Author: sharondashariee

inexpensive-hotels, practical-hotels, Things-to-Do, Travel, Travel with Kids

Hotel & AirBnB Recommendations

sharondashariee

This is a practical list of hotels or Airbnb we have stayed in with and without the kids. We would stay at each of these hotels again. I did not include any hotels that we would not stay at again.

Tip 1: When traveling with our kids, I always choose a hotel that is a suite and has complimentary breakfast.

My favorite hotel brand to stay in with the kids is Embassy Suites by Hilton, and second is Residence Inn by Marriott. When it is just my husband and me, we stay in a Hilton, Hyatt, and sometimes a Marriott.

Tip 2: Pick 2-3 hotel brands you like or love and consistently stay at those brands to accrue points to redeem for free nights.

Arizona

  • Avondale
    • Homewood Suites Avondale
    • Homewood Suites Phoenix-Avondale
  • Goodyear
  • Flagstaff
    • Embassy Suites Flagstaff
  • Phoenix (area)
    • Hampton Inn Phoenix-Biltmore
    • Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs
    • Springhill Suites Phoenix-Chandler
    • Springhill Suites Phoenix-Glendale/Peoria
  • Prescott
    • Holiday Inn Express Prescott
  • Scottsdale
    • Embassy Suites Scottsdale Resort
    • Hampton Inn Phoenix/Scottsdale
    • Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas
    • Holiday Inn & Suites Scottsdale-Old Town
    • Marriott at McDowell Mountains
    • McCormick Scottsdale Resort
    • Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
  • Tucson
    • Desert Diamond Casino & Hotel
    • Hampon Inn Tucson-Airport
    • JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa
    • Omni Tucson National Resort

California

  • Long Beach
    • Hotel Maya a Doubletree
    • Hyatt Centric-The Pike Long Beach
  • Los Angeles (area)
    • Doubletree Los Angeles-Norwalk
    • Hampton Inn Los Angeles-Orange County-Cypress
    • Embassy Suites Arcadia/Pasadena
    • Embassy Suites Orange County-Irvine
    • Residence Corona Riverside
  • Newport Beach
    • Holiday Inn Express Newport Beach
  • Oakland
  • Ontario
    • Hyatt Place Ontario/Ranch Cucamonga
  • Redondo Beach
    • Marriott Torrance/Redondo Beach
  • San Diego
    • Comfort Inn & Suites Zoo/Sea World
    • Hampton Inn San Diego Downtown
    • Hampton Inn & Suites San Diego Liberty Station
    • Hampton Inn San Diego Mission Bay
    • Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside
    • San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina
    • Omni San Diego Hotel
    • Marriott Vacation Club Pulse
  • San Francisco
    • Doubletree San Francisco Airport North
  • Santa Ana
    • Doubletree Club Orange County Airport
    • Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Ana/Orange County

Florida

  • Jacksonville
    • Hampton Inn & Suites Jacksonville-Airport
  • Miami
    • Comfort Suites Miami Airport North
    • YVE Hotel Miami

Georgia

  • Atlanta
    • Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport North

Idaho

  • Sandpoint
    • Best Western Edgewater Resort

Illinois

  • Chicago
    • Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown River
  • Kentucky
    • Lexington
      • Hyatt Place Lexington

Louisiana

  • New Orleans
    • Doubletree New Orleans Airport

Montana

  • Great Falls

Nevada

  • Las Vegas
    • Boulder Station Hotel & Casino
    • Flamingo Hotel & Casino
    • Harrah’s Las Vegas
    • Palace Station Hotel & Casino
    • Sahara Las Vegas
    • Springhill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center
    • Treasure Island Hotel & Casino

