06/8/14

Grilled Beer Flatbread with Der Chancellor

Grilled Beer Flatbread topped with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Arugula, and Feta.

Have you tried grilling pizza dough before? If not, you have a new assignment for the week. I promise you will not be disappointed.

I like my pizza or flatbread thin and crispy.

We normally stick with traditional pizza favors {cheese, pepperoni, and veggies}. Last night, I decided to change it up some. Recently, I tried a flatbread with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions, and Arugula. I wanted to recreate those flavors at home with a this Grilled Flat Beer Bread. I decided to skip the Gorgonzola and used Feta. It’s a strong flavor that can overpower your dish. The Feta has a light flavor that paired well with light flavor beers. With the combo of sweet onions and earthy mushrooms, this was a winner. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar completed the dish.

This is a great appetizer for entertaining. You can make the dough and caramelized onions ahead of time. You can shape the dough and place on a lightly greased piece of parchment paper. When you’re ready to eat, place the bread on grill and remove the paper. Once finished, top with desired topping. I wouldn’t recommend cooking the bread ahead of time. Warm, fresh, dough is always better. You can also setup a topping bar and allow guest to top their flatbread with whatever topping they desire.

Tequesta Brewing Company- Der Chancellor

Recently, we talked about how I’ve never used a TBC beer on the blog. Huck decided that was unacceptable and went to the brewery to pick up some beer. I asked him to get the Der Chancellor. I wanted a light flavored beer for this recipe and this German Kolsch was perfect. They just so happened to be brewing Chancellor that day, so Huck asked for some Spent Grains to add to the recipe. If you’re a homebrewer, this is a great way to use all those leftover grains, and add texture to your recipes.

It’s no secret around this blog, we love Tequesta Brewing Company! If you follow me of Instagram, I’m sure you’ve noticed we go there weekly, and my office has TBC growler Friday, every Friday. They’re my favorite brewery, and they make some of my favorite beers.

If you’re not lucky enough to live a couple miles for TBC, I recommend any light flavor American Wheat, Lager, or Kolsch for the dough.

Behind the scenes. If you haven’t noticed, I LOVE the new bar!!

{Click on the underlined links for Homemade Reduced Balsamic Vinegar and Caramelized Onions recipes.}

Grilled Beer Flatbread

Print recipe

Serves	4 medium or 2 large
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	45 minutes

Crispy Grilled Beer Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Feta.

Ingredients

4 cups Unbleached AP Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Spent Grains (Optional)
12oz Beer (Lager, Wheat, Kolsch, or any other light beer)
Extra Flour for Dusting
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Desired Toppings (Caramelized Onion, Feta, Mushrooms, Arugula, Balsamic Vinegar, etc.)

Directions


Shift together flour, spent grains, baking soda, and salt. Add to a mixing bowl with hook attachment. Add beer and mix, on medium speed, until combined and dough forms a ball.

Remove dough onto a floured surface. Knead 3-4 times and place dough in large bowl that is lightly coated with oil. Lightly rub top of dough with oil, cover with a dish towel, and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes to rise.

Preheat grill pan or grill over medium heat.

Remove dough onto floured surface, and knead a few more times. Shape to desired size and shape. Keep the dough thin for best results. Add dough to pan or grill and cook until dough is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking About 8-12 minutes total.

Remove from grill, add toppings, and serve.

06/5/14

Kayaking At Riverbend

For all my new couples or single people, if you ever want to really get to know someone or test your relationship, go kayaking together, up a windy stream with a strong current. If you manage to not drown each other, your relationship is golden.

That’s exactly what we did this weekend, and as you can tell, neither of us drown {even though there were talks of throwing the other person in the gator infested waters a time or two}.

The first part of our 4 hour trip was easy! The 8 of us floated down stream. Some parts were complicated with the narrow, sharp, turns, but nothing crazy. River bend isn’t a lazy river by any means. I couldn’t even drink my beer because we were consistently have to maneuver around logs, turns or roots. My arms started burning on the way down, so I knew going back was going to be hell.

