Guest Post: Cherry Cobbler With Cheese Cream Crust Recipe

Hey y'all! Chris and I are still on vacation, and today I have a great guest post! Zully from www.foodiezoolee.com made a delicious recipe based on Traverse City, one of the places we visited in Michigan. I can't wait to make this cherry cobbler when I get home!

---

When Olya was looking for a guest post while on her trip I was really excited to jump at the opportunity to share a recipe with her readers! She mentioned that she would be visiting Traverse City, which is known for producing at least 70 percent of the tart cherries in the U.S. annually! That's over 200 million pounds - and lots of cherry cobbler!

I made these cherry cobblers from scratch and I know that might seem a little daunting for some of you at first, but believe me it's very easy. They are topped with a cream cheese crust, which you can easily make in 2-3 minutes. I swear once you make my cherry filling once, you will never buy the canned stuff again.


This recipe makes 4 servings (each person gets a ramekin). Total prep time is about 10 minutes. Total cook time is 45 minutes (10 minutes for filling + 35 minutes for baking).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup + 2 tbps sugar, divided
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups fresh cherries
3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp salt
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp heavy whipping cream

For the Cherry filling: In a large saucepan, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch. Add cherries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil until thickened. Spoon the mixture into 6 oz ramekins (I used a set of 4).



For the Cream Cheese Crust: Preheat oven to 350º. In a bowl combine flour, 1 tbsp of sugar, and salt. Mix until combined. Add cream cheese and butter. Mix until you have a dough.

Topping your Cobblers: Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Use the lip of a small bowl to cut a circle for each serving. Place on tip and lightly pinch edges with your fingers. Make a few slits to vent. Brush top with cream. Sprinkle the tops with remaining tbsp of sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a bonus treat!

Safe travels Olya and thanks so much for having me!

Guest Post: Five Things to do in West Palm Beach, Florida

Melody Pittman is a middle-aged luxury travel blogger who resides in Vero Beach, Florida, and Boquete, Panama.  She has been married half her life,an empty nester, and enjoys all travels whether big or small.  Melody’s motto for life is “If you want to be happy, be” by Leo Tolstoy.  She finds that travel blogging is the perfect combination to showcase all her passions: food, photography, writing, social media, and traveling. Find her on her website at www.whereverimayroamblog.com

---

Since moving to Florida, I have taken many road trips to wonderful destinations, but West Palm Beach is a city I love exploring and find myself ending up there frequently. West Palm is one of the ritziest areas in Florida and unofficially the start of the area of Florida what is referred to as "Southern Florida". West Palm Beach begins around I-95 and continues over to the east coast, where after crossing the intracoastal waterway, it simply becomes Palm Beach. Palm Beach is the richest zip code in the entire state of Florida and a gorgeous place to roam and sightsee, not to mention a prestigious address to have.

Here are five things things to do that showcase what West Palm Beach has to offer:

1. Open Your Wallet and Go Shopping- West Palm Beach is the home to high-end shopping, including both the CityPlace Mall and the newer Palm Beach Outlet shops, featuring a Nordstrom Rack, Sak's Off Fifth and over 100 other stores. CityPlace is an eclectic mix of stores, my favorites being Apricot Lane and Life in Palm Beach, with a wide selection of restaurants to choose from, including Cheesecake Factory and Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen. Though technically Palm Beach Gardens, it is still the part we consider West Palm, it is home to the upscale Gardens Mall. This 1.4 million square foot world-class shopping megaplex features 160 stores with anchor stores Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Macy's, Sear's, and Sak's Fifth Avenue. Shopping at this mall could literally take all day; but do not worry, great restaurants will help nourish you while you recharge. South of downtown is Antique Row, with over 40 stores to cater to collectors or browsers. Antique Row is often regarded as one of the best antique shopping neighborhoods in the country.

This photo of West Palm Beach is courtesy of TripAdvisor

2. Indulge in a Gourmet Meal- So much food, so little time. West Palm Beach is a culinary treat, with foods ranging from upscale comfort to dozens of ethnic varieties and about 50 sushi joints in between. ER Bradley's Saloon is one of my favorite stops (make sure to check out the primo rides at the Valet parking) as well as Grease Burger Bar, for delicious gourmet burgers, a cool drink menu, and root beer on tap. There are so many restaurants here that my bucket list for eating my way around West Palm Beach covers two full pages, and that is only based on referrals. See for yourself; visit West Palm hungry!

