Girls Night Out Market Salamandar

Last nights venue at Market Salamandar was absolutely fabulous. I attended with my friends Abby, Liz & Vickie. Three stations were set up with various wines to taste paired w/ scrumptious delectibles prepared by the resident chef at Market Salamandar in Middleburg, VA. I loved the gazpacho shooters and the lovely little mini vanilla cupcakes w/ honey icicng. The cupcakes had an adorable mini bumble bee on the top of the cupcake. Seriously the food here is amazing. If you are looking for someone to cater an event…look no further. Market Salamandar will be sure to impress your guests. I’ve written about their sandwiches before as well. My all time favorite is the Shiela. Stop by and check it out! During the event we met some of Market Salamandar’s fabulous wine distributors. (Thanks Jason for those big pours *wink*). Super nice guys and the wines we got to try were all wonderful.

Last night we got to meet Doug Barnes of Destination Polo at GNO. Doug offers polo riding lessons as well as trail rides at his farm in the Plains, VA. Call him at 540-229-POLO or check out his website www.DestinationPolo.com. Polo is for everyone. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is something only accessible to the ultra wealthy. This is a point Doug likes to empasize. All skill levels are welcome. He’s got students from 7 years old to 72. No excuses…go check it out. Even if you just take one lesson. It will give you a new appreciation of the sport. There are approximately 3000 pro polo players in the US. With Doug’s help you might one day join those numbers. Doug also is a sponsor of Andrea Rodgers Ride To Work program that helps disadvantaged youth in the area learn to play polo. So if you’re interested in a trail ride or learning to play polo please give him a call. You know how much I like to support those with a philantropic streak.

We also met Pro players Juan Salinas Bently and Ron Banner. Juan was really enjoying Liz’s company. She got more than a hug – LOL! I must say when he speaks spanish and you look into those blue eyes it’s easy to melt. I could totally see Liz w/ a guy like this! Ladies these guys tipped us off that amateur polo night is the night to meet some nice eligible men in the area. Tailgate anyone? Juan and Ron were both very engaging and I enjoyed chatting with them. When we head out to a match at Great Meadows’ we’ll be sure to meet up with these great guys again. They are quite obviously great company to be in!

At the end of the evening they had 5 drawings to raffle off. Our table was a trifecta! Abby, Liz and I all won prizes. Abby won box seats w/ a gift certificate to Market Salamandar for catering. I won a limo ride to the Great Meadows event . Special thanks to Stacy of Chariots For Hire for the donation to last nights event! I’m so excited that I won the limo ride. I’ve checked out Stacy’s website. They have amazing limos and party buses. Check her out for your next event…click here to see all the vehicles they offer. Liz won free polo lessons from Doug at Destination Polo! Wow!!! So needless to say we’ll be picking another girls night out on the town to be heading to the Polo matches!!! Woo hoo can’t wait!!!

Last Night’s Nickelback Concert

Last night was a great show at Nissan. We had dinner at El Tio prior to the concert. We enjoyed a few margaritta’s (we had much debate on the proper spelling of the frosty beverage – LOL). By the time we got into Nissan we missed the first band Saving Abel. No loss for me as I can’t even recall a song they sing! Next up was Papa Roach. I love this bands music. The lead singer has crazy energy as well as his guitarist. That man has moves! The entire band was drenching in sweat. I must say though I’ve never seen a lead singer spit so much on stage. We were right up in pit in front of the stage and a mosh pit started to form to the right of us. We slowly started making our way a bit further to the left to avoid the madness. Next up was Hinder who did a great job. Then finally Nickelback. Nate almost had a heart attack when the band walked on the stage. The rest of us didn’t fare much better. The sound effects sounded like guns going off. It scared the crap out of all of us. The show was full of special lighting, fireworks, fire, etc. Great pyros were on hand! This band really works the stage. I really like it when performers talk up the crowd. At the end of the show they actually threw beers out into the crowd. I was carefully monitoring where each of the cups of beer were flying in order to avoid being hit by one. Sure enough one came straight at me. I managed to reach up and tipped it back behind me. Fortunately it avoided Brian who was behind me but I’m sure whoever was behind him wasn’t so lucky. It was fun…but I didn’t want to get soaked w/ beer. All in all it was a great concert!

