Blog

When putting together the guest room in our home, we paid attention to detail. We want our guests to be comfortable, feel welcome, and know that we enjoy sharing our time with them. Little touches mean the world to a guest; an extra pillow, a lovely plush blanket, good lighting, a comfortable chair, and extra hangers in the closet.  Following is what we consider a guide for the “Ultimate Guest Get Away”.

Our Number One Rule is – Do not let your guests ask for towels, toiletries, etc. Instead we place a basket of towels in the guest room or the guest bath.  We also include in the basket an assortment of lotions, shampoo, soap, etc., so our guests have all the fresh supplies they need.

In our opinion, guest rooms do not require a television; instead we leave our guests a selection of current magazines, books, and a note pad, for a bit of entertainment.  I am an early riser, but sometimes guests rise before me, and with some reading materials in the guest bedroom, our guests have something interesting to read before they start or end their day.

When Lee and I stayed at the home of a friend, we found the guest room lighting to be less than desirable, especially after we bumped into the bed frame. Our first act upon arriving home, was to add additional bedside lighting to our guest room.

We always leave a bottle of port, glasses, a dish of chocolate, and a few granola bars in the guest bedroom, just in case one of our guests’ experience hunger pangs. In addition, there is always a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter in our kitchen.

Guests are fun to have, and if you are well prepared with a solid plan in place, the visit will be effortless. We usually plan to have easy breakfasts, coffee, yogurt, granola, fruit, oatmeal, etc. When guests are in town, we keep an assortment of hummus, nuts, cheese, salami, crackers, olives, roasted peppers, etc. Easy snacks that can be enjoyed at any time during the day or early evening.

We generally plan one simple, but nice, dinner at home and then dine out during the balance of the visit.

We recently had friends visit, and as a treat for Lee and I, our friends shopped and cooked a delicious meal for us while in our home. We had fun, shared a great meal with friends, and after dessert they did the dishes. A delightful way for friends to say thank you.

When living in NJ, it was a hop, skip and a jump to a great Lobster Dinner. We could cross the GW and dine in City Island, take the Parkway “down the shore”, or head up 95 to New England for a great lobster dinner. In Central Florida, we do see lobster on a menu occasionally, but we don’t often see them swimming in tanks. In our memory, almost every restaurant up north had a lobster tank. We are both fans of lobster, we enjoy them steamed, grilled, served chilled, and I especially love a good lobster roll. You know the kind, served on a soft, split bun with toasted sides, piled high with lots of sweet lobster and hardly any mayo, served with lettuce and fresh lemon. I had not seen a lobster roll on a menu since moving to Florida; but in Celebration we have found a place that brings us back to our roots; Celebration Town Tavern.

The Beer is Cold, Lobsters are swimming in the tank, and the Tavern makes a great Clam Chowder. My brother- in-law, Gregg also raves about their Lobster Bisque. There is something here for everyone to enjoy. Lee and I go for a pot of steamers, chowder and a lobster roll with lots of fresh lemon. We have never been disappointed. This is a great, casual place to have some fun and eat some good seafood. On Game Days, the football games are on and if you are a NE Fan this is the place to be. The Beer on Tap is cold and fresh and the crowd is always out for a good time. Nothing Fancy, just Really Good New England Style Fun and Food. No need for a trip to the “Shore” with Celebration Tavern less than 30 minutes away from Solivita.

Update from Central Florida. For days leading up to Irma we listened and watched the forecasts, and we prepared. Solivita, our friends, the Bella Verde Team, and our clients packed up outdoor potted plants, locked down windows, closed blinds and shutters, moved outdoor furniture, grills, umbrellas, tables, and Bella Verde For Sale Signs into indoor storage. We filled our bathtubs with water and filled our gas tanks too. We stocked up on flashlights, batteries, drinking water and “truth be told” some of us purchased a few extra bottles of wine, just in case. By Friday evening we were ready to meet Irma.

