August Edition
Time to harvest!
Inspirational Quote of the Month
“This morning, the sun endures past dawn. I realize that it is August: the summer’s last stand.”
August is the month of gathering and harvesting. The fruits and dreams of the sunny summer months are turning inwards as the world begins to tilt on its axis.
Wilmington is still brimming with activity and vitality so,
Here’s what SWELL is up to this month:
This month’s edition of SWELL Living has:
SWELL’s restaurant of the month
Homeowner tips from our favorite home inspector, Neil Sims
SWELL Buyer: Alec & Cheryl
SWELL Streaming
And a whole lot more!
Exciting Area Events!
Really SWELL Interview: Bonnie from Plastic Ocean Project
How to harvest your garden herbs
Delicious cocktails recipes
A Not so Fun Fact: Plastics!
Umphrey’s McGee
Spend a delightful evening outdoors at Greenfield Lake!
This Indiana native band pleases all ears as they draw inspiration from rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, reggae, electronic, and folk.
Take in with pleasure the musical stylings of Umphrey’s McGee at the beautiful outdoor venue: Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, August 5, 2021.
Jim Gaffigan: the Fun Tour
Discover why one of the most wholesome and food-obsessed comics will be a night you won’t forget!
This August 14, 2021, Riverfront Amphitheater is hosting Jim Gaffigan on his Fun Tour.
Don’t miss out! Get your tickets here:
Wahine Surfing Competition
Get your beach on while watching these incredible women shred some gnar.
The Wahine Classic, a beloved surfing tradition, attracts all levels and ages of female surfers. Divisions will include Pro Short and Longboard, and Amateur Short and Longboard.
August 21, 2021, at Carolina Beach!
Meet Bonnie Monteleone
Executive Director of the Wilmington non-profit,
Plastic Ocean Project!
While Bonnie was studying to be a research writer, she was inspired by Charlie Moore and his research in the North Pacific. Specifically, how much plastic was in the ocean. This launched her motivation and drive to become an advocate for our oceans.
The true credit, however, should be given to her mother, Shirley. Bonnie was 12 and her mother was preparing dinner like any other day. As she was unwrapping ground beef from its packaging, she absentmindedly asked, “Where does this stuff end up?”
Where does it end up? Well, as it turns out, 80% of the plastic in our oceans comes from land-based sources.
For the full story about Bonnie and the Plastic Ocean Project are doing for our oceans, click below.
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Want to make your herbs last all winter?
Harvesting, drying, storing, and prepping for the winter months is what August is all about!
Discover the best ways to preserve that home-grown flavor and bring summer to your cooking even when
it’s frosty out ;)
By far, the easiest and most popular way (for centuries!) to dry herbs is by bundling.
What you’ll need:
-freshly harvested and clean herbs
-string or twist tie
-sunny spot to hang (indoors or outdoors!)
Basil
Basil is one of the most flavorful and popular herbs on the market. It will not last all winter in the ILM area, so be sure to harvest as much as you can!
Once you’ve gathered all your basil, cleaned it, and tied it together, it will take about 3 days in a dry, sunny spot before storing.
Rosemary
Rosemary is another popular herb to cook with. This herb will survive the Wilmington winters, but will not grow very much in the cold. It’s important to gather all you need for your kitchen before the cooler weather sets in.
Cut rosemary around the same length for ease of hanging and drying. It will take up to a week to fully dry out in a sunny spot.
Thyme
Thyme is an essential ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. It is a part of the mint family, and a cousin of Oregano.
Drying thyme will take up to a week in a sunny spot.
Once your favorite herbs are dried, store them in a clean jar for a year or more!
Another SWELL way:
Flavored Ice Cubes
What you’ll need:
Ice cube trays
Favorite cooking oil (avocado, coconut, etc.)
Favorite herbs
Blender, food processor, or Nutri-bullet
Blend herbs with oil and fill ice cube trays. Place in freezer. When you’re ready to start cooking, instead of adding oil to a pan, simply pop one of these flavor bombs out of the freezer and use it as your base oil for cooking tonight’s meal.
Add flavor to your dinner with ease!
Click the white arrow above to watch the pros show you how to made these delicious cocktails!
Basil
Basil is one of the most widely used herbs in the world!
Basil is an important medicinal plant in various traditional and folk systems of medicines, such as those in Southeast Asia and India.
