family celebration weekend

This weekend my sister and brother-in-law flew in from Chicago for a DC adventure.  Saturday morning we fueled up with apple fritters from Heller’s bakery, then headed out for a day on the town.  We began our pilgrimage at Union Market, a veritable wonderland for food lovers.  The market is filled with fresh produce, local meats & cheeses, teas, coffee, and a variety of food vendors.  Our adventure began with a crisply-fried chipotle beef empanada at DC empanadas.  I washed that down with a velvety macchiato, courtesy of peregrine espresso, before trying the delicious Korean barbecue tacos at TaKorean.  We closed out our visit with a refreshing egg cream at the Buffalo & Bergen soda fountain.

To burn off our morning calories we strolled through the National Arboretum, checking out the columns from the first capitol building and exploring their vast collection of Bonsai trees, one of which has been “in training” since 1625!

On the way home we returned to the market, where we purchased fresh sausages (including blood sausage) and bacon from Red Apron Butchery, as well as some fresh broccoli rabe.  When we arrived at home my brother-in-law’s friend was waiting on our front steps.  We sat in the sun, grilled some sausages, and enjoyed the rest of the evening at home.

Sunday we went to church, ate lunch in Barracks Row, and bought some coffee and home-made pop tarts at Spring Mill Bread Co.  We headed home for a nap, baked a birthday cake, ate some Middle Eastern takeout, and watched the Hobbit.  Food, friends and family--what a wonderful way to spend a weekend!