This past weekend I headed down to Florida for five days to spend some time with family and to do a little shopping.  Luckily for me it was tax free Florida on the weekend since the kids there are headed back to school this week…and I was able to cash in on even more deals!

When I first arrived, my Mom and I headed straight over to Cracker Barrel – one of my favourite home cooking restaurants in the US.  I absolutely love their fried apples.  I know I could easily make fried apples at home, but they are a treat whenever I head to the States.  We also had a yummy beef stew with corn bread muffins and coleslaw.  Nothing like southern cooking to start off your trip.

Yummy Fried Apples from Cracker Barrel – You can see I already dug into the dish.

Beef Stew with Corn Muffins

After we ate I had to take a rest on the rocking chairs that they have for sale out front.

Having a rest after our Southern Home Cookin’

The next day we headed down to the beach but neglected to bring a camera, so you’ll have to take my word for it.  We stopped at a great restaurant on the water called Jack Baker’s Lobster Shanty where we had a starter of crab stuffed mushroom caps. Our main was the lunch special of blackened Mahi wraps with rice, corn fritters and coleslaw.  The corn fritters were dusted with icing sugar and tasted like funnel cakes…mmmm…funnel cakes…The meal was great and the view was even more spectacular.  There were even pelican’s diving into the water to catch their own meal while we had ours.

A few of the other meals we had over the weekend were a spinach and feta stuffed pork loin with roasted cauliflower, roasted sweet potato mash and a green salad that was prepared by my Mom. Thanks Mom!

spinach and feta stuffed pork loin

The pièce de résistance was a lobster and shrimp fettuccine with a garlic butter sauce that was lovingly created by my Uncle.  To die for!!  Three of us ate that entire plate, that’s how good it was.

Fantastic Lobster and Shrimp Fettucini

This weekend was a great culinary feast created by loving family members.  The trip was short, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Enjoy !

lush Florida foliage

Pretty flowers in my Aunt’s garden