Running thru life... another Restaurant Review The Red Fox Inn

The Red Fox Inn

Since Joe and I been together my parents have started a tradition of taking us out to a nice Lunch or Dinner for my Hubby's Birthday.  My mom is so cute... she works months on try to find a good place.  She know that Joe and I are quite picky when it comes to eating out.  We do not like chains for the most part- which is hard to do in Northern VA.

This years we went to Red Fox Inn in Middleburg, VA for lunch. 

The Inn is an actually inn where people can stay but also has a small restaurant.  The Red Fox Inn is also a historic site and has an interesting history. 

It dates back to George Washingtons time, the Civil War and to modern day events.  Throughout the years, the Inn has been used for many notable events and by many well known people and has remained a popular destination for anyone who seeks a romantic hideaway in the heart of the hunt country. The Jeb Stuart Room, for example, served as the stage for a rare press conference by President Kennedy and as a meeting room for hopeful Democrats hosted by Ambassador Pamela Harriman, a local fox-hunting resident; Elizabeth Taylor often graced the Tap Room both during the courtship and after her marriage to a local gentleman, Senator John Warner; and the lovely and kind Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis frequently stayed at the Inn during fox-hunting holidays each fall. Today, film and music celebrities are often seen in the hotel and dining rooms.

The Red Fox Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Pretty cool...  now on to the food.

For an appetizer we shared some Chicken Spring rolls with Plum chutney.  First let me state- I hate plums.  But for this dish- it really made the dish.  The plum sauce complimented the roll perfectly!  Most excellent!!

For lunch we each order something different-

Joe- Bangers and Frites-  Most excellent

Me- Spinch Salad with Salmon- Some of the best Salmon I have ever had!!!

My dad-  Curry Chicken Salad- If we went back again I would try this.  He let me have a little taste and it was amazing.  Very light and not over powering like some curries are.

My mom- Rubin sandwitch with Frites.  Their Frites were amazing- I think between my mom and Joe they had almost 8 total potatoes.  CRAZY..

All and all we were happy and would definitely go back again. 

The service was amazing. 

I ordered a side of Mac & Cheese because if you know me you know I am a Mac & Cheese snob. 

They brought our lunches and the Mac & Cheese did not show up- I just figured it was still cooking.  Joe asked 5 minutes later- the waiter came back with my Mac & Cheese and stated it would be comped because it was delayed getting to the table.  Now that is how service should be. 

Ok back to the Mac & Cheese- AMAZING!!!!!  Creamy and not too cheese with lightly toasted bread crumb on top- between the 4 of us at the table- it was all gone. 

All in all a good place to have a nice lunch.  It is in the town of Middleburg which has some cute little shops.  We were with my parents so we did not stop to look around but next time we will. 

Running thru life: 1 week and 1 day

I offically have 1 week and 1 day until my half marathon and reality is starting to set in.
I am getting butterflies in my stomach when I think about it!!!

I have worked for over 3 months on this and while that is not a long time,
it has been hard work.  I have changed my lifestyle and started this blog because of it.
This is one of my bucket list items and I so badly want to check it off.
(and move on to the Marathon).

When I tell people I am running a half marathon most of the time their first response is "What time do you want to finish?"  While this is important- the most important thing to me is finishing WITHOUT STOPPING. 
When I ran my first 10 miler I went in with a expectation of wanting to finish because up to that point the only race that I had previously run in was a 5k.  Not only did I finished but I suprised myself and my husband with my finish time.  So do have some expectatation of myself-  1) Finish  2) Do the best you can without stopping!

This week some thoughts have been running thru my head so I thought I would share:
I know I am ready but am I ready enough? 
Have I trained enough?
What are my meals plans before the race?
What happens if it rains?  
What should I wear (while you may think this is a silly question- it is important depending on the weather.)?
Hydration Plan started last week- but am I hydrating enough?
What is my plan for hydration during the race? 
Do I have my last couple workouts set up right? 

It is kind of CRAZY!!!!! 
I in 1 week and 1 day I hopefully can call myself a half marathon runner...
No I will call myself a half marathon runner!!!

To make things better- when I finish the race I get to see my friends at a party that my hubby is throwing at our house.  My two best friends are going to be there- yes the one from Scottland and the one from Southern VA.  So in 1 week and 1 day I will be the happiest girl in the world because I will have completed my goal and also have friends and family around me to help me celebrate.

So this week I keep saying to myself as thoughts of stress pop thru my head....
"It is the price of greatness...."

Running thru life... Sometimes it pays to be a nurse

So Sometimes it pays to be a nurse....

Yesterday, I went to my get my hair highlighted and colored. 
It had been almost 5 months and it was starting to bother me. 
So after work yesterday, I took an afternoon off from running and
changed from my scrubs into a jeans/shirt with my dansko clogs. 

Let me start by saying I LOVE MY DANSKOS. 
Yes they are expensive coming in at anywhere from (100 to 140$)
but I rationalize them like this - I bought a pair in 2004 when i
graduated from nursing school and I just got rid of that pair in 2011
because they finally got a whole in them. 
So that is 7 years of wear- $15-20 a year. 
Totally worth is since I am on my feet all day. 
Here is a picture of the Dansko I was sporting yesterday. 

I have even convience a couple of my friends to
purchase a pair and they will never go back.

