Lavender Fields Herb Farm

I took my grandmother to Lavender Fields Herb Farm in celebration of Memorial Day today. It was a gorgeous and sunny drive down to the farm. We loved to look at the older houses outside of subdivisions, houses that are created in “cookie cutter” styles. People were sitting on their porches and kids were riding bicycles in their driveways. An elderly couple waved to us as we drove by. It was small town America at its best.

We drove down the dirt road to the farm’s entrance, and I was delighted with the smell of lavender when exiting the car. There was a large bush of dill within view and some landscaping stones. I walked along the sidewalk to the rows of small herb plants. Within view, I saw the herb that I was on a mission to pick up. 

As I walked towards rosemary, and young man asked me if I needed assistance. He had a pleasant accent. I could not place if it was from the UK or Australia because we did not talk at length. However, he pointed me in the direction of the rosemary, and even chuckled when my grandmother tried to make a joke.

After I picked up my two rosemary plants, I continued to walk around the aisles of gorgeous herbs. The aromas, both floral and culinary, perfumed the air and shifted with each step depending on what I walked by.

We also walked into the gift shop to check out. It is easy to admit that my grandmother and I did not head straight to the register. Instead, we looked at comforting lavender pillows, different flavored honey straws, and tasty jams. Although it was tempting, I only checked out with my rosemary, considering that I am just beginning to make my apartment porch garden. However, I expect to have many trips to the Lavender Garden in my future!

Juleps

Style: Southern, Fine Dining
Website: http://juleps.net/ 

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Likes: Extremely professional service, the sophisticated atmosphere, the amazing food, they take reservations, free valet parking, they put out Groupons and LivingSocial deals

Dislikes: It is so expensive (and deservedly so), location is in a sketchy area

When my husband and I go to Juleps, it is a big deal. The place is expensive, so we wait and scope out Groupons and LivingSocial deals so we can eat here without breaking the bank too much. Too much is the key word. 

One of my favorite appetizers here is the pork belly. It is like eating a thick cut of bacon that melts in my mouth because it is so soft and tender.

I also tried a fried oyster. I ate a raw oyster once, and had never eaten one again since it tasted like ocean snot. However, this oyster was crunchy decadence. 

My husband ordered the NY Strip Steak, which was easily one of the best steaks I have had. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare as ordered, with a nice sear to add texture and extra flavor. A celery root mashed potato accompanied the steak, adding an addictive combination of flavors that were new and exciting.

I ordered the duck breast with cherry jus. The duck was tender, with juices running to mix with the cherry jus. It was a huge treat.

But the biggest treat was bananas foster. The waiter wheels a cart out to the table and spends a solid few minutes preparing tableside flaming bananas. It is quite a show, with flames feet in the air laced with the smell of bourbon. Then, the bananas are laid with vanilla pound cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is currently my fondest dessert memory at a restaurant.

Cranberry Chicken and Cous Cous

The cranberry make this a sweetly tart dish.

The barbeque sauce makes this a smoky dish.

The pepper makes this a spicy dish.

Sweet, smoky, and spicy. This sounds like the beginning of a romance novel. The fact that it is served over cous cous kind of kills it though.

Cranberry Chicken and Cous Cous Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Chicken Ingredients

14 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup barbeque sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Smoky Bourbon)

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

½ cup celery, diced

½ cup onion, diced

2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Directions

1. Combine the cranberry sauce and barbeque sauce in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Top with celery, onion, red pepper, and salt and pepper.

3. Add the cranberry and barbeque mixture and disperse evenly.

4. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until done.

5. This next step is optional. You could serve the breast whole, but I prefer in chunks. Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and let cool for five minutes. Cut into pieces and return the pieces to the slow cooker. Stir to verify that the chicken is coated.

Cous Cous Ingredients

1 box Near East Plain Cous Cous

Cooking spray

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup onion, diced

½ cup dried Cranberries

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Cous Cous Directions

1. Prepare the cous cous as indicated on the box.

2. While the cous cous is cooking, spray a skillet with the cooking spray and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until celery and onion are slightly tender.

