A Beautiful Wedding
I just wanted to say congratulations to my brother Andy and his beautiful wife Ashley. The day was wonderful from beginning to end!
Apalachicola Bay and St. George Island, Florida
See below for blog about our trip.
Apalachicola Day Trip
Recently my husband and I spent a week in the panhandle of Florida on a lake in Tallahassee. The great thing about this area is that there are wonderful places to visit within two hours. One of these places is Apalachicola Bay. Apalachicola is a small costal community that sits on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Apalachicola is most famous for their oysters but they have a lot more to offer.
There are not many towns like this left in Florida. Apalachicola has no high rise condominiums or tacky tourist shops. It is a historic and beautiful town full of locally owned shops, art galleries, and restaurants. It is easy to park and walk around the downtown area. Each street is filled with maritime history and unique architecture. If you want to do your own self guided tour try this historic walking tour map.
Don’t miss Junk to Treasures or the Apalachicola Sponge Company and Smokehouse Antiques. Both shops are full of antiques and eclectic home decorations. Another great stop is Downtown Books and Purl. This small and cozy book store is full of books about Florida, cooking, gardening, and much more.
If you have any extra time I would strongly encourage you to check out St. George Island. St. George is a 22-mile long barrier island located just over the bridge from Apalachicola. It has beautiful white sand beaches with bright blue water. The best part is there are almost no crowds and no large condos to block your view. We spent another day just exploring St. George Island by kayak. We saw several dolphins and at least three bald eagles.
If you love fresh oysters, quiet beach towns, and history make sure you check out Florida’s “Forgotten Coast.” It is a great place to spend a day or a week. I plan on going back very soon.
Every Last Detail is a great wedding blog. They also have a great web show. Take a minute to check it out.
Our newest episode of Every Last Detail TV. Subscribe via iTunes
Butter and Biscuits Goes Raw
Cafe 118 is not the normal stop for the Butter and Biscuits blog. There is nothing on the menu that even remotely resembles butter or biscuits. However, one night a few weeks ago I found myself there for a family birthday party. I must admit at first I was skeptical. I wondered why we were not eating at the French Bakery across the street that had windows filled with buttery croissants and pastries.
Cafe 118 is located just off of Park Street in Winter Park, Florida. It describes itself as serving “living cuisine.” Café 118 only serves vegan dishes and the food is not cooked above 118 degrees.
We started our meal with macadamia nut hummus. It was really delicious. For dinner we ordered a variety of dishes. I ordered the “Traditional Italian” which was zucchini “noodles” topped with a sundried tomato sauce and “meatballs” made from vegetable and almonds. The sauce was incredible. Some of the others ordered salads and basil wrappers (filled with avocado, macadamia nut cheese, and tomatoes). The food was all flavorful and fresh. We enjoyed a blueberry parfait and a chocolate hazelnut tart for dessert.
In the end I was pleasantly surprised with my experience at Cafe 118. The food was fresh and refreshing and the service was excellent. I have already tried to replicate some of the recipes at home. I recommend trying “living cuisine” for a new experience.
We recently spent a couple of days in the Boston area. The leaves on the trees were just starting to turn and the weather was beautiful. One of the highlights was eating at the Flour Bakery with Matt and his mom. There are three locations in Boston each with its own personality. We ate at the one just off of Farnsworth Street.
When we got to the bakery it was crowded so we knew it must be as good as we thought it would be. The menu was full of sandwiches, salads, and soups. They also have specials of the day that include stuffed breads, pizzas, and quiches. We decided to each try a different sandwich. As we approached the counter to order we were overwhelmed by all the delicious looking desserts in the dessert cases. They had everything you could think of from sticky buns to cupcakes. We couldn’t pick just one to try so we settled on a sticky bun, a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting, and a homemade Oreo.
Despite the crowd we did not have to wait long for our food. We sat outside at one of the tables enjoying the scenery and weather. The sandwiches were some of the best we had ever had. Each was made on fresh baked bread from right there in the bakery. The first was mozzarella, tomato, pesto, and arugula. The second was a roasted chicken, with avocado, arugula, and jicama. If you don’t know what jicama is check it out here. For the record it is amazing on sandwiches. The last was a curry tuna salad with sprouts and arugula.
