Tasty Tuesday: Memorial Day Cookout

The friends I mentioned yesterday, Laura and Jeremy? The ones getting married this summer? They invited us over yesterday for a prehearsal cookout.

The bacon-wrapped brats were so good that I forgot to take a picture until I was halfway done.



Same with the salmon kebab.


Jeremy grilled-up some delicious chicken, too.



Also, we had some amazing sides - pasta salad, a fromage fort, and Asian-influenced cole slaw.



To top it off, we took a swim in the pool. And one of my contacts escaped me. No matter - I made an eye patch once I got to rehearsal.



That's the head of a plastic spoon and masking tape, soyaknow.

National Holidays, 1; Galen, 0.

Fashionable Friday: What to Wear When You Meet Matthew Morrison

Brian, this one's for you.

Tomorrow night, I'm performing at the Human Rights Campaign Gala. Myself and a few other cast members from Hair are singing a medley just before dinner service begins. Matthew Morrison is the keynote speaker - that means he'll be in the audience, watching me belt G's. 

I don't know what to wear!

It has to be a formal, black dress. I have too many options! Which one should I choose?

(NOTE: I was not wearing make-up when these photos were taken, so I've covered my face.)

I adore this dress. I bought it in high school from the late, great Psycho Sisters. There's still a PS in Little Five Point, but back then there was also one in Lilburn near my parents' house. My mom and I used to go there about once a month, and we'd get lost in racks and racks of vintage clothing. The only problem is that this dress isn't fully black - it's hard to tell in the photos, but there's quite a bit of burgundy in the lace. Since we need to wear all black, I don't think this really fits the bill. 

This one is black and sparkly, but it makes me feel like a sack of potatoes. People tell me that it's cute, but I have a hard time believing them. I don't want to feel self-conscious when I'm licking Matt Morrison's face. 

Well, this ain't a sack, I'll tell you that. Unfortunately, I think it's also too silvery. 

This one is probably my favorite. It's definitely all-black, it fits well, and it has a cutout (in a strategic location). 

It's a black-tie event! This wouldn't be out of place!

What do you think? I need votes!

Tasty Tuesday: Taste of Brookwood

Every year, my old high school throws the best fundraiser in the universe. It's called, "Taste of Brookwood," and it's a night where local restaurants donate their products to raise money for the band program. You pay $12 at the door and get a ticket with 5 spots for food, 1 for a drink, and 1 for dessert. And then the magic happens.

See all those names? It's the restaurants at the fundraiser - you go from station to station collecting entrees.

Eagle's Landing had red beans and rice and beingets.

Tasty Tuesday: Baconfest

New York has the Upright Citizen's Brigade; Chicago has IO and Second City; Atlanta has Dad's Garage. It's the big improv theatre in town - the Mecca of comedy in the Big Peach. Their annual fundraiser is a Mecca all it's own; it's where bacon lovers gather to celebrate their Penchant for Pork. It's BaconFest; it's an Atlanta institution.

On Saturday, I went to my first BaconFest - and it will not be my last.

Y'all know I love bacon - baked, fried, heck I'd probably like it raw, but I don't like salmonella, so I won't test that theory. The only thing I did test was my body's capacity to hold pig products. I did really well. We had beer, bacon, and BLTs, plus bacon-flavored lollipops and popsicles.

Make-it Monday: How to Make you Small Screen Debut (Maybe)

Hello, all! Hope you didn't miss me too much on Friday. I sure missed you <3

It's April now, and the weather is finally cooperating. I tried to think of an April Fool's joke for you, but frankly, I lost interest. Instead, I'm going to tell you how the Burrow Gals make TV.

In college, Mandi, Katie and I were roommates. My senior year we lived in a sweet little house just off campus. It was an odd little structure - square and whitewashed and very, very old. We named it The Burrow, in honor of our favorite fictional home.

Our favorite thing to do in this house was watch TLC. So many hours spent on so many trashy TV shows - Half-Ton Mom, 17 Kids and Counting (now 19), Toddlers and Tiaras; we worshiped at the altar of mind-melting programming.

It's been three years since we all lived together, but this week we reunited to make our Learning Channel debut. That's right - the Burrowmates might be on TV! We filmed an episode of Say Yes to the Dress (starring Mandi) at Atlanta's own Bridal by Lori. There's no guarantee we'll get an episode (they overbook slots, filming an average of two brides a day for three months), but we did our best. Ever wonder what it's like behind the scenes on a reality show? Here's a glimpse:

Tasty Tuesday: smitten kitchen Book Signing

Last Thursday, Deb Perelman came to Atlanta. If you don't know who that is, then clearly you haven't been paying attention, and we will have words after this class is over, young lady.

