Cathedral Ridge Winery

3pm Snack

On those days (OK, it seems to be most days) at 3pm when I am yearning for some chocolate, a little ferrero rocher chocolate is the answer. It is tiny, but loaded with everything I love-roasted hazelnut shell, hazelnut cream, milk chocolate, chopped hazelnuts and walnuts. After eating one of these, I am in chocolate heaven and feeling completely blissful :)

Breakfast at Work

I recently discovered this wonderful all natural breakfast bar called "attune". I have only tried strawberry bliss so far as other flavors are just not my morning thing (double fudge, blueberry and peanut) and after I eat it I feel blissfull. It's a granola probiotic wellness bar with 5X THE LIVE CULTURES IN YOGURT. It's only 170 callories, 8g of fat and 10g of sugars (perhaps a little too much) and 5g of protein - certainly keeps me full till lunch. And of course my morning usual - Starbucks Venti Non-fat latte...off I go now to enjoy my morning bliss.

Lunch Out of the Office, on those Rare Occasions

Today was one of those rare occasions where I got to leave the office and truly enjoy my lunch hour. I was invited to a tasting lunch at the Villa Woodbine. This beautiful Old World Mansion is situated on a limestone bluff overlooking Biscayne Bay. The magic of the house lies in trees engulfing the property and evoke a true Coconut Grove vibe. It is one of the finest early twentieth century estates remaining in Coconut Grove. I did a little bit of research and found out that this outstanding Mediterranean Revival style house is noted for its fine detail and craftsmanship, particularly the ornamentation in its arched openings and its wrought iron grille work. Charles S. Boyd, founder of the Appleton Paper Company in Wisconsin, commissioned the house as a winter home and named the house after a grade of paper called woodbine enamel.

The venue is owned by Bill Hansen, the leading caterer in South Florida, actually US, who has a long history of catering fabulous events featuring delicious food, exciting venues and enjoyable ambiance. ...All the catering for events here is done solely by Bill Hansen Catering...and the food is delish! The service is also impeccable.

If you are looking to host a dinner or a wedding, this is your location. I promise you, the event will be magical.
2167 S Bayshore Dr Coconut Grove, FL 33133 - (305) 858-6660

As soon as I arrived, I was greeted with hors d'oeuvres and drinks and within minutes we were seated in an elegant dinning room where every table was set up differently and it showcased such lovely table clothes and plate settings.


Our first course was classic ceviche served in a shell shaped plate with a glass of chardonnay (psst, don't tell anyone I had wine in a middle of a day, but just a tiny bit)...


The first course was followed by the main entree, which was served as a classic buffet of Ceasar salad, asparagus, roasted yukon potatoes, some sort of fish (that I skipped) and beef tenderloin. Bill served the carved meat, which was great as he was right there telling us what we were eating and how it was prepared. The signature Bill Hansen Ceasar Salad was amazing and I wish I just had that, as it was truly the most delicious Ceasar I have ever had. But what really surprised me was the beef...it was done to perfection.


To finish of the perfect lunch, we were served chocolate souffle topped off with strawberries, blackberries and blueberries, with little bit of vanilla cream...it left me completely speechless. It was so yummy and delicious. I just couldn't stop myself so I finished everything on my plate.....every last piece of blackberry.


This was one of those great lunches where I enjoyed everything to the last bite. I was so glad that I took some time away from my desk in the middle of the day, and a result - I was three times more productive:)

Breakfast at work

I am trying really hard to eat healthy and to eat "powerful" foods - so here is my beginning to the day. Mind you I already had a cup of ice-latte;)

Mobile Blogging...

Test test mobile blogging here I come

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I did it..finally. It only took me a year to get this going...now you will certainly see and hear a lot more from me...

Weekend Breakfast

My favorite part of the weekend is breakfast time. This is especially true if I manage to get up early while everything is quiet and everyone in my house is still sleeping. Then I can sneak out to the patio and breathe in the weekend morning air and salute the sun. It is the only time that I can actually take my time and prepare a breakfast and cup of coffee without having to quickly run out of the house and drink yogurt in the car.
I don't have a favorite weekend breakfast, I just love breakfast in general. Breakfast is that one meal that I can eat at any time of the day, but it just tastes better early in the morning. It's almost like a ritual. So this weekend I took some time and "made" myself a bowl of KASHI Wheaties with strawberries, blackberries and a banana. Of course I also had my favorite: a cup of home brewed Starbucks non-fat latte.

