tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9770730714933078712024-02-19T10:37:40.506-05:00Yumma YummaCulinary adventures of the local and organic!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-64590402906999284172015-12-14T15:30:00.002-05:002015-12-14T15:30:48.376-05:0030 Days Gluten Free!!I made it through my first thirty days of being gluten free!!<br />
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There have definitely been a few challenges so far along the way (and I still have a long way to go to see if this is making any difference for me) but overall it hasn't been too bad. It gets tricky when eating out but thankfully more and more people, restaurants, and companies are becoming more aware of various allergies and intolerances and are willing to make the appropriate accommodations and offer acceptable alternatives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYKQipxWaRqVu8lHjFWcmBLQ4pxdGj3VPaZFTvVCwtrrV5FUa3NosFsJrt2JlAC4oRbQAhoXh6LjmlVQVzOrHHYB0xeX-Qgu4WdIowA1urJg4b8JVVl4RXG7Jtqmhn7oBs88CWUZmn9lx/s1600/IMG_8268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYKQipxWaRqVu8lHjFWcmBLQ4pxdGj3VPaZFTvVCwtrrV5FUa3NosFsJrt2JlAC4oRbQAhoXh6LjmlVQVzOrHHYB0xeX-Qgu4WdIowA1urJg4b8JVVl4RXG7Jtqmhn7oBs88CWUZmn9lx/s320/IMG_8268.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bread reminded me of cornbread. The other brand thats good is called Udi's.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wegmans has a pretty good gluten free section of baking products. There is also an all-purpose baking mix (like bisquick) thats good for pancakes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">if you want to make baked goods from scratch go with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour. You won't notice a difference! You can use it just like regular flour.</td></tr>
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One handy thing I've learned, is being prepared goes a long way. The internet is a land of wonder in this regard. I can go online and look up just about any restaurant and get detailed nutritional and allergy information about their entire menu. Then I make a list, which I keep in my Notes on my iPhone, as to which restaurants have GF options for me to choose from. So when its Friday night and my husband asks me, "where do you want to go for dinner tonight? what can you eat?" All I have to do is pull up my handy-dandy list and say, "let's go here!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don's Wood-fired pizza has a gluten free crust. Only available in this size but you can get whatever toppings you want. Some people don't like it but I do. Its thin and crispy like a cracker.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my 5 Guys option...same burger, no bun, and all fresh ingredients! Their fries are GF as well (some aren't so you have to check!) And sometimes, just because a particular item is GF does not exclude it from the possibility of cross-contamination, so you have to check that too if you have a higher sensitivity or allergy.</td></tr>
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Even eating at home has its challenges. There's a lot of label reading. And there are some GF things we've tried that my husband is willing to eat and other things, not so much. I have to admit, most GF foods have been just as tasty as the real thing, and some weren't but were still ok to eat, and then a few that even I'm like, not so much...like the french toast failure. I gotta work on that one somehow...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grilled cheese...yes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">french toast...no!</td></tr>
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All in all, I'm staying on track and keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to go well. Hopefully in a few months I can declare that I truly am gluten free as all this poison has worked its way out of my body and I can start to feel like a normal human being.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">baked potato, veggies, and fruit!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crustless quiche!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gf cornbread muffins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sauteed mushrooms as a Thanksgiving side!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market Burger in Purcellville offers GF buns and fries!</td></tr>
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-85841389774193192332015-12-05T12:42:00.000-05:002015-12-05T12:42:59.666-05:00Market BurgerLast weekend we went out to the country to get our Christmas tree as is our annual tradition. I have always had a real tree growing up. To me, its just not the same with a fake tree. Though when we moved into our current house, the previous owners left us a fake tree in the garage. Its not the prettiest thing but it does the trick for decorating the basement. I'm one of those people who likes having a little touch of Christmas in every room of the house whenever possible. I have our real, main tree in the library (always decorated with white lights and a different theme each year), the fake tree in the basement (decorated with colored lights and whatever favorite ornaments I want), and I even have a tiny white tabletop tree decorated with tiny glass balls in the main bathroom!! My husband refuses to let me put any Christmas decorations in the bedroom though...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo gives his approval on the tree!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">timber!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my man lugging the tree up to the barn</td></tr>
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But I digress...this post is supposed to be about food right?! Here it comes...on our way back from getting our lovely fat tree, we stopped in a little town called Purcellville for lunch. There's a little gourmet burger joint there we'd heard about called Market Burger and Fries, right in the center of town.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my real tree...snow is the theme this year</td></tr>
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Now as you may know, I've recently started on this gluten-free venture, which can make things difficult when eating out. However, sometimes it just takes a little planning to know where and what you can eat. I had already researched their menu ahead of time and noticed they had the option for gluten free buns.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my fake basement tree...bright funky colors!</td></tr>
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Alot of their offerings...meat, veggies, cheese, etc... are from local farms, which is an added bonus. And lo and behold, I was surprised to find out their fries are gluten free also! Some fries are gf and some are not, so its nice to be able to have some that are!! They were the best fries I've had in a long time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a few of the tables were covered with bottle caps!</td></tr>
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We both to get their signature burger, the Market burger...cheddar cheese, bacon, egg, herb mayo, lettuce, and tomato. I got mine with the gf bun, of course, and sans egg. My official review...4 stars. It was a good burger and a fun atmosphere, However, not as good as Melt, which is a top favorite, and its a bit pricey. Almost $40 for 2 people (and we shared the fries)! Don't regret it, its always nice to splurge a bit and have some good food, and try out a new place. But in the future, when we want a gourmet burger, we'll head to Melt!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">burgers and fries...gf bun has seeds!</td></tr>
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-86857641534540168202015-11-15T15:10:00.000-05:002015-11-15T15:10:42.034-05:00Gluten free…what?!?!So I've deiced to try going gluten free. I know it sounds like its just the latest in a sea of new food trends. But for me its not a trend. Its a way to better my quality of life, a desperate attempt to feel better, to feel normal.<br />
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You see, I have several health issues that cause me daily aggravation and discomfort, sometimes even pain, among a myriad of other symptoms. One disorder I deal with is Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease. It is auto-immune disorder where my body attacks and seeks to destroy my thyroid gland. The thyroid affects a lot of stuff in your body…temperature, weight, metabolism, hormone balance, causes dry skin, hair loss, lethargy/fatigue, infertility, anxiety/depression and other mood disorders…the list goes on and on. And these are just a few of the things I contend with every day. Not to mention that when you have one autoimmune disorder you are much more likely to develop other autoimmune disorders. One of which is celiac disease, the most commonly associated with gluten allergies.<br />
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I, thankfully have tested negative for celiac disease. However, the Hashimoto's also makes you susceptible to having a gluten intolerance, even without actually having celiac disease. Below is a list of just some of the symptoms you might have if you're gluten-intolerant. Out of the 10 on this list, I have 7, and the other 3 I've experienced on occasion, which may or may not be related to gluten.<br />
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At first I considered just trying to cut back on gluten instead of cutting it out all together. But that notion was quickly dispelled when I found out that gluten can stay in your system for a very long time…like 3-6 months. So theres no point in just cutting back if its still in your system that long. Every time you add another bite of gluten, it just takes that much longer for it to go away. So gluten free 100%.<br />
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A little more clarification about this disorder…<br />
<a href="http://www.livestrong.com/blog/whats-deal-gluten-free-infographic/">http://www.livestrong.com/blog/whats-deal-gluten-free-infographic/</a><br />
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It seems daunting at first. Wow, I can't have pizza, I can't have burgers, I can't have pasta or cake or cookies, or this or that or the other favorite thing I love to eat! Its even hidden in some sauces (I love sour cream!) and soups as a binder! Aaaahhhhh! What in the world am I going to eat?? And gluten free food, does it even taste good? Will I ever be able to enjoy food again??<br />
