Woman (and man and teen) vs Food: A Richmond Day Trip

Just a reminder that I am competing to be the Next Food Blog Star in Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog. You can check our some amazing posts from over 1800 contestants for Challenge #1: Ready Set Blog! And don't stand on the sidelines- you can be part of the Foodbuzz community even if you are not a blogger-lots of foodies do! And check back on September 20 when voting begins. If you check our my challenge post, leave me a comment- I love to hear what you have to say!!

As a blogger and a person generally interested in food, a good percentage of my TV time is spent watching food-related shows - Top Chef, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Anthony Bourdain, and even Gordon Ramsey's latest, Master Chef. It is especially exciting when a show features a restaurant or cook nearby, and that happened a couple of months ago when Man vs. Food did a feature on Richmond, VA. Several restaurants were featured in this episode but the one that really appealed to me was the feature on the "battleship" sandwiches at the Black Sheep, so when my work required me to take a day trip to Richmond, I took my husband and daughter Molly for a mini-adventure, culinary and otherwise.

The drive was pretty uneventful and we got to the Patrick Henry Building in plenty of time for me to make my meeting. The plan was for Gavin and Molly to wander around the recently renovated state Capitol building until my work was done and then we would head to the Black Sheep for lunch. I didn't know till I looked at the pictures that apparently there was a lot to see, even though my meeting was only an hour-ish long. You can see that Molly had a great time exploring(She took all the scenery pictures in this post-good,huh?)

Once I was done, we headed down near to Virginia Commonwealth University to find the Black Sheep. Once we located the small storefront, we had to circle a couple of times to find a parking space, and even though we were there before noon, we had about a 10-minute wait. Even though the restaurant was filling up, the staff was friendly and welcoming, getting us seated and giving us our menus. She also brought us our iced tea right away (it was extremely hot outside) and returned with a pitcher when she heard my husband was diabetic. We already had checked out the menu online and had a good idea what we would order. My husband and I were determined to try one of the fabled "battleship" sandwiches. I knew I would order the Virginia because I had seen this one on Man vs. Food and I am a big fan of chicken livers (I know some of you will be saying "Yuck!"), Gavin wanted to get the SS Sultana, but they were out of the lamb gyro meat, so he decided on a whole SS Congress filled with, what else but pork!! Since he had promised to take some home for Bridget who could not come, he ordered a whole battleship. Molly, who can be a fussy eater, ordered the Cuban Reuben. We enjoyed the decor, looking around at the eclectic variety of art, memorabilia, and knick knacks that adorned the brick walls (Molly particularly liked this guy, above).

When our food came we were blown away. Even though Gavin was having half of his battleship wrapped for Bridget, they insist on presenting it to you whole first. You can see the effect!!
The SS Congress is piled high with honey & chipotle roasted pork shoulder topped with a tomatillo barbeque sauce, grilled pineapple & mexican style pickled cabbage salad. The combination was traditional enough to please a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but with unique flavors that really pulled the different ingredients together.

My SS Virginia featured an unusual combination of fried chicken livers loaded into a toasted french baguette with shredded cabbage, green onions, granny smith apple & remoulade sauce.It is also offered with chicken for the less adventurous. I wasn't sure about the fried liver and apple combination, but it really worked- this was one of the best sandwiches I had ever had!

Molly's Cuban Reuben was served on a ciabatta roll with thinly sliced pastrami cured roasted pork loin, chorizo sausage, pink saurkraut, swiss, pickles and a special house sauce, pressed in the style of Cuban sandwiches. Even though this was a regular sandwich, it was piled with ingredients and Molly ate half and decided to take half home.

The staff at Black Sheep was very friendly and solicitous, making our lunch more like a meal with friends than a restaurant meal. Black Sheep has an extensive menu (I want to go back for their breakfast roast duck hash or green eggs and ham!) While it takes awhile to find, this little place is well worth the trouble!

Fabulous Food Destinations in the Outer Banks

When we planned for fun in the sun in the Outer Banks, while we planned dinners, we left some days free to give us some flexibility to go out or get takeout, or whatever struck our fancy. While the Corolla area is full of the typical sub shops, pizza joints and barbecue stands, we found several culinary jewels during our stay. Our first night, since it was breezy and cooler we went to Steamers to Go and got one of our favorites- their clam chowder, which they sell by the quart. It is a little pricey, but delicious and combined with some mahi mahi en papillote, it made a great dinner on the screened porch! Steamers has all kinds of seafood, and other great pre-made foods meant to make your stay at the beach easier, even if you are the cook!

During our two week stay we had pizza twice trying both the recommended Tomato Patch and Corolla Pizza, a place with local flavor in a little strip mall north of the Currituck Lighthouse. Tomato Patch is popular since it is a family-friendly sit down restaurant as well as pizza take out. Since our children are grown, we care primarily about the pizza. The Tomato Patch makes good pizza, but I have to say that the pizza at Corolla Pizza was my favorite of the two. The shop itself reminds me of our own neighborhood pizzeria where you can watch the dough being tossed. The crust was just the right thickness to please my thin-crust loving husband, with a crisp bottom and freshly-made taste. The sauce was not too sweet or acidic and the toppings were fresh and delicious. As a bonus, they had Mexican Coke, which I had read has real sugar like the Coke of my childhood, so I got two for the girls to try.

Before we left to go on vacation, I had seen something on Food Network about Tullio's Bakery in Duck, and we definitely put it on our list of places to try while we were there. We were not disappointed. Tullio's is a dieter's nightmare- the cases were full of all manner of treats. Cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, cupcakes, muffins, scones and desserts that were so tempting. We got a dozen assorted goodies for breakfast one morning and by noon, there was only an empty box (and the added pounds) to remind us of our stop there. Tullio's also offers half a dozen assorted bagels at a very reasonable reduced price and the bagels are amazing! So what if we had to do a few more laps in the pool? Tullio's was totally worth it! (Actually, writing this post has made me want to make the drive back down just to go there and try more of their breads and desserts!)

Next post- an elegant meal out in the Outer Banks

Travelling to Heaven in the OBX

To get to A Perfect Escape, required planning, shopping packing, and of course, driving. Since we were staying for two weeks at the beach, and since for part of that time we were having lots of people and some with special dietary likes and dislikes, we did a lot of planning for meals. We wanted to have good food,but not include things that took a great deal of preparation, after all, it is a vacation! We decided to take two cars to avoid using our luggage carrier, packed up (always an ordeal), gassed up and hit the road.

We left really early to try to get ahead of traffic- a strategy that has served us well. Since check-in time is usually 4 o'clock, the later you wait in the day the longer your wait to get to your destination, and we couldn't wait to start our stay. If you are headed to a destination like the Outer Banks, even if you can't check in, it is best to be there before noon. You can always kill time at shops, and many rental companies will allow you to park your car at the home and go to the beach even before check in. Or follow our lead and negotiate an early check-in to beat the rush.

Between our house and the OBX are two required stops, both related to food. The first is a store my husband calls the world's best store - The Border Station- a combination restaurant-convenience store-souvenir shop that straddles the state line between Virginia and North Carolina. For years we thought he was exaggerating and we would sit in the car, until once, seeking a restroom the girls and I went inside, and what a surprise! They had a little restaurant making fresh foods all day long, beach and North Carolina goods including some made locally made goods. And this is where we found the "world's greatest fries". You know those fries you had as a kid- crispy on the outside and tender on the inside? These are the Border Station's fries- a real trip down memory lane. You can see on the left, Bridget preparing to enter Nirvana, and to the right the reason for our excitement (and weight gain!) If you get a chance try these fries, and from the looks of the lines they make an awesome homestyle breakfast as well!

Our second food-related stop was a bit healthier. One of my favorite parts of the trip to Corolla is passing the many fruit and vegetable stands that crop up during prime season.

There are several some small and some larger, advertising watermelons, peaches and corn all along the way, but our favorite is the Morris Farm Market is a huge market with all manner of produce, freshly made bread and baked goods, fruit ciders, and condiments. Morris is very busy on the weekends, with travelers stocking up for their beach stay and those coming back trying to take the tastes o the beach with them. Since they also have the cleanest restrooms, they are a popular stop, but well worth braving the crowds.

The best way to cap a great road trip was getting to a fabulous destination. We arrived at our Perfect Escape, and settled in, unpacking and getting organized for the week and then explored the beach to get started on a vacation to remember!!!

