Garza Blanca Resort Suite Tour- Summer Vacation 2017 @Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

First of all, sorry for not posting anything last week.  It was the Labor Day long weekend in the States, we're back on track with school schedules, and I’m still daydreaming about our summer vacation, whenever I'm alone!  When I'm not daydreaming, I was actually busy processing the videos and pictures that we took during our summer vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

(Lobby of Garza Blanca Resort)

Second of all, this is NOT a sponsored post!  We paid for this entire trip out of our own pocket!

Now that the disclaimer is done, if you still haven’t check out my video above, be sure to watch it.  In this video, I’ll give you a virtual tour of our 2 bedroom suite at the Garza Blanca, a beautiful resort where we stayed for 5 nights during our summer vacation.   I also included some of our daily activities and food that we enjoyed.   Although we did experienced some thunder storms (mostly at night), overall, we had fantastic and awesome experience for our stay. 

(Click on the images to enlarge)

Besides the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean by the beach, the infinity pools at this resort are just as gorgeous.  We signed up for the all-inclusive package and the non-motor sports activities at the hotel beach area are all included as well.  For the majority of time, we stayed in our resort, hung out at the beach and pool side.  My Kids declared that it was the most amazing vacation ever!  Honestly, I guess it’ll be quite hard to beat this one though.  No pressure on the person who will be researching and booking our next vacation destination though (a.k.a. my Husband)!

(Berry Blush Cocktail)

(Grilled Mushroom – Side dish from the Steakhouse)

(Sauces for the Steaks)

(Veal Chop)

(Dessert Tree from the Steakhouse - Assorted Desserts)

There are 3 major restaurants in this resort, unfortunately one of them (Italian theme) was under renovation during our stay.  So we only dined in the remaining 2 of them, they are Blanca Blue (Mexican theme) and Bocados STK (modern steakhouse).  The food and service in both restaurants were exceptional!  Be sure to check out more food videos and pictures from my video tour above.  The presentation of the dishes from Blanca Blue were fabulous!

(Lobby of Hotel Mousai)

(Pressure Massage Shower – one of the Hydrotherapy Circuit at Spa Imagine)

The sister resort of Garza Blanca called Hotel Mousai is for adults only.  They do have 2 other restaurants but we didn’t get to try them this time.  However, I did get a chance to visit Spa Imagine, which is located in the Hotel Mousai, and enjoyed a relaxing massage as well as their Hydrotherapy services.  That facility and services were just as wonderful as the rest of the resort.  Everyone was very attentive and courteous.   They would go above and beyond to make sure that you are happy and satisfy.  I did had a relax afternoon at the spa and felt rejuvenated when I left!  Thanks to my Honey for watching the Kids!

(Room Service Food)

(Mojito from Pool Side Service)

(Snack from Pool Side Service)

(Seafood Ceviche from Pool Side Service)

As I mentioned before, we opt for the all-inclusive package for our stay.  Therefore, all of our food including room service and pool side snacks and bars were all included.   But I have to say, the room service food was just so-so.  On the other hand, the pool side snacks and drinks were surprisingly delicious!  Overall, we had an awesome vacation and spent some quality time together as a family.  We sure made some unforgettable memories and something to look forward to in the future.  We sure hope to have a chance to be back some day…..but for now, I need to work hard for our next vacation! 

Just in case, below is the hotel website and information if you’re interested to check it out. 

Garza Blanca Preserve, Resort & Spa
Website: http://www.garzablancaresort.com/ Resort Phone: +52 (322) 176 0718
Address: Carretera a Barra de Navidad Km. 7.5 Puerto Vallarta , JAL. ,48390, Mexico.

Disclaimers
uTry.it hotel reviews are solely based on our experience at each hotel or resort we visit.   They were just our opinions. Unless otherwise stated, uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to stay at these hotels nor to write reviews.  We have no control over your lodging experience at any given hotel. Your experience will depend on the staff working that evening, the time of day, the cycles of the moon and many other things beyond our powers to influence.

How to Make the Fluffiest French Herbs Scrambled Eggs—France Vacation Inspired Recipe

I shared the above picture on Instagram while I was in France.  Yes, I was well-fed during my travel!  My Hubby surely knows how to keep me happy! ha!  I’m glad to report, most of my breakfasts were included as part of the hotel accommodations (some with extra fees, of course).  They were mostly all you can eat and the selections includes a wide varieties of choices and my picture above only shows part of my breakfast.  Yup, I usually went back for seconds (for fruit or yogurt), including my espresso doublé (double espresso)!



Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (I probably said it like 432,856 times in the past)!  A well balanced breakfast will fuel your body with nutrient and energies you need to start the day right.  Well, at least that’s what we aimed for, right?  I surely missed my French breakfast…. actually, I missed all the lunches, snacks, and dinners as well!   But let’s tackle them one at a time.  Here's how I made the fluffiest and most tender French Herbs Scrambled Eggs you’ll ever tried!  Follow me to the kitchen!

1) In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and salt together with a fork, until well combined.  Preheat an 8-inch nonstick saute pan over medium heat.  Add the butter and swirl in the pan until butter is melted. 

2) Pour in the egg mixture and let it cook for a few seconds. 

3) With a heat proof rubber spatula, gently stir the egg mixture and then swirl the eggs in the pan to make a nice round appearance.  





4) Sprinkle in the fresh herbs.

5) Gently stir/fold the egg mixture again. Continue cooking for about 30 seconds to a minute.

6) I usually cook the eggs until it’s 98% done and still slightly wet.  When it’s completely cooked in the pan, I considered that’s over-cooked when it’s transferred to the plate!   Flip the eggs, and place on serving plate. 

I've just show you all the secrets on how to make the fluffiest and most tender French Herbs Scrambled Eggs!  The most important tip is not to over cook the eggs!  This scrumptious breakfast was ready in less than 30 minutes, including prepping time.  So, there’s no excuse not to treat yourself and your family a wonderful meal to kick start the day, the right way!  I hope that you love today’s post, tips, and recipe.  Thank you for reading and please stay tuned for more tips and recipe. 






Props and Tools used in this post:

8-inch Calphalon Nonstick Omelette Pans (Click here for more information)
Heat Resistant Omelette Turner (Click here for more information)
Husband and Wife Coffee Mug (Click here for more information)

Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam

Yes, yes and yes!  You’ve read that right, it’s Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam!!  It’s as luscious, decadent, rich, ridiculously good and irresistible as it sounds!!!  Yes, it has Bourbon, maple syrup, and of course, bacons in it;  all transformed into this jam!!!!  I think I’ve used too many exclamation marks in my sentences!  But who cares?  When you have something as outrageous as Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam, it deserves all the exclamation marks out there!!!  Oops, sorry for using the marks again but I just couldn't help it. 



This Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam is truly amazing!  The Bourbon gives this jam a wonderful depth of flavor.  The maple syrup adds an earthy and smoky sweetness that compliment well with the smoky and salty bacon.  I used some uncured apple wood smoked bacon here.  You can use anything that you like.  I also added some apple cider vinegar to cut the richness from the bacon and that adds a wonderful tang to this jam.  The fresh ginger and red pepper flakes give this jam the heat and spiciness that balance well with the sweetness from the brown sugar and maple.  The flavor combination is complex, yet, it’s pure indulgence that you don’t want to miss.  After all, who can resist bacon? Oink Oink....



Best of all, this Bourbon Maple Bacon Jam is a cinch to make.  Come on into the kitchen with me to see how it’s done:

1) In a large stainless steel skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until golden brown and crisp; drain out melted fat/oil as necessary, stirring frequently, it takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2) Remove fat from pan but leave 1 tablespoon of fat in pan. In the same skillet, add onions, shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat, until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in red pepper flakes and ginger, stir and mix well.

3) Increase heat to high and add the bourbon and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrap up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then, add vinegar and brown sugar; let mixture come to a boil again.

4) Next, add the reserved bacon and reduce to low heat. Let the mixture simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a thick glaze, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until it has the consistency of a chunky jam. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!
 


Super easy to prepare, right?  One of my favorite way to serve this jam is spread it on toasts and serve with fresh cherry tomatoes and fresh thyme leaves.  The freshness from the tomato and thyme really compliment the richness of the jam.  Go ahead, make some and share the wealth.  This jam would definitely make a wonderful homemade gift.  I also have a few more serving suggestions at the end of the recipe.  Feel free to check them out.  What is your favorite indulging ingredient?  Is it bacon? Chocolate? Or something else.  I would love to hear from you.