Category: Product Reviews

Restaurant Blogs: Why You Should Have One

As a blogger, I know the value that a blog can have for businesses. Why should restaurants have blogs? For the same reasons that many businesses also have them: exposure and ranking on google. The last time you wanted to go out to eat but hadn’t decided where to go, did you Google for restaurants in your area? Chances are if you’re like me, you did. A study done by Constant Contact showed that 92% of the participants searched for a restaurant online and 75% of them chose their destination based on what they found.

Why Your Restaurant Needs A Blog

Marketing is a huge part of any business. Instead of investing in advertisements that catch your customers for a few seconds before they move on, invest in content that will engage them in a different way. If you share a recipe, a special promotion or a community-related event that you are a part of, your customers will register that and many will share it with their friends and family. It’s time to work smarter instead of harder.

Why Blogging Is Important To Restaurants

Most restaurant websites consist of 1-3 pages for google to list in their results. If you had a blog tied to your restaurant name, each blog post could potentially show up as a result as well!

Here are a few tips to get your blog going on the right foot.

Attach The Blog To Your Site

Chances are, you have someone who manages your website. Talk to them about how to incorporate a blog directly on your website either as a subdomain or subdirectory.

Write Relevant Content

Each post should be interesting to your reader, be optimized for search engines (otherwise known as SEO-friendly) and tie into your restaurant in some way. Think in terms of what someone looking for your restaurant would type into google and turn it into a blog post!

Be Consistent

Ideally, you should post to your blog at least once a week with a minimum of 300-500 words to show your value to Google and other search engines. Again, think of yourself browsing the internet. Do you want to see the same things over and over? Of course not! Search engines operate the same way. By updating your website on a regular basis with blog posts, you are increasing your reach in search results.

Connect with your Social Media

Posting regularly to your social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc, is a great way to stay connected to your customers. While it may seem daunting to come up with social media posts, having a blog gives you one more thing to share with your followers.

Show Off Your Success and Changes

Every restaurant goes through major and minor changes over time. Have you added a new item to the menu? Featuring a new special? Hosting a local event? Recognized on a local media network? Your blog is a fantastic place to share the news!

I love to write, especially when it means I am boosting the city that I live in. I’m raising my daughter here and I want a strong community for her to grow up in. In order to have a strong community, the businesses and restaurants here need to be strong as well.

I know as a business owner, you already feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. This is when you may want to consider hiring someone who can write and manage these posts for you.

If you would like to discuss that option with me, feel free to contact me to set up a time to talk!

LocalFlavor.com Needs Your Votes!

If your family is anything like ours, you are looking to save money in every aspect of life and LocalFlavor.com is a great resource to do just that! With so many families living paycheck to paycheck, using coupons and deals are more popular than ever before. Now with the latest promotion to find the best places in our area, you could win $300 in site credit! (More on that later though…)

LocalFlavor.com Vote For Your Favorite Local Businesses

So, What Is LocalFlavor.com?

LocalFlavor is an online resource to save your family money on everything from dining out or salon services to home and auto services, retail products and more. The beauty of it is that they partner with the bigger sites like RetailMeNot and Groupon to offer the best deals for each local area.

How Does LocalFlavor.com Work?

It starts with local deals and coupons that are gathered by local people! In each market, someone who lives right in our area is responsible for finding these deals and bringing them right to your mailbox in the Clipper magazine or posting it online at LocalFlavor.com

The deals posted are usually 50% off that you would purchase in advance before visiting the restaurant or business. Depending on the type of certificate you buy, some can even be used as soon as you purchase it, while others are to be used the next business day.

Another way that you could save money is by using the coupons that are available on the website. These are the same coupons that are available in the Clipper magazine, but now you have them at your fingertips as they can be loaded while you are in the business you intend to use them in! The coupons are free to use for everyone! All you would need to do is sign up with your email address on LocalFlavor.com and activate the coupon you choose. Then you would either print the coupon or present it on your phone to the business.

