Before I die I want to______. The story behind the wall.

Can art save a city? Yes it can!!!

Talk about putting your bucket list out in the open. I recently stumbled across a very unique story about an interactive art project that transforms abandoned houses  into a giant chalkboard. Residents are allowed to stop and write down their hopes and dreams and what's important them for everyone to see. 

The blackboard, known as the “Before I Die” wall was originally created by Candy Chang, an artist, designer, and urban planner who likes to make cities more comfortable for people. She's a TED Fellow, Urban Innovation Fellow, and co-founder of Civic Center and Neighborland. 

By combining street art with urban planning and social activism, she has opened up civic engagement in public space and provided people with easy and innovative ways to have a voice. 

"It’s also about turning a neglected space into a constructive one where we can learn the hopes and aspirations of the people around us". 

 BEFORE I DIE, NEW ORLEANS, FIRST STENCIL. PHOTO BY KRISTINA KASSEM.

The "Before I Die" project has received multiple accolades from several blogs, magazines, and news outlets. 

Unfortunately, the house on which the “Before I Die” installation was mounted was recently sold, so the living art project is looking for a new home. Chang wants to find another location in her native New Orleans, but has been amazed that so many people across the country have requested it in their cities too.

If you are interested in starting this project in your community feel free to download the free template here or you can order the full kit. 

This project got me thinking. What would you I like to do before you die? What about you? What do you want to do before you die? Share your thoughts on the comments section. 

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT IN AND AROUND CALLAWAY GARDENS®

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (12/16/11) – Calling all birders!  Every Christmas season Callaway Gardens^®participates in The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count Program.

Volunteer birders are needed to assist with the Callaway Gardens count on Friday, December 30, 2011.  Some participants simply watch feeders from the comfort of their home, while others walk and drive through different portions of the count area to census the bird populations. 

Last year between December 14 and January 5, Audubon’s official “count period,” over 61 million birds were reported on 2,215 counts. Apart from its attraction as a social, sporting and competitive event, the Christmas Bird Count reveals key scientific information about the Winter distribution of resident and migratory birds across the Western Hemisphere.

Each count has a designated circle measuring 15 miles in diameter.  All the birds seen or heard during the 24-hour (midnight to midnight) count day are tallied by birders. The center of the Callaway Gardens Count circle is near the Mountain Creek^® Inn at Callaway Gardens, so the census area encompasses all 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens, as well as the FDR State Park and a large portion of Harris County.  

 The National Audubon Society charges each participant a $5 fee to help offset the cost of data processing.  Preregistration for the Christmas Bird Count is required by December 23, 2011.  To volunteer for this exciting event, call the Preserve at Callaway Gardens at (706) 663-6745or email ccroft@callawaygardens.com .

http://www.callawaygardens.com/index.aspx

   

Countdown to Christmas: One-Of-A-Kind Christmas Morning Breakfast Recipes For the Foodie In You

1. Scrambled Eggs with Creme Fraiche and Caviar in Eggshell Cups: Prepare this special egg dish for an elegant and delicious breakfast. 

2. Silver-Dollar Pear Pancakes: I love this Martha Stewart recipe. The maple syrup keeps the pears from browning before cooking; it also adds flavor and creates a light glaze. This recipe can easily be halved. 

3. Slow Cooker Pecan Bread Pudding: 

Who knew that you could make bread pudding in a slow cooker? Cinnamon bread covered with vanilla custard and topped with pecans. Serve with whipped cream. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.

4. Holiday Breakfast Wreath:  Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan of The Kitchn shares her story of making a Christmas breakfast wreath, an ongoing tradition in her family.

5. Æbleskiver: (Danish meaning pple slices (singular: æbleskive)) are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.

6. Lobster Scambled Eggs: This lobster scrambled eggs recipe comes from Chef David Burke, whose whimsical and dramatic take on modern American cuisine drew us to SoHo's David Burke Kitchen, his newest venture. The key to this dish is using the best eggs you can find, free-range and fresh from the coop if possible (scope out the egg scene at your local farmers market). Very ripe summer tomatoes will also work wonders. Do that lobster justice.  

