Happy Biggest Loser Finale Day all!!  It was so fun reading who you all are voting for and why you think they should win.  I have to agree with all of you ~ Go Ramone & Antone…but, I still can’t root for John LOL….As for the At Home Winner ~ I am torn, but, I think Vinnie since he is achieving something he has NEVER had in his life.  I am so inspired by everyone on that show and will be secretly cheering them on for maintenance (the hardest part, I think!)

This morning I was up by 5 AM to get a jump start on my work day.  Since I knew I was heading out for another lunch out, I decided to keep breakfast light.

Fruit “Salad” ~ My addiction of the week!

Rounded out with a Grande Dirty Latte as my reward for going in super early (4 points+).

Lunch today was at a place I have never heard of, but, now, I am completing wondering why! 

The Water Boy Restaurant is located in Mid-Town Sacramento and serves up a new Italy & French Menu each month with seasonal specials.

You can find them on the corner right across from Jack’s Urban Eats (my other favorite place!)….just look for the outdoor patio and follow the chalk art to the door.

My Big Boss said that she goes here because the Waterboy Deluxe Burger is one of the BEST in town…..with a recommendation like that (and Bubbies Pickles ~ I liked the name LOL), how can you not join in!

I resisted the bread and butter ~ Success!!! Doesn’t it look good though?!

I also asked them to trade my fries for a side salad ~ Success!!

Afterall, it’s all about balance and moderation!  My Big Boss knows her burgers ~ seriously….I had to focus on not making sounds while eating this LOL.

The burger was totally juicy and seasoned perfectly ~ you could actually TASTE every single thing on the burger too ~ the creamy cheese, sweet tomatoes, tart pickles, grilled onions and perfectly toasted, yet, soft bread……It was so good, I want to go back tomorrow LOL.

I broke down all the toppings and came up with 12 points+ for the burger and 2 points+ for the Italian Dressing on the salad (estimate.)

Dessert!!!  We tried both, but, I pretty much fell IN LOVE with and ate practically all of this

Meyer Lemon Roullade Cake with Mascarpone & Candied Meyer Lemon! (6 points+)

She ordered the Caramel Chocolate Truffle with Sea Salt ~ it was so dense and rich ~ perfect when savored with coffee.

The thing I found really interesting about lunch was that I left completely satisfied and proud of my choices.  I ordered what I really wanted and made a few adjustments (no bread or fries) to balance it out.

I also lighted up dinner with a BIG Veggie Packed Bowl of Chicken Cilantro Potsticker Soup (4 points+).

I was still hungry after my soup so I made up a small bowl of Spicy Asian Slaw (1 points+).

Broccoli Slaw & Carrots topped with 1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette.

Coming on tomorrow morning~ one of my FAVORITE Signs of the Week for Wordless Wednesday and my contribution to Eating Bird Food’s 2nd Annual 12 Days of COOKIES!!! There are so many delicious cookie ideas for all those doing a cookie exchange and/or baking for the holidays.

For now ~ it’s “almost” finale time!!!!

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve everyone!  We are enjoying. our week in St. Lucia despite the crazy weather.  For our first day, we decided to stock up on a few things at the market and do a little shopping at Rodney Bay.  It’s a short cab ride (about 15 minutes) and it costs about $15US for everyone in your group one way. 

One thing we always try to do on vacation is to wake up early to watch a sunrise…..the sunrises in St. Lucia are just as beautiful as the sunsets.  That is when it isn’t pouring rain.

The weather is so crazy here ~ it will pour rain with thunder/lightning, then, like 15 minutes later be sunny and clear.

Like this….

We have been eating breakfast every morning on our patio……

Along with all the birds who stop by to eat with us….

The Husband almost was able to get the birds to eat out of his hand.

Even though it was pouring rain our first day, we decided to not let us stop from exploring.  We headed down to Rodney Bay to check out the pay and the shops.

The door that opens to nowhere…..

The Bay Walk Mall….The upstairs is shops and downstairs is the food court. Everything is on Caribbean time ~ as in the shops open around 10 or 11 and the food court opens as “early” as 12 LOL.

I had to tell The Husband this wasn’t Caesar’s Casino…..

Or Toys “r” Us…..

One of the things I LOVE the most about the Caribbean is all the colorful buildings.

To get to the you simply walk own this road and it takes you to a boat yard.

We ended up stopping by the Treasure Bay Casino ~ the only casino on the island so The Husband could collect his $1 chips.

My Mom and I had Morning Glory’s ~ their drink of the day.  It had pineapple & orange juice with peach tree and Malibu Rum….so completely refreshing.

We were all ready for lunch by the time we got back so we headed over to Embers Grill that is located right on the beach at the Windjammer.

We started off by sharing Jamaican Jerk Chicken Nachos ~ they were so spicy good!

Then, I had this Sweet Chili Fish Dish with rice and salad…..it was awesome!

Since we were at the beach, we decided to take some beach pictures and swim.

This is what the Windjammer Landing looks like from the beach….

All our villas are located on the hill like this.

