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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Sailing away on the Norwegian Epic {part 2}

We've just boarded the Norwegian Epic - a foodie paradise on the high seas. Catch up on part 1 of my review here.

Upon entering the Norwegian Epic, the sparkling clean and modern mega ship, we headed straight up to the pool deck. The first thing I noticed was the Epic Plunge - a swirly water slide. I didn't have my bathing suit on, so we grabbed a seat and enjoyed the views of Miami's swanky million dollar homes. The feeling you get when boarding a ship is electric - everyone is ready to be on vacation and unwind. The drinks are flowing, the food is hot, and the spirits are high.

An hour or so after we boarded, the announcement came on telling us our rooms were ready. We were really excited to see our room since we booked a mini-suite with a balcony. Since we booked during a sale, we were able to get a really great rate on the room. I checked the price often during my pre-cruise planning, and it never went lower than the price we paid. I recommend booking directly with NCL so you can be in line in the event any upgrade opportunities become available. 

Our room was #10272 - located near the aft elevators. Since I wasn't able to find any pictures of the cabin before we cruised, I wanted to make sure I posted all of these. Hopefully it helps future Epic mini suite passengers! (Shout out to anyone booking #10272 - comment if you do!)

The room was amazing! It had a spacious feel to it, and there was so much storage for anything and everything you could have brought on board with you. Almost every area had storage available. 

The bathrooms on the Epic are a little different, and highly controversial. The bathroom is "deconstructed" meaning that the shower/tub, toilet, and sink are all separated. They are not in one room with 1 door like Americans are used to. The shower and toilet have frosted glass doors, and there is a curtain that separates the shower and toilet from the rest of the room. The layout did not bother us much, and the features of the ship clearly outweigh this flaw. Here is a photo tour of our cabin:

Bed, TV, and Balcony - view from the bathroom area

Toilet and sink area, with frosted glass door. There is plenty of storage under the sink

Shower and tub (not all cabins have a tub)

High tech room phone - touch screen for direct access to Room Service, Reservations, and more. It even has speaker phone with was perfect for us since we were traveling with a group

Room safe - yes it is big enough to hold your iPad, but just barely. Make sure to lock up all of your valuables (especially passports) in here

And, drumroll please...

 THE BALCONY!

When selecting a cruise cabin, we like to choose one that is close to elevators. It's just so much more convenient, especially when coming back from a day in the sun or a big meal. This was even more important on the Epic - the ship is so big that you do a LOT of walking. We got in the elevators, just a few steps away, and easily made it up to the pool deck or down to the casino. Voila! 

Stay tuned for part 3 of my cruise recap, featuring our excursions!

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Delish Ice Cream Throwndown: Trace vs. Penn

I love ice cream and I love Celebrity Apprentice. Tonight I'll be watching the season finale to see which celebrity will win $250,000 for their charity of choice - country singer Trace Adkins or magician Penn Jillette. Either charity is a well deserved recipient of the donation; Trace is playing for American Red Cross and Penn is playing for Opportunity Village. Ice cream will be the deciding factor in who is crowned Celebrity Apprentice by Donald Trump.

Each finalist had to create an ice cream flavor for Delish, carried in Walgreens stores nationwide. The finalists and their team of celebrity helpers also had to make a short promotional video, and throw a star studded fundraiser.

Since Walgreens is carrying the 2 Delish flavors created by Penn and Trace, I knew I had to give them both a try. It's nice to be able to have a tangible of piece of the show instead of just seeing it on tv. I decided a "throwdown" post would be the perfect way to try each of the flavors.

The competitors:
Trace Adkin's Maple Macadamia Mash Up vs. Penn Jillette's Vanilla & Chocolate Magic Swirtle

The challenge:
Whose Delish ice cream flavor is better?

Cost:
2 for $5 at my local Walgreens with a Rewards membership - $4.00 per pint without Rewards membership

Flavor:
Trace - Creamy maple ice cream with roasted macadamia nuts.
Penn -  Rich vanilla ice cream with a sea salt chocolate swirl and fudge caramel candy pieces.