We stopped 2/3 of the way down for snacks, drinks, and lunch. I was so impressed with the food section on our trip. We had cheese and crackers, assorted meats, hummus, and curry chicken salad. And of course we had some really good homebrew and other craft beer assortments. Sweetwater IPA in a can! Yeah!

We hung out on the bank for a while before make our way to the turn around.

We seen an alligator along the way. All the times we’ve been to River Bend looking for alligators, this was our first time actually seeing one.

We made it to the second dam, and immediately turned around to head back. The current was strong, but the real problem came when going around the bends in the river. We seen multiple couples, in kayaks, having troubles and getting really frustrated with each other.

I wasn’t able to paddle, through the turns, by myself. Huck would stop paddling or try to turn us in the right direction while I was paddling, and we wouldn’t move anywhere. I blame it on the fact all the weight was in the back and middle of the kayak…

I was so happy to make it back, and I’m 100% sure we burned every calorie we consumed from the fried chicken!

Kayaking is fun and we both enjoy it, but kayaking at Riverbend… Not so much. I think we both agree, lazy rivers or wider streams are way better, like Itchetucknee! Or one way trips, and the one way being down streams, are the only way to go!

06/2/14

Spicy Buttermilk and Beer Fried Chicken

Hi. My name is Sloane, and I’ve never made fried chicken before. I always told myself I can’t fry food. That way I’m not at home frying everything we eat. It keeps me balanced. At Huck’s request, I attempted making Fried Chicken. I enjoy good spicy fried chicken, but it can be hit or miss. There’s nothing worse than ordering mediocre fried food. If you’re like me, you feel compelled to eat everything because you’re paying for it, but you’re not enjoying it. Remember, bad food makes me sad!

While in New Orleans, we ate lunch at Popeye’s. They have good fried chicken for a fast food restaurant, but I always wish their spicy chicken was spicier. I decided to make my own, spicier, version. And of course, I had to make it with beer.

I’m not going to lie, frying a bunch of chicken was scary. In my head, I pictured everything going wrong. We had lids, baking soda, and the fire extinguisher on stand by just in case something happened.

In the end, the frying experience wasn’t bad! I didn’t catch the house on fire, no dogs or people were burned by hot oil {we actually barricaded the kitchen so the dogs stayed safe}, there was minimal oil splatter to clean up, and we had incredible spicy fried chicken! Win Win Win!

Don’t worry though. This isn’t going to become Life, Fried Food, and Beer. As uneventful as the ordeal was, it’s still a lot more work. Just like fried foods itself, it’s great for every now and then, but not something I want to make on a regular bases.

As a Southerner, I know any good fried chicken recipe starts with soaking the chicken in buttermilk. I combined buttermilk, beer, and LOTS of spices together, and marinated the chicken for almost 24 hours. I used Abita Spring IPA in my marinated. I wanted a full flavor beer to infuse as much flavor as possible into the chicken, and Abita was everywhere in NOLA.

I combined flour and more spices to coat the chicken before frying. There definitely wasn’t a lack of flavor in this recipe. The meat was so incredibly tender and moist from the buttermilk/beer mixture.

I had to make a phone call to find out the perfect frying temperature, though. A question I knew my grandparents could answer better than Google.

They recommended using a cask iron skillet, and I’m sure they wanted to disown me when I told them I didn’t have one. Actually, I do have one, it’s just not seasoned and takes up to much room in our little kitchen.

I used a regular skillet with a high rim, and filed it a little less than half way up the sides with oil. It’s also important not to crowd the pan when cooking the chicken. I did 2 batches, and placed the finished chicken in a 200 degree, preheated, oven to stay warm.

So, the lesson today, fried chicken isn’t that scary, making it at home is healthier than eating out, {less sodium I’m sure} and as long as you’re careful, you’re not going to burn the house down.

If you’re not a fan of spicy food, you can reduce or omit the spices all together. I still recommend Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Onion powder though. It would be too bland without it.

