RECIPE | BAKED ASPARAGUS

The other night we made a really nice flank steak with a chipotle rub and I made some asparagus to go with. The recipe was really simple and easy to follow. Enjoy!

- 1 bunch of asparagus - 1 tbsp balsamic vinagrette - 1 tbsp olive oil - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp paprika - 1 tsp minced garlic - 2 tsp honey - salt and pepper (to taste) - bread crumbs (to sprinkle on top)

First, wash your asparagus and break off the ends (I used to cut off the ends of asparagus but I recently read that you can just break them off with your hands and they'll break at the correct point naturally - it saves so much time). Then, lay all of your asparagus out onto a baking sheet and pour your olive oil over. Add all of your ingredients except for your bread crumbs and use your hands to make sure that all of your asparagus is coated. Lastly, sprinkle your bread crumbs on top for a nice crispy finish. Bake in your oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

VACATION IN DC

This Friday my sister and I had a girls night at the Capitol Liaison Hotel. It's a hotel right here in town, but it was really nice to get away for the night. We ate lots of cake, sushi and um, more cake.

Mount Vernon Trail

Today we rode bikes out to the Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac River. My muscles are already sore, but it was a beautiful ride and a great day.

RECIPE | RED SANGRIA

The Columbia is one of the oldest restaurants in Florida and its just so good. For the fourth of July, we decided to try our hand at their red sangria recipe. Their sangria is a favorite, but this at-home version was pretty close. They have lots of other recipes on their website I'd recommend too.

The Columbia's Red Sangria Recipe

Ingredients - 1 bottle Spanish red wine - ¼ cup Spanish brandy - 2 tablespoons lemon juice - 2 tablespoons orange juice - 1 tablespoon sugar - 1 cup club soda - 1 sliced lemon - 1 sliced orange - 2-3 whole cherries

(note: I substituted apple slices for cherries)

Preparation Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Pour into large wine glasses. Garnish with orange slices and cherries. Add ice to pitcher. Serves 4.

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Embassy of Estonia

These are two photos I took while shooting at the Embassy of Estonia last week. I was there photographing Ambassador Kaljurand for YPFP, and I took the two of these before her event started.

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

PHO 75

In the wintertime we get pho from our favorite local place (pho 75) pretty frequently. We hadn't had it in a while, and even though it's starting to get warmer, we got some takeout the other night and did not regret it!

MARGHERITA PIZZA

We've been dying to use the basil we've been growing so tonight we paired it with some homemade mozzarella (sounds fancy but it only took 45 minutes to make) to make a margherita pizza.

VA WINE COUNTRY

MEXICO