A More Perfect "Perfect Escape"- Part 1

Family vacation. Those two words can strike fear in the hearts of many, but in the Dowd household, it is something we look forward to and plan for all year long. For many years before I began working at Jefferson Lab I never had paid vacation and when my children were young,when there was time there was no money, and when there was money there was no time. So now, vacation is an almost sacred time for our family. And while we love the mountains, vacation for us means the beach at the Outer Banks. This year was particularly special since,for the first time, we were taking 2 weeks !!! We were saving, and planning and comparing and negotiating from January to find a house that would provide a view of the ocean,and a pool,and were thrilled when we found out that the house we had rented last year in the Whalehead section of Corolla, A Perfect Escape, was available. We enjoyed the house so much last year we had reserved it for 2010 and were disappointed when we were told that it would no longer be part of the rental program. After three trips to scout other homes in the Outer Banks, we found out that it was again available through Sun Realty, and we jumped at the chance to stay there again. The house is situated just steps from the beach, has great views and plenty of room, and a great pool and hot tub- a perfect get-away whether you love walking the beach, swimming laps, or just soaking up the sun on the beach.

Planning is an important part of a successful vacation and for us that means making arrangements for our two dogs, making lists of what we want to take and planning menus. I ordered special shirts from Queensboro with the Dowd Beach Week logo. We actually started our countdown at about 145 days out, with Molly writing the number of days to the beach each day on the chalkboard in our kitchen. Since we knew we would have a large crowd the first week with extended family, we needed to plan meals that would be easy enough that I would still have a vacation, but still fun and festive and taking full advantage of the the local produce and seafood. Our meals had to appeal to a variety of eaters, some adventurous, some meat and potatoes, some gourmet. We had decided to carry some meats, cheeses and condiments that we thought we would have trouble getting or that might be more expensive in the Outer Banks. We carried our panini maker, which was a great hit last year, our own coffee grinder, and a couple of our own good knives since even the best rentals often have knives that are past their prime. I printed out new recipes I wanted to try, and carried along a couple of tablespoons each of baking soda and powder in case I decided to bake. We decided to take two cars in order to carry everything we needed, and packed the cars the night before. as a real treat,since we were going to be leaving on Memorial Day weekend and our rental was not occupied the week before, we were able to negotiate a price on an extra day to arrive on Friday instead of Saturday so that we could get settled and unpacked before the rest of the crew arrived.

Two weeks is a lot of time and a lot of family, fun and food I want to share, so this is the first of several posts that will take you through our perfect escape.

Summer Vacations - A Retrospective and Advice

As we head toward Memorial Day and summer and are planning for a vacation in a tough economy, I realized I had not shared the fun and food from last year's Dowd Beach Week, and I definitely wanted to do that. But I decided that I wanted to do it in a way that would help readers get the most out of their vacation dollars. So here is my advice for a great vacation:

1) Take you time and find the right place - The Outer Banks of North Carolina are within a 3-hour drive of our home and since everyone in our family loves the beach, it is a logical place for a vacation. If your family is more a mountain climbing, or hiking, or kayaking, that is fine too, just pick a place and then enlist the experts. Our family makes choosing a place a big deal, after all, we really only do one vacation a year and so we want to get the most for our money. For a large group, renting a house is a much better deal than a hotel, it gives you room to spread out and you can prepare many of your meals in, which saves a great deal of money. We request catalogs from several different rental companies, look at houses in the areas and with the features we want in our price range, and narrow the list down. If you are close enough, take a page from our book. We plan a day trip to look at the houses in person since often the photos in the catalog or online may not give you the full picture of the good or bad points of a house. It is also a great time to scout out the nearest supermarket, where a movie rental is or how far it is to the beach.

2) Don't be afraid to bargain - While some people work only with one realty company year after year, we always shop around looking for the best deal for us. We have worked with Resortquest (now part of Brindley), Brindley Beach, Kitty Hawk Rentals and Elan, and the last two years we have worked with Sun Realty, one of the oldest rental companies with properties in the Outer Banks. Choose some homes you like and then establish a relationship with a rental agent to see if the owner might be willing to make a deal. Most owners (and rental companies) would rather rent at a discount than have their homes set empty. Many realty companies, including Sun, have early and late season weeks that they offer at a discount, so that is a good place to start.

