43 Hours in Kentucky

Last year was a big one for us, since Cooper and I both turned 40, along with tons of our friends. This year, as it turns out,  has been nearly as big. Most recently, we helped our friend Jeff celebrate with a bang - a bourbon-tasting trip to Kentucky.

The crew included Jeff and his wife Christine, Alicia and Mike, Cooper and me and Kyle (Mary had to work, as did Bill).

Our tour guides very graciously took this photo for us.

As it turns out, Kentucky is a pretty easy trip from Baltimore. The flight from BWI to Louisville is just over an hour and, since it's a regular Southwest run, there are lots of choices and it's not very expensive.

After doing some research, Christine booked us at a cool bed and breakfast called Bourbon Manor, in Bardstown, a small town right in the thick of bourbon country. Mike,  Alicia, Jeff and Christine headed down on Thursday; Cooper and Kyle and I joined them Friday. And we all set off together on an epic adventure.

Friday: From Baltimore to Bardstown

Kyle & his bloody and Kyle with Cooper at the airport; Harrison-Smith pork rolls, Busch Light bottles
and live music at Old Talbott Tavern

Because I am a slightly crazy person when it comes to travel plans, Cooper and Kyle and I arrived at the airport on Friday with, oh, two hours to spare. We killed most of that time at Obrycki's, which really does have a nice house beer and a gorgeous bloody.

One short flight, plus a couple of Kyle's free Southwest drink coupons later, we landed in Kentucky, where Kyle picked up his hilariously red, enormous Ford F-150 rental and we got on the road.

Bardstown, where we were staying, is about 40 minutes from the airport, but we took a slight detour to Shelbyville, to stop by Walnut Grove Farm, where Kyle's uncle's lives.

It was our first time meeting his uncle and he was fantastic - funny and super welcoming. He hosts weddings on the farm and while we were there, he was getting ready for festivities taking place the next day. It's a gorgeous spot and so relaxing. (Especially relaxing during our visit, since he was plying us with beers.)

Back on the road, we made our way to Bourbon Manor, which was more charming than we could've guessed. Pretty, 19th century-inspired rooms, personable hosts, really, really good breakfasts - it had everything we could've asked for, including a bar, called The Bunghole, right on the premises. Also, ghosts. In Bardstown, everything is haunted.

For dinner, we headed into town, to Harrison-Smith House, where we had one of the best meals I've had all year. I feel like I say that a lot, but I mean it. The menu is short, focused and pig-heavy in a creative way. The drinks were solid, as was the wine list, and the sausage roll, which was kind of like a porky egg roll, was absolutely amazing.

Also, our waiter, Richard, was awesome. A total professional who read our table so well. Even with an average waiter, it would've been a memorable meal, but his excellent service pushed it over the top.

After dinner, we wandered over to the Old Talbott Tavern, where we were greeted by live music and $1.50 Busch Light bottles - a combination that Cooper finds hard to resist. We spent a couple hours dancing and drinking and generally having a blast, before going back to The Bunghole and closing it down with a few more drinks. If the weekend had ended right there, it still would've been a winner.

But it didn't.

Saturday: Bourbon and Beer

On Saturday morning, we were up and at 'em early...and some of us were moving a little slowly (Cooper). But we had things to do. Christine had hired a tour company, Kentucky Wine Tours, to take us on a tour of bourbon country.

Normally, one of our stops would've been Jim Beam, but as it turns out, the staff went on strike at midnight on Friday. So we didn't get to see that very big distillery, but we didn't miss it. Instead, we hit a couple other places: Maker's Mark, Limestone Branch, Heaven Hill (just for the gift shop) and Willett.

Our first stop was Maker's Mark, which is beautiful...and very busy. If you're going, try to get there just when it opens, otherwise, you risk waiting for a while for an open tour. (They run a lot of tours throughout the day...but they also get a lot of visitors.)

The grounds, the process, the barrels, the labels...plus the Chihuly ceiling and Cooper and Alicia enjoying some togetherness

Our tour guide at Maker's was young, but really good. He knew what he was talking about and he was funny and personable. It's a gorgeous place and though it's a big company, it didn't feel at all impersonal. We got to see the bourbon made and where it's packaged, labelled and dipped in wax. It's all right there.

