Bringing the Tropics Into Your Kitchen: Easy Caribbean Bean Salad



Now that I'm back from Virginia, I am trying to eat lighter. I brought a few extra pounds back after indulging in a glorious afternoon tea at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, which I will tell you about soon. As a result, I have a lot of salads on my meal plan this week, or healthier side dishes. My family will only eat salads so much, and Will doesn't really like salads as an entree at all, unless it's a Taco Salad.

Since I am still in vacation mode, I thought I would bring a little bit of the tropics in my kitchen this week by making a Caribbean Bean Salad recipe I found in the Junior Guild of Rocky Mount, North Carolina cookbook. It has a lot of fiber, and the ingredients are light.


I honestly think this salad could stand alone as a light entree, but to please my husband, I served it as a side to my favorite "Joey" burgers, which are also featured on the blog in the recipe section.

The original bean salad recipe calls for a cup of bean sprouts, but I left it out. I forgot to put that on my grocery list. I am always leaving out something, but I didn't miss that ingredient at all. I think my version is good, and that is what I'm sharing with you today along with my substitutions.


Caribbean Bean Salad

1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup sweet corn
1 cup of brown rice
2 sliced green onions
1/2 cup of red pepper
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar ( I was running low so I had to use some apple cider vinegar, too).
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard


Prepare all ingredients, and mix together in a large bowl, stirring well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Enjoy! And apparently, grilling out on a sunny day in Raleigh requires rain boots. She wouldn't eat the salad, but she almost ate a whole burger.



Be sure to come back for Instagram Travel Thursday. If you are a blogger, we would love for you to link up with us.

My Favorite Instagram Shots from Visit Raleigh

We are back again this week with our third Instagram Travel Thursday link-up. Just to recap, we are here each week sharing the joy of travel through Instagram photos. If you have been following me this week on Instagram then you know I'm enjoying Colonial Williamsburg with my family this week. I cannot wait to share that trip with you in the future, but today I thought it would be great to a highlight an Instagram account that I enjoy following: VISITRALEIGH

Yes, I live in Raleigh, North Carolina and I follow my own hometown's Instagram account. I love seeing the view of my town through the eyes of others. 




I love this shot of the State Capitol Building.






The history of Raleigh dates by to 1792, and was established as North Carolina's government seat.





Thirteen years ago when I moved to Raleigh, the downtown area had recently started its revitalization efforts. Now, the downtown area is seeing more boutiques. Raleigh purse designer, Holly Aiken, has her own shop called, Stitch. Purse lovers are beginning to recognize a bag designed by Holly as soon as they see it around town.





I love the architecture of this former residence in Raleigh. It is currently the home to Raleigh's Second Empire Tavern and Restaurant, a Four-Diamond Award winner.  It's special to me because it was the site of my wedding reception in 2002.




The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences provides hours of enjoyment for families. 



Raleigh, of course, is named after Sir Walter Raleigh. 




If you ever decide to visit Raleigh, please let me know.  I'll tell you the best places to eat, and stay.  You can start planning your trip at VisitRaleigh.com.

And if you are a blogger, please join us in the link-up.  



Take a look at the official rules on Skimbaco Lifestyle, but here are some important things to remember when linking your post.



Here are the Linky rules:
Link to a new Instagram travel post and use the permalink of your post, not the homepage URL.
Only new posts from the week of the linky and no giveaways, other linkys or sales pitches.
No links to your Instagram profile, only links to your blog.
Link back to one of the Instagram Travel Thursday hosts.
Visit a few other posts in the linky and show them some love (comment, tweet, Pin etc.).
Links that do not follow the guidelines will be removed.
The Instagram Travel Thursday linky is posted on Thursdays at 1AM EST and the linky is open until the following Wednesday.
On a side note, I am returning from Colonial Williamsburg late tonight.  I look forward to reading the posts in the link-up when I return tomorrow. In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram. 

Be sure to follow me on one or more of my social media platforms.  TwitterInstagram ,Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus or on Bloglovin, if you just want post updates. When traveling, I'm on Instagram the most.  My personal family Instagram account is LeighPHines.



Instagram Travel Link-Up: Why you Should Indulge in Fried Shrimp, Hushpuppies and Ice Cream in Calabash, N.C.

We are back again this week with the second  Instagram Travel Thursday link-up.  We are here each week sharing the joy of travel through Instagram photos.  Today, I'm going to share why Calabash, North Carolina is a place I like to visit every year. 





































I have been on Instagram about a year. If you have followed me from the beginning then you probably have noticed a repeat photo pattern, such as Leigh and her family, are in Calabash, North Carolina AGAIN eating fried shrimp, hushpuppies, and ice cream.