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Whew…deep breath. Its really not that bad. Yes there will need to be changes. And yes it will be for a lifetime. But there are a lot of tasty options that are still available. There are many gluten free flours, pastas, and breads available. Some grocery stores that have gluten free sections and even many restaurants are starting to offer gluten free items on their menus as well.<br />
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Here's a great article on making the process a little less scary...<br />
<a href="http://savvymujer.com/simple-tips-going-gluten-free/">http://savvymujer.com/simple-tips-going-gluten-free/</a><br />
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So here we go, entering into this new culinary adventure with an open mind and an open stomach, with a glint of hope that in a few months, my body will start to feel normal and more healthy. Maybe I'll even lose a few extra pounds in the process! If you have any gluten free recipes you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them!! So wish me luck!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my first gluten free meal…a sweet potato with butter and cinnamon, and a chicken salad with fresh veggies, a little blue cheese, and Italian dressing. Make sure you check the labels even on the dressings…all the other dressings I looked at were not gluten free, beware of soy as well!</td></tr>
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-31741859749308550682015-09-01T08:00:00.000-04:002015-09-01T08:00:00.171-04:00Fusion TacosHave I mentioned how much I love tacos? A few weeks ago I shared how we did a stay-cation week, and one of the fun things we did was participate in a Cookology class making fusion tacos! We've done a couple other Cookology classes before, one was Italian and one was Greek. If you've never done it, you should. Its tons of fun, you can learn some great kitchen tips, and at the end of it, you get to have a tasty meal with unique food you didn't know you could make.<br />
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We made three kinds of tacos: a Korean beef taco, a spicy Thai chicken curry taco, and a dessert choco-taco! The first thing you do is set out and organize your mise-en-place, a French term meaning "putting in place' or in other words, you're setting up your basic ingredients you'll need to get the dish started. Our mise-en-place consisted of one tray of veggies and one tray of spices and sauces we would need to make our dishes. Our veggies were carrot, lime (yes I know this is a fruit), jalepeno, white onion, green onion, cucumber, radish. Our spice tray consisted of soy sauce, sesame oil, kochujang (a spicy bean paste used in a lot of Korean food), minced garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and ginger.<br />
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For the Korean Beef taco, we made a marinade for the beef from crushed pear, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, sesame oil, and carrot. While that marinade was working its magic tenderizing the beef, we made a cabbage slaw. We chopped a couple different kinds of cabbage, added finely sliced pieces of cucumber, green onion, a little sunflower oil, a little vinegar, and a little salt to taste and mixed it all up.<br />
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Then we started on the Thai chicken tacos. We chopped up some chicken that was already cooked to save time in class and added it to a pan with olive oil. Next we added coconut milk, kochujang paste to taste, and fish sauce. Then also add garlic and jalepeno, also to taste depending on how spicy you want it. You can also add other veggies to the chicken mixture or put them on raw at the end. We added our radishes to the pan while cooking. And topped the tacos with cilantro and lime when it was time to serve and eat. For these tacos we used a corn tortilla and they were topped with a peanut sauce (it was already made for us in class but its easy to make at home too: peanut butter, soy sauce, siracha, and maybe a touch of warm water) and crushed peanuts.<br />
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When it was time to assemble our beef taco, we cooked the beef in a pan with the marinade. We topped a flour tortilla with the beef mixture, the cabbage slaw, a little siracha mayo sauce, and a drizzle of plain siracha to taste.<br />
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But we weren't done yet! Now it was time for dessert! We made a batter, similar to pancake batter but we wanted it to be thin like a crepe. Next we put the batter in a hot pan like we were making a pancake. Now anyone who has kept up with my blog knows I have a hard time making pancakes because I get scared of "the flip". I just recently was able to do this flip successfully for the first time ever! Now I have to flip this big one!! Chef Mark, our teacher gave me a few tips and told me to go for it. Ok here goes...I did it!!! Perfectly, in fact! We all cheered! It was a triumph!<br />
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Once the crepe/pancake was done but still warm, we laid it over the handle of the pan so it would curve like a taco as it cooled. Then we dipped the edges in a chocolate ganache and served it with vanilla ice cream. Everything was super delicious! The chicken taco was sweet, creamy, and fresh with a little spicy heat while the beef one was hearty and savory with its own level of spice. The dessert one was fun to make and a nice sweet treat to cool our tongues from the previous spice. Our teacher, Chef Mark, was very encouraging and informative. And we got a tasty meal that we can now easily make at home! Can't wait to try it in my own kitchen!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-52406185742456679552015-08-28T22:12:00.000-04:002015-08-28T22:12:22.418-04:0016 Years!Last week, on the 21st of August, my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary!! Yep, we've actually made it that long and are still in love! It hasn't always been easy but we've always stuck together…okay enough of the cheesy, mushy stuff!<br />
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Anywho…so we took the day off from work to relax and do some fun stuff. We ended up going to see the movie Shaun the Sheep (which is very cute and funny…big fan of Wallace and Grommet and most things from Aardman Studios) at the Alamo Drafthouse in One Loudoun. If you haven't been to the Alamo, you need to go check it out. The theaters are very nice and small, which is good because you know it won't be overcrowded. You have the option to assign your own seats and they serve food like in a restaurant, with a waitress and everything. And I have to say, I was surprised how good the food was the first time we went.<br />
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Its nothing spectacular or 5 star but its like upscale bar food and everything we've had has been pretty tasty. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures because 1. its dark in there, and 2. they are very strict about no cell phone use. But we've tried their loaded fries, a couple pizzas, and fish 'n chips. Everything was delicious and not very overpriced. They also have a few different sodas for those who are more drink connoisseurs. If there is a unique drink offered, I'm probably gonna try it. They have homemade root beer, which is probably my favorite soda, and they also offer Italian sodas which are sweet and creamy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hotel bathroom...never seen a sink like this before!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hotel lobby...love the green glass chandeliers!</td></tr>
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Later that night we went downtown to have a nice dinner in the Penn Quarter area of DC. There are a ton of good restaurants in that little area and there was one we've had our eye on for quite a while, called Poste. It serves French-American cuisine and it sits in the middle of the Hotel Monaco. That evening the weather was very tolerable for being August so we got to dine outside in the courtyard. It was a beautiful night and the food was delicious!<br />
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First we were served an amuse bouche…a little kiss or taste from the kitchen. A roasted mushroom crostini…savory, earthy, just melts in your mouth! A good sign of things to come!<br />
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It just so happened to be restaurant week when we were there so we got to take advantage of some specials. If you choose to order from the restaurant week menu, you get an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $35. Not bad at a place like this. Hubby is not a dessert guy so he didn't take this option. But we both ordered an appetizer. I chose the crispy duck ravioli. It was a large crispy wonton stuffed with juicy, tender duck meat that had been braised with Asian flavors, served with a caramelized onion and carrot slaw, and drizzled with a soy garlic sauce. A good combination of sweet and salty.<br />
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Hubby's appetizer was wagyu tartare, basically raw wagyu beef that was served like a terrine on a crostini. It was prepared with pine nuts, arugula, parmesan, and truffle vinaigrette, and topped with potato croutons (like fancy tater tots!). If the thought of raw beef scares you, you are missing out on a good thing! Trust me, its yumma yumma!<br />
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Then for the entrees: steak frites and halibut. The steak frites is a 12oz ribeye served with truffle fries and a couple of savory dipping sauces. What's not to like? For me, I chose halibut, a bit of a lighter dish because I was holding out for dessert! The halibut was pan seared and served with sautéed pea leaves, wild mushrooms, ramps, and a chili oil sauce. It was light and fresh! The sauce made even the greens taste good!<br />
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Then came my favorite part: dessert! I'm a sucker for goat cheese, especially when it comes in a cheesecake! This goat cheese cheesecake was served with sour cherries, buckwheat-hazelnut sable, micro sorrel, and sangria sorbet. Ok so first, a definition lesson. I actually had to look up a few of these words while at dinner so I would know what I was eating. Let's start with the buckwheat hazelnut sable. This is essentially a fancy thin crispy shortbread style cookie. It sort of had a nutty, slightly bitter taste. That might sound like a bad thing, however, the bitterness created the perfect balance for all the other flavors there.<br />
