Can you believe it’s almost February? I’m fully embracing 2023, drinking my green smoothies, doing yoga, taking long walks, eating out at new restaurants and socializing like a little butterfly! Fun, fun, fun. Also, I’ve discovered my “sweet spot” re: drinking alcohol. Two drinks = feeling good that night but also good the next morning. More than that, and I’m toast. Drinking less wasn’t a New Year’s Resolution, but it’s always a goal, although I didn’t go “all in” with Dry January. Cudos to those who did.

Sunday marked the Chinese New Year. Leaving behind the ferocious and unpredictable Tiger, we transition into the Year of the Water Rabbit. From last year’s predator to this year’s prey, the Rabbit is the luckiest of 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. Rabbits represent serenity, abundance, creativity, affection and bonding. A social and communal animal, the Rabbit Year represents a peaceful, patient energy; 2023 is predicted to be a year of Hope.

We’ve already kicked off the year with a short trip to The Villages in Wildwood, Florida to surprise our friend Brooks on his 70th birthday on January 13th. We stopped at a place Zeke had read about for oysters (Oh Shucks!) on the way there, then sat at the high top Sharon had reserved and waited in eager anticipation for Brooks and Sharon to walk into Blue Fin restaurant. Brooks was so eager to score a stool at the bar for Happy Hour, he walked right by us- I think he was surprised!

We had a good time at The Villages. Zeke and Brooks played golf (although it was cold that weekend!), we all went to an Art Show Saturday and then to dinner with Sharon’s sister Sandie and Mom Connie that night.

Monday has turned into our Pizza Night and we are experimenting with different pizzas in my Ooni pizza oven. Monday night we made a Pesto, Artichoke Heart, Sun dried Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza for dinner. It was delicious and we ate it, with a glass of vino, by the fire.

Tuesday night I returned to Sushi Garage with friend Sherida and ordered a couple new items- the Korean Pork Tacos ($9), Crispy Avocado Rice ($9) and 1/2 Salmon Avocado Roll ($5.50). The Pork Tacos were delicious; I would definitely order them again, along with Shishito Peppers and Tempura Shrimp Bites. Happy Hour is from 6 to 8.

Wednesday, stumped for what to eat for lunch, I baked a Sweet Potato and served it with Miso Butter (just 1/2 butter, 1/2 miso) and sprinkled it with Feta Cheese. A delicious, nutritious and easy lunch! Another lunch was Split Pea Soup (my favorite) and a little Ham and Cheese Sandwich in a Hawaiian Roll, sprinkled with Everything seasoning. Yummy!

Thursday Mercury turned direct (so no longer retrograde); in fact no planets are currently retrograde. So, green lights, make plans, sign contracts and go, go, go! Communication is back on track.

I babysat Wyatt and Phoenix Sunday from 5 a.m. (!) until about 3 p.m., as A.J. had a big event at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary. Wyatt was sick (it turned out to be strep) and Phoenix, as usual, was a little hurricane of energy. Child-proofing was invented for this kid and while I did my best to remove all breakable items, he still crawled on the coffee table and unceremoniously flung everything off in his path. I’d moved my glass candlesticks away from the edge of the table, but he stood up on the couch and tried to get them from the other side. Luckily, I was able to intercept him before disaster ensued.

There’s never a dull moment with Phoenix and, when I took him outside to water my ferns, he attracted dirt like a magnet. I gave him a bath, then fed him Spaghettios while Wyatt drank Gatorade and sipped chicken broth in bed. They were supposed to stay for dinner with their parents, but since Wyatt was sick, they got picked up early.

Emma and Gui came over to help us install the T.V. they’d gotten us (with Laurent and Eric) for Christmas and stayed for dinner. Besides the Meatballs, Sausage and Rigatoni Pasta, I also made Lemon Chicken Thighs, French Peas, Italian Salad with White Beans and crusty Italian Bread. Quite the feast, but no dessert. I’m just not into dessert these days.

One thing I am into is White Lotus, which we watched on our new T.V. in the Family Room. I’d already watched both seasons, but Zeke hadn’t and the first one takes place in Maui, right near where we stayed for our honeymoon. The second season takes place in Sicily and the third (not out yet) is set in Greece. It’s addicting and I can’t wait for Season 3.

First Lady Jill Biden has a great idea for entertaining, since her family gatherings are large and she often needs help. She puts Post-Its on dishes with instructions (like slice lemons, fill with water, chop vegetables) so everyone can assist with the meal. That way guests can pick their task and do it without having to bother the hostess. I think it’s brilliant and plan to use this idea for future large gatherings. People normally offer to help anyway and this takes the guess work out of it.

The Coral Gables Farmer’s Market is now open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until the afternoon. They’re only open for three months out of the year, so take advantage while we have this nice weather. The raspberries I’ve gotten at Publix lately (Driscolls) have been delicious, sweet and flavorful. In other grocery news, eggs have gotten super expensive, up 49% from November of last year to this one. This is due to the Bird Flu, which wiped out a lot of chickens, as well as other issues. Ironically, sometimes the Organic or Cage-Free eggs may be cheaper than the regular ones, so check the prices when purchasing.

The Villagers had a Member Appreciation Party last Saturday. Our President- the hostess- served Paella, and members were asked to bring an appetizer or dessert. I tried to think of what appetizer to bring for the Spanish theme; I settled on Dates, filled with toasted almonds and wrapped with prosciutto and a Warm Spanish Bean Salad with Smoked Paprika by Serious Eats cook J Kenji Lopez-Alt. Alas, I forgot to take photos of my dishes.