Not only does it taste great, it is also high in antioxidants, magnesium, and vitamins!
So why not try it in a cocktail…?
Basil Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup basil leaves
Bring water to boil on the stovetop. Add basil and let steep overnight. Strain, bring back to boil and stir in sugar. Let cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
Now for the really fun part!
You can use this syrup in teas, lemonades, and cocktails. Here are a few of SWELL’s favorite ways to enjoy Basil Simple Syrup!
Classic G & T
1.5 oz. your favorite gin
0.5 oz Basil Simple
Your favorite tonic water
Optional garnishes include lime, juniper berries, peppercorn, and more basil!
Add gin and simple in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rock’s glass. Add ice, and fill with tonic. Garnish, and enjoy!
2. Your mom will love this…
1.5 oz your favorite vodka
0.5 oz St. Germain
0.75 oz basil simple
0.25 oz fresh lemon juice
5 slices cucumber
Soda water
Muddle cucumber, lemon juice, and basil simple in a shaker. Add ice, vodka, and St. Germain shake, and strain into a tall glass.
Add ice, float soda on top, garnish with more cucumber and basil, and enjoy!
3. Bloody Basil Maria
2 oz Tequila
0.75 oz Basil simple
Your favorite Bloody Mix…click here for SWELL’s fav
Now it’s time to sip and enjoy!
Did you know that every plastic product ever created still exists?
More than 40 percent of plastic is used just once, then tossed.
The really tragic part of this is that estimates for how long plastic endures range from 450 years to forever.
More than 5 trillion pieces of plastic are already floating in our oceans….it’s time for humanity to step up!
Check out all the ways you can help locally by visiting the Plastic Ocean Project.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID HIGGINS
Discover what we can be doing to achieve a less wasteful life!
Click here and learn how to be plastic-free :)
Selling a home doesn’t have to be hard.
We believe selling a home should be simple, easy, and even a little fun too.
Make your next move a smooth one and move confidently with SWELL!
We also offer industry leading rates for home-sellers. Many firms charge as much as 3% of the sales price to sell your home. The most we ever charge is 2.5% and for qualified clients, we only charge 2%! To save thousands of dollars as well as time and energy, click the button below.
Sofra Modern Mediterranean
Meet Wilmington’s newest spot for some truly great eats inspired by the spices of Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and more!
Chef Bahaa is no stranger to the restaurant industry—with 25 years of experience, managing Wilmington staples like Circa, Boca Bay, and even the St. James Reserve Club, he was ready to create something new in town!
SOFRA officially opened on March 18, 2020…
We know, right?
SOFRA officially closed just days later… Thanks COVID, gosh.
BUT
Thanks to a supportive family, generous landlord, and a whole lot of hard work and determination, SOFRA has survived the pandemic!
The best part is that there are delicious vegetarian and gluten-free options.
The service made us feel like family and the casual dining style provides for excellent lunch dates, dinner dates, or take out.
SOFRA means dining with good people, great food, and happy times. Generosity and hospitality which Chef Bahaa perfectly embodies is his new restaurant!
The menu is fresh, concise, and made with love!
You really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu, trust me, we have tried almost all of it…
Pro tip: MUST haves includes Quinoa Tabouleh, Grape salad, Kufta, and Kunafa!!
Chef Bahaa favorite: The Schwarma!
Head over to the PCJ on Oleander…you won’t be disappointed!
To order online or simply check out this amazing new restaurant, click the link below for more information about:
SOFRA
Home Owning In August…
Tips, tricks, and things to be aware of, courtesy of:
Professional Home Inspector, Neil Sims
Whether you’re buying, selling, or simply want to be the best home-owner you can be, the advice is the same: Check your crawl space!
Why?
Well, because according to Neil, “The biggest issues almost always come in the crawlspace. Things such as high moisture and fungal damage, structural problems, and termite damage seem to be the biggest potential “deal killers”.
What’s in your crawl space…?
Pro Tip: Find a termite company that will also check moisture levels and assesses any potential plumbing leaks that are causing the moisture that termites LOVE.
The longer you wait to uncover the mysteries of your crawl space, the more damage could be happening. Which means spending more money fixing it when we all know that you’d rather take a trip to Hawaii, buy a new car, or pretty much any other fun way to spend your hard-earned monies.