Deb is the incredible cook (and woman) behind smitten kitchen. Hers is not merely a food blog - it's a blog about perfect food. Deb's recipes are painstakingly tested, and then tested again and again by her family, and then posted on the internet so we can all be amazing home chefs. Whenever I need a fail-safe recipe - something that I know will be a hit - I head to smitten kitchen.

I bought myself a copy of her cookbook for Christmas - it's beautiful, just like the online version, and when you open it up, the pages stay open. It's a miracle of cookbook engineering.

Deb hosted a Q&A and book signing at Manuel's Tavern last Thursday. We were there early, but not early enough.

Very Excellent and I got Blue Moons while we waited.

You see, we weren't the only fans there.

Not by a longshot.

Standing-room only!

I was thrilled to see the Atlanta support! I'm rarely ever happy that I have to stand for an event, but I was for this.

After a fight with Buckhead traffic, Deb arrived and answered our queries for a while.

Horrible, grainy, close-up cell phone pic!

Rapt.

She was just as charming and silly in real life as she is on the internet. 

Delightfully, I ran into a couple people I knew - including an old high school friend, Lucy!

Lucy and I

She has her own corner of the interwebs - Flowers are Lovely. Stop by sometime and tell her I said hey. 

Deb and I

When Deb signed my book, I told her that her recipe for kale chips has thoroughly changed my life. She dropped some knowledge in the form of a verbal recipe for brussel sprout chips. GUYS, you KNOW how much I love brussel sprouts! I could have died! Instead, I asked for a picture while my heart fluttered. 

Crazy-eyed with the cookbook

We finished the evening with dinner in the next room - I got black bean nachos, Very Excellent got a French dip sandwich, and we switched meals halfway through. It was a very tasty night. 

Tomorrow, I'll recount my second blogging meetup from last week. Magical!

Fashionable Friday: Opening Night

Remember when I went to Clothing Warehouse? And I kept one of my finds a secret? Well, it's time for the big reveal. 

Drumroll, please...

Wild-eyed and windblown.

I put this on and I could not stop smiling. It's horrible - hideous, nearly - but for some reason I just love it. And it made it's first outing last week at the opening night party for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. 

I got the best comments about it. Overall, the girls and gay guys loved it, and the straight men were appalled. In my book, that's a Royal Flush. 

Here are some pics from the party:

Rachel and Andrew Jackson

As a nefarious friend pinched my backside

With one of my wonderful sisters from "Taffeta Christmas"

With my actual sister - and a special guest artist

The dress underwent a mild alteration before it hit the party - I cut off the bottom ruffle. I need to hem the fabric (it's already fraying like crazy) but I like the new length. It's less "I just fell off the turnip truck," and more...no, it's still pretty ridiculous. 

I won't lie, I was ever so slightly nervous to wear it. It's not exactly fashionable. But that doesn't actually matter.  The only thing that does is how great I feel when I have that silly thing on. 

The best compliment I can ever get (besides a friend telling me that I remind him of Amy Poehler) is "You really make that work." It's usually followed by a demure, "I could never pull that off..." but I promise you, you can. 

"Pulling it Off" has nothing to do with curly hair, or height, or weight. It's all about attitude. If you feel kick-ass in it, then you will pull it off. End of story. So forget everything you know about "dressing for your body shape," and swear to me that you will never worry about trends again. Promise that from now on, you will wear whatever you feel GREAT it - whether that's bandage dresses, or burlap sacks. I can't tell you how happy I was when I wore that dress - even though several people told me it was hideous. Style is 100% subjective, and yours is the only opinion that counts.

I had about eight more paragraphs typed about personal style, but I'll spare you that rant. For now.

Tasty Tuesday: EMERGENCY ALERT!

Y'all, I just read the BEST NEWS!

Deb, from Smitten Kitchen, will be in Atlanta on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28th! She's doing a second book tour, and this time she is coming to my city! 

If you are not yet a devout Smitten Kitchen reader, then you need to get the hell off this website and go to hers. She is a veritable home-cooking genius, and she will change your life.

The details: Thursday, February 28th, 7:00 p.m. at Manuel’s Tavern. 

It has been programmed into my phone, and I will be there with bells on. Do not try to hang out with me on February 28th - I am booked. Unless, of course, you want to hang out at Manuel's Tavern - that's totally doable. 

Guys, I'm gonna get my copy signed!

Tasty Tuesday FTW!