Searching for the “best” lobster roll in Kennebunkport, Maine, is sort of like searching for the “best” grain of sand on any of the beautiful local beaches: it’s hard to find one that’s better than the rest. This is because there are so many great options! As we wrote in our Insider’s Guide to Kennebunkport, […]
small town america
An Insider’s Guide to Kennebunkport, Maine
Once known merely as the dreamy backdrop of the Bush family compound, Kennebunkport, Maine is a tiny New England town on the state’s rocky southern coast– the perfect place to have a quintessential New England beach experience. Today, however, Kennebunkport also has a hotel and restaurant scene that makes it a world-class summer travel destination. […]
The 10 Best Restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard (+ Other Lovely Foodie Things to Do There)
Don your Black Dog T-shirt, take a sunset stroll on the beach, lick your melting ice cream, purchase flowers on the side of the road, and indulge in great seafood; Martha’s Vineyard is a quintessential summer destination in New England, and with good reason! Along with Cape Cod, Nantucket, the Hamptons, and Kennebunkport, Maine, Martha’s […]
Homemade Cherry Blossom Sugar Cubes
These homemade, heart-shaped cherry blossom sugar cubes are super easy to make– simply mix one cup of sugar, a teaspoon of water, and whatever edible flower petals you like into a wet-sand mixture that you can press into a candy mold. Then, let the mixture dry in molds overnight to set the sugar and voilà– […]
Foraged Mulberry Maple Mini Muffins
This adorable mulberry muffin recipe is a cute, delicious way to use two of my favorite tree ingredients– mulberries and maple syrup– to make clean, real-food mini muffins with all the charm of bagged ones. (If you grew up in the 90s, you know what I mean.) The only sweetener here is maple syrup (and […]
Peanut Butter Acorn Flour Energy Balls (Yes, You Can Eat Acorns)
Acorn flour is a really special ingredient that is increasingly central to conversations about sustainable agriculture, foraging, and permaculture. Acorns are a ubiquitous tree nut whose mother tree (oak trees) provide unnumerable ecosystem services, from carbon offsetting to providing shelter and sustenance for local wildlife. Not to mention: their nuts are incredibly nutritious, rich in […]
Easy Chestnut Hummus (Yes, Chestnut Hummus!)
This easy recipe for chestnut hummus combines cooked chestnuts with olive oil, garlic, tahini, lemon and spices to make a lovely, velvety, bean-free hummus. I first became aware that chestnut hummus was “a thing” when I attended a permaculture-focused paw paw festival that espoused the power of growing and cooking with native fruit and nut […]
9 Gorgeous Vineyards For Wine Tasting in Charlottesville, Virginia
Going wine tasting in Charlottesville, Virginia is a Bucket List experience in this beloved foodie town, which is secretly one of the most beautiful places to go wine tasting in America. Celebrity Chef Jose Andres once said that this bucolic, verdant region of the Blue Ridge is “more beautiful than the Napa Valley”! (And […]
This Redbud Pink Lemonade Recipe is a Delight of Antioxidants
This easy redbud pink lemonade recipe combines bright pink redbud flowers with water, citrus juice, and sugar to make a gorgeous, colorful spring drink that can be mixed with seltzer, coconut water, or any cocktail or mocktail in need of a little pizazz. The naturally-occurring anthocyanins in the petals turn this lemonade a gorgeous baby […]
5 Beautiful Places to Go Strawberry Picking in Northern Virginia (2026 Edition)
When May and June roll around, it’s strawberry-picking time in Northern Virginia. This is a great Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day activity, depending on whether the season starts early or goes long. For two or three precious weeks in the early fruit season, picking strawberries in Northern Virginia becomes the region’s most lovely agricultural activity– […]