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Next definition: micro sorrel. Sorrel is a type of green herb and micro just means it has small leaves. Yes there was a green herb in my dessert! It was a little strange but somehow it worked! The whole dessert had every flavor combo…sweet, bitter, savory, tart, salty. As much as I love the whole over-the-top-chocolate-peanut butter things, these kind of unique desserts end up being some of my favorite. Unexpected flavors that tantalize every area of your tongue!<br />
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And since it was our anniversary, the staff also brought out a special surprise! A miniature chocolate coffee mousse cake topped with strawberry sorbet! Hubby only took one bite so it was up to me to finish my own dessert and this one before the candle burnt out…I won!<br />
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And THEN, as if that all wasn't enough, while we were waiting for our check, they brought us out another amuse bouche…some kind of little almond sponge cake topped with apricot jam, I believe. So instead of an after-dinner mint, we got after-dinner cake!<br />
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It was a great night! Was it absolutely the best restaurant ever? No, but it was deliciously satisfying food and the company wasn't too bad either! Happy 16 years, Superking! Here's to many more! <3Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-5961873158822549092015-08-18T20:13:00.000-04:002015-08-18T20:13:18.652-04:00The Spies at Union MarketOn our recent stay-cation we took a day and went to DC. Our first stop was the Spy Museum which was pretty cool and very interesting. It definitely makes you look at people differently. I mean, how many people do you walk by every day that could be spies?! Who knows?! At any rate, all that spying made us hungry.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spy book</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bond...James Bond</td></tr>
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So afterwards we went to lunch at Union Market. So many vendors to choose from with lots of tastiness. As much as we like trying all different kinds of ethnic foods or unique foods, we were drawn to the smoky aromas of some good ol' Southern barbecue! We split a meal of brisket with two kinds of sauce, and a bowl of baked beans.</div>
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The brisket was sweet and tender and juicy! And the beans were unlike any other baked beans I've ever had. There was a mixture of several types of beans, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices. I'm generally a little picky about the kinds of beans I like to eat and when I order baked beans, I expect the traditional variety. However, these were pretty darn tasty! I would eat those over and over! Delish!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ninja at the Spy Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">authors who were spies!</td></tr>
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Next we decided to try some empanadas. DC Empanadas actually has a food truck as well as kiosk here at Union Market. We've eaten at their food truck before so we already knew these would be yummy. We got one cheese one and one beef one. The cheese one, also known as Speedy Gonzalez, was nice and gooey and salty with a mixture of 3 kinds of cheese: queso blanco, asadero, and mozzarella. The beef one, called El Toro, had chipotle seasoning, onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, blakc beans, and corn. A little spicy, a little cheesy, very savory.<br />
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Can't wait to go back to Union Market in the fall to celebrate the Crafty Bastards craft show!<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-4462959793040657612015-08-10T11:56:00.002-04:002015-08-10T11:56:51.290-04:00BarTacoI love tacos! My favorite restaurant we went to on our last vacation to Charleston, was <a href="http://yummayumma.blogspot.com/search/label/Taco%20Boy">Taco Boy</a>. I also love the idea of small plates so you can try a variety of things in one sitting without gorging yourself. Taco Boy serves their tacos by the piece in that "small plate" idea for that very reason. So when we saw this new restaurant going in at Reston Town Center called BarTaco, we discovered they had a similar concept on their menu and we knew we had to check it out.<br />
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BarTaco's opening couldn't have come at a better time. We opted out of a vacation this in an effort to save some money so we did a "stay-cation" instead. Having dinner at BarTaco during this stay-cation, was like a little piece of the beach here at home.<br />
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Even though we came for the tacos, we couldn't pass up the fresh-made guacamole to start the meal! It was creamy and spicy with a touch of lime. Instead of being served with traditional tortilla chips, they were large round fried tortillas that you could break off into any shape or size you wanted. A nice little different twist.<br />
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Our first line up of tacos went like this: duck, duck...goose! Haha, just kidding! At least about the goose part. Actually we both did get duck tacos, then I also got a curry shrimp and Superking got a pork belly. The duck was super tender and juicy and topped with fresh onions and cilantro. I think this one was my favorite. The curry shrimp had tomatoes and cilantro with a light curry sauce full of Indian spices. And the pork belly was topped with pickled red onions and cilantro.<br />
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For round two, we had sesame ribeye, portobello mushroom, and curry chicken. The ribeye taco had a sweet and zesty Asian flair. The portobello was light and earthy with a bit of queso fresco. And the curry chicken was similar to the shrimp and delicious! Every single taco was a bite of happiness!<br />
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And you can't have great tacos without amazing churros!! They were hot and crispy and smothered in cinnamon and sugar and served with a semi-sweet chocolate. The perfect ending for a vacation meal!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-17197858639033058892015-07-30T08:00:00.000-04:002015-07-30T08:00:04.196-04:00A Day of DairyThere'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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo is ready for some ice cream!</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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We decided to try their grilled cheese...ooey gooey melted gouda cheese with fresh tomatoes and crispy bacon! Yumma!!<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo made some friends!</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-51508117722928873022015-07-29T17:17:00.001-04:002015-07-29T17:52:57.033-04:00A Girl's Day OutLast 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to find a bunny somewhere</td></tr>
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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!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-63676128461467319312015-06-27T19:31:00.002-04:002015-06-27T19:31:46.272-04:00Nando's FailOne Loudoun is quickly becoming a cool new hangout area for good food and maybe a movie. One restaurant there is called Nando's Peri Peri. It has African-Portugese cuisine. Sounds pretty unique so of course we had to give it a try.<div>
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Now one reason you haven't seen a lot of blog posts here recently at Yumma Yumma is because we recently put ourselves on a tight budget. That means we haven't been eating out very much and when we have, its been cheap uninteresting stuff. Hence no trying out new places. And hence part of the reason our trip to Nando's was such an epic fail.</div>
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One of the things they offer is a half chicken meal. Supposedly their chickens are marinated for 24 hours and you get a choice of a flavor...plain, lemon, mild, hot, extra hot. So since we were on a budget we decide to split the half chicken meal. It came with 2 sides and we decided to add a third. We thought, surely that should be plenty of food for us to share. Oh how wrong we were...</div>
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We took it To-Go so of course we didn't actually see the food until we got home. The half chicken was more like a quarter chicken. The side of mashed potatoes was literally one small scoop in a tiny box. Our french fries was the size you get in a McDonald's Happy meal. The one semi-redeeming side was the garlic bread...2 pieces and tasty. There was barely enough food for just Hubby to eat. And for all that it was $18. For being on a budget, I thought was pretty pricey considering I could've gotten more for my money had I actually stooped so low as to get an actual McDonald's Happy meal!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our chicken...barely a wing and a leg. it didn't even fill the box.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our pathetic sides, again the fries don't even fill the tiny box they came in</td></tr>
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The thing that irritated me the most...the food was actually really really delicious. I only got one bite of each thing before I ran back out to get myself dinner from Chik-Fil-A. But I wanted so badly to like this place and to keep eating their food. But we were so disappointed!! Maybe we just had an off night. I don't know. But I'm not sure if we'll ever give it a chance to redeem itself. Sorry Nando's!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-80714557285026250302015-05-27T08:00:00.000-04:002015-05-27T08:00:01.777-04:00Haute Dog and Bunny HayWe took a trip out to western Loudoun County today to pick up some inexpensive fresh quality hay for our pet bunnies, Hazel and Fiver. While we were in the neighborhood, we decided to stop in for a quick bite at Haute Dog. Its a quaint little place with gourmet hot dogs and sausage sandwiches with a variety of unique toppings.<br />
