In standard Friday fashion, I’m sharing some of my favorite eats, reads and activities from this week.

A Real Christmas Tree

This year James and I picked out our first real Christmas tree together, and it makes me remember why I loved having a real tree every year growing up. The beauty and smell just can’t be replicated! One of the reasons I suggested trying the real deal is because one of our cats actually chews on our fake Christmas tree every year and ends up getting sick. I hoped the taste and texture of a real tree would stop her from trying to eat it. So far, so good! We are on the hunt for a Christmas tree collar to help keep our pets out of the water in the tree stand. We’ve found several we like, but we need one with a hinge on it so we can put it around the tree stand without having to pick the entire tree up. If you have any other suggestions for keeping pets out, send them my way!

Concerts

This week has been full of so much great, live music. It started out with our friends making their debut performance as a couple at Cardinal Spirits. Mark and Ashley are both so talented, but they’d never performed a gig together before. They blew everyone away with their renditions of classic and modern Christmas songs, which definitely heightened my excitement for the holidays. We also hadn’t been to the distillery for a while, so it was nice to try out some of their seasonal cocktails and finally try some of their new food. We’d already eaten dinner, so we just split the creme brûlée. But, it was excellent! We’re hoping to return soon for a proper meal.

We also drove up to Indy to see one of my favorite bands, The Secret Sisters. This was our third time seeing them in concert, and they never disappoint. Laura and Lydia write some of the most beautiful lyrics I’ve ever heard. Their voices serve as impressive instruments, which makes even the solo guitar that backs them seem unnecessary. I’m so happy to hear they’re nominated for a Best Folk Album Grammy this year! While we made the trip for the Sisters, we were pleasantly surprised by the opening act. Brian Dunne’s got some killer pipes! Many of his songs have thoughtfully-written lyrics and brutally honest themes that make me so drawn to country and folk music. We snagged his record at the show, and I think I’ll be playing it on repeat for a while.

The Couple Next Door

My mom lent me a few books to read and the description of ‘The Couple Next Door’ immediately intrigued me. From the moment I started the book, it was hard to put it down. While it’s certainly no literary masterpiece, it’s a quick, suspenseful read. The book follows a married couple who arrives home to discover their baby is missing. The book is full of unexpected, and oftentimes unbelievable, twists. But, sometimes that’s just what you need. I made it through this book in just a couple of days because I was so hooked!

Nashville

We made a quick trip to Nashville to see my brother over the weekend and, as usual, I fell even more in love with the city during our visit. I dragged the guys to 12 South for lunch and shopping. Popping into the shops and indulging ourselves in gourmet burgers and donuts was the best way to spend an afternoon. We knocked a few items off our Christmas shopping lists and sampled no shortage of local brews.

What are your favorite things from this week?

The post Friday Favorites: Concerts & Christmas Trees appeared first on The Broadcasting Baker.

James and I headed south Friday morning in order to make it to Nashville by lunchtime. My brother and his wife were actually on their honeymoon in Maui until Saturday, so we had the day all to ourselves. We visit Nashville often, but don’t spend much time partaking in tourist activities since my brother knows all of the best places locals go. But, we decided to indulge ourselves and treat the long weekend like a real vacation.

Hattie B’s

Our first stop was the famous Hattie B’s in Midtown. We’ve often sat across the street at Broadway Brewhouse (great spot for craft beer and jerk chicken!) and laughed at the long line of people waiting to try the famous hot chicken joint. Now we know what all of the hype is about! We waited for about an hour and 15 minutes before making it to the counter, but that’s part of the experience. James ordered his chicken southern style (no spice) and I got mine mild. I like spicy food and should have gotten mine hotter because it was pretty tame. We loved the chicken, but thought the pimento mac and cheese stole the show. We will be dreaming of that pimento mac until our next trip!

After our great meal and a pitcher of beer, we headed downtown to stop by a few of our favorite spots. James is a huge Jack White fan, so we almost always go to Third Man Records to check out the latest vinyl releases. Going to the shop is a really cool experience. In addition to the unique records for sale, there’s also a booth where you can record your own song on vinyl, a retro photo booth, and a listening room where you can sample some of the vinyl before purchasing.

Third Man Records & Music City Bikeway

After perusing the store for a bit, we headed downtown and decided to walk down Broadway to the riverfront. A bank of Nashville B-cycles caught our eyes. They’re cheap to rent ($5 + $1.50 service fee for 24 hours), so we checked a couple out and headed out on the Music City Bikeway. The trail was nice and flat and there was hardly anyone on it, so we rode along the river for a few miles. We only ended up going about five miles, but it felt great to get a little exercise in! I was also extremely proud of myself for somewhat gracefully riding a bike in a short dress.