Leave it to My Mom to snap pictures and take videos of us swimming.  We ended up hanging out on the Blue/Yellow water trampoline most of the time.

As we were swimming the “Fruit Guy” came boating up to the shore.  I think it is so cool that he brought the farmer’s market to us on the beach!

We bought a large avocado, papaya, grapefruit and  passion fruit to share……

Then, a coconut!  He LOVED the coconut water…..it tastes like coconut.  I have to say though I am not a fan of “green coconuts” in the middle.  It’s like slimy coconut….he ate all that while I kept thinking “Fear Factor” LOL.

While at Rodney Bay, we visited the Super J (the name for real!) which is there local grocery store.  We snacked on a couple of our finds.

The coconut cookies taste just like coconut flavored animal crackers.

For dinner, we decided to go to the Dragon Fly.  This restaurant has two menus ~a taste of India and a taste of China.

We picked a Taste of China and shared everything…..While not really authentic or even American Authentic Chinese, it was still pretty tasty.

Won Ton Soup

Spring Rolls with sweet chili sauce….I have decided I am IN LOVE with that sauce.

BBQ Pork

Broccoli Beef

Chicken Chow Mein with Basmati rice.

Fried Rice.

For dessert we shared a Super Sweet Orange…..even though it’s green, it’s sweet.

The lady at the market said to look for ones that are soft as they are the sweetest.  She was right….but I have to admit when I bought it, I thought for sure I was buying an unripe orange.

Today we are heading to the Castries Market for shopping and to have lunch in town…..so far the weather is completely sunny, hot and humid!

See you all later!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve all!  After our journey around the world in a day, we figured it was only appropriate to get out of this world for our next trip.  I am ohhhh sooo tempted to say something like Buzz Light Year “To Infinity and Beyond” or “Beam Me Up Scotty” or something super cheesy like that, but, I am resisting. 

For our 3rd day in Kissimmee, Florida we decided to head to the Kennedy Space Center. We had the chance to sit on our patio and watch the sun rise as we ate breakfast.

Nothing really fancy ~ Just some Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds and a sprinkle of The Husband’s Captain Crunch….you know, for flavor.  I rounded my breakfast out with a banana and some Starbuck’s Via!

I LOVE that they had the space center all decked out for the holidays too.

BEST TIP we received ~ buy your tickets and print them out BEFORE you arrive since the ticket lines can be long (as in like 50 minutes long).  If you have your tickets, you just walk right in.

The first thing you see when you arrive is the Space Ship Garden.

It is actually pretty interesting because next to each space ship there is a sign explaining how it was built and whether it ever made it into space.

You can follow one of the guided tours or take a self guided tour.

There are a few shuttles you can actually walk right into and sit down for the full experience.

“Tight squeeze” ~ he is 6’3” but I cannot imagine having this be your seat for your ride to space.

After exploring the gardens, you can walk into several buildings to learn how the space center was built, how the space ships are made and how things operate at NASA.

It’s pretty cool when you walk in the door because it seems like you would be walking into a spaceship.

I think it’s awesome that they are “green” and often reuse the rocket/space capsule parts for future missions.

The “Control Center”

There are several types of capsules, rockets and ships used and they have a complete history and evolution since the space center first opened in the early 19th century.

There are several stories about the “crews” aboard and what their missions were.

Space Rover!

The lunch options at both café’s honestly left a lot to be desired.  Most items were prepackaged/prepared and/or fried.  I shared their chicken strips and fries with The Husband.

But, we were not brave enough to try the Astronaut Ice Cream……

There is a ride you can take where you can feel what it is like to launch in a space shuttle at 17,500 mph.  It is crazy that you don’t actually move ~ they do it all by changing the pressure in the air and with the 4D movie type of affects.

We couldn’t resist ~ CHEEEEEESE!!!!!

Aside from the narrated bus tour that I heard is awesome, there are a few movies that are 45 minutes each that you can watch in 3D that are absolutely FANTASTIC!

Hubble 3D ~ it’s about the astronauts that went up set up Hubble the space telescope.

Space Station 3D ~ it’s about the astronauts life in space for those who go to space for months at a time.

If you get there early, then, you can definitely fit in everything there is to do at the Kennedy Space Center.  If you are looking for something to do outside of the theme parks in Orlando, the Space Center is definitely worth the 45 minute drive.

On our way home, we had the chance to watch the sunset and see a few gaters too!!

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We stopped for dinner at a place called Little China, but, when, you walked in they said that it was Kobe Steakhouse.  I guess Kobe owns Little China too.

I was totally OK with that ~ Chinese + Japanese Food = the BEST of both worlds in my book!

We ordered the combo meal to share…..It started with simple side salads topped with ginger dressing. (2 points+)

The Husband picked Pan Fried Gyoza as his appetizer to share. (2 points+ each)

I picked their Chicken & Peanut Lettuce Cups ~ Hands down the BEST lettuce cups I’ve ever had….I’d come back and have these just for my meal.