P.S. A special moment in the concert for me was when Nickelback played “If Everyone Cared”. On the huge video behind them they flashed facts, quotes, and photos dipicting how one person or a small group of people cared about changing a problem in this world and created the roots for amazing philantropic charities we now have. (i.e. Bono starting Aid to Africa; Doctors without Borders; Nelson Mandela, etc.) I loved the Margaret Mead quote below. It was such a powerful message and I really hope it touched the hearts of people in the crowd. We can all be part of the positive changes needed in our world. It just takes one person to get the ball rolling.

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead”

Did I inherit my mother’s craftiness???…stay tuned

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/06/diy-wednesdays-knot-trivet.html

For those of you I’ve grown up with you know all to well how incredibly gifted my mother is. She can whip up anything on a sewing machine, she’s made us adorable dolls to play with, decorated friends wedding invitations, hand made baby birth announcements and framed them, christmas decorations, bread baskets, and the list goes on and on. While I admire her talents I’ve never had much patience in finishing “artsy” projects. Truth be told I’ve handed many of them off to her or called in back up to help with something gone truely haywire.

Today I decided to catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs. In doing so I came across this cute project to make knot trivets. I have a nautical theme going on in my dinningroom and this would be a nice addition. I think I may actually give this one a try. My mom suggested we do this project on our beach trip coming up. She joked we could use the rope to tie up my little nephew and keep him still for two minutes. LOL. More likely he’ll have us tied up! I’ll keep you all posted on my project.

Please Donate – I’m raising funds for the Special Olympics!

click here to donate: http://www.firstgiving.com/jacquelinemontgomery

Hi everyone,

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post I’ve joined forces with my co-workers to participate in the Dulles Plane Pull day to raise funds for the Virginia Special Olympics. I hope you find it in your hearts to make a donation to this cause. Even forgoing that $5 cup of coffee today and putting it towards this cause will help make a difference in the life of a child. I’ve already kicked in $100! Hope you’ll join me in this worthy cause!

Loudoun County Fair

Click here for details and schedule

Thanks to my friend Liz for letting me know that the Loudon County Fair is going on through this coming weekend. Tonight is the opening of the carnival midway as well as the Hansen’s Spectacular Circus Thrill Show and Demolition Derby.

Plenty of other events run through the weekend. Grab the kids and enjoy a fun night out in the ‘burbs!

The fair is held at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds in Leesburg:
Loudoun County Fairgrounds
17558 Dry Mill Road
Leesburg, VA 20175

Directions:
From Reston/Sterling/Ashburn
Follow VA-7 West toward Leesburg.
Merge onto VA-7 W toward WARRENTON/WINCHESTER via Leesburg Bypass.
Take VA-9 Exit (right) toward Hillsboro/Charles Town, WV.
Turn LEFT at stop sign onto CHARLES TOWN PIKE/VA-9.
Turn LEFT at stop sign onto DRY MILL RD.
Continue for approximately 1 mile. The fairgrounds will be on the left.
From Tysons/Falls Church
Follow VA-7 West.
Merge onto VA-267 West towards Dulles Airport (Toll Road).
Merge onto VA-7 West via Exit 1A towards Leesburg/Warrenton.
Take VA-9 Exit toward Hillsboro/Charles Town, WV.
Turn left at stop sign onto Charles Town Pike.
Turn left at stop sign onto Dry Mill Road.
Continue for approximately 1 mile. The fairgrounds will be on the left.
From Rockville, MD
Take I-495 W/Capital Beltway toward South I-495 (Crossing into Virginia).
Merge onto VA-267 West via Exit 45 toward Dulles Airport (Toll Road).
Continue on VA-267 and follow directions above (starting with #3).
From Warrenton
Take US-15 North (James Madison Hwy).
US-15 becomes S King Street/US-15 BR.
Merge onto VA-7 West/Harry Byrd Hwy. Follow the ramp on left toward Winchester.
Take the VA-9 Exit toward Hillsboro/Charles Town, WV.
Turn left at stop sign onto Charles Town Pike/VA-9.
Turn left at stop sign onto Dry Mill Road.
Continue for approximately 1 mile. The fairgrounds will be on the left.

