Celebrate George Washington's 280th Birthday at His Home, Mount Vernon!

Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens via Marketwatch ^ | Feb. 13, 2012 | Anon.

[Pharmboy]

MOUNT VERNON, Va., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, celebrates our first president's birthday with three days of special events including an outdoor cooking demonstration by celebrated chefs, a new food exhibition with more than 125 objects from the Washingtons' kitchen, a surprise birthday celebration for "George Washington", book signing with PBS's A Taste of History host Chef Walter Staib, and much more! Saturday and Sunday events are included in Estate admission, and admission to all events on Monday, February 20, events are FREE in honor of George Washington's birthday!

Saturday, February 18All events are included in admission: $15/adult, $7/child, 5 and under free.

9 a.m: NEW EXHIBITION OPENS: Hoecakes & Hospitality: Cooking with Martha Washington

Experience a behind-the-scenes look at the Washingtons' kitchen through the new exhibition, Hoecakes & Hospitality: Cooking with Martha Washington. On display inside the Donald W. Reynolds Museum, this temporary exhibition celebrates food at Mount Vernon and Martha Washington's role as early America's premier hostess.

[Pharmboy]

Free admission on Feb. 20th all day at Mount Vernon for those within a few hours of The General's Virginia estate.

[Pharmboy]

My favorite portrait...a great smirk after Princeton.

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list

[Godebert]

A few recent photos from Mt. Vernon:

The kitchen:

[Godebert]

View from the kitchen door:

View from outside kitchen:

[CatherineofAragon]

Great portrait. Thanks for the post. I live in Virginia and I haven’t seen Mt. Vernon since I was a kid, even though I’ve been wanting to go. This nudges me to get going.

[ottbmare]

Every American ought to go to Mount Vernon at least once.

[itssme]

Would you please add me to your ping list.

[itssme]

Would you please add me to your ping list.

[MANO]

I just recently did just that. And it was awesome!!!

[iowamark]

Paula Deen’s Hoecakes

“”Hoecakes (serves: about 17 hoecakes)

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup self-rising cornmeal, or from a mix (recommended: Aunt Jemima’s)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon grease
Oil, butter, or clarified margarine, for frying

Directions

Mix well all ingredients, except for the frying oil. Heat the frying oil or butter in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter, by full tablespoons, into the hot skillet. Use about 2 tablespoons of batter per hoecake. Fry each hoecake until brown and crisp; turn each hoecake with a spatula, and then brown the other side. With a slotted spoon, remove each hoecake to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Leftover batter will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.””

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the pictures--beautiful.

And it was on my first trip to Mount Vernon about 30 years ago that I learned that kitchens were built separate from the main house because of fire hazard.

[Pharmboy]

...and they have done so much since you were there, while keeping the same look. The new museum is extraordinary, and built in a place where it does not disturb Mt Vernon's beauty. And the gift shop is terrific--they have some great stuff there, for adults and kids.

Do not miss it, and take friends and family!

[Pharmboy]

It was my pleasure to add you to the list.

[Pharmboy]

Great stuff...thanks much for posting!

[Bigg Red]

We are actually going to visit in honor of Washington’s birthday. We plan to visit his birthplace, as well. Making a 3-day trip out of it.

[Pharmboy]

Excellent! Since you will be near Fredericksburg, perhaps stopping at his childhood home across the Rappahannock (the Ferry Farm) could also work. And in Fredericksburg, there is his mom's house (Mary Ball Washington, relative of Lucille Ball), the house he bought for her from General Hugh Mercer (whose Apothecary Shop is also in Fredericksburg).

Have a great time!

[Bigg Red]

As a matter of fact, we do plan a stop at Ferry Farm. When we visited Mount Vernon about 2 years ago, we toured Fredericksburg quite a bit.

We saw Mary’s house and the apothecary shop. We also experienced a very well-done narrated tour aboard a bus.

[EternalVigilance]

"If, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God."

-- George Washington

---

The attitude I admire, and have therefore tried to emulate.

[EternalVigilance]

http://www.selfgovernment.us/about.html

[Pharmboy]

A great choice to emulate...WWGD? And thanks for the link; very interesting...and on the money.