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We've been there several times and have never been disappointed. We got a German Bratwurst with sauerkraut and brown mustard...the bratwurst had a great flavor by itself but then the sauerkraut and mustard added a nice spicy tang.<br />
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Also we got the Italian sausage with peppers, onions, and melted provolone. Spicy and cheesy! On the side was an order of crispy tempura onion rings served with a spicy sauce that I think was siracha mayo. Delicious with a kick!<br />
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If you're looking for a fancy sausage or a simple hot dog, this place is a treat! I saw someone ordering a chili cheese dog while we were there and it reminded me of my grandma, whom we called Gongi. My husband looked at me kinda funny and asked, "how does a chili dog remind you of Gongi??" Most of my positive memories about my grandma involve food. But there was a tiny little drive-thru-only hot dog place in the town near where I grew up. You could get a hot dog for like $2 or something. They were cheap and greasy and wrapped in wax paper and extremely messy. We would usually get them topped with chili, cheese, and coleslaw. And they were delicious!! We would pull over in the nearby parking lot and stuff our faces til we almost needed a shower. Haute Dog isn't quite the hole in the wall place that the drive-tru was but some delicious dogs nonetheless.<br />
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Here are some pics of some of our previous visits to Haute Dog...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">those look like sweet potato fries!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spicy jalapeños!</td></tr>
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-56619007104267295762015-05-25T08:30:00.000-04:002015-05-25T08:30:01.080-04:00Shoes, Cup, and CorkA Sicilian immigrant named Vincenzo Raneri opened a shoe repair shop in the 1920's. He owned and operated that shop for roughly 50 years before he sold it to someone else who kept it in operation for another 34 years. Finally in 2006, the doors closed for good. At least to the shoe repair business. Then another man had a dream of a coffee shop. With shoes. And wine. And good food. And Shoes Cup and Cork was born!<br />
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Even though its now a coffee shop, there are still many remnants of the old shoe repair business in the design and decor of the restaurant. Old shoes hang from the light fixture on the ceiling, brass footrests from the shoeshine station stand in the front windows, and the original Shoe Repair sign adorns the dining area.<br />
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But this isn't just a quick stop-in-for-coffee place. There are comfy benches with pretty pillows and board games and crossword puzzles all inviting you to stay, relax, and hang out for a while. And they serve more than just coffee. The menu isn't extensive but they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and even brunch on the weekends. Not only is the food tasty, they strive to provide fair-trade coffee and use local meats and produce.<br />
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I'd been wanting to try it out and had heard good things about it so when I was looking for a quaint unique place to take my mom for breakfast on Mother's Day weekend, I knew this would fit the bill perfectly. I'm sure I've shared before about my love for biscuits and gravy so when I saw this on the menu, it was impossible to pass up. And it did not disappoint.<br />
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Perfectly flaky homemade biscuits swimming in white sausage pepper gravy…heavenly! As much as I love biscuits and gravy, I have had some that were not very good. But this was dreamy! It was also accompanied by a small dish of red bliss hash…basically diced, slightly smashed red bliss potatoes with some herby seasoning. I also have a love of potatoes…my favorite vegetable even though some people claim its not a vegetable. There's no better compliment to a delicious biscuits and gravy than a good helping of herby potatoes! Divine!<br />
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Sometimes the beverages become an afterthought, a non-event at a meal. But here even the drinks were good. My mom got an iced chai latte, which is usually one of my favorite breakfast drinks. I love the combo of spice and cream. But this time I opted for something slightly different…the London Fog. Its Earl grey tea steeped in steamed milk with a shot of vanilla. And I had to be extra complicated and order an iced version. As much as I love chai tea, Earl grey is a close second. It smells like Froot Loops cereal! Yumma!!<br />
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Next time, I'd like to go there for lunch and try some marinated olives or a smashed meatball sandwich or a brie L.T. panini!! And enjoy it outside while playing a game of bocce ball!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-24883932040316073242015-05-23T18:32:00.001-04:002015-05-23T18:32:46.826-04:00Pittsburgh Rick'sSo Loudound County VA is a bit devoid of decent breakfast places. There's a couple good ones but they are few and far between. One night we were searching for some new local places to try and we stumbled across a place called Pittsburgh Rick's in old town Leesburg.<br />
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Its mostly a sandwich joint serving sandwiches in the style of…guess where? Pittsburgh! But they also have a small breakfast menu. You can go as simple as a cup of coffee and a danish or you can get cinnamon french toast or pineapple pancakes!We opted for the egg and cheese sandwich where you can add either sausage or bacon or both!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cool art of Pittsburgh</td></tr>
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Hubby got both bacon and sausage, where as I just went with sausage. Now this sausage is not exactly what I was expecting. Its not your traditional breakfast sausage patty you see on most breakfast menus. Its an actual sausage link like you would see on a sausage/pepper/onion sandwich! It was sliced in half lengthwise and boy, was it spicy! A nice hot kick to your morning eggs!<br />
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P.S. Apparently Pittsburgh Rick's also has a food truck, which we got to try recently. Yumma sandwiches! A steak & cheese and a pastrami & cheese...all sandwiches come topped with fries, a light coleslaw, and tomato and there's a little sauce on the side. It tasted like buffalo sauce but was thin and vinegary. Excellent sandwiches!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-62906199791432566752015-05-08T08:30:00.000-04:002015-05-08T08:30:00.977-04:00Stone Cove's Kit BarIt was Friday night. I was in the mood to relax and be at the beach. Since I couldn't be at the beach at that moment, I decided we needed a proper date night at a restaurant that made it feel like we were at the beach. So we decided on Stone Cove's Kit Bar in Herndon. It doesn't have a particularly be achy feel but its not a restaurant we go to very often and it is the type of restaurant we might look for when we're on vacation at the beach. The weather was nice and balmy so it was as close to being on vacation at the beach as we were gonna get that night. I'll take it.<br />
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This is a fairly unique kind of restaurant as almost all the seating is bar seating. There are a couple booth off the side but you really want to be at the huge long bar that takes up the entire center of the restaurant. If you just have a party of 2, you can easily get two regular barstools. If you have a party of 3 or 4 there are a few small bar tables built into the bar itself, as well as a few other regular bar tables surrounding it so no matter where you sit you still have that "bar feel". <br />
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Their food menu is fairly small but everything is pretty tasty and filling. While they do offer a few entrees, the main event is flatbreads and small plates. They have quite a few seafood offerings, which we were sort of avoiding. As much as we love seafood, we're waiting to see if hubby might have developed a seafood allergy. Yikes! *Fingers crossed* he doesn't… But there are plenty of non-seafood items as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lobster cones from previous visit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rZL-mt-dz2lRPoEDUYxZYhlvQSEyk260WCtTKmKdOZaalgRXPowTWgKG1SeMlR_o8CskXQg-OepNPJXM1skdpZY0FQ7uSthE-ckDeHqck4IOOzAfvJUbnZd1OnUVF580eNf_DFTz-zZ7/s1600/stone+coves+crab+lettuce+wraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rZL-mt-dz2lRPoEDUYxZYhlvQSEyk260WCtTKmKdOZaalgRXPowTWgKG1SeMlR_o8CskXQg-OepNPJXM1skdpZY0FQ7uSthE-ckDeHqck4IOOzAfvJUbnZd1OnUVF580eNf_DFTz-zZ7/s1600/stone+coves+crab+lettuce+wraps.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">also previous visit...crab lettuce wraps in the making</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5DjEvzltPp6VmCyyzPZ_wLFpPYltRo1UlvmdY-jVuaipVhPLya-d2AUFam25AL78eLy3W9r8OXup2THCYQogHkSj5lAqmhqoloJt9676SFHAl-hqqCdUMVMuH_imgyQcOLX05BE-90ZV/s1600/stones+cove+lettuce+wrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5DjEvzltPp6VmCyyzPZ_wLFpPYltRo1UlvmdY-jVuaipVhPLya-d2AUFam25AL78eLy3W9r8OXup2THCYQogHkSj5lAqmhqoloJt9676SFHAl-hqqCdUMVMuH_imgyQcOLX05BE-90ZV/s1600/stones+cove+lettuce+wrap.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crab lettuce wrap about to be eaten</td></tr>
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Pet peeve moment: All small plates are meant for sharing, no matter what restaurant you're in. If you don't like sharing, you shouldn't be ordering small plates. Its kinda annoying when you take someone out to eat for small plates and they hoard their small plates all to themselves and don't even offer to share!…okay pet peeve rant over.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think these are on the menu anymore and I'm not even sure I remember what they are but I know they were yummy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyHIQYMEqDvjdrqPRaWf052iE6CoAYgFJS-9Wlqz9iDHF_0ap07w4UJSvTlYrv5ksOq4mAOqzkLDeBGMEi0MFVjIcTaJHl6Y_P2tDSOswJ0Joj5_AiN1h1WiBR310yrhXh6-wBT2zDpWq/s1600/stones+cove+seared+tuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyHIQYMEqDvjdrqPRaWf052iE6CoAYgFJS-9Wlqz9iDHF_0ap07w4UJSvTlYrv5ksOq4mAOqzkLDeBGMEi0MFVjIcTaJHl6Y_P2tDSOswJ0Joj5_AiN1h1WiBR310yrhXh6-wBT2zDpWq/s1600/stones+cove+seared+tuna.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">previous visit: ahi tuna sashimi</td></tr>
