Durham Farmer's Market

Greg and I have been enjoying the Durham Farmer's Market a lot this year.  We started thinking about buying local once he started his job.  The reason it got in our head was because we had found a CSA that was going to be a perfect match for us.  The CSA let you 'shop' online to build your perfect week's worth of food (all locally farmed), and then you'd pick it up.  It also allowed you to cancel a week if you were going to be out of town, or if you missed the cancel by date, you could send you share that week to a local charity.  What is it that people say?  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  ha!  Well, after we paid to join, the guy in charge sent out an email saying that everyone was going to be refunded and they were not going to be able to do the CSA this year.  Boo!  

Since we had already committed to spending a certain amount per week on our CSA share, we decided to just take that money to the Farmer's Market every week and buy as much of our produce as possible there.  Now, I really look forward to getting up on Saturday morning and heading over to the Farmer's Market to shop.  I love the idea of supporting local farmers, and of course eating locally grown and farmed food is the best.  

You guys, I know that some people think it's ridiculous to spend extra money for local food, but I promise you... It is totally worth it.  The eggs that I get from the Farmer's Market are amazing, they have more flavor and they are much creamier.  The strawberries that we have been getting this season are out of this world delicious!  The best strawberries I have ever eaten.

Another perk of going to the Farmer's Market is that the local food trucks show up.  YUM!  I love getting a yummy breakfast from the food trucks!

I encourage you to seek out your local market, and give it a try.  Just take some cash with you, and buy what you think looks good.  You'll be supporting your local economy, and you'll be cooking with fresh, whole foods.  

Here's what we got one week... Eggs, strawberries, kale, sweet potatoes, asparagus, romaine lettuce, and mixed lettuces.

I was SO excited about these strawberries the first week they were at market!

Here's a shot of the food trucks lined up one week.  Yum!

Bark in the Park

The week after we got back from our trip to DC, Greg's friend at the Bulls called to let him know that they were having Bark in the Park that week.  We decided to go because when we went 2 years ago, we really enjoyed it.  I mean, our dogs act crazy initially because there are so many other dogs there, but then they get adjusted and end up relaxing.  Last time we went, I didn't pack water and a bowl for them to drink out of, and so we had to buy a bottle of water at the park for the dogs which was not ideal! 

It's actually a pretty cool event, if you have a minor league (or major) baseball team near you, then check out their promotions schedule to see if they do a Bark in the Park.  They had a bunch of local dog daycares, and vets set up with tents and information.  The company that makes the "thundershirt" is actually based in Durham, so they had a booth also.  Penni got a toy from the thundershirt people that she is obsessed with.  Overall, we had a really good time, and it was so nice having this event in April instead of July so that the dogs (and humans) didn't get so hot!

Penni checking out the other dogs

Hershee watching the game- ha!

Here's a family picture

Merry Christmas to Greg! Day 3

Sunday was the last day of our trip to DC.  We didn't have any major plans except going to the baseball game that afternoon.  When we got up, we talked with Jordan and decided to go do brunch at a place down the road from her apartment.  It was delicious!  Greg got belgium waffles with fruit, Jordan had a delicious fruit crisp, and I had a breakfast sandwich.  

After brunch, we loaded up the car so that we would be ready to head home after the baseball game.  Then we walked over to the stadium.  On our way, we decided to stop at a newly opened restaurant/brewery, Gordon Biersch.  Greg had one of their beers, and Jordan and I had sangria!  It was a nice stop before the game, especially since we had nicer/better drinks for less than we would be paying at the stadium!  

The game was fun!  The Braves played really well, so it was nice to watch them beat up on the Nationals!  We had good seats, and the weather was amazing!  The game was the perfect ending to our adventure in DC.  

This is the cafe where we had brunch

Jordan and I at Gordon Biersch before the Braves v. Nationals game

Greg's beer at Gordon Biersch before the game

Here's a panoramic shot of the stadium from our seats!

Here's an awful picture of Greg and I from the game.  I can't believe I'm actually posting it on the blog.  

Merry Christmas to Greg! Day 2

Saturday morning, we got up and talked about what we wanted to do for the day.  I really wanted to try and get by the zoo, we also talked about walking to see all the memorials and the cherry blossoms, and then we talked about going over to Ford's Theater.  We didn't do a good job of planning ahead or thinking about reserving tickets.

Well, we got ready and headed to the Metro to get over to Ford's Theater.  We stopped at Starbucks to get caffeinated before we headed to the theater.  By the time we got there, the tours were all done and the theater was closed to visitors.  I was kind of bummed because I knew that Greg was kind of looking forward to doing that.  We then headed over to the Washington Monument, reflecting pool, Lincoln Memorial, MLK Jr. Memorial, and we just looked across the water at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.  I am so glad that we walked to see all of them, but it was a TON of walking.

Also, it was the Cherry Blossom weekend.  Unfortunately, most of the cherry blossoms had already reached their peak and had begun losing their flowers.  There were still some pretty ones, so I'm glad that we got to see those.

When we got close to the mall again, we thought about checking out the Holocaust Museum, but the line was ridiculously long!  By this point, we were hungry and tired, so we made our way to a cute bar with patio seating for happy hour.  We enjoyed just sitting and chatting with Jordan!

We headed back to the apartment to relax for a while before we went to dinner.  We did dinner over at We The Pizza, which is a restaurant started by a former Top Chef contestant.  It was pretty good.  Between the three of us, we tried mushroom, hawaiian, pepperoni, and white pizza.  The white pizza was my favorite!

