Ahhh ohhh, I taunt in your general direction!

As many of you know I enjoy food, wine and beer occasionally, paired well with some good conversation and laughs. When you have children, getting the opportunity to enjoy these things does not come as easy. Some may argue with me, but for my husband and I, we decided going to restaurants can wait until our son is older (so we do one of two things, order take out from a restaurant or find a sitter).  Like I said, some of you may argue with me, but we find we can still enjoy the food, and actually have a conversation if we choose either of these options.  And personally I recall before I had children how annoying it could be while out celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or promotion at a fine dining restaurant and have a screaming child(ren) distracting from our dinner. With that said, I think there are plenty of restaurants that you can take children that have a louder atmosphere, but I just found it easier to start allowing my cooking inspirations to flow and start creating delicious food and dinner at home.

I could say this was all accidental or random coincidence, but it is not, I enjoy trying and experimenting with new recipes (well new to me anyway).  There is a great joy that comes from making a delicious meal, that not only you enjoy, but you watch others devour. Some of these recipes are what I would call your basic recipes, such as, macaroni and cheese, roasted chicken, spaghetti with Arrabiata sauce, or a happy waitress (a decadent grilled cheese with a slice of fresh garden tomato).  However, some of these recipes are a little more challenging (and with following a primal diet the challenge can be finding ways to make an old favorite "clean").  For instance, this past weekend I finally took on Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon recipe, one that I have been wanting to make ever since I watched the Nigella-esque sexy photography footage of Amy Adams creating it in the film, Julie and Julia.  The only thing that had really been keeping me from making it was that I did not own a dutch oven.  Thanks to my wonderful husband, I finally got one (Mother's Day), and what an amazing piece of cookware!!!  I did make two adjustments to the recipe, one I did not use any onions as the recipe calls for, instead I increased the amount of garlic.  And the second adjustment to make it "clean" for primal consumption was subbing out regular all purpose flour for almond flour.  The outcome well worth the wait of a dutch oven and three years after watching the film.

Boeuf Bourguignon- Julia Child

Now I will admit, with the joy of cooking, there are also times where you feel defeated.  I like to blame the author of the recipe in those cases, sometimes you wonder if they just created a recipe without actually trying it.  And I will also admit, when I have food flops, it does dampen my cooking spirits and I often go back to just the basic meals, burgers or salads.  Eventually, slowly, but surely I work my way back to feeling creative and cooking up savory meals again.

So I urge you, if you feel taunted by my foodporn photography, then feel inspired to get creative in your own kitchen. Remember the foods you loved as a child, lately I have been making "ants on a log" as a snack and breakfast side, you sometimes forget why you enjoyed them so much.  (This is another reason I like having meals at home, instead of a in a restaurant, I want my son, to remember the first time he orders a meal and eats in a restaurant...I think it is a pretty magical experience. But how can you enjoy the food in a restaurant if you do not understand what went into creating it...the thought of farm to table is something I want him to get. I also don't want him thinking chicken looks like a chicken nugget...thank you, Jamie Oliver for showing me how disconnected so many young American children are about food in Food Revolution.)  My son, Finn was very curious in what I was creating this weekend not only with Julia Child's recipe, but also when I decided to take a short rib recipe I had previously made in the slow cooker and tried it in the dutch oven.  When I was braising the short ribs, he begged for me to pick him up so he could see, and his face lit up with a smile.  He loves the roasted chicken we make as a weekly staple. He definitely knows chickens have bones, because that is what he asks for when we eat it (drumstick). 

So please don't feel taunted by my food pictures, feel inspired, even if you are just making a little crudité. (A little fancy French term for a veggie plate...perfect for summer harvested vegetables).  And in the wise words of Julia Child, "Bon Appetit!" (Good appetite and enjoy your food!)

The Brewery featuring Dogfish Head

Hanging with my crew
My husband, Kyle (myself) and my father-in-law, Rod

So about a month has passed since we were getting our groove on and enjoying some craft brews from Dogfish Head at Firefly Music Festival. It is no wonder why Red Frog Events, the planners of Firefly Music Festival, had asked Dogfish Head to join them their inaugural year and return this year. 
   As festival goers and locals, we were super excited to enjoy these tasty craft brews.  One of the added bonuses at grabbing a beer at the Brewery at Firefly, is enjoying the air conditioned tent, and if you want to sit for a spell they had a beautiful picnic area set up with tables. 

For me, it was nice recognizing a familiar face serving up
my beer this year.  Pictured right is an old co-worker and friend, Larry Thompson.  I really wanted the shirts that the Dogfish staff were wearing, but they were not for sale and strictly intended for Dogfish staff.  In my personal opinion these were the coolest shirts at Firefly, they just screamed festival all over them.  Thompson and his co-worker were generous enough to let me take a picture after they had served me up my "paleo-friendly" beer, and one of my favorites Dogfish's Tweason'ale.  A delicious gluten-free beer made from strawberries, sorghum and honey.  And I will admit I also cheated and enjoyed some Firefly Ale as well, its such a perfect ale for summer, crisp and clean!

I decided it was time to shout out a friendly cheer to Dogfish Head and Sam Calagione(founder and president) for creating such wonderful crafty creations!  If you don't know the story of Dogfish Head, I strongly urge you to pick up the book, "He said beer, she said wine".  And while your at it, if you are in Delaware, why not pick yourself up a growler of a Dogfish Head craft beer! P.S. Beer always goes great with your crab feast! (And if you want to keep up with all the exciting news and developments with Dogfish, why not follow them on Instagram!)

