Ryan and I have loved every minute here in Sarasota.
With nighttime beach walks with views like this, how could you not!?
The only bad part about coming to Sarasota and walking along Siesta Key beach is that I immediately slip into vacation mode and want to stay here and relax for a good week.
Ryan’s mom even prepared my favorite meal for dinner. I call this meal my “birthday dinner” because it’s the dinner I request on my birthday.
My birthday dinner always includes lots of shellfish and crab legs and that’s just what we enjoyed yesterday.
She also made creamed corn using a recipe from the fantastic Paula Deen that I basically wanted to bathe in because it was so good!
And her watermelon salad is one I hope to recreate at home… as soon as we have a home.
Watermelon + Arugula + Feta cheese + Olive Oil + Salt
No meal at my mother in law’s house is complete without dessert!
Bring on the cheesecake!
This cheesecake was delicious and the crust had a hint of cinnamon flavor in it which was a nice touch.
After dinner we all went for a long walk along the beach.
The timing of our walk ended up being perfect because right as we were about to turn to walk back to our car, the sun slipped under the horizon.
And yes, that sailboat really did cross in front of the sun at that exact moment. It was gorgeous.
We rounded out the evening with ice cream and more cheesecake when we arrived home (okay, so Ryan and I were the only ones who had ice cream). It really feels like we’re on vacation! I hope I can snap out of vacation mode and into productive reality tomorrow!
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My birthday dinner always involved crab legs too! (except we usually just hit up Red Lobster for them)
Regardless, crab leggies hold the key to my stomach 🙂
Have a good Sunday!
It looks like you guys had a wondeful time! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 🙂
PS – Love crab legs!
oh, wow! what a gorgeous sunset! and i can’t wait to recreate that watermelon salad myself! 🙂
I do the same thing–my parents spend weekends at the beach, so I always want to stay longer and make a week of it!
Glad you had a great time! 🙂
I love mussels!!! Your dinner looked amazing and so did the sunset.
That’s a great moment, enjoy it! What a wonderful beach!
I LOVE Siesta Key, I could always vacation there. It is so relaxing and so beautiful! Enjoy yourself
What a wonderful and beautiful way to spend the day!
Don’t worry about ‘vacation weekends’ we need them in order to work hard during the week! 😀
Siesta Key is my FAV beach! The sand is like powdered sugar!
wow, those beach and sunset photos look absolutely incredible…breathtakingly beautiful 🙂 and what a feast! mussels are the best! I love them smoked and eaten plain..heaven in a shell, lol! xyx
I’m going to Sarasota on Friday and I absolutely cannot wait!
Your birthday dinner sounds like something I would request. I loove mussels!
Those sunsets are amazing, I don’t blame you for wanting to stay and vacation. And with food and desserts like that who needs a resort.
Wow it looks gorgeous, lucky you! I wouldn’t be able to get any work done either 🙂
Yummy food too!
It looks like your mother in law spoils you guys! You deserve a little “vacation” Julie – you’re always working so hard. Enjoy your time! 🙂
Oh my goodness – it’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL there! Enjoy your time away, I’m about to do the same and CANNOT wait!
WOW! That sunset is just gorgeous. I NEED a vacay now. Enjoy your mini-getaway!
Oh my gosh-that sunset is gorgeous!! I would love to live somewhere with those views. No wonder you are in vacation mode!
That meal looks delicious… except the cr
Creamed corn! I just don’t get creamed corn!:) Or how to comment from my phone!
girlfriend, you should get in to the travel brochure making business. This post really really really wants me to hope on a train to sarasota asap!
Glad you two were able to enjoy such a special night 🙂 this warms my heart!
Love the idea of the watermelon salad! And the cheesecake… YUM!
I just made a watermelon and feta salad for the first time, and I couldn’t get over how good it was. I had no idea I had been missing out for so long!
That last picture is gorgeous. I’m surprised there were so many people in the water at that time.
PS- watermelon & feta is such a good combo. You’d think it’d be weird but it’s so tasty 🙂
I’m loving the last picture! 🙂 So beautiful!