Smell:
Trace's Maple Macadamia wins without contest when it comes to smell. The smell is very similar to Butter Pecan ice cream. I personally love the smell of Butter Pecan so it was an easy decision. The Swirtle didn't have much of a smell at all.

Taste:
Trace - I am not a big fan of maple so I really didn't expect to like Trace's flavor. It was smooth and had a very distinct taste that stays with you. The macadamia nuts were large and well dispersed.
Penn - I was really disappointed that the chocolate swirl wasn't a fluid swirl in my pint. I was thinking it would be like the flowing caramel in Ben and Jerry's Phish Food, but instead it was like a solid swirl. Maybe mine was frozen too soon but it was a bummer. I got a little bit of the sea salt flavor but not overbearing. The Swirtles were super cute, and just the right size. They weren't too hard like some candy pieces tend to get in ice cream.

Overall:
Trace's Mash Up wins my Throwdown challenge. Not only is the flavor more original, but it is very unique. It's a light pick-me-up flavor that makes you want to eat the whole pint in 1 sitting. The Maple Macadamia ice cream would make a fantastic milkshake! Maybe I'll make one tonight while watching the finale.

Who are you rooting for tonight - Trace or Penn? If you've tried the ice cream let me know which one you like better!

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Everglades BBQ at Tropicana Field {Go Rays!}

Why I've never been to Everglades BBQ before, I am really not sure. When I visit the Tampa Bay Rays at the Trop, I usually stick with a classic hamburger from the concession stand. This is now going to change!

Recently I was invited to have dinner at Everglades BBQ. Everglades is the perfect compromise between rushing through dinner before a game and missing plays waiting in line for food during the game. You don't have to rush through anything at Everglades, because you can watch all of the action while you eat! We decided to eat at Everglades before a recent home game. We arrived around 6pm, and we enjoyed watching the pre-game warm ups from our dinner table. Imagine how great this view would be during the game!

Once we got settled in, it was time to decide what to eat! The menu at Everglades features all of your favorite BBQ staples, and some twists. All of the BBQ served at Everglades is smoked onsite daily. I knew it was going to be good!

The appetizers by themselves are a tough choice to choose from! The appetizer menu includes Pulled Pork Nachos, Beef Brisket Quesadillas, Pork Rinds, and Crispy Chicken Wings. Are you hungry yet?

Everglades has a full salad bar as well. The salad bar includes Parker House Rolls and Brunswick Stew. You can have the salad bar as a meal, or add it on as an appetizer or side when you order a sandwich or entree.

The sandwiches at Everglades would make my friend SandBookWich very proud! How does a Fried Georgia Trout BLT with Bacon Mayonnaise sound? Pretty awesome, right? We decided to try the classic Pulled Pork sandwich. All of the sandwiches at Everglades come with Ranch Potato Wedges, Vinegar Slaw, and Red Jalapeños.

The smoked pulled pork was perfect. The fries weren't bad either. Perfectly crispy with the right amount of salt. Then came the Smoked Beef Brisket. With 2 sides. The brisket was extremely flavorful and tender. You can taste the freshness in the meat. I chose baked beans and mac and cheese for my side items. The baked beans were tangy and the mac and cheese was extra cheesy. 

Of course any great BBQ joint has their signature sauces. Everglades has 3 available - Smoky Original, Carolina Gold, and Citrus Chipotle. While the meat was so good I didn't even need BBQ sauce, I tried all 3. (For the sake of science. Right.) The original was my favorite - a good ol' mild BBQ sauce. The others were good and I recommend trying all 3 when you visit. Find the sauce that's perfect for your taste, and your entree. 

The portions at Everglades were very generous and well worth the price! The pulled pork sandwich is $12 and the brisket dinner is $14. I know that everyone thinks ballpark prices are outrageous, but we found Everglades to be very reasonable. For a few dollars more than a ballpark hamburger or hotdog, you can get a full plate of really good quality food at Everglades.

