Bachour Miami

Posted in Food & Recipes by listen2mama

You can say my family definitely has a sweet tooth and we are always on the hunt for a new dessert place. We recently picked up some pastries and sweets at the amazingly exquisite and delicious Bachour, located in Coral Gables (they also have another location at the Time Out Market in Miami Beach). Bachour opened in the spring of 2019 by master pastry chef Antonio Bachour (read more about him here). Not only is this place gorgeous from the moment you walk in with the beautiful flower adorned front door, but the actual desserts, aside from being delectable, are such a work of art, you almost feel badly biting into them! Bachour also offers unique brunch items (guava and cream cheese pancakes) and a contemporary American menu featuring a full-line of viennoiserie, egg-based dishes, tartines, sandwiches, salads and main courses. As far as the bakery items go, I couldn’t even begin to choose which are my favorites. I have never been a huge fan of macarons, until I tasted these and fell in love and the alfajores are amazing! My husband is addicted to the dulce de leche croissants. Something for everyone. Take a look:

The entrance to Bachour

So hard to choose…

Coconut cheesecake

Bon bons

Guava and cream cheese pancakes

Amazing selection of croissants

Spanish Scramble; scrambled eggs, Serrano ham , manchego cheese , crispy Serrano ham , confit tomatoes , toasted sourdough, my favorite breakfast item!

Delicious!

Orecchiette Bolognese

Strawberry Shortcake

Yummy macarons

A family favorite, Dulce de Leche alfajores

We bought an array of new goodies to try, including guava bonbons!

We love Bachour and will definitely be visiting again soon, especially because they also offer outdoor dining during these Covid-19 pandemic times. Have you been to Bachour? I would love to know what you liked most.

18Aug2020

Summer of Sanibel

Posted in Travel & Adventure by listen2mama

The Summer of 2020 has definitely presented some challenges for vacations and trips, as my family will not be flying anywhere just yet. Thankfully, living in Miami allows us the flexibility to drive over to the Southwest coast of Florida often. We love all of the towns in that area, Naples, Marco Island, Ft. Meyers, Sanibel and Captiva. But by far, Sanibel has always been our favorite. Given the current situation, we took advantage and recently spent a few weekends in Sanibel, as it is also a great place to escape the crowds. A few years ago I posted some of my favorite Sanibel shops. Sadly, a few of those have since closed but I did find some more new shops and restaurants when we visited recently. We also stayed at the Sundial Beach Resort & Spa for the first time, which was really nice as well. There is lots to do on this tiny island, something for everyone, great restaurants, awesome little shops, bike-riding, shelling (some of the best in the world), swimming, kayaking, you name it. And one of the things I love most is the laid back, cozy (almost bohemian) lifestyle of the island.

Sundial Beach Resort & Spa
Most of the accommodations that you will find in Sanibel are typical 2-3 story motel type properties. Many of them are in need of some major upgrades or remodeling as they are quite old. But then one doesn’t come here for the luxurious high rise hotels. However, this summer we stayed a few times at the Sundial Beach Resort, which we really liked. We reserved a one-bedroom suite with a pullout couch. The room was very clean and comfortable. We didn’t use the kitchenette (I do not cook on vacation), but it can come in very handy if you are traveling with young kids and are staying for a week.

Entrance to the hotel (photo courtesy of Sundial Resort)

Pool/cabana area (photo courtesy of Sundial Resort)

The comfortable king size bedroom.

Our daughter kayaking, one of the many complimentary activities provided by the resort.

Traders Sanibel
We finally got around to having dinner at Traders. I have to say it’s now one of my favorite places on the island for a nice meal. They offer a variety of great starters and many yummy seafood dishes. I had the scallops and ravioli and my husband had the macadamia encrusted grouper with mango sauce and yellow rice. Our daughter opted for a parmesan encrusted chicken breast. Everything was delicious and we also loved the decor of the place. Make sure you also check out the amazingly beautiful gift shop on the way out, selling everything from stuffed animals to sea salt scrubs. Definitely one of our favorite stores in Sanibel.

Traders Restaurant (photo courtesy of Traders)

All so yummy!

The gift shop

Synergy Sportswear
Synergy is located in Tahitian Gardens, one of the small shopping centers on the island. Synergy is a “Life is Good genuine neighborhood shop.” They carry a large selection of men’s, women’s and kid’s Life is Good clothing, apparel, and accessories. Synergy is also Sanibel’s only authorized Alex & Ani retailer.

Life is Good stickers

Great selection of t-shirts

The Blue Giraffe
We had heard of this place many times but had never tried it. We decided to have lunch here one day after a morning at the beach. The food was really good. I especially loved the Mexican street corn, charbroiled corn on the cob, topped with queso fresco, avocado cream, cilantro and blacked spice. As with all places in Sanibel, the decor was also very cute. The menu offers many different items to choose from.

Club sandwich, Mexican street corn and shredded pork sliders

The interior dining room

Outdoor dining area

Whims
Tucked away in the corner of the Bailey’s shopping center, you will find Whims. Whims sells unique clothing and accessories, as well as some decorative home items, along with some distinctive Sanibel keepsakes. The saleslady (possibly owner?) is also a sweetheart. My daughter found some beautiful little bracelets for her baby cousin and she also purchased a very pretty small leather purse.