Spicy Buttermilk and Beer Fried Chicken

Print recipe

Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	25 minutes
Total time	35 minutes

Ingredients

MARINATE
3 cups Buttermilk
1 cup Beer (IPA or other full flavor beer)
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Jalapeno Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
Salt and Pepper To Taste
2lb Chicken Legs or Thighs
Vegetable Oil
BATTER
2 cups Flour
1/2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Powder (More or less depending on your heat preference)
1 teaspoon Ground Jalapeno Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
Salt and Pepper (To Taste)

Directions


Combined Buttermilk, Beer, and Seasoning in a large bowl with a lid. Place chicken pieces into the bowl, cover, and refrigerator overnight.

When your ready to start cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Add oil to pan. Do not fill pan more than 1/2 full with oil. Preheat oil to 325 degrees.

While oil is warming, combined flour and additional seasonings to a large bowl. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture, removed excess mixture, and add to flour. Coat with flour and shake off excess.

Slowly dip chicken in oil and lower in the opposite direction of yourself to prevent splashing yourself. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Cook until golden brown on each side, about 10-12 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove chicken from oil and place on a rack in a 200 degree oven until ready to eat.

05/31/14

Last Day In New Orleans and Visiting My Nanny

Friday morning, we were up early and ready for our test. I felt pretty confident I passed, and was pleased to find out Huck and I both passed the certification. Wow! Actually, Huck only scored a few points higher than I did. Considering I haven’t used the program in months, I figured that means I’m smarter!

We had lunch at the Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar. It was located next to our hotel, the Royal St. Charles.

We each had a Po’boys, Shrimp and Alligator Sausage. The Alligator tasted like regular sausage but really tasty.

We also went to Harrah’s Casino and wasted $10 in less than 10 seconds. We literally walked in the back down, put $10 in a machine, and walked out the front.

We finished up our class around 4pm, packed up, and headed to my grandparents.

Huck pulled over and made us take a picture in front of the Mississippi state line sign. Our plan was to take a picture with each sign. That was a complete fail!

We arrived around 10pm and sat up talking with my Grandparents for a while before calling it a night.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning. We all sat around their table drinking coffee and talking.

My Nanny let me make homemade biscuits with her. She actually let me make them, and instructed me on what to do. Like every good grandparent recipe, there was no measurements. Just a bunch of “add some of this, little of that, little more, now wait for it to form a ball”. Unless I’m making something for the blog, I do not measure anything either, so I get it. It just makes recreating the food you love harder!

We served the biscuits with Tomato Gravy. It sounds weird, but I LOVE Nanny’s tomato gravy. When I called and told her we were coming, I requested Tomato Gravy and homemade biscuits!

We spent time with them before heading to Huck’s Uncle and then his Aunt’s house for dinner. Aunt Ruthie and her husband made us a huge Fried Shrimp and Fish Fest! I overindulged in fresh shrimp and fish, and listened to stories about Huck’s childhood.

I was up early again Sunday to spend a much time with Nanny before we had to leave. We had BLTs for breakfast and left around noon. Have I told you guys how much I hate goodbyes?? Goodbyes and see you later, are the same thing. They both mean I’m not seeing you tomorrow! :(

Huck had a claim to look at in Jacksonville on our way back. We arrived home around 9pm, and our vacation/work trip was over. The last two week went by in a flash. I honestly can’t believe they’re already over.

We had a great time on our mini-vacation/work events. If only we could do it more often.

Stay tuned for a New Orleans themed dish. Actually, I have 4 New Orleans themed meals to share. Cajun Gravy, Red Beans and Rice, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Chicken and Waffles.

Which recipe would you like to see first?

05/28/14

Eating Our Way Through New Orleans

Our trip to New Orleans was not long enough! Our day of travel started at 4:30am. It’s a 12 hour drive from our house to NOLA. Originally, our plan was to fly, but airfare was expensive and Huck had a chance to look at a few claims in the panhandle along the way. He figured we could save $600+ in travel expenses and cover the cost of the trip at the same time. And by driving, we would be able to stay with my Grandmother, who lives in the panhandle, on the way back.