The tour ended with a tasting and I have to be honest, bourbon at 10 am is rough when you're 40 and hungover. But you know what's not rough? The Dale Chihuly ceiling that leads into the Maker's gift shop. It's gorgeous.

Because it was Jeff's birthday, our tour guides gave him a gift: his own bottle of Maker's, which he got to dip in wax in the gift shop. It was pretty cool all around...though the part that was most entertaining for us was how totally unimpressed the wax-dipping lady looked by Jeff's antics.

Jeff, in a photo by Christine

After Maker's, our tour guides surprised us with a trip to Limestone Branch, which is the (legit) distillery that was on Moonshiners. While there, we tasted some really good moonshine (for real) and were given a tour by the most engaging, entertaining man ever. He was fantastic. So fun and so full of knowledge.

One of the things we learned is that a lot of the people who distill bourbon are related in one way or another. There are a whole lot of Beams down there and in many cases, the master distiller position at a company is passed down from father to son or daughter (mostly son). It's as much an art as it is a science to create bourbons that are both tasty and consistent and there's no replacing the value of apprenticing with your dad.

We also heard a lot more about the water quality than I was expecting. Comparing this trip to our whiskey adventures last summer in Ireland was interesting. Since there are strict laws regulating how bourbon is aged (new oak barrels, charred on the inside), there's more emphasis on the water and, in some places, the mash vs. the Irish emphasis on the barrel's history and the distilling process itself.

Limestone Branch is a small place, but full of great stories that go back for generations. If you have the chance, go there.

An old whiskey sign at Limestone Branch, view of their grounds, and an Ale 8 One with lunch

After Limestone Branch, we headed back to Maker's, for lunch at Toll Gate Cafe, a little spot on the Maker's campus that makes excellent sandwiches...and just so happens to be run by the brother of the owner of the Harrison-Smith House.

We then did a quick drive by Heaven Hill Distilling, which makes a couple big brands of bourbon, including Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. Our timing was off, so we didn't stay for a tour, but we did make the most of our time at their gift shop, which was more like a museum than a simple store.

As we drove between the distilleries, our guide, Gary, gave us some instruction on the finer points of the bourbon business. Pointing out the rickhouses - the places where the bourbon barrels are placed to age - he talked to us about construction and location and insurance.

That sounds boring, but it wasn't. The big structures, which are often painted black because they end up covered in black mold anyway, are built far from the distilleries themselves and far enough apart from one another that if there's a fire, they won't all go up in flames.

Because bourbon is so highly flammable, fires to happen, and they can very quickly take out a lot of product. And because of that, the aging bourbon is impossible to insure. So if you have a fire, you're stuck.

After Heaven Hill, we made our way to our final distillery of the day, Willett. This was a special request from Jeff, who loves the stuff and so does Kyle's dad. So, apparently, do a lot of bartenders.

The brand hasn't been around for a super long time, though the family behind it has been distilling for generations. And, as we discovered during our tour, given by a fun girl named Evelyn, the family has roots in Maryland. Though they've been in Kentucky for many generations, they were originally from Prince George's County.

Willett is cool overall, but the highlight is the still, which is a proprietary genie bottle shape
(which is also the shape of their bottles)

It was a fun tour and Cooper finally started to emerge from his hangover haze, just as Kyle started to slip into a bourbon-induced buzz that kept building for the rest of the night. It was...entertaining.

The tours were over and we were back at the B&B before 4...and then back off, having a drink at The Bunghole before heading to the Bardstown Craft Beer Fest. We walked from the inn - it wasn't too far - and strolled around town, ducking into a few shops before heading to the festival itself.

Once we got there, we were pleasantly surprised by a ton of craft beers, some not-so-craft beers (Carlsberg?), the Hogslop String Band, and a couple very good food trucks. Plus, a boatload of friendly people. AND there was square dancing at one point, which I did not participate in, but Mike, Alicia and Kyle did. Believe me when I say it was memorable. About 20 minutes too long, but memorable.

Tons of craft beers, Cooper at The Bunghole, the band, a kickass BBQ truck

While at the festival, we got to talking with a couple manning one of the food booths, a place selling chili. Turns out, the lady there is the mom of the people who own Toll Gate Cafe and Harrison Smith and she used to work at Limestone Branch and was the distiller behind some of our favorites there.