Whims

Lots of items to choose from.

Sea Glass Lane
We stumbled upon this gorgeous (and a bit pricey) shop while browsing through Periwinkle Place. The store sells beautiful resort style women’s clothing and accessories. The decor is also beautiful, very beachy.

Sea Glass Lane

Bailey’s General Store
And last but certainly not least, Bailey’s is amazing! Not only do they sell anything you may need in terms of food, sundries, liquor and gifts but they also have a coffee bar at the entrance (many consider this the best coffee on the island) and the bakery makes all of the donuts, pastries, muffins, cookies and fudge (yes fudge) fresh daily! You can also order amazing cakes and pies for special occasions. We bought some amazingly yummy key lime cookies on our last visit.

The coffee bar

Variety of fudge flavors made fresh daily.

Here are a few more photos from our various trips this summer:
We love Sanibel and visit every summer. Have you been to Sanibel? I would love to hear what you enjoyed most.

3Aug2020

10 Dorm Must Haves

Posted in Family, Lifestyle by listen2mama

Five months have passed since our daughter came home for Spring Break and never returned to school as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here we are in early August and we find ourselves packing to head back to Notre Dame for move-in. Time sure does fly even when you are not having fun (although we have loved the family quality time this quarantine has afforded us). Move-in can be a very overwhelming time as dorm rooms are so tiny (most of them anyway) and it’s hard to imagine where everything will fit. Last year when our daughter first moved in, she had made lists of everything she thought she would need. Needless to say, many trips were made to Target and Bed Bath & Beyond for returns and exchanges. Remember, less is more, especially when living with roommates in very tight quarters. Here is my list of 10 dorm room must-haves for college students. It goes without say that in addition to these items it’s always smart to have a good supply of cleaning products on hand (Lysol, cleaning wipes, etc.), a first aid kit with essentials, an additional phone charger, some cute bedding and wall decor and an Amazon prime subscription for things they can order throughout the year as they become necessary.

Bedside 4-Drawer Storage Cart By far my daughter tells me this is the best item she brought with her last year. She says it’s the perfect place to keep her important items near to her bed. They come in different configurations and colors to choose from and they are a huge help.

4-Drawer Storage Cart; $50 at Bed Bath & Beyond

Keurig Mini single serve coffee maker College students have a hard time waking up in the mornings. Having the ability to make a quick cup of coffee in their room before they leave for class, saves them the time of passing by the dining hall or campus Starbucks. These come in very handy and also come in a variety of colors.

Keurig K-Mini Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker; $80 at Target

Over the door hanging mirror This is also a necessity as there is no other place for them to look at themselves once they’re dressed anywhere in the dorm (I have been told this is super important). My daughter’s room last year thankfully had one on the inside door of the closet, but not all dorm rooms have these.

Over-The-Door Hanging Mirror; $25 at Bed Bath & Beyond

Command strips and wall ledges These were fantastic. We basically hung up EVERYTHING with these command strips, hooks and wall ledges. Just be careful when it’s time to move out as they can be a bit tricky to remove.

Command Clear Variety Kit; $20 and Command Quartz 4 In. Floating Wall Ledges; $12 both available at Amazon

Rolling cart These can be used to store snacks, cleaning supplies, books, jewelry, just about anything. They come in a variety of colors and the convenient casters let you move it around.

Lexington 3-Tier Rolling Cart; $30 at Michaels

Foam mattress topper It is no secret that the mattresses supplied in the dorms are super thin and quite uncomfortable. Your child will have a much better night’s sleep with a mattress topper. It will make the bed feel much more like the one from home. Here is a good one, a bit pricey but definitely worth it.

Therapedic Dreamy 2.5-Inch Serene Foam Performance Mattress Topper; $150 at Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed risers These are definitely necessary if your child’s furniture is not modular and cannot be lofted, which was our case last year. These risers will provide additional space below the bed for portable plastic drawers and allow for extra storage. You can even purchase ones with integrated USB ports and plugs.

Bed Risers with Power Outlet and USB Ports – 7.25 Inch Size Furniture Risers; $35 at Amazon

Over the door hook rack This is another item that we purchased last minute and was a huge life saver for hanging coats, robes and even towels.

Home Basics® Over-the-Door Hook; $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond

Collapsible laundry basket These come in very handy, as again, space is very tight in the rooms and this basket can be put away in the closet or you can stand it up against a wall after you’re done using it. Any item that is space saving is a winner.

SAMMART Collapsible 3 Handled Plastic Laundry Basket – Foldable Pop Up Storage Container/Organizer; $30 at Amazon

Mini Fridge And last but not least, all college dorm rooms need a mini fridge to store cold drinks and snacks as well as left over food. I would suggest waiting until you can see the size of the dorm room as many of these fridges vary slightly in size.

blue-frigidaire-mini-fridges-efr376-blue-64_1000

Mini Fridge; $160 at Home Depot

I hope you enjoy your child’s move-in experience. I know we were all very happy when the room was completed and everything was in its place. I hope we have the same luck this year.

Listen2Mama

lifestyle. family. travel. food.

Monthly Archives: August 2020

Bachour Miami

Summer of Sanibel

10 Dorm Must Haves

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