Friday, February 19, 2016

Where Have I Been?



I apologize to all of my loyal regular readers. 
I have not been posting my usual recipes for healthy gluten free fast and easy vegetarian meals because I have been literally traveling for last two months and I had limited WiFi In addition  I've been eating but not cooking! I've been to quite a few exotic Caribbean Islands and have been enjoying the warm beautiful weather and magnificent beaches.

Photo Above was from a Batik factory in St Kitts? 


I left home ( Pennsylvania) on December 7 and pointed my car towards I-95 South on route to our first of many destinations -the charming city of Charleston, South Carolina.

Charleston South Carolina

After a 12 hour drive ( stopping along the way for a few meals and bathroom stops), we pulled into the parking garage of our hotel in the historic area of the city.  I remember reading a post on Deborah's blog, Healthy Green Natural , How to Plan a Relaxing Trip to Charleston  that highlighted the points of interest in Charleston; I got some good ideas.
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We were only there 3 days , but it was enough. We did a 2 hour guided tour of the city on a trolley bus, ate in some interesting restaurants, visited a museum. Our favorite restaurant was 39 Rue de Jean  which was off of the famous King Street. The service was good, the French style food was memorable, and we enjoyed the atmosphere. They paid close attention to my gluten free needs ( although they did not serve GF bread)

In addition, we found a charming neighborhood bar and restaurant on King Street for happy hour. Wine at Joe Pasta was just $3 glass and the appetizers were very reasonable. We didn't eat there for dinner.

We left Charleston and continued to drive to Orlando to go to Epcot! We were are the Swan Hotel at Disney ( Fabulous ) and enjoyed their beautiful floor to ceiling Christmas tree made of entirely white Poinsettias !

Orlando Florida at Epcot- Disney

From Epcot, we traveled to Boca Raton, Florida area for 3 weeks to spend time with friends and family through the remainder of December and then on January 2 we  left for a 27 day Princess cruise to visit sixteen different Caribbean Islands!  Yes, I did say 27 days! It was fabulous . No food shopping, no cooking, no cleaning.. pure relaxation.

27 Day Caribbean Cruise - 16 Islands

We went to gorgeous beaches as well as tours of the islands. I bathed in volcanic hot springs and cover ed myself with the mineral rich ash, ate fresh exotic fruits like passion fruit, dragon fruit, and fresh coconut all right off the trees! I understand why they say, " Don't worry, Be Happy"The islands and the cruise were very relaxing.

We cruised on Princess and it worked out well for my gluten free diet. I had to order my dinners the night before, but they assigned a person to me to oversee my meals who was very careful, gave me homemade gluten free delicious bread, desserts, and lots of variety. I was happy!

They also had gluten free bread at the buffet breakfast and lunch buffet . I had to ask for it, as they kept it behind the counter to keep it from getting contaminated. The buffet's were a little trickier as nothing was really officially gluten free. It was best to order in advance to be sure.

I also found gluten free desserts in the buffet in the evening that were designated gluten free.

So there you have it.. I'm back and I've spent the last few days shopping for groceries, making some simple meals, and  cleaning. Back to the normal routine.

I will be starting to post again regularly just as I did before my 2 month winter vacation.

I'll be looking for some healthy skinny recipes that I can share with you (since I overindulged a little!)

If you are new to gluten free eating and living. would you like more basic information on how to shop and what to cook daily? Please respond in the comments.

What have you been up to ? Which healthy foods have you been enjoying over the past 2 months
 ? Please share in the comments!











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4 comments:

  1. Glad to have you back!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, what a trip, Judee!! I love Charleston, have been to that Batik factory (St. Kitts is beautiful ... loved the fort there, too, and the amazing views), and am very intrigued by the islands you visited. What was the cruise line? I take it you had no problem eating gluten free while on board? Welcome back!

    Shirley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We went on Princess and they were excellent about gluten free!
      They had gluten free dessert on the buffet daily and homemade delicious gluten free bread every day. They assigned someone in the dining room to oversee my gluten free needs . I ordered my dinner one day in advance each day

      Delete
  3. I think you should ease back into the blog by telling us about each and every one of the islands you visited! Maybe you could do several trip blogs with photos!

    ReplyDelete

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