Research got real guys... I even went to the library to check out a Virginia history book. It was the just the right book for me, more pictures than words.  Let me remind  you I work at an elementary school ;) 

 So as many of you know VA's catchy state slogan is "Virginia is for lovers." It actually has a lot of history to how it become the state's saying. I'm sure many states could argue that there is lots to love about their state but sorry VA jumped on that in 1969. Their goal was to attract new tourist/young people to the state of Virginia. With the Beatles hit song, "All You Need is Love," love was all around in 1969. Their idea was to put, "Virginia is for __________ lovers"  and insert the tourist location. (mountain lovers, beach lovers, history lovers... etc) So that's how I laid out this post to highlight my time and ingredients of the state of Va. 

I think this picture really sums up my trip to Shenandoah and the activities that were done. So before I go on about my time in Shenandoah... I have to talk about  how it has beautiful scenery and one of the most gorgeous sunsets. But what led me there? Well it was the summer going into my senior year of college and we wanted to take a trip to celebrate our last year. We looked at pictures (you know those beautiful sunsets and mountains) and picked out this place from my parents blue green time share locations. So me and my college roommates planned a trip and head down to VA. Let me just say as newly 21 year olds it wasn't exactly our vision of OUR vacation. It consisted of watching the twilight series in our cabin, photo shoots (I know shocking this picture was totally staged) and tanning by the pool during the day. I think one day we splurged and went horse back riding.  Would I recommend it? Of course, it was so beautiful and peaceful, the perfect family vaca.. However, if you're in college... I would probably recommend more like Myrtle Beach... :) So with that being said, Virginia is definitely for cabin lovers!

I just LOVED learning about this. If anyone of you know me personally, I love Disney.. like LOVE it. It could be the elementary school teacher in me or it could just be the way my parents raised me. Well if you have seen the movie Pocahontas you can think of VIRGINIA! This is the place where Chief Powhatan (her dad) led his tribe. This is also where she defend her love John Smith. Believe it or not, she was only about 10 when she met John Smith so the love story is not actually true. However, I would love to believe in a love where you can talk to animals and get your guidance from a willow tree and someone still thinks you're sane. 

Yes, yes, I know that Washington D.C is not an official state in the United States but it is important to our country and home to about 700,000 American people so I figured it was cookie worthy. So why did I title my article "Cupcake with a capital C"? Well cupcakes are the signature dessert in D.C. and have many DELICIOUS shops around the city and it's also our nations capital. (I hope that's not a new fact you're learning from my blog)

So I bounced around from three elementary school while I was growing up so I actually never did the classic fifth grade field trip to our nation's capital. So me at 28 has never toured D.C. (besides the shopping outlets and inner harbor) which is kind of sad since I've grown up living so close! So my mission this weekend was to be a full-on tourist, see the cherry blossom trees, and visit as many cupcake shops in the city.

So to start off... let's talk about why there is cherry blossom trees in D.C. Once again, I am getting so awesome at trivia because I'm learning something new weekly! Well cherry blossom trees came as a gift from Japan in 1912 to represent the friendship between the two countries. I am excited because I was able to  plan my trip around the festival and seeing the trees in full bloom (which I've tried to do for years). Over 1.5 million people come to enjoy the trees during the prime weeks in April when they bloom. Because of these tree, cherries became the main ingredient for the D.C. cookie.

Now on to the cupcakes of the city which gave the cookie its unusual shape. I was on a mission to try as many cupcakes as possible and to clearly put on five pounds. 

I had to go to the Georgetown Cupcakes to see all the rave. I choose the "salted caramel chocolate chip."  If you want to learn about them and how they run take a look at their cup cake cam on TLC. 

You can thank my new friends that work at a coffee shop in National Harbor for proof reading this post. I know, shocking, me making new friends in a random city! Come check my boys out at Harbor Cafe! They make awesome coffee drinks and are very fun to get to know! 

1. The Rivalry 
 I just love the rivalry and passion everyone down here has for their teams! I like to view myself as Switzerland since I do own a shirt for all three teams.... (NC state, UNC and Duke) I mean if someone buys me clothing I'm not gonna say no. That's not the only rivalry they have in going on in NC. They also battle between BBQ sauce... vinager or tomato based sauce. People are also very passionate about their sauce choice. I personally like it all! If you have good pork, top it with whatever and I'll eat it!   

2. Beaches
Personally, I am more of a mountain/lake person. I enjoy fishing, nothing overpopulated, and just relaxing on a boat on the lake. That all changed when I visited the NC coast. Not only was my favorite tv show, "One Tree Hill" filmed in Wilmington but the beautiful and peaceful vibe their beaches have is something I never experienced before. Topsail Island became one of my favorite places to visit throughout my time in NC. Also during one of my trips to the North Carolina Aquarium, I had one of my FAVORITE donuts ever, the maple bacon glazed. After thinking back on this, my mind started rolling on my cookie flavor. 

2. THE FOOD/DRINKS
I am not gonna lie, my friend from my new school told me I could not move officially to North Carolina until I had Bojangles. So what did I do when I crossed the state line? I went to Bojangles and had my first cajun chicken deluxe, LARGE sweet tea and a boberry biscuit. Although, I do love me some Bojangles, I am talking about all the great food restaurants/bars all around the city. There are many gems all around Raleigh, that you need to experience if you are ever in town. The fact I wasn't 700 pounds when I left Raleigh was a miracle since me and my best friend decided #tasteraleigh and try new restaurants almost every weekend.

• The Pit (located in Bull City and Downtown Raleigh) This is authentic BBQ food served family style so you are left fully satisfied. This was also the place where I went on my first date when I moved into the city. 
• Crafty Beer Shop- This shop has an amazing selections of the best beers, international and national. They have a huge focus on all the great beer NC has to offer. It is a great atmosphere and amazing bar tenders. Kirk the owner is awesome and extremely personable with his costumers. 

• Flying Burrito - A place where you can get great tacos for just two dollars on Tuesday and ANYDAY after 10 while listening to live music Thursday - Sunday! This was definitely one of my favorite places to sit, enjoy salsa and chips and good company! :)
• Coglin's​ - I have to mention Coglin's... if you are going to go to downtown Raleigh late night, Coglin's should be your night ender. You can get your fix of 80's and 90's music while catching up on your "Save By the Bell" episodes. I mean what better place to practice your dirty dancing moves.
• This leads to the best late night foods: Tasty 8's for the best hotdogs and sweet potato fries and Armadillo Grill for awesome authentic tacos and guac!  These two places will solve your late night munches.

If you're ever in the Raleigh area check these places out! For more details, events and menus check out their websites by clicking on their names! :)

I remember my first month living in NC, I was in the grocery store and this stranger walked up to me and was like, "Hey! What are you making for dinner?" I honestly didn't know what to do.. I thought to myself.. excuse me, none of your business, go on now... Soon I learned that people are genuinely THAT nice. And I fell in LOVE with it and them! Now that I am back in the north I walking and talking to everyone (now I am THAT person and I'm totally okay with it!)

These people all had I huge impact in my life and helping me grow as a person. This is where people became family and helping me believe in my dreams of my cookie business. They taste tested more cookies then I could count and helped make my dreams a reality. I will forever cherish these people and your roles they had in my life.

Because of the strong passion for BBQ and pork in NC, I decided to go with bacon as the main ingredient in the cookie. Also every weekend we made pounds of bacon to feed our "friend family." So much bacon, that we sold the Walgreens next to my place out of bacon regularly. Also, It is topped with a maple BBQ glaze. I used BBQ sauce from one of my favorite places in Raleigh, The Pit.