Connect with Nature… Without Sacrificing Comfort

My husband is an Eagle Scout who spent lots of time backpacking throughout Virginia; thus, he digs camping. I didn’t last a day in Brownies back on my native Long Island and have never actually been camping. Now, while the notion of telling ghost stories around a fire, playing music, roasting hot dogs, and making s’mores appeals to me, the idea of spending the night in sleeping bags and tents does not. No AC, no running water, no bathroom? No thank you!

So the question looms: how can my husband and I enjoy the great outdoors together? Glamping! Glamourous camping combines the best in modern luxuries with rustic settings and views aplenty, and Virginia is home to several properties that each has its own unique (and posh) spin on the glamping concept. Sign me up!

Look Out from a Treehouse

The Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan is known for its remarkable 12,000 acres of secluded Blue Ridge mountaintop complete with top-rated cuisine and first-class service. Over the past several years, guests have had the chance to take advantage of the resort’s newest accommodations: three luxury treehouses.

Primland vice president Steve Helms says the idea came from one of the resort’s owners who knew Mr. Alain Laurens, famous for his treehouse work in Europe. Laurens, who has built more than 200 treehouses throughout Europe, accepted the invitation to visit the resort and look for a great tree to use as the first treehouse. This project at Primland became Laurens’ first treehouse project in the U.S. He designed and built the Golden Eagle house for Primland in 2011. “It was constructed in France and shipped to Virginia in two containers, and it took only two weeks to reconstruct the treehouse on site,” says Helms.

All three treehouses are located at the end of a ridge point with a view of Kibler Valley 1,500 feet below. According to Helms, the treehouses are “great for couples looking for a peaceful getaway or for celebrating a special occasion. The deck is also a perfect spot for a proposal or writing the next best seller!” Guests stay upwards of 1,300 feet high and enjoy privacy and stargazing in addition to having access to all of the amenities of the greater resort.

Any season is perfect for staying in a treehouse, says Helms. “Spring has more in bloom along with baby fawns, turkey chicks, and wildlife coming out. Summer has lush greenery and cool mountain breezes. Fall has the mountainsides transforming to vibrant red, orange and yellow as the leaves change. And winter allows for clear views and the ability to see the rock outcroppings on the mountainsides.”

Booking Tip:
Bring the kids to Primland, but not to the treehouses, since children are not permitted in these accommodations. Also, the treehouses are closed in January and February.

Channel Your Inner Nomad

Ever since I saw A River Runs Through It, I thought fly-fishing looked like fun (and no, it wasn’t just because I was a teenager and the film featured a young Brad Pitt). What looks like even more fun to me is staying in one of the new, modern yurts at Rose River Farm in Syria, Virginia.

Fly angler and outdoorsman Douglas Dear purchased 20 acres in the Rose River Valley (two hours north of Lynchburg) about 10 years ago and transformed it into Rose River Farm, a nature retreat for lovers of fly-fishing and the great outdoors. Guests stay in one of several yurts, which are circular tents typically made from canvas or wood that perform well in high wind terrains. Yurts originated in Mongolia, but Dear first saw them on a fly-fishing trip to Patagonia. “I liked them, and I kept thinking about them when I came back to the States. I just loved all the space that they offered—there’s no wasted space at all,” he explains.

Dear wanted to offer his guests the opportunity to stay in a yurt. “With our mountain views, they would fit the site really well, but with our climate in Virginia, canvas would get mildew,” he says. He contacted a company in Washington State that fabricated alternative yurt components, and a local contractor assembled them.

Each 1,100-square-foot yurt is made from steel and 2,500 separate pieces of cedar hand cut to fit. They feature full kitchens, Wi-Fi, and high-end club furniture. Fly anglers from around the world come to enjoy the Farm and families can fish on the stocked catch and release pond (or even take private fly-fishing lessons). If you don’t fish, don’t worry—you can still find immense enjoyment at Rose River Farm. Couples and families come to hike Old Rag Mountain, check out the wineries, or just kick back and read a book and relax. “We supply firewood for the fire pits every night, and that just becomes a big family event,” Dear says.