3. Visit the Flagler Museum- Standard Oil tycoon Henry Flagler's gilded age estate located in Palm Beach was one of the most opulent palaces in the world for its time. Flagler's rich influence and sense of style is apparent not only in St. Augustine, where the famed college sits, but at Whitehall as well. The National Historic Landmark is open to the public, as the Flagler Museum, to commemorate one of Florida's most important Magnates who brought the East Coast Railway System to the state of Florida. One can see the grandiose stylings from the outside of the building, lined with Doric columns, and in everything this man laid his hands on. The drawing room on the first floor is my favorite, decorated elegantly. Another favorite feature is the wrought iron looking ceiling in the breakfast room, modeled after Warwick Castle. The museum has a pristine afternoon tea service, served in the Cafe des Beaux-Arts, that is available from November to late March, or during 'season' as we call it in Florida. Tea and museum admission to non-members is $40 per person.

4. Stroll Clematis Street- Clematis, the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, is a stylish street to people watch and be seen in the West Palm Beach neighborhood. A most interesting bunch of people are sure to raise a few eyebrows strolling around in the latest fashions or lack of clothing. This popular street is home to a gorgeous theatre that shows off-Broadway style shows as well as local productions. Boutique retailers and national brands offer designer threads, gorgeous bed linens, antiques and collectibles lining the street separated by nightspots, international restaurants, and trendy cafes. Many work lofts and luxury condos dot the landscape as well as historic landmarks. In the heart of Clematis is a fountain that is surrounded by appealing gardens. Flagler Drive at Intracoastal Waterway is where the street begins and is home to a fun filled sandcastle competition in December. The views of the Intracoastal are spectacular and the size of the yachts, impressive!

5. Tour the Breakers Hotel- The West Palm Beach icon, another of Henry Flagler's legacy, the Breakers Hotel is a five star luxury oceanfront resort that has the most magnificent drive leading to the entrance, lined with palm trees and beckoning the well to do. It will leave you feeling like you have just driven onto a movie set in Hollywood. Valet park your car and spend $25 inside the hotel (get your card stamped) and the parking is free. I recommend ordering 2 desserts at the Seafood Bar, $25 total, and that should take care of the parking fee. The Seafood Bar restaurant is nautical in theme and features two custom bars made of fish tanks full of colorful fish and eels. My friends and I shared the creme brûlée and the key lime pie desserts- sensational! Even the little seashell tipped silver spoon and cloth linen napkins were memorable. Be sure to visit the Breaker's boutiques and walk around to see the exquisite ballrooms, meeting rooms (adorned with explorers) and gardens. The Lily Pulitzer store offers a special printed scarf designed exclusively for the Breakers Hotel. Maybe you will get lucky and spot a celebrity on your visit. Unfortunately you will not get at a glimpse of the pool without a room card. This timeless classic is on my bucket list of hotels to stay at.

Guest Post: You Know You're From the Caribbean When...

Hey everyone, we are on our Lake Michigan Circle Tour, but I have a real treat for you. I love sweet Kay from The Kay Times, and I am so excited she is guest posting for me today! Take it away, lady!

---

Hi guys I'm Kay and I blog over at The Kay Times. I'm stoked that Olya let me take over her blog today.

One of the things I love about Olya is her cultural background, being born in Siberia and living in the U.S. I love hearing about the unique things from different cultures. I myself am not from the U.S. (in case that wasn't fairly obvious) and there are many eccentric (and frankly comically weird) things about people who grew up in the Caribbean. You can spot us a mile away I tell ya!
 

via

... You think anything Under 30 degrees Celsius (70's F) is freezing!

... 36 - 40 degrees (90's to 100) is legit unbearable and RARELY ever happens (if ever).

... You work with people you went to school with ... Or who knows someone you went to school with

... You wash 'wares', you don't 'do the dishes'.

... You put ketchup on your pizza ... and pepper sauce (this may just be Trinidad ha!)

... You eat everything with 'pepper' (hot sauce)

... And you know someone who 'makes pepper'

... Sunday lunch is an occasion

... You know that a 'sweet drink' is 'soda' and 'coke' is coca cola or Pepsi 

... You say 'old years night' instead of 'New Years eve' 

... Growing up it was drilled in you that a good education is the best thing you can have and you probably know this rhyme: 'learn little children before you are old; for a good education is better than gold; for gold and silver may fade away; but a good education will never decay'

... As a kid, you knew better than to talk back to your parents because Caribbean parents don't play.

