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By Katie Bianco, Jess Feldman, Holly Gambrell and Jennifer Zeleski
Home is where your mom is
I’ve never been afraid of the dentist. Why, you may ask? Because before the age of 15, I had about 12 cavities, resulting in the removal of far too many baby teeth than I care to admit. Due to my lack of tears each time, I was well-known as “champ” in the dentist’s office, a nickname I am still proud of. This weekend I will relive my glory days, as all four of my wisdom teeth will be forcibly removed from my mouth, which I certainly am not thrilled about. The good news is my wonderful mom is hopping on a flight from Boston to Virginia to take care of my (most likely) drug-induced self. The night before surgery, I’ll be taking her to the weekly Ballston Farmers Market on Thursday evening (open 3 to 7 p.m.) to pick up the necessary ingredients for her famous chicken noodle soup. While we are there, we’ll sip Virginia-made wines and taste wood-fired pizza before alcohol and carbs are taken out of my diet for a few days. -Jess Feldman, Editorial Assistant // Ballston Farmers Market: 901 N. Taylor St., Arlington; free entry
For the love of Matilda
I hardly ever have the time to sit on the couch and watch movies. Aside from playing rotating episodes of The Office on the TV in my apartment, it tends to stay dark for a majority of the time. But, since I don’t watch much anymore, I can still name my favorite childhood movies off of the top of my head without thinking twice. The Parent Trap (the one with Lindsay Lohan), Princess Diaries 2 (the only sequel I have ever watched more than the original), Monster’s Inc. (because my dreaded brunette bowl cut made me a spitting image of Boo) and, of course, Grease (which had me belting out the lyrics to “Hopelessly Devoted to You” at the innocent age of 7). The final of the five? Matilda. It’s a classic. I’ll just leave my favorite scene here for you to enjoy. To honor my love of the film, I’m hoping to see a new generation of kids (and very young actors) fall in love with the story line when I attend the opening night of Matilda the Musical at NextStop Theatre on Thursday. It will be a little different, but I sure can’t wait to see Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull in action again. -Jennifer Zeleski, Editorial Assistant // NextStop Theatre: 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon; Nov. 14-Dec. 22, times vary; $40
I’ll always celebrate good chocolate
Last year, River-Sea Chocolates, a craft chocolate factory, opened its doors in Chantilly. It seems like just yesterday I was reading former dining editor Stefanie Gan’s piece on the new NoVA establishment. (Time flies when you’re eating sweets.) I’m a fan of the chocolate there, so I’ll be heading to its one-year anniversary celebration on Saturday, Nov. 16. I’ll be taking a factory tour, eating samples and drinking cacao drinks. There’s also a chocolate bar-decorating workshop planned, and guided chocolate and wine pairings. I’ll bite into all of that! -Holly Gambrell, Digital Editor // River-Sea Chocolates: 4520 Daly Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly; $5-$20
Time for turkey
Halloween is over and it’s time for Thanksgiving (otherwise known as the it’s-OK-to-still-wear-your-maternity-pants holiday). Since meeting my now-husband 10 years ago, I’ve spent every Thanksgiving with his big Italian family on Long Island, so I’ve yet to actually cook my own turkey. But, this year I’m planning a Friendsgiving so that we can toast to the season before driving up to the in-laws in New York. The catch? I don’t really know how to make a turkey. But instead of catering, I’m going to take a class this Saturday at noon at Sur La Table, where I’ll be shown how to make a dry-brined roasted turkey with wild mushroom gravy, buttermilk mashed potatoes and pumpkin mousse with bourbon whipped cream. Maybe I’ll even find a recipe to impress my mother-in-law. Find even more Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes here. -Katie Bianco, Editor// Sur La Table: 1101 S. Joyce St., Suite B-20, Arlington; $79
Add more fun things to your November calendar with our handy list here.
