goodbye sweet tea, goodbye n.c.

dear raleigh-north carolina,

the geek and i have decided to move. we're heading to the pacific northwest. this decision has been years in the making and while we're excited to start this new adventure, i wanted to properly thank you and tell you goodbye.

during my time here, i've learned many things...

• southern hospitality is a real thing
• nc was 'first in flight' and raleigh is the 'city of oaks'
• always buy milk and bread in anticipation of weather events (snow storms, ice storms, hurricanes). 
• the inner and outer beltlines make sense once you learn the exits (otherwise the North/South signs just seem to mock you).
• 'bless your heart' is not as sweet as it sounds.
• the brilliance of pulled pork and brunswick stew

moving back west means that i will have to unlearn a few things...

• driving towards the coast means i'm now going west.
• hellmans=best foods, edys=dreyers, mccormicks=schillings.
• i no longer need to specify 'unsweet tea' when i order; that's usually the only option. 
• bbq sauce is not vinegar based.
• nfl games start at 10am on sundays.

it also means i will have to say goodbye to a few things. goodbye goodberry's, bojangles, eastern and western north carolina bbq, harris teeter, canes hockey, dalat, chick fil-a, the state farmers market and the north carolina museums of art, natural science, and history. rdu terminal 2- although we just met, i will miss you very, very much.

thank you for being my home for many years. you were the backdrop to many events in my life and i will remember you with (mostly) fond memories.

love,
k.

p.s. please tell chapel hill that i will miss a southern season. i'm afraid i won't be able to find a substitution in my new hometown.

p.p.s. i'm including photos of you and some other north carolina locations. we used these as table numbers at our wedding reception so that we could bring a little nc to our guests.

chicken, artichoke and corn soup with puff pastry "croutons"

it's so freaking cold outside that lately, all i want to eat is soup. nice, warm, comforting soup. while perusing soup recipes on food network, i came across a recipe for cream of chicken soup. many of the reviewers thought it tasted like chicken pot pie, which sounded fantastic to me. (although, to be honest, i never thought to myself, "gee, i wish i could drink this chicken pot pie!")

to add a twist to it, i also included corn and artichoke. years ago, i had a chicken, artichoke, corn chowder which was just delicious. the geek declared this soup tasty (although he did leave a couple artichokes in his bowl). he also declared undying love for the puff pastry "croutons".

chocolate zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

i first met chocolate zucchini cake in college. on my way to my campus job, i'd often stop at a sundry shop to pick up a coffee or grab a soda. while standing in line one day, i picked up the moistest chocolate cake i'd ever seen. it wasn't until it was half-way devoured that i read the label...chocolate zucchini cake. zucchini? i had to read the ingredients to be sure that the zucchini in the name was really the vegetable and not some fancy baking technique. indeed it was! who knew?

not only was the cake moist and delicious, it had a vegetable in it! for a college student with questionable cooking skills and eating habits (24 hour pizza delivery did not help), this qualified as 'eating healthy.'

after college, i got a 'real' job and no longer frequented the university campus. i soon forgot all about chocolate zucchini cake....until last week. i saw it listed on a menu and decided to figure out how to make it at home.