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| Aunt Hilary, Christina, Dillon, Samara, & Nathan |
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| Hilary, Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dillon, Dad, Samara, & Nate |
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| Dill with Mom & Dad |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Graduation & Grandparents
This past weekend, Nathan and I headed to Virginia to celebrate Dillon's graduation from UVA. Though we're in no rush to return to that campus (Hokies Forever!! Haha), we were very glad to share in the celebration. And to top it all off, my grandparents (G&G Lieber) were able to be there as well. It had been about a year and a half since I'd seen either of them, and we were all happy to be together, even just for a few days. Here are some photos from Dill's big day.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Kitchen + Dining Nook
This week's photos are of our kitchen and dining nook. Our downstairs area is very open, so someone who is cooking or cleaning up after a meal can still talk to guests, watch tv, and see what's going on. It was fun picking out the countertops, cabinets, flooring, and appliances during the building process, and we are getting more and more used to the flow and organization of our kitchen each day. We've already had a few friends and family members over to eat and relax with us -- hopefully many more in the years to come!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Restaurants Worth Trying in Durham: Part 1
I was trying to think of other things I want to share on this blog now that the house is complete and we won't have AS many major house-related posts in the months to come.
Based on a lovely tea + scone experience this morning, I decided I wanted to share my knowledge of delicious restaurants with others. For those that don't live in the Raleigh/Durham area, you may not find this super relevant, but if you visit and want to try one that I mention along the way, certainly let me know :).
I'm starting with Durham, and I put Part 1 because I know there will be more posts as time goes on. I am always ready to try new tasty places, especially if I don't have to drive there ;).
Today's star was Rue Cler, a french-inspired bakery and cafe downtown. I had Vanilla Grapefruit White Tea (in my own little teapot!) and a fresh chocolate chip scone. Yum. My friend had an egg, cheese, and bacon sandwich that looked amazing (minus the bacon, of course, ha) and apparently Rue Cler is known for their beignets as well. And the atmosphere inside (especially in the cafe/dining room section) was just fancy enough to make my coffee date with a colleague feel special. Would definitely go back.
A few more downtown Durham favorites include Toast, where my favorite thing is their crostini with warm goat cheese, honey, and black pepper. I could eat 20 of them if you let me. Across the street from Toast is Dos Perros, which is an upscale Mexican restaurant. Guacamole and chips particularly tasty. North of Duke is another local gem called Watts Grocery, which is actually not a grocery store at all, but a quaint restaurant and bar. It has a great casual-chic vibe and an ever-changing menu reflecting local and seasonal fare. I take new Duke employees here a lot, so I've noticed.
Another place worth mentioning in the Bull City is Thai Cafe. The same friend I ate with today took me to this place a few months ago, and I have gone back at least 2-3 times since. They have great lunch specials, including my favorite: Noodle Bowl w/Tofu, which comes with a delicious coconut soup (or salad with peanut-ginger dressing, if you prefer), all for less than $8. Awesome. And the best part? Thai Cafe is in the same shopping center as my other new obsession, Local Yogurt. I am very happy they recently opened a new location in Erwin Square, closer to my office and another local fave Nosh. Order the Red Velvet frozen yogurt with Organic Brownies mixed in. Thank me later. Also in the 15-501/University area, The Q Shack is local and very casual (great hush puppies, cobblers, and pulled chicken bbq), and both Foster's Market (french toast & cookies!!) and Guglhupf (scones!!) have amazing bakeries, brunches, and places to relax with friends, family, or a good book.
Venturing more towards Duke's campus, I recommend the chips and queso at Blue Corn Cafe on Ninth Street. They also have some interesting and tasty options, including a Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew. Also on Ninth Street, Elmo's Diner is a legendary local establishment serving breakfast all day (had Sweet Potato Pancakes for lunch the other day with my coworker who had Blueberry). Fun atmosphere but not excellent parking -- get their before or after the brunch and lunch rush! Another good standby near Duke is Mad Hatter's Bakeshop & Cafe. It's a great place to have meetings because there's a parking lot (which you all know I love), it's open and sunny inside, and you can easily enjoy a tasty breakfast, quick lunch, coffee/tea drink, or a tasty cookie or cupcake (for under $2! Yah!). Lots of people sit there all day with their laptops and I have been known to be one of them, but mostly I like to go there with a friend or two. Nathan and I had our 1-year wedding anniversary dinner at Vita, which has a cozy setting and good Italian dishes and service. Last but not least is Pop's, which is off Main Street and has an Apple, Brie, Ricotta, and White Truffle Oil Pizza I could probably eat every day of my life.
In the American Tobacco area, I definitely enjoy the atmosphere and happy hour food specials at Tobacco Road Sports Cafe. The trick is to get there before 5:30pm and take advantage of their $3 appetizer specials. My colleagues and I are planning to capitalize next month on another benefit of Tobacco Road: their awesome patio seating overlooking the Durham Bulls Ballpark. Free baseball games + dinner and drinks with friends after work? Can't wait! Additionally, a super low-key local icon (around since 1942!) one of my former colleagues introduced me to is King's Sandwich Shop. While I'm sure the burgers and hotdogs they're known for are great, the thing I look forward to chowing down on again is their veggie burger! One of the best I've had yet, for sure.
Though there are definitely other places worth mentioning (especially if you polled meat-eating foodies), these are definitely my favorite Durham eateries thus far. If you haven't already tried them, and get the chance to in the future, enjoy...and let me know what you think!