3. Mix the skillet mixture into the cous cous.

4. Plate the cous cous and serve the cranberry chicken on top.

Carnitas Burrito Bowl

The beauty of the burrito bowl is its flexibility to accommodate different tastes of people sitting at your table. For the vegetarians, lose the meat, add more beans. For the manly men, get a burrito wrap and make a full burrito. For the low carb people, go easy on the rice. For the conscious of their diet, such as I, the desired portions of carbohydrates, vegetables, protein, and dairy that are sought after can be fulfilled, simply by adding more or less into the bowl.

My burrito bowl consisted of shredded pork carnitas (see the slow cooker recipe here), rice, pico de gallo, black beans, cheese, and cilantro with a dollop of sour cream and hot sauce. The reasons for these choices was because they were easily at hand. I had tried to also add an avocado, but was not fully ripened yet. I also considered adding bell pepper, but not all people at my table digest that well. Additionally, I thought about adding roasted corn, but my desire for lowered carbs kept this from the choices.

Here is a list of ingredients you may want to consider adding when building a carnitas burrito bowl:

• ·        Avocado
• ·        Guacamole
• ·        Salsa
• ·        Roasted Corn
• ·        Roasted Bell Peppers
• ·        Diced Jalapeno Peppers
• ·        Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
• ·        Black Olives

 

Bowl Construction Steps:

1. Add the rice.

2. Add the carnitas.

3. Add the pico de gallo and black beans.

4. Add the cheese.

5. Top with chopped cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce.

6. Give a little stir and enjoy!

Pork Carnitas in Slow Cooker

Tomorrow I have a date night with my Mom for dinner, so I will be leaving my husband alone for dinner. Normally, I would say that he can fend for himself because he is truly capable of culinary genius. However, he has to work the midnight shift so and I feel like a bad partner when I leave him hanging.

Therefore, to get out of the sticky situation, I made a large meal so he could eat the leftovers tomorrow. Since I have been on a slow cooker kick, I thought that I would make pork carnitas. Carnitas are my favorite thing to order in my burrito at Chipotle. I am definitely a pork fan, and when it can be mixed into fresh Mexican food, I am all for it.

I googled many recipes for carnitas and took my favorite aspects out of them to create the recipe below. I chose the ingredients that were my favorite and I knew would not get lost in the cooking process. I also considered the cooking time. My slow cooker always seems to cook quicker than the recipes call for, yielding extremely dry meat. My cook time below is based on my slow cooker. Most recipes recommend cooking the meet on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

I was overly pleased with this recipe. The majority of the meat was tender and juicy, with shredded crisps to bring out smoky flavors. I am looking forward to using this recipe to eat standing alone, or adding it for other Mexican creations. Keep posted for new ideas!

Pork Carnitas Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 14 oz can Chicken Broth

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tsp dired oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 orange, cut in half

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1. Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker.

2. Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Trim any excess fat. Mix together the salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Brush the pork with olive oil, then rub the spice mixture into the meat.

3. Place the pork in the slow cooker and top with the onion and jalapenos.

4. Squeeze the orange halves over the pork, then place the halves next to it.

5. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (see my cooking note above)

6. When the meat is tender, remove from the slow cooker and let cool for five minutes. Then, pull apart and shred the pork with two forks.

7. In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crisp on one side. Break crisps apart to desired width.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Lark Bake Shoppe and Cafe

Style: Bake Shoppe
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Website: Lark's Facebook Page

Likes: Oh so tasty food, close proximity, friendly, welcoming environment, local business

Dislikes: Their tasty food is fattening, as it should be

When my husband and I moved to Mechanicsville, the search was on to find new places to eat out. It is one of our hobbies, just in case it was not already apparent. With our alternating schedules due to Brad’s job, we needed to find places to have breakfast when he got home from work. Therefore, every time we ran an errand, our eyes were on the lookout for grub.

One morning we went to drop his uniforms off at the cleaners. Pulling out of the shopping center, Brad noticed a sign on the edge of one of the buildings. It said, “Lark Bake Shoppe and Café.” Anytime something alludes to cake, frosting, or coffee, my husband is fully attentive.

