Chocolate Bourbon Cups

Let's chat bourbon. Better yet, let's chat about putting bourbon in your baked goods. 

For reals though -- you can't go wrong.

What can I say? I love booze with my sweets. 

On Super Bowl Sunday, I made my first batch of these bad boys inspired by the ones that Minimalist Baker made a few days before. This week, I made a few tweaks and gave them as gifts to my preceptor and the other student I was on rotation with. Often I go a little overboard with the alcohol/sweet combo (evidence = Car Bomb Cupcakes), but with these I stayed a little more reserved since they're a tad on the rich side. Feel free to modify the filling as you see fit.

Chocolate Bourbon Cups

What You'll Need (for ~18 large cups)

• 16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I have baking squares and Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chips -- I prefer TJ's chips because they melt faster and are pretty inexpensive. I keep a couple bags on hand)
• 1/2 C unsalted, raw almond butter (I use Woodstock -Foods' All Natural Raw Almond Butter, unsalted)
• 1/4 C creamy peanut butter (I use Jif's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp. bourbon (I use Bulleit Bourbon)
• Sea salt or kosher salt for garnish
• Cupcake liners and cupcake pans
• Melon ball scoop and measuring spoons

How To Make Them

• Line your cupcake tins with liners and set aside.
• Combine almond butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and bourbon with a rubber spatula or whisk in a medium-size mixing bowl and set aside.
• Melt your chocolate using a double boiler or the microwave method (in 20-30 second increments). 
• Spoon 1 and 1/2 tsp. of chocolate into each cupcake liner. Place your tins on top of a towel and tap on the counter a few times to ensure the chocolate is evenly distributed. 
• Place your tins in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the chocolate to set up.
• Next, using your melon ball scoop or 1/2 tbsp. measuring spoon, place 1 scoop of nut butter mixture onto each chocolate disc. Using the back of a spoon, spread out nut butter mixture almost to the edge of your liner.
• Pop in the fridge for another 10 minutes -- during this time, make sure your chocolate has not hardened. If so, pop back in the microwave and melt. If your chocolate is looking a little low, add a little more to it and melt.
• Now you're ready for your last layer of chocolate! Spoon 1 and 1/2 tsp. of chocolate over your nut butter mixture or enough to cover the nut butter. Tap on counter to evenly distribute chocolate and sprinkle a little kosher salt on each cup.
• Place tins back in the fridge for 15 minutes, allowing the chocolate to set. 
• Remove from fridge and store in wide-mouth jars or in a tupperware container!

Feel free to change up the chocolate based on preference (dark, milk, white, etc.). You can also modify the filling and the type of bourbon you use. A lot of fillings use a peanut butter, confectioners sugar, softened butter combo -- I wanted to keep them as 'clean' as possible, so I opted for the method above.

I was able to fit five cups in a wide-mouth pint jar, made a simple tag for the top, and gave them as gifts! You can download the jar topper here.

Enjoy!

-Sue

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp {Summertime Delight}

Pssst. Hey! I have something hush-hush I wanna tell you.

IT'S RHUBARB SEASON! {Cue the trumpets, or guns, or whatever gets your blood pumping in your part of the world}

Feels good to get that out there. It's not really hush-hush, I just want all the rhubarb in the world right now. To myself.

However, it would be very selfish of me not to share this yumminess with you. You better run out for your 'barb because it's a hot harvest item right now and you gotta get it while you still can! 

O! And I'm not just saying that these are yummy because I made them. I can see how you think I might be biased and all, and for the simple fact alone that I maaaaaaybe licked my ramekin clean {in the comforts of my own home -- do you really think I'm that much of an animal in public?}. Ok but for real though -- in the words of one crisp consumer, "They are happiness under an oatmeal blankie." If that doesn't sell ya, I don't know what will.

One thing I need to mention -- people feel the need to make rhubarb sweet. Like with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. I really don't get it. I could maybe see the need for sugar if you made a rhubarb pie or something of the like and there's no other fruit in it. Nine times out of ten -- you pair your 'barb with berries. Fresh ones. 

