Vacation Highlights

My favorite foodie friends,

I always have this illusion that over the summer I will have the chance to post more often.  Ha...
This has been such a great summer though (and it's not even over yet)!  I've enjoyed each and every second I've spent with loved ones.  My mister and I had the opportunity to take a trip to Bermuda without our little one - this trip was definitely one to remember.  Conquering my fear of flying was so worth it!

Bermuda is not part of the Caribbean, it's actually considered a "North Atlantic" island.  It is about 600 miles from the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.  However, with water like this it's really easy to see why it's mistaken for a Caribbean island....

Bermuda's beautiful "pink sand" comes from microscopic red organisms that live among the coral.  Those red organisms blend with white particles to create the gorgeous pink hue.  

We stayed at Bermuda's Coco Reef Resort in Paget Parish.  This resort was amazing - it is located right on Elbow Beach with it's own private stretch of beach.  The food was perfect, the staff was friendly and helpful, the location was priceless.

The water at Elbow beach is dotted with volcanic rock built up from vents in the ocean.  We had a great time snorkeling around them and climbing up on to the tops at low tide. 

There were so many things that we didn't even get to explore on this trip, so I think a third trip is in the works.  We'd love to visit the Royal Naval Dockyard and the Crystal Caves in the future, but it was so difficult to drag ourselves away from the gorgeous beach on this trip. 

Onto the food (and drinks!)....

Bermuda is known for some yummy cocktails.  The first one that we had, a Rum Swizzle, was at the Swizzle Inn.  This drink was a combination of Bermuda rum, and fruit juices (orange and pineapple).  The drink was okay and so was the food.  Oh well, you never know until you try, right?

The second drink we tried was my absolute favorite .. the Dark and Stormy (although there was nothing dark or stormy about our vacay thankfully).  The Dark and Stormy is made with Gosling's Rum and ginger beer - love. 

The food in Bermuda was, for the most part, wonderful.  Bermuda is really a foodie's paradise because the culinary style of the island is a mix of cultures, amazing flavors, and quality ingredients.  Be aware ... everything is pricey due to the fact that nearly all of the items have to be imported. 

My favorite meal of the trip was a dinner at the resort.  I honestly would have been thrilled to eat there every night, but I didn't want to regret choosing not to venture out to other landmark restaurants/pubs.

Chinese Five Spiced Chicken Breast with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms in a Ginger Sauce

(I'm in the process of trying to recreate this one.)

My mister's favorite dish...

Bermuda Bonito over a Carrot Slaw and Tomato Salad

Aside from visiting the Swizzle Inn, we also went to The Hog Penny (a pub visited by Rachel Ray on "40 Dollars a Day").  This pub is said to be the true inspiration for the Cheers bar.  The food was great, but the service was slow (it was Harbour Night though so it was extremely crowded in Hamilton).  I had a salad, not something that was really picture-worthy ... but I did indulge in a little local bar food.

Sweet Bermuda Onion Rings ... couldn't resist Mmmmmm!

Loved the look of the bar

So, that's about it for this trip.  It was really just beach, food, and drinks - nothing wrong with that, right?  

New recipes coming soon!

Thanks for reading, friends xo