Wish Upon A Hero

WishUponAHero.com connects thousands in need with those willing to give. Dave Girgenti a NJ marketing manager created this site with the belief that , “anyone would help anyone if they knew who to help and how to help them”. I’m singing this sites praises this morning as I just found out how some wonderful “hero” has helped my cousin Ty.

As many of you may know my cousin Ty has been fighting a really tough battle w/ stage 4 colon cancer that also spread to his liver. He’s had lots of chemo, surgeries, and is now in a special NIH clinical trial. Ty is a wonderful man, great father, beloved soccer coach, and so much more. His spirit through his battle has been so uplifting. Years before his diagnosis his wife Shannon survived a near fatal brain aneurysm. She’s doing great right now. However between all the medical bills thier family has incurred money has been tight to say the least.

Ty recently mentioned to his sister Stacy that one of his favorite memories growing up was spending family vacations together at the beach. He wished they could all get together and have a family beach vacation while he’s still feeling well enough. Especially since Sammy his eldest daughter is getting ready to begin her first year of college at the end of the summer. Stacy then was watching a news program that talked about this website. She thought, “what the heck…let me throw his wish out there…you never know”. Little did Stacy know there was a Keller Real Estate Agent watching the same program. When she looked up the program online she saw the wish Stacy posted for Ty. This real estate agent “hero” then blasted out Ty’s wish to all of her contacts. Stacy was then contacted by someone who has a beautiful beach house in Florida for Ty and his family. The place normally rents for $30K a month. It’s a very generous donation! Needless to say Ty & Shannon are so thankful to the wonderful “heros” that made his family vacation a reality. His parents (my godparents & Aunt & Uncle) will be joining Ty, Shannon, Stacy, and the kids. I’m so glad that they will all be able to get away together and spend some much needed time away from all the treatments Ty’s been undergoing.

So please take some time to check out this site from time to time. You never know. You might have resources or connections to help grant a wish for someone in need. Or you yourself might find yourself in need. Either way this is an amazing site that truly captures the human spirit. It’s so nice to see something positive in this world!

Click here to be directed to the site.

Finally Picked My Beach House!

So after countless hours of searching for the perfect place to vacation we finally settled on a beautiful beach house on Anna Maria Island in Florida. We’ll be heading out early August for a week with my sister Lauren and her family and my mom. We have one spare bedroom – any takers in the family???

I’m so looking forward to some rest and relaxation for an entire week. Then again I’m not sure I’ll get a lot of peace and quiet with my three year old nephew running around! My mom’s birthday (and Theresa’s although she’ll be in the Dominican Republic vacationing with friends to celebrate) will be during our vacation and my nephew will turn 3 on the 18th so I plan on making them a birthday cake and having a little family party.

Now that the stress of finding a location is complete time to check out airfare. I fly for free on United but I’m going to see if I can find any deals out there. Might be worth buying a full fare ticket to not have to stress about making my flights! One thing I know for sure I can finally get Lauren to stop calling me every 5 minutes to discuss beach houses. Seriously sis I love you – but the hunt was starting to majorly stress me out!

Site details on the beach house:

(4) Bed: (2 ) Bath: Accommodates up to (14) people: 3 King, 1 bunk bed (twin & Double); 1 Queen Sleeper Sofa; 1 Full Sleeper Sofa; 1 air mattress; No smoking: Sorry, No Pets.