After dinner, we were all pretty dead tired, so we just headed home to hang out.  We didn't even end up staying up late at all!  Greg and I were asleep by 10:30!

Jordan and I at the Washington Monument

Greg and I at the Washington Monument

Greg and I infront of the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

MLK Jr. Memorial

They have MLK Jr. quotes on this wall surrounding the statue.  It's pretty cool.  This is one of the quotes that I like the most. 

Here's a picture of one of the prettier cherry blossoms

The Jefferson Memorial.

Merry Christmas to Greg! Day 1

This year, my gift to Greg for Christmas was a trip to Washington DC.  He had never been before, so I started squirreling money away back in October for this trip.  I made a little book for him to open on Christmas morning, that had pictures of the monuments, memorials, and big DC landmarks.  The final page of the booklet I had printed a copy of the Braves baseball schedule, and circled the dates that they were playing the Nationals in DC.  He was excited!

He looks ridiculous with the baseball cap and the toboggan on, but he had just opened those.  Here he is reading the little booklet that I made for him about our trip to DC.

We drove up Thursday night after work.  The drive was long because we kept running into night construction.  We were so glad when we finally arrived at my friend, Jordan's, apartment.  We are so thankful that she let us crash at her place for the weekend, and it was also wonderful getting to spend time with her!

This is the view of the Washington Monument from Jordan's apartment

Friday morning, it was raining and so we just took it easy.  We slept in, and took our time getting ready and by mid-day we were out and about!  We stopped by the Library of Congress, and then walked past the Capitol to meet up with friends that we had just found out were also in town! We met up with the Slighs and then headed over to the Museum of Natural History.  We didn't spend a ton of time there, but then we went to the Museum of American history.  I thought that the American History museum was much more interesting than the Natural History Museum.  We spent quite a bit of time looking around, and going through all the exhibits.  I loved the Star Spangled Banner, and all the dresses from the First Ladies.  After we finished up at the Museums we headed over to Pennsylvania Avenue to look at the White House, which was honestly, a total let down.  I hate that we couldn't schedule a tour.

The Library of Congress

The Capitol

Kermit the Frog at the Museum of American History

The White House

We were really worn out, and our friend had texted us that he was a sport bar watching the Masters... So, of course we headed that way.  We hung out for a bit, had a snack and drinks, and then took the Metro back to Jordan's apartment.

Friday night we went to game 1 of the Nationals v. Braves series.  We didn't dress for the weather at the game, the wind was blowing and it was much colder than we had anticipated!  The Braves weren't playing as well as we thought they should be, and I was freezing, so we left after the 7th inning.  Umm, that was the wrong move for sure.  On the walk back to the apartment, I joked with Greg that they would probably come back and win it.  Well, they did and we missed it.  Greg was majorly disappointed, but he didn't hold it against me for too long.

Walking into National Park

Our seats were great!  I just wish that it had been slightly warmer, or less windy

Visit from the Barrows

Greg's parents came up to visit a couple of weeks ago.  It was great to have them!  The timing of their trip was actually really good because I happened to have most of that week off, so I was able to be around while Greg was working.  We had a really good time while they were here!  We love just really love when people come visit, so that we can show them all the reasons that we love Durham.

I took them over to Nasher Museum of Art over on Duke's campus.  It was really neat.  I hadn't been there before, and I think that we all enjoyed it.  They had an exhibit on photography and different types of exposure that photographers use to get the look that they want in their photographs.  We also walked through the section where they have pieces from their permanent collection.  We saw an Andy Warhol photo in the photography section, and I spent the longest time staring at a Picasso in their permanent collection.  Afterwards, I took them by one of my favorite local restaurants, Foster's Market, to grab sandwiches.

We also took them to our favorite, local pizza place, Lily's Pizza.  Of course, it was amazing.  I have to tell you about this salad that they have there.  It's a roasted pear salad with a pear vinaigrette.  The salad is a bed of mixed greens, roasted pears stuffed with blue cheese, toasted almonds, and homemade croutons. It is to die for... So delicious!

Thursday night after Greg got home from work, we went to the Carolina Hurricane's NHL game in Raleigh.  I love going to watch hockey.  It's so much more entertaining in person than it is on TV.  It is such a fun environment and the fans are wild!

Friday morning, I had a bunch of errands to run, so I suggested that Ralph and Linda over to Duke Gardens.  I wish that it had been warmer because Linda said nothing much had started blooming.  I told her that she'd just have to come back in the spring to see everything.  We went last year in May and it was gorgeous.

Overall, it was a really good visit and Greg and I were so happy that they were able to come visit!

A vinaigrette that will change your life

I found this recipe on Cooking Light's website.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love Cooking Light?  I get their magazine every month, and I love looking through it and finding new recipes to make!

Pistachio Lemon Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pistachios, finely ground in food processor
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup (the real stuff)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt

The recipe that I used it in was Pork chops over couscous with Pistachio-Lemon vinaigrette.  This was divine, but while we were eating dinner I kept talking about all the different ways I could use the vinaigrette.  I think you could do it over chicken, you could use it as a salad dressing, you could mix it in a pasta salad or a sweet potato salad, it would probably be delicious over steak, it would be so good over a kale salad, etc.

You can double or triple or quadruple the recipe easily and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks (but it won't last that long).  Promise me that you are going to make this vinaigrette this weekend.  Seriously, just do it.  Delicious!