They were packed with chicken, mushrooms, crunchy noodles, peanuts and a ton of salty, sweet flavor that went well with the crisp lettuce. (3 points+ each)

They called this Clear Onion Soup ~ it was like a light beef broth soup. (0 points+)

I ate the Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp and The Husband ate the grass-fed Teriyaki Steak.  For those wondering, Tepan/Hibachi Grill is actually very points+ friendly.

1 cup Shrimp ~ 6 points+

1 cup Chicken ~ 8 points+

1 cup Beef ~ 10 points+

Not too shabby, huh?!

This is where Kobe steps it up a notch to really make their teppan worth the money.

Your sides include these delicious teriyaki ginger noodles & veggies…..(5 points+ per cup)

Plus brown ride fried rice…..Not too bad for a $25 meal, huh?! (5 points+ per cup)

Your meal also comes with dessert ~ I totally LOVE the fruit presentation.

Today we decided to hang out, relax and do a little shopping.  I think we are going to pick up our Thanksgiving Feast to make it tonight then head to the Beach tomorrow!!

Did you all see The Biggest Loser Thanksgiving Recipes last night?!  I am all over making some of these when we get home….if you didn’t see them, you can see all the recipes here.

I can’t wait for tonight’s Biggest Loser Thanksgiving special!

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  Thanks for all the great comments and recommendations for things to do during our week in South Carolina.  I can honestly say we had a blast in the South and can’t wait to go back….and to eat at Mrs. Wilkes! LOL…..Yesterday, we finally made it to Florida for our next adventure in Kissimmee!

We have one week of fun here before we head over to St. Lucia!!!

I snapped a few pictures of our resort on our morning walk to Starbuck’s.

We are staying at my parents Time Share and it’s pretty darn awesome!

The Kitchen!

There are 2 bedrooms that look pretty much the same…..

The view from our room ~ by the way, an alligator hangs out in that lake and we saw him today!

1 of the 6 pools!

Ok, enough about this place ~ let’s just say, I am really spoiled on time shares

This morning start out with a delicious fruit cup….

Plus a Venti Iced Coffee with 1 pump mocha ~ it totally hit the spot since it is hot and humid here today in the mid 80’s. (1 points+)

We decided to pick today as a total relaxation day since most of yesterday was spent driving in the car.  For lunch, we headed over to the Oldest Restaurant in Florida ~ Columbia Restaurant.

You have your choice of indoor or outdoor seating…..

We decided to sit outside since our table was in the shade.  As soon as we sat down we were each given bags with hot, freshly baked Cuban bread and butter.  Delicious!!

Cuban bread is super crunchy/flakey on the outside, but, light, airy and soft on the inside.

I remembered completely LOVING the Cuban Chicken Dish we had in Florida on our way back from the Bahamas so I decided to check out the Arroz Con Pollo with yellow rice.

I ended up giving the chicken to The Husband…..so I could have his plantains

Then, I gobbled up all of the sticky, yellow rice with peas, peppers and onions. I LOVE yellow rice!

After lunch, we decided to go to Publix to order our Thanksgiving Feast.  While we were there, I found TWO NEW to me products to try.

1st ~ the drink you all all told me to try ~ Cheerwine!

2nd ~ Wickles!!!  I have been eyeing these all week every time we see them.

1 points+ a serving…..

Decent ingredient list (sans the last 2)

I may or may not have bought these just because they had peppers inside the jar!

I NEVER knew I could LOVE a Wickle so freakin’ much!!! Seriously, you all have to try these if you have not….they are light bread & butter pickles (probably better!) with a little spicy, garlicky kick.

I totally ate like half a jar with my Cheerwine (which is also tasty cherry soda!)

I actually think I might be ordering some of these to send home because there is NOTHING like Wickles in California!

We spent the afternoon lounging around, reading and pondering what we want to do this week.  My dad actually requested an Italian Food dinner so we decided to google a few ideas.

Bruno’s Italian Restaurant came up with great reviews from several people and the menu looked tasty. You know you are at Bruno’s when you see this sign along the street

I think what makes Bruno’s place pretty cool is that it a local place that you won’t find anywhere else and it is run by Bruno and his family.

Bruno even comes out of the kitchen to say hi and make sure you enjoyed his food.

He actually is a pretty funny guy who can make some pretty amazing food too!

As soon as you sit down they bring out these super soft, hot, homemade Garlic Knots that literally melt in your mouth as soon as you sink your teeth into them.

Each meal includes the garlic knots and simple salad with homemade Italian dressing.

I LOVE that they put “a must try” in red letters right next to the Bruschetta description on the appetizers. 

If you try one appetizer at Bruno’s try the Bruschetta ~ it’s unbelievable. I would honestly go back just for this appetizer!

The bread is perfectly toasted, but, not hard and then it is topped with the creamiest ricotta that blends with the garlicky pesto and sweet tomatoes.

I asked our waiter about the 3 dishes I was pondering and he said out of all of the ones I listed the Penne Verdi was his favorite.  I have to admit, after tasting The Husband’s baked pastas and my mom’s eggplant parmesan (which were both delicious with their homemade red sauces), that I made the right choice.

