Biscotti Update

They are delicious. 

Florida, Day 5

    After such a rough day yesterday, Megan and I needed today to be better. Waking up to a huge crash of thunder and gusting winds wasn't a great start. (It was also kinda cool, I love storms!) In fact, the winds were so strong that Jeff and Keeley's grill literally got blown off of their back porch! On the upside of this, though, we knew that today was supposed to be a rainy and stormy day since Monday. So we were expecting this and were prepared.
    Keeley made a deliciouc breakfast this morning, serving the best whole... grain? (Gluten free... and they really were so good!) I think so... pancakes I have ever had. Some toast with guacamole and some sausage only sweetens the deal. Meg and I enjoyed that and took our time moving onto the next part of the day. I had two things scheduled for today: 1) Make biscotti 2) High Speed Go Karts.
    I have come to really enjoy making biscotti. Meg and I started on them, and the Scully's couldn't be happier. They've been making sure that we didn't forget that we wanted to  make them. We made them allergen-free, as Keeley and Brooke are both allergic to almonds. I think it's safe to say that they came out great, but we'll really only know tomorrow morning.

    At this point in the process, it was time to leave for High Speed Go Karts at the Tampa Strings Grand Prix! (Speedy McFastPants rides again!) These are electric go karts that can go over 40 mph in an indoor track. The goal isn't neccessarily to get 1st place in position, like most races. With high speed karting, the goal is to have the fastest lap. Each race was 14 laps, so there were about 14 attemps that we each had to get the best lap time each race. We raced three times. Each time, we got faster and faster.

    For dinner, we went to Rusty Bellies. I've been wanting to go here, because Ethan really made it sound good when we first got to Florida. Good food, good drinks, good dessert, and a good view. (The most stuffed @ I've been in awhile!) It was perfect. By this point, the storm was over and Florida was sunny again. 

Its not a vacation 'til there's a face in a hole

    Now we're home, and its time to finish the biscotti...

    Tomorrow, we will find out how they came out. See you then!

May the Fourth be with you.

Florida, Day 4

    Every vacation has its fun, exciting days; days that are filled with excitement and memories. Every vacation also has days that arent so... exciting. Today was the latter. Don't read this as "we didn't have a good time today." We just didn't do much. Here's what happened.
    Our day started great. Woke up, had our morning coffee and toast, and went out in service. Had a really nice return visit, too! Then we stopped at FirstWatch for delicious breakfast. Really delicious breakfast. My belgian waffle was so light and fluffy, and crispy on the outside. The syrup was even delicious. Meg got a Chickachonga. It was like a delicious breakfast burrito with chicken and chorizo. And the homefries... We had a great morning.

    While at breakfast, Meg and I decided to go see manatees today. It's supposed to be really cool. You rent kayaks or canoes and paddle around where the manatees naturally like to be. They're supposed to come right up to the boat for you to see. It sounds awesome, so we decided to go for it. It wasd about an hour's drive and Meg and I went off alone to do this. That was our mistake.

    We were supposed to drive up to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Instead, we drove to Crystal Springs National Wildlife Refuge, about 25 min further North. Now, this didn't have to be the end of the day, if only we hadn't gotten there after 3:00. We wanted to go to a rental place that we knew closed at 5:30. But that was at the other location. Where we were, it closed at 4:30. By the time we would get into the water, it would almost be time to get back to the rental place. Option two was to get back to the car, and drive to the correct location. By the time we'd get there, we felt we'd be in almost the same time crunch.

    We asked the locals what else there was to do, and they seriously told us that there are a few shops nearby and a Denny's. Hot Dog! So we checked out the shops. There was nothing worth looking at or stopping for. We ended up on the side of the road, scanning Google Maps to find something... anything. Keeley and Jeff are back at the house, at this point, searching for a way to see manatees or something in the area for us to do. Suddenly, Jeff pulls through with a way for us to see a manatee: the Homosassa Wildlife Park.

    But there was a catch, they close at 5:30 and we'd be getting there around 4:40. It would be another close call. When we got there, it seemed closed. The gift shop woman said that we were late, and, if we take the shuttle to the main park, we won't be able to do a tour. We only wanted to see a manatee, so that was fine with me. 

