Spice Up your Life - A Trip to Penzey's in Richmond's Carytown

 I have written on this blog before about Penzey's Spices, spice purveyor extraordinaire with an extensive mail order business as well as a series of stores.  Lucky for me, one of their retail stores is an hour's drive away in Richmond's historic Carytown, because as great as their online and print catalogs are, there is something special about the Penzey's store experience from the smells to the extremely helpful and friendly staff...did I mention the smells?  Since we had run out of several of the spices and spice mixes I use regularly, we decided to make a special trip to Carytown to stock up for our vacation.

Carytown is a great destination itself, an old neighborhood full of little shops and restaurants.  Our plan was to leave early, get to Richmond before Penzey's opened at 10AM, find a place to get a bite, do our shopping and get back by midday. Since traffic was great we got there before most restaurants were open and set out to find a place to get a little something to eat. That is when we stumbled upon Jaks, a bagel shop that is unassuming but features good homemade bagels and sandwiches. The smells that great you as you come in make you even hungrier!

My Jak Sprat from Jaks in Richmond's Carytown

We looked at their menu on a large chalkboard and selected something after talking with the very friendly staff.  A steady stream of customers made us think we had made the right choice. I picked the Jak Sprat- a BLT on an Asiago cheese bagel with cream cheese.  My husband chose the Jak-o-let that featured a 2-egg omelet with sausage on a bagel.  While we waited for our sandwiches to be made (actually made, not reheated), we got a cup of coffee and sat at a table by the front window and did some people-watching. Our sandwiches were out in no time,and were everything promised. The bagels were tender with a chewy but not tough outside, the smear of cream cheese was rich, the bacon was thick and crisp and the tomato and lettuce were fresh.  It was everything a great BLT should be, but with the bonus of being on a really high quality bagel.I took a picture of my Jak Sprat but my husband made short work of his Jak-O-Let, so I did not get a picture of his sandwich, but suffice it to say that he thought it was great.

But back to Penzey's. We selected all the spices we came for (and a few more that we just couldn't leave without) and picked up the latest catalog, which besides having all manner of spices, includes a lot of great recipes (a great reason to get on their mailing list!) Inspired by our trip, I decided to try a recipe for Tacos with Navajo Fry bread.  The fry bread was very simple to make and was a great backdrop for the taco meat mixture and spices. The most fun was actually frying the bread , which was very dramatic as well- so much so that I made a video.  The final result was delicious, with a crunchy outside and tender inside, a perfect foil for the spicy meat mixture.  You can check out many of Penzey's recipes on their website and really spice up your life.

Getting to Paradise Found-Preparing for Two Weeks at the Beach

My son Gavin (before urgent care) and Molly checking out the beach.

With any trip, a really important key to a successful trip is the planning and preparation, which is why we start weeks in advance packing, planning menus, and making lots and lots of lists (Foods to take, What to buy at the farm market on the way in, condiments and spices to take, etc)  Keeping all these lists straight was a lot easier using Cozi Calendar which allows you to make to-do and shopping lists, which was really helpful and kept them all in one place.  Cozi Calendar is a free application that allows you to keep all your family's appointments and commitments in one place- I have been using it for about a year, and besides its daily utility, it was great for helping me organize for our family vacation.

Crab dinner is always popular across generations!

Beside the obvious things like making sure you have the right clothes and the perfect bathing suit (for me this means one with lots of spandex), the biggest thing for me is planning meals. While there are good grocery stores in the Outer Banks (including Food Lion and my favorite Harris Teeter), I normally carry my proteins with me because I pre-prep many of them. It is my goal to bring as little food back as possible and for that, planning is essential. Also, because we were on a budget, I tried to plan dishes that could be prepared for a crowd without breaking the bank. For our meals when the largest number of people were planning to be there we planned a ham (great dinner and leftovers are good for sandwiches , omelets), pulled pork barbecue, crockpot carnitas, graduation chicken, tortellini-pepperoni casserole, taco salad, hamburgers and hot dogs, and steamed shrimp, and of course, steamed crabs.  For meals with smaller groups, we made fish tacos (a big hit, even with the non-fish lovers), flank steak, and then we interspersed a nigh out at Rundown Cafe and some local take-out foods from Corolla Pizza and Coastal Cravings, and an amazing tomato pie from Dockside 'N Duck. Factor in some treats from Duck Donuts and Tullio's Bakery, and a special night out that my husband and I had at Metropolis, the food took second place only to our amazing location a stone's throw from the beach.

