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| The food spread- yummy! |
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| Some of the fab Charlotte gift givers who attended Flip Your Gift |
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| The Swap Room Check Out area |
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| Some goodies from The Boulevard Pop Up Shop |
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| Some goodies from the J.T. Posh Pop Up Shop |
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| The J.T. Posh and The Boulevard South End Owners/Staff |
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| Hey Sugar Shop cookies, some were shaped like "honee" bees! Truffles not shown but were delicious! |
The New Year brings about new goals andmore often than not, exercising is top of the list. Epic treadmills includescutting edge features to keep (or get) you on track. Some features includeiFit, an interactive Wi-Fi enabled platform that allows you to choose your runroute via Google maps and an Android browser that allows you to check email (orYouTube) as you run to your heart’s content. In addition to the reward ofgetting fit with Epic products, the company offers another incentive--you canreceive Epic Rewards every time you step on the treadmill. Basically the more you run, the more rewards (i.e. trainer tips, free equipment tune-ups) you receive. Nice motivation to put one foot in front of the other, wouldn’t you say? picture source: Dick's Sporting Goods
Begin the year in bliss at this beautifulspa that offers massage, facial and waxing services seven days a week. Hand andStone Massage and Facial Spa in SouthPark includes an expanded
Calling all men to shop Guys Night Out at The Boulevard at SouthEnd. Yes, I know shopping may not be high on the list of things to do BUT making it out tomorrow will help you get on top of your significant other's list (get your mind out of the gutter) AND you can drink beer while doing so! Here are the highlights for tomorrow's event:
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| Big Kiss Card from Bobs Your Uncle |
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| The One from Paper Polite |
Like most of us these days, I'm trying to stay on track on my resolution promises: Eat more whole grains, keep it healthy and save a little money while I'm at it.
Packing lunch most workdays helps with the money part. It's tough finding something uptown that's under $10 by the time you add in beverage and tip. And since so much of what's available around my office is fried or cheesed, packing is healthier too.
Wild rice takes longer to cook than white rice. (Yes, I know - wild rice isn't actually a rice, it's a wild grain.) But once it's cooked, you can add a few things to it and get a tasty lunch with lots of flavor and texture. It's good cold, so it's easy to pack it along, and you can round it out with a piece of fruit or something meat-like if you must.
For this recipe, you don't want the wild rice and long grain mixes you find in many supermarkets. You want real wild rice. You can usually find it at Trader Joe's, or look in the bulk bins at health-focused supermarkets. This makes about 3 servings, enough to take for a couple of lunches. Or you can double it for 6 servings.
Nutty Wild Rice Salad
Adapted from "The Silver Palate Cookbook," by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rus
1/2 cup raw wild rice, rinsed
4 cups chicken stock (or half stock and half water)
1/2 cup shelled pecan halves, or chopped pecans
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 to 3 green onions, diced (white and some of the green part)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
PLACE the wild rice in a mediium saucepan with the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking about 15 minutes, until the grains taste tender and the liquid is mostly gone. (Add more stock or water if it starts to cook dry.)
ADD the remaining ingredients and toss to mix well. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
YIELD: 3 to 4 servings.
No, it isn't quite a Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend year yet. The next festival doesn't happen until April 23-26, 2014. But it takes a lot of work to pull it together, which is why they hold the official kickoff a year in advance.
So: Tickets go on sale Feb. 7 for the April 20 kickoff for the April 2014 festival. Got that?
The kickoff party is from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at Founders Hall, 100 N. Tryon St., with the theme "Motown @ Uptown." There's food from Aria Tuscan Grill, wine (a lot of wine), live and silent auction items and dancing. $250 includes a VIP dinner beforehand at Aria, $125 gets you the party and free parking. And there's a new ticket level, called Young Aficionados, that's $75 for ages 21-35 for just the party.
Four charities are beneficiaries of the 2013-14 "season of fundraising" events: A Child's Place Homeless Student Initiatives, Council for Children's Rights Services for Abused and Neglected Children, Pat's Place Family Advocacy Program, and Second Harvest's Backpack Project for kids.
Tickets will be available starting Feb. 7 at www.charlotteinweandfood.org.