Both were hits, however, for the EASIEST solution to what to bring to a Tapas Party, I would head straight to Trader Joe’s. Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese, crackers, fruit and Marcona Almonds would make a lovely Tapas Platter that would be welcome at any party. Make it easy on yourself!

I’m looking forward to the South Beach Food and Wine Festival next month, from Feb 23rd to the 26th. I got tickets to A Taste of Italy with Giada De Laurentis , where you walk around the Miami Design District tasting items from a dozen chefs using Wood Fired Ovens. The other event I signed up for was a Master Cooking Class for Pork Rolling Cakes hosted by Hy Vong at The Real Food Academy. I can’t wait!

So gather your cuddle bunnies, friends and family around you and enjoy the new, peaceful and happy vibe of the Year of the Water Rabbit.

Up Next: Inspired by Ina: Five Favorite Soups

I do try to eat healthy and exercise on a normal basis, but I would like to try and mix it up this year. Try some new healthy foods (made easier by my subscription to CSA Empower Farms) and try some exercises beyond my walking and tennis. I’ve already done Yoga once this month and went Swimming as well. Maybe I’ll even try Pickleball! Doing exercise that’s fun means it’s more likely you’ll keep doing it. So, maybe my New Year’s Resolution for 2023, is simply More Fun.

Trying New Restaurants is also fun and I’ve already tried two this year. I ran into food blogger Pat Mackin at the Villager’s Home Tour (check out her Instagram at patmakincoconutgrove) and asked her for restaurant recs for the Grove. She recommended Sushi Garage, in the newly redone Coco Walk, for their Happy Hour so I tried it.

Coco Walk is a happening place these days! And Sushi Garage (we sat outside) is in the midst of it all.

Happy Hour goes from 5 to 8- quite a long Happy Hour- and features 1/2 off drinks. I tried the Lychee Mule and then the Fat Cucumber, both delicious. The bites offered for Happy Hour are $4, $6, $8 and $10. For some reason, our server recommended all the $10 bites (hmm), but everything we sampled was good and a great deal. In particular we liked the Hamachi Serriole (Yellowtail Roll), the Tempura Shrimp Bites and the Chili Shrimp Dumplings. We also got Shishito Peppers, Edamame and 1/2 Bagel Roll.

This new year, I also ate at The Bayshore Club, in the former Scotty’s location. It’s a beautiful venue and the night we ate there it was a Full moon and they had live music. Luckily, we sat away from the music (it was a little loud) for dinner. The drink The Slip ($16), with vodka, Elderflower liqueur and dill, was quite refreshing.

The Conch Fritters ($16) were very good, as was the the Coral Reef Ceviche ($18) I ordered for my entree, with Rock Shrimp. My friend’s Mini Ahi Tuna Tacos, in fried won ton wrappers and topped with caviar, looked delicious and she loved them. Others at the table ordered Fried Chicken Sandwiches ($15) and Fried Fish Tacos ($18). I sampled the French Fries. They were a tad underdone and just so-so. Prices were a little high, but not outrageous.

The Bayshore Club is part of The Grove Bay Hospitality Group, which also has Glass & Vine and Root & Bone, among other restaurants. The food was decent, definitely better than Scotty’s. I wouldn’t run back for the food, but I would run back for the location and ambiance. They also have specials, like $2 oysters on Monday nights and 1/2 off bottles of wine Wednesday, as well as Happy Hour Monday through Friday (4-6) and Live Music Wednesday through Sunday.

I got a pizza oven for Christmas! It wasn’t on my list (Zeke went rogue) but, ever since we visited Kuleto Winery in Napa, where they had a homemade Wood-fired pizza oven, I’ve longed to get one. This one is by Ooni; pizza ovens are very hot items (pun intended) these days.

Our first pizza, a Margherita, was a total success. Zeke said it was the best pizza he’s ever eaten. We kept it simple with Publix pizza dough, Rao’s red sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, crushed red pepper, Parmesan and olive oil. It was truly delicious and, at 900 degrees, only took about 3 minutes to cook. It does take 30 minutes for the oven to come to temp.

The second pizza I attempted- a Hawaiian Pizza with Ham, Pineapple and Mozzarella- was a total disaster. The pizza dough had gotten sticky in the fridge and when I tried to slide the dough off the peel (the metal tray with a handle) the toppings slid into the oven, while the dough stayed behind. What a mess! I ended up throwing the sticky dough away and using the toppings to make English Muffin pizzas for dinner. Live and learn.

It’s a learning curve and I’m sure, in no time, we’ll be making all kinds of delicious pizzas. I envision Shrimp Pizza with Pesto, Breakfast Pizza with sausage and egg and Potato Pizza with Truffle Oil. The possibilities are endless and it’s a great way to use up leftovers.

One thing I do want to do (that was on my list of things to do last year) is revamp my Foodie in Miami website in order to put the recipes into an index. This was a suggestion by several Foodie in Miami readers and I’m determined to do it in 2023. I may need professional help, however, as Foodie in Miami is not a Technology Whiz.

So, stay tuned… and Happy New Year! New Year, new you?

And now we welcome the New Year. Full of things that have never been.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Up Next: Food Trends 2023