*Knock knock* “Who’s there?” Kat. “Cat who?” The neighborhood Kat that’s back. I haven’t written on here for awhile, and I guess you could say I went on an unannounced hiatus. It was unannounced to me as well, but life … Continue reading
Tonight I have a special post lined up for you all. I was recently invited to a special blogger event at Shula’s on the Beach down in sunny Ft. Lauderdale. However, I’m in New York at the moment. Luckily I was able to send two representatives on my behalf. The event was just intime to celebrate the 2012 NFL season, which marks the 40th Anniversary of Don Shula’s perfect 1972 season with the Miami Dolphins. The dinner invite offered to tempt taste buds with a chef’s table dinner, complete with wine pairings. Shula’s, recognized as one of America’s top five steak houses, is home of the “Shula Cut“, which guarantees the finest pieces of meat–as less than 1% of cuts make it to the plate.
Shula’s is located inside the The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, which was once the Sheraton Yankee Trader Hotel. The oceanfront property operated for 44 years as an annual home away from home for fun-seekers. After major renovations the resort provides an updated look in spacious rooms, stylish décor and a host of refreshing amenities. I haven’t stayed there (YET), but I hear there are cabanas overlooking the oceanfront pool and that their expansive Heavenly Spa melts away tension.
For years Fort Lauderdale remained a hidden treasure…
When I was younger I enjoyed nearby Las Olas Boulevard because of the Kilwin’s ice cream shop (years ago their toasted coconut ice cream cast a permanent spell on me). Nowadays my taste has expanded, and I enjoy Las Olas for its boutique shopping and chic cafes, live jazz bands, fine art museums and galleries and charming gardens. It’s the part of Ft. Lauderdale that still captures the historic charm with Spanish-tiling and vibrant, blushing hibiscus bushes everywhere you turn. Ft. Lauderdale also offers an exhilarating nightlife and miles of white-sand beaches.
To some Ft. Lauderdale is known as the yachting capital of the world, with more than 165 miles of navigable Intracoastal waterways and canals. Cruising along A1A is one of my favorite things to do when I’m visiting the area, and peeking past the overgrown sea grapes at the beautiful and often over-the-top homes. It’s funny because even though I don’t spend much of my year in South Florida, I can always tap into the relaxing feeling I get when I go back there.
Now let’s move on to the night of the event, shall we?
Greetings earthlings!
Thank you Erin for passing this award on to me awhile ago. It’s about time I get around to passing it on to a few other creative writers, wouldn’t you say?
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
1. One time I started a fight in the girl’s bathroom in high school.
2. I have never worn green socks.
3. I always drool uncontrollably at the sight of a handsome guy.
4. I made out with one of the band members of my favorite bands.
5. I use to be a big “witch”.
6. I’ve eaten cow intestines.
7. I hate avocados.
Which one’s the truth?
I’m passing this on to these ladies:
Karina
another awesome Jessica
and last but in no way least, Holly
I cooked her oats in almond milk and cinnamon. Then I swirled in some coconut oil and topped it off with banana slices and mango. I also spooned on a bit of Naturally More peanut butter. I’ve never tried this kind and it was very yummy! It wasn’t completely creamy and not super crunchy either.
I opted for granola, Greek yogurt, and Ezekiel toast. My parents didn’t have butter in the house (what?!) except for ghee aka clarified butter. It has a different taste than butter, but I liked it!
She wanted to try a new grain she bought at the store–amaranth. She made curry chicken for everyone and a tofu version for me. The amaranth itself was plain, but mixed with the tofu curry was much better and gave an interesting texture.
Then we got ready to go out!
There was an artist painting a large mural that night in one of the dance rooms. They also had dancers that were painted from head-to-toe, a drag queen performance, people dressed up as squires, and many more theatrics. It was so much fun. We ended up meeting the artist’s agent and the club owner, then danced around in VIP till we decided to head home–daylight savings time hit us!
I stir-fried some kale, mushrooms, and zucchini in a garlic & ginger paste + Soyvay sauce. My mom made her specialty curried fava beans in coconut milk. I also had some toast with peanut butter and a slice of Cabot’s cheddar.
Calle Ocho is basically a huge annual block party in the middle of Little Havana down in Miami. There’s lots of music, dancing, food, and people!
We ended up leaving because it was getting late and my mom was getting super antsy. Oi! But it was a nice little discovery, and I’m hoping to go back there one day. I hope all of you are having a wonderful week. Guess what? Tomorrow is Friday! Woo hoo!
This was my Friday night out on the town…
Where are we going?
My friends came and picked me up, but me and Pilar had no idea what they had in store for us. I wasn’t paying attention to where we were driving I just knew we were in Boca. Then when we got out of the car we were in a random parking lot and I was still lost. Then we got closer and I said, “PILAR!!!” One time we finally came here and for some reason we turned back; I think we were scared hehe. We ended up walking in during a comedy skit and I was expecting us to be the butt of a cruel joke. Surprisingly, we were not.
We had been wanting to go to this place for years!
Isn't she so cute?!
Her first time smoking from a hookah.
The boys ordered us a drink called The Red Pill.
All their drinks are made with organic juices, liquors, and beers. I always wanted to go there to try their teas, but tonight was different! The boys ordered a beer called The End of the World that they vow to drink till the year 2012.
Next stop: Miami! Hey girl heyyy!
Then we headed to their apartment down in Miami - it's so close to the clubs and the Design District!
Their kitchen. They won't move in officially till later.
Pilar looking out over the balcony.
We went driving around to see how the club scene looked, but it was surprisingly calm. We just went on a tour of some neat places around Miami instead.
Neat mural
Grafitti!
The character on the left is kinda cute with his one tooth.
Definitely made me think "guerilla art".
Ooo someone got arrested!
Then our friends took us to one of their spots where they hang out and ponder.
Throwing rocks in the intercoastal
Pilar took my camera and started snapping pictures.
Hi!
I love her so much!
Throwing rocks
Then we headed over to South Beach
Welcome to Florida!
Then it was pizza time.
Pizza Rustica
Pilar reminded me of a little kid in a candy shop
The place was packed even at 4 in the morning!
We headed back home in the wee hours of the morning. I slept on the way back home, but I had to get up in 5 hours to get ready for my Saturday morning yoga class. I’ll recap my last day in Florida in my next post.
I know there aren’t really any foodie pictures here, but next post is going to have so many! Also, here is the FAQ video as promised. Unfortunately, it’s too long to upload on a site that works with WordPress, so this external link will have to do for right now. It’s long! But I hope you enjoy!!!