Baked Cabbage "Steaks"

I hope your Tuesday is going great. I think Tuesday is one of those days that shapes your whole week. By now, you're either getting back into the routine of the work week, or just writing the week off as a fail already. Let's not do the latter!

Last night I wanted to cook some chicken on the grill, but this nasty weather kept us inside. Not only did we not grill, we haven't been able to go running either. Today is looking bright and sunny so far, and I'm hoping by the end of this post it's not a hurricane outside. You never really know in Florida and this picture is 100% accurate. 

So, with some BBQ marinated chicken breasts and a head of cabbage, I "grilled" the chicken on a grill pan and baked some cabbage "steaks".
If you like cabbage you will love these! If you are ify about cabbage, then cook these and become a cabbage lover! 

Baked Cabbage Steaks

What you’ll need:
1 head of cabbage
EVOO or Coconut Oil
Garlic Salt
Pepper

What you do:
Pre-Heat oven  to 400.
Grease up a baking sheet with oil.
Take off outside layer of your cabbage and discard (because it’s usually dirty)
Wash cabbage
Cut cabbage into 1” thick slices starting at the head/top.
Lay cabbage on baking sheet and brush lightly with oil
Sprinkle on garlic salt and pepper.
Cook in over for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Mug cake

Good Mornin' Tuesday!

If you haven't had your breakfast yet, you should probably go ahead and make this delicious mug cake.

It's kind of like baked oatmeal and a muffin combined and only takes 5 minutes to make! Makes for a quick and yummy breakfast or snack! Would also be good with a scoop of ice cream for dessert, but what isn't?! (Well, a lot of things I guess...)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Mug cake
What you’ll need:
½ banana
¼ cup old fashion oatmeal
¼ cup egg whites
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp PB2
1 tbsp mini chocolate chips

What you do:
Spray inside of coffee mug with cooking spray
Mash banana inside coffee mug
Mix in rest of ingredients.
Microwave for 1 – 1.5 minutes.
Let sit for about 3 minutes.
Tip over mug and drop mug cake onto plate.

Enjoy!

**I sliced the mug cake in half and put sliced bananas in-between the layers. You can put whatever your heart desires.

XOXO

Weekend Recap

Time for a little weekend recap over here:

Sophia had a half day Friday at school so we took lunch over to the hubs work when I picked her up.Since we had a heavier lunch, Friday night pizza night was a homemade flatbread. 

Followed by some house decorating. My friend Alisha owns Harbour Antique and I've been collecting some vintage gold frames and mirrors from her for a couple of weeks now. I finally put some up, and still have some smaller ones to add to the mix. (@Harbour_Antique on IG)

Saturday morning was bright and early at the soccer fields. 

Followed by dinner at Alisha's house. Sophia was not amused by the younger kids ruining story time.

The girls waiting impatiently like little angels for their Mac-n-Cheese.
A Sunday full of family, Pineapple plants...

and picking limes off a tree. 

If you followed instruction, you should be having a good Monday with a coffee in hand. 

XOXO

National Coffee Day!

Today is NATIONAL COFFEE DAY and as a lover of coffee, I shall celebrate!

Let me give you a little background of my relationship with coffee:

My husband likes to take credit for introducing me to “real” coffee. He’s Venezuelan/Italian and grew up around espresso and after dinner coffee drinks. I didn't really know anything at all about coffee except it looked like dirty water sitting in a pot. (Put some flowers in there and call it a day.)

Even after dating my hubs for years, I didn't become a “coffee drinker” until college. And even when I did drink coffee it was a high calorie sweet some-kind-of chocolate flavored coffee from Starbucks. You know, the white chocolate java chip mocha fraps… straight up dessert.

Now-a-days I drink a cup of coffee every morning. Actually it’s 1 shot of espresso. I bought the hubs a fancy little espresso machine for father’s Day last year and it’s become his 3^rd best friend (Me, his TV, Espresso Machine) It’s totally changed my view on coffee and how I drink it.

