A Day of Dairy

There's a little place about an hour or so away from where I live called the Moo Thru. They make ice cream and we've been wanting to go there for years and just haven't taken the time to make it out there. Well, due to budgets and savings, we decided to do a "stay-cation" this summer and do some things close to home. Going to the Moo Thru was at the top of our list.

Pablo is ready for some ice cream!

 The thing that makes Moo Thru so special, aside from their amazing ice cream, is that they use locally sourced milk to make their ice cream! They actually sometimes even sell the milk itself. They also have other offerings besides ice cream that use locally sourced products as well, such as butternut squash soup, cowboy chili, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

We decided to try their grilled cheese...ooey gooey melted gouda cheese with fresh tomatoes and crispy bacon! Yumma!!

And of course, we couldn't leave without having any ice cream! Superking got 3 scoops of cookie's n cream on a waffle cone!! And no, he was not able to finish the whole thing! But he shared a few pieces of his cone with me...sweet and crisp!

I had one scoop of blackberry and one scoop of cookie dough...both were good but the blackberry was my favorite! You could tell they used real blackberries, slightly tart, slightly sweet, and very creamy! It was all well-worth the drive!

Pablo made some friends!

Then we figured if we're going to drive out all this way, there must be something else to do besides eat ice cream! So we drove a little further into downtown historic Culpeper. It was quaint and reminded me a bit of old town Leesburg. The streets lined with old historic buildings that have been turned into cute little shops or restaurants.

One place that caught our eye was the Culpeper Cheese Company. I love anything cheese so we had to stop in. There were beautiful cheeses of all kinds everywhere you looked! They also sold things like charcuterie, craft beers, and wines. You could do cheese tastings, wine tastings, or just order a gourmet sandwich! We met this young girl working there, who was cute as a button. We couldn't believe she was only 17 years old and had such a wide knowledge of cheese. Her father owns the shop and she has aspirations of becoming a professional cheese monger by the age of 21.

Well after hearing her story and having her help me try several unique cheeses, I couldn't leave without buying some. Its called the Black Label Cambazola. Its a combination of camembert, which is like a brie (soft and sweet), and a gorgonzola which is a type of blue (tangy and sharp). The two flavors blend nicely together in a delicious cheesy balance! This would be a good one to try for those who are a little timid around the blue cheeses. It has enough of the blue to give it a bit of tang but without being overwhelming. Can't wait to go back for more ice cream and cheese!

A Girl's Day Out

Last week was my mom's 60th birthday. Most women don't like to talk about their age but 60 is a big one and I think its worth celebrating. Especially for a lady as great as my mom. I knew we had to do something special so I planned a day out, just the two of us. I didn't even tell her what we were doing...just meet me at this place, at this time, and wear something comfy but nice.

First we both got mani/pedi's and were completely pampered. Then it was time to go to tea! There's a cute little British tea room in downtown Leesburg I knew she'd been wanting to try. Its called Aylesbury and its run by a British couple so it feels very authentic.

Its in a quaint old stone building tucked behind the iconic Mom's Apple Pie. Each little dining room is bright and cheery with dainty linens and vintage furniture and rustic hardwood floors. Our dining room even came complete with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge themselves!

We ordered the traditional Afternoon Tea and each got our own pot of deliciously brewed hot tea. My mom got peppermint and I got Earl Grey. It was served with milk (never cream, as is the British tradition) in individual tea pots and pretty little tea cups and saucers.

Then came the scones...oh I forgot to mention how the entire place smelled of these fresh baked scones from the moment you walked in the door!! And they did not disappoint...they were sweet and soft and warm, served with a thick devonshire cream and strawberry preserves. Then also four different kinds of tea sandwiches...smoked ham, cheese & tomato, cucumber, and egg salad. Some fresh fruit and then all the sweeties! A sugar cookie bar, chocolate chip cookies, and mini lemon cupcakes!

I had to find a bunny somewhere

You might think, all the food is so tiny and delicate, were you still hungry when you left?? Actually, you'd be surprised how much those tiny rich foods can fill you up quickly! All said and done, the food was delicious, the tea room itself was beautiful, and I had a great day celebrating my mom's birthday!