National Coffee Day

Posted in Lifestyle by listen2mama

Today is National Coffee Day! I know most of us are addicted to at least one good cup of coffee a day (or maybe 2 or 3), so here is a great list of National Coffee Day freebies being offered by some of my favorite coffee shops and restaurants today!

7-Eleven: With the 7Rewards app, some users have an offer to get any size coffee for $1. Offers are regional. Download the free app at http://www.7-eleven.com/7rewards and check for deals.

Barnes & Noble: Get a free hot or iced tall coffee with the purchase of any item from the “bake case” at store cafes.

Caribou Coffee: Buy any large beverage and get 50% off any bag of prepackaged beans to take home.

Circle K: Get a free hot or iced coffee in any size with the convenience store chain’s app.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: With any food or beverage purchase over $2, get a free regular size coffee. Also Tuesday through Oct. 5 via Postmates get $3 off a $15 purchase.

Corner Bakery Cafe: This National Coffee Day promotion is getting a late start. The chain is giving loyalty members one free coffee daily for the month of October starting Oct. 1. To take advantage of the daily reward that can be used for one free regular coffee (espresso, cold brew, iced or hand-roasted) or tea, sign up for the loyalty program by 11:59 p.m. CT Oct. 4 at http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com. No purchase is required to get the free drinks but specialty coffee drinks are excluded.

Dunkin’: With any purchase, get a free medium hot or iced coffee at restaurants nationwide.

Godiva: Get 30% off coffee bags at Godiva Boutiques and online.

Jack in the Box: Get a free regular hot or iced coffee with any app purchase.

Krispy Kreme: Everyone can get a free brewed coffee, no purchase necessary. But rewards members get an extra freebie with the free coffee – one free doughnut of their choice. Become a rewards member through the Krispy Kreme app or by visiting http://www.krispykreme.com/rewards. Both deals are valid “via pick-up and drive-thru at participating shops across the U.S.”

McDonald’s: Not a National Coffee Day deal, but with the McDonald’s app, purchase five McCafé drinks and get one free. Download the app at http://www.mcdonalds.com and check for other specials.

Panera Bread: Sign up for the MyPanera+ Coffee Subscription and the first month of unlimited premium hot coffee, iced coffee and hot tea is free. After the free month, pay $8.99 per month. Sign up at http://www.panerabread.com.

Sonic Drive-In: From Monday through Oct. 5, Sonic is offering a free large drink or slush with orders placed in the chain’s app with promo code TEACHERS. One per customer. Download the app at http://www.sonicdrivein.com/app.

Starbucks: The coffee giant kicks off a week of offers, games and “exciting ways” for loyalty members to earn stars toward free drinks and food Monday with the start of the Starland contest at http://www.starbucksrewardsstarland.com. On Tuesday, order a grande or larger handcrafted beverage and get a free drink offer loaded to your account. On Thursday, members can collect triple stars on orders.

Wawa: New and existing Wawa Rewards members get one free any size coffee. New members must register by 8 p.m. Tuesday to get the offer.

Wendy’s: Starting Tuesday through Nov. 4, participating Wendy’s in select parts of the country are giving free hot coffee with the purchase of a breakfast sandwich. The participating markets are Boston; Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Springfield and Holyoke, Massachusetts; and Cleveland/Youngstown, Ohio. In other parts of the country, check the Wendy’s app for offers.

Have you had your coffee today? I hope you took advantage of one of these great deals!

22Sep2020

Honey Uninhibited

Posted in Food & Recipes by listen2mama

Searching for a new brunch place recently, my husband suggested we try Honey Uninhibited. Owned by former Florida Gator Carlos Dunlap, Honey is one of the latest eateries to open up in the Brickell Avenue district of Miami.

Outside of restaurant

Entryway to the restrooms

Doorway leading into the kitchen

The menu is mainly comprised of Dunlap’s top soul-food picks, many of which are a result of his eating experiences throughout his extensive travels. I ordered the “Challah Berry,” (nod to Halle Berry), challah bread French toast, strawberry ricotta cheese stuffing, strawberry compote, Chantilly cream, raspberry glaze and mixed berries. This was more dessert than breakfast!

Challah Berry

My husband had the waffle topped with Chantilly cream and chocolate chips (you can choose from a number of toppings on the waffles and pancakes). Other breakfast yummies include the Red Velvet square pancakes, served with chocolate chips, strawberry mascarpone, Chantilly cream and fresh strawberries, as well as any of the “Bennies” or various other egg dishes. And if you’re in the mood for lunch, look no more. The menu offers many items such as the Uninhibited Burger and Truffle Mac-N-Cheese (you can add either chicken or lobster). Naturally, honey is on all tables as the go-to condiment. This is a great place to experience in a large group so you can order many of the items and share. Take a look at some of these delectable dishes.

Waffle with Chantilly cream and chocolate chips

Red Velvet Pancakes (Photo courtesy of Honey Uninhibited)

Truffle Mac-n-Cheese with Lobster (Photo courtesy of Honey Uninhibited)

Braised Short Rib Benny (Photo courtesy of Honey Uninhibited)

Sweet Chick Benny (Photo courtesy of Honey Uninhibited)

Have you been to Honey Uninhibited? I would love to know what dish you enjoyed most!

14Sep2020

Magnificent Marco Island

Posted in Travel & Adventure by listen2mama

I love the west coast of Florida. I have often blogged about my love for Sanibel, Captiva, Naples and Marco Island. So, when my husband asked me how I wanted to celebrate my birthday last month (given Covid-19 is limiting our options right now) I immediately chose to spend some time at the beach, where I am always happiest! We decided to head over to Marco Island and stayed at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, which is absolutely stunning. We have stayed there in the past but had not been since 2015, and boy has it changed. The property was completely remodeled in 2017 with the addition of a gorgeous new building, new restaurants, event spaces and an arcade for kids. We stayed in a beachfront view room which had amazing views and celebrated my birthday at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Ario, which I highly recommend.

Hotel lobby (Photo courtesy of JW Marriott)

The beautiful beach resort (Photo courtesy of JW Marriott)

Our room

Ario Restaurant (Photo courtesy of JW Marriott)

Sunset view from our room

We also tried out a few restaurants around the island and one that we really enjoyed was Fin Bistro. We each had the Panko Herb Crusted Yellowtail Snapper over rock shrimp and squash risotto served with coconut brown butter sauce. Delicious! And of course we had to end the meal with a Key Lime flan, which was delectable. Take a look:

Snapper with Risotto

Key Lime Flan

Next came the cute shops which I always like to peruse. Now I will say, Marco Island doesn’t seem to have that many specialty shops or boutiques, when compared to Sanibel or Naples, however I did manage to find a few interesting places.

Beachworks. Located in the Marco Town Center Mall, Beachworks carries a good selection of Fresh Produce clothing and Big Head t-shirts. They also offer a variety of summery tops, dresses, sandals, a few small souvenirs and SunBum suntan lotions.

Butterfly Beach. Located at the Esplanade Shoppes, (they also have stores in Naples, Sanibel, Fort Meyers and soon Sarasota) this cute boutique carries adorable bathing suits and clothing for kids and adults, as well as jewelry; as their website says, bringing West Coast style to the beaches of Florida.

Blue Mangrove Gallery. Blue Mangrove Gallery is one of my favorite places to visit on the island. Many local and Florida artists are on display, including original oils, photography, stain glass, jewelry, ceramics, notepads, a kid’s section, books, accent furniture & more.