With the kids at their grandparents’ house last weekend, my husband and I decided to take a road trip to Louisville, Kentucky to taste some bourbon and take in a baseball game (and a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum). A 7 1/2-hour drive from Richmond, Louisville lies on the Kentucky river, which separates Kentucky… Read More Louisville Weekend Road Trip
On July 16, the kids and I headed to Libbie Mill for Fire, Flour & Fork‘s “Midtown State Fair.” Held behind the Libbie Mill Library, this fun, family-friendly food festival had plenty for us to do, from great eats to crafts to cooking demonstrations and more. When we arrived, the Virginia heat and humidity made… Read More Midtown State Fair
If you happen to find yourself in Front Royal, like I did for work on Monday, do yourself a favor and stop at The Apple House. You’ll find plenty of Virginia-made barbecue sauces, jellies, jams, dips and snacks, as well as a full-service kitchen cooking up breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s a wide selection of… Read More The Apple House
So my husband and I are, to put it mildly, OBSESSED with California. To the point that we’re thinking about taking a family trip to Disneyland next year and watching tons of YouTube videos about Disneyland and Southern California. One of the items that seems pretty consistently well-loved about Disneyland is the Dole Whip, a… Read More Making fake-ass Dole Whips with Monkey Rum
Recently I stopped by Red Cap Patisserie’s shop on Meadow Street to try out the croissants and pastries. The shop is small, with only a little space for seating, but has plenty of display space for their sweet and savory pastries, including pain au chocolat, kouign amman, scones and more. The staff are friendly and… Read More Red Cap Patisserie visit
I’m a self-proclaimed coffee snob. You know that line in Pulp Fiction: “When Bonnie goes shopping she buys SHIT. I buy the gourmet expensive stuff because when I drink it I want to taste it.” Yeah, pretty much my favorite quote ever about coffee. My love for delicious coffee led, years ago, to purchasing a… Read More My favorite single-serve coffeemaker (hint: it’s not a Keurig)
School’s out, and it’s time to find some fun this summer. Virginia has plenty to do, especially if you’re a foodie or history buff. A handful of Virginia wineries rely on volunteer labor to harvest and bottle their wines. In exchange for working in the vineyard or the processing facility, volunteers receive credits towards purchases… Read More Virginia Summer Fun
Started in the late 1940’s, the Oilers Car Club began in Southern California in the early days of drag racing. The club was revived in 2008 by a group of traditional hot rod enthusiasts who tracked down the original Oilers founder, Jim Nelson, and, with his blessing, formed chapters across the country to carry on… Read More The Race of Gentlemen
In its evolution from a day of remembrance to honor those who fought in the Civil War, to a memorial for soldiers who gave their lives in World War I, then to memorialize American soldiers lost in all wars, this day has a long, proud history as a purely American day. We honor all those… Read More Memorial Day Feast
The Aperol spritz is a classic European aperitif that you’ll find in traveling through France and Italy, especially in the summer dining al fresco or streetside in one of many outdoor cafes. When my husband and I visited Paris last fall, the Aperol spritz was on every drink menu, and we drank them all over… Read More Cocktail Classics – The Aperol Spritz
Dogwood Dispatches 