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Pork, Catfish, and Bluegrass in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina is a beautiful college town and home to the University of North Carolina.  Just as in any good college town there are some great, funky restaurants and many bars playing live music.  Amanda’s aunt and uncle Wes and Tania (and their two kids) who live in Chapel Hill took us to […]

Reliving in Williamsburg

Have you ever wondered how guns were built for solders in the revolutionary war? How about how wool and cotton got turned into a usable product before we had machines to do it? Maybe building a house before electric saws? Well you can see it happening firsthand every day in Colonial Williamsburg! Brian and I […]

An American Ham

How did people preserve meat before the days of refrigeration?  They salted it, dried it, and smoked it!  In America we still keep a few “leftovers” from the old days of salted meat in our fridges today.  One of these everyday salted meats is bacon and another is country ham, the best known of which […]

Remembering Richmond

The Richmond, Virginia’s web site said it right, this city is “easy to love”!  As the second English settlement in the country, Richmond is packed with a rich history that has helped to define our country. We gave ourselves just one day to take in Richmond, but with the help from my resident cousin Ran […]

Hikes and “Yikes Its a Bear!” at Shenandoah National Park

After having been on the road for several months and camping much of the time we were very excited to visit our first National Park.  From the fertile plains of the Shenandoah Valley between two mountain ranges we drove up to the ridge of the eastern mountain range to Skyline Drive, the main road running […]

The Art of Mole Rojo

Brian demonstrated his art of mole rojo (red mole) for my family last week when we were in Maryland. He had only first shared his gift for making the traditional Mexican sauce with me for the first time about a year ago! I had never known Mexican cuisine to be like the rich sauce he […]

Charmed by Virginia

Before traveling in Virginia I never expected much from it, but while experiencing this grand old state I began to fall in love with the rich history, the beautiful landscapes, and the wonderful food there.  On one particular stretch of road that delivered us to the restaurant Trummers on Main in the town of Clifton, […]

What the Kreplah!

Warm steam rises from a shallow bowl full of a rich, yellow broth seeded with orange carrots, green celery, white turnips, and chunks of tender chicken. The smell of rich chicken flavor flows into our noses as my family and I sit at my Aunt Polly’s dinner table during our Rosh Hashanah dinner. We have […]

Maryland Blue Crabs Get Crackin’

If you live in the U.S. you may know your state bird, state flower, and even your state rock, but I’d bet you don’t know your state crustacean! Chances are your state doesn’t even have a state crustacean.  But Maryland does–the blue crab! Eating blue crabs in Maryland is a great way to dive into […]

A Farm With a Mission

What is Shelburne Farms?  Is it a magnificent castle nestled into the English countryside?  Perhaps it is the grand manor of wealthy industry baron?  Well, sort of!  Shelburne Farms is a magnificent working farm in Vermont with an English inclination that was built in the early 1900’s by the prestigious Vanderbilt family. In addition to […]