Local Favorite: The Lumina outdoor theater

This past weekend we did something really fun: we watched a movie outside! There is a theater in Chapel Hill that plays movies out on the lawn in the neighborhood of Southern Village. It is such a fun thing to do on a summer night! Everyone brings a lawn chair or a blanket and picks a spot on the grass to watch the movie. They are usually family friendly movies, but in times past they have played "Grownups" and "X-Men: First Class," and the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" is playing this September. So there are definitely some good ones! We saw "Captain America" this past Saturday, and while I only gave the movie a rating of "okay," the whole experience was really fun. We randomly invited another couple from our small group, Mark and Jenn, who have not hung out with too much before, and it was so fun! We actually stayed out on the lawn talking way after the movie ended! It was just the perfect night for that kind of thing.

If you live in the Raleigh-Durham area, go check out The Lumina before the season is over! At only $4 a ticket and you can bring your own snacks, it truly is the best way to watch a movie! Just make sure you get there a little before dusk so you can get a good seat :)

[I apologize for the bad picture - it's from my phone and it's the only one I have!

You get the idea though, right??]

Local Favorite: Spanky's

I just had a fun visit with my mom and sister and we decided to go over to Chapel Hill for an afternoon. My mom had never seen the campus or downtown area, so we parked and walked around a bit (saw the Old Well of course) and then went in search of a good lunch place. We decided on Spanky's, and I'm glad that we did! I always had heard it was a popular bar of the Chapel Hill night life, but never anything about its food. And it was amazing! It was such a local feel with a great atmosphere. They have some really unique dishes there, that are upscale-restaurant quality and totally not expensive (lots of meals are less than $10). I got the Veggie Quesadillas, my sister got the Rosemary Chicken Pasta, and my mom got the Mediterranean Salad. All were delicious! Thanks, Mom, for treating us!

Fresh Squeezed Fruit Juice

Photo credit: Blythe Klippstein

Have you ever been to the Raleigh Farmers Market? If not, you need to go ASAP! It is the largest one I've ever been to, and they have so many options of fresh fruit, bakery goods, plants, flowers, and more. Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to host two of my best friends, Julia and Blythe, as they came down from VA for a visit. We all had such a great time! Girl talk and catching up was long overdue and is such rich food for the soul. ((They both have posted more pictures from our weekend on their blogs Skopjanka and Through the Lens of My Nikon.)) 

My adorable friend Julia

One of our favorite treats at the farmers market was this fresh squeezed fruit juice drink: absolutely sublime. They squeezed a lime, lemon, and orange into the cup, added just a touch of sugar water, and cherries. It was the most delicious, fruity, and fresh drink I have ever had. And it tasted so naturally sweet! I'm pretty sure I am going to have to mimic this drink at home. Now if only I had a juicer...

Herbs & a New Favorite

I have two things to tell you about today!

1. I have started an herb garden. Basil, cilantro, and parsley (in that order). In the dollar section at Target they were selling mini pots with seeds and soil inside to plant these herbs. Mini pots + bad soil = no herbs. So instead I transferred them to these pots with fresh, nutritious soil so they can grow fruitfully. And look at them now! It's only been a couple weeks, and soon I will get to use them in my recipes!

2. My second thing is about where I got the pots. Ever been to Carolina Pottery? It's my new favorite store! It's a HUGE home goods store with thousands of items all for amazing deals. These pots were only 99 cents each! If you're going to be potting some herbs or plants, I highly recommend you skip the Lowe's or Home Depot and head over to Carolina Pottery. They also have kitchen items, art, a wine collection, seasonal decorations, and so much more. So just be sure either your wallet or your will power is prepared before
going in. You have been forewarned.