I mean, I seriously must walk around in my own little bubble sometimes. Then one day, I just wake up and I’m like WHOA! Here, allow me to share a few examples…
My suitcase is NOT going to unpack itself.
And much to my dismay, there is also no secret housekeeping staff to make my bed, clean my bathroom, and magically replace dirty dishes with clean ones. I’m seriously thinking of writing to my senator.
Ocean water makes your hair grow a FOOT in a week.
Or maybe I just haven’t straightened it in over two months and didn’t notice…eh, tomayyyto…tomahhhto! 😉
Tiger will ALWAYS greet me in the morning when I get off work.
Unless of course I accidentally shut him up in my bedroom for twelve hours! Then the only greeting I get is a pile of “surprise” in my bathroom floor…which I found with my foot…my SOCK FOOT! Kitty-vengeance is cruel, people! Let that be a lesson to ya!
I will NEVER get out of a store with only the items I went in for.
I went to Sam’s the other day for raspberries and cocoa powder. I got the raspberries…then I found THESE devilish goodies (AND two things of cheese!)…then I RAN out of the store before I could do any more damage. I realized TODAY I forgot the damn cocoa powder!
First impressions aren’t ALWAYS correct.
I officially take back all the nasty things I said back in November about the following flavors: Strawberry Cheesecake, Cinnamon Roll, Apple Pie, and Peanut Butter & Jelly. It SEEMS that Quest isn’t the best (haha, made a rhyme!) with flavor consistency in their bars which is why I was so bummed when I got ones that were practically TASTELESS in my box to review. BUT I’ve discovered a trick…if the bars are suuuuuper soft, they taste a MILLION times better!
Gorgeous beach sunsets can be VERY distracting.
I guess while I was gazing at all those beautiful colors while listening to the steady sound of crashing waves against the shore, I failed to notice what TIME the sun was going down….7:30?! Nooooo!
We’re down to the FINAL weeks of fresh summer produce!
I may or may not (ok, obviously I did since there is photo evidence) went a little overboard at the farmer’s market last weekend, but I couldn’t help myself…I got a little panicky once I realized that I’m about to have to go MONTHS without fresh corn, mouth-watering peaches, and perfectly ripe TOMATOES!!
And speaking of tomatoes…behold the man-friend’s bountiful garden haul! Yeah, I think I just realized that I should probably go make some salsa! 😉
How about you? Have you noticed anything “new” lately? Like umm, maybe the fact that I got a new header?! I followed the tutorial over at Mama Whimsy and made it ALL by myself!
Thanks so much for the tip,Amanda! 😀
Boy am I GLAD to hear you guys don’t hold grudges! Of course, I should’ve known I could win you over with cookies…I’ll be sure to keep a few extra in my pocket should I plan any further blogging indiscretions! 😉
So, while the man-friend and I were beaching it up last week, we made SURE to get our fill of as much fresh and local seafood as possible and since I want to make sure not to “forget” anything, I’m not wasting ANY more time…
The first place we went to was called The Boatyard. It was a nice place…great outdoor seating…right on the marina…live music. My only complaint was that it took FOREVER to get our meal and it was dark by the time the food rolled out so no pics! You’re just gonna have to picture this one…
Gooey melty brie with apples and raisins served with toasty bread for starters and then a perfectly grilled swordfish fillet with chimichurri sauce, over a bed of grilledasparagus and mixed squash…oh, and I got some fried plantains on the side (first time trying them…not bad, not bad!)
Oh and that plate in the background? That would be my friend’s Caribbean Jerk Chicken topped with a tropical fruit compote. I stole a bite. It was delicious! 😉
Monday evening, we just HAD to go to Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant after our friends went on and on about delicious steak and seafood dishes AND the house-made hush puppies!
I ordered the crab-stuffed grouper with toasted almonds, bacon-y green beans, and of course hush puppies! Verdict? Omg, you guys, it was seriously one of those moments where you take a bite and you forget to breathe for a couple of seconds…and the hush puppies were by far the BEST I’ve ever tasted!
And would you take a look at this dessert cart?!
I was MUCH too full after practically licking my plate clean to even THINK about dessert, but our friends ordered the honey-sweetened caramel pecan cake (far left) and the torte sampler (in front of the pecan cake) and were more than happy with their picks.
Before parting ways on Tuesday afternoon, we headed over to Pineapple Willy’s for lunch…
There was a tower of onion rings involved within the first few minutes of sitting…one of which had a tail…all of which were delicious! And that’s saying something since I tend to be pretty picky when it comes to fried sides! 😉
I went with the grilled shrimp plate and thankfully added a side of steamed broccoli because the fries and basil corn on the cob ended up being pretty disappointing, but the shrimp was amazing!
And so was the man-friend’s fried mahi-mahi…
You see that garlic toast in the upper right hand corner? That came with MY plate…I figured it worked out to an even two (and a half) fish stick trade! 😉
Later that night, once the man-friend and I made it to Gulf Shores, we divied up all the leftovers I’d been collecting over the last few days and made some pretty kick ass salads…
Lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, swordfish and grilled veggies from our first night and the shrimp and broccoli I didn’t finish at lunch. Now I know a thing or two when it comes to salads, but I have to say there is just something about throwing random leftovers on a pile of greens and slapping some dressing on it that just works!