I bleed for you

Amanda Palmer

 I have had a hard time debating whether to write about some of the female musicians that rocked the stages at Firefly Music Festival this year in one whole blogpost, or separately for a few weeks now.  You see, the women may not have been the top headliners of the festival this year, but they surely came with a triumphant force.  So I have decided that I will write a few reviews separately, because they just deserve the individual attention.   And I have decided to start with Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra.
  So it was the last day of the festival and my husband and I had arrived a little later than we had anticipated, which meant, I missed Delta Rae on the Backyard Stage, but that is how it goes sometimes at a festival like this...there are so many bands to see and you simply can't see them all. Even though we figured we had missed Delta Rae we decided to try our luck and head to the Backyard Stage anyway.  Well instead of catching the intended band, we got to see Apache Relay, which were a delightful surprise.  Apache Relay is an all male band hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, they are a band to take notice of, their most recent accomplishment includes landing a featured song in the film, The Way Way Back.  But, enough about them, we decided that they were great, but the weather was muggy and humid and we were ready for a beer from the Brewery which for us locals meant enjoying a nice cold one from Dogfish Head.  So we made our way, and just as we were coming around the bend to the Brewery, who did we spy riding in on a golf cart?  None other than, Amanda Fucking Palmer!  She was arriving at the Toyota and Spinmedia Soundwave Tent, which were huge sponsors of the festival, and this tent was intended for interaction to not only promote their products, but also offer some more intimate time with some of the artists at Firefly with interviews and Q & A's with the festival goers.  So we both agreed, the beer could wait, we were not going to miss this opportunity with Amanda Palmer.

Toyota and Spinmedia Soundwave Tent

   We gathered under the tent, and slowly one by one, we may have been joined by a total of fifty people.  As you can imagine, this a very intimate setting to sit and listen to an interview by Amanda Palmer.  After a little opening banter with the hosts Dave Hill and Billy Jones (from Brooklyn Vegan) running the interview with Palmer, we soon found ourselves enjoying and singing along to Palmer's ukulele rendition of Oasis' Wonderwall. The hosts joked around some more and I vaguely recall a conversation, about what words they could and couldn't say, and of course, this had to be something they discussed with Palmer because it was a reference to the vagina.  There simply was no way, she would back down, if you know Palmer, you know she is fearless.

Palmer with Hill and Jones

   Amanda Palmer also knows how to help others learn to face fear in the face. She quickly took the spotlight off herself and asked if anyone in the audience could play the ukulele?  A young woman behind us, shyly said she could, but swore she could only play very little.  So Palmer asked her to come on stage and immediately took her place in the audience, which just happened to be right behind us (she also accidentally kicked my husband in the ribs, but was deeply apologetic...he did not mind, as its' always nice to say "I got kicked my Neil Gaiman's wife" LOL!)

Amanda Palmer and my husband, Kyle

Well the young woman took the stage, and became a starlet, first she made us all laugh, when Hill and Jones asked her what her name was, and she replied, "Sabrina, like the witch".  Then she grabbed that ukulele and played Gotye's Somebody that I used to know. Sabrina owned it, she was amazing, brilliant, and completely awestruck by what she had just accomplished.  While she was singing, Palmer was snapping photos of her with her phone and moved to the side of the stage, we were all singing along. What was amazing, is that it was a beautiful moment, watching this young woman, who obviously had been practicing playing the ukulele and singing, the audience and Palmer all share a connection together.  It was during this performance that I realized the "Palmer effect". I realized why so many people are drawn to her, and why her TED talk "The Art of Asking" and the story of her street performing the "eight foot bride" touched so many people and moved them to tears. 

Sabrina singing Gotye

     My husband and I talked about how we now understood why people could have that intimate moment with Palmer with no words or with a simple 'thank you'.  He said to me, Sarah, she is like Iggy Pop, she basically tells the audience I will bleed for you, I am you, I am with you, I see you, you matter, you are human, we are here on this planet together.  I said to him, that I agreed, and her understanding of the human spirit is just amazing to watch, the only other thing I could describe it as is with the word often associated with yoga, and that is namaste- the good in me sees the good in you.  When Sabrina rejoined the audience, she told me how nervous she was, and I said you were wonderful, and she just kept saying she was so nervous, she couldn't believe that actually had just happened.  So I handed her my phone told her to put in her cell number and I would send her the pics I captured of her playing, she thanked me...and here I felt like I was the one needing to thank her for such a beautiful song and moment.

     Meanwhile, we continued to enjoy singing "Happy Birthday" to two members of the audience who were celebrating theirs in style. She led us on one big magical journey really...we came together, all of us in that tent, none of us really knew each other, we were all drawn in by Amanda Palmer. She shared with us a song she said was inspired by NWA "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth, So Help Your Black Ass", which we all quickly were singing along in unison, "You can bet your black ass", she understands life, its hardships and hardknocks, and welcomes it with wit and humor.  She led us through one song and joke after another, and even got all of us to leave the tent singing "Creep" into the field.

Singing 'Creep' into the field

I know we all got stares from the other festival goers on their way to different stages, but I know I can say we all were in unison, saying this is so "AWESOME".  Because really, how many of you out there can say you went to see an artist at a venue, and got an intimate moment like this, and not even by a backstage pass.   It was a beautiful moment shared by an intimate number of people in attendance at the festival that weekend, but I know we thoroughly enjoyed it.  And after this interview with her, we had more reasons to "Cheer" with a beer!  Because we were going to see her again, this same day!!!

Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra

     So to see Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra is a unique experience.  Most people I have talked to, don't even know who Amanda Palmer is, I try to explain her, and if they do know who she is, they either love her, or think she is crazy.  Well I wish that I could teleport people, so I could show them what I saw, that I think is very rare, and so cool!  Palmer is an artist and she understands that when you are performing as an artist, the audience becomes part of the art as well (this is the unique thing, that makes 'you' feel human).  But that wasn't even the cool thing about being a part of this audience. What I absolutely loved, was watching all of these young women (late teens/young adults) accompanied by their fathers. Simply because, somewhere, somehow, someone turned these girls onto Palmer, whether they accidentally found her on You Tube, or a friend said check this out, but to watch these dads finally understand why their daughters begged to get them tickets to see her was just too cool.  And why I think it was even more enjoyable to take notice of that, is because Amanda Palmer had brought her father, Jack to the show, and they covered a few songs together.  Her father, Jack has a voice like Johnny Cash, and to see her share that moment with him, was really awesome. And even Palmer said on stage, how the other Firefly artists had shared with her how cool it was that her dad was there and was going to perform with her.

Amanda Palmer and her father, Jack

      The only thing that bothers me since the show, is that I have read that she had tried to use Kickstarter to try and get local musicians to join the stage with her throughout her tour, and was quickly criticized and told that artists must be paid to perform (she had planned to give them the opportunity and pay them in beer).  I would have loved to seen a local artist fill in for their drummer, who was still finishing up with a tour from another band.  And it bothers me that she was criticized for wanting to share the stage and give other musicians an opportunity to be seen by a larger audience (maybe even picked up by someone...I would have really liked to have seen Nino Brown, from Flow City play with her band). I hope by the next time she tours, that she is allowed to make this happen, because I can't even imagine how magical it could be...
   If you have never listened to Amanda Palmer, first I urge you to check out TED Talks, "The Art of Asking" on You Tube.  After you have watched Palmer there, then imagine Liz Phair blended with The Smiths and the Cure, now You Tube "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth..." by Palmer and even more recently, "Dear Daily Mail".  Now you are ready to buy her cds, order any of them, why not order all of them, just do it.  And lastly, make sure you listen to track four "Do It With a Rock Star", of Theatre is Evil album, because my husband, Kyle and I have come to the decision, that this is a great rock anthem (much like Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit).

Amanda Fucking Palmer

  
 

GreenMan serving up some rockin' juice



GreenMan Juice Bar & Bistro

Several years ago my sister-in-law, Rachel and her husband, Jeremy Brockway began their whirlwind of adventures. After meeting each other in March 2005, this rockin' young couple took on purchasing

their first home, marriage, and starting their own business all in one year.  When I think back on that year it makes me think of Johnny Cash's song Jackson, "We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout," because these two have been sprouting hot new endeavors at every beat.

When they started GreenMan Juice Bar & Bistro, in June 2007, little did they know what a landmine they had created.  Initially, the two knew they were taking a huge risk, both had a vast knowledge and experience working in the food business, but trying to calculate if this risk would be successful, can truly only be told by time.  And for them, fortunately that time came a lot sooner than they ever could have estimated.  Upon taking on this venture, they made the decision that they would both stay working in their other jobs, while they waited to see how their dream would pan out.  In the first days, they saw the unimaginable happen, people were coming back two and three times in the same day, mind you they are only open for breakfast and lunch. This is pretty unheard of in the restaurant business, so needless to say, after the first two weeks Jeremy left his other job. And a month later realizing how wearing working 18 hours can be, Rachel with the encouragement of her boss, Shawn, owner of Confucius, who she describes as, "the best boss and mentor I could ask for," left her  previous job, and put all her efforts into GreenMan (also I must add Confucius is another wonderful restaurant that I highly recommend).  Not only did their initial risk to start the business, pay off, but so did the decision to let go, and not let the worry about income consume their dream.  GreenMan has been movin' and shakin' juices and food ever since.



Dean napping at GreenMan
during his first Sea Witch Festival

As I mentioned previously, these two have been feverishly sprouting through one whirlwind adventure after another.  During their first years as business owners, besides tackling the everyday adventure of owning your own business and running a restaurant, the two enjoyed adopting a second dog and traveling to Spain.  Since 2009, their adventures have become doubled. Not only have they moved twice, but they welcomed two bundles of joy to the fun, their son, Dean and their daughter, Elke, who you may see from time to time in the restaurant, and now run a second business, renting out their first home.  This year was supposed to be a year off from new endeavors, but these two just can't resist the opportunity of adventure.  They have a fever for adventure!  So, they decided to take on Firefly Music Festival by serving up their fresh squeezed juices.
 

Rockin' Juices at Firefly

Q- Where did Jeremy and you get the vision for GreenMan?

Rachel- Jeremy and I came up with the idea for GreenMan kind of organically (ha!ha!)!  We were tossing around a lot of restaurant concepts before GreenMan came into being.  We wrote mission statements and menus for everything from a Polynesian restaurant to a farm-to-table supper club before we came around to the idea for a juice bar.  Ultimately, we created a restaurant that reflected our own interests.  Jeremy was juicing for years before we met and the food menu and I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years now.  Too often, in our experience (and this is still true today!), if a place appealed to Jeremy's palate there would only be the obligatory roasted vegetable sandwich for me (yuck!) and most "vegetarian" restaurants didn't do much for either of us. So we created the kind of place we always hope to find, with a juice bar and a menu filled with tasty whole food options, a lot of which just happened to be vegetarian.

Q- What made you decide to be a vendor at Firefly this year?

