Orlando weekend recap

Last weekend we ventured out of Tampa Bay and into the Orlando area. No theme parks in mind on this particular visit, just relaxing and enjoying time together and with friends.

The best part of our trip was our temporary vacation home at Windsor Hills Resort. Windsor Hills is a perfectly kept community of vacation homes for families visiting the Orlando area. They boast themselves as "the closest vacation home resort to Walt Disney World." The property seemed to be very secure, and totally picture perfect. The lawns were perfectly manicured, the neighborhood was perfectly quietly, and it looked like the ultimate suburbia dream land. Nearby you could find every chain restaurant you could imagine and lots of souvenir shops. If you are vacationing with your family to the Disney area, this is the way to do it. Our vacation home had 6 bedrooms, a game room, and a private pool.

Ah, Pleasantville

My favorite meal of the trip came from Shula Burger. I found out that this was actually the newest location - it was in Kissimmee at the Rolling Oaks Plaza. (We actually visited the Rolling Oaks Plaza several times while we were in town. It has pretty much everything you need.) Shula Burger is a part of the Shula family of restaurants (including Shula's Steak House), from namesake and former NFL coach Don Shula. The Kissimmee location of Shula Burger is the 5th - and I was really surprised when I learned that one of the locations is in the Southwest terminal at Tampa International Airport. I am hoping that Shula Burger adds a full scale Tampa or St. Pete location in the near future. I have been thinking about that burger since I had it 2 weeks ago!

Shula Burger is a fast-casual burger chain. You order at the counter and your meal is delivered to your table. The staff was incredibly accommodating, starting with Carlos who greeted us at the door and explained the experience to us. He mentioned that he had tried everything on the menu (lucky guy!) and would be happy to make recommendations if we needed them. I stuck with my favorite type of burger, the Mushroom Swiss burger. There were 9 signature burgers to choose from or you could customize your own creation. I counted at least 8 cooks in the kitchen during our Saturday afternoon visit. It was nice to know that they had adequate staff to handle the lunch rush.

The Shula Burger and Sweet Potato Tots

Mushroom Swiss Burger with Sea Salt Fries

I was also very happy to find that Shula Burger uses brioche buns for their burgers. I hate going to a burger place and being served a cheap bun. The buns used at Shula Burger were strong enough to hold the patty and toppings without falling apart. The burger patties are made from Black Angus beef, short rib, and brisket. The burger was very juicy and flavorful. I loved that they used a perfect ratio of cheese on the burger. The cheese fit the whole patty - not too big or too small like at other burger places. The branding of Shula on the bun was a nice touch too. The Sea Salt fries sounded a little intimidating because I don't love salt THAT much, but they were pretty much regular fries. The salt was not overwhelming or even really that noticeable and the fries were extra crispy.

In case you can't tell, I give Shula Burger an A+!

On Saturday evening we ventured out to Citywalk at Universal. I love going to the Universal parks, especially during Grinchmas. Our visit to Citywalk featured a trip to Rising Star. Rising Star is the ultimate karaoke venue for those who dream about being on stage. You sing karaoke along with a live band and backup singers. All of the singers were really good. This is not your typical "tone deaf" karaoke bar (although maybe some not so good singers came on after we left?). Rising Star has an ample list of karaoke classics and several current songs to choose from. The downside was that the band takes 30 minute breaks in between sets of about 30 minutes. I'm not sure why they go from 100% entertainment to 0% entertainment for such long periods. However, this is the perfect spot for anyone who dreams of being on stage and wants a taste of stardom - even if just for 1 song.

Rising Star - backup singers, live band, and an awesome performer

What are your favorite places in Orlando? I hope to be back for Grinchmas this year!

Check out Shula Burger on UrbanSpoon:

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Tampa Bay Speed Boat Adventures

I recently hit the jackpot when I came across the website for Tampa Bay Speed Boat Adventures. The website reads "Be your own captain as you tour Tampa Bay driving your own speed boat." Once I saw "no experience necessary" and all of the 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor I knew I was sold. (And to know me is to know I love a good tour!)

