Food Truck Connection

Do you have a hankering for a hot dog? A craving for conch salad? Or do you go gaga over gelato?

I'm not sure there's a restaurant in town that would meet all three of these desires, but the Food Truck Connection can.

That's right, the food truck craze has come to Boynton Beach, and it stopped right in my backyard.

On the left, the food trucks, on the right, my neighborhood.  I took both
photos from the same spot in the parking lot.

This Wednesday, for only the fourth week ever, you can catch more than a dozen food trucks, lined up for your dining pleasure, at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park (most Boynton residents know this as Boat Club Park), just south of Federal Highway and Gateway Boulevard, on the Intracoastal.  As you walk around, you can sample everything from ordinary the extraordinary.

That, my friends, is a veggie dog loaded with
spicy mayo, barbecue sauce, relish, and crushed
potato chips.  They call it the "Substitute
Teacher."  I call it "insanely delicious!"

That little piece of scrumptiousness came from P.S. 561.  We paid just $9.50 for two dogs.  And it doesn’t stop there!  Over the course of two weeks, we also had conch ceviche from The Daily Special...

Just $10 for this huge serving!

Shrimp summer rolls from Spring In, Roll Out...

Again, I was astonished at the large portions
and the small price tag of just $9!

And sweet potato fries drizzled with marshmallow fluff from Lucille’s on Wheels.

Get. In. My. Belly.  For real.

My husband also decided to partake in bacon doughnuts, with maple bourbon jam, from Dough, which he was not very good about sharing.

Lucky for him, I'm a vegetarian!

But by far, the best truck was Hip Pops, where you pick your gelato bar, dip it in chocolate, and pop it with toppings.  Holy moly.  My inner fat girl wanted, like, thirty of these.

This little piece of heaven was priced at $5.  I would have spent $500.

The Food Truck Connection takes place every Wednesday from 5pm-9pm.  Next week, I'll be there, again.  For the third week in a row.  And I’ve got my eye on you, Hip Pops.

Total Cost: About $25 for two “main courses” and one dessert

Best Deal: Even the fish dishes are under $10 – we paid just $9 for salmon sausage from Pescados Unidos (https://www.facebook.com/pescadosunidosfoodtruck)

Experience Gifts for the Holidays – Crafting Class

You may have read about the fun I had at a painting class this year.  I bought a Groupon to Uptown Art for my sister-in-law for her birthday.  But what fun is drinking and painting without me?  So I bought one for my husband and myself as well!  I liked the class so much, I bought a similar Groupon for my best friend’s birthday to Vino’s Picasso in Ft. Myers.

These painting classes are popping up all over South Florida.  They are also popping up all over Groupon, which makes them an economical gift worth giving this holiday.

Right now, Talin Tropic in Boca Raton is offering painting classes for just $19 per person – a $26 discount from the normal price of $45.  The deal is through Gotta Half It and ends tomorrow.

Don’t just limit yourself to painting canvas… Art-Sea Living in Boynton Beach offers wine glass painting classes.  Right now, Groupon is offering the class for two people for just $25, but act fast, because this one is for a “limited time” only.  Still, the deal isn’t so bad without a Groupon either - $25 each.  Art-Sea Living also offers a variety of other crafting classes though, like pottery painting and even ornament-making (to which you can bring your own booze!).  Check out their calendar here.

Looking for something a little more intense?  At McMow Art Glass in Lake Worth, you can fuse glass to create unique plates and other artwork.  Groupon is offering a deal at McMow Art Glass that also runs only for a “limited time.”  For just $35, you get a two-hour class, half off the normal price. 

There may not be a Groupon involved, but the arts and crafts store Michaels (located in Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and other areas around South Florida) offers plenty of classes.  The cake decorating is one of their most popular.

I didn't take my cake decorating class at Michaels, but my teacher had taught at Michaels before and used mostly
Wilton products, which is what you'll use at Michaels.

The cost is $22.50 per class.  Michaels recommends four classes for each of their four courses.  That means for less than $100, you could buy someone one complete course.  Michaels also offers crochet classes, beading classes, and a variety of classes for kids.

JoAnn Fabrics also offers classes, for a slightly more economical price.  In January and February, you can buy a cake decorating class for just $17.50. 