Based on a lovely tea + scone experience this morning, I decided I wanted to share my knowledge of delicious restaurants with others. For those that don't live in the Raleigh/Durham area, you may not find this super relevant, but if you visit and want to try one that I mention along the way, certainly let me know :).
I'm starting with Durham, and I put Part 1 because I know there will be more posts as time goes on. I am always ready to try new tasty places, especially if I don't have to drive there ;).
Today's star was Rue Cler, a french-inspired bakery and cafe downtown. I had Vanilla Grapefruit White Tea (in my own little teapot!) and a fresh chocolate chip scone. Yum. My friend had an egg, cheese, and bacon sandwich that looked amazing (minus the bacon, of course, ha) and apparently Rue Cler is known for their beignets as well. And the atmosphere inside (especially in the cafe/dining room section) was just fancy enough to make my coffee date with a colleague feel special. Would definitely go back.
A few more downtown Durham favorites include Toast, where my favorite thing is their crostini with warm goat cheese, honey, and black pepper. I could eat 20 of them if you let me. Across the street from Toast is Dos Perros, which is an upscale Mexican restaurant. Guacamole and chips particularly tasty. North of Duke is another local gem called Watts Grocery, which is actually not a grocery store at all, but a quaint restaurant and bar. It has a great casual-chic vibe and an ever-changing menu reflecting local and seasonal fare. I take new Duke employees here a lot, so I've noticed.
Another place worth mentioning in the Bull City is Thai Cafe. The same friend I ate with today took me to this place a few months ago, and I have gone back at least 2-3 times since. They have great lunch specials, including my favorite: Noodle Bowl w/Tofu, which comes with a delicious coconut soup (or salad with peanut-ginger dressing, if you prefer), all for less than $8. Awesome. And the best part? Thai Cafe is in the same shopping center as my other new obsession, Local Yogurt. I am very happy they recently opened a new location in Erwin Square, closer to my office and another local fave Nosh. Order the Red Velvet frozen yogurt with Organic Brownies mixed in. Thank me later. Also in the 15-501/University area, The Q Shack is local and very casual (great hush puppies, cobblers, and pulled chicken bbq), and both Foster's Market (french toast & cookies!!) and Guglhupf (scones!!) have amazing bakeries, brunches, and places to relax with friends, family, or a good book.
Venturing more towards Duke's campus, I recommend the chips and queso at Blue Corn Cafe on Ninth Street. They also have some interesting and tasty options, including a Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew. Also on Ninth Street, Elmo's Diner is a legendary local establishment serving breakfast all day (had Sweet Potato Pancakes for lunch the other day with my coworker who had Blueberry). Fun atmosphere but not excellent parking -- get their before or after the brunch and lunch rush! Another good standby near Duke is Mad Hatter's Bakeshop & Cafe. It's a great place to have meetings because there's a parking lot (which you all know I love), it's open and sunny inside, and you can easily enjoy a tasty breakfast, quick lunch, coffee/tea drink, or a tasty cookie or cupcake (for under $2! Yah!). Lots of people sit there all day with their laptops and I have been known to be one of them, but mostly I like to go there with a friend or two. Nathan and I had our 1-year wedding anniversary dinner at Vita, which has a cozy setting and good Italian dishes and service. Last but not least is Pop's, which is off Main Street and has an Apple, Brie, Ricotta, and White Truffle Oil Pizza I could probably eat every day of my life.
In the American Tobacco area, I definitely enjoy the atmosphere and happy hour food specials at Tobacco Road Sports Cafe. The trick is to get there before 5:30pm and take advantage of their $3 appetizer specials. My colleagues and I are planning to capitalize next month on another benefit of Tobacco Road: their awesome patio seating overlooking the Durham Bulls Ballpark. Free baseball games + dinner and drinks with friends after work? Can't wait! Additionally, a super low-key local icon (around since 1942!) one of my former colleagues introduced me to is King's Sandwich Shop. While I'm sure the burgers and hotdogs they're known for are great, the thing I look forward to chowing down on again is their veggie burger! One of the best I've had yet, for sure.
Though there are definitely other places worth mentioning (especially if you polled meat-eating foodies), these are definitely my favorite Durham eateries thus far. If you haven't already tried them, and get the chance to in the future, enjoy...and let me know what you think!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
More fun with fruit
As a follow-up to the roasted peaches and plums I made for Valentine's Day dessert, I enjoyed another tasty roasted fruit dessert last night. A few days ago, I stumbled upon Barefoot Contessa making some sort of meringue cookie dessert thing with roasted berries. I didn't need the former but was very excited to pair the latter with some vanilla frozen yogurt as a dessert for when my friends visited the new house for the first time.
I didn't have a vanilla bean and I didn't buy AS much fruit as Ina does in the recipe, but it was still delicious. Best warmed up, for sure! Enjoy.
Roasted Berries (Makes 6-8 servings)
Place the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries on a sheet pan and toss with the sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.
I didn't have a vanilla bean and I didn't buy AS much fruit as Ina does in the recipe, but it was still delicious. Best warmed up, for sure! Enjoy.
Roasted Berries (Makes 6-8 servings)
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
- 2 half-pints fresh raspberries
- 2 half-pints fresh blueberries
- 2 half-pints fresh blackberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Vanilla bean, split and seeds removed (again, we didn't use this part since I didn't have one!)
Place the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries on a sheet pan and toss with the sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.
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