All "Dressed Up" and Everywhere to Go......

Here is a picture of our new family member. It's been a long time coming, something we've talked about for a very long time and something Blaise has dreamed about his entire life. We have taken a hit like everyone else due to the downturn of the economy, and we decided in this instance, to make it work for us by moving up our decision to buy a bigger, safer bike by about 4 years. Like everyone else, Harley Davidson has felt a pinch this year and offered us a pretty good deal on an Ultra Classic. It's big, it's loud, its gorgeous and it's safer than our other bike which we no longer own.

Sabrina was away for the entire day over the weekend so we decided to take a ride over to Topsail Island Beach on the Carolina Coast. That is one beach we have not been to so I was excited to check it out. Neither one of us were disappointed.

After only a 2.5 hour ride on uncongested country roads from Raleigh, we found ourselves (on a Saturday) parking right at the base of the stairway to the boardwalk to the beach. The beach was all but deserted and was cool, clean and quiet. Dogs are permitted so we did have to share the beach and the ocean with a few four legged creatures - who were all too happy to be there.

We still marvel over the beauty and ease of the beaches here in North Carolina. Living in South Florida for so many years, we became "jaded" beach goers. Florida beaches had way too many people (it was hard sometimes to even find a spot to lay down), no frisbee, no beach balls, no dogs allowed, no parking, junk in the water, wall to wall traffic to get to the beach (a 10 minute ride would take sometimes close to 45 minutes because of traffic). We love spending time on the Carolina Coast and still giggle every time we get a parking space right at the entrance and there are no other cars. It's our private beach.

We love living in Raleigh for this reason. We are about 2 hours away (at the closest point) from the beach so we don't get all that tourist traffic, pollution and congestion - but we are close enough we can leave around 9 or 10 am, spend an entire day at the beach and still get home way before dark - not too exhausted.

Sabrina is going to Washington DC in a month or so and we were just talking today about packing up the Harley -- no corgis this time (sorry guys) and heading over to the Smokeys for some cool mountain air.

Are you jealous yet? Give us a call and let's talk about how we can help you make your dreams of living, working and playing (at the beach and in the mountains!) a reality.

Have a great week.

School Starts in One Week...

With only one more week left until the 2009-2010 school year begins, Blaise and I decided to take advantage of a "childless" weekend (Sabrina went to Carrowinds Amusement Park for the day Saturday) and take a Harley Ride over to Topsail Island, NC.

I took lots of pictures and will be sharing them here, next week. THAT's what we love about living in North Carolina. This weekend we drove only 2.5 hours to escape the nearly 100 degree temperatures to cool off in the crystal blue Atlantic Ocean at one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. On the flipside, in a few weeks, we'll be heading over to the Carolina Mountains for some cool mountain air and wildlife watching. It doesn't get any better than this and we LOVE LIVING IN NORTH CAROLINA.

In the meantime, while I'm organizing my pictures and information on Topsail Island, below is a recipe I wanted to share. NO, it's not a Southern recipe - which is what I typically put up on our blog - but this one is one of my favorites and definitely worth sharing.

WOW Your Family & Friends with Ravioli or Pasta with VODKA SAUCE

During a recent trip to New York City, I tried a dish which I've seen on menues millions of times but never ordered - Ravioli with Pink Vodka Sauce. Let me tell you, it was one of the most beautifully presented and delicious meals I've ever eaten.

Immediately upon arriving home, I put a pot of sauce on to cook all day and decided to look up a vodka sauce recipe. How EASY and how DELICIOUS! And while this is certainly NOT a Southern Recipe (which is what I typically share, ) this is so good, I want you to try it.

NOTE: I make the sauce and pour it over fresh ravioli (either cheese or veal ravioli). You can certainly use a good quality frozen ravioli, or pasta such as penne, rigatoni, bowties, etc.

VODKA SAUCE

1/4 lb. diced pancetta (Italian bacon) (if desired. this ingredient is NOT mandatory)

1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. vodka

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 c. tomato sauce

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. When the butter foams, add the diced pancetta. When the pancetta browns slightly (takes 2 to 3 minutes), add the vodka and stir.

After the alcohol burns off (about 3 minutes),

SLOWLY stir in the tomato sauce and cream.

Stir continuously for 5 - 8 minutes.

If you want to serve it over ravioli, place the cooked ravioli on plates and nicely drizzle the sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh, grated parmesan cheese and italian parsley.

