You can check out Darcie’s blog post for chicken tacos her way, but basically I prepared the chicken the way she suggested and used her pico recipe as well.  Then I chopped up some cucumbers, avocado, coleslaw to use as toppings.

My family chose their toppings and wrapped them up along with the chicken in big romaine lettuce leaves.  Doesn’t that look beautiful?

Everyone raved about how fresh and tasty the “tacos” were.   This recipe will be added to my meal rotation.  The only thing I will change is the amount of chicken used; Darcie has a bigger family than mine, so we had tons of chicken left over.  Even using the chicken scrambled in eggs and in a coconut wrap for lunch a few days, it was still too much for my family.

Thanks Darcie for the recipe!  See, the Paleo way was not so bad .

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

ingredients:

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon purred chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chopped cilantro, stems and leaves

3/4 cup oil  (the recipe says canola, but I used olive oil)

Blend all but the oil in a blender, then add the oil in a slow steady stream.

This recipe makes quite a lot, I need to remember to cut the recipe in half for my family of four.  I kept it in the refrigerator and used it all week.  It’s not Paleo with the honey and next time I will try using less or maybe eliminating it all together.  I’m sure it will still be delicious.

Enjoy!

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

They are even brighter in person.  Like, put on your Ray Bans kinda bright.  I wore a sweater this color in the 80′s and I may or may not have had a matching lace headband like this one:

but mine was neon yellow

It was a bad idea even back then.  One of the benefits of getting older is wisdom; I showed good judgement leaving those pants at Gap.  Looking like a highlighter marker is best left to those under 20.  Or really, no one.  Who decided that the 80′s were worthy of a fashion revival??  Neon colors, wrap belts, and yes, the other day I saw a college student wearing a lace headband like the photo above.   I decided that I would pass on this fashion trend.  Once was enough; no neon for me!

However, a few days later I saw this top in a local boutique and thought that it was cute; neon enough to be in style, but not obnoxiously so.  It’s made of sort of a weave material (also in style…I ask you, who are these designers?), so I was nervous when the 20-something salesgirl said, “just wear this bandeau underneath,” because generally I don’t take fashion advice from children.   But it’s fine.  While you do sort of see the bandeau, I don’t look naked underneath.  I wore this during our college road trip last week and I don’t think I embarrassed my son at all.

 on the balcony of our hotel on Folly Beach, SC

top & bandeau – Bill Hallman, a local boutique

jeans - Hudson Beth Crop Baby Boot, Nordstrom

I think that’s one of my better What I Wore photos because it’s candid.  I was actually looking at my husband off to the side as my daughter snapped this photo.

As the day progressed the temperature warmed and I changed into shorts.  You can’t see them in this photo, but they are Gap gray and white striped shorts from last summer.   How about my tote is a perfect match too?  I’ve had that tote for years, it’s my official vacation tote, so I didn’t plan that at all!

Folly Beach Pier

tote bag – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Nordstrom

kids – adorable, mine

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday  and Monday Mingle.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Enriched corn meal (corn meal, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: corn, soybean, or sunflower oil), salt, maltodextrin, sugar, monosodium glutamate, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, artificial color (including red 40 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 6, yellow 5), corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, hydrolyzed soy protein, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), whey, onion powder, whey protein concentrate, corn syrup solids, natural flavor, buttermilk solids, garlic powder, disodium phosphate, sodium diacetate, sodium caseinate, lactic acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, nonfat milk solids, sodium citrate, and carrageenan.

Well, not this time.  Since we were going to be in the car quite a bit during this road trip, touring 4 schools in 3 cities in 6 days,  I was determined to stick to Paleo as much as possible.  The only way to do that was to stock the car with plenty of Paleo-friendly snacks that the whole family would eat (even my non-Paleo son). I packed a huge bag with:

reusable water bottles for everyone

unsweetened organic dried mango

almonds (Trader Joe’s Spicy & Tangy flavor is really good and interesting)

pistachios

apples

freeze-dried raspberries

Laräbars

Trader Joe’s Fair Trade Organic Belgian (72%) Dark Chocolate Bars

Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Chips (made with canola oil, but short ingredient list)

Trader Joe’s Roasted Plantain Chips (made with sunflower oil, but that’s it)

Grass-fed Jerky Chews by Sophia’s Survival Food

I saw these jerky chews mentioned on a Paleo website and ordered 3 packs a few weeks before our trip.  They were all delicious.  This beef jerky is gluten-free, made from grass-fed beef and uses no preservatives.  The ingredients are: grass-fed beef, lemon juice and unrefined salt.  That’s it.  I liked that we were able to have a “traditional” road trip snack in the healthiest form possible.  I will be buying more just to have on hand at home; my kids are starving after school and this is a satisfying snack.

*I must admit that I didn’t stay Paleo the entire week; I stayed away from grains, but I did have sugar.  I had a popsicle at Las Paletas in Nashville and buttermilk pie at Hominy Grill in Charleston.  They were both so good, but I noticed that I can’t consume sugar like I used to; one small slice of pie was quite enough.  That’s progress!

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I am such an organizing nerd. I was positively giddy when my new Walker bags arrived in the mail. Now I could organize my purse like I’ve always dreamed!

See, organizing nerd.

I bought my first Walker bag at Therapie in New York City, which is sadly out of business.   I bought another one at a store on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, California.  I always find Walker bags at high-end drugstores, but I bought these online, right from the Walker website.  The selection was incredible and I spent an insane amount of time grouping and measuring my items to make sure I got the correct size bags.  I owned 2 already and bought 4 more.  Look at the fun colors!

The bags are now filled with all the contents of my purse.

I hate digging in my purse to find something.  Now the only things not contained in a Walker bag are my wallet, sunglass case and reusable shopping bag.  I like to change purses often and this makes it so much easier.

See, organizing nerd.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

 Kale chips are so easy to make, you don’t even need a recipe.  Take some kale and spread it out on a cookie sheet.  My kale was already washed, dried and chopped up in the bag, but if you are using a bunch of kale, wash it, dry it and tear it into pieces.   Then drizzle on some olive oil, just enough to coat the kale.  Make sure all the kale is covered with oil – this is best done with your hands.  Sprinkle on some salt and put it in the oven, at about 350 degrees.  Watch it to make sure it doesn’t burn, but 12-15 minutes is about right.

 The kale will be crispy and very lightweight when done.

That’s it!  Kale chips are so simple and so delicious.   They are best eaten right away and that’s not a problem in my house at all.

Oh, by the way, we never did finish that huge bag of kale.  Kale chips, kale salad, kale in smoothies – and we still had tons of kale left by the end of the week.  We were sick of kale.  That was just too big of a bag for my family of four.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

But I’m not.  I don’t want to wear warm-weather clothes yet, but I did pick up a few items recently to help me transition into spring.

I really liked this outfit I wore today.  The tee is new and while it is simple, it’s an interesting color and very soft, but still holds its shape.  It’s hard to find a good tee.  The sweater is from last summer; I got it for our trip to Paris.  It’s a basic gray, but with the quirky AllSaints styling; one side is extremely long.   The jeans are new and I will wear these every chance I get; they are so soft and comfortable!  I am finding that Hudson jeans fit me well.  I also wore a scarf earlier, but took it off as the day warmed up.

french class, taking kid to orthodontist

shirt – James Perse, Nordstrom

sweater – AllSaints, Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Hudson Beth Crop Baby Boot, Nordstrom

shoes – Frye, Nordstrom

I absolutely love these flats!  I don’t really like flats because I find them to be too girly with all the bows and things (not my stylo), but these are sleek.  The green color is funki and the leather is so soft.

shoes – Frye, Nordstrom

I was in need of a new pair of TOMS.  I love the color on this pair, sort of a pinky red.  The material is even more comfortable than the canvas TOMS.

shoes – TOMS Freetown Fuchsia, Nordstrom

And of course I needed a new spring purse.  I haven’t bought a Coach purse in a long time, but this color is so fun – it’s not really red, more of a poppy color.  It also has many compartments, which I love; I was getting tired of my hobo-style purse.

purse – Coach Chelsea Patent Leather Jayden Carryall

Yes, I am definitely making some strides towards dressing for spring!  What about you; have you started wearing Spring clothes yet?

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My son frequently walks to the neighborhood store for a drink and some candy.

My son often wears a hoodie.  Most recently a Stanford hoodie.

My son puts the hood up when it’s rainy or chilly or if he just feels like it.

So.

Would you question his motives?

Of course not.

Because from reading this blog you know that he is

Middle class

Intelligent

Well-traveled

And comes from a 2 parent household.

He plays the violin, for God’s sake.

There is no reason to be suspicious of him. You know him.

And yet.

Taken out of the context of this blog, taken out of the “safe” labels of #middleclass #intelligent #2parenthousehold,

And now just a nameless brown boy, hood up, walking in YOUR neighborhood…..

What do you think now?

Suspicious some?

Scared some?

Many are.

(If I had a dollar for every neighborhood-watch email that begins with “there’s a suspicious black male….”)

Don’t be surprised and don’t get it twisted.  This is real.  Even for intelligent, middle-class brown boys like mine.  It does not matter who he is or where he comes from.  The suspicion, the fear and the profiling is very real.

Trayvon Martin could have been my son.

So my hoodie is up

For all the brown boys who are watched when they enter the store

Or take a short-cut through another neighborhood

Or cruise around in their parent’s car on a Friday night.

My hoodie is UP.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Earlier this month, my family and I went to Miami for a college visit.  Unfortunately for us, it was Spring Break for many schools and we had a difficult time finding a hotel room.  In desperation we used Priceline’s Price Negotiator for the first time.  Our bid was excepted and we got a great deal on a swanky hotel right on South Beach.  We were thrilled….or was this deal too good to be true?

Problem #1:  There was only one bed in the room.  No fault of the hotel; we didn’t read Priceline’s small print that only guarantee’s a room to accommodate 2 people.  There were 4 of us, so this was a problem.  Luckily the hotel was helpful and we were able to upgrade (for a fee of course) to a room with 2 beds for 2 of the 3 nights we stayed there.  On the third night, my son slept on the floor.

Problem #2:  The bathroom.

This is the bathroom.  With the door closed.  See the toilet?  That was our view from any angle in the room.  The bathroom had a transparent door!   I guess this is supposed to be sexy?  It is not.  Maybe the designer had some kind of sexual/bathroom fetish?  There is no way to explain this design.  I do not want to see anyone use the toilet, not even my husband.

The situation called for some creative Ma-Gyvering by me: I took a walking umbrella and hooked it on the door handle and laid it across the door.  Then I hung a towel over the umbrella.  This maneuver could only be fashioned once inside the bathroom and took quite a bit of skill.  So much so, that it wasn’t worth it if we were just using the toilet for peeing.  In that case, the person in need yelled, “I’m peeing!” and everyone else in the room turned away.  Then they yelled, “I’m done!” when they were finished.  This lasted for 2 days and nights.   Thankfully we didn’t spend too much time in the hotel room!

Problem #3: We moved to the room with one bed for the third night.  As we entered the new room, we were happy to see that while the bathroom still had a transparent door, the bathroom was around the corner from the beds.  We could now use the bathroom without someone staring right at us.   Unfortunately the bathroom door was left open and I ran *smack!*  right into the invisible door.  I almost passed out from the pain as a very large goose egg immediately appeared on my forehead.  I still have it.

Wait…are you laughing at me or with me?

I’m linking up with Mama Kat, you should too.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Which inspired me to post this version of  What I Wore:

right after my kettlebell class

exercise outfit – Nike, Nordstrom

pink headband – Zella, Nordstrom

Be Strong.

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

First of all, my son has given it up.  Or rather, I am letting him eat non-Paleo outside of the house.  It was just such a battle with him and frankly, not worth the aggravation.  The dinnertime combative discussions against Paelo were exhausting.   I am disappointed because he would have benefited the most from a Paleo diet, but I do have control over what he eats in the house as long as I am buying the groceries and cooking the meals.   He won’t reap the most benefits, eating pizza on the weekends and Paleo at home, but at least it’s something.

I have more control over my daughter’s diet and she’s hanging in there.  We went to an event with cupcakes present and I let her eat one, but she didn’t eat the pretzels that were there; she had to make a choice between the two.   I’ve had a talk with her about making wise choices and I hope that she is listening.  I do want to make this a (mostly) lifestyle change for her.

I confess that I had a cupcake too.  They just looked so good and I love cupcakes!  But it was not a wise decision; to my surprise I was sick later on that day.  Note to self Funkidivagirl: you can no longer eat a whole cupcake.  Maybe a few bites, every once in awhile.  Maybe.

But all in all, despite a defecting teen-ager and forbidden cupcake, Paleo continues to be a positive experience.  For instance, my kids are now eating a more substantial breakfast.  Before Paleo,  my kids ate carbs for breakfast: cereal, french toast sticks, bagels or toast.  These were things that they can make themselves and didn’t take up too much time.   Now they eat bacon and eggs, but I make them in advance in the form of Egg Muffins.  I friend turned me on to them and then I goggled a few recipes.  This is what I came up with:

EGG MUFFINS

Ingredients:

Eggs (quantity depends on how many you want to make; 1 egg per Egg Muffin)

Cooked Meat (bacon, sausage, ham, ground beef, whatever)

Chopped Veggies (whatever you like)

Coconut Milk (optional)

 

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook your meat.  I use bacon for my kids, about a 1/2 slice per Egg Muffin, but you can use sausage, ham or ground beef instead.  Crumble the meat.

Beat the eggs.  I use 1 egg per Egg Muffin.  For instance, if I want to make 10 Egg Muffins, I use 10 eggs.  The big kid eats 2 Egg Muffins for breakfast, so 10 Egg Muffins will be enough for 5 days.    *I use half egg whites when I make them for myself, but they do not cook the same and my kids don’t like it.

A friend suggested adding a little coconut milk to make the Egg Muffins a bit fluffy and I thought it was a nice addition (when I remember to do it).

I use silicone muffin cups because I find that the Egg Muffins slip right out.  I place these on a cookie sheet.  You can use muffin pans instead, but I would imagine you would need to spray them with oil.

Put a little meat in each cup.  Put some veggies in there as well, if you like.  My kids like spinach, but you can use bell peppers or whatever you have on hand.

Pour the eggs in the cups.  I leave a little room because the eggs do rise a bit when they cook.

Cook the Egg Muffins for 15-20 minutes.  The first time or two you make these, watch them.  Set the timer for 12 minutes and if they are not done, check again every 2 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle.  My Egg Muffins take 22 minutes.

Let them cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the refrigerator.  I try to make the Egg Muffins on Sunday or Monday night for the school week.  I put them in a air-tight container in the fridge and in the mornings the kids just pop them in the microwave for about 40 seconds.

Egg Muffins are great anytime of the day for a quick protein meal or snack, even if you don’t eat Paleo.  Try them and let me know what you think!

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Although I’m not much of a snacker, my husband and kids are, so I learned that I had better get some Paleo-friendly snacks in the house and fast.

After perusing Mark’s Daily Apple Primal Blueprint Snack List (Primal is similar to Paleo, although I don’t quite know the difference yet), I went grocery shopping for some snacks.

For Girly: pistachios and dried fruit.  This week we have mango and apples.  They are unsweetened, but still taste sweet enough that Girly doesn’t feel deprived.

For The Boy: smoked salmon (something I never buy) on cucumber rounds, carrots dipped in guacamole and Lärabars.  (Psst: there’s a coupon in the Whole Foods flyer.)

For everyone: fruit.  I eat blueberries every morning.

As for me, I will grab a handful of almonds as a snack.  The Lärabars will be nice to take in my purse – just in case I’m hungry when out in the world and tempted to make non-Paleo food choices.

Everyone’s happy and there’s not a grain to be found.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

$4.99 for a pack of 4.

I tried the curry flavor and filled it with left-over chicken breast, garlic green beans and a squirt of mustard.

Honestly I was expecting it to taste like styrofoam, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I can eat these Pure Wraps!  I like them!  Pure Wraps will be great when I forget to eat lunch until I am starving (often the case) or the kids need something quick.    Some protein and veggies in a Pure Wrap feels like I am eating a sandwich wrap, but it’s much lighter.

And much better for me too!

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

If you’re not familiar with Paleo, you’re not alone because honestly I’m just learning myself.  Many people at my kettlebell gym eat Paleo and I became intrigued by their food conversations.  Kettlebell exercisers also tend to be Crossfit exercisers and if you go to any Crossfit website, you will see a link to Paleo eating.  Who knew there was a whole gym sub-culture of Crossfit/Paleo?  I sure didn’t.   Independent of my gym, a few other people that I respect started suggesting Paleo eating and I kept hearing story after story about how someone’s health and emotional well-being changed after switching to a Paleo lifestyle.   Then I did some research myself and found that it just might be beneficial to eat this way.   In it’s most basic form, Paleo eating includes protein (meat, fish,poultry, pork, etc – although I don’t eat red meat), vegetables (except starchy vegetables like corn and white potatoes), fruit and nuts and seeds.  Dairy, legumes, sugar, soy and all grains (wheat, oat, rice, quinoa, etc) are to be avoided.

There’s a brief “elevator pitch” description on the Whole 9 website:

I eat “real” food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit.  I choose foods that are nutrient dense, with lots of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition.  And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat comes from, and buy produce locally and organically as often as possible.

It’s not a low calorie “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy and a healthy weight.  In fact, my diet is probably much higher in fat than you’d imagine.  Fat isn’t the enemy – it’s a great energy source when it comes from high quality foods like avocado, coconut and nuts. And I’m not trying to do a “low carb” thing, but since I’m eating vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal and pasta, it just happens to work out that way.

Eating like this is good for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and reducing inflammation within the body.  It’s been doing great things for my energy levels, body composition and performance in the gym.  It also helps to minimize my risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

That about sums it up, but if you are interested, google “Paleo” and you will find a wealth of information.    I just purchased Rob Wolf’s book, The Paleo Solution.   I’m also cruising around Paleo websites and so far I’ve found 2 that I really like: Nom Nom Paleo and Everyday Paleo.  I can already see that I will be using these websites for reference again and again.  They both have an index of recipes.  As I make them, I’ll post them here.

As I told you already, we slipped and ate potatoes and I’m not being being militant about salad dressing, which typically has some sugar in it.  But for the most part, we are just eating meat, a ton of vegetables and fruit.  I threw out all the pretzels, crackers and cereal bars.  My daughter is a carb addict, so she wouldn’t have lasted with those in the house.   I have to give her credit though; she has been bringing her lunch on Pizza Day at school.  Today she packed some left-over chicken, green beans and kale chips.   Last weekend she was at a sleepover and they made cupcakes – and she didn’t eat one.  You don’t understand; this girl LOVES sugar!  I was so proud of her!

I just told the kids last night that when the 21 days are over that we are still going to eat Paleo.   Or more likely, Paleo-ish, like 80/20.  The “20″ for me will be the occasional sweet (we are going to Charleston in a few weeks and I will have a slice of Buttermilk Pie) and I doubt that I will be making my own Paleo mayonnaise and salad dressing.  Instead, I will cook Paleo at home and make the best Paleo choices when I eat out.   I’ll let the kids eat cheese and butter in moderation.  I can avoid grains, but that will be challenging for my kids.  My son loves a good burger – with the bun.   I hope that when they eat outside of home they will make good choices, but I won’t force them to eat Paleo.  Hopefully they will figure out that their body feels better eating Paleo and will only eat non-Paleo every once in awhile.   I’ll let you know how it goes!

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

 shoes – Splendid Mandarin Slip-Ons

They were perfect for kicking around South Beach: in and out the shops, dining al fresco and running in the sand.  Splendid’s tagline, “Welcome To Everyday” is so true;  I have a feeling that I will live in these Splendid shoes this summer, just like I lived in my Splendid tank tops last summer.

Chilling with my Girly in Miami, Dream Hotel, rooftop

hat – local boutique

sunglasses – Tom Ford

peace sign necklace – Tiffany

tank tops – AllSaints

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

“It’s my birthday!  Shout out to all my home-dawgs!”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST PUPPY IN THE WORLD!

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My son: visit the university and experience Miami for the first time.

My daughter: swim and play on the beach.

My husband: eat Cuban food.

And me?: I wanted to eat Key Lime Pie.

I would say Key Lime Pie is my favorite dessert, so I have very high standards.  Although I order it whenever I see it on the menu, I am rarely impressed.   Rarely does it taste as homemade and fresh as when I make it at home. I’ve had good Key Lime Pie, but I haven’t had spectacular Key Lime Pie at a restaurant too often.  So even though the Miami area should have the best Key Lime Pie anywhere, honestly I didn’t expect much.

After touring the university we drove around Coral Gables/Coconut Grove to let me son get a feel for the area.  Near CocoWalk shopping area, we came upon this happening beer and burger joint, Lokal.   Specializing in locally sourced ingredients, Lokal had a funki neighborhood vibe and while I don’t eat red meat, there were non-beef options on the menu.   My husband Yelped great burger reviews and, to my surprise, they were supposed to have a good Key Lime Pie.   Always one to challenge another’s review, I ate my turkey burger, but I was really there for the Key Lime Pie.

(For the record, my husband and son really loved their burgers.  According to them, the 50/50 – half beef, half bacon – was really a winner.  That’s just an extra for you meat-eaters out there.)

Let me say again, that I did not have high expectations.  I was ordering it and eating it because I love Key Lime Pie-even mediocre Key Lime Pie.  But WHOA!  The Key Lime Pie at Lokal was amazing!  Fresh, tart and creamy-just the way Key Lime should be.  The thick crust is made with graham crackers and crushed pecans.  The pie is made with fresh-squeezed key limes and lime zest.  And the whole thing is topped with freshly made whipped cream.  Heaven.  I don’t think I’ve tasted a better Key Lime Pie.  My family tried to have a bite or two of my pie and they almost lost a finger.  I slowly ate and savored every single bite.

gorgeous!

As delicious as the pie was at Lokal, it did not come up on any google searches for “the best key lime pie in Miami.”  Joe’s Stone Crab held that distinction.   Naturally, I had to test this theory before leaving Miami.  We drove by Joe’s Take Away and got a few slices of Key Lime Pie to go (my family had learned their lesson and got their own slices).   First of all, Joe’s did not have fresh whipped cream, it was sprayed from a can right in front of me.   But the pie was good.  I mean, if it had been the first pie I had eaten in Miami, I would have thought it was very good.   But it did not compare to the Lokal’s pie, not at all.

However, to have a real taste test we would have to taste Lokal’s Key Lime Pie again.  It was only the fair thing to do.  So we drove from Joe’s in South Beach to Lokal in Coconut Grove for lunch (and pie).  This time I had the caesar salad with rock shrimp, but again, this was just an appetizer before my main course, pie.   Two pieces of Key Lime Pie in one day was a bit much-even for me-but in the name of research, it had to be done.   Another piece of the Lokal’s Key Lime Pie, and it was officially declared by everyone in my family: Lokal had the best Key Lime Pie.

Meeting and talking to the Lokal’s owner, Matthew Kuscher, we learned that Lokal had only been open a few months.  That explains why the Key Lime Pie doesn’t have the press that it deserves yet.  But it will; mark my words.  You heard it first from Funkidivagirl, Key Lime Pie connoisseur.  If Matthew keeps the same commitment to freshness and quality in his Key Lime Pie that he has now, “the best Key Lime Pie in Miami” award isn’t far behind.

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

This is the photo I think she has in mind, taken in Malibu:

Yes, the beach was glorious and I loved every minute I spent there.  But when you think of summer, don’t you also think of your favorite summer foods like watermelon, ice cream or lemonade?  I ate some delicious food last summer in California.  Here’s what I remember:

This was the best ice cream sandwich.  Ever.

Ice cream sandwich –  Coolhaus Truck, Santa Monica

Two of my favorite things on a perfectly cooked waffle.  A party in my mouth!

Lemon Curd & Blueberry Waffle – The Waffle, Hollywood

This roll was so big and buttery, even my son couldn’t finish it.

Crab roll – Fish, Sausalito

My daughter’s first banana split in her dad’s childhood spot.

Banana split – Creamery, Palo Alto

Cookies and milk-that’s all they sell and they do it well.

Chocolate Chip Toffee cookie – Anthony’s Cookies, San Francisco

A day at Disneyland isn’t complete without one.

Dole Whip – Aloha Isle, Disneyland

What are some of your favorite food memories from last summer?

I’m linking up with Mama Kat, you should too.

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

There is much drinking and partying, but as I learned, the drunkenness that outsiders associate with Mardi Gras is done by the tourists and others who use Mardi Gras as an excuse to practice the phrase “what happens in Mardi Gras stays in Mardi Gras.”   Mardi Gras is in fact a family celebration that is steeped in tradition, custom and history.  It takes over the entire city and everyone is in a celebratory mood.

There is celebrating–food and family parties by locals–and then there is celebrating by tourists (as in another word for getting fall-down drunk) . Because we stayed in a hotel on Canal Street, right downtown and near the French Quarter, we saw the drunken tourists in action.   We made the mistake of walking down a few blocks of Bourbon Street at noon and it was full on debauchery.  At noon!  Can you imagine what it’s like at night?   Here’s a shot of Bourbon Street from our hotel balcony.  Remember, this is in the afternoon.  As it got later, it just got more crowded.

As long as we stayed off Bourbon Street, the French Quarter shops and restaurants were fun to explore .  The balconies were decorated and people threw beads to the crowds below.  That’s my son in the right corner trying to catch some beads.

There are parades every day and every night and this is very much a family-friendly activity.  At night you have to watch the parades in the right place (away from the tourists) to avoid the drunkards.  We were invited to Mardi Gras by a family very much involved in the traditional celebrations and very well connected in New Orleans, so we watched the parades with them.  During the Bacchus Parade, we were in the mayor’s box, which was great because most of the marching bands stopped to perform there and King Bacchus made his toast to the mayor.  The king of Bacchus is Will Ferrell this year.  Here’s a photo and video of him toasting the mayor:

The floats are amazing to see, but you had better keep your head up or you might get beads flung at your head.   All the floats have riders that throw beads, cups, stuffed toys and if you’re really lucky, a coconut, to the crowd.    This is so much fun and my kids quickly caught on to the phrase, “Throw me something mister!” as they kept their hands up in the air.  One time I wasn’t paying attention and two strings of heavy beads clocked my knuckles – ouch!  These photos only show about an 1/8 of the beads we have.  I think we came home with about 10,000 beads and other throws.  What ever will we do with all that Mardi Gras booty?

No matter.  My kids had so much fun; they had never seen anything like Mardi Gras before.   Thanks New Orleans for showing us a good time!  Happy Mardi Gras!

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Like everyone else in the world, I thought she was a phenomenal singer, but more than anything I remember her as the skinny-legged, pretty black girl on the cover of Seventeen.   As a skinny black girl too, I didn’t see myself often represented on the cover of teen fashion magazines.  She was an inspiration.  Only much later did I connect the dots between the girl-model and the powerful voice.

I’m linking up with Mama Kat by answering the prompt: Share a Whitney Houston song that meant something to you.

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.