7. Polenta French Toast: Fried wedges of polenta get their nuanced sweetness and spice from orange zest, cinnamon, and pure maple syrup. 

8. Souffled Frittata with Leeks, Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese: The secret of this frittata is to beat egg whites to stiff peaks. The result is absolutely amazing. 

9. Buñuelos de Rodilla (Mexican Christmas Fritters) Buñuelo dough is simple, but the process is labor intensive, even when one replaces hand stretching over a bended knee with a rolling pin. A mixture of flour, lard, and eggs is moistened with anise liqueur-scented sugar water (once upon a time, this water was infused with tomatillo husks, which provided a leavening agent—today many recipes rely on chemical leaveners) then kneaded for up to 15 minutes. After a resting period, the dough is shaped into wafer-thin rounds and allowed to rest once again. This second rest dries out the dough and guarantees a crisp buñuelo.

10. Jamie Oliver Black Forest Affogato: Instead of serving regular coffee why don't you serve an affogato. This coffee comes with cherries, vanilla ice cream and chocolate. This sweet treat will turn you breakfast from ordinary to extraordinary. 

11. Four Seasons Lemon-Ricotta Poppy Seed Pancakes: 

This delicious recipe for lemon-ricotta poppy seed pancakes is an interesting twist on breakfast and is courtesy of Joan Nathan's "The New American Cooking."

12. Blue Grits Souffle:  If you like cheese grits, you’re going to love cheese grits soufflé. The soufflé is both airy and chewy and the blue cheese gives the dish a pleasant, tangy flavor. This is a perfect side dish for the holidays and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

13. Venezuelan Chocolate Pancakes: 

Chocolate Maple Syrup Makes For Sweet Brunch Food. This Recipe Indulgent And Naughty. Feel Free To Add Blueberries, Nuts, And Sultanas If The Fancy Takes You. The Syrup Can Be Made Days Or Even Weeks In Advance. 

14. Red Grapefruit with Bruleed Meringue:The meringue in this dessert is made with brown sugar, the classic topping for broiled grapefruit.

15. Scrambled Eggs, Avocado, and Smoked Salmon on Toast This open-face sandwich makes a great meal or snack morning, noon, or night.

Weekend Best Bet: Georgia Boy Choir Christmas Concert

I am very excited to be able to attend the Georgia Boy Choir Christmas Concert this year. I've been a fan ever since I saw them perform at the Fernbank Museum several years ago. I remember vividly how the room turned silent once they began singing. These kids are amazing and they sing like angels. I had such a strong emotional reaction back then that I had to wipe away a tear or two. I swear I never felt more close to God than in that moment. That is how outstandingly good these kids are. 

This weekend, the internationally renowned Georgia Boy Choir will kick off the holiday season with the very popular Christmas with the Georgia Boy Choir production on December 16 and 17 in the beautiful sanctuary of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church where they are currently serving as the Ensemble-In-Residence. This fantastic concert will feature not only the seasoned Concert Choir, but all five choirs of the Georgia Boy Choir including the Apprentice Choir comprised of boys ages 4 through 7, along with a full orchestra performing all of your favorite carols and songs to kick off the holiday season. Quickly becoming a city tradition, the evening includes a fun Christmas party for kids courtesy of Elegant Event Sitters, Atlanta’s largest performance of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” with the audience invited to join in the fun and singing, and lots of homemade Christmas treats. Tickets for Christmas with the Georgia Boy Choir are $12, $20, and $40 and can be purchased by visiting http://georgiaboychoir.ticketleap.com.

Halfway through their third year, the Georgia Boy Choir is achieving an unprecedented level of success and recognition. This past summer they traveled to Great Britain where they served as the Choir-In-Residence at Oxford Cathedral. They will cap off this season with an appearance at the Baltimore Boychoir Festival in May and a Scandinavian tour that will take them to Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, and Estonia.  

