Right to the Moonshine, Alice!

Before heading to the 9:30 Club to see Jamie Lidell last week, my friend Holly and I hit up Eatonville in the historic U Street corridor for some Southern Grub. I had passed this place numerous times, always intrigued by the ornate typography on the sign and the huge glass windows.

Upon my arrival, I was impressed by the high ceilings painted with colorful murals, and gorgeous chandeliers. The interior is a sight to see, but it was such a lovely evening we decided to sit outside.

What I ate:

Corn bread - can't go wrong with that.
Vegan Gumbo - a tasty way to eat your veggies.
Side of Sweet Potato & Andouille Sausage Hash - the sausage was SO good, and the lightly oiled diced sweet potatoes were an excellent compliment.

The highlight of the meal was the Peach Moonshine cocktail. Served in a mason jar, I could not get enough! Fortunately, we had a show to attend so I was able to resist the urge to order a third.

I can't wait to go back to try some of their other creative, southern inspired cocktails, perhaps with a side of chicken…

We No Speak Americano

 

Check out this creative little ditty.

Comfort Soup

Yesterday I was struck by a bad case of the sneezes. Not a cold, but something in the fall air got me down. I think I started to annoy my co-workers after, oh the 5,000th sneeze, not to mention the constant nose blowing. So I took off a little early, hit up the grocery store and purchased some ingredients for some home made soup. I pretty much made this one up and I think it turned out pretty darn good!

Spicey Sweet Potato and Eggplant Soup

1 large sweet potato
1 small onion
1 small eggplant
3c chicken broth
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 14oz can black beans

1/2 tsp Fennel Seed
1/2 tsp ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

• Saute sweet potato, onion and eggplant for about 5 minutes in 2-3 tbsps olive oil.
•  Add chicken broth, spices and tomatoes (break tomatoes into pieces and include all those yummy juices).
• Simmer for about 40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
• Add beans and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Consume while watching pbs documentarty The Elegant Universe about Eleven dimensions, parallel universes, and a world made out of strings. (optional)

A Day in the Country

On Saturday we decided to get away from it all and spend the day in the country. About 45 minutes from home is the  State Arboretum of Virginia . It was probably an odd time to go because the flowers and trees are starting to brown, but the fall colors aren't quite there yet. Scenically, it was a little drab, but the weather was perfect. We walked around the large grounds for a couple of hours and saw lots of creatures from butterflies to deer. In the end, it was a lovely day to commune with nature.

Afterwards, we decided to try Red Horse Tavern in the quaint town of Middleburg. They serve typical tavern food. Mike tried the Fish 'n Chips with a Hard Cider and I got a bowl of White Bean Chili, and Pinot Grigio. The food was good and the outdoor seating was perfect.

 

Save the Date!

Next month my family will be celebrating my grandmother's 85th birthday in California. I was asked to design a save the date email then a printed invite. Since it's an Afternoon Tea, I decided I would bust out the old watercolors and create a personalized Illustration. It's been a LONG time since I've painted and I'm clearly a little rusty. Still, I think it came out alright.

After the painting was scanned I brought it into Photoshop and popped in a picture of my grandma when she was little. It's a little fuzzy, but amazing that this photograph was taken about 80 years ago.

Now that the save the date is done,  I get to work on the printed invites. Where did I put that exato knife?

Dogs, Boots and Football.

Saturday we went to a bbq at a friend Jeff's place. He has the perfect little house in Falls Church with a nice yard the sweetest dog, Gala. Don't you think Mike and I should get a dog?

Then we headed to Holly's birthday party. Her husband Jeremy makes the most amazing cocktails. The Rum punch was the perfect beverage for the summer to fall transition. Light and sweet with a bit of spice. The "Steel Curtain" was his own creation inspired by the Steelers Super Bowl win a couple years ago. Yumm.

Today Mike wanted to watch the game so I dropped him off at Icons sports bar in Old Town Fairfax. I was NOT ready for some football, so I headed to TJ Maxx and picked up these snazzy boots. As much as I'll miss my summer sandals, these babies will be a staple to my fall wardrobe.

Fun with Wigs and the Sound of Music.

This labor day weekend our friends Josh and Daisy came for a visit. We planned a lot of fun activities, but one of the things we did was go to Wolf Trap to see the Sound of Music.

Wolf Trap is such a great venue. If you get lawn seats, which are usually reasonably priced, you can pack a picnic, or just a bottle of wine and snacks. If the weather is good (and this weekend was GORGEOUS!) it's the perfect way to spend a summer evening.

It must have been the theatrics of it all (or the bottle of sparking wine) that inspired us to bust out my wigs and have a little party at our place after the show.

Phew, now I know why those nights are few and far between! But we had a great time.

So Long, Summer.

I have always loved summer. No school, celebrating my birthday, basking in the sun, road trips, no school... Alas, the end is near. I KNOW, it's not completely over, Labor Day weekend is here. Still the sadness is creeping in.

One of the many things I will miss is the abundance of Farmer's Markets in the area. About once a week for the past two months I would walk down the block from my office to BEC Farm Market. Coming to the market would be a great break from my day, and they always carried delicious, local produce. This year the peaches were perfect and the blackberries were to die for!

For now, back to the grocery store. See ya in the Spring.