{ I love this place -- Ybor City }

Some more of Ybor City

Prana is the mecca of nightlife in Ybor City. 

Like mother like daughter.  Taking pics of her surroundings.

I love the movie theater sign; the red, the latin lady, the rose in her hair.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Cigars Little Havana Style }

Ybor City loves it's cigar shops and factories. In the 1800s, it was the cigar capital of the world and once had over 70 cigar factories established by Cuban settlers who migrated to Florida . I don't smoke. But, I love these places. I love their scent, I love the warm tones of the leafy wrappers, the artwork on a cigar label, the intriguing names of cigars and the names of their shapes and sizes and the way they sound when said out loud. I love the amatistas, glass jars containing 25-50 cigars. My husband is the occasional cigar smoker and I must admit, I really like the scent of a good cigar. (Note to Self: I should do a post/pics of his cigar box collection)

 A visitor today to the small historical "Little Havana" can still walk into various cigar shops/factories and see a group of men in their guayaberas playing cards or dominoes while smoking an Arturo Fuente, Cohiba, or Romeo and Julieta. One can also watch the busy hands of the Torcedores (cigar rollers), as they fill, wrap, and roll cigars using the Entubar method established in Cuba. 

As with anything, "Hand-Made", can have a variety of meanings. Here is a little tidbit of helpful info to look for on a cigar box----

Totalamente a Mano - Made totally by hand

 Hecho a Mano -  made by hand, which can mean it is filled with machine-bunched filler 

Envuelto a Mano - packed by hand 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Rita's Ice - Custard - Happiness }

Whenever we go to Atlantic Beach or Neptune Beach, we have to make a stop by Rita's on the way home. We HAVE to. It's not a, "Hey, so do you wanna go by Rita's when we head home?" It is more like, "So what flavor are you gonna get at Rita's on the way home?" There is no question about whether or not we will be making a stop at Rita's. It is assumed.

And let me tell you, the line is well worth the wait and I like the way their sign advertises

 * Ice * Custard * Happiness *

I will stand in line for Happiness that's for sure....well, I'll stand in line for Italian ice and custard too.

Rita's has a huge variety of Italian Ice and their best thing is a Gelati Cup which is 1 layer of custard, 1 layer of Italian Ice, and topped with one more layer of custard. Today, my husband ordered the mango Italian ice blended Gelati and I opted for the orange creme blend. Saylor went for the sprinkle loaded vanilla ice cream. We were as happy as 3 beach bums could be on the way home with our yummo icy treats......until the brain freeze hit.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ 25 Days of Christmas---Day 11 }

Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World here in Florida is sooooo beautiful at Christmas time. The Fairy Godmother "flies" down, waves her magic wand, says a few Bibbidi Bobbidi Boos and then TADA.....the castle lights up with 1,000s of lavender Christmas lights. I want a fairy godmother. Merry 11th Day of Christmas!

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.



Willie Nelson VS. U2

I have the neatest song playing on my Virtual Victrola and would like to share it with you. It is my song for you. I've had my home state of Texas and my Texas loved-ones on my mind a lot lately for various reasons. Have I mentioned that I am a 6th generation Texan on my Mom's side? ----Only 100 billion times it might seem to anyone who knows me. And so in attempting to close the miles between my home here on the east coast of Florida and my heart on the gulf coast of Texas, I was listening to some Willie Nelson tunes on my playlist while putting away leftovers, packing my daughter's school lunch, and chatting about my day with my husband this evening when I came across this song which is an awesome mix between Willie Nelson and U2. Willie Nelson's You were Always On My Mind and U2's With Or Without You are blended into a slightly upbeat song, yet still remain very melancholy and melodic. Normally, I am not a huge fan of mixes. But, I totally loved this one and had to play it on my Virtual Victrola for you.

Houston, Texas

source

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

Cheezy Kitchen Ghosts

I am starting to think that my kitchen might be haunted. But, luckily, they are the cutest little ghosts to ever haunt a kitchen. Not only are they cute, but, they are also a bit cheezy. THAT'S because they are made out of cheese cloth!

This Halloween craft idea is from Country Living . I have a large beautiful rustic candelabra hanging in my kitchen which I bought 4 years ago at a little shop named Croatia Boutique and Ironworks in Riverside/Avondale area of Jacksonville, Florida. It was the perfect spot to hang my Cheezy Kitchen Ghosts. This Halloween craft project is Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy. Plus, I like any craft project that can be done while outdoors enjoying the fresh Autumn air. Balloons and fabric stiffener help create the shape of the ghosts. My daughter had a fun time popping the balloons once the cheese cloth had dried. This was a really fun project. Click HERE for instructions to make some cheezy ghosts of your own. Happy Haunting!

