28 April 2013

Last week was intense at work. Grant Design Collaborative is very busy, and that is a blessing. My team is working over time, and they continue to amaze me. It's hard to keep up at times, but we continue to work as a stealth team. I am so lucky to be surrounded with such capable, talented and committed colleagues. When Friday finally rolled around, I was exhausted but ready for the weekend. We wound down the week, with a relaxing happy hour at the Painted Pig Tavern. Afterward, we hosted a spontaneous tribute to the late George Jones on the Side Porch at One Britt. As we toasted the fact that "he stopped loving her today," a few great friends showed up to bring a hectic week to proper closure.

Saturday arrived and provided a much needed lazy interlude. After a couple of naps, we sojourned to Town Center Mall for a little shopping for the Cherokee County Historical Society's annual Derby Day event. It is truly the greatest party of the year in Canton. We found some great deals and look forward to dressing for the occasion. Since it is the organization's biggest fund raiser of the year, I decided to donate a "Bill's Sunday Supper" for the silent auction. Hopefully, someone will enjoy bidding on a Sunday Supper on the Side Porch at One Britt, and I will enjoy cooking a fabulous dinner for a very worthy cause.

After an afternoon of shopping, we enjoyed an outstanding dinner at The Butcher and Baker on the Marietta Square. This new restaurant exemplifies the local farm to table culinary concept, and I highly recommend it. For starters, we devoured a pork belly Bahn Mi – heaven in a steamed bun! Our entrees included a New York strip with savory bread budding and an ocean fresh Cobia with ramp risotto. The meal was truly divine, and it hit the right notes on many levels. After dinner, we returned to One Britt to a relaxing movie night. We enjoyed a few Nutter Butter cookies while we watched "">The Impossible," the story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It is an amazing movie about the triumph of the human spirit.

During the movie, the rain and thunder moved in and has not stopped. While dampening some typical Spring endeavors, the rainy Sunday seemed to grant permission for internal projects. After an over indulgent breakfast at Cracker Barrel, I returned home to tackle one of the biggest adventures: cleaning my closet. Just like my dear friend, Sandy McGrew, I think a bomb exploded in my closet around three years ago. The sojourn required a couple of bloody mary's, and I was honored to have my best friend, Cory Wilson, join me for the duration. He kept me on task and folded my "keepers" professionally and without sarcasm. Of course, he inherited a few nice couture treasures in the process, but he earned them.

I asked Jeff about what would be an appropriate Sunday Supper for the rainy day, and he instantly replied, "spaghetti." Therefore, I thought about that for the rest of the day. So after my closet was somewhat pristine, I ran over to Publix to gather the ingredients for tonight's Sunday Supper. A couple of weeks ago, we picked up some amazing spaghetti from Star Provisions. This spaghetti is imported from Italy, and it is the best pasta you will ever enjoy. I paired it with a rendition of "Jo Mama's" spaghetti sauce from the Food Network, and the results were heavenly. For starters, I prepared a Spinach Salad with warm bacon vinaigrette, and I made a cheesy garlic bread for the side. John Clark declared the "best Sunday Supper ever," but I closed with a superb Peanut Butter Pie. I referenced a few recipes and decided to strike my own course. Using the leftover Nutter Butter cookies from Saturday night, I made a pie crust for this Southern delight. It worked very well, and the pie filling delivered on so many levels.

So, it was a rainy Sunday night on the Side Porch, but the warmth and companionship of great friends delivered more great memories. Here's to lazy, rainy afternoons. We need them from time to time.

The Menu:

- Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Mountain Valley Ground Beef

- Organic Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

- Georgia Peanut Butter Pie with Nutter Butter Crust

The Recipe – Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream or cool whip
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Nutter Butter Pie Crust
8 Reece's Peanut Butter Cups - rough chopped

Instruction:

Crust:

Process two cups of Nutter Butter cookies in a food processor or place in a zip lock bag and pound with a skillet or mallet until you get fine crumbs. Combine with 1/4 cup melted butter and form pie crust in pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Cool on a rack before adding filling.

Filling:

Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar or use Cool Whip. Mix all other ingredients until smooth and fold in whipped cream until well blended. Pour mixture into Nutter Butter crust. Top with chopped Reece Cups and chill for several hours. Before serving, top with fresh whipped cream and slice.