In the Shanendoah Valley, James Madison University is in the awesome town of Harrisonburg, VA. There is lots to see and do nearby. One of the college favorites, is The Capital Ale House! Only minutes from the college, this place has a nice atmosphere, friendly service, good food and a great selection of beer.

We were staying in Harrisonburg because we were going snowboarding at Massanutten Resort, just 19 minutes up the road. Since my niece Kelsey graduated from JMU, I asked her for a few recommendations on where to score some good eats. The Capital Ale House was one of her fiance Emily’s recommendations.

Although the Bacon Black and Bleu burger I ordered was overcooked, I had a taste of everyone else’s food and it was pretty good. The other entrees ordered were the Capital Club and the French Dip. The French Dip was amazing! We also ordered an appetizer of Belgian style fries, and the sauces that accompanied it for dipping were really tasty. Fries were well cooked and not greasy, always a plus!(If you haven’t guessed by now, french fries are one of my favorite foods, my #1 comfort food!)

The waitress was very accommodating and knowledgeable when it came to narrowing down a beer. If we questioned a specific beer, she would run and get us a sample. I felt bad because she must’ve went back and forth for me like 5 times.

The Capital Ale House has five locations throughout Virginia, so be sure to check one out if you are near by! For a list of locations, to check out their menu and learn more about their restaurant, visit the link provided http://www.capitalalehouse.com

Williamsburg, VA is packed with history! Whether you want to take a step back in time, shop til you drop, ride a thrilling roller coaster, enjoy everything from college grub to fine dining or relax in a lazy river, this place has it all!

A local favorite is Pierce’s Pit BBQ. Openened in 1971 by Julius C. Pierce, this little joint continues to put out some delicious Tennessee style Bar-B-Que. They offer a little bit of everything like their legendary pulled pork sandwich(J.C. Special), smoked ribs and chicken, Beef Brisket, burgers and more! Dont forget the fixin’s and dessert!

We like to stop in whenever we can. It has a nice clean, rustic atmosphere and even though it is typically very busy, the service is quick. Not much of a wait at all! To top it off, when the sun is shining and its just too pretty to be inside, they have picnic tables placed around the property where you can enjoy your meal and the weather. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do when visiting Williamsburg!!

My niece Kelsey lives in Raleigh and we were visiting to celebrate my friend Kristy’s birthday. If you are in Raleigh, NC and happen to be near NC State University, you have to grab a bite to eat at Cloos’ Coney Island!

If you are in the mood for burgers, dogs, fries or sandwiches, you have come to the right place! All the food is cooked to order. There may be a wait at times, but you never have to worry about getting cold food. The staff is very friendly and works hard. They make sure you have everything you need right at your table!

Kelsey’s fiance Emily chose Cloos’ when I asked her to pick us out a good place to eat. It is a locals spot that serves up some amazing food in a retro atmosphere! Of course, if there is a Wolfpack game, there is a TV to watch it on. We actually caught the Clemson vs. NC State basketball game, where they scored the winning basket at the buzzer! I’m a UNC fan, but was still a great game!

Since there was 6 of us, I had to make sure we got a few different things to sample off of the menu. My son and 2 others in our party, ordered the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. It was warm, cheesy and the flavors were dynamite! You could definitely taste every ingredient in that sandwich.

I ordered the Reuben. It came out a little more moist than I would’ve liked, but the only reason I mention that is because it took away the crunch of the bread on one side. It could be because it comes wrapped up, so the moisture from the heat softened it. Other than that minor detail, it tasted great! Good sauerkraut, corned beef, swiss cheese and thousand Island dressing made up this awesome sandwich.

Kelsey got a Cheeseburger and let me tell you, it was really good! Who doesn’t love a perfectly cooked 1/4 lb burger for lunch? The nice thing is, since it is made to order, you can build your own burger with their available ingredients.

We also got an order of their cheese fries. Thin shoestring fries with cheese melted on top, yum!! Make sure you have someone to help you eat it because they don’t skimp on portions.

Great food, service and atmosphere! I will be visiting Cloos’ again. Next time I want to try their hot dogs, which is what they are known for!

Special thanks to Emily and Kelsey for taking us to this awesome spot!

If you want a good place to eat in Elizabeth City, NC try Plaza Azteca. Granted they are a chain restaurant, they put out some really good Carnitas. I know some of you will say it isn’t authentic to home but it is still very delicious!