Why is that? Well, it is because we know what we are getting when we go to Calabash, and everyone wants to experience a good thing again.



Calabash, North Carolina, is located off the Intracoastal Waterway at the North Carolina/South Carolina border in Brunswick County. It is a fishing village where restaurants started serving what the fishermen brought fresh off the boat in a very distinctive cooking style.  They fry it up, baby!  That's right.  The town's abundant seafood restaurants have put Calabash, N.C. on the map as "The Seafood Capital of the World" for its Calabash-style seafood.

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that people line out the door of these restaurants as early at 4 p.m.  This is outside of Ella's of Calabash when we visited earlier this month. 



Years ago, dining in Calabash was pretty basic.  People only dined on fried seafood, slaw, fries, and hushpuppies, and alcohol was not served.  Many restaurants are changing that atmosphere today, and are offering a full-service bar for diners as well as broiled seafood dishes, steaks, and chicken entrees. The town attracts diners from the coast of North Carolina as well as the Myrtle Beach area. 

I have a confession to make. I was never a big fan of "Calabash-style" seafood until I was pregnant with my daughter four summers ago.  I would always eat deviled crab, boiled shrimp, and hushpuppies when I made the mandatory trip with my husband. He is a fried shrimp lover. On that one trip, I tasted Will's fried shrimp, and was hooked.  I started craving fried shrimp during the last few months of my pregnancy, and have eaten fried shrimp from that day forward.

We usually go to Ella's Seafood when we visit Calabash.


 And my mom goes across the street to The Seafood Hut.



The closer you get to the Calabash waterfront, the busier the restaurants become at dinnertime. The funny thing is that everyone has their own favorite dining spots in this town, and they are going to tell you that the one they frequent is best. No one can really agree on which restaurant in Calabash is the best. I polled my personal Facebook friends, and the Seafood Hut and Ella's were mentioned as the most popular among my friends. 

But, there is one thing that diners agree on when visiting this small town, filled with at least 10 restaurants, all serving the same type of food. The best ice cream in town is at the Calabash Creamery.




I usually the get the "Birthday cake" flavor at this local creamery, but I decided on "Coffee" ice cream time. I loved it, and will definitely get it again.

This little one orders pink ice cream on every summer visit.


Strawberry matches her outfit, of course.

For more on our Myrtle Beach vacation, visit this post on the Coconut Cloud Martini I discovered this year at Tommy Bahama, and the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. 


 And if you are a blogger, please join us in the link-up.  



Take a look at the official rules on Skimbaco Lifestyle., but here are some important things to remember when linking your post.


Here are the Linky rules:
Link to a new Instagram travel post and use the permalink of your post, not the homepage URL.
Only new posts from the week of the linky and no giveaways, other linkys or sales pitches.
No links to your Instagram profile, only links to your blog.
Link back to one of the Instagram Travel Thursday hosts.
Visit a few other posts in the linky and show them some love (comment, tweet, Pin etc.).
Links that do not follow the guidelines will be removed.
The Instagram Travel Thursday linky is posted on Thursdays at 1AM EST and the linky is open until the following Wednesday.
On a side note, I am traveling today to Charlotte, N.C. to take the kids to Carowinds for a quick adventure.  I look forward to reading the posts in the link-up when I return tomorrow. In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram. 

Be sure to follow me on one or more of my social media platforms.  TwitterInstagram ,Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus or on Bloglovin, if you just want post updates. When traveling, I'm on Instagram the most.  My personal family Instagram account is LeighPHines.



A Southern Parenting Tale: Making S'mores a Family Summer Tradition

It's been awhile since I've shared a southern parenting tale.  Since we are at the midpoint of summer, I thought I would share our new family tradition with you, and tell you why I'm calling S'mores, "The Dessert of the Summer."




You know. There is always some song declared as the “song of the summer.”  Of course, I can’t tell you what that particular song is for the summer of 2013. In fact, I can’t name songs of the summer for past years, either.

But I can tell you the dessert of the summer.  And in my house, it is the S’more.  Yes, good, old-fashioned S’mores.  Nothing fancy.  Just marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. 
So how did a S’more, something that has been around for decades, all of a sudden become the “it” dessert of the summer?




Last year, I did a family travel feature on the beautiful Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia.  At night, families sit around the massive fire pit and make S’mores.  Kids run around in their golf shirts and best sundresses on the lush, green lawn. They stop only when it’s time to make the S’mores.  It was really a lot of fun and a great memory.

I definitely can’t wait to return to the Homestead one day to do all of that again, but this year we decided to bring a little bit of the Homestead to our own homestead.




We now have a small firepit in our backyard. 