Many of the ingredients they use are fresh, local, and organic. It would be very easy to eat there if you had allergies or diet restrictions. They have several dishes that are labeled as nut free, gluten free, or vegan.
Once we finished our sandwiches we dove right into our desserts. Everything is baked fresh each day from quality ingredients. The desserts were as good as they looked. However, we all agreed that the sticky bun was a standout. We scraped every last bit of the sugary glaze off the plate.
If you are ever in the Boston area we would strongly recommend a stop at Flour for breakfast or lunch. Make sure you order a sticky bun or two.
Wedding Films
So much work and thought goes into planning a wedding. However, when you get to the big day all the details and moments pass in a blur of excitement. Years later you may find yourself looking at pictures and trying to remember what the day felt like.
Pictures are wonderful and a important but a wedding film takes it to the next level. With a wedding film you can remember what the day sounded like, felt like, and looked like. Whenever I watch my wedding film I am taken back to the day. It is a great way to preserve special memories. There are a lot of wedding videographers out there but not all are created equal. If you want a film that will capture your day in a professional and artistic way check out Indie Atlantic Films. They have filmed at locations all over Florida, the United States, and worldwide.
Live on a Farm (for at least one day)
Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like to live on a farm or ranch? Wonder no more. Many farms and ranches are now offering overnight stays. Check out Farm Stay US to find farms all across the US who are willing to host guests. From rustic to luxurious, there are options for everyone. Some of the farms will allow you to participate in daily farm life. You can collect eggs, herd cattle, milk cows, and more. You can also choose to just relax and enjoy the scenery.
Housing varies from farm to farm. Some offer private cottages while others offer bunkhouses. Most of the farms offer one or more farm fresh meals daily during your stay. There are also farms that are kid and pet friendly. If you do decide to visit a farm send me your pictures and reviews. Happy travels!
Today I visited Fresco’s Bakery and Bistro in downtown Lakeland, Florida with Andy and Matt. Fresco’s has a small and intimate dining area that is bright and sunny. It was the perfect spot for a lazy Saturday meal. Breakfast is served on weekdays until 11 a.m. and on weekends until 2 p.m. They are open on weekdays from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on weekends from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The breakfast and lunch menu was full of mouth-watering items. The menu includes biscuits, omelets, pancakes, sandwiches, salads, soups, wraps, stuffed baked potatoes, and more. We had a hard time choosing. We finally decided on lunch but fully intend to try breakfast the next time we visit. Some of the highlights from our meal included the Italian panini and the chicken pesto panini. The Italian was made on fresh baked ciabatta bread and filled with pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic glaze. The pesto chicken was also on fresh ciabatta bread and filled with chicken tossed in pesto. The pesto was delicious and the bread was soft and toasted just right. The sandwiches include a side and our favorite was the roasted potato wedges topped with parmesan cheese known as the bistro potatoes.
After lunch we ventured over to the dessert case to try and pick one. This was no easy task. The case is full of cupcakes, turnovers, scones, baklava, cookies and brownies. We decided the cookies looked too good to pass up. We got a variety including strawberry, lemon with a white chocolate drizzle, peanut butter, chocolate chip, and macadamia nut. All the cookies were wonderful but the strawberry and lemon were the standouts.
I can’t wait to visit Fresco’s again for breakfast. If you are looking for a great meal at a reasonable price then look no further. When you are finished make sure to walk through downtown Lakeland and visit some of the shops. Happy Eating!
Can’t Quit My Day Job
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am sorry for the lack of blogs lately. I (Katie) am a Kindergarten teacher by day and the last two weeks have been very busy. I promise there will be new blogs soon. Send me your tips of great places to visit and eat. Thanks for your patience!
I really love the website Etsy. You can find so many great and original things. One of my latest finds is food photographs. Many of the photographs come matted and ready to frame. Some are more traditional and others are fun and whimsical. What a great way to decorate a kitchen, dining room, or any other place in your house that needs a little color. This photograph of strawberries is one of my favorites. Check out more photographs here. Have fun shopping!
