Snowbird Lifestyle, Cuisine, Entertainment and Travel
Location, outdoor space and a gorgeous view are all tops on the list of the most sought-after rentals in snowbird communities What to Look for in A Snowbird Rental Figuring out your warm weather rental home is the single-largest factor to being happy when away …
Basic everyday household items such as glassware can easily be repurposed in your snowbird home 40 Snowbird Hacks, Tips No one wants to haul a bunch of limited use household items to/from their snowbird home, nor is it practical to purchase everything while away …
Snowbird menu ideas for 100+ easy, simple, go-to breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that are designed to be flexible, using hardworking basic ingredients without requiring special gadgets and appliances. Shop local, take advantage of access to fresh fish and regional or seasonal specialties in your snowbird home. Oftentimes we mix it up -- breakfast for dinner, leftovers for lunch and a more complicated meal on the weekends. I recommend "snowbird shortcuts" such as buying salad kits in a bag, instant rice, pre-grated cheeses, pre-made dips / spreads / desserts and semi-homemade recipes as much as possible.
Bagel with Neufchatel / cream cheese / flavored cream cheese and for special occasions, add lox, capers and red onion
Beverages: Coffee / tea / filtered water
Biscuits and gravy
Biscuits with sliced berries, jelly, jam, preserves or honey
Breakfast burritos: ground meat or egg, cheese, tomatoes, salsa and Greek yogurt
Bread: muffins / cinnamon rolls / biscuits / banana bread / croissants / toast and chutney or preserves / English muffins
Breakfast bars / Granola
Breakfast Casserole: with eggs, cheese, milk, sausage, mushrooms over a crust
Cereal with fresh fruit
Eggs: hard boiled / sunny side up / fried / poached / scrambled
English muffin with Canadian bacon / sausage patty, fresh spinach, egg and cheese
Fresh fruit: bananas / oranges / grapes / mango / strawberries / blueberries / blackberries / raspberries / cherries / stone fruits / apples / grapefruit / pears / specialty fruits
Grits with cheese topped with any of the following: bacon / shrimp / ham / sausage / nuts/ mushrooms and spinach
Juice: Orange / apple / grapefruit / tomato
Meats: bacon / sausage / Canadian bacon / chicken
Omelette: eggs, cheese, bell peppers, meat / poultry, onions, mushrooms
Pancakes* French toast or waffles* with blueberries and syrup
Pastries: Coffee cake / cinnamon rolls / donuts / biscuits / scones / muffins / banana bread
Parfaits with fresh berries, honey whipped cream and toasted oatmeal
Potatoes: Home fries / hash browns / pan fried
Quiche: Lorraine / ham / sausage / mushroom / seafood
Smoothies: fruit / green smoothie's
Yogurt: plain / fruit / Greek
Salads:
Caesar with Romaine, homemade dressing, shaved Parmesan cheese, black olives and croutons
Caprese salad: with Romaine, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, sliced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
Greens with blue cheese, Ranch or red wine vinaigrette homemade salad dressing and vegetables, olives, avocado, cheese, nuts, croutons
Greek salad with greens, black olives, tomatoes, Feta cheese, cucumbers and homemade dressing
Layered Chop Salad: Romaine, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, black olives, shredded cheese and scallions
Mayo Salads: Egg salad / ham salad / chicken salad / seafood / imitation crab / tuna with croissant or fresh bread
Pasta salad with nuts, onions, red bell pepper, traditional or turkey pepperoni, Parmesan cheese
Potato salad: traditional or variations such as green olive, sour cream and hard boiled egg
Salad kits from the grocery (an essential snowbird short cut)
Slaw: traditional or Asian style
Spinach salad with red onions, diced eggs, strawberries, nuts and warm bacon dressing
Taco Salad: with Romaine, ground meat, cheese, onions, black olives, tomatoes, salsa, smashed chips
Sandwiches:
Burgers: Seasoned steak cheeseburger / hamburger / turkey burger / veggie burger and Parmesan aioli
Club: Bacon (turkey or pork), avocado, tomato, lettuce and mayo on fresh bread or lettuce cup
Crab melts with lump crab, melted Swiss and scallions
Crackers: with lunch meat, cheese, avocado or cream cheese / Neufchatel cheese / flavored cream cheese
Deli meat and cheese: ham / turkey / chicken / roast beef either chilled or Baked Cheesy Deli Sliders with butter sauce, olives and mayo
Fish fillets* with cheese, lettuce, mayo, Sriracha mayo, aioli or tartar sauce on a fresh bun