... You know that just because the sun is up in the morning, it doesn't mean that it won't be a rainy day by noon.

... You went to Secondary School, not High School and each class was called a Form and not a Grade (unless you went to an International School in which case - disregard).

... No one ever leaves your house thirsty, hungry or empty handed. Food for all.

... Rich, poor, middle class or in between - you greet people politely when you enter a room

... You know what "chicken and chips" means ... A "far" place might mean an hour's drive

... You don't consider going to the 'beach' a vacation. It's called the weekend. If you're taking a vacation you're leaving the country.

We're a weird and cool bunch I tell you!

Thanks again to Olya for letting me take over her page while she's on vacay!

Friday Favorites: College Football Edition

Happy Friday, friends! I am so ready for this long weekend and next week with my love. Here are my Friday favorites for this week:

/ / One:
Chris started his vacation on Wednesday! It’s so wonderful to have him home. After months of barely seeing each other, something as simple as getting to make dinner together is so fun. We are leaving on our trip on Tuesday! I can't wait to see a new part of the country with my man.

/ / Two:
Baylor football kicks off today! I am so excited to see the Baylor Bears on the field again. The start of college football really makes it feel like fall is here. Last year I wrote a post about why college football season is my favorite time of the year, and I still love it just as much.

/ / Three:
Since we can’t make it to a Baylor game this year, we decided to drive to Evanston tomorrow for Northwestern vs. Stanford. It will be fun to watch a game without caring about the outcome.

/ / Four:
I have been reading so much lately, and I can’t wait to share some of my favorite reads with y’all when we get back from our trip. I am currently reading The Weight of Feathers (c/o NetGalley), and so far it’s a great read about two families full of traveling performers trapped in a dangerous feud.

/ / Five:
I wanted to thank the High Five for Friday girls for making me their featured blogger this week! I love linking up with High Five for Friday each week and finding new blogs to read, so I was really excited to be picked as a featured blogger. Thanks, ladies!

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Life Update: Three Months in Chicago

Where did the summer go? I feel like we were just moving in, and now we’ve hit the three-month mark of our year in Chicago. I can’t believe our Chicago summer is over, but we have so many fun things to look forward to in the fall.

In August, all the walking we have done finally took a toll on me. We walked 10 miles the day of the Chicago Air and Water Show, and I ended up with blisters the size of my heels on both of my feet. I bought a pair of walking shoes as soon as I could. I had to walk around on my tip-toes for days, which Chris thought was entertaining. Also, being the sweet doctor he is, he told me if I got blisters that big and they got infected, I would have to get my feet amputated. Sometimes it's just better not to know.

Speaking of the Chicago Air and Water Show, I liked it so much more than I expected. I honestly went because it was something Chris really wanted to see, but it was so neat! The acrobatic flying skills were fun, and it was so crazy to watch the planes weave in and out of the skyscrapers.

Our goal is to eat our way through Chicago, and this month was no different. I was craving taramosalata, so we tried Santorini, a Greek seafood restaurant. I had the Shrimp Santorini, which was shrimp covered in cheese. I don’t know how I’ve never had shrimp with cheese before, but I will definitely be eating it again. We also got orange sorbet, which came inside an orange. I usually hate orange sorbet, but this one tasted amazing and is worth a return trip on its own.

I’ve already talked about how much I loved Eleven City Diner, but it’s worth another mention. We have several guests coming this month, and this will be one of the places I want to take them. I have been thinking about that barbecue brisket melt since I had it.

I know this isn’t news for those of you living in big cities, but we are loving all the delivery options here. Since I never know when Chris is going to get home, we do our fair share of ordering out. We have been really craving Chick-fil-A, but there aren’t any close to us, and since there are no drive-throughs here, we would have to pay to park somewhere if we drove. We recently learned that Chick-fil-A delivers to our area, so we had it last week. We also tried Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (delicious) and plenty of rolls from our favorite sushi place.

I’ve been trying to make as many friends as I can during our year here. In August, I organized a fantasy football league in our building, which was a fun way to meet fellow football lovers. We met in the lounge for the draft, so we could get to know each other.

It has been a fun summer in Chicago, but I am excited for what fall will bring.