Personally, I'd much rather get an "experience," like a crafting class, mini golf, trapeze teachings, or a spa day before another Christmas sweater (do people give those anymore?!?!).  And one of the best things about buying someone an "experience," especially on Groupon?  It normally includes two for one, which means you can participate in the gift as well!

Did I miss anything?  What other craft classes are out there or would you want to take?

Boynton Beach Holiday Parade

This weekend, I went to the library, beach, bar, dinner and the Boynton Beach Holiday Parade without pulling my car out of the driveway – I rode my bike everywhere (economical and environmentally friendly)!  And whether you’re on foot, on two wheels, or four, you can now see the Christmas tree in Boynton Beach lit up for the holidays.

Not as impressive as Delray's 100-foot tree,
but my awful measuring skills would
estimate this one is about 60-feet tall

The tree is located on Ocean Avenue, just east of Seacrest, across the street from the Boynton Beach City Library.

As for the parade, it was pretty much what you can expect from a small city.  However, only in South Florida can you see a holiday parade with a beautiful sunset in the background, while enjoying 70° temperatures.

Virginia and Jason from the KVJ show on Wild 95.5 in the morning were the masters of ceremonies.  As promised, I did stalk them.  Actually, we happened to park our bikes, and our water bottles filled with wine, right across the street from them.  Their antics were just as funny as on the morning show.

We saw lots of school marching bands perform, but Frank felt none of them were as good as the band in Drumline.  The band from Roosevelt Middle came pretty close.

Forgive my awesome video skills, as I had a water bottle filled with wine. 

My favorite float was from Jazzercise, and was entitled “My Christmas Wish List 1985.

Yep, that's a Smurf in front and Strawberry Shortcake to your left.
And a Rubik's Cube!  Pretty sure I got all of those things on
Christmas morning in 1985!

There were also pirates representing.

Nothing screams "Merry Christmas" more than someone
making you walk the plank!

Next up, the Boynton and Delray Beach Boat Parade!  It’s this Friday at 6:30pm, and if you need a place to watch it, you can meet me on my dock!

Total Cost: Free!

Best Deal: Bringing our own wine in water bottles

Holidays in Palm Beach County - Celebrate for Free!

The Thanksgiving preparations haven’t yet started, let alone finished, but Christmas is already in the air.  In fact, tonight, the tree in CityPlace was lit up for the first time and the first snow fell!

This picture is actually from 2010, but you get the picture

So, what better way to celebrate the season than by participating in the free holiday festivities?  Here’s a breakdown of the holiday events going down in Palm Beach County, alphabetized by city.

Boca Raton

Courtesy of City of Boca Raton's website

Friday, November 23, 5:30pm

Holiday Lighting Extravaganza

At Mizner Park Amphitheater, you won’t just find a tree lighting, it’s a virtual tree lighting.  I’m not really sure what that means, but leave it to Boca to not actually have those pesky pine needles to pick up.  There will also be fireworks and “optical illusions” according to the city’s website.  The lighting celebration starts at 7:30pm.

Wednesday, December 5

Holiday Street Parade

The parade route stretches on Federal Highway from SE 8^th Street north to Mizner Park.  Not sure if that virtual tree will still be around, or what.

Saturday, December 8, 6:30pm

Holiday Boat Parade

The waterway parade starts at the Delray-Boca border at the C-15 Canal and travels south to the Hillsboro Boulevard Bridge.  If you don’t own a mansion on the Intracoastal in Boca, you can snag bleacher seating at Red Reef Park (Red Reef Park normally has a $20 parking fee, not sure if that will be applicable this night or not).

Where to go for more information:

City of Boca Raton Website 
Mizner Park Amphitheater Website
Boat Parade

Boynton Beach

Saturday, December 1, 5pm

Street Parade, Tree Lighting, and Concert

The fun in Boynton starts at 5pm with the holiday parade down Federal Highway.  I live off Federal Highway, but unfortunately the parade is not in my neck of the woods.  The parade will start on SE 12^th and head north to Ocean Avenue.  Then at 6:30pm, the tree lighting takes place at Ocean Avenue Amphitheater.  Right after that, you can jam out to a concert on Ocean Avenue hosted by Virginia and Jason from Wild 95.5.  I hate to be a stalker, but I really like the KVJ show, so I’m probably going to stalk them.