Booking Tip:
Make your reservations several months in advance and up to a year ahead of time for the October and November season.

Book a Tiny Cabin

When people hear that I’ve never been camping, they ask, “Would you stay in a cabin?” Evidently, cabins are the gateway to camping, and I’d be up for a weekend at a cabin for sure. One stellar example is Tim and Cindi Spaulding’s adorable tiny cabin in Big Island.

A few years ago, the Spauldings were hiking in Bedford County and started wondering what land would cost up near the mountains. They stumbled upon an old hiker’s loft that was in rough condition and thought, “Could we make it work?” In order to purchase the 2.5-acre property, they’d have to delay their planned kitchen renovation. “We decided to go with it and have some fun,” explains Tim. The Spauldings and their three young children spent every weekend up at the house, completely renovating the whole thing. “It was really a team effort,” he says.

Because the Spauldings originally purchased the cabin to use as a family getaway, they didn’t spare any expense or overlook any detail. However, it is a “tiny house,” with just 308 square feet of living space. To make it work for their family, “we decided to maximize the space as much as possible,” Spaulding says, so they deliberately designed the home to be bright, airy, and functional for everyday living (such as including a washer/dryer).

The Spaulding’s property is located near the Blue Ridge Parkway—ideal for hikers. The inside features a wood burning stove and a loft with a queen-sized bed; step outside and enjoy al fresco dining at the picnic table or a dip in Battery Creek. A swimming hole in Arnold Valley is just 10 minutes away. With wildlife, greenery, hammocks, and a fire pit right there, Spaulding says, “it’s a great place for a weekend getaway.”

Booking Tip:
The cabin is open year-round, but plan on making a reservation at least three months in advance in order to accommodate your desired date. You can find the Spaulding’s cabin on Airbnb: Airbnb.com/rooms/18385835.

Experience Native American Culture

For the past six years, outdoor enthusiasts have been taking advantage of the canopy tours, paddle boating, and mountain biking at Sandy River Outdoor Adventure and Retreat in Rice. With grounds that highlight a 3-hour tree top adventure (complete with tight ropes, swinging bridges, and zip lines), accommodations ought to fit the scenery. Interested guests can choose to stay in a cottage, one of the rustic log cabins, or one of four luxury tipis on the property, which are the newest additions to Sandy River.

That’s right: a luxury tipi. (It’s not an oxymoron.) Each comes with radiant heated floors, AC, a kitchenette, queen-sized beds, and a full bathroom. They also feature Wi-Fi and televisions with Netflix as well as fire pits, picnic tables, and grills.

Booking Tip:
The tipi fabric does not block daylight, so plan on waking up with the sun. A tipi rental also gives you 20% off on any adventure activities you book during your stay.

Other Glamping Sites In Virginia:

Seasonal glamper cottages at Blue Haven 151 Farm in Roseland

Custom luxury glamp sites by Solid Ground Shelters in Ruckersville

An old watch house and kayak tour with Southeast Expeditions in Chincoteague

Cabooses by Grassy Creek Cabooses in Fancy Gap

Cabins, pods, yurts, tipis and more at Explore Park in Roanoke County

From day camps to outdoor events, check out these 13 family-friendly ideas.

Academy Center of the Arts
Calling all actors and artists (and their awesome parents): The Academy is hosting six youth theatre camps in addition to a summer full of art and pottery camps. Paint a masterpiece, throw on the pottery wheel, act in a play, animate a story, and more in our summer camps! Visit academycenter.org or call (434) 846-8499 to learn more and register.