It's a small town.

But a really nice one.

After the festival, we headed back to the Old Talbott Inn for a couple more Busch Lights and a little more live music before finally throwing in the towel and calling for a cab to carry us back to the B&B. (One downside of Bardstown: no Uber.)

Sunday morning, we were up and out very early and we were back in Baltimore by 11. A quick trip, definitely, but one that was so much fun. I knew we'd have a good time - we always do - but I wasn't expecting to be so thoroughly charmed by the town, its people and its restaurants and bars.

I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Trendy Monday and More: Turketta at Mock Thanksgiving

Is any other holiday as beige as Thanksgiving? So unphotogenic...but so, so delicious.

Every Thanksgiving season, there seems to be a new turkey trend...because apparently regular old roast turkey isn't enough. We fry, we brine with crazy stuff, we smoke, we stuff with chickens and ducks.

Fortunately, with the rise of "Friendsgiving" as a legit holiday, we have an opportunity to be trendy the week before Thanksgiving, reserving the actual day to enjoy the exact menu our moms have been cooking for us since we were little. (Side note: at my house, Friendsgiving is called Mock Thanksgiving and we have been doing it since 2002. Because Cooper and I are thought leaders in the realm of fake holiday celebrations.)

This year, as far as I can tell, the big turkey trend is turketta - porchetta-spiced turkey. I've seen a bunch of recipes for versions of the dish. Since we love porchetta - and since I was desperate for a turkey idea earlier this week - we made a couple turkettas for dinner with our friends last night.

We used this Bon Appetit recipe...and it was awesome. Moist, tons of flavor, not that difficult to make. It was just complicated enough that I felt like a culinary rockstar when I finished prepping it...but not so hard that I couldn't actually do it. That is a sweet spot.

With the turketta, we had these gorgeous mashed potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, fennel and carrots, sauerkraut from Hex Ferments, and cranberries I bought pre-made from Eddie's. Alicia made pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream, the kids ate a bunch of mac and cheese and we drank a silly amount of wine for a Sunday night.

Mock Thanksgiving started as a small dinner, with just a couple friends, back when I was first learning how to cook. Over the past few years, it's evolved into a much bigger party.

This year, we felt the need to quiet it down a little. So, no big party, just a small dinner with a few friends + kids. The big parties are consistently fun and crazy and hilarious...but there's just nothing like a special dinner with a handful of close friends.

At our house, we are always, always so busy that it's very easy to focus more on what's worrying and stressing us vs. what makes us happy.  After dinner last night, we sat around the table, with all the dirty dishes still piled on it, listening to music and drinking wine and talking and laughing. So much laughing - from the adults and the kids. I can't think of a better way to kick off a season dedicated to gratitude.

Upcoming Eating

It's Halloween weekend, which means that I, along with most of America, am going to eat an unnatural number of tiny candy bars and then, for the next week, I'm going to find their little wrappers all over my house (courtesy of both Dixon and  Cooper).

But candy is not all I'll eat over the next few days - I also have a couple seriously amazing dinners lined up.

Today, I'm heading to Richmond, just for the night, where I will get to spend some QT with my new-ish niece, Virginia Catherine (she was born in July) - and where I will eat. Erin and Cail and I are going to a Fire, Flour and Fork dinner at Southbound tonight.

Fire, Flour and Fork is a multi-day food-oriented event that includes a bunch of lectures and tours, plus tons of collaborative dinners that bring together chefs from all over the place. The Southbound dinner, called Beardbound, includes four awesome chefs: Travis Grimes (the Exec Chef at Husk in Charleston), Justin Carlisle (the chef/owner of Ardent in Milwaukee, WI), Lee Gregory (owner of The Roosevelt in Richmond) and Joe Sparatta (owner of Heritage in Richmond). The Roosevelt and Heritage are two of Cail's favorite restaurants in Richmond and - overall - this dinner is sure to be incredible.

Speaking of collaborative efforts, one of my very favorite things about the Baltimore restaurant scene is how our chefs can't get enough of each other. I'm not sure if this happens in other cities, but the number of collaborative projects happening at all times in Baltimore makes me smile.

