Weekend in Marco Island!

View from the balcony of the condo my future in-laws rent for 3 months every year.

Tomorrow, my Fiance and I will be traveling down to Marco Island, Florida to visit his parents for 3 days!  Since my Fiance and I began dating in 2008, we have be fortunate enough to be able to take this same trip each year during the months when the weather in Minneapolis is less than pleasant.  This year, Mother Nature waited until the perfect week to decide to grace us with some snow, sleet, and freezing rain (I don't know about you, but this kind of precipitation doesn't bring out the best in me).

So, at this time, I couldn't be more excited to make my escape to this little piece of retirement paradise --- I should mention that no 20-something would visit Marco to "party," unless they enjoy doing 'The Twist' and listening to the Beach Boys on repeat until the late hour of 10:00pm, which is when most of the island retires to bed.  So, it's always a brief trip, but well worth it for many reasons, one of which is the amazingly fresh seafood I look forward to eating ocean-side, accompanied by nothing else but a delicious glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

Now, my goal here is not to boast... although traveling to a place where the average age of the residents is 60 isn't something to brag about when you are 27 years old.   My goal, rather, is to share with you my excitement over my future culinary experiences.  Don't get me wrong, I love the warm weather and plan to enjoy it, but if you saw me, you would know that too much time in the sun turns me into a Lobster.  I would rather eat it, not resemble it in any way!

So, I promise not to post more than one shot of the sun setting over the ocean.  I will, however, be taking pictures of the meals I order.  My hope is that you might be inspired to visit your local grocer or fishmonger (love this word!) to pick up some fresh seafood to brighten a rather dull day wherever you may be. I would also like to point out the art that is perfect fish preparation and execution, a skill that is often difficult for the casual cook to master.  I, myself, plan to try my hand at making Bacon Wrapped Scallops in the near future.  I have indulged in these little pieces of heaven many a time, and would love to reproduce them in the comfort of my own kitchen, and maybe even save some money doing so :-)

Have a great weekend, and I will share with you my amazing culinary experiences in the near future.

Signing off,
Librarian turned Foodie