Endstation Theatre Company
Looking to shake things up this summer? Endstation Theatre Company brings the best of live professional theatre to Lynchburg. Hosted on the Randolph College campus, their productions are chosen specifically for the Central Virginia audience by drawing on the interests, stories, and landscape of our area. Their 2018 season includes the rockin’ musical “Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story,” an outdoor adaptation of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” and the drama-heavy play “Br’er Cotton” set right here in Lynchburg. Tickets available now at EndstationTheatre.org

Amazement Square
Amazement Square is an award-winning, interactive and family-friendly museum located in historic Riverfront Lynchburg. The museum’s 4 floors of multidisciplinary interactive exhibits are designed for guests of all ages. Whether you are into science, the arts, music, building or pretend play, there is something for all to do and learn! If you have little kids, the museum has exhibitions for kids 5 & under and 3 & under, where you can explore the world of the farmland and the seas. The museum’s Paint Box, where guests can paint the walls to their heart’s desire; James River Gallery, where they can create a rainstorm over downtown Lynchburg; and its new innovative and inquisitive learning Makerspace Lab have become a landmark and destination for visitors to Lynchburg! For more information visit amazementsquare.org or call 434-845-1888.

James River Day School
Summer fun is just around the corner! Take advantage of the many summer camps James River Day School has to offer. Your child will have a great time (and still learn a bit)!

There are camps for children coming into kindergarten through students going into 9th grade. Kids can get outdoors for hiking adventures and searching for geocaches. There’s even a camp-out at the school! With games and pizza!

Kids can create art, including objects made with a 3D printer. Or, they can make their own percussion instruments and learn playing techniques. Want to learn a bit of Spanish? James River has that, too! Kids from all over come to camps at James River Day School and have tons of fun. Sign up at jrds.school/summer-camps.

Lynchburg Hillcats Baseball
There’s no better way to spend a summer night than at Lynchburg City Stadium cheering on the Hillcats. The team plays 23 home games throughout May and June, highlighted by several exceptional promotions and giveaways. May 4th is Star Wars Night, along with a Southpaw bobblehead giveaway. Greatefully Dead Christmas Night is on May 19th, presented by My Guitar Shop and Speakertree Records, featuring a pre-game cover band performance, and post-game fireworks presented by Woodforest National Bank. The Hillcats will wear Gratefully Dead Christmas-themed jerseys which will be auctioned off during the game. June 22nd is Jurassic at the Park Night, and fans will receive a Francisco Mejia bobblehead. For tickets and more information visit Lynchburg-Hillcats.com, call (434) 528-1144 or visit the Hillcats Box Office.

Lynchburg City Parks & Recreation
Bring your family, friends, a blanket or chair, and join Lynchburg Parks & Recreation for the third Movies in the Park Summer Season! This summer, we’re hosting four Movies in the Park, where families and friends can catch a free flick under the stars. Screening times start at 8:00pm for each movie. Visit www.lynchburgparksandrec.com for updates and more information.

Lynchburg Museum System
The Lynchburg Museum System is gearing up for some summer fun! Join us for Teacher Recertification Camp June 25-29, Discover Lynchburg Summer Camp for Kids July 9-13, and Afternoon Painting at the Point on August 11th. Please go to Lynchburgmuseum.org to find out more information pertaining to these amazing programs!

National D-Day Memorial
A 1940s HOMEFRONT FESTIVAL
When the teacher asks what they did this summer, your kids will be able to say, “Traveled back in time!” The National D-Day Memorial presents “A 1940s Homefront Festival” on Saturday, July 21 from 10 a.m. –3 p.m. Kids get in free during the ever-popular family event.

World War II veterans will tell their real-life tales from the front lines. Living historians, dressed in full costume, show what life was like at home and at war. Visitors can hold history in their hands as actual artifacts will be on display. Jive and swing to the music of the day. The annual festival is held rain or shine on Memorial grounds. The National D-Day Memorial is located at 3 Overlord Circle, just off U.S. 460 in Bedford.

Patrick Henry’s Red Hill
The beauty of Red Hill and the landscape surrounding it is virtually unchanged from the days when Patrick Henry lived here. The peacefulness in this place Henry called the “garden spot of the world” flourishes.