North Carolina

  • Charlotte

Ohio

  • Cincinnati
    • Sonesta ES Suites – Sharonville West

Oregon

  • Portland
    • Hyatt Regency Portland at the Convention Center

Texas

  • Arlington
    • Comfort Suites Arlington – Entertainment District
  • Dallas (area)
    • Candlewood Suites DFW West-Hurst
    • Embassy Suites Dallas Lovefield
    • Townplace Suites Desoto Dallas South
  • Fort Worth
    • Homewood Suites Forth Worth Medical Center
    • Hyatt Fort Worth City View
    • Hyatt Place Fort Worth Alliance Town Center
  • Houston
    • Doubletree Hotel & Suites by the Galleria

Washington

  • Seattle
    • Hilton Garden Inn-Seattle Downtown

Canada

  • Vancouver, B.C.
    • Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown

Mexico

  • Jalisco
    • Puerto Vallarta
      • Peninsula Tower Condominiums
  • Sonora
    • Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point)
      • Las Palmas Beachfront Resort
      • Sonoran Sky Resort
Things-to-Do

Drunk Munk Tiki Bar & Restaurant

sharondashariee
Drunk Munk Tiki Bar & Restaurant

Drunk Munk Tiki Bar & Restaurant

You know when you see a mass of people waiting to be seated at a restaurant, long lines at a retail shop or anywhere, you think, whatever they are selling must be good.

This was Drunk Munk.  Twice, I had eaten at a restaurant across the street and each time I noticed the loads of people at Drunk Munk, having such a good time. I made a mental note to add Drunk Munk to my must-try list.

My husband and I finally stopped by for happy hour. This is what we had:

  • Bottle Rockets $12
  • Pork Pot Stickers $12.50
  • Spicy Teriyaki Ribs $14.50
  • Bikini Girl Cocktail $14.50
  • Flower Goddess Cocktail $12.50

I listed the regular menu pricing.  During happy hour there are select menu items half off.  Everything we ordered was on the happy hour menu. 

Although everything we had was scrumptious, I would not pay full price for anything we had.

The Bottle Rockets were the best!  Shrimp, cream cheese, scallion, wrapped in a spring roll wrapper, and fried.  The Bottle Rockets were served with sriracha and sweet chili orange sauce.  The Bottle Rockets are even worth trying to duplicate at home. 

The Pork Pot Stickers were good but nothing special.  A bag of Trader Joe’s pot stickers is comparative for much less and a larger quantity.  My family hates it when I compare dining out food costs to grocery food costs. haha

Spicy Teriyaki Ribs were tasty, tender and dipped in the standard teriyaki sauce you would find at your local Asian restaurant.  While eating the ribs, I said to my husband, it felt like it should have included a side of rice.

The cocktails!  The drinks!  The libations!  Whatever you want to call them, they are why everyone at Drunk Munk always seemed so happy and having a wonderful time. The cocktails were superb. 

My husband had the Bikini Girl cocktail, much like a Pina Colada.  I had the Flower Goddess Cocktail, mimicking a Sex on the Beach cocktail.  There was no skimping on the liquor.  I had to ask the bartender to add a little more juice to balance out the drink for me. 

So, if you are looking for great drinks, hit up Drunk Munk for cocktails, sit under the cute tiki hut outside, and order a few appetizers.

Total bill without tax and tip:
$66 regular menu price
$33 happy hour menu price

Location Visted: 
The Drunk Munk Tiki Bar & Restaurant
7133 E. Stetson Drive, Suite 1
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

Uncategorized

Kale, Brussel Sprout, and Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts

sharondashariee

Sharonda Shariee Short:

Kale, Brussel Sprout, and Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts

Something a little lighter after the holiday fixings… THIS IS IT! 👌🏾

Next time I’d sub the kale for spinach or a spring mix.

I’d also sub the pomegranate seeds for dried cranberries (Craisins).

We made a honey lemon vinaigrette to drizzle on top, instead of the cinnamon dressing the recipe uses.

And get the Manchego cheese! It really does put the finishing touches on it.

