Now $99.95, with 20% promo code discount: $79.95

NATURAL Medium Ladies Hooded Zip Coat
So, here’s wishing for your favorite Leprechaun to bestow some presents that will last long after the Green Beer runs out! Remember, drink responsibly and have a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day!

**This was a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

Candied Strawberry Bacon (with salad if ya want it)

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Behold, Candied Strawberry Bacon. It might be the best thing, since, well, my low carb peanut butter and chocolate dipped candied bacon. Seriously, y’all, it’s some melt-in-your-mouth crazy town. The easy way to candy bacon is to cook it on a low temperature for about an hour with something sugary on top— like brown sugar. I added Parkesdale Farms Strawberry Syrup to the mix and, well, just call it Strawberry Heaven.

I had the chance to partner with the Parke family for my latest Weather Channel segment and these strawberries are seriously the sweetest, juiciest berries I’ve ever tasted. Below is a shot of me with Matthew Parke, after he picked me a long stem red strawberry!

The caption should just be “WHOAH.”

After my candied strawberry bacon experiment, I added it to some candied walnuts and then feeling guilty for all the candied things happening, I threw in some more strawberries and a little feta and spinach for good measure. My kind of salad.

Candied Strawberry Bacon (with salad if ya want it)

Ingredients

For the bacon

1 package of center cut bacon
brown sugar
Parkesdale Strawberry syrup

For the candied walnuts

1 bag of walnut pieces (about 2 cups)
2 Tb butter
1 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
sprinkle of cayenne pepper

For the balsamic vinaigrette

2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tb brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil

For the rest of salad

Fresh spinach leaves
sliced strawberries
feta

Instructions

For the bacon

Preheat oven to 250
Lay out bacon on a rack over a large rimmed baking pan
Press brown sugar into each slice of bacon from top to bottom.
Drizzle strawberry syrup over each slice.
Bake for one hour.
When cool, cut up bacon and put on salad

For the walnuts

Heat up butter on medium heat in a large frying pan and add walnuts. Add brown sugar, cumin, salt and cayenne and stir to coat. Toast in pan for another 5 minutes and set aside.

For the dressing

Add garlic, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to food processor and pulse till combined. Turn processor back on and slowly add olive oil to emulsify.
Toss spinach with dressing.

Make the salad

Add feta, strawberries, walnuts and bacon to dressed spinach and serve.

https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/candied-strawberry-bacon-with-salad-if-ya-want-it/

Pecan Encrusted Shrimp with Strawberry Horseradish Sauce

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One of the first “date meals” I learned from my friend Lynne who is a stellar cook, is a pork tenderloin recipe with caramelized onions and a raspberry horseradish sauce. Seedless jam is the base of the sauce recipe– when it’s heated, it melts down and the horseradish gives it a kick and cuts the sweet.

Since pork is tough to make ahead of time to have live on set at The Weather Channel, I experimented with shrimp. Even my man, JP, was like, “Yeah, not sure that’s going to go together.” One taste and he was convinced! And you will be too…..The texture of the pecans on the shrimp and the not-too-sweet sauce is peeeeeeerfect.

Pecan Encrusted Shrimp with Strawberry Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients

For the shrimp

1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 cup roasted pecans ground up in the food processor (I saute the pecans in a pan on low with butter and a bit of brown sugar, cumin, salt and a sprinkle of cayenne)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
flour and eggwash for the dipping
1 Tb butter
1 Tb canola oil

For the sauce

1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 jar of seedless strawberry jam (make sure it's seedless!)
2 Tb prepared horseradish (not horseradish cream)
1 Tb red wine vinegar
2 Tb port

Instructions

For the shrimp

Make a triple batter station with bowls of flour, eggwash and the pecan/breadcrumb mixture.
Dip shrimp in flour first, then eggwash, then pecan/breadcrumb mixture
Heat up a frying pan on medium high heat (I use heavy duty non-stick) and add butter and canola oil
When butter is bubbly, add shrimp. Don't crowd pan, so cook in 2 batches if necessary
Cook for 3 minutes on one side, flip and 2 minutes on the other side. (If using smaller shrimp, reduce saute time and only cook for 2 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on the other side).
Remove from pan and put on a plate until serving.

For the sauce

In a medium sauce pan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat until fragrant, about a minute.
Add jelly and stir until it melts.
Add horseradish, red wine vinegar and port.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve sauce on side with shrimp.

https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/pecan-encrusted-shrimp-with-strawberry-horseradish-sauce/

Strawberry Smasher

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Going with the strawberry theme today, it would have been easy to just slide in a strawberry margarita, but that would’ve been boring, right? Well, my Strawberry Smasher is a smashingly delicious start to your day. Wait….. Or end to your day! Either way, go easy, or you’ll be, uh, smashed, my dear!