Rachel- We decided to apply to be vendors at Firefly on a whim.  After you and I joked about how Jeremy would never go to a festival if he wasn't working it, I started giving the idea some thought.  I approached Jeremy about the possibility and, to my surprise, he loved the idea.  When I applied I thought it was a long shot.  I was very surprised when Red Frog Events called me and asked us to participate.

Q- Prior to taking on Firefly, GreenMan landed some rave reviews in USA Today, first in an article entitled "Best Boardwalk for food across the USA" and the other, "Firefly festival grabs corporate America's attention," did this add to the pressure of the weekend, or help with knowing that GreenMan is no longer a well-kept secret to the locals?

Rachel- No newspaper article could have added more pressure to the weekend...nothing can put more pressure on us than we do ourselves!  The USA Today recognition is really nice and quite an honor, but I don't think it affected Firefly weekend.  And we haven't thought that GreenMan was a local's secret for years...we don't see many local faces during the summer season, actually.  But we do have summer locals who come back year after year and, in some cases, day after day during their vacation.

Q- Does GreenMan have plans to do more festival venues in the future?

Rachel- Other than returning to Firefly next year, we don't have any immediate plans to do more festivals.  The travel required would be difficult with out two small children and the busy restaurant, but in the future, who knows?  It would be amazing to take GreenMan to Lollapalooza!

Strawberries waiting to be juiced at Firefly

Q- GreenMan Juice Bar & Bistro is well-known for its' fun and quirky juice and smoothie names, like Red Baron and Healthy Elvis, you guys stuck to your witty ways with the menu names at Firefly, with 70+ bands how did you come up with the names, like Grizzly Berry, O Yeah Yeah Yeah and My (Sweet) Morning Jacket?

Rachel- Hahaha!  Honestly, I came up with the names for Firefly the same way I come up with all names...I sit at the computer with a glass of wine and brainstorm.  If it makes me giggle or Jeremy roll his eyes, its a keeper!

Q- GreenMan has already agreed to vend at next year's Firefly Music Festival, what can GreenMan fans anticipate next year?  GreenMan regulars are well-accustomed to your famous Crème Brulee French Toast, Quiche of the Day (my personal favorite being the Artichoke & Parm), Eco-chic, The Great Tomato (another personal fave), Happy Buddha, The Bellydancer, Naked Hippie sandwiches, as well as, wheat grass shots and smoothies.  Can we expect any of these to make an appearance on the menu next year?  (*Please, please say you are going to have The Curious George from your kid's menu...I think it would pair well with a Healthy Elvis?)

Rachel-  I'm not totally sure what we are going to bring to Firefly next year, but I have to tell you that it won't be anything from our kitchen menu.  We are definitely going to be juicing again and hopefully we will make smoothies, as well.  Other possibilities are herbal iced teas, wheatgrass shots, or maybe even bubble tea! The drinks will keep us plenty busy, though...sorry that there won't be any Curious George!

Q- We know that Elijah Wood (well-known for his role as Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings) and Adrian Grenier (from Entourage) both came to Firefly this year, did you have the privilege of sharing a juice with them or any other musician in attendance?  It is important to note that GreenMan is a veteran when it comes to serving celebs including legendary musician, Dave Grohl, who stopped into GreenMan with his family, while vacationing in the Rehoboth Beach area, and Black Thought from Jimmy Fallon's house band the Roots.

Rachel- We did not see any celebrities at the juice bar, but several times over the weekend we were approached by someone "from backstage" asking to purchase a juice out of the back of the tent.  We never found out who was drinking them, though.

Q- What are your hours at the restaurant this summer? Do you have plans for a second location any time soon?

Rachel- Our summer hours are Wednesday through Monday, 8 am- 4 pm, closed on Tuesdays.  A second location is a real possibility. It's just a matter of finding the right space, at the right price and the right time.

As freshman vendors to Firefly, Rachel and Jeremy embraced the adventure and the education  of what it takes to serve the masses at a festival of this size.  They may not have felt right at home this year, because when you take on a beast of this size, there are some kinks to work out and lessons to learn.  But having said that, they took time to let the music move their souls and enjoy other parts of the festival as well.  Jeremy took time and checked out the arcade with cousin, Carly Callahan (who regularly works at GreenMan's Rehoboth location and worked their Firefly tent), and enjoyed some skeeball. Aside from enjoying the acts that played on the Lawn stage in front of them and catching part of Tom Petty's set themselves, Rachel and Jeremy also allowed their staff to take time out now and again and enjoy some of the musical sets by many of the other artists that rocked this year's festival.

So stay tuned in as their adventures continue, check out and enjoy their delicious menu of juices, smoothies and food at the Rehoboth Beach location in the meantime, and get your tickets so you can enjoy their rockin' juice at next year's Firefly!

2013 GreenMan Firefly Staff 

  
(*Photos courtesy of GreenMan Juice Bar & Bistro's facebook page and myself. Special shout out to Scott Goss for helping gather the GreenMan staff for this photo op @ Firefly*)

(*Special thanks to GiGi and Poppa, as well as, Aunt Brenda and Uncle Tom for keeping all of our children entertained, well-fed and cared for the weekend of Firefly! You guys rock!*)

Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Thyme and Rosemary

Roasted Chicken always seemed like an easy recipe, however, it took me a little while to perfect it.  This recipe is inspired by two leading ladies of the food world, the legendary Julia Child (who will always be someone who I look to and admire when cooking, she is not always given the credit she deserves...just study her perfectionist ways with mayonnaise) and the very sassy and savory Nigella Lawson (who shared in one of her cookbooks that this was a family staple in her home growing up, something I have also taken to heart).  I have taken to making this at least once a week in our home, it is a great meal to do ahead and eat cold, on sandwiches, or just for nibbles.  My husband asked me to make it for him to take for a work dinner (with eating paleo, picnics and work dinners/luncheons can be problematic and tricky, we must always plan ahead).  Well, needless to say it was a huge success and a recipe I had been planning on sharing with all of you anyway!  What amazes is me, is how little people cook anymore and how so often they grab the roaster chickens at the supermarket which are full of who knows what (and don't misunderstand, I understand sometimes in a pinch when you need a quick dinner that is an easy go to, I just worry that we rely on it too heavily).  I don't want to see any more generations losing the joy of cooking because of food industrialization, it can be a our friend, but also our enemy, we must be careful to balance both. *(One of the mistakes I think people often make with cooking a roaster chicken is cooking one that is too big, go for a 3.5-5lbs, no more!)

