Places I Want to Visit: U.S. Cities

The travel bug lives within me. (Read this article about the Wanderlust Gene). Each year, I like planning one big trip (usually an international destination), a couple short trips to different US states/cities, and then we inevitably make a few road trips to different beaches/cities throughout Florida. With all of that, I usually get to cover a good amount of ground in the space of a year considering I have a full-time job to keep up with.

I have a few US cities on my radar to hopefully experience in the next few years. Some I've actually visited before in the past but didn't get to accomplish the things that I would like to see and do today. 

Wine Country, California

Hot air balloon or not, I'd just love to spend a day or two out there wine tasting and having a picnic with some beautiful views of the vineyards. 

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Austin, Texas

There's no specific reason for wanting to visit Austin other than that I've heard it's one of the cooler cities in Texas. I've never been to Texas so I think this is a good starting point to do some site-seeing and get some good BBQ.

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Charleston, South Carolina
I've heard so many great things about Charleston and how charming the city is. Considering it's about a 6 hour drive from home, I would love to escape for a long weekend to go experience the southern food and history of this city. 

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Key West, Florida
I visited Key West over 10 years ago for Spring Break in College. As you can imagine, it was far from relaxing and consisted of staying in a crappy hotel and going to the cheapest bars in town. I want a true Key West vacation to enjoy the beaches, walk around the town, and enjoy some good seafood.  

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Nashville, Tennesse
I'd like to absorb myself in the music scene and culture of Nashville and explore the liveliness of Music Row. I'm no country music buff but when in Nashville, that will be a must stop. I'm sure there's lots more to do but I haven't gotten that far in researching the main attractions.

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Boston, Massachusetts

Having already crossed New York, Chicago and San Francisco off my list, Boston is the next big city I would love to explore. I haven't done much research of must-see places but I know K would definitely request that we plan the trip around a ball game at Fenway Park. 

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New Orleans, Louisiana

I went to NOLA last year for a bachelorette party. Having said that, nothing was accomplished other than Bourbon Street and lots of bar hopping. I now feel the need to go back to learn more about the history, culture and actually try some good Cajun food, beignets, and all that jazz.

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St Augustine, Florida

I visited St. Augustine several years ago for a friend's wedding but only had a few hours to spare to have lunch at the famous Columbia Restaurant and a quick walk through of the town. I'd love to return to explore more of the historic district, learn about some of the monuments, and spend some time at the beach. The drive is less than two hours for us so I'd like to knock this one off my list in the upcoming months.

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Easy Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1 12 oz bag fresh broccoli florets

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

1 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup turkey bacon bits

2 tbsp white vinegar

2-3 tbsp white sugar (not pictured below)

What To Do:
1. Mix light mayonnaise, white vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Use a whisk to blend well.
2. In a large bowl, mix broccoli, red onion, sunflower seeds, and turkey bacon bits.

3. Pour mayonnaise mixture over broccoli mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are blended well. 

4. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours so the flavors blend in well. 

5. Serve cold and enjoy!

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Spring Wedding & Weekend Fun

With us losing an hour over the weekend, I can't say today is my favorite Monday of the year. I blame that on not being a morning person but it's officially Spring and I think that's exciting enough. 

Friday night was relaxing. We watched Horrible Bosses 2 at home with a glass of wine to unwind from the hectic work week.

Of course Lola loved all the attention and snuggles on the couch.

On Saturday, we headed two hours south to K's hometown for a friend's wedding. The ceremony was at an old historical church built in 1887 which was quaint and beautiful.

 The wedding reception was at the South Florida Museum which is also the home to the Snooty the manatee. It was a beautiful outdoor setting in the middle of the museum.

And here's Snooty who I've actually been wanting to meet for a few years now.

Some photobooth fun was also had...

On Sunday, it was time to hit the road to head back home.

Once we got back into Orlando, we stopped at Sea Dog Brewing Company for some lunch. I have to admit, I had a hangover from hell and it was much needed. Their buffalo chicken dip is delish!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Friday's Favorites

Happy Friday! The weekend is finally here...phew!

This life of mine never seems to quiet down and there's always an event I have to attend on the weekends. I guess my travel bug also doesn't really help the situation. I will make tonight relaxing though. Just my PJs and a quiet night with my little family.

I think Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles always sweeten the deal!

I was excited to find out that a blogger's event is finally coming to Central Florida hosted by The Blogger Meetup so figured I'd help spread the word. I'm actually not 100% sure I will be able to attend but I'm definitely gonna try since these are few and far between.