Strawberry Smasher

Ingredients

2 strawberries plus one for garnish
10 leaves mint
2 tsp sugar
1 shot of bourbon (I like Makers Mark or Bulliet)
1/2 shot of Amaro or your favorite bitters
top off with soda water
ice

Instructions

Muddle the strawberries, mint and sugar and put at bottom of a low ball glass.
Add ice
Pour bourbon and bitters over ice.
Top off with soda water and stir.
Garnish with a strawberry on rim-- you can also add a sugar rim for added sweet effect.

https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/strawberry-smasher/

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas: My Fave Sips and Sweets

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unnamed-7 Anytime a holiday calls for chocolate and champagne, I’m all in! Flowers?? Nice, but are the edible? Probably not. Pop open the bubbly and pass the truffles, y’all!

I partnered with some really phenomenal companies for my segment on Valentine’s Day Eats and Treats…Just call me Lady Godiva and we’ll get started.

Godiva got inside the heads of men this year and discovered with some consumer research that most dudes don’t even think about Valentine’s Day until AFTER the Super Bowl. So, they launched a campaign called Game Over, Game On. Game’s Over, so get YOUR GAME ON, GUYS! Godiva is making sure you don’t fumble with a scrumptious assortment of their limited edition chocolates inside the 29 piece Valentine’s Day Keepsake Chocolate Heart. Look how gorg the packaging is…

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It retails for $75. I can just see that box going on my dresser and keeping my diamonds inside…Oh wait, that’s when I GET some diamonds from my man. I digress!

To ensure that men get it right this Valentine’s Day, check out the 36 Piece Valentine’s Day Gold Ballotin ($50) – which features a signature assortment of classic GODIVA Belgian chocolates, presented in the iconic gold box, and tied with a red rose ribbon. These stunning gifts are the easy way to score big points this Valentine’s Day! For more great Valentine’s Day gift ideas, visit: www.GODIVA.com/gameovergameon

unnamed-5 The most romantic champagne you can pour for your love this Valentine’s Day is the Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier. Most people assume that Rosé wine is super sweet, but this is 100% Pinot Noir, so it’s crisp and dry. It’s also created with the skin maceration technique, which means it’s not a blend of white and red wines…It was always meant to be a Rosé! unnamed-6

What I love about this show-stopper champagne is how versatile it is in terms of pairing. For appetizers, try pairing it with prosciutto and a creamy Brie. If you’re serving it with dinner, it goes beautifully with lobster or rack of lamb. And for dessert, serving it with red berries really brings out that fruity flavor that makes you feel like you’ve plunged into a basket of berries and bubbly! LOVE!

Even the bottle is gorg. It’s designed after the era of Henry IV and is aged in cellars for 4 years. It just FEELS fancy when you pop the cork and indulge in a sparkly sip! Atlanta & Co. anchor Christine Pullara and I were just getting ready to start talking about the Cuvée Rosé when we heard a “POP!” Sure enough, the bottle had uncorked itself while sitting in ice– the timing was so perfect, we had a couple people on set ask us if we’d planned it, LOL

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In the Atlanta area, the Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier is available for a suggested retail price of $75 in the following stores:

Hinton’s Wine store
Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits on Piedmont Road
Total Wine & More, 3 locations: Atlanta, Alpharetta and Kennesaw
Canoe’s Cellar Door

Next up, the internationally famous Henri’s Bakery. Just take a look at the spread! unnamed-3

This iconic bakery was launched by Henri in 1929 and now 3 generations later, his family is still making his recipes from scratch. You can literally taste the L.O.V.E. factor baked right into every sweet confection. Henri even baked for the Roosevelts and the Kennedys. He was kinduva big deal in every way! Try the timeless recipes and you’ll know why! Some of their Valentine’s Day specials include:

Small decorated heart cake (can be personalized with a romantic message) $5.99

9” Double Layer Heart Cake $29.99

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Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake $20.99

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries $1.89 pc / $21.99 dozen

Decorated Cupcakes $1.89 and up

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Valentine’s Day Petit Fours $1.99 pc / $21.00 dozen

My all-time fave, is this Cheetah cake– it says, “Don’t Cheetah on Me! Be my Love!”

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You can visit both of their stores for walk-ins and special order any of these delish Valentine’s Day treats!

