You LIke to Eat, Right?

Ok good... because here's a cool event going on this weekend that supports our farmers!

'Cuegrass Festival at The Pit
Bring your lawn chairs for some outside BBQ, beer, and bluegrass!!


(Click to enlarge)
FREE STREET FESTIVAL - Saturday, April 4 Rain or Shine!

11am - Filmore Valley Boys
12:30pm - Town Mountain
2pm - Old Habits

**Bring your lawn chairs!**

$5 beers & BBQ sandwiches on the street.
Sponsored by Whole Foods, Coca-Cola, LoneRider Brewer and Aviator Brewery

Proceeds benefit Feed the Farm, a non-profit organization helping to raise money to provide financial assistance for NC farmers.

The Pit
328 W. Davie Street
Raleigh, NC
(919) 890-4500

Facebook event listing | DowntownRaleigh.com

Some Quick Raleigh Updates...

...because I'm always shocked how many of my friends actually get their updates from my local round-up of Raleigh blogs.

Goodberry's is coming to Cameron Village - GoGoRaleigh.com
A Rooftop Carolina Ale House is coming to Glenwood South - DTRaleigh.com
Boylan Bridge Brewpub is open for business - NewRaleigh.com
I hear Foundation makes their own in-house cola... and want to try it - NewRaleigh.comAnd in some previously unpublished original updates:
Tobacco Road has has added a apple/candied walnut/and some sort of cheese salad to the menu... and it's SO good. Lisa S. and I took Cagle to lunch there on Friday - we both had it and loved it.

Friday night and Sunday afternoon Renee and I ended up at The Oxford and I had the Fried Goat Cheese salad both times. Renee had their very cool twist on the caprise salad. Both, very good, too.

Red, Merlot, or Muscadine?

Lisa S. shared Old North State Winery with those of us in her networks on facebook this week and I thought I'd pass it along here, too. She swears by Restless Soul and says it makes a great table red.

Restless Soul
This blend of Malbec, Tannat, and Cabernet Sauvignon is combined in just the right proportions to emphasize the wonderful fruity character of this complex Bordeaux style red wine. - $10.00Have any of you NC people sampled any of their wide selection of wines or dined at the bistro in Mt. Airy?

Share the details!

PS - In case you might not have noticed, NC has a wonderful state-wide wine industry. Check out the Visit NC Wines website and find out where you can check out some local offerings near home, vacation, or even make day trips out of!

{Double Post} Tervis Giveaway on Swagger's Facebook "Public Profile"

Swagger Gifts is giving away one of the most coveted accessories in blogland... and no, it has nothing to do with Lilly Pulitzer.

It's the Big-T (24 oz.) Tervis Tumbler (MadMariner.com calls them "Terrific")!!!

These bad boys keep your cold drinks cold, hot drinks hot, don't sweat, you can't break 'em, AND they are dishwasher safe. I'm drinking lemonade out of my "Pi Beta Phi" Big-T as I write this... and getting pumped about investing a whole set of these for the days on the beach, lake, tailgates, and boooooat.

Click on the picture above and go directly to Swagger's post on facebook to comment to win - it ends this Friday (so do it by Thursday night, just to be safe).

When you "Become a Fan" of Swagger on facebook, you'll receive weekly updates on each new giveaway. You should also subscribe to the blog, too - that's where the winner is announced!

A Different Green Post

Here's a totally different green post for you - as in St. Patty's green!

I enjoy the holiday and the debauchery that goes along with it, but I've been consistently sick the last few weeks so I didn't do too much... well, other than celebrate my younger sister's 21st birthday (which by the way, still blows my mind that it's now legal for her to shop at the ABC store). I'll have to dedicate a separate post to that momentous occasion later.

However, just because the parties from last weekend and Tuesday have passed... there's more this weekend since last weekend had a bit (downpour) of rain.

Raleigh's St. Patrick's parade is today at noon - Downtown.

For those of you who are thrilled by the idea of Irish-themed events all year long... I guess this is my Merry March Christmas gift for you - a website and email list devoted to those local event (RaleighStPats.org).

The Hungry Caterpillar

LOVE Google today. I'm such a fan of their occasional changes.

The Hungry Caterpillar is celebrating its 40th anniversary this week!

Cupcake Envy - Classes, Too!

