Entries Tagged as 'virginia'

Food From Jen’s 40 Years

June 16th, 2011 · No Comments

Bucking the Reid family tradition of having elaborate games at 40th birthday parties (see Brian, Jill, Chad), Jen opted for a food and drink extravaganza in the backyard. Chad and Jen chose 4 different periods of Jen’s life and prepared food and drinks from each of those phases. What an awesome idea! Luckily the weather cooperated, because there were probably 30+ people there to celebrate with Jen. It was a little chilly, but overall good. I had so much fun stuffing my face on all of Jen’s favorite food and drinks! Plus, so many of our good friends were there. And it was sunny. Sunny! What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon/night.

Here’s what we had:

First course: Belgium, where Jen was born
Food: Cheese plate
Drinks: Leffe & Jupiler beer, white wine, or gimlets

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Second course: Newport, where Jen grew up
Food: Grilled shrimp, steamed clams & mussels
Drinks: Sam Adams Summer Ale, white wine, or more gimlets

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Third course: Virginia, where Jen went to college
Food: Assorted chips. Premade guacamole, salsa and taco dip.
Drinks: Cheap beer – Bud Light, MGD, cheap red wine, or more gimlets

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Fourth Course: Chicago, where Jen lives now
Food: Grilled sausages (assorted from Paulina Meat Market), baked beans
Drinks: Goose Island Summertime, red wine, or more gimlets

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Fifth Course: Kristin’s Homemade Cake

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Surprise Sixth Course, courtesy of beer. .. much beer.

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Kristin’s Birthday

February 25th, 2007 · No Comments

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Cake from Bombon Cafe,, Lincoln Square, Chicago

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Limey and Trent, Lincoln Square, Chicago

Kelly and Jeff are moving from Virginia to Wisconsin. Jeff’s job starts on Monday and so this weekend he’s driving out. Kelly and Tessa will move after their house sells. What a bad weekend to drive across the country, though. The weather is horrible with rain, sleet, hail, ice, snow, everything. Jeff’s goal was to make it to Chicago and stay overnight at our house, but he only made it to Indiana before he pulled off because the roads were so bad.

I had planned on staying home to meet Jeff, but when he called to say he was staying at a hotel, then I went and helped celebrate Kristin’s birthday. I didn’t get many photos because we were all sitting at a really long table and I was tucked in the middle. Still fun. Dallas and I left early after eating an having only a couple drinks because he’d just flown in from California where he was for business all week. Good thing Jeff pulled off when he did. When we got home everything was covered with a sheet of ice. Hopefully he’ll have better luck driving today, although the forecast looks pretty bad.

Happy Birthday, Kristin!

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Tarara Winery Nature Walk

November 26th, 2006 · 1 Comment

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View From the Deck :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tessa on the Deck :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Grape Vine :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tessa and Kelly :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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My Shadow :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Rachelle and Kelly :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

After taking a tour of the Tarara Winery and then having a tasting, we went outside to explore the grounds a little. The Tarara Winery is located on 475 acres on the Potomac River (which reminds me, I want to get a print of this top photo on the banks of the Potomac). Only about 50 acres are used to grow grapes. Some of the rest of the land is used to grow fruit and they have a “pick your own” thing when different fruits are ripe. The rest of the land is used for ?? On the Tarara site it says there are 6 miles of trails. We found one and took a walk. It was in the 60s, sunny and a gorgeous day outside.

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Tarara Winery Tasting

November 26th, 2006 · 1 Comment

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Jazz Band :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Kelly, Tessa, Jeff :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Jeff, Kelly, Sue :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

After touring the wine cave at Tarara Winery, we went inside to have a tasting. For $5 each we got to taste 8 wines – Tarara’s Viognier, Charval, Cameo, Pinot Nior, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Wild River Red. My favorites were the Viognier (dry, white, light), Charval (sweeter and less dry than the Viognier), Cabernet Sauvignon (a spicy red wine), and the Wild River Red (a sweet dessert wine that is 6% blackberries). Because I usually really like a Pinot Noir, I was surprised that theirs was one of the wines I liked the least. I don’t think I even drank it all. I bought a bottle each of the Charval and the Wild River Red.

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Tarara Winery Tour

November 26th, 2006 · No Comments

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Jeff & Kelly :: Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

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Tarara Winery, Leesburg, VA

On Friday, we decided to go on a winery tour and tasting. I’d noticed on this Virginia Tourism website, that there were a lot of vineyards in Virginia. I thought it’s be something good to do if it was cold outside, which it had been the two previous days.

I called around some places and the Tarara Winery sounded interesting. It turned out it was really nice outside and Tarara had some outdoor things, as well as a self-guided tour and a tasting. And they were having a jazz band play in the tasting room. Sounded good, so that’s where we went. These photos are from the “wine cave.” Here’s more on Tarara from their site:

Whitie Hubert spent 40 successful years in the construction business, but when he retired, the vineyard beckoned. Born and raised on a farm in Ohio, Whitie had spent his youth growing grapes for Welch’s Grape Juice Company with his father and brother. So in 1975, the promise of a return to viticulture led Whitie and his wife Margaret to purchase 475 acres of prime Virginia farmland nestled along the Potomac river. In 1985, they built Tarara where, today, they produce award-winning wines.

For Whitie and Margaret, sharing wine is a celebration of life, and sharing their vineyard in this set-apart place is an affirmation of all the things they love best: nature, music, art, and architecture.

Whether you choose to share their celebration at a concert by the lake on a warm summer’s eve, picking fruit with your kids in the orchards, hiking 6 miles of trails, or just tasting wines in the Winemaker’s cave, Whitie and Margaret welcome you.

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