 

Ingredients:

1-Roaster Chicken (3.5-5 lbs) *I prefer Gerber's Amish Chicken-no antibiotcs, etc.

1-Lemon

1-Stick of Butter *grassfed butter like Kerrysgold

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil for drizzling

6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

5-6 gloves of garlic *Optional

1 celery stick cut into 3-4 sticks *Optional

 

The Rub Ingredients:

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. course black pepper

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. garlic powder

(*optional add any other seasonings to the rub you like)

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 400

Line a roaster/rack pan with aluminum foil, place rack on top

Place whole roaster chicken on top of rack

Pierce lemon all over with a knife, insert into the cavity of chicken

Insert thyme, rosemary and garlic cloves/celery sticks in cavity around lemon

Cut the stick of butter (you can choose to use less butter) into two, and insert each half up and under top of skin of chicken

Drizzle olive oil all over chicken, then rub the oil to cover the chicken

Now rub, "the rub" all over the chicken

Now place chicken in oven @400 for 30 minutes, uncovered

Then set the oven back to 350, pull the chicken out, cover with aluminum foil

finish baking the chicken for 2 hours

(if it is a 5 pounder, you may need to bake it longer)

Enjoy!

"Brilliant" Bitches

     Okay so when one attends a musical festival for three days there are some things that one needs to consider.  This is my rant about the stupid shit I saw, the things I heard about afterwards, and some words of wisdom for all festival goers of the future. With that said, I had a wonderful time at the festival with moments that I will cherish the rest of my life.  The reason for this post is to help future festival goers with some thoughtful tips and to always keep in mind that you are there for the music. 

Brilliant Idea #1-When you find yourself stuck in traffic for over an hour, make that 2 1/2 hours, and you are amped up and ready to rock with your friends, be sure to take a moment and check your fuel gauge, as well as your oil and engine lights.  If you do this, you will not find yourself looking a fool and having your friend go to the car dealership across the road, while stuck in horrific traffic to beg one of their technicians to bring a gas can filled with 5 gallons to refuel you, because you are on the last of your reserve tank!  When a friendly girl from another vehicle next to you, rolls her window down and tells you that your car is overheating, please don't ignore her, even if you are trying to be cool because you have a super hottie accompanying you to this gig!  Especially when your car has been making clunky, choking sounds for the last ten minutes, and steam is visibly billowing from your car's undercarriage (because having an opportunity to use the word undercarriage was simply irresistible..thank you Melissa McCarthy and Bridesmaids). Listen to this friendly, fellow festival goer and local, when she advises you to get into the right lane and turn off the road into a nearby parking lot.  DO NOT ask her if you can leave your car there over night and make your way onto the festival...remember the hottie sitting next to you and think of her father, or older brother who will be holding your ass accountable for her safe return. (*Keep in mind this safe return is probably going to cost you an engine replacement at this point.  Ballpark rough estimate for that $1000). So, before you make your way to the festival get your car in a safe area, make a few calls, get your car towed to a mechanic shop that can get a start on your car before you continue on to salvage the rest of your "fun" weekend.

Brilliant Idea#2-Before you leave home, whether you live locally, or from another state, make sure you stock up on water.  Water is not just your number one source to stay hydrated, it also serves multiple other purposes. Here are a few purposes: water to brush your teeth (remember there is no running water in the portapotties near your campsite or in the ones in the festival grounds), whether you did not set aside enough cash to pay for your daily shower, you need more than one a day, or can't be bothered by the time slots- a water bottle can be your shower in need (and girls, if your momma did not have this talk with you...well listen to Salt N' Pepa "Let's talk about sex" and remember the importance of hygiene after sex), Medicinal uses- rinse off a cut, wound or blister (with days of walking around these things are bound to happen), if you have forgotten your water canteen an empty water bottle works great in its' place, you can also use a bottle of water to wash out your clothes and hang them to dry in your campsite.

Brilliant Idea#3-Review the information lists on the festival web page and app page. Pay attention to the recommended items: cash, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos, blankets, empty, reusable water containers and non-professional cameras . Also be aware of what not to bring, again find this on the web and app sites for the festival. Nothing sucks more than having to throw away something you are not allowed to bring into the festival or having to make the long trek back to the parking lot or your campsite.

