Excursions: Spain

This past September, we fulfilled our friend's dream to visit Spain. Brandon fell in love with the country back in high school and its had a hold on his heart ever since, specifically, the Sagrada Familia. And so! With some shoddy planning and straight Airbnb hospitality, we banded together and made the journey across the Atlantic.

Our trip was not one of leisure because we needed to pack as much action into nine days as possible. That's right. Only nine days. We flew into Barcelona, drove to Valencia (my favorite), enjoyed a day trip to Ibiza, and then rushed off to Madrid. It was a whirlwind but we had a blast!

Shout outs to La Pequeña Pastelería de Mamá in Valencia for their sweet hospitality, delicious tea, and excellent chocolate croissant. Taberna Mas Al Sur  in Madrid bestowed us with the best meal of the entire trip and hooked it up with the tiramisu. Not too far,  La Infinito Cafe-Libros-Arte of Madrid had fantastic espresso and was bumping Calle 13 - can never go wrong there. 

For all our enjoyment, it was a unique time to be in Europe with the economy and refugee situation. The homeless in DC are generally associated with mental illness while it was clear Spain's situation was people down on their luck. Dumpster diving was common practice and it was heart breaking to witness such an act as a commonality. Hopefully things will improve soon.

All the same, we are grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience new worlds. Till the next adventure. 

PS. Portuguese paella > Spanish paella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Treats: Jackson Hole, WY

Welcome to the North American Midwest! The land where the buffalo roam- literally, they can cause hour long traffic jams as they cross the road - and the deer and antelope play. 

A few years back, my girlfriend Heather was talking about leaving Richmond, VA to try out New York. She is a city-girl with a knack for making friends and the courage to try new things. It only made sense in her progression as an artist and networking monster to move to a bustling metropolis. I waited to hear the verdict for her next big move. 

Life likes to throw curve balls when you least suspect it.  A few months later, Heather was gushing about a fella she met during her lunch break. He was a country-boy homesick for the mountains of Wyoming. Their relationship grew and you can guess how the rest of the story played out. I don't know about you- but Jackson Hole sure as heck isn't NYC. What can I say... love moves mountains. 

The husband and I finally had the opportunity to make the journey to their homestead. It was like nothing that I had ever experienced. Standing in the shadow of the Grand Tetons is humbling, surreal, and exhilarating all at once. We observed tons of wildlife wandering freely through the elk reservations, Yellow Stone National Park, and simply driving around. We're talking a grizzly bear, elk, moose, buffalo, and even a badger! We fell in love with Lake Jenny and enjoyed s'mores under star light.

It was an amazing vacation and I am so grateful to spend quality time with Heather and her now fiancee! Thank you both for having us over and sharing your world! We love you! Till the next episode!

I hope that you enjoy these shots from our adventure!

Travel Treats: Montréal, Canada pt. 1

J'adore Montréal! The idea to visit this lovely city came about last year, after a friend watched an episode of Anthony Bordaine's, "The Layover." Suffice to say, he was instantly smitten and lobbied for a group vacation. Little did he realize that traveling across the Northern border requires a passport (oh Brandon) hence plans were put on hold for 2014. And so this past May, the four of us booked our tickets and went bon voyage.



Initially, I was going to do a single post about our trip but then I realized how many pictures of graffiti we snapped. My goodness! We communicate our creative sides through various medians but share an appreciation for urban art forms. In his younger days, my husband was a writer (aka "did graffiti") in Northern Virginia and honed his talents as a dynamic graphic designer.





This handful of select images illustrate the vast difference between graffiti used as a form of expression versus the stuff scrawled in bathroom stalls or used as sheer vandalism. It takes a special mind to do it right. You're essentially creating a unique alphabet within the parameters of a style and technique. There are pieces where I literally have to ask the husband to translate because my pea brain can't figure it out.

Clearly, these works took serious time and effort. When created with meaning, this art is valued and can bring out the character of a community.

 

There were two special treats waiting for Mike and I on the walls of Montréal. I did not realize that there is an active Portuguese community until we stumbled into their "Little Portugal" district. I was buggin out seeing the flag and various restaurants. What truly took my breath away, however, was the above image on the left. For those that don't know, the rooster is a big deal in Portuguese folklore and you can find the ceramic version in any self-respecting Portuguese family's home.  The imagery in the background represents the country's age of discoveries and the Order of Christ cross. It is a cultural piece with a touch of saudade and accurately represents the spirit of the neighborhood.

The second treat is the image pictured on the right done by one of the husband's favorite graffiti artists, El Mac. We came across this while strolling on Roy E near Coloniale corner. The pensive persona of the subject in contrast to the cool colors creates a window into another atmosphere. The artists control of the can and use of wave like style is immaculate. This is yet another example of El Mac's mastery of his median.

Preach.



Lastly, the example above is done in my favorite style which is called "Wild Style." I love its intricate lettering that combines sharp angles yet round characters. The detail of the shadowing, slight 3-d effect, and stylistic accents are standard elements. I've always had a love for arrows in graffiti. Don't know why! Plus, the piece was also done in the Portuguese district and incorporates the traditional blue and white ceramic tiles, known as  Azulejo, that are a national trademark. How this artist created the vintage look and feel of tile on a brick wall with paint boggles my mind.



I find it fascinating when a city is willing to take a gamble and permits artists to share their dreams so publicly. The results can be surprising, refreshing, confusing, and inspiring.

