Jane Loves Local

Flavor comes from REAL ingredients. A lemon citrus punch in the body of a macaroon, honey-whipped cream cheese frosting, crunchy peanuts atop a carmel-y cupcake. Seek out these categories for more natural ingredients. I have high standards for sugar from years spent with a step-mom who was a professional cake baker, and a hustling a neighborhood business with my Easy-bake Oven. (Or so I thought at age six.) The owner is an artist-type so don't be offended when she spends more

Mother's Day is coming! Be a HERO this year with a Zero-Prep Plan this year at Millstone Orchards. Number 5 on my NC Bucket List and a must for the upcoming holiday. What's more idyllic than orchards and an Apple Barn?! North Carolina is host to a ton of fabulous orchards. Millstone is a step-above with their u-pick fruits and ready-made baked apple treats for purchase. The tire swings and instrument garden calls out to kids of all ages. Three words: Apple. Cider. Slushies.

Fayetteville's melting pot continues to grow and grow. Pineapple Pudin and Beef Empanadas kicked this new bakery up a notch! Here you will find danishes, cakes, pies, breads, rolls, pastries, and coffee drinks all made fresh daily. For locally-baked goods, you won't believe the prices. One tasty Macchiato and a GIANT brown bag full of sweet treats and savory rolls rang up to only $16! Can you say, "Brunch Party?!" THE STARS: Thank heavens there were TWO Bacon Cheese Rolls tuc

As a modern Army-wife, I have the utmost respect for the Marine-wives whose husbands worked aboard the USS North Carolina during WWII. Snail mail to a Battleship was pretty slow. Not to mention that R&R (visits) were far and few in between. Fortunately for the soldiers, they received homemade pie everyday while separated from their sweethearts. (One cool fact from the tour!) I was pregnant, I was hot, I was hangry, and there were a lot of stairs. That said, the Battleship tou

Riding the border between North Carolina and Kentucky is a a glorious bit of land. Never before had I REALLY enjoyed camping. Crumpler, North Carolina certainly changed my mind. Tent, cabin, and RV-camping are all options at Twin Rivers Family Campground. We opted for a tent right on the water. I could cry as I recall waking up to fog on the water as coffee percolated on the fire. It all stirred up a new happiness in my soul. A short minute or so walk from your tent, there i

The Mast Farm Inn is the perfect romantic getaway only a few hours drive from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Our home base. A quaint historical inn full of charm and comfort. The Chef cooks up a complimentary brunch of your dreams! Baked french toast, sugared pepper bacon, roasted tomatoes from the garden, grits. I mean, COME ON. Fresh mountain air and locally-sourced food?! Waiting outside our suite in the morning, was a thermos of freshly-brewed coffee. Ready to power us up

George-Ann is by far the most entertaining artist I have ever met! Giggles, cold beers, and loads of teamwork, made this one of my favorite maker-memories! Couples in need of a perk-up, I HIGHLY recommend this activity. Glass-blowing is beautiful, but also a huge exercise in trust. Firefly Hotglass Studio in Durham, NC is a bit rustic on the outside and a total artist compound on the inside. There are welders, gaffers (glass-blowers), carpenters, and sculptors inside this art