Gorgeous four bedroom and two bath large beach cottage completely renovated with everything new. The brand new pool is a tropical paradise with a swim up bar area, a wading area great for the little ones or put your chairs in and relax!

The large open floor plan of living room, kitchen and dining area can accommodate your large family gathering with ease. The furniture with coastal flair is cozy and comfortable. The dining room table expands to accommodate up to ten people plus four extra at the breakfast bar. The fully equipped kitchen is the perfect place to whip up a great meal after a day at the beach.

Directly off the dining area is a game room that leads directly out to the pool area. There is a Wii game for the kids — or adults — enjoyment; plus lots of board games. The sofa turns into a full bed.

The bedrooms all offer king size beds. The bunk room has a double bed on bottom and single on top. Each bedroom comes with a flat screen TV and DVD player. The master bedroom has doors leading out to the pool area.

The pool area is very large and you won’t want to leave it. There is the wading area at one end as well as a swim up bar to sit and relax while sipping on tropical cocktails. There is ample outdoor seating under the tropical tiki umbrella. Cook out on the Brinkman gas grill. It’s a private tropical paradise.

The house is equipped with wireless internet and soon will have a wireless printer for use just in case your have to work while on vacation.

All these wonderful features will make your vacation to our little piece of paradise just perfect. The house is just a short one block and a half walk to the Beach. The beach house is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of Holmes Beach/Anna Maria City.

Latte Art – How to Pour a Rosetta

Anyone who knows me knows I heart my new Lavazza Espresso machine I purchased through XO At Home. I need to buy myself a little stainless steel pitcher to pour my steamed milk into my shots of espresso. I’m inspired to try to be more artistic in my pouring. I love when you order a latte at a nice establishment and the barista expertly pours your drink w/ a beautiful Rosetta or Heart design. Doesn’t change the taste…but something about the artfulness of it makes me feel like I’ve experienced something special.

Click here to see a video so you can learn too!

Congrats Chef Alexandra “Alex” Mudry – American Cancer Society Winner of Taste More Birthdays Cake Contest

The American Cancer Society, the Official Sponsor of Birthdays, joined forces with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to reinvent the birthday cake. Because healthy living is key to creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays, the Society and CIA challenged CIA’s baking and pastry students to create a better-for-you birthday cake. The winner is now the official birthday cake of the American Cancer Society. “Ace of Cakes” Chef Duff Goldman (AKA my future husband…so love this guy!) joined the Society and CIA to select the winner, Chef Alexandra Mudry’s new take on red velvet cake, from a pool of five talented finalists.  Chef Alexandra “Alex” Mundry used to work with my Aunt Michele Cochran at the APWU.  Aren’t we all glad she left to attend the Culinary Institute of America!  See her winning recipe below.  Enjoy!!!

The Society’s official birthday cake is a healthier version of a red velvet cake that delivers plenty of taste but fewer calories and much less sugar and fat than a traditional recipe. In addition to cutting back on sugar, eggs, oil and butter, Mudry’s inventive additions – including roasted beets, dried cherries, applesauce and whole grain flour – help kick the nutrients up a notch. The result: a better-for-you cake that tastes great and still has the fun, celebratory feel of a traditional birthday cake.

New Red Velvet Cake

By Alexandra Mudry
(Recipe will make 1-9×14” cake, two 8” round cakes or 24 cupcakes)

Cake:

3 Large or 5 Small Beets (to make 2 c. puree)*
½ c. Applesauce, Unsweetened/Natural
1 c. Granulated sugar
½ c. Canola oil
2 Lg Eggs
2 Lg Egg Whites
3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, melted
1 tsp. Instant Espresso Powder or Instant Coffee
½ c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
¾ c. All-purpose Flour
¾ c. Whole Wheat Flour
¼ c. Quinoa Flour**
1 ½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
1 c. Dried Cherries

*You may use canned beets, but make sure they are stored in their own juices and not seasoned. If using canned beets, add a tablespoon (or more) of water and puree until smooth.
**Quinoa flour is found in most health food stores. If you are unable to find it you may use 1c. All Purpose flour to ¾ c. Whole Wheat Flour.