So I was the salon yesterday, Jon David Salon,
(a salon in Springfield VA that has been rated one of
the Top Salons in NOVA Magazine for atleast 5 years)
which I can tell by the fact that it is hard to get an
appointment with my stylist David (the owner) and it is always busy. 
But I am always treated well. 

My stylist, David, was cutting my hair and he said, "I love your shoes." 
Keep in mind this is a married man with three or four children. 
I quickly said thanks and stated that they are my nursing shoes. 
When I went to check out, David gave me a 20 % discount and thanked me for being a nurse. 
I almost had a heart attack!!!  What a nice supprise!

So happy nurses day to me!!!!

Running thru life... Organizing our benefits

I am a very organized person (at least I like to think.) 
However, my husband is not!!

I was going thru our files (bills, insurance, social security, etc) last week.  I noticied while I had a file with my work benefit information which contained information on my TSP (Thrift Saving Place), Medical Insurance, Life Insurance, etc-  I had no such file for my husband. 

This is a problem.  Especially since I handle the majority of the finances and organize our life.

Some my ask- why is this a problem?  I like to think if something ever happens to me.  I can tell Joe, "Go look in the yellow file that is maked Laura's Benefit Information on the left side of our file cabinet," and he will be able to find the policies, the phone number, etc for my benefits.  I would like to have the same comfort if something ever happened to Joe. 

So I brought this topic up with my husband and a couple days later- I have a 240 page benefits package for Joe.  It has everything from the policies, to the phone numbers, website, etc. 

Unfortantely, we can not plan life and we never know what will happen in the future.  So it is nice for me to know that I have information available and stored for me and also for Joe if we ever need it.

This is also something that you should go thru every year and update your benefits as your life changes. 

Running thru life..... Maybe some of my new favorite things

I headed in to REI after my long run on Saturday. 

Which by the way was awesome- 12.5 miles ran to "Life as we Know it."

The answer is yes I can run and cry at the same time.

Anyways, I was in REI to get some more hydration packs for my camelback. 

These are the NUUN hydration tabs I blogged about earlier that I love. 

I was walking thru the aisle and my eye spotted the next two products- both made by Jelly Belly.  

The first is Jelly Belly Sports Beans.  They are good source of carbs, electrolytes, Vitamin B & C (all important when you are running.)  So I grabbed two packs to try out on my long runs.

The next item also by Jelly Belly is their Super Fruit Mix with is very high in Antioxidants and Vitamin C.  

Good for keeping the germy\ies away.  A lady was standing behind me and told me she loved them.

I bought a pack- they are delicious.  I only ate 4 or 5.. and am saving the rest.

Then I headed over to find a REI sales rep.  

Our conversation went like this.

"Hi sir, I am looking for some anti- chafing cream for running."

"Yes - right here."

Sold.  

I need this for my chest when I run so my sport bra does not cause too much friction. 

After my Saturday run, I noticed I had a little tenderness from some of the friction causes during my run. 

This product was actually mentioned in my Women's Running book as a excellent product.

I will try this out soon and let you know my thoughts.

So I head to the checkout counter with my purchases...

hopefully some of my new favorite things. 

Running thru life... Restaurant Review L'Auberge Chez Francois

For Joe's birthday and his mothers birthday, Joe's fathers took the family to
L'Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, Va. 
It was an amazing meal and an amazing experience! 


At this restaurant the menu is presented as a 5 course meal, the price is based on the protein that you pick.  The five courses are as follows- a first course (appetizer), a second course (salad), a third course (palate cleanser), fourth course (protein) and fifth course (dessert).

It is truly a dinning experience. 
Our reservations were at 6 and with did not leave until a little after 9. This is a fine dining restaurant, I wore a dress and Joe had a sports coat on.  It is a little pricey but a deal when you compare it to places like Restaurant Eve.


So my dinner was as following

Cocktails-  Champagne with Rasberry Liquor. KIR ROYALE
This is my absolute favorite and I get it every time we go there.
(The waiter did not even bring our menus until our cocktails were done)
An assortment of breads and butter were served. 

1st course- Scallop, shrimp, salmon bouillabaisse.  It was amazing!!!!!  It had big pieces of fish, huge shrimp, and scallops.  The sauce was pleasant- not too over powering.

2nd course- Tomato salad- some of the best tomatoes ever.  This by no means was a wow dish.  It was tasty and simple.  The way a salad should be.

3rd course- Lemon sorbet.  I am picky when it comes to my sorbet.  I like it to be smooth with no fruit peels in it.  This was exactly how I like it. 

4th course-  Chateaubriand.  This is a course that you order for two people.  Joe and I have ordered this every time we have gone because of the following
1)It is the best piece of meat I have ever tasted.   Keep in mind that before I started dating Joe I was a vegetarian- ohhh how times have changed.
2)It comes with the best vegetables in the world!!! Carrots, Greenbeans, Asparagus, and Turnups
3)We always have leftovers and can eat off of it another night.  It was Monday's night left overs. 

5th course- Dessert.  I ordered a Chocolate Cake and Joe ordered the Creme Brulee.  We have a rule that we are both not allowed to order the same thing.  So I always order the Chocolate and he always orders the back up.  This was the only part of the dinner that I was a little disappointed.  Joe's Creme Brulee was a vanilla bean mixture and I do not care for vanilla.  My chocolate cake was so over the top I only took one bite and could not eat any more because it was so rich- so Joe ate the rest. 

It was an amazing dinner- something we only do every couple of years.  Our last time we were there was Valentine's Day 2009.  Two years later and it is still the same- which is great!!!