July 4th at Red Hill is a day full of living history, music, patriotism and fireworks! Events begin at 3:00PM, fireworks at dusk. Open year-round. www.redhill.org

Putt-Putt Fun Center of Lynchburg
Get ready for unforgettable summer memories without leaving town! Putt-Putt Fun Center Lynchburg offers affordable, daily fun for a staycation you can enjoy all summer long. With laser tag, bumper cars, an arcade, go-karts, bumper boats, batting cages, and Putt-Putt Golf, you can sizzle in the sun or beat the heat with our array of outdoor and indoor activities! 8105 Timberlake Road. (434) 237-PUTT. www.puttputt.com/lynchburg

Sluggo’s Sundae Drive
Serving premium, hand-crafted ice cream made fresh several times each week, this family home turned homemade ice cream parlor is open year-round. Indoor seating is complemented by front porch and yard seating when warm enough. Established in 2014, Sluggo’s Sundae Drive has set the Lynchburg area standard with 5 star ratings and customer proclaimed “best ever ice cream.” 177 Elon Road, Madison Heights. www.facebook.com/Sluggos.sundae.drive

Thomas Road Baptist Church
Attention Parents! Don’t miss out on an incredible summer opportunity for your kids at Camp Hydaway! Join us for a fun-filled week of exciting activities, crazy party nights and theme days, new friendships, and awesome worship and Bible study. Camp is a unique place for children to experience and know the love of Jesus Christ. Register today at camphydaway.com

YMCA
For more than 160 years, the YMCA of Central Virginia has been listening to and responding to our community’s needs. Through innovative programming and initiatives, we are developing youth, working to prevent chronic disease, and building a healthier community.

We offer a wide range of programs for the whole family. Swim lessons, child care, youth sports, chronic disease prevention, travel opportunities and classes for active adults, and wellness programs focus on creating a better community for all.

The Y connects people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds with the tools and resources they need to reach their full potential. Three convenient locations and donor-supported financial assistance ensure everyone has access to vital life-changing opportunities at the Y. For more information visit ymcacva.org or call Jamerson YMCA (434) 582-1900, Downtown YMCA (434) 847-5597, YMCA Express (434) 455-5996.

Lynchburg Restaurant Week 2018 is presented by Lynchburg Living Magazine.

For a full week in June, we turn the phrase “let’s go out to eat” from an excuse (unmotivated, lack of food in the pantry, etc.) to a meaningful celebration of the Hill City’s thriving restaurant scene.

Our popular Lynchburg Restaurant Week is back for its 7th year with a big change you may notice. For the first time, restaurants can set the price for their discounted menus, allowing for a lot more creativity in choices for you. One carryover from 2017 is our featured nonprofit—Meals on Wheels of Central Virginia. This year, 25 percent of our business sponsorship proceeds are going straight to this incredible organization.

Flip through the following pages to see the mouthwatering menus from this year’s 30 participating restaurants—and start planning your stops today! Or for more information go to, lynchburgrestaurantweek.com.

Helpful Hints for Your Home Kitchen

While many of us daydream about cooking elaborate, gourmet meals for in-home dinner parties, the reality is most of our time in the kitchen is typically spent preparing a quick bite for ourselves or our families in between meetings or soccer games.

We want it to be easy, painless, somewhat healthy and—of course—we want it to taste good. If you need a little pep talk to get you recharged or retrained in your home kitchen, we are here with loads of basic advice—tips to save you time, space, money (and maybe even a finger!).

Editor Shelley Basinger spent some time with Chef Stephanie Fees, owner of Scratch Pasta in the Lynchburg Community Market, to pick her brain on the do’s and don’ts of the kitchen. From culinary school to the Greenbrier to West Manor, she shares what she’s learned over the years. Then, we expanded our search for advice by getting insight from Chef Robert Patton at the Culinary Institute of Virginia.

Bon Appetit!

Chef Stephanie Fees, owner of Scratch Pasta.