I like their Carnitas so much, I had the opportunity to see how it was made. These guys definitely put in the time and effort to make good food.

They also have added Lumpia to their menu. I am half Filipino so I have had my fair share of really good, authentic Lumpia. Their Lumpia isn’t bad. Good flavor and perfect crunch to it, very good! Plus it is one of the few places you can get Lumpia within 30 miles. I was shocked and pleased to see it on the menu!

I wanted something other than a beer because I am on a diet. So I tried their Organic Margarita for a second time and it was really good. First time I had it, it had too much lime but I told Cristian and he made a perfect drink. I ended up ordering 2! They are really good about accommodating you.

Not only do they have specials on food and drinks, they provide entertainment. Karaoke on Friday nights! This place is definitely trying to step up their game. The fun, food, service and friendly people will not disappoint in this small town.

Special thanks to Junior and Cristian for always making sure we have a great experience at Plaza!

I met one of my best friends for breakfast at Bee and the Biscuit in Virginia Beach, VA. When you first arrive be prepared to get out of your car because it is valet parking only. Also, make sure everyone in your party arrives around the same time or you may be sitting in the cold like I was. They will not seat you unless everyone in your party is there. In their defense, I understand the reasoning behind that because seating is limited. It is a very small, quaint cottage restaurant. However, the flavors they are putting out, are anything but small, the food and drinks will not disappoint!

Coffee anyone? What a great way to start off this meal. Kristy got the Irish Coffee and I got the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte, phenomenal! The flavors were all I expected and more! Since we were having a girls outing, and I didn’t order an Irish Coffee, I decided to add the Bailey’s and Jamison Irish Whiskey to mine, YUM!

Onto the food! I ordered the Hippy breakfast burrito and for tasting purposes only, the Stuffed French toast. The Hippy burrito is definitely more than enough but since both of us couldn’t decide between what we got and the French toast, I added the French toast as a bonus! All of the ingredients in this burrito was definitely fresh. It was perfect size, very flavorful, filling and right on point, definitely zero complaints. The French toast was down right sinful! Perfectly cooked and sweet, but that is to be expected with the cream cheese, mascarpone and ricotta filling. To top it off, you get a side of perfectly cooked bacon!

On my very first visit to this restaurant, last July with my mother, we had the mimosa flight. My son ordered the Cinnamon Toast Crunch latte. I tell ya, alcoholic or not, they have great drinks!

For food I ordered the colossal cinnamon roll for my son. I mean what kid doesnt love a huge, warm, gooey, sugary cinnamon bun??? Of course, it was amazing! No surprise there. This picture doesn’t do it justice.

My mom got the healthier option of the A+Acai bowl and I got JJ’s Eggs Benedict.

If you are looking to try something new, friendly staff, great atmosphere and fun, tasty treats, you definitely can’t go wrong with this restaurant. With all of their food and drink options, they have something to satisfy everyone. Enjoy!

Today is so different from when I was growing up. That sounds like it was a long time ago but I was a 90’s kid. We played outside til the street lights came on and even then, we didn’t want to go in. We didn’t have all the distractions and issues that kids have today. It’s ashame they have so many things to face. I grew up in Virginia Beach, so we lived in neighborhoods. My son has grown up in the country. I came up with an idea for him to have some social interaction since there aren’t any close neighbors with children his age. I try to have his friends come over once a month.

To keep things interesting, I always come up with a theme for the party/sleepover. I figure it’s a win-win! It provides them with a safe place to hangout with age appropriate activities, creates a social environment, budget friendly and it allows me to make special memories with my son and his friends. Not to mention I love having a house full of children. It takes me a lot of time and effort to make it all happen but it is worth every second of it!

I start by searching pinterest and the internet based on the nearby holiday or theme I have selected. I look for food ideas, individual and team building activities, movies, places to go etc. The boys always look forward to what I have planned next. They know I will have at least one special activity up my sleeve.

My top favorite activity so far, was the chopped junior competition. The boys love food and competition, so it was a perfect activity! People thought I was crazy to let 5 boys have complete run of my kitchen. That was not even my concern, I was just thinking about how cool it would be to see the teamwork and creativity. I split them into two teams, so it was a little different than the traditional chopped rules. They had an appetizer, main course and dessert round. The best 2 out of 3 dishes won!