Inspired by this recipe:

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/kale-bacon-salad/

Uncategorized

Shrimp & Sausage Cabbage

sharondashariee

Shrimp & Sausage Cabbage

I like to give credit where credit is due, but honestly, I have seen a variation of this shrimp, sausage, and cabbage recipe all over Instagram.  I thought my family would love this, or at the very least, like it.  I thought you would as well.

Here Is What You Will Need

1 – 32oz. Bag of Raw or Cooked Shrimp
2 – Heads of Raw Cabbage
2 – Sausage Links
2 – Boxes of Krusteaz® Honey Cornbread
6 – Corn on the Cobs (cut in half)
Garlic Butter to Sautee
Salt & Pepper to taste

Put It All Together

You can use whatever sausage links you like, including andouille, beef, and turkey.

I used these:

I have never made cabbage in my life, so I asked my husband to prepare the cabbage.  I knew if he did it, there would be no taste experimenting, and me potentially ruining the dish. 

Edward said all he does is cut the cabbage down into bit-sized pieces, put it in a pot with a little water to cover the bottom, season it with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 30 minutes.  The cabbage should be tender.

Moving along, I do not handle shrimp and I almost always buy shrimp that is already shelled and deveined, and I asked my son to peel the tails off. 

At this point, you all are wondering, what did she do exactly?  Look, this meal was a collaborative effort. lol

As the cabbage cooked, I cut the sausage links into chef-like angled pieces, (this shape makes it seem like you are a professional) and then I pan-fried the sausage.

I sauteed the shrimp in this garlic butter, and then combined the sausage, shrimp and cabbage.

I boiled the corn on the cob and baked cornbread (this was happening simultaneously).

The Verdict

I served this as a main dish, but everyone felt it should be a side dish. My response: A dish with shrimp AND sausage AS A SIDE!? Okkayyy…. Hahaha, but they all liked it!

Uncategorized

Sweet Potato Hash Scramble

sharondashariee

Sweet Potato Hash Scramble

“If it is not candied yams, I do not want to try it.”  Those were the words that my son spoke to me when I asked if he wanted to try the sweet potato scramble.

Sweet Potato Hash Scramble with Turkey Sausage, Bell Pepper, White and Green Onion

I first had this sweet potato recipe as part of the continental lunch paired with a mixology class my husband and I attended.  We took a bite at the same time, and both our eyebrows raised and said, this really has potential.  I knew I would remake it at home, my way, and I did.

Here Is What You Will Need

1 – White Onion
1 – Red Bell Pepper
1 – 8 ounce Turkey Sausage Chub
1 – Bunch 0f Green Onion
2 – Bag of Fresh/Frozen Diced Sweet Potato
2 – Piece of Bread for Toast (optional)
2 – Egg (optional)
Salt, Pepper, and Cumin to Taste

Put It All Together

First, I cooked down the turkey sausage.  Removed the sausage from the electric skillet.

Diced the red bell pepper and white onion and sauteed them.  Removed them from the skillet.

Next, I added enough extra virgin olive oil to the bottom of the skillet, added the sweet potatoes, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and cumin to taste, and let them lightly brown.  Flipped the sweet potatoes to make sure they were crisped on all the edges.

Then I combined the turkey sausage, red bell pepper and white onion, and added them back to the skillet with the sweet potatoes and garnished with green onion.

Lastly, I fried the eggs separately and we ate them on the side, along with a piece of toast with apricot jelly to complete the meal.

The Verdict

sweet-potato-hash-scramble-fried-egg-and-toast-apricot-jelly
sweet-potato-hash-scramble-fried-egg-and-toast-apricot-jelly

We loved this meal.  Like my son, I would not have typically eaten sweet potatoes without them being candied, but this scramble is absolutely now on our regular menu rotation.  It made me happy. 

Only one of our kids tried it and liked it, so we were secretly ecstatic we had leftovers.  Warms up fabulously.  The second day we ate it with scrambled eggs, a better option than fried eggs.

Let me know if you give it a try.