Venice Foodies, Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Currently, here in our area, LocalFlavor.com wants to hear from YOU. The 2019 Readers’ Poll is open for you to vote for your favorite businesses right here in Venice, Nokomis and Osprey. With so many incredible restaurants in our area, LocalFlavor wants to know where YOU love to eat. As a bonus you could win $300 in credit to use towards any LocalFlavor deal certificate. With the deals averaging 50% off, this is easily $600 to use in our local restaurants, salons, home service and more. We love supporting local, small businesses and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that.

The poll includes a wide range of categories across restaurants, entertainment, home services, personal services and automotive services. Each vote that you cast (you can vote multiple times) gives you an entry to win the $300 credit. The voting polls will be open until October 12, 2019. The winner will be announced on or about October 14, 2019. The results of the poll will be released in a special edition of the Clipper Magazine in December of 2019.

Click Here –> to VOTE on LocalFlavor.com NOW

Be sure to check out our Coupon page for other exclusive deals and coupons available for my Venice Foodies!

Doctor D’s  Probiotic Drinks- Good for Your Gut

Gut health is vital to our overall health.  We all know probiotics are the way to gut health, but most probiotic drinks are bland or leave a not so pleasant aftertaste. But all that has changed, everyone in your family will love Doctor D’s sparkling probiotic drinks.  

Doctor D’s  Probiotic Drinks

Doctor D’s  Probiotic Drinks- Good for Your Gut

Doctor D’s  Probiotic Drinks

 The Best Tasting Sparkling Probiotic Drink on the Market

I found Dr. D’s in the Publix stores locally, but they are also available throughout Florida and other states.

Doctor D’s is an amazingly delicious sparkling probiotic drink. Drinking it will help promote a healthy digestive tract and build up your immune system. But you will just think you are enjoying a cool, refreshing drink.

Doctor D's Sparkling Probiotic

Doctor D’s is a live-fermented drink loaded with probiotics, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and electrolytes.

Probiotics may be able to help prevent some illnesses.

Doctor D’s is a leader on the market because it tastes so delicious. It’s perfect to take to the beach, playing tennis, shopping with the kids or enjoy it after a workout.  

Another great idea, you can also substitute it for a cocktail mixer. Dr. D’s is a fantastic alternative to high sugar and high calories juice and soda. You and your friends will love it.

Doctor D’s is available in 6 delicious flavors including:

  • Crisp Apple
  • Lively Lemon
  • Ginger Lemon
  • Mandarin Orange
  • Tart Cherry
  • Concord Grape.

Doctor D’s live fermented beverages produce a wider spectrum of probiotics than the leading kombucha. Doctor D’s also has a more pleasant, mild flavor, contrasting with the vinegary taste of kombucha.

Doctor D’s Has All Organic Ingredients: They source only the highest quality organic fruit juices, evaporated cane juice, and filter our own reverse-osmosis water.

Doctor D’s Probiotic Drinks Are:

  • Dairy & Caffeine Free
  • Filled with Live Cultures
  • Low in Sugar
  • In Amber Bottles: Only amber bottles can protect the live probiotics from harmful light.

Dr. D’s is a must-try this fall for a healthy year!

Check it out at:  http://doctordslive.com/

FREE Preserve The Harvest Masterclass Preview

Preserve the Harvest Masterclass

‘Tis the season to grab some jars and figure out what you’re gonna can and how much. Then plan to dehydrate, or freeze the rest, right? Sounds easy enough….

Learn Something New

What if you’re not sure if you can can a certain food (think summer squash here)? Or you’re not sure if it’s better to dehydrate the food rather than can (think spinach).

Rediscover an Old Hobby

What if it’s been a while since you’ve gotten your canning equipment down? Do you really want to spend hours and hours researching the changes and new recommendations?

Never Thought About Canning?

It’s all new to you and you’re trying to stock your pantry but you don’t know where to start?

I’ve got you covered! Just head on over to The Preserve The Harvest Masterclass and sign up for the FREE preview of Self Reliant School’s canning and dehydrating classes.

