Friday Favorites #85 Beauty and the Beets

Happy Friday!!

I am about 10 days out of my surgery and I finally feel like I am coming out of the fogginess. Just in time for this weekend – I am spending the whole weekend at EPCOT Walt Disney World. I plan to eat a lot of new foods at the International Food and Wine Festival, catching up with my Disney friends (mickey and Minnie) and DANCING!!!!!

My favorite band in the whole wide world- The Hooters will be playing at Epcot as part of the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and I will being there for every note of that Hohner Melodica, every beat of the drum and every pluck of the mandolin. I plan on dancing, well, as best as my neck will allow me to. This has been a band that I have grown up with and have followed since I was 15. These are the nicest, most genuine, down to earth guys you could ever meet so this is such a treat for me to see them in my own backyard this weekend.

Now on to Friday Favorites –

1. Jacksonville, FL

Last night was my first night out since my surgery. I was invited to have dinner with the folks at Visit Jacksonville at a restaurant called Bulla Gastrobar here in Winter Park. I am so excited to start a partnership with them as Jacksonville is one of my favorite cities. Did you know that Jacksonville is the largest city in the United States as measured by landmass? You could fit New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles into Jacksonville and still have miles left over. I am already planning my trip up there to kayak, since kayaking is my thing now.

2. Ocala, FL

Speaking of kayaking, I recently spent a weekend in Ocala, FL (about 90 minutes north of Orlando) and I had a blast. I spent two days kayaking, horseback riding, painting, and eating of course. You can read all about my adventures here –> Weekend in Ocala part 1 and Weekend in Ocala part 2.

3. Kombucha

I have been a fan of kombucha for years. I have even learned to make it in a class at the Florida School of Holistic Living. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to hit up the closest Whole Foods where they usually carry some of the local kombucha brews. I really loved these brews out of the Charlotte, NC area – Lenny Boy and Buchi.

4. Holler and Dash

Mr. Beet and I celebrated our ten year anniversary at the hospital the day after my surgery, so he promised to take me to a nice meal once I was ready to get out. And since I knew we were going to be at EPCOT all weekend, I asked him to take me to a breakfast spot I have been wanting to check out. Holler and Dash opened recently in Celebration and they have other locations in Alabama, Nashville, Atlanta and soon Charlotte. I LOVED the Garden Goat biscuit with its fried goat cheese, kale and tomato jam.

And we couldn’t leave without indulging in the beignets. They were warm and crispy and I loved the coffee sauce they provided to dip the beignets into.

5. Fitlife Foods

Mr. Beet and I visited a FitLife Foods store here in Winter Park and decided to take home a couple of meals to try. FitLife Foods provides healthy prepared meals you just pick up and go. This morning I tried the Museli and it was quite good. I will keep you informed on the rest of the days meals.