random day trips

Steve and I drove to Annapolis one day. For funsies. We knew that with traffic we’d have to leave either before 2:00 or after 7:00 because guys, this is the DC area, and rush hour is rush five hours.

We opted for a shorter stay and began our time in town by hydrating ourselves at this cute place:

Named:

They had an unexpectedly awesome selection of fresh juices. Not the type of place you would’ve necessarily pegged for it!

I am not really a juice person, except once a year or so I enjoy some carrot juice. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, literally once every year and three months- I vividly remember finishing the GRE in October of 2011, booking it to the nearest establishment with food which turned out to be a cute little natural foods store and deli, downing a carrot juice, and loving the flow of glucose to my brain.

This was delicious, cold, frothy, and served in an adorable stein.

  

The highlight of the trip, as is the highlight of all our trips to Annapolis, was Quiet Waters State Park. On one of our past trips we visited in sunnier weather and rented bikes (Steve also ventured into competitive eating later in the day, which I'll let you see for yourself) No bike rentals in the off season, but it was still wonderful to take in on foot.

You start on meandering paths through serene forest…

        

But the real money shot comes when you reach the water. The river opens out to the Chesapeake Bay and it is always a stunning view. Particularly on this not-particularly-lovely day, actually. Lovely clouds!

And now for something completely different.

Another random day (let the record state these jaunts occurred before Steve and I started class. The luxury of a student schedule, I know. We are now back to being responsible citizens and studying diligently. Minus the time it takes to write blog posts, of course).

Got up, Steve called, wanting to hang out. Though it was a gloomy day… it was decided we’d go to Charlottesville! Yknow, only 2 1/2 hours away. Hah.

I feel like I’ve been to Charlottesville since so many of my favorite bloggers live there.

We were SO ready to eat, and I was delighted to stumble upon the fabulous menu at Eppie’s- I realized Kath had been there!

Love them for their decor.

Like Kath, I ordered the plate of side dishes. Didn’t realize a salad counted as two sides- explains the unexpectedly high price tag and the massiveness of this meal! The thing is, every one of these dishes was UH-MAZING. And I was sharing the meal with Steve, the man who ate everything. So it worked out, in an exceedingly full belly kind of way.

Cream-licious butternut squash bisque; wondrous flavors that made me feel warm on a raw day.

 

Southwest Caesar salad, ordered dutifully for vegetables but savored for the tangy dressing and perfect cherry tomatoes. Nixed the (ridiculously abundant) croutons; not my jam.

Mac and cheese. Forget that quinoa b.s. This is what mac and cheese is supposed to taste like. Smallish portion (use that fork for reference) and didn’t make it halfway through that. Not that that still wasn’t 10,000 or so calories, I’m sure. SO AMAZING. It came recommended by the guy at the counter, and it was ALL HE SAID IT’D BE AND MORE.

And of course the famous cornbread, which is everything Kath said it would be. Oh carbs. Sweet carbs. So many carbs. I love you carbs.

Steve snarfed down the chicken and dumplings special at a speed that would indicate it would also quite tasty. (And then, of course, he had to start working on my food, as I required his assistance).

I mean really. So much. So good! So cheap!

 

We popped into a hippie tea room to warm up even more, then were finally adequately heated to walk around. We strolled around UVA’s beautiful campus, which was nice, even on a gloomy day. Neither Steve nor I had been to C’Ville since we did our respective college admissions visits (though I never bothered to apply, since my cousin’s stories about people wearing pearls to football games and nonstop frat parties made it sound like a great place for her but not so much me).

Best of all, by campus is an outpost of Arch’s, the froyo place so often extolled in the fabulous Smart Kitchen for their famous gooey brownie.

Sarah. Whoa. Gooey brownie is everything you claimed it was and more.

Oh yeah and that’s peanut butter froyo. And uh-mazing.

(Thumbs down for them having styrofoam containers. Thumbs up for the guy working there letting me reappropriate the milkshake cup. Plastic’s better than styrofoam, right?! Agh, consumerism).

Then I went to another blogger favorite, Feast! It has the exclamation point in its name, but I would have added one anyway because Wow! Feast! Is! So! Fun!

I am such a freegan. I would love an all-sample diet.

Steve’s birthday

One of my favorite people just turned 28!