Preparing meals in Paradise Found's well equipped kitchen, was really a pleasure and the layout was perfect for a crowd. We usually made everything and then set up the food on the large bar like a buffet and let everyone serve themselves, which was very convenient.Then all leftovers (when there were some) were "bagged and tagged" and the dishes done by volunteers who had not helped with cooking dinner. Since we had adult children, they also contributed meals- Katie made her turkey-lettuce wraps for dinner and Colleen and LJ made 2 breakfasts, SOS (I know you all know what this stands for) and omelets.

One of the more important parts of our preparation was pre-trip shopping.  Proteins and bulk foods were purchased at Costco, produce was procured on the trip down at Morris Market, and perishables were picked up as the last stop before we checked in. We even made a special trip to Richmond to Penzey's Spices to stock up on spices for our meals (this will be a separate post).  While I am a foodie, and my family loves to try new things, this was, first and foremost a vacation so I chose things that were delicious, easy to prepare, and highlighted fresh ingredients and produce we could get locally.  That allowed us to do what we came here to do- enjoy each other and the beach!  See below the family water ballet in the pool!

Winners of BBQ Battle Tickets

MimiJ and Georgia will be enjoying the BBQ battle this weekend in DC- More to come as we cover this event tomorrow!

Comment by 5PM today for free tickets to BBQ Battle in DC

Still time to leave your comment and get some tickets to the BBQ Battle in DC!! Good food, great entertainment... hell, its Barbecue!  What else is there to say?

Comment NOW: Win Tickets to National Capital Barbecue Battle in DC June 25-26 2011

Picture yourself here enjoying the sights, smells and tastes of the BBQ Battle!

Who doesn't love barbecue? It is as American as apple pie and hot dogs.   It is loved by men, women and children and combines meat, fire, smoke to appeal to the carnivore in all of us. Whether it is beef, pork chicken or even fish, barbecue masters make it something special.Thanks to Safeway and Perdue,  I have tickets to the National Capital Barbecue Battle that will take place June 25-26 (yes, that is next weekend!)

Proceeds from this event, A Celebration for the Nation, benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs and has been called one of the 5 summertime events not to miss by CNN, and you can get tickets to experience the food, entertainment, and fun for yourself. In honor of Perdue's role in this event, simply comment here with your favorite sauce for barbecue chicken by and I will award pairs of tickets by random drawing  from among those who comment by June 22 5PM EST (I need time to express mail tickets to you). 

Mouth watering yet?

What can you see (and eat) at this event? On Saturday, June 25th, Perdue's corporate chef, Chris Moyer, will be hosting a chicken recipe demonstration at the Main Stage and the PERDUE ®“Sizzlin’ Chicken BBQ Contest”  will be taking place all day at Freedom Plaza. Top contestants will compete for a $40,000 prize in the Pork Barbecue Championship, and you can get tips from barbecue masters like Myron Mixon of TLC's BBQ Pitmasters, along with tons of free food samples, activities, entertainment, and a few surprises. I am looking forward to a fun time and some great food....and I hope to meet some of you there!!!

 NOTE: If you are not in the DC area or not in driving distance, feel free to share your sauce preference but note that in your comment so that tickets go to readers who can actually participate.

What Makes a Great Vacation Home- a Guide for Renters and Owners

Each year as we vacation at the beach, we learn more and more about what makes a good vacation home from a renter's perspective, and as a landlord also, I also bring that perspective as well. Even though it is only mildly related to food (I will cover kitchen equipment, etc),  I am posting about what makes a good vacation rental because it will help readers know what to look for as they plan their own vacations and perhaps some vacation home owners will read this and learn what features and equipment best leverages their investment and attracts renters.

Here are some tips that we have especially become aware of from our most recent vacation at Paradise Found, a Joe Lamb property:

These Double-Double rooms were great for teens and families

1) Make sure that the bedrooms, beds and sizes meet the needs of your family and peak guest count.  Many rental homes have double bunk rooms that are great for family's with young kids, but not so great if you have grown kids.  For us, we looked for more King and Queen rooms, and what some call a "family" bedroom, with a duobunk (double on bottom, single on top) or two doubles to accommodate parents and their minor children. Don't count on a sofa bed that is in the great room as sleeping space, since the activity of early risers will likely disturb their sleep, however sofa beds in game rooms or separate dens offer practical sleeping space.

