You Ain't from Around These Parts.

This past weekend Glenn Beck brought the "Restoring Honor Rally" to our fine region. While I failed to attend, I did spot quite a few rally goers. How did I know that these people were not from around here? Choice of wardrobe ie. some variation of an American Flag t-shirt.

I believe this fashion statement is meant to say, "I am a patriot". But to me, wearing a tacky t-shirt from Wal-Mart that was most likely made in Taiwan just says, "I am wearing a tacky t-shirt, I have no sense of taste and lack individuality." 

Since we live in the land of the free, we are welcome to express ourselves how we see fit. But perhaps, attempting to support our Democratically elected leader,  seeking common ground, and having compassion for others would speak more to the love of your country than marching in protest of… I'm not sure what?

To see some fabulous examples, check out this amusing article on Brightest Young Things

Mad Fox Brewing Company Review

Mad Fox  and I got off on the wrong foot: there was a bit of a snafu with our reservation so we had to wait an extra 30 minutes before we were finally seated. Hungry and mildly irritated, we perused the menu and were greeted by our waitress. She was friendly, knowledgeable and provided us with beer recommendations. It was all uphill from there.

What I ordered:

80 Shilling – Although the menu compares this beer to Guinness (which I normally wouldn’t order) this beer was not too heavy, with complex flavors and a smooth finish. Try it!

Frickles – aka fried pickles. If you like pickles and you like fried food, check em out. Not too greasy and seasoned just right.

Soft Pretzels – These aren’t your store bought pretzels. Soft with a little bit of crispiness, these are the perfect compliment to any beer.

Sausage Sandwich – If you like a little kick to your meal, give this sandwich a try. Normally I opt for lighter fare, but the fact that they make their sausage (and everything else for that matter) in house had me interested. It was the perfect portion, served open faced on toasted bread. DE-LISH!

Bread Pudding – What can I say, they had me at bread pudding. The perfect way to end a great meal.

To sum it up, the food was fantastic and the beer was tasty and unique! Even though it would have been nice to have been compensated for their mistake (free app perhaps?), I can’t wait to go back! If you haven't been yet - GO! And don't forget to make a reservation!

Guilty Pleasures

Yes, I am coming out. Coming clean about a guilty pleasure; I am a Twilight fan! I just completed Stephenie Meyer’s final installment of the dramatic vampire, werewolf (shape-shifter to be precise), teenage drama series. And boy was it good! True, I am a 30 year old woman, who could be reading the likes of Joyce, Rand, or even Austin for God’s sake… But I am not ashamed!

Last week I heard a Commentary on npr by author Joshua Braff
about his dealings with keeping guilty pleasures to himself.

Of course, being a professional writer, Braff may have a higher standard of intellectual clout to live up to. Still, I’ve received an eye rolling or two for my literary choices. And who wants to be frowned upon for reading something they enjoy? So I really appreciated the final lines from the article:

“… tell those people whom you really enjoy reading. And if they smile-giggle and a hush comes over the room, don't do what I did and lie to your classmates. Be proud of the books you've absorbed. Revel in your guilty pleasures.”

And I will.

I Heart DC

For the past year or so I've been wanting to move into "The City" REAL bad. As much I love Virginia, being in DC is so much different. The people, restaurants, bars, music, art... it just has a different "vibe". The flip side is, we would be living in a shoe box for the same price as we're paying for our somewhat roomy condo in VA. Luckily, it's a hop skip and a jump on 66 to get a taste of city livin'.

Last night we tried this really yummy restaurant called panas gourmet empanadas in Dupont Circle. It's one of those places where you just walk up to counter, order your food and you're good to go. No bells and whistles here, just tasty empanadas. My favorite - The Popeye. Mmmm spinach!

After gorging on empanadas, we walked over to Velvet Lounge (which is a little bit of a hike but it was a lovely evening) to see a friends' band called Benny.

A couple beers, a shot of Whiskey (yuk!) and some good tunes later, we called it a night. A GOOD night.

Double Black Diamond, All the Way!!

I wanted to do something special for Mike's birthday since he surprised me with the best birthday ever. Lo and behold, Groupon presented me with the perfect idea: Sandy Spring Adventure Park! The park is basically a series of ropes courses where you climb over bridges, and fly down zip lines. There are 5 levels of difficulty and after completing two "easy" courses and nearly freaking out I stuck to the ground and took some photos. Shown is Mike on the Black Diamond course (difficult) and Double Black Diamond course (like, REALLY difficult).

We had such a great time, the staff was so friendly and professional. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a little adventure.

Afterwords we rewarded ourselves at the local watering hole Sol Azteca, which I would also highly recommend.

Raw Foods "Cookin'"

When I was in NYC a few months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting an amazing restaurant called Pure Food and Wine. Although I've done a little reading and experimenting with "raw foods" this was my first RF restaurant experience. We sat on the patio and enjoyed some yummy sangria, then ordered from the prix fix menu. The food was FANTASTIC! And even filling! Mike, who is more of a hamburger and fries kind of guy was even impressed.

A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to find chefs' Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis' book "Raw Food Real World". Their story is fascinating and the food is even better. So far, I've only tried one recipe, but it was so yummy I made it twice! Each time, I played with some of my own variations (mainly because I didn't have all the ingredients) but both times, it came out great! Here is the recipe:

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

3 cups watermelon - seeded and pureed in a blender
1 cup seeded watermelon - diced small
1 cup seeded tomatoe - diced small
1 cup peeled, cucumber - peeled, diced small
1/2 cup red or green bell pepper -- seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 small handful cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 small jalapeno -- seeded and minced
1 scallion -- white and 1-inch of green, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt -- or to taste ( I used less )
black pepper -- to taste

The book gives more detail, but you basically combine and serve! I refrigerated the leftovers and ate the next day.

Lazy Dayz

Last week I joined Mike's fam at Bethany Beach for a little R&R. Here's a pic of Mike's sis taking a photo of the Sunrise. I am NOT a morning person, but getting up at 5 am was worth it.

On Friday, Mike and I took a little excursion to Trap Pond, about 45 minutes away from the shore. We rented a canoe and took it for a spin. These Cypress trees are crazy but the reflections are even more amazing.

Our final evening, the whole family watched the sunset on the beach. The picture didn't turn out too well, but you get the gist. I love summer time

!