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Let them Eat Cake - Carrot Cake Lady

What's sweet and full of treats? Your Easter weekend, of course!

While you're waiting for the Easter bunny you may want to check out a homemade carrot cake from a local 'Carrot Cake Lady'.  Anyone with a sweet tooth will tell you that these homemade carrot cakes are some of the best you'll ever try.  Baked from scratch, cake and frosting are mixed in perfect

Twenty-five years ago Terryl, the 'Carrot Cake Lady ' started baking Carrot Cakes from scratch for the holidays for her family.  Every holiday she was asked to make her famous carrot cake.  Grating carrots were labor intense but she'd get help from her mom when in a pinch for time. Thus Carrot Cake Lady was established after great support and encouragement from her friends and family and the Triangle is lucky to have her!

Now that Terryl bakes her famous cakes for The Farmers Market and the three Triangle Meat House stores, shredding carrots is well under control.  But her famous mouth watering two layer Mini Carrot Cakes are still made from scratch and are perfectly spiced and baked with fresh, finely grated carrots along with a smooth cream cheese icing (with or without pecans).  Guaranteed to make everyone say... Yum it's so good!  Not only does this moist cake look and taste incredible, it also makes a great centerpiece for any dessert table.

So hop to it like jackrabbits to the NC State Farmers Market or to The Meat House and pick up a fresh Carrot Cake Lady homemade Carrot Cake for your Easter treat.

Locations: NC State Farmers Market, 8:00 - 4:00 Saturdays,

The Meat House - 3 Locations:1225 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary 27511,

5045 Falls of Neuse Rd. Raleigh 27609,

1508 East Franklin St. Chapel Hill 27514

Carrot Cake Lady Website.    

If These Walls Could Talk - The Best of NC Artists at Gallery C,

March 25th 

Every March, Gallery C is proud to host an annual exhibit of historically important fine art from the 19th and 20th centuries.  The artists were either natives of North Carolina or lived in North Carolina

Claude Howell (1915-1997) Seafood, Seafood, 1980 oil on canvass

The much anticipated exhibition The Best of North Carolina will open at Gallery C March 25th. Gallery owner and art historian, Charlene Newsom employs her extensive knowledge of North Carolina art to curate an annual collection of 20th century masterpieces by important North Carolina artists.

The biggest names in North Carolina art are included in this year's show.  Museum quality paintings by

Elliott Daingerfield (1859-1932), Springtime 1927 oil on canvass

A complete list of the artists follows: George Aid, Ben Berns, George Bireline, Sarah Blakeslee, Robert Broderson, Eliot Clark, Tucker Cooke, Joe Cox, Elliott Daingerfield, William Frerichs, Cecelia Hill, Claude Howell, Mary Anne K. Jenkins, Clare Leighton, Henry Jay MacMillan, James Augustus McLean, Philip Moose, Louis Orr, Henry Pearson, Hobson Pittman, Sally Bowen Prange, Mabel Pugh, Francis Speight, John White, Bayard Wootten.

There will be two opening receptions for this exhibit. The first is on Sunday, March 25th from 1-4:00pm.  Then they will be open for the Downtown Raleigh Art Gallery Walk on Friday, April 6th from 6-9:00pm.

Gallery C is located in the historic Russ-Edwards House, and there is plenty of free parking.  

540 North Blount Street, Raleigh, 27604. Phone: (919) 828-3165

Open: Sunday - 1:00p.m. - 5:00pm, Tuesday - Saturday 12:00pm - 6:00pm. Monday - Closed.  Website.  

To Bee or Not to Bee     

Seeking The Proper Pour - Upcoming Triangle Beer Festivals

Bartenders ... Pay Attention:  With the explosion of local craft beers, your customers are demanding taste perfection.  Nothing does a beer more disservice than a bad pour ... you know, the Over/Under-Pours, the Stadium Pours (no foam), the Yeasty-Pour (sediment), and the Under-Carb (flat).  A healthy half-inch thick foam head generally makes for a perfect and appealing pint.  So gather your stemware and practice your 45� to 90� pitches, as the Triangle crowds will be flocking to two great beer festivals in April and May.

Brewgaloo 2012 - April 28, 3-9PM in Raleigh City Plaza

Shop Local Raleigh presents Brewgaloo 2012, the first super cool festival of its kind.  It features craft breweries from the Triangle (Aviator, Natty Greene's, Boylan Brew, Carolina Brewing and more!) plus local food trucks (Klausie's Pizza, Chirba Chirba, more).  Entertainment will be provided for guests by live local bands.  This event supports Shop Local Raleigh and its mission to sustain programs that strengthen our local businesses.