I take ½ cup of almond or coconut milk, steam the milk with the steamer, push the button for a shot of espresso, put in a package of raw sugar or tsp of coconut sugar and voila,  my morning happiness.

I've noticed The Tampa Bay area has become a little coffee haven with coffee shops everywhere.  If you’re in need of a good coffee, please pass that Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts and go to one of these local places. You won’t regret.

These are some of my favorite coffee shops around town:

Kahwa Coffee (Henderson Ave – South Tampa): First, They have a drive through! {Major points} Second,  I LOVE that they have options for their milk (almond, soy) and that my little toddler gets a free drink with my purchase. Sophia enjoys her free chocolate milk and I enjoy my almond milk latte. Very smooth! X’s and O’s to you Kahwa!

Moreno’s Bakery (Brandon) : They serve Cuban style Café con Leches . They don’t have any other milk options other than 2% cow’s milk. Now if you go here, don’t even get a coffee. Get a friggin’ pastry because they are HEAVEN. 

La Cubanita (Lithia Pinecrest –Valrico): These peeps used to be my go-to place for Café con leches. At one point I was stopping in about twice a week to get that little bad boy on my way to class at USF. If you want a good Cuban coffee, they've got you covered. Also try their Alex Special sandwich while you’re at it. It wasn't named after me, but we can pretend. 

Buddy Brew Coffee (Kennedy blvd – South Tampa): This is a “don’t judge a book by the cover” type place. The outside is a little unappealing, but once you’re inside you feel like you’re in a big city coffee shop.  Great AMbiance! (I like saying that word!) These little fellas are growing all over the place! You can find their coffee at Whole Foods, Piquant, and Oxford Exchange.

Piquant (Hyde Park Village – South Tampa): This place is a favorite! They always have new seasonal coffee drinks to try and enjoy. They have milk options (almond, soy) which is a plus in my book! I've ordered a regular almond milk latte and a specialty banana bread latte, and both were delicious!  They're seasonal drinks can be a hit or miss though, the PB&J latte was a no-no. 

If you have a case of the Mondays (especially on this rainy one), go hit up a coffee shop on this glorious holiday! If you don't like coffee, then you shall not celebrate with the rest of us. Go drink your tea. (I like tea too...)

CLICK HERE for some local coffee deals...

XOXO

Spider Hostage Situation

I would do a Friday Finds post but I would just be taking pictures of everything in my cart at Target. Seriously everything at Target is amazing…why?! Fall is everywhere and I’m obsessed!

Instead, I’m going to tell you about the hostage situation I had this morning. I was held hostage in my car…by a humongous spider! {Shiver}

Last night when we got home from dinner, I screamed when I saw a large spider on the ceiling of the garage, right by the attic door. The hubs took the mop and did absolutely nothing scared it away. He came back in the house and said it ran out of the garage. {Lies}

This morning we’re doing the normal weekday routine of loading the kids in the car to go to school. I’m about 5 minutes away from my house and the spider appears on my windshield!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Outside of the car THANK GOODNESS or I wouldn’t be living to type this right now.) I, stupidly, am texting the hubs and trying to take a picture of it but it runs up my windshield onto the roof. Great….I had the chance to kill it with my wipers and I didn’t!

We pull into school and I’m absolutely terrified to open my car door. I use the car cameras and mirrors to try and search for it.  Nothing. I look at the clock and we have about 3 minutes to get into school before we’re tardy. I turn off the car, take off my seatbelt and sit on the center console. Opening the door with a stretched out arm, I karate kick the door open and have a binder in my other hand ready to attack. (I don’t even care if people are staring at me) Door open…nothing. I jump out of the car and do a quick search around the car. Nothing. I hurriedly get both kids out of the car and make it into school.

I get back to the car and do another search around. Roof, doors, bumper, etc. Nothing. Spider must be gone.

