Craving Cookies? Try These Shortbread Recipes Tonight!

With a simple, three-ingredient recipe and Scottish origins, shortbread cookies are an incredibly popular dessert. Today, there are a number of different ways to prepare this buttery, crumbly cookie, each providing a different take on the classic recipe. Here are three unique shortbread cookie recipes.

Super-Easy Shortbread [Food.com]
If you don’t have much time to bake or you simply want to create a more traditional style of shortbread, this is a great recipe to try. It uses the standard ingredients of butter, sugar, and flour, and the golden color around the edges makes each cookie taste perfectly browned.

Shortbread Cookies Recipe & Video [Joy of Baking]
If you’re a more visual learner, this video recipe will show you exactly how to prepare rich shortbread cookies for your friends and family. It also includes a chocolate dipped version that teaches you how to create a semisweet chocolate coating on one half of the cookie.

Great-Aunt Annie’s Traditional Shortbread [Martha Stewart]
Martha Stewart’s classic shortbread recipe uses higher quality versions of the usual staple ingredients. Unsalted butter, confectioner’s sugar, and cake flour give this cookie recipe a rich taste and a pie-like shape that’s cut into wedge pieces.

Cedar: Rustic Bounty, Washington Ambiance

Bringing the rustic bounty of the great outdoors into a modern urban setting is what Washington, D.C.'s Cedar is all about. The menu features a contemporary take on country ingredients using the freshest produce, meats, game, and fish . Starters include a hearty Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with apples and bacon, an uber-fresh Artisan Greens Salad with Meyer lemon puree, and a luscious Lobster and White Chocolate Soup with root vegetables. A roster of delectable entrees will make you feel like you’re picnicking in an enchanted forest, including Braised Wild Boar Shank, King Trumpet Mushrooms, Roasted Sturgeon, and Grilled Elk Sausage. Excellent service and a relaxed, contemporary ambiance make Cedar an excellent choice for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch.

Cedar
822 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 637-0012

Acre 121: Modern Southern Cuisine

Acre 121 calls itself a “low country” bistro, serving classic Southern barbeque.

Located a block away from the Columbia Heights Metro Station, Acre 121 is more than just a restaurant — it’s a place for good times. The name comes from the neighborhood itself, when 121 acres of land were set aside for Columbia Heights. You will really like the modern décor, with a cool bar and dining area. There’s nothing low about this! It’s a great place to meet up with friends for a drink, especially with a bar that features happy hour drink deals. There are lots of beers on tap and by the bottle, and a good selection of wines by the glass. And, of course, there’s the Carolina spiced, hickory smoked barbeque that will keep you coming back for more.

Acre 121
1400 Irving St NW
Washington, DC 20010
(202) 328-0121
http://www.yelp.com/biz/acre-121-washington

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center: Halls of Congress

Explore the storied halls of Congress and learn about the inner workings of the government at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. This is a great destination for visitors to D.C., as well as residents looking for a refresher course in the history of government. Tour the Center and view the many amazing exhibits illustrating American history. Outdoor tours feature the majesty and beauty of the many botanical gardens, as well as informing visitors to the many changes the grounds have undergone since the inception of this historical place. The political process comes alive here under the guided tours and exhibits detailing the Capitol's history. Like many of D.C.'s top attractions, the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is free.

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 226-8000
www.visitthecapitol.gov
www.yelp.com/biz/u-s-capitol-visitor-center-washington-2

Beautify Your Bathroom With These Easy Tips

Did you know that by adding a few homey touches, you can make your bathroom feel much more luxurious? Here are a few ways to transform your rental bath into a spa-quality retreat.

  • Add fluffy towels. Investing in a new set of thick, plush bath towels is one of the best things that you can do for your bathroom. If you don’t have a set color scheme, classic hotel white always looks great.
  • Incorporate baskets. Add attractive wicker baskets or wooden crates to clear away clutter and add a soft, rustic effect.
  • Add fresh flowers. Don’t overlook the bathroom when it comes to greenery. Add a vase of fresh flowers or a low-light plant to help clean the air.
  • Add floating shelves. If you still need additional storage, add small floating shelves along a bare wall.
  • Light candles. Finally, light some great smelling candles along the bathtub or toilet and settle in for a relaxing bubble bath.

10 Ways to Give Your Bathroom a Quick Facelift [Oprah]
50 Cheap and Chic Ways to Perk Up Your Bathroom [Style at Home]
Freshen Your Bathroom with Low-Cost Updates [Better Homes & Gardens]

New Facebook Sweepstakes! Enter to Win an iPad Mini!

To enter the Sweepstakes, visit our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends August 31st, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.

Dumbarton House: See the Beauty of Old Georgetown

Georgetown is a community of beautiful homes, but none as stately as Dumbarton House. Built in the Federal style in 1799, Dumbarton House is so beloved for its architecture and history that when it was discovered that it would have to be destroyed to make room for a new bridge in 1915, the home was instead moved intact to its present location! The home was again rescued by the National Association of Colonial Dames, and had it restored to its current beauty. Come into Dumbarton House and go back in time to the early 1800s, when Washington was a new city and seat of a new nation. Furnishings of the period give the home that special touch, and the tours by volunteers will make this visit complete. And the price is reasonable – just $5 for adults, with discounts for AAA members and free admission for students and other members.

Dumbarton House
2715 Q Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-2288
www.dumbartonhouse.org
www.yelp.com/biz/dumbarton-house-washington

Happy Independence Day!

We hope everyone enjoys a fun and relaxing time with family and friends as we celebrate America's freedom.

National Geographic Museum: A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

If you are enthralled by images of nature, foreign landscapes, and exotic cultures, a visit to the National Geographic Museum is a must! Here, you can behold exhibits such as explorations of the Etruscans, reproductions of DaVinci inventions, a pictorial display of Machu Picchu, as well as fifty years of photographs of American presidents taken by the official White House photographers.

Similar to the much-loved magazine, the photography on site here is all breathtaking, inspiring, and educational. In addition, you can enjoy wonderful events that include live music, dance, film series, and lectures by Nobel Laureates. Visit the museum's website for dates and descriptions of all upcoming programs.

Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for kids, and the museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

National Geographic Museum
1145 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 223-5074

Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Father's Day! We hope all of the Dads out there have a great day with loved ones! Let us know how you plan to help Dad relax today!

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