We wanted to go someplace special and stumbled upon this video and that was all I needed to see.
Hobbit’s Dream is an old farm in Fairfield, Virginia that has partially been converted into the Shire complete with a Hobbit hole expertly crafted into the side of a hill. If you’ve watched the video, then you should know the plants have all filled in and the whole place looks more established now. I was surprised to notice that the interior had been updated to make it even more Hobbity.
Just sticking my head above water for a moment. The staff at my church needed new headshots so I actually took some pictures for the first time this year! I even carved out time to edit them so they aren’t just sitting on my computer waiting for me to do something.
Melanie and I enjoy going to First Watch for breakfast and they have a drink called Red Medicine. I decided to reverse engineer it so that we could serve it over the holidays. It is described as “pomegranate, cranberry, black tea, local honey and cinnamon.” I don’t think I got the flavor exactly right, but closer than a knock-off Dr. Pepper is to the real thing. The color is a match and it is delicious.
Over the holidays Mom came up with a quick healthy dish that she thought would be a side but Melanie and I ate as our main course. It is so simple I don’t even need to write out a recipe card for it. Wanna hear it? Here it goes…
Growing up I liked to swim. A lot. I was on three swim teams throughout the year and a lifeguard during the summer. So you can easily imagine that when I found out The International Swimming Hall of Fame is located right here in Florida that I would want to visit. It has taken us several years to make the time for it, but an opportunity arose when we decided to make a trip south to Florida’s three national parks (Dry Tortugas, Everglades, and Biscayne).
On our Thanksgiving trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, we decided to stop in at Everglades National Park and, because it is only 30 minutes east of Everglades NP, we shot over to Biscayne NP too so we could stamp our passports and get a basic firsthand impression of the place.
If you are looking for a detailed review of Everglades National Park, this is the wrong place. I’ve lived in Florida for many years and I’ve seen alligators, marshes, and swamps many times before.
I like Survival Lily on Youtube and a few weeks ago she showed how to make a soup from things that can either be found in the woods or can be stored easily for a long time. Melanie and I look for ways to incorporate mushrooms into our diet since they are so healthy and we don’t eat them that often and this soup seemed like an easy way to do just that.
Since it is the 100th anniversary of our national park system I was reminded that you can get a “passport” to the national parks. When you visit a national park, there will be a cancellation station in at least one of the visitor centers where you can stamp your passport with the date of your visit. Cool!
Jason Patz 