Thank you for indulging me in this off-beat musing about graffiti. 

Excursions: Portugal

The intent of this post is to share a breath of the wanderlust that we experienced during our Honeymoon last year. There are so many places in this world to explore and creating a reasonable list of destinations was taxing. Oh what a blessed and fortunate dilemma to overcome.

I've always wanted to see Greece but was anxious about their economic straits as Mike felt about Italy. Peru? Istanbul? New Zealand? Or should we just stay in the US to save resources? Unless I'm passionate about something, I tend to be a bit too indecisive. Mike said, "enough!" and made the call for us. And so it was settled.

Portugal.

Happy and safe travels!

The Red Truck Bakery

Several months back, the husband and I had the opportunity to explore the quaint town of historical Warrenton, VA, thanks to our friends, Harold and Yen. As a wedding gift, we got to enjoy a one night stay at the Airlie, a conference/wedding venue tucked away in the lush shadow of the Shenandoah.  There were so many pictures from this tiny trip, it only made sense to break it down into segments. There's magic everywhere, it's just a matter of appreciating it. 

The first thing that we do when visiting a new area is scope out the local bakeries. I'm forever curious to see life in someone else's kitchen. After a quick internet search, the top hitting spot in this area stood out loud and clear:

The Red Truck Bakery

What's the fuss about this bakery? Oh I don't know... to start, there is the mountain of praise it has received from sources like The Washington Post, New York Times, Andrew Zimmerman, and the Oprah Magazine. Plus, there is the matter of the prestigious "Best Pumpkin Pie" award from the Washingtonian. Sounds like it's all the rage and should be teeming with hipsters, right?

Much to my delight, it's a down to earth, ol' fashioned bakery. It's nestled near the center of the historic section of town in a renovated 1921 Esso filling station. The iconic, Red Truck is parked right outside. When we arrived on a Saturday afternoon, there were no other customers and it was still as a church. This quiet, laid back store is the cause of so much fuss? Turns out this was the eye of the storm since it's usually bumpin on the weekend.

The variety of baked goods was dazzling, especially for the simplicity of the set-up. There are no frills- this a real kitchen. There was a myriad of breads distributed across the counter plus loaves, pies, and cookies. I wanted to try everything in the display window when the coffee cake caught my eye. There's a nostalgia associated with coffee cake as my mother often served the Entemann's version to her Portuguese rosary group. Goodness gracious... 

Just look at this beauty! 

A slab of Red Truck's coffee cake is bigger than Mike's fist, and I don't call him Monster Mitts cuz it sounds cute. It was moist, lightly sweetened, and heavenly. There must be some sour cream in this bad boy because it was really nice texture. Honestly, this is one item that I would not mind purchasing through their online delivery service. They ship nation-wide and their spring flavor, a meyer lemon cake, is teasing for a tasting. 

We took the famous pumpkin pie to share with the family as a thanks for watching Autumn during our excursion. It is indeed a solid, all-American pumpkin pie! The filling is smooth and mild with a clean crust. What's the cause of this magic? Instead of dumping in white sugar, the owner, Brian Noyes, uses a caramel of sugar, water, and cream then adds orange zest to brighten things up. Pretty slick, no? 

There are so many other confections to try- we just scratched the surface! Check out their online store or make it a day to visit Old Town Warrenton. 

The Red Truck Bakery
22 Waterloo St, Warrenton, VA 20186
(540) 347-2224

The Chefs of Broke Lemons: Oreo Chocolate Cake

Cake, cake, cake! Never has there been such a delightful dessert that brings a multitude of people together. The beauty of cake is that it can also be used as a tasteful way to show friends and loved ones how much you really appreciate them. There is nothing like a great combination of ingredients or people that work so well together. One of those combinations is Michele and Mike. 

In order to show our appreciation of them, Yen baked an Oreo cake for our first featured post on Michele's deliciously appetizing blog, Squirrels-n-Sweets. We felt that it would only be fitting to choose a confection that was a fine representation of the perfect union that Michele and her newlywed husband have. This cake is not the most complex of cakes, but it's a rich, moist chocolate sponge cake with Oreo buttercream filling...complete with a yummy cookie crumble topping. It definitely captures the joyfulness and personality that we've found to be so endearing in our two awesome friends. 

Just like the world's most beloved milk dunking cookie, Michele and Mike are a perfectly matched duo who are bonded by a pure white "wonder-filled" center. The highly addicting friendship they create together makes you wonder how you ever managed to exist before they came into your life.

For the full Oreo Chocolate Cake recipe check out BBC's Good Food website. 

For all of your other delicious eatery needs, just keep scrolling through the many posts of Squirrels-n-Sweets. I guarantee you'll find sugar, spice and everything nice in between. 

Love,

Yen & Harold
Broke Lemons

This guest post is brought to you by our dear friends Harold and Yen of Broke Lemons. The divine Oreo Chocolate Cake was baked by Yen and the sweet post is written by Harold. Be sure to check out their jaw-dropping blog as they explore life in New Zeland. That's right... freaking New Zeland... oh you know, the land of hobbits and elves. The landscapes are surreal, the photos picturesque, and their tales are always entertaining. I love reading their differing perspectives and sharing in their adventure. Thank you both for sharing this recipe and your kind words! Mike and I miss you but are visiting vicariously through Broke Lemons! Sending mad love and good vibes! Bird Gang 4 Life.