Author: Girlmom

They Say it’s your Birthday

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We woke up eager to get off the ship. Shawna had some anxiety leading up to her big day so we wanted to make it the best birthday ever.

We still weren’t sure what or where we were going that day because being in a brand new place is just the best so it all sounds fun! I have family that has lived on the little island of Roatan for years but unfortunately they were on the mainland during our visit. However ,we were encouraged to try Roatan’s famous Monkey La La’s.

We wandered off the ship and through the port, taking it all in.

When what do you know….

We took this as a sign and stopped for a drink.

These were very good. I think they are made with Kahlua, Bailey’s, vodka, creme de coco and condensed milk blended with ice, or something like that. Filling and sneaky.

Still not exactly sure on our plans moving forward, we walked outside to see about a taxi. This is where they are all waiting, the taxi’s, tour companies aka everyone wanting your money. We ended up walking with a man who called himself Dusty, explaining to him that we wanted a place where we could park ourselves for the day, eat and swim and be picked up when we were done. We walked, he talked and before we knew it stumbled upon were lead to a little place on the water called Aqua Bar.

We popped in so we could figure out our life and Dusty sat down with us. I was wondering if he was going to be with us all day. He told us about growing up on this small island and that his moms house was right next door this this bar we were at, of course it was. When we decided that he most likely wasn’t going to have us murdered we set out on our day, but not before popping by his moms house. She was out front of her cute yellow house selling a few souvenirs, shirts, sarongs and some homemade elixers.

She told us about how she made these concoctions during the pandemic and everyone who drank them never caught Covid, or that is how the story went. We went ahead and bought a small bottle to try but decided to wait until we were back in the safety of our house to try that risky little game.

{So…. it’s gross, tastes like gasoline blended with a hamburger.}

Dusty had called us a ride to take us to Sundowners in the West End. A beach front bar with beautiful views of the bay with a super laid back vibe. We staked out a prime spot on the beach and then headed to the bar.

Margaritas and Mojitos were made while I met the local bar cat.

Then straight to the water.

We met a lot of expats who were there for repeat vacations or diving trips and they all had nothing but great things to say about this little island.

We swam and talked the day away.

Then just like all great days the time flew by and before we knew it we were piling into our ride and headed back to the ship.

We never once felt unsafe being in Roatan, just putting that out there.

When we reached our room, her birthday cake was waiting.

Congratulations on turning another year older, ha.

We cleaned ourselves up and made our way to dinner. We had a very good meal at Le Bistro the ships French restaurant.

That night was 90’s night which I was super excited about but the 80’s music turned out to be a little more more fun.

You know how the nights end by now.

Happy 50th birthday me fave!

The next day was supposed to be Belize……

Welcome to Cozumel

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The reason we chose this cruise was because of the itinerary. NOLA to Cozumel, Roatan, Belize and Costa Maya. I know right? NCL really does the have best deals, what they lack in certain areas they make up for on their price tag.

We woke up in Cozumel and as soon as we stepped off the ship we were in heaven. The weather was perfect, the water blue and before we knew it we were hopping in a taxi to go eat on the beach.

I read all about the all-inclusive beach clubs and we decided against it not wanting to commit to one place our first time there. However, looking back, I think that is a good way to go. There isn’t much to do in Cozumel unless you are doing a certain excursion or renting a car. So if eating, drinking and swimming is what you want to do, then head to Mr. Sancho’s or one of the other popular places.

We started at Albertos Beach bar and we had the place to ourselves. We ordered fresh caught seafood and margaritas and we were in a happy place.

When we were ready to mosey on, we had our waiter call us a taxi. We were on the southern part of the island so we decided to head closer to the port.

Money Bar beach club.

This place was very nice, reminiscent of Europe. Located on a reef, lounge chairs are above with stairs to take you down to the clear and warm water. And they made delicious espresso martinis.

When the time came to head back to the ship we made one last pit stop. Welcome to Miami is right across the street from the port. A small hole in the wall bar with a Captain Jack Sparrow character stumbling around out front which in itself was strange, but who am I to judge? We stopped in for one more drink.

Once we were back on the ship and clean, we went for dinner. Then, yep you guessed it, back to Syd’s Pour House. We took turns waiting in line and grabbing drinks at Malting’s whiskey bar which was located right outside Syd’s. After the show we wentto pool deck for an 80’s party.

This pool deck was supposed to be adults only but that rule was lenient. I also tend think all young people are 14 years old when they are in fact, legal drinking age and that saddens me. There were a lot of those around this cruise, dancing to music that came out before they were born, sigh.