    So we take the shuttle, hoping for this last chance to see a manatee to prove fruitful.

    It wasn't

    The ticket booth was closed. It closes at 5:00, while the park closes at 5:30. I'm glad that nobody told us that. So this day wasn't as hoped, but we were not giving up yet. We were hungry and we wanted Thai. So we drove an hour towards home and we went to Thai Bistro. We made the most out of this day. 

    At the end of the day, Meg and I got to spend another day together on vacation in Florida. We enjoyed the drive and got to soak up some more Florida warmth. What more can I ask for. See you tomorrow!

Florida, Day 3

    After a delicious breakfast at home, our day today led us to the beach. You can't go to Florida without having, at least, one beach day, and the West Coast of Florida has amazing beaches. Clear waters, soft sand, no garbage, and dolphins... Such a difference from the Northeast!
    We went to Honeymoon Island today. Our first endeavor, of course, was food. We were told to go to Cafe Honeymoon, because they make a good cheeseburger. They do make a good cheeseburger. ( They were so big too! We ended up sharing one, which was plenty for me. And the fries were pretty delicious too.)We sat on the shore, eating good food and soaking in the warm Florida beach air.

    Keeley hooked us up with nice beach chairs and a tent for the sun. Well, the chairs worked! The tent was a great idea, but setting it up on the beach was not. If only we had someone to film this whole experience. It was hysterical. The wind wasn't too much to enjoy the beach, but it was enough to turn a disassembled tent into a parasail. Eventually, a couple nearby must have gotten tired of two people from CT ruining their day at the beach by fumbling, yelling and laughing over an inflated tent, so they decided to help. What fools... Eventually, we did get the tent set up, only to be unable to find the stakes that keep it on the ground. Despite our efforts, it kept lifting from the wind, so we had to take it down. (Later in the day, that couple found 4 tent stakes farther up the beach and gave them to us. I will die saying that they weren't ours).(This was hysterically horrible. The wind blew the stupid tent around and we wrestled with it like an alligator. The instructions were quite minimal and impossible to look at while holding down the beast and setting up thousand feet poles. We definitely almost poked a nearby sunbather a few times. The couple that tried to help us was so sweet. It was clear they thought we were crazy for trying to set this kite up. The best part was this old man that kept walking by and putting in his two sense. Things like "ha looks like a parasail to me" thanks guy! Defeated by the tent, we now realized that we hadn't put sunscreen on yet... Let the burning begin! 😖)

    Once those 30 terrible minutes were over, we got to enjoy the beach. It was well worth the effort. Now this beach is $8 to get in. That annoyed me. There are so many beaches that are free and we are paying for this one. After being there,  I'd gladly pay $8 for such a nice beach. 

    The beach had two parts two it, the ocean and a pool, with a sand bar separating the two. We've never seen that before. (Some people at the beach hated the pool. I thought it was the coolest thing! It was shallow and warm and no waves. So calm and nice to just sit in. There were so many cute families with their kids being able!e to enjoy  the water so much more there. So cute.) Meg and I set our chairs up and then went for a swim. We swam through the pool and went into the ocean. So nice! The water was a great temperature, and there was almost no debris. You can see your feet as you swim in this water. There's no sand getting churned up, there's not a bunch of seaweed floating around, it's very clean. We swam more than I ever would in an ocean. 

 

    After that, we relaxed on the beach, I did some reading, we went for another swim, and called it a day. We called Keeley, made plans to meet up, and left the beach. Goodbye Honeymoon Island. Maybe we'll see you again. 

    Because Jeff wasn't feeling great today, it was just Keeley, Meg and I going to eat at a restaurant called Frenchy's. Known for their Rum Runners, they did not disappoint. ( I have to say I love that you can eat outside everywhere here, even wawa! It is so relaxing and always feels right to get a nice blended drink 🍹)We ate, talked, and went home. It was at this point that the truth was undeniable: Meg and I got sunburned at the beach.

    The night ended with some wine, some fresh, homemade popcorn and some Sherlock. I love how our days end. See you tomorrow!