I was relieved. I never ever want to be 27, nor do I want my loved ones to be it. Did you know that your 27th year is the year the stars realign closest to the position they were in at your birth? It can be a “rebirth”, but that can be PAINFUL. Witness all the people who didn’t make it past 27- Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, my beloved Amy Winehouse. It’s just bad news, that age.

Steve is past it now :) We celebrated with wine!

 

The pre-birthday adventure on which I took Steve was actually a birthday gift to ME from my mom: a Groupon for a wonderful wine tasting excursion at Cobbler Mountain Cellars.

Locals, it’s only an hour from the DC area and just five miles from Route 66. HOWEVER. Driving around the windy roads surrounded by gnarled trees, ringed by mountains, passing through their beautiful property, you really expect a fairy tale character to jump out at any moment. This place gives you the feeling of having been utterly transported!

Then you go up to this beautiful house…

 

And step into their Alice-in-Wonderland-esque tasting room.

If you give me chocolate to taste your wine with, you will be my friend.

All their wine was GREAT, guys.

They’ve got cred:

We ended up opting for the most distinct, multifaceted, thoroughly delicious Chardonnay ever. Who knew Chardonnay could be that? It was like EATING. Can’t even thoroughly explain it.

Though it was cold we camped out by the (unlit) firepit for a bit.

To NOSH! The wine tasting came with a goodie box with bread, various tasty local cheese, and honey.

Then we climbed vertically up a mountain. Pictures did not do this killer trail justice. Suffice it to say it was vertical. My buns felt it for days (though I suppose that’s good).

Then we wandered down the long, rambly driveway and found an adorable picnic area by a stream with a TIRE SWING WHOO!

 

There are not enough tire swings in adult life. Being a grown up is rubbish.

A wonderful, beautiful day.

We stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way back. Steve had never been which is absurd. Their portions were made for him.

Witness:

I got the beans ‘n greens. So good. NOT vegetarian. Definitely not. Doused ‘em in hot sauce.

As for the birthday itself, it was my first day of class, so I was running around semi-maniacally.

We went out for dinner for Indonesian food at Satay Sarinah which is delicious and offers a 14-course meal for my speedy metabolism’d boy, and meant I DIDN’T HAVE TO COOK WHOO. I was beat.

I did contribute something though. Dessert was quick but heavenly- similar to what I made following last year's birthday bacon extravaganza.

Same peanut butter custard (see previous link for details). Not the most attractive thing I’ve ever made, eh? But ohhhh so rich and tasty.

Sliced bananas.

 

And this truly decadent chocolate concoction I made that mostly consisted of melted Sees candy. Thus the occasional nuts. Mm.

 

Layered in a tasty parfait!

 

Happy Birthday Stove!

all aboard (with bread that’s way better than hardtack)

I had a Captain Jack Sparrow experience last Saturday!

No, I didn’t get really really drunk on rum. I went SAILING! 

Woke up at a wee hour in a foul mood, which seemed unfortunate, but that gave me time to hit up the farmer’s market before heading to my aunt’s. And the farmer’s market can cause any bad mood I have to evaporate (I think it was just bad dreams- I had one about a twelve hour bus trip. Eesh.)

So I headed to my auntie’s, and we headed up to the marina, where her husband Tim had spent the night sleeping on the boat!

We enjoyed some short-lived sunshine as we prepared to set ourselves afloat.

View of the stern of the boat (because this boat is in AMERICA!) The name of this boat is Terrier II. There is a photograph of Roger, my aunt’s Scottie, gracing the inside of the boat like a mascot.

 

The insides of boats are SO FUN. My aunt compared it to a dollhouse, and it really is similar. Everything is fun and miniaturized! However, unlike a dollhouse, everything is also fully functional!

Surprisingly comfy beds:

I really want to spend the night on the boat sometime; Jeanie says it’s the coziest thing ever tucked in, rocked by the waves, reading under the gas lamp. She says she even craves different kinds of books when she’s on the boat; like poetry!

The kitchen/living area.

  

Lots of little clever shelves and cupboards and things to stow everything. Hidden little nooks; things pulling out; shelves to keep things from rattling around when there are big waves. It’s funny; my aunt has a clearly demarcated system (“This is the pots and pans department!” “This is the cutlery department!”) but then Tim throws WD-40 cans and stuff in the wrong departments. Very big trouble.

Totally functional stove where we brewed tea.

Sweets and coffee cupboard! Have people had those lemon ginger cookies? They will be the death of me.

