Wesley Chapel, Florida (high 84, low 59)
We’re enjoying the fall weather. It’s cool enough at night to keep the windows open and snuggle under the blankets.
We met Frank and Phylanne a few months ago. We met when we were seeking shelter in the laundry building when there was a threat of a tornado.
They both work, so we didn’t get to spend much time with them. We babysat their kitty when they had to leave Florida for a while, and we’d catch them out once in a while, but we never could seem to get together very often. They were leaving Saturday, so we made plans to get together Friday night.
It might have been a mistake….
Phylanne works out of town and apparently Frank has had way too much time on his hands.
Frank recently discovered how to make flavored martini’s……and he’s become quite good at it. He’s been stocking up on all kinds of liqueurs and flavored vodkas. He’s afraid he won’t be able to find all this good selection in their home base (New Orleans)
So…..Friday night we brought some chips and dip and our lawn chairs and had a martini party with them.
Al doesn’t drink vodka, so he was content with beer.
The first “sample” Frank made us was a grapefruit martini. Yummy. I just had a little bit though. It was good and tasted very much like a pink grapefruit.
The next one was a mango martini. Really yummy. Again, I only had a small sample.
The next one was a chocolate raspberry martini. I had a full glass of that one. Boy was that good! I might have even had two of them. I can’t be sure.
The last one I had was a Lemon drop martini……another yummy one. It was made with Lemoncello, lemon vodka, and a few other things.
I took the following picture so I could re-create it myself…..since I just happen to have a bottle of Lemoncello that we made several years ago. It was so strong that we could never drink it. I think I may have found the solution to that problem though!
We got a kick out of all the bottles Frank has stockpiled in Phylannes’s absence.
Frank was showing off some of his stash.
Phylanne wasn’t aware of all these pretty bottles!
Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I forgot my good camera and had to use my phone.
We had a great time with them and Frank even played a few tunes on his piano. Yes, they have a piano in their motorhome. You gotta have your toys, don’t you?
We overstayed our welcome and didn’t get home until 11:30! Boy we felt bad since they were leaving the next morning. I guess they were too good of hosts???
Saturday morning, I woke up and immediately noticed I had a bit of a headache. Uh-oh. It took a minute to notice that I also had a bit of a queasy stomach. Uh-oh. It took me a while to realize I might have had a tiny bit of a hangover! Hadn’t one of those for a while! Didn’t miss them either!
I also wanted to post a recipe for a bean dip that I invented. I am not a good cook and I can barely get something to turn out if I have a recipe, so I rarely try something on my own. I liked this one, but wasn’t sure anyone else would. Phylanne and Frank got to test my invention and Phylanne loved it! Not sure about Frank.
Before we became vegan, we would occasionally make the cheese dip with Rotelle tomatoes and cheese whiz. It was not on our new diet but I wanted something warm and gooey like that.
I mixed up a can of refried beans, a can of rotelle tomatoes and a handful of vegan mozzarella cheese. I heated it up in our little crockpot and added some cayenne pepper per Al’s request. It was warm, gooey and good. It is vegan, but yummy!
I have decided I am giving up martinis….at least for a while!
I bet they were all good drinks.. A little goes a long way.hehe
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like a bit of a hangover to bring you back to reality...lol!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. I hadn't had one of those things for a long time....and now I remember why!
DeleteYou're so silly!!
ReplyDeleteI can't for the life of me imagine someone thinking any kind of alcohol not being available in New Orleans!?!
I think New Orleans has ANY and ALL of the alcohol that is wanted. He was just using that as an excuse to get his goodies now not later. I use that trick myself. LOL Are you still using the blend ted a lot. We just got one and I am hoping that we will use it enough to warrant paying that price for the thing. I need more ideas for using the thing than just smoothies and the tortilla soup.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Harriet, I think it was a good excuse!
DeleteWe use our Blendtec every day and sometimes a couple times a day. We make a green smoothie every day. (spinach, kale, pineapple, bananas, blueberries, mango, figs, cranberries) We always use spinach, but the other items get switched around depending on what we have on hand.
We feel we're getting our money's worth if we just drink a green smoothie every day. That way, we're sure to get in plenty of fruits and veggies. Sometimes, we'll have one for dinner (if we've had a big meal) or one time I made a dessert smoothie with pineapple, cranberries and mangos. Yummy.
It's probably a good thing they moved on because you would have been very tempted to try out more of those martinis. Wouldnd't they really be great while at Sunshine Key!
ReplyDelete..or until next time! sounds like it was a fun time sampling all the martini's!
ReplyDeletehahhahaha good on you karen....did you take the long way home (zig zag)?
ReplyDeletedon't remember :)
DeleteWell, I can see we need to stock up! All those martinis sounded good and I thought I didn't like martinis! But these sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteI don't like martinis either, but these were delicious!
DeleteHope by now you've recovered from all those yummy drinks. Probably a good thing they had to leave today. lol
ReplyDeleteOh my, didn't leave until 11:30! How old we have become. I remember when things were just getting started at 11:30. :*))
ReplyDeleteGreat story, Karen and the martinis. But where is the picture of the piano? Is it an electric keyboard? Not a real piano? Say it's not so or I'll want one. That's maybe the thing I miss the most is the piano and I'm not even a good player but I love it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know Sherry. It was electric and looked kind of like a piano. It's in the back ground of the picture of Frank holding the two big bottles. It was pretty wide.
DeleteFOUR martinis in one night. You are the woman! I love Vodka martinis. The lemon drop one sounds delicious!
ReplyDeletewell in my defense...the first two were only samples.
DeleteSooooooooo much fun !!!!! That was quite a display, all the fixings for sure !!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd the "Over the Moon" piano player comes along with it !!!! Gosh, that is hospitality .... Sure glad you were able to get your bartending/mixology lesson in before the host rolled off to New Orleans....... You'll be all set for cocktail hour in The Keys !!!!! PARTY ON ......
Yeah, I'm thinking Lemon drops for the Keys!
DeleteNot only were they great hosts, but we were invited to come to New Orleans and stay with them (kitties included)
I have had a few of those uh oh's too! Sounds like it was completely understandable and unavoidable considering the comaraderie and who could resist those yummy sounding drinks!!! Fun!
ReplyDeleteWe met a couple who traveled with a HARP! No kidding! Maybe a few of those martinis would have made the music a bit more mellow. Truth is, I've never had a martini... guess wine and beer have pretty much been my vice. Not that I'm not willing to try the other..... But, hey, your new friends sound like they really know about that sort of stuff.
ReplyDeleteYou kids will never learn!!! ;c)
ReplyDeleteand wouldn't you have thought I would have learned by now!!
DeleteLemoncello will get you every time. But, it is really good :)
ReplyDeleteyes it will
DeleteWhat a gorgeous sunset! Fantastic picture.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ your hangover. Lightweight! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm a lightweight, too, so I always drink a lot of water before I go to bed to avoid the dehydration. Usually it works. If the cats yell louder than usual in the morning, it hasn't.