Penne Verdi is crisp, lightly steamed broccoli with fresh spinach and penne tossed with fresh roasted garlic and olive oil.  For being such a light dish, it pacts a delicious sweet garlic olive oil flavor throughout the entire dish.

I think we might head out to Universal Studios tomorrow and then maybe the Kennedy Space Center the next day.

For all those out there ~ what are your must try places to eat and things to see in Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida?

Quick side note ~ doesn’t this recipe look good? I am so adding it to my must make list!

Night all!

Happy Friday Eve all!  Thanks for letting me know that I need to try “Fresh Green Boiled Peanuts” versus canned.  It actually really makes sense because I am a big fan of fresh, not canned, fruits & vegetables.  I think we may be checking out the Hilton Head Farmer’s Market tomorrow (gahhhhhhh, I am so excited!) so I will search for the Peanut Man! LOL….

Today we decided to head over to Charleston, South Carolina for a day trip.  We started our trip at the Visitors Center to see what there is to do.

It is actually pretty overwhelming because there are a ton of things to do in Charleston from taking a tour (trolley, bus, carriage, walking) to visiting the lighthouse, museums, old buildings, aquairum (they have a white alligator!), etc..  There is so much history and character in Charleston that it is incredible.

While we pondered what to do, we decided to hop onto the FREE Trolley that takes you all over downtown so we could see where we wanted to go back and check out.

Stop #1 ~ the Moon Pie store!

We picked up a vanilla and chocolate to try although I really wanted banana.

The ingredients are totally on my not so good list, but, you know what ~ it’s part of experiencing the south and I didn’t want to miss out.  The entire pie is 6 points+.

I had 2 bites and gave it to The Husband.  He LOVED it, I thought it was just ok ~ I think it was a texture thing for me.

A few of you recommended a carriage ride as a great way to tour Charleston ~ Stop #2 ~ the Big Red Barn.

While we waited we talked to Marvin like he would talk back to us like Mr. Ed or something.

CHEEEEESE!

Our tour took us through downtown, “The Battery” and all along the water.

These stairs were developed back in the day when men were not allowed to see women’s legs.  Men would enter on the left, and women on the right……because…..

Well, women are always right

The houses in The Battery are some of the oldest houses in Charleston and the history of each one is truly fascinating.

Our tour guide was awesome ~ I wish I could’ve shared all her knowledge with you all…all I can say is if you are wondering what to do in Charleston ~ take the Carriage Ride ~ it’s like no other ride and definitely better than being cooped up in a bus or car.

After our Carriage Ride, we walked around the city and through The “French Quarters”……

and the City Market.

The City Market is pretty cool because it is full of local vendors who are making items that are unique to Charleston like these hand woven baskets.

I am 100 million % IN LOVE with Benne Wafters (aka Sesame Cookie Crackers).

If you have ever eaten sesame candy, it is sorta like that…..super crunchy, slightly sweet & salty with a big sesame crunchy that just melts in your mouth.

My favorite sign of the day

Other signs that had us laughing for a bit…..

I LOVE these handmade bottles…..

e

Wooden baskets….

Finger puppets

I totally resisted the hot sauces……I thought about it but figured I can wait until we are in Florida and visit Tijuana Flats in Kissimmee.

Gullah Foods!

Stop #3 ~ Rainbow Row.  Rainbow Row was actually different than what I thought but it was still interesting.  All of the houses on Rainbow Row were built in the 1700’s and have been restored.

All of the owners intentionally painted their houses a different color….

Creating a Rainbow Row of houses 4 blocks long.

Since stones are not native to Charleston they were all imported from England (according to our guide).  We decided to walk down the cobblestone street to the beach.

To watch another South Carolina Sunset!

It was so peaceful and breathtaking……I LOVE Charleston, honestly maybe even more than Savanaah, GA.  There is so much to see and do ~ everyone is super friendly….

But, honestly, how could you not love walking down your cobble stone driveway from Rainbow Row to the beach and seeing this every single day?!

Before heading back to town, we decided to stop for a quick bite at Andolini’s for pizza!

It was SO DARK inside, but, I managed to snap a few pictures without using the flash!

The Husband and I shared a delicious and refreshing Large Italian Salad.  Their homemade creamy Italian dressing and huge grates of mozzarella really made this salad fantastic.

Then, we received quite possibly the largest pizza I’ve ever ordered in my life! I was actually kind of excited since we were all starving since we didn’t have lunch LOL.

1/2 Veggie (for the girls) and 1/2 Pepperoni/Olive (for the boys).

This totally hit the spot ~ I like how the crust is thin, light and crispy but their mozzarella is super creamy.  I never imagined putting green olives on a veggie pizza but I really liked the salty bite when paired with the veggies and CHEESE!

Tomorrow is our last day in Hilton Head.  I think we are going to attempt to go to the Farmer’s Market and maybe head over to Daufuskie Island to rent golf carts to tour the island!!!

Anything we missed this week in South Carolina that you all think we should do?

Night all!

Happy Wednesday all!  I have to say thanks for all the nice comments on our travel adventures, all the ideas and for letting me know that The Pig has T-Shirts!!! I am totally going back to the Piggly Wiggly for one now LOL!

