Beer Versus Wine – The Soft Shell Crab Pairing

September 4, 2014

Congratulations to August’s Beer Versus Wine Challenge winner – The Wandering Sheppard! Part of the honor includes coming up with September’s challenge. Participants have until next Tuesday, September 9 to turn in their suggestion before we take it to a vote. Winner gets to present October’s challenge. For more on the rules, click here. “You want me to do what?” I asked the fisherman behind the counter. When I decided to choose Soft…

Travel, Travel Tips

10 Things To Do When It Rains on Your Vacation. Number 4 Won’t be in Guidebooks.

August 29, 2014

As much as we all hope for perfect weather on our vacation, Mother Nature is beyond our control and is bound to rain on our plans. It seems like almost every trip we took last year included several unwanted rain storms. It’s easy to get frustrated and allow the rain clouds to ruin our vacation. I often tossed my hands up in anger. But a little rain shouldn’t spoil your fun! With a dash…

Europe, Travel

Arriving in Rome

August 27, 2014

We arrived at Stazione Termine via train after being rejuvenated in Tuscany. I was on high alert as we entered the hoard of people shoving this way and that in Rome’s main train station, keeping close watch on all of my belonging as the station is a prime area for pickpockets. We emerged unscathed but a little bewildered as we approached the taxi stand. There were just so many people! It was…

Pairing Challenge

Winner Winner Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Dinner + Recipe

August 21, 2014

Truly the most fun we’ve had with the Beer Versus Wine Challenge yet! Just check out the vote post. Suggestions continued pumping in even after nominations were closed. Or look at the Facebook comments from the vote post announcement: I’m glad everyone had fun with this challenge and that we were all able to relive childhood memories by dumping alcohol on ice cream. How woulda thunk beer floats were so popular? Nominees…

Pairing Challenge

Vanilla Ice Cream Pairing Challenge – The Vote

August 14, 2014

Mad props (yeah, I just used that phrase peeps) go out to KC Hop Talk for thinking outside of the box in August’s Beer Versus Wine Challenge! Each challenge to date has been a main dish on the savory side of the spectrum – shrimp and grits, battered fish, enchiladas. But KC said enough! Kansas City BBQ is just too easy! How about something sweet, something cold, something summery? How about some…

Food, Travel

Food for Thought with The Wandering Gourmand

August 11, 2014

An excerpt from my interview with Turtles Travel: Food connects us to our past, to those places we consider “home,” and to new destinations we discover through travel. Food can break down barriers we sometimes encounter while traveling, including language! Sharing a meal is a wonderful way to make new friends. Through our Food for Thought series, we continue to learn about other travelers’ journeys and the role food plays. This week’s interview…

Pairing Challenge

Beer Versus Wine – The Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream Pairing

August 6, 2014

Congratulations to July’s Beer Versus Wine Challenge winner – KC Hop Talk! Part of the honor includes coming up with August’s challenge. Participants have until next Tuesday, August 12 to turn in their suggestion before we take it to a vote. Winner gets to present September’s challenge. For more on the rules, click here. August is the month of the year when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere understand the weather will…

Chelsea Market in Pictures

July 18, 2014

After a two night hotel stay in Times Square, I wrote New York City off as a place I could never live. The people, the traffic, the gross over-commercialization, really bad food stands, the honking, comedians trying to get me to buy tickets, the construction, the people. Yes, I listed people twice – throngs of them (tourists and business folk alike) shoving back and forth and heaving through crosswalks was way too…

Europe, Travel, Travel Tips

Have You Ever Traveled to Meet Overseas Family? Part 2

June 23, 2014

Whether your family immigrated during colonial times like my wife’s or they immigrated in the 20th century like mine, we are all sons and daughters of people who came from someplace else. Those of us with more recent ties to a first generation immigrant may feel a stronger pull to know that heritage. We grew up in households where the culture of our families’ Old Country was as alive as American culture. …

Latin America, Travel

Experiencing Real Relaxation at Tabacon Springs in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

June 6, 2014

I was wrapped in a towel damp from my wet swimsuit. It was raining, but I didn’t care. The canopy above our outside bed kept us dry enough. The rain actually accentuated the tropical environment that surrounded us – the lush green foliage, the rambling creeks, the birds cawing, the occasional volcanic rumble, the steam from the hot springs. At Tabacon Springs, for the first time in a long time, I felt…

Lifestyle

Beer Versus Wine – The Soft Shell Crab Pairing

10 Things To Do When It Rains on Your Vacation. Number 4 Won’t be in Guidebooks.

Arriving in Rome

Winner Winner Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Dinner + Recipe

Vanilla Ice Cream Pairing Challenge – The Vote

Food for Thought with The Wandering Gourmand

Beer Versus Wine – The Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream Pairing

Chelsea Market in Pictures

Have You Ever Traveled to Meet Overseas Family? Part 2

Experiencing Real Relaxation at Tabacon Springs in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

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