Stephanie’s 3 Kitchen Truths
1. Always start with a sharp knife. “The first thing you learn in culinary school is how to sharpen your knife manually, using a sharpening stone. Because the saying goes—a sharp knife is a safe knife. The less you have to work to cut something, the less likely you are to cut yourself. If you don’t have a sharpening stone, just make sure yours is as sharp as possible. The test is always to cut through a tomato without having to press or push on the skin.”

2. Don’t be afraid of salt during the cooking process. “This is one of my big things, especially when it comes to your pasta water. People will add a couple of teaspoons, but you actually want tablespoons of salt in your water. Most of the salt is going to stay in the water. I also believe in salting your food as you cook versus adding it at the end. When you add salt to your finished dish, the food will just taste salty instead of flavorful.”

3. Beware of clever marketing tactics. “‘All natural’ on the label doesn’t mean it’s your personal idea of what all natural means. If you look up the FDA requirement for ‘all natural,’ it’s very broad. If you’re able to pay extra for meat, buy organic. There are legal guidelines for organic meats and vegetables, but you can put an ‘all natural’ label on just about anything. Another option is to buy from a local provider so you can ask them exactly where the meat came from and how the animal was raised. But don’t buy something just because of what it says on the label—unless it’s organic.
You are wasting money.”

7 Kitchen Tricks and Tips
Don’t throw out the pasta water. “I try to use a spider or tongs when I pull out my pasta so I can preserve the water. You can add it to a sauce or toss it with some cheese to make a carbonara. You will get that little bit of thickening that you need.”

Use a microplane instead of a grater for parmesan cheese. “Parmesan cheese is a super dry cheese and doesn’t melt easily, so the smaller it is, the more quickly and evenly it will melt.”

Try a spoon instead of a knife when peeling fresh ginger. “When you use a knife, you lose a lot of the volume. Use a spoon to peel it back and just get the skin off.”

Bonus tip: “Since you usually only need a 1/2 a teaspoon for what you are making, chop up whatever you have and put it in the freezer.”

Two plastic lids can save you a lot of prep time. “While working at the Greenbrier after culinary school, I was cutting cherry tomatoes for salads one at a time. Someone in the kitchen showed me how to take two plastic lids, put the tomatoes between them, and cut eight of them at once. It was a game changer. This is also a great trick for moms who are cutting up grapes for their small children.”

Save the chicken bones. “I keep chicken bones in the freezer from when I buy a rotisserie chicken. Then, I will put them in a crockpot or instant pot overnight to make chicken stock. Just cover it with water or add carrots, onions, celery, garlic—whatever you want. The great thing is you can control the amount of salt, and the flavor is far superior to store-bought.”

Use kitchen scissors instead of a pizza cutter.

“I didn’t have a pizza cutter one day and improvised. The scissors worked like a charm, if not better! I really don’t like single use items. So if you can take that one thing out of your jam packed drawer, I think that’s a huge plus. I’m all about having fewer things in your junk drawer.”

Be consistent with the type of salt you use. “Kosher salt is said to have a cleaner taste and is less salty than iodized salt by volume by about 30 percent. So you can salt your food more evenly without it being too salty. But whether you use kosher salt or iodized salt, you just have to be familiar with the salt that you use and how it makes things taste.”

5 of Her Favorite Things
Instant Pot: “I love mine so much and think everyone should have one. I use it just about every day and I can’t say that about many appliances that I have. These electric pressure cookers save your cooking time on everything and it turns out so well. Ribs, rice, chicken stock, yogurt—I’ve made everything in my instant pot.”
Cookbooks: “I think people get a lot of recipes from Pinterest these days then are disappointed by them. Just because there is a pretty photo doesn’t mean the recipe is all it’s cracked up to be. Find the right source material—blogs that you trust, cookbook authors that you trust. I use the internet for quick recipes, but my cookbooks are my go-to for complex dishes.”

Restaurant food containers: “I store all of my food in these plastic containers (you can buy them on Amazon) instead of Tupperware because they are stackable and really compact. And if you lose one, it’s only a couple of cents.”