Grilled cheese with tomato and Canadian bacon
Hot dogs / kielbasa / brats: plain with traditional condiments or chili-cheese style with chili, onions, cheese, Dijon mustard on a fresh bun
Meatball: with sliced cheese and marinara sauce on a fresh bun
Muffuletta with a variety of deli meats, cheese and olive tapenade on crusty bread
Open faced versions of your favorites: such as mini Lump Crab Melts
Peanut butter and jelly (or peanut butter and honey) on fresh bread
Pulled pork with barbecue sauce on a bakery bun
Reuben: Corned beef with sauerkraut and Thousand Island sauce on pumpernickel, swirl or Rye bread
Sloppy Joe's with pickles on a fresh bun
Wraps: Deli meat with Ranch, cheese, lettuce and julienne-sliced vegetables or your favorite combination in a flour tortilla or lettuce cup
Entrees:
Burritos* or soft / crunchy tacos (fresh or frozen) with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, black olives, salsa, Greek yogurt
Chili-Spaghetti: Angel hair pasta topped with chili (from a can), diced onions and shredded cheese
Egg rolls* with Dijon mustard, apricot or sweet / sour sauce
Mac 'n cheese (from a box) with seasoned ground beef or ground turkey
Quesadillas with chicken or beef, cheese/s, grilled onions, tomatoes or salsa, Greek yogurt
Sides:
Applesauce
Baked beans
Chips, plain or with optional dip such as Fire Roasted Salsa or New England Clam Dip
Cottage cheese
Fruit: fresh or canned
Fries: white potato / yam
Hummus
Parmesan Crisps: with Kosher salt, fresh rosemary or bacon and bleu
Pickle spears
Vegetables: crudite with optional dip or grilled
Soups/Stews:
Refer to dinner menu
Salads: refer to the lunch menu
Sandwiches: refer to the lunch menu
Entrees:
Baked spaghetti with cheese, green olives, onions, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese
Beef and noodles
Broccoli Con Capellini with fresh steamed broccoli, baby bella mushrooms, pasta and Parmesan cheese
Casserole: Broccoli, rice, cheese, chicken and mushroom sauce
Casseroles -- send your favorite casserole recipes to me!
Chicken and noodles
Chicken alfredo with fettucine / linguini
Chicken parmesan with marinara sauce and noodles
Chicken wings with celery, buffalo sauce or blue cheese sauce
Crab cakes with fresh herb sauce
Crusted fish or chicken with Parmesan-panko-garlic-pecans
Eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce
Fish fillets: broiled / baked Tilapia whitefish / pan fried / grilled Amberjack from the fish market or frozen / Salmon / Mahi Mahi en papillote
Grits with shrimp, bacon, Canadian bacon and/or mushrooms / spinach / white wine sauce
Gumbo: seafood, kielbasa and chicken, bell pepper, onion, celery with rice
Jalapenos stuffed with cheese, ground meat
Jambalaya with rice
Kielbasa / brats / sausage with grilled onions and pierogies or fresh bun and condiments
Lasagna: frozen or homemade with noodles, marinara, seasoned ground meat, ricotta and Parmesan cheese
Mac 'n cheese (homemade) baked with two+ cheeses and creamy sauce
Meat: grilled / pan fried / baked poultry / pork / beef
Meatballs with angel hair pasta and Parmesan cheese
Meatloaf / ham loaf
Nachos with poultry / ground meat / seafood and tomatoes, lettuce, olives, cheese, Greek yogurt
Pierogies* with kielbasa and grilled onions
Pizza: frozen / homemade / flatbread with pesto, fresh mozzarella and roasted chicken
Poblano peppers stuffed with meat / cheese and chili releno sauce
Pot pie: beef / chicken / turkey with fresh vegetables, sauce in a crust
Pulled pork and mashed potatoes / pasta / bun and barbecue sauce
Scottish Mashed Potatoes with Sausage and Whiskey Gravy
Seafood: fish fillets / salmon / cod / white fish / shrimp / scallops / mussels / clams / crab / lobster
Seafood en papillote (in parchment paper)
Shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta
Stroganoff: ground meat with mushrooms, onions, sour cream with rice or egg noodles
Stuffed cabbage with green olives and tomato sauce
Stuffed pasta shells with ricotta, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce
Stir fry: chicken / pork / beef / seafood with fresh vegetables
Salmon patties with fresh herb sauce
Sides:
Bread: Sour dough / rolls / garlic / cheesy / popovers / biscuits / croissants / pumpernickel / focaccia and specialty breads
Legumes / quinoa / hummus
Pasta: angel hair / spaghetti / fettuccine / egg noodles / shells / tortellini / linguini / gnocchi / pierogies / couscous / orzo
Potatoes: mashed / baked / twice baked / hash browns / home style / cheesy potato casserole / pierogies / latkes
Rice: White / brown / wild / basmati / jasmine / Caribbean / Tex-Mex / sunset style / risotto
Stuffed Baby Bella mushrooms with Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, mozzarella and fresh rosemary
Vegetables GREEN: Avocados / green beans / peas / asparagus / broccoli / brussels sprouts / lima beans / zucchini squash / bell peppers / poblano peppers / Jalapeno peppers
Vegetables YELLOW/WHITE: Corn / potatoes / cauliflower / bell peppers / yellow squash / mushrooms / onions
Vegetables ORANGE/RED/PURPLE: Tomatoes / yams / sweet potatoes / egg plant / carrots / bell peppers / onions / butternut squash / acorn squash
Soups/Stews:
Beer cheese with popcorn
Bisque: Seafood / shrimp / crab / lobster
Butternut squash
Chicken noodle
Chili with cheese and onions
Chowder: clam / fish / seafood / corn
Cream of fresh broccoli / mushroom / chicken / shrimp / leek / potato
French onion with crusty bread, grilled onions and cheese
Potato and bacon
Seafood gumbo
Vegetable soup
Brownies / cookies / bars: semi homemade or from the bakery
Cheese cake: semi homemade or from the bakery
Cobbler: fruit with vanilla ice cream
Fruit: salad with whipped topping / tart / parfait style
Ice cream: plain or with chocolate, caramel or strawberry syrup, chopped nuts, whipped topping
Parfait: with fresh berries and whipped cream
Pudding: semi homemade or from the canned food section
Pie / cake: semi homemade or from the bakery; Bourbon Chocolate Nut pie
White Chocolate Popcorn: with peanuts, chocolate and butter
* denotes from the freezer section
Contact me with your favorite snowbird recipes and casseroles!
--Carrie Latet
Take inventory of your refrigerator and freezer and focus on using those items up first during the last two to three weeks of your stay Snowbird Meal Planning In the past, I didn’t truly understand what the concept of meal planning entails. I had heard …
Fonville Press and Alys Beach, Florida were a 2019 destination thanks to social media Find the Best of the Best with Social Media Impact of Social Media on Snowbird Communities Social media is defined as the specific ability to share opinions, photos, places, events and …
Ice bowls are a festive way to make a big impact for your snowbird style entertaining. Not only are they unique and beautiful, they're easy to make with items you already have. No special equipment is needed and it's a great way to prolong the life of your garden flowers, fruit and greens. Ice bowls are fun for all ages and abilities, and they make a very memorable gift or party feature.
Consider making an ice bucket cooler for New Year's Eve as a standout centerpiece. Ice bowls are also ideal for a cocktail party, brunch, holiday or celebration of any kind. Bottles, ice cubes or chilled appetizers such as shrimp cocktail are all lovely in an ice bowl.
Make your project days or a week ahead of time to reduce the last-minute time crunch, but keep in mind they don't last forever. When stored in the freezer, the ice will deteriorate over time, which is why ice bowls are rather impractical, yet individualized works of fleeting beauty. Allow at least twelve hours for the ice to freeze, especially for larger bowls.
Practice truly does make perfect. Key considerations include removing any blemished parts of your flowers, citrus or greens because "what you see is what you get" and take care not to crack your ice bowl when removing it from the mold. The prettiest surprises are the flowers and fruits that pop out of the top of the bowl during the freezing process. Have fun with experimenting with sizes, shapes and uses for your ice bowl. Don't forget to photograph your creations, they truly are one-of-a-kind artworks.
-If you are freezing a bottle filled with alcohol, the alcohol will not freeze. If you are serving another type
of beverage, such as water or juice, use a clean empty bottle and don't fill it until just prior to displaying the ice bucket. The bottles really aren't practical for serving, they're more for visual effect than anything.
-Select and gather your choice of items to freeze. Thinly sliced citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes work well. Cranberries are colorful and freeze nicely, but they will float to the top during the freezing process. Hearty leaves, greens, evergreens, petals and garden flowers are also excellent choices. If using evergreens, scale back the size so they aren't too unwieldly. Trim stems back a bit if more than a few inches long.