If you're at all into the domestic blogging thing, I'm SURE you've come across all the blogs devoted to baking, especially the world of cupcakery ;-) (Cake Wrecks, Bakerella, etc.)

If you happen to be in the 919, I would highly encourage you to subscribe to the Cupcake Envy blog (here is their regular site, too) and check out one of their classes... looks like a ton of fun and they are priced SO well to even be supplying all the goodies necessary to hone your skills.

PS - This was yet another fab Chix recommendation. Local business girls... this is a group for you.


(Image: Cupcake Envy flickr)

Vendor Fair in Morrisville

This is a cool event (and venue space, for whatever your future needs may be) that I just found out about this morning through my Chix daily digest.

The Studio
Studio & Party Place - Morrisville, NC

Vendor Fair
(This is going to be a regular event on the Third Thursday of every month!)

March 19th from 3pm to 8pm.

Vendors Include: Gold Canyon Candles, Arbonne, Cardio Cocktail, Discovery Toys, Candles and Chimes, USANA, LocalAdLink, Tomboy Tools, Nikken, Spa Lady, Silpada, Private Quarters, Gold Girl, Pampered Chef, Juice Plus, MonaVia, Isagenix, Stampin' UpI don't know what "Cardio Cocktail" is... but it sounds like something I can appreciate.


(Image: The Studio)

Local Produce - YAY!

Ok, it is terrible that I might need to rely on a delivery service to provide me with local, fresh produce when I pass the NC Farmers Market multiple times a day.

That being said, this will still ensure I get to support local agriculture even with my "I don't have time to grocery shop" schedule - The Produce Box.

I would love to join any of the local CSAs, but I don't have a few hundred bucks to shell out right for all of my seasonal produce in advance. This is a great pay-by-week alternative for me! I was so excited to find out via the Lineberry Alliance mailing list tonight that someone from our neighborhood is coordinating this for us.


Image: The Produce Box

Day Trip to Boone?

I'd probably be too scared to take the plunge, but this seems like the cooooooolest thing ever. (Especially after watching last week's episode of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory where he installed his own zip line in his massive warehouse/office complex).

From Garden & Gun via email:

GO SOUTH
Zipping Along



Believe it or not, zip lines (those cables youth campers attach themselves to to go whizzing across a lake or valley) have grown up. This spring, Scream Time Ziplines just outside of beautiful Boone, North Carolina, will send adult riders (and kids, too) zooming above some of the prettiest topography in the South.

You start out by taking a 1972 six-wheel-drive army transport vehicle to the top of a local peak. From there you don a harness and attach yourself to a series of zip lines (the longest east of the Mississippi River) that crisscross down the valley. On the way you’ll have a bird’s-eye view of Boone, Appalachian State University, and all manner of flora and fauna. Just remember to open your eyes.Sweeeeeeet!

Check out Canopy Tours in NC, SC, and FL!

Maybe I'll make this my push my boundaries experience for the year...

PS - YouTube videos from the experience!

Favorite {Country} Songs of the Week: Week 2

Monday ~ March 2: Alan Jackson (ft. George, Brad, and Dierks) - Country Boy (video)

This video is a whole lot of country on one stage - awesome!!

"Big 35’s whinin’ on the asphalt
Grabbin’ mud, and slingin’ up some red dirt
’cause I’m a country boy"

Tuesday ~ March 3: Josh Gracin - TellurideI am IN LOVE with this song right now. I was really surprised to hear Tim McGraw's version on Pandora today - it was equally as enjoyable.

"When I was nineteen I threw my stuff in the car
I headed up to the Rockies, got a job at this bar
Selling beer to the locals, just barely getting by
On the tips from the rich kids, there on daddy's dime
But when I saw her walk in one night
I knew that I'd be all right in

Telluride, the snow falling down
I was waking up in that sleepy little town
In her eyes my world came so alive
I never will forget the moment she arrived
In Telluride"
Wednesday ~ March 3: Justin Moore - Small Town, USA (vide0)This boy's got one of those just plain twangy country voices... and I can't get enough!

"Give me a Saturday night,
my baby my side,
a little Hank, Jr. and a six pack of Light,
an old dirt road and I'll be just fiiiiiiiine"
Thursday ~ March 4: Lee Ann Womack - I'll Think of a Reason Later (iTunes) An old favorite! I heard this song in the car on Thursday and sang the whole thing out loud. I'm sure folks on Capital thought I'd lost it. Oh well, it was a beautiful day and it is a fun girl song.

