Orlando's Magical Dining Month 2015

Since moving to the Central Florida area, I have discovered that there is no shortage of fast food chain restaurants (*gag*) here to cater to the transient nature of our locale.

Finding decent restaurants have been difficult.

Farm to table? Laughable.

 

Actually (sadly), many have never heard of such a thing.

Which is a good segway to Farmer's Markets.

 

Naively, I thought if you could grow year round, the farmer's markets and availability would be plentiful and many. On the contrary, there were more in the Northeast (no question). Which is a real shame.

Now, this doesn't mean we haven't found excellent spots for both food and locally grown items.

But many are far from where we are currently living. Which makes sense since we live somewhat outside of Orlando and what seems to me to be the middle of nowhere (25 minutes to my nearest Target is downright near ridiculous! That's almost a whole half hour!)

Eventually, we hope to live closer to farmer's markets and locally sourced eats ... but in the meantime, we travel far and farther to seek them out one by one!

I also try to subscribe to local news and digital mags (Is that called an eMag? I don't know. I'm feeling very old right now.)

Alas, I digress. My real point is that I came across something called Magical Dining Month.

Magical Dining MONTH? I MUST HAVE DETAILS!

 

I learned that this is very similar to what the Boston, MA area called Restaurant Week[s] which are usually held various times throughout the year (usually one week each season).  Essentially, it would be a prix fixe menu and heavily discounted price (usually around $33 for dinner and about $10 less for lunch) so that people could have a chance to try out their favorite or once out of budget's reach restaurants. Doesn't mean all the participating restaurants are a steal or that they offer a good deal.

I'm surprised and somewhat pleased that Orlando hosts something similar. And I'm on a mission to try as many as possible. May not be as many as I'd like but does that ever happen?

This full invitation to splurge has a preview week on August 24 and officially begins the week after.

For people wanting more info on it, menus and more are posted at www.VisitOrlando.com.

As we go to try them, I will be posting pics, reviews and final thoughts on each one!

Stay tuned!!

Suggestions are WELCOME!

Vene, Vidi, Edi!

Another Chapter ... Same Book.

Recently, I was reminded of this blog in an indirect way. I googled it. Then giggled. The site was not saved in my Favorites folder. Yeah. Fuh-nay.

 

Rereading old posts (back from 2009!) brought back so many memories - good and bad - and how cathartic it was for me to have this blog during those years.

 

These days, I have left the blogging to the ones more dedicated to the art.

But, I still love the idea of keeping this one alive.

 

My twins are now three. Almost four, if you must know! 

I blinked a few times and each have crossed joyous, scary, memorable and touching milestones each time.

Here is a recent pic of my cuties! Summer 2015.

 {Let's quickly catch up!}

 

We live in Central Florida now. A big move from the Northeast from all that we've ever known. Florida is home to a few things I probably should have known prior to coming down...

1. Bugs. Lots of them. And they are B.I.G. And they are many. And they are not my friends.
2. Lightening. Did you know that Florida is the lightening capital of the world? Ok, just the U.S. Apparently, Africa is the lightening capital of the world. At least that's what Google told me. 
3. Rain. The summer months here (June, July and August) are considered the rainy ones in Florida. Not sure why I didn't think of that. Rain leads to flooding. And bugs and slimy critters trying to share our inside space. Trust me. I know. We just had our own Battle of the Bulge here [of the red ant variety].  Did I mention bugs are not my friends?

Not everything in Florida is bad.

     For one, from September to May, the weather is supremely more glorious.

        And we can technically go swimming year round in the heated pool.

           Disney is but just a short drive away.

              Not to mention the plethora of other theme parks.

                 And there is no ice to chip off my windshield and snow to shovel 

                 during the winters up north that seem to be stretching longer and longer each year.

 

So to backtrack (or to come full circle for the glass half full folks), I created this blog as a sort of ... therapy ... and to keep personal questions at bay. They were too painful to talk about then. Sometimes still now. But not nearly as much. Actually, these days, I feel warmth when I think or speak of Nari and Matthew (the first).

 

Time wrote so many unwritten pages from our earlier life chapters to the one we're living now.

 

I'm resurrecting this blog to write about this chapter and ones to come.

Full of life, follies, futures, frills and food. Okay. You got me! Mostly about food.

 

     I love to buy it, find it, cook it, taste it, look at it and dream about it!

 

My husband (who puts up with all of my crazy) has been after me to start a food blog.

I think I'm grossly underqualified to do so but don't mind doing it for my own sake and for fun.

 

So here we go again!

 

Hamilton Rain - When It Rains It Pours!

(Oh! Just realized that the original title made a poor pun. You know 'cuz we're in Florida now?  [blank stares and crickets, huh?]  Oh, never mind!)

 

You're still reading the same book with the same characters but an entirely new chapter ... with lots of food references, kitchen gadgets, menus, recipes, reviews and who knows what else! AND hopefully the two or three people that read this will post their food ideas too with pictures and their thoughts on gadgets they've used. Stay tuned, folks!

 

Vene, Vidi, Edi!

My bounty from a successful local farmer's market run (seems few and far between around here!).

 

New, New, New

This blog faded away for a little while ... mostly to two crying babies that turned too soon into the antics of two busy toddlers.

We just look at the two of them in awe and wonder how they got so big. I recently bought them some new clothes (all clearance and sale items for next season/year) and thought "These just look huge!"

*tear*sniff*sniff*

I'm amazed at their tenacity, their big personalities packaged into such tiny bodies and their sheer energy for life. It inspires me everyday to be present and alive right along with them even when there are days when I'd rather be wasting the day away in bed.

My husband and I recently (and finally) got on a health kick. Not blindly or fanatically so (which means we still indulge in the chocolate, alcohol and coffee) but we've started running 5Ks and cooking lighter.

And speaking of cooking, I've rediscovered my LOVE of it. The sheer flexibility and creative liberties I can take with food that can be shared with the people I care about. It's definitely an extension of my affection for my family. We're self proclaimed foodies (but not the snobby kind ... maybe sometimes the yuppie kind though :)

I've been on a slight work "break" from my career job for several months. Since last September to be exact. It's been a blessing to have had that time with Matthew and Aria but I am returning to full time this coming Monday.

I'm anxious and excited at the same time. I'm wondering if I'll be able to hack it back in an office setting again with adult speaking actual English. My brain has been on hiatus and even though I read, play brain teasers and scratch my head at crosswords, I know its not the same kind of strain someone has at the office.

Anyway, I'm hoping not to disappoint. Not just my future co-workers but my kids, my husband and me. I've been able to spend so much time with my kids and be there for all of their various appointments that it will be strange not to be able to do so now. I've been able to cook lavish and time intensive meals that it will just not be the same to come in and rush through a "quick" meal. And I will miss my husband's impromptu days at home that his flexible work schedule allows.

I'm prepping a shopping list now to get ready for the week. I think I will try to cook a few casseroles and possibly crockpot dishes for the week to see if that is successful. When I decide what my menu is for the week, I will post them here to chronicle them and try to keep record of what works and what doesn't.

Women, especially working moms, are the superheroes of our time.

12 Weeks Already?

And here we are ... already 12 weeks old!!

And wow - time has just FLOWN by around here. I can't believe I really have to think about going back to work soon but reality sets in as my funds go down while the formula is still flowing and the dirty diapers continue to pile up (about 400 hundred a month ... yep, I said FOUR HUNDRED).

Anyway, enough depressing news!

Let me tell you what's new with these little guys!

At their last doctor's appointment, Matthew weighed 10lbs 11oz and Aria weighed 9lbs 10oz (although truth be told, Matthew feels like he weighs at least 5lbs more!).

They both respond to voices and follow objects and sounds with they eyes and head now. They either complain about things that bother them or smile when they hear something that makes them happy. Aria has found her fist and puts it in her mouth any chance she gets (or when she realizes that it's there again).

Matthew is very laid back but takes after his dad's hunger pangs. Think Snicker's commercial slogan "You're not yourself when you're hungry". How TRUE that is!!! He is already cutting a tooth (yikes!). We may start him on a little cereal at four months (with our doctor's ok).

Aria is a little more particular ... about everything. I suppose she takes after me there but I say that there is nothing wrong with having high standards!

We had a month of "Firsts" in January. We all took our first solo trip out.

Check out his little vest ...

Aria is a lot more excited than Matthew.

And where did we go on this monumental trip?

Where else but ...

Might I add that it was rainy and probably not the best day to make that trip out with two babies alone but I had such cabin fever, I honestly didn't care.

And I also made a deposit at the bank, mailed some letters and got a coffee.

What do all those places have in common?

Drive thrus, my friend.

Us moms seriously need a lot more drive thrus. Especially moms of multiples. Think this through ... I could order my things online at Target and then just drive thru to pick them up. That equals a little bit of retail heaven! :)

I finally also made it to my first Queen City Mothers of Twins Club event. It was a mom's night out event at a place called You're Fired in Bedford, NH. It was a great time. I decided to make two owl banks. They came out so cute!

And while I've been busy taking care of the babies, Ken has been busy taking care of me.

White roses for me "Just Because"

He surprised me one Saturday afternoon "Just Because". I was so overwhelmed and surprised! Those little things still count and are SO important to keep US recharged and going strong. What's life without a little romance? 

Yeah. It exists in a marriage ;)

Sorry this post has been so long overdue! I've been remiss in my motherly duties of taking milestone pictures and videos but I've been trying to be more cognizant of it.

Until next time, Matthew and Aria say good night to you all!

Happy Holidays!!

The end of 2011 culminates the close of a very blessed year for us.

After many struggles, we finally welcomed two very precious healthy bundles safely into our lives. We're settling into our home in NH and adjusting to different work schedules.

I can't think of any pearls of wisdom or witty sayings at the moment. My ears are listening to my babies napping noises, my mind is slightly sleepy and my body is healing from nine months of growth.

We just want to say thank you to so many people. What a tremendous help it has been for people to drop by with ready made meals, treats for our sweet tooths (guilty!) and baby things. We didn't know or realize we would need it before but we're so thankful for all of these things now.

We hope you enjoyed the birth announcements and our holiday cards are on the way!

In case you missed it or are not on Facebook, click below to view our Christmas card and photos:

Counted Blessings:Peppermint Christmas Cards
Check out our collection of Christmas cards and holiday cards.

Wishing all of you out there a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
May it be filled with laughter, love and many unexpected joys.

Hugs to all,
Ken, Naria, Emma, Matthew & Aria

First Photo Shoot

Things at the Hamilton household are quite hectic these days. Juggling the feedings, explosive diapers (yes, folks - infants can have those too) and household chores consume most of my waking (and sleeping) hours.

Amidst all the loving chaos, we did manage to have a good friend come by for a visit and for the babies' first photo shoot! We took several in their Christmas best as well as some candid no clothes shots.

Here are some of my favorites:

Aria



Matthew



Aria in her stocking



Matthew in his stocking



Holding hands ...



Aria with big sister, Emma



Matthew with his big sister



The End of their First Photo Shoot.



They are Here!!!

So this is a little late but I've been busy changing diapers and feeding mouths around here!
I'm happy to announce that we welcomed two additions to our home on November 18, 2011.

Matthew Douglas Hamilton was born at 9:45am. He was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 20 inches long. He is our little monkey baby with a head full of dark hair and plenty of body hair to match!

Aria Yong Hamilton was born at 9:46am. She was 5 pounds 11 ounces and 18 inches long. She is our dainty angel with a little halo of fuzz on her head.

Every task is doubled and now that Ken has returned to work, I have all the night time feedings and diaper changes. That transition hasn't been easy while also trying to recover from my c-section.

Regardless of the lack of sleep and any discomfort, they are my miracle babies. They were born full term at great birth weights. Neither of them needed to go into the NICU as many twins do and were able to come home when I was discharged from the hospital.

Since we've been home, they've been eating great, gaining weight and have been such good babies. They've brought us such peace and a wholeness to our lives.

We were lucky enough to bring them home a few days before Thanksgiving ...



... and we are thankful for our blessings.

(btw, in case you're wondering:

Matthew's shirt says "Mommy's little turkey" and Aria's shirt says "Thankful for daddy".)

We gave them their first baths this past Monday. I can tell you that they weren't as excited as we were.

Matthew's "BEFORE" photo = Content

During...

...and Matthew's "AFTER" photo = NOT content

Aria's "BEFORE" photo seconds before water ...

...And here come the waterworks!

...and drying off ... and camera shy.

Even though the babies weren't as excited about their bath as Ken and I were, it simply illustrates why parents become parents. Reliving every experience through their eyes makes even the most mundane seem like an adventure.

Check back often for updates and our latest adventures!

At last!

Cliches like "Better late than never" and "Some things are worth waiting for" come to mind as I upload these photos but honestly, thanks for being patient because these photos really should have been posted weeks ago!

So without further ado, our finished nursery ... Only days before their arrival!

Far wall room view

Far right room view

Matthew's Space

Aria's Space

Changing Table

Matthew's mobile (Little green monsters if you couldn't tell :)

Aria's mobile (a little more fancy)

Bamboo Hardwood Floor & Rug

Nursery Light (that also glows in the dark!)

Growth Charts

New picture window

Much needed swing and left side of closet

Left side of closet and middle anchor

Right side of closet

Bouncer

Located outside of nursery door ... Self-explanatory, right?

So I apologize for the grainy photos. I took them with my iPod instead of the camera because it was easier for me to upload but I'm sure you get the general idea.

The stripes details on the nursery walls aren't as easy to see and Ken will tell you now that they look good but don't let him fool you into thinking he was excited about the idea of painting stripes from the get-go. After all the renovations we've been through together, you would think he would leave the details up to me but it is usually still an ongoing "discussion".

Hope you enjoyed the photos. The next ones we post will be the babies living in this room!

Countdown has officially begun as we are now less than two days away!!

Nursery is Almost Complete

After weeks of hard work, I'm happy to report that we now have hardwood floors installed, walls up and painted, windows installed and even the cribs put together in our nursery. I haven't yet had the chance to take some pictures but I am hoping to do so within the next few days.

I am 36 weeks and 3 days today. If I were only expecting one, 40 weeks would be considered full term. I cannot even imagine waiting four more weeks!! As it is, I'm not looking forward to waiting another two weeks. Well, a little less than two.

Although I have had many good intentions of packing a hospital bag, I haven't even done that yet. Lately, I'm having a hard time just keeping up with my bathroom breaks and the laboring walk (or the pregger shuffle/waddle I now have) just to get to the bathroom.

But I'm not complaining! I am only anxious!

Pictures soon!

Must break for lunch now :)

False Alarm (Dad's Version)

As I sat quietly in my office on Tuesday morning reviewing the list of items I needed to complete by day’s end, I casually viewed a text message my wife sent.

"Gah - going to Labor & Delivery for IV. Boo".

Now, my first reaction, as I am sure most expecting fathers would be, was one of pure shock and scared out of my pants!

I was thinking to myself, the bedroom is not ready, the house is not ready, we still need another car seat, and hell, I'm not ready!

My mind was racing when I started to text her back asking if everything is ok. I had to wait a good 10 minutes for a reply because there were nurses and doctors in her room. I will say those ten minutes felt more like 10 hours and the whole time I am wondering, “Is she delivering”?

My fears were solidified when she finally texted back ten minutes/hours later stating she was having contractions!

I jumped to my feet thinking I am about to be the father of twins coming a month early. I promptly called my wife’s cell phone to see how she was doing and what I needed to bring.

Of course, she did not answer the phone....................At this point I am packing up my stuff and getting ready to head to the hospital.

I was moving through my office like a pro football running back having flash backs of my youth. Now, I will not sit here and say I was driving to the hospital like an old man on a Sunday morning gazing at the leaves. However, I did make it from the office in downtown Boston to Allston in record time. Mario Andretti would have been proud.

I burst into the hospital room my beautiful wife was in, half expecting to see her in the throes of child birth. Instead, I see her lying there as cool as cucumber watching Jerry Springer while sipping her Apple juice.

Her response to me coming in the room, “Can we get Mama’s for dinner tonight?”

Needless to say, it was a false alarm, this is my story and I am sticking to it!

The Waiting Game ...

34 weeks and 5 days today. We have about 3 more weeks to go.

Yikes! 

So close and yet so far away, right?

Even though I'm sure every mom-to-be experiences anxiety and excitement towards the end, I can tell you, it's none too pleasant. I still don't feel prepared at all.

Hospital bag is NOT packed.

Baby clothes are NOT laundered.

Nursery is NOT done.

All baby items NOT purchased.

But I try to keep positive. I'm still working full time from home at this point although I seem to get exhausted easily and my extremities ache. I have many good intentions to get things accomplished in tandem to working. Even though I sit at a computer all day for work, I don't find all that much time to do the other things I need to do during the day. I barely find the time and the energy to make myself breakfast and lunch.

Wah! Wah! Wah!

I'm done whining now.

I did buy the extra car base we needed on Amazon today. I cleaned up some clutter around the house today and I am hoping to complete a few other tasks between bathroom breaks. I am also planning to cook dinner tonight as well.

I'm thankful to NOT be on bedrest at this point so I'm most thankful for that.

Sacrifice = Labor of Love.

False Alarm

Yesterday, I went to my weekly prenatal office visit not really thinking anything was out of the ordinary. Of course, I live in NH and my doctor is in Boston so if you are from this area, you can simply imagine the type of horrific traffic that is required to get from Point A to Point B.

I left the house at 7:30a and got there just 15 minutes before my appointment ... which was scheduled for 9:30a.

It is routine for me to have a non stress test every week now since we're only about a month away from delivery. Needless to say, that seems to be where it all went downhill. My usual standard appointment turned into a "put on a johnny and get to labor & delivery" appointment.

I was hooked to IVs, strapped to monitors and I wondered "Would this be a bad time to ask to go to the bathroom?"

In the end, it was a false alarm and I was allowed to go home with babies still cooking inside.

Ken came rushing over to the hospital from work when I texted him earlier in the morning that they were taking me into labor & delivery. He had the idea that really meant "labor" and "delivery" even though I told him it didn't.

I laugh now remembering how he flew into the room. I'm not sure what he was expecting. All he found was me in the bed, with a johnny on and strapped every which way while flicking through daytime TV.

Now that I'm down to the wire, I'm supposed to take it easier.

I know that hubby was definitely relieved that babies didn't arrive yesterday.

He was thinking "That nursery is NOT finished!"
I was thinking "I never even packed my bag, washed those baby clothes, picked a pediatrician or figured out that breast pump!"

Obviously, us ladies multi-task even in our thoughts.

It's a Boy! Oh ... and It's a Girl!

For those of you that were able to make it to my shower amid your busy fall schedules and the funky New England weather, Ken and I are immensely appreciative!

For everyone else, we're so sorry you missed it but hope we are able to catch up in the New Year!

The shower was held at the Stonehenge Inn & Spa in Tyngsborough, MA. It was a wonderful spot although the muggy weather left little to be desired that day. It was a fall festival theme so guests were greeted with cotton candy upon arrival, cider donuts during lunch and kettle corn and caramel apples to take home.

We were happy to see so many friendly faces before these new ones arrive!
Food and company were excellent! 

Is there anything more blissful than that?

Special thanks to our friends Allison and Angie for coordinating this whole event into a stressless time for this one somewhat stressed lady!

Below are some pictures for you to enjoy :) 

(Disclosure: Ignore the fact that I take up the ENTIRE space in the pictures I happen to be in!

And why did I think wearing stripes was a good idea?  You've been forewarned!)

The shower was a great success and I hope everyone who attended had a great time. I know we all enjoyed it immensely!

We also disclosed the names of our little ones.

Matthew Douglas & Aria Yong. 

Both middle names are our respective fathers' first names and the first names are ones we chose that were special to us.

Today, I am 32 weeks along and counting down the days until they arrive. Doctor still says the week before Thanksgiving is the magic day but we'll see what happens!

I've invested in a maternity support belt (strong support). It is the anti-sexy belt and there is no hiding it but it's well worth the money and the purpose it serves. This stomach is starting to run away from my body and that isn't the most pleasant feeling I've experienced.

Otherwise, I don't think I'm faring too badly. I'm moving a lot slower these days especially if I have to walk a long distance.

I've had my first experience riding an Amigo a few weeks ago at our local Lowes Home Improvement at my hubby's insistence and my subsequent embarrassment. BTW, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about ... its basically one of those ride on carts for the elderly and handicapped. I'm not sure I fall into either category but the thing beeps when you put it in reverse and it doesn't go more than 5 mph ... maybe even less than that.

Life brings one new experience with the next ... I embrace them all.
Even ones like that.