Looking for a fun gift/activity book for a Virginian?  Or yourself?  Then check out CiCi Williamson’s THE BEST OF VIRGINIA FARMS COOKBOOK & TOUR BOOK.  Yes, that’s a mouthful but what a great read.

    From Virginia’s plantations and orchards to cattle and sheep farms to the fishermen of the Chesapeake, Williamson provides us with ancedotes, history lessons, biographical sketches of everyone Virginian.  (Did you know Virginia makes cheese? Or that we raise emus and bison? And, yes, there is a host of info on our wineries–and the section on horses is great!  No, we don’t eat horses but she lists the big horse events that beg for a picnic so you can really enjoy the day.)

   And the recipes!  These are not generic recipes.  Her generous recipe section is a Who’s Who of Virginia.  We have Teresa Jernigan of the Sedley’s Woman’s Club “Classic Peanut-Butter Cookies”, former attorney general Mark Earley’s “Squash Saute”,  and recipes from well known restaurants like The Tobacco  Company, The Inn at Montross, and Chateau Morrisette to name a few.  But Williamson also features some places that are kept secret by the locals like Stone Manor Bed and Breakfast innkeepers Don and Mary Davis’s Peaches-and-Cream French Toast.

   Okay, so why do I really like this book?  I love a good day trip.  I like getting out and exploring the countryside.   For example, my son goes to Ferrum College.  I thought the only thing in Ferrum was the college and Happy Pappy’s Convenience Store.  Thank you, CiCi, for letting me know about the Blue Ridge Institute and Farm Museum and the wineries close at hand.  I now can’t wait for my next trip to Ferrum.