3) Make a list and Prepare - We have several "beach nights" to prepare and plan. We start with the list of lists (Food/Menus, Room Assignments and who is arriving when, things to pack, things to be done before we leave, etc), then we fill them out. Planning meals is one of the most fun parts- we discuss what we had the year before,what worked, what people loved and what went begging. I don't try to do real gourmet since it is my vacation too, focusing instead on the fresh produce and simple foods that are light enough for the dog days of summer.

All this led up to an amazing week for us last year in Whalehead, where the houses are set on larger lots, providing privacy. Our home was aptly named A Perfect Escape, and no wonder- decks faced the ocean with nearly unobstructed views, a large pool beckoned, ample parking allowed our family and friends to all gather and the house itself was decorated and outfitted for relaxation and fun. The breezes off the ocean and the sight and sound of the surf were visible from almost everywhere and the beach access was a mere 200 feet away from our door! The house was prepared, the linens were waiting, and we were lucky to be able to check in early so we had time to settle in before extended family and friends began to arrive. The people at Sun were very helpful, the house was well-equipped, and they even checked our pool and hot tub midweek.

As a surprise and to commemorate our family being together for vacation, I wanted to have t-shirts made, but by chance I got a random email from the Queensboro Shirt Company
and found that I could, for nearly the same price, have polos embroidered with a design of my choice. They were so easy to work with, and for new customers, the embroidery set-up is free!
Everyone was surprised and delighted with the shirts, which were high quality, soft and well-made... and were perfect fora family photo!

My advice for a summer vacation-take one! Even if money is tight, there are ways to cut costs, but still make the wonderful family memories that come with being away from the day-to day responsibilities and a change of scene.



Next....Beach food

Going backwards- Model shoot # 1 in DC

Freelance work and a reorg that gave me more responsibility at work has made my life really hectic, and I am trying to catch up and catch all of you up on the family and food events that have been going on. I just posted about a great food and family experience as we took Bridget to an editorial model shoot at PR at Partners in DC, but this was actually the second model shoot for the Dowd girls in just over a month, and since both involved food, I think I should bring you up to date on Molly's model shoot (her before shot with her brother, left) and our food experiences in Shirlington, near DC.

We drove up to DC a little over a month ago , because my son Gavin wanted to use his younger sister Molly for a photo shoot. He is a stylist in training at the PR@Partners at Metro Center and this was a contest for new stylists. We drove to Shirlington, where he lives and had to go shopping for a dress and shoes(a whole other story) before we could get dinner, but finally we were done and since everyone was a bit exhausted, we decided to get food in Shirlington, which is a lovely community with tons of restaurants of all descriptions in walking distance. My son, who has great food as well as fashion taste suggested that we get take-out from T.H.A.I. Shirlington restaurant so we could relax at his place and eat since we were going to have a big day the next day.

We ordered based on my son's recommendations, pad thai, drunken noodles, and beef kapow delight , a spicy dish for my husband. It was a quick walk to T.H.A.I., which looked very posh and warm (I definitely would love to go and eat in when we have more time!), and the smells emanating from our bag made us nearly sprint back to the apartment. I wish I had pictures of the food, but it went so quickly! We each had a little taste of everything, and the food was amazing. I am a pad thai addict, and T.H.A.I.'s were just the right mix of savory, spicy, with just a touch of acid. The drunken noodles were a new dish to me though it was one of my daughter Bridget's favorites, and we were all fighting for the last delicious bites. The beef dish was a hot and spicy counterpoint, and the beef was tender- just what my husband was hoping for. T.H.A.I. Shirlington takes take out to a new level, and thai is a great alternative to Chinese take-out!

The next day we hit the Shirlington Best Buns. What a treat! The smells alone made me gain weight. My husband and I got a coffee and one of their amazing pastries and picked a variety of scones, muffins and breads to take back to the sleepyheads still struggling to wake up. After some of the best breakfast breads and pastries I have had, we each went our ways- Gavin and Bridget went sightseeing and shopping while Young Gavin, Molly and I headed to Tenleytown for Molly to be colored, styled, made up and finally photographed. It was an amazing transformation from a 14 year old whose clothing of choice are any flannel pj pants to a cover worthy model.

Here comes the Sun!!! Countdown to the Beach!!

After driving to Corolla three times, talking with four different realty companies and taking about 50 pictures and even video on my husband's new Flip video camera, we are quickly approaching our days in the sun (a pun, since the house we finally selected is managed by Sun Realty, an established firm in the Outer Banks that both rents and sells homes. This will be our first stay both with Sun Realty, and in Whalehead, a community in Corolla, so I will keep you posted about all the food, fun, friends and family that we can cram into our beach week!