Pre-peeled garlic: “In the produce section you can purchase garlic cloves that are already peeled and separated (not the chopped stuff in a jar). For me this is a huge time saver and then the leftover cloves stay fresh for a while in the fridge.”

Electric Egg Cooker: “This is one of the only single use items that I own. I can’t ever seem to get hardboiled eggs the way I want them and this does the job perfectly.”

Onion Dicing 101
Do you need a refresher in cutting an onion? Stephanie believes there are technically two “right” methods—the “culinary school way” and then the “home kitchen way.” Both are perfectly acceptable. The only difference is your final product might not be as evenly diced.

Professional: Cut off the top of the onion first, trimming the root end but leaving it intact. Then, slice the onion down the middle and peel it. Cut the onion horizontally in layers to the root end. Then come back and cut back vertically in both directions before cutting off the root end. Those first horizontal cuts can be tough for people who aren’t as savvy with a knife or who are not using a sharp knife.

Home Kitchen: A very similar approach but in this case you cut off the top and root end of the onion first, then slice from side to side (so the onion would be in half moons if you separated the pieces), then turn and slice from top to bottom. The pieces won’t be as pretty as the “professional” way, but it’s a lot quicker!

10 Mistakes You Could Be Making In The Kitchen
By Angela Blue
Information from Chef Robert Patton, CEC, CCA, Campus Director for the Culinary Institute of Virginia. Overcooking your vegetables. Unless you are serving them to small children, the vegetables should still have a slight bite to them.

Cooking bacon on the stovetop. Instead, cook it in the oven in a glass baking dish. It saves a ton of mess and allows you to do other things on the range top.
Mistreating your fresh herbs. Trim the root ends a little bit, and then dunk them in a jar with water as you would a bouquet of fresh flowers. For cilantro and parsley, place a damp paper towel over the herbs and store in the refrigerator. For mint, rosemary, thyme, sage and hardier herbs, keep them in their vase out on the counter
at room temperature.

Refrigerating things that don’t like to be cold. Common sense might suggest that keeping things cool in the refrigerator is good for everything—but it’s not. Many items that are often refrigerated don’t need to be, and worse, some things behave badly in there. Potatoes and tomatoes, for example, suffer on the molecular level and lose much of their texture and flavor.

Overcrowding the pot or pan. This doesn’t allow the food to cook properly. Cook in smaller batches or invest in a larger pan. You’ll get a much better result.

Rinsing the noodles. Your pasta wants to wear its sauce like a nice jacket. When you rinse your pasta after cooking it, you are washing away the starch that makes the sauce stick to it. The result? Slippery pasta to which sauce won’t cling.

Not letting food rest. Food needs naps too!

When you take meats and baked dishes out of the oven, they need to sit for a few minutes before serving.

For meats, this prevents the juices from running away from the meat, and for baked dishes like casseroles and lasagna, it helps the liquids be reabsorbed into the food
so you’re not left with a big soupy, slippery mess.

Being afraid of the high heat. Sautéed vegetables, for instance, do better at a higher heat for a shorter period of time.

Tossing your vegetable scraps. Put fennel fronds, carrot ends and other vegetable scraps into a re-sealable plastic bag and keep in the freezer. When it’s full, make vegetable stock.

Not having fun! Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and experiment.

8 Unique Uses for Ordinary Kitchen Utensils
BY GRACE SILIPIGNI
Among the drawers overflowing with Tupperware containers, bakeware and other miscellaneous kitchen utensils, there are certain culinary devices that can be found in nearly every kitchen, each which can serve a variety of functions. From strainers turned into makeshift steamers to turkey basters serving as pancake makers, we’ve selected eight, common household utensils and offer suggestions on how they can better serve your baking and cooking needs.

Waffle Iron. Waffle irons are the jack of all trades. Not only do they prepare the beloved breakfast item, but can serve as a panini press or quesadilla maker as well. Other sweet treats such as cinnamon buns and brownies can be baked between the two griddles too.

Ice Cream Scoop. This household staple has several uses besides the simple function that its name conveys. Ice cream scoops also happen to measure the perfect amount of batter when preparing muffins, while also serving as the perfect tool for hollowing out the cavities of squash and pumpkins.

