This year we’ve got an extra-special line-up, topped by our headliner The Squirrelheads. We’ve been blessed for yet another year with our own awesome neighborhood kids’ bands, including the highly sought-after My Homework Ate My Dog, along with some of their parents in My Imaginary Band. We’ll also enjoy the dynamic harmonies of the all-female Women of Rock (they will rock your socks off!), the very special treat of Deja Bluegrass Band, and, new to the Land Trust, The Rainmen, with their endless dance tunes keeping us all swaying, swinging and swirling ’round together. (Scroll to the bottom for the complete line-up.)

It’s another full day of music, dancing, kids playing and neighbors enjoying nature and each other! Please walk, bike, ride MARTA, carpool and/or park consciously – preferably at the Clifton Sanctuary parking lot on Connecticut Ave. (Just follow signs; thanks as always to the folks at Clifton for their support!) If you must bring your pets, they must be on a leash; no exceptions. But if you can, leave the critters at home. In the meantime, help us spread the word about Peace & Love.

And, as always, we need your help on March 30! We are looking for:

*volunteers during the Fest

*donated baked goods

*donated raffle prizes (got anything nice to donate? know anyone who may want to donate? services, goods and/or gift certificates wanted!)

*help setting up and cleaning up afterwards.

Please call or email Sunshine for more info: 678-508-6632 or aimeeallard@hotmail.com.

All proceeds will benefit the Lake Claire Community Land Trust. Past years’ fundraisers have gone largely to paying the property taxes, which are considerable and have increased over time as we have acquired more land. At the end of last year the majority of the Land Trust was put into a conservation easement, which will greatly lower our taxes – in the future.

Often any leftover money goes toward special projects and improvements (after general maintenance, etc). This past year it was used to improve the electrical infrastructure, but as often happens, this ended up costing a lot more than anyone projected. Hopefully this spring’s fundraiser will help offset our recent financial challenges. Thank you, thank you, thank you neighbors, and namaste! The Land Trust could not exist without your support!

PEACE AND LOVE!!

P.S. The very next day is our umpteenth annual Easter Egg Hunt and Potluck – one of the best egg hiding/hunting spots Atlanta has to offer. This is open to all. See calendar for details.

SPRING PEACE & LOVE FEST OFFICIAL LINE-UP

1:00-2:00 Tony Levitas and Friends…singer/songwriter from the Beatles to Punk to beautiful original ballads.

2:30-3:30 Our amazing Local Kid Bands

3:45-5:00 Women of Rock, featuring Caroline Aiken, Diane Durrett and Donna Hopkins. Soulful singers and songwriters.

5:15-6:15 My Homework Ate my Dog, local middle and highschoolers who will rock your socks off !

6:30-7:30 The Deja Bluegrass Band, incredible harmonies and strings to get your feet stomping!

7:30-7:45 Jonathan Moore and Friends…rockin originals!

7:45-9:00 The Rainmen, Classic rock from the early days of the Rolling Stones, the Who, rhythm and blues…oh yea! and featuring our own Merry Leigh Giarratano sittin in singing..YAY!

9:00-9:15 Jonathan again !!!!!!

9:15-11:00 The Squirrelheads, amazing cajun and zydeco to close out the night.

The workshop will begin at 4:30 pm on Saturday, March 16. Instructor Robby Astrove of Concrete Jungle will talk and walk us through siting, species and variety selection, as well as planting, care and pruning of your fruit trees. Timed just after ALFI’s Annual Fruit Tree, Vine, and Bush Sale at the Georgia Organics Conference, this will be a perfect opportunity to gain experience before planting your own perennial fruit stock!

Afterwards, we will all enjoy a delicious farm-to-table dinner prepared by Chef Hudson Rouse of The One-Eared Stag, featuring fresh, seasonal veggies from select local, natural farmsteads in and around Atlanta. Dinner will include 3 dishes served family style, and for our guests over 21 we will have a glass of wine available.

After dinner, the regularly scheduled Land Trust Drum Circle will carry the night through for those interested in staying. Admission included in the cost of the ticket.