We recently enjoyed dinner in The Kitchen at the J. W. Marriott Grande Lakes on Central Florida Parkway, only 20 minutes from Solivita.  We parked our car at the door, left our keys with the valet, and were warmly greeted by the Staff of the J.W.  We met friends and began our evening with inspired cocktails and locally brewed craft beer.  Cold and Delicious.
It may sound like we were eating in a kitchen, but The Kitchen is the name of one of the J.W.’s Restaurants.  Great spot serving food grown on their farm plus food sourced locally from organic growers.  What fun, and only a short drive from Solivita.  We enjoyed a laid back, peaceful, evening.  The Kitchen is furnished with Comfy Chairs, Small Intimate Tables, and Large Farmhouse Tables.  Trendy, but comfortable.  The wait staff is knowledgeable and when asked; were happy to share preparation, garden, apiary, and brewery info with us.  What a Treat, to have this great spot only a few miles from Solivita.  We enjoyed an assortment of meat and cheese (our choices from the chef’s picks).  Our selection was playfully served on a beautiful platter.  Our meat and cheese choices were brilliant, the tray included crisp, lightly pickled vegetables, cheddar chive biscuits, honey and honeycomb, fresh ricotta, rhubarb chutney; and crackers, all grown and produced on the property.    A fun, enjoyable way to share a meal.  Small plates, with a menu including interesting flatbreads, local grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and delicious seafood.   After dinner, it was a quick drive back to Solivita.  A perfect ending to the perfect day.

Since living in Solivita we seem to have company all the time.  Friends and Family visiting the parks stop in for an evening, some stay for a few days, some just stop by for lunch or dinner.  Lee and I have found a few recipes that can be assembled quickly and make a delicious company meal.  I would like to share one with you that I made last week when Lee’s family stopped in.
Tortellini with Prosciutto or Pancetta and Peas
This recipe is not only delicious, but most of the time, the ingredients are in my freezer and refrigerator.  To make this into a complete meal I serve this with a salad and a dish of fruit for dessert and dinner is done.  Our neighbor Marilyn calls this one “Easy Peasy”.   
1 Lb Tortellini (cheese, spinach, or even mushroom)
1/4 – 1 /2 cup water, reserved from cooking pasta  
3 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves minced
½ onion diced and sauted.
¼ lb prosciutto sliced thinly or pancetta cubed
1 1/4 cup cream or half and half
1 pinch nutmeg
At least ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed by running under cool water and drained.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions:
Cook tortellini according to package
Melt butter in skillet and add prosciutto or pancetta and cook for a few minutes.
Add Garlic to skillet and cook for one more minute.
Add cream and bring to a simmer.
Add nutmeg and simmer until cream is thickened and reduced by about ½
Turn off heat.  Stir in Parmesan, peas and sautéed onions.
Stir in reserved cooking liquid to thin sauce, add tortellini and toss to coat.
Taste for salt and pepper

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Recently we Enjoyed a Special Occasion Brunch at The Boheme in Downtown Orlando.  Years ago, when living in the New York Area, a Fabulous, Luxurious, Sunday Brunch was de regular, but since relocating to the laid-back lifestyle of Solivita, a Sunday Brunch in the City, at least for us, has become an uncommon event.
The Boheme Restaurant in the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando awakened our memory of how lovely a Sunday Bruch can be and we are incorporating this former enjoyable afternoon into our Solivita Lifestyle.  Why wait to enjoy this relaxing pleasure?    The Boheme is beautiful, the décor is hot, but relaxing, and begged us to linger over the sumptuous splurge that the Chef’s prepared for our enjoyment.
Musicians played Contemporary Jazz in the background, waiters liberally poured a dry, delicious champagne, and the chefs prepared and plated a beautiful assortment of food that is was as much a treat for our eyes as for our taste buds.  Together, with our fellow diners, we had a delightful afternoon in Orlando, the city near Solivita.
Having lived only five miles from NYC, we ran in and out of the city at whim.  As they say, “every coin has two sides”; true NYC had many benefits but many challenges too.  Since being in Florida and living On Campus in Solivita, we find ourselves avoiding the I4 commute to the city.  Our Bad, downtown Orlando has much to offer, and if you stay on Orange Avenue you can travel to Orlando and back to Solivita (of course not during commuting hours) and avoid I4 all together.   This Sunday, we tested the theory.  Door to Door –  Orlando to Solivita 55 minutes; without one mile on I4.  Nice way to go.
Lots of fabulous places in Downtown Orlando to visit and starting now we are going to visit downtown and add some Southern City Fun to our lives.