30 Days of Turning 30 Recap

It's not easy celebrating a birthday for a whole month.  I think it falls under the category of "too much of a good thing."  I do, however, think it was good for me and Tommie to push ourselves to get out more, keep track of local events, try new things, and to be more conscious of how we spend our days--before we're so old we can't remember anymore.

It's no surprise that a lot of what we do involves eating.  At least half of our 30 posts included some kind of food.  It's also promising to see that the majority of things we did cost little to no money--even some of the events we attended were free.  There are a lot of cool free things to do around Durham if you look.  Our most expensive days were spent at big events like a concert and the state fair.  

I'm sad October is over, but we can't force ourselves to have fun forever--it's tiring.  This was good practice for the upcoming months when we have a couple weeks around the holidays to do fun things with guests, and now we know a little bit more about the place we live.

30/30: Finishing with Food Trucks

October 30th

We'll finish the month off the way it began--with food.  Always with food.

Carrboro had a mini food truck rodeo tonight so we stopped by and grabbed a pork butt with asian style slaw sandwich from The American Meltdown and an NC cornbread chill bowl from Foster's on the Fly.

It was a nice warm night (around 70 degrees) and we ate in the square.  

Sadly, our birthday month is coming to an end, but I know we will continue to eat well and celebrate the rest of the year.

30/30: Floats Between Failures

October 29th

We couldn't decide what to do last night after dinner.  We tried finding a highly-rated Mexican frozen treat shop but failed, so we landed at The Parlour with a root beer float made with malted cinnamon ice cream.  They do make really good, creamy and flavorful handmade ice cream here. 

After that, we tried to get fries at a local hamburger joint but it was just closing so we failed at that too.  We must be running out of steam.

30/30: Ice Cream Sunsets

October 28th

Today was a miserable day to be 30--new and unwanted medical experiences, doctors with needles, a lot of pain, and many tears (on my end) reminded me that getting older really sucks.

For being so brave (sadly, that was me being brave) I later needed to treat myself to a pumpkin and carmel apple ice cream sundae from Maple View Farm.

Afterwards, we opened the hatchback of our Subaru and watched the sunset over the open fields in Hillsborough.  Getting older sucks, but ice cream and calming sunsets are some of the little things that attempt to make it slightly more tolerable.

30/30: Seafood Sunday

October 27th

I grew up on the coast, and if you ask me, there's no such thing as too much seafood.  It was our first time broiling bacon wrapped scallops, which we enjoyed for lunch.

Then later, our friends cooked us a delicious birthday dinner of baked brie with apple butter, barbecue shrimp, and apple crisp.  

I think we hit all of Tommie's favorite food groups today: bacon, cheese, and seafood.

30/30: Day at the State Fair

October 26th

  

Tommie's favorite part of the North Carolina State Fair was probably the quiet garden.  He's really not a "fair" kind of guy.  I couldn't convince him to come on The Swinger with me, so I had to go on it alone.  The last time I was on one of these I was probably a pre-teen--sometimes it's still fun to fly around.

But we did look at the cute goats and bunnies, the honey bees, and giant pumpkins, and played a game of skee-ball together.

We didn't go overboard with fatty fair food because we had to stop at Bosphorus on the way for more Lachmacun, but we did get some hot apple cider, and tried fried Oreos (to which Tommie responded madly, "Couldn't they at least be double-stuffed!").  He's a sucker for cotton candy though which might be one of the only reasons he attends these things. 

30/30: Pie in the Sky

October 24th

A craving for key lime pie got us in the mood for baking last night.  We've made easy key lime pie before (using our blender) but the twist tonight was also making the graham cracker crust (we usually just buy it pre-made).

The crust is just graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter chilled for an hour.

Here's the recipe for easy key lime pie:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Whip two large eggs in blender (we have a whipping attachment) until light and frothy.

- Add one 14-ounce can of condensed milk.

- Add 1/2 cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice.

- Blend to incorporate and pour into pie crust.

- Bake for about 12 minutes, then chill for a couple hours before serving.

30/30: Taste Test

October 23rd

Geer St. Garden gets mixed reviews among our friends but it's a popular spot in Durham so we thought it was high time we check it out for ourselves.