I make it to my first stop, the bank. Oh great…I have to roll down my window. Anxiety attack. I open it half way and quickly tell the lady I need a deposit slip, then roll it back up. I get my things back to the bank teller and start rolling up my window. It’s almost up and THE DAMN SPIDER SCURRIES ACROSS THE HOOD OF MY CAR!!!!!!!!!  There is no way in hell I’m rolling down my window again. I see that the bank teller is done and sending my stuff back. I give her a polite wave through the window and drive away. She could have been telling me someone cleared out my bank account and I still wouldn’t have rolled down that window.

I drive to the nearest car wash to get this spider blasted away. How is it still holding on somewhere?! I roll up…oh look I have to roll down my window to pay the guy… {panic} the guy comes to my window, obviously not seeing a spider anywhere, so I roll it down a tad.

 “There’s a spider somewhere on my car!”

“WHAT?! THERE’S A SPIDER IN YOUR CAR?!?!”

“No! On the outside! Do you see it?!”

With a huge smile, the guy takes a walk around my car and gives me the clear. I roll down my window and pay the guy for the carwash with the highest pressure available. He takes a pressure washer and blasts my whole car with it. I then go through the car wash.

The spider is probably gone at this point but I’m not taking any chances. I karate kicked my door open and jumped out like mad women at the UPS store and Target after the car wash, and I probably will do the same all day.

That’s how my morning has gone. Fun Stuff. I hope your Friday morning is going awesome... with no spiders.

Spidey Humor

XOXO

Weekend Funsies (Sept 26th - 28th)

Looking for something to do this weekend?! I think the weather report shows rain all weekend (you never know in FL...), but if it doesn't get too ugly outside and you're looking to get out of the house, here are some fun events going on around the Tampa Bay area! 

1. Get your scary on at Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens! A “Freaky Preview” starts tomorrow!!  Info/Tickets Here (You will not find me here…)
   
2. Bright House Clearwater Super Boat National Championships! Events start Friday night with a boat parade at 6 p.m., a Super Boat Celebration at Pier 60 on Saturday (Fireworks!) and Sunday is the big race at noon. Info Here
   
3. Friday night is a “From Runaway to Runway Fashion Gala” at The Vault in downtown Tampa. Cocktail hour including a silent auction and raffles, followed by a Runway Fashion show. All proceeds to benefit Miracles Outreach programs! Info Here
   
4. Lobsta!!!! Palm Harbor Lobster Festival starts Friday and goes on all weekend. Many many vendors (food and nonfood), live entertainment, and beer. Fun for all! Info Here

4. On Saturday, wake up and join the running fun at The Chick-fil-A Fall Stampede 5k run benefitting the Children’s Cancer Center! There is also a family fun mile for everyone to participate! Great cause!!! Event is being held at Curtis Hixon Park and starting at 8:00 a.m. Info Here
   
   
5. We be jammin’! Tampa Reggae Rise up Music Festival! Saturday at noon at Raymond James Stadium. Info Here

XOXO

Garlic Honey Balsamic Chicken

Hey guys! Happy Thursday! How is your day going? 

It's been a long day and I just got home from being at Sophia's school helping with Grandparent's Day! It's such a fun event because all the kiddos are so excited to share their school with all their Grammys and G-pa's. We served refreshments, had crafts for them to make, and a photo booth! Even though the photo booth line was outrageous and we didn't get a picture in it (frown), Sophia had a blast with her Grammy & G-pa. 

Last night was a winner-winner chicken dinner. This is one of my go-to chicken recipes because I always have the ingredients in my kitchen. It's so simple! We served the chicken with roasted asparagus and sweet potato coins. 

What you’ll need:
2 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
½ tbsp EVOO
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp honey or agave

What you do:
Heat oven to 450
Line a baking dish with foil lightly coated with cooking spray
In small pan, sauté garlic with EVOO.
Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar and honey
Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic mixture.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Enjoy!