If you are interested in vacationing in the Outer Banks (or likely almost any resort area), my advice is to check out reviews or references by others who have rented, and to talk to more than one rental company. The economy has resulted in fewer leases and owners would rather fill their house at a discounted rate rather than having it set empty. In fact some companies are even offering partial week rentals, something virtually unheard of during the "in" or peak season. Also if you live near the area of your rental, select a few you are interested in looking at and take a day to go down and see the property firsthand. Pictures often don't convey either the plusses or minuses of a house accurately. In our case we turned down a great rental deal right across the street from ocean access because there was a house built right in front, completely blocking the view! The house we went with is positioned on its lot to offer a great view from the decks and a straight shot to the beach- a winner for us!

I am feverishly making menus, planning what we have to carry, and what we want to get there... in addition to my regular job and writing a major proposal, so if you have any great suggestions for "beach food" (or drinks) that is simple and delicious, send them quick!

At the beach... Seafood and More!

It seems like forever since we were enjoying our luxury vacation for Molly and Bridget's birthday, but it has only been a month. Food is central to our family, and so planning the food for our beach getaway was as important as who was invited and what we would do. Vacation meal planning takes a little extra work since whether you vacation in resort areas or in the wilds, often ethnic ingredients, exotic spices, fresh herbs and produce, and meat or seafood can be hard to find or expensive and you may not want to duplicate certain staples like spices, olive oil, etc. that you already have at home.

Even if you don't usually make a list, if you are planning for food on a trip, this is a time when you should do so. I start with menus for each meal, deciding what we will have each day,but also incorporating some additional choices like cereals and bagels for breakfast and sandwich fixin's for lunch in case we just don't feel like cooking. This helps me organize my shopping list and deciding what to take and what to buy at our destination. Meat and seafood that I know will be priced at a premium I plan to take with me, buying flash-frozen e-z peel shrimp, sea scallops, beef tenderloin, sashimi-grade tuna and specialty meats like prosciutto. I have a vacuum sealer that makes it easy to prep these items for transport in my cooler. (Tip: I always keep several water bottles in my freezer for use at the bottom of my cooler. I use them to provide a basis for my other frozen goods in the cooler, and when you get where you are going, you have icy cold water to drink!) Go through your menu and note what you will need to prepare each dish and whether ingredients might be available to buy where you are (chicken, steaks, ground beef, ribs,etc.), what spices and condiments will you need, and make decisions to take or buy based both on availability and on space available in your vehicle

For this trip we knew that we wanted to do a "seafood feast" for our Saturday dinner. Bridget's boss, Chad Martin at Create Bistro helped us procure some great sea scallops (seared scallops based on Chad's recipe has become Bridget's signature dish), seaweed salad , several loaves of fresh bread and some northern Blue Point oysters . Katie's friend wanted to make tostones,or fried plantains, and I had a special request from my Florida daughter, Colleen, to make the hot beans- a recipe I posted here early on and one that Epicurious Editor Tanya Steele actually tried. Because we knew there would be a lot of cooking (and a lot of people) on Saturday, we chose to do frozen lasagna (Horrors!), salad and bread for our first night to allow us time to arrive, get settled, and then actually have some fun! This turned out to be a great strategy, since that was the only sunny (meaning not raining with gale-force winds!) day of our stay.

Molly and Kate had selected a luau theme (family and friends eating, right) for the birthday dinner so while food prep went on in the kitchen, Molly decorated with leis and shells , and latecomer guests still arriving in the midst of a nor'easter. The kitchen the next day reminded me a bit of the famous scene in The Big Chill, only with cooking instead of cleaning up- lots of music, noise, laughter, and lots of dirty pots and pans! The result was indeed a feast. And the bonus for me, Colleen organized the non-cookers into a KP cleanup party that would put the most hardened drill sergeant to shame, cleaning the counters, loading the two dishwashers, and in no time we were all playing spoons and shooting pool.

It was hard to pick a star from this meal- the Blue Point oysters had a tasty salinity that really added to the seaside atmosphere. Chad had given us some seaweed to shock (just like blanching) and to use to plate the oysters with(see left). The seaweed had these little pockets along the stem that held a salty liquid that could be squeezed onto the steamed oysters, making it both pretty and delicious. Bridget's seared scallops with a butter, shallot sauce were truly outstanding, and the hot beans were a big hit since we had not had them in awhile.