Brilliant Idea #4-Okay so I already slightly mentioned sex in a previous idea, so let's further address this issue. Guys wearing shirts with slogans that you are a couch and give lays for free or hugs or whatever, just makes you look like a douchebag.  (I think this is the first time I have said this in my blog, but a word to the wise, if I use the word douchebag you have really made a "royal" impression on me). Do women a favor and come prepared to this festival with things that might help a girl out:  bandaids, wet-ones, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, solarcaine/aloe vera, a poncho and a extra t-shirt.  You see if you want to be chivalrous and really win a girls heart, there are some sweet gestures one can do...bandaids for blisters, wet-ones because we are OCD about hygiene, toilet paper because with the amount of people at an event like this...the roll sometimes runs out, hand sanitizer again, hygiene, sunscreen/solarcaine/aloe vera because being sunburnt sucks, a poncho if it rains and a tshirt is nice when it gets cold after the rain or at night. And this is for both guys and girls, be prepared, if you are planning on having sex, well even if you aren't, come prepared with condoms, there is always someone who is not prepared.  And this is just coming from the voice of a momma, but think twice before having sex at a festival...with someone you just met.

Brilliant Idea#5-Just because something is in fashion, does not mean you need to wear it to a festival. Mom jean shorts, although more practical than some of the clothing I saw worn to the festival, are not cute, and they do not flatter anyone's figure, no matter what size you are...so please stop wearing them.  Especially the ones with the front pockets hanging out below the shorts!!! And I have discussed this with both sexes and all agree, the high waist does nothing to accentuate the figure, nor do the pockets.  It was agreed that the high waist often makes thin girls look like they have a kangaroo pouch and the way the back pockets fall, make even girls with a booty shaker look flat.  Be practical and be comfortable. And if you want to rock some cool 80s fashion, look to the women who were rocking the music scene then. *And by the way, it is not fashionable to wash your hair in the sinks of the local shopping mall or for that matter, sleep on the benches in the shopping mall. If you need an air conditioned space, make sure you plan ahead and reserve a room at a hotel. 

Brilliant Idea#6-This goes along with #5, but needs to be separate.  You are going to a festival in a field, for 3 days, that covers over 250 acres, please wear comfortable shoes.  DO NOT wear brand new cute little sandals, flip flops, or shoes with little to no support.  You are begging for a disaster, and I am not talking simple blisters.  I can't tell you how many girls needed medical attention because of poor choice of shoes (leg braces, twisted ankles, bruising/swelling of ankles etc..).  What I recommend is a good pair of sneakers and extra socks.  If you are like me, you don't like having your feet bound in shoes all day, so put your flip flops in your shoulder bag or back pack and switch them out during a moment in the day that you are going to sit on a blanket and relax to the sounds of a band (then switch back with a fresh pair of socks). *Also look back at the weather pattern for the few weeks prior to the festival, if there has been lots of rain, you will want rainboots. (As many festival goers quickly realized the mulch covered areas that you had to trek over were much like walking through the bog of eternal stench in the Labyrinth...just think of marsh mud mixed with cow manure..yeah it smelled that good!)

Brilliant Idea#7-Respect the Medical Responders, Security and Staff at the festival.  These people are there to help you in case of an emergency or with general information. If they ask you to move out of the way, please do not yell at them or get in their way, you could be preventing them from treating someone in need (which could also mean saving someone's life). And no they do not work for the CIA, they are yelling at you because you are a jerk who won't move out of the way! And yes, they take their job seriously! *And I must mention this one more time, please, please wear proper shoes, you would not believe how much the medical responders were bombarded by the issues that this caused. *  And instead of being a jerk an not getting out of the way...just thank them for doing their job and step aside. Thank you to all the responders and police that staffed this year's Firefly festival!

Brilliant Idea#8-If you decide that going to a festival is the time for you to experiment with drugs, you may want to designate a person to stick close by you that remains drug free.  I say this, because I have had my share of brushing and groping, but this year I experienced a unique individual who really was in a bad way.  I will refer to this girl as Pam, because she called me several different names, one of which was Pam's friend. I was right main stage thoroughly enjoying my night with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kiedis had just asked Flea to slap him and the crowd was having a blast.  When "Pam" approached me started going on about how the cops were questioning her boyfriend, and he was F'd up and what should she do, because she was on drugs.  Yeah, bright, brilliant, you just tell a random person you are on drugs.  Well, being the whip snapping square that I can be, yes, even at a super hip concert...I say to "Pam", "Are you serious, I think you need to back away from me, what are you thinking telling someone you are on drugs, you don't know?" Her reply, "Oh, are you a cop?"  She then continued to grope, chat up, and just be royally annoying.  At one point, she told my father-in-law that her and her friends had no more ice for their cooler, and "it was gonna get NASSSSTY!" Yeah this girl was priceless, but memorable in that she interrupted RHCP.  I was tempted from the first encounter with this girl to grab the security guard on the fence, but I thought, its the first night, she is young, this will all catch up with her tomorrow morning.  Leave it be.  Then she groped me, and that was it, I told her to back the fuck off and stop touching me, I don't know her, I never met her, I am not her friend's friend from UD, just go chill out somewhere. That somewhere was off of me, but not far enough away as she then tried to grope another girl near me, whose boyfriend had tell her, "I'm sorry she is with me, back off".  Whatever drugs she was doing finally took her tripping somewhere else, thank goodness!  And I am not naïve to think that no one does drugs at a concert, but stick with your friends you are doing them with, have a plan if you get caught...and whatever you do stay out of other people's personal spaces (I know you can't contain skunks...I am talking about touching people and hanging on them).

Brilliant Idea #9- Okay, so I know I said earlier the importance of staying hydrated, but do not use your water bottle a your own personal portapotty.  We all know how long you have to wait to get that awesome spot where you hope to catch a drip of sweat from the singer, or the joys of touching the guitarist bum while they crowd surf, but it is not worth getting you escorted out of said area and arrested as the first song starts.  We witnessed this happen to a group of guys and it was rather unfortunate, watching them get told that there were plenty of portapotties.  This is not a call you want to make to mom and dad, don't do it!

