Lots of things going on here in Charleston this weekend, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful, so get out and do something!
THE BATTLE OF CHARLESTON - April 17 & 18, 2:00 pm. (Gates open at 9:00 am, tickets at $10 for adults, $5 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5.) Legare Farms hosts a re-enactment of the only time in naval history that forces on land captured a ship on Jan. 30, 1863. This event draws 300-400 re-enactors from as far away as Ohio and is held on Legare Farms, a 300-acre working family farm that has been in operation since 1725. There are lots of living history demonstrations, special events and vendors will sell various food. For more information, go to http://www.battleofchas.com/ , call 559-0788, or e-mail legarefarms@bellsouth.net (I will do another post later on Legare Farms as a wonderful place to buy great local food.)
BLUE ANGELS DEMONSTRATION - April 17 & 18, 2 pm over the Cooper River and Charleston Harbor, free. A great place to watch is anywhere with a view of the harbor. Today's Post and Courier has an extensive article in today's paper with suggestions on where to watch it, where to park (shuttle will be running), and information about the Blue Angels. The Ravenel bridge pedestrian walk way will be closed, so don't plan on watching it from there.
EARTH DAY FESTIVAL - April 17, 11 am - 3 pm, Park Circle in North Charleston, free admission. This is Charleston County's 11th annual Earth Day Festival, and it brings together more than 65 local exhibitors with family oriented activities and displays. Bring your own water bottle (to reduce waster), and vendors will have food for sale. For more information, go to http://www.charlestoncounty.org/ or call 843-720-7111.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Charleston's Mexican Hot Spot
This maybe the best prize yet, something to make your tummy and your pocket happy at the same time. Growing up in Charleston all my life, I've always heard we have no clue about "real" Mexican food.Michael's mother, sister, and brother lived in Mexico for several years, so when they heard about this place called Zia Taqueria, they had to go check it out for themselves. I don't think I've ever seen such a happy bunch of people come back from dinner. It was like someone had taken away their favorite food for years and at last they were just getting to experience it again. So, my family, Mike, Gabriel (3), and Devin (2) saw a perfect Blog opportunity!
When we got there, I noticed it was laid back and everyone was just as friendly as can be (and we all know you don't find that a lot of places anymore). The best thing on the menu (in our opinion) was their famous Baja fish taco. I had never associated "fish" with "taco" before, but it was just incredible. The Nachos were really cool. They weren't just a bunch of chips with stuff dumped all over it but instead were individually prepared corn tostada shells topped with black beans and cheese. The results were....my family and I have found the most authentic Mexican restaurant in Charleston and we will be going back, especially for the famous Zia Rita Margarita (all I can say is WOW)!
Meet the owner.....
Zia Taqueria is a locally owned Mexican restaurant that knows how to cook it up!
Kevin Grant, Owner, & Chef of Zia Taqueria, started this company with a passion for Mexican food. He grew up in Houston, Texas and has been in the Mexican food business for 10 years. Growing up in Texas, there was no place for still another Mexican restaurant so he ventured to Charleston, SC to pursue his dream of introducing a new market to the way authentic Mexican food should be prepared. This place is the type of place where you can come in and grab a taco to go or you can hang out with your family and eat, drink and be merry.Kevin has combined three different types of Mexican flavors, - New Mexico, Tex Mex, and Regional Mexican - into one mouth-watering flavor! Let me tell you, this isn't your everyday restaurant. Kevin says, "This is a place people can go for quality food at a moderate price" . This guy actually knows how to do it right! From the moment you step inside and get in the self-order line, Kevin wants you to have a great experience. Zia uses all fresh ingredients and spices straight from Mexico to give it the flavors that make it so unique.
Kevin's purpose is to make you experience and fall in love with the true flavors of Mexico. You will never think of Mexican food the same way again. Don't take my word for it - try it for yourself. You are also helping our LOCAL market take control again. To help one lucky winner do just that, our contest prize this month is a free dinner for two at Zia's. (See contest rules on the right sidebar.) Zia Taqueria is located on Maybank right next to the Terrace Theater. For more information, visit their website at http://ziataco.com/
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Thorn at SeaCoast
This epic encounter will leave you breathless. Come see this play of remarkable performances and great special effects. My family and I attended this last year for Easter and highly recommend it for your family as well! This is an event you will not forget. Check out the link below for more information. This is the greatest story ever told!
http://thethorn.net/story
http://thethorn.net/story
Sunday, March 21, 2010
What is a CSA?
It is CSA sign up time again, and several area farms are taking applications. Click this link to go to a list of local CSA's. http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org/program/Community_Supported_Agriculture.php
CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture", and it is a concept rapidly growing in popularity across the nation. A farmer plants a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and sells shares of the harvest for a lump sum paid up front. The shareholder shares both the risks and the rewards - if it's a good season, their weekly boxes are fuller, and if it's a poor season, there is less. The advantage for the shareholder is a variety of extremely fresh produce delivered to a central pick-up point every week, and the advantage to the farmer is knowing their crops are sold and getting their money up front to help cover their costs when the majority of them occur.
It is important to be comfortable with the farm you select, and also with their growing methods - conventional, organic or somewhere in between. I will tell you about my personal experience with a CSA a couple of years ago. The grower wasn't certified organic, but was committed to using chemicals only when absolutely necessary, and then using the safest and smallest amount. During the time I was a shareholder, she only had to do so once, and immediately notified all the shareholders of what had been treated. I was very pleased with my experience, but unfortunately the grower moved to another farm out of the area.
My daughter and I went together to purchase one share, which entitled us to a box each week for 13 weeks with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, herbs and sometimes even flowers. There were some things that we had never heard of, much less eaten, but the grower had that covered - a recipe book was included with our first delivery. We were already fairly adventurous eaters, but this really pushed us out of our comfort zone and encouraged us to incorporate a larger variety of veggies in our meals. In the end, we ended up with some new favorites.
It can seem a bit pricey going in, but we definitely saw a difference in our weekly grocery bills, and ended up saving money in the end. A great way to test it out is to split the cost and the bounty with a friend or two. It can also be fun to take turns preparing different recipes and letting others sample them.
The downside to getting these weekly deliveries is when it is finished. Kayte and I had gotten so used to fresh-picked produce that we struggled to adjust back to supermarket groceries - it's just not the same! We have once again signed up for a CSA and are looking forward to getting our first delivery next month. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!
CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture", and it is a concept rapidly growing in popularity across the nation. A farmer plants a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and sells shares of the harvest for a lump sum paid up front. The shareholder shares both the risks and the rewards - if it's a good season, their weekly boxes are fuller, and if it's a poor season, there is less. The advantage for the shareholder is a variety of extremely fresh produce delivered to a central pick-up point every week, and the advantage to the farmer is knowing their crops are sold and getting their money up front to help cover their costs when the majority of them occur.
It is important to be comfortable with the farm you select, and also with their growing methods - conventional, organic or somewhere in between. I will tell you about my personal experience with a CSA a couple of years ago. The grower wasn't certified organic, but was committed to using chemicals only when absolutely necessary, and then using the safest and smallest amount. During the time I was a shareholder, she only had to do so once, and immediately notified all the shareholders of what had been treated. I was very pleased with my experience, but unfortunately the grower moved to another farm out of the area.
My daughter and I went together to purchase one share, which entitled us to a box each week for 13 weeks with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, herbs and sometimes even flowers. There were some things that we had never heard of, much less eaten, but the grower had that covered - a recipe book was included with our first delivery. We were already fairly adventurous eaters, but this really pushed us out of our comfort zone and encouraged us to incorporate a larger variety of veggies in our meals. In the end, we ended up with some new favorites.
It can seem a bit pricey going in, but we definitely saw a difference in our weekly grocery bills, and ended up saving money in the end. A great way to test it out is to split the cost and the bounty with a friend or two. It can also be fun to take turns preparing different recipes and letting others sample them.
The downside to getting these weekly deliveries is when it is finished. Kayte and I had gotten so used to fresh-picked produce that we struggled to adjust back to supermarket groceries - it's just not the same! We have once again signed up for a CSA and are looking forward to getting our first delivery next month. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Celtic Harp at Muddy Waters Coffee Shop
Hi guys,
As promised, if I hear of any cool events, I will let you know. Muddy Waters is a locally owned coffee shop located in West Ashley and James Island. This is the best spot to grab your latte and lap top and hang out. They have a special event called Palmetto Acoustic. This is where local artists come in and play their hearts out for the Lowcountry, and what's even better is that this event is FREE. So, bring all your friends and family because you don't want to miss this!
You get to sit back, relax and listen to great music while sippin' on your coffee. This is the ultimate cafe' experiment!
On Saturday, March 20th, the West Ashley location is featuring a Celtic Harp event from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Muddy Waters Coffee Bar
1331 Ashley River Road, West Ashley
(843) 225-3683
1331 Ashley River Road, West Ashley
(843) 225-3683
Friday, March 5, 2010
Charles Towne Landing
Now this is history at it's finest. Being a native from Charleston, some of my favorite memories come from Charles Towne Landing. As a little girl, my parents would load us kids up in the car and head to the park for a picnic and to go exploring. Once we got there we would lay out our large blanket in the big open field, spread out our food and dig in. After our bellies were full we would take off to see the animals, with my dad excitedly trailing behind. Secretly, seeing the bobcats was his favorite.
(Me at age 7)
Attention all moms - this is one of the best places to take your kids. They can run and play and get all their energy out without you having to worry they might break something. Michael and I took Gabriel & Devin there awhile back and they had such a great time. Their favorite part was seeing the big bear in the animal forest and of course the open field (lol). I wasn't able to capture any of it on photos so whoever wins this contest, don't forget your camera because you will have some priceless pictures. As you can tell, Charles Towne Landing has made a big impression on my life that I still talk about from being a little girl, age 7, till . . . well, I won't get into current age, let's just say older. Ohh, the memories!! Now go and make your own memories!
Good luck with the contest!!
Just a little history for you; at Charles Towne Landing, a group of English settlers landed in 1670. This established what would become the birthplace of the Carolinas colony, the plantation system of the American South, and one of the continent’s first major port cities. Here at the park the story is still told. Opened in 1970 as Charles Towne Landing State Park, the peaceful park on a marshy point off the Ashley River was rebuilt in 2006 with a sharpened focus on the site’s remarkable past. This place is amazing and you will have so much to explore while you're there. There is the animal forest,Living History, Archaeology, crop garden (following instructions from 1670), 80 acres of gardens that includes an elegant live oak alle’ and the Legare-Waring House(one of Charleston’s favorite sites for weddings). One of my personal favorites is the Adventure ship (Charleston's only 17th century replica sailing ship).
(Me at age 7)Attention all moms - this is one of the best places to take your kids. They can run and play and get all their energy out without you having to worry they might break something. Michael and I took Gabriel & Devin there awhile back and they had such a great time. Their favorite part was seeing the big bear in the animal forest and of course the open field (lol). I wasn't able to capture any of it on photos so whoever wins this contest, don't forget your camera because you will have some priceless pictures. As you can tell, Charles Towne Landing has made a big impression on my life that I still talk about from being a little girl, age 7, till . . . well, I won't get into current age, let's just say older. Ohh, the memories!! Now go and make your own memories!
Good luck with the contest!!
(Me at age 7)
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