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Good friends served this salad during dinner at their home a few months ago; and since that evening, Lee and I have been making and enjoying this salad. Refreshing and delicious!

6 cups Watermelon Cubed

½ cup good quality feta cubed or crumbled

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 cups arugula

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Toss, Serve, and Enjoy

The last year has gone by very quickly, it is hard to believe it has been 12 months since Magical Dining Month but, here it is again. This year Magical Dining begins on August 23^rd and runs to Sept 30, 2019. Each participating restaurant publishes a special 3 course menu at a discounted price. Lee and I always look through the menus and choose two or three restaurants to try during the 5 weeks of Magical Dining. Our goal is to find a few new restaurants to add to our list and during the next year enjoy the new restaurants we discovered.

Since Solivita is a Resort Style Community, surrounded by beautiful ponds, lush conservation, wildlife, golf courses, gyms, pools, restaurants, and a plethora of activities, living in Solivita is life on vacation; but it is still fun to plan and experience a new place, even if only for a few days. Florida offers lots of spots to make a quick escape to. Do you enjoy hiking, the natural environment, beaches, or are you a lover of cites? However, and wherever you like to vacation, Florida offers something for everyone.

If it is a cityscape you are looking for, a trip to Miami may be your ticket. Miami is a great place to spend a few days and now you can hop a train to Miami. Grab a cab to the Poinciana Train Station and in Kissimmee change from the Sun Rail to the Amtrak Train and ride to Miami. A direct train from Kissimmee will land you in Miami after 6 hours of train travel. No driving, no traffic, just an enjoyable day of riding the rails. When you arrive in Miami, a quick cab to your hotel will have you enjoying dinner and a cocktail before sunset. Miami is fun, lots of nightlife, restaurants, and people watching. After a few days in the city you can hop back on the train and return to the beauty and peace of Solivita. If a city escape is not your thing, how about a camping trip to a Florida dark sky park to view the stars.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is surrounded by 54,000 acres of prairie and is located about 25 miles north of Okeechobee, FL. This park is internationally recognized for its lack of light pollution, the night sky above the prairie is inky black and campers can spot the milky way without using telescopes or binoculars. If you wish to star gaze, you will need to make camping reservations. Camping in the Park is not glamorous, and sorry to say but, GLAMPING accommodations are not available here. Camping at the Prairie Preserve State Park is basic, but a beautiful night gazing at stars, planets, and other celestial bodies in incomprehensible numbers, will make for an amazing experience. Jupiter and Saturn are both clearly visible in the night sky, or you may witness the International Space Station making its orbit around the earth. In my book, a beautiful evening dominated by a dark starry sky is an unforgettable experience and worth one night of sleeping in a tent. Of course, if camping is not your idea of a night away, visit the park in the daylight and enjoy the largest remaining tract of Florida dry prairie that exists. Many rare, threatened, and endangered species call this park home and you will have ample opportunity to catch sight of a grasshopper sparrow, crested caracara or a burrowing owl. During the fall and winter, the park offers ranger led prairie buggy tours to the remote areas. You will see spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife on the 2 – 3 hour adventure. Tours are offered from the first weekend in November to the end of March on Weekends. To avoid disappointment, please call ahead to reserve this tour.

After an evening in the woods, it is time to hit a hotel, enjoy a nice hot shower, and lay my bones on a beach. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is not too far from the east or the west coast beaches of Florida, so you have lots of options. There is just so much to do in Florida, I hope I do not run out of retirement and my adventurous spirit before I have ticked off every box on my Florida Bucket List.

Florida’s children need you now more than ever, especially in the Poinciana/Kissimmee area. Volunteers make a difference in a child’s life. The GAL Program is currently seeking volunteers to help advocate for the best interests of abused, neglected and abandoned children in the Dependency Court. With a GAL Volunteer, a child is half as likely to languish in the foster care and child welfare system, and more likely to find a safe, permanent home. Bella Verde Realty is on the team and you can be too. Join our team and make a real difference in a child’s life.

