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Yes, the name is unusual, my curiosity led me to do a bit of research into the name. Turns out the name is a nautical reference to the first work shift aboard a ship and since the First Watch Restaurants are only open 7 am to 2:30 pm the chain founders felt the name appropriate. This chain was founded after the co-owners of First Watch left the breakfast chain of Le Peep. Interesting, when we lived in NJ I used to love breakfast at Le Peep on Route 4 in Paramus. Thoughts of leisurely brunches at Le Peep evoke sweet memories of time spent with friends from my NJ Youth.

First Watch in Champions Gate is convenient and a really good choice for breakfast or lunch. Lee and I start our days early, so finding a great spot for a good, healthy Breakfast is a great bonus to us. First Watch serves up fresh, made to order, locally sourced, and truly inspired menu items. Yes, they are a chain, but a responsible chain who care for their employees, give back to the community, and are concerned about the quality of the food they serve. On a recent visit at 7 am I started my day with the Turkey Egg White Omelet with house roasted onions, tomatoes, spinach and Feta. The Omelet was piping hot and delicious, and carried me through the entire day. Lee enjoyed The Avocado, freshly smashed on Toast with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a squeeze of lemon and sea salt served beside two basted eggs. First Watch does get crowded on weekends and at peak breakfast and lunch hours, but it is worth the wait. Since Lee and I are out working, breakfast at 7 am works for us, but I hear from my retired friends that First Watch is the perfect Brunch Spot for dining at 10 or 11 am.

Pumpkin Quinoa Bars, Gluten Free, Great for Breakfast, a Snack and good on the Golf Course too!

1 ½ Cup Quick Cook Oats

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa (cooled to room temp)

1 tsp baking powder

¼ cup ground flax seed

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ cup real maple syrup

½ cup pumpkin puree (right from the can)

1 egg

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

 

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 square baking pan with parchment and spray with nonstick spray. To keep these Gluten Free do not use spray with flour.

Combine oats, quinoa, baking powder, flax seed, and pumpkin pie spice and stir till distributed

In a second bowl, whisk the maple syrup, pumpkin puree, egg, almond butter and vanilla together.

Combine the wet with the dry, stir into a batter and fold in the nuts.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the center rack of the oven for 25 – 35 minutes until the bars are golden and firm to the touch.

Remove the pan, cool completely. Once Cooled, slice the bars. I wrap these bars individually and freeze them. These bars will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and in the freezer longer.

Bella Verde is proud to Sponsor the ONE PLUS ONE GIVING PROGRAM FOR THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM & FOSTER CHILDREN OF OSCEOLA COUNTY.

Donations are kindly accepted from 10/15/2019 – 12/3/2019 at our office. Bella Verde Realty will match every gift or gift card donated. You give one and the children will get two. Let’s make it a Happy Holiday Season, please give generously. Bring your unwrapped gift to the BVR Office and place it under our tree. Santa’s sleigh delivers the gifts to the Offices of Guardian Ad Litem and the Elves (AKA Social Workers) sort and deliver these presents to the children in time for the holidays. Currently over 500 children are enrolled in the Voices for Osceola’s Children Program and gifts at this time of the year are especially appreciated.

Visit with us on Facebook and Watch the Giving Tree Grow! Please see our flyer in Reflections, stop into the office with a gift for the children and let the HOLIDAY CHEER START TO FLOW! Thank you for your Generosity and Your Business. We are truly Thankful for each of You!

An inspirational Quote:

It’s good to be blessed. It’s better to be a blessing.
― Author Unknown

Time to break out the turkey roaster and get going on Thanksgiving preparations. The last few years Lee and I have been putting up our Christmas Decorations before Thanksgiving. We find that having the decorating done affords us extra time to spend with each other and to enjoy the season.

The longer we live in Florida the more we realize how lucky and thankful we are to live in such a pretty place and how non-traditional our Holidays have become. As our families have moved to different states, and the children have grown, we find our desire to prepare and host large Holiday Dinners has changed. Instead of preparing and cooking for days and hosting twenty or thirty guests we now enjoy a lovely dinner and focus on spending time enjoying Florida and the life we have built in our Southern Home. A few of the wonderful options for Thanksgiving in Florida are below:

• Enjoy a few days in the Nation’s Oldest City as it decorates with millions of lights during the Annual Night of Lights Celebration that starts the weekend before Thanksgiving. The City of Augustine is charming and really puts on quite a show. A great way to start the season.
• If driving up to St. Augustine seems too much of a challenge, Enjoy a Disney Adventure. Mickey, Minnie and the gang always dress up to celebrate the holidays and not only do they play dress-up, but the park dresses up too, and adds lights for sparkles. If the grandchildren are in for the holiday, think Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, it is held in the Magic Kingdom during select nights starting around Thanksgiving. It is a special ticketed event; and is a ton of family fun.
• After enjoying Your Turkey Dinner, put on your bikini and head to one of 14 pools in Solivita. They are all heated, beautiful, and most of the time surprisingly quiet.

Whatever you do on Thanksgiving Lee and I wish you fun, love and good health. We will probably see you at the pool.

We recently entertained friends from up north and spent a few hours at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg browsing the surreal masterpieces of this world-famous artist. Wow, did we enjoy the afternoon, the Dali in St. Petersburg houses the biggest collection of Dali’s art outside of Europe. Dali’s Works are housed in a modern museum on the waterfront and the museum was constructed with a glass atrium. A lovely building in the daylight, but in the evening, the entire building is illuminated and shines on the waterfront – a real showstopper. We signed on for a tour and were glad we did. The Docents genuinely enjoy sharing their knowledge of each piece and the symbolism embedded in each work. Cheers to the beautiful modern museum, the art, and the docents who share the life and times of Dali with you. It was an insightful day, full of fun, discovery and we left the museum with a new appreciation for Salvador Dali and Modern Art.

Following the Dali Museum, we enjoyed a walk in the quiet of the Sunken Gardens in St. Pete. It was cool under the canopy of trees and we were happy to enjoy an hour in the serenity of the gardens. The Sunken Gardens are four acres of well-established botanical gardens in the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood of St. Pete. These gardens have existed for more than a century and are one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the U.S.

St. Pete is just a couple of hours drive away and is a good day trip; but is also a great spot to spend an evening or a few days. Lee and I did not have the time to spend a night away, but if we did, we would have been happy to enjoy an evening at the Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg. The Historic Hotel is at the Marina in downtown and has a lovely courtyard with a pool, great public spaces, a wonderful restaurant and a small section in the lobby devoted to the Vinoy’s colorful past. Lee and I are adding this hotel to our list of must dos next time we have a few days away.