Make Your Own Pickles

Click here to register for FREE—–>CLICK HERE

In particular, some of the classes that will be offered include:

  • Introduction to canning (how does the process work)
  • Introduction to water bath and pressure canning
  • How to make and can applesauce, jams, and jellies
  • How to can fruit
  • Introduction to dehydrating
  • How to dehydrate fruit
  • How to dehydrate vegetables
  • How to store dehydrated food
  • …And much much more

Here is that link again….Hurry to sign up——>CLICK HERE

Preserve The Harvest Masterclass

P.S. Oh and I almost forget they’re giving away some bonuses just for signing up.

  • Dehydrated Food Storage Cheat Sheet
  • The Ultimate Canning Safety Guide
  • Using Dehydrated Apples ebooklet

Are you excited? What is the first thing you want to be able to preserve on your own?

All About Black Elderberry Syrup

All About Black Elderberry Syrup

13 Ways To Use Elderberry Syrup

Here are some facts… Boring But Important.

Black elderberry is the fruit from an elderberry shrub native to Central Europe (Sambucus nigra). Its subspecies Sambucus canadensis, is native to North America. Black elderberries are one of the easiest and most versatile shrubs to grow. You can find them growing wild along roadsides, backwoods edges, and abandoned fields. The shrub has fragrant, creamy white, edible flowers, as well as delicious dark purple to black fruits which hang in drooping clusters.

Benefits and Cautions

When harvesting black elderberries, harvest the bark, berries, and flowers only, as the stems and leaves can be dangerous. Ingesting an excessive amount of black elderberries can become problematic; nevertheless, you can eat raw black elderberries.

Elderberries and elderflowers are jam-packed with nutritional benefits. They’re high in vitamin C and dietary fiber, as well as an excellent source of antioxidants, which boost the immune system and keep it strong. Elderberries are also a low-calorie food.

Other health benefits of elderberries include:

  • Shortens cold and flu symptoms
  • Cancer-inhibiting properties
  • Inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria
  • Elderberries are an excellent diuretic
  • May have antidepressant properties

Elderberry Syrup

In case you’re feeling audacious, you can concoct your own elderberry syrup. The benefit of making your own is the customization of the elderberry syrup recipe, allowing you to have confidence in what you are ingesting by knowing every ingredient used.

Purchase elderberries and other ingredients online, at a local health food store, or harvest your own. You can find recipes online for elderberry syrup such as Wellness Mama’s Potent Cold + Flu Remedy or a recipe on AllRecipes.com

On the off chance you are the instant gratification sort, have no fear, as you can purchase black elderberry syrup at your local store or online.

13 Ways to Use Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup is a staple in a lot of kitchen medicine cabinets for more than just nutritional value, it has an amazing flavor even your pickiest of eaters should enjoy. Here are a few ways for you to enjoy this medicinal goodness in your everyday meals.

  • Drizzle on top of pancakes and waffles either in place of or along with traditional syrup.
  • Swirl a teaspoon full into plain, unsweetened yogurt (dairy or non-dairy), or layer in a parfait with granola, berries, and yogurt. Alternatively, you can mix elderberry syrup into a flavored yogurt such as blueberries to add extra yumminess.
  • Use on top of your favorite warm breakfast; oatmeal, grits, and quinoa each provide a blank canvas for the sweet and tangy flavor of Black Elderberries.
  • Mix with water, freeze, then add to unsweetened iced tea, lemonade or sparkling water. Toss an ice cube or two into your hot beverage for a sweet way to cool it down.
  • The sweet taste of elderberry syrup can tone down the heat in spicy barbecue sauce, and it adds a layer of flavor to ketchup. Kids will love the purple color, too!
  • Stir into a steaming mug of your favorite herbal or black tea.
  • Mix some elderberry syrup, frozen or fresh fruit and toss in some kale or spinach with a little water for a green smoothie.
  • Mix elderberry syrup in your superfood breakfast or simply swirl it on top to jazz it up a bit.
  • Create a “Purple Sunrise” by swirling some syrup in a glass before pouring your morning orange juice.
  • Drizzle onto a scoop of your favorite ice cream to make a sundae. Garnish with mint if you’re feeling fancy.
  • Mix with Sriracha or another hot sauce and rub on chicken or tofu for a quick dinner.
  • Elderberry syrup makes a good substitute in place of sugar in freezer jams and similar items.
  • Drizzle over tangy and tart fruit such as kiwi, pineapple, and apples for a tantalizing contrast.

