You Know I Like My Chicken Fried

Yesterday, I started my day with a business meeting at the Buckhead Club, went straight to another meeting with a favorite client, immediately to the PTA office at the girls’ school, zoomed home for a quick snack, swim practice, the library, then back home again to pull together dinner by 6 p.m.

So there I am in heels and suit pants (I shed the suit jacket at noon when the temp hit about 90-something degrees) -- frying chicken. Only in the South would you catch somebody – after a really, really long day – throwing together a dinner involving fried chicken, biscuits and gravy.

Don’t get me wrong – there are lots of days when a frozen pre-made lasagna and bagged salad passes as the evening meal. There are also days when I say “I am too tired to make dinner, or for that matter, clean up afterwards. Let’s eat out!”

But sometimes, ya gotta have biscuits. With gravy. And if it happens to be at the end of a long day – well, you just have to go with it.

And have your chicken-fried.

September Sneak Preview

Wouldn’t it be nice to see into the future? It would totally be helpful with key decisions (buy a new car now or wait until the first of the year? Will I get the birthday gift I want, or should I get it for myself? Who will win …. well, you get the point.)

I can’t see into the future, but I can give you a glimpse of my next article. I think it’s only fair, since you helped write it. Enjoy!

Politics and Lifesavers

Student Council elections were held at Creek View ES this week. Only 4th and 5th graders run for student council, no little kiddies allowed.

My daughter decided that though the competition was stiff (11 well-qualified kids running – 2 open seats), and she was a little nervous about making her speech in front of her entire class, the prize was worth the fight. She and another sweet student even conducted a little political bargaining – each agreeing to vote for the other.

Here’s her speech:

I feel confident I can make it into student council. I like leading people and hope I can help the school. I remember in kindergarten looking at student council and thinking “I’d love to be them one day.” To be a good student council person you have to have confidence. I have good confidence because I feel good saying hi to old and new friends. To be able to help the school is great and exciting. I would like to be in student council, so please vote for me.

To sway any undecided voters, she brought a little treat for each voter. She’s following one of my favorite mantras - when in doubt, always bring sweets!

When the votes were counted ….

She won! She’s thrilled, and I hope she always remembers an important lesson: don’t let something scary (like a speech) intimidate you out of something you really want to do. Chances are, the bigger the mountain you climb, the greater the reward on the other side.

I hope my brother, a Tenn. State Representative, is ready to make room at the table for a new political leader in the family. Congrats, Callie Mac!

I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now ... When I Was Younger

I’m getting alarming close to yet another birthday, which got me to thinking … if I could go back and give my younger self (that's me in the center of the above photo) advice from this “older, wiser” perspective, what would it be? For example, I’d definitely say “an ounce of sunscreen is worth a pound of wrinkle cream.”

What advice would you give your younger self? Particularly from a beauty perspective, but really any perspective will do. Be sure to tell me how old you are, where you’re from, and be forewarned I’m writing an article for the paper (but I won’t identify you by name without your permission!)

XO, Amy Mac

Chill Out

It’s a hot, steamy summer night. You’re heading to dinner wearing your favorite sleeveless silk top and carrying your cutest clutch purse. You make your chic entrance into the trendy bistro, only to discover the place is the exact same temperature as an igloo in the middle of January in Alaska. What’s a girl to do?

My sister recently discovered the Chilly Jilly – a stylish, wrinkle-free wrap that folds into a tiny drawstring bag and fits right inside your purse. She wrote the folks at Chilly Jilly a note explaining what a lifesaver this product is for her, and the owner, Jill Boehler, asked to use Melinda’s testimonial on their web site homepage.

Jill’s a smart lady. Not only did she create this product that saves us from the cold-movie-theater fate of jamming our arms into the too-short Abercrombie sweatshirt of our kids’ we found stuffed in our trunk (the sweatshirt, not the kid) – but she’s using also customer’s testimonials to bolster business.

Creating ongoing communication with your customers can do lots of great things: it allows you to continue sharpening your business plan to your customers’ needs, it lets you know when you’re on the right track, it gives you the best sort of marketing there is (straight from the happy customer’s mouth) and on a bleak day, it creates a little sunshine.

“There is nothing more satisfying to me as a business owner than when a customer takes their time to say good things about my product. It can really make my day! I try to share some of the comments with other customers, but sometimes it serves as the juice to get me through a rough day!” says Jill.

From this day forward, promise me one thing: when a customer, client or friend says “good job!” put the sentiment in a little file so you can use it as a testimonial on your web site, in a brochure, as a comment post on your blog … or just to put a smile on your face.

The Next Food Network Star: Could There Be Two?

Dear Bob Tuschman, SVP, Programming and Production, Food Network:

First, let me be honest … I’ve never seen an episode of “The Next Food Network Star.” That is, until last night. Don’t get me wrong – I am a huge fan of the Food Network. You’re my go-to when I need a little culinary inspiration. Sometimes I tune in just for the relaxing break from the usual anxiety-provoking news, or heaven forbid, celebrities engaging in some sort of humiliating reality relay race.

But last night, I tuned in to watch Melissa and Jeffrey duke it out over chicken, steak, an industrial-quality kitchen and the title “Next Food Network Star.” As a mom who loves to cook, I knew I’d relate to Melissa and her ‘I’ve got a million kids but I still have time to teach you how to create yummy meals’ shtick. But then there was Jeffrey, with his brand of cooking that is not unlike gourmet yoga. Seriously, watching him cook is relaxing and informative at the same time. His “Ingredient Smuggler” theme made me feel like I was on an overseas trip to sample foreign cuisine … but was simplistic enough I could actually make right here in the ATL. It would have added a dash of spice (so to speak) to your current lineup.

Bob, I’d like to give you a tip, totally for free, which could make you lots of money over the next few years: give Jeffrey his own show, too. Think about it – the folks at ABC do this constantly with their Bachelor/Bachelorette series – those same people erupt like a bad case of skin boils like four times a year. You’d be doing a public service by putting Melissa and Jeffrey on air.

Where, oh where, could you fit Jeffrey into your programming schedule already packed full of friendly hosts cooking up daily culinary miracles? How about a little salt-shaker shake-up? Save one of your current stars from overexposure…and several of them are swimming in shark-infested overexposure waters, if you know what I mean. If someone has more than one show, has written multiple books (cooking or otherwise) and has a magazine bearing their name – well, take my word for it, slash one of their shows and spread the love.


As for your choice of the Next Food Network Star, I am making Melissa’s four-step chicken tonight for dinner. No seriously, I am. Don’t make me post a picture of raw chicken just to prove it.


Kind regards,
Amy Mac