Firebirds

Taylor and I went out for a Valentine's lunch today at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill.

The exposed wood, bold colors, stone columns, and beautiful tile make for a cozy, comfortable setting. The fireplace within the lounge invites you to enjoy a drink and stay a while. It is definitely an inviting restaurant! The extensive wine list and bar selections are impressive!

The open kitchen allows you to be privy to the open flames over which food is cooked, and smoky aromas waft throughout the restaurant. Taylor had the Caesar salad and the Firebirds Chicken Pasta with chile-asiago cream sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, green onions, and tomatoes. It was a very generous portion with just enough spice to wake up your mouth but not enough to burn off your taste buds. I had the Tortilla Soup and Pecan Crusted Trout with cilantro peach salsa served over tortilla slaw. It was a delicious combination of crunch and sweetness, mixed with the tanginess of the dressing on the slaw. (The bread was wonderful as well!)

We will definitely be going back :)

Empanadas

I found this recipe in my December Cooking Light magazine and it looked delicious so I decided to try making them!

Sweet potato and black bean mixture is placed into center of dough

Empanadas ready to go into the oven

The combination of sweet potatoes, black beans, green onions, and spices makes for a delicious and interesting mix of flavors and textures. They are fairly easy to make and certainly worth the effort!

Bueno :)

Chili Mac

Taylor and I discovered another restaurant gem in Fredericksburg last weekend. It is called the Otter House and more information can be found here. The menu is extensive and includes various hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, and soup dishes.

I tried the Chili Mac which was DELICIOUS! It consisted of a layer of homemade baked macaroni and cheese in the bottom of a bowl with homemade chili on top. It was like heaven in a bowl! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Taylor had the Dirty Burger which was a burger topped with chili, cheddar cheese, and onion. It certainly did make a mess but tasted so good!

Apparently, the Otter House also is the best live music venue in the 'Burg.....We will definitely have to check it out! :)


Snowpeople pictures below to enjoy since we (FINALLY) got some white stuff!!!

Snow and soup

In honor of the snow that is currently falling outside, I would like to write a bit about one of my favorite winter meals.

Mmmmm.....tomato soup and a turkey sandwich! Perfect for a cold, snow night!

I can remember eating this meal, especially with grilled cheese, or oodles of noodles instead of tomato soup all the time when I was growing up! We enjoyed helping Mom make this meal and, of course, eating it!

Mmm, mmm, good :)

1.15.11

This turned out to be a very emotional and fun weekend!

First off, Taylor's grandmother lost her battle with cancer but is no longer suffering and is, no doubt, in a better place! Thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Secondly, it was Taylor's 24th birthday. He has begun to trust and enjoy my cooking so he had a long list of things that he wanted me to make for the weekend. Firstly, I made ham and pineapple pizza on homemade whole wheat pizza crust (see first post on 9/19/10 for info) for Friday night. It was delicious and 2 friends came over to enjoy it and play games! Then for Saturday, I made a delicious raspberry swirl cheesecake for Taylor's birthday which was inspired by this recipe in my Cooking Light magazine. It was very light and was very pretty (if I say so myself...)!

Mmmm.....

On Sunday we had homemade pierogis which were a ton of work but turned out to be pretty darn good! The recipe can be found here.  After making them on Monday, I froze them for the week, thawed them in the refrigerator, then re-heated them under the broiler with cheese and bacon on top. Taylor definitely enjoyed them :)

Taylor and I went out to Jake and Mike's for lunch on his birthday and enjoyed several specials for the Fredericksburg Restaurant Week. For starters we had Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bisque which was delicious. Then we shared a Cheeseburger with jack and cheddar cheese and a Panko-breaded chicken sandwich with bacon and swiss cheese. It was certainly "Unpretentious American Cuisine" and we will definitely be returning!

Then, Taylor caught me off guard and proposed! Of course, I said 'yes' and we are now officially engaged and couldn't be more excited! Part of his plan was including both sets of parents who surprised me in Fredericksburg and then accompanied us to dinner at the Melting Pot last night. It was certainly a great day and we were so happy to spend it with those we love!

Life is good :)

Here & Abroad Bakery

I shared a wonderful Saturday morning with a good friend in downtown Fredericksburg.

We decided to try a new place out and went to Here and Abroad Bakery. It is on Princess Anne Street tucked behind Hyperion Espresso and across from the Otter House Restaurant. It is a tiny place with friendly service, delicious pastries, and yummy hot and cold drinks. I definitely recommend checking it out!

We also went antiquing in downtown.....tons of fun to look for treasures! Great day :)

Long time, no blog

It has been a while! After a whirlwind 2 week Christmas break, I finally have time to sit down and update my blog! A lot has happened since I last blogged.....I drove to Greenville, NC then Charleston, SC; cruised to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas with my family for Christmas; drove back to Greenville then to Charlotte, NC to visit friends/family and back to Greenville to see Taylor's family; then (finally) back to Fredericksburg, VA.

Dressed up for formal night dinner on the cruise

Merry Christmas from the Bahamas

Of course, I enjoyed many culinary delights along the way. Here are a few of my favorite bites:

*Pinky's Westside Grill-Charlotte, NC
A sort of biker bar/deli/burger joint near uptown that has amazing and creative sandwiches. I had the Ding Dong Chicken that is Thai-inspired grilled chicken served on a bun, topped with crunchy peanut butter, sriracha hot sauce, and honey-cilantro slaw. It was different than anything I've had but definitely delicious! My friend had the Maddy Patty Melt which is a burger topped with grilled onions, 1000 island dressing, Swiss and American cheeses which is hot pressed between two pieces of Texas Toast. Yummy!

* Loco Lime Mexican Inspired Grill-Charlotte, NC
This Mexican joint serves fresh ingredients at reasonable prices. The Loco-Rita was awesome with just enough tequila and served in a delicious salt-rimmed glass. Mmmm.....For dinner I had a burrito which was filled with rice, refried beans, blended Mexican cheeses and chicken, covered with queso sauce and served with a side of guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and honey citrus cilantro slaw. It was HUGE but delicious and I ate the whole thing....So delicious!

*Capitol Ale House-Fredericksburg, VA
A cool restaurant and bar that features an incredibly large beer menu with 60 beers on tap! We have been there several times and have always had a great time and good food. Last night was no exception. I had a raspberry wheat beer which was awesome and I would definitely order it again. We had the Fried Pierogies for our appetizer. They were amazing and Taylor has asked me to make them homemade for him! I had the Lamb Burger which was a seasoned lamb patty topped with baby spinach, warm brie, and Dijon mustard on a flaky croissant. Taylor had the San Juan which was hot roast pork, melted pepper jack cheese, fresh avocado, and sweet red pepper relish on ciabatta bread. We definitely enjoyed everything!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all a healthy, happy new year! Happy 2011 :)