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Anywho…we began with a Mackinac Flatbread…definitely enough for at least two people. It is topped with bacon, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, and your choice of steak, chicken or shrimp (we chose steak) and drizzled with a jalpeno mayo sauce. As if all those flavors aren't delicious enough on their own but combined it was euphoric. They cook all their flatbreads in a big stone oven in the middle of the open kitchen that sits in the middle of the bar. What I like most about their flatbreads is they cook the meat separately and add it to the top after they take the flatbread out of the oven. Most of the time, its added before it goes in the oven and it ends up overcooked and chewy. This steak however was medium rare, as requested, and perfectly seasoned. Almost as good as if we had ordered just a steak at a high-end restaurant.<br />
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Then we decided to split a sandwich…the Bayou Quarter French Dip. A toasted ciabatta bread with sliced prime rib that was super juicy and tender, you almost didn't need the au jus…almost! Along with the au jus it was also served with jalepeno mayo for dipping as well. And a bag of chips! While a french dip sandwich is not usually my favorite, I have to say I would most definitely order it again from here!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sometimes I get so hungry and into eating that I forget to take pictures...</td></tr>
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If you decide you want to check this place out, make sure you save room for their flatbread s'mores!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJwrCyanpmr5ODqsLw5U1tWbQ77QsjFvnUmPpKlusQzkaPrCw2IENr18geOnWRc3VDHTqwFGwvz348p9h2dbPClLfuSRPgZ4f4TAYMuBTa4Xs2ED6bgcD8TXh2Hwu5azWKSb_Gdx26aKY/s1600/stones+cove+smores+flatbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJwrCyanpmr5ODqsLw5U1tWbQ77QsjFvnUmPpKlusQzkaPrCw2IENr18geOnWRc3VDHTqwFGwvz348p9h2dbPClLfuSRPgZ4f4TAYMuBTa4Xs2ED6bgcD8TXh2Hwu5azWKSb_Gdx26aKY/s1600/stones+cove+smores+flatbread.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">previous visit: we took these home, still yummy hours later!</td></tr>
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-24200229777868022382015-05-06T14:32:00.000-04:002015-05-06T14:32:21.122-04:00BrBBrB…what does it mean? Be right back. Better read Bible. Beach ready babe.<br />
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Actually in this case, it means Be Right Burger. Its a littler burger joint on the corner in Reston Town Center. They serve made-to-order burgers, sandwiches, and frozen custard treats. They have a few specials that they've already created for you or you can create your own burger. They also offer veggie burgers and turkey burgers for healthier options and a variety of interesting toppings. Nothing they offer is particularly earth-shattering or unique but all tasty in the right combination.<br />
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Hubby took me here on an impromptu lunch date one Friday afternoon. The weather was gorgeous so it was perfect day for lunch outside on the patio. I went for the California burger…topped with guacamole and a chipotle aioli plus traditional lettuce and tomato. A little heavy on the sauce but I'm definitely a sauce girl so I didn't mind too much.<br />
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Hubby went for the Wild West burger, topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, and bbq sauce, lettuce and tomato. A little smoky, a little sweet. Yumma! The burgers themselves, while I've had better, much better (i.e. Melt and Five Guys…my two favorite burgers ever), these had a nice char-grilled flavor to them. And the fries that were served with them, while again I've had better, I did like that they had a crispy coating and were dusted with garlic powder.<br />
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All in all, it turned out to be a deliciously lovely lunch date!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-61029798048096666912015-03-15T14:37:00.000-04:002015-03-15T14:37:48.235-04:00RangeSome great friends of ours surprised my hubby and I to a day of fun recently. First we saw an amazing concert pianist and then we had dinner at a restaurant called Range, which features modern American cuisine by celebrity chef, Bryan Voltaggio. Range is also known for its Chesapeake shellfish at the raw bar and their wood-fired hearth.<br />
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The first course was a cheese plate, of course! The four cheeses were cabot (a hard cheddar with a nutty flavor), hazen blue (nice mild blue tanginess), kunik (soft and creamy, similar to a brie), and grayson (kinda stinky, but reminiscent of a swiss). It was served with raisin toasts and a pear compote. I love cheese! I haven't met too many cheeses I haven't liked (and I've even tried limburger), and these were no exception.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: kunik, grayson, hazen blue, cabot</td></tr>
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We also had a ham tasting...a country ham and a surryano ham, both from Virginia, served with a creamy, spicy mustard that had a bit of a punch. But it was a nice compliment to the salty sweet hams.<br />
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Being a Southern girl at heart, I love biscuits and I love pepper jelly. So when I saw an appetizer for cheddar jalepeno biscuits with pepper jelly, I knew I had to get them. So yumma yumma! The biscuit was warm and flaky and the pepper jelly was the perfect combo of sweet and spicy!<br />
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Next came the bone marrow. If you've never had bone marrow, you need to. Its so delicious and unctuous. We first had bone marrow at the <a href="http://www.hyatt.com/corporate/restaurants/blue-duck-tavern/en/blue-duck-tavern-home.html">Blue Duck in DC</a> which was amazing. The bone marrow dish at Range, cannot compare to the Blue Duck, however, it was pretty tasty on its own merit. This dish was served with shallots, pinenuts, and raisins, which added an unexpected sweet element.<br />
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All the above dishes were small plates, which we all shared between the four of us. Next came entrees...Superking chose the hangar steak, cooked medium rare, served with bacon grits, swiss chard, and a chimichurri sauce. Bacon grits...need I say more?<br />
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I had the lamb neck with coconut curry sauce and flatbread, which was accompanied by roasted cauliflower with a za'atar seasoning and tzatziki sauce. The lamb was so tender it was practically falling off the bone and melted in my mouth. I love all those mediterranean flavors and aromas!<br />
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One of our friends with us was gracious enough to let me take a picture of her dish as well. Her dish was pork belly with a smoked apple, vanilla, and fennel salad. Bright, sweet, salty, delicious!<br />
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For dessert they had this adorable "candy cart" that they could wheel around the restaurant to your table. Very non-traditional dessert offerings of chocolate covered rice krispie treats on a stick, variety of truffles, and caramel corn. I chose bacon caramel corn. It was gone in no time flat. While my friend went for a cute little custard of orange and cream with some sort of crumble on top, served in a little jar.<br />
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Overall, the food was delicious and unique, as was the atmosphere. The service was just "ok" though. It took a long time for the each course to come out, and all the dishes came out at different times, which was a little odd. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that it was because its a fairly new restaurant to the area and they are still working out the kinks? Nevertheless, it was a night of great fun, great food, and great friends!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-43703621828704705092015-03-06T12:35:00.003-05:002015-03-06T12:35:59.873-05:00Too Hot to HandleI haven't had a lot of food adventures lately as we've been trying to save money and we've had a lot of snow days where I've been stuck at home. So I thought I'd do a retro-post from our last trip to Myrtle Beach. On this cold snowy winter day, here's a spicy burrito challenge...<br />
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Superking had told me of a newer restaurant he had read about and wanted to try, called Salarita's. Its a Mexican fast-food Cantina-style place know for their Burr-Heato Challenge. And Superking decided he had to try it.<br />
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Supposedly this is the World's Hottest Burrito because it is made with the Guinness World Record Hottest Chili Pepper: <b>Smokin' Ed's Carolina Reaper</b>. In this burrito, it uses one tablespoon of sauce made with this chili pepper, along with chicken, black beans, rice, corn salsa, tomatoes, and cilantro. Notice there is no cheese or sour cream to help cool the burn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo says "that's too hot for me! smells dangerous!"</td></tr>
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Superking can usually handle some pretty hot stuff (he's eaten a raw scotch bonnet and loves ghost chilies) and he likes it! I think the more pain he's in, the more he enjoys it. And its not just the burn. Its the sweating and, God help you if you get the hiccups; then you know you're in trouble. he actually brought his own jug of milk with him in case things got really rough. But I have to give him credit, he didn't drink any milk until after he downed the entire burrito! And it all stayed down, if you know what I mean! Way to go Superking! You have truly earned your nickname on this one!<br />
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<i>(I tried to post the video here of him eating the burrito but the file is too big. However, I will be posting it on my Facebook page and will post the link here.)</i><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Luckily they have pretty good food thats not as hot as Hades as well. I, for example, had a tasty tortilla pizza. A crispy flat tortilla topped with red sauce, cheese, ground beef, black beans, and a sour cream sauce. A nice mild yet flavorful Mexican treat! So if you're feeling saucy and tired of the snow, go check out a Salsarita's near you!</span><br />