Joining the lovely Amanda for her Friday Favorites Link Up.

Pretty Nail Color:
I went with OPI's I Lost My Bikini purple gel color since I have a wedding to attend on Saturday (yes, another wedding!)

Favorite Recipe:

These Spiralized Sweet Potato Fries made by Lisa look so good! I just ordered this Spiral Vegetable Slicer from Amazon recommended by Steph so I'm looking forward to experimenting with some new recipes for our Recipe Swap linkup.

Favorite Shopping Find:
These tan wedges for the Spring and Summer. 

Favorite Vitamin Supplement:
I went to a Nutritionist last year who told me that my B-12 levels were low. Basically, I don't retain B-12 from food so need to use supplements. I've tried a few different types of liquid B-12 and the NOW Foods B-12 is my favorite tasting and I think it gives me a nice boost to start the morning.

Favorite Funnies:

Have a fabulous weekend!

Spring Things

This weekend we spring forward on Sunday and I'm looking forward to many things but mainly the change in weather. I know us Floridians don't experience brutal winters like many of you but we do get the sweltering heat of Summer so Spring brings comfortable yet sunny temperatures to enjoy more activities outdoors. Of course, losing that extra hour of sleep on Monday morning is the toughest part but once we recover from that, there's so much to enjoy.

My Spring Favorites: 

Reaping the benefits of strawberry season and trying some refreshing cocktails such as this Strawberry Basil Margarita recipe.

Colorful nails and Easter-themed designs.

Hosting our annual Easter dinner party for friends. I finally get to dust off and make use of all those serving dishes and the turkey carving set we got as wedding gifts.

Cadbury Mini Eggs have always been my Easter candy guilty pleasure. So glad they only come around once a year.

Spring cleaning and Easter decorating. I particularly love fresh tulips and Easter lilies to decorate at home.

I'm always excited to bring out cuter outfits that don't require layering with heavy sweaters and jackets.

                   

What's your favorite thing about Spring?

Roast Beef & Red Wine Gravy

A coworker shared this recipe with me and I thought I'd give it a try since I've never cooked roast beef before. 

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs boneless chuck roast

4 carrots, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, diced

10 yukon gold potatoes, cut in half

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp light olive oil

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 sprigs fresh thyme

Black pepper to taste

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Place chuck roast in pan and baste with olive oil, cracked pepper, minced garlic and spices of your choice. Place 3-4 sprigs of thyme under string wrapped around roast. If there's no string like mine, cut small incisions in the meat and tuck the thyme in there. 

3. Place potatoes, celery, onions and carrots in roasting pan along with beef.

4. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.  The rule is to bake for 20 minutes for each pound.

5. Remove roast beef from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before carving.

* I baked mind for longer (1 hour) because I prefer my meat more well done that pink on the inside.

Red Wine Gravy

Ingredients:

Beef drippings

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup red wine

1 tbsp flour

What To Do:

1. Keep the beef drippings and pour into a small pot on medium heat. Add red wine and stir for 2-3 minutes. 

2. Add beef stock and reduce to low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Finally add tbsp flour and mix well until gravy has thickened. 

My gravy came out very watery but it was full a flavor. Like one of the best tasting gravies I've tried so I recommend using more flour or cornstarch to thicken the consistency.  

Enjoy!

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2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to our blogs.

Weekend Relaxing & Blogger's Brunch

After traveling last weekend, I was in need of a relaxing weekend and that it was...

On Friday after work, K and I went out for some dinner at Red Lobster to use some gift cards from Christmas. Of course dirty martinis ensued but that was the extent of my Friday night.

We slept in on Saturday which was very much needed and then headed out to get some errands done. We stopped at Marshall's for some new home decor and then I spent a few hours with the Geek Squad at Best Buy because genius me spilled wine on my Macbook last week and my laptop immediately died. Stupidest $1000 mistake. Ever! 

I also stocked up on my favorite beer which is now in season ~ Abita Strawberry from New Orleans.




We decorated our master bedroom with the new wall art I picked up from Marshall's.

On Saturday night, we relaxed at home and watched Gone Girl from Redbox and snuggled with Lola.

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On Sunday morning, I met up with Kate, Kerri & Pamela at Santiago's Bodega for buffet-style brunch and unlimited mimosas. It was a blast catching up with these pretty ladies and fellow bloggers.