-Arrange your items in a bowl, container or orange juice carton with the top cut off. Smaller, flat items work better for lining the bottom of the bowl.
Variation One:
-Add a clean bottle. There should be plenty of space between the bottle and the container. Add water to the bowl, leaving at least an inch from the top of the container.
Variation Two:
-Fill the bowl about half full of water. Place a smaller bowl within the larger one and use an object such as a smaller bowl to weight it down. Use tape to hold the top bowls in place so there's an even amount of space all the way around. Carefully add more water until there's about an inch from the top.
-Place entire ensemble into the freezer on a level shelf where it won't be disturbed.
-Allow at least twelve hours to freeze solid, especially for larger bowls.
-When ready to display, remove the container from the ice cooler by letting it sit out a few minutes. If you use water to loosen it up, be cautious you don't crack your ice bowl.
-Display on a flat bowl or plate with a cloth napkin or small towel underneath the ice bowl to catch the melting ice water.
-Take photos of your creations for lasting memories.
--Coco Chanel, French fashion designer, Businesswoman
The beautiful Champagne Poinsettia is lighter, easy to make and perfect for a festive holiday party or brunch Snowbird Style Four Classic Holiday Beverages Snowbird holidays, whether in your Northern or Southern home, are extra special with the following four classic holiday beverages. Nothing says …
You're spending your first week in your snowbird rental and have an incredible list of meals you plan to create and devour while in your Southern home. Except you aren't preparing these meals with all of the fabulous appliances and gadgets you have in your Northern home. You're using a very limited selection of maybe two or three appliances and no special gadgets. That is the kitchen challenge reality for many snowbirds.
Instead of chopping vegetables in your food processor, making a dessert with your electric mixer and freezing leftovers with your vacuum food sealer machine, the new reality is your time will be spent chopping by hand, stirring with wooden spoons and either eating leftovers several meals in a row or perhaps freezing them in a baggie.
Snowbird meals tend to be much simpler, using fewer ingredients and a very limited selection of appliances and gadgets to prepare them. Choose the freshest, highest quality ingredients and find alternate ways to make your favorite recipes. Forget about what you don't have to cook with, instead focus on what you can accomplish with what you do have.
Snowbirds make decisions about what appliances and gadgets should be transported each season. Choose the hardest working, highest quality and most beloved appliances and gadgets unless you have an endless supply of cargo space, of which most snowbirds do not. I bring my immersion blender for soups and chopping because it easily fits into a shoe box-sized plastic bin. Other than that, based on space, the food chopper is another good candidate. Our rental does not have a coffee machine that grinds beans like at home. My husband prefers freshly ground coffee from whole beans, so he brings our spice grinder every season. If you like the kind of coffee that is made from the small flavored cups, you'll make space to bring your specialty coffee maker or ship it. Shipping is a very good option for anything you want to use on a regular basis, but just won't fit in your vehicle.
Your snowbird rental is not going to be supplied with the high end, brand name appliances and gadgets, but they will be functional. Our snowbird rental is considered "well stocked," but this is what well stocked looks like when you compare my kitchen with our Southern kitchen:
Blender
Can Opener
Carbonated Water Machine
Coffee Maker
Countertop Electric Grill*
Electric Gridle*
Electric Mixer, hand-held
Fondue Pot
Food Processor
Food Scale
Immersion Blender
Juicer
Microwave Oven
Rice Maker, Large X 1 and Small X 1
Slow Cookers, Large X 1, Medium X 2, Mini X 2
Spice Grinder
Toaster Oven
Vacuum Food Sealer Machine
Waffle Maker*
Box-style Grater
Egg Poacher
Food Mill
Food Chopper
Mandoline Slicer
Pasta Machine
Salad Spinner
Vegetable Slicer
Vegetable Steamer
Spaetzle Maker
*I no longer own these items, but many people do
Blender
Can Opener
Coffee Maker
Electric Mixer, hand-held
Microwave Oven
Toaster
None
*We purchased a small slow cooker and took it home our first season, then left it in our rental our second and third seasons. We unexpectedly moved our fourth and fifth seasons, which means we no longer have a slow cooker in our southern rental. Frankly, it was so small, a pork shoulder didn't fit into it anyway.
-Curtis Stone, Australian Celebrity Chef, Author and Television Personality
Ramp training was essential for Bodie to access our vehicle Snowbird Pet Prep As the leaves turn vibrant colors and the weather changes, your pet’s preparations are likely in the advanced stages of completion. Every snowbird season the needs of your pet should be reassessed …