Many are familiar with the pop-psychology term “love languages” and while these languages of words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, etc. ring true with most people, Lynchburg Eats has become aware that the male population has been slighted due to an overlooking of the 6th love language. The most dominant love language for those of the male persuasions is of course, BACON! That’s right men, and more specifically fathers, best understand love when it is shown to them in the form of crisp breakfast meats. This rings true throughout the ages as evidenced by these VERY ACCURATE historical facts:
Translated from a cave in Spain:
Caveman “Unghtt!?” (Translation: “Fair lady, doth thou havest bacon?”
Cavelady: “Guh!” (Translation: “Indeed dear sir, I do!”
Caveman: <3 (Translation: /Beats cavelady on the head with a stick and drags her away by the hair to live in a sweet cave by the sea with dreadfully high HOA, but so worth it for the school districts/Mark Anthony, “Cleopatra I think I lo….” “Shhh Marky-Baby, here’s some bacon”
She used this same technique on Julius Caesar later and was equally successful. Cleopatra became a goddess in her own rite and almost co-regent of the entire known world, and all because of bacon.It has even become the custom of man to list on their tombstone the date they were born, the symbol of bacon to indicate life, and the year of their not being able to enjoy bacon any longer. We still use this practice today, although the meaning has been lost until recently.
When Romeo stated that Juliet taught the “torches to burn bright…”, he was actually trying to convey that he desperately wished she would stop being so overly-dramatic, light the oven torches, and make him some bacon. The only reason he did not continue in this line of reasoning is because he was hungry and we all know that when men are hungry, they are incapable of reason and suffer progressive vocabulary loss until they are ultimately grunting like cave men. Had he had bacon instead of long diatribes, this story would have ended far better. They would have lived happily ever after…with bacon.
Likewise Queen Victoria did not woo her Albert with the wealth and promise of a country. It was in fact the many swine farms of Britain that brought this Saxe-Cobert to its shore. He was actually perfectly contented to live in Cobergia growing his sideburns. It was the promise of bacon that caused the man to leave his duchy, let a woman not inclined to manual labor or dressing herself to shave his luxurious side-burns with sharp metal objects and even dress him in a garter. WHY? Because of bacon!
Patrick Henry‘s words were misunderstood from the start because he was chewing and talking at the same time. (It is a lesser-known fact that he had terrible table manners, which sadly was later brought up by the defense at his sentencing) His wife asked him, “Pat, What would you like for Father’s Day?” Pat adamantly replied, “Give me bacon or give me death!” He had just finished reading Romeo and Juliet. Those who wanted to not pay extortionate taxes of super-tea franchises thought this was aptly borrowed for their cause.
It has been proven in psychological study after study, that if Freud’s mother had just given him bacon, he would have grown up to be a happy, well-adjusted member of society and may have even taken up bird-watching as a relaxation technique. Psychology today would be far more pleasant and not all about how you may be saying one thing but you actually mean your mother.
Time and time again throughout history, it has been proven that men only care about being shown love through meat, specifically bacon. So Lynchburg Eats has solved all of your Dad-Day dilemmas. This is how you can show your paternal loved ones how much they mean to you, and at the same time motivate them to be better dad’s next year for a sweet bacony treat. The flavor combination may seem odd, but it totally works!
We present to you the answer to all your man-questions, dad-dilemmas and love-advice: Chocolate Bacon Cookies.
Ingredients
Directions
1. Cook bacon until crisp, drain and save the bacon grease. Set both aside.
2. Mix all ingredients together except eggs, bacon grease and chocolate chips.
3. Add eggs and beat until well blended.
4. Once thoroughly cooled, mix in bacon grease.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
6. Allow cookie mix to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 375.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
9. Boil down 1/2 cup of maple syrup on low. It will foam but do not overlook or it will become maple sugar.
10. Drizzle maple syrup onto cooled cookies.
Serve and allow your, now, male-servants their treats!
(For information on how to order Maple Bacon Cookies contact us at LynchburgEats@Yahoo.com)
Al Ryan Mediterranean Cuisine
817 ½ Main St.