Please reach out to Bella Verde Realty and let us know how you can help. www.bellaverderealty.com

Thank you to all of our friends and clients who purchased and donated back to school clothing for the children in the Guardian ad Litem Program. On August 2^nd Nancy from the GAL Office came by and picked up dozens of outfits, shorts, shoes, shirts, socks, and dresses for the children. We even had a new baby well kit and diaper bag for a new GAL mom. The clothing ranged in sizes for children from kindergarten to high school. What a beautiful gift from the BVR Angels. Thank you BVR Angels for your kindness and generosity –  lots of GAL children will be wearing new clothes and shoes to start the school year.

Contact our office to reach out to GAL and become a volunteer for this great community program. www.bellaverderealty.com Bella Verde Realtors, serving the community with pride and support since 2001! Come join the blessings!

We are early risers, so most Saturdays we find ourselves up at dawn. One Saturday a month we head to the Lakeland Farmer’s Market. Saturday mornings for us are a pleasure as our workday starts a bit later and after a busy week, we look forward to sharing the morning together and reconnecting. Lakeland Farmer’s Market attracts local farmers, bakeries, restaurants, artisans, crafters, cheese makers, Florida honey and jams, beautiful flowers, plants, and entertainment. The farmer’s market takes the month of August off so if you plan to go, please plan your market day in September. The market is open every Saturday (except August) from 8 am to about 2 pm (1 pm in the summer months). We stretch our legs, enjoy the fresh air, do our marketing, and enjoy the sights and sounds around us. A few of our favorite stops are Harmonious Greens, Aqua Organics, Eco Farm, Jay’s Market, Pierogi Hut, Ethos Roasters for Coffee, and Red Roof Farms for honey. We are generally back on the road by 9:00 am to start our typical Saturday workday, but we return to Solivita and to our clients refreshed and ready to work after enjoying an early morning together. If you have a dog, the Lakeland Market is doggy-approved, plus you may even find Fido a few treats. To get to the market, use your GPS with the address of 200 N. Kentucky Ave. We find the best parking for the market is in the Munn Park parking lot. Hope to see you at the fruit stand . . .

Recently we spent an evening with friends and family at B. B. Kings on International Drive. We had out of town company that wanted to hear some good blues and a bit of soul, so we made a reservation for dinner and a show at the home of “The King of Blues.” Lee and I were not expecting a great night, but B.B. Kings was a hoot! The entertainment was fabulous, and the food and service were good as well. Kris Thomas was a showstopper and his talent combined with the all-star band kept the club rocking all night. The band’s eight-man lineup had vocalists, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and horns. Between the blues, the soul, the food and the service we had a grand time. B.B. Kings is a good night out for locals, and an entertaining evening for guests. We found parking with the valet attendant to be worth it, as parking on I Drive is not easy. We pulled up, handed our keys to a parking attendant and walked up the stairs to the club. We are going to watch the upcoming entertainment offerings at B.B. Kings, as we do not plan to wait for visiting guests before we visit the king again.

Lee and I purchased an air fryer a few months ago, after hearing rave reviews from two of our clients while at the closing table. We listened, we purchased one, and now I am passing on a rave review. We love it! It makes food brown and crispy without lots of added oil. Below is a version of a healthy eggplant parmesan that I have made a few times.

2 Eggplants, sliced about ½ thick.

Salt

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Cups Tomato Sauce

12 Oz Mozzarella Cheese Sliced and Drained.

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Salt the eggplant slices and place in a colander. Allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 90 minutes. Rinse the slices and pat dry.

Rub a little oil over the eggplant and arrange a few at a time in the air fryer basket, in a single layer. Cook at 390 Degrees for 6-7 minutes. Repeat till all the slices are cooked.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a medium baking dish, then layer the eggplant on top so they overlap each other slightly. Grind some black pepper on top and add some mozzarella. Repeat the layering with sauce, eggplant and cheese, till all ingredients have been used. Bake for 20 minutes or till cheese is melted. Serve warm with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.