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<b>P.S.</b> Extra Bonus: if you make a video of yourself completing the Burr-Heato Challenge, post it to Facebook and tag Salsarita's with #WorldsHottestBurrito, you get a free t-shirt for your troubles! </div>
Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-52030325859015503792015-02-25T18:06:00.000-05:002015-02-25T18:06:00.976-05:00The Silver Diner"We Buy Fresh and Local, You Eat Well!" That is the motto of the Silver Diner restaurant. And from what I can tell, they truly live up to that. <br />
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The first "diner" was credited to a man named Walter Scott in 1872, who started selling lunches out of his horse-drawn wagon. It wasn't until 1939 that we began to see diners as we think of them today...modeled after streamlined train cars or mobile homes with stainless steel or chrome accents and neon signs and art deco decor. The diner was a way to provide fast food while still maintaining a home-cooked-meal atmosphere in a casual friendly environment.<br />
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There is still a certain nostalgia about them that reminds us of our childhoods or just a simpler time where being kind to your neighbor and going to church on Sunday and having strong family values were still top priorities. The women wore pearls and pretty dresses, the men dressed in nice slacks and knew how to be gentlemen and kids knew how to behave in public and learned respect for adults. Maybe I'm overgeneralizing or dreaming that is was a more perfect time than it was. Or maybe I've watched the movie, <i>Pleasantville</i> too many times. At any rate, the diner still exists, though rare.<br />
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At Silver Diner, one can get a glimpse into that old America. Their food is hearty and fresh. They strive to use local ingredients whenever available and to be environmentally conscious. And they always serve with a smile! When we go there, we like to sit at the bar instead of a booth. Sitting at the bar gives you more of the nostalgic feel of a diner and you get a close-up look at the staff hard at work.<br />
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Two of our favorite breakfasts to get there are corned beef hash and country fried steak! I'll be the first to admit, corned beef hash looks, smells, and tastes a bit like cat food. But I can't help but love it! Part of the reason I love corned beef hash, is because of a childhood memory. When my dad would take me camping as a child, we almost always had corned beef hash for breakfast cooked over the campfire stove! I usually order mine with eggs-over-easy (one of the few times I don't get scrambled) and it comes with potatoes as well. I'm normally the kind of person who eats one thing at a time on my plate, but this is one exception. I love to mix that runny broken egg yolk with the salty corned beef hash! So delicious and unctuous!!<br />
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My husband actually turned me on to the country fried steak and eggs. I used to not really be a fan of steak until I learned what good steak tastes like! And how can you go wrong when you batter it, fry it, and top it with sausage pepper gravy!! Man, I love that stuff! I could just drink a glass of pepper gravy! Yes, its that good! And on top of that, you get a warm, flaky, buttermilk biscuit. Put a little pat of butter and a drizzle of honey on there...almost heaven.<br />
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This diner food makes the perfect hearty breakfast on a snowy day too! And then afterwards, you can go home and take a nap! You're gonna need it!<br />
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<br />Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-2540887769824466062015-02-18T12:39:00.001-05:002015-02-18T12:40:52.132-05:00TooSso<a href="http://www.toosso.com/index2.php#/home/">TooSso</a> is a small Pakistani restaurant in my neighborhood. It hasn't been open that long but it is always packed, especially on the weekends. And usually when I go there, I'm the only white girl in the place. In fact, I'm the only non-Pakistani. So you know it has to be good when the natives are packing the joint out! And it is...<br />
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Its a small cafe style place; its certainly not a fancy sit-down place but I wouldn't say its fast-food. They make everything from scratch, and while I'll admit I don't know much about Pakistani food or culture, it seems pretty traditional as far as the flavors they offer. Its a limited menu but sometimes those are the best...do a few things very well instead of many things mediocre. The atmosphere is colorful and fun with one wall covered with bottlecaps of all different kinds and another wall with a bar area that has milk cans for stools. And the aromas...I love the aromas of Middle Eastern cuisines with all the unique combination of spices!!<br />
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Their main menu consists of rolls, bowls, and specials. The rolls have your choice of filling (potatoes, beef, chicken, or chickpeas) wrapped in a hand-made roti, which is like an Indian tortilla, along with a variety of spices and herbs and onions and chutney. I think my favorite is the Zeera Aloo which has the potato filling.<br />
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The bowls have a lot of the same fillings but its, obviously, in a bowl with basmati rice and a yogurt sauce. The specials are things like Chicken Tikka which is chicken marinated in a yogurt sauce and on the weekends they even serve a breakfast dish called Halwa Puri. I'm not 100% sure what that is exactly but I think puri is a deep fried Indian flatbread and halwa is something sweet and its served with potatoes. Um, potatoes...sweet...bread...yes please, I'm in!<br />
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The Pakistani cuisine is deceptively spicy hot to me. You think, beans, potatoes, rice...how spicy could it be? Well, be ready to call the fire squad! Especially if you're like me and don't tolerate a lot of heat well. I love all the flavors but sometimes the heat is so intense I have to take a break from eating for a minute. The heat from this cuisine starts off slow. The first bite or two, you think, ok its not too bad. But the more bites you take, the hotter it gets! The only thing that helps is a big gulp of a delicious Mango Lassi!<br />
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I love Mango Lassi's! If you're not familiar with what a lassi is, its a sweet yogurt smoothie drink. The dairy helps curb the heat a bit. So you'll need to get one of these if you don't want your tongue on fire! And they happen to be super yummy!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-32303899596514197772015-01-20T16:27:00.002-05:002015-01-20T16:27:07.466-05:00A Hobbit's TaleIt was a cold, snowy winter day. We had traveled far and were hungry for something cozy and warming. When we thought we could go no further, a hobbit hole appeared. It was warm and inviting and smelled of delicious vittles. The name of this establishment...Bilbo Baggins.<br />
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In downtown Alexandria, Bilbo Baggins is a little pub that looks like its straight out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel. Creaky hardwood floors, small and cozy, wood and stone walls, and good hearty food. Perfect for a cold winter's day. Superking and I, along with our friend Tierney, were ready for a hobbit's adventure of a meal.</div>
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We started with some small plates. A portobello mushroom cap marinated in pesto, topped with a round of breaded brie cheese and a tomato tapenade and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Looks pretty elegant for pub food. It was pretty tasty too. Though whats not to like about fried, breaded cheese.</div>
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We also had Calamari Fritti...fried calamari served with Thai chili aioli and a papaya relish. The calamari was perfectly cooked, which is quite a feat. It can be tricky to not overcook calamari and not turn it into rubber bands. Who wants to eat rubber bands? Well, Bilbo Baggins did it just right. The aioli was creamy and spicy. I was not particularly a fan of the papaya relish but it was bright and fresh.</div>
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Or how about some buttermilk fried oysters? I used to not really like any oysters, that is until I went to Charleston and some proper ones. I still won't eat the raw ones (its a texture thing...too slimy) but a good fried one or baked one with the right toppings, sure does hit the spot when you're looking for a hearty meal. These at Bilbo's were crispy and briny and served with a nice basil lime aioli.</div>
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We also had a taste of a Carolina pulled pork BBQ sandwich, and two kinds of fries. I forgot to take pictures of those, unfortunately. Yucca fries with a mustard aioli sauce and spicy cilantro fries with a chipotle chili sauce. I'd never had yucca fries but they were thick and salty, and more starchy than regular fries.</div>
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After a brisk walk through the old town street shops, we hustled in to one of the old time ice cream parlors...Pops Old Fashioned Ice Cream to be exact. Even on a cold wintery day, nothing beats a good chocolate peanut butter ice cream!<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-30478398199643572572015-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:002015-01-02T08:00:07.642-05:00Astro Doughnuts and Fried ChickenOne of our favorites things to do when we have time off is to go on food adventures, trying out unique restaurants and foods, and particularly if its a new place we are trying!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo is ready for his adventure!</td></tr>
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We've been wanting to hit Astro's Doughnuts and Fried Chicken for quite a while and on a whim at the last moment, we decided this was the place to go for brunch one Saturday morning. You see, we had slept in kinda late that morning which was perfect timing for Astro's since they don't start serving the chicken til after 11am and you can't go there and NOT get BOTH the chicken AND the donuts!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">those 2 tables outside the restaurant were the only seating and they were full!</td></tr>