Tommie ordered a burger and fries and I went with the grilled fish tacos.  We both think the tacos (which come with three--a couple small fillets in each) is a good deal and it was tasty.  Everything is priced moderately--a little on the high side with $5 sides, so I can see where some people would shy away in favor of another spot.  Still, the food is well-prepared and the atmosphere is casual/contemporary.  We sat outside on the patio that has pretty string lights and picnic tables.  With the weather cooling down it may be one of the last nights we can dine al fresco.

30/30: Good Food Makes 30 Easier to Swallow

October 17th 

(Amber's Birthday)

A couple minutes from our house, in between intersecting roads, there is a small "island" of delicious food.  Nana Taco is one of those places--we end up there a lot, but NT's mother restaurant, Nana's, is a fancier restaurant across the street.  We hadn't gone there yet because we didn't have a good excuse, but turning 30 seemed like a good one.

The entrees in particular were very good.  Nana's has seasonal menus to keep things fresh and local (it changes monthly).  Our night involved smoked salmon, shrimp risotto, maple leaf duck, maine halibut, and poached pear crisp.

I might officially be 30, but I still have the rest of the month to let it settle in.

30/30: Butter

October 14th

It's actually really hard to think of different things to do every day for a month--especially on weekdays.  This is how one ends up having a butter-themed night.

It all started when Tommie decided we should cook something we've never cooked before so he simmered some chicken thigh meat in Indian butter sauce and I made rice with butter and fresh ground turmeric.  

Then I remembered that one of my co-workers recently told me I should watch the movie Butter about an older foster child and the couple who adopts her.  I was looking for a good time to watch it, so I ran with the butter theme.  The movie was okay--a little too much over-acting, but the girl's story was cute.

So, this is how we ended up watching Butter, eating butter chicken with butter rice followed by ice cream with peanut butter sauce and calling it a night.

30/30: Past, Present, Future

October 12th

We did a few 30 for 30 activities today.  First, we checked out the opening of Durham's History Hub.  It makes great use of a central spot downtown and showcases Durham's past in a contemporary way.

Next, we made a stop in Cary to get some authentic Turkish food at Bosphorus Restaurant.  Sometimes we really miss the food we enjoyed on our honeymoon in Turkey, so when we read the positive reviews for Bosphorus, which is about 25 minutes away, we couldn't wait to try it...especially Tommie--he has a serious love affair with Lahmacun (a kind of pizza with ground beef and spices/herbs on it).  

Here he is enjoying it in Turkey...

And here in North Carolina; reunited at last...

I had chicken pide which is a kind of pizza made with authentic Turkish pide--the kind of bread we loved to eat during Ramadan in Istanbul.  It was delicious.

We ended the evening in my weird world of writing by listening to a panel discussion about memoir writing at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.  I love memoirs and would like to write one someday so I find it interesting/fun to listen to different writers' stories and how they came to publish them.  Tommie is good sport to go with me though I'm pretty sure he'd rather be stuffing his face with another Lahmacun.

30/30: Hidden Oasis

October 11th

After forcing Tommie to do some evening errands with me, we went to Straw Valley Cafe for chai lattes.  They also have a beer & wine barn so there's something for everyone here.

People have been telling us about this funky little spot sandwiched between the 15/501 and a bunch of strip malls, but it's hard to believe it until you see it with your own eyes.

This zen-like compound is complete with cozy rooms, bamboo bordered grounds, and all kinds of cool indoor/outdoor nooks to sit in.  It doesn't feel like it belongs where it is; probably because it was built in the 1950's as a residence before all the roads and stores were built up around it.  It's tucked quietly behind all the chaos so that you feel like you're somewhere completely removed from it all.

We sipped chai on the open patio, listened to a good soundtrack of music, and decided that we'll definitely be coming back.

30/30: Dessert Before Dinner

October 8th 

We stopped by Hummingbird Bakery for a little dessert before dinner, which I'd probably do every night if I wasn't such a responsible adult.

We split a lemon drop and pumpkin cupcake.  I love anything lemon and everyone loves anything pumpkin this time of year.  The cake and frosting on the pumpkin was delish.  I should have gotten another one for dessert after dinner.

30/30: Party Planning

October 4th 

We're officially throwing ourselves a 30th Milestone Birthday Masquerade.  For some reason, I've always wanted to have a masquerade ball and I feel like I'm getting a little old for it--this could be my last shot.  I envisioned having it in a dark hall with spiral stairs and balconies, but since we bought a house and spent all our money on that, we're having it in our living room.   