Naturally, when fruit is cooked or baked, it gets all juicy and releases its own natural sugar and sweetness -- this is why you don't need a lot of extra "stuff." Sometimes "stuff" is necessary but for this recipe you need very little "stuff." O and the orange in this recipe? Takes this dish to another level, just sayin'.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (makes 6 ramekins or an 8x8 square pan)

What You'll Need

Filling

• 2 C rhubarb, chopped (~4 to 5 stalks depending on their size)
• 1 C strawberries, capped and quartered
• 1 small pear
• 1 small fuji apple 
• 2/3 C sugar
• 2/3 C water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1tbsp + 1/4 tsp corn starch
• 1 navel orange (you'll need its juice and zest)

Topping (I did adapt this part from Kitchen Simplicity)

• 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C rolled oats
• 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 5 tbsp butter, room temp

How To Make It

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Chop all your fruit and add to a large mixing bowl.
• Zest your orange and set zest aside.
• In a small bowl, add your corn starch, juice from one orange, and 1/2 tsp of zest and stir to dissolve/combine.
• In a medium sauce pan, add your water and sugar and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add in your vanilla and corn starch mixture. Stir to combine. 
• Pour your sugar mixture over your fruit and stir, making sure all the fruit is coated. Add remaining orange zest (~1/2 to 3/4 tsp).
• Using a 1/3 C measure, scoop 1/3 C fruit into each ramekin (make sure minimal juice from the bottom of the bowl makes it into each ramekin). Once each ramekin is full, distribute remaining fruit amongst the ramekins. Now you should have juice/sugar left in your bowl. Using a 1/4 C measure, pour 1/4 C of remaining juice over each ramekin and evenly distribute any remaining liquid. 
• If you're using an 8x8 square pan, place fruit in pan and pour half of the liquid over the fruit into your pan.
• Now for the topping -- throw everything into a mixing bowl except the butter and mix to combine. Cut the butter into individual tablespoons and add to the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry blender or your hands to distribute the butter into the dry ingredients -- I used both the dough blender and my hands. 
• Using a 1/4 C measure, scoop topping onto each ramekin and evenly distribute any remaining topping amongst the ramekins. 
• Place completed ramekins on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 35 minutes until edges are bubbling. 
• Serve with vanilla ice cream (Homestead Creamery for all you Richmonders) and fresh orange zest!

Have you ever made a rhubarb pie or crisp before? Did it call for a lot of sugar?

-Sue

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Hey y'all!

It's Friday! Ya know what that means? St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching, along with various Irish festivals and events!

I know I just gave you an awesome recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish, but you should just go ahead and plan to make these bad boys too -- Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

Ever had an Irish Car Bomb? I have -- I've had some good experiences and some not-so-good experiences with them. That's just the way the cookie cupcake crumbles sometimes haha. For those that don't know what an Irish Car Bomb is, it's essentially a half pint of Guinness with a shot of equal parts of Jameson Whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream dropped down into the Guinness. Doesn't sound too intimidating? Well try this on for size -- as soon as you drop the shot into the Guinness, you gotta have your chugging pants on or else it will curdle due to a reaction between the Guinness and the Bailey's . . . then it's not going to go down as easily as it would have. If you want a little more information about Irish Car Bombs, check here, here, and here.

Now that you know what an Irish Car Bomb is, let's make them into cupcakes! I've definitely noticed a shift in cooking patterns lately, and it involves incorporating beers and liquors into cooking -- whether it be baking with liquors, marinating and braising with craft beers, or grilling with booze-infused sauces.

Guess what? I dig it. A lot.

The best part about these cupcakes? You don't have to worry about curdling or chugging. Win, win I'd say.

There are a few couple million pins on Pinterest for Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes but mine are different than most. Almost every variation I've seen uses Bailey's in the buttercream icing and Jameson in the inner ganache. How come? I guess it was a trickle down effect used by everyone that recreated these.

So what do I do that's different? The opposite. To me, the Bailey's just goes phenomenally with the ganache and the Jameson with the buttercream. That's how I've always made 'em. They're the bomb dot com and people will act like it's the best thing they've ever eaten. Seriously. Maybe we should form a support group . . . BCA -- Boozy Cupcakers Anonymous. Yes - cupcakers is now a word.

