Jess Wilson

A Taste of Florida Lager by Florida Beer Company

August 23, 2012 by Jess Wilson 1 Comment

If there’s a new trend I’m diggin’, it’s all the craft brews poppin’ up. From your local supermarket to your favorite restaurant to brew pubs, there’s so many (tasty) varieties. However, I gotta say, I have a particular gravitation towards Florida brewed beers.

There’s quite of few Florida brews that I enjoy, but the one I would say is a great “starter” is Florida Lager from Florida Beer Company in Melbourne, Florida. Florida Beer Company also brews some of my other Florida favorites such as Swamp Ape IPA and Key West Sunset Ale. I first tried Florida Lager and got the free pint glass with my 6-pack purchase during a promotion at the North Miami Total Wine. It’s a nice golden amber color with a grain aroma and malty taste.

On the label:
Florida Lager is a tropical inspired craft lager. Florida Lager uses only the finest ingredients presenting a complex yet balanced full, rich flavor. A perfect blend of 2-row and caramel malt with German Tradition and Northern Brewer hops.

Have you tried Florida Beer Company’s Florida Lager?
What are some of your favorite places in South Florida to enjoy a craft brew (or 2)?

Floridabeer.com
Totalwine.com

5 ways to keep your dog cool during summer

August 5, 2012 by Jess Wilson Leave a Comment

Let me start this article off by saying I’m a cat person. Always have been and always will, but a little puppy came into my life and has won a piece of my heart over. His name is Thunder and was adopted a few weeks ago by my boyfriend from the Humane Society of Broward County. He is a 4 month old black lab and is oh so sweet and playful. In these hot summer days, I’ve found fun ways to keep little Thunder cool. Check out my list of 5 ways to keep your doggy cool during summer or since we’re in south Florida, you can always refer to this list year-round!

Puppy in Kiddie Pool — Thunder in his Kiddie Pool

1. Swimming pool
We took Thunder to his grandma’s house for his first swimming lesson. He enjoyed the water and already loves jumping in the air and into the pool. Unfortunately, we don’t have a pool but we got a little wading pool from Toys R Us for him to use on the days he can’t make it over to grandma’s house. He likes bringing his chew toy and eating frozen treats while hanging in the pool.

2. Hose
If you don’t have a pool or space for a kiddie pool, just a good ol’ hose attachment works great! We have a hose sprayer with six different functions so we can spray a soft mist or a stream for him to drink from. You can also set up a lawn sprinkler attachment that moves back and forth for doggy to run through.

Frozen dog treats and toys — Thunder licking his frozen dog treat

3. Frozen treats and toys
Just the other day I froze a bunch of puppy-friendly veggies, treats and raw-hide strips in a Tupperware container. It helps to freeze the water with the treats and toys in layers so that it is evenly distributed. For even extra flavor, I read you can add a little bit of chicken stock to the water. Thunder went crazy for this treat and you can definitely freeze them in various sized containers depending on your size dog.

4. Fresh water
Something basic, yet very important is to have fresh water available, always. It is especially crucial in south Florida as dehydration is a serious issue for both humans and animals. I like throwing in a few ice cubes as well for extra refreshment. We have a high back water bowl and rubber mat so he can slurp away without too much clean up.

Laying down on the sofa — Thunder cooling down on the sofa with his monkey toy

5. Stay indoors
If it’s too hot, just stay indoors! We have a long hallway so we play fetch with a tennis ball so Thunder can stretch his legs on those scorching afternoons. While indoors, he can focus well without distractions so we also take “indoor time” as an opportunity to teach him commands and tricks. After some fun, we like cooling off on the sofa and watching TV (or taking naps!).

We haven’t had a chance to take Thunder to a dog beach or dog park yet but those are definitely great places for your dog to cool off while soaking up the sun as well! What are some of your favorite South Florida parks or beaches that get two paws up from your pup?

http://www.humanebroward.com

954.989.3977

Haulover Beach Park – Bike Route

August 2, 2012 by Jess Wilson 4 Comments

I have quite a few photos to go through before I can write about and post photos from my recent weekend camping trip to Jonathan Dickinson State Park. In the meantime, I came across photos from a bike route I took from the heart of North Miami to Haulover Beach Park. My sister bought me a CamelBak® Rogue™ for Christmas last year which I loaded up with cold water and I road, appropriately enough, my mom’s beach cruiser to make my trek.

After going north on Biscayne Boulevard, I made my way east towards the beach along Sunny Isles Boulevard. Along the way, I passed Oleta River State Park which is another great place in South Florida. (I’m sure one of us will write about it in an upcoming post!) After making my way over the bridge, I went south on Collins Avenue until I saw a sign for Sunny Isles Beach Walk (on the east/beach side) and the beginning of the bike path.

You can find a place to lock up your bike at Haulover Beach, drop your trousers and sunbathe at the clothing optional section of the beach or be a prude and continue on the bike path as I did. There are many picnic tables available in the grassy part of Haulover Beach Park but get there early on weekends!

One of the cool things on this bike path, strangely enough, are the showers. They stand out with their interesting architecture and are painted with bright, bold patterns.

The end of the bike path is at an inlet where many people fish off of. I’ve taken a slightly different route at night which takes you towards the opposite side of the inlet and you’ll see people fishing at all hours of the night as well. On this particular day, the water and sky were both a beautiful shade of blue and I made my way back with the sun and a smile on my face.

Haulover Beach Park

10800 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach, Florida

305.947.3525 ‎

http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/haulover_park.asp

A’dam Good Bar and Grill’d – Coral Springs

July 29, 2012 by Jess Wilson 3 Comments

Last Saturday I went to A’dam Good Bar & Grill’d with my sweetie to watch the UFC 149 fight. The UFC fights? Not so entertaining this time around, sorry Dana. However, the drinks, atmosphere & food? Great!

We went out to watch the UFC fight so what attracted me first about A’dam Good Bar & Grill’d were the projectors hanging from the ceiling and projected onto over 100 inch screens on three different walls. Oh yeahhh. The next thing I noticed was the kitschy, Americana décor. Everything from the leg lamp light at the entrance, a humongous Dairy Queen sign, Christmas lawn ornaments and the menus laminated on old record covers.

We had just ate dinner but we wanted to at least have something to eat with our drinks. We started with a house salad and a roasted garlic tomato bisque. The house salad was served in a tortilla bowl and the best part were the croutons. The “croutons” were tiny pieces of toast with a slice of cheese on top. Super cute. The roasted garlic tomato bisque (topped with sundried tomatoes) was served in mug with the logo of a local hospital and came with a side of Goldfish crackers in a condiment cup. What an awesome and budget friendly touch to have an eclectic array of mugs to give off that warm, homey feel.

As we watched the fights, we kept our whistles wet with Angry Orchid Cider (currently on tap!) and Captain Morgan and Coke. Both were served in Ball Mason Jars which was awesome. (Even our check came in a small ball mason jar). As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t that hungry but as I kept skimming the menu I knew I had to try the “A’dam Good Quesadilla”. The two words that caught my eye were, “Goat Cheese”. Man, oh man. The other amazing ingredients included: bacon, roasted garlic, grilled onion, wilted spinach and the quesadilla is served with a black bean and roasted salsa. The best quesadilla I’ve ever had was at an authentic Mexican restaurant in Baltimore but the “A’dam Good Quesadilla” is definitely a front runner for second place.

Overall, A’dam Good Bar & Grill’d is a nice addition to the restaurants along University Drive. I’m looking forward to trying their “Popeye Spinach Pie” sandwich next and popping by for their late night menu specials. Oh and by the way, if you have grilled cheese tattoo, you’ll get 20% off your bill. You should definitely give them a try and maybe I’ll see you the next time you make your way to A’dam Good Bar & Grill’d in Coral Springs.

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“A’dam Good Bar & Grill’d is a casual full service restaurant offering gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hand-cut fresh French fries, soups, salads, cocktails and ice cold beer.”

Website: http://www.adamgoodbarandgrilld.com/

1933 North University Drive

Coral Springs, Florida 33067

954.752.4008