XOXO

WIAW

WHAT I ATE WEDNESDAY: Recent Eats

Tuna wrap with spinach and cheese

Snack bowl (while I work) of carrots and sliced peach

Greek Yogurt bowl with Puffins, Bananas, and blueberries

XOXO

Southwestern Egg Rolls

I had ground turkey in the fridge I needed to use up so I just cooked it without knowing exactly what I was going to do with it. It was Tuesday and tacos usually go with Tuesday but I didn't want tacos. (I know...what was wrong with me?!) I still have egg roll wrappers (feels like an unlimited supply) and I really just want to get them out of my fridge at this point. So there ya have it..

**Fun Fact - Every time we put hot sauce on a taco/burrito/egg roll, we sing "Put some hot sauce on my burrrrit-O Ba-by!!!" If you don't know what I'm referring to...See Here

Southwestern Egg Rolls

What you’ll need:
1 lb ground turkey, cooked
EVOO
small onion, chopped
taco seasoning (see homemade recipe at bottom)
Corn (I steamed a bag of frozen corn) but you can use canned corn
Egg roll wraps
Grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Spinach
Avocado
Water

**You can really get creative with these and add black beans, tomatoes, chili peppers, etc. Whatever you're southwestern heart desires. This is just what I had on hand to make them at the time.

What you do:
Heat oven to 450.
In a skillet, heat up EVOO and cook onion until soft and light brown.
Add ground turkey to skillet and cook until fully cooked.
Add ¼ cup water and taco seasoning to cooked ground turkey, turn down heat to low, and let simmer for about 5 - 7 minutes.
Stir corn into ground turkey and set mixture aside.
Cut up avocado to prepare for egg rolls
Working with 1 egg roll wrapper at a time, place the wrapper with one corner of the diamond closest to you.  Sprinkle a little bit of cheddar cheese in middle of egg roll wrap, layer with spinach, ground turkey/corn mix, and avocado.
Roll the corner closest to you over the filling. Brush the 3 remaining corners with water with fingertips. Fold in the sides of the wrapper and continue rolling the egg roll up until it is closed. Press to seal, set on baking sheet, and continue with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Spray the top of each roll with cooking spray.
Bake for 7 minutes, flip over, and bake for 6 more minutes.

Serve with hot sauce & plain greek yogurt (or sour cream).

Enjoy!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
¼ - ½ tbsp. crushed red pepper (Depending on desired heat factor)

XOXO

Baked Apple Chips

Have you ever bought the Apple Chips they sell at the grocery store? These are SO much better! But what isn't better homemade?! OK, I can think of some things too...but not these!

These apple chips are delicious and, with apples being in season, loaded with sweet flavor. Bonus: the process of them baking will fill your house with the scent of fall! Mmm Cinnamon Apple! 

Sophia could hardly wait to eat them and when she first saw them she said, "ooooooh donuts!!". Yeah girl, these are apple donuts so eat em up! ;) She did. 

Baked Apple Chips

What you’ll need:
Butter or cooking spray
2 apples
Cinnamon

What you do:
Heat oven to 250
Grease up a cookie sheet with butter or spray
Turn apple on its side and cut into thin slices
Using a spoon or knife, pop out the core of each apple slice
Spread the apple slices on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake for 30 minutes, flip over, bake for another 30-50 minutes.
Thinner slices will cook quicker, so you can take them out before if they are starting to brown on the edges. 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Tuesday Thoughts

I think if these weren't learning toys for my daughter I would throw them all in the trash can and torch it. I have stepped on these so many times and it’s similar to stepping on a lego. OUCH! I have no idea how they get everywhere….actually I do, and it has to do with 2 little girls who don’t like a clean playroom.

I’m seriously older than my actual age. I didn't drink last night at dinner and we got home around 11p.m. I woke up this morning with what felt like a slight hang over. I could barely open my eyes to see that it was 6:27a.m. and I was already running late. Don’t mess with my sleep peeps.

