Winter in Miami!

While the rest of the country is covered in snow and recovering from that crazy Arctic Freeze, here in Miami we are enjoying a gorgeous 65 degrees!  It's the middle of the winter and this is only the third time the weather has gotten lower than 70 degrees and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This has been one of the few Saturdays that I was done with my baking early enough that I got to enjoy the day!  So naturally I headed to the beach to walk, shop, and people watch.  Lincoln Road is a long strip of shops and restaurants on South Beach full of people galore!  So we opened up the sunroof and rolled down all the windows and jammed out on the 20 minute drive there.

The weather was PERFECT!  I would pick palm trees over snow any time!   It was so nice to be able to walk around without a time schedule or a care in the world.  We stopped for a drink and then went to H&M and spent too much money!  I got some really cute stuff for work though so it was worth it!

Then we headed to Nexxt Cafe for drinks and spinach dip!  After that we browsed Dylan's Candy Bar and got ice cream.  I had the Candy Bar Blast that has 17 different kinds of candies in it.  It was delish!

All in all it was a great day!  I'm loving this weather and hoping it sticks around for a while!

Have a great weekend everyone!! :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Yearrrrr!!!!  Hellllooooo 2014!  This is a new year, there are new hopes and aspirations, new resolutions and new spirits, and a new chance for everyone to get things right!  

I've never been very good at making resolutions and when I do I rarely keep them all year long, but THIS year is going to be different.  2014 is going to be MY year!  As much as I'd like to say I'm going to lose weight and keep a budget and all the usual resolutions - I'm not.

This year here is what I'm thinking:

• I'm going to start talking to new people.
• I'm going to aim to have at least 20 new regular baking clients.
• I'm going to open a savings account and not spend all the money by the end of the year.
• I'm going to go on a real vacation this year - minimum seven days...because I deserve it!
• I'm going to put myself first and make 2014 about me!

They aren't the usual resolutions but they are what I think will be best for me this year!  I'm really looking forward to this year, I think it will be a great one!  Also, for some weird reason I've noticed years ending in even numbers are generally a little bit more exciting for me, so let's see what this year has in store!

I'm not a very superstitious person but I do believe in good juju and creating a good vibe around yourself. For the new year I like to do a few things to hopefully bring in the luck!  So I'm making Hoppin' John for dinner tonight!  Hoppin' John is a Southern dish with black-eyed peas and ham.  The black-eyed peas are supposed to bring luck and prosperity in the new year.  I also made sure to eat 12 grapes at midnight - the grape symbolize each month of the new year and are supposed to bring luck as well!  

Here's a picture of my Hoppin' John that's currently cooking away in my crock-pot!

It looks so good and my house smells amazing!  I can't wait to dig in!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a promising and fulfilling New Year ahead of you!