backyard tourists

one of my dear friends came to visit and since her partner in crime had never been to DC, we all hopped on an old town trolley to see the sights. it was another epic weekend packed full of good friends, great food, and plenty of DC landmarks. and as you will see, i may have a bit of an obsession with the sweet lobby. 

cheeky loves: sweet treats

three sweet things i cannot seem to get enough of right now. 

macarons from the sweet lobby

crispin ciders

ben & jerry's milk & cookies

sunday dinner

some sundays, i like to make a more elaborate dinner than i would make on a weeknight. but today was not one of those sundays. today was a very lazy sunday. this recipe is from my friend, erin (aka city mouse in a country house). it's really easy but tastes like it took a lot of work. my favorite kind of recipe. thanks erin! 


braised pork tenderloin with herb pan sauce

• 2lbs pork tenderloin (i used one, 1lb tenderloin)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: i also added 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme

pat tenderloins dry with paper towels. season generously with salt & pepper. heat olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. brown the tenderloin well on all sides, cover the pan, and reduce heat to low. cook for 15-20 minutes (i did 16). move tenderloin to a plate, cover loosely with foil and let stand for 15-20 minutes while preparing sauce.


for the sauce: to the skillet add chicken broth. stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up bits, bring to a boil and add shallots, bay leaf, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. cook stirring occasionally over medium high heat until slightly thickened (about 1-2 minutes). add the cream and cook for 3 more minutes. remove pan from heat, add rosemary and remaining tablespoon of butter.


slice the tenderloin and add to sauce. garnish with sprigs of rosemary if desired. 

epic weekend (part three)

i've confessed my love for fabbioli cellars and what epic weekend is complete without some good wine? certainly not mine! 

and if you can't get virginia to wine country, you can have it delivered to your door. cheers! 

epic weekend (part two)

meerkats, iguanas, and red pandas, oh my! 

epic weekend (part one)

some of our nyc friends were in town so it was epic weekend of toasting, feasting, and football chez cheeky.                                                                                                                              
first stop in the 202: zaytinya

is there a more delicious way to kickoff the weekend?