We're on Twitter

Join us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/GabesGurlEP - in Twitterland, that's @GabesGurlEP. We love Twittering and keeping up with fellow Tweeters and the both useful and useless information.

We'll see you there- be sure to say hello if you're on. :)

Enjoy dessert tonight... something with chocolate and bacon...

Recovered and Back to Business

It's been a tough recovery, but at least it can now be called a recovery. Getting back to business is now THE priority. A lot of time has passed, and double-time is definitely in order. During my time off, I had a LOT of time on my hands. I discovered how fortunate I am to have survived this medical crisis. I discovered that we often take certain things for granted, but I appreciate things and people much more. A near-death experience is an excellent motivator. :)

Gabe's Gurl Event Productions has expanded focus, and has a snazzy "new" (updated) website to prove it. We planning, organizing, and planning to re-introduce ourselves to Nashville, the mid-south, and the gourmet food and beverage industry in a delicious way. Keep in touch- we may need help. :)

Enjoy dessert tonite.... a huge dessert, like there's no tomorrow...

The Stuff that Food and Travel Dreams Are Made Of...

Experience the Caribbean's first farm-to-table resort--at a summer discount


Farm-fresh cuisine has yet to take off in the Caribbean since most ingredients are still flown in from the United States. But Anguilla's lavish, 93-room CuisinArt Resort & Spa--a Greek-inspired hotel from the man behind the eponymous kitchen company--is a notable exception on the island.Already blessed with a stunning white-sand beach, an elegant pool and a state-of-the-art spa, the property also houses a hydroponic farm that's a draw unto itself. This 18,000-square-foot greenhouse (the Caribbean's first) and its trellised vegetables, bursting lettuce plots and giant herb planters inspire the resort's innovative cocktail menus and French-Mediterranean cuisine--even its spa treatments.You can bask in an organic garden wrap at the Venus spa ($120), sip a cool cucumber-and-sage martini at the beach bar ($15) or dine on Anguillan lobster rolls with hydroponic ratatouille ($28) at Santorini, the resort's elegant restaurant. You can even swap beach time for a hands-on cooking class ($85), where you'll prepare a three-course lunch based on the farm's bounty.Granted, this kind of culinary extravagance is expensive to maintain, and CuisinArt's posh beachfront junior suites typically cost $920 per night in high season. You'll save (big) by going now, when the hotel's Smart Summer Stay promotion drops rates to $371 per night (based on a four-night stay) and puts this culinary retreat within the reach of more budgets.

From their website...

MEDITERRANEO – OUR POOLSIDE RESTAURANT

BREAKFAST AND JUICE BAR 7:30 am – 10:30 amYou can stay in bed and sleep the morning away, but eventually you’ll get hungry. Don’t get up! Enjoy real French pastries – baked just before you wake – delivered directly to your bed, or head down to Café Med. Our signature breakfast menu, and the fresh juices and smoothies from our juice bar, let you make every morning one of a kind. For a little extra eye opener, try one of our special morning cocktails.

LUNCH 12:00 noon – 4:00 pmDuring midday sun, our lunch menu provides the perfect break from the beach and the heat. Enjoy a glass of wine and a light lunch, or indulge in a little more. Salads grown right here on the resort grounds speak for themselves, offering the phenomenal freshness that will bring you back again and again. Our brick oven pizzas have quite a reputation already, and our panini are building one, too! There is definitely something for everyone here.

DINNER 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm (closed Tuesdays & Fridays)Our lively, modern Mediterranean brasserie isn't just for lunch anymore. It features a modern brasserie menu with inspiration from the mediterranean, Spain to France to Italy and Greece. With specialties roasted in our professional brick oven, homegrown hydroponic tomatoes and beautiful Parma hams, every meal is a real culinary experience.

Overview Mediterraneo Santorini Chef's Table Wine Cellar & Testings Lobby Bar & Beach Bar Menus Gift Certificate Cuisinart Kitchen Products

Foodies, I say we should unite, join forces, and treat ourselves to this stunning getaway- you in?

And thanks to Tasting Table for the information!

Enjoy dessert tonite...

It's Been A While...

Sugar sculptures by Chefs Andrew Manchester & Jared Danks at the Gallery.

I know, I know- I didn't plan to abandon everything and everyone, but something unplanned, unexpected, and unignorable (is that a word?) came up. I haven't been around because I have been very, very sick. I'm happy to report I am much better, though still recovering. Being online, in the community, and actively growing Gabe's Gurl is very important to me, and it has been sooooooo hard to deal with this situation. Everything happened very suddenly, and the pain was excrutiating, so I was very heavily medicated for most of April. I could do nothing. NOTHING. After an ambulance ride, a blood transfusion, three surgeries, an iron infusion, numerous IVs and needle pokes over two weeks in the hospital, and countless visits to different doctors, I think it will all be over soon. :)

Though I won't bore you with all the ugly details, I would like to stress the importance of knowing yourself, knowing when something is wrong, and not ignoring your "symptoms". I'm one of those who was constantly on the go, and brushed off every ache and pain as stress, or would say that the extreme fatigue I was feeling was "laziness". Not so, and I'm very fortunate to even be alive right now, according to my doctors. The aches and pains are talking to you, and it's up to you to hear your body and handle that immediately.

Don at Donald Yeager Photography sent me the pics from the Gallery, and I was so excited to finally be able to see them. I've gone thru hundreds of images, literally, and hope to have them posted on Gabe's Gurl and some on here in the next couple of days- it takes a while, and I'm moving slower these days, but, hey, at least I'm moving, period. :) I did manage to get some uploaded at Sugar Social, so jump on over there to take a look.

