Lorrabeth

easy italian sausage burgers

These burgers are less like a burger and more like a bratwurst sandwich. Ground pork patties seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds are topped with sauteed bell peppers and onions and provolone cheese. They were easy to to make and scrumtralescent.

-Brooke

resturaunt review: hugo's

Hugo's has been a Fayetteville establishment since 1977 and it's easy to see why. It's a funky burger joint in a basement near the Fayetteville Town Square on Block Street. Since they are so close to the Farmer's Market on the square, they utilize fresh produce from local growers.

 

You might have to wait to get a table because it's pretty small inside, but good food isn't fast food. Paige and I regularly quench our cravings for meat with their delicious burgers. I normally get the chili burger and Paige always gets the guacamole burger (without a bun). We've always wanted to order the cheese board which sounds amazing, but we never have enough people to eat so many cheeses. Their menu also has a full array of sandwiches and their specialties include crepes and quiches.

Have you been to Hugo's? Do you agree? What's your favorite thing to order? If you haven't been, check it out!

Touring Fayetteville's Bike Trails: Meadow Valley Trail

Grab your helmets and grab your bikes....

And put on your fun faces because, we're going on a tour of Meadow Valley Trail in Fayetteville Arkansas! In attempt to meet a challenge to ride as many miles as I can in August, I have been hitting the trails. So far I've only ridden about 23, and my goal was to hit between 50-60 miles. I have a long way to go so we better get started!

I like this trail because it runs right along the University of Arkansas's agricultural fields; it's very scenic! It's also a relatively flat and easy trail to ride. Normally there are a lot of people walking, running, etc., on some of the bigger trails, but this trail is usually only has fellow bikers. In other words, no one is in your way, so you can go as fast as you like!

This is another reason I love this trail! It passes right behind Fayetteville's outdoor music ampitheater. If there is somebody playing, I like to stop and take a breather while enjoying free entertainment.

Meadow Valley Trail is a little longer than 2 miles at the moment. As of today, it stops at the Fulbright Expressway near the interstate 540 ramp.

Fayetteville is in the process of expanding some their trails so that they will finally all connect and be a true trail system; this means that many of the trails like Meadow Valley will eventually extend a few more miles. I really enjoy being able to use these lovely trails, and I'm glad to show you guys what you're missing!

-Brooke

chicken and plum kebabs

Tried these chicken and plum kebabs from the August issue of Real Simple. They turned out tangy and delicious. We wish we'd made more!

PS, plums are in season right now so even if you don't make these, you should totally eat some while they are super amazingly good.

lazy girl's enchiladas

A good enchilada sauce takes any enchiladas from meh to amazing with no added effort!


Enchiladas are super easy and fun to make because you can really throw anything you want into them. This go-round ours have mini portabellos, one anaheim pepper, 3 or 4 sweet peppers in red, white, and purple (we found the weird varieties at our farmers market in downtown Fayetteville, AR), and onions in white and red. This sauce is the best, and it has just enough kick to make up for a lack of any hot peppers or seasoning. I threw in some cumin and chili powder when sauteing the mushrooms for more flavor.

music monday: Foley's Van

Over the weekend we went to Mojo's to see this little bluegrass band called Foley's Van. The crowd was a strange combination of good ole boys and hipsters. Whoever you are though, you can't deny the serious talent in this band who describes their music as "bluegrass...but not your Ma and Pa's." The band was only formed about a year ago, but they fit together well and can play everything from their own tunes to the classics. I was entranced by their musical talent, and loved the variance in the crowd from the guy up front dancing to the young couple in the back who might have looked totally out of place if not for their obvious enjoyment of the band. If you live in or around Fayetteville, it's easy to see Foley's Van because they play all over town so look them up and check them out. (They'll be at JJ's Grill on Friday the 19th.) You are gauranteed to have a good time.

Restaurant Review Wednesday: Let's eat some BBQ from Peguin Ed's Ya'll!

This Fayetteville BBQ joint has become an instituion in it's 16 years by doling out a heaping helping of smoked meats. Paige and I found ourselves in a rather carnivorious mood and decided that we needed none other than Ed's hickory smoked pork and ribs to satisfy our hunger. The pork ribs were not only big enough for the Flintstones, but tender as well as smokey. Paige's mound of pulled pork was just as succulent. What ultimately makes any BBQ joint is the sauce! Obviously most bbq joints can smoke meat well, but a tastey sauce that brings people back for decades is the key! Peguin Ed's house sauce tastes as if is was sweetend with honey, giving it a depth of sweetness without going overboard. The spicyness and tangyness of the sauce was a little below what I would like, but it makes for a nice regular sauce. Their spicier sauce is just that, spicier with little to no backnote of sweetness though. The bbq plate's staple sides were lack-luster though with mom's style mustardy-mayonnaisey potato salad and sweet and creamy coleslaw. Next time we go, I'll make sure to get a side of meat with my ribs instead! Overall, I give them an 8 out of 10 for nice atmosphere, fair pricing, and good food. Try one Peguin Ed's 3 Fayetteville restaurants and see for yourself!! --Brooke  

Honky Suckle at Basin Spring Park

We spent 4th of July visiting my parents in Eureka Springs, AR this year. We started the day off downtown in Basin Spring Park where we watched Honky Suckle rock everything from the jungle book song (it was a family friendly event) to their own rockin' bluegrass tunes.

It was really fun to see old men tap their toes, younger folks singing along, and kids dancing all around the park. Not every band can please everyone at an all ages show like Honky Suckle did, I was totally impressed with them. Plus, they totally rock.