Vacation Food

For our trip to Orlando, I brought several food items to eat for snacks and breakfast.

We liked eating something in our room to start off the day and then we'd eat an early lunch and beat the crowds.  Not that there were many crowds because the first week of November is considered off-season.

I brought cereal bars, granola bars and nuts.  Each night, we'd stop in the little store at the hotel and purchase milk for the next morning.  

While shopping for this trip, I came across some fun meal replacements at Target.  We tried the Hummus and Salami one and we loved them both.  They are $3.99 but I got them on sale for $3.50 which is a bargain compared to what the theme parks charge for breakfast!

If you're looking for a gluten-free meal, the Hummus and Crackers is the one for you.  It was also very filling.

Another thing that saved me on this trip was bringing little half and half cups for my coffee.  I can not stand the powdered chemical packets that are supposed to pass for creamer.  Having these in the hotel room made starting my day so much easier. 

The Ivy Gimlet

Back in May, I went on vacation to California with 6 blogger friends.  We rented a beach house in Huntington Beach and had a great time!

The highlight of this trip was our visit to The Ivy in LA.

Our favorite cocktail was The Ivy Gimlet.  I've been thinking about that refreshing drink for two months and finally decided to make one at home.  It was also helpful that I bought a package of mint for a recipe (Chilled Avocado Soup) and only needed a tablespoon of mint.  Left over mint means tasty gimlets!

I found a recipe online and tweaked it until I it was just like I remembered it.

I would like to note here that my husband disagrees that this is a gimlet and suggests that it's a mojito.  I'm just going by what the menu says at The Ivy. They call it a gimlet, therefore....I'm calling it a gimlet.

The Ivy Gimlet

3 sprigs of mint
ice
2 oz  vodka
1 oz simple syrup
juice from a 1/4 of a lime

Crush mint springs in a martini shaker with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon.  Add ice, vodka, simple syrup and lime juice.  Shake for 15 seconds.  Strain into glass filled with ice.  Garnish with mint, lime slices and a straw or not.

Rinse shaker and repeat.