Honestly, the ride wasn’t that bad. From Jupiter to Pensacola sucked! It was flat nothingness. That was about 8 hours of our trip. From there Huck looked at his claims, which broke the ride up a good bit. I-10 from Pensacola to NO was a nice ride. It follows along the coast and goes over a bunch of bridges that provide nice views. We even seen a shark attacking something. We both agreed it wasn’t a dolphin, so it had to be a shark.

We were both really crabby by the time we arrived in NO. We were at the “don’t talk to me” point of the ride. We held off on eating until we arrived. After a few hiccups checking into our hotel, we finally made it to Bourbon Street around 9:30pm NOLA times. We already knew where we were going for dinner before we arrived, and thanks to the Google Map app {The walking distance option is great for traveling. You don’t look like a tourist looking for directions on your phone!} we already had the restaurant pulled up and went straight there for food.

We decided to have dinner at Desire Oyster Bar and Restaurant. I read a good review from Iowa Girl Eats about the restaurant, and it was really close to our hotel. We wasted no time ordering.

Huck ordered the Creole Trio. It came with Gumbo, Seafood Jambalaya, and Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage.

I ordered the Crawfish Etouffe.

Everything was great, and we cleaned our plates in recorded time. It was almost embarrassing how quickly we consumed our food. Considering we had breakfast at 11am Florida time, dinner was long overdue!

Once we finished, we walked to Crescent City Brewhouse. Of course, we had to check out the local craft beer places.

I ordered the Red Stallion. Huck ordered the Pale Ale. Both okay beer. We wanted to make a trip to Abita, but never made it that far.

We stopped by Café Du Monde, but we didn’t have any cash, and I was really full from dinner. We walked around for a while before calling it a night.

Thursday, we were up bright and early. We were in New Orleans for a class Huck was attending. I registered for the class too since we were there. The first day was a quick review of the estimating software adjusters use, and a practice test. If you passed the practice test, you could take the test the following day. I haven’t used the estimating software in a while, and was a little nervous I wouldn’t pass the test. I did some research before and found out it has a low pass rate, which was repeated several times during the class. I was so nervous I wasn’t going to pass!

Once we finished the practices test, we were released for lunch. Right across the street, from the conference, was a Popeye’s. Of course, my spicy fried chicken loving husband wanted to stop.

I’m not going to lie, I like their Fried Chicken, too!

Once we returned, our practices test were graded. I missed a few questions because of stupid calculation errors but was given the OK to sit for the test the next day. We went over practices questions for about an hour longer and were released for the day.

Huck and I dropped our stuff off at the hotel and headed out to explore/eat and drink more.

I love Huck’s GoPro!!

We tried Café du Monde again, this time with cash, but the line was too long. Even the express line wrapped around to the front of the building.

I didn’t feel like waiting either, so we carried on.

We walked past Evangeline and noticed they were doing a beer and food pairing for happy hour. For $15, we sampled three different kinds of sausage: Boudin, Smoked Sausage, and Andouille that were paired with 3 different Saint Arnold beers. We received a 10 oz sample of each beer. It was a deal!

The Boudin was our favorite along with the Black Kolsch, surprisingly. I’m not usually a fan of Kolsch beers but this one was good.

The sausage was served with a mustard sauce over a potato pancake.

After our meat and beer dinner, we met up with some people from the class. We spent a few hours talking with them, before Huck and I separated from the group. Our first stop Café de Monde, again.

10pm is the perfect time for Beignets and Coffee. The place wasn’t very busy. We were seated and served right away. Much better than waiting in line.

I was a little disappointed with the beignets. I went to NO with my parent in 2006 and remember them being lighter. These were very eggy. Huck compared them to French Toast. They were still really good, and the coffee was a great pick-me-up, too.

On our way back to the hotel, we passed The Gumbo Shop. I wasn’t really hungry but knew I wouldn’t get good gumbo again for a long time. We went in and ordered two bowls of Gumbo. One Seafood. One Chicken and Sausage. Both equally good.