Lynchburg, VA 24504
434-907-9528
Family Friendly or Date Night
$-$$
3 Yums
We are very excited to welcome the previous owners of My Favorite Things, back to Lynchburg for their new venture. Located near the end of Main Street in Downtown Lynchburg, stands the newly opened Al Ryan Mediterranean Cuisine. A small downstairs seating and take-out area greet customers upon entry. Upstairs overlooking busy Main Street is another small seating area which includes lounging sofas which are dotted with low sitting tables!
Freshly prepared traditional Mediterranean and favorite Jordanian dishes are offered for the lunch and dinner crowds. Dishes served are also all Halal! Simple rustic ingredients combine together to create the saturating vibrant flavors of Mediterranean cuisine and beckon with promises of delight to those who partake. Those who adore Mediterranean cuisine can expect to find their favorites – gyros, Greek salads, falafel, curry, and stuffed grape leaves. In addition, Jordanian dishes such as Mansaf, Moujodreah, and even a Jordanian take on American cuisine – the delicious Lamb burger.
We ordered nearly everything on the menu and it was all incredible! We will focus on just two of the dishes. The luscious lamb burger is infused with traditional seasonings like thyme, savory, oregano and topped with briny feta cheese. The Moujodreah was tender, marinated chicken served on a bed of rice and beautifully seasoned with parsley, pine nuts, sweet grilled onions and toasted almonds. The siren’s song belongs to the Turkish coffee – straight-forward, thick strong coffee, and the sweet dulcet baklava. Dripping with honey, the flaky buttery philo dough offered both nut-filled or not, gives new meaning to temptation.
We definitely enjoy the savory succulent meals and hospitable welcome and look forward to many more occasions at Al Ryan’s celebrating amazing foods and an unmatched feeling of community!
There are a number of reasons why you should enlist in a local cooking class that range from self-enrichment, novel experience, and fantastic food, to the ever-altruistic and domestic version of “owning” someone at the next potluck or picnic. (You know you’ve done it)
However, there is another reason which is often overlooked but has enormous impact on who we are and how we develop relationships both friendly and romantic. While I would love to get all “sciencey” with you, I believe that I may already be losing some of you to Pinterest. WAIT! Don’t you click that red scrolling P yet! I will get the food part, but first the science that will make you and the food better.
To oversimplify and almost heretically paraphrase an incredibly interesting study that was recently released in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Journal : You should take a local cooking class with the people you care about because it will cultivate lovey-dovey feelings for them and for food. Ok so I have added some to the translation, but not much. Basically, this study, through fMRI, viewed and studied brains of couples in rewarding, happy and long-term relationships. It was revealed through imaging and further questioning, that these couples were particularly engaged in novel, self-enriching experiences and cultivated parts of the brain that light up like the Fourth of July in respect to romantic love and FOOD! (I told you I would get around to it) Here are the exact implications as stated in the article:
“… These results support theories proposing that there might be mechanisms by which romantic love is sustained in some long-term relationships. For example, the self-expansion model suggests that continued expansion and novel, rewarding events with the beloved may promote increases in romantic love. Novel, rewarding experiences may use dopamine-rich system (Schultz, 2001; Guitart-Masip et al. , 2010) similar to those activated in this study.” (Acevedo, Aron, Fisher, & Brown, 2012)
So for those of you whose eyes have rolled back into their heads, let me simplify. That girl/guy that you’ve been interested in, those friends who you just can’t get enough time with, your husband/wife who you adore and with whom you would love to find an even deeper experience without listening to a counselor drone on and on, for those of you that just want to experience an enrichment that can only be cultivated by learning how to make each culinary experience richer – take a local cooking class!
Our very own Tiffany Lyttle contributed to the recent article in Lynchburg Living titled: ” Cook Your Class Off! Central Virginia Culinary Classes As Diverse As the Dishes They Serve Up”. In this article you will find a compiled a list of local culinary classes and experiences which rival big-cities and range from historical cooking classes, utilizing herbs, knife-skills, and children’s cooking classes to the ever-popular healthy eating. All classes are local, affordable, and provide you the opportunity to find enrichment both in your culinary skills and your relationships. With so many phenomenal classes being offered, the only question left to ask is “Where will I begin?”