Friday, December 7th, 6:30pm

Boynton and Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade

I literally have the best seat in the house for this parade because it starts at the Boynton Inlet, which I can see right from my dock.

Best seat in the house - we brought wine, of course!

Now, the parade isn’t really something to write home about in the sense of the boats.  They are fun to see, all lit up, but there are usually only a few, maybe about 15. 

Very hard to capture by camera!

Still, chilling on the dock behind your house and watching a boat parade is pretty sweet.  Let me know if anyone wants to come over, I’ll bring the cooler!  The parade ends at the Delray Beach/Boca border (the same place where the Boca boat parade begins)

Where to go for more information:

Street Parade Lighting, and Concert
Boat Parade

Delray Beach

Thursday, November 29, 5:30pm
Tree Lighting

It’s quite the sight… see the 100-foot tall tree light up for the first time this season!  The tree is located in Old School Square, right off Atlantic Avenue.  In the picture above, you can see me rapping with Santa a few years back.  If you can’t make the tree lighting ceremony, you can see the tree lit up all the way until January 10 from 10am to 10pm daily.

Friday, December 7th, 6:30pm

Boynton and Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade

See the Boynton Beach section above.

Saturday, December 8th, 6pm

Holiday Parade and Menorah Lighting

The parade takes place along Atlantic Avenue.  The Menorah Lighting will be at Old School Square, where you can also see the 100-foot tree and maybe even take in a little ice skating (warning: the rink is very small and is made of plastic, not ice).

Where to go for more information:

Downtown Delray Beach website

Jupiter

Saturday, December 1, 8pm

Holiday Boat Parade

The parade runs from Palm Beach, just south of the North Palm Beach Marina and travels up the Intracoastal to Jupiter.  There are several points for the general, non-boat-owning public to view the parade, including Sawfish Bay Park and Lighthouse Park.  The parade starts in Palm Beach at 6pm and should arrive in Jupiter about 8pm.

Where to go for more information:

Jupiter website
Palm Beach website

Palm Beach

See Jupiter Holiday Boat Parade above.

West Palm Beach

Saturday, December 15, Noon-5pm

Snow Day

Kids can play in mounds of snow in CityPlace.  I’ve been to an event similar to this before and even though the actual “snow” is slightly disappointing (this is Florida), it’s still fun to wear mittens and jackets while it’s 70 degrees out.

Saturday, December 1, Anytime

Sand and Sea-Sun’s Greetings

Only in Florida, you can see the holidays celebrated by sand sculptures.  You can see the sculptures throughout downtown West Palm Beach, including at the Waterfront and near the library.  The sculptors get to work in November and you can see the completed works through all of December.

Thursday, December 6, 6pm

Tree Lighting

The annual tree lighting will take place at Clematis by Night, which is a pretty awesome event in itself.  If Boca has a “virtual” tree and Delray has a 100-foot tall tree, West Palm Beach is not to be outdone, as this city will have a 35-foot tall tree made of sand standing at the Waterfront.  The tree will have real lights hanging from it, so I just hope nothing catches on fire.

Where to go for more information:
Sand and Sea Sun’s Greetings

Total Cost: Free!

Best Deal: Watching the Delray/Boynton Boat Parade from my backyard

What do you do to celebrate the holidays for free?

Total Wine and More Classes - Deals on Wine, Free Food, and a Chance to be a Sommelier

I am apparently on a giant wine kick over here.  In the last week, I’ve told you about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, Delray Beach’s Wine and Seafood Festival, and today, how you can pay $25 and get at least eight glasses of wine, food, and discounts on alcohol.



I'm in heaven!
Picture courtesy of Colleen M.

Sound like a dream come true?  It goes down at Total Wine and More several times a year.  Though I’ve been to many of these classes, the best one by far, is “Celebrate with Champagne and Sparkling.”



We're regulars at this class!
Picture courtesy of Colleen M.

