DC weekend

It has been a busy June as I have been out of town 3 weekends in a row! It has been great but I am ready to have a quiet weekend at home!

Last weekend, Morgan, Matt, and I had a reunion in DC. We had a great time; of course, it is always wonderful to catch up and hang out with such good friends!

I went to the Museum of American History on Friday to see the exhibit on Julia Child. It was awesome! I really enjoyed it and am inspired to cook (again)! I also learned that Julia's middle name was Carolyn...small world. Here is a picture of Julia's kitchen:

We ate some delicious food while I was there, but I think my favorite place we visited was a wine bar called Cork. Morgan and I both had scrumptious sparking wine. We all shared a cheese plate and french fries. Morgan and I tried the Grilled Angus Flat Iron Steak with roasted baby potatoes, julienned snow peas,  and anchovy vinaigrette and the Pan-Roast Organic Chicken Breast with black pepper velouté, spinach, and smashed potato. It was sooo good! We will definitely be returning there during our next visit!

Also, a get-together with the 3 of us MUST involve cupcakes....so, we went to Baked & Wired in Georgetown. They have amazing cupcakes in a wide variety of cake and frosting flavors. YUMMY! :)

Strawberries & Meatballs

After being busy and feeling uninspired to blog, I'm baaack!!!

Taylor, some friends, and I went strawberry picking this weekend at Miller Farms Market. It was a bit muddy due to recent rain but we had a great time and got a lot of juicy, delicious strawberries. They also have blackberries that will be ready to pick soon, lots of herbs and plants for sale, and various other items for sale in their market section. 

We also bought some fresh ground beef at Olde Towne Butcher and made homemade meatballs. We added powdered ranch mix and Panko bread crumbs to the meat. We then added spaghetti sauce with a dash of Italian seasoning. We served the meatballs open-faced on Challah rolls that we bought at the Farmer's Market from the Artisan Bread Company. We topped them with a bit of shredded cheese. They were so yummy!

It's good to be back :)

Foodie

I will admit it, I am a foodie. I love food! I love to eat it, cook it, and learn about it....

I love trying new restaurants and foods, I shamelessly make yummy noises when eating, and I (embarrassingly, at times) take pictures of food at restaurants and at home.

I experienced several culinary delights this past week. The first was a delicious ice cream cake made by one of my co-workers. It had layers of cookie dough ice cream, peanut butter cup ice cream, Reese's Pieces, Reese's cups, and an animal cracker crust. Yummy!

I also made several homemade pizzas this weekend. I wanted to make different kinds so I made mini-pizzas. Clockwise from L-R: Jamaican jerk chicken with onions and spinach, Buffalo chicken with onions and bleu cheese, and chicken with onions, garlic, and rosemary. They were great!

Happy cooking :)

Spring is in the air...

(And so is pollen!)

After a weekend course in Baltimore, I enjoyed the beautiful spring weather the past 2 days. It was very relaxing! The trees in our area are out in full bloom and are really beautiful right now! They smell good too.

I tried a new recipe as I was having a craving for cookies. It was really easy and light and made delicious cookies. You can find the recipe here.

So happy that spring is here! :)

April is here!

Taylor is here visiting this weekend and we decided to be adventuresome and cook a big breakfast today.

We made an easy quiche recipe since Taylor decided he likes it after trying it at my Grandmother's house. Here it is:

Easy Quiche

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1.5 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
dash of pepper
1 cup shredded swiss cheese (or cheddar)
1/2 cup ham or bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup spinach, cut into small pieces
3 eggs
1/2 cup biscuit mix (like Bisquick)

Mix melted butter, milk, salt, pepper, eggs, and biscuit mix in a bowl with whisk. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese, meat, and spinach, pushing items gently below the mixture with a spoon. Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes. Allow quiche to set 10 minutes before cutting slices.


We also tried a new biscuit recipe inspired by ones we had during our stay at a B&B in Asheville. It is an adaptation of this recipe:

4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
6 oz ginger ale
**We added 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the batter**

Bake at 400* for 8-10 minutes.

Yummy :)

One last glimpse of winter...

Mother nature decided to play one last trick on us and brought some snow to the Fredericksburg area overnight. I have to admit, it was very pretty to wake up to, though I am glad that it has all melted and disappeared now. Here are a few pictures I took:

I always like to make up new recipes and I tried out a new one this weekend. I made calzones with homemade whole wheat pizza dough, tomato sauce, meatballs cut into small pieces, fresh spinach chopped, mixed italian cheese, and italian seasoning. They turned out to be delicious and large so the 2 that I made will end up being 4 meals for me!

Yummy :)

I'm baaack!!

After a month-long hiatus, a "Spring Break" road trip across NC and TN, a computer repair, and the beginning of Spring, I'm back!

Right outside my apartment :)

Of course, there have been some delicious food experiences along the way!

Here are a few of my favorites:

*San Antonio's Restaurant, Charlotte, NC-modern Mexican with fresh, delicious dishes. Some are a little spicy so beware, but everything was really good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! For more information: http://www.centraarchy.com/samm/

*Miller's Country Cafe, Christiana, TN-country cookin' just like it is from Grandma's kitchen. Wonderful gem in a tiny town outside of Murfreesboro. Definitely worth the drive! I recommend taking a dessert home with you because you will likely feel like you are going to pop after finishing your meal! http://www.millersgrocery.com/

*Tupelo Honey Cafe-delicious southern food created from fresh, local ingredients served in a "old fashioned tea room" building in downtown Asheville, NC. Definitely recommend checking it out! http://www.tupelohoneycafe.com/

*French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Asheville, NC-OMG, I love chocolate so this place was a must-visit on our trip to Asheville! It was wonderful! Fresh desserts, homemade truffles, and delicious homemade hot chocolate served in a relaxing atmosphere which features live music on Friday nights. Amazing!!! http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/

*Wright Inn, Asheville, NC-Taylor and I spent a night at this B&B and it was wonderful! The innkeepers were very friendly and helpful, and the breakfast they served was awesome! Beautifully decorated in a funky neighborhood just outside of downtown. Recommend it rather than a hotel!
http://www.ashevillebedbreakfastinn.com/default.htm

It is good to be back :)