Today I actually have a kinda, sorta, normal food post!  It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about my daily eats because I think sharing my travels is more fun!  Since today was a relaxation day for us, it’s pretty much all about the food.

Each morning I usually take my laptop, magazine or a book (since I can never decide what I want to do) outside to have a big bowl of fruit.  The Husband usually joins me and concentrates on the lagoon looking for the alligators that are in it.

Today my mom whipped up egg-wiches for us too (5 points+).

After a quick stop to check out the turtles and

say HI to the bird at our resort, we were off for another day of fun.

Our first stop was the beach to check out how different it is during high tide.  The waves are a lot bigger and the birds were having breakfast.

My Mom actually took this picture that looks like a shark in the water next to the surfer.  It’s actually a bird flying….pretty cool!

The Husband picked all of our indoor activities since it was supposed to rain.

We played Boys against Girls and the winner got to pick the movie we were going to.

He kept joking when we were ahead they were going to have to go see a Princess movie or something….I LOVE bowling shoes (side note!)

They won but luckily we all wanted to see the same movie.  Since we had time to kill before the movie, we headed out to lunch at Ruan Thai Hut.

It’s a super cute place located in Main Street Village.  They have both outdoor and indoor dining.

I ordered the Spicy Cashew Chicken Lunch Special.  You have the choice of the soup of the day or a spring roll. (5 points+).

Their presentation is sorta fun and sorta fancy ~ Rice Heart! (5 points+)

Carrot Flower….

100% delicious!  They let you pick the level of heat you want and I went on the safe side with medium.  It was the perfect amount of sweet chili spice, crunchy veggies and sauce that got soaked up by the rice.  (7 points+)

After lunch we did a little souvenir shopping then headed out to see Tower Heist.  We all really thought the movie was good ~ there are some funny parts but we all agreed the ending should’ve been different.

My Mom has the BEST portion control tip for the movies!!! Get the kiddie box ($4) and you end up with 3 cups of unbuttered movie popcorn for 4 points+, a fruit snack for 2 points+ and a drink!

We all picked one meal to cook this week and tonight was my night.  Any guesses on what I made for everyone????

Healthy Nachos!!! I also gave everyone a choice of regular nachos, tacos or salad.

Homemade tortilla chips, lean ground taco meat, low-fat cheddar, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, salsa, AVOCADO ~ my entire plate was 9 points+.

I totally believe when we travel we NEED to try everything we can to experience the culture where we are at…nothing says you have to like it, but, why not try it once.

I have wanted to try canned Boiled Peanuts ever since we first saw them in Atlanta, Georgia.

We bought two flavors to try ~ Regular….

Cajun….

The ingredients are pretty simple….

The stats are not bad ~ 3 points+ a serving.

I have to admit it kinda freaked me out when I opened the can and the peanuts were still in their shells.  I had visions that they were not in the shell….not that it mattered, I just didn’t expect that.

The VERDICT ~ My Mom and I personally think they were not so good but The Husband liked them.  Give them to “Mikey” (The Husband), he ate both cans!

The flavor is just like that of a roasted peanut, but, the texture is like mush.  The Husband says they are like kidney beans….I say kinda, sorta

Tomorrow we are heading to Charleston, South Carolina! 

Any ideas for what we should see and where we should eat?

Night all!

Happy Biggest Loser Day all!  BTW ~ BEST Discovery of the week ~ NBC has an IPAD app that lets you watch full episodes of their shows, like Biggest Loser ~ side note LOL!  

We had a leisurely morning this morning cooking breakfast in before heading to the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head Island..

The museum itself teaches you all about Low Country and Hilton Head Island.  After walking through the museum and watching their video, you can take a self guided tour to check out all the buildings and artwork.

There are a few places you can walk out to the pier and look at Salt Marshes.

The marshes look like quick sand with grass and a river flowing through it.  The water actually increases and decreases with the hi and low tides.

Fun Fact ~ there are over 250 species of birds on the island.

There are also lizards and a ton of bugs .  I have pretty much decided I do like No-See-Um’s at all ~ they are biting flies that for some reason like to bite me.

If you look closely at the ground you will see a ton of little things moving and bubbles in the mud.  Really, what you are seeing are thousands of these crazy crabs with one really strong arm/claw!

Some of the bugs I do not mind though ~ they have a butterfly garden on site too.

As you walk along the trail you have the chance to see all types of trees, bushes and flowers.

I like the idea of a Bog Garden…..I have to admit it, I totally wanted to touch the Venus Fly Traps but they do not let you.

The path circles around the entire farm and is full of these crazy looking trees that have Spanish Moss all over them.  For those flower fans, Spanish Moss is used to grow orchids sometimes.

My clown totally wanted to pose with it as his “hair”

The funny part though is that he was too freaked out by it to get too close LOL.

There are a bunch of older buildings and barns that they have preserved as part of the original plantation.

There is random artwork like this Mosaic Hand scattered throughout the trail as well.

