Give Thanks.

Blayne Macauley November 19, 2021

Hello and Happy Friday,

I’ve been running around tying up loose ends before we head to the beach next week to visit Jimmy’s parents. It will be so nice to get away for a bit. Between work, commissions and a loaded podcast schedule, things have been hectic. I am so looking forward to a break.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to tell you guys a heartwarming story about my podcast. I started it 6 months ago with my brother-in-law because we both got really into the stock market in 2020. For the last 6 months we’ve done two episodes a week with some of the top traders in the United States. While we’ve learned a ton and had a great time doing it, we had been unable to find a sponsor and the production is expensive. Last week I sent out a tweet saying that if we didn’t find a sponsor soon we’d have to stop the podcast. I was incredibly upset about it. Amazingly, the hosts of the PGIR, the #1 Stock Market podcast, reached out and offered to sponsor us for six months. They believed in what we were doing and wanted us to keep going. I legitimately cried. It was so touching because their podcast is very well done and inspired me to start my own. It was a beautiful, selfless, full circle moment. I am so grateful and excited to pay this forward,

I compiled a list of some of my all time favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including a very famous Pecan Pie by Beacham & Company’s Rachel Farmer. I hope they inspire you as you head into the biggest cooking week of the year!

Grits and Eggs Casserole

Apple Walnut Salad

Squash

Homeade Mashed Potatoes

Deviled Eggs

Green Bean Casserole

Corn Casserole

John Besh’s Brussels Sprouts

Rachel Farmer’s Pecan Pie

Book of the Week

I love this book. It puts so many things into perspective. Its a fantastic holiday present and perfect for this season of Thankfulness.

Hostess Gifts

If you are not hosting Thanksgiving this year and would like to bring a hostess gift, here are some you can order on Amazon and have before the big day! Click the photos to take you to the product.

Travel Photo of the week by Samantha Wittman

“KILLARNEY, IRELAND

Standing close to the shores of Muckross Lake sits a nineteenth-century Victorian mansion. The Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, water-colorist Mary Balfour Herbert, and designed by well-known Scottish architect William Burn. Killarney is a small town in Ireland’s Count Kerry and a must-stop if you’re driving the scenic Ring of Kerry route.”

— Samantha Wittman

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving season and hope you have meaningful time with family and friends.

- Blayne

The Best Mexican Restaurants in Atlanta

Blayne Macauley November 10, 2015

Back in college I had a fairly severe addiction to Mexican food. When hangovers were more frequent and less crippling, responsibility nonexistent, and extra weight less likely to cling on for a lifetime, my BFF and I would spend our afternoons at La Parrilla in Athens drinking mugs of Miller Lite, snacking on a bowl of bean dip (hot cheese poured over refried beans), and browsing the latest People or Us Weekly. The servers knew our names, our orders, and our propensity to say yes to another round. They knew we wanted taco salads either with or without cheese depending on whether or not we were on Weight Watchers that day.

One day, during what you could call either the high or low point of our college career, we went to La Parilla twice. Lunch and Dinner. It was that day we realized we had an actual addiction.

I've had this post rattling around in my head for a while and been avoiding writing it because people are PASSIONATE about their Mexican food. Guaranteed someone's going to get mad about my choices, but they're mine and that's that. If you would like to voice your opinion in the comment section I encourage you to do so. ;)

I grade Mexican Restaurants on the things I enjoy: overall vibe, salsa, cheese dip, guac, margs, salsa, taco salads, tacos, and fajitas. Enjoy.

Best Shopping, Bars, and Dinner Spots in the A! Readers' Questions Answered.

Blayne Macauley September 1, 2015

From time to time readers write me emails asking for advice or my opinion on what to do when they visit Atlanta. I love these emails, and I put a lot of effort and thought into answering them and offering suggestions. Sometimes I hate that the answers do not make it onto the blog, so today I thought I would compile some of my favorite questions into a post. If you ever want to ask me for my advice on anything, please let me know. I have very little expertise, but I LOVE giving advice! ;)

I have a friend coming in town and want to take them on an afternoon of shopping around Buckhead, where should we go?

Huff Harrington Home - for home goods and gifts
Baby Braithwait - if you want to motivate yourself to have a baby
B.D. Jeffries - for books, frames, purses and scarves
Boxwoods - for anyone who loves plants or home accessories.