Now that you know all about black elderberry syrup you can begin taking your health into your own hands. Who knew taking a cold and flu remedy or an immune booster could be so sweet and good for you? Plus as an added bonus, none of the side effects which can arise with traditional over the counter medications!

About The Author:
Krissie McCoy is a stay at home mom to two beautiful little ones working her way through life one baby step at a time.

Local To Sarasota/Venice?
Check out Holly’s Magic Syrup!
In Bradenton, Palmetto or Ellenton?
Check out Jason’s Elderberry Syrup!

10 Easy Recipes for Kids to Cook

When I first started to look at easy recipes for kids to teach my daughter, I thought about how my love of cooking started. It started at a young age watching my mother, father and grandparents cook. I was raised in a very loud, loving and stereotypical Italian family. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, grandparents… we all came together at the dinner table to listen to stories from the older generation and enjoy whatever dish was gracing the table.

Italian Family Dinner
My father, Forrest, showing off the table for a holiday meal in 1997.

Make Memories

Some of the best memories I have as a child involve the kitchen. Whether it was my grandfather making brunch for us on the weekends before watching the Wizard of Oz together, my grandmother baking sweet treats for family and friends, our large extended family sitting around the table at holidays or waking up in the early morning hours to smell my father making escarole and beans when he came home from work. It is important to me that my daughter has a similar upbringing that translates into a love of the kitchen.

Watching Food Network

From the time Elena was a little girl, we started watching Ree Drummond, “The Pioneer Woman” on the Food Network. We love creating her recipes and shopping at Walmart to find products that were featured on the show. Elena gets so excited when she sees the same tools Ree uses in our own kitchen. With so many adorable kitchen tools, appliances and home decor items, we are truly a fan of all the Pioneer Woman items.

Kids Cooking Classes in Venice

In addition, Shark Bites Deli offers kids cooking classes on Tuesday nights at 6 PM for only $10 per child. Every lesson incorporates two different healthy recipes (usually one savory, one sweet), some trivia and basic cooking techniques like slicing, mixing or measuring. Each child gets a cooking tool to bring home with them too!

Check out my coupon page for an exclusive coupon to use while you are there!

What Are Easy Recipes for Kids?

I’ve put together a wonderful list of recipes from other bloggers that are kid-friendly, fun and easy to make.

Easy Recipes For Kids

  1. Air Fryer Pita Pizza
    (pictured on left)
  2. Healthy Zucchini Banana Bread
  3. Bell Pepper Cucumber Salad
  4. Homemade Fresh Fruit Popsicles
  5. Crumb Cake
  6. Easy Sugar Cookies
  7. Macaroni Egg Salad
  8. Rainbow Salad Platter
  9. Lemon Bar Dessert
  10. Healthy Butter Chicken

Meal Subscription Boxes, Are they worth it?

Meal Subscription Boxes

Do you hate cooking? Don’t have time to cook? Don’t know how to cook? Then someone made a subscription meal box just for you. There is an abundance of options available, but are they worth the cost? They offer convenience and can be much less expensive than take-out food, but are depending on the box, may cost more than a grocery store.

So, What are Meal Subscription Boxes?

They are exactly what they sound like. You sign up for a weekly subscription, choose your meals, and receive all the ingredients and cooking instructions for 3-4 meals, with 2-4 adult sized servings.

Benefits of Boxes

Convenience and Saving Time
Instead of shopping and buying ingredients that you would only use once, the box includes the perfect portion of each ingredient. Aside from small prep work, most meals are prepped, cooked and ready to serve in 45 minutes or less.

Instructions
Most boxes come with printed instructions; often including photos for each step. If you don’t know how to cook, this is an easy way to learn. The recipe will guide you through prep and cooking so everything gets to the table at once; no more scrambling to get side dishes finished at the same time as an entree!

Adaptability
If you follow a specific type of diet, (vegan, gluten-free, diabetic, allergy avoidance, etc.) you can find specific plans to fit your needs. Most plans will offer a way to pause delivery or skip a week or two completely. If you are going on vacation, having guests, or simply want to make your own meals, you can usually change your order dates with a quick adjustment on their website.

