Peacharita (Cocktail)

Well, another Monday has come and gone. Most of the time, Monday is the most dreaded day of the week. But not for me. Because I woke up here today:

It's our annual family beach trip!

Normally on a Monday, I would be at work, and I would be super-productive. And this week is no different. I am being super-productive on vacation.

For example, I have ridden 17 miles on the bike, including 10 miles this morning...

And I played with this girl in the waves...

And I made the best frozen drink ever.

Got fresh peaches? This is how you should use them. Don't have any fresh peaches? Get yourself to a local farm get some. And then make this drink.

Peacharita

(Note: this is a new twist on Jason's Perfect Margaritas.)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. orange juice
• 4 oz. margarita mix (non-alcoholic, preferred brand: Margaritaville)
• 4 oz. Lime Tequila (preferred brand: Margaritaville)
• 4 oz. Pineapple Rum
• 2 oz. Triple Sec or Cointreau
• 2 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced (I leave the skin on, but you could remove the skin)
• Ice

Preparation: In a blender, combine all liquid ingredients. Add peach slices. Fill the blender with ice. Blend until smooth. Enjoy poolside or on the beach. Or in your living room. Basically anywhere.

 

You're welcome.

 

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American Cafe: Fort Mill, SC

Happy Friday! I hope that all of you had a wonderful Fourth of July! We did. It was a very low-key evening at the Confessions House. I just realized that almost all my posts lately have been restaurant "show and tells"... Oops?! I guess we have been eating out a lot. I will have some recipes to share with you all next week!

Tonight I am bringing you one more local restaurant review: American Cafe in Fort Mill, SC! We happened upon this restaurant due to weather. A girlfriend and I had planned to take our girls to an outdoor event, but the weather was so iffy we decided on a girls' dinner instead. Neither of us had been to American Cafe and thought we would give it a try!

Now, if you're wondering where it is, American Cafe is located inside the Clarion Hotel on Carowinds Boulevard. When you enter the hotel lobby, take a left, and the restaurant is down the first hallway on the right. There is plenty of room for parties and they also have a great area for bands/dancing! The lounge area is very nice, and it has couches and comfy chairs.

If you have been to PassionEight, American Cafe has the same owner and chef! Our server told us that almost every menu item is made from scratch in the restaurant. They have a really diverse menu with lots of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees.

I started with a wedge, because I really can't turn down a crunchy wedge salad in the summer!

I was really torn between the Chicken Cordon Bleu and a wrap. In the end, I went with the buffalo chicken wrap. I still really want to try the Cordon Bleu- but I knew it was more food than I wanted. I will have to go back!

I loved the wrap! As you know, I love all buffalo flavored items! The lettuce was really crunchy and fresh!

My friend had the Chicken BLT with sweet potato tots and she also really enjoyed her meal. The girls gave their food a thumbs-up, also!

American Cafe also has what looks like an AMAZING Sunday Brunch. Everything on the menu sounds fantastic. And you people know how I love a brunch, right?!

If you are in the area, go visit American Cafe! Great family dinner spot- casual and not too expensive, but great food! Spending the day at Carowinds? Stop here on the way home!

 

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Happy Fourth of July!

How about a top five list for today?

 

The five things I like best about Fourth of July Twenty-Thirteen:

 

10. No work on a Thursday!

9. Sleeping until 8:00 a.m.

8. Sun after seemingly endless days of rain.

 

7. Seriously. The sun. It counts twice because we have missed it so much.

6. Spending the day swimming with good friends and their kiddos!

5. Cooking out with family.

 

4. Tips on how not to burn yourself while using sparklers.

 

3. Getting served plastic cupcakes by this sweet girl.

 

2. Getting a free fireworks show from all of our neighbors!

1. The blessing of being an American! So many people dedicate their lives to protecting this country. Thank you!

 

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Local Restaurant: Culina & Slawsa for Cookouts!

You know how sometimes things are just meant to be?

Like this past Sunday. I woke up thinking about brunch. Breakfast/brunch is my favorite eat-out meal, and I was sitting on the couch sipping my coffee and feeling bad that I STILL have not been to Culina, a new-ish local restaurant in Rock Hill.

And then...

in my email...

Boom. Daily Deal. Culina.

See? It's like it was meant to be. I made a reservation for 12:15 and after church, we headed out to brunch.

 

Culina is open nightly for dinner, but they also feature a weekend brunch.

