Blue Ridge Parkway Turns 75 in 2010

30 minutes from Charlottesville is a manmade and natural wonder called the Blue Ridge Parkway. It stretches 469 miles from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway turns 75 this year, celebrating the birth of a roadway that set auto tourig in motion and put thousands of young men to work in the midst of the Great Depression. Construction began in 1935 and was completed more than 50 years later with the last section at the Linn Cove Viaduct going into place in 1987. The Parkway is ranked "America's scenic drive." This scenic drive follows the mountain crests of the Blue Ridge, offering sweeping views of mountains and valleys, split-rail fences, camping, hiking, fishing, biking, picnicing, overlooks and much more.

There are so many special places to explore along the Blue Ridge in Virginia. Most everyone loves watching waterfalls. There are 4 waterfalls accessible from The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia: White Rock Falls, Wigwam Falls, Apple Orchard Falls, and Fallingwater Cascades. Crabtree Falls can be reached 6.5 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 27. Crabtree Falls is the highest vertical-drop cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River.

Here's the link to all you need to know about The Bue Ridge Parkway: http://blueridgeparkway.org/

Here's the link to all you need to know about events planned for the 75thAnniversary: http://blueridgeparkway75.org/

Tenderheart Peanut Butter Tarts

Tenderheart Bear helps everyone show and express their feelings and helps his fellow Care Bears be the most caring they can be. When I was young I used to love to make "Tenderheart Tarts" from The Care Bears' Party Cookbook. They are made with healthy ingredients and are SO GOOD kids will be begging for them just like I did!

This is a great recipe to make with kids because it is a child proof recipe. The tarts are very easy to make. You do not need an oven, can openers or sharp knives. All you need is some time, the right food and friends to share these yummy treats with you! The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg's Natural Smooth Peanut Butter and Graves Mountain Seedless Red Raspberry Preserves would get you started on this fun and delicious recipe a cooking adventure with yur kids.

Here are the things you need:
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 1/4 cup dry milk
Seedless Red Raspberry Preserves

Here is what you do:
1. Put peanut butter in the bowl.
2. Pour in the honey and mix with a spoon.
3. Add the dry milk.
4. Mix everything together with your hands.
Squeeze it! Pound it! Roll it around!
5. Keep mixing with your hands until you have a soft, smooth ball of dough.
6. Break off a small piece of the dough. Roll it into a ball about the size of a big marble.
7. Press the ball down to make a round cookie. Then make the cookie into a heart shape. You will be able to make about 30 tarts.
8. Put a dab of preserves in the middle of each heart. Now it is a tart!
9. Put the tarts on a plate. Keep them in the refrigerator for one hour or more.

Cooking is like magic. You take a little of this and a little of that. And before you know it - PRESTO!- you have something wonderful to eat.