Tuscarora Mill AKA "Tuskies"

"Good friends, good food, and lots and lots of good wine..." That's how Zach described our night and I couldn't have said it better myself.  Ok ok, maybe I added that last part about the "lots and lots" of wine but it's my blog...I'll do what I want!!

Turns out there are lots of reasons to be thankful for missing a flight.  One of them happens to be friends who free up their calendars and come up with great ideas like dinner at the Tuscarora Mill AKA 'Tuskies' in Leesburg, VA. 

I missed the first opportunity to say farewell to our friends Andrew and Callie so I was more than a little excited that we had the chance to get together one last time.  Hubs and I had never heard of the restaurant but we've been fed by A&C enough times to know they would NEVER steer us wrong. 

Really great ambience.  It was nice but not fancy smancy.

Any restaurant that has a nickname is alright by me

Zach, Callie and Andrew with their pre-wine beverages

Twas a Dark and Stormy night..ok, not really but that's what my drink was called and it was yummy!

I had the "Local Local Local" appetizer (yes, that's really what it was called).  Fried green tomatoes, regular tomatoes, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, and er...crap, I think that was a fried pepper of some sort.  All drizzled in some, you guessed it tomato-y sauce.  It was lovely.

Callie had the Ahi Tuna...really nice presentation, no? 

Andrew had the Creme Brulee for desert

And I had this spectacular coconut ice cream with strawberries and hot rum drizzled on top.  Really??? Yes...really.  The rum made me feel like I was licking the ocean in St. Thomas with every bite.

I think Zach's desert looked the best....Butterscotch Bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream.  It was RETARDED good!

And there we all are.  I think this must have been BEFORE we ate because clearly, I still fit in my pants here.  ;-)

MANY MANY MANY thanks to A&C for a lovely evening!  We owe you big time and will be sure to get you back on our next trip home!  Love you guys!

The Inn at Riverbend

I am a little grumpy today so I thought I'd finally post the blog about the Inn we stayed at on our 4th Anniversary in July.  Nothing to help ease the pain of a cancelled flight like good memories...

We took a motorcycle trip from Northern Virginia to the southernmost part of West Virginia.  It was a beautiful trip and we had a great time fishing and relaxing and just generally getting to enjoy the countryside together.  On the last day, we decided to stay someplace a little nicer than the roadside hotels we'd been popping in and out of so I arranged an evening at the Inn at Riverbend in Pearisburg, VA

Jimm and Janet Burton were phenomenal hosts and really did make us feel at home.  While we were out playing a rousing game of Jenga, they snuck in and left a little bottle of champagne and a nice card to help us celebrate our anniversary.  They even had an impromptu BBQ to celebrate the 4th of July when originally they had opted to not do their typical Monday night dinner because of the holiday.  The food was terrific (both dinner AND breakfast) and the view was absolutely to die for. 

My very favorite part though?  After the fireworks faded and the sun had long ago set, the fog rolled in and the trains had to put on their headlamps.  There couldn't be a creepier (yet romantic) sound (and sight) than a train coming around the bend through the fog blowing it's whistle.  It was truly like something out of Something Wicked this Way Comes...very very cool and better than any firework!

There are a lot of wonderful things I could say about this place but someone has beaten me to it.  Saw this review in a recent Washington Post.  It pretty much captures anything I could have left out.  If you're ever in the area...or even if you aren't, you should definitely check it out.

 

There's that fog.  Now picture it at 9 pm....very spooky.

Storm rolling in (sorry about the railing)

It's a great pic but I wish I could have captured the sound. The thunder was amazing.

Valley in the morning.

I love the way the sky is split nearly in half by the clouds.  Beautiful.

Couldn't have asked for a more comfortable room. It was modern and clean...not your typical B&B flowery hoo hah.

View from our room, "Cascade Falls"

Beautiful view of the New River Valley

A little down time before dinner.  I won...shhhhh

A nice little Anniversary card from the proprietors.  Obviously the strawberries and champagne were nice too!

Getting a little hazy as the storm was moving in.

Ribbit.

View from the deck.  It was a split level deck (one covered, one uncovered) and we had them all to ourselves!

Wine and Cheese basket

The sound of the train coming around the bend was pretty neat. 

That was our host, Jimm, lighting a sparkler.  He wasn't brave enough to light all of them at the table. I suppose he was nervous about his investment (i.e. the whole B&B) going up in flames.

Independence day dessert

Babycakes Cake Pop Maker

Tired of traveling the 30 yds to your nearest Starbucks to pick up your favorite cake pop?  Wish you could make your very own flavors and variations on this tasty little trend?!?  Never fear, Babycakes is here!!

 

Now, if you're anything like me, you may be slightly skeptical about this little contraption.  I don't blame you.  It's a bit "As Seen on TV" but I came across the blog of a party planner who has used the cake pop maker with some success.  It certainly looks like it works just fine.  I don't want to steal my fellow blogger's hard work so please take a look at the link if you want to see the how-to.   How fun would it be to show up to a party with homemade cake pops instead of the drab plate of cookies or pile of cupcakes?!?

If you pick one of these up, I would invest in a cake pop cookbook to go with.  I took a look one look at Bakerella's Cake Pop Cookbook and immediately started party planning.  Too bad I'll be in a sandstorm during Halloween.  Otherwise, I would absolutely make these little ghoulish goodies: