Amelia Island

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Readers! Team Hamer was on Vacay! For the 4th of July we decided to head own to Amelia Island, Fl. But we did not go alone! No,The Boy brought a friend, which we will refer to as ZCP. By 9:50am on Tuesday morning we were off our bellys full of bagels, coffee and apple juice and out car pack up with a number of bags, tablets and bikes. The drive took us around 5 hours and 45 minutes. We did not run into too much traffic or construction.

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It is very interesting riding in a car with two 9-year-old boys. They were both on their tablets while watching School of Rock on a portable DVD player. The Boy has watched that movie so many times that he was quoting the lines of entire scenes. Pickles! We arrived to the to Ritz Carlton at Amelia Island around 3:30pm with the sun shinning and the temperature around 90 degrees. Hot!

Our Room

We chose a room on the club level of the Ritz Carlton. Why did we pay the extra money for the room and the extras? As you all know, food and drinks at any hotel is $$$$. I mean $20 for a hamburger? Your kidding right? At this point, my appetite has taken a nose dive and I hate paying for food I don’t even finish! We ate lunch and it coast $100.00. Two kids burgers and fries, shrimp tacos, a taco salad (that I thought tasted funny), a beer and a bloody mary. Really? With the club level you get five “meals” and all the drinks, sodas, wine, water, cookies, candies etc you want. We ate breakfast every morning. Two kinds of eggs, oatmeal,bagels, fruit, rolls etc. I can’t begin to think of the $$$ we saved from breakfast alone. Then there is lunch, snacks, appetizers and deserts. If you work it right you can make it work for you. Which is why I am drinking champagne in the club level room as I write this. Waiting for the snacks to come out at 4pm. Ahi Tuna anyone?

We ended up getting a King sized bed room with a chair that folded out into a twin bed for the boys. We also had a roll away bed but in the end chose not to use it. Ok, first thing to say about the room, the outlets! There were so many! Which is good when you have four tablets and three phones. We had a nice balcony with two chairs and a table that over looked two of the three pools and the beach. Wonderful to watch the nightly sunsets from. There was a flat screened tv and the largest closet in a hotel I have ever seen.

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I think someone is up.

The boys started out sleeping on the twin pull out but at some point The Boy says he woke up with ZCP on top of him and moved to our bed. ZCP said he was using The Boy as a pillow.

Daily activities

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ZCP brought a boogie board so of course we had to find a surf shop so The Boy could get one. It cost a little more than we thought it would but it was a well made one that provided hours of fun for The Boy. The waves were large on Wednesday due tropical storm Arthur but were pretty calm the rest of the week. The boys had a blast. Much more than at the pool, although they did enjoy the indoor hot tub and enjoyed going there at night.

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How cool is this? They moved the club level room to the beach! Woot! Woot! My Man was thrilled! We walked up and was shown to a set up chairs, towels and beach umbrellas (a must for me). There were sodas, waters, beer, wine and snacks too much on while hanging out by the water. it was nice to just hang out, watch the boys ride the waves and read my magazine.

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The weather was very nice most of the trip but there was some rain. Once while we were visiting downtown. The sky just opened up and the rain poured down. There was thunder and lighting and The Boy kinda freaked out. Not a fan of lighting.

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The Boy and ZCP

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My new voodoo doll!

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Yummy!

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Overall we had a great time. The Ritz is known for their service and they did not disappoint. Everyone was so nice, introduced themselves and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed.

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And now some food porn….

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You cook your meat on a 400 degree block of salt! What? What?

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The cutest thing I ever ate.

The cutest thing I ever ate.

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The Kitchen seat

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ZCP and The Boy

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Future Chefs?!

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By the time this came out I was in a food coma. SO FULL.

Happy Birthday to My Man

Quinones

Quinones

On Saturday night, I took My Man out for his birthday dinner at Quinones at Bacchanalia. He has been wanting to go eat there for years and we were lucky to get reservations. We had a 20 course tasting. Mine was slighty different from My Man’s since I do not eat pork.

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SummerLand Farm Radish, Preserved lemon

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North Georgia Trout Crudo, Smoked Egg, House Made Yogurt

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Cauliflower, Red Onion Petals

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Jerusalem Artichoke Profiterole, Black Truffle

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House Cured Bresaola, Mustard

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Kumamoto Oysters, Caviar, Chervil

   

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Hamachi, Shoyu

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Marinated Clams, Uni

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Nantucket Bay Scallops

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Poached Loup de Mer, Sweet Potato

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Greens & Heirloom Grains, Onion, Foie Gras

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Confit Lamb Belly, Apple, Turnip

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Sweetbread, Pumpkin, Leek

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Ballotine of Squab, Chestnut, Sour Cherry

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Lamb Tongue “Ribolitta”

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Apple, Endive, Cabernet

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Cranberry, Orange

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Chocolate & Buttermilk

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Petit Fours

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Happy Birthday!

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Madeleines

I forgot to take a picture of th Maple Pecan desert. We also went ahead and had the Wine Pairings with the meal. All were very good except the I wasn’t a big fan of the port we had with desert. Much to thick and sweet for me. My Man had a wonderful time and the food was incredible. Quinones is now our favorite special occasion restaurant. Today is My Man’s actual birthday and his first gift from me is that I am not waking him up.

I hope you all have a Happy Monday!!

Breaking Free today…

Hello Reader’s!

The bruises on my back are gone! Woot! Woot! Waking up and getting up out of bed is getting easier each day. I am also able to raise my right arm above my head without any pain. Still taking the pain pills but not as often or as much. I am on the mend.

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Guess what!?! I am leaving the house today! It has been over a week since I last left the Hotel Yorba. My Man and I will be going out to dinner tonight to Empire Sate South. This is one of Hugh Acheson‘s restaurant. We have been there a few times before and have loved our meals. They have a Half Shell Oysters cocktail, celery mignonette, ESS hot sauce, benne crackers as an appetizer that I may get. Yummy. They also have a six course tasting. Since we have a nice sized gift card, that may be what we will try. Either way, I am looking forward to tonight.

The Boy will be spending the night at his friend, Corey’s, house. He is very excited.  We don’t have much else planned for the weekend, which is kinda nice. I may try driving, it will depend on how the pain is on my right side and if my arm feels strong enough.

Whatcha Reading?

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I have started a new book, Police, by Jo Nesbo. I have read almost all the books Nesbo has has written in The Harry Hole series. In fact the only ones I haven’t read are the ones that have yet to be translated into english yet.

Jo Nesbo

Jo Nesbo

Nesbo is from Norway and has written over 20 novels. The first book of his I read was called The Snowman. Very good. Unfortunately I have not been able to read the entire series in order. For example, book two, in a 12 book series, isn’t coming out in English until February. I don’t know why they have released them done this way. It is kind of confusing but well worth it. Check them out.

What are your plans for the weekend?

 

 

 

My body hurts…

Getting up this morning was painful, very painful. I was feeling yesterday’s workout. I got My Man and the The Boy (whose eyes look swollen from allergies) off to work/school and took off to the gym. I got there at 7:30 and walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Then at 8 am SK came and got me for more torture. Really, it wasn’t too bad…in the beginning. By the time we started to work on my abs, I hit the wall…and backed up and hit it again. I was tired, my legs were sore and my knee really hurt. When I got home I took a few Advil for my knee and by the lunch time, it felt a lot better. Tomorrow I plan on riding the exercise bike and then on Friday I got back to see SK and then Yoga. By then, I will really need a good stretch and a nice glass of wine.

Random thought: We got our tax refund today! Woot! Woot!

Farm Burger

Farm Burger

The Boy’s piano lesson was cancelled today, so we went out to dinner instead! We had seen this burger place called Farm Burger when My Man and I were out for a date night last month and decided to give it a try.

Farm Burger is defined by its mission, its farms, its team, and its community. We depend on local farmers, ranchers and land stewards to make your burger as good as it is. From our beef to our tomatoes to our compostable containers to our owners, Farm Burger is sustainable, local, humane, and helping to reroute our food system to function more like an ecosystem than a corporation. Our goal is to connect soil, animal, plant, rancher, butcher, chef & you…all in a simple wire basket.

When I read this and saw their menu, I knew this was my kind of burger joint. As I have said in the past, I don’t eat much red meat since at most places you really don’t know where it comes from. Why all beef can’t come from happy cows, who live a happy life getting fat on grass and sun bathing, I don’t know. Hopefully one day.

Fries & Rings

Fries & Rings

Anyway, back to the restaurant. My burger was very good. The crisp pickles and yummy smoked gouda cheese made it delicious! My Man and I split a basket of fries and rings. The Boy got a kids cheese burger, fries and shake. He was happy.  My Man was happy.

Shake

Shake

We were all happy.

Question: Do you ever feel that you don’t workout enough?

 

Food Porn

Bone Garden Cantina

1425 Ellsworth Ind Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30318

http://www.bonegardencantina.com

menu

So since it was so nice out on Monday and the boy was out for Spring Break, My Man and I decided to go down to one of our favorite mexican places for dinner. This was a perfect place for me to go since it was Meatless Monday. They have a lot of veggie and fish options to choose from.

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We started out with chips and guacamole. We thought this would be a “healthier” choice then the queso dip (which is  also very yummy). I ate to many chips. I was so hungry by the time we got there (stuck in ATL traffic) I just couldn’t stop eating them. Plus the guacamole is really good…and healthy!

the boy

For dinner I ordered the Abichuelas Sopes and the Poco Chihuahua Enchiladas. I had never had the enchilada before and it was very good. I will get it again. Two items to also check out is the Ceviche and Betabel Salad.

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The vibe at Bone Garden is very funky. If you do not like skulls or tattoos, this place is not for you. If you want “real” mexican food, a fun vibe and great service, go check it out. Tell them My Hotel Yorba sent you!

http://www.bonegardencantina.com/images/Menu/bgcmenu1.13.pdf

Nudes

alter

PS.- They are not open on Sunday!

Local Three

Link

Local Three

Local Three

Local Three is located at

290 Northside Parkway NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327

http://www.localthree.com/index.html

We have eaten at Local Three a few times now. Since my parents were in town for the Easter weekend we thought we would take them their to check it out. Like us, they love a good meal. I love the vibe. The food is really good and inventive. This is the type of place where being a waiter isn’t just a job but a career. You could tell that our waiter , Ken, not only loved working there but he was also very passionate about the food. He knew where they got the mushrooms from, where they grew the lettuce (in a warehouse in downtown ATL) and the farms where they got their berries from. Plus, they play good music and have paintings of “The Dude”  and pigs all over the place. I told my parents they did not need to dress up too much. The waiters all wear jeans and have tattoos. Of course my Dad said “Our waiter doesn’t have any tattoos!” Ken preceded to lift his sleeve up and show off some of his tats! HA!

Me & The Boy

Me & The Boy

Snacks

Snacks

First came the Snacks. The thing to know about Local Three’s menu is that if something is in quotes, you better ask for a description of the item. Justin and I started out with the Royal with Cheese. The first time we came here and ordered it we thought we would be getting a mini hamburger. Yeah, no. The Angus Beef is served Tartar and it is topped with an egg on top! So Yummy!

Royal w/ Cheese

Royal w/ Cheese

Check out the bar. Ken told us that the bar (which is pretty long) and three of the six top tables were made out of a large tree that had fallen across the road durning a storm here in ATL. If you are a bourbon lover, this is the place for you. They have pages and pages of bourbons on their drink list.

Bar

Bar

All the salt and pepper shakers are different. You can tell someone went to a lot of yard sales to get them. The Boy liked theses two. Only problem with them is that he likes to play with them and that is kinda gross.

Salt & Pepper

Salt & Pepper

For my appetizer I got the Lump Crab “Salad”. There are those quotes again! The lump crab was toped with honey mustard ice cream. Yes, ice cream! It was so Yummy!! Unlike the Snack, I did not have to share with My Man. He did get a taste and really loved it.

Lump Crab "Salad"

Lump Crab “Salad”

I love wine. Really, Really love it. My dad picked out CrossBarn by Paul Hobbs. It is a Pinot Noir and was very good. Pinot’s are my favorite. My parents are going to Nappa Vally and Sonoma in a few weeks and added this winery on their tour.

Yummy!

Yummy!

Ok, Shay, the place looks and sounds great but can I bring my kids there? Yes. The Boy is almost 8 and this is his third visit to Local Three. Whenever we go out to the dinner with him we tend to get to the restaurant around 5:30. We where there last night for about an hour and half and by the time we left, both tables next to us had kids with them. However, if you were looking for a date night place, it works too. My Man and I have eaten there around 7:30-8pm and it was great vibe too.

If you are someone who loves good food, check it out!! Tell them My Hotel Yorba sent you!