Sunday, August 26, 2012

Family Dinners at the Beach

I loved my mom's plan to dine out for some dinners and cook in for others. Each couple was assigned a night to cook, and you had to come up with a cocktail, app and main meal. 

My mom started us off with sangria paired with a homemade pico de gallo along with cheese and crackers. Then we enjoyed surf and turf with a baked potato bar and vegetables. 


My aunt made a light peach cocktail paired with a sun-dried tomato dip. We dined on slow-roasted ribs with corn on the cob and really great red potatoes (that I'm already craving). 


Hank and I had a tasty Mexican night last week so we decided to recreate it at the beach. We started with Hank's homemade guacamole paired with Low Country Lemonade. We made about a sand bucket's worth of this concoction with crystal light lemonade, vodka, peach schnapps and blue curaƧao. We enjoyed chicken enchiladas with black beans & yellow rice.  


I decided to do it up with dessert. I made personal dirt cakes topped with sand (crushed vanilla Oreos), ocean water (sky blue frosting), beach float (gummy Lifesaver) and umbrella. I interpret dirt cake as one layer crushed Oreos, one layer chocolate pudding and one layer mixed cream cheese (one block) with cool whip (one tub) and repeat. I love family dinners!

Sea Looks

I love a good nautical / sea look. It's in my house, and it can be found in my wardrobe. 


I enjoyed much of the decor at Sea Captain's House. I collected enough sea shells to border a mirror. I definitely want to add a sea urchin diffuser to a room - along with a hint of coral. They had great needlepoint pieces as well. New sea looks coming to our house soon!

Beach Bums

Hank and I just returned from a relaxing week at the beach. We stopped by one of our favorite restaurants on the way in, Crab Catcher's. It's in Little River right on the water. 

 


My favorite moments of the week were taking walks on the beach, collecting sea shells, cruising in a limo to the piano bar, Hank being awarded as the Putt-Putt Champ (complete with trophy), and family dinners with my parents and aunt & uncle. I laughed all week!


The beach life is a beautiful life, and I had the best time just soaking it all in. 


Move from the ocean to the slide to the lazy river to the hot tub (repeat).


We enjoyed breakfast at one of our favorite spots, Sea Captain's House, where we dined on perhaps my favorite breakfast out there, Crab Cakes Benedict (crab cakes topped with poached eggs and hollandaise - the kicker - these are served on fried green tomatoes).

Livin' the beach life (complete with tacky / fun new long sleeve for those relaxing nights). 

Congrats to May

My friend May bought a lovely new home!


We enjoyed a spaghetti lunch at her new place to tour and celebrate happenings.

Life Lately


{top, left} Hank and I had a great time at a Crab Out - endless crabs and Corona Light

{top, right} Bentley continues to love life, snoozin' and lots of treats (when he is good)

{bottom, left} I scored a new private reserve wine cellar that someone actually tossed

{bottom, right} I finally said goodbye to my blue hand chair that I've had for 10 years