Brilliant Idea #10- This is a three day festival...so remember you have to rehydrate and refuel...take time to drink water and eat.  And just a quick tip on choosing places to eat...you may want to avoid some of the heavily fried foods the first two days...remember portapotties! Yeah so I would try to steer clear of the corn dogs, fried chicken and fries.  If you are camping make sure you bring some items that don't need to keep in a cooler the entire weekend. 

Okay so there is the beginning of my rant of brilliant ideas...feel free to leave yours in the comments. 

"I Don't Give a Fork" food truck keeps Firefly fans well-fed

      Red Frog Events brought Firefly Music Festival to the Woodlands behind Dover Downs
International Speedway last year for its' inaugural year with the hope to draw music fans to a centralized location from up and down the east coast.  Now with creating such a festival event planners also had to consider how they would feed these festival goers.  Red Frog event planners didn't just look at using their own vendors, they looked at sourcing local food businesses as well.  Imagine how surprised UD grad, Leigh Ann Tona was when Red Frog contacted her to join the food vending forces at Firefly during its first year, when she officially had not even opened for business. 

    One may wonder how such a thing happens, well in the age of technology, the old saying that "word of mouth" can be your best advertisement was surely proven true.  You see, word was already spreading by mouth and virally about the successful business plan that Tona had entered into a competition, which won her the start up money for her business.  Discover in this Q & A how Tona's innovative plan grabbed the attention of Red Frog event planners and landed her food truck a vending spot at Firefly Music Festival.

Q-What made you want to open your own food business?  Where did the idea of a food truck come from?
Leigh Ann- I had always worked in the food industry whether it be ice cream stores, cafes, or small scale restaurants so when I was a senior at UD, I did "I Don't Give a Fork" as my business plan project because of my restaurant past. I figured it would be easier to plan out a food cart than a full scale restaurant. My best friend had previously worked on a food truck in Boston and I thought it was the coolest thing ever...so I wanted to give it a try.  A few months into doing the project, I entered the business plan competition and won, so I used the money won to start the business!

Q-Is it true you were approached by Red Frog to be a local vendor at Firefly last year, even prior to you having your business license?
Leigh Ann- Yep! I had done so much work for school with "I Don't Give a Fork" and had already been in the paper and online articles a few times (for the competition and otherwise) so when someone in Delaware "Googled" food cart/truck, I was the first one to pop up, even though I hadn't opened yet.  That is how the person from Red Frog found me, but unfortunately, I wasn't anywhere near ready to be a vendor at Firefly at that point.

Q-Did you have a game plan of attack for Firefly?  How did you prepare for the expected numbers at Firefly?
Leigh Ann- For Firefly, my team and I came up with numbers for how many we thought we could serve per hour at our busiest and guessed from there.  We had a lot of excel spreadsheets! We didn't know what to expect at all as far as the crowd goes so it was a huge guessing game.  We rented a 27' freezer truck that we basically just PACKED with food and just hoped we sold it based on our estimates.

Q-Your food truck is covered with UD swag, I know that you are a UD alumna, but does this swag draw customers? and have you had any customers offer you swag in exchange for food (i.e. like a autographed 'Flacco' jersey?)
Leigh Ann- I wish someone would offer me an autographed jersey!!! But no, no trade offers yet.

Q-My husband and I are both paleo/primal dieters, but knew going to an event like this our options would be limited, so we were prepared to venture from our diet for a meal here and there. We tried "The Vermonter" which we both loved, but wondered if you ever considered making a paleo/gluten-free option for customers (substituting bread with lettuce leaves or portabella mushrooms?)
Leigh Ann- I would love to offer that kind of food, however my least popular sandwiches are the most healthy (from my regular daily menu). I don't see that being really popular since many (most) of my customers are blue collar workers just looking for a burger or a cheesesteak.

Q-Did you surpass your expectations for Firefly?
Leigh Ann- We came short of our expectations as far as what we grossed however the entire experience was far better than what I was expecting.  We had  a BLAST and I can't wait to do it again.  Additionally, all of the other food trucks/carts in our area came short of their goals as well, so we were all in the same boat.

Q-Are you planning on vending Firefly next year?
Leigh Ann- YES!

Q-Do you know if there is any possibility that Red Frog will allow food truck vendors in the actual festival site (not just by the Hub stage).  We could have used another tasty sandwich, but the thought of walking in and out of the checkpoint was slightly discouraging?
Leigh Ann- I heard there was food in the main area but am not sure exactly what was offered...I think Grotto might have been an option?  We were pretty busy the entire weekend, so I don't think moving to the main festival would change anything for us except be (potentially) more stressful.

Q-Where can people find your food truck the rest of the year?
Leigh Ann- My food truck is located at 616 South College Avenue, Newark, DE in the Delaware Tire Center parking lot! Monday through Friday 8am-3:30pm and on weekends I'm all over the place.  I try to update my Facebook page as much as possible to keep people informed of where I'll be.

Q-You just rounded out two festival weekends, do you have any other festivals lined up for this summer?
Leigh Ann- I am a vendor at the School of Rock event in Wilmington on August 3rd which is a collection of 30 or so local bands playing to raise money for the School of Rock in Wilmington.  After that it will mainly be football games in the fall, and  then I have a wedding I'm doing in October too, which I'm really excited about!

