I really can say now that I enjoy cooking. Who would have thought that I would prefer to cook over eating out. Some of that is the quality of food of course (kind of a control issue for me) I can’t control what restaurants feed me. My friends know how I eat and they feed me accordingly.. but restaurants? I’ve started to see my body have a reaction to the simplest of foods like bread, marinara sauce, desserts, stuff that wouldn’t have bothered me before. If I want to feel good, I eat in. Even if its a night alone I will find *something* to eat (it doesn’t take a long time to defrost a pound of ground beef) and I will always feel happy after I’ve eaten at home. And it does work out to be cheaper.

I enjoy cooking for Bon and Dan and Brett. It makes for a great night together over a nice meal and wine – and rum

I’ve now reached a happy place – I know where to get all of the best ingredients of food that I can get – I’ve got the meat guy, I’ve got the veggie folks, I’ve got 2 Whole foods, 1 Fresh Market, 1 Abbys and 2 Nutrition S’marts to choose from all with different things! Its amazing!

I really hope that more people go ahead and embrace cooking at home. Use a crockpot if you are short on time. Use wholesome ingredients. Learning to do this is one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Its healthy, a conversation starter, and most of all, it really is fun!

The screw ups suck – and I’ve had my share. I’ve thrown some dinners right down the disposal, I’ve gotten mad and cried because I’ve failed. But, every time I fail, I learn something. I’m not perfect.

I was nervous this morning, I needed to cook a boneless, skinless turkey breast. I don’t know how. I was scared of it getting dried out and being tasteless. I asked Brett for help, he gave me some clues and I tried it. It came out perfectly in 90 minutes. I needed it to make Turkey a la King tonight. A new recipe for me to try. Can’t wait.

My turkey breast. Very simple. Onions on the bottom of the pan, some home-made chicken stock in the pan, olive oil covering the breast with some salt, pepper and herbs d’Provence. In the oven at 350 for 90 minutes. YUM YUM!

Maybe I am just noticing this more because I am taking control over what I (and Brett) eat on a daily basis. I just saw a commercial for Land O Lakes Sautée Express.

REALLY people? are you that freaking lazy that you can’t be bothered to combine butter, olive oil and a few herbs to sautee with? Ok, well I can’t blame just the consumer here. They are just being hypnotized by something new – lame.

I can’t stand this.

Sunday, canning and wine.

What a fantastic way to spend the day. After the canning, a wonderful meal thanks to Brett and a few hours of tv before we both fell in bed exhausted after a quite eventful weekend!

This was my first time doing this! I have a great teacher!

I found a recipe for an amazing asparagus dish.

I made it the other day. I made it again today. Modified. Yummy.

These are a few of my favorite things – I hope that song stays stuck in your head!

Bacon, asparagus, leeks, lemon zest, pine nuts, garlic, Italian parsley, salt and pepper.
Fry the bacon, add a bit of butter then add asparagus and leeks, cook them a bit add the rest of the stuff, cook for a few and serve.  I ate this with a bit of jasmine rice. My body loves me, well except my legs. They hate me, they hate crossfit. I laugh and wobble like a weeble.

Yum. Go eat.

Entertaining.

It was a feast with friends. Couldn’t have asked for better.

I am lucky. I get to go on cruises. It is something I seriously don’t take for granted. Every single cruise I have been on has been awesome and its own separate experience. This one was was no exception.

We drove down a day early and stayed at this amazing hotel in Pompano Beach called the Beachcomber! Delightful.

Beachcomberresort.com Check it out!

After a wonderful dinner and a drink, we grabbed some ZZZZ’s , both of us excited about getting on the ship the next morning, and very thankful we didn’t have to make the drive from Tampa to Miami the day we get on board!

The view from our hotel room

The initial boarding process is really quite smooth, at least with Celebrity, no real lines or aggravation – these guys have it down pretty good. It wasn’t long til we were on board exploring our surroundings!

Boarding photo

My favorite find was the tree growing inside.. right in the middle of the ship – just held there! And, it was REAL!  I think that tree and the grass on the top deck are wonderful touches when you think about how much metal is around you!

Tree, suspended.

Eventually we set sail – everyone was out on the pool deck watching the land fade into the distance. Now for the serious stuff. Unpacking, exploring our suite (Yay for surprise upgrade!) and food! Can I just forget about the drill?

I found the grass to be rather comforting;

This is not your typical Florida grass. I love it.

Did I mention that this was this ships first 7 day cruise. New ship, new ship smell. Leather smell in the Wine room, clean, pristine, no sneezing.

I knew this was going to be a wonderful trip.

More tales to follow, including a whirlwind tour of Puerto Rico, a Jeep drive around St. Maarten and zip-lining in St. Kitts.

Did you know that yelling JEEP real loud alerts your passengers to large potholes?

Check back later!

Omg. I never get a good enough picture of this animal because he has ADD.. I swear.. so he will never sit still long enough for me to get a “portrait” shot of him.  And he hates the camera.

Let the angels sing, I got one.

Have I said how much I love this little lens Brett?

Classics..Both in title and media.. There is this wonderful music store beside Mazzaro’s, they had tons and I mean TONS of vinyl.  It was quite the sight. 3 million records in the main shop.. this smaller shop was absolutely amazing.  If you’re local to Tampa, you should check this out just for the trip down memory lane..