No Cover Charge:  General admission is free and includes a pint glass (special unbreakable acrylic souvenir glasses will be available while supplies last - Valid ID only). Guests can purchase $1 drink tickets to use for 3oz samplers (1 ticket), or full pints (5 tickets). Drink ticket pre-sales started on February 20 and continue through March 20 where you can purchase 25 tickets for $20.  Click Here to Purchase.  So come to City Plaza on April 28 to see what the Brewgaloo is all about!

NC Beer & Band Festival - May 12, 3-8PM, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh

The N.C. Brewers Guild calls North Carolina "the craft beer state of the South," and this daylong event at Lincoln Theatre is designed to prove it.  Enjoy unlimited samples of North Carolina's best beers while listening to seven NC bands (Hobex, Yo mama's Big Fat Booty Band, Clay Pigeons, more) on two stages.  This is a fundraiser for the NC Brewers Guild.  Later that evening, Lincoln Theatre is hosting a special show starring Unknown Hinson with Hank Sinatra.

A ticket includes admission, glass, program and samples (Natty Greene's, Carolina Brewing Company, Mother Earth, Foothills, LoneRider, Triangle Brewing, Craggie, Roth, Carolina Brewery, Duck-Rabbit, Mash House, plus more TBA).  Lincoln Theatre is selling advance tickets for $30 for the NC Beer & Band Festival + Unknown Hinson.  Click Here

Save the dates for Bookmarked! 2012 - Staff, board members, volunteers, and friends of the Lucy Daniels Center are developing an exciting calendar of events for Bookmarked! 2012, a ten-day festival for young children and their families that celebrates the special joys of reading with children. The festivities are scheduled for April 27 - May 6, 2012. Website.   

Classes by Marlowe K Earl: Draw Like a Kid Again...Fearless and Fun! Each session last 6 weeks, $270 per session.  Materials included in all classes. Each 90 minute class is individualized to meet your needs. Family Special: Come and draw with your kid and get a 20% Family Discount. Two Student Minimum for all classes. Custom Class Times available for all classes. NC Public School Certified K-12 Art Teacher. Call Marlowe K Earl at 919-397-8023, or Email Mordecai Neighborhood.  Twenty plus years public and private school experience, successful students are her specialty! 

Meet the BeeHive Girls! The Behive Girls stationery and gift line is a fun colorful way to celebrate the power of girlfriends! These girls each have a special personality, with a humorous and positive message to share with all the amazing women in your life. 

Kenna Custom Painting, Inc.  is available to tackle your residential painting needs.  With their great crews that perform very professional jobs on residential homes, you won't believe how quiet and unobtrusive they are.  So if you have that "itch" to freshen up your home, interior or exterior before springtime, contact them now.  Call 919-855-0082 or Email: kennapaint@bellsouth.net.  Website. 

Join My Blog Simply-Refined:  I am an Interior Designer that can inspire and help you with your designs and decorating needs.  Call  Zaytoun Interiors if you're finally ready to decorate or re-decorate your home or office.  What's your style?  If you're not sure, I can help you tap into your inner self and find what makes you want to come home.  Website, Email, Phone: 305-793-8510. 

Price Reduced $599,000: 2748 St. Mary's St. Raleigh, 27609. Ideal Location! Walk to great schools, greenway and North Hills! Renovated in 1995. New paint/ refinished floors. DR w/FP, LR/Sunroom & large FR. Large White Kitchen w/granite & subway tile backsplash. 5 bedrooms. Private quaint backyard -wooden play equip, greenhouse, climbing trees, Covered Carport, & 1car garage, 2 decks, fully landscaped.  Contact: Jill Rekuc, Olde Raleigh Real Estate at 919-389-0555.  Website. 

Mia Francesca Trattoria, which opened its doors in North Hills this past October, is introducing 'Eat and Earn', a unique program established to support local non-profit organizations. Through this initiative, participating non-profits looking to raise funds can organize pre-set nights for their respective groups to dine at the restaurant, and Mia Francesca will, in turn, donate 15 percent of the dinner bill to the organization.  For more info call 919-278-1525. Website.

Did You Know?  For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 stays in the local economy compared to only $43 if spent at a national chain. Please support our local business!  This is what The Beltline Buzz is all about.   

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