Fresh Ingredients
These meals are usually well-balanced and healthy choices. Most ingredients last in your refrigerator for 3-5 days, allowing you to choose when to cook.

Choices
Most people make the same recipes over and over. These plans offer meals you may never have thought of, or may never have tried otherwise. You wouldn’t want to buy a whole bottle of curry powder if a recipe only uses a teaspoon when you aren’t sure you are going to like curry. This way, you can order a curry meal and try it first. Though they are rare, some companies are now offering breakfast, lunch, and snack boxes as well as dinner. While the majority of meals are fresh and allow you to cook from scratch, there are also some which come with some ingredients pre-chopped, and others come completely cooked and ready to be popped into a microwave. You can have one meal a week delivered, or four, depending on your needs.

The Downside

Each company has the same basic premise. Some, however, are much pricier than others. Prices vary from as little as $5.00 per person per meal to $20.00 per person. While you can choose meals for 2 or 4 people, it’s going to be more expensive if you have a larger family. Keep in mind they are calculated on an average adult-size serving, which may not march your idea of portion size.

Subscription meal boxes don’t offer all the food necessary for every meal of the day. Most subscriptions allow up to four meals a week, which means you are still going to do a lot of your own grocery shopping and meal planning. Meals come with nearly all elements needed, but you will most often have to provide small things like oil, salt, and pepper, butter, or a little milk.

There are many plans which try to cater to specific dietary needs, but not all are easily accommodated. For example, you may require gluten-free, organic, and vegan. Not all subscriptions are going to offer all three choices. You may not be able to find a plan with everything you want.


About The Author
Raye Wiedner is an active widow, living in the Midwest. She has been a health care worker for most of her life, with a passion for trying new adventures.

Check out these dealsfrom Venice Foodies!

Home Chef Review
$30 Off Your First Box of Home Chef!

Home Chef

$30 Off Your First Box!
Each week, they offer at least 3 Calorie-Conscious meals and at least 3 Carb-Conscious meals. You can also customize your protein, add easy lunch options and smoothie kits!

Green Chef

  • 4 Free Meals in your First Box!
  • 2-Person Plans include Omnivore, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Keto, Heart Smart, Lean & Clean, Mediterranean, and Pescatarian plans.
  • Family Plans include family-style Omnivore and Carnivore Plans.
Green Chef Review
4 Meals FREE in your First Box!
Green Chef Review
NurtureLife Review

NurtureLife

$20 Off Your First Order!

Ready in 3 minutes or less, giving you more family time! Quality ingredients and backed by pediatricians, these meals start at $4.38 for Babies and $8.90 for Toddlers & Kids

Seralago: Our Hotel in Kissimmee

As a budget conscious Momma, when I started planning for Elena’s birthday trip to Medieval Times, we needed to find a Hotel in Kissimmee. One of our main family beliefs is that experiences and memories are more valuable than toys and possessions. It’s because of this that we ask family and friends to contribute towards expensive experiences as a gift instead of another toy or item that will be temporary in her life. With this in mind, we were deal hunting for the best ways to save money on an Orlando vacation.

I started with Groupon and found what I thought was a great deal. The Seralago Resort in Kissimmee, which is right next to Old Town on US 192. The total price for two nights in a Kid’s Suite with bunk beds and a twin bed and a main bedroom with a Queen Bed, for $130 with taxes and fees. I thought I scored a huge jackpot!

Arriving at our Hotel in Kissimmee

Thanks to the incredible location, the resort was very easy to find. However, the property seemed to be much older and dated than the photos would lead you to believe. On the other hand, the lobby area was fresh and clean. There was a considerable wait to check in but with spring break and check in time just starting, I expected it.

Welcome center at our hotel in kissimmee

Our Hotel Room

Walking in to our hotel room, I was extremely discouraged to see that the bed was smaller than I expected. As my husband and I are both bigger people, it’s important to have at least a Queen for us to sleep comfortably. I knew that we were in for some long nights ahead. Then, while arranging the beds, I noticed that there were no fitted sheets or even mattress covers on the bed! This totally grossed me out as I know my husband can’t be the only person that tosses and turns in his sleep. The sheets would get tangled and he’ll sleep on a bare mattress that couldn’t possibly be completely sanitized between guests.