We like to “google” places before we try them. This is a learned response from many different tourist trap places we ate at while living in Williamsburg. We discovered Lark’s Facebook Page, and found that it is updated pretty much on a daily basis. They advertise what they have, what flavors they have, their hours, and special events. The community had rave reviews. Our simple conclusion was that we had to go.

When walking into Lark, I get so excited because the atmosphere in here screams happy. I never want to leave. They have pretty colored walls, tasty pastries in the bakery case to look at, and super cheerful music that I undoubtedly sing along to every time to Brad’s dismay. They have chalkboard tables with chalk next to them so there is entertainment. Plus, the owners, bakers, and service staff are the sweetest and kindest people. They take a moment and ask how you are and recognize faces. It is local business at its best. 

We come here at least three times a month now, usually on a Saturday when they have Cinnamon Rolls because they are Brad’s favorite. We usually get a pastry each, and occasionally go back for one more… or two. They serve Carytown Coffee to go with their excellent pastries. I love that they support other local businesses. Plus, the coffee is outstanding.

The bottom line about Lark, is that the baked goods are awesome. It is often difficult to decide to try something new because I instantly make new favorites frequently. My particular favorite right now is the lemon loaf, which is a lemon poke pound cake with a sugary lemon glaze. It is dense and full of lemon flavor, with just enough sweetness to keep my cheeks from puckering.

My husband loves their cinnamon rolls. They are soft and gooey, coated with a thick slab of icing that they heat right there upon demand. Sometimes, they even give him an extra slather. The picture below is the cinnamon roll, but I couldn’t take the picture quick enough before my husband devoured the first half.

I also love scones because they go so well with coffee. Many scones fall short because they opt for too much density and become dry. In reverse, they go to moist and become more like cake. Lark’s scones are the perfect dense texture without losing moisture. They have a slightly harder top that has been glazed with different flavors depending on the order. I love the cinnamon chip scone, the lemon blueberry scone, and the pumpkin scone, which is pictured below.

Some of the other tasty treats we have enjoyed here are the cherry turnover and the nutella croissant. Both a pictured below. It is fun to come with someone, that way you can try a bite of theirs!

Lark also offers services, such as cake and cupcake orders. Once we ate a turtle cupcake with a dulce de leche filling that was Out. Of. This. World. I look forward to having something to celebrate so we can place a bigger order one day.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I originally found this dish at Skinnytaste, but have made some adjustments to fit me. Each time I take a bite of this dish for the first time, I think how good it tastes for the little amount of effort that went into it. This makes me happy.

Salsa chicken can be eaten in so many versatile ways. My favorite is in a burrito bowl with a little rice, shredded cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos. I would like to try it in a salad this summer when the farm stand veggies come back into season, too. My husband prefers it as a burrito. I have also just eaten plain with a touch of salsa. It is salsa chicken, after all. 

Some of the adjustments to the original recipe is the cooking time and the spices. The original called for the chicken to be cooked for four hours. I find that my crock pot dries meat out when it is in there for that long. I have adjusted my total cook time to three and a half hours for this reason.

We also do a lot of Latino cooking in my household, so I have a ton of spices to use. I added cayenne for heat, which can be easily adjusted up or down depending on preference. Then I added oregano and extra cumin to crank up the depth. In the future, I am thinking I will add some chipotle peppers and liquid smoke to make a smokier version... with cheddar cheese. Yes. 

Salsa Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

1 cup and 2 Tbsp. salsa, divided

2 Tbsp. cayene (if you don’t like spicy, I suggest 1 tsp.)

1 Tbsp. garlic salt

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

Ground black pepper to taste

1 15 oz. can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add 1 cup of salsa, cayenne, garlic salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper. Cook the chicken on low for three hours (see note about cooking time above).

2. Take the chicken out and set aside. Measure 1 cup of the salsa broth from the pot and set aside. Drain the crock pot basin.

3. Add the black beans and the reserved salsa broth and extra salsa back to the crock pot. Set it on warm. 

4. Shred the chicken with a fork. Add it back to the crock pot and stir the ingredients. Leave it in the crock pot to warm for half an hour.

Serve either by itself, as a burrito, as a burrito bowl, or in a salad. Enjoy!