As usual, the occasion was made even more special by delicious food prepared with care and love in a fun (crazy!) environment for a birthday and a meal that we won't forget for a longtime to come!

Twice Fried Beans (first posted December 28,2008)
(Serves 6 as part of a Chinese meal or 2 Dowds)

1 1/2 lbs of fresh green beans with ends removed
1 lb reduced fat or lean bulk sausage
1/2 cup brown bean paste
1 tbsp sugar
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp chili and garlic paste (add this a quarter tsp at a time till you get to the spiciness you want)

3 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Heat oil until a cube of bread browns easily, but doesn't burn. In several batches, fry beans until skins blister, but don't let them brown. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels. Meanwhile brown the sausage in a pan, breaking up the meat, until all pink is gone. Add brown bean paste, sugar , lime juice and chili paste to taste (my family likes hot, but you may not want yours quite so hot). Once sauce is the way you like it, stir in the beans and keep hot until serving.

Bridget's "Create Counterfeit" Seared Scallops

A simple yet impressive company dish. As with all seafood, start fresh and be careful not to over cook.

2-3 sea scallops per serving
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tbsp butter

Prepare your scallops by patting dry and if it hasn't already been removed (most seafood markets already do this), remove the little muscle that attached the scallop to its shell -it looks almost like a little tab, and will get tough during cooking. Sprinkle both sides lightly with coarse-ground salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat butter in pan till melted and set the scallops in the pan to sear for about 2 1/2 minutes per side, and remove to a serving plate. Like all seafood, be very careful not to overcook. Serve with Tarragon-Butter Sauce.

Tarragon-Butter Sauce
Makes enough sauce for eight servings of scallops

1 stick butter
5-6 shallots finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2-3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
1 small squeeze of fresh lemon

Melt butter in saucepan and add shallots, cooking until they are transparent. Add white wine and tarragon, whisking until incorporated. Before serving, add a squeeze of lemon and stir. Serve over seared scallops.

Sshh... its a secret!

I'm telling you all a secret... I haven't had much time to blog because we are preparing another birthday beach surprise, this time for Molly and Katie who share the same birthday, April 3, just 15 years apart! We have been conspiring for about a month, and while Katie is in on the surprise (we so have one up our sleeve for her), Molly has no idea. I am working on menus, trying to pack without arousing suspicion, arrange for the dogs to go to the kennel, find a temporary caregiver for our hermit crabs (the result of our last beach birthday!), clean coolers, clean the house (I can't stand coming home to a dirty house!)....

We are so excited, we are staying at a gorgeous oceanfront home managed by Elan Vacations, and we are expecting all of our family, my husband's brother and his wife and assorted friends to join us at what to us is a mansion!

What am I looking forward to? Good fun, good food, family and friends, and relaxation, a change of scene. I'll try to remember to take pictures, especially of the food, and I'll share. And until tomorrow night when the surprise is sprung, for all of you.... mum's the word!

Beach Birthday Part 2- Family, food and fun!

What can you do with your family at the beach in January? Well, first and foremost, you can wake up every day with a view like this. Can you imagine anything more relaxing? Even though it was cold, Gavin and I braved the beach each morning, walking for miles without seeing anyone. It was like having your own private beach resort. Our rental house, besides being beautiful (see for yourself, right), was incredibly well-equipped (I can't say enough about Kitty Hawk Rentals, they were incredible).

Once we were settled in, and had gotten some lunch at the Beach Road Grill, which was right next door, it was time to explore. There were plenty of bedrooms so that everyone could spread out. The first floor had a hot tub(there will be no hot tub pictures posted here, though we really enjoyed it!) and a rec room with both a foosball and ping pong table. The kids started a foosball tournament while I put food away, and started birthday dinner. Gavin's brother and his wife (who gave us the referral for Kitty Hawk Rentals) joined us and we began by making a batch of sangria (a favorite of adult Dowds) while Gavin (still a bit shell-shocked from finding out he was in for four days at the beach instead of just a meal!) and his brother John headed out on the deck to talk politics.