Acevedo, B. P., Aron, A., Fisher, H., & Brown, L. (2012). Neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love. Social Cognitive and Affective Nueroscience, 145-159. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277362/
While it has been belated due to the cold weather, the time is finally upon us. Time for being caught red-handed picking succulent strawberries, digging out those favorite recipes, and preparing jellies and jams to be enjoyed throughout the year.
Lynchburg Eats has compiled an up-to-date list of our local strawberry farms to help you make your plans to obtain these treasures berries. Included in our list we have also contact information, addresses, hours, individual prices per quantity, and probably the most sought after information – pesticide-free, low-spray, and organic farms.
Happy Pickings!
Local Strawberry Farms PYO = Pick Your Own C + S Farms2082 Oakleigh Rd.
Appomattox, VA 24522
434-352-5971Monday – Friday 7:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday 7:00am – 4:00pm
*Low-spray Farm
PYO $1.89 per lb. or $4.00 pre-picked qt.TLC Orchards1153 Capital Hill Road
Moneta, VA 24121
540-297-1168Hours: Monday – Saturday 7:00am – 1:00pm
*Organic Strawberries
*Handicap accessible
Scott’s Strawberry Farm
5234 Joppa Mill Road
Bedford, VA 24523
540-297-7917
aferguson@hughes.net
Monday – Saturday 7:30am – 8:00pm
Hours: Sunday 1:00pm – 6:00pm
*Pesticide-free and low-spray offered
$9 per PYO flats or $13 per flat for pre-picked of strawberries (flat =5 quarts)
Joe Motley’s Strawberry Farm
240 Steele Road
Gretna, VA 24577
434-656-2838
www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Motleys-Strawberry-Farm/114406841929055
Hours: Monday – Saturday 7:00am – 8:00pm
$1.20 per pound of strawberries
Critzer Family Farm
9388 Critzer Shop Road
Afton, VA 22920
540-456-4772
www.critzerfamilyfarm.com
Hours: Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm
$ 1.99 per PYO lb. or $4.50 per pre-picked qt.
Yoder’s Farm
1134 Browns Mill Road
Rustburg, VA 24588
(434) 401-4016
www.yodersfarm.com
Hours: Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 7:00pm
*Low spray fields are available for an extra fee but unavailable for 2013.
$1.39 per lb. of strawberries
Seamans’ Orchard
415 Dark Hollow Rd
Roseland, VA 22967
434-277-8130
www.seamansorchard.com
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday 12:30pm – 5:00pm
$2.29 per PYO lb. or $5 per quart or $28.50 per 6 quarts of pre-picked
Lynchburg Eats is really excited about exploring recipes for delicious entrees, snacks, and desserts that feature in-season Virginia produce. We love shopping at the Community Market and local farmer’s booths, but there are times when we look at the beautiful offerings and think, “Is that a leek or legume? Is it edible? What on earth can I make with that?!” Uncommon vegetables sit sadly at the back of the stands waiting for someone that understands their potential at the dinner table.
We are here to help! Not only help the fruits and veggies who may be facing future abandonment, but also the family cook who is looking for amazing nutritious meals to satisfy their loved one’s growling stomachs.
Our first recipe includes the ravishing radish, not only the root, which we are accustomed to enjoying, but (hold me back) the greens. We found and adapted an incredible recipe for radish greens pesto which can be served over pasta and then used to impress everyone with your talented cooking, knowledge of in-season foods, and all together awesomeness.
Recipe
2 bunches of Radish Greens (This is the stem and leaves)
4 cloves of crushed garlic
¼ cup of chopped parsley leaves
½ cup of toasted almonds (pine nuts can be substituted)
½ cup of Parmesan Cheese (fresh grated, not the powder stuff)
¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes
3 chopped radishes
½ cup of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pasta
Directions
1. Toast almonds (or pine nuts) and garlic for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
2. Thoroughly clean greens and turnips and place into food processor.
3. Place toasted ingredients and other ingredients in a food processor.
4. Make pasta as directed.
5. Pour pesto into drained pasta and combine.
6. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and garnished with some pretty radishes.