Within an hour, we noticed the bathroom floor was flooding. The toilet was pouring out water for no apparent reason. We called and maintenence came out, spent about 3 minutes looking at it, handed us towels to clean it up and left. Nothing else was done and we avoided using the bathroom for this very reason.

The pillows were extremely flat and provided absolutely no support. It took 3 pillows to even start to feel like one. I ended up sleeping on the small twin with my back against the wall and a pillow behind my head. These had to be the most uncomfortable beds any of us have ever slept in. Even my daughter preferred to sleep on the floor.

The inside of our room at our hotel in kissimmee

The Next Morning: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel is a buffet style and is free for children but $9.99 for adults. This price does not include beverages. On the buffet were things you would typically see at a hotel’s regular continental style breakfast:

  • Pastries
  • Apples and oranges
  • Make Your Own Waffle Station
  • Ice table with fruit toppings for the waffles and hard boiled eggs.
  • Biscuits and gravy
  • Hashbrown potatoes
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Sausage patties and links
  • Fried plaintains
  • French toast sticks
  • Various cereals
  • Grits (? I think, it looked more like a watery mess to me.)
The breakfast set up at our hotel in kissimmee

The set up is very awkward to navigate. There was no toast, bacon, or anything that I felt really warranted over $10 for me as an adult to have breakfast. There was no offering of milk for the cereal, I could have had a much better breakfast at my old Waffle House (Yes, I used to work at the one on Seven Dwarfs lane just a few miles down 192 almost a decade ago!) for half the price. Elena picked at her breakfast and I had a little of each item on her plate. Despite her favorites like waffles and biscuits and gravy, she just looked at me and asked if she could just skip breakfast because it didn’t taste good.

The ONLY highlight was our incredible waitress, Denise. She brought the sunshine with her that morning. She kept my coffee hot and did what she could to make us feel welcome despite having more than her fair share of tables to attend to.

Other Notes

  • We were led to believe when I booked this hotel that there were nightly activities for families, which I never saw. The arcade area for the children was nice with a decent variety of games but required tokens which also required cash on hand.
  • It was cold for Florida while we were there, so we did not attempt to go swimming in the main pool. However, my daughter and I did go to the hot tub to try and relax while my husband took a nap. To be honest, I have had bath water warmer than that hot tub. The jets were not that strong and was largely a disappointment. Although, that was what I had come to expect from this hotel.
  • The “Food Court” actually had decent priced hot and cold snacks and entrees for those that were hungry. Quality was on par with a fast food convenience store, but a nice option to have.

Final Decision

If you’re looking at staying in a hotel in Kissimmee, I would look elsewhere.

Pros:
– Friendly Staff
– Price
– Central Location

Cons:
-Everything Else

If by some stretch of the imagination we were to stay here again, we would bring our own fitted sheets, pillows, and plan to eat breakfast off the property. I’m sure there has to be better options for a hotel in Kissimmee.

Medieval Times: A Night To Remember

First of all, I would like to thank US Family Guide and Medieval Times for their partnership in sponsoring this blog post!

A collage of photos from Medieval Times in Kissimmee, FL including the knights, table set up and our family before the show.

This past week was Spring Break for Elena’s school and we had planned a belated birthday adventure for her in Kissimmee, Florida. Our family believes that experiences and memories are more important than physical gifts like toys.

Her family and friends contributed to her trip instead of buying things she would outgrow or only play with a few times. The result was amazing and will be talked about in future blogs as well.

Let’s start off with our experience this past week at Medieval Times in Kissimmee. Our show was scheduled to start at 6 PM and we were instructed to arrive at least an hour early to ensure we were seated in time for the show. We were provided with basic tickets, but for Elena’s birthday, I opted to upgrade to the celebration package for an additional $18 per person.