On Tuesday, we're going to the final Fork and Cork dinner. The series is a collaboration between Fleet Street Kitchen (where this one is held), Aggio and Wit + Wisdom. The chefs at all three (Chris Becker, Bryan Voltaggio and Zack Mills), along with their sommeliers (Tim Riley, Chris Coker and Julie Dalton) get together to put out serious meals, and serious pairings. We couldn't make the first two for logistical reasons and I am beyond excited to get to this one.

When chefs collaborate - whether they're from across the country or across the city - everybody really does win. In this case, I feel like I'm the biggest winner of all.

Big Weekend Tales

All the photos above were swiped from Alicia's Facebook. Clockwise, from the top left: Cooper, Alicia and Alicia's cute bag at 13.5%; Kyle, Mary and me right after Kyle pranked Mike, also at 13.5%; Toasting Bill (with tequila shots) at Holy Frijoles; Alicia and I enjoying some serious beer at De Kleine Duivel.

Bill turned 42 last Sunday, which doesn't seem like all that exciting of a birthday. Oh, but it can be.

Our little local group has been super busy lately - no busier than usual, probably, but as all of our kids get older, it does feel like our lives get more hectic. It used to feel like we spent at least three nights a week basking in the glow of one another, just standing around somebody's kitchen island, drinking beers, eating pizza from Toss and making funny jokes. Now...well, we still do that. But it doesn't seem as frequent.

Last weekend, though, we just crushed it. Friday night, we ordered sushi at Kyle and Mary's, sat around, drank wine and made ourselves laugh so hard I am sure someone wet their pants.

Saturday, we organized some babysitting and went out to celebrate. First, Holy Frijoles, where Alicia's brother is a manager and the chili is just gorgeous. Then, De Kleine Duivel, where I was approximately 6,000% less cool than the average customer...but I loved my sour beer. (I asked for the least sour sour beer, as I know that will be my favorite, and the Liefmans was exactly what I wanted.) We ended the night sitting in the front window at 13.5%, where we drank some wine (Spanish) and some cocktails (gin-y) and I got to check out the scene in Defie Mois, the new late night basement space. I just rolled down for a quick second and we didn't eat, but it was cool. Also, Kyle tied Mike's shoelaces together while we were all sitting at the table. Apparently that is a joke that transcends age.

Finally, on Sunday, everybody came over to our house for meatball sandwiches (with very nice meatballs from Ceriello...in part because I didn't know that Mastellone's closes at 2 p.m. and we arrived at 2:06!). They were delicious - but not as delicious as the pretzel and ice cream cake Missy made for Bill. It was his actual birthday on Sunday and I feel confident saying that it was a good one. He watched his kids play soccer then ate meatballs and ice cream cake, which is totally his favorite, then closed out the night with red wine and a fire on our patio. Gorgeous, all around. The night, the fire and the whole weekend. We get so busy...but we do have a good time.

Hope Springing Eternal

A couple years after moving into our house, we looked out the window above our kitchen sink and realized that, lo and behold, we had a fig tree! It was tucked in the side yard which, at the time, was a big, overgrown mess. I'm not sure the people who lived here before us ever even ventured over there.

Once we realized it was there, we also realized just how many figs one tree can generate. A lot. A lot of figs. All of which ripen within about two weeks.

Then, two years ago, during that first awful winter, the tree died. We were sad and we thought it was gone forever. But no! The next spring, from the middle of the dead branches, new green shoots sprung up. We were thrilled...but we didn't get any actual figs. The tree had some green fruit, but nothing ever ripened.

Last winter rolled around and the tree died again. This time, we thought it was truly over for good. But, once again in the spring, a new tree grew, quickly overtaking the dead branches of the year before.

The tree, which usually produced fruit in late September, once again had lots of little green figs. But given last year's experience, I had low expectations. So imagine my surprise yesterday, when I went out to the tree to replace the old, broken cafe lights with new ones that work, and I discovered a handful of pretty, purple, perfectly ripe figs!

It was just a couple - and all of them came from the sunniest side of the tree. Who knows if any of the rest will ripen (probably not, since this weekend was also our first frost). But what a good reminder that every year, nature refreshes itself, and that hope springs eternal.

Lake Trout

And not the kind you get in Baltimore strip malls, either.