It was a divine morning. I was still in my birthday celebration mode and it just felt so refreshing to get-up in the morning, go for a run, come back to a quiet home and sit on the patio and enjoy my weekend treat. I first "made" my cereal and than jumped in the shower so the cereal can get a little soggy and the brown sugar of off the Wheaties has time to melt and it makes the fruit in the cereal so much better. Perfect blend of sweet, savory, refreshing and healthy. No matter how much I love eating, eating at breakfast time beats all the other meals of the day.

"MY" Starbucks is closing...NOOOOOOO

You all know how obsessed I am with Starbucks. I love everything about Starbucks: venti-non-fat-latte, banana chocolate chip coffee cake, raspberry cake, sandwiches, passion-ice tea, coffee mugs, holidays bears, the little green fairy, the store, the people that work in "my" cafe, oh the list keeps going on...
For years, I have been such a great supporter (I still am) of this company. I make a daily stop at "my" Starbucks to pick up my morning latte and many days stop by for the late afternoon pick-me-up. Of course, I also buy the coffee by the pound for the home brewing, pick-up lunch on days when I don't feel like bringing lunch to work, and again the list goes on...to walk into "my" Starbucks and find out that they have been told they are closing.
How can this be?????? Starbucks corporate decided to close 2 stores going westbound on Pines Blvd and keep open 3 on the eastbound side...Hello????? Business sense, yes I get it, rent is high, the AM traffic is not strong, the recession is impacting the business...but this is what happens when they open 8 stores within 4 miles radius (granted 2 are in the B&N and one is in Target, but still...) and decide to close two real stores going Westbound on Pines Blvd...
For the first time, I am seriously disappointed with Starbucks - how can this be???? I took this announcement so personally and just can't get over it.
So, I took things into my hands and started twittering about it every morning, joined FB group SAVE STARBUCKS ON PINES BLVD. and HIATUS, I am making friends and neighbors go there in the AM, wrote to corporate, called district and regional manager, and the good news is - the store is now on the watch list and no closing date has been announced. I am not saying I have changed things, but if I can contribute to making a difference and keeping "my" Starbucks around, I want to do everything possible. So please, help me support STARBUCKS on Pines Blvd and Hiatus as it is the best Starbucks around and everyone that works there is amazing, and the team is what makes that Starbucks such a perfect "local" coffee shop...

Annie's Mac & Cheese Giveaway!!!

Win some Annie’s Mac & Cheese Giveaway on Danica's Daily!!!
Who doesn't want some mac & cheese? Hurry, the giveaway ends on Thursday. Here is why you should love Annie's products, actually, this is why I love Annie's...
"We nourish communities by providing healthy food, promoting sustainability and supporting organizations motivated by our same intrinsic purpose. Our philosophy is simple: Planet to Food. Food to People. People to Planet."

I won, I won...Uncle Sam"s

I always complain how I don't win anything (prizes, giveaways, lottery). But usually I don't participate in giveaways or play lottery, and the chef keeps telling me if I don't play, I won't win. Well, he is right. Recently I started reading Kath Eats blog, which is really awesome if you are looking to get healthy (notice I didn't say thin) and I saw a giveaway for Uncle Sam's cereal and decided to take a plunge and leave a comment to try to win...guess what, I WON!!!!

I won two boxes of Uncle Sam cereal and the boxes arrived few days ago and I am already loving it. My palate has not yet developed to eat just the cereal, but if I mix it with oatmeal or other cereal or in yogurt, it is PERFECTLY delicious. Off to enjoy my Uncle Sam's...thank you Kath....

One Year Older, Wiser

Just one year ago today, I was buying cupcakes, birthday decorations, and all the things that go along with celebrating my 30th birthday. I was also picking up guests and far away friends who traveled to Florida to celebrate my big day. Now one year older and maturity has set in, and I am celebrating my 31st birthday with a dose of vicodin and glass of milk. Yes, I am one of those weird people who scheduled a root canal/crown on my birthday, even my dentist thought I was crazy for doing it...

I love, love, love celebrating my birthday. I am the type of person that celebrates for the whole month of April and I make sure everyone knows it's my birthday. It's how I have always been and now my 2 year old niece is the same - you see, it's in our genes. Even though this year everything is much calmer than last year, I still get to celebrate in style for few days. On my actual birthday, the chef and the family gave me amazingly thoughtful presents (books, DVDs, J.CREW jewelry, candles, B&N gift cards, patio decorations and an LV bag) and a vanilla ice-cream cake.