We ended each night at O’sheehan’s bar and grill. A pub that’s open 24 hours a day and a perfect spot for late night snacks before bed. The pub also had two pool tables but those were being run by professional 14 year old billiard players, or so they thought.

They next day was Shawna’s 50th and we woke up in Roatan.

Passports, check!

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Packing for a vacation is one my most favorite past times.

Remember when I said we most likely wouldn’t cruise Norwegian Cruise Lines again? Lies, sorry. We took another Norwegian cruise for Shawna’s 50th birthday. But, this ship was bigger than our last one, and checked all of our boxes in terms of on board entertainment and ports. You guys, this trip was amazing!

We were at the airport early because we must make sure the gate is where its supposed to be and then we hit the bar for the obligatory pre flight spicy bloody.

We were on our way to New Orleans which was a first for us. Once we dropped our bags in our hotel room, we hit the ground running. We only had one night to get it all done. We walked along the river and straight into town for dinner.

We had gator, oysters and delicious cocktails. Then we strolled our way to Bourbon street .

We people watched, bar hopped, and listened to all the music. We ended with a nightcap at our hotel bar and then to bed.

Our transfer to the port was included in our package and was effortless. Our time to “check-in” on the ship wasn’t until 2:00 but we just went ahead and got in line right when we got to the port at noon.

I probably shouldn’t spill the tea but you guys, we walked right on (knocks wood for next time). Our cabin wasn’t ready but that wasn’t a big deal because we took our asses straight to the pool deck and made ourselves at home.

This ship was very different from our first rodeo with Norwegian. There was a lot of everything, people, bars, entertainment, people…Once our cabin was ready we went back and got ready for the evening. We had a small dinner in one of the smaller dining rooms but since there was a short wait we sat at the adjacent bar and ordered ourselves an espresso martini. This is where we learned that one can’t just order an espresso martini anywhere, those were only available at the martini bar, so we had something sort of like it, but not as good.

So many options on evening entertainment but we chose The Pour House the first night and every night after. This was a group of four singers with their band that just blew us away, they were so much fun. All of this while we sailed down the Mississippi river.

Day 2 was a sea day which meant a pool day.

This is when it really sank in that we were on a cruise with a lot of people and kids who were on their spring break. Lesson learned, no cruising in March.

The pool was packed but we still had a great time. We met so many fun people, a lot who were on this cruise for their second time, that was good sign.

Dinner, I am sure we had it. I will still stand by the fact that the food on Norwegian’s dining room is just O.K. nothing spectacular. After dinner, you guessed it, back to the Pour House. This time we were in line early. Yes, I said “in line” that’s how packed this ship was. If we wanted a seat we had to get there super early. But this night was important because they were doing a Fleetwood Mac tribute.

And it was so good.

Day 3-Cozumel….

Hot Minute

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It’s been a minute since I have been here, free time is a rarity around here. The last time I logged on I couldn’t find my blog and it’s been a thing, but here I am, hi! I think the last time we chatted was a handful of months ago, lots to catch up on.

This cookbook is full of mouth watering recipes. Her cooking speaks to my heart.

I made the broken noodle bolognese and it was amazing. Ate like a deconstructed lasagna but with less effort.

I also made a fettuccine Alfredo

We went roller skating.

For my birthday we ran off to the desert. We started at a winery in Julian which was better than I remembered. Then we met my brother at our hotel in Borrego Springs. We spend the night at the town bar Carlee’s listening to our local country band. Always a fun time. The next day my brother got us a driver to take us into Palm Springs.

We started with brunch at Bongo Johnny’s. Bottomless mimosa’s are always a good idea.

Shawna found us a speak easy hidden behind a wine shop.

PS Air bar was a unique experience.

If I am going to sit in an airplane seat for any period of time I want be in a different location when I leave it. This was a one and done place for us.

We ended the day at the casino playing Roulette.

Jenn met us at our hotel that evening and then we all went back to Carlee’s for another go round. We played pool and danced the night away.

We had a yummy breaky the next morning before heading home.

We went for margaritas for the March birthday girls.

No, the kids did not have margaritas.

The next week, we got our passports out.