It’s so ugly outside! What’s up with this gloomy weather putting a damper on productivity? Makes for some cool pics though! 

And that's real life...

XOXO

REVIEW: Gratzzi Italian Grille

Graztti Italian Grille

221 2nd Street, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

This same restaurant used to be at BayWalk (before the complex went down the drain) in downtown St. Petersburg. We went a handful of times many years ago and I remember it being really good Italian food, our favorite being their gnocchi.

Last night we went to their new location (still in downtown St. Petersburg). It has a loud, family atmosphere with an upscale bar/restaurant feel.  It was a Monday and it was PACKED with people! The owner was walking around flirting with everyone and actually cooked one of our meals right in front of us! Our daughter enjoyed it, after she got over her fear of the huge flame. Her face says it all in this picture…

What we ate: The menu has all the Italian classics and grille items. Their bar menu is brought out on an iPad and their wine menu is extensive.

Moscow Mules – ehhhh, by this point you should know how I feel about Moscow Mules. They have to be perfect to get an A from me. My Hubs ordered one and said he wouldn’t order it again. Boo

Chicken Isabella – Grilled chicken topped with goat cheese, prosciutto, and asparagus. Great flavor! I would recommend if you want something other than pasta.

Goat Cheese Baked Ziti – We Ordered it with a vodka sauce. The hubs loaded it with parmesan cheese (like everything else) so I didn’t get a good taste but it was devoured by him and our girls, so I’m guessing it was delicious.

Gnocchi – I had a bite of this dish and it was just as good as I remembered!

Cavatelli Bada Bing – This is the dish that is made table side with the big flame. I didn’t taste any but the entertainment was good...

The complaint box:
None!

Score Card

 On a scale from 1-5 stars (in the restaurant/bar category), Gratzzi gets a 4.5! 

The place was great. Perfect atmosphere for a group of friends/family or just going to the bar to get some drinks. I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic place, as it was kind of loud. I felt bad for the couple in front of us trying to have a conversation…while we're doing these shenanigans at the table..

XOXO

My 6 Favorite Running Problems

Running has always been my “thing”. I’ve been running for about 11 years but I've kept the relationship very casual. I’ve run countless 5ks, a few 10ks, and 3 half marathons.  I’ll sign up for a race here and there but I’ve never trained for any of them and my run times have always been around the same.  It’s more of a stress reliever for me and I don’t necessarily look at it as a workout or exercise. Its free, it’s always available, and it’s one of my favorite things to do.

I told the hubs about a free race we should do on Sunday, but we didn't get up in time to get out the door and there at 7:30a.m. BOO. Now that some cooler weather (like not in the 90s) is coming, I’m looking into signing us up for a half marathon to do before the end of the year. Now it’s deciding which one to sign up for.

I know I’m in a small group on this one but I absolutely hate Disney races. LOVE Disney….HATE their races. Maybe we just had a bad experience, but we ran the Epcot Food & Wine Half Marathon in 2012, and it was by far the worst race I’ve ever done. There were some cool things about it, like running through the theme parks that were all decorated with Christmas lights, but the majority of the race was spent on dark highways around the Disney property. Super boring most of the time and I swore I was about to go into labor (I wasn’t even pregnant at the time).  Total Body Shut Down.

My 6 Favorite Running Problems.

1. The first half mile of any run. More like the worst half mile in history of miles! You’re beating yourself the entire time and it takes a lot out of you to not turn around and sit back on the couch. Why am I doing this? My stomach hurts. Blah Blah. But you just keep running and by mile 2 you've forgotten all your problems and you’re officially in the running “zone”.

2. Death trap sidewalks. These might be the single reason I never picked up skateboarding. Horrifying. If you’re an early morning runner or a late night runner, beware of these! Miss a step and you end up with bloody knees and hands. 

