Foodie heaven

JJ and I are on cloud nine. A Whole Foods just opened about 30 minutes away (the previous closest was an hour away). It's HUGE, and filled with all the foods that we ate in California and have missed. We spent over an hour wandering around, eating lunch, then stuffing our cooler with treats and goodies that conform to our special diets (JJ = vegetarian, me & A. = dairy-free).

A. tried (and liked) dragon fruit, and now has a dragon fruit-stained jumper. She gobbled up Bell & Evans all-natural, antibiotic free chicken nuggets. She desperately wanted my chipotle chicken sausage, but it was way spicy. And we split Kung Pao chicken, brown rice, and a sparkling peach soda. She giggled and "hi"-ed her way through the store, charming everyone while wiggling and twisting to the point that we couldn't hold onto her. Eating lunch at the outdoor fountain so that she could wander around, splash in the puddles, and watch the water helped calm her down enough to finish our trip.

The trip to Whole Foods was like a step back to our time in California. We had a great time pointing out all the foods we used to live off of. It was strangely homey and comforting.

We stocked up on the goodies we can't get at the local stores, and we plan a bi-weekly or so outing in the future. Although shopping there on a regular basis wouldn't be that much more expensive that at Publix, it's enough of a difference that we shouldn't indulge on a day-to-day basis. Plus, that's quite a drive every week just for groceries.

Lake-neighbors

I kind of love the people in the house across the lake. It's a big two-story house, with a sandy beach built down to the lake, a big dock, and at least one play structure for their many kids.

Nearly every evening, you can head the kids outside playing. They had Christmas lights up -- both on the front of their house AND the lake side -- the day after Thanksgiving. And tonight they set off a not insignificant fireworks display over the lake. Why? I have no idea. But I love it.

Shorts in December

I was excited to leave California and the need to wear jeans and a sweatshirt at all times during the year. I didn't realize that I'd be greeted by unseasonably warm weather in Florida. It's been in the 80s for as long as I can remember; a cold day is a dip to the high 70s. Now, given, even the Floridians are a little taken aback, but the average high is still only about 5 degrees colder than we're seeing!

So it was shorts for me and a onsie and dress for A. as we headed to the Magic Kingdom to watch the taping of the Christmas parade. No, it isn't live. It's taped in early December, and the audience applies to participate, gets into the park early, and has to sit through take after take of each act, looking excited and enthused the whole time.

We didn't officially apply to be in the audience; A., my Mom, and I just showed up intending to try to blend in like my family has in years past. They were a bit stricter about segregating this year, though, so we just sat in some rocking chairs outside one of the stores and watched the taping from a distance.

"Gated"

This part of Florida seems to be the land of gated housing developments. They have huge, impressive guard shacks or automated gates, and long fences that are stretched across the front of the development and painted to stand out (including a lot of white picket fences).

The amusing part is that these fences often curve around the corner of the development and then... stop. They just end.

"No one may enter here! ... Unless they, you know, walk a bit."

Bistro Gourmet McDonald's

One of the side effects of living near a huge tourist town is that every chain you could ever imagine or that ever tried to launch is here somewhere. While coming back from a crafting convention over the weekend, my parents and I stopped at a "Bistro Gourmet McDonald's".


It's a strange marriage. There are two menus -- one with the traditional McDonald's food, and one with sandwiches, paninis, pizza, pasta, and desserts. You can order from either or both, but the Bistro food is made in another kitchen off to the side.


I had the grilled chicken panini -- "Herb marinated and lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast with roasted red peppers, sauteed spinach, and provolone cheese served with a shallot dill sauce on a ciabatta roll". It was surprisingly tasty, even though they pulled a typical McDonald's and forgot the spinach. The panini was cooked really well -- crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside -- and the dill sauce was unique and yummy. My mom had the pizza, freshly cooked in the pizza oven. And, of course, you can't resist the siren song of the fries.