TGIF!! Hey Guys!! I know you’re probably just as happy as I am to start the weekend. I’m extra excited because today I’m sharing my first guest on the Punch Bowl Social Series. I’m pleased to introduce you to the beautiful and talented April of Whisk It Real Gud. I met this lovely lady through blogging and sharing recipes in her Facebook Food Bloggers Delicious Recipes group. April is not only a fantastic mom and loving wife, but she’s also an author, photographer and recipe developer. How she does it all is quite inspiring. Grab your drinky-drink, sit back, relax and let’s get to chattin’ -and hear all about her “chicapower”!
Welcome April – Tell us who you are and how you chose your blog name.
Hi everyone, my name is April and I’m from NJ. I wasn’t born in NJ but I call it my home because that’s where I was raised. I was born in upstate NY. I now reside in the DC area. I’ve been a food blogger since 2014 and I share all kinds of easy to prepare and cook recipes.
How did you get your blog name?
I wanted a name that people would never forget and something catchy. One day, as I was driving to the grocery store Salt n Peppa’s song titled, “Push It” played on the radio. For people that don’t know the song, the chorus goes like this.
Push it good
Push it real good
Ah, push it
Ah, push it
As I was singing along, a light bulb went off in my head, “Push it real good”,”Whisk It Real Gud?” That’s basically how my blog got it’s name.
I see we have another Jersey Girl in the house!!..LOL!! And how you got the name. well that was quite creative.. and it’s so funny because when I first read the name of your blog – that song came straight to my mind…So – there you go – it worked. Okay, let me hush, tell me…What do you consider is a girl’s fun night-out?
I was never really a club person, I prefer catching movies with my girlfriends or sisters. I’m a homebody and most of my girlfriends are too, so we enjoy dinner at home and cooking together while acting like silly fools, binge watching our favorite TV shows. Staying home and chilling with the people I love is everything.
Awww… I love that! I’ll say this.. one thing for sure – ain’t nothing like having your sisters around. There’s something extra special being in the kichen cooking with your girls, sharing girltalk and learning each other’s cooking techniques. And speaking of girl talk, do you all talk about things you fantasize about doing, such as, a Bucket List.. Do you have one and if so, how about sharing 2 adventures.
My bucket list is so long. I hope I can make them all one day. I scratched one place off my list last year and that was Punta Cana. I loved it so much there I didn’t want to leave.
Next on my bucket list is Africa. My son is half Ghanaian, so I would love to be able to take him there for a couple weeks one summer to visit his other side of the family, oh I would love to visit South Africa too! Third on my bucket list is Brazil. When I first met my husband, he told me that he lived with a host family in Brazil while studying abroad. I was so shocked because Brazil has been on my bucket list since high school. That day, we found out we had so much in common and we’ve been together ever since. We are planning to visit Brazil, I’m just hoping it’ll be within the next couple years.
Those all sound fantastic.. It’s rewarding when we have role models who set a standard above the norm. We all have a few special folks whom we feel gives us that “I CAN DO IT” motivation, so tell us.. Who inspires you?
1. Oprah. I love how she overcame so many battles and she worked to become the woman she is today.
2. Katherine Goble/Johnson (aka human computer) a truly inspiring smart woman. Actually, I should say intelligent! “Katherine G. Johnson, a NASA mathematician from the racially segregated West Computing group group at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia played key roles in the flights of astronauts Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.”
3. Tia Mowry. I love this lady. She’s smart, pretty, funny, silly and humble and I love her style. My sister seems to think I act like Tia haha, I don’t mind that one bit. I grew up watching her on Sister-Sister and now I watch her cooking channel which I love. I recently pre-ordered her cookbook and can’t wait to get it.
Wow!!! You picked some real winners!! I actually bought Oprah’s book – The Oprah Winfrey Show – Reflections on an American Legacy and became even more inspired by her tenacity, her spirit and her love of what she does. I clearly see how she was at the top of your list. I’ve not seen Hidden Figures yet (I know, I know, but I’m headed within the next two weeks – so don’t strangle me..lol) but I heard all about it… I could definitely see Tia Mowry in you, heck I’m waiting for you to publish your book- Girl your recipes and pictures are the BOMB!! I don’t want to hold you any longer (because, I can go on and on) but what is your Drink Must-Haves:
Thank you so much Jamala for having me today! I really enjoyed being part of your Punch Bowl Social!
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add tea bags and mint leaves. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover for 10 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags and mint. Pour into a 1-gallon. container; add add peach nectar, lemonade concentrate, and Simple Sugar Syrup. Cover and chill overnight.
3. Pour chilled tea into a pitcher. Right before serving, stir in ginger ale and club soda. Garnish with mint and fresh peaches if desired.
Summers Mansion Sweet Peach Tea Punch
A summer fruity drink that's refreshingly delicious.
- 3 lrg tea bags
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 bottle peach nector 33.8 oz
- 1/2 can frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
- 1/2 cup Simple sugar syrup
- 1 liter ginger ale chilled
- 1 liter club soda chilled
- 1 peach cut in wedges for garnish
Instructions
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1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add tea bags and mint leaves. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover for 10 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags and mint. Pour into a 1-gallon. container; add add peach nectar, lemonade concentrate, and Simple Sugar Syrup. Cover and chill overnight.
3. Pour chilled tea into a pitcher. Right before serving, stir in ginger ale and club soda. Garnish with mint and fresh peaches if desired.
Great punch! Any suggestions on how to spike it?
LOL! That’s a good question… perhaps splash of rum might do the trick..(and I would think a peach flavored rum would definitely work) Cheers!!
What a nice read this morning while drinking my O.J. Nice to meet her. Very inspiring and interesting. I’ll have to check that movie too. I swear you are going to make me out of a cook. Her recipes look delicious! Great PBS. I’m going to make that punch too. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for reading Linda! April is sweetheart of a lady and yes after visiting her blog I think it’ll tempt you to cook! Believe it or not .. It ain’t so bad.. Now if you do decide to try a recipe – we’d love to hear about it