A few weeks back, I took a press tour of Bold Rock Cider. Our group of journalists, writers, and bloggers visited the Bold Rock cidery, tasted some of their offerings, and met John Washburn and Brian Shanks of Bold Rock, as well as Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore who was there to kick off Virginia cider week. Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry by a mile and it’s crucial to the state’s future, so it was great to hear Secretary Haymore discuss his stewardship of the state’s agriculture. The focus of the evening, of course, was Virginia apples, so a host of growers and cider producers were also in attendance. [Read more…]
persimmon, radish, and watercress salad + weekend links
I’m pretty sure that the work week after Thanksgiving is the longest of the year. And this one, especially. Christmas preparation and hard news are a strange and terrible combination.
Brian and I have been staying up late discussing the week’s news, exchanging links, and sharing social media discussions. After such a long, heavy kind of week, I’m looking for holiday escapism –– getting our tree, ice skating, making cookies, and all that. But first, my weekend links. [Read more…]
shaved brussels sprout, bacon, and meyer lemon salad + weekend links
This week has been all about recovery. Something about the first gusts of bone chilling wind, the time change, and plain old exhaustion, have had me in bed every night by 10pm. Extra blankets have come out, even if it’s just so Brian and I can still sleep with the windows open.
I like the change. And the wind is even better. It’s cleansing –– blowing away whatever’s built up or unwanted. With each gust, a colorful rain of fall leaves pour down and a faint howl wraps around the house. Cozy times are in full effect, and I am so completely all in. [Read more…]
rainbow chard and roasted pear salad + weekend links
I love the feeling of getting home after even a short trip. There’s a brief window where all the comforts that you’ve missed trump the endless list of things that need to be done, or organized, or cleaned. I arrived home from a quick trip to Wisconsin last night, and am thrilled to be staring down a fall weekend completely void of plans. On my agenda are things like finishing the girls’ Halloween costumes, buying pumpkins, and traveling to the Blue Ridge Mountains to take in some fall color. But before all that, I’m totally going to sit on the couch with a big cup of coffee and decompress. It’s been a heavy week and I think we all need a little break.
So, let’s leave things at that and get into some weekend reading. [Read more…]
weekend links + mint juleps
With the weather already turning cooler, I’m feeling like the summer is slipping away too quickly. So it’s important to take some time and step away –– read a book, dangle feet in the water, and squeeze our children a little too tight. This weekend, I hope you’ll have time to pause, breathe some air, and take in one of the intense pink sunsets that typify this time of year. When you do any of these things, they’ll be better with a mint julep in hand. (You can check out our pared-down take over on Cosmopolitan.) [Read more…]