Mandarin Orange, Olive Oil & Cardamom Cake

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This is a simple and delicious cake. Not too sweet with warm notes of cardamom, it’s definitely a good back pocket dish to pull out for your next gathering.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, extra for dusting the pan

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs

Grated zest of 5 mandarin oranges

2 Tbs of fresh mandarin orange juice

1 ¼ cups whole milk

2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

*candied orange slices for garnish is optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a bundt cake pan with a little olive oil and dust with a bit of the flour, shaking out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a large bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, cardamom, and eggs. Using an electric hand mixer set on high, beat the mixture until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add half the orange zest, the orange juice, and milk. Beat until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on low just until you have a uniform batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set.

Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan,

 Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar and sprinkle with orange zest or candied orange slices.

Holidaze

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Woo you guys… we all got super sick around Christmas, it wasn’t fun.

We did manage to fit it some festivities closer to the new year.

Averi was (is) the only child that still believes, I will hold on to that for as long as I can. It’s like a toddler who wants to walk, just keep pushing them down, no need to speed up the growing.

We had our tree up all month, it really is a vibe…just makes the house happy.

You can see that we had the Era’s tour on in the background…not gonna lie, I’ve seen it three times.

Speaking of tours. I went to the SDFC Chrome ball tour supporters rally, so excited to have our own MLS team.

We had a small Christmas at ours with just the girls.

Then we spent a late Christmas in OC with the family. Good food, fun games, sunshine and the best people and doggies.

Cheers to 2024

Chicken Salad with Coconut Crunch

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This is a delicious chicken salad Inspired by the Indonesian salad Gado Gado. It has crunchy veggies doused in a peanut butter-sesame dressing and topped with a coconut granola like topping. This has the salty-sweet-spicy-crunchy combo of flavors we are always looking for. It’s so good!

INGREDIENTS

2 Limes

1 inch fresh ginger

1 1/2 pound mixed crunchy vegetables; snap peas, carrots, radishes, cucumbers.

1 bunch 0f cilantro

1 large egg

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken meat

3 TBSP plus 1 Tsp brown sugar

4 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Curry powder

Kosher salt and pepper; to taste

1/2 Tsp Cayenne peppeer

1 1/2 cups nuts; cashews, peanuts, almonds

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

2 TBSP Sesame Seeds

1/2 Cup full-fat coconut milk

1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil

Make the coconut crunch

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Separate 1 egg. Place the white in a large bowl (save the yolk for another time) and vigorously whisk until fluffy, foamy, soft peaks form.

Add 3 TBSP brown sugar, 3 TSP toasted sesame oil, 1 TSP curry powder, 3/4 TSP salt and 1/4 TSP cayenne pepper. Whisk to incorporate.

Add 1 1/2 cups nuts, 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes, 2 TBSP sesame seeds and the zest of 1 lime. Fold with a rubber spatula until thoroughly coated.

Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake, stirring halfway through, until the coconut is lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then use your hands to break it up into chunks.

Make the dressing

Finely grate a 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger into a large bowl. Ad 1/3 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 TBSP vegetable oil, the juice of 1 lime, the remaining 1 Tsp toasted sesame oil, and the remaining 1 Tsp brown sugar. Whisk until smooth, salt to taste.

Make the salad

Chop, slice, julienne, trim, shave and/or dice 1 1/2 pounds of mixed crunchy vegetables. Add all of the veg to the bowl of dressing.

Coarsely chop the leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch of cilantro and add to the bowl.

Add 2 cups of packed chicken meat to the same bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add a few handfuls of coconut crunch and toss to combine.

Divide salad into serving bowls/plates and top with more coconut crunch.

Cabo 2023

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We took advantage of the extreme temps and low rates that Cabo had to offer at the end of summer. A favorite spot on our Mexican Riveria cruise, we thought exploring it more than a day sounded like a nice getaway. We chose a RIU resort and as beautiful as the grounds were, we didn’t love it and wouldn’t recommend it.

This was the view from the lobby bar, by far the best bar at the resort in terms of drink options, bartenders and service.

We hung out staring at this view until our room was ready. A few beers and tequila shots later we unpacked our luggage in our just ‘fine room’. The room seemed damp the entire week, and had a musty smell but it was extremely humid during our stay, maybe that is why.

Then we hit one of the two adults only pool. They both were smaller infinity pools with a swim up bar. It was so hot outside we were sweating with excitement to jump into some cool water. You guys ALL the pool water was warm and there wasn’t any shade, that was a tough pill to swallow.

But it was beautiful.

We found a couple of lounge chairs, pulled over an umbrella, walked down to the beach and bought two hats.

For dinner we ate at a fusion restaurant. I think we ordered a fish dish and a lamb dish which was obviously not memorable. Unfortunately none of the food or drinks for that matter, were great. The buffet which we hit up for breakfast had a lot of options but some of it was questionable after sitting out for hours.

