we made fried green tomato BLTs for dinner last night and they were delicious! we used a tomato from our garden and had sautéed zucchini as a side, which was also from our garden.

to prepare, slice a green tomato and place on a plate or splatter guard. sprinkle salt on top and let the slices sit for a couple of hours. this will cause the water to drain out of the tomatoes for a better frying experience. pour off any excess water as it builds. when ready to fry, just dip a slice in egg wash and batter before frying in oil at medium heat. we used corn meal in our batter, but feel free to use flour.

– ryan & gub

fried green tomato recipe:

ingredients:
1-2 large green tomatoes sliced
bread, mayonnaise, lettuce & bacon (if BLTs are desired)

egg wash:
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk

batter:
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley

directions:
– clean tomatoes and slice
– place on a splatter guard and sprinkle with salt, let sit for a couple of hours
– pour off any excess water as it builds
– heat oil in a frying pan at medium heat
– dip tomato slices in egg wash and then in the batter
– gently place battered tomatoes in frying pan and fry until golden brown
– place on splash guard to let cool and drain the oil
– serve on toasted bread with mayonnaise, lettuce and bacon or with a dipping sauce

i recently visited oak grove plantation & gardens, which is about 45 minutes south of atlanta. it’s this beautiful 1830s plantation home nestled on 20 acres of land, 4 of which have themed gardens. the plantation features a bed & breakfast as well as acres of gardens for touring. if you’re looking for an atlanta getaway, oak grove plantation & gardens is a relaxing option for an afternoon visit or an overnight stay.

– ryan

oak grove plantation & gardens

4537 north highway 29
newnan, georgia 30265

we stopped by the east lake farmers market this morning. it’s at the corner of 2nd ave. and hosea williams drive. the market is fairly small but has numerous farmers with local fruit, vegetables, eggs, chickens, salsas and more. we picked up some local peaches, blueberries, and salsa. the market is open on saturdays from may through october from 9am to 1pm.

– ryan & gub

east lake farmers market

2nd ave. and hosea l. williams drive
atlanta, ga 30317

saturdays
9am – 1pm
may – october

have you seen the pbr murals around atlanta?

we just started noticing them and we like the old-fashioned feel of this new advertising campaign. so far, we’ve spotted them in east atlanta, little 5 points, and in the highlands on the back of manuel’s tavern. each painting is unique and features the artist’s name and city. most of them appear to be georgia artists, although we’ve seen out of state artists as well.

– ryan & gub

did you know atlanta has a replica of the white house?

you can find it on briarcliff road just north of clairmont. from what we’ve heard, a gentleman from iran built it after moving to america and making lots of money. to show his appreciation for democracy and the usa, he decided to build the three-quarter size replica. it’s pretty awesome/weird. if you’ve never seen it before you should check it out.

here are some interior photos.

– ryan & gub

atlanta white house

3687 briarcliff rd ne
atlanta, georgia 30345

we recently made some fried squash blossoms from our garden that were delicious! we were getting frustrated over the amount of flowers falling off our plants but it turns out they were male flowers that don’t grow fruit. gub remembered having fried squash blossoms in italy so we found a recipe and did some frying.

to make these tasty treats, first gather and clean some squash flowers. next dip the flowers in egg and batter before frying them up in some oil at medium heat. it’s the same as frying anything, you’ll just want to use a light batter since the flowers are so delicate. we went with corn meal and loved it!

– ryan & gub

fried squash blossom recipe:

ingredients:
fresh squash flowers
whipped cream cheese for stuffing (if desired)

egg wash:
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk

batter:
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley

directions:
– clean squash flowers
– stuff squash flowers with a little whipped cream cheese if desired
– heat oil in a frying pan at medium heat
– dip squash flowers into egg wash and then batter
– gently place battered squash flowers in frying pan and fry until golden brown
– place fried flowers on splatter guard to let cool and drain the excess oil
– serve hot

jaxa, japans equivalent of nasa, recently had a spacecraft return to earth after being in space for 7 years. the hayabusa travelled on an asteroid during its space exploration to research and retrieve samples for further studying. landing a spacecraft on an asteroid and returning it to earth sounds so sci-fi to me.

below is a really cool video of the hayabusa re-entering earths atmosphere as it lit up the australian sky. most of the spacecraft disintegrated during re-entry.

– ryan

we are so excited about the most amazing popsicles EVER!!! banana pudding popsicle? made with real bananas and wafers? sold from a cart by the nice guy that made them? yes, have some. the king of pops handcrafted popsicle cart can be found in the highlands at the corner of north ave and north highland ave by the gas pumps at buddy’s. you will find stephen carse and his cart from 3 – 7 pm on weekdays and 12 – 7:30 pm on weekends.

these tasty treats-on-a-stick are fashioned after paletas, which are latin american popsicles made from fresh fruit. the king of pops features unique and interesting flavors you won’t find in grocery stores. they are made by hand each morning with local and organic ingredients and are a perfect refresher during this summer heat.

after losing his job, stephen decided to pursue an idea of opening a paletas cart after enjoying the frozen delights on travels through latin america. he perfected his recipes, got a cart, secured a street corner, and began selling his delicious treats!

you can follow the king of pops on twitter to find out his daily menu. today’s menu is: grapefruit mint, strawberry margarita, chocolate tarragon, pineapple with blueberry tip, lemon basil, banana pudding, and cantaloupe with cream & ginger.

be sure to get there early, most days the popsicles sell out. the prices are 1 for $2.50 or 5 for $10, so stock up and be the hit at your next pool party. you can also find the king of pops at irwin street market, super jenny, and various atlanta festivals.

– ryan & gub

king of pops

1079 north avenue ne
atlanta, ga 30307

with our hydrangeas in full bloom, we’ve been keeping fresh flowers throughout the house. the problem is our cut flowers kept wilting after only a few hours, which was very frustrating. we decided to look for a remedy and take action.

here’s what we found worked best for keeping hydrangeas fresh after cutting them from a garden. first, cut the flowers in the early morning when the weather is cool, not in the afternoon heat. be sure to bring a pitcher or bucket of water and place the flowers in the water right after cutting. when ready to arrange, cut the stems at an angle under cold tap water and dip the flower tips into a bottle of alum powder, found in the spice section of most grocery stores. after dipping, place the flowers in a vase filled with water. that’s it.

we’ve used this method numerous times now and it totally works! it’s impressive how much longer our cut hydrangeas last.

– ryan & gub

we were quite delighted to find three cucumber in our garden that were ripe and ready for picking. yeah to our first crop of the season! we can’t wait for more vegetables to harvest.

– ryan & gub