Tonight was a night out for great pizza with friends, tomorrow some more shopping with my girlfriend Amanda (who by the way is a great photographer and does amazing family portraits...I have to get her to set up her website as her prints are amazing) and then dinner out on the town with the chef.

I am really looking forward to our dinner - we are off to South Beach and we'll be trying the MEAT MARKET...I know it's cliche to go to South Beach, but I have heard so many amazing stories about the Meat Market, so it's time to test the restaurant. Detailed post coming up tomorrow night...Till then, enjoy this beautiful Friday night and cheers to another great year...

FOOD2

I have discovered the "young" version of Food Network - Food2, and I am loving it. I can really relate to it, and yes, I know, I don't cook, but I can totally relate and chef will love the recipes...In a nut shell, according to FOOD2, this is what they are about (it reminds me a little of FOODBUZZ, but I could be wrong).

"...Food2 scours the planet as well as local fast food drive-ins for the tastiest, seductive, most shocking and satisfying bites in the world of food and drink.

Along with an outspoken, eclectic slate of food bloggers, Food2 mixes up cocktails, beer & wine, foodie challenges, recipes, how to’s, food porn and pop culture with a bunch of other elements we aren’t at liberty to discuss.

They’ll be thrown in a blender with a shot of wasabi and served chilled, in a highball glass on the rocks.

All you need is a Facebook account to get started (ok, you don’t need even that but it helps if you want to comment or contribute).

Click on the Facebook icon at the top of the Food2 home page to start.

If you’re craving more, follow us on Twitter or check out Food2 on Facebook.

Go 2 Food2 here."

My favorite part of the website is TOP TIPS..so far I have learned how to properly clean the grill (mind you I don't even know how to use our grill) and how to make pita chips (chef, if you are reading this, get ready, I am bringing the instructions home with me tonight).

I was just talking with a friend about the social media and food blogs, and this is the perfect example of how we are connecting with so many different people and becoming stars of our own kitchens/blogs, in my case...star of eating, but still. How did I live without the social media before??? Go check it out, I bet you will love it...

Chef Demos at Las Olas Food Fest

The Las Olas Wine and Food Festival kicks off this weekend and while there's plenty to sample once the street fair starts at 7:30pm, there are also chef demos taking place earlier in the day. The street festival ticket includes a complimentary wine glass (6½oz.), butler tray and unlimited sampling from over 60 restaurants, 30 wine, spirit and micro brews from 7.30pm - 10pm. The street festival is held from 7.30pm to 10.00pm. Premier Beverage is the exclusive wine sponsor and as such, will ensure quality wineries that will attract attention - and a draw. Proceeds from the event benefit the American Lung Association of Florida - south area.

Crown Wine & Spirits is the exclusive festival retailer giving patrons the chance to purchase wines they sample on the street. Only festival participants will be extended this fabulous opportunity to receive major discounted prices!

Street festival tickets also include the Bombay Sapphire Music & Mixology lounge. The drinks will change with the music - for example if Latin music is playing then a Latin drink will be poured etc. Bombay Sapphire will serve the specialty cocktails to music tailored with perfect pairings of fine cuisine.

Music will fill the air as some of South Florida's hottest local band SUPERSTUFF takes the stage.

STOP PRESS: Allied Kitchen and Bath with be running the culinary pavilion with live demos from 3pm onwards on Saturday. Please see the list below for schedule.

CHEF SCHEDULE FOR MAY 2nd. LAS OLAS WINE & FOOD

3 - 4 Chef Eleanor Hoh , Wok Star

4 - 5 Chef Hugh Sinclair, Caribbean Cuisine, Personal Chef, Iriespice, Inc.

5 - 6 Joy Sterling, Iron Horse Vineyards

6 - 7 Milo Rodriguez, Master Mixologist, Bombay Sapphire Gin

7 - 8 Chef Alex M. Gulal, Executive Chef, Grill Room on Las Olas .Riverside Hotel

8 - 9 Chef Jean Pierre, CEO, Owner , Chef Jean Pierre Cooking School, Viking Range Celebrity Chef

9 - 10 Chef Paula DaSilva, 3030 Ocean Restaurant at Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & contestant on national TV Hell’s Kitchen with Chef Gordon Ramsay

Hope to see you there, cheers...