The next morning we had some coffee and fruit sent up to our room and enjoyed our patio.

We spent a couple of our days in town. The beach in front of our resort (and most of the resorts nearby) wasn’t swimmable. I researched this before we booked and never saw that it was dangerous, so that was a real let down when we found that black flag waving. We took advantage of the ocean (which was cooler than the pool) down at Medano beach. Reachable by foot but way too hot for that, we took a short taxi ride to town. Our first stop was at the Sand Bar, a favorite of ours from our cruise stop to Cabo.

We also popped into Cabo Wabo for a drink.

A little window shopping and then a stop at another favorite of ours, The Monkey Bar.

A very small bar with a handful of stools, great margaritas and country music.

Then we walked by an even smaller bar, or so they claim.

Our resort had some questionable entertainment each night. Karaoke night was by far the most fun. I was a judge which I took very seriously.

I started having some stomach issues halfway through our stay. Luckily OTC meds helped enough and allowed me to enjoy the last few days.

We spent another day at the pool chatting up the people we had met. But the pools were sort of gross, and it gives me chills thinking back on it now. Older folks sitting in the pool at the bar for hours, never getting out to use the toilet. Questionable things floating in the corners of the warm pool water, ew.

On our final day we decided to stay out of the pool and head back into town.

After some souvenir shopping for the girls, we stopped at Uno Mas for a margarita, it’s another cute little bar outside the marina.

We ended up back at the Sandbar where we sat for hours eating the most delicious octopus and fried fish. Sipping cold Chardonnay and floating in the ocean.

Our last evening we walked to the steakhouse for dinner and then the lobby bar for a couple of espresso martini’s.

We both wound up feeling terrible by the time we were heading home and were sick for a good week later. I blame the buffet, the pools and one pool bartender.

Final thoughts; find a better resort to spend your money on.

Months of Photos.

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Photos have been piling up and I always have the best intentions of posting them, I don’t know where the time goes.

Heading back to the summer…

Belmont Park and SD Fair fun.

Summer night meals.

Roasted snapper.

And…

Esquites, which was so good I made it multiple times in a week.

I used a couple of recipes but mainly this one. I made it with fresh corn and the frozen roasted corn from Trader Joes and they both worked, but….the fresh corn was obviously superior.

Caramelized onion and blue cheese tart.

Fun day on the Island with Uncle C and Aunt A Frankie and Tony.

Galaxy matches.

A super fun Huntington beach day!

The two youngest girls.

BlackPink in our Area

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Well not really, BlackPink in Los Angeles.

Kaili and I spent 24 hours in LA for a BlackPink concert. We stopped in Dana Point to meet family for lunch and then continued through OC and LA traffic reaching our destination a handful of hours before the concert. We checked into The Biltmore, dropped our stuff in the room and took a tour of the hotel.

We had time before dinner to go explore our neighborhood which included Grand Central Market.

Had I known, I wouldn’t have made dinner reservations, which turned out to be a bust anyhow. On our way out we stumbled upon vendors selling their creations. We window shopped our way to a Starbucks. She got a drink and then we went back to the hotel where I got a drink AND we ordered dessert for after the show.

Not shown, a glass of chardonnay a piece of cheesecake and chocolate mousse.

We tucked our goodies into the hotel fridge and relaxed before our get ready time.

Once we were ready we ubured to dinner. As soon as we walked in I had a feeling I had made a mistake about our timing. There was only one waiter and a bunch of people with no food. He was honest and told us that the kitchen was backed up. I told him we were heading to Dodger Stadium and he suggested we just head straight there as traffic in and out is bad. Well shit…at that moment I wished we had eaten at the market. I called another car to come pick us up and we were heading to the stadium an hour and a half early. It did take a long time to get into the venue and by the time we were in line it was close to 8:00. Everything was packed, the line for food, merch, drinks and the bathroom. People everywhere. I realized that if we were to do this all over again we either get there super early and hang around inside the stadium or we arrive minutes before the show is to start.

Were are seats great, no. Were they expensive, also no. I won us tickets on a radio show so there was no complaining about our view.

I wasn’t able to get her a lightstick as I promised because the line was constant all night. She new every song and I think it’s safe to say she had a great time.

Do not show her that video, she was hell bent on me deleting it.

We left the concert a tad early to beat all the ride share traffic. Once back in our room we washed up, put on our jammies and ate dessert in bed.