2009 January 18

It was a BEAUTIFUL day here in Central Florida. The sun was shining bright, there were not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was a cool and comfortable 70 degrees. If you had to describe perfect weather for a perfect day,I believe this was it. And believe me I took complete advantage of it.

My Parents brought their Boxer, Scooby, up to spend the day with Abbie. They really are the best of friends and even felt the need to share a seat in the Expedition.

Our first stop of the day was a local Farmers Market right down the street from where I live.

I had never been to this particular Farmers Market, but was really impressed with the atmosphere and variety of local booths. My Dad and I particularly enjoyed the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables that were available.

Everything looked great and was at a killer price. Check these strawberries out.. only $2.00 a pint!

I even found some great Autumn Harvest Orzo that smelled heavenly, with a flavor of pumpkin dominating the scent. I plan on making a Squash Soup this week that will pair perfectly with this orzo.

Here’s my loot from the Farmers Market.

Foccacia Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread ….. $5.00
Mango Papaya Scone ….. $2.00
2 Pints of Strawberries ….. $3.00
4 Tomatoes ….. $2.00
Acorn Squash ….. $0.80/lb
Brussel Sprouts ….. $2.50
5 Green Apples ….. $2.00
Indian Eggplant ….. $2.50
1/2 lb Autumn Harvest Orzo ….. $4.00
Lemon Garlic Orzo ….. $4.00
Green Bell Pepper… ??
Red Bell Pepper ….. ??

After the Farmers Market I took my parents to my favorite Dog Park so Abbie and Scooby could run off some energy.

They had a blast splashing in the war and playing with all the other dogs. My parents were very impress with the dog park and I believe Scooby enjoyed his first visit as well.

After the dogs had their fill of the park we continued to enjoy the beautiful weather at one of my favorite streets to dine on in Baldwin Park. We sat outside and had lunch at a cute little Mexican Resteraunt called Coliberi.

I was not particulary hungry when we ate and knew it would be an early dinner so I just ordered a bowl of the Sopa de Pollo for my meal.

I also nibbled on a couple of Tortilla Chips with my soup.

The soup was very salty for my taste, but also very flavorful. I enjoyed my light lunch and would love to happily return to Colibri in the future.

Through out our lunch both Abbie and Scooby found their way on my Dad’s lap at some point.

I believe originally I was suppose to prepare dinner for my parents, but my Dad got an idea for Paella in his head and he was dying to try it. Of course I was not going to stand in his way in the kitchen so I gave him full reign and happily relaxed on my couch as he prepared a yummy meal.

The Paella of course came out so amazing and was so beautiful in the pan.

I really, really should have had him write down what he threw in there so I could provide you guys with a recipe, but I didn’t even think about it until now. My Dad is an amazing cook and can basically throw anything in a pan have it turn into wonderful flavorful combinations and this was another winner.

I do know the Paella contained Saffron, Spanish Rice, Churizo Sausage, Shrimp, Scallops, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Onions, Chicken Broth, Diced Tomatoes and so much more.

With my Paella I enjoyed a piece of the Focaccia we picked up at the Farmers Market this morning.

I cleaned my plate, this meal was freaking amazing. Thank you Daddy for taking over my kitchen and making me a wonderful dinner!!!!

For dessert I decided to dig into the new container of FroYo I picked up at Publix today.

I had 1/2 cup of the FroYo and 2 Strawberries.

Mmmm… the Caramel Praline Crunch was delish! Perfect ending to my weekend of great eats.

I can’t believe I have to go to work tomorrow…. booooooo... I guess I better rest up in preparation of another long work week. Good night!!

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I have a confession to make, last night I was not on my best behavior with food and drinks, but boy did I have a great time.

My friend Derek, came in from Tampa and we had big plans for a night out on the town at CItyWalk ( a touristy destination by Universal that has some fun bars and night life). Unfortunately he was a little later then originally planned so I made myself a small snack of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest with Apple sauce around 5:00.

When he finally arrived after 8:00 we were both starving and rushed to the one of my favorite restaurants at CityWalk, Bubba Gumps.

I love, love love this place, but they don’t have the best healthy options. My favorite thing I always order is their ‘Bucket of Trash’ which is a bucket filled of a fried seafood medley. It is really the only thing I ever get there.

I knew in the back of my mind that I could not just order the Bucket of Trash and feel good about it, so my friend Derek was gracious enough to split the trash and the Pear and Berry Salad with me.

I also ordered a side of Broccoli for the hell of it.

Splitting the dishes was a great alternative to one large fried meal. I still got to eat exactly what I wanted in moderation with some veggies thrown in.

My share of the Salad.

And my first plate of the fried goodness.

Granted, I did return to the bucket for quite a few more nibbles of the seafood and fries.

I also enjoyed a Shock Top with my dinner.

After dinner we walked to the infamous Pat O’Briens. Derek and I both enjoyed our ‘normal’ sized Hurricanes.

THe last time Derek and I ventured to Pat O’Briens we met an amazing group of new friends from Boston who shared the extra large Hurricane with us. This time we met even more amazing people who shared a table with us and kept refilling our drinks when we were looking.

I love the atmosphere in Pat O’Briens. They are famous for their dueling pianos entertainments and last night was particularly entertaining.

We had great seats right by the piano and were able to make numerous song requests and discovered a $5 tip instead of $1 moved your request to the front of the line.

I had a blast singing at the top of my lungs and dancing like a fool.

Some point during the night we discovered our new friend’s ability to position her leg behind her head.

I attempted with little success to do the same.

With the unknown knowledge of exactly how many drinks I consumed due to the bottomless pit that was my cup I have to admit I don’t exactly remember getting home last night. There may or may not have been an incident in CityWalk involving myself, a trash can and my dinner. I’m not particularly proud of that moment.

Luckily Derek had a little bit more control then myself and was my DD for the night. That’s a true friend.

I have this uncanny ability after a night of partying a bit to hard of waking up at 7:30am wide awake and ready to roll. I also woke up STARVING, so we drove to my favorite breakfast place, First Watch.

I ordered the Veg-D Out Egg White Omelette, which came with a dry English Muffin and Hashbrowns.

I devoured the entire plate as well as two cup of Hot Tea. I felt so much better after I had that yummy greasy food in my tummy.

Today, my parents are bringing Scooby up as a play date for Abbie. Hopefully I won’t crash and burn before the day is over, we shall see. Have a great Sunday!

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