Coming up with the mystery basket ingredients was a lot of fun! I tried to make it hard but also keep it as cheap as possible, since I figured they would potentially make some inedible dishes. However, each team had an adult to help provide a little assistance. I set up everything I could possibly think of in the kitchen, like spices, utensils, things to cook in/on, plating options etc. They even had use of the grill and deep fryer outside.

The appetizer round consisted of Ramen noodles, an Italian hero sub, gorgonzola cheese and Black bean and corn salsa.

The main course consisted of half a pork loin, pickled beets, cream of mushroom soup, pineapple and I threw in wonton wrappers last minute.

The dessert round consisted of twinkies, nutella, Graham crackers and pretzels. There were no picutres of the dessert round because they bombed that round. I think they were getting tired. The entire activity took about 6 hours. They had to cook and clean up between rounds. All in all it was a great day and I was proud of each and every one of them for their creativity. If you have little foodies or chefs in your home, this is a perfect activity for them!

Enjoy more pictures below!

One of my favorite things to do is eat. I feel like food gives us so many different types of opportunities to create memories with people. Typically you are gathered with family or friends and are spending some genuine quality time together. Whether you cook 3 meals a day and sit at your kitchen table, have a potluck, a party, roast hotdogs over a fire, go out and experience a new restaurant or a new type of food etcetera, memories are made!!!

When I go to a restaurant I try to get everyone on board with ordering something different, so we can all sample multiple dishes. It makes it fun and a lot of the time what you end up liking most surprises you. It also creates a great conversation, very cool to hear everyone’s opinions. I am eager to share so many wonderful restaurants with you!

Hair of the Dog Eatery in Virginia Beach, VA. Nestled in the corner of a strip mall near the Virginia Beach Public Library on Virginia Beach blvd. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about my experience there. The service from the minute you walk in, to the minute you leave is great. They provide a laid back atmosphere with awesome music and of course, excellent food! What more could you ask for?

There were so many things on the menu we wanted to try, we didnt know where to start. Our waitress Liz was extremely helpful with helping us figure it all out. We ordered the Bacon, Lettuce, Fried Green Tomato sandwich with Gouda mac and cheese for the side. I can not express enough how good this sandwich was. I know other restaurants do it too, but I love that they put the twist on it and did a fried green tomato. Which by the way, was perfectly fried. The other ingredients are self explanatory but they did add pimento cheese and it was all on Texas toast. Great sandwich!

The Gouda mac n cheese was phenomenal!! Hands down the best mac n cheese I have ever had. Liz did say that people go there just for their mac n cheese and I can see why. Noodles were al dente, perfect amount of cheesiness and the flavor is amazing!

We also ordered the Benedict Flight. The chef chooses and prepares 3 different eggs Benedict’s for you, no substitutions allowed. The theme was pork. The first one was a BBQ Benedict, which was really good. English muffin, poached egg, pulled pork, scallions and bbq sauce. Very good! My favorite was the one in the middle, it was a pork chop benedict. The piece of pork chop was cooked perfectly and had an amazing flavor, then you had your poached egg and the chef topped it off with this apple chutney. I’m telling you, it was to die for! The last one was a bacon bits eggs Benedict, which sounds typical, I even saved it for last, but it was actually one of those dishes that surprised me. English muffin, hollandaise sauce, real bacon bits and a poached egg. We enjoyed the tasty trio, that’s for sure!

Everywhere we go my son has to get chicken and waffles. Which was great because he said it topped his charts as his favorite one so far. I agree with him! Bacon infused waffles. Perfectly breaded and cooked chicken, no surprise there! Topped with a strip of candied bacon and bourbon maple syrup. There are no words to describe how great this dish was. Then they hit it out of the park with their gravy, which we opted to have put on the side to dip in. Every ingredient was tasty by itself but put it all together and it was a burst of flavors that complimented each other well. Fantastic restaurant! I will definitely be going back there!

Below are a few more pictures from this wonderful restaurant!