Buckhead Store

Hours: 7 a.m. -6 p.m. (Closed Sundays)

Phone: 404.237.0202

Fax: 404.261.9162

E-mail: henrisbakeryorders@gmail.com

Sandy Springs Store

Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Closed Sundays)

Phone: 404.256.7934

E-mail: henrisbakeryorders@gmail.com

Enjoy the sweets and sips, lovelies! And don’t be afraid to tell someone how much you LOVE them…xxoo

Parker’s Super Bowl Sunday Food and Beverage Picks

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I’m very excited to be showcasing my Superbowl picks for food and cocktails on NBC’s Atlanta & Co. today! Y’all know this girl likes to eat and certainly enjoys her cocktails! Here are the steals, deals and delish details for Atlantans…

Let’s talk drinks first…Capital City Wine and Spirits has some awesome prices on your favorite adult beverages for Superbowl Sunday! Starting with Bourbon, baby…Bulleit Bourbon is only $19.99 for a 750mL bottle. Check out my Honey Ring my Bell bourbon cocktail recipe for inspiration…

I know you may not remember that Fireball shot your had at last call, but you will want to remember this…Cuervo Singe. It’s like the love child of Fireball and Tequila. Mucho bueno! So knock some back when you have your peeps over Sunday!

Next up…Red Brick Brewing. You get a cool (and FREE) koozie with any purchase. They even have them in the colors of your competing teams– blue for Patriots and green for Seahawks. Score!

My all-time favorite vodka and poison of choice….Tito’s. This big ‘ol bottle is only $25.99. Mix it up with some Bloody Mary Mix to start your game day out right…or try swilling it with some ginger beer and a little fresh lime juice for the super trendy cocktail of choice these days, the Moscow Mule.

Image courtesy: oliveandcocoa.com

Moscow Mule

Ingredients

1 shot of Tito's Vodka
1 can Gosling's Ginger Beer
squeeze of fresh lime juice

Instructions

Pour a shot of Tito's over ice and fill the rest of your cup with Gosling's Ginger beer. Squeeze some lime juice into your Moscow Mule and enjoy!

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Capital City even has these super cool authentic hammered copper cups you can buy to serve the Moscow Mules in…the copper keeps the ice from melting so you don’t get a watered down drink. Plus they look pretty awesome.

Location: Capital City Wine and Spirits

784 Collier Road Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 351-7579

Jim ‘N Nick’s motto is “We Give you Our Best.” If this isn’t the best, I don’t know what is….Um, HELLLLO DELICIOUS. This is the Mac Daddy of BBQ platters. Meet the Mr. Jim Tailgate To Go Platter.

Hungry yet? We’re talking classic pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef brisket, turkey breast, pork hot links, spare ribs, baby back ribs AND you get three sides plus some fluffy cheese biscuits. All that scrumptiousness for $85. This is “GETINMYMOUTHRAWTNOW” kinda good. OMG.

What I love about Jim ‘N Nick’s is that they smoke their meat for 24 hours and everything is made from scratch. The joint doesn’t even have freezers, they use such fresh ingredients! I’m a huge BBQ fan and this will not disappoint. It’s supposed to feed 6-8 people, but I don’t think this would last in my house between JP and me for more than an hour. #bbqbingers

You can go to their website for more deets on the menu and find out the location nearest to you. They have this BBQ hotspot in 5 Atlanta locations: South Cobb, Hiram, Suwanee, Forsyth and Conyers.

What Superbowl party is complete without PIZZA?? Marco’s Pizza has 3 amazing pies they are promoting for Superbowl Sunday….Get ready, set…EAT:

This is the White Cheesy Pizza…which takes white pizza to a whole new level of Yum. There’s a garlic sauce base loaded with a parmesan cheese blend, fresh tomatoes, feta and BACON. Yup, bacon on a white pizza. Brilliant.

The Deluxe Uno has everyone’s classic supreme toppings: pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onion and mushrooms, with some extra cheese on top. Of course. Because Marco’s does not skimp on the cheese, y’all.

Meat Supremo. The name pretty much says it all. Pepperoni, (a LOT of pepperoni!) sausage, ham, bacon and extra cheese. A carnival for carnivores with a super yummy crust. Sign. Me. Up.

The dough is made fresh every day and they use authentic Italian sausage. The best part, (besides that insane bacon on white pizza???) The prices. Yup– you get a SUPER deal for you Superbowl party pies…Each of these 3 specialty pizzas are just $10.99 for a Medium or $24 for 2 Larges. You can go to Marco’s website to find a location near you….pick up OR delivery!

Enjoy your Super Bowl parties and stay safe!

*This is a sponsored post.