Happy Tuesday! I thought I would try something a little different here and spotlight local places once a week (or something like that.) 

I love trying new places around town, but I also have my, MUST go places. Thomas and I LOVE going to River Rat Brewery. We sit inside some, but their outside area is awesome, because we can take our dog, Darcy. A little history/info about River Rat here (borrowed from their website):

 

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 Where the Saluda and Broad Rivers merge, they form the mighty Congaree in ColaTown, SC! River Rat Brewery was founded in 2013. River Rat Brewery is named for the three rivers that run through our city, and the working-class men who labored on the canal here more than a century ago. They were the supplying highways of times long ago. The rivers tell us old stories and history of our state and our capital Columbia, SC. The Congaree, Broad, and Saluda rivers contribute miles of riverfront for South Carolina’s capitol and had a role in Columbia’s landscape history.
In their honor, we set out to create craft beers that would satisfy anyone after a long day's work. We used only the best ingredients, and we tested and refined in order to develop complex flavors. What we wound up with was the best damn beer we've ever tasted —perfectly balanced, refreshingly bold, and deliciously drinkable.

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Here's the thing, we love River Rat's beer, but the highlight of this post is actually about their new food menu. Taylor is the chef at River Rat and he is really bringing a creative flair and taste to the menu items. We aren't talking about your traditional "bar food" here. The food reflects that same perfectly balanced flavors that their beer does. A while back we celebrated my birthday at River Rat and Taylor made a phenomenal cheese plate. If you know me, you know, I am a bit of a cheese plate snob. I enjoyed every element of the plate. Back to the new menu though....I am uncertain if the menu will always be evolving and changing or not but , one this is for sure: the food we had was GOOD! I saw on their Instagram they are also having Taco Tuesday now. Thomas and I are planning to check that out next Tuesday because two of his favorite things are, Tacos and Beer. 

Here is a few photos of the food we had 2 Sunday's ago. I really do recommend checking them out for not only their beer , but their food also. You won't be disappointed. 

 

 Country Ham Board. This Ham was absolutely AMAZING! I love honeycomb too so it was an absolutely treat.

 

Picnic Pickle Board. First off, those shrimp were BEAUTIFUL and they tasted good too. This was great because everything was so fresh tasting and the flavors all complemented each other very well!

 

BBQ sandwich. Smoked to perfection and sauced just right.

BAT and the sandwich you see in the background was the Turkey and Brie. The BAT was delicious. The bacon had this awesome smoked flavor and the lemon aioli was perfection. The turkey and brie had this homemade marmalade on it that absolutely made the sandwich. 

 So there you have it folks! River Rat Brewery, where not only the beer is outstanding the food is an absolute treat. Be sure to check them out online for their weekly specials and all the current happenings at the brewery.

 They also offer brewery tours that are neat to do while you are visiting. 

Cheers yall! Have a great week and if you check out River Rat and especially their food menu, tell them Southern Peacock Eats sent you! 

Blessings!

Weekend Roundup

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Here is a few scenes from what we had going on.

Well, I went and cut my hair shorter. I am ashamed to say I had not had my hair done since late November. It feels good to have a fresh cut and color and I'm still adjusting to fixing it at this length. 

 

 I found the adorable makeup bag at Target. I am a sucker for pineapples. I had to buy it.

 

 I went by Thomas' shop on Friday to check out something he was working on for an upcoming wedding. I love seeing the things I show him photos of, come to life. He truly is talented. I am not even being biased. Ha!

 

I had planned to work on some stuff at the shop, but it was chilly and I wasn't really dressed for what I needed to do. Instead, we went and grabbed some food. We went to Keg Cowboy and as always, I had to get the pimp cheese board. Ya'lllll, those pickled grapes they put on there...to DIE for. I seriously savor them when I eat them because they are so strangely good. 

 

On Saturday I headed to Soda City and quickly realized half of Columbia has caught onto the Livingston Farms $10 fill a box. I went pretty early so luckily they still had a lot available and for $10 you can't beat it. 

 

I stopped by Cannonborough Beverage Company to fill up a growler of one of their amazing sodas. I opted for the Grapefruit Elderflower one this time and it did not disappoint. The lady selling for them told me to take a "soda selfie" with my buys, so I did! If you haven't checked these guys out, please do. They are now selling their sodas in bottles too. They have a really neat story on how they got started that is worth reading about.

Now, I can't make a trip to Soda City without grabbing up some of these empanadas. So, So good.

All of my Soda City buys. I have plans for a few of these things for dinner this week. 

 

I used some of the veggies I bought to make homemade red sauce. The first photo is before I took my immersion blender to it and pureed it down. If you don't own an immersion blender, go buy one. They are a life saver!

 

I stole this photo from my snapchat. Andrea was in town for the weekend and this is a random picture we took together, I am not sure WHAT we are doing ha!

 

Use my Cannonborough soda and mint from City Roots to make this cocktail.

 

On Sunday, We headed to Augusta to take our 1 year photos. Our photographer told us about this restaurant called Manuel's in this cute little neighborhood. The restaurant was neat because they grow, I believe, all of the produce they use for their dishes. If you are in the North Augusta area this place is definitely worth checking out. Each and every thing we had was amazing. 

 

Adorable houses in the neighborhood. 

Wine was 1/2 off bottles soooo, I picked out this Rose.  

 

Loved this light!

 

Duck wings with an amazing sauce!

 

Beet and Goat Cheese salad.

 

Coffee rubbed quail and pork belly with goat cheese polenta. The pork belly was to DIE for!

 

Godiva Chocolate Creme Brulee!

Well that about wraps it up. I hope everyone has an amazing week! My week is super hectic because, one of my best friends is getting married this coming weekend!  

Blessings!

Greek NOT Pasta Salad and the best dang chicken.

 I know I have been slacking, but I was in a bit of a cooking rut. It happens to me every now and then and during those time I just throw whatever together. In those moments, I couldn't even think of turning my madness into an actual recipe for you lovely people.

 I am back at it though and I am trying to think of even more ways to post on this here blog. I have a bit of a makeup obsession, so I thought about posting some about that and then there is mine and my husband's love for wood. Maybe I can convince him to do some tutorials on a few things we are working on. I don't really even know if people are reading this, but oh well ha! On to the recipe...

I think I said it in a previous post but, I legit wish I was born Greek. The flavors in Greek food are my weakness. Greece is definitely on my bucket list and one day I will visit there and eat ALL the food.

My sister started making a greek pasta salad a few years ago and now anytime I crave pasta salad, it is my go. Everyone loves it and it makes a lot. I was trying to come up with something that was like that, without the "pasta"  yet I didn't want to just make my greek salad I have posted before.I wanted to come up with a different dressing recipe and ya'll- OH MY GOSH. This might be one of the best dressings I have made yet! As for the chicken recipe, I change it up here and there, but overall, this is the marinade I use for my chicken souvlaki sandwiches and just a good way to amp up some grilled chicken.

|| Best Dang Chicken ||

Ingredients 

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- 8-10 chicken tenderloins, cut into small pieces ( breast would work here too)

-2 cloves of garlic ( smashed then chopped)

-2 tsp oregano (dried)

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 tsp cumin

-1/4 cup olive oil

-2 splashes of red wine vinegar

-juice of one lemon

-2 tBsps plain greek yogurt

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-wooden skewers (soaked in water to keep from burning)

Directions

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Combine chicken pieces and all remaining ingredients into a bowl. Be sure to coat the chicken with the marinade well. Cover and refrigerate 45 mins to overnight ( the longer the better). Once marinated to desired amount, remove and place pieces on wooden skewers. Tip- be sure to leave space between the pieces of chicken. It helps them cook evenly and helps you avoid underdone chicken. Place chicken on grill and cook until done. Be sure to rotate the skewers half way during cooking. You can do this keeping the tenders/breast whole and not even use the skewers but, I love the bite sized pieces.

|| Greek Not Pasta Salad ||

Ingredients

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-1 english cucumber, spiralized *

-about 8 grape tomatoes, halved

-about 5 peperocinis, stemmed and chopped

-about 6 pitted kalamata olives, halved

-1/2 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ( my favorite are the Trader Joes organic garbanzo beans. They are a bit firmer than other canned ones I have tried)

-4 oz feta cheese, crumbled ( do yourself a favor and don't buy the pre crumbled kind for this salad, the block you crumble yourself is only a little bit more cost wise but a thousand times better taste wise)

Directions

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Combine all ingredients and toss with favorite greek/red wine dressing OR do yourself a favor and make the dressing recipe I included below.

I was trying to think of a dressing to go with my "greek not pasta salad" and knew I wanted a dill flavor. I also had an ungodly amount of red onions in my pantry so, I decided to combine the two. This dressing is seriously SO good. I am already thinking of when I can make it again. 

|| Dill Onion Vinaigrette ||

 

Ingredients

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-1 tbsp (packed) fresh dill  (chopped)

-1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1/4 cup red wine vinegar

-1 tsp honey

-1 tBsp dijon mustard

-1 tsp salt

-juice from one lemon WEDGE

Directions

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Combine all ingredients and whisk well. Allow to sit before serving for around 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld together. Will keep in fridge for 1 week.  

* this is the spiralizer I use. I have had it for about 4 years and use it weekly. It comes with 3 different blades. I highly recommend getting one. 

Until next time, my hungry friends. 

xoxo

29 years

Today is my 29th Birthday. I honestly still think sometimes I am still 20 but, I am quickly reminded of all the things I have been through in just a short amount of time. I always imagined what it would be like to be a 30 year old and now I am only a year shy of experiencing that. Today, I thought I would give everyone a glimpse inside of me and share 29 things about my self for my 29 years here on earth.

1. I call my mom at least twice a day.
2. My favorite food is salad and people always look at me crazy when I say that.
3. I would rather shop alone than with someone else.
4. I hate to paint my nails and you will rarely ever even see my toenails painted
5. I didn't start cooking until a few years into college. My mom says when I left home she barely even knew I could boil noodles.
6. I have a collection of cowboy boots. I started wearing cowboy boots before it was a fashion "thing" and now I still wear my boots but the fun of it is a bit worn off.
7. I met my husband in a bar
8. I'd rather spend money on nice makeup than nice clothes
9. My guilty pleasure is a canned coke or chickfila fountain coke
10. I detest Mcdonalds and won't even go there for just a drink.
11. I am afraid of the dark.
12. I cannot bake. I love to cook, but I don't do well following recipes, so baking is a big no for me.
13. I still have my baby blanket but it is shredded into a bunch of pieces. I carry the pieces around sometimes. ha!
14. My family is extremely close. We treat each other like best friends.
15. I never imagined myself living close to home . I am here now and I am happy with it.
16. I wanted to be a psychologist for the majority of my life. I still think it would be a good fit for me.
17. I never feel like I get enough sleep. I am constantly wishing I was in the bed taking a nap.
18. I have one of the smallest bladders of anyone I have ever met.
19. I often think I would have made a better guy than girl.
20. I don't have a filter and sometimes I don't realize what I have said until after it comes out.
21. I have a split uvula. ( the thing that hangs in the back of your throat)
22. My faith saved my life.
23. I have a good read of people and sometimes it causes tension between me and others but, most often my gut is right. 
24. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I do something creative and people assume I got the idea from pinterest. I do love pinterest, but I don't need it for all of my ideas.
25. I love the feel of things. The texture of fabrics, the feel of foods in my mouth etc.
26. I literally have serious issues with the sound of crunching ice and chewing food. It makes me freak out.
27. In my mind I always thought I would have two kids by now.
28. I always have a big bag with random stuff thrown in it. My family has called me the bag lady since I can remember.
29. I don't bite my nails but I constantly have my fingers in my mouth chewing at them.



Here's to 29. May it be my best year yet!

Fig-Prosciutto Flat Bread with Arugula

 A few years back, my sister told me about Naan. She told me it was the perfect store bought alternative to "pita" bread like they serve in restaurants, compared to that horrible stuff they pass off in the grocery store as fresh pita. If you aren't familiar with Naan it is an oven baked flatbread often found in West, Central and South Asia. It light and airy and yummy. It is fairly easy to make but I am a cheater and I always buy the store bought kind. The best brand in my opinion is the Stonefire brand. They carry it in my area at Publix. I also buy the brand they sell at Aldi, which is nearly identical to the Stonefire brand. I often throw a package in my grocery cart because it can be used in so many different ways. 

A few weeks ago I was at work trying to think of what I had at home for dinner. I remembered I had a bought a package of naan and some prosciutto the week before. I almost always keep goat cheese and fresh mozzarella on hand so, I thought, YUP! Naan "pizza" it is. You could definitely change out your ingredients here. This one is on the sweeter side, but not dessert sweet.

 For the base of the flat bread I used one of Sallie's Greatest Jams on it. Let me tell you, these things are GREAT. I picked one up about a year ago at the local meat market and quickly went back for other flavors. They are made in SC and make the BEST addition to a cheese plate. Sallie's has no idea who I am, but I love to support local companies. It would be hard for me to pick a favorite but, I think my original purchased flavor, Blackberry Spice & Sage is my favorite. A piece of brie and it are a beautiful pair, just saying.

Anyways, on to the recipe. You can find a ton of different recipes for proscuitto fig pizza but this is my take on it. This recipe is per flat bread so, depending on how many you are making, just double, triple etc. the recipe.

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Fig-Prosciutto Naan with Argula

{{Ingredients}}

-1 naan

-1-2 thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto {torn into pieces}

- about 1 tbsp of fig jam 

-2 slices of buffalo mozzarella {cut into smaller pieces}

-1 tbsp of goat cheese { crumbled into smaller pieces)

- 1 handful of arugula

- 1 drizzle of olive oil

{{Directions}}

Lay out naan on oven safe pizza pan or a cookie sheet will work just fine. Spread fig jam onto naan. Evenly spread out cheese around naan. Top with torn pieces of prosciutto. Place into oven and cook for about 13 minutes (or until cheese is completely melted and prosciutto looks a little bit crispy). Remove from oven and top with arugula, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on top. At this point you can either put the naan back in the oven {for no longer than 1 minute} to wilt the arugula a bit or you can just eat it like it is. Some times I like it wilted and other times I like it completely raw. That's up to you. Cut naan into bite sized pieces and ENJOY!

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Weekend Roundup

Last week was a bit crazy and I spent most of the week running around doing errands. I am going to try and do better this week about posting.  Today I am here showing you some glimpse into our weekend. We had a very busy weekend and I was so tired I ended up going to sleep last night at 8:30. For me, that is unheard of, I am a 100% night owl. 

Even though Thursday is not part of the weekend, I am posting this anyways. We met our friends Charlie for dinner on Thursday night at one of our favorite little spots in Blythewood. They literally have a mix of everything on their menu. I had the Chicken souvlaki plate and as always, it was delicious.

 

I found these root chips at TJ Maxx and they were salt and vinegar flavor. I love regular salt and vinegar chips but try to stay away from them for the fear of eating the entire bag. These are a bit better for you and do NOT disappoint. 

 

In Asheville, on of my favorite hidden gems is White Duck Taco. They opened on recently in Columbia so we went on Friday night to check it out. Thomas had eaten lunch there a few weeks ago but I was dying to go. The best thing I had was the crispy pork belly taco with pickled watermelon rind. It was so good, I was tempted to order a second one. I love their salsa trio but, the salsa verde is mine and Thomas favorite. 

 

We have been working on our single (super tiny)  bathroom for what feels like FOREVER. It was a darker grey color before and it just did not fit the "airy" feel of the rest of the rooms in our house. We went with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt and I am in LOVE.  It still needs shelves but, my husband carpenter hasn't finished them yet. We are hoping to get them hung this week. Thomas told me my to do list for him is cutting into his fishing time so, after this task and painting our living room, he told me he needs a break for awhile. I am in need of some relaxing and sunshine myself so I think I am happy to oblique.

 

Headed to a couples shower for our friends Emilee and Price. Thomas constantly makes fun of my sunglasses, calling them windshields, but I am enjoying them.  I may or may not have changed my lip color after this because my dress had more pink in it and I was not feeling the red color with my dress.

With my friend Holly. I got this dress from Ivy and Leo and it is so, so comfortable!

Thomas and I with our friends Rachel and Travis.

This is me with my friend Emilee. Our friend Ashley sells this lipsense product that is unbelievable. We all hung out after the shower and we may or may not have spent a couple hours drinking wine and trying on lip colors while the boys played quarters. Emilee never wears bright colored lips so we had to document what her color looked like. Wine, the things it makes you do ha!

On Sunday my friend Brittani and I hosted a baby shower for our friends Maggie and Chris. We were so bad and forgot to take any pictures of the shower and did not even take a photo with the mama to be. I stole this photo from a friend that was at the shower. We can't wait to meet baby Mason very soon!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting this weekend? My birthday is next monday so I am looking forward to this coming weekend! We will be celebrating with some of my friends! 

Hope you have a blessed week.