Lynchburg Restaurant Week is coming up June 22-29, 2013! Lynchburg Living and Discover Lynchburg Virginia organize an event that features the best of local culinary talent and makes it obtainable for every foodie to enjoy. Mark your calendar and hire the babysitter!
Through Lynchburg Restaurant Week, local restaurants are brought to the forefront and allow locals an exclusive opportunity to unplug from the chain restaurant and partake in the bounty of culinary masterpieces. Local eats create affordable prix fixe menus that feature aspects of their menu that beckon even the most critical of palates. For those of your wondering what prix fix is, it is a menu of 2-5 courses that are offered at a set price. This is a perfect opportunity to visit that restaurant you have always wanted to try or enjoy local dining that may be on your “special events only” list.
Because eating is what we do best, last year the LyncburgEats Team made a point to go out every night of Lynchburg Restaurant Week and savor both new local restaurants and local favorites. What we found is that in addition to fantastic prix fixe menus which make eating out every night of the week reasonable, it also encouraged us to try new entrees at our favorite restaurants and indulge in new favorite dining locations. More importantly though, we found ourselves in a celebratory mood throughout the week which permeated our day to day activities; mundane tasks took on an air of ease as each night we were to celebrate. We made new friends through this opportunity and drew closer to our friends and loved ones.
This year, even more local restaurants will be featured and the menus are sure to make local foodies simply effervescent at the prospect. In addition to the glorious food, a portion of the proceeds will be going to the Lynchburg Meals on Wheels , which provides hot, nutritious meals to our local shut-ins, elderly, and underserved 5 days a week. Need help narrowing down your list? Don’t forget to check our review posts to help you decide which restaurants to choose!
Boost local economy, benefit the underserved in our community through Meals and Wheels, find new favorites, and discover all new reasons to celebrate! Join the LynchburgEats Team and make Lynchburg Restaurant Week a week-long reason to celebrate!
Have you become a serial cereal-eater? It time to break from mindless convention and step into an awakening of your taste buds with an infusion of “Good Morning World ~ I’m ready for you!”
If variety is the spice of life, then a Southwestern Avocado Breakfast may be that spice you’ve been missing. It’s so easy, so nutritious and oh-so scrumptious that you’ll wonder why it was never part of your morning repertoire before.
The Basics Ingredients 2 Avocados
4 eggs
Juice from 2 limes
Kosher Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 TBS of Cumin
1/2 TBS of Paprika
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
Bunch of Cilantro (chopped finely) Optional Toppings Crumbled Bacon
Chopped Scallions
Diced Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Cheese
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Halve avocados and remove pit, then remove enough of the avocado center to accommodate the egg.
3. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice, cumin, paprika, cilantro and garlic.
4. Rub mixture into avocado and place on baking sheet.
5. Crack an egg right into the center of the avocado. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the egg turns white and the yolk is cooked. (Yolks on the runner side make this dish superb)
7. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings and serve!
The Cherry Tree in Blossom
One of the most advantageous aspects of living in Central Virginia is the driving proximity to the big city without enduring any of the nasty residual effects such as traffic pollution and politicians. Foodies and day-trippers alike can appreciate the fantastic offerings of Washington DC and still have time in the day to get home, breathe a sigh of contentment, and lounge on the sofa for the pleasantly droll late-night news while listening to the night sounds of the countryside.
For years we’ve heard about the Cherry Blossom Festival, but until this last year, we had logged it filed it away in our minds as “we should do that someday…” With gas prices as they are, let’s face it, we are going to have to find out what is worth seeing AND local. It wasn’t until a recent article on the Cherry Blossom Festival from a world-renowned magazine that I realized, “This article was written by someone who traveled from the UK! I certainly live closer than he does. What possible reason could I have to not have gone?”
We packed our cameras, appetites and friends into a car and made tracks for the East. Just two and a half hours later, we found ourselves on the beltway with our list of the day’s endeavors to take in the sights, sounds, and tastes of DC.