3. Lizards. You realize you care way too much about animals when doing the salsa dance trying not to step on the dare devil lizards who just so happen to want to cross the sidewalk at the exact same moment you run by. If you’re not careful, you’ll kill an entire village of lizards during a single run.

4. Pine cones or other things that fall off trees. These little pine cones look so innocent don’t they? You usually channel your inner Christian Ronaldo and do an awesome soccer kick to each one, but sometimes they bounce off the edge of the grass, come back, sneak under your foot and basically try to kill you! Many ankles have been sprained due to these ricocheting beasts of nature. 

5. Your phone/ipod dies. This may be the worst thing to happen to you while running. I mean besides breaking a leg or accidently running off a cliff…That moment when your music stops and all of a sudden you snap back to reality…ekkkk {insert face of pure horror}. First World Problem, but problem none the less.

6. Hills that you never thought existed. You don’t realize a hill exists until your running. You drive these streets all the time and never once thought about one of them being a hill. Well, when you’re running and not in your air conditioned motorized vehicle, a little slant of a road can feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest. Maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea. Calf workout

 Do any of you have these problems? I hope I'm not the only one :) 

**While I took pictures for this post I totally felt like Jim Carey in Yes Man doing Running Photography. See Clip Here 

XOXO

Weekend Recap

Hey! Hope you all had a great weekend!  

Our Friday looked like this:

So, we spent Friday & Saturday morning inside with snuggles & movies, receiving sunny pictures from family who were in Vegas and California (Hate you Have fun!) 

The hubs has been wanting to watch this FOREVER, so we finally got around to it. He really enjoyed it (sports fanatic), while I didn't pay much attention so couldn't really tell ya how it was. I was one of those people who started paying attention at the end and asked all those annoying questions. "Who's that?" "What happened?" 

Friday "end of the week" drinks to celebrate....life!

On Saturday & Sunday, we got some running in

watched way too much football, and went to a baby shower to celebrate a little baby boy arriving in November.

A girl & her grammy :)

All in all, great relaxing weekend! Sometimes it's good to have those rainy days to slow things down and spend time doing absolutely nothing but hanging out with your family. The good stuff!

XOXO

Spicy Sriracha Chicken

If you're anything like me, you're ALWAYS looking for a new way to make chicken. I'm one of those who has a few favorite chicken recipes and plays ring-around-the-rosey with them. In efforts to not post the same old chicken recipes on here, I'm venturing out!

This sriracha chicken was spicy, but not "drinking a glass of water in between each bite" spicy. Paired with the salad and quinoa, it was that perfect amount of spiciness with great flavor!

Spicy Sriracha Chicken

What you’ll need:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

EVOO

2 tsp minced garlic

½ cup Sriracha

¼ cup honey

1 tbsp lime juice

chopped green onions

Cooked quinoa

What you do:

Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces.

Mix sriracha, honey, and lime juice together.

Pour mixture over chicken and let marinate in fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Heat pan/skillet to medium-high and add in about a tbsp of EVOO and minced garlic.

Pour chicken and marinade into pan. Let chicken cook completely through, stirring frequently.

Once completely cooked, turn heat down to low and let simmer for about 5 minutes. This will allow sauce to thicken a bit.

Serve on top of quinoa and sprinkled with chopped green onions.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Pumpkin Chia Protein Bars

Happy Friday! Or shall I say Fri-YAY!!

I hope everyone had a productive and successful week! It's not exactly over yet, so you still have some time to make it a productive one, if you already haven't. If you have, just sit down and stop being an overachiever. :)

Yesterday was picture day at Sophia's school. If you saw her picture last year you're probably having a good laugh down memory lane. She was mean muggin' that camera like nobody's business. When I picked her up from school, I asked her if she smiled for the camera this time. She assured me that she did! 

Some of yesterday's events were a bit overwhelming and I think I had a mini anxiety attack. Nothing bad...some good, big things happening! But to calm down, I got in the kitchen and baked. 

Today started off great, but what isn't great when you start it with Pumpkin Chia Protein Bars?!