S’mores are now our dessert choice of the summer.  We don’t do it often, and, because of that, it is still looked upon as a treat, kind of like going to the Homestead.

We’ve done it a couple of times with our extended family, and it was a fun, special time.  I definitely think we are making cherished memories with the kids.




But the other night, as some “song of the summer” was playing on Pandora, I was home alone with kids while my husband worked. I really craved a rich, gooey S’more.

Could I possibly?

Yeah, I wasn’t about to start a fire.

We made indoor S’mores.

Making indoor S’mores may not be as fun as making them in the fire pit, but they are still good.  And you can make one in half the time.



Hmmm!  And I wonder why my behind looks like a marshmallow. 

Hines S’mores (Fire Pit not needed)

I large marshmallow
I graham cracker, cut in half
1 mini bar of chocolate or 1 bar broken off a larger bar of chocolate.
Heat marshmallow for 10 to 12 seconds in microwave.  Carefully place it on graham cracker. Add bar of chocolate. Top it with another graham cracker. Mash it, and enjoy.  It tastes just like the ones made in the fire pit.

You may also like a S’mores cupcake recipe that has also been featured on the blog by Mandi McClure of Southern Gnome. 

Enjoy the dessert of the summer!  I know I do.


This piece was originally written for my TriangleMom2Mom column that runs every Wednesday. But, with everyone on vacation for the Fourth of July holiday, no one saw it so I'm sharing it here, too. 


Also, be sure to join us for Instagram Travel Thursday this week.  You can read  more about the link-up on Skimbaco Lifestyle.  Join us. 

Instagram Travel Link-Up: The Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa

I am beyond thrilled to co-host the new Instagram Travel Thursday linky with some of my favorite bloggers, who I now call, my friends. We are going to be here each week sharing the joy of travel through Instagram photos.




In my bio, Katja wrote that I have a slight hotel obsession. She's starting to know her luxury travel editor well. Since she said that, I thought it would be only fitting for me to share my recent visit to the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes, located on South Carolina's beautiful Grand Strand, with you. 

I sent my two kids to the beach with Will.



I hurriedly left my mom's beach house, Surf Chalet, in North Myrtle Beach, and hightailed it 20 minutes south. 




Truthfully, I think the conversation went with my husband like this, "Here are their swimsuits, sunscreen, and I may be gone all day. Bye!" I think I let the back door hit me in the behind because I got out of there so quickly. 

My day was planned. A tour of Myrtle Beach's only Four Diamond oceanfront resort, lunch at Ocean's on 82nd, and a luxurious massage in the Hibiscus Spa. Since my family owns Surf Chalet, I never get to see luxury hotels when I visit the Myrtle Beach area.  This was a royal treat, and this oceanfront resort reminds me of paradise. 




There are two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, and two outdoor restaurants. 




The beach is just steps away, too. 




I dined in the hotel's more formal restaurant, Ocean's on 82nd, by the sea. My entree, the Cobb Lobster Salad, was fantastic. 



But, the true crown jewel came with this key lime pie. 



I honestly don't remember having a key lime pie this good since I ate a slice of pie in Key West,  Florida in 1997. This was fantastic. I may have to go back to Myrtle to get another slice the next time I visit. 



Somehow I managed to roll myself downstairs to the Hibiscus Spa for my spa appointment with Christine.  The Hibiscus Spa is a peaceful sanctuary without ocean views, but your time here will truly make your vacation relaxing.  Relaxation areas are cozy, and serene. 

I was happy to trade my Jack Rogers wedges for spa slippers. 




I visited the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes during their busiest time so I was not able to see a room on this visit. They were booked. Room rates start at $339 during the summer.  It's also important for parents to note that the hotel has a very active Kid's Club, too. 




I think these two would approve of the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes just like their mama does.  I did not lie to my husband.  I was pretty much gone all day on my outing. But, it's hard to pry yourself away from a place that looks like this. 




Want to Go:
Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes
8400 Costa Verda Drive
Myrtle Beach, SC

These photos appeared on SkimbacoTravel or on my own account. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook or on Bloglovin, if you just want post updates.  My personal family Instagram account is LeighPHines. And if you are a blogger, please join us on Thursdays in the link-up.  Take a look at the official rules on Skimbaco Lifestyle. 

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa on this visit.

#TRAVELTUESDAY: The Grand Strand of South Carolina



Greetings from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Follow our Grand Strand adventures on Instagram.  

We are receiving lots of rain this week so our beach time has been limited, but I did find a new favorite drink.  Let me introduce you to the Coconut Cloud from the Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe, located at The Market Common. Delicious! You cannot stop at one. 




I raise my martini glass to you, and wish your family a Happy 4th of July week!

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