I thought this one looked like a modern elephant, The Husband thought I was crazy

The next 2 pictures are for all the Dentists/Assistants/Hygienists out there, like my sis!

This picture totally makes me think ~ FALL!

After all that walking, we decided it was time for lunch.  I have been totally dying to go to One Hot Mama’s ever since we arrived.  For those who watch The Next Food Network Star this is the restaurant Orchid owns ~ Yes, she was there too!!!

They have indoor seating and outdoor seating.

I actually wasn’t super hungry but knew there were a few things I HAD to sample.

HOT ASIAN WINGS ~ honestly the BEST wings I’ve ever eaten.  They are smoked with a sweet & spicy BBQ sauce that has a slight Asian flare. 

I split these with The Husband and totally wished we had more as soon as we were done

Mac N Cheese!  This was the one dish on the show that everyone LOVED so I knew we had to try it.

It did not disappoint ~ it’s super cheesy, gooey and total southern comfort food.

Are you all ready for this crazy concoction?  My Meat-a-tarian ordered The Big Daddy Sandwich.

Smoked Pulled Pork & Beef Brisket topped with chipotle mayo, melting pepper jack cheese, crispy onions, BBQ Sauce and coleslaw on a toasted buttery bun!

What makes this sandwich amazing is all the textures, the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce that pairs well with the smoked meats and cool coleslaw.  IT’S HUGE, but, I still managed to steal a couple of bites.

After “Linner” (Lunch/dinner), we headed over to South Beach.  There are a few cute shops and a lot of restaurants.

These birds have a “Southern Accent” when they talk ~ awesome!

The thing I find crazy about South Beach and owning a boat here, is that your boat just sits on the ground in the mud until the tide comes back in.

This is the boat ramp with absolutely NO WATER since it is low tide.  I guess if you are out for the day, you have to wait for high tide to come back LOL.

We saw another lizard hanging on on the palm tree…..

But, I guess we freaked him out taking his picture because he turned brown to blend in with the tree bark right before our eyes….COOL!

Our last stop of the day was to visit the beach to check out the Atlantic Ocean.

The sand is cold like walking on tiles and super soft at first, but, the closer you get to the water, it is hard enough to bike on. Yup, these people are literally biking on the sand along the ocean.

The water is completely FREEZING but it didn’t stop us from walking along the shore, collecting sea shells and checking out all the hermit crabs.

We have had amazing weather with sunshine in the 70’s all week, but, tomorrow it is supposed to rain so I am not sure what we will end up doing. 

I’ve heard that we are bowling boys against girls and the winner picks the movie we are watching LOL.

We are heading out to Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday and The Husband wants to see a real alligator….other than that, everything is up in the air

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  I think one of the things I absolutely LOVE the most about the East Coast is that you can take day trips to different states.  Today we decided to head over to Savannah, Georgia for a day trip to check out River Street, take the historic walk, and of course, eat some delicious Southern Food.

A HUGE Thanks goes out to all ~ you all are awesome, seriously! I posed the question on Facebook and Twitter yesterday and in less than an hour, we had a huge list of places to visit, sites to see and foods to eat.  You all made our Day Trip to Savannah AMAZING!

Today started off just like yesterday ~ We headed to Starbuck’s for Blueberry Scones (13 points+)and a Venti Iced Coffee with 2 pumps Pumpkin Spice (1 points+).

I think I have decided I am not a fan of pumpkin spice ~ it tastes kinda like burnt coffee lol.

Our first stop was River Street.  You can instantly see all the history in the brick buildings.  On one side of the cobblestone street you have all these great shops and restaraunts.

Then, on the other side, you can see the bridge and walk along the river checking out all the boats as you go.

We pondered catching the Trolley ~ $15 allows you to get on/off all day long and each trolley includes narration explaining all the sites you are seeing.

If stop by the visitors center (next to the Hilton), they give you a map that shows you the 51 points of interest in downtown Savannah that you can walk too.  I think he said it was a 1 x 1.5 square miles that you can walk checking out all the cool history, old homes, buildings and memorial statues.

We knew were stopping for Homemade Pralines & a tasty Southern Lunch so off we walked!

Stop #1 Savannah’s Candy Kitchen for Homemade Pralines!

They let you sample fresh pralines made that morning and check out how they are made in the kitchen.

It’s pretty cool to watch them being made.

The Candy Maker said that they cannot make them fast enough each day before they sell out.

These are Gophers….double the nuts & topped with chocolate!

We bought some pralines for the road ~ they are like super soft caramels but with the consistency of fudge with pralines.  They literally melt in your mouth.  The good thing ~ they are so sweet a little goes a long way ~ LOVE!

It was a tough choice between The Lady & Sons and Mrs. Wilkes, but, Mrs. Wilkes received the most votes and the reviews are pretty darn awesome. I have to admit I sorta fell IN LOVE with the concept at The Wilkes House.

We arrived at 1 PM thinking the line “might’ve died down a bit”, but, there were still a ton of locals and visitors waiting in line.

Everyone was saying you can totally tell you are in the right place by the line that is ALWAYS there between 10 am-2 pm.