"It may be my family's redneck nature
rubbin' off, bringin' out unlady-like behavior.
It sure ain't Christian to judge a stranger,
but I don't like her.
She may be a stranger who spends all winter
bringin' the homeless blankets and dinner.
A regular Nobel Peace Prize winner,
but I really hate her...
I'll think of a reason later."
Friday ~ March 5: Lee Ann Womack - Last Call (video)One of those truly haunting country songs. I think just about everyone over the age of 21 with an ex can relate to this. Thank Goodness I don't know anyone right off hand who drinks Walker Red.

"I don't need to check that message,
I know what it says.
'Baby I still love you',
don't mean nothin' when there's whiskey on your breath.
That's the only one I get,
so if you're callin'... I bet you're in a bar."
Saturday ~ March 6: Eli Young Band - Alway the Love Songs (iTunes)I played their new single and one of their previous singles (When It Rains) in Vegas and Denise asked from across the room about these guys. They're one of my current favorites.

"Somebody'd always bring a couple guitars
and we'd take turns
singing songs and watching it burn.
We'd do Rambling Man,
Proud Mary, and American Band
We'd be singing at the top of our lungs
it was always the love songs"
Sunday ~ March 7: Sarah Buxton - That Kind of Day (video)This girl doesn't get half the spotlight she deserves... totally underrated. Just call me her personal cheerleader. Also, recognize her voice from Dierks Bentley's Sweet & Wild? That's her singing duet. Space is her current single - heard only on XM/Sirius, I believe.

"Stayed out about two hours too late,
and now it's hard gettin' out of this bed.
Man, my boyfriend was a pain in the butt last night,
now he's an ache in my head.
Stubbed my toe on the dresser an' I guess,
it's too late to shower an' do my hair.

Yeah, throw a ball cap on.
Hell, half the day is gone.
And nothin' else could go wrong, whoa, oh.
Fifty bucks is all I got,
when times are tough, it's time to shop!
And my credit card'll buy a lot, whoa, oh.
What's another bill to pay?
It's that kind of day."Whew, 7 songs this week. Enjoy!

Local Job Opening

This isn't my typical blog post, but this isn't your typical job opening either. This sounds like it would be a really fun and rewarding job.

Please pass this along to anyone who may be interested.

Open job position from SEEDS (1998 NC Peace Prize winner)
From Lucy Harris, SEEDS Executive Director,
706 Gilbert Street, Durham, NC 27701
919.683.1197
www.seedsnc.org

SEEDS is hiring a co-coordinator for Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG) to start in March 2009.

Come join our multi-generational team of youth and adults working together to increase food justice in our community by:
-Growing healthy, sustainable food on a 1/4 acre lot in northeast central Durham
-Selling it at the Durham Farmer's Market every Saturday
-Learning about the importance of food and sustainability
-Cultivating self-confidence, inter-dependence, solid community, and a strong value for all life
-Primary responsibilities would be:
-Sharing knowledge of sustainable gardening, cooking, and healthy living with youth;
-Program development;
-Youth leadership training;
-Working with volunteers;
-Garden stewardship

Required Skills:
-Experience working with youth, especially in leadership development;
-Some gardening experience;
-Creative problem solving and conflict resolution skills;
-Ability and interest in doing physical labor;
-Commitment to social, economic, and environmental justice;
-Ability to work well with a multi-racial, intergenerational staff and desire to interact with a wide range of people
-Flexible schedule, driver's license, sense of humor and the ability to think on your toes

Strongly recommended:
-An understanding of and interest in food systems and food politics;
-Cooking skills;
-Carpentry skills;
-Creative self-expression;
-Morning person

We encourage applicants to get a feel for the position by volunteering during a Saturday work day.

Starting salary $12/hour + paid sick, vacation, and holidays
Average of 28 hours/week including Saturdays

Job starts mid-March

Interested parties should send a cover letter and resume to Lucy Harris, lharris@seedsnc.org, or 706 Gilbert St, Durham, NC 27701.

SEEDS is a non-profit community garden whose goal is to teach people to care for the earth, themselves and each other through a variety of garden-based programs.

The Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG) program is a youth-driven, urban farming leadership development program. DIG empowers teens by teaching organic gardening, sound business practices, healthy food choices and food security values. The program emphasizes sustainable living and growing practices, ecological balance, and the natural recycling of organic materials for plant health and nourishment. DIG youth are paid a stipend to cultivate fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and mushrooms, which they then sell at the Durham Farmer's Market.Today's beautiful local weather should definitely encourage some good applications for this position - plus, just think about all the amazing things you'd learn about in this position. I've never heard of this before seeing this posting come across the Chix email list, but now I'd love to volunteer sometime.

Cameron Village Scoop

Courtesy of Sue Stock's blog - our local retail insider!

Uncle Fatty's on menu

Folks who dine at Raleigh's Cameron Village may not have heard of John White, but he's had an influence on many of the restaurants in that center.

White was one of the original partners in Foster's restaurant (before it became Nelson's and then turned back into Foster's).

He's also a partner in five Moe's Southwest Grills, including the one at Cameron Village.

And he's a 50 percent partner in the center's new hot restaurant, The Flying Biscuit.

Now White is on to his next venture, and I bet you can guess where it will be located.

Uncle Fatty's Drive-In has a fun name, but it's kind of a misnomer since the restaurant won't have car hops or anything like a '50s style drive-in. But it will serve the burgers, shakes, fries and other quick foods that are hallmarks for such restaurants.

"It's going to be just a cool little place," White said. "It'll be smaller than Moe's, around 60 seats with a nice little patio."

Uncle Fatty's Drive-In will also serve a salad or two, for those who are in search of a healthier option, but White said he's trying to keep prices affordable -- around $5 for most items.

Uncle Fatty's is going into the old Jill Flink space next to Piccola Italia. Work on the restaurant could begin in as little as a month. White is shooting for a summer opening.Mmmmm... sounds yummy!

E-Waste Recycling Event at NCSU

I would to credit this to the source where I saw it first, but I can't remember where I saw it (a green blog, something NCSU, who knows)!

E-Waste Recycling Event

What can be recycled?
Pretty much anything you can plug in!

*Computers – CPU’s and laptops, main frames, peripherals
*Monitors – CRT’s and flat screens
*Telephones, Cell phones and Telephone systems
*Fax Machines and Central Office Equipment
*Printers and Copiers
*Banking and Financial Equipment
*Medical Equipment
*Rechargeable batteries
*Electronic Circuit boards and components
*Stereo Equipment, Games, PDA’s
*Televisions (There is a $5 fee per television)

Location: Centennial Campus
Directions: Main Campus Drive between Monteith Eng. Research Center & Corporate Research 1

Date: March 11th
Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sponsored by: Synergy Recycling L.L.C., NCSU Waste Reduction and Recycling, S.E.E. NCSU
For more information, email recycling@ncsu.edu or check out the online event PDF (which includes all the information I posted here, but in a pretty flyer).

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Did anyone else notice how awesome Google is today?

Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday - check out FirstBook's blog post about this fun occasion!


(Image: Google.com homepage)

Favorite {Country} Songs of the Week: Week 1

I put {Country} in brackets because I like to switch it up every now and then and may include others from time to time. It'd be safe to put some money on 75% of my picks maintaining country appeal though.

Monday ~ Feb. 23: Pat Green - Country Star

"Man I'm thinkin' that sure sounds fun, rockin' out with Brooks & Dunn.
All the way to No. 1, me and my guitar. Man I wanna be a country star..."Tuesday - Feb. 24: Jason Aldean - She's Country (video)"Shoot from her cowboy boots to her down home roots.
She's country, from the songs she plays to the prayers she prays.
That's the way she was born and raised. She ain't afraid to stay - country.
Brother she's country."Wednesday ~ Feb. 25: Gloriana - Wild at Heart (video)I can't totally decide if I love this song or if it's going to get old quickly. It sounds very "high school chorus"y to me, but when I actually listened to the following lyrics... it makes me like it more:

"I ain't here to do anything half-way
Don't give a damn what anyone might say
I just wanna free fall for a while

That rebel moon is shinin'
Those stars burn like diamonds
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide"Thursday ~ February 26: I am dedicating the next 4 days to all of the fantastic individuals and groups nominated for the GAC 2009 ACM Awards New Artist Fan Voting section, because honestly, they all could've been my next four choices.
(Click to vote!)For the record, do you know how totally hard it was for me to pick just one from each category? Pretty much impossible - all are SO good.


(Image: GACtv.com)