Explore Imagination

Imagine stepping back into your childhood the smell of cotton candy and popcorn, people from all over the world bustling around, beautiful face make up, clowns, a jester dressed as a chicken, bright colors, gorgeous costumes, and fun with the ooing and ahing and clapping from the audience wanting more...  All under one roof!

Yes folks, we are going to the circus... well sort of.

La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil  is a show you don't want to miss, adults and children alike will enjoy this show and will leave feeling amazed or feeling slightly over weight after seeing what these men and women can do, as I did.

Well dad, Derek, and I took a trip down to Downtown Disney to catch the show.

These men and women put on a show that won't soon be forgotten. The show starts out with two clowns who keep the crowd laughing throughout the entire show. The show then goes into some dancing on the ground while a man and a woman do the high ropes... eeek there is no way I'd get up there. A lot of the show is aerial and we had great seats so we didn't miss a thing. 

There is always something going on while the main act is happening so make sure you don't focus on just one thing because you might miss something else...  The show then goes on  to folks skipping rope, they jump ropes in ways I would have never thought to try. But now I don't want to give too much away.

We weren't allowed to take photo or video during the show, so you will have to take my word for it and go see it for yourself. They are having a special on their website for tickets.

I did, however, snap some pictures after the show. And if you follow me on IG you saw a photo of the makeup I wore to the show... if you haven't seen it it's under #itskelly7blog... it was circus worthy.

I love Peter Pan of course I had to snap a picture!

Something new at DT Disney I might have to check out? This truck says namaste cafe!!

xo

*My Thoughts*

La Nouba was a wonderful show, one that made me feel like a child for a night.

The performers did flips and hung from the sky, did stunts that made the audience gasp, and performed magically.

Go see the show, I mean it and if you have kids take them. They will love you!

Recipe: Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

It is such a beautiful, sunny summer day out today in Florida so I decided to do this post out in the yard whilst laying on my blanket I use for yoga with a big cup of water.

Yesterday I made a yummy light flavorful lunch in praise of summer!

Shrimp lettuce wraps with a mango salsa and a sweet chili sauce. They were delish, full of flavor and easy to make.

Now let's get onto it already then...

Yummy! Just look at all of that color.


What you'll need:

Package of cooked shrimp (I used the smaller ones since they were going into small lettuce leaves.)
1 mango
a couple of radishes, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, chopped
Juice from one lime
Cilantro
Lettuce leaves
Sauce of choice... I have been on this sweet chili sauce kick lately so I was glad to find that Frank's Red Hot sauce had a sweet chili sauce available

First I took some of the shrimp, not all because I was only making them for myself, into a strainer and rinsed them with cold water until they were thawed.

Then I transferred the shrimp to a bowl and added enough sauce to coat the little buggers.

*this sauce is amazing, I suggest giving it a try on anything, if you happen to not be a shrimp person

Once you have the desired amount of sauce place the shrimp in the refrigerator to marinade for at least 30 minutes and at this time you can prep your veggies.

Next step is to chop up all of the veggies...

 
Don't forget the mango

Toss all of the veggies into a separate bowl

Then squeeze the juice of one lime into the bowl and mix it all together... and then breathe in that yummy smell and try not to eat it all before you make your wraps.

Once the veggies and juice are mixed chop up some cilantro leaves and mix that in with the veggies and lime juice.

After all of that is done place the veggies in the refrigerator right next to those delicious looking shrimp. I left mine in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, only because I was not to eat them yet. They only need about 30 minutes. I like my veggie mix cold and I did not want them to spoil.

Once I was ready to eat I assembled my lettuce wraps.

Put some of the shrimp mixture into each of the lettuce wraps and then top that with some of the veggie mixture.

Don't those just look yummy?! If you want to lick the screen I will not judge but if there are other people around you they might judge you *wink*  I know I am getting hungry looking at these wraps.

I topped the wraps with a little of the sweet chili sauce just to add that little extra because honestly I just can't get enough.

Now it is time to dig in... make sure you have a napkin near by and possibly a sink because not only are they mouth watering they are a bit messy.

I paired mine with a pear and grape salad.

Okay now that I am good and hungry I am going to go eat...

xo

*My Thoughts*

These wraps are light and delicious as is but feel free to get creative and make your own creations.

If you do make sure to let me know. I am always looking for new creations to make.

Use the hash tag #shrimpwraps or #itskelly7 or go on send me a tweet or leave a comment down below.

Twitter name: itskelly7

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Iron Chef America... What?!

After graduation on Saturday we all came back to the house and took naps; it had been a long morning and afternoon. Later that night we (as a family) went out for dinner down at Universal's City Walk.

We decided to eat Iron Chef American style at Emeril's.

The graduates

The mushroom looking muffin is the best damn corn bread I have tried and a sweet cream butter to pair it with.

Table full of cocktails

We were all hungry

I had a baby spinach and marinated beet salad with blue cheese and pecans with a cherry vinaigrette. YUM.

Mom had guacamole and chips... which she was nice enough to give me some because she knows I drool over guac.

Dad had crab cakes.

Derek had tomato and mozzarella.

I started off with an Old Fashion and then with dinner we shared a delicious bottle of Malbec.

This was a Duck Confit pasta with a peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, a duck butter sauce and the most tender duck ever... double YUM!

The restaurant had these fun ladders so the staff is able to reach the wine tucked up in the upper coolers.

Look at all of that wine!!! Holy smokes.

This is the cigar room. The restaurant used this as a cigar lounge when guests were able to smoke in restaurants. They turned into a little private dinning area, but it still smells like cigars.

Emeril's was popping long after we left. 

What a wonderful dinner with a wonderful family. We enjoyed each others company and stories from our lives. It was a great graduation!

xo

Graduation: UCF

Saturday was a very special day, not just for me but also for my brother and my parents.

My brother and I graduated from the University of Central Florida or UCF; Rosen College of Hospitality Management. It was a milestone that I could not see the end to for a very long time. I hated school. I wanted it to be over. I felt like I had been in school forever. Well when the time came for me to walk across that stage I started to tear up. I had finally finished something that I had been working very hard towards for a very long time. I will receive my bachelors degree in Event Management probably  in a few weeks. I will miss parts of school, the learning (which is a continual part of life), the people, the campus, and the college life in general. But it is time to move on...

This is the first picture I took after the ceremony! #siblings #bestpictureever and yes I just used hashtags to describe it... don't judge me. I am very proud of us both. And I know we are both going to be okay because we have a strong support staff (uh hum... mom and dad). Without those two this day would have not been possible without them. They are two loving parents that I am lucky to call mine. Thank you mom and dad! It has been a wonderful experience but it is now time to move on. Derek I love you and I am glad I got to share this special day with you!!

Peace out UCF it's been real. Thanks for the memories and the friends.

We are able to decorate our caps :D

"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are." - Kurt Cobain... I love this quote because it is true. These words came from a man who was a rock legend and he never let any of that or anyone change him. We all long to find our own way in life; every now and then it is altered in ways (good or bad) and we allow others to alter our view on how life should be lived but we all long for our own path to take.

It won't be easy but I am ready for that path. It is time to move on and it is about damn time for me to find my own path.

xo

*My Thoughts*
School has taught me a lot... of course that's what it's supposed to do, but it has taught me about life, friendship, and of course event management.
I am soooo glad it's over. *wink*
I am very lucky to have had the chance to attend college.
Go out and pursue your dreams... any way you can!!