Tasting all the foods

Warning! Calories ahead! Just reading this post may cause drooling, lip smacking, food cravings and a serious case of the munchies.

On our weekly Saturday morning trips, in the golf cart, to the produce markets at Brownwood, Linda and I have bought farm-fresh veggies and fruits for her to juice for our breakfast each morning. So healthy!

  

In fact, from my very first day here in the USA, eating and drinking has featured highly among my holiday adventures. Linda's husband, Dan, an excellent home cook, has made it his mission to expose me to the widest assortment of dishes, drinks and sweet treats possible, and I've willingly co-operated!

Here's just a sampling of Dan's home cooking... Texan lasagne, Cajun salmon, Chicken Tetrazini, Waikiki meat balls, and breakfasts of pancakes, and eggs with hash browns (not shown 'cos I ate them too fast!). Linda's salads, a meal in themselves, and her amazing home made bread, have been mouthwatering accompaniments!

 

 

Here's my favorite, pizza with pastry made from scratch.

 

However, I confess, dear reader, this isn't the whole picture, and my sweet tooth needs a serious reprimanding!

With only a nanosecond's hesitation I've gobbled up warm roasted cashews covered in cinnamon, waffles an inch thick(!) and maple syrup, and big, soft sweet pretzels studded with crushed almonds. 

I also have a serious crush on the king-sized pecan pralines we found in Savannah. The Savannah Candy Kitchen a little too obligingly gives away free samples, and with one bite of these warm, sugary, nutty candies I knew resistance was futile! Alas, it's destined to be just a holiday romance....sigh.....because I doubt if I'll find any back home.

 

I'm not much of a drinker (I only drink on days of the week ending in 'y'). However, my drinking horizons have been widened with margaritas (at Universal, Orlando), Yuengling beer, 'Two Men in a Glass' (a mix of Arnold Palmer Iced Tea and Jack Daniels), and pina coladas. I've also had Cuban coffee and an old fashioned chocolate milkshake at Johnny Rocket's here in The Villages.

  

They said I mustn't pass up the chance to try a Cuban sandwich, and they were right! This one came from the Cuban Cafe and Bakery in the historic part of St Augustine, and was a delicious toasted bun filled with ham, mustard and cheese.

 

Then there were the BBQ restaurants, where you ordered your pulled pork, beef etc by the quarter pound! I passed on the Fried Gator Tail, but did have the pulled pork with 'Damn Good Corn Puddin' from the menu pictured below. It lived up to its name!

 

Are you ready for dessert yet? How about flan, a Cuban caramel treat, pies of every kind from a roadside shop in North Carolina, or pineapple soft serve ice cream from St Augustine.

 

Or a really, really special treat, enjoyed at Linda's neighbour Becky's home, cannoli filled with whipped cream and chocolate chips from Ferrara, a New York Italian pastry shop.

 

The least said about how much chocolate I purchased at Chocolat by Adam Turoni in Savannah the better. 

'Mouth-watering' about sums it up!

 

I've also conducted extensive research, in the name of science of course, to find the best Key Lime Pie. 

 

And I hereby declare the winner .....(drumroll).... the Publix supermarkets Key Lime Pie!

 

Now, in case you're imagining I'm the size of a house after a month on the 'Florida diet', I'm mighty relieved to tell you that both Linda and I have actually LOST weight! I think it has something to do with all the walking we've been doing as we've travelled around Florida, North and South Carolina and Georgia. 

 

More on those travels soon!

Going to all the places - Homosassa Springs

                         

Visitors to Central Florida have been heeding this advice for around a hundred years, so Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park was a must-see on Linda's itinerary. 

It didn't disappoint! 

Here I saw so many animals, birds and mammals that I've never seen before, though the prize for the prettiest has to go to the American Flamingos, who entertained us with synchronized wing flapping, squawking, and running to and fro en masse, as if heeding a secret signal.

                      

                      

Those funky flamingos went camera-shy just as I was taking Linda's photo, which is ironic since she's their biggest fan! Seriously, who wouldn't love designs with these gaudy beauties on a quilt, a mug, paper clips, clothes, or in your garden?

 

There were pelicans, ducks and other kinds of bird life.

