We were very fortunate to have picked such a beautiful day. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees. We arrived at 1pm, when the event began and there was already a nice sized crowd. We started by sampling some wine inside the beautiful building. Once we had a favorite picked out, the Petit Cabernet, we shared a bottle outside in the sun. After some relaxing for us and lots of running and playing for the little ones in our group, we headed upstairs to try the sliders and take in some fun live music. The music was great and the upstairs was so cozy with lots of people dancing and beautiful lights strung throughout. The sliders were very good and nice to have something a little different.

We spent the rest of the afternoon outside, it was just too nice to spend the day indoors, though I am sure most February weekends we would have spent the entire day upstairs! I definitely recommend a trip to Boordy to try out the Sip & Sliders! Next weekend is your last chance!

Woo at the Zoo

National Zoo, 2/11/2012

Talks at 4:30, 6:30, and 8:30 p.m.

Looking for the wildest way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank? Attend the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s fourth annual Woo at the Zoo on Saturday, Feb. 11 for an opportunity to learn about animal mating, dating and reproductive habits in an honest and humorous forum.

Attendees and their “deer” ones will enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and the opportunity to decorate sweets for your sweetheart. A cash bar will also be available featuring specialty drinks served in the exclusive Woo at the Zoo commemorative glass. All the fun takes place in the Zoo’s Visitor Center auditorium.

Woo at the Zoo features:

A commemorative Woo at the Zoo glass

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres

A cash bar featuring specialty drinks

The opportunity to decorate a brownie from Naughty Bits Brownies

You must be at least 21 years old to attend this event. FONZ members: $11 | Nonmembers: $22

Love Under the Sea

National Aquarium, 2/14/2012

7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Ages: 21 and up

Looking for a unique Valentine’s day date? Avoid the crowded restaurants and experience the Aquarium in an ambient nighttime setting. Enjoy drinks and live music while you wander leisurely through the peaceful, crowd-free exhibits, and sample cuisine from a buffet of light fare.

$95 member couple; $130 non-member couple (all-inclusive)

Boordy Sip and Sliders

Boordy Vineyard,  February Weekends

1pm-5pm

$15 Adults, $10 Teens (13-20 yrs), $5 Children (2-12yrs)

Sip some wine and munch on sliders for a new way to enjoy February at Boordy.  Live music and marshmallows outside at the cauldron will give you good times with your sweetheart and your friends.  Assorted sliders, six wine samples and an engraved Boordy wineglass are included in your admission. No alcohol other than Boordy wine is allowed on the premises.

Virginia Wine & Food Showcase

Crystal Gateway Marriott, 2/18,19

Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-5

Taste over 200 artisan wines from Virginia in one fabulous, convenient spot. This is not the biggest wine event in Virginia … it’s the most exclusive … a “juried” mix of the best old and hottest new Virginia farm wineries will be there!

Learn from the pros – this event features a full slate of culinary seminars led by the regions best chefs and sommeliers! Unlike other events, all seminars and unlimited wine tastings at the Virginia Wine Showcase are included in your ticket fee.

Items Needed:

Pillar Candles (any size, sometimes a variety of shapes and sizes works GREAT!)

Double Sided Tape

Loose Glitter

Shallow bowl/plate

Here is how you do it:

How To:

1. Place tape in the desired design on the candle. This could be solid stripes horizontally around the candle, or diagonal stripes, etc.
2. Pour loose glitter into the shallow plate
3. Place candle in the loos glitter and roll until the tape is well coated in sparkles!
4. Brush off access glitter with fingers or a brush/sponge.
5. Enjoy!

(Please note to be careful when burning these candles, as you do not want to burn the tape)

Preparation: Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper with a one-inch overhang on each side.

16 oz  Semi-Sweet Chocolate

4 Cups Mini Marshmallows

1 Cup Caramel (Recipe Below)

1 Cup spiced Bacon Crumble (Recipe Below)

Instructions; Chocolate: Melt Chocolate and pour onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate into a ¼ layer. Place in freezer for about 5 minutes or until chocolate has hardened.

Instructions; Marshmallow: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe dish. About 45 seconds. Stir in 4 cups of mini marshmallows until coated. Heat for 1 minute. Stir marshmallows until they are barely melted. Spread mixture over the hardened chocolate. Let the marshmallow and chocolate layers sit until marshmallow is cool.

Instructions; Spiced Bacon Crumble:

16 oz Bacon Cooked and crumbled

2 Teaspoons Brown sugar

¼ Teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Fresh Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Place crumbled bacon pieces on a microwave safe plate. Sprinkle brown sugar, cayenne pepper and black pepper over bacon. Toss to coat. Microwave bacon mixture for three 30 second increments to combine the spice mixture. Toss after each increment. Set aside until ready to use.

Instructions; Caramel:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoon butter

7 tablespoon heavy cream

Place sugar and water in a pot over medium low heat. No not stir. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and heavy cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine. Let caramel cool for about 10-15 minutes. Pour caramel over the cooled marshmallow and spread evenly. Immediately spread crumbled bacon on top of caramel mixture. Press down so bacon sticks to caramel.

Place bark into the freezer to set. About 20 minutes. Using a sharp knife cut the bark into desired pieces and ENJOY!

This year we wanted to focus on homemade gifts with a twist for their loved ones. From sweet to savory we have everyone on your list covered.

Personalized Homemade BBQ Sauces.

I love cooking and wanted to create unique Valentine’s day gifts for the special people in my life. I wanted to focus on more of a savory treat and knew that BBQ sauce was a great base! I mean, who doesn’t love BBQ! For my recipes I decided to make my own BBQ sauce base and kick it up a notch with a few more simple ingredients. You can make your own base, which was very easy, or jazz up a favorite BBQ sauce you already have. The three flavors I decided on were, Honey, Spicy Chipotle and Chocolate, it is a Valentines Day gift after all. Once I prepared each sauce I stored them in glass jars that I had around the house. It gave each sauce the perfect homemade feel!

Molly’s BBQ Sauce Recipe

½ cup Ketchup

¼ cup Cider Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

3 Shakes Worcestershire Sauce

1 Teaspoon Salt

Honey BBQ Sauce

Add ¼ cup of honey into the sauce

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1 Tablespoon Chipotle Powder

1 Tablespoon Sriracha Hot Sauce.

½ Teaspoon Cinnamon

Chocolate BBQ Sauce

3 oz Semi-sweet chocolate

Heat the BBQ Sauce base until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stir until melted and combined. We hope you enjoy these tasty and fun recipes for a gift or for you to enjoy!