The 3pm tour coming back to land

I was able to book a 5pm tour on a Saturday. They do have earlier afternoon tours available, but I wanted a time that wouldn't be so hot. We met our captain near the Tierra Verde Marina. After a brief safety orientation and overview of the boats, we were stepping into our temporary home on the water.

Idle speed as we left the dock

There are a few periods in the tour where you have to go "idle" speed. This speed allows you to take in the scenery - waterfront homes and other boats out on the water. After a few minutes of getting used to the steering and the boat, you soon reach the regular speed zone. Then, it's party time! You can go full throttle throughout the Bay. The majority of the tour is at full speed. We did have some choppy water for short periods, but it adds to the experience. (Tip: you may want to bring a towel to put on the seat to ease some of the hit you will take if you have choppy water.)

nice house, eh?

We were lucky enough to have a clear day with ZERO percent chance of rain! Since it was a 5pm tour in October, the temperature was in the mid-80s, and there was not a cloud in the sky. We saw a handful of other boats out on the water, but it felt like we had the bay all to ourselves. Our captain took us all the way out to the Skyway Bridge. Let me tell you, the bridge is much nicer when you're looking up at it from a boat instead of driving over it. Unfortunately no dolphins came out to visit us while we were on the water.

oh how I love where I live

The speed boat tour was leisurely and FUN. We weren't rushed at all and before we knew it the sun was starting to set and we were heading back to dry land. I HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone who is up for an adventure. It's an amazing way to unplug, unwind, and enjoy the sweet beauty of Tampa Bay.

a-ma-zing

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Brew Over Ice giveaway!

Let's face it - Florida is hot all year long! We may get a few weeks of cooler weather, but most of the year there is no need to wear anything more than shorts and flip-flops. There is also not much need to drink anything that isn't cold! An iced coffee is almost always my choice over hot coffee. I was really excited when I saw that Keurig has a brand of Brew Over Ice K-Cups that I can use to make iced coffee or iced tea at home.

I have been able to try a few Brew Over Ice K-Cups, and so far my favorite is the Donut Shop Sweet & Creamy Regular Iced Coffee. I was surprised how "sweet and creamy" it was right out of the brewer. (You can tell from the picture below too!) Unlike past attempts to make iced coffee at home, this one tasted like what I would get from a local coffee shop. I did add a splash of vanilla creamer for a hint of vanilla flavor. It came out perfect!

Brewing, brewing...

Brewed.

If you prefer tea over coffee, Brew Over Ice also sells many varieties of tea. I tried the Strawberry Pomegranate from Vitamin Burst, and Peach Iced Tea from Snapple. Both were great for an afternoon pick me up.

Brew Over Ice has offered a prize package to one of my readers! 
Congratulations to Tabitha W!
To enter to win, leave a comment with what Brew Over Ice flavor you would most like to try! 
Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter after you leave your comment. 

Prize package includes: 

3 Brew Over Ice K-Cup samples 

A Brew Over Ice plastic tumbler so you can take your tasty drinks on the road with you

4 Brew Over Ice drink coasters

A light up Brew Over Ice ice bucket with ice tongs

Even if you don't win the prize package, you can still feel the love from Brew Over Ice! You can download a $2 off coupon to try the Brew Over Ice K-Cups of your choice, or enter to win $10,000 cash!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a free Brew Over Ice package including K-Cup samples in exchange for this review.

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Cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes

Today the Morean Arts Center hosted their 3rd Annual Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest. This event allows amateur and professional bakers to compete for the title of the best cupcake. I was happy to participate this year by sampling as many cupcakes as I could handle. In lieu of a normal lunch, I sampled sweet cupcakes, savory cupcakes, traditional cupcakes, gourmet cupcakes, and everything in between. Here are some highlights of the event:

Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake

Blood Orange Creamsicle

Cannoli Cupcakes (Parisian raspberry to the right)

Snickerdoodle

Caramel Apple

The Elvis

Lemon and Pomegranate

My favorites were:

Red Snapping Turtle

Can't go wrong with Chocolate and Peanut Butter

I'm looking forward to next year! Go hungry and leave happy.

