Do I Jinx the Weather In FL?

I might. I think we got the nice weather on Sunday because I came in so late, but by Monday and Tuesday, the weather figured out I was in FL. I’m might never get invited to Florida again!

We woke up Monday morning to kind of overcast, kind of sunny weather. After a breakfast of yummy granola, yogurt and fruit (recipes to follow), those of us who were dressed (not Jacqui, she didn’t change out of her jammies all day- it’s her birthday trip, so I guess she can do what she wants) headed down to the beach to rent bikes to ride along the shore. The sand along that part is very hard and so riding a bike is easy. It was idyllic- we broke into song while pedaling along the shore, think The Sound of Music “Do Re Mi” with Maria and the children. What? No? Well, in my mind it happened.

After lunch, some of us read, some played games (word to the wise: Do not play Scrabble or Bananagrams with Jacqui or Jennifer), some of us went shopping and to a movie. It started raining, so we just lolled about doing whatever. That is such a weird feeling. There weren’t any kids to have to entertain or feed. Seriously. Want to jar a mom? Remove any normal responsibility from her and you will see a woman out of her element. I may or may not have had to run in place to keep myself from going crazy.

Since the others had provided bbq for supper the first night, it was our turn. I had found a recipe before I left for a perfect Jacqui meal that wouldn’t require a lot of prep nor lots of ingredients that would be a waste. Roasted Shrimp with Orzo. Yum! And more stories! (note on the shrimp: I’ll post the recipe if you want me to, just let me know. Otherwise, don’t use all the green and red onion it calls for; I think the onions would be really strong and overpower the rest.)

Tuesday morning was my time to unveil a new scone recipe I came up with especially for Jacqui. She and her husband are huge peanut butter chocolate fans, so I tweaked another scone recipe for her. I brought along all the ingredients pre-mixed except the cream, egg and butter. They turned out wonderfully- chocolate with melted bites of peanut butter. The only one who didn’t try them was Beth because she gave up chocolate for Lent. That is quite a commitment- to give up not only chocolate, but a perfect excuse to have chocolate for breakfast!

The weather was sort of sunny, but the humidity had dropped out of the air, so it was a bit cooler. The other girls made a progression from beach, to outdoor pool to hot tub to indoor pool. Jacqui, Debbie, Shari and I decided to check out St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S. We saw the oldest street, oldest wooden schoolhouse, site of the first Mass. It is all very touristy, but part of the charm. We saw the Castillo de San Marcos. The walls are made from shellstone and are so strong that they have withstood blasts from cannons. Put St. Augustine on your itinerary when you visit Florida sometime.

We celebrated Jacqui’s birthday by going out to supper at Bonefish Grill. If there’s one near you, go. I’d recommend the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer for sure with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. Oh, and going with a bunch of people you love!!