Another October Weekend in Florida

On the outside wall at The Ravenous Pig

If you are lucky, an October day in Michigan will afford sunny coolness and deep blue skies, setting off the brilliantly tinged foliage in our parks and along our streets, usually ushered in by a maple or two flaming out in red, followed by a spectacular rainbow of unfolding color, and concluding with the Japanese maples in November, which are so bright (sometimes in falling snow) that they make my eyes and also my camera lens blurry.

My maple - 11-10-11

But I also like Florida weather in October and I always try to spend a few days with my daughters in the Orlando area. This past weekend I took along a friend for a short visit. The color in West Michigan has not yet fully developed and the Florida temps were just beginning to moderate, so it was a pretty good trade. We enjoyed a few near perfect days and nights (if a little warm in the afternoon) while missing a few cooler sunny days here in Michigan..



In addition to looking forward to some good weather, I always look forward to new experiences with the unique Florida flora and fauna, as well as some fun food.

My little pink piggies on the farm

The first night we dined at the popular The Ravenous Pig. I have a long history with the pig. I played midwife as piglets were born on my childhood farm, once making a pet of one little porker for the summer. We always had our own pork in a basement freezer. As the little piggies grew and went to market, they supplied the "bread and butter" of our lives.

It surprises me sometimes that pork is still so popular. And bacon--oh my--has been popping up in ice cream and coffee and chocolate bars and even here in daughter R's bacon-infused bourbon cocktail--along with vanilla maple syrup, angostura orange and a strip of candied bacon! (The Ravenous Pig Old Fashioned):

I went girlie with a Gin and Jam cocktail which went down real easy.

We stayed local, taking in a busy Saturday morning in Winter Park, along with everyone and their pooches, enjoying the art festival, farmer's market and the perfect weather for dining on the street. We ate French pastries, bought tomatoes and sampled a row of olive oil and flavored balsamic vinegars--I thought the fig flavor was interesting, but found no bacon infusions...

Also local was a meandering (a newly favorited word which I am making into a noun) through  Harry P. Leu Gardens. The many varieties of palms, the prolific bamboo, the huge rose garden, the blooming gardenias...there was so much to see and smell. New to me was to take a guided tour through the historic home on the property where the Leu's lived, as well as other families, since the late 1800's.

I always respect private property and don't steal slips of things or fruit, but there was so much ripe fruit on the grounds in the citrus grove, with no one in the area. I finally was tempted, too. Feeling a bit like the one who is the source of all sin, our mother Eve, I tasted one tiny fruit and pocketed another--a sweet lime. I noticed at least three varieties of kumquats! My friend O and daughter E pilfered some other unusual fruit into their purses.

Sour Orange

The next day we used some of the juices to make a dressing for the spinach and feta salad. Below O and E are squeezing the stolen fruit and adding a little sugar. The juice might have worked for the bitters in a cocktail, but this was noon!

Blood orange on their hands?

We managed a delicious lunch on Saturday with leftovers, including pork and a blanched tomato relish with those fresh tomatoes from the farmer's market.

Tomato bread laced with Parmesan was also a hit.

Another photo, showing the Octoberfest beer, the dog, the pool, the pocket of our host (who was primarily glued to his computer screen--except for his excellent lomo cooking--while we had our girl fun), and the new teak table--recently stained to match the new fence:

Our tray was not quite as unusual as the charcuterie tray (below) from Thursday night's (Ravenous Pig) excursion into foodie heaven, but yet, fully satisfying.

Here is our shared tray, but I don't remember the names of all these fun foods:

I continued the pork thing at 4 Rivers Smokehouse on the afternoon of the second day, with a messy pig pork plate, sandwiched with coleslaw (like I was trying to save carbs or something) and smothered in their special sauce. After all the meandering in the gardens, I devoured it all, easily, without taking any photos. Messy Pig was tasty, but not photogenic.

Later that night we did our classic lomo al trappo (which is a beef tenderloin) in the chimenea. I have described that before and it was as good as ever, perfectly tender and bright red in the middle--and as usual, accompanied by lots of red wine (selected at Costco by my friend O) and enjoyed with crusty bread and steamed asparagus. A little taste of Costco's dark chocolate almond clusters and we were thoroughly sated.

One-eyed owl

We didn't have the time or budget to check out the food and wine festival at Epcot, but opted for another local attraction that I have wondered about for years, the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. We happened to be there at the end of the day when it was not busy and felt privileged to view the big eagles and hawks and owls closeup, as they were carried on gloved arms to their night cages. (Not one of these birds pooped while being held.) We enjoyed a little history of the age and injuries of each bird and learned many other interesting bird facts.

Other activities included kayaking and hot-tubbing which I did not participate in, and a couple of Netflix flicks. All in all, a great weekend, thanks to our super hosts, who provided all the accommodations. Also a big thank you to daughter E, who provided most of the chauffeuring.

The last night, sharing the last bottle of red wine, the girls watched the sun go down on Florida:

Photo from dock taken with E's phone

(I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about plants, but there is a whole world of exotic beauty out there that I have no clue about. I will end with a few more photos from Leu Gardens.)

Equador Princess Tibouchin - took a photo of label!

I know this flower - Hibiscus!