How convenient… this class is coming up on Thursday at most Total Wine and More stores in South Florida (definitely including Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Stuart, North Miami, Miami (Pinecrest), Pembroke Pines and Naples).  Most locations offer the class again on Saturday, December 8 as well.

After paying your flat rate of $25, you get a wine tasting packet, complete with tasting sheets, so you can feel like a sommelier.

Look, I wrote "so crisp!" as if I actually know
what I'm talking about!

The Total Wine and More employees pour each bottle quite liberally (maybe not a full glass, but close) starting with a less expensive choice first.  At my class, we got Vignal Prosecco, a $9.99 bottle.  Then the employees guide you through the tasting.  What is the color?  The bouquet?  The flavor?  Do you taste apple or apricot?

I think Colleen tastes a hint of pear...
Picture courtesy of Colleen M.

The employees keep pouring as you keep tasting… an $8.99 bottle of Conde de Caralt Rose, a $15.99 bottle of Louis Boullot Blanc de Noirs, a $29.99 bottle of Montaudon (one of the cheapest real champagnes you can get!).

Montaudon is one of my favorite champagnes!
Picture courtesy of Colleen M.

All the while, attendees of the class can also munch on food provided by the store.  I’ve been to tastings where the food is as simple as a fruit and cheese platter from Jason’s deli, to the food at this particular tasting, which was prepared by store employees (think lemon butter shrimp, mini frittatas, and bruschetta with mushrooms).

Finally, the crème de la crème.  A 1999 Mailly Grand Cru Les Echansons that sells for $79.99 a bottle.  This, I’m told, is better than Dom Pérignon.  But, the last bottle isn’t where the class ends, but almost begins.  After the tasting, you can buy any of the wines sampled for a discount.  The discount depends on the price, but that $79.99 bottle was $10 off.  Even the less expensive $8.99 bottles were a dollar off.

Okay, maybe we go a little crazy when it comes
to the buying part, SUE ME!
Picture courtesy of Colleen M.

So, for your $25 class fee, you got about eight glasses of wine, food, and a discount on however many bottles you want to buy that night.

Total Cost: $25

Best Deal: Chatting with Total Wine employees after the class and getting them to pour you even more champagne that was leftover from the class

How do you feel about champagne?  Do you have as much of a love affair as I do with bubbles?

Living Local for a Year

This year, I made it my New Year’s resolution to attend at least one local event every month.  I felt like this would increase my appreciation for arts and leisure, as well as show support for my community.  Here’s what I came up with:

January

 

I go to more triathlon events than I can shake a stick at, but this one was a little different.  It was called the Delray Mile Swim, and it benefitted the lifeguards.  I did not compete, but Frank did, and I, of course, was there to support.  It was $25 to enter and was a beautiful way to start off the year!

 

February

Garlic Fest in Delray Beach is always a good time.  Where else can you get garlic ice cream, garlic French fries, and see some of the best musical acts of the past?

Courtesy of Colleen M., she's the one drinking in the
picture with me!

This year, I went with my sister-in-law to see G Love and the Special Sauce.  While, I wouldn’t say Garlic Fest is the most economical event on the planet (tickets are $10 to get in, and then you have to pay for food and/or rides), there were discount coupons available.  For instance, Gotta Half It offered two adult tickets and four drink tickets for just $24, which is quite the deal, considering it is $20 normally for two adults.

Believe it or not, we had great "seats," as it was
standing room only, but my iPhone is ancient
and therefore does not take great pictures

 

I, however, know one of the people who organize Garlic Fest and got in for free!

March

Lots of cities have lots of good St. Patrick’s Day festivals, but I think Delray Beach has the best.

Though I don't necessarily have the best seat in the
house, you can see some marines in the parade walking by.

The parade is free and really, parking is the biggest pain.  I think the best parking is at NE 3^rd Avenue and NE 3^rd Street.  That way after the parade down Atlantic is over, you’re still close to the bars to party.

My dear friend, Tom, came all the way from Tallahassee to party
with us!  Actually, he was in town for spring training, but I
appreciated the visit nonetheless!

 

Bonus: You can bring your own booze (I usually pack a cooler full of beer) to the parade.

April

We went to a few things in April, starting with…

Reggae Fest

Hey mon!