$35/per person, minimum 5 persons. Register with name, phone number, head count with an email to Bremen.james@gmail.com to arrange payment and secure your spots!

The Nelms Corner project is converting an unused corner of the Lake Claire into an urban farm which doubles as an outdoor classroom for the kids at Soulshine Children’s Studio’s after-school program.

Aloha, Bremen James

The Lake Claire Community Land Trust invites you to dance the midwinter blues away at our first-ever Groundhog Day Dance. It’s happening on Saturday, February 2, 8:00 pm to midnight, at the First Existential Congregation, 470 Candler Park Drive, 30307. A number of local musicians have agreed to perform to help support and develop the Land Trust’s programs, and the music planned for this evening demonstrates that idea in a dramatic way.

Once again, Dr. Bill Fleming has agreed to perform, recruiting friends with whom to harmonize and play. Whenever Bill plays, people feel like moving around rhythmically, and Groundhog Day at the “E Church” will be an opportunity to satisfy the need we all have to dance, along with helping our local green spot remain healthy.

Ralph Roddenbery and Tommy Jones, who have performed at the Land Trust in the past, will be returning to give a hand to the Land Trust as it moves to expand its programs supporting the arts, nature, and the community. Ralph and Tommy will be drawing on that deep Southern tradition of “poetry in motion” as the evening progresses

Opening the program will be the Radio Ramblers, including Bob and Gail Vinsentin, long time friends of the Land Trust, and Michael Ellis, Atlanta’s legendary Good Morning Blues man. Michael’s Friday morning “Good Morning Blues” program, 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. on WRFG (89.3 on the FM dial, and streaming live 24 hours a day at wrfg.org) has long enchanted listeners. Not only does Michael have an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre, but he is an adept practitioner of the musical arts: you do not want to miss his eclectic guitar stylings.

Beverages and snacks will be served; suggested donation is $10.00 (and up, as Charlie Pope likes to say). We hope to see you there in support of one of Atlanta and Lake Claire’s favorite garden spots, the Lake Claire Community Land Trust!

FOOD, CLOTHING & SHELTER is a revolutionary work of film that connects the problems of hunger and homelessness in America to self-sustaining movements in Atlanta. If food comes out of the earth, and we can build shelter with our own hands, why are so many in our country without food and shelter?

Ebrima Ba hails from the Senegambia in West Africa. He currently lives at Amata, behind the Land Trust on Nelms Ave. A prolific photographer, street journalist and film maker, in his work he chronicles activist communities of color.

Once again Summer is history and it’s time to celebrate Autumn at the Land Trust. The 2012 Peace & Love Harvest Fest brings you a full afternoon and evening of entertainment featuring a variety of musical styles, headlined by the Glenn Phillips Band. A founding member of Col. Bruce’s Hampton Grease Band, Phillips has released 12 critically acclaimed albums as a guitarist and composer.

The Mark, our open-air stage, will be rocking from 1:00 till 11:00 pm. As usual, the afternoon belongs to our talented neighborhood kids and their music – 6th graders Spaghetti Junction, 10th grader Lauren Matthews, 9th graders My Homework Ate My Dog, and parental units My Imaginary Band. The evening bill features Grassmoon Band (members of High Strung Band), folk-jazz outfit Dapple Grey, blues from the 5 O’Clock Shadows with singer Heidi Pollyea, and the Etta James Gang playing rhythm & blues.

The Gorilla Grill will be serving food and drinks all day, and the Bake Sale table will tempt you with various desserts. (Hint #1: Bakers, drop off your contributions at the table when you arrive!) We’ll also be raffling off a spectacular array of prizes between the acts onstage. (Hint #2: Prize-worthy items needed, including gift certificates from local businesses!)

While you’re here, be sure to visit the pond, the overlook, the gardens, the Emu Sanctuary and more. However, keep in mind that the gate to the rear of the property will be closed at dark. Of course the playground will be open for kids to enjoy throughout the festival.

