Did you know that Virginia made alcohol illegal a full three years before the rest of the country? In larger Virginia cities like Alexandria, Richmond and Norfolk, this extra three years of “dry”ness made speakeasies a booming business. Virginia’s history as a hotbed of moonshine production, combined with the natural harbor of the Chesapeake Bay… Read More Richmond’s Own Speakeasy
I can’t quite put into words my reasons for adoring “The Great British Bake-Off” while simultaneously being completely turned off by most American cooking competition shows. Maybe it has something to do with the bad taste I still have in my mouth from the Food Network taking the original cooking competition show – “Iron Chef” – a… Read More My Mild Obsession With “The Great British Bake-Off”
I recently had the pleasure of visiting a new local barbecue and taco restaurant and grabbing a beer flight at a local craft brewery. Both spots far exceeded my expectations. Here’s why: The Cultured Swine, located in the midst of the burgeoning Jackson Ward restaurant scene, offers tacos, sandwiches, tamales and sides that marry the flavors… Read More Local Barbecue, Tacos and Beer – The Cultured Swine and Isley Brewing Co.
If you’re a foodie, there are plenty of upcoming events in Virginia and DC to keep you busy in the coming weeks and months: RVA Sandwich Week (August 24-30) – The latest in a long line of themed food weeks sponsored by Style Weekly, RVA Sandwich Week features $5 sandwich specials from a variety of… Read More Upcoming Food Events
Recently my husband and I had the rare opportunity to get away for a quick overnight trip to Charlottesville, sans kids. Of course I wanted to pack in the wine and beer tastings, so we started out at Jefferson Vineyards. The tasting, $10 per person with a complimentary glass to take home, featured dry and semi-dry… Read More Wine-ing and Beer-ing Around Charlottesville
I know, I know – it’s been a while. Between my new job and a busy Spring filled with soccer, Cub Scouts, school activities and family obligations, Summer is finally here! Our whole family has some time to relax, and I have the opportunity to hit the reset button on my blog. So here goes:… Read More Easing back into the blogging habit
It’s Thor’s-day (see what I did there), and my favorite pillaging and plundering Vikings are back in action on the History Channel tonight. In honor of the new season of “Vikings,” I’ve prepared an authentic Viking feast to enjoy while my husband and I watch the first episode of season 3. Vikings were farmers and… Read More Hail King Ragnar! – A Viking Feast for Season 3 of “Vikings”
Just wanted to pop on here to explain that no, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. The past few weeks, I’ve had a lot on my plate (more on that later), and haven’t had time to post as often as I would have liked. What have I been up to? Well, I… Read More Blog Update
On New Year’s Day, I took my boys to my Granny and PawPaw’s house for our annual family ritual of eating black-eyed peas for good luck. My aunt brought some delicious spoonbread, and my kids raided the ever-present candy jar in the windowsill. When I took our dishes in the kitchen to put them in… Read More Transcribing my Granny’s cookbooks
What better way to close out the year than with a family road trip? My mom, my boys and I piled into the car on the last day of 2014 and headed to James Madison’s Montpelier, the home of America’s 4th President, who is considered to be both the father of the Constitution and the… Read More Farewell 2014 – Hello 2015!
Dogwood Dispatches 