 

Reggae Fest in downtown Lake Worth is a way to celebrate your inner Rastafarian.  It’s also a way to see Inner Circle.

"Girl, I want to make you sweat, sweat 'til you can't sweat no more..."

 

It helps to know one of the people in charge of events in Palm Beach County.  Reggae Fest also provided a good outlet for kids as well.

My 7-year old brother-in-law climbed to the top
hoping to win $50, but didn't realize you had to
climb the "center" route :(

 

Again, there were discount coupons out there (like through gopalmbeaches.com, but we got in for free!

Delray Affair

The Delray Affair is a free festival, basically focusing on arts and crafts and food.  In the last few years I’ve been, I’ve eaten a lot of arepas, purchased a cool earring holder made by a company based out of North Carolina, and got this *great* shirt for my friend Melissa.

This shirt was perfect for Melissa because
she's always proclaiming everything is a hot mess!

 

West Palm Beach Rodeo

 

I love an opportunity to wear a cowboy hat and more importantly, I love when Frank wears his cowboy boots.  We bought tickets for a small rodeo at the South Florida Fairgrounds off Groupon, though all the discount websites were offering similar deals.

 

For $24 total (regular price, $50), we saw barrel races, roping, and bull-riding – yee haw!

May

SunFest

In my opinion, SunFest in West Palm Beach is pretty much the least economical thing you can do, unless you buy a pass for all five days.  One day is $37, but five days is only $69. 

 

Luckily, Bonnie and I got free tickets to see Snoop Dogg.

Snoop looks a little blurry, but that's pretty much how everyone
at the concert was seeing him considering the amount of smoke in the air

 

Added bonus – totally got a contact high as the police presence there did nothing to deter people from smoking.

Shakespeare at the Pavilion

This was one of the best events I went to all year!  The Take Heed Theatre Company put on  Much Ado About Nothing at the Old School Pavilion in Delray Beach.   It was free, but they were asking for donations, so we gifted $10.  We sat on blankets right next to the stage, chomped on barbecue that Frank’s mom made us, and watched a very entertaining production of the Shakespeare classic.

June

We spent most of June in Italy, so we didn’t do much locally.  Cry me a river, I know.

July

And we spent most of July at various places that weren’t our home, but what we normally do on Fourth of July is go to Delray Beach’s Fourth of July Celebration.

 

It’s free and we can ride our bikes from Frank’s mom’s house, thereby not having to deal with the ridiculous problem of parking.

August

The local events are a little slow in August, but what I did a lot of is going to the Boynton Beach farmer’s market.

 

This is an extremely small market, but what the vendors do have is quality.  We rode our bikes from our house (so very economical of us!) and ate delicious granola from Fun with Food (an organic stand, but I can’t seem to find anything about them online).  We also had the best mandarin orange bread from CookieLicious Pastry Shop!

 

September

Here’s what I did not do in September and am a little annoyed about.  Every year, we participate in Flavor Palm Beach, which is a month-long of awesome restaurant deals in Palm Beach County.  In the past, we’ve discovered a bunch of delicious restaurants during this month, including Pistache in West Palm Beach, a French eatery, where for just $30, you can get an appetizer, entrée, and dessert (yum, crème brulee!).

This year, I totally missed the bus.  So, don’t be like me and miss this event… I’m putting it on my calendar now for next year.

October

Today is the first day of October, so here's what I'm thinking for the rest of the year.

 

Yes, my brother-in-law is really wearing lederhosen... why not?

 

Every year we go to Oktoberfest and this year will be no exception.  It runs for two weekends, October 12, 13, 14 and 19, 20, 21.

I’m also thinking I’ll attend the Boynton Beach Haunted Pirate Fest on October 27 or 28 because I’m a sucker for pirates.  Argh!

November

For the first time ever, Delray Beach is holding a Wine and Seafood Festival.  It’s on November 10 and 11 and I will definitely be there to see the inaugural event.

December

In the holiday season, every local town has a Christmas tree lighting.  I will check out one of them, probably in Boynton Beach.  I will most definitely be watching the Boynton Beach Boat Parade, even though it’s really only like six boats, because they drive down the Intracoastal, right behind my house.

So, what are your "can't-miss" local events?