  As mentioned within the Q & A, my husband and I tried "The Vermonter", a unique blend of ham, Vermont white cheddar, homemade apple slaw and zesty honey mustard, this was not an easy choice to make, because the other options were very tempting, even from our paleo diet perspective.  And I will admit, even though we decided ahead of time that we were going to indulge this weekend (partly because we knew it was going to be really hard to stick to clean eating, since we couldn't bring in our own food and that truly is the easiest way) we still had to be careful not to overindulge.  People who have ever given up wheat or grains for even two weeks (or battle with gluten allergies on a daily basis), know how hard a small indulgence can be on one's body and digestive system.  For those of you who are unaware of how this feels or think this is an exaggeration, I kid you not, be kind to us when we are suffering from an indulgence. So like I said, we split this sandwich, to help avoid an overloading shock to our systems.  My husband "field stripped" his half of the sandwich, because he opted to indulge in some "wheat" beer at the Brewery.  I ate my half with the bread and opted for the "Gluten-free" beer at the Brewery to help balance out my indulgences. The Vermonter was packed with flavor, the sharpness of the Vermont cheddar balanced out between the ham, the sweet homemade apple slaw and the zesty honey mustard, not to mention it was so much more satisfying than other typical vendor food like fries and corndogs.
     We really wanted to try the famous Mac and Cheesesteak sandwich Tona had on her menu, but decided it would put us over the edge, but we easily understood why it was the most popular choice. Tona also offered the "Zella" (basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and crunchy red peppers) and the "Green" (grilled zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and lemon garlic hummus). So if you are looking for a delightful alternative to "fast food", a fun place to grab lunch with your bestie or have never ordered food from a food truck, I urge you to stop by 616 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware and treat yourself.  If you aren't in the area, but are planning to attend Firefly for its 3rd year, then make sure you stop by "I Don't Give a Fork" food truck and refuel yourself!
     Special shout out to Katy Lamborn O'Connell for telling me to be on the look out for "I Don't Give a Fork's" food truck @ Firefly Music Festival and putting me in touch with Leigh Ann Tona.  UD outta be super proud of these Fightin' Blue Hen alumnae!  Here is a fun challenge for Firefly goers next year, get a UD football jersey signed by all members of one of the headlining bands to add to the swag on the food truck!

"If you build it, they will come"

 

     As a teenager I would find myself longing to be groovin' and rockin' at a concert or music festival.  I grew up just north of Dover, in Smyrna, and as I would watch Nascar fans swarm in twice a year and fill up the stands to watch cars race on the "Monster Mile", I would dream of day when I would see the stands fill up with an audience to listen to music of legendary artists.  In 2004, I thought that dream had become a reality, when rock acts Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Creedance Clearwater Revisited, Bo Diddley and Peter Frampton came together for an All-Star concert at Dover International Speedway.  I was finally able to see how this venue could truly accommodate a concert.  You see, only half the track was actually used, vendors lined the outer portion, and while attendees like myself, a large portion of my husband's family, and many others (like several teachers I had in high school) rocked out all day quite comfortably.  When Crosby, Stills and Nash performed a rainbow appeared in the sky and it was just pure magic, just like their song "After the Storm" says, "After the clouds disappear, after the rainbow has gone, I'm left with a song in my ear, the melody is lingering on, How come I have to explain, music is worth the pain". I was so sure that after such a successful show, that I would finally see my teenage dream come true.  My dream seemed short lived, until last year, when Red Frog came to Delaware with the Firefly Music Festival.
     In the words of Alanis Morrisette, "and isn't it ironic don't you think", that nearly twenty years ago
this young teenager dreaming of music coming to Dover Downs right where she first learned to play guitar would finally see her dream come true?  Back then, where Home Depot sits today, was a place my friends and I referred to as the "dirt mall".  If my memory serves correctly it was actually a "farmer's market", filled with a plethora of Americana, from a booth that one could play Magic, store fronts that sold the latest glitzy fashionable shirts or jewelry, a tattoo shop, a pet shop, and a place you could get pizza by the slice.  (Imagine the movie Mallrats with T.S. and Brodie going to the dirt mall, yeah it was like that, nostalgic. Oh and also the place that I got my nose pierced the first time.). Next to the "dirt mall" was one of the few music stores in Delaware, Earle Teat (this store still exists, but has since moved to a different location).  It was at this store, where I took my hard earned money, bought my first guitar and learned to play.  I bought the closest thing to a grey guitar as I could, because at the time, Counting Crows was super popular and, how could you not want a grey guitar? I bought the next best thing, a silver Gibson Epiphone. Now, imagine saving your money to buy a guitar, but not having enough to buy an amp. So for weeks, maybe even months I learned to play my electric guitar with little sound.  What kept me going? Music was my motivation.  But there is another irony to this story. 
     I also used my hard-earned money to pay for my guitar lessons, which were at the music store where I bought my guitar.  My guitar teacher, could have doubled as a stand in for Anthony Kiedis. He of course, hated this comparison, but any of my friends who ever joined me during one of my lessons thought the same thing. He was just as cool as Kiedis though, because he and his band practiced in a basement near my house and allowed me to come every week and watch- these were my personal concerts.  I soon got a glimpse of what being in a band was all about...and I will leave it at that, those of you who have ever been in a band know what all of that entails. 
     Yeah so imagine the irony going through my head as I prepared to attend this year's Firefly Music Festival with Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as the first night's headlining band, when I realized what had occurred less than a mile from the Woodlands.  All I can say is thank you Red Frog, for somehow connecting to my dream, and turning the Woodlands into a music lover's paradise!  I really couldn't even start to tell you how many mixed tapes of Indie rock music I brought with me to those first guitar lessons back then, but it feels so good to know that this dream is a reality, at least for another 10 years!

P.S. This second year proved that, "If you build it, they will come!"

(Photos above are of my son and my husband. My son is quite obsessed with the guitar already.)