Wanderlust Wednesdays: Barbados

Last week I recapped my trip to Barbados which was full of wedding fun and festivities but we also had a couple days to play tourist and explore the island so I have some must-dos to share for anyone thinking of visiting Barbados in the future. 

Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruise

This daytime lunch cruise on the Cool Runnings catamaran is a must! We started at 9:30 am and cruised along Barbados' coast stopping off to snorkel and swim. We explored a ship wreck, saw lots of colorful fish and swam with turtles. The staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable and provided great entertainment throughout the day. We also had a lunch buffet which was amazing and drinks kept flowing throughout the day. The rum punch was exceptional!

The Crane Beach Resort

The Crane looks like something out of a magazine. We visited this world famous resort to have lunch at the poolside restaurant and to explore the beautiful property and scenery.

Bathsheba Beach

Bathsheba sits on the east coast of Barbados and is popular among surfers for the nice waves especially in the "Soup Bowl" which brings surfers from around the world. As a visitor, it's a nice view and place to relax to take in the views.

Tapas Restaurant

We enjoyed an ocean-front dinner with friends at Tapas. The Spanish style tapas menu didn't disappoint and the service was exceptional. Although it was too dark outside to enjoy the oceanfront scenery, the sound of the waves crashing made for a good ambiance.

Accra Beach

Accra Deck Restaurant

We enjoyed an amazing Sunday breakfast buffet over looking the beach and ocean at the Accra Deck located at the Accra Beach Hotel.

I can't wait to return to Barbados in the future. It's seriously a gorgeous island with lots of Caribbean charm, good food, and friendly locals.

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Fall Ground Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

Chili is not the prettiest food but it was very tasty and a great warm meal for Fall that also goes a long way. This recipe was adapted from Trader Joe's Turkey Chili with Pumpkin recipe. The original recipe calls for 2 cans of Pumpkin but I had some fresh pumpkin at home that I wanted to incorporate it into the recipe so I used only 1 can of pumpkin.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 White Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1.5 lbs Ground Turkey

1 can Diced & No Salt Added Tomatoes

 2 cans 100% pure Pumpkin or
4-5 cups cubed fresh Pumpkin

1 can Kidney Beans, drained

1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, drained

1 Orange Bell Pepper, diced

Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

Cayenne Pepper (to taste)

Optional Toppings:

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

What To Do:

If you are using fresh pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake the cubed pumpkin on a greased baking sheet for 25 minutes. Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute diced bell pepper and onion for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook for only 1-2 minutes before adding the ground turkey. Cook turkey mixture until browned, approximately 8 minutes.

Transfer turkey mixture to a large pot and stir in pumpkin, kidney beans, corn, diced tomatoes along with black pepper and cayenne to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. I added 1/2 cup water since the consistency seemed thick. Cook for 20 minutes on low stirring occasionally.

Garnish with toppings of your choice. I used light sour cream.

Enjoy!

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Weekend: Blogger Happy Hour & Sunday Brunch

I'm ready to tackle this week after a fun yet relaxing weekend spent in and around town. On Friday, Pinky was in town so we organized a blogger happy hour with Kerri, Pamela and I at Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar. We had a blast meeting Pinky in person and sipping on some martinis and wine!

Saturday was all about relaxing and getting stuff done around the house plus some blogging and cooking powered by the aroma of pumpkin candles and Lola snuggles.

K and I went out for a sushi lunch date but that was the extent of leaving the house.

On Sunday a friend hosted a brunch at her condo downtown so we started off at her place for a Latino style brunch and Bloody Mary's before heading over to the Fiesta in the Park around Lake Eola to walk around and check out all the local art, entertainment and food vendors.

 Quick reminder that our Kendra Scott + Sephora giveaway ends tomorrow...

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Joining the lovely B for her Weekending linkup.

Five on Friday

 I'm looking forward to having no big plans this weekend and going where the wind takes me, preferably to the couch and my bed...although we'll be out and about on Sunday for a local festival. I'm volunteering at the Hunger Project for Feeding Children Everywhere today with some coworkers so the day should go by quickly.

ONE:
Last night I attended a charity event held by our local Victim Service Center (for victims of sexual assault). My company has sponsored the organization for the past few years so the event was held in appreciation of sponsors and community partners. We mingled at a new restaurant downtown and enjoyed some appetizers and wine.