Today, I printed the invites which I created using this super easy (and free!) template from Greetings Island.  

Tonight we took advantage of this warm October weather (mid-80's which still takes some getting used to when you're from the north), and ate Chipotle on the deck with Maya.

30 Days of Turning 30 Kick Off

October is my birthday month and this month I'm turning 30.  It's impossible, but apparently true.

My late twenties were not easy on me, so in a way, that's the silver lining--I'm not dreading the milestone of entering a new era.  Still, I feel like I should be doing something to commemorate the moment.

I wish I came up with the idea sooner, but last night (September 30th) at 11 p.m.  I decided my husband and I (he is turing 30 this month too) should challenge ourselves to "30 Days of Turning 30."  I don't know exactly what this means, but it currently means thinking of something fun and creative to do each day of our birthday month.  Some days it can be as simple as taking a good walk or cooking a good meal, other days it should be more elaborate.  If my sister were here, she'd call it her "30-Day Shit Show."  We're a little more sophisticated (and lame) than that.

October 1st

Seafood sales at Harris Teeter prompted us to cook a fish dinner with a "side" of baked lobster tails.  Fish is a rarity of us nowadays because it's hard to get wild caught, fresh(ish), affordable fish in the middle of the state.  

Lobster is always a good way to kick off a birthday month.

Weekend in Wilmington

Last weekend, we went on a short getaway trip to Wilmington along the coast of NC.  I missed the ocean, and seafood, and I even missed my husband who spent the past month married to a grant deadline and not me.

Of course it rained most of the time we were there and we ended up watching far too many Retro Real World episodes.  Luckily, the place we rented was a cozy and comfortable place to hole up while it stormed.  Maya tested the bedding first to be sure it met standards.

During a random clearing of sunshine, we zipped over to Wrightsville Beach and took a stroll along the water, took deep gulps of salty air, and snapped pictures of surfer bums.  Well, I did that part on my own while Tommie looked on disapprovingly.

The rest of trip was filled with seafood delights of lobster, tuna, salmon, and calamari from Catch and Circa 1922. We also tried a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant Indochine, which we highly recommend.

Sometimes getting away is the only way to really leave work and home behind.  We have to do it more often.

Health and Balance

I've been going through some weird health issues lately and the whole thing has thrown me off.  For a libra who seeks a balanced life and who is afraid of doctors, it's a bad combination.  I can't control everything (though I try my hardest) so I'm taking the steps I can to try to get back on track.  I've resolved to eat better, get back to the gym regularly, and work on my attitude.  That last piece is the hardest for a professional complainer such as myself. 

Trying out healthy recipes has been one of the fun parts. Once again, I have turned to Pinterest for inspiration, making a real effort to bring some of those pretty pictures to life.  I started making smoothies in the morning which is super easy and a great way to get in multiple servings of fruit.  This one is mango, peach, and pineapple with yogurt, milk, and oats.  

I also have a new favorite vegetarian sandwich recipe found here.  It's a spinach and artichoke grilled cheese.  I don't even like grilled cheese, but this one is gourmet-style.

I'm hoping that with the right food, routine, and attitude, things will balance out again.

Culinary Experiments on Guests

It was above 70 degrees in Durham this past weekend--gotta love those southern warm spurts in January. We had a friend and her boyfriend over for her belated birthday lunch/dessert and ate outside on our deck.

Tommie made Cap'n Crunch seared tuna--a recipe from Sam The Cooking Guy who has a local San Diego cooking show Tommie used to watch and misses dearly.  

People say not to try out new dishes on guests the first time you make them, but we always do.  What can I say?  We aren't afraid to ruin a friendship or two with food poisoning apparently.  Luckily, it hasn't come down to that...yet.

I'm not sure if I was more excited about the tuna or the Cap'n Crunch--my favorite sugary cereal as a kid, though I rarely got it (Mom.)  

While Tommie took care of lunch, I handled dessert.  I attempted to make one of these beauties, which I originally saw in a Martha Stewart bridal magazine.

Found here.

For the mold I used a bundt pan that I found at the dump where my parents live in Maine.  While some people get out the fine china for their guests, I get out things I found in a trash pile.  Nothing but the best for my friends!  (I do promise it was washed throughly.)

The finished product looked a little more like flan since the edges melted when I ran it under water to loosen it, but luckily sorbet still tastes like sorbet no matter what form it's in.  Maybe next time I can get it to look more like Martha's.