This year we celebrate 101 years of enjoying the glorious flora that is the Cherry Blossom. Blooms are expected to be at their peak over the course of this next week. The Cherry Blossom festival commemorates the most gorgeous and unique gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees, at the biding of Ms. Eliza Scidmore. Being a female explorer and travel photographer made Scidmore a rare specimen of her time. After 24 years of entreating the White House to bring the phenomenal trees to the United States, it was finally First Lady Taft that would give Scidmore audience and approval and thus the first two trees from Japan were planted. These gorgeous trees turn into bouquets full of delicate white and pink flowers that are the beauty which is the muse of fairy tales and love songs. The most picturesque location we found for these spectacularly flowering trees is at the Lower Basin. Within view of the monoliths that are the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Monument you will find these rare blooms and other springtime treasure sprinkled throughout, reminding us that although man and government are dynamic, the annual blooms of spring bring the ever-promising rebirth of our Earth to the survivors of winter’s frost.
As we are Lynchburg Eats, we don’t go anywhere without including tasty morsels as part of our ventures. The city is alive with cherry-blossom inspired offerings from cupcakes to ale and entrees.
In the aforementioned world-renowned article, we also learned that Georgetown Cupcake designed a cupcake specifically for the festival. A cupcake filled with cherries, topped with rich cream cheese frosting and a pretty, candy cherry blossom. So, of course, we set the GPS to take us to cupcakes. We expected a line because of the television promotion this cupcake shop receives, and there certainly was, but we were met by a charming new employee, serving those in line, who effervescently told us about his job. He exuded excitement about the different cupcakes and helped pass the time in line. Once inside the confectionery store, we relinquished all prior plans of choosing only one cupcake and endured the most troublesome task of deciding on just four: Mint Chocolate Chip, Cherry Blossom, Salted Carmel, and Cookies and Cream.
Foodie Friend, it is hard to imagine why some culinary creations receive the accolade they do, but after tasting each delectable morsel of these Georgetown cupcakes, the answer was evident; these cupcakes deserve to be stars! The cherry blossom cupcake is filled with cherries and then mounded with a rich cream cheese frosting and topped with a lovely sugar cherry blossom. Our favorite, the Salted Carmel, was a moist cupcake topped with a rich, caramel cream cheese frosting, glazed with melted caramel, and sprinkled with sea salts. It was incredible and by itself worthy of our journey!
We took our tasty treats to the park and prepared ourselves to indulge in the annual blooming of the cherry blossoms. This scene was of perfect white flowers, perfumed air, the proud history of this nation and the people who settled its shores, each with their unique offerings and amazing food. This is the glory of America!
To continue our day’s cherry blossom pursuits, we took our cupcakes to the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian. During the Cherry Blossom Festival the Freer & Sackler Galleries feature a collection Japanese art, film and design to commemorate the gift of 200 cherry blossom trees given by Tokyo 100 years ago. The fact that the Freer Gallery, as part of the Smithsonian, is free to the public made this venture almost too good to be true! Be sure to include the Interactive Lantern Field at the Freer Museum which is a feast of both sight and sound. This exhibit, from Virginia Tech, contains paper lanterns suspended from a bamboo grid which illuminate in response to movement.
Our next pursuit was lunch, and we heard it through the grapevine that the best chili inthe world is in fact at Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street. The history at “The Bowl” is remarkable. Patrons who have frequented this small restaurant include Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington and so many more names that would make your jaw drop. It’s even rumored that this is where Bill Cosby wooed his wife. To sit in the same seats that many famous derrieres warmed, the very long wait, and the singing staff should all be a testament to its history and the love of chili. The line is worthwhile as you will find love at first chili-laden bite.
A local favorite, Capitol City Brewery is also offering a special brew to celebrate the festival that is infused with cherries! The Sakura Cherry Wheat Ale will remain on tap at Capitol City’s location in Shillington Village and in DC.