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Girls Night Out with the Tampa Bay Rays

Grab your best girlfriends and head out to Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays are hosting a Girls Night Out on Thursday August 15th. $25 dollars will get you a lower level reserved seat, a Rays wine tumbler, and a voucher for a Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. (Psst- Did you know the Rays started serving wine this season? Pretty cool.) Head to this link to buy your ticket and use promo code GIRL3 to get in on this deal. Hurry, because you must buy your tickets by August 14th!

This Rays wine tumbler can be all yours!

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Enjoy Arts & Tastes St. Pete

Celebrity chefs are often found wondering around in Tampa Bay. Emeril Lagasse, Robert Irvine, and Wolfgang Puck have been known to dine at their favorite local eateries like Cassis and Cafe Ponte when they are in town. While I personally haven't been lucky enough to spot Emeril strolling down Beach Drive, I know others who have. Soon enough, famous chefs like Masaharu Morimoto and Ming Tsai will not only be in town, but we will all have a chance to dine on the culinary creations we've only seen on TV.

The Enjoy Arts & Tastes Festival will be happening in St. Pete this November. As a huge fan of culinary cooking shows, I am super excited to have the chance to get to see these chefs in person AND taste their dishes! All of the major chefs at the Enjoy Arts & Tastes Festival have names you'll recognize from your favorite culinary channel or TV show. This will be the largest gathering of celebrity chefs ever assembled on Florida's Gulf Coast. And, the best news is that all proceeds benefit Florida ProStart. Florida ProStart is a 501(c)(3) organization that sponsors high school students interested in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Who can you expect to see at Enjoy Arts & Tastes St. Pete? Donatella Arpaia, Scott Conant, Todd English, Lorena Garcia, Duff Goldman, Ingrid Hoffman, Masaharu Morimoto, and Ming Tsai!

I am happy to present you with the lineup of events:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15^th

SENSE IMMERSION DINNER HOSTED BY TODD ENGLISH & DUNCAN MCCLELLAN

A kick-off to the festival weekend, this dinner will combine culinary arts with fine arts through teams of celebrated chefs and artists. Teams will present a one-of-a-kind menu inspired by the sensibility and style of each artist, accompanied by fine wines and spirits. Seated dinner. Location: Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Ticket Price: $200 (includes all food & beverage)

NOCTURNAL CRAVINGS HOSTED BY DUFF GOLDMAN

A late-night dessert tasting party that celebrates Salvador Dali’s art, and plays on his delicious lithograph, Les Pios Nonoches. The evening will feature notable regional pastry chefs and chocolatiers offering an array of desserts inspired by the artist’s work. A selection of fine wines and spirits will be served. Walk-around tasting.

Location: The Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 10:00 pm – 1:00 am

Ticket Price: $85 (includes all food & beverage)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16^th

GRAND TASTING

The centerpiece of the festival, the Grand Tasting will feature top regional culinary talent who will present tasty portions of their signature dishes, both savory and sweet. To top off this gourmet experience, fine wine and spirits will be poured.

VIP tickets grant access to HSN’s VIP tent, where guests get a chance to mingle with celebrity chefs who will stop by throughout the day.

Location: Tented area at The Mahaffey Theater Plaza and Albert Whitted Park, Bay Shore Drive SE, St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Ticket Price: $95 General Admission/$125 VIP Access (includes all food & beverage)

CULINARY DEMONSTRATIONS BY GUEST CELEBRITY CHEFS & PERSONALITIES

An exciting array of interactive culinary demonstrations led by guest celebrity chefs and personalities who will reveal their tricks of the trade. Demonstration-only, no tasting.