TWO:

Lola cracked her rear molar last week from chewing on something unknown to us and had to get the tooth extracted which meant unforeseen vets bills right before our trip so now I'm seriously considering pet insurance. Does anyone have advice or experience with insurance for dogs and if it's worth it? I've heard mixed reviews. Otherwise she's one the mend and feeling good with her pain meds.

About time for a new doggie bed? She fits like a pig in a blanket. lol

THREE:
Kate Spade's Champagne at midnight watch makes me super excited my birthday is coming up. My wishlist-making has been begun, and while I'm at it, the Champagne bottle iphone case will be added too. 

FOUR:

I didn't mention it in my weekend recap of our trip to Barbados but two adorable cats adopted us while on vacation. I say adopted us, because they would just wonder into our apartment and make themselves comfortable every morning while we had coffee and breakfast. They were very sweet cats and never traveled without each other. I also tried to feed them a slice of bread (limited options okay?!) but I guess cats don't like bread, well at least these two smelled it and walked away.

FIVE:

Martinis & Bikinis' 3rd anniversary is this weekend and I can't believe I've reached this milestone. It's been a fun time slowly growing my space and meeting some amazing ladies while I'm at it. I usually try to throw a giveaway for my blogiversay but time got away from me this year with all the traveling.

 

Luckily I'm already co-hosting an awesome giveaway for Tif's birthday and we're giving away some gorgeous Kendra Scott statement earrings plus a $105 Sephora gift card so don't forget to enter!!

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Enjoy the weekend!

Joining Amanda for her Friday Favorites linkup.

Kendra Scott & Sephora Giveaway

How about a little mid-week giveaway with some gorgeous Kendra Scott earrings and $105 worth of Sephora goodies! I personally love the color of those earrings!

I've teamed up with these lovely ladies to celebrate Tif from Bright on a Budget's birthday and bring you this awesome giveaway so enter now for a chance to win!

HOSTS

Bright on a Budget | The Lady Lawyer |  Come Home for Comfort | BYBMG

Martinis & Bikinis | Green Fashionista | Della Devoted | The Sequin Notebook

Doused in Pink | Cup of Tea | Legal Lee Blonde | Garay Treasures

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.  By entering, you are certifying that you are at least 18 years old, a resident and you acknowledge that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Kendra Scott or Sephora.     Contest is only open to residents of the forty-eight (48) contiguous states of the United States.  Winner must respond to notification of winning the prize within twenty-four (24) hours of another winner will be selected.  FOR FULL TERMS & CONDITIONS, PLEASE SEE the Terms & Conditions.

Good luck!

Wedding Weekend in Barbados

Hi everyone! I'm officially back in action after spending the past several days in Barbados for a friend's wedding. We had an amazing trip and I plan to post a "Guide to Barbados" next week. Just a little late but I'm joining Biana for her Weekending linkup to recap our (long) weekend trip.

K and I arrived in Barbados late on Wednesday night so we had just enough time to grab some dinner and hit the sack before waking up super early on Thursday to head to the marina where we took a catamaran cruise around the island. We enjoyed the crystal blue waters around Barbados' coast and went snorkeling where we saw a ship wreck, tons of beautiful fish, and also swam with some friendly turtles. I wish I owned an underwater camera to capture our snorkeling adventures.

Thursday night was girls night with the bride-to-be, her bridesmaids, mom and other ladies in the family. The bridesmaids cooked up a local fish dinner, and we had some wine and just hung out since we had to be up bright and early on Friday to start the hair and makeup process. 

Friday morning came quickly and we got started at 8am at the wedding venue which was a beautiful villa that sits on Barbados' west coast. The girls spent the day getting prepped and hanging out with the bride.

It was then time for the ceremony, which was at a beautiful church cathedral and the reception was back at the villa. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've attended to date and the bride looked stunning!

On Saturday, a friend of mine who lives in Barbados took us on our own private tour of the island. We stopped off at The Crane resort which looks like something out of a magazine to have lunch and check out the amazing views.

We drove around the east coast and checked out a few other beaches and lookout points. Barbados is definitely in my top 5 list of most beautiful Caribbean islands. The color of the ocean and scenery is incredible.

On Sunday we hit the beach by our hotel super early for one last swim and lounge on the beach before meeting up with some family for breakfast/brunch and then packing up to head to the airport.

As I always say after vacation - it was way too short!! But we packed our days and nights full so we didn't waste a minute of Barbados' beauty and spending time with family and friends.

I'm looking forward to catching up on some blog reading this week and getting back into my regular routine.