It was cold in NOLA by the way {like 55 degrees and windy cold!}, and all we brought were summer stuff. Poor Huck had to wear his dress khaki because we didn’t pack him any pants.

We walked around Bourbon Street for a while before heading back to the hotel. Our hotel was only one block from Bourbon Street off of Canal Street. Perfect location.

I think I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow that night. It was a long day full of great food and good beer!

I’ll be back with a recap from our last day in New Orleans, and the trip to my Grandparents, Friday or Saturday. Then I’ll post some recipes. I have a bunch to share :)

05/26/14

Honey Ginger Grilled Shrimp with Dandelion Ale

I can’t believe I managed to write 3 posts last week! Crazy right! And I have three more of this week, too. I also have lots of recipes to share that I’ve already tested and photographed. We’ll see how long this motivation last.

I wanted to create a recipe to wrap up our trip to the Georgia Coast. When I think of the coast of Georgia, I always think of Shrimp, and I had to incorporate the Balsamic I purchased.

Do you remember me telling you about that amazing Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar I bought in St. Augustine? I could not wait to get home and make something with it. After two weeks of traveling and eating unhealthy, I was ready to go back to eating “semi-healthy” again. I got use to eating heavy meals, lunch time beers, and afternoon naps. Last week, at work, was rough without my daily nap.

Monday, I went to the grocery store and stocked up on veggies. My body needed less fried food and more fresh stuff.

Huck LOVES shrimp. I’ll ask him what he would like for dinner, and 99% of the time, it’s shrimp or tacos. At one point, we thought he was allergic to shrimp. He broke out from head to toe in hives after eating shrimp a few years ago. You can develop an allergy to shell fish, and when I told him this, he almost cried. I actually think he did cry. “There’s no point in living without shrimp!” My hubby is a tad dramatic at times!

A few weeks later, I purchased a bottle of liquid Benadryl, and he ate a few shrimps with dinner. Nothing happened and he was trilled! Life was worth living again.

Now back to the recipe. I combined the Balsamic Vinegar with the Dandelion Ale from Magic Hat, and Garlic infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil,. I soaked fresh Garlic in EVOO, attempting to recreate the mixture I tried when buying the Vinegar. I’d have to say, mine was WAY better.

I’m sure most of you do not have Honey Ginger Balsamic in your pantry, but it’s easy to make your own flavored vinegar. I found White Balsamic Vinegar at Publix for only $3.99. You can add fresh ginger and honey to create your own, homemade, favored vinegar. And trust me, this option is WAY cheaper than the bottle I bought. {See below for recipe}

{Huck had to add Bacon, of course!}

I’ll be back with a recap from our trip to New Orleans and visit with my Grandmother plus a couple Cajun recipes. You’re not going to want to miss them… Trust me!!!

Memorial Day

Thank you to all my family and friends that have served or currently serving in the military.

I hope everyone has a great, safe, Memorial Day.

Honey Ginger Grilled Shrimp with Dandelion Ale

Print recipe

Honey Ginger Grilled Shrimp with Dandelion Ale

Ingredients

VINAIGRETTE AND MARINATED
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 clove Garlic (Smashed)
1/4 cup Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar (See Below for Homemade Option)
1/2 cup Wheat Beer (A fruit beer would be best)
Salt and Beer (To Taste)
1/2- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
GRILLED SHRIMP
1lb Fresh Shrimp (Shelled and Deveined)
GRILLED CORN
2 Ears Fresh Corn (Shucked)
SALAD
8oz Mixed Greens (Spinach, Arugula, Romaine, Endive etc.)
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes

Directions


VINAIGRETTE AND MARINATED: Combined Olive Oil and Garlic in a container with a screw on top. Allow to infuse for 15 minutes {the longer the better, though}. Add the additional ingredients to container, screw on lid, and shake to combined. {Leftover dressing is good for a few days, but do not place in the refrigerator. I made this mistake the first time I made this dressing.}

GRILLED CORN: Soak whole corn cob {with husk still on} in a sink full of water for 10 minutes. Removed from sink and cook in microwave for 4 minutes. Remove husk and silk. Brush lightly with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and place on preheated grill pan searing on all sides. Once done, cut corn off of cob.

