August, 2019 ~ What's HOT in the kitchen?

bethk wrote:Lyn & I had a 'Get-Outta-Dodge' in Orlando Day.  One of her cars needed serviced so we always volunteer to take it the hour drive just so we can play all day.  Bill knows to make the service appointment for late morning so after the car is serviced we can head to lunch and then off to shopping where ever we happen to want to go.  Today was Macy's where we BOTH found some tops to buy ~ ON SALE !!! ~ and clothing shopping is my very LEAST favorite thing to do.  Portly women are seldom clothes hogs.....we don't like trying on clothes and we hate the sizing tags in the neckline....so when we get them home we cut them off!  LOL

We ended going to lunch at a place called Seasons 52.  Our waiter was a joy and the food was fantastic.  Lyn loves that she and I can order appetizers and just split whatever, and that way we get to try more different dishes.  We had an order of grilled baby artichokes with vegetables and hummus, and I have to say, it was the very best hummus I've ever tasted.  It was super smooth, not at all grainy as some can be, and it was NOT garlic forward, if it had any garlic at all.  The grilled artichokes were also fantastic.  Then there was a four mushroom flatbread ~ to die for!  The crust on the flatbread was super thin, like thick typing paper.....but crispy, even covered with wall-to-wall mushrooms and held up when you took a bite. She is always so generous to share with me and not have GOAT CHEESE on the flatbread, which is the way it's normally served.

The restaurant menu was interesting as there were no sandwiches and nothing deep fried ~ a wood fired oven for a lot of what they served.  And just a lovely setting next to a lake in a sun drenched dining room.  And there wasn't a lot of noise ~ we could hear each other have a conversation but not the people surrounding us.  All in all, a perfect luncheon/dinner place.

bethk wrote:No, Bugs, no dessert ~ way too full!  The food was SO delicious!  I did see the dessert shooters served around us, one pregnant lady, in particular, seemed to have a giant appetite.  LOL  She was in my direct line of vision and I saw the waiters bring her item after item and she had the most lovely smile.....

As I read this post, I had to laugh! The word Pregnant.
Would you believe, ( that word was mentioned in a Hush Hush Way ).I don't know why?.... It just wasn't said by kids or around kids old enough to know why a woman had a show stomach !
Mom would say to us.... "She's gonna be a mommy!" And, "Don't say that word, ( Pregnant ) . Till this day, I don't understand why? but every time I see the word, I reminds me.... it was just something not said.

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Anyway, it's gonna be shepherd's pie tonight. ( only because granddaughter is wishing for it. I will look for something else to eat!

bethk wrote:We're OK, Bugs.  We're in north central Florida.  By the time the strong winds hit either coast they calm down quite a bit.  At most we'll end up with 3 days of wind and rain.  But we're on 'high' ground, by Florida standards and The Villages has the most amazing public water management system you can imagine.  There are hundreds of 'lakes' (actually what we in Ohio by Lake Erie would call ponds), man made and created to contain the massive runoff.  

It's upsetting to Dane that all the golf courses will be closed for multiple days, if not weeks, as the irrigation sprinklers run 24/7 to lower the level of the lakes until it's more manageable.  

Did I mention Dane got his very first HOLE IN ONE yesterday?  He's riding high, to be sure.  He started some lessons this summer and he's sure that's why the game is getting to be so much more fun for him.  It's good to see him have a fun hobby.

Bugster2 wrote:

bethk wrote:Lyn & I had a 'Get-Outta-Dodge' in Orlando Day.  One of her cars needed serviced so we always volunteer to take it the hour drive just so we can play all day.  Bill knows to make the service appointment for late morning so after the car is serviced we can head to lunch and then off to shopping where ever we happen to want to go.  Today was Macy's where we BOTH found some tops to buy ~ ON SALE !!! ~ and clothing shopping is my very LEAST favorite thing to do.  Portly women are seldom clothes hogs.....we don't like trying on clothes and we hate the sizing tags in the neckline....so when we get them home we cut them off!  LOL

We ended going to lunch at a place called Seasons 52.  Our waiter was a joy and the food was fantastic.  Lyn loves that she and I can order appetizers and just split whatever, and that way we get to try more different dishes.  We had an order of grilled baby artichokes with vegetables and hummus, and I have to say, it was the very best hummus I've ever tasted.  It was super smooth, not at all grainy as some can be, and it was NOT garlic forward, if it had any garlic at all.  The grilled artichokes were also fantastic.  Then there was a four mushroom flatbread ~ to die for!  The crust on the flatbread was super thin, like thick typing paper.....but crispy, even covered with wall-to-wall mushrooms and held up when you took a bite. She is always so generous to share with me and not have GOAT CHEESE on the flatbread, which is the way it's normally served.

The restaurant menu was interesting as there were no sandwiches and nothing deep fried ~ a wood fired oven for a lot of what they served.  And just a lovely setting next to a lake in a sun drenched dining room.  And there wasn't a lot of noise ~ we could hear each other have a conversation but not the people surrounding us.  All in all, a perfect luncheon/dinner place.

Beth, did you have any of the dessert shooters at Seasons 52? They are so good! Nice and small, just enough and not too much to have to bring it home.

My husband ALWAYS cuts out the labels on anything new he buys. It actually annoys me because he tends to buy the same brands over and over and when he wants something new, I ask him what size he wants and he can't remember. Labels don't bother me unless they are scratchy, then I cut them out.

JanaAZ wrote:

Seasons 52 is a chain that is owned by Darden (Olive Garden).  They are known for their healthy items.  There's one in Phoenix and I go there occasionally.  Nice to have nice, healthy food that doesn't look or taste healthy.