By the time we were done with the ride, it was time to head to The Ryman for the Brian Wilson concert. I got James tickets earlier this summer for our anniversary and we’d been counting down the days until the show ever since. It was an amazing concert and I loved seeing James sing along to so many of his favorite songs.

Prince’s Hot Chicken

My brother and his wife got home early Saturday and got some rest before we headed out for another fun afternoon in the city. When he heard we’d tried Hattie B’s he decided we needed to try the original Nashville hot chicken at a place called Prince’s. The famous restaurant just opened a second location close to his house, so we headed over for another gluttonous lunch. Ben said the chicken at Prince’s was spicier, so I stuck with mild to be safe. James and I both decided we liked Prince’s chicken much better because the flavors were more distinct. I could still taste the amazing blend of spices through the heat. At Hattie B’s the sides stole the show.

Mantra Brewing

We were absolutely stuffed by the time we finished lunch and headed to Mantra Brewing’s first block party. We had an absolute blast sampling all of their unique beers. Mantra’s brews are unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before — they feature unexpected, complex flavors that you can’t find elsewhere. Their Saffron IPA may be my favorite, but I also really enjoyed their Goo Goo Gish beer, which is a milk stout that tastes just like the famous Goo Goo clusters. It’s like drinking dessert!

Five Daughters Bakery

Before heading out of town Sunday morning James and I made a stop at Five Daughters Bakery in 12 South to sample their famous 100-layer donuts. They’re similar to the famed cronuts of NYC in that the donuts are made out of flaky layers of pastry. And they were even better than I imagined. James ordered a salted caramel chocolate and I went for the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake. They were hands down the best donuts I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to go back to this place and try some of their other varieties! I highly recommend stopping by if you’re craving something sweet in the city.

We had an absolute blast being tourists in Nashville for once and both agreed we need to venture out to new places there more often. Nothing is more fun than exploring a place with the one you love. Now we both are in need of a major detox. Our stomachs haven’t quite recovered from the indulgent weekend!

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The weekend was full of so much fun and love from the moment we arrived. James and I grabbed a drink with my brother and Lana Friday night to kick of the wedding weekend festivities. We spent Saturday hanging out with our families and some of us ventured out to downtown Franklin to explore a bit. We popped into several of the adorable shops and grabbed a snack and coffee at the amazing Frothy Monkey — they have several locations in Nashville and I highly recommend stopping by!

Of course, there was no shortage of good beer all weekend. We hit up a couple of breweries before and after dinner Saturday —Jackalope Brewing and Tennessee Brew Works. I tried a couple of beers at both breweries and they were OK. We’re absolutely spoiled with so many amazing breweries in Bloomington that set the bar extremely high. My favorite brew of the night was Natchez, a rosemary pale ale from Tennessee Brew Works.

Spending time with family and catching up over a few beers was a great way to unwind and distract the groom and bride-to-be the night before the wedding.

We woke up bright and early Sunday to watch Ben and Lana tie the knot at the beautiful, historic Belmont Mansion. The setting was absolutely breathtaking. They decided to have an elopement ceremony, so only immediate family attended. It was an intimate, touching ceremony that had everyone tearing up. It was so evident as Ben and Lana recited their vows how happy they are and how much they love each other. After so many years of dating, they are finally married!

After the ceremony we spent some time taking pictures in the mansion and on the grounds before celebrating with brunch, followed by celebratory drinks at Ben and Lana’s house.

Ben and Lana were amazing hosts and treated friends and family to champagne, St. Bernardus Abt 12 and the amazing Samuel Adams Utopias, which is definitely one of the best (and most expensive!) beers I’ve tasted. It was one of my favorite parts of the weekend — talking and laughing with a great group of people over great beers.

After a couple of drinks — and no shortage of cheese — we all headed over to Mantra Brewing in Franklin for a small reception to celebrate Ben and Lana with a group of about 50 family and friends.

The brewery was the perfect venue and everyone had a great time sampling the delicious food, trying new beers and goofing around in the photo booth.

I wasn’t surprised to hear so many people gushing about my brother and his beautiful bride during the reception. They’re loved by so many people because of their generous hearts and fun-loving souls. The entire weekend was a blast and reflected their personalities so perfectly — laid back and fun.

Cheers to Ben and Lana — may they have plenty more celebrations to come!

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