If you would like to serve pasta such as penne or rigatoni or even shells, then throw the cooked (al dente!) pasta into the frying pan WITH THE SAUCE and toss. Then place on plates, grate fresh Parmesan over the top and garnish with Italian parsley.

Another idea for this sauce that I've tried is adding a cup or so of chopped tomatoes at the very beginning when you are heating up the butter and pancetta, throw some diced tomatoes in at that point. That gives the sauce a real "al fresca" taste.

HOW EASY IS THAT? And oooooh so impressive. It really is delicious. If you don't make your own sauce and want to use jarred sauce, you can do that to. Just follow the recipe using jarred sauce. I do recommend that you use a fine quality jarred sauce that has less sugar.

Drop me an e-mail or leave a comment if you've tried this and let me know what you think.

Now Mange!! Mange!!!

Mange: (from Middle English manjeue, from Old French manjue, from mangier, meaning to eat)

Summer's in Full Swing.....

It finally got hot this past week in North Carolina. We were just talking about how nice the weather has been - warm breezy afternoons and comfortable evenings - and it got HOT. I shouldn't complain -- after all, it IS July, and before you know it -- it will be September and the weather will be cooler again.

We just returned from a great trip from the Northeast where the temperatures were unusually cool we were told - due to all the clouds and rain. Needless to say we didn't mind the cooler temperatures at all as it made for some great motorcycling and sightseeing weather.

We trailed the bike behind our vehicle as we brought Sabrina with us. We stopped in Pennsylvania to see Blaise's sister and her family and Sabrina stayed with them after we took her to NYC. Blaise and I then took the motorcycle up through PA, DE, NJ, NY and VT. As you may know, the weather on the east coast has been horrendous - with daily downpours lasting for weeks. We did get two full days of rain - but doning our rain gear, we refused to let the bad weather stop our journey. Here are a few quick shots of our trip:

Roadside in Vermont...

Blaise & Cathie in Times Square....

Row Houses in Greenwich Village....

Way too many taxis in NYC....

MOMA - Museum of Modern Art....

The view from Broadway....

Undercover in Upstate New York....

Isn't she pretty???

MOMA - Museum of Modern Art exhibit....

We didn't do as much picture taking as we usually do - due to the rain. I keep the camera on my lap on the back of the Harley and typicall snap hundreds of pictures during a roadtrip, but because it was raining so hard - I didn't do that.

We're back home safe and sound and ready to resume the busiest time of year for our company. and our clients. People are shuffling about the country in a desperate attempt to get packed up, moved and settled in to North Carolina before school starts.

Give us a call and let us help you with a smooth and seamless relocation. It's what we do - and we're really good at it! And don't forget to visit our Carolina Pines Website where you can search for homes without passwords, check out employment, the schools, neighborhoods, culture and recreation.

Whatever you're up to this week - have a great one!

Summer's Here in Beautiful North Carolina....

Summer is in full swing here in North Carolina. The kids have been out of school for over a week and vacation plans are in the works. THIS is the time of year we really appreciate our decision to move to beautiful North Carolina.

The Recca family tends to make the most of summer. With the mountains about 2 1’2 hours to our West and the beach less than 2 hours to our East we can wake up on a Friday morning and ponder our weekend adventure, make a decision, have breakfast, pack up the car and be there before noon.

This year we plan on making at least a few trips over to the beach – probably the Outer Banks and Topsail. We also plan on going over to the mountains next month to check out some possible locations for a vacation home. Cathie is in love with the Carolina mountains, particularly close to the Tennessee border. We can drive over there in less than three hours and enjoy cool mountain temperatures in the dead heat of summer.

What are your plans for Summer 2009?

You’ve been thinking about making a move to North Carolina – so why not plan a trip and come pay us a visit? Let us show you just how much home your money can buy for you in the Raleigh area. You will be absolutely amazed.

With motivated sellers, low interest rates, and incredible buyer’s incentives, there has never been a better time to buy a home in North Carolina.

Give Blaise or I a call. We'd love to help you plan a trip to Raleigh so you can check it out. We can get you inside to see some of those beautiful homes we've been sending you to take a look at -- up close and personal!

C'mon - pack up the car and the kids and head to North Carolina. Let us help you make your dreams of owning your Carolina Dream Home.....

...Become a Reality!

Springtime at the Recca House, an $8,000 Tax Credit and USDA Rural Development Loan Program - NO DOWN PAYMENT!