GRILLED SHRIMP: Add half of the Honey Ginger Vinaigrette and shrimp to a large Ziploc bag. Fully coat the Shrimp and allow to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Preheat grill pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Remove shrimp from marinated to remove excess liquid and add to hot pan. Cook for 1-3 minutes or until pink {depends on size}. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan.

SALAD: Add lettuce to a large bowl. Drizzle desired amount of vinaigrette over greens and combined. Top with Grilled Shrimp, Corn, and Cherry Tomatoes. Serve and Enjoy!

Homemade Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger (Grated)
1/2 tablespoon Honey
1/4 cup White Balsamic Vinegar

Directions


Combined all ingredients and allow to marinate for up to 24 hours.

05/24/14

Exploring Savannah Georgia

Once we arrived in Savannah, we dropped Chris and Lisa off at their hotel. Lisa’s family was in town for her sister’s wedding. It was still too early for us to check into our hotel, so we drove out to Tybee Island to visit Fort Pulaski. The fort is massive, and it’s so impressive knowing this was constructed before the Civil War. Before machines, cars, A/C, etc.

We walked around for about an hour before heading back to Downtown Savannah.

Hotels in Savannah are EXPENSIVE! Like $300+ a night. After lots of research, I settled on the Thunderbird Inn. Our friend for Georgia, Gump, stayed with us, so I wasn’t expecting a romantic weekend, anyways. And who doesn’t love a 70′s themed hotel that leaves Moonpies on your pillow every night? The room was $145 a night, so I didn’t expect much. It was just a place to lay my head at night, that was close to downtown. That’s what I kept telling myself anyways. The boys thought it was fine. Old but clean.

Once Gump arrived, we got ready and headed to River Street.

{We were trying to figure out if these steps were to code! I’m going to say no!}

We ordered some to-go beers {You can walk around with beer in Savannah} and walked around trying to find a place for dinner… I’m going to skip the details of horrible meal number one… We spent the evening walking around, checking out different bars, and listening to karaoke.

The next morning we were up bright and early for a walking tour that I purchased through Groupon. Chris joined us the three of us, so our 90 minute tour cost less than $8 each before tip. It was a deal!

We met our tour guide, Michelle, the owner of Savannah Belle Walking Tours, in front of the John Wesley statue in Reynolds Square. She took us through a few of the squares, told us about what life was like in early Savannah, pointed out famous spots, and all the best dessert places in town. She was entertaining and knowledgeable. I HIGHLY recommend her tours.

{This is where the bench scene was filmed for Forrest Gump.}

We finished up at Colonial Park Cemetery, and the four of us headed to a popular ice cream shop, Leopold’s Ice Cream, Michelle recommended.

At this point, Chris left us to join the wedding group, and the three of us walked back the cemetery and Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.

I love this picture of the three of us on the steps. The fisheye lens on Huck’s GoPro is amazing!

Then we made our way to Forsyth Park.

Once we finished up, we stopped for a late lunch at another place Michelle recommended.

The Six Pence Pub was actually really good {I guess we did have some OK food in Savannah}. A scene from Something to Talk About with Julie Roberts and Dennis Quaid was filmed here, too.

Once lunch was over, we walked back to our hotel for a nap. Apparently, that’s what you do when you get older, go on walking tours and take naps.

That afternoon we went to The Distillery for drinks. It was recommended to us by a Facebook friend. It had a neat atmosphere and lots of craft beer.

We had dinner in the beer garden at Moon River Brewing Company, and the rest of the night was spent wondering around the streets, barhopping.

We had to pick the Yahoos up by 4PM, so we loaded up early Sunday morning and headed home after a quick breakfast at Waffle House.