Gavin has been on a Mexican food kick since we began eating at La Cocina del Sol in Crozet (this had been so much of a joke that Colleen got him a sombrero and pinata as a Christmas gift!), and so I searched for something new to make with a Mexican twist. I selected a delicious stew that I adapted from a recipe I found on Food Network that was served over a bed of mashed chipotle sweet potatoes. Molly made one of her famous salads, and in lieu of traditional birthday cake, I made one of the birthday boy's favorites, Boston Cream Pie (Bridget, Molly and Colleen with Dad).

What else do you eat at the beach in January? Seafood, of course. We made a big pot of clam chowder our second night, a perfect choice with a cold wind blowing outside. Our last dinner was a seafood feast with Katie's stuffed mussels, steamed shrimp and crab legs.

It was a wonderful trip, and one we will never forget, mainly because of the quality time we had together, making meals, playing Spoons, Wii bowling tournaments,and just being together without the pressures of work and school. It was a great birthday gift for my husband that was a treat for our whole family! We can't wait to do it again, only this time we hope to have all the Dowds together!

Things we loved about being at the beach in winter:

No crowds (Our only competition for the beach at left)

No sunburn

The great coffeemaker that dispensed one cup at a time

Everyone was so glad to see us and service was extraordinary whether it was the souvenir shop, or the grocery store. They were just thrilled to have customers.

Foosball- it was a big hit! (see Andrew and Molly in a no-holds-barred match)

The birthday hat that our neighbor Rene made and the girls stayed up all night decorating (see it right, Gavin said he'd kill me if I posted the picture of him wearing it!)

Playing Murder and Sardines, parlor games our neighbor Rene taught us, at night in the three-level house. Murder is a game where someone commits a murder and a predetermined investigator (we use playing cards to determine the murderer, investigator, and back-up investigator) asks questions to determine who was the culprit. Sardines is a game where one person hides and then everyone goes looking for them. When you find them you stay in the place they are, trying to stay quiet until you have a huge giggling crowd in the bathtub, or in a closet. Both of these games are played in the dark, and they are guaranteed to get everyone laughing!

The mexican stew we had for the birthday dinner- it was so outstanding we have made it twice since then.

Mexican Stew with Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes (inspired by recipe on Food Network )

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon ground chipotle chili pepper (or to taste- this proportion makes a medium to hot spicy dish)

2 pounds beef or bison for stew, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces*

1 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon cooking oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups chopped red, yellow and green bell pepper (any combination is fine)

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups ready-to-serve beef broth

1 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes: 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces

1 to 2 tablespoons butter, optional

1 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

Combine flour, cocoa and chile powder a large Ziploc bag. Add beef and toss to coat evenly with flour mixture. Remove meat and reserve any excess flour mixture. Heat butter and oil in dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Brown meat in small batches and remove from pot, setting aside until all meat is browned. Season meat with salt and black pepper.

Add bell peppers to the dutch oven and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, broth, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and reserved flour mixture. Return beef to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Meanwhile prepare Chipotle Sweet Potatoes:
Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 12 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return potatoes and reserved cooking liquid to saucepan; add butter, if desired, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, salt and chile pepper. Mash potatoes until just blended and slightly chunky. Serve stew over sweet potatoes.

*Tip: When you buy stew beef or bison, it is often from less tender cuts. Toss it with unseasoned meat tenderizer (about 1 tsp per pound) before freezing. The meat will then tenderize as it is defrosting and result in a more succulent stew.

Dowd Family "Legal in Virginia" Sangria

Here in Virginia, many of us recently found out that Sangria, usually made with a combination of wine, brandy and triple sec is actually banned beause of a 75-year old law that prohibits the pre-mixture of wine with distilled spirits. Well, we have been making a simple sangria for years that is legal even here in Virginia, and it is a favorite with family and friends. While it can be consumed straight, I like to mix it half and half with dry ginger ale for a light spritzer-type drink that is great with everything!

1 bottle "fruit-forward" red wine (Shiraz is our favorite)

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups assorted fruit (sliced citrus, apples,plums, strawberries and red grapes cut in half are a great combination)

Mix wine and sugar together in a large pitcher and add fruit. Let sit in fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). Serve cold.

Note: In the summer you can make a white version using a riesling, 1/4 cup sugar, and summer fruits like peaches, melons and white grapes with some citrus that is outstanding with grilled and barbecued foods!

For best results, serve with a healthy serving of the sunset, below.