Finally, the trees are all leafed out, the garden is in and proliferating and the pine tree pollen is GONE! Spring is in full force and effect and we're loving it.

Spring is traditionally one of the busiest times of year for the real estate business as folks are up and moving around and planning ahead for the future. Many families put their homes up for sale in April and May in order to get it sold, and a new



one purchased and settled into before the kids start school in August or September.

If you are thinking of finally taking that giant leap and either purchasing your first home, or - selling your existing home and relocating to beautiful North Carolina, here are two programs that we believe may be of interest to YOU:

USDA's Rural Development Loans and the new $8,000 IRS Tax Credit.


TAX CREDIT:

Qualifying taxpayers who buy a home this year before Dec. 1 can get up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married filing separately. “For first-time homebuyers this year, this special feature can put money in their pockets right now rather than waiting another year to claim the tax credit," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “This important change gives qualifying homebuyers cash they do not have to pay back.”

This year, qualifying taxpayers who buy a home before Dec. 1, 2009, can claim the credit on either their 2008 or 2009 tax returns. They do not have to repay the credit, provided the home remains their main home for 36 months after the purchase date. They can claim 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married individuals filing separately.
Here is the IRS website that has all the details on the newest tax credit.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204672,00.html

And if you’re not a first time buyer, why not take advantage of the USDA Rural Development Loans?

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOANS:

For many the mention of USDA conjures up thoughts of farmers, ranchers, and regulations related to the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products.Indeed USDA is committed to helping farmers and ranchers and their associated industries, but the agency does much more to assist Americans of all backgrounds in many ways.In fact, more and more Americans are taking advantage of USDA's programs designed to bring housing, modern facilities, telecommunications, and safe drinking water to unincorporated rural areas, towns, and cities with lower populations.One of the housing programs gaining popularity is the USDA Guaranteed Rural Development Loan, a program with unique benefits to assist individuals and families acquire homes.

Here’s a link to the USDA Rural Development Loans website if you’d like more information
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/index.html

Give us a call – let’s talk about what either of these two programs can do to assist you in making your dreams of owning your Carolina Dream Home come true.

Spring Greens - What to Do With Them....

Spinach is in season RIGHT NOW and over here at the Recca House, we eat a ton of spinach as it's so easy to grow here in North Carolina.

You can only eat so many spinach salads, so what do you do with all that spinach?

An easy recipe that is as healthy as it is delicious - spaghetti with spinach. And the variations - are endless!

What You Need:

Spaghetti (I prefer to use whole grain spaghetti as it lends itself nicely to this type of dish)

At least 4 cups of fresh (baby) spinach

1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Cloves (as few or as many as you like) Crushed

Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

And here's where the fun starts. This recipe is so versatile. You can add any, all or none of the following ingredients depending on your taste:

1-3 (depending on your taste) tablespoons of capers

1-3 tablespoons of pine nuts (my favorite)

2 or 3 sliced dried red chillies or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1/4 Cup of Feta Cheese (this is really good)

Some crumbled bacon (I don't use Bacon Bits, I like to use fresh, cooked bacon)

1/2 Cup of sliced up chicken breast

1/2 Cup of sliced mushrooms

Really, list goes on and on. Use your imagination.

Directions:

Boil your pasta al dente. Do NOT overcook whatever you do.

Drain and Rinse

In a nice sized skillet, heat up olive oil, throw in garlic and cook it until it starts to turn light brown. When the skillet and garlic are nice and hot, throw in your chicken if you are going to use it. Let it get nice and hot. Then it's time to throw in the pasta and toss around for a few minutes - you don't want to brown the pasta but again, you want it to get nice and hot.

Then it's time to toss in whatever else you are adding - capers, peppers, etc.

and toss that around for a minute - not much more.

Finally, throw in your spinach - and toss until it wilts.

Put it in a pretty bowl (I love to use a nice white pasta bowl) and sprinkle with Parmesan. NOTE: if you use Feta cheese, I put that in BEFORE I take it out of the pan so it has a chance to soften up just a wee bit.

Time this takes to prepare - once the spaghetti is cooked - about 5 minutes. It's a beautiful and impressive dish sure to please the most discriminating palette. Great for a light dinner or a fancy lunch.

I like to serve this with some fresh semolina bread and a glass of red wine. Yumm!

Bon appetit!

P.S. I also make this exact same dish but instead of spinach, we use broccoli rabe - I like that even more. It's absolutely delicious - and oh so healthy!