Black Walnut Cafe is a large, casual lunch spot located in a popular shopping plaza in The Woodlands, which makes it a convenient place to pop in during your break from work, during a weekend shopping trip, or while out with the little ones. Inside, you’ll find a fast casual atmosphere with rustic wood furniture, ample seating, and free Wi-Fi throughout, as well as a spacious outdoor patio ideal for sunny afternoons.

Black Walnut Cafe’s menu includes tried-and-true American fare, like juicy burgers, salads and pastas, as well as a complete menu of breakfast items, like build-your-own omelets. You’ll find a long list of cocktails, beer, and wine for of-age guests, and during the popular weekday happy hour, Black Walnut Cafe offers special low prices on its most popular drinks. Stop in for a meal or order takeout from this reliable eatery.

Black Walnut Cafe
9000 New Trails Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381
(281) 362-1678
www.blackwalnutcafe.com

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Edsel L

Don’t you just hate it when you attempt to buy a healthy batch of vegetables at the grocery store, only to have them go bad before you can even eat them? By using these simple tips, you can learn how to prolong the lifespan of your veggies and keep your greens fresher for longer.

• Don’t leave leafy greens on the counter. While many types of produce (such as apples and potatoes) are okay when left out in the kitchen, leafy greens are much delicate and require cooler temperatures for safekeeping.
• Wash them. As soon as you get your greens home, wash them with an all-natural vegetable cleanser and dry with a salad spinner to remove any chemicals, dirt, or pests.
• Remove bad leaves. If you notice any brown spots on your greens, carefully remove them to prevent them from spoiling the whole bunch.
• Don’t store them on a shelf in the refrigerator. Because everything in your refrigerator is not created equally, greens cannot by stored in the same way as, say, Chinese food leftovers. Instead, place them in the designated crisper drawer.
• Plan how you’ll eat them. To prolong their lifespan further, plan to eat fresh salads using greens first and sauté or stir fry them once they near their wilted phases.

Leafy Greens [FreshDirect.com]
How to Store Leafy Greens in the Fridge [The Sprouting Seed]
How to Store Your Leafy Greens to Make Them Last Longer [Eat Local 365]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr jshontz

With its 180-acre expanse of open green space and its many exercise stations and paved trails, Meyer Park is especially beloved by the runners in the Spring area. The park is very large and full of numerous different amenities, including gazebos and picnic stations that are ideal for an afternoon lunch outdoors.

Here, you'll find an impressive 26 soccer fields for pick-up play or organized community leagues, as well as two softball fields and a well-maintained basketball court. Outdoors-y visitors love feeding the ducks at the small duck pond and fishing at the three-acre lake, which is stocked with bluegill, catfish, and large-mouth bass. Meyer Park also offers playgrounds to accommodate little ones.

Meyer Park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. There aren’t many lights in the park, so be sure to plan your visit before the sun goes down.

Meyer Park
7700 Cypresswood Drive
Spring, TX 77379
(281) 353-4196
www.hcp4.net/Parks/meyer/index.htm
www.yelp.com/biz/meyer-park-spring

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/honorphotobar