Strainer. While strainers are typically used after vegetables, noodles or other foods prepared in a pot of boiling water, we suggest combining the two utensils to create a makeshift steamer. Simply place your strainer, ideally one made from stainless steel, over a pot of boiling water and fill with broccoli, carrots, asparagus or your other favorite vegetable. Then place a lid over the strainer and allow it to steam for several minutes before removing it from the pot.

Tongs. Our alternative suggestion for tongs is somewhat counterintuitive to their purpose, but is certainly helpful. We suggest using the center of the tongs for juicing. Simply place a lime, lemon or other citrusy fruit between the arms and squeeze the open end of the tongs to juice the fruit. This trick is especially useful when preparing large pitchers of lemonade.

Turkey Baster. Turkey basters make their annual debut every Thanksgiving and then are stored away in a drawer for the remainder of the year. It so happens though that turkey basters serve as the perfect pancake maker. Fill the baster with your favorite buttermilk pancake batter and squeeze circles or other fun shapes onto a griddle.
Slotted Spoon. This trick is great for bakers and an easy way to get mess-free egg whites. Over a bowl, simply crack an egg into the slotted spoon to separate the yolk from the whites. Whichever portion of the egg you do not use, refrigerate in an airtight container and save for scrambled eggs or an omelet.

Roller Pin. If you aren’t making sugar cookie cut-outs or a homemade pie crust, the rolling pin may seem obsolete. This device actually serves a wide variety of functions for both cooking and baking. Use the pin as a meat tenderizer to flatten chicken or to crush up graham crackers and candy for baking.

Egg Slicer. This culinary gadget can slice much more than a hard-boiled egg. Try using it to dice up strawberries, avocados and soft cheese, as well as to mince garlic and ginger.

Stock Up Essentials For A Well-Equipped Pantry
Oils (vegetable or canola, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil): Keep a variety on hand for a little drizzle to finish a dish or to top a salad for added flavor and texture.

Vinegars (apple cider, red wine, rice wine): Each have a distinct flavor profile. A splash of vinegar does wonders to “brighten” up a dish’s
flavor and can be used to replace some of the salt.

Soy sauce: It’s an essential to add a depth of flavor, some umami mouthfeel and also a salty taste.

Worcestershire sauce: Most don’t know that it’s made from anchovies and also offers those umami flavors and a great savory saltiness to dishes.

Sriracha Hot Sauce: It offers a great heat and flavor without having too much vinegar flavor.

Local honey: A little bit of good quality honey instead of sugar not only adds sweetness but also depth of flavor.

Dijon mustard: This adds another layer of flavor, slight heat and also can be used to emulsify or bind a salad dressing together.

Sea salt: Have a nice sea salt on hand, not to use during cooking but to finish a dish and add a
great flavorful burst.

Canned beans (black, cannellini, navy, kidney or garbanzo): Having these on hand can give you a quick go-to meal.

A good quality stock or base: This will add that savory quality and can be handy in a pinch for a quick soup or sauce starter.

Canned tomatoes (paste, diced, sauce/puréed): These are a go-to for a quick sauce when tomatoes are out of peak season.

Spelling out what makes a great work environment is somewhat of an inexact science. But who better to determine that than the employees who experience it day in and day out? So we’re asking that employees nominate their places of work for the second annual “Best Places to Work” contest. This competition recognizes and honors companies that deliver a true commitment to their employees by advancing operational ideals and promoting productive environments just to name a few.

The questions that follow will focus on work culture, training and development opportunities, tangible and intangible benefits, and employee satisfaction among other things. Please Note: the survey must be completed by a current employee of the business being nominated. Nominators may be contacted for further comment.

The Fine Print

• Only one nomination  per business is required to be considered.
• Nominations run from November 9 – December 31

The Contest has Ended,  winners will be chosen by a panel and will be featured in the June/July 2018 edition of Lynchburg Business Magazine.