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We lucked out and got easy parking right out front! This place is tiny! Literally only a counter with barely enough space on one side for customers and on the other side for employees. They also have a food truck in DC! We asked them "where do you cook the chicken and bake the donuts in this place??" Apparently they have a kitchen area in the basement of the building they're in and they use a dumb waiter to transport the food up to the counter! Pretty clever and unique!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Pablo licks his lips in anticipation*</td></tr>
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Their menu is short and simple...donuts, chicken, drinks. But it is worth the trip! There's something to be said for keeping things simple and doing it really well and thats what they do here at Astro's. For their chicken, you can get either tenders, 2pc white meat, 2 pc dark meat, or even a half or full chicken! Superking did the 2pc white meat and I went for the tenders which came with your choice of sauce. I chose buffalo. Tangy and spicy!<br />
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For their donuts, they have flavors like creme brûlée, maple bacon, passionfruit, and PB&J. We opted for Vanilla Glaze and Nutella. They are light and yeasty, sweet but not too rich, and absolutely delicious!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A" for Astro's...Vanilla Glaze</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutella</td></tr>
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You might think chicken and donuts are a strange combination but its really not much different than chicken and waffles which is a Southern staple. Except this might be better! And it might sound weird but the combination of the vanilla donut and the chicken tender with buffalo sauce in the same bite was remarkably complementary!! Not the healthiest of breakfasts but completely delicious and satisfying none the less!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because the only seating they had was full, we parked ourselves on the curb and had a picnic of sorts! Good thing this was a no parking zone and it wasn't super cold outside!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a lovely view of an old church across the street that reminded us it was still alive and well by ringing its bell very loudly! </td></tr>
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Even Pablo agreed that Astro's deserved at least 4 ants!!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-38762297443387906402014-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:002014-12-31T08:00:08.992-05:00Christmas FeastsFor Christmas morning, our favorite breakfast is Monkey Bread! Whats not to like about ooey gooey biscuits baked and smothered with cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter!! Unfortunately, it was so good, it was gone before I could get a picture of it!<br />
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For dinner we had a buffet of appetizers, including hot crab dip, credit with a garden pepper & feta cheese ball, fresh tomato bruschetta, steamed shrimp, herby pork tenderloin medallions, and chocolate covered strawberries!<br />
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The morning after Christmas, we went out to Amphora for breakfast that included bacon, fried eggs, and cheese blintzes!<br />
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What are your Christmas food traditions? Whats your favorite Christmas dish?Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-9057534070424578132014-12-29T15:07:00.000-05:002014-12-29T16:13:43.511-05:00Morrison House GrillIn the weeks leading up to Christmas there are always lots of fun and exciting parties and performances and various holiday events. One such event I always look forward to is my husbands company Christmas dinner. Superking works for a very small home-based business in the IT field. When I say small, I mean really small...6 employees. And all the employees/employers are either close friends or family...the boss, the boss's wife, their daughter-in-law, my husband, my brother-in-law, and my brother-in-law's wife, and then there's me. I'm the only one not an employee but thankfully I get to tag along for a good meal. For our Christmas dinner we always go to a nice upscale restaurant nearby.<br />
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This year's choice was The Grille at the Morrison House. The Morrison House is an old Federalist-style mansion located in old town Alexandria that is now an inn. The Grille, the restaurant located in the mansion, serves a contemporary French American cuisine. Each room is filled with beautiful antiques, several fireplaces, and even a piano bar. Our meal that evening was accompanied by a talented pianist playing Christmas carols in the style of Vince Guaraldi (see A Charlie Brown Christmas). </div>
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Our meal began with a fancy cheese platter for the whole table to share. Five glorious cheeses...Ameribella (cow cheese from Indiana), Brabander (a Holland goat cheese), Umber (New York cow), Moses Sleeper (Vermont cow), Cashel Blue (Irish cow). I don't really remember which was which, all I know is that they were all delicious. I haven't met too many cheeses I didn't like. This was a nice variety of mild, sharp, tangy, and creamy.</div>
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One of my favorite French dishes is the classic escargot. Yep, snails. If you are a little put off about trying escargot, I always tell people if you like shrimp in garlic butter, you will like escargot. The escargot itself doesn't really have much flavor on its own, it has a similar texture to shrimp, and its soaked in garlic butter. Everything tastes yummy if its drenched in garlic butter. And they are served hot with a nice piece of crusty bread!</div>
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Superking also had the Country Pate. It was served with pickled onions, cornichons (tiny pickles), a few greens, grainy mustard, and a crusty baguette. A mixture of salty meat and tangy sharp mustard.</div>
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He also had the seared filet mignon served with Yorkshire pudding, sauteed mushrooms, and a bordelaise sauce. I was a little disappointed to discover that Yorkshire pudding is really just a popover. Not that it wasn't tasty, I just thought a Yorskhire pudding should have something in it for the "pudding" part! Oh well! The way I understand it, it is a light fluffy bread thats made with drippings from the meat and thats what makes it special. The sauteed mushrooms were deliciously earthy! The bordelaise sauce is made with a dry red wine, bone marrow, butter, and shallots.</div>
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The pan seared Rock Fish, while the skin was a little too salty for my liking it was crispy and the fish light and flaky. It was served over a mushroom risotto and wilted kale. It could've done with a little less kale (which would've been better if it was crispy) but the risotto was delightfully creamy.</div>
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A couple people in our party ordered the dark bavarian chocolate cake which seemed to be quite delectable. But I had to go for the Chevre Cheesecake. When we ordered it, the waiter asked us, "you know thats goat cheese; do you still want to order that?" We chuckled and replied, "of course we know thats goat cheese; thats WHY we are ordering it!"</div>
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The cheesecake itself was superbly creamy and tangy and it was topped with a shortbread crumble and huckleberry jam, which was a nice balance of sweet and tart as well. Next to the cake were several meringues made with rosemary.</div>
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All in all it was a tasty meal and a great time with friends and family!</div>
Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-40956616584296605502014-12-14T12:28:00.000-05:002014-12-14T12:28:14.509-05:00Thanksgiving and ChristmasYep, its been that busy that I'm combining both holidays into one post. There's been a party or some sort of event every weekend for the last 6 weeks!! Hence the reason for no blog posts since the end of October! Sorry...life happens. Anywho...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our Thanksgiving table</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stained glass cookies</td></tr>
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There are many different traditions that encompass the holidays. And its always a little tricky trying to coordinate families and in-laws. For Thanksgiving, our families have it down to a great pattern that work pretty well. Here's how my Thanksgiving weekend goes...Thanksgiving Day, we go to my in-laws sometime early afternoon, have an early dinner, then some veg on the couch watching Christmas movies while the rest of us play board games at the table while having dessert. Then that Friday, we hunker down at home (I'm not crazy enough to go out into all that Black Friday nonsense), watch more Christmas movies and pull out all the Christmas decorations to start planning where everything is going to go. That Saturday, we head out to my parents house which is an hour away in the mountains. On our way out, we stop and get a Christmas tree so that when we get home later that night we can put it up and start decorating. We've done it this way for years and it works like clockwork.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we did a deep fried turkey this year!! way shorter cooking time and the juiciest, most flavorful turkey I've ever tasted!! Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">can't have Thanksgiving without apple pie!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo is helping to cut down the Christmas tree</td></tr>