About the Georgia Boy Choir

The Georgia Boy Choir comprised of 80+ boys from all over the metro Atlanta area, carries on a centuries old tradition of boys singing and developing the unchanged voice. The Choir aims to reach the highest level of musical excellence possible while developing leadership skills, teaching self-discipline and instilling character traits. David R. White, well known throughout the arts community in Atlanta, is the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Georgia Boy Choir.  He developed a reputation for musical excellence as the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Atlanta Boy Choir. Prior to coming to Atlanta, he had spent over 10 years at the helm other well-known boy choirs, including the Boy Choir of the Carolinas and Florida’s Singing Sons and during his career has led choral performances in concert halls and cathedrals throughout the United States, as well as Greece, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, and the Ukraine. White's mission is not only to make the Georgia Boy Choir among the finest in the world, but also to use music as a vehicle to teach as many boys as possible the important qualities of character, excellence, tradition, and leadership.

I'm Dreaming of a Blue Christmas

When it comes to Christmas most people like to stay off from using non-traditional colors such as blue, pink, or purple. Besides Santa's suit is red and white? So why mess up with tradition? 
The reality is that the original St Nicholas wore a blue suit. The standardization of Santa's image was probably due to Coca-Cola artist Haddon Sundblom who (in 1931) depicted Santa as a portly, jolly grandfatherly figure with a ruddy complexion and white-fur-trimmed red coat & cap — replacing the pipe with a bottle of Coke. Thirty-five years of annual advertising by the Coca-Cola company using Sundblom's Santa solidified the contemporary image of Santa Claus (but without the Coke). It was a fortunate coincidence that the red & white colors matched those used by Coca-Cola.


So if you really want to stick with "tradition" think outside the box and decorate your home this Christmas in white and blue. Besides making your home look unique and super chic telling the story of the "Blue" Santa Claus will surely impress your guests ;D 

Photos by Monica Buck ~ SouthernLiving.com

Test Kitchen: Hugh Acheson Field Peas, Ham Hock & Mustard Green Soup

Chef Hugh Acheson stopped by the Nate Berkus show to promote his latest book  “A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen,”.  He shared with the audience one of the recipes from his new book and it seemed so effortless that I decided to make it at home.

The field pea and ham hock soup is perfect for a cold winter night. Is super easy to do, and best of all is dirt cheap. For the cornbread croutons I kind of cheated and bought a cornbread mix. I added just a hint of honey and cayenne pepper just because I like my cornbread to be a little bit sweet and spicy at the same time. 

Chef Hugh Acheson was named “Best New Chef” by Food and Wine Magazine and has received five consecutive James Beard nominations so rest assured this recipe is something not to be missed. Kiddos really like it and hubby ate two bowls, so thank you so much Hugh for sharing this with us.

This field peas and ham hock soup is officially a keeper at the patch. Woot!!

Now all is left to do is to ask Santa to bring me the cookbook ;D

Field Pea, Ham Hock & Mustard Green Soup
Serves 6 with leftovers

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 celery stalk, minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 smoked ham hock, about 1 pound
2 cups cubed Cornbread (click HERE for recipe)
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups chopped mustard greens
1 cup chopped tomato
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil


Directions
Place a 4 to 6 quart soup pot over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, black-eyed peas, chicken stock, and ham hock.

Cook until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. Skim to remove the airy white bean matter that floats to the top. White the soup is cooking, cut the cornbread into 1/2 by 1/2-inch cubes. In a large cast-iron skilled over medium heat, toast the cubed cornbread in the bacon fat until crisp. If necessary, cook the croutons in batches, making sure to toast all sides. Cool on a large plate.

Remove the ham hock from the soup pot, cool, and take the meat off the bone. Coarsely chop the meat and return it to the pot. Discard the bone and any connective tissue.
Add the thyme, mustard greens, tomato, and salt to the soup. Cook for 10 more minutes and then portion the bowls for serving. Drizzle each bowl with a couple drops of cider vinegar and a dash of olive oil, garnish with the cornbread croutons, and serve immediately.


Recipe courtesy of Hugh Acheson, "A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen,"2011.