Your mother-in-law is awesome! That cheesecake has me drooling!
That is such a beautiful picture of the sunset!! Talk about a perfect photo op! lol
Great photos! I went to Siesta Key for vacation this past Spring and it was amazing. They offer free yoga classes on the beach some mornings and my sister and I went a few times. We even saw a pod of dolphins feeding just off the shore one morning while we in the middle of a pose. It was incredible. We loved the area so much that my parents’ are even considering buying their retirement home down there (Snowbirds from Canada!)
Hope that you enjoy the rest of your weekend there and relish that vacation mode 🙂
Love that sunset picture!! And those crab legs look delicious!! xoxo
Sounds like a fun weekend! I feel the same way whenever I go to my beach house, though I never view it as a vacation! I try not to let myself get too lazy because then I no Monday morning will be a pain!!
We came down from North Carolina in February and spent a week at Siesta Key, it is soooo amazing there! I loved every second of it. You’re lucky to be able to visit 🙂
It looks absolutely gorgeous there! I love being near the ocean (sadly, i’m not) but it is so relaxing!
I think I’ve forgotten what the beach is…it’s been that long! Looks so beautiful 🙂
I know exactly what you mean about Siesta Key putting you in vacation mode. I grew up in in the Lake Brantley area and my family always spent one week minimum each summer at Siesta Key.
Next time you are there, you and Ryan should try and find sand dollars! It is really simple – take a boogie board and googles with you and swim to the nearest sand bar. Once you are there wiggle your toes around in the sand to feel for the sand dollars. Once you think you’ve found one, slip on the googles and swim below to pick it up. We would put them on the boogie board to see who could find the biggest one. At the end of the day we would throw em back to sea.
Have safe trip back today!
Whoa all that food looks fantastic! And the pictures are just gorgeous.
I think that view would put anyone in vacation mode. Gorgeous! I can’t believe people get to live there and see that every day!
Wow, your mil looks like a wonderful cook!!
yummmmmmmmmmm looks amazinggggg!! enjoy your time there!!! there is no problem slipping into vacation mode once and a while!!
Wow I love that sunset sky~! Looks artistic. haha you and Tina are showing so much shellfish I’m dying! (in a good way) I love ’em.
Oh goodness. Everything looks so beautiful!
So pretty! There are tons of people though my goodness!
Mmmm..amen for homecooked comfort food, that Cheesecake looks on point..lucky you guys…perhaps she used these Graham Crackers with the cinnamon on/in them already? Nice touch…glad the weekend went well
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Wow, that cheesecake looks amazing!
My mom just made a chocolate cheesecake with an oreo crust, which I didn’t think I would be a huge fan of, but it was delicious! I am now a chocolate cheesecake fan as well as a regular cheesecake fan.
Mmmm, I love seafood! Looks like you’re having a great time. Visiting family SHOULD feel like a vacation!
Those sunset pictures are ridiculous. So jealous! I don’t blame you for slipping into vacation mode! That cheesecake also looks delightful.
Oh my gosh, I LOVE Siesta Key! My g-ma rents a place there for a couple months every winter. It’s the most amazing beach to relax on ever :). That sunset picture is gorgeous!
Wow what a beautiful beach picture! I absolutely love shellfish..My dad makes an amazing crab cioppino that I request for birthdays, christmas, easter, Mondays 🙂 I’m obsessed!
That meal sounds perfect. I love shellfish, and because of my mom’s allergy to it, we generally stay from it for major events. I’m so jealous.
PS – yesterday was national cheesecake day, so your desert was very fitting!
Sunsets on the water are perfection defined.
I LOVE Siesta Key! My family and I have vacationed there for years and my fiance and are honeymooning down there in October., My AM runs on that beach are my favorites of all year…when it’s cloudy and gross in PA, I picture Siesta Key! I’m so jealous that you’re so close!
looks like you are having a great time – beautiful pictures 🙂 good luck going back to work!