Pumpkin Chia Protein Bars

What you’ll need:
¼ cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
½ cup apple sauce
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp Chia seeds
½ cup almond milk
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 cups oat flour (you can either buy or put oats in a blender to make flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 scoops Vanilla protein powder

Topping
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ cup chopping walnuts

What you do:
Preheat over to 350.
In a large bowl, mix together the first 11 ingredients (through pumpkin).
Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and protein powder.
Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and Pour mixture.
Sprinkle walnut and oats over top the batter.
Bake for 35 minutes. Check center with knife to make sure done.
Cut into 24 squares.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Weekend Funsies (Sept 19 - 21st)

Happy Thursday!!! Almost to Friday and that means almost to another Monday…but first we get to enjoy another glorious weekend!  

Here are some things going on around the Tampa bay area for you to pick from if you are in need of some calendar time slot fillers.

1. There’s a ROCKtember Fest going on in New Port Richey Friday and Saturday!  There will tons of stuff to do for everyone including art exhibits, pony rides, petting zoo, bouncy houses, etc! This is all being held at Sims Park along banks of the Pithlachascotee River.
   
   
2. The Flavor Run is Back! This is a fun run for the whole family (Strollers welcome!). Enjoy running through fruit flavored powder, live entertainment, finisher medals, and delicious fresh fruit at the finish line provided by the local Whole Foods Market. Starts at 9 a.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Sign up HERE
   
   
3. Even though it’s not October yet…St. Pete OktoberFest returns to Grand Central District on Saturday from 1 to 10 p.m. This is a Family friendly event with games, contests, BEER (of course!), food, Yodeling (YES!), and a kids area. Grand Central District, 2429 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
   
   
4. It’s a 4^th Birthday Celebration for Glazer Children's Museum! They are giving families a present of free admission (normally $15 adults, $9.50 for kids) from 1 to 6 p.m on SUNDAY! There will be games, activities and birthday cake at the museum. 110 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa.
   
5. It’s Swaptember! If you are a passholder from The Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo, or MOSI -- get free admission to any of the other Swaptember partners until the end of the month!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

This stuff tastes like actual pumpkin pie but is much healthier! It's good for breakfast, snack, or a late night treat! Heck, eat it whenever you want it because it's that good and its FALL! :)

What you’ll need:
½ Cup Old Fashioned oatmeal 
1 cup water
¼ cup almond milk
½ cup pure pumpkin puree
honey or agave
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp pecans (optional)

What you do:
Microwave water and oatmeal for about 2 minutes. Stir in almond milk.
Mix in pumpkin puree and honey. (I didn't really measure the honey, I just kinda drizzled it in there. It depends on how sweet you want it.)
Top oatmeal with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and pecans.
Mix it all in and…
Enjoy!

XOXO

All things Fall

Fall is by far my favorite time of year, and I think everyone is in same ship with that one. There’s just something in the air that puts a smile on your face. It’s almost Christmas time and there's pumpkins and apples everywhere. Love me some pumpkins and apples.

There’s a difference between Fall and Christmas right? In Florida, we don’t have “Fall” weather. It’s still 100 degrees with 100% humidity until BAM! Its winter and 40 degrees outside for like 3 days. We don’t like that middle ground. It’s all about the extremes.

I like to enjoy the fall season before Christmas comes. Christmas comes and goes so quickly, so I like the long 3 months leading up to it.

I was in Old Time Pottery the other day and there were a few rows of Fall/Thanksgiving décor, and then rows upon rows of Christmas stuff! I was like WHOA! Let me enjoy THIS before THAT...Ya know? I pretended I didn't see all that and quickly past it.

So we’re just going to pretend none of that happened, and stick to all things FALL!!!

Some new Fall front door decor 

These little cuties light up! 

These were disappointing and didn't really taste like Pumpkin Spice.

More like Regular M&MS

This stuff is amazingly yum!

XOXO