Either way, make these gems and take 'em to your St. Patty's Day festivities. They will certainly be a hit, especially amongst the DDs. Bee tee dubs (btw) -- this recipe makes 24 treats and they pair realllllly well with your morning coffee. Too well in fact. They're pretty alright with a glass of milk too :)

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Cupcakes 

What You'll Need

• 1 C Guinness - some stores carry single pints for purchase, but what's the fun in that?
• 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 C unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 C sugar
• 2/3 C sour cream
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 C all-purpose flour

How To Make Them

• Add Guinness and butter to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. I make sure my butter is at room temperature before adding it to the Guinness because I don't want too much of the Stout to burn off -- I don't know about y'all, but I like the flavor. 
• Once the mixture has melted, remove from heat and add the cocoa powder to the mixture and whisk together to incorporate. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer, add your eggs, sugar, and sour cream and blend until incorporated. 
• Next, add the baking soda and salt and mix until incorporated.
• Now you may add the chocolate/beer mixture to the stand mixer -- blend until combined. 
• Lastly, slowly add the flour to the mixture until incorporated and then mix for an additional minute or two.
• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Pour your batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 full -- place in oven and allow to bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick/knife comes out clean.
• Remove cupcakes from oven and allow them cool on a cooling rack.
• Once the cupcakes have cooled, you will need to make a hole in the center of each cupcake. You can choose to remove the entire center or remove about mid-way down into the cupcake. This can be achieved with a sharp knife, or with the ease of a tool such as this or one like mine (corers come in various shapes and sizes).

Ganache


What You'll Need

• 8 to 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I buy the semi-sweet baking squares)
• 2 tbsp butter at room temperature
• 2/3 C heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp Bailey's Irish Cream (I'm heavy handed so I add to taste, which is usually always more than this)

How To Make It

• Break apart your baking squares/chocolate in a medium-sized glass bowl. 
• Add your heavy whipping cream to a small sauce pan over medium heat -- heat until bubbling. 
• Remove from heat and add the vanilla and Bailey's to the hot whipping cream.
• Pour this hot mixture over the chocolate and allow to sit for about 30 seconds. 
• Begin to incorporate the two with a whisk. Initially it may look very "runny"-- just continue to stir/beat with whisk until it begins to incorporate and thicken.
• Add butter and incorporate.
• Taste and see if it needs more Bailey's :) If so, add while the mixture is still warm and somewhat "thin."
• Fill each empty cupcake hole with the ganache.

Buttercream Frosting


What You'll Need

• 1/2 stick salted butter at room temperature
• 1 block of cream cheese (best if it's at room temperature too)
• 6 C powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tsp Jameson Whiskey (Again, I'm heavy handed so I add to taste, which is usually always more than this)

How To Make It

• Using a bowl and hand mixer, add your butter and cream cheese to the bowl and incorporate with mixer until the two are fluffy.
• Add the vanilla and Jameson Whiskey and combine. 
• Now begins the tedious process. Add your powdered sugar to the creamy mixture one cup at a time making sure each cup is incorporated before adding the next. 
• Do this until all the powdered sugar is incorporated.
• I find that frostings like this one can sometimes be too sweet, so sometimes I add a little bit more butter or cream cheese to offset the sweetness if I find that I have made it too sweet. Adding more Jameson is another option too :)
• Once the ganache has been added to each cupcake, add your frosting to a piping bag and decorate!
• I chose to add a few green sprinkles and gold coins for a little added St. Patty's Day effect (I found my gold liners and coins at Michaels). 

Go crazy with decorating! These really can be quite fun! O and have a pint for me will ya' -- St. Patty's Day is a blast!

-Sue

Bouchon Bakery Macarons

Remember when we had coffee and I told you not to make macarons? Yea, I still stand by that -- that doesn't mean they don't photograph well though. 

Macarons are by far probably one of the most difficult pastries to master. Seriously. When folks go through culinary school, specifically the baking portion (if they choose to do so), macarons can make or break ya. What do I mean? They could make you hate your life. 

With that being said, why did I wake up one day wanting to make them? Because I saw it as a challenge. And because they are delicious. And pretty.

Nevermind that I haven't had a minute of professional culinary guidance. 

Nevermind that they are one of the most difficult pastry items to master. 

And nevermind that they're so delicate, handling them could make a grown man cry. 

I did my research. Kinda. I watched lots of videos. Scoured many hundreds of recipes, blogs, and pins. What did I decide on? Thomas Keller's macaron recipe. I figured if his 2 inch goodies (get your mind out of the gutter - I know what you're thinking) could draw people from all over and make him boo-koos of dollars -- he must be doing something right. That and the fact that he has a list of accolades the length of The Great Wall of China. He's not just a baker either.