 

The menu features items like Shrimp and Grits and Eggs Benedict, but I already knew what I wanted:

 

Yes, you read that correctly: "Cheerwine Chicken and Waffles." I have been eyeing this menu item for quite some time.

 

 

(For those of you not in the south... If you aren't familiar with Cheerwine, you are missing out. It's like Cherry Coke, but way better.)

The chicken was so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside! The Cheerwine sauce was sweet, but not TOO sweet, and was a perfect waffle topping!

What is it with chicken and waffles? It seems like such a weird combination, but it's really genius. Sweet and salty all on one plate.

Not pictured: Bloody Mary. Culina has a Bloody Mary Bar. The server brings your drink to you, and then you add whatever additions you like!

The husband went with Eggs Benedict.

 

I stole a bite and it was delicious! Especially the potatoes! Our server let us know that Culina's dinner service is different from the brunch service. Dishes are served more family style and sharing is encouraged. I love family style since I like to steal food from everyone sample all the items on the table. I'm like a seagull, I guess.

If you decide to visit Culina (and I think you should,) I would make a reservation, because it is small. You can make a reservation by visiting their website.

 

 

 

Now... On another note... Are you ready for the Fourth of July? We are having a little family cookout he at home, so I made a special trip out to The Peach Stand this week for Slawsa! You can't have a cookout without Slawsa! If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for? It's so yum. And this is a condiment made by a small, fairly local company. You'll be supporting a great small business by buying Slawsa!

 

 

 

Don't forget the Slawsa!

 

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Techie Travel Tips

Welcome, friends! I have been noticing some new Facebook friends and readers from new locations! Whatever brought you here, I am so glad you came to visit! Be sure to follow my blog (see the right hand side of the page) so you get updates, and be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for extra content. There are links on the right side of this age to follow me. Just scroll down.

I know many of you have been reading all my posts about my recent trip to San Antonio, Texas. I have mentioned before that I was there to attend the ISTE Conference. (ISTE=International Society for Technology in Education.)

Well, I was thinking about my trip and how many "techie tools" I used throughout the week. I thought that some of you might want to try out some of these as you travel this summer. Let me know if you have other "techie travel tools" to share! Just post a comment so others can see your favorites, also!

1. Touchnote

This has quickly become my very favorite App! Touchnote turns the photos on your phone or iPad into postcards or greeting cards that you can send to anyone- anywhere- in the world! You simply use the app to design the postcard. Check out the card I designed for my coworker, Barb:

(Front)

 

(Back)

 

For this postcard, I used Pic Collage to design the collage, and then I uploaded my collage onto the postcard. I filled in Barb's address and hit "send!" The postcard cost me 1 credit, which was about $1.25.

And then...

How easy is that? I am HORRIBLE about sending cards to people, mainly because it means I need to go to the store, buy a card, buy stamps, and them put it in the mailbox! With Touchnote... I can send them from my device! Plus, the cards are very high quality- nice and glossy and sturdy! They arrive quickly, also!

 

2. Yelp

You have probably heard me mention YELP before. Yelp is one of my favorite apps (also a website) for finding great places to eat or entertainment!

As we were walking through San Antonio, there were several times where we weren't sure where we wanted to eat, so I pulled up Yelp and searched for "restaurants nearby" or "breakfast/brunch nearby." Yelp quickly compiles a list of places that are close to your location (using GPS). You can view menus, price lists, and reviews all from the Yelp App. Plus, the many Yelp users leave photos and tips that help you to decide what to order!

I have never been let down by Yelp! AND Yelp always helps me to find unique, non-chain restaurants and locations that aren't the typical tourist traps.

 

3. Cluster

My sister Meredith actually told me about this app and it is great! More and more, I find myself snapping quick pics with my iPhone, and I am sure you do, too. Well, after a few days of travel, I find myself with dozens of pictures, and I would love to share them with my friends or family. However, if you are using your phone, then it is difficult to send multiple pictures to one person. With Cluster, you can upload multiple pictures at once and then share with friends and family. If they have the Cluster App, then they can quickly access your entire photo album! You can also email the album to anyone with an email address- regardless of whether they have the Cluster App. Talk about a time-saver, right?

Just create a new cluster...

 

Pick your photos...

 

Add details so you remember what each cluster contains...

 

And Boom! Cluster created. From here, you can share away with friends and family.

 

Only downside- you can't seem to import pics from Photo Stream into Cluster- they must be in your Camera Roll.

So there! Three techie tools to help make your vacation more fabulous! What are YOUR favorite "techie tools" when you travel? Please leave a comment with your favorite app or website!

 

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