2) Look for houses where the beds are made before you arrive.  After the prep and packing,driving, shopping, and  unpacking, the last thing you want to do is make 7-10 beds. I have done it, but I much prefer to spend my time at the beach instead of making beds on that first day.

3) If you have young children make sure that pools and hot tubs have separate gates to prevent them from entering those areas unaccompanied.

4) At the beach I love a house with a screened porch- it is a perfect place to watch the sunrise with your coffee in the morning, provides a place for more boisterous card and board games, and a place to pick crabs or have other messy (or smelly) foods. It provides a respite from bugs, and shade during the sun's highest points. You get to enjoy all the great things about the out of doors without the bad!

5) Paradise Found had everything labeled so I knew exactly which switch turned on the ceiling fans and which turned on the lights.  Information like how to use the TV, DVD and stereo , and even the network key were readily accessible.  I knew exactly where to look for the garbage disposal switch, a cookie sheet or plastic cups.  It was the most renter friendly home I have ever been in because of the time and attention placed in making sure you could find everything you needed.

Amazing kitchen, huh?

The counters were perfect for setting up help-yourself meals!

6) Kitchen and Cooking - While many people on vacation eat out a lot, with the economy the way it is, we  cook most of our meals and selectively go out to stay on budget, so how the kitchen is outfitted is important to us.  Our rental this year had two refrigerators, one in the kitchen and one in the 1st floor gameroom, which made it much easier to make sure there were always cold drinks, and gave us space to hold things like a whole watermelon.  We have used our cooler in the past for this function, but it requires constant restocking of ice, so the second fridge was a great convenience.  Paradise Found had double wall ovens (I lined the bottoms with foil so that drips, etc. did not bake on), and two dishwashers which was great for our large crowd because we always had one running and one emptying.  Another great feature at this home was that there was plenty of silverware and dishes to accommodate our peak meal crowds and we never ran out.  Just about any utensil you could think of was there in a drawer labeled Gadgets, from spatulas to can openers to pizza cutters.  For those of you who own, I would also note that while you can furnish you rental with cheap equipment and appliances, in the long run you probably save money because good quality things last- our rental had Corelle dishes, nice heavy pots and pans for cooking, stainless steel colanders, Pyrex bakeware.  We were delighted to find the home equipped with a huge crockpot (which I used to make carnitas), a large electric skillet (which I didn't use) and a Krups Belgian Waffle maker (which prompted me to order one from Amazon as soon as I got back from vacation!).  These extra touches were great for a foodie like me.

View from the driveway showing the ample, well-maintained decks.

7) When you are looking at homes to rent, look for one that is well-cared for and well-maintained.  That indicates the level of care that the owner has for his property and will make for a much better experience for you. If you are worried about a loose deck railing, or a door that won't lock, you are going to have a hard time relaxing. At Paradise Found, the house was clearly well loved-no ripped screens, broken fixtures, all the decks were Trex, so no splinters and the railings were sturdy white resin- features that are not only great for renters, but for owners who save frequent sanding staining and repair costs! Another great feature was the additional door locks the owners installed- it really added great peace-of mind for a home with so many entrances, providing additional security.

Lots of room for crab dinner!

8) Something that is essential is ample and comfortable seating wherever people gather.  Our rental had a large dining table with plenty of chairs, a breakfast bar with additional seating and an island with seating so no matter how big our crowd we could all be together.  The great room had a huge sectional sofa with a chaise that my kids wanted to bring home, it was so comfortable. It often was the place for a quick after beach and pool nap for family members of all ages!

View from the end of our driveway to the ocean path.

9) Location Location, Location-This is as important for renting a house as it is buying a house.  That semi-oceanfront may not be as good as it looks it you have to cross a main thoroughfare with boogie boards, beach towels, sand toys and young kids in tow.  Are you close to a grocery store? How far to urgent care (you hope you don't have to use this but we did,  and were so glad it didn't involve a long drive!)? Are you near condos, popular bars or other things that may increase traffic or noise?  Can you see or hear the ocean noise, or is it drowned out by road noise or the sounds of construction?  This is the advantage of checking out a property before you commit.

Knowing what to look for is as important as knowing what you want and will help ensure that your memories of your vacation are everything that will be your own Paradise Found!!

Back from Paradise Found in the OBX- Posts to Follow

Now that we have safely returned home, I will be downloading my pix and sharing food, family and fun with you all shortly!! Including a post on the best dish I have ever eaten (hands down!)