When we arrived at the Keuka Lake house last Thursday night, Alicia had a
great dinner planned. The centerpiece? A gorgeous trout
Alicia's dad caught right in the lake:

He'd caught it the week before, cleaned it and stuck it in the freezer.

The fish did take about a million years to defrost,

but once it did, it was gorgeous.

Alicia stuffed it with onions and lemons, rubbed it in olive oil, and seasoned it

with salt and pepper before grilling. Simple and pretty much perfect.

Also on the menu: salad with Samos dressing, grilled baby eggplants picked

from the lake house garden, grilled flank steak (yes, surf and turf) and

mac and cheese made with tomatoes and bacon: 

A good solid night-before-we-go-wine-tasting dinner.

But more on that later.

[Note: In case you're wondering, yes, I did forget my camera last weekend. 

So all the pics were taken with my phone. And they are all awful and blurry.]

Cool Right Now

Is there any better time of year than October? Today in my backyard, it's gloriously sunny, just chilly enough for a jacket, and the leaves are starting to turn. Perfect.

With the change in the weather comes in a change in what we eat and drink - and it's always a welcome change. As much as I love late summer tomatoes and corn and crabs, there's a lot to be said for a hearty winter stew.

And a brisk autumn cocktail, bolstered by a slice of ripe cheese. That's what I have on my mind this morning. Maybe a cocktail made with a boozy scoop of Bathtub Gin jam (via Garden and Gun). Though it might not be ideal for your kid's PB&J, the jams sound like a perfect match for drinks and snacks. (And I don't know, maybe it is a good match for peanut butter.)

Also filed under, why didn't I think of this: Roasted grapes. All of a sudden, I'm reading about them everywhere. They sound like a perfect, and perfectly pretty, addition to a fall cheese plate. They seem easy to make, too (I like this recipe from The Kitchn - and I would definitely experiment with savory herbs, as they suggest).

I am ready - right now - for a mid-afternoon fire + snacks + drinks on the patio.

Too bad it's Monday morning at 11...

Back to School Cocktail Roundup

And I'm not talking about back to college, either.

Today is "sneak a peek at your seat" day at Stoneleigh Elementary, where Dixon will be starting kindergarten. (Next week! I'm half "how did this happen?" and half "how is he ONLY in kindergarten?")

We've had a fantastic summer, full of parties and vacations, but around here, everybody's ready for fall. Cooler weather, for one thing, but also a return to a normal schedule.

So in honor of the start of the school year, here are a few happy hour treats:

• Scroll down to the comments in this Suburban Kamikaze post. I especially like the "Smoking in the Girls' Room." So retro.
• This Seattle Magazine article starts off with a notice that these drinks are not for kids! While I hope that would be obvious, I do like the sound of the Air Mail - rum, lime juice, honey and sparkling wine. Bubbly and boozy is a good combination.
• The Party Bluprints blog stays traditional with green apple martinis (and candy apple cupcakes).
• Mix That Drink goes all soda-and-candy on their cocktails. Note: These are intended more for college kids than desperate housewives, but when it comes down to it, what's the difference, really?
• This Girl Walks into a Bar goes straight for the Oreos with a chocolate creme cocktail. This would be dangerous in our house. Not because I would like it (it sounds a little sweet for me) but because Dixon would almost definitely try to drink it.
• I love all of American Drink's options. Especially Sippy's Surprise. I'm sure that's why I've held on to Dixon's old sippy cups.

However you celebrate, enjoy this most wonderful time of the year!

Easy Autumn Recipe: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Once upon a time, this was a food blog. The kind that involved pictures and recipes - even recipes I developed on my own. At some point over the past six years, M&G turned into something else, but thanks to this recent cold snap, I'm back on a making-up-my-own-recipes kick. And you reap the rewards.

CHICKEN POT PIE
(serves 4, total time about 1 hour, active time about 30ish minutes)

Ingredients
3 carrots, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
4 small stalks of celery, chopped
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, diced (not super fine)
7 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken stock
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups rotisserie chicken, cubed into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
1 egg
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Start by gathering the ingredients and getting all that chopping out of the way. You can start with the veg, then move on to the chicken and marjoram while you've got the first batch of stuff cooking. Plus, the vegetables and potatoes look pretty:

Festive fall colors! Kind of tablescape-inspirationy, no?