Next on our list to visit were the new exhibits located within the Natural History museum. While the museum features many fascinating exhibits, such as the Hope Diamond, the aquatic x-ray gallery, and the giant squid in the free admission, there is a particular exhibit with an admission fee, but a worthwhile cost. The Butterfly Pavilion is a smaller exhibit which educates visitors on the life process of a butterfly, from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly. The Pavilion is filled with butterfly friendly growth, most of which is blooming. However, it’s above the blooms where the magic is found! The most enticing pieces of the exhibit are the hundreds of live butterflies. These winged pieces of art are all glorious in their unique and wonderful colors, shapes and sizes. It’s simply charming! I have two little travelers who haven’t stopped talking about it to this day.
Cherry Blossom Festival - 2012
The day in DC was altogether enchanting! Each glorious bite of food, each gorgeous blossom, treasured painting, and each charming yet educational experience was a precious gift to be held sacred. It occurred to me on the ride home that inevitably each precious moment will pass and fall away just like beautiful trees will soon drop their cherry blossom petals like snow – delicate blushing pink snow. Living deliberately means to seek out and to treasure each of these sacred moments, and on this trip to DC, we lived deliberately amongst the miraculous Cherry Blossom Trees.
The Lunchburg Project
A new program introduced to the Philadelphia School System, through the Vetri Foundation for Children, is redefining school lunches in a way that demands the attention of a nation. We all have an abstract desire to create a better world for future generations, but few actually have an idea of how to put this into practice. The Lunchburg Project is the practical application of sustaining healthy knowledge all while instilling consideration in school age children. At Lynchburg Eats, we are requesting our community to ask the schools to implement this program into our school system in a way that is modified to also include sustainable living techniques.
In an already tight economy, the premise of the Lunchburg Project is designed to bring budget-friendly healthy lunches to school age children while teaching them about how food nourishes our bodies and reforming dining rooms to allow for table graces and consideration of others. School administrators that are reading this article are probably already being plagued by $$ signs but what if we were to say that the average meal only costs $1.50 per student and that is before modifications. Stay with us!
The project proposes that students sit at tables with other students and meals be served family-style. A table captain retrieves the meals for their table while students are seated. Meals are served to each table with utensils and plates and portions are, in turn, shared among the students. After the meal students collectively remove their used dinnerware, clean the table, and recycle what is left. Students who have participated in this project learn table manners, etiquette, and consideration.
The school systems have recently undertaken a Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program to provide fresh fruits and vegetables by making them available to students three times a week. This has been the first of many steps in the long road to rehabilitating school lunches. The most important aspect of this project is that food has also undergone dynamic changes. No longer are the “appetizing” chicken & filler nuggets with sides of canned corn and cake, pizza and pudding, and the ever popular dehydrated hamburger with side of partial potato, soupy green beans and brick-hard brownie served to our youth. Instead are entrees that include “baked ziti with a side of roasted fennel salad and… cinnamon apple rice pudding.” These meals increase the nutrition being given to students, individual satiety and have decreased sodium, trans-fat intake and empty calorie contents of each meal. Through this program students don’t just hear adults talk about increasing obesity rates and their unhealthy lifestyles after being served noxious meals. They learn healthy living skills because they are modeled and provided. How we ever expected children to “do what we say, not what we show you” is confounding!
We have often been given the reason that the cost of giving students nutritious meals is too expensive for local schools to endure. However at $1.50 per student and less if modifications are made to localize the program, nutritious meals can absolutely become obtainable. The cost could be reduced even further if the modifications we propose are implemented.
Students in middle school are already learning in science about life-cycles, carbon-fixing, botany and environmental studies. What better way to teach than to demonstrate! We propose that local schools utilize a portion of their property as a sustainable garden to supplement school meals. Scraps from meals can also be used in compost programs to further make use of all resources and drive down cost. Students have the opportunity to experience what is being taught and partake of the fruition of their studies. In a practical way, they are also being taught sustainable living, budget-friendly ways of providing for their families, and environmentally friendly ways of utilizing all reasonable resources. These are arts that have been diluted and lost throughout the generations but can be revived for generations to come.
Further ways of utilizing our local resources is to actually use them. Through programs at Lynchburg Grows and The Area Lynchburg Food Council schools can learn more about how to create a healthier local economy by using local farmers, artisans and chefs as resources for menu and garden planning. In doing this we also have the privilege of making our community more economically sustainable.