Interested in a home inspection?
Well, good news! Neil has his very own company…check him out here.
Meet Alec & Cheryl
Alec and Cheryl are young parents in the Raleigh area who have always been in love with the peaceful vibes and slow-rolling waves of Topsail Beach, and now they are on the hunt for their own little slice of paradise!
The ideal island getaway for Alec and Cheryl's Vacation Home is on or near the sound side of Topsail Beach or Surf City, and will have at least 3 bedrooms and 2 baths so they can enjoy the home with their children and extended family.
SWELL is working hard to find them the perfect place to vacation. But homes are moving quickly on the islands these days, so if you have a great tip for a Vacation Home or Investment Property for this sweet couple, give us a shout!
If you know of a home that might be a good fit for them, please let us know.
Discover New TV, Movies, Music, & More
Ty covers the TV & Movie recommendations, here are his picks this month:
For light-hearted TV to binge: The Good Place
4 seasons of light and witty comedy mixes with serious themes such as good & bad, right & wrong. This thoughtful show will make you laugh and warm your heart. Plus the episodes are only 22 minutes long so it’s easy to watch in small doses. Streaming on Netflix, don’t miss out on this surprising little show that will leave you feeling better than when you started.
For a solid Sci Fi Drama: Another Life
One season with another on the way, this show is set in the not-so-distant future. When an alien artifact lands on Earth, a small crew of astronauts leave to find where the artifact came from. Meanwhile, back on Earth, things start to go sideways. A longer format show, with each episode about 45 minutes long, it will draw you in as the characters develop and drama ensues. Also streaming on Netflix, this show is engaging on many of levels making you want to come back for more.
For a Date Night movie: About Time
At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think. Starring Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, & Domhnall Gleeson. Margot Robbie also makes an appearance. Perfect for a romantic date night, this movie is funny, novel, and relatable. Snuggle up with some popcorn and get ready to smile.
Music on Repeat: Anthony's Monthly Picks for Featured Tunes
The Marfa Tapes: Jack Ingram, Jon Randall, and Miranda Lambert
Released in May, 2021, the Marfa Tapes is a super stripped-down collaborative collection recorded by Ingram, Randall, and Lambert in small-town Marfa in West Texas. This is a far cry from anything one could call “Commercial Country” and speaks rather to classic Americana, old-timey feelings, and tequila-spiked lemonade. Imagine sitting around a Texas campfire with a few friends plucking out familiar tunes – except your friends are Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, and Jon Randall!
The album features originals from each artist (like “Tin Man” and “Tequila Does” from previous Lambert recordings) and even some fun and silly ditties like “Am I Right or Amarillo” and “Homegrown Tomatoes.” It's calm and pretty, nostalgic and witty, and The Marfa Tapes makes me feel right at home – and I've never even been to Texas.
Y'all enjoy!
Satellite and the Harpoonist: Satellite Man
Speaking of collaborations and super-groups, 2020 brought us the Vancouver mash-up of Satellite and the Harpoonist. This foursome of singer Shawn Hall (of the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer), Geoff Hillhorst (of the Deep Dark Woods) on organs/synths, percussionist Theo Vincent (of the Boom Booms), and Brooklyn's Bradford Reed (of King Missile III) on the Pencilina (a crazy double-necked zither-like contraption of his own invention) is totally out of this world. The four recorded the six tracks of their compilation album live on film, and the single “Satellite Man” is an alchemic crush of familiar funk, jazzy folk, and futuristic fun. It's sugary and catchy, but a deeper listen to the lyrics provides a millennial reputability and feel to what could otherwise be textbook funk.
I, for one, will definitely be “cool ranching” my way through the rest of the summer heat to this track.
Enjoy!
For the love of Podcasts: Marisa’s favorite this month
LORE: Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction…
Ever think that history was boring?
Well, it turns out that you’re not alone! You just might not have been studying the best parts…
Each episode examines a new dark historical tale in a modern campfire experience. With more than 33,500 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts, and over 310-million listens, that's clearly a good thing.
Aaron Mahnke uncovers the dark and creepy parts of humanity’s history, the weird and obscure, and the unknown and sometimes horrifying aspects that involve being a human entails. Discover a whole other world of Lore and view history through a different lens with Aaron’s warm and easy vocal style.
Check out his latest episode here:
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