3. Pull the puff pastry out of the freezer and set it aside to defrost.

4. Steps 4 and 5 happen pretty much at the same time, so get ready. In one large pot - a stock pot or dutch oven - melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender - somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 minutes.

And the house smells like France!

5. At the same time, bring the chicken stock and potatoes to a boil over high heat. Turn down to a moderate boil - nothing frothy - and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

6. While everything's cooking, chop the chicken and marjoram. Don't forget to stir your pots occasionally and check on tenderness.

7. Once all the vegetables are tender, stir the flour into the carrot/onion pot, slowly. It'll be sticky. Then (also slowly), add the chicken stock, followed by the potatoes, stirring all the way. The result will be very thick and very sticky.

8. Add the chicken, cream, frozen peas and season with salt and pepper, combining thoroughly. At this point, the consistency should be gooey, so if it's too dry, add a bit of water. I added about 2/3 of a cup and this is what it looked like:

Yes, it's kind of ugly.

9.  Scoop the mixture into a pan that's roughly 9x13 (mine is a little smaller and a tiny bit deeper than the traditional):

Starting to look better now, though, right?

10. Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry just a bit, so it will overhang your pan on each side by about 1/2-inch. Carefully lay the pastry over the mixture and press around the edges to create a seal.

11. Cut a few slits in the top of the pastry to let steam escape, then brush with an egg wash so it'll turn golden brown in the oven.

12. Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on the pie - if the edges start turning brown, but the center still looks pale, cover the edges with foil and keep cooking.

13. Then, enjoy:

Gooey. Crispy.

Also, messy. But delicious.

October Kick-Off Meals

It's October and the weather has finally - FINALLY - shifted into fall mode. It was too rainy this weekend to have a decent outdoor fire (we tried, but it wasn't that successful). It wasn't too rainy, though, for a whole lot of fall food.

Starting with a creamy butternut squash soup, served on Saturday with sauteed apples and grated smoked cheddar, then again on Sunday with chopped chives:

Prettiest soup color ever.

On Saturday, the soup was accompanied by salad and sandwiches made with rotisserie chicken, havarti and my very own approximation of The Cheese Shop's famous house dressing. Everyone who went to William & Mary knows what I'm talking about when I say that house is the most delicious condiment ever. It's recipe is a closely guarded secret, but using suggestions from this blog post, I created a mixture of Duke's mayonnaise, Kosciusko spicy mustard and steak sauce with a Worcestershire base. Next time, I might use Maille mustard instead because I feel like real cheese sauce has more visible mustard seeds.

Even so, it tasted right, and that's what's important. I played with the amounts quite a bit, but I think in the end I probably used 4 parts mayonnaise, 1 part mustard and 1 part steak sauce. The result looks boring in a photo, but believe me when I say it's anything but boring in the mouth:

Add bread, rotisserie chicken and cheese and you will be in heaven.

We finished off dinner with an apple crisp, courtesy of Kyle, and warm spiced cider with Captain Morgan's, thanks to our friends Jen and Mark. The house smelled amazing and everyone was in a fantastic mood because fall is finally here.

Mary and Dixon were in especially high spirits, since they spent the whole night building the LEGO police station Mary and Kyle gave Dixon for his birthday. It's a masterpiece. That took hours.

True love. Especially since Mary did all the heavy lifting on this particular build.

Yesterday I made use some of the leftover chicken to make a chicken pot pie. Recipe to follow - I made this one up myself...and it was good:

Gooey. Comforting. Completely unhealthy.

It's still cold in our house this morning, though I hear it'll be back up in the seventies tomorrow. In the meantime, though, it's warm fall drinks and comfort food for the Pollard clan.

The Colors & Flavors of Fall

Dark tablecloths, twice-baked potatoes...and my new Missoni vase. It's super cool.

And Now It's Fall

This makes me happy. I should note, too, that a lower rent version of this made me happy for most of college. It's tough to go wrong with bourbon and ginger.

No, let me rephrase that. It's easy for things to go wrong when bourbon and ginger is involved. But it still tastes good.

[Hugh Acheson's bourbon and spicy ginger soda from Garden & Gun.]