Location: Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts, 400 First St. S,

St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 11:00 am – 6:15 pm

Demonstration schedule will be available on the festival website

Ticket Price: $50 per demo

SIP, SAVOR & SWING HOSTED BY INGRID HOFFMANN

A Latin-inspired celebration featuring tastings from regional and guest celebrity chefs. Fine wines and spirits are not the only accompaniment - lively music will set the mood at the Vinoy Renaissance’s grand Palm Court Ballroom. Featured chefs will be on hand to present their dishes and interact with guests. Walk-around tasting.

Location: The Vinoy® Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, 501 5th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Ticket Price: $225 (includes all food & beverage)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17^th

BATTLE OF THE ‘BURG HOSTED BY DONATELLA ARPAIA

Enjoy burgers at this afternoon poolside party, featuring St. Pete and the Bay Area’s most popular chefs and restaurants. Celebrity judges, including HSN, Inc. CEO Mindy Grossman and host Donatella Arpaia, will crown the Best ‘Burger, and attendees can cast their vote for a People’s Choice award winner. Music will make this a lively finale to a great weekend. Walk-around tasting.

Location: The Club at Treasure Island, 400 Treasure Island Causeway. Treasure Island, FL

Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Ticket Price: $75 (includes all food & beverage)

Tickets for Enjoy Arts & Tastes went on sale today! Tickets are available at http://www.enjoyartsandtastes.com/

Special shoutout to those making this event possible: Bill Edwards Presents, HSN, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, and Florida ProStart.

Which event would you most like to attend? 

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Sushi Wave

The future of sushi has rolled into town. Sushi Wave is a new family owned sushi restaurant in Pinellas Park. The cool blue lighting provides a warm vibe for diners sitting at the sushi bar, and adds a nice modern vibe.

Sushi Wave uses a tablet system for ordering. Each table receives an Android tablet in place of traditional menus and those pesky little pencils that most sushi places use. You can see a picture of every menu item along with the price, and submit any special requests. If you're dining with friends, you can even use the tablets to track separate tabs. Any time you need to call your waiter, request a refill, or order more sushi, just use the tablet. Magically, whatever you need will quickly appear at your table!

I am all about speciality rolls when we dine out. We tried several at Sushi Wave and they were all very good. I even missed some on the tablet that I want to try next time. The crispy spring rolls we had as an appetizer and the fried cheesecake we had for dessert didn't hurt either!

A perfect dinner

The Volcano

How cute is the White Dragon roll - snow crab, avocado, and cucumber, topped with seared white tuna with eel sauce and spicy mayo. Looks cute and tastes good too. Win-win.

The White Dragon

Kudos to Sushi Wave for investing in good ingredients and the technology to make themselves stand out. I think Sushi Wave is a great addition to the local sushi scene, and will be around for a long time to come. 

PS: Sushi Wave has been running lots of deals on their Facebook page.

Check out what others are saying about Sushi Wave on UrbanSpoon:

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Under Construction!

I am working on my blog layout and design. Sorry in advance for any broken links or other issues over the next few days!

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Homeruns on the field and in the kitchen

Dads love baseball. Dads love grilling. Sounds like spending time at a Rays game for Father's Day weekend is a great idea! The Tampa Bay Rays have a great promo going on this weekend as they take on the Kansas City Royals. With the Rays Ticket Tandem you'll be able to get a Rays apron at any game this weekend (June 14th-16th)!

The aprons are designed to look like the jerseys that the players wear. The apron is a perfect gift for dads this Father's Day weekend, or the perfect addition to any cooks apron collection. It's also a different take on the traditional baseball shirt or jersey gift. I received a copy of the apron to try out - and I'm sure you'll love it too! Support your home team while cooking up some good food. Perfect!

Click here to purchase your tickets!

While you're at Tropicana Field, be sure to check out Everglades BBQ! I'm sure dad would love a Pulled Pork Sandwich while he watches the game.

