My Thanksgiving in Florida!!

In case you were wondering...I had a GREAT time in Florida!! We left early Wednesday morning and arrived around 4 p.m. or so in Mayport, Florida (which is a naval base on the outskirts of Jacksonville). Anywho, since Michael's brother and new wife (they got married on Saturday) make a decent living, we spent our time there with them and their well-to-do friends. On Wednesday night, we had a cookout...yeah, I was thinking hamburgers, hot dogs, some chips, etc. nothing impressive...WRONG. That was before Michael and I met Damian, one of the most awesome people ever, who happens to be a FABULOUS cook! There was like five pounds of chicken that was heavenly, as well as 7 or so filets of fish (mahi mahi, i think), and the burgers were not ordinary burgers. They were high quality, like hamburger steak, pretty much. They had crackers and crab dip, and Damian also makes a mean drink. He invented one that night called the "Cleveland Rocks," and they ended up serving it at the wedding.

Anyway, then we arrive at Thanksgiving. Damian did most of the cooking again...I knew I would be pleased when I saw him stuffing a turkey with fresh herbs. They also had mashed whole red-skinned potatoes--some loaded, some not loaded. I could've gotten full on the potatoes alone! Both turkeys, the roasted one as well as the deep fried, were great. Everything was wonderful! It was really warm that day, and Michael and I walked on the beach and collected shells for a bit. I'll post pictures on my Facebook soon.

The next night, we had the wedding rehearsal...which was on the beach--very windy!! Then there was the rehearsal dinner at an Italian restaurant called Maggiano's. This was fabulous...seriously some of the best food I've ever eaten. Let me just tell you our menu for the evening:

Appetizers:

Sliced Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella (Seasonal)
Sliced beefsteak tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese;

drizzled with our Italian Vinaigrette.

Fried Ravioli

Salad:

Chopped Salad with Chicken
Chopped iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced chicken, crumbled bleu cheese,

green onion, avocado, crispy prosciutto, tossed in our signature House dressing.

Spinach Salad
Tender leaf spinach tossed with roasted red peppers, sweet roasted onions,

gorgonzola cheese, pancetta dressing and topped with bacon and toasted pine nuts.

Main Course:

Farfalle, Chicken, Asparagus, Spinach, Parmesan Broth
Bowtie pasta tossed with chicken, asparagus, spinach, sun

dried tomatoes in a light parmesan broth.

Chicken Parmesan
Lightly breaded chicken breasts fried and topped with

provolone cheese and marinara sauce.

Lasagna, Our Special Recipe, Meat or Marinara Sauce
Whipped ricotta cheese layered with pasta sheets, crumbled meatballs,

Italian sausage and marinara sauce. Topped with provolone cheese

and your choice of our meat or marinara sauce.

Beef Tenderloin

Dessert:

Chocolate Zuccotto Cake
Chocolate cake layered with Sambucca chocolate mousse;

iced with chocolate frosting and dusted with cocoa powder.

Tiramisu
Ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and coffee liquer layered with

mascarpone cheese;dusted with cocoa powder and served with chocolate.

Yeah...it was oh so good!! And oh, so paid for, which was the best part!! Michael had WAY too much wine that night, so my evening was spent taking care of a sick man...which is difficult, by the way. It's hard to direct a person that's a lot bigger than you when they are resisting!! The next day was Saturday, and the wedding was at about 4:20 on the beach. It was really windy and cloudy that day, but it was really pretty. We stayed at the reception until about 10 or so that evening. Michael looks good in a tuxedo, just in case anyone was wondering. The wedding was catered as well, and Damian created a drink for me called the "Kara Cooler."

On Sunday morning, we had to check out of our hotel. We left there and went to the Casa Marina on the beach for the post-wedding brunch. Amazing food...once again. Didn't have to pay for it...once again. I left with Michael's brother, his wife Kara, and his parents on Sunday evening around 4. We got home last night around 11:45, which isn't bad timing at all, especially since we stopped twice. Anyway, I suppose I should go do something productive now, but I wanted to share my weekend! Okay, that's all!!