The concept is pretty cool.  Basically you make friends with all your neighbors in line that are from all around the world.  Then, you all sit down at one table together to enjoy one of the BEST SOUTHERN MEALS you will ever have in your life.

All of the dishes are served family style with sweet tea.  We all created a passing circle like it was Thanksgiving dinner scooping a little of this and a lot of that.  We all joked because NONE of us could pick out our favorite things to go back for because everything was absolutely delicious.

Let’s see if I can remember everything that was served:

• Super crispy melt in your mouth fried chicken
• Smokey, BBQ Pulled Pork (my FAVORITE protein!)
• Beef Stew
• Super Dense buttermilk biscuits
• Black Eyed Peas
• Baked Beans
• Green Beans
• Butter Beans
• Okra (nope, didn’t touch it)
• Creamed Corn
• Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
• Greens (I doubled up!)
• Cabbage (the best cabbage you will ever eat ~ I could’ve stole the bowl from everyone!)
• Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes (totally creamy, butter, cinnamony, mapley-delicious!)
• Cinnamon Turnips
• Mac N Cheese
• Squash Casserole
• Cucumber Slices (The Husband’s favorite ~ totally refreshing!)
• Coleslaw (a little Cajun spiced with dill pickles ~ definitely unique, but, absolutely amazing!)
• Peas and noodles (nope The Husband wouldn’t touch it LOL)
• Red Rice & Sausage (I WANT this recipe ~ I had 3 servings of it!)
• DESSERT ~ Banana Pudding and Cherry Cobbler (I was too full to eat it)

The part that is crazy ~ everything is all you can eat for $16 and the servers are totally on top of their game. As soon as they see a dish getting low, they are right there with another fully loaded dish to replace it.

Believe it or not, here is my plate with 1 scoop of everything and I didn’t even get it all.

Once you have finished eating, you have to bring your plate, drink cup and silverware to the kitchen to be washed.

If you are ever in Savannah, Georgia, go to Mrs. Wilkes ~ hands down some of the BEST FOOD I’ve ever had in my life. 

After lunch, we needed to walk…..This is going to sound funny, but, I still wanted to check out The Lady and Sons because I heard there was a Paula Deen Store (no, I couldn’t possibly eat another bite for the rest of the day LOL).

Her restaurant is super cute inside….maybe next time Paula!

I actually managed to walk out of the store buying nothing  

On our walk back The Husband and I were totally chatting about how we could live in Savannah too. 

I LOVE brick buildings and wish we had more of them in California…..

Everyone here is just so friendly, the town is super cute and I LOVE Southern Accents….what can I say….California people do not have cool accents like people in the South

All of the trees and parks give the town such character and totally remind me of scenes in movies like A Christmas Story and stuff.  You know the neighborhoods with beautiful houses and tons of old trees…..Yup, I will forever think of Savannah when I see movies like that.

Since we still had some daylight to burn, we decided to head over to the Lighthouse.  Across from the Lighthouse was this storm shelter which is an old fort built in 1898.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse was actually built in 1736 and was one of the first public structures built in Georgia.

It’s 90 feet tall and is one of the earliest lighthouse in American history.  It was constructed originally with cedar pines and brick.

It is still a working lighthouse for ships at the port of Savannah

One last picture for the day ~ CHEEEEESEEEE!  Next time we should not stare into the sun LOL.

I am not sure what we are up to tomorrow but there are talks of taking a long bike ride around Hilton Head and maybe checking out the Stoney-Barnyard Ruins or Daufuskie Island.

Ohhhhh and we received a list of must try restaurants so I am sure there will be some fantastic eats in there too.

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  I am super excited to say that we finally made it to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and it is AMAZING!  Seriously, there are very few places in life that you visit and think, hmmm, I could totally live here…..Hilton Head is one place like that for me.  It is such a cute island town ~ I am IN LOVE and we have only just started exploring.

After sleeping in (something I rarely am able to do), we headed off to re-fuel at Starbuck’s.  I could’ve ordered the 7 points+ Feta Wrap, but, I really wanted a scone.

So, I comprised ~ I got an Iced Latte with 1 pump Pumpkin Spice (1 points+) and a Blueberry Scone (13 points+).

I have always wanted to go to a Piggly Wiggly because I LOVE the name…Today, we finally had the chance and I totally geeked out when I realized they had Piggly Wiggly’s in South Carolina.

After stocking up on a few staples, we whipped up lunches for everyone.  I couldn’t wait to try this Boar’s Head Honey Mustard.

REAL ingredients with fantastic stats.

I made a turkey, ham, swiss, pickle & baked sour cream & cheddar “chip” sandwich on Whole Wheat (7 points+)

Plus a few grapes that we all shared for dessert.

I snapped a few pictures to share last night of Time Share we are staying at on Hilton Head.

After lunch, we decided to take a walk to explore The Pool!

Then, the HUGE Lagoon that runs through the resort.

The Husband almost didn’t want to come here when he found out that there are alligators…it didn’t help he read all those “worse case” scenarios on line…..

Then again, neither did seeing this sign as we walked on the bridge LOL…..