It's time to get started on Gallery 2... where does the time go? We'll move on to that shortly.

Enjoy dessert tonite... maybe something cold and fruity. :)

We Did It... Pictures Coming

We arrived and conquered, rested and relaxed, and now we're back at it, dreaming up amazing ways to excite the foodie crowd in the south. Pictures are coming shortly- thank you for being so interested in seeing them, and thanks for all the support and assistance that made the first ever Gallery such a blast.

Don't forget to join Sugar Social- visit our new social site now!

Can't wait to share them all ...

The Gallery's Special Guests Introduced...

There are just a few short weeks to the Gallery launch, and all is SWEET!

Thank you, patient souls- anxiously awaiting the announcement of the special guests for the debut of the 2009 Sugar Is Art Gallery has been no easy task, I'm certain. Wait no longer- your patience is now rewarded in a very big way.

We are excited, honored, pleased, and bursting (seams) to announce...

Chef Jared Danks, Culinard

Pulled Sugar and Blown Sugar Demonstrations

Jared Danks is a graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute and later apprenticed at the renowned Kings Bakery in Boca Raton. After completing his education, Jared worked as a pastry chef in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. In 1996, Jared moved to Atlanta to accept the position of pastry chef at “Riviera” under Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop. He then honed his skills by serving as the assistant to Master Pastry Chef Chris Northmore, then became Executive Pastry Chef at a prestigious private golf club in Atlanta. Jared’s awards include three gold medals in national pastry competitions, team captain of the National Pastry Team 2005 and 2007, team member in the 2006 national bread and pastry team championships, and 2008 sugar casting challenge.

Chef Andrew Manchester, The Hermitage Hotel

Pulled Sugar and Chocolate Demonstration

Andrew Manchester attended the Art Institute of Atlanta for two quarters while working at Metrotainment Bakery and before beginning a two year apprenticeship with Chef David Jeffries at the Four Seasons Atlanta. After a move to Nashville in 2006, Andrew worked at the Wild Boar for six months before landing a position at the Hermitage Hotel, where he remained for one and a half years. Andrew spent ten months at Provence Breads before returning to The Hermitage Hotel in August 2008, where the 30 year old presently turns out amazing sweets and desserts for hotel guests and events.

Providing "live art" entertainment for Gallery guests...

Bodhicitta!

Bodhicitta approaches the ancient art of Belly Dance with a modern perspective. While being respectful of tradition, this diverse group of performers embraces the evolution of dance by using varying genres of music in their choreographies and uniquely notable stage antics to present an impressive collaboration, a performance not easily forgotten. Nominated Nashville's " Best Interpretive Artist", Bodhicitta has quickly gained the respect of local artists and continues to impress and excite audiences at home and abroad with a show that onlookers find 'delightfully unexpected’ ... a ' refreshing surprise' . A professional performing troupe since January 2007, Bodhicitta has instructed and performed internationally, most notably at Spirit of the Tribes (Ft. Lauderdale , FL) and Bergenfest ( Bergen, Norway). Together with her troupe mates, founder Gwyn Lister offers the world of Belly Dance a unique style rooted in 'Tribal' philosophies of this art form with a diverse point of view as each member brings forth her own history and passion for dance.

The Gallery Has a NEW Website

Check out SugarIsArtGallery.com, our cool new space on the world wide web! The site will be updated regularly as needed, and will contain all the information about the Gallery and so much more. Be sure to change your bookmarks, and edit your Favorites to reflect the new website address. A special thank you and note of gratitude goes to Rick Schroeppel of Elm Tree Web Design Studio, who got our new site up and running in no time flat and helped us navigate a very stressful situation and potential major crisis.

Visit Sugar Social Lounge, and Join F R E E!

Spread the word, and let's grow this network!

TidBits and Morsels

We hope to soon begin compiling a list with links of partner bakeries, chocolatiers, cake designers, and more who go above and beyond for their customers and their communities, and offer creative, top quality using the best ingredients possible. To have a favorite location listed on our site, we'll need the business name and location, the owner's name, company website, a picture representing their main product line, and a short paragraph telling why this particular company is so amazing. Of course, the business needs to be licensed and legal. Just give it some thought for now, and we'll definitely talk more about it later and how it relates to the Gallery.

More news and updates are coming soon, though this should hold you until the time and energy to get everything typed up, organized, and legible replenishes itself! Thank you forever for your time, interest, support- and as always, there is always time for involvement, and we can never have enough volunteers!

Enjoy Dessert Tonite... maybe something fruity.... :)

New Website Alert!

This is a super-quick note to announce our all-new website, SugarIsArtGallery.com! The site is now live, and will be updated regularly. We'll soon have Gallery details posted, so check it out often. Be sure to update and saved pages and bookmarks that you have in place, so you don't miss out on anything.

If you haven't had a chance to stop by the new Sugar Social Lounge, please do so- and while you're there, sign up for a free membership so you can participate, post events and pictures, and more. We have a membership goal of 100 by the end of March- sure it's ambitious, but very do-able. Let's see how close we can get... we'll see you there...

Rick at Elm Tree Web Design did the fresh new site for the Gallery, and we can't thank him enough! When you're ready for a new site (what are you waiting for?! lol), contact him and tell him that the Gallery sent you.

Enjoy dessert tonite... and then more tomorrow for Valentine's Day... :)