Mochi Tops The Top

Confession: I had frozen yogurt again today.

More Mochi

I hit up Mochi for some soft serve after lunch with Ryan in Orlando this afternoon, and then hit it up again in Gainesville after dinner with my mom and sister. Both times were equally delicious, though I was hoping the red velvet cake soft serve flavor would be available. Maybe tomorrow??? 😉

My mom picked me up in Orlando after work and we hit the road for the University of Florida to kick off a weekend of girly fun! 

By the time we arrived in Gainesville, we were hungry! After swinging by my sister’s sorority house and scooping her up, we headed out to dinner at The Top, an eclectic restaurant in downtown Gainesville.

The Top

My Sister and Mama Outside The Top

All three of us opted for the portobello mushroom burger served on a pretzel roll.

Portobello Burger on a Pretzel Bun

My mom and I thought the burger was really tasty, but my sister wasn’t so sure.

I loved the pretzel bun, though the bottom of the roll was a bit soggy. Our dinner was decent, but our trip to Mochi for frozen yogurt definitely topped The Top.

Tomorrow should be a fun and very full day. My sister’s sorority is hosting a Parisian brunch at 11 a.m. and a pottery painting party in the afternoon. I love being crafty, so I can’t wait!

Bagel Belly

I’m sad I left my family! 😦 We had such a nice time together at Leslie’s family weekend and I always get sad immediately after I leave them.

The Fam

(Note: Yes, I am aware I look like a gigantor in this pic… I’m wearing 4-inch wedges & everyone else is wearing flats.)

The breakfast at Leslie’s sorority house was catered by Panera and featured billions of bagels, danishes, scones, fresh fruit and hot coffee.

Fruit Plate

I initially planned to stick with fresh fruit to keep some room in my tummy for my upcoming lunch with my friend from UCF, Philip. That plan quickly changed after I snacked on a scone and a bagel. I was still full by the time I met up with Philip. Definite bagel belly!

Philip and I met for lunch at Cafe Gardens, a cute restaurant with lots of outdoor seating, which was perfect since the weather was gorgeous.

Me & Philly Phil

Still suffering from bagel belly, I ordered a light spinach salad with red onion, tomatoes and mushrooms as my lunch.

Spinach Salad

Philip was hungry and enjoyed a tasty lookin’ French dip sandwich with pasta salad. I adore French dip and praised his selection.

French Dip Sandwich with Pasta Salad

We both really enjoyed our lunches and hung out for a while after we were finished to catch up. Philip will graduate from UF’s law school in May. Can you imagine being a real lawyer at 24? What a smartie pants! I’m so proud!

After lunch I hit the road to head back for Orlando. I’m now facing the post-family time blues. 😦 I’m hoping that a trip to my friend Merri’s to pick up season one of Gossip Girl will lift my spirits! I’ve never seen the show and she’s in love, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it. I actually read the books (yes, I’m 24 and openly admit to reading Gossip Girl when I was in my younger 20s… don’t judge) and thought they were pretty entertaining.

UF Family Fun

I left in the early afternoon for Gainesville to spend the weekend at the University of Florida with my family for my sister Leslie’s sorority’s family weekend.

Me and Lil' Les

I was so excited to see them!!!

Before I left I made a quick tuna salad with sliced celery, green pepper, tuna, light mayo, relish and mustard.

Pre-Mixed Tuna Salad

It was yummy but  I think I overdid it on the celery. I hate to waste food and the celery in my fridge is on it’s last leg so I used more than I normally might to beef up the salad.

My family left St. Pete for Gainesville a little while before me but we ended up arriving at the hotel at the exact same time. Crazy, huh?

After checking into our room, we headed over to Leslie’s sorority house to check out her digs. Her room is adorable and she and her roommate did an excellent job of making their room bright and coordinated. I miss sorority house living!

We were all pretty hungry by 4:30 p.m. and since we knew we weren’t eating dinner until at least 7:30 p.m., we headed to Firehouse Subs and Yogaberry for a light snack.

Philly Cheesesteak Sub

We ordered a Philly cheesesteak sub and split it before digging into some frozen yogurt. The sub was tasty (and greasy… eh) and I loved all the cheese!

Yogaberry is a delicious frozen yogurt place that serves many different kinds of fat-free organic frozen yogurt. This soft serve lover was in heaven! I opted for a cup of half strawberry and half chocolate.

Yogaberry Frozen Yogurt

All I can say is MMMMMM! They need one of these in Orlando.

The gang then went back to the hotel to catch up some more and watch some football (well, my dad watched the football anyway). We also began the wedding planning discussions which makes me very excited to start the planning process!

At 7:30 p.m. we headed to Ballyhoo’s, a seafood restaurant for dinner with Leslie’s sorority. The atmosphere was a neat blend of a sports bar and a comfortable seafood joint. Right up my alley! It took us a while to find a table but we enjoyed meeting Leslie’s friends and their families.

Eventually we got seated and once the buffet line died down we fixed ourselves several plates of tasty food.

Yum!

My favorites were the shrimp, scallops and the cake (multiple pieces were enjoyed)! The crusty bread was also warm and doughy and delicious. I ate until I was a little too full, but it was an amazing night with my amazing family.

Today

Right now everyone is sleeping but me (blogging!) and my dad (showering). We have plans to hit the hotel’s breakfast buffet in a bit before heading once again to Leslie’s sorority house to meet up with the other girls and their families and enjoy more food. I’m lovin’ all this family time (and food!).

I also have lunch plans to meet up with a friend from college, Philip, who is currently in law school at UF. I’m excited to see him!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday!