Lifestyle

Lowcountry

The Drip Lounge’s Charleston, SC Brick & Mortar Debut

April 24, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Charleston, SC- Charleston’s premier IV therapy provider, The Drip Lounge, will debut its high-end brick and mortar location on Friday, May 6 at 9 a.m. The 564 King St. location will offer top-notch drips with their advanced “push” vitamin technology, NAD+ and peptide treatments, as well as a wide range of speed vitamins from their shot bar.

The spacious lounge will be home to ten semi-private stations with luxurious recliners for Charleston imbibers, bachelorette/bachelor parties, girls groups, athletes or anyone looking to improve their hydration, sleep, energy, clarity and/or focus. The Drip Lounge’s expertly-curated packages like their Gamechanger and Glowing Goddess offer intentional combinations of electrolytes, vitamins, amino acids and minerals scientifically-designed to garner impactful results. Unique “push” vitamin technology injects ingredients directly into the bloodstream as opposed to diluting them in the saline solution, which allows the body to absorb nutrients at a much higher rate. 

“We’ve had a blast serving the Charleston area via our Mobile Drip Lounges for the past  12 months,” says The Drip Lounge Partner Brice O’Brien. “But having a home base on the Holy City’s bustling King St. is thrilling. We’re so excited to be a trusted provider of NAD and peptides and for visitors and locals alike to experience our fun and rejuvenating push vitamin technology.”

The Drip Lounge also provides highly sought-after NAD+ therapy, known to improve neurological function, support brain cell regeneration and boost energy and metabolism, cutting-edge peptide therapy that maximizes muscle growth and aids weight loss, and a vitamin shot bar for guests looking to get a quick boost of nutrition, energy and hydration.

Operating hours are Thursday- Monday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Guests can call (843) 990-4700 to book an appointment ahead, but walk-ins are welcome. The Mobile Drip Lounges will still be at events and available for private house calls in the Charleston area, great for bachelor/bachelorette parties, guys golf weekends, weddings and more.

Lowcountry

Letter to My Future Charleston Baby Daughter

April 23, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Dear Emma,

Each night when you were all snug in your bed with Mr. Peeps, I read you a story. At the time, I took comfort that you just felt comfortable to hear my voice before you went to bed and as your eyes faded into the night, you never forget to whisper, “I love you” to me. That was our time and I always held it close to my heart. Those stories meant something more than a way to ease you to dreamland. They were filled with strength, courage, morals, compassion and love. These values I hope you will carry with you all your days.

I know I told you that I would always be there for you and I will. Each time you feel scared or confused, close your eyes and the memory of me with give you the security to carry you through the difficult times.

Sometimes you may think you hear my voice in the wind. You will. I will never leave you side.

You are my world and I hope you give as much love to your children as I to you. Times have changed dramatically as you have grown into this world. Technology is an integral part of your life. Communications are becoming void of emotion and relationships need to be the cornerstone of all that is real.

We would always say “the good old days” or “times were easier back in the day” You never had the chance to live without your smartphone, computer, iPad and other modern toys. Growing up, the streets and the parks were our game console and the neighborhood was the only world we knew. We could hear pins drop at night and see every star in the sky. Flowers and trees weren’t virtual. We didn’t want 3-D, we just wanted to touch everything. Curiosity and imagination gave us all the fuel we needed to be anyone or anywhere we wanted.

That is the magic of the stories I told you. It took you to a place that no game can ever match, your mind. You are blessed with the most wonderful piece of technology. The ability to dream and create is such a wonderful gift of which there is no price.

You are going to have to work hard. With continued population growth and limited career opportunities, you will fight every day to stay on top. Competition is coming globally from all directions as social media has given everyone the chance to gain virtual stardom and step on your chance for continued development.

I loved every job I ever had, but the most rewarding role of my life was loving every moment with you. A day never went by without the thought of seeing you every night rushing through my head. You were my muse, my inspiration.

I don’t want you to every stop succeeding but never let a game system or iPad replace a hug and a story.
Greatness is defined by moments but also by the influence we play in other’s lives.

As your children grow, they will look to you. They will receive peer pressure and they will try to find their own independence, but if you teach them well and let them know how much you love them, they won’t stray far.

My generation started feeling a sense of apathy and uncertainty about faith. I know you saw it too, but you turned out amazing. Watching you grow and embracing the earth, recycling, volunteering and treating everyone equally makes me believe that as I pass on, you will continue to stand up for the foundation of the things that are truly good in this world.

Artificial intelligence is a truly amazing feat with the potential to stretch the limits of possibility but love, compassion and something as simple as a hug can carry a weight much stronger than any robot.

I will never leave you, but you will be on your own now. Looking in your eyes, I always saw the inner strength you possessed and I knew that you would achieve greatness.

I will never stop looking down on you. Let your children have the toys that are now a part of every moment of our lives, but show them the wonders of the world and give all of yourself to them.

I love you sweetheart

Dad

Food & Bev - Lowcountry

Mashed.com has named its Best Seafood Restaurants in the US – One Charleston Restaurant made the list

April 22, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Congratulations to The Ordinary named one of the top seafood restaurants in the nation by Mashed.com

Located at 544 King Street, Charleston, SC, The Ordinary, which is the same team that derived FIG, has captivated diners who come from far and wide to enjoy this culinary delight. They have created a menu that “celebrates the “merroir” of the Coastal Carolinas and the East Coast, and we strive to support local and regional fishermen, crabbers, oystermen, farmers and producers.”

The Mashed article describes The Ordinary as: “In the elegant city of Charleston, South Carolina, an oyster hall is ensconced in a former bank. From all accounts, there’s absolutely nothing ordinary about The Ordinary. According to The New York Times, award-winning chef Mike Lata is clearly obsessed with oysters. “You can poach them, broil them, smoke them, pickle them,” Lata told the Times. Lata hails from Massachusetts, but he’s endeared himself to Charlestonians with his passionate support of local fishermen (per Charleston Food & Wine), who provide him with the seafood he needs to create his eclectic menu.

Lata avoids cliched Southern food — not a speck of pork on the menu — and instead uses similar preparations but with fresh herbs and spices not usually associated with seafood (per Charleston City Paper). There’s a single meat item — steak tartare — and everything else is raw or cold and hot plates. The menu changes daily, but you’ll always find a large sampling of local oysters, which Lata also piles on — along with a fisherman’s-net-full of clams, shrimp, and smoked-fish pate — his well-priced seafood towers. Crispy oyster sliders are a big hit, and look for the skate wing that’s roasted on the bone and slides off in delicate white slivers.”

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Lowcountry

Sarah Campbell Allan, Charleston and South Carolina’s First Female Doctor

April 21, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Sarah Campbell Allan was born in Charleston, S.C. on 7 December 1861 to James and Amey Sarah (Hobcraft) Allan, both immigrants to Charleston. James Allan, a native of Wick, Scotland, had arrived as a young boy with his parents in 1837. His father, Alexander, was a cabinetmaker by trade and James’s mother, Isabella, was the daughter of a Scottish schoolmaster from Thurso in Caithness. James grew to manhood in Charleston, eventually becoming a well-known jeweler and silversmith. Amey Sarah Hobcraft, born near the ancient walls of the City of London, arrived in Charleston as a young lady to visit an aunt. After a short courtship, James and Amey were married in Charleston 13 August 1856, and they had at least 11 children. Sarah Campbell Allan was their third child. Her two older siblings died young, leaving Sarah as her parents’ eldest child.

After being denied entry to the Medical College of the State of South Carolina because of her gender, she attended the Woman’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary, an institution founded by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell and her sister, Dr. Emily Blackwell in 1868. The school closed in 1899 after Cornell University pledged to accept women medical students. Dr. Allan also completed a post-graduate year of study at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in 1895.

In October 1894, Dr. Allan took the newly instituted examinations for medical licensing in South Carolina. In her group of candidates, she was the only female present and she handily outperformed her male counterparts. She was issued license number 40, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina.

In 1895, Governor John Gary Evans appointed Dr. Allan as Assistant Physician at the South Carolina State Lunatic Asylum under James W. Babcock. She remained in Columbia until 1907, when she resigned to return to Charleston and care for her ailing father. Although she never formally practiced medicine again, she consulted with Charleston physicians on psychiatric cases during her retirement. Dr. Allan never married and she died in Charleston on 25 February 1954.

She is buried at Magnolia Cemetery.

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Lowcountry

Nigerian Jollof Rice Meets Low Country Red Rice|Hibiscus Mule – Lowcountry Cooking with Charleston’s Chef Jolie

April 21, 2022 by 0 Comments
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HIBISCUS MULE

  • 1 1/2 oz    vodka
  • 1 oz           hibiscus syrup (I used hibiscus flowers in syrup)
  •  Juice, 1/2 lime
  • 1-2 oz      ginger beer
  • Fresh mint & lime for garnish

Add ice to a shaker with vodka, hibiscus syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer. Shake until ICE COLD!  Pour into a copper mug, garnish with mint, and lime, and enjoy!

If you can’t find Hibiscus flowers in syrup like is used.  Try this recipe

NIGERIAN JOLLOF RICE

Serves 4

  • 2               medium red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1               small yellow, rough chopped (medium dice the 1/2 onion)
  • 3 c            meat stock (use 1 cup for blending the pepper sauce)
  • 1-2            scotch bonnets or habanero peppers
  • 1 c             vegetable oil
  • 1/2 c        butter
  • 1               6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp     curry powder
  • 1 Tbsp     dried thyme
  • 2 Tbsp     A Dab A Do Ya!
  • 1 Tbsp     Maggi or Knorr chicken base
  • 2               bay leaves
  • 1/2 Tbsp  minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 c     parboiled rice

METHOD

1.  In a blender, blend the chopped peppers, 1/2 of the other onion (remember to save the other 1/2 onion for frying), and scotch bonnet peppers with 1 cup of stock.

2.  Once blended, put in a saucepan on low to boil out the water/stock.  This should take about 20 mins.  The pepper sauce will be thick once done.

3. Once the pepper sauce is done, preheat a medium sized pot over medium heat for  2-3 minutes.  Then add vegetable oil and heat for 1-2 mins. Next, add the butter. Once the butter is almost completely melted add the onions.  

4. Fry the onions for 2-3 minutes, then add the boiled pepper and onion mixture and continue frying for an additional 2-3 minutes. Then stir in, curry powder,  thyme, A Dab A Do Ya!, and Maggi/Knorr seasoning.  Continue stirring allowing the seasonings to cook into the mixture.

5. Stir in tomato paste and until well incorporated. On medium-low heat continue frying the mixture for 10-15 minutes.

6. Add stock, stir and bring the mixture to a boil.  Stir in rice, bring to a low boil and cover for 10 minutes to allow the bottom of the rice to get crispy. (creating the crispy bottom of the rice is optional).

7. After the first 10 minutes of cooking, remove the top, add bay leaves and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly with foil and lid.  Cook for 25 additional minutes. 

8. Uncover, fluff, remove bay leaves and enjoy with fish, chicken and your family!

LOWCOUNTRY RED RICE

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 c  long grain white rice, uncooked
  • 2 c  smoked sausage, cut in ½ circles
  • ½ c  yellow onion, medium dice
  • 2 Tbsp  vegetable oil
  • 3 ½-4 c  tomato sauce 
  • ¼ c  water
  • 1-2 Tbsp A Dab A Do Ya!
  • Pinch  white sugar
  • Pinch  cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tbsp  unsalted butter 

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Preheat skillet on medium high heat for 2-3 mins

3. Add vegetable oil and heat for 2 mins.

4. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 mins. Then add sausage and sauté for an additional 3 mins.

5. Next add tomato sauce, water, A Dab A Do Ya!, sugar, and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Allow tomato mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, and stir occasionally.

6. Spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray and add rice.

7. Using a colander, separate sausage and onions from tomato sauce.

8. Add the sausage and onion mixture to the top of the rice. Then, add about 3 cups of tomato sauce onto the rice and stir. Add butter and cover with plastic & foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 mins.

9. After 25-30 minutes, uncover, stir, and determine if you need to add more tomato sauce.  If so, add more liquid, recover and continue to bake in 7-10 min. increments.  Rice should be soft and fluffy when finished.

Lowcountry

Dr. Tonya Matthews discusses The International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, SC (New Video Interview)

April 21, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Who’s on the Move presents a discussion with Dr. Tonya Matthews inside the new International African American Museum set to open in late 2022.

About the Video

Set to open in late 2022, IAAM will honor the untold stories of the African American journey from Charleston, S.C., at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf and beyond.

Lowcountry

Downtown Charleston’s “Under The Almond Trees” Celebrates Five Years – Cinco De Mom-O

April 21, 2022 by 0 Comments
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Under The Almond Trees Charleston’s premier downtown baby boutique, invites guests to celebrate their five-year anniversary by joining for their Cinco De Mom-O party on Thursday, May 5 from 4-8 p.m. benefitting Florence Crittenton Programs of SC.

Location: 190 King Street, Charleston, SC

Guests are invited to shop from 15 local vendors in and around the store, eat delicious bites from Papi Chulo food truck, a raffle, and silent auction.  Florence Crittenton’s mission is to provide hope, safety, and opportunity to pregnant, parenting, and young women in foster care to instill self-worth and self-sufficiency. The nonprofit values the right of every young woman to obtain the education, skills, and support needed to have a healthy start in life – for today and tomorrow

For more information, please e-mail info@underthealmondtrees.com.