After our shopping extravaganza on Wednesday, some alligators chased the man-friend and I all the way to The Original Oyster House. Once we were there, we felt it was only right to get some lunch! 😉
Oysters on the half-shell…all for me too since the man-friend chickened out on me once they got to the table! Lol
A salad bar LOAD UP!
Some grilled mahi-mahi annnnnnd…
TWO (shared) sides: turnip greens and coleslaw!
Confession: I was full after the salad! I ended up taking my entire plate back to the hotel with us (where another leftover salad ensued). But let me just say, those greens were fan-freakin’-TASTIC! I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to good greens, but this place totally nailed it…not too sweet, not to salty, and not all nasty and greasy! 😀
On Thursday, I took a recommendation from a reader and directed the man-friend to The Tin Top Oyster Bar for lunch…
I ordered the seafood platter: broiled grouper, shrimp, oysters, and half a crab cake with turnip greens annnnnnd…
A big ol’ bowl of brown stuff…aka smashed potatoes with gravy! 😉
The crab cake was a little dry, but the rest of the fish was delicious. Sadly, the turnip greens snob came out in me though…this bowl tasted like it was cooked with a CUP of sugar! Luckily my other side saved the day…seriously, it’s been FOREVER since I’ve had mashed potatoes and gravy…YUM!
We started with some garlic cheesy bread (garlic butter, cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and FETA!!) with house-made marinara for dipping. Then it was time for our personal-sized pies! The man-friend went with his favorite of pepperoni and mushroom, but I decided to get a little adventurous and with the Sicilian…
With marinara instead of the olive oil base because their sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLLLLLLD!
And the pizza as a whole was perfect with a capital P! Perfectly stringy melty cheese, soft yet crisp dough, and the combination of sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and basil? Well, everyone knows that’s a winner! 😀
And THAT is 1000 words of seafood-filled deliciousness! Over and OUT!
What is your FAVORITE seafood dish?
Is there anything out there that you consider yourself “snobby” for?
I’m sorry for teasing you guys with my vacation recap yesterday AND pretending to join in on a non-existent link up. 😯
In my defense, I didn’t get a nap before work, it was my first day back, I had been awake since 8am Sunday morning, I forgot it was a holiday, and wait, did I mention that was running on absolutely NO sleep?!
I’m sorry I haven’t responded to all the comments you left while I was on vacation. 🙁
In my defense, I was struggling to even keep in an upright position yesterday, I was a cranky biotch most of the night (you really don’t want responses from THAT side of Heather), and as soon as I got off work, I face-planted and didn’t wake up until NINE HOURS later! However, last night, I DID make it all the way back to last Friday’s post which reminds me…
I’m sorry for keeping this recipe from you for ohhhhhh, FIVE MONTHS! 😳
In my defense, the pictures got lost on my computer?…I forgot about it?…the dog ate it??…umm yeah, I’ve got nothin’!
I actually happened upon this little bit of magic by accident back in April. I got up one morning and started making some oats for breakfast…but not just ANY oats, I was making CHOCOLATE oats! Then I got wild and crazy and threw in some almond and coconut!
Into a pot went my ingredients. I cooked it up, plopped it in a bowl, annnnnnnd?
All of a sudden I wasn’t hungry(?!)
I realized that I’d gotten up and went straight to the kitchen without even realizing I wasn’t even ready for breakfast (#firstworldproblems) so instead, I popped my chocolate almond coconutty oats amazingness in the fridge, threw on some workout clothes and ran drove to the gym.
A couple of hours later, I came home to a partially solidified bowl blob of oats. Since I was still pretty sweaty from my workout, I decided what the heck, why not eat them cold? Plus, by that time I was STARVING! So I flipped my little chocolate blob of the bowl, topped it some yogurt, a few almonds, and toasted coconut, took a bite, annnnd?
Patted myself on the back for being such a flippin’ GENIUS!
Sorry I’m NOT sorry for my lack of modesty! Hey, we’re serving COOKIES here, not pie*! *of the humble variety! 😉
Almond Joy Breakfast Cookie
By: Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli
Prep Time: 2-3 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 minutes plus 1-2 hours chill time
Ingredients (Serves 1)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup water (or milk or milk alternative)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
Preferred sweetener
Optional toppings: Greek yogurt, almonds, coconut shreds (plain or toasted)
Instructions
1. In a small pot over medium-high heat, combine oats, water (or milk), and almond extract and bring to a boil (3-4 minutes).
2. Reduce heat to medium, stir in cocoa powder and coconut flour and allow to cook until thickened (3-4 minutes).
3. Stop here and enjoy a warm bowl of Almond Joy oats OR transfer to a shallow bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (or overnight) and enjoy as a breakfast COOKIE!
Oh and I just HAVE to share something else with you guys…
That column that’s taller than all the others? That would represent the number of views I got on the Almond Joy Granola (thank you Fitfluential for tweeting)! 😀
My name is Heather! I'm a southern gal with a passion for food, fitness, and photography...and alliteration if you didn't notice! Here you'll find a mix of random musings, delicious recipes, and hopefully a chuckle or two! Check out my "About' tab to learn more!