Cue The Bouchon Bakery Cookbook. This book is the real deal. Even if you don't buy it to make macarons, the other recipes will surely lure you in.

I figure if I share the ingredients, you could at least decide if it's something you want to actually do and can go from there. Just go ahead and buy a dozen eggs. You'll need lots and lots and lots of eggs. And a stand mixer. I'm not saying this can't be done without a standout mixer. I am saying that your life would be hell on earth without it. Just keeping it real. And if you want a valuable tip - make your buttercream at night and make your macarons the next day. You'll be less stressed and will probably enjoy everything more if you do it that way :)

This is one of, if not my favorite picture that I've ever taken. And it's of eggs. Such a weirdo I am. #yodatalk

Thomas Keller's Basic Buttercream 

What You'll Need

• Egg Whites - 1/4 C + 1 tbsp.
• Granulated Sugar - 3/4 C and 2 tbsp. + 2 & 1/4 tsp. and 3tbsp. + 1tsp.
• Water - 3 tbsp. + 1 tsp.
• Unsalted Butter - 8 ounces, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, at room temperature
• The book offers various methods for flavoring. I chose to add just a few drops of oils and Wilton coloring to my buttercream to make a couple different flavors/colors. The pink is a strawberry (artificial strawberry will never be my favorite, but I was under a time crunch), the purple was just plain vanilla, the cream colored one was coconut, and the brown one was chocolate-hazelnut with a little cocoa powder for color.

Thomas Keller's Vanilla Macarons

What You'll Need

• Almond Flour/Meal - 1 & 3/4 C + 2 & 1/2 tbsp. 
• Powdered Sugar - 1 & 3/4 C + 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp.
• Egg Whites - 1/4 C + 1 & 1/2 tbsp. and 1/4 C + 2 tbsp.
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
• Granulated Sugar - 1 C + 3 tbsp. + a pinch for the egg whites
• Water - 2/3 C

I chose to share the ingredients and not the actual how-to for several reasons:

• It would take me forever to type it all up.
• I'm not sure what copyright cat is sitting behind their computer waiting for me to over-share.
• The cookbook is worth every cent. You could use it as a conversation piece/coffee-table book if anything.

If you get the book and do decide to make them, let me know how they turn out! I went into this with every expectation of failing every step of the way. A little more than half of my macarons didn't turn out, but I still had some totally edible product. No one complained that they were horrible either!

Usually I would attempt to figure out what went wrong and maybe try it again. That will not be happening with these. I repeat, I will not be attempting these again haha. If anything, I'll have them shipped in from Thomas Keller himself. At least I know I tried.

-Sue

Peanut Butter-Banana Bread (with a slight twist)

Morning y'all!

Hope you're having a good week. Yesterday was my 25th birthday! Even though I had class and other grown-up things to do (drug tests/background checks for rotations), I enjoyed myself this past weekend and the festivities will continue throughout this week/weekend - can't wait!

So what did I do last weekend? Saturday involved this - thick snowflakes falling, coffee mugs, blankets, couches, and Chicago Fire. My Nannie, Mom and I sat on the couch all day and watched the whole season and it was fabulous. I had seen them all but they hadn't, so I had to stick around to make sure they didn't doze off during all the good parts. Seriously though - it's an awesome show . . . get on it!

All of a sudden it was mid afternoon and I had gotten the itch to make something. Didn't want things to be too involved, so I grabbed my Aida Mollenkamp book and began to browse. I've made some things from her book before (Meatballs), so I knew she wouldn't let me down. I stumbled upon her Peanut Butter-Banana Bread Recipe and was certain that I had all the ingredients that I needed. Well I didn't. I had everything but the unsalted butter. I have read her book cover to cover, so I should have known that deviating too far from the recipe may result in some changes. The bread was still a success!

Peanut Butter-Banana Bread (adapted from Aida Mollenkamp's Keys To The Kitchen)

What You'll Need

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus more for greasing your pan)
• 1 & 2/3 C unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 & 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 & 1/2 C packed light brown sugar
• 1 & 1/4 C mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• 2/3 C natural crunchy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 & 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

How To Make It

• Heat your oven to 350F and arrange rack in the middle.
• Grease AND flour your loaf pan (9x5in) - Aida didn't say to do this, but my crust was just a tad tough and my mom seemed to think that this would have rectified that issue.
• Whisk together your dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt, allspice, and baking soda - set aside.
• In a stand mixer with a paddle, beat your sugar, bananas, peanut butter, and melted butter on medium speed until combined.
• Add your eggs and vanilla until just blended.
• On low speed, add your flour mixture to your banana mixture just until incorporated.
• Pour your batter into your greased/floured loaf pan and bake until knife/wooden pick comes out clean with a few crumbs, 55-70 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for five minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool on rack.

How was my bread different? I chose to use a half and half mixture of natural creamy peanut butter and sunflower butter. You can sub the peanut butter for any nut butter of your choosing. Definitely make sure your bananas are ripe, and definitely use unsalted butter - don't try to cut corners by omitting the salt in your flour mixture and using salted butter. You can also add nuts to your batter or on top of your bread before baking. I added walnuts to the top of mine, but may I suggest this? Watch your bread for the first 10-20 minutes - allow it to rise and then cover with foil so your nuts/top of your bread don't get too done. 

Overall, this bread was delicious and something I'll definitely make again. I served mine warm with a touch of butter and it was yum! It lasted maybe a day or two around the house, so I must have done something right!

Enjoy!

-Sue

Birthday Pie - Proper Pie Co.

Last Sunday was my momma's birthday and I had quite the idea planned.

When I got to town last Friday, my dad told me he would be gone for the weekend hunting with friends. All I heard was, "You and your mom should veg and be lazy." Soooo we did. My mom made it home and we vegged by the glow the Christmas tree. We watched all of our guilty pleasures (reality TV) and ate pizza. 'Twas was so nice. 

Saturday morning, we I slept in, woke up, had coffee, and started helping my mom make cake pops for a Christmas party we had planned to attend that evening (more to come about these). In passing, I mentioned this new pie joint that had opened downtown and kinda explained what kinds of stuff they had. She said she hadn't heard of it, so I didn't really mention anything else about it . . .

Until Sunday afternoon. When I showed up at the house. With eight different kinds of pie for her to feast on for her birthday! 

So what's this place that serves only pie? It's Proper Pie Co. in Church Hill. Their Facebook gives you a daily run-down on their selection, their Yelp reviews sing their praises much like myself, and Richmond BizSense has a thing or two to say about them (the owners) as well. rvanews had a little somethin' somethin' too - can you say food cart?? 

If you're looking for a homey place where you can get hot, meaty (or not) delicious pies, or a slice of {pie} heaven for a mid-sunday-afternoon-just-because, then look no farther. Proper Pie Co. is your place. O - and their company logo is pretty much the peaches to my cream too. Love. It. 

Alright. Enough talking. Here's some pie for ya. {Happy Birthday Momma}

I have to tell on myself a little bit here. Once she realized she had about eight different kinds of pie to feast on, there was no "gently taking everything out of the packages." With that being said, I just took everything out as I grabbed it from the bag, not paying attention to the fact that I had the savory pies laying upside down! Silly me. For that reason, the pictures won't be nearly as pretty as these - that and we had to get a few tastes in before I could take any pictures, thus why they're half eaten. HA!

 

Spinach, Blue Cheese, and Mushroom

 Steak and Cheese

Chicken and Kumara

-Not pictured . . . Sausage Roll. Which. Was. Phenomenal.-


Blueberry and Apple (momma's fave)

Pear Almond (my fave)

Banana Coconut Cream (so light, so much like a fancy banana pudding)

Lemon Meringue

 

So tell me, would you like eight kinds of pie on your birthday?

-Sue

Peach Pancakes

Happy Friday y'all! Yesterday was my last day of working full-time at the hospital until probably Christmas. Some might think, "O wow, what a vacation." It's really not though. I'm trading in 8 hour shifts for 19 hour shifts (this is my last didactic year, this is my last didactic year - I've got to keep telling myself this). With that being said, I decided sleeping in and a luxury breakfast were long over due. 

I'm really not a sweet breakfast kinda gal - savory is usually my route, but this morning I had a hankering for peach pancakes. My mom has been carb loading the evening before her long runs, so she's had Bisquick Complete on hand - a whole grain version of Bisquick, minus all the hydrogenation (and yes, she carb loads with banana pancakes haha). I used the Bisquick, a fresh peach, and some pure maple syrup to make these babies.

What kind of breakfasts do you prefer - savory or sweet?

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend.

-Suze

Sunsets, Craft Beer, Food Trucks, and Cupcakes

Happy Friday! I would just like to say, hasn't the weather been absolutely perfect in Virginia this week?! I mean really - August is never like this in Virginia. I'm gonna soak up every ounce of it though. This week has gone by far too fast for me. Next Thursday is my last day at work and I'll be making the small move back to the beach for school during Labor Day weekend - can you say horrific traffic? It's ok though - I can usually bypass it fairly well. 

On Wednesday afternoon/evening I found myself in a mood funk. I was just downright . . . down. Leaving work I realized that the weather was perfect for sitting on a patio somewhere. I had to turn my frown upside down, so I texted my girlfriend Brittany (my sushi date girlfriend) and asked her if she was down for dinner somewhere. We threw around the idea of Bonefish Grill, but settled on The Boathouse at Sunday Park (many of our friends have actually gotten married here and they used to have a pretty spectacular Fourth of July fireworks show). The best part? The Boathouse at Sunday Park is a mere 12 minutes from me and has some gorgeous sunsets - win!

I arrived at Sunday Park and took the scenic stroll past Daniel Butler's gardens (I had my senior pictures taken here) before putting our names in for a table. There's something about Black-Eyed Susans that I'll never be able to pass up.

I rounded the bend and this view was waiting for me - instant mood funk sucked away.

Brit had a glass of Beringer Moscato with Carolina Jumbo Shrimp and a bowl of Eastern Shore Crab and Vegetable Soup. I had their Steamed Pei Mussels and a Baby Iceberg Wedge Salad. I also ordered a bottle of the Jefferson Vineyards Pinot Gris (they do sell it at Whole Foods here in Richmond), had a glass or two, and re-corked for the ride home. It's my favorite wine and it's half off on Wednesdays! Mood funk still being sucked away.

We were dining and chatting when something pranced over and landed near us. This little praying mantis decided to chill at our table with us for a little while. It looks like he's actually praying, or maybe he's thanking Him for this beautiful view. Either way, my mood funk had officially vanished at this point.

Yesterday was a pretty chill day at work and it was beyond needed. O! Did you know that . . .

Borrowed from Star Hill Brewery's page

Yep. August is Virginia Craft Beer Month. So what's a girl to do? How about Food Truck Court at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery? Why yes, I think I will.

Last night, my girlfriend Kelly and I ventured over to Hardywood after work to check out the food trucks, some brews, and to enjoy another beautiful evening in Richmond of course! If you don't know anything about food trucks, I'm certain this show might give you an idea. Some of the food trucks that participate in Food Truck Court actually set up camp around the hospital downtown. They sell their delicious goodies to hospital, city hall, and capitol employees, as well as regular 'ol city patrons. Their food is delicious and pretty inexpensive. Can you say score?

Here's a peek at our evening.

Dressed and Pressed.

Thai Cabin, Chupacabra, and Mister Softee Soft Serve.

Boka Tako.

Kelly got Lettuce Wraps from Thai Cabin.

I got "The Gauntlet" from Boka Tako. It was awesome. Left = Asian, Right = American, Top = Mexican (I think).

 We ventured inside for some brews.

1. Singel   2. SB 604   3. DIPA   4. Bourbon DIPA 

The Singel and the Bourbon DIPA were my favorites. I had really wanted to try the Virginia Blackberry, but they were out. 

Found some of this clever signage while waiting for the restroom. Beer Master. "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

Suggested Receptacles for the Drinking of Beer.

Can't wait to try their Mocha Belgique (and their Farmhouse Pumpkin and Gingerbread Stout)!

Sitting at the picnic table enjoying beers, weather, and company - Flynn's has Sweetater Fries!

The evening was a blast! Such a family friendly event. If brews aren't your thing, Food Truck Court also visits the Virginia Historical Society on weeknights.

To round out the evening and to compliment my Bourbon DIPA, I had to have this guy. A Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Cupcake (Fall, in your mouth) from RVA Vegan.

Some other food carts in attendance last night: Station 2, Pizza Tonight, Rooster Cart, and Sustenance. Maybe if craft brews are your thing, you could also check out Star Hill Brewery, Blue Mountain Brewery, or Beach Brewing Company - all in the beautiful state of Virginia!

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm headed to Charlotesville/Staunton to hang with my girlfriend, her man, and a presh yittle boy named Ryder!

-Suze