I wanted to start off by sharing my favorite trip of 2018 and that was to National Harbor Maryland. My mom, me, my son and his friend Charles all took this trip during the last weekend in November as an early birthday present for me. We had a blast! We stayed at the Gaylord National Resort, which was expensive, but pre-planned. It also helped that the hotel was part of my birthday present from my parents. The hotel is elegant and has a lot to offer, but the rooms are pretty basic. The previous year, we stayed at a Marriott in Alexandria VA, which was cheaper and only a short 10-15 min drive away. We enjoyed the gingerbread display of famous landmarks from around the world, very cool and unique! As well as the 12 Christmas trees that they had spread about the building, each decorated differently to represent a different country. I also love how the main area has the feel of a small village, with a variety of shops and restaurants.

There were 2 reasons why we ended up at National Harbor, the first was for ICE!, located at the hotel. If you have never been, it is an amazing experience and it is something people of all ages can enjoy! I recommend purchasing your tickets on Groupon for $25 vs. $32+ at the venue. ICE! is a walk through of ice sculptures set up to tell a story and they even include an ice slide that is a lot of fun! Last year was my 3rd year going because the theme was a Charlie Brown Christmas. They keep it interesting and change the theme every year. Anyway, I was like a kid again, I love Charlie Brown! To top it off, they always end the tour with a manger scene that is breathtakingly beautiful. The whole experience just really makes the holiday season feel special. Check it out on their website: https://www.marriott.com/hotel-info/wasgn-gaylord-national-resort-and-convention-center/christmas-on-the-potomac/xyjvxiz/ice.mi

The fun doesn’t stop there! At the end of your tour, you have to return your parka and there are hot beverages and treats available to purchase. For individual fees, they have a gingerbread decorating area, carousel, train and ice skating. The experience wouldn’t be complete without a gift shop full of ornaments, merchandise to commemorate your ICE! experience, build-a-bear workshop, stocking stuffers etc. It is all so nice, I could really drop some coin in there!!

The 2nd reason, my most favorite part of the trip, despite the fact that it was adults only, was going to Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar. It is conveniently located across the street from the hotel, which is safe to walk to. For the first time ever, me and my mom were out alone, in an awesome place, as adults, having drinks. Definitely tops the charts as one of my favorite lifetime memories with her. I won’t ever forget it! The drinks were good, the food was average. It was equivalent to food from a bowling alley, movie theater or something like that, not bad but nothing exciting. Ticket prices were reasonable and based on various seating options or standing room. We paid $35 for each ticket and had a table next to the stage. The entertainment was definitely worth every penny! Parents don’t fret, they also offer a family friendly day once a month, lunch is included in the ticket price! This is a great opportunity for those that can’t get a sitter or most importantly, to share the love of music with your family! Check it out, you wont regret it! https://www.bobbymckeys.com/

The next morning, we took our time enjoying the sites, shops and looking for a place for breakfast. On American Way, we enjoyed posing with many life like statues that honored people throughout America’s history. We took a picture in front of the enormous Christmas tree by the water. Facing and saluting the tree are 5 life like statues of a service man or woman, dressed in uniform, to represent each one of our branches of the military. FYI, I am happy to report that most places there offer a military/government discount. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

On the corner of American Way and Fleet Street, we finally stumbled upon our place for breakfast, the Potomac Gourmet Market. When you walk in you see beer, wine, snacks, cheeses and things of that sort. You look right and there is the counter that has a full menu for breakfast, lunch and beverages. I wish I remembered the gentleman’s name that worked the counter because he was awesome. Very welcoming, polite, helpful and personable, excellent customer service! All of the food was great, we all ordered something different so we could sample each other’s. My mom’s was my favorite. She got the Harbor Reuben($9.49 for a whole sub) and it was probably one of the best I have had. Perfectly warm, nice crispy crunch on the bread, fillings were well balanced and portioned, simply delicious!! It also helps that the prices were reasonable for the quality/quantity of food that you receive. Can’t wait to go back!!

We ended the busy morning with letting the boys take a ride on the Capitol Wheel. It is located right on the water and I am told the views are amazing, you can see the Washington Monument! In my opinion, I feel like the prices were fair. The ride lasted about 15-20 minutes and for $15+tax for adults, that isn’t bad. Finally, we walked back to the hotel, got packed up and headed home. I wish we would’ve had time to do the tour of the Air Force One Replica, located by the Gaylord, but you can only do so much in 2 days. Was an incredible trip and I look forward to repeating it for years to come!

~Special thanks to my mom and dad for the birthday trip!~

Below are a few pictures from our trip, enjoy!