We’ll be doing our best to minimize garbage and waste, but at this point we can’t avoid using disposable dinnerware. (A paper plate cannot be recycled if contaminated with food or grease.) Help us out – bring your own washable cup, dish, and silverware, and get a free raffle ticket.

Our suggested donation for all of this family-friendly fun is just $10 for adults, $1 for kids and teens. Since the Land Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit, your donation is tax-deductible.

Traditionally we kick off our annual Membership Drive at the fall festival. Become a member, or renew your membership, and enjoy the festival for free. This year, the Membership Booth will even be processing credit cards!

Of course we can’t pull off a successful festival without plenty of volunteers. (Hint #3: Email info@LCCLT.org to sign up for a two-hour shift!) Vendors, you are invited to set up a table and try your luck. Just make a donation at the gate when you arrive, and if you do well, consider a second donation as you leave.

As always, we encourage everyone to walk, bike, carpool, and use MARTA to attend the Fest. If you drive, please park at Clifton Sanctuary, 369 Connecticut Ave., to reduce the impact on our neighbors.

Nuclear Watch South

Stop Plant Vogtle Campaign

Bob Sattelmeyer’s Grilled Peach/Chipotle Salsa with Grilled Pork Tenderloin

6-8 peaches, ripe but still firm
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 chipotle peppers (canned in adobo sauce), seeded and diced
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
2-3 Tbsp sherry vinegar or lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Slice peaches about 3/8″ thick, toss in olive oil to coat, and grill lightly on both sides until you have nice char marks but the peaches are still firm. Dice peaches, and combine in a large bowl with other ingredients. The key to this dish is a balance of sweetness, acidity, and heat, so these proportions are for starters. Add some honey if you need more sweetness, adjust the vinegar or lime juice for the acidity and the peppers if you like more or less heat.

For the pork tenderloin: Coat whole pork tenderloin(s) with you favorite dry rub (a mixture of salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, and cumin works well), and grill over a hot fire until they have an internal temperature of about 145 degrees. Wrap in aluminum foil and let rest 5-10 minutes, and then slice crossways into medallions about 1/2″ thick. Serve with salsa.

2^nd Place:

Judi Horen’s Peach/Strawberry Pie

6 large ripe peaches
One 2-pint container of strawberries

Peel/pit/& slice peaches, and slice strawberries (both about ¼ inch width)
Sprinkle fruit liberally with turbinado sugar, stir and let sit while you make the dough.

1 cup unbleached pastry flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup cold butter
Dash salt
Cold water

Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle the flour with a bit of salt.  Cut the butter into small chunks, then blend it into the flour with your fingers until you have a very crumbly consistency.  Add several tablespoons of cold water in at a time, mix it in and knead it until you have a dough ball that just barely sticks together.  Sprinkle some flour on a sheet of wax paper, place your dough ball there and roll it out with a rolling pin into a thin crust for a 9-inch pie pan.

Taste the fruit mixture and add more sugar if necessary… to your taste.  Spoon the mixture into your pie crust and add a few small chunks of butter.  Roll out the extra dough scraps into a thin crust, then slice in ½” strips to make the woven crust top.  Use a fork to press the woven crust top into the bottom crust, and press the fork all around the dough on the pie pan edge.  Melt a bit of butter and paint it onto the woven crust top.  Sprinkle with some turbinado sugar. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.    

3^rd Place-Steve Goldberg’s Buttermilk Peach Pudding

 (From Southern Living)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 1/2 peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 lb.)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (about 1 lb.)
Vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Sift together first 7 ingredients; sift again.

2. Process chopped peaches in a food processor or blender until
smooth. (Yield should be 2 cups puree.) Stir in buttermilk.

3. Beat butter and sugar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric
stand mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended
after each addition. Add peach mixture, and beat until well blended.

4. Layer sliced peaches in a greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

5. Fold flour mixture into butter mixture. Pour batter over sliced
peaches in pan. Place pan in a large roasting pan, and add boiling
water to roasting pan to a depth of 1 inch.

6. Bake at 350º for 50 minutes or until set. (Pudding will still be
moist.) Serve warm or cold with ice cream.