Supercook to the Rescue
Have you ever looked in your refrigerator or pantry and not known what to do with the ingredients you have? Fear not! Supercook is here to save the day! Supercook is a recipe search engine that finds recipes using the ingredients you have on hand. You simply enter in ingredients you are wanting to cook with and the Supercook search engine searches the web for recipes that match. You can make it as easy or as complicated as you want. You can type in something as simple as garlic, oil, bread and soon you will have a list of recipes. The site will even suggest recipes using one or two more ingredients that you may have on hand but did not think about using. Happy cooking!
Jonah’s Fish and Grits is located in the heart of downtown historic Thomasville, Georgia. The restaurant features fresh food with a southern flair. The restaurant itself is small and cozy. It is decorated with artwork and beautiful tree branch chandeliers. The staff is friendly and very efficient. The place is very popular and fills up quickly at lunch time. Despite the popularity and large crowds Jonah’s still serves each table and dish with care.
We had a hard time trying to decide what to order. From burgers to fish and chips the menu is full of good choices. We finally decided on the fish and chips and a fire roasted chicken FGT (fried green tomato) sandwich. We were not disappointed. The fish was tender and flakey and not at all greasy. The french fries were fresh cut and crispy. It was served with a homemade remoulade sauce that was delicious. The fire roasted chicken FGT was served on a homemade ciabatta bun and also had a homemade remoulade. White cheddar cheese grits were served with the sandwich and were creamy and tasty. Each dish was served with a hush puppy that was crisp and seasoned perfectly.
We took our time and enjoyed our meal. We sat by a large window overlooking a beautiful courtyard. It was raining and storming outside but warm and comfortable inside Jonah’s. We would highly recommend Jonah’s Fish and Grits to anyone visiting or living in the area.
Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville, Georgia
Matt and I spent the day exploring historic Thomasville, Georgia. Thomasville, known as the rose city, it is located about 34 miles north of Tallahassee. In it’s early days Thomasville was a secret getaway for the rich and famous. In 1887 Harper’s Magazine declared it to be the “best winter resort on three continents.” Today there are many places to visit including historic homes, plantations, museums, farmers markets, farms, and even a candy factory. Each year Thomasville hosts the Thomasville Rose Festival and a Victorian Christmas celebration.
Thomasville also has a wonderful downtown area full of history, retail shops, and restaurants. Each building has been restored and preserved. The buildings are filled with a wide variety of antique stores, art galleries, clothing stores, bakeries, home decor stores, and more.
The best place to start is the visitor’s center which is located in the the Thomasville Municipal Building and Auditorium. There you can talk to a guide who will answer any questions you may have about Thomasville. We spent our morning going into shops and enjoying the lovely scenery. The churches and homes surrounding the downtown area are especially beautiful. The downtown is charming and could easily be explored for hours.
After shopping for a while we decided to eat lunch at Jonah’s Fish and Grits. Read more about that in my next blog. After a delicious lunch we visited the Savannah Moon Bakery for a fresh baked cinnamon roll. The roll was soft and warm, covered in icing and filled with sugar, cinnamon, and butter. It was pretty close to perfect. Savannah Moon also serves breakfast and lunch.
After a little more exploring we decided to venture out of downtown to the Sweet Grass Dairy Farm. The Sweet Grass Dairy Farm specializes in fine handcrafted cheeses. The cheeses are made from goat and cows milk. The farm practices sustainable grass-based farming. When we reached the farm we ran into a torrential rainstorm and decided to turn around before we got stuck on the clay road leading to the farm. We were disappointed because it looked like a great place to visit. We will save the adventure for another day.
On our way home we made one last stop at the Bread Wagon. The Bread Wagon is a bakery that sells homemade breads, cakes, sweet rolls, jams, pretzels, cheeses, and much more. The baked goods are all made without the use of artificial ingredients or preservatives. We couldn’t leave without purchasing some fresh baked breads and cheeses. Our dinner when we got home was amazing grilled cheese sandwiches using our cheese and bread from the Bread Wagon.
We hope to visit Thomasville again very soon. There are lots great restaurants and places left to visit in the town. To view pictures from our day see the above blog.
