Back to Work, Back to School, Back to Basics!

Start smiling, ‘cause this one is going to warm your heart with fond memories of Mom. Pack your lunch bags with our brand new Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcake. Moist white cake is stuffed with strawberry preserves and frosted with peanut butter buttercream.  Our sales reps just about fell out of their seats on this one, ladies and gentlemen! We’ve also sold out every day in our café!  Got a grumpy boss?  Slide one of these across his desk, and don’t be surprised if you get a promotion.

Food Holidays

National Catfish Month — August 1-31
Potato Day — August 19
National Spongecake Day — August 23
National Trail Mix Day — August 31
National Toasted Marshmallow Day — August 30

Flying United Airlines this Summer?

Then check out all your favorite Alexandria hot spots and hang outs as they are reviewed and rediscovered in the August issue of Hemispheres, United Airline’s in-flight magazine. Hemispheres selected Alexandria because of our unique place in America’s history, our commitment to a high quality of life for our residents, and our climate of opportunity for all who choose to live, work and visit here.

Hemispheres has a circulation of over 6 million United Airlines passengers flying to over 210 destinations in 26 countries. The shops, restaurants and museums are all here so revisit some old favorites and discover new secrets. Bittersweet is excited to appear in a half page ad and to have been selected to cater the Alexandria launch party!

Change the World for $25

Bittersweet is serious about community involvement through our support of a wide range of charities. Two years ago I was part of a Habitat for Humanity team that rebuilt houses in Sri Lanka destroyed by the tsunami. Click here to see the photos.

Since then, I’ve been looking for ways to contribute on a global scale. Kiva.org is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference in a small entrepreneur’s life while teaching you and your children about the global community. Check out their website where you can watch a New York Times video blog visit to a lending partner in Afghanistan. What a great way to turn a small contribution into a life changing event for a hard working business person in the developing world.

Our Favorite Food Movies

Too tired to wait in line for Ratatouille?  No Reservations sold out?  Check out your favorite sales reps favorite food flicks at home. And don’t forget the cran lemonade, cheddar chive biscuits and cupcakes!

	1987 - A woman turns down her chance to leave her Danish town to care for her pastor father and his small church
	Memorable Line: "An artist is never poor".
	2004 - A great overview of how the fast food industry markets and sells: don’t watch this while you’re eating!
	Memorable Line: "My body... officially hates me".
	1997 - A family explores, love, happiness and tragedy around the Sunday dinner table
	Memorable Line: “A family has got to stay strong".
	1996 - A restaurant run by two brothers is at risk for bankruptcy despite a talented chef and wonderful cuisine
	Memorable line:  “To eat good food is to be close to God”.
	2001 - Dad is a chef and restaurateur with 3 adult daughters making their way in life
	Memorable Line:  "I love toppings. Sometimes I go to restaurants and I just order toppings".
	1999 - Five friends who discover one another during the World War II invasion and believe having tea with a famous dictator will end the war
	Memorable Line: "Americans just simply don't understand picnics!".

Chillin’ Through the August Heat

Coupe Mondiale: World Accordion Championships

August 14 - August 18. The 60th annual Coupe Mondiale championships, recognized as the most prestigious international accordion competition, features accordionists from Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, China and the United States. Millennium Stage - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW, Washington, DC, 202-467-4600.

American Treasures of the Library of Congress

Through August 18. Showcase of more than 200 items that represent the breadth and depth of the library's American historical collection. Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, DC, 202-707-5000.

Arlington County Fair

August 15 - August 19. Traditional fair fun: food, carnival rides, a petting zoo, and pig and goat races. Thomas Jefferson Community Center and Park Grounds, 3501 Second St. South, Arlington, VA, 703-920-4556.

Happy Feet, Mumble is the best dancer at the South Pole

Aug 11. The Fairfax County Park Authority is reviving the fun of drive-in movies for a new generation. Come to the 3rd annual season of the Starlight Cinema in Centreville. Relive the old-fashioned enjoyment of the drive-in theater during the entire month of August as Starlight Cinema presents a movie every Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Your evening will begin with an outdoor pre-movie program - music, food and children’s activities. Then, at dark, the movies will start. Admission is free and the event is appropriate for the entire family. Starlight Cinema is located at 5875 Trinity Parkway, Centreville, VA. If there is a threat of bad weather, call 703-324-SHOW after 6 pm or for cancellation updates www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

John Hadfield

August 18, 10:00 am - 11:00 am. "MONKEYS in the HOUSE" is the perfect family show. Kids will laugh, parents will shake their heads, pets will howl, and by the end of the show, everyone will be wagging their tails and begging for more! Flap your arms, tap your feet and untap your inner monkey, John Hadfield is back! His new show features original music and comedy, amazing magic and a couple of really cool juggling tricks. E.C. Lawrence Park Amphitheater, 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly, VA 20151. FREE. 703-324-SHOW (7469). www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

Mariachi Estrellas

August 24, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Mariachi is the exciting and enchanting music identified with Mexico, and Mariachi Estrellas is one of the most outstanding mariachi groups in the region. Audiences have included diplomats and governmental dignitaries, television personalities, professional athletes and other lovers of folkloric music. Royal Lake Park, 5344 Gainsborough Drive, Fairfax, VA 22032. FREE. 703-324-SHOW (7469). www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

Alexandria Surrenders

August 18. Mayor Charles Simms and the citizens of Alexandria negotiate the surrender of the city to His Majesty's Forces in 1814. Christopher George, author of Terror on the Chesapeake, provides commentary for this re-enactment, noon-4 p.m. Carlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314 www.carlylehouse.org 703-549-2997.

Second Thursday Art Night: Sultry Summer Nights

August 9, Studios & galleries open 6-9 p.m. Browse open studios, interact with the artists, and enjoy refreshments. Visit Target Gallery for “Visual Rhythm/Ritmos Visuales”, with reception 6-8 p.m.  Enjoy a gallery talk by Lope Max Diaz, artist and professor of art at North Carolina State University. Free! Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, www.torpedofactory.org, 703-838-4565.