This package included:

  • Priority Castle Access
  • VIP seating
  • Priority Seating Access
  • Cheering Banner
  • VIP Lanyard
  • Group Photo for Each Member of the Party
  • Slice of Birthday Cake for Each Member of the Party
  • Personalized Announcement During the Show

Our Arrival:

When we arrived to check in, we were asked if we wanted to upgrade again to the Queen’s Royalty VIP package for an additional $4 per person. This upgrade added first row center seating and frames for our pictures. I decided that the upgrade would be worth it and accepted. We were ushered towards the hallway for photos where we were given our crowns and then posed for a family photo, a family photo with one of the cast members, and finally a photo with Excalibur, the sword in the stone.

From there, we moved into the main waiting area with tons of souvenirs for sale and a bar to get drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. It would have been very easy to get caught up in buying these items, but we made an agreement beforehand to put our focus on the experience rather than trinkets. The main area was very cramped and there were a LOT of people pushing and shoving to get where they wanted to be. When they started making announcements for seating, it was difficult to hear and understand at first.

When it was our turn to be seated, we were walked in and saw that there wasn’t a lot of room in between each person. While I understand the need to maximize their seating, it’s not exactly a comfortable situation practically sitting on top of a stranger with no where to place your belongings. We were given a choice of Pepsi, Sweet Tea or Water as a drink but somewhere along the way, our server, Albert, became confused and we ended up with a mixture of pepsi and sweet tea.

All About The Food:

The first course arrived in the form of tomato basil soup and garlic bread. Our server joked that it was dragon’s blood and Elena loved it. The soup had a great flavor and was moderately warm. This feast is “hands-on”, meaning no silverware is provided. We drank the soup straight from the bowl, which Elena found hysterical and asked if she could always drink her soup!

The main course was a half of a roasted chicken, half of a herb-basted baked potato and a piece of buttered corn on the cob. I was pleasantly surprised at the crispiness of the chicken skin, seasoned well and the meat was tender and juicy! It was a very generous portion and would have easily been enough without all of the side dishes. The potato had just enough bite that it didn’t fall apart while still being a well cooked flavor bomb of herbs. As for the corn, it is a flavor I can’t wait to replicate at home as it was buttered with hints of cayenne and paprika for a sweet heat that tingles on your tongue.

The Negatives:

Unfortunately, because of the cramped seating, when we were trying to assist our daughter with her meal, her drink was knocked over onto her plate and her entire meal was drowning in sweet tea. It took 15 minutes to flag down our server and he told us not to worry and that he would bring us napkins and another plate of food for our daughter.

Albert came around again, this time with prepackaged wipes for after our meal, as if nothing had happened. We again requested napkins and another plate for Elena. He apologized for forgetting, handed us a few napkins and then disappeared again. Jason and I were grateful that the portions of chicken were so large, because we ended up sharing ours with her instead of waiting any longer for a plate that was obviously not coming.

It was then time for dessert. Since we had the celebration upgrade, we received an additional piece of cake with the dessert on the menu, a cup of ice cream with caramel sauce, served with a wooden spoon. The cake was vanilla with a white icing and sprinkles. It was a bit dry and the icing seemed to be still frozen, but Elena was so hungry she ate hers and mine as well.

All About The Show:

The Queen, Doña Maria Isabella, has taken over for her late father (presumably the king from the previous show). She presides over a tournament to find the best knight in the land; drama ensues when a knight who has been acting dishonorably challenges her authority.

Mixed in to the show are various performances of the horses doing tricks, the flight of the falcon and other well choreographed horse and rider triumphs in the arena. We were enthralled throughout the show! Elena was even chosen by our knight to receive his ribbon! She excitedly wore it for the remainder of the night.

Final Thoughts:

This is when I really got upset. Albert came around again with a credit card plate and a card. This card thanked us for being there and informed us gratuity was not included in our tickets. When we declined because of everything that had occurred, he mentioned at least 4 times to request we leave something, even attempting to prevent us from leaving without an explanation. At this point, we were so frustrated by the experience, we just wanted to get home.

Overall, the show was a lot of fun and we had a pretty great time. It’s not necessarily something I would do more than once, but the upgrades were worth it. That being said, if I had paid the full amount of over $80 per person and my daughter didn’t even get to eat her full meal… (I understand that a drink spilling isn’t exactly their fault, but with the amount of money spent, any additional effort of kindness would have been appreciated.) we did feel some frustration.