There is actually a huge alligator that swims in the lagoon ~ I am totally going to try to get a picture of him before we go……

There were a ton of turtles swimming in the lagoon.

Look at the baby turtle!

I know Melissa could totally tell me all about this bird.  The resort guy said it’s part of the duck family with webbed feet and called a Cormorant.

He was just hanging out sunbathing like this for like a half hour.

Next up, we headed over to Harbor Town to check out the Lighthouse.  I was SO EXCITED when I saw they have a Christmas Tree.  We totally took our token annual Christmas Tree pick

As you walk out to the lighthouse, you see this huge outdoor theater next to a big Oak Tree.

The entire “beach” boardwalk is line with these bright red rocking chairs.

We were cracking up when we turned around to see The Husband and my dad in “deep” discussion about this statute.

“Out to Lunch!”

The fall colors on all the plants, bushes and trees are so vivid and absolutely beautiful.

Harbor Town is full of small quaint shops and a Lighthouse that you can see no matter where you stand.

Cheeeeeeeseeeee ~ nope, we totally didn’t plan on dressing alike lol.

As we walked along the pier there were more birds hanging out on the pier.

Little birds digging in the sand on the beach.

I LOVE how the water is so calm you can see the Lighthouse reflection in the water.

We went in the afternoon just so we could watch The sunset at the Lighthouse. 

We just decided to pick a random place for dinner as we drove back and ended up at Nick’s Steak & Seafood.  If you are Pittsburgh Steelers fan, this is the place for you!

The Husband and I shared their Surf & Turf Special ~ Garlic Grilled Shrimp, New York Steak, Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes & Crisp Green Beans.  Since he was sharing with me, I didn’t worry as much about “healthifying” it by requesting a plain baked potato and no butter or oils on anything cooked.

Sometimes a little of the real deal is needed ~ especially when you are on vacation!

The steak was so amazing that it melted in your mouth with garlicky buttery deliciousness.

Tomorrow we head to Savannah, Georgia for a day trip! Thanks to everyone who shared their ideas on what to do on Facebook & Twitter.

If you have any MUST SEE’s I want to know ~ share away!

See ya’all later

Happy Wednesday all!!!  I have to say that I LOVE the tip for handling chips & salsa on yesterday’s post.  Who would’ve thought to sip water in between each chip you break into pieces and to be the chatterbox at the table?  It totally makes sense that you cannot shovel as many chips in while doing that.  Thanks for the tip Christine!  I pretty much think that is why she is an awesome WW leader ~ it’s ideas like that!

So, now you all know how to identify me at a Mexican Food restaurant LOL…..

I had to start today’s post with surprise # 5 million from The Husband. This one though ~ he took to a whole other level.

He knows I always LOVE everyone’s “Fall Displays” but I have never put one up.  Although I did use to have a Casper the Ghost Poster thingy I hung on my door while in college ~ ha!

He went to Michael’s and created a display on our porch to add to our pumpkin family….

Then, headed over to his Sister’s house and left this on her porch.  I was cracking up when the nephew’s called and said that it scared them when they got home because they thought something was on the porch

This morning breakfast started at 5 am with just a banana and coffee.  After I trekked in on the train, I stopped by the Café and picked up a “custom” breakfast burrito…..

I asked what was in the Breakfast Burrito and he said he could make it ANYTHING I wanted….

, So, I created a wish list that went like this…..

* Egg Whites with every single veggie you have cooked without oil or butter

* 1 slice of bacon, no cheese or potatoes

* Salsa & hot sauce on the side

All rolled up in one of the BEST tortillas I’ve ever had ~ it was doughy, cheesy and spicy.  I estimated my burrito at 7 points+ for the slice of bacon, 1/3 cup egg whites & tortilla.

I pretty much fell IN LOVE even more with the Waterfront Café at this point.

I wasn’t actually hungry for my lunch today until 1 PM and then I was only sorta hungry.  I decided to trade in the BIG SALAD I packed for a cup of Pasta e Fagioli soup from the café.

This was absolutely delicious ~ packed with veggies, beans but no pasta. (6 points+)

I LOVE that you can compost your soup cup and spoon ~ no rinsing required.

Tonight I played the “Sous Chef” while The Husband whipped up his super secret chunky pasta sauce over angel hair pasta.  He doesn’t do it often, but, it is honestly one of my favorite things he makes.

1 cup Barilla Plus Pasta topped with 1/2 cup Chunky Sausage & Tomato Pasta Sauce. (8 points+)

You get hints of smokiness from the fire roasted tomatoes along with a little spice form the Italian sausage followed up by the richness of wine.  It’s AMAZING!

Served with 2 slices of Alexia Garlic Bread (3 points+)

He told me it’s just spaghetti but said he would spill the recipe if anyone wants it

Tomorrow is D-Day for my arm ~ wish me luck!!! 

Q’s

I have heard that almost EVERYONE at the new work place dresses up for Halloween.  I have a few ideas in mind, but, I would LOVE more!  What are your BEST costume ideas?  They can be bought or made…..any and all ideas are welcome!

Night all!