P.S. I really like this photo of the ghosts which came out by accident. I was balancing on a step stool so that I could get a photo and slipped off (those who know me best, know that I am clumsy) right when I was taking the picture which created just the right amount of camera shake to create this "ghostly" image of my ghosts. Some of the best things come about by accident.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and Waffles served up at Metro Diner-----Or what we have nick-named Heaven and Southern on a plate.

So here is the twist to Chicken and Waffles---- You are suppose to add a little bit of Louisiana Hot Sauce to the pancake syrup and dip both the chicken and the waffle into it. At first, I thought it would be an odd combo, but after my husband gave me a bite, I declared, "I will never eat waffles again without a little Louisiana Hot Sauce!" Oh my goodness! It was sooooo good! Plus, the chicken dipped in the syrup-hot sauce combo was awesome! It sorta reminded me of maple bacon and how that combo works well.

The Specials of the Day chalkboard proudly displays a chalk drawing of Guy Fieri and an autograph. Hope no one accidentally gets carried away with the chalkboard erasure.

My favorite booth at my favorite swanky retro diner, my husband, and my daughter. What more could this girl ask for?

Now here is the story behind the story....

Chicken and Waffles. Whodathunkit? This is my husband's favorite dish at our favorite place---Metro Diner .

We are here almost every weekend. I will never forget the first time we tried Metro Diner. It was 4 years ago and the first month we had moved to Florida and like most summer days, it was pouring rain here. Suffering from cabin fever, my husband mentioned a diner he had driven past which featured Belgium waffles on their window. (Husband Fact #347--He can eat waffles 24/7) So we grabbed our umbrellas and off we went. From the first moment we pulled up to the place, we knew we were hooked. The building alone makes one wanna go inside and grab a table or booth and try something yummy.  Metro Diner was established in the late 1930s. The atmosphere is a wonderfully fussed mesh of 1930's art deco with urban eclectic swankyness. Is swankyness a word? Maybe I should try it with an i instead of a y. Let's see: Swankiness. Yes, I like it more with an i. It is located in the charming historic area of Jacksonville, Florida known as San Marco. Sometimes over a cup of coffee served in one of their cozy mugs, I like to think about all that has occurred in this diner over the years; People sitting over their meals and discussing the start and end of World War 2, Pearl Harbour, Normandy, Television, Elvis, Kennedy, Woodstock, Who Shot Jr. and on and on. It is truly a place of history. The Davoli family owns and runs it today and they are fantabulous! Absolutely everything about this place, the food, the service, the atmosphere, the location, keeps us going back weekend after weekend. I like how Metro Diner truly is a place "Where the Locals Eat"  They were voted Best of Jax and have award winning yummy breakfast and lunch dishes. My favorite is the Breakfast Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict. My daughter loves the Charleston Shrimp and Grits and my husband loves, what else?, the Chicken and Waffles. And, they have the best tabouli I have ever tasted EVER!
Our weekend cravings for Metro Diner has paid off too b/c we witnessed some of the filming for a popular Food Network show. The diner was recently featured on Food Network's popular show hosted by Guy Fieri, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It was so cool to walk in and sit at our favorite booth---the one by the corner window---and watch some of the film crew work their magic. Metro Diner has that certain je ne sais quoi which is worth discovering for yourselves.....except don't take the booth by the corner window. Like I said, that one is my favorite. And like all good things, this one doesn't last forever; they close at 2:30 daily. Tell them I sent you. Hehe.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten
S.W.A.K.

Muscadine Grape Season

You'll find us on any given weekend at the end of the summer amongst the muscadine grape vines of Blackberry Hill in Middleburg, Florida. We have been coming here for the past four summers when Muscadines are in season. I absolutely love their sweet scent and the way their skins have an iridescent shine to them. The kindest old man runs the small farm/vineyard and he sits by his jars of honey and his scale waiting to weigh the muscadines we have picked. The first time we ever came here, my daughter said the sweetest thing which I will never forget, "Mommy, do you think this is what Heaven is like b/c it feels like we are in Heaven together?"

Anatomy of Eating a Grape

First, you pop the flesh out of the muscadine skin

Then you eat it.

And then you spit out the seeds.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.