I was three years away from becoming a food blogger..... The year was 2008. I was three years away from becoming a food blogger, but I was an avid golfer (and still am to this day). By some intervention of God I ended up with tickets to the Masters Tournament, yes, that one….the one in Augusta, Georgia. The $1.50 Master Pimento Cheese Sandwich The one where you have a better chance of admittance into Harvard Law School then getting your hands on a ticket to the world’s most celebrated and [continue reading...]
Houston’s Kale Salad with Peanut Dressing
(Editor: This Houston’s Kale Salad with Peanut Dressing copycat recipe post was originally published on June 13, 2016 and was updated October 13, 2020) Many years ago, I was introduced me to a restaurant called Houston’s (also known as Hillstone Restaurant in some markets). I ordered a veggie burger and by my Mother’s suggestion, substituted their Emerald Kale Salad in place of French fries. (On the current menu, the Emerald Kale Salad is now served with chicken. If I were to substitute [continue reading...]
Blueberry Biscuit Skillet Cake
(Editor: This Blueberry Biscuit Skillet Cake recipe was originally published on July 14, 2014 and was updated August 30, 2020) Sunday is the best day of the week in Beetsland. I get to sleep in, go for a run, and enjoy a nice hot cup of tea. Even the animals seem to sense it’s a day of leisure and laziness. Sunday also usually means I have a little bit more time to savor a warm breakfast. But as much as I love cooking, in the morning I generally want to fix something more quickly than [continue reading...]
2020 Sea World Craft Beer Festival
Welcome to the 2020 Sea World Craft Beer Festival is here weekends thru Sept. 20 It’s back! The Sea World Craft Beer Festival has returned in Orlando weekends thru September 20. The festival features an impressive variety of over 100 craft beers and 22 unique foods at 18 booths throughout the park. There's a large variety of beers to taste My friend Niki from Project Niki joined me and we sampled beers from cider to IPAs to Stouts. Each booth has a variety of flavors, from fruity and [continue reading...]
Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher
(Editor: This Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher copycat recipe post was originally published on July 7, 2014 and was updated May 21, 2020) I love going to Starbucks and grabbing one of those iced coffee blended concoctions. However, probably my most favorite things there are those refresher drinks. It started with the Cool Lime Refresher, then Starbucks introduced the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher followed by the Strawberry Acai Refresher. They are indeed, refreshing. Sadly, the Very Berry [continue reading...]
DIY – Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe
(Editor: This Strawberry Acai Refresher recipe post was originally published on July 20, 2016 and was updated May 12, 2020) I have been on this major Starbucks kick lately. I have never realized the enormous variety of drinks they offer- from highly caffeinated espresso lattes to coffee bean Frappuccinos to iced fruit refreshers. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Acai Refresher. The Refresher Craze Back in 2016, while I was trying to recreate the Pink Drink at home, I learned [continue reading...]
An Easy Peanut Butter Cup Recipe
Editor's note: An Easy Peanut Butter Cup Recipe was first published at BeautyandtheBeets.com on May 15, 2017. This post was updated April 7, 2020. Ask me what my favorite candy bar is. Go ahead…ask me. Why, thanks for asking! Peanut Butter Cups. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I am a sucker for them. Especially the mini ones you just pop into your mouth. I lose track of how many I actually eat. It’s a problem really. Who remembers those TV commercials from way back when? Today’s [continue reading...]
No Bake Almond Butter Energy Bites
*This post for No Bake Almond Butter Energy Bites originally posted at BeautyandtheBeets.com on January 11, 2016 and was updated on April 3, 2020* As we are all embarking on this life of quarantine, I know we are spending a lot more time in the kitchen trying to come up with creative and healthy treats to snack on. Something, anything that isn’t going to have us emerge from our “jail cells” with an extra few (or many) pounds packed on. These No Bake Almond Butter Energy Bites are [continue reading...]
The Dwarf House Chick Fil A Experience
There is a Chick Fil A, in a small Georgia town near the Atlanta airport, where you can sit down at a table, with a server, and eat a Hot Brown breakfast and finish with a Lemon Icebox Pie. It’s real, it’s magical. It’s The Dwarf House Chick Fil A in Hapeville. There are normal doors of course, for normal people to enter through. Then there’s the “dwarf” door. It leads you into a little lobby and then another tiny door that will take into the restaurant. Why be normal when you can walk [continue reading...]
Elize Restaurant Orlando – Wine · Food · Coffee
Elize Restaurant has opened in the space that was previously occupied by Rusty Spoon in downtown Orlando. The newest addition to the historic Church Street District is a mix of Dutch and American cuisine imagined by Michelle Lagerweij, a restaurateur from the Netherlands. Michelle was co-owner of the original Elize restaurant in Utrecht, Netherlands, before following her dream to bring the cuisine of her home country to the United States. Michelle brought along well known Dutch Chef de [continue reading...]