                      

A cheeky otter showed off for us, while the fox relaxed in the shade and the snakes (thankfully) stayed behind glass while glaring at us disapprovingly.

   

There was even an American eagle, displaying his very own patriotic flag.

 

The bobcat paced his enclosure, looking sleek and dangerous.

 

And there were plenty of these mean old alligators!

                      

                      

All the animals in the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park are native to the Florida region, with one exception, Lou the hippopotamus. 58 years old Lou is a former movie star. He needed a place to live out his retirement and the Park was granted special permission to house him. 

Like so many human retirees he enjoys the Florida warmth and spends his days enjoying the sun, occasionally slipping gracefully into the water for a dip. He doesn't sign autographs, but if you stand in a particular spot to take a photo of old Lou he might shower you with a different sort of gift, one requiring you to have your clothes dry cleaned!

 

The most popular attractions at Homosassa are the manatees, huge marine mammals that take shelter from the cold ocean waters during winter, and gather in the Sprngs. If I was asked to describe one I think I'd say a manatee looks part-sea lion, part-whale, part seal, and part-trunkless elephant, with a little bit of mermaid thrown in. They're sometimes called sea-cows. 

These pictures give you a little idea and, as you can see, people can even pay to go swimming with wild manatees. 

 

Better still, one of the recreation centers in The Villages has this beautiful manatee mural on the wall.

 

Here's a familiar looking manatee!

 

 We took a boat for the return trip to the park entrance, through a stunningly beautiful waterway.

 

These people were on a boat traveling in the opposite direction.

 

 

 

 Waldo the alligator, sunning himself on a pontoon, bade us a fond farewell. 

He was smiling anyway, even if he might have been thinking we'd make a tasty dinner.

 

THE END

 

 

 

Threads of friendship

Of all the amazing experiences I've enjoyed during my first week in The Villages, meeting a whole bunch of Florida quilters at two separate events has to be the highlight.

I was invited to give a presentation to the Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild on Monday evening, and the ladies couldn't have been lovelier to me. At the end of my "Meanderings of a (Moderately) Modern Quilter" their President, Karen, thanked me with this cute Pixie Basket of threads in really useful shades. 

Unfortunately the app I'm using to blog on the move on my DiPhone doesn't allow me to embed links, but if you'd like to make one of these for yourself you'll find the free tutorial here -http://fabricmutt.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-pixie-basket-tutorial.html?m=1 

I didn't take many photos on the night, but you can see how talented they are from their special Show and Tell of modern mini quilts.

I'd seen Karen's Metro Area quilt top (from Elizabeth Hartman's book, Patchwork City) on Linda's blog last year, so it was a treat to see it all quilted and finished.

 

You can read a full report of the meeting (with more photos) here - http://centralfloridamqg.blogspot.com/2017/02/feb-meeting-pre-quiltcon.html?m=1

The following day I gave the same PowerPoint presentation and virtual trunk show at Big Cypress Quilters.

Great fun followed, as I showed how to make my favourite cathedral windows style pin cushion, while Linda acted as my 'stunt quilter' doing the machining on her Bernina in between my demonstrating the steps.

I loved Mary Lou's enthusiasm!

 

There was Show and Tell here too, and I couldn't help but be amazed at these stunning Quilts of Valor, made for veteran servicemen.

 

You may like to read Linda's latest blog post for her perspective on the same events.

I'm so blessed to have met quilters around the world, and to have made firm friendships with some, initially through our common interest in quilting, but often finding we have much more in common, as Linda and I do. 

It's been a huge step for me to travel across the world on my own, and I've been touched by the hours she's spent, leading up to my arrival, making sure my days are jam-packed with incredibly exciting adventures, sights and experiences.

You can imagine how welcome I felt, then, to be greeted with a little group of gifts on my arrival - a Dunkin' Donuts Florida mug, a portable lamp to help my stitching, some quilt patterned pencils, and this beautiful Essential Wristlet (pattern by Dog Under My Desk) and Fabio Zipper Key Fob (by Lazy Girl Designs), the last two, of course, made by Linda herself.

That PINK and YELLOW fabric will always remind me of my holiday and the Florida sunshine we've been enjoying!  ☀️