I felt bad because we didn’t tell the Fugger’s bye before we headed home. Hopefully, we’ll see them again in a few month. It will be our turn to head North for a visit. Snow and Cheese heads! Can’t wait!!

05/21/14

Jekyll Island

Once we left St Augustine, we headed North to Jekyll Island. I’ve only been to Jekyll once before with my parents. We arrived, realized there was nothing to do, and left. This time I did a little research before. There still isn’t much to do on the island. They have a putt-putt course ;) It’s not somewhere you would go to party, but it seems like a great, relaxing, weekend destination.

Originally, we planned to stay at a standard hotel with each couple in a different room, but I was able to find a two bedroom condo on the water that allowed one night stays. Sold!

I was a little disappointed when we arrived at Villas By The Sea. I thought it was a condo and both rooms would have ocean views. Instead it was a townhouse and only the master faced the ocean, and you couldn’t see the ocean from the first floor. It was still a great place, though, and it was very clean!

Chris and Lisa took the master bedroom since we can see the ocean whenever we like and they’ve been stuck in –24 degree weather for the past 6 months.

Once we dropped our stuff off, we went in search of dinner and drinks. We ended up at The Rah Bar {there wasn’t a lot of food options on the island and everything closes early. If we were to go back, for a longer stay, I’d plan to bring food to cook at the condo}. We ordered a couple drinks, watched the sunset, and listened to the band.

This was $50 worth of food and didn’t even come with crab legs!

The Rah Bar is located in the historic district of Jekyll. I did lots of research while we were there. Jekyll Island was originally started as a private resort for the Morgan and Rockefellers of the US. The historic district is full of cottages that were originally the winter home for many of the world’s richest families. The first transatlantic phone call was from Jekyll island, too, by the founder of AT&T. Interesting right? I could go on and on, but I’m sure anyone that’s interested can read Wikipedia, too.

After dinner, we walked around looking at the cottages. We didn’t hang out long because of the bugs. They were HORRIBLE at Jekyll. HORRIBLE!

We ended up back at our condo early with the plan to wake up early to watch the sunrise, and we made it down to the beach just in time. My favorite part was seeing the dolphins. They seemed so close to shore! My least favorite part was all the bugs.

After sunrise, we packed up and went to Driftwood Beach…

Horton House… Fun fact about the Horton House, it was the first house to brew beer in Georgia!

Walked around the Historic District and ate at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel…

And visited the Jekyll Island museum. It was free but accepted donations…

And then it was time to go.

Huck and I both agreed we’d love to spend a whole weekend in the future. They had a great bike trail around the island and a campground {I’d definitely plan a time when the bugs were not as bad!} . I’d also like to spend the weekend at the condo, so I could lay in bed and watch the sunrise or have my coffee on the balcony while listening to the waves crash on the rocks. All in all I was very impressed with Jekyll Island. I wish we had a little more time to spend there, but we had a 70’s themed hotel and a friend waiting on us in Savannah.

Next up, Savannah!

Life Food and Beer

Because Life Is Better with Food and Beer

Grilled Beer Flatbread with Der Chancellor

Tequesta Brewing Company- Der Chancellor

Grilled Beer Flatbread

Ingredients

Directions

Like this:

Kayaking At Riverbend

Like this:

Spicy Buttermilk and Beer Fried Chicken

Spicy Buttermilk and Beer Fried Chicken

Ingredients

Directions

Like this:

Last Day In New Orleans and Visiting My Nanny

Like this:

Eating Our Way Through New Orleans

Like this:

Honey Ginger Grilled Shrimp with Dandelion Ale

Memorial Day

Honey Ginger Grilled Shrimp with Dandelion Ale

Ingredients

Directions

Homemade Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients

Directions

Like this:

Exploring Savannah Georgia

Like this:

Jekyll Island

Like this:

July 2014
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Tequesta Brewing Company- Der Chancellor

Grilled Beer Flatbread

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Spicy Buttermilk and Beer Fried Chicken

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Memorial Day

Honey Ginger Grilled Shrimp with Dandelion Ale

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Homemade Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar

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