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Recently some of our friends and family spent a few days out at Cocoa Beach at the Inn at Cocoa Beach. They returned, refreshed with glowing reports of the wonderful hotel and beach. The weather was perfect, the water was calm, the sand was soft, and the complimentary breakfast and cocktail hour served at the hotel delightful. The Inn at Cocoa Beach is beach front and an alluring area to get away from it all. The rooms are spotless, a bit small, but nicely appointed. Quite the treat to have such a great beach get-away within 70 miles of Solivita.

Sarah, a family friend and self-proclaimed restaurant snob, made dinner reservations at Café Margaux in Cocoa. According to Sarah, Café Margaux did not disappoint. The entire group returned with reports of beautifully plated delicious food and good service. Sarah’s restaurant recommendations are usually on the expensive side, but we have never been disappointed in one of her picks. We have added this restaurant to our to-do list for the next time we find ourselves in need of a nice evening out in the Cocoa Beach Area. You can visit the Inn at Cocoa Beach online at TheInnAtCocoaBeach.com.

Valentine’s Day is a beautiful day to celebrate love and relationships. It is not just a day for couples to celebrate, but rather a day for each of us to celebrate our beloved relationships with friends, family, and neighbors. It is truly a day to celebrate all of those around us that we love and appreciate. The day originally started as a religious celebration but today has emerged, unfortunately like most holidays, as a day for the retailers to market the sale of chocolate, flowers, and gifts. Instead of concentrating on the commercial side of Valentine’s Day, Lee and I are planning a nice celebration embracing our love of each other and our circle of friends and family. We hope Valentine’s Day is a sweet day for you and yours.

Snowbirds have arrived in Central Florida and are busy looking for new places to feather their nests in the warmth of Florida. If you are considering selling your home, now is the time. Just call, email or text us and we will be happy to perform a free market analysis of your home. Bella Verde Realty is always here to answer questions, provide insight, and help you make the right decision when you are considering the sale of your home.

During December we had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful historic Howey Mansion in the Lake County community of Howey in the Hills. This home, built in 1925 by William J. Howey, is set back on a wide lawn and was designed by Katherine Cotheal Budd and has become a Central Florida treasure. It is quite possible that the Howey Mansion is the only remaining example of Katherine’s work. William J. Howey was a land promoter and a citrus grower who used the fledgling citrus industry of central Florida as his economic base. William and Mary completed the plans for this home and by 1927 were residents of this lovely mansion.

Unfortunately, the Howey Mansion had been long-abandoned and was in dire need of restoration until Brad and Clay Cowherd, Brothers and Florida Natives, waked in and decided to restore the Mansion to its former glory. Their father and grandfather were longtime participants in real estate development in Orlando and the entire family were frequent visitors to the Yalaha Area. The brothers had long planned to restore the mansion and, have taken great joy in restoring the Howie Mansion to the beautiful home it is today. The restoration of this lovely home is a labor of love that has been shared by the entire family. The family loves the home and says It is a privilege and honor to have been able to bring this lovely landmark back to life.

This beautiful home is open for tours, an overnight stay, or as a venue for a private event. In addition, the Howey Mansion hosts a music series and seasonal events. Please visit the website and visit the home; I know you will enjoy it. http://www.thehoweymansion.com

Our Toy Drive was a huge success! The children of GAL thank you and so do we. This year in addition to delivering toys, we had friends and neighbors bring hand-made quilts, gifts, and blankets for the children. We had friends donate and assemble brand new complete outfits of clothing, in various sizes for boys and girls, and Michele of the NBA pitched in and donated lots and lots of NBA licensed gear. Gifts came from near and far. Wow! How lucky are we and the children of GAL!! Our clients, friends, and neighbors in Solivita and the northeast came through again. A big thank you to each and every one of you. Bella Verde shopped, and shopped, and shopped again to keep up with your generosity. We all had some fun filling up the sleigh. Thank you to everyone who shopped, donated, helped, packed up items, and shared in the collection of gifts for these wonderful children. Santa’s sleigh was certainly full. Solivita is a beautiful community, but what truly makes it beautiful is the folks call Solivita home. Each of you add to the beauty of Solivita and the joy of living our life here.

Happy New Year y’all! Lee and I hope the holidays delivered great joy to you and yours. The holidays in Solivita were wonderful. Our Southern home town of Solivita and Mother Nature decked the halls in festive fashion. The gardens are brimming with seasonal flowers and plants, and the Solivita Calendar of Events was full of all sorts of activities, parties and celebrations. It’s hard not to be busy living in such an active, vibrant community. During the holiday season we enjoyed a night of wine and painting, a warm and wonderful evening filled with fun, friendship and a delicious German dinner hosted by Gaby and Hans. We learned a few new recipes at the Chef’s Holiday Dessert Cooking Demo, we loved the Entertainment Charity Review Show, and with family we shared a festive golf cart ride through Solivita to enjoy the holiday decorations of our friends and neighbors. We experienced all this fun without having to leave the community, while enjoying the beauty and warmth of Central Florida. No coats, hats, gloves or gas required. We feel blessed and grateful to reside in Solivita.

3 Eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
Zest of One Orange
¾ cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs and sugar together well. Add pumpkin, oil and vanilla; mix thoroughly. Sift flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat. Add pecans. Pour into two well-greased loaf pans and Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Dried Cranberries are a delicious substitute for the nuts. These loafs freeze well too and make a great breakfast with a cup of yogurt or fruit.