For the roasted beets: Preheat oven to 375. Trim ends of beets and place on a parchment paper or foil lined baking pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. canola oil. Roast until fork tender (about 2 hours). Once cooled peel then place in blender or food processor with 1-2 tbsp. water. Puree beets until they reach a smooth and even consistency. Set aside. (Can be made several days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking pan(s) with canola oil spray and dust with flour. Discard the excess flour (or if making cupcakes, line tins with paper wrappers).

Combine oil, eggs, egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until smooth and light colored.

Add the tsp. of espresso powder to the melted chocolate and stir until combined.

Turning the speed down to low, slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the mixture. Once the chocolate has been added, turn off the machine and scrape the sides of the bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder, applesauce and beet puree. Add this mixture to the egg mixture. Place the machine on medium speed to incorporate, scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the cherries and mix again. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Sift the remaining dry ingredients together and then gently fold into the mixture (do not over mix or the cake will become tough and dense).

Pour batter into pan(s) and bake for 40-45 minutes (or 20-25 for cupcakes), until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool and remove from pan(s). If not using immediately, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate. Cake can be made a day in advance. (The cake is rather delicate and crumbly so it is significantly easier to work with once chilled. )

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

2 oz. heavy cream
1.5 oz. Raspberry Puree
4 oz. Good Quality Bittersweet Chocolate, broken into small pieces

(If you cannot find raspberry puree, you may make your own by pureeing fresh or frozen raspberries and then pressing through a sieve to remove seeds. Also, other berry mixtures can be used – but especially look for dark berry mixtures such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, which are high in antioxidants).

Boil cream in a small pot.

At the same time, warm raspberry puree in microwave (the puree should not be hot –just warm).

Once cream has boiled, add raspberry puree and stir to combine.

Pour over chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is homogenous. If the chocolate does not melt all the way, place over a double boiler and finish melting.

Set ganache aside and allow to cool so it becomes slightly thick. This will allow for easier spreading.

Cream Cheese Frosting

24 oz. (3 pkgs) Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 ¼ c. Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Lightly beat cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth, about 1 -2 minutes.

Stop machine, scrape down sides of bowl then add confectioners’ sugar. Cream together until smooth. Do not overmix or the frosting will become too soft and difficult to spread.

Assembly:

If using 9” x 14” pan, pour ganache over top of cake and spread evenly. (It does not have to be perfect). Cut the cake lengthwise down the middle, and then invert so both layers of ganache are sandwiched together. (If using an 8” pan, pour ganache on one layer and top with other cake.)

Once cake is stacked, smooth sides and fill in any gaps between the layers with ganache. Place cake in refrigerator and chill until ganache is firm.

Once the cake and ganache are firm, remove from refrigerator. Frost with cream cheese frosting or any other desired frosting.

Finished cake serves 10-12 generously.

Dulles Day – Plane Pull To Benefit Special Olympics

Click here for details & sign up your team!

Our office is putting together a team to participate in the Dulles Day Plane Pull at Dulles Airport.  I’ve participated for years on the United Airlines Team.  The event is October 3^rd from 11 am to 4pm.  This is a fun yearly event put on by the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority.  There are a lot of activities to participate in for the family in addition to the plane pull.  So bring the entire family and have a great time supporting a great cause. 

The plane pull is a benefit for Special Olympics Virginia and a fun competition to see which group can pull a 150,000 + pound cargo jet the fastest.  After the team pull the craft 12 feet the stopwatch stops and the elapsed time is recorded as the teams score.  There are even team trophies awarded for the fastest pull, slowest pull, most enthusiastic, most money raised etc. 

Click here to make a donation to Dulles Day – Plane Pull or better yet sign up your company to participate!