Also happening at the Trop this weekend -

Saturday June 15th - Vow renewal on the field after the game. Deadline to register is Thursday 6/13
Sunday June 16th - Kids 14 and under get a pair of Jeremy Hellickson headphones (while supplies last) & post-game concert with the Imagination Movers. Also - Bark in the Park is back!

Go Rays!

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Sailing away on the Norwegian Epic {part 4}

Let's scan our room key cards and get back onboard the Norwegian epic for the final part of my vacation recap series. We've talked about pre-cruise, our stateroom, and the excursions.

So what kind of food blogger goes on a cruise and doesn't take any food pictures? Me. I'll hang my head in shame. I didn't board the ship with intentions of blogging about it, and since I was on vacation I didn't carry my phone with me to take pictures. Once I got home I regretted it. I won't let it happen again!

Yes, cruises have food available 24/7. If it's not from a dining room or a speciality restaurant, it could be from a buffet, room service, or pizza delivery. Oh yeah, 24/7 pizza delivery is available on NCL ships - and it can be delivered anywhere on the ship! We didn't take advantage but I did have plenty of pizza on board.

Norwegian is known for their specialty restaurants. These are an additional fee per diner, but usually worth it. During our 7 day Epic cruise we dined at a few specialty restaurants:

Moderno - a Brazilian steakhouse. So worth the $20 for a massive salad bar with meats and cheeses, and all you can eat churrascaria meats served table side. Also 3 desserts and grilled pineapple. Needless to say we were stuffed when we left here.

La Cucina Italian Restaurant - Classic Italian restaurant with traditional dishes for $15. This was not as good as the La Cucina we had last year on the NCL Star, but overall not a bad dinner.

Wasabi Sushi Bar - We stopped by between lunch and dinner for a sushi snack. Well... one thing lead to another and a few sushi rolls later we waddled back to the cabin. So good and so fresh.

The aftermath of 3 desserts at Moderno

Besides eating, drinking, excursions, and laying poolside - here are some of our other favorite activities on the Epic:

Howl at the Moon - A dueling piano bar with 3 very talented performers. Bring your request (and tip money!) and a sense of humor, and you'll be hooked. We attended 3 out of 4 Howl performances on board. This was our favorite part of the ship, and we wish NCL would bring Howl at the Moon on all ships fleet-wide. 

Our 2 favorite performers and favorite audience member (left)

Svedka Ice Bar - An entire room made of ice, Svedka vodka drinks served in ice shot glasses, and a whole lot of chill! Make a reservation, put on a parka and gloves, and head in for the most unique bar on the high seas. $20 per person includes 2 drinks. Only drinks from the limited menu are served. Tip: You can order the non-alcoholic options and ask the bartender to add vodka. Dress warm! (I wore flip flops. Brrrr!)

Key Master Game - Kudos to whoever came up with this! What a money maker! Every time we walked by the casino, we stopped to watch whoever was playing the Key Master game. We never saw anyone actually win, but every single person gets "so close." It's even more addicting because no cash is involved - you just slide your room key card. I only wasted $2 playing this, but we saw some do a lot more. These are strategically placed on both sides of the casino, so you're sure to stop, stare, and sneak in a play. Just one try. Ok, one more... 

Win an iPad or lots of cash! 

Other onboard activities we liked:

Blue Man Group - I am glad I saw this, but wouldn't see it again. 

Legends in Concert - I'm happy Michael Jackson was one of our entertainers. He was great! Other performers were Donna Summer, Jimmy Buffet, and Whoopi Goldberg. 

Aqua Park - The lines for slides can be long on sea days, but quick and easy on port days. The Epic Plunge was great!

One of our favorite onboard activities was just sitting on the balcony and enjoying the view. Before we knew it, 7 days was up and we were back to reality. We can't wait to book our next NCL cruise!

Sun setting on our vacation

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Sailing away on the Norwegian Epic {part 3}

We're onboard the Norwegian Epic, and ready to hit the open waters. Catch up on part 1 of my review here, and part 2 here.

Some people choose a cruise based on the ports of call they'll be visiting. I prefer to choose based on the ship and onboard amenities, but our ports of call on the Epic were pretty, well, Epic. We were on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary which sailed out of Miami to St. Martaan, St. Thomas, and Nassau. This was a 7 day cruise, so we had 3 sea days as well.

Here are some of the highlights of our excursions:

St. Martaan (or St. Martin depending on which side of the island you're on)
We chose the Ultimate Island Tour & Explorer Cruise excursion offered by NCL. This was a relaxing way to see both the Dutch and French sides of the island, and learn a lot of history about the island. Our tour guide on the bus ride was Cecilia. She had a heavy accent and I felt like I was comprehending her in slow motion. I had to really slow down and listen to everything she said so I could understand her. She was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.

View from where our ship was docked

Bus tour

After about 20 minutes on the bus with Cecilia, we boarded our Explorer cruise. As soon as we stepped foot on the boat, the dark skies welcomed us with heavy rain and wind. What a nightmare! We were able to grab chairs on the top deck, which was covered, and rum punch to warm us up. Did I mention that the boat has unlimited rum punch? I think I might have had 3 glasses before we reached Marigot.

The sun came out shortly after the Explorer left the dock. Whew!

Gorgeous Marigot area

We were dropped off for an hour in Marigot. This was a marina shopping area on the French side of the island. Well if I can't be in Paris this year, I was going to soak up being in a French territory! The merchants accepted Euros and all spoke perfect French. Even the handwriting was very French - I loved looking at all of the menu boards.

French handwriting, French cuisine = I'm in France! 

We opted to eat lunch instead of shopping. We ended up with a crepe and a pizza. Even after 3 days of all you can eat pizza onboard the Epic, I was craving pizza for some reason. Both dishes were good, but a little pricey after factoring in the Euro to US Dollar conversion.

Jambon, fromage, and oeuf crepe

Margherita pizza

After our hour flew by, we were back on the bus with Cecilia to return back to our ship. We had the option of being dropped off in the shopping area, but we chose to return to our home away from home on the Epic.

St. Thomas

St. Thomas was pretty darn close to paradise. You know those images with the crystal blue water and the palm trees? Yep, that's where we were. We chose the St. John Champagne Catamaran Sail and Snorkel offered by NCL. This was the highest rated excursion offered for our itinerary and all of the reviews I found online were good as well. Plus, it had "champagne" in the name, so I knew it had to be good!

We had a short ride to the dock where we were greeted by our catamaran crew. We saw a boat docked in the marina that was from St. Petersburg, Florida. What a small world! I had to get a picture of that!

When we were leaving we actually saw Mr. and Mrs. Mango Man on their boat. We told them we were also from St. Petersburg. The Mango's had been docked in St. Thomas for 3 months and they were getting ready to head out to the British Virgin Islands. This is where I almost had my Chris Gardner moment, "What do you do and how do you do it?"

The scenery on the ride to our near private island, St. John, was beautiful. We arrived at the snorkeling destination and had an hour or two to explore. I am not a snorkeler, so we headed to the beach and enjoyed the water. You could almost see your feet through the water, it was that clear.

Before we knew it, we headed back onboard our catamaran for some drinks and snacks. Being bummed about leaving the island was made better with unlimited champagne and rum punch. How many rum punches could we drink before we headed back onboard the Epic? Not enough :)

Bye bye St. John! 

Fueling up

Nassau
We actually decided to stay onboard the Epic instead of doing an excursion in Nassau. I've been to Nassau 3 times on cruises and never gotten off of the boat there. Either I am really missing out or I'm not missing much at all.

Stay tuned for part 4 of my vacation recap - featuring all of the onboard features of the Epic!

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