Planning an Outer Banks Vacation- A Non-Food (well, almost) Post

Each year, while many of you super-bloggers are planning to hike through the Andes, or go on a tasting cruise in the south of France, mini-bloggers like me are planning the annual family vacation. However, no matter how grandiose or humble your trip is, it takes great planning.  Good planning can save you money, time, frustration, and ensure that your dream vacation does not become a traveler's nightmare.

Planning is especially important if you are traveling on a budget as our family does each year. With gas prices and airfares rising and the economy so uncertain, can you afford to take a vacation? I would say that you cannot afford not to.  The memories that you make with your family are a real investment in your future and are priceless as they move out and start their own families. So how can you give your family a great vacation on a budget?  Here are some tips:

1) Set a budget... and stick with it! Figure out what you can comfortably spend on a vacation.  In our case, I take on freelance work during the year and my earnings guide what we can spend. Set aside a vacation fund, even a few dollars a week set aside can fund a long weekend at the beach or a trip to a theme park that you have been promising the kids.  Another tip- We throw all of our change each day into a big jar and at the end of the year there is usually $200-300 there that we can use for groceries or a dinner out.

Gavin doing food research- homemade breakfast at the Border Station!

2)Find a destination within a day's drive.  We are fortunate to be a couple of hours from both the mountains and the ocean and so those are our go-to vacation destinations.  Proximity will allow you to do some research on places to stay and where to go, and the money saved on traveling can be spent on a longer vacation or special excursion or activity.

3) Do your homework. Check out hotels or rental houses online, check out restaurants or activities on Yelp and other review sites like Trip Advisor.  For us, even though we know the area we are going to, we down-select some rental homes and then make a trip to see first-hand how they stack up.  We have a list of features that we need to have (at least 6 BR, private pool, ocean view, proximity to neighbors,etc.) and we give each home a score to help us make our decision.  Select by what is important to you- do you need a private pool or is a community pool an option for you? How many bedrooms do you need? Are things like a screened porch or gameroom a must for your family? Be careful when you make comparisons by price to include extras like linens and towels if they are not included, taxes, and any administrative fees, they can really add up.

4) Negotiate. Especially in these tough times, you want to get the most for your money and homeowners and rental companies want their houses occupied. Contact rental companies and let them know your budget and what you want.  Watch the calendars of homes your are interested-homes that have large blocks unrented are often open to negotiating. If you can wait until closer to your arrival time, do so since many rental companies will not negotiate reduced rates until within 45 or 30 days of arrival. Develop a relationship with a rental agent- a good one is worth their weight in gold. I have worked with many rental companies in the Outer Banks area, but this year I had two great examples of service.  Brindley Beach, a company that I have rented from before, looked for a house for me, but when there was nothing in their catalog available, she referred me to another rental company- definitely a Miracle on 34th Street moment and a great business strategy, since I definitely would refer someone to a company with that kind of customer focus. I probably contacted 5 rental companies this year, some were responsive, others, not so much. You want the best experience and support and if a rental agent doesn't answer your calls or treat you respectfully before you rent, they are likely to be not that supportive when you do.

After hitting a brick wall trying to find what we wanted for a a price we can afford, we contacted a smaller company, Joe Lamb, which has been operating in the Outer Banks for many years, but is not as big or well known as some of the other larger companies.  They worked with us to find a beautiful home that was even more than what we were looking for and the owner was willing to offer a discount. Our rental agent was responsive and knowledgeable, friendly, and finalizing the lease was all done online, making it super easy. We even negotiated an early check-in (great for people like us who get up and travel early to beat the horrific traffic).  This home is in a different area than we have stayed before and so there will be new restaurants and stores to check out ( and write about).  We are so excited to have decided on a place that is sure to delight all.

I couldn't resist this huge Adirondack chair!

5) Make the search part of the adventure. In the search for the perfect home, we normally make at least 2 road trips to our destination, once to narrow down the field and once to make our final decision.  If you can, this is a good idea- while website pictures are great, there is nothing like going there in person to make sure that your street is not full of new construction, or that you are not right next to a nighttime hotspot that stays open till 2 AM or that the oceanfront view pictured on the website can only be viewed  from the far corner of the rooftop deck with a zoom lens.  It gives you a chance to be familiar with the neighborhood, scope out the nearest grocery store, drugstore, etc.  For Gavin and I we had a great time just the two of us stopping where we wanted to and just focusing on one another, and the promise of our Paradise Found.

After tons of calls, emails and negotiations- Our Paradise Found!!