Baker Joe's

A new local bakery has opened on Highland Street offering sandwiches, sweets & savories. The atmosphere is quaint and rustic with hardwood floors, covered porch and outdoor seating available. You could stop by for a little morning coffee and fresh baked apple struedel or check out their lunch menu and splurge on a little dessert including a made-to-order cannoli, slice of homemade pumpkin pie or whatever fresh baked goodie entices your sweet tooth.

There is plenty of parking around the back of the restaurant or in the public parking lot on the corner of Liberty and Highland, conveniently just a few steps away. Stop by, say hello and welcome to town Baker Joe!

--Rachelle

Think Thin

My nutritionist, dear friend, and Mount Dora local, Candace, has just published a book in collaboration with her son, Max. That his him on the front cover. Eh, hem. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

"We are a fast growing and enterprising LLC with a group of extremely health minded people. This past weekend we enjoyed a very successful book launch. Lots of good friends participated ... Thank you for your support!" -- Candace

The title asks, "How Much Fat Are You Carrying?" Not a comfortable question right before the holidays, but an important one. This is not another book about dieting or loosing weight, it's about changing your lifestyle. You may think, "sure, that's easy if you have a lifestyle conducive to working out several hours a day and a personal chef." Nuh uh! Max keeps his healthy physique despite having the hectic, multi-time-zone schedule and limited food options of an airline pilot.

Wanna know his secret? Read an excerpt from the book and find out more at Destination Health Plus.

There will also be another fun and informative meet & greet with Candace sponsored by Tavares Library Civic Center on November 6th at 7 PM.


--Rachelle

Kamikaze Pilot

Anyone got the scoop on the kamikaze pilot flying over the lake this weekend? I was sitting in my office hearing what sounded like either a troubled plane or one heck of a race going on in the sky. I walked outside and joined several of my neighbors in trying to figure out what the heck was going on. We got quite a show! Was it flying practice? Stunt devil? Adrenaline junkie? If you've got the answer, let us know!

Words of Wisdom

The Words of Wisdom at the Village Coffee Pot this week . . .

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

And so that's the advise a friend and I followed yesterday evening. In spite of the torrent of bad news on tv this week, we choose to have a fun Friday. We walked downtown and grabbed a cup of coffee, ordered a pizza and gelato to-go, then walked back home and opened a bottle of Cabernet to go with our comfort food as we watched the Presidential Debate. Afterwards, we popped in a comedy to lighten things up and get the weekend started in a good mood.

Cheers!

--Rachelle

Frugal Fuel

So, after passing many a gas station yesterday with the price of regular unleaded in the 3.70's ... I had to post an honorable mention to the Chevron on 441 right on the Mount Dora/Orange County border where I filled her up for $3.56.

Don't know how long that will last ... or if other gas stations will soon match it ... but at a $.20 difference I just had to share!

Mount Dora Golf League...

End of summer brings the end of the Mount Dora Parks & Rec sponsored summer golf league. We play every Thursday from April to September at the old Historic Mount Dora Golf Club.


The course is over 50 years old and built by the City of Mount Dora and some private funds at the request of returning veterans of WWII in 1945. It has significant elevation changes and scores of 100 year old oak trees all over the course. Check out the view from the tee box on hole number 1.


The course is par 70 and known as the "longest 5700 yards in Florida. Miss the fairways and you will soon discover why it is the longest 5700 yards. Oak trees, brush and the Orange County border are just a few of the hazards you will experience right or left of the fringe.

For more information on the golf league contact the City of Mount Dora Parks & Rec. Get yourself a team and come on out and join us for few months of great golf next year.

Going into hibernation . . .

If I were to go into hibernation for the winter, I would have to pick a dark and cozy place, with a plush soft spot to lounge about, a big screen tv to watch my favorite shows, and an endless supply of vino. And of course I would invite all of my good friends to keep me company. Enter ... the new Wine Den on 4th Avenue.

The Wine Depository has new ownership, a new name, and a new look.

There is wide selection of bottles stacked floor to ceiling and wine available by the glass if you'd like take some time out to taste. My friends and I worked up an appetite for dinner while sharing a bottle of Tempranillo. Of course, having the Food Network on in the background teasing us with some amazing dishes helped a bit too.

I'm thankful that we have a great variety of quality spots downtown to wine, dine and have a good time. Next time you're here, pop into the new Wine Den. But if you're planning the hibernate ... I've already called dibs!

--Rachelle

I'm H2O Intolerant

So I had to try out my new steady sticks wine glass holders during a little impromptu picnic in the park dinner. I picked these up months ago at Whispering Winds and tonight was my first opportunity to use them. I pulled them out of the basket and "first you were all like "whoa," and we were like "whoa," and you were like "whoa ..." These things are gnarly dude! You stick them in the ground and they cradle your wine glass with no spillage!

So we kicked back and relaxed on a blanket while noshing and watching this month's movie in the park, Finding Nemo.

Aaah ... 78 degrees with a cool breeze .... nearly a full moon shining with Jupiter and Venus sparkling near by ... the local high school football marching band drumming faintly in the background ... it's finally starting to feel a little like Fall!

--Rachelle

Make Art ... Save Water

I just came across a cool bit of news that I had to share. The City of Mount Dora is hosing a Rain Barrel workshop on September 20th. So, "what is a rain barrel," you might ask and, "why is it cool?" A rain barrel is a nifty and thrifty little lawn contraption that collects rainwater for reuse for things such as watering your flowers, washing your car, etc.

I've seen artists get really creative with painting these and making them a great conversation piece for your backyard patio.

The workshop will include instructions for installing a rain barrel as well as supplies for sale. For more information about the Rain Barrel Workshop, stop by the W. T. Bland Library or email conservewater@cityofmountdora.com.

Here are some other sites about Rain Barrels ...

How To Make A Rain Barrel

The Great American Rain Barrel

Eco-Ranch in the Midwest Blog

--Rachelle

Tuesday Night Live

Mondays and Tuesdays are usually kind of quiet in town. But one local restaurant, Fiesta Grande, has spiced things up a bit. Not only can you stop by for a bean burrito and a pitcher of margaritas, they have a traditional live Mariachi band playing every Tuesday night. So after you've had a case of the Mondays and feel like you need to escape to Mexico, stop by Fiesta Grande and shake it up a bit!

--Rachelle