Charter Schools that have undergone the similar project report that school lunch is now a wonderful experience. “Shorter waiting times for food means more time to eat relax and enjoy conversation, greater insight into student nutrition because of teacher involvement. [and] a less chaotic experience overall.”
We propose that local implementation of such projects will create an overall healthy community. Healthy in body, knowledge of living congruently with our planet, healthier local economy and a true commonwealth that utilizes all of its local resources these are the skills we want to endow to the generations to come. Prepackaged processed beef is never what we had intended to pass on to our youth. The modified Lunchburg Project, however, is a legacy we could be proud to leave to children.
Here is where you can get involved. Call or email your local school administration and reference this article at LynchburgEats.com. We have local resources and volunteer gardeners, chefs, cooks, and councils that would be happy to lend their skills and wisdom to take this small step towards making our world a better place. You can also get involved in making your own home a sanctuary of nutritious meals, dining experiences that promote consideration and sharing and sustainable living. Below are contacts for how you can make simple changes that can make huge impact!
Local School Board
Lynchburg City Schools
Bedford County Schools
Amherst County Schools
Campbell County Schools
Healthy/Sustainable Living Contacts
Lynchburg Grows
Lynchburg Area Food Counsel
Rachel Deddens Historical Cook and Sustainable Living Expert:
RCDeddens@earthlink.com
Pharsalia’s Healthy/Sustainable Events
Vetri Foundation
Sources
Lynchburg Public Schools, ” Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program” Retrieved from http://www.lcsedu.net/departments/school-nutrition/fresh-fruit-vegetable-program on 3/20/2013.
Vetri Foundation for Children, “Case Studies: Dream Camp, ” Retrieved from http://vetrifoundation.org/index.php/what_we_do/case_studies on 3/20/2013.
Kathy Matheson, The Detroit News, “Philadelphia school lunches: Goodbye fries, hello fennel” March 3, 2013, Retrieved from http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130302/NATION/303020323 on March 20, 2013.
The Spot
20722 Timberlake Rd
Lynchburg, VA 24502
(434) 608-1125
Hours
Mon-Thu, Sat 11 am – 9 pm
Fri 11 am – 10 pm
3 YUMS
$-$$
Family Friendly
The Spot, located in the Timbrook Shopping (Big Lots) Center on Timberlake Road, is the locally-owned burger joint we have been looking for! Patrons can pick-up or dining in the small dining area located at the front of the restaurant. Catering options are also available. The Spot specializes in American, Breakfast, Caribbean, Latin American, Soul Food, and Spanish/Basque, but they are best known for their burgers and wings.
You know those times when nothing, no matter what your nutritional or diet proclivity is, will satisfy you except for a juicy mouth-watering burger? Well, The Spot is just the place to hit the spot. Thick lockjaw-inducing burger patties, which did not come from a box in the freezer, are topped with unique and fresh ingredients and then served with fries. On this occasion, we had one of those hankerings for a locally-owned burger joint that served what we needed – juicy burgers thick enough to induce enough to induce protein shock. We thoroughly enjoyed The Western, The Bacon Burger, and the Philly. The burgers had a common denominator of thick beef patties which required one to dismiss all daintiness, open up wide, and enjoy! The Western, as you would come to expect, is served topped with a fried egg, which is cooked perfectly so as to allow some runniness, which adds to the flavor of the burger. Cheddar, relish, and crisp veggies top this burger. The Bacon burger is loaded with thick cuts of crispy bacon, marinated mushrooms, and Swiss cheese.
The Philly is a traditional Philly cheese steak stuffed with marinated cuts of beef, green peppers, onions, provolone, and banana peppers. Mmmmm – mouthwatering and delicious!
When you find yourself craving a scrumptious, substantial burger, The Spot is your destination and it’s locally owned and when you support local business we all have a healthier local economy. See! I just gave you justification: eating delicious burgers from a locally owned business = healthy local economy! (Although if this is going to be a trend for you, you may want to look into a locally-owned gym as well)
