Sweet Potato and Zucchini Gratin

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I’ve never been a big fan of sweet potatoes – they were always presented to me as substitutes for white potatoes. I never found this to be an even substitution because they were sweet, while the white potatoes were savory. How would that ever satisfy a craving? 

It turns out that most sweet potato recipes call for things that make them sweet – brown sugar, cinnamon, syrup for dipping sweet potato fries, etc. I became determined to find ways to make these more savory so that I could vary my vegetables even more with this nutritious food. This gratin is my first attempt and it turned out very well – better than I ever expected. Continue reading →

Wedding Planning Weekend in Savannah

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IMG_7310Planning a wedding – even a small one – is A LOT of work. There are so many details to remember and execute on – especially for a destination wedding! One of the reasons we decided to get married on Tybee Island and have a reception in Savannah was that it was close enough to Atlanta for us to visit if needed.  

We took a weekend to do just that: scope out many of the things we’ve been working on for the wedding festivities later this year. We also had a great trip at the same time. It didn’t feel like work at all – just the two of us looking forward, together.  Continue reading →

Homemade Chicken Pad Thai

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IMG_7111Mmm, pad thai. This dish has long been a favorite when we go to Thai restaurants and we love it with veggies, tofu, shrimp, scallops, chicken…pretty much every way imaginable. Like so many international dishes, it seems that every single restaurant and family has their own unique way of cooking this noddle dish.

After searching for good and (supposedly) authentic recipes online, I finally settled on one to be my base. It’s simple yet complex; easy yet time-consuming – the way a healthy, home-cooked meal often is. Continue reading →

My First Helicopter Ride!

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This post will consist of photos and videos of…you guessed – my first helicopter ride! My good friend Wendy got tickets to the W Atlanta Downtown‘s 5th anniversary party (She runs the widely popular Twitter page @ATL_Events). When she invited me to go with her, she told me it was going to be a party with appetizers, drinks and a fun surprise. I had no idea I was in for a new experience – and one I’ve always wanted to have! Continue reading →

Tori’s Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)

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When the winter ice storm hit Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, we were on our third consecutive night of Mexican leftovers. We’d had tacos, quesadillas, beans, Spanish rice, carne guisada and were wanting different flavors. We had to use what we had in the house since we couldn’t go anywhere, and I thought a corn salad would be a yummy dish. After looking at some esquites recipes online, I realized that everyone does it a little differently and decided that I would make it my own way, too. 

Continue reading →

2014 Winter Ice Storm in Atlanta

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IMG_6616Last week, we had some pretty epic weather here in Atlanta – a snow/sleet/ice/rain storm that went on for about 2 days. The city and state, wanting to avoid another transportation meltdown like the one that occurred two weeks earlier, took preventative measures. That translated to three work-from-home days for me and Sean.

Contrary to popular belief, work-from-home days are not vacation days – we still work and are busy with meetings, calls, reports, emails, etc. However, it’s nice to not have to commute, be able to eat lunch at home, throw in some laundry and get some snuggles from the pups. It’s also nice to be able to enjoy all the beauty that comes with a few snowy days… Continue reading →