Soaking it all in

During a recent grocery store spree I came across a seafood item that quickly brought back a delightful yet painful memory. I have many fond childhood memories of going out fishing with my dad. There was one fishing spot we frequented often – Card Sound Road Bridge near Homestead, Fla. This road is only one of two thoroughfares that connects the mainland to the Florida Keys, the other being U.S. 1. When it was first constructed Card Sound Road had a wooden drawbridge. It connects northern section of the Florida Keys to the mainland and is in the middle of Biscayne National park and bay. The original drawbridge was destroyed by fire in the mid-1940s. For several years the road was closed. In 1969 construction was completed on a new high-span bridge and the road re-opened. The older section of the bridge, directly under the new span, was set up as a catwalk for the public to fish from. There were many times my dad, uncle and I would head out to go night fishing there. It was well...

I have a few friends who are always talking about the different diets they’ve tried or are currently trying in their attempt to drop a few pounds or at the very least eat healthier. Some of my friends have done well on their endeavors. Then there are others who have just no clue. I love food hence the reason I don’t diet. I prefer to enjoy a little bit of everything in moderation and then try to do some exercise or activity that will help maintain my weight or burn extra calories to drop a few pounds. There is no way I would have ever survived certain diets if I had attempted them. Take for example the grapefruit diet. Don’t get me wrong, I love grapefruit but not 24-7-365. Day one would have been OK, but by day two it would be something along the lines of this. Let’s see, another grapefruit or this bowl of pasta salad lightly dressed with olive oil and parmesan cheese…hmmm……..ummm…yeah PASTA SALAD. Now don’t start slamming me with emails saying I’m a diet hater, far from it. But...

It’s the perfect thing to grab for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The perfect blend of protein and carbs all put together in an easy to carry, no plate needed, grab and go package. Well that’s my take on pizza and I am sticking to it. Seriously, who doesn’t love a slice of pizza, loaded with molten melted cheese and all the delectable toppings you desire. Bring it! During my younger years I stuck to my all-time favorite – pepperoni. Of course adding bacon, ham and sausage for the ultimate meat-lovers pie soon followed. That was soon followed by blending my craving of Mexican food to all things pizza and serving up the nacho-pizza supreme or the taco delight thin crust. What? You never heard of those….too bad they are delish. That is the wondrous thing about pizza, there are no limits, especially if you are willing to make your own. Wait –what? Can’t I just pick up the phone and order one? Of course you can and several local chain pizzerias offer an array of topping choices ...

OMG, OMG, OMG…COME ON ALREADY! Hurry up and open the doors, Starbucks. I want my venti mocha Latte and I want it YESTERDAY! I don’t care that we, locally, missed out on the Unicorn Frappuccino nonsense. That drink didn’t matter. IT HAD NO CAFFEINE. Sweet, yes. Colorful, yes. All pink and purple but NO CAFFEINE. What’s the point? If I am going to indulge in something that has more sugar in one serving than most food items I know of (the Unicorn had 59 grams of sugar to be exact), it better contain caffeine to boot. I want all the caffeine jitters baby. Make it worth my while and later worthy of blood pressure meds (joking). Each day as I drive by the new Oglethorpe Square Shopping Center, I glance toward the site of the new Starbucks and all I get is a taunting sign – COMING SOON. (Ummm, same thing for the new Golden Panda Chinese and the Chick-fil-A. All COMING SOON. Come on man!). We have waited long enough and endured the arduous task of having to get a visitor’s pass ...

I can vaguely recall the first time I went to a Japanese restaurant with a friend and they ordered sushi. It was literally eons ago. I think the only reason it vaguely stays in my head was because I decided to give some foreign a try. Unknowingly I took the chopsticks and grabbed a chunk of the pretty green paste, placed it on top of a tuna roll slice and took a bite. “Holy crap, my tongue is on fire what is that stuff?” “It’s called wasabi,” my friend replied. “And you only use it sparingly unless you want to burn your throat ant stomach.” With my mouth on fire, tears streaming from my eyes and nose sniffling I thought my experimentation with sushi was over. It was, at least, for that day since my taste buds were fried. Throughout the years, however, I have become somewhat of a sushi connoisseur in my own right. I started by dipping my toes in the shallow end of the sushi pool, eating the rolls that I considered safe at the time, like a California roll. That is basically rice, ...