However, I still recommend visiting Medieval Times if you are in Kissimmee or

Additional Information Direct From Medieval Times:

Experience North America’s most popular dinner attraction. See our electrifying show featuring heroic knights on magnificent horses displaying the astounding athletic feats and thrilling swordplay that have become hallmarks of this unique entertainment experience. Enjoy a “hands-on” feast as the dynamic performance unfolds before you. A sweeping musical score and brilliant lights provide a fabulous backdrop for this spellbinding experience that blurs the boundary between fairy tale and spectacle!

Audiences of all ages gather to cheer for their knight! Medieval Times is the perfect place for any occasion: family fun night, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, date night, and more!
Experience the New Show | Tickets 40% OFF Adults/20% OFF Kids – For the first time in Medieval Times’ 35-year history, a Queen has taken the throne. Her Majesty Dona Maria Isabella presides over a tournament of knights who gather in celebration to test their skill against one another in a series of games, jousting, and combat.

The new story brings a series of changes to the show including new costumes, custom-designed and handmade armor, fight scenes, and musical score composed by Dr. Daniel May, who directed and recorded the composition in Kiev with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Be among the first to experience the debut of our new show.

Save Money On Your Tickets!

Click HERE and enter PROMO code RF4020 at checkout for your discounts!

Feed the Hungry with “Share Tables”

According to Feeding America, nearly 13 million children do not get enough to eat each day. Think about that number for a moment, 13 MILLION! Then I want you to think about how much food is thrown away every day for one reason or another. In fact, the USDA tells us that here in the United States we are currently wasting about 40% of our food supply!

If we are throwing out almost half our our food with 13 million children going hungry, something is definitely wrong.

More on that in later posts, but for now, let’s talk about a new concept spreading around the country. Think back to being in school and trading your bologna and cheese sandwich for your friend’s peanut butter and jelly. “Share tables” will allow them to take foods that they either don’t like or don’t want and share them with other students! In addition, it also allows students who are hungry to pick up something for free.

Under a new program that is backed by the United States Department of Agriculture share tables allow food or beverage items to be reused in multiple ways!

  • Children may take an additional helping of a food or beverage item from the share table at no cost
  • Food or beverage items left on the share table may be served and claimed for reimbursement during another meal service (i.e., during an afterschool program when leftover from a school lunch)
  • Food or beverage items may be donated to a non-profit organization, such as a community food bank, homeless shelter or other non-profit charitable organization

From a school in Washington D.C:

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This week is National School Breakfast Week, which allows students, school staff, faculty, and families to understand the importance of school breakfast, and the benefits that it offer to students in D.C. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our organization is doing what we can to join the fight to feed DC students in school and throughout the weekend with our Share Tables and Weekend Bag program. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let’s work together to reduces hunger among school-aged children. Together we can make a difference! . . . . . @dchungersolutions #NSBW #DCFoodProject #ReduceFoodWaste #EatWhatYouTake #WeekendBagProgram #ShareTable #DCFPTeam #Takewhatyouwant #noKidHungry #DCPS #Endchildhoodhunger #Childhoodhunger #Foodinsecurity #foodrescuedc #Dczerowaste #neverthrowaway #Gwfoodinstitute #Feedthehungry #Fhcasa #Dceats @dcpseats #DCPSEats #Hungerfighters #Socialchange #hungercantwait #NationalSchoolBreakfastWeek @dcpublicschools @dcsummermeals

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Where it started:

Jennifer Janus is one of the pioneers of this program that came out of Wallingford, CT in 2017. Since the start of the program, thousands of pounds of food are being redirected from trash cans into the hands of those who need it the most to end the hunger crisis.

“The first goal is to make sure there’s no hungry kids at school. The second goal is to bring the food here so we can feed the hungry people our town … This is all food that would get thrown away. Food is not trash.”

-Jennifer Janus to the Record-Journal in November 2017

If you need help with food for your family or if you want to help provide food for a local family check out our resource page. Comment below with what changes you think should be made with the way we handle food and food waste!