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Christmas, however, is a different story. Since Christmas moves around to different days of the week, our plans tend to change from year to year. But we try to spend equal time with both families as much as we can. But with Christmas its not just one day. Its a whole month of activities, parties, dinners, gifts, parades, and programs. One of my favorite Christmas events is the Annual Cookie Competition, my friend Lisa hosts every year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBQtO6qwIHiS8mThW5rpfKk4W30ySu1PBVdYt4rcCe5E1rDSW81rn42hzPzDjtS-JToYnrlp5eesw1sANBtLEQNnzxZtUP6xSUYKvBczeCUikxg88D5khdNRPvPdHvF48NfG6jvcxyMAR/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBQtO6qwIHiS8mThW5rpfKk4W30ySu1PBVdYt4rcCe5E1rDSW81rn42hzPzDjtS-JToYnrlp5eesw1sANBtLEQNnzxZtUP6xSUYKvBczeCUikxg88D5khdNRPvPdHvF48NfG6jvcxyMAR/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like to do themed Christmas trees...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tRhVDVoRPLrVvaavyllw4CXz4T-4X6wbzYLp6837T0qrNdMgl4o9QhzIOXbM0CmB36ttU5RhY-FnI-V5JZDKToLbqLmQowaLL5bEO1J3xogcQilFPE7cjBVOCw9VjkHnmiglghQDd_RX/s1600/IMG_6805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tRhVDVoRPLrVvaavyllw4CXz4T-4X6wbzYLp6837T0qrNdMgl4o9QhzIOXbM0CmB36ttU5RhY-FnI-V5JZDKToLbqLmQowaLL5bEO1J3xogcQilFPE7cjBVOCw9VjkHnmiglghQDd_RX/s1600/IMG_6805.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this years theme is books! I made little paper books with some of my favorite titles and then copied pages from several books to make my garland.</td></tr>
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Every brings their best tasting, most beautifully decorated cookies to try to win a prize. The awards are Prettiest, Best Tasting, Most Unusual, and the most coveted Best of Show. I've had the privilege of winning Prettiest a few times and even Best of Show once. This year we participated in pairs and I paired with my mom. We didn't win anything but we did come in a very close 2nd for Prettiest. The one that did win (by only one vote) was a very pretty Baby Buche de Noel!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCyUihIDdVtr6wXTNJd4eR9dVIg5Jnv59zKG4HLATg8pozrL2e35PkDTwn66iAH2rdrL3_aIJUeJL8MkgVvG9qPblf2Lze2xM1qOOGyt4R_KRcIBSf7E1wwifG67s8Udazb61QK2eBa0a/s1600/IMG_6840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCyUihIDdVtr6wXTNJd4eR9dVIg5Jnv59zKG4HLATg8pozrL2e35PkDTwn66iAH2rdrL3_aIJUeJL8MkgVvG9qPblf2Lze2xM1qOOGyt4R_KRcIBSf7E1wwifG67s8Udazb61QK2eBa0a/s1600/IMG_6840.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cutting out the cookies...they smelled of a wonderful almond!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy3uRnwHutGjCA67vyMHmtB7snn5yuUcKrEFnRUx2bb0_q_u5MeBFbSRzkwzAJ8_x2Wk1L2jEanEgjuUI-LdPdREYkzrsO7_ZqhoYuAdj5CRiDg-R19yg-R7X_kZFbntuxPlOZP-PMIiC/s1600/IMG_6841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy3uRnwHutGjCA67vyMHmtB7snn5yuUcKrEFnRUx2bb0_q_u5MeBFbSRzkwzAJ8_x2Wk1L2jEanEgjuUI-LdPdREYkzrsO7_ZqhoYuAdj5CRiDg-R19yg-R7X_kZFbntuxPlOZP-PMIiC/s1600/IMG_6841.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jolly ranchers go in the middle...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKwop8d7L50JNP-MXouZVc4j5ug8D112R-LsOhvA7vPvN3n8xo90HBNlYjpBChLwGQdWROMGVmxhrei7HE_Qc-MCOfUbC71-GkpseU5GfYU74osGETLDRO4Eg-C9dvAQz5IJDKrt_E3Po/s1600/IMG_6842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKwop8d7L50JNP-MXouZVc4j5ug8D112R-LsOhvA7vPvN3n8xo90HBNlYjpBChLwGQdWROMGVmxhrei7HE_Qc-MCOfUbC71-GkpseU5GfYU74osGETLDRO4Eg-C9dvAQz5IJDKrt_E3Po/s1600/IMG_6842.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the jolly ranchers melted beautifully (and smelled yummy too!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoimib0xEGzJAWcAyQEldzUUTRBx1q7MNRzK_FztwWROdy3N3pnnvCu7z16-mf-pmD0p5dJe7XnJEpF9sKP9ekg2QqzBGPAWSIVRMRLhgbNzDdZXiPhcLw01uhlb6P5az-XCEeq0GXkez/s1600/IMG_6843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoimib0xEGzJAWcAyQEldzUUTRBx1q7MNRzK_FztwWROdy3N3pnnvCu7z16-mf-pmD0p5dJe7XnJEpF9sKP9ekg2QqzBGPAWSIVRMRLhgbNzDdZXiPhcLw01uhlb6P5az-XCEeq0GXkez/s1600/IMG_6843.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">then we decorate with the icing!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_O5iBcz-oNEaIATciXDpc69K-9iwWQXBAM1-UAG9PrX3WWPFMxP_qiU9OmXMg5JKoDY_ItCnYcu8GaCSGuoA51xXlfk_GO8ym7mnvaevFA0I0Jp_X64GnJgluWhFk6F9hRyyPx-kpJ6A/s1600/IMG_6844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_O5iBcz-oNEaIATciXDpc69K-9iwWQXBAM1-UAG9PrX3WWPFMxP_qiU9OmXMg5JKoDY_ItCnYcu8GaCSGuoA51xXlfk_GO8ym7mnvaevFA0I0Jp_X64GnJgluWhFk6F9hRyyPx-kpJ6A/s1600/IMG_6844.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVal3RyYNA7SfenY60E1OZztm-Ge8qQuQ2itcliLIrsjd3ZqAlljQrkCTHncSMqpBGUi0eiG02yg_8zDzx-ORzpxVJXLMgkv4v4N52PRMge4YIb8-LSROZz0BoAuznrJ5dBlLbiPAXdg5b/s1600/IMG_6846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVal3RyYNA7SfenY60E1OZztm-Ge8qQuQ2itcliLIrsjd3ZqAlljQrkCTHncSMqpBGUi0eiG02yg_8zDzx-ORzpxVJXLMgkv4v4N52PRMge4YIb8-LSROZz0BoAuznrJ5dBlLbiPAXdg5b/s1600/IMG_6846.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">then set to dry...</td></tr>
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We also do a sorbet taste test...our host creates a unique delicious sorbet and we have to guess the flavors. This years sorbet was vanilla bean and white chocolate liquer, which I did not guess correctly. And this year we had a new addition to the event...a Sock White Elephant game. Everyone brings a pair of Christmas socks and we get to trade and steal til we get the socks we want. I ended up with a cool pair of very fuzzy, very cozy knee socks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFJImb4KfLo2XxumRfhGpKiQI1Wlzuur1Ul-sGuT3VsosxJMTpjMCfmoH2TFVYN-IT5gIAniXEQcJ5E4I8AEYP2K1cEyC3I_OsMtbFzOKpcZqsdVzfHM-hb2RisqsMgth8BPODZ3enrS6/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFJImb4KfLo2XxumRfhGpKiQI1Wlzuur1Ul-sGuT3VsosxJMTpjMCfmoH2TFVYN-IT5gIAniXEQcJ5E4I8AEYP2K1cEyC3I_OsMtbFzOKpcZqsdVzfHM-hb2RisqsMgth8BPODZ3enrS6/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the winner for Prettiest...although is it really a cookie?...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcHSrHSGYhVfibDq5UWaMB0t625aMIKAKUF30xGcVF_mNbKLl83Jak8h62P45loxDxQ7C8rhJMkh54sdljgVgF3XJ2Kk0T5KQiMU-0sheoe9EmnTHSK46LBXic0177tQlkFjCaOkuwj1Z/s1600/IMG_6858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcHSrHSGYhVfibDq5UWaMB0t625aMIKAKUF30xGcVF_mNbKLl83Jak8h62P45loxDxQ7C8rhJMkh54sdljgVgF3XJ2Kk0T5KQiMU-0sheoe9EmnTHSK46LBXic0177tQlkFjCaOkuwj1Z/s1600/IMG_6858.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the winner for Most Unusual</td></tr>
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I guess I forgot to get a picture of the Best Tasting Cookies, which were Raspberry Shortbread...delicious!! Ultimately the winning cookie for Best of Show was a stunning and adorable Miss Hello Kitty Christmas! Congrats to Crishana and Christy!<br />
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Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977073071493307871.post-71892786745072889392014-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:002014-10-31T23:35:23.848-04:00Meathead BrothersMore from our adventure at Brookgreen Gardens...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gu9n6UEstsHhTWtbCKtVf9OW_f-rn3vjjlTWDod9D4l19Y3pKCsNrz_tORjEHDyR8Q0g1UBr3G8u6wPq11fH_gaVuSTQc5L8NsPj2ztuMUTL8eZZJ7TIP81N7la8CDYP2URoyA3N48gH/s1600/IMG_6061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gu9n6UEstsHhTWtbCKtVf9OW_f-rn3vjjlTWDod9D4l19Y3pKCsNrz_tORjEHDyR8Q0g1UBr3G8u6wPq11fH_gaVuSTQc5L8NsPj2ztuMUTL8eZZJ7TIP81N7la8CDYP2URoyA3N48gH/s1600/IMG_6061.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant grasshoppers, as big as your hand!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful butterflies everywhere</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-1jfUUdUR94-dlX9XIvh4XDWZHbItc_X9M0CMUqza8j1DtY6nwH3jlm4GjOwkYwH_bnqdhGYR8ttLy7659DVErJUIfAl4K4cV3xxDaqLU3gmE4ztIWvUOy1br-S7PntlnwXiK60Uh_AI/s1600/IMG_6080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-1jfUUdUR94-dlX9XIvh4XDWZHbItc_X9M0CMUqza8j1DtY6nwH3jlm4GjOwkYwH_bnqdhGYR8ttLy7659DVErJUIfAl4K4cV3xxDaqLU3gmE4ztIWvUOy1br-S7PntlnwXiK60Uh_AI/s1600/IMG_6080.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo is very curious about the platypus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">say cheese!</td></tr>
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After we had exhausted the gardens (or rather the gardens exhausted us...) we were hungry for a late lunch. We found a great sandwich place called Meathead Brothers, serving Philadelphia-style deli sandwiches. Some of their sandwiches are very traditional, while others are a bit more unique. All made with fresh ingredients, a lot of which are locally sourced.<br />
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One of their more popular sandwiches is the Italian Stallion...ham, salami, and capicola on thick Italian bread served with provolone, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Their Carolina Sweetie has sweet sausages with sauteed peppers and onions on a toasted Italian roll. The Smoked House Hoagie has smoked turkey, applewood smoked bacon, and smoked gouda. Or how about the Gobbler Panini with turkey, stuffing, swiss cheese, and cranberry sauce!<br />
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There were so many delicious sammys to choose from! But we finally settled on Its Got Meat and Meathead's Reuben. Its Got Meat was piled high with, well, meat! And lots of it! Roast beef, turkey, and ham plus applewood smoked bacon, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, all piled high on thick Italian bread. And it came with truffle fries! Great meaty sandwich with some earthy rich fries!<br />
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The Meathead's Reuben...corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing served panini style on marbled rye bread. (Am I the only one who thinks of Seinfeld when I hear "marbled rye"??) I had garlic fries with my sammy. I wouldn't say Reuben's are my favorite deli sandwich but I do enjoy a good one. And I have to say this was probably the best Reuben I've ever had! A definite winner!<br />
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It was an interesting treat getting to chat a bit with the owner as well! A vibrant, sensible down-to-earth kinda guy trying to make a living making good sandwiches with local products! Will definitely be back!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pablo approves!!</td></tr>
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Pablo gave Meathead Brothers 4 ants!<br />
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***UPDATE*** Literally the day after I posted this, I found out that Meathead unexpectedly closed up shop, apparently for good! I'm not sure what happened but they will be missed!Donnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177908484743578548noreply@blogger.com0