An extremely efficient icebox. That sheet ice and those bags had been in there for eight days. Still cold for your brewskis :D

Even a bathroom! You close in little collapsing drawers around yourself. And there’s this complicated thing with pumps and pipes. The boys, as you would imagine, just go off the side of the boat. (And, I think relish that. Do not get Steve started on indoor plumbing. He thinks it would not exist were it not for women. And that men would quit having jobs and wars and just play sports all day hahahahaha)

 

And we were off! Gentle waves rocked us back and forth. We headed towards Annapolis, admiring birdies and scenery on our way.

 

Tim had a very nifty autopilot; I got to steer for awhile! Very fun. Also very weird- Tim had me steer right straight in the direction of a white buoy. I was SURE we were going to hit it and then he took control literally a second before we did and we had a huge gap to spare. Everything moves much more slowly than you think it does. Kind of a cool optical illusion happening there!

Autumnal splendor.

   

But, I must confess, it wasn’t the warmest day. So the fact that they had a wonderful wonderful kerosene heater meant that it was sort of easy , once that had warmed up (like so)

… to then just vegetate below deck with my auntie :D

And other quality companions (hey—Captain Jack made an appearance after all!)

Jeanie and I discussed many important things, like Somali pirates on drugs, our crazy family members, the How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook that I’m currently so obsessed with (she has an iPad, which she had on the boat, which does all the navigating!!! So cool right?!!! So anyway she was so sold on my raving about the cookbook that she downloaded the HTCEV app right then and there!).

I enjoyed many snackin’s, many of which do not appear here, so picture me and my auntie companionably splitting an apple, picture lots and lots of Irish cheddar cheese, a taste of sausage roll (which, unrefrigerated, I’m now wondering whether could’ve contributed to my later stomach woes), more than one of the Diet Cokes you see above, refills on the rooibos tea you see below…

 

My BODY WEIGHT in the fascinatingly addictive specimens seen below. These are dried OKRA, which Jeanie and Tim picked up visiting his family in Alabama.

  

And best of all, my homemade nut butter (!!! Which will be a blog post but must be included in my foodie pen pal post!!!!), and my homemade PUMPKIN YEAST BREAD!

So. Amazing.

So here’s how this amazing bread happened: I had tons and tons and tons and tons of pumpkin in my fridge. I wanted to make a bread, but I was feeling kind of sugar’d out and was intrigued by a pumpkin yeast bread. Poking around on the Internet led me to this recipe for pumpkin pumpernickel bread, which I adapted by replacing the rye flour with a mix of spelt and white whole wheat and also other things, due to it being a slightly confusing recipe.

I was wayyyyyyyy apprehensive about it turning out. But, it rose, though slowly, quite beautifully.

 

And then, though its loaves turned out kind of wonky looking, it was great!

 

(in all honesty, that is the same loaf at different angles. The other loaf was so wonky it was embarassed to be in the blog. So I cut it up to get the interior texture shot below).

Beautifully chewy crust, blissful crumb within. GREAT toast bread, GREAT, sandwich bread, GREAT nut butter bread :D

I have included the recipe because this bread is too good not to share, but please do proceed with caution; I am not a bread making expert and this is a rather loose adaptation!

Pumpkin Spelt bread
Adapted from this recipe

1 cup cold water
1 package yeast
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup boiling water
1 1/3 cups pumpkin puree, heated in the microwave til lukewarm
1 Tbs salt
2 cups spelt flour
4 cups white whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 TBS plus 1 tsp. sugar
Pumpkin seeds for topping (press these in- I didn’t and mine fell off!)

Stir cold water into cornmeal. Add boiling water and stir together. Add salt and sugar. Let stand until lukewarm.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. When the yeast has puffed up and gotten all globby, stir pumpkin and yeast into cornmeal dough. Add spelt and whole wheat flour and turn onto a floured cutting board. At this point, the dough is kind of a sticky mess. Mine stayed sticky— because this dough was so high in whole wheat already, I didn’t want to add too much flour and make it totally, totally dry. So, I sort of kneaded for 10-15 minutes until it basically held together. Then, put dough in a large cooking sprayed bowl and turn it over so the greased surface is facing up. Let rise until doubled (this took me about an hour and a half). Gently fold the dough into itself and form into two round loaves. Grease the tops of the loaves, and let rise, covered with a damp kitchen towel, until doubled. Slash loaves in an x pattern with a sharp knife or razor blade and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven about 1 hour.