I barely had room left for dessert, but again decided I better give it a try for the sake of science. (I love food "science"!) The choice was hard - should I go for the Classic Sundae, a Pecan Pie Sundae, Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, or an old fashioned Root Beer Float? After serious deliberation and input from my server, I chose the peanut butter pie. It lived up to it's menu name of Extreme Peanut Butter Pie. 

The pie was just the right size for an after dinner treat. I loved the chocolate cookie crust and the smooth peanut butter filling. I loved the chocolate and caramel drizzle on top. It was perfect. Extremely perfect. Now I see where the name comes from!

I highly recommend visiting Everglades BBQ the next time you attend a Rays Home Game. There are several options for trying out Everglades food - the sit down restaurant (which I visited) at the Gate 1 Rotunda on the 2nd level, the 100 level seating bowl in the concession stand area, and inside Gate 1 at Right Field Street.

Dining spot at the Captain Morgan Deck

If you have a large group attending a Rays game, you can rent out the Captain Morgan Deck which is attached to Everglades. The best part is you can have Everglades cater the event. Your colleagues, business partners, vendors, friends, and family are sure to be impressed. I checked out the Captain Morgan deck for myself to experience the view and atmosphere. It's a great place to watch the game, and have access to some great food.

{Disclosure: Thank you to the Tampa Bay Rays for providing me with a complimentary visit to dine at this restaurant. All opinions expressed are my own.}

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Mother's Day 2013 - Sunday May 12th

'Tis the season, to hug your mom and treat her like the queen she is! Mother's Day is Sunday May 12th this year. So many Tampa Bay restaurants are offering brunch and other Mother's Day specials. I will update this post with the deals as I come across them. If you know a place that should be included, send me an email or Tweet me the details and I will get it added!

Links will take you to more info about Mother's Day special if it's posted online

St. Pete

Parkshore Grill 
Brunch Buffet $42.00
10am-4pm

400 Beach Seafood & Tap House 
Buffet $28.95/person ($12.95 kids)
10am-4pm

The Hangar
3 course meal $19.95
Noon-10pm

Cassis American Brasserie
Brunch buffet $36.99 ($20.99 for 12 and under)
10am-3pm and a la carte brunch menu 8am-10am

Ricky P's Orleans Bistro
Sunday Jazz brunch - free beignets for all moms
11am-3pm

CD Roma's
Complimentary sangria or dessert for all moms
11am-8pm

Rain Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
4 course Mother's Day menu for $24.95
Opens at noon

Bonus items:
Tampa Bay Rays are giving a free flower pot to the first 10,000 women
Morean Arts Center - moms visit free all weekend (Chihuly Collection, Hot Shop, Morean Arts Center, and Center for Clay)

The Beaches

The Pub
Breakfast Buffet $11.95
8am-1pm

Tampa

Mangrove's
Brunch a la carte (check out this post about brunch at Mangroves)
11am-4pm
Don't miss out on the french toast!

Jackson's Bistro
Brunch buffet with 70+ items $34.95 ($10.95 for 10 and under)
10am-3pm

Pelagia Trattoria
Brunch buffet $49.00 ($18.00 for 3-12 years)
10am-5pm

Oxford Exchange
Special brunch menu - a la carte
9am-2:30pm

Clearwater

Bascom's Chop House
Buffet menu $27.95 & all mothers receive a complimentary carnation and mimosa
11am-8pm

Cafe Ponte
Special Mother's Day brunch menu - a la carte, reservations recommended

Safety Harbor

Southern Fresh 
$20 buffet ($8 for 12 and under)
11am-10pm

Chains / Multiple Locations

Carmel Cafe
Brunch menu a la carte and dinner menu served all day - all moms receive a $10 gift card for their next visit
Brunch 11am-3pm

Arigato Japanese Steakhouse
Opens at 1pm, reservations recommended (no coupons accepted)

The Melting Pot 
Opens at Noon, buy $100 in gift cards and receive